Blank In Wonderland, Part 21

“Gene!” Helen screamed, shoving at the two guards who held her arms. “Let my husband go! I know what you plan on doing...”

“So do I, Helen. My mind works in the same way as yours.” He glared down at him under the zig-zag chess king crown. “Even if you do put me to sleep, you still won't get Looking Glass Land. Someone is on their way to checkmating you. You can't stop them. They've jumped half the board already.”

“I can deal with her, Your Majesty.” He stepped from the throne and kissed Brett's hand. “You didn't really think you could jump this square and take over my kingdom, did you?”

She yanked her hands back. “Don't you dare slobber on me. And it's not your kingdom. Gene and Helen and Betty and Allen have as much right to rule as you do.”

He pushed her into Jack's waiting arms. “Here's your prisoner, Red Knight. I want those boys. They're too young to work for me right now, but they'll grow into it. The Duchess and the boys will be kept in the tower at my castle until the boys are of age and I can return the Duchess to her homeland. The animals will be in cages until they can be...persuaded...to work for me.”

“What? Oh no, cat, you ain't getting this Black Prince!” Jimmie hissed as he squirmed out of Richard's armor. “I'm getting out of this crazy joint!” He fluttered down the hall, over the heads of anyone who tried to grab him. 

“You put Charles in limbo, you nasty man!” Orson tried to keep the Doormouse with him, but he kept snoring and falling over. “Get him out of there! He can't stay there! No one can survive Limbo!”

The Red King made a face. “He was annoying me, as you are.” Two of the guards shoved Orson and the sleeping Doormouse into a wire cage resting near the thrones. “We'll deal with you two and the White Rabbit later.” 

“No!” Bill's eyes widened from inside the cage. “Don't take my muchness! Don't hurt me! I don't want to die! I'm too young and handsome to die!” 

The Red King smirked and took Marcia's arm firmly. “You'll stay with me until we arrive at my castle, Duchess. Now,” he rubbed his scepter slowly under Gene's chin. “As for this so-called monarch, I think he needs to sleep his troubles away, don't you?”

“What?” Gene finally managed to shove the guards holding him away. “Oh no, Red King! Forget it! I'm going to tell everyone the truth about you, starting with what you did to my guards. You killed them or twisted their minds into monsters, every single one!”

“They wouldn't play the game in the proper way. Just like you.” He shot a dark red light from his scepter directly at Gene's chest. “It's time you learned the right way to play the game. You move around far too much and make a mockery out of running the kingdoms. Playing the game isn't funny, Your Majesty!”

Richard and Brett leaped for him at once, but they were too late. The light from the scepter slammed into Gene's chest, flowing over his entire body. It stroked his eyelids, forcing them shut, and rubbed around his temples to calm his head. Finally, he collapsed in a weak-kneed heap to the ground, snoring heavily.

“NO!” Richard screamed as he, Brett, and Helen all ran to Gene at once. “What have you done, you fiend!”

The Red King's wide evil grin gleamed in the light from the white crystal chandeliers. “Your precious monarch is under a spell of eternal slumber. He will sleep deeply for the rest of his life...and never awaken to play the game improperly again.”

“You...you...you villain!” Richard drew his shining white sword and leaped at the Red King. “You reverse that spell this instant!”

Jack jumped in front of him, matching Richard with his own dirty red blade. “Oh no you don't, pal! You ain't hurtin' my king! He did what he hadda do!”

“Stop!” Brett grabbed Jack's arm. “Jack, are you crazy? Boys, enough!” He shoved her aside so hard, she landed with a hard whumph on the tiled floor.  

Richard was angry as all get-out, but Jack was bigger and stronger. He forced Dickie back to the row of narrow windows and shoved him against one. “Forget it, buddy. I told you I'm better than you. You'll just have to give up and join the Red King's game, like your pals.”

“Never!” Richard panted angrily. “I won't betray my king like you did! White King Gene is my mentor and friend. I wouldn't harm him for all the mirrors in Looking Glass Land.” 

He turned his piercing glare to the Red King. “You're afraid. Terrified of what you know will happen when Brett checkmates you. Your spells will be at an end, and you will be out of power. Checkmate is the end game, mate. It's the rules.”

The Red King gave him the same red hot angry look he gave her back in the Hearts Palace garden. “I think not, Sir Dawson.” He smirked and nodded at his men. “Bring me his sword.” 

“What?” Richard yelped as Bert and Larry yanked the gleaming silver blade from his arms. They knelt before the Red King and offered it to him.

“Beautiful.” The Red King chuckled. “The kingdom's finest workmanship.” He ran his finger along the edge, drawing blood. “Sharp as a tack.” 

Richard glared at him from where Jack held him back. “It's too good,” he snarled, “for the likes of you!”

“Too good for you as well.” Brett groaned and rolled onto her elbow as the Red King threw the blade on the ground. “I think no one should have it, then.” He shot his red light directly into the blade. It shattered with a great crack, breaking in two before the red light pummeled it into silver bits. 

“And now,” his smile as he turned his gaze to Richard was chilling, “to deal with you. Red Knight,” he said smoothly, “throw him over the side. The rocks on the cliff below are sharp and treacherous. If he survives, it should teach him a lesson about meddling in other people's affairs.”

“No!” Richard's sons yelled at once from where they'd been pushed into a cage. “Dad! Don't hurt him!”

“He's all we have,” the younger added tearfully. “Our mum went back to Brittanica.” 

David jumped after them, but two guards yanked him back. “Hey, man, lay off the dude. He's just doing his job!” He and his brother were thrown in the cage with Dickie's boys. 

This was getting out of hand. “No! Leave the kids alone! They're not your slaves, Red King!” Brett's fingers groped for Jack's arm under the dirty scarlet armor. “Honey, come on! Since when did you ever do anything you were told?”

He turned to her...and she drew back when she saw his eyes were all black, just like Bert's. “Sorry, lady,” he droned. “The Red King is in charge. I gotta do what he says.”

“Jack,” Brett begged softly. “Please. You're not like him. You wouldn't hurt a man in cold blood.”

“No,” said the Red King as Jack started to move back, “but I would.” 

Brett lunged for his arm. She managed to deflect it from Dickie's heart...but it hit him in the head as he stumbled and smashed through the gleaming stained glass window! 

“I...” Jack pulled back, looking at Brett's clenched jaw and raging eyes. “Lady, I...I couldn't do it...”

“You,” the Red King snapped at Jack, “I want to have a talk with when we get back to the Red Castle. You,” he turned to Brett, “have been a thorn in my side for far too long. I don't care how badly the Red Knight wants you and your sons. It's time,” he held the scepter at her, “that you learned how to follow the rules of the game.”

“Oh no, you don't!” Brett grabbed Helen's arm; Marcia elbowed her captor. “Come on, ladies! Let's get out of here!”

They dashed out the door, the Red King following more amiably. “You ladies go get help. We can't rescue everyone on our own. And Dickie...” she bit her lip, but went on. “There's nothing we can do for him now. We'll get someone to scrape him off the side of the cliff later. Right now, it's Gene and the others I'm worried about.” 

Helen frowned. “What about you?”

Brett raised her chin. “I'm going to find Charles in that Limbo place if it takes me all year!” 

“You want to find the Mad Hatter?” Brett slowly turned...to see the Red King standing behind her with that slasher smile of his. “I'll help you get there. This is what happens to people who don't play by my rules.”

The women scattered down the hall and out the doors. Brett hadn't gotten more than an inch when the Red King's magic hit her in the back. It knocked her flat on her chest...and she remembered nothing else.