Past: The Poison Garden, Alnwick, Northumberland, England
“M arried,” Lewis Carroll stopped himself from laughing. He couldn’t imagine who would marry this beast. Also who would want to be the Pillar’s wife or even child.
“Honestly, I’m still too young for that,” the Pillar reasoned. “And I had never considered myself the marriage type.”
“Then why do you want to get married now?”
“Love,” the Pillar blew out smoke the shape of the heart and he stared at it with beady eyes as it waved before him.
“Love?” Lewis put his hand in his pockets. “Seriously?”
“It’s a beautiful thing, Lewis. You should try it some time.”
Lewis shrugged. The Pillar was referring to Lewis loveless life. “So how does this have anything to do with me doing you a favor to get my mushroom?”
“You know the bride.”
“Ah, that’s it,” Lewis ran his hand through his hair. “Look, Pillar, no offense, but it’s really going to be hard to convince anyone to love you.”
“She doesn’t have to love me,” the Pillar said. “I love her. That’s all that matters.”
“Whoa,” Lewis rolled his eyes. “Look, I don’t have time. Really. Carolus could wake up any moment. Ask anything else of me.”
“No marriage, no mushroom. Take it or leave it.”
Lewis sighed, feeling his migraines returning. Soon he will be stuttering again. Soon the pain will return. Soon Carolus will come alive. “All right, who is she?”
“So you’re going to tell her?” the Pillar clapped his hands like a child.
“Yes,” Lewis said. “But I don’t guarantee anything else.”
“Don’t worry. I’m charming. I will make her mine.”
“So who is she, Pillar?”
That’s when the Pillar descended his mushroom throne and walked toward Lewis. “The Queen’s sister.”
Lewis took a moment to remember who the Queen’s sister was. “You mean the Queen of Hearts’ sister?”
“Yes.”
“I always knew she had a sister but… what was her name again?”
“Come on, Lewis. You know.”
Lewis took a moment to collect this thought then burst out saying, “No!”
“What?”
“You won’t marry her of course. She’s too young.”
“I am young enough.”
“I mean she is such an innocent girl, I can’t imagine you—”
“Innocent?” the Pillar snorted. “She is the Queen’s sister, I am telling you there is nothing innocent about the Queen’s family.”
“Pillar, listen to me. Please not her.”
“Oh,” the Pillar took a few steps back. “You like her.”
Lewis’ face went red. “You misunderstand me—”
“I think I do understand,” the Pillar’s eyes reddened, just momentarily, then softened again with subtle slyness. “Tell you what, Lewis, here is your precious mushroom.”
Lewis watched the Pillar hand it to him. It didn’t make sense that he would have changed his mind so abruptly. Lewis hadn’t enough time or peace of mind to consider the Pillar’s real motives. To him, he was racing time before Carolus awoke.
“Thank you, Pillar,” Lewis took the mushroom but didn’t eat it. He asked, “Do I have enough time to do something before I forget?” he wanted to visit the March and tell him about the Six Keys and keep the secret with him.
“Half a day. You have time.”
“Thank you,” Lewis began eating the mushroom.
“Don’t mention it, Lewis,” the Pillar embarked his mushroom again, pleased that the mushroom would mess up Lewis’ life so he would not be competing for the same woman he wished to marry.
Lewis began to ache as the mushroom appeared to have side effects. “Does it have to hurt like that, Pillar?”
“You wanted to forget, Lewis,” the Pillar said. “Forgetting is as painful as remembering.”