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A Little Dynamite never hurts

Last time we left off Spalding was reveling in the fact that he made friends in the strangest of times and through tea.

With all this tea I’m never felt so free Spalding thought as he sipped away at his favorite spot in the Mad Tea Party tea shop.

Spalding was enjoying his time with his new friends, it’s like his life was finally gaining some meaning, and it no longer involved cats.

“All the mean kitties will be gone what a pity” he muttered to himself in his tea.

As he sat in his favorite chair with the many teas and cups and cakes and treats he hummed to himself happy as a bee. The tea pots chirped to him a happy little song and he hummed along. He sat there bobbing his head back and forth to this tune until his friends arrived Winter, the broom dog, and Bea, the Dormouse.

“Oh friends come in, come sit with me. Would you like a spot of tea?”

Bea who comes in and swirls like a mechanical ballerina in a jewelry box says “We’ve got a surprise. Your friend the Hatter is hidden under the rise!”

“ Very good, very good indeed. We must see my friend and make sure he’s freed!” Spalding says as his sits up quickly almost knocking his tea to the floor.  The fox prepared her broom to clean a mess that wasn’t there before they journeyed down.

They lead him down through the twists and turns, the labyrinth that is the sewers below. He couldn’t tell his left from right or his up from down. Until finally off in a hidden secret section deep within the sewers the friends enter a dark chamber with a ceiling so high that the darkness overtook it before they could see the top. There were pillars surrounding the center of the chamber and in the middle of the room sits Otis, The Mad Hatter, unconscious and tied to a chair with a spotlight directly above him.

“ Is he okay? Is he hurt? Poor hatter, poor poor hatter.” Spalding fretted wringing his paws.

“ He’s okay we just brought him hear for fear of the mean kitties, and tied him up for his own protection so he wouldn’t fall.” chimed Bea with her mousey smile.

Winter looks on curiously watching the others as Bea calmly checks on Otis and Spalding frets for his friends safety.  The Dormouse pokes at Otis, but he doesn’t budge. She pokes again, forgetting her own strength and wakes his with a pained startle.

“Bea… Where am I? What am I doing here… tied up?” Otis said as he slowly came to consciousness.

“ Oh don’t worry you’re surrounded by friends,” a familiar but forgotten to him voice said.

“Friend? I don’t know who you are.” Otis replied back.

Spaldings frets become a panic then becomes a rage.

“ Nonononono, this will not do, THIS WILL NOT DO AT ALL!”

“ Don’t you remember the tea party, the one in the dream? It was the best tea party with all of your friends here.” Spalding tries reasoningly.  

“Tea Party?” Otis inquired blearily waking up and hoping this was all a dream too.  

“HE DOESN’T REMEMBER!”

Spalding starts pacing from left to right, feeling his madness best the fight. But Bea had an idea one that she knew would work.

“Maybe he just needs his hat to remember the party.” Bea mused as she sent Barry for the special one she’d prepared.

“You must have me confused for my wife.  She owns a hat shop.” Otis sighed as he checked his bonds, which were not tight.  He could slip out if he planned it right. “I hate wearing hats.”

“HE HATES HATS!”

Barry returned with a hat, one finely crafted, with trinkets and gadgets and dynamite attachments. Bea straps it firmly upon his head and produces a mirror that fills him with dread.

WIth a start and look of realization dawning, he maddeningly laughs as Otis looks to his new cap fawning

“Oh what a dangerous and fine looking hat.”  Otis said as he appreciated the meaning of the explosive apparel.  ‘Play along or else’ it seemed to scream. “Yes, it does help me remember the dream.”

There was some doubt that he was truly awoken.  His words and madness seemed only a token.  

“Are you really with us I wonder?  Trusting you now would seem a blunder.”  Winter said echoing the thoughts of all present, including the clockwork.

“Do you have any proof of your new insight?  Evidence you shall join alongside our fight?”  Spalding demanded as he wanted to believe but dared not hope.

The Hatter paused as he looked nervous and riled, desperate to prove himself before they turned wild.  Perhaps that was what gave him a spark, and he ventured fearfully with a lark, “The Tea Party with friends, next to the witch’s castle in the end?”

Spalding face brightened with light and glee, his friend had come back and had been set free.

“ Yes, that’s it, that’s it indeed!” He cried delighted.  

The man slipped nervously from his bonds, never intended to trap him, and was careful not to remove his hat.  He did not wish to die, and in their hands surely a detonator must lie. Who would merely decorate a hat with dynamite?  Well, Beatrixe Rouse might. 

Otis was neither a brave nor stupid enough man to chance it. 

“Now time for planning, those mean kitties need canning. What can we do to make mean kitty stew?” Spalding said as he began to pace again this time for pure thought.

They all stood there or paced all over the place but couldn’t think of a properly placed plan. Until Bea asked if Otis could chime in.

“Can you not get into the kitties heads?  Make the kitties taste their own dread?” Bea wondered aloud.

“I do have a hypnotists skills, but not sure that would make the kitties pay their bills.”  Otis replied his smile wild and pleading. “I recall reading that Beryl is regrettably resistant.  But others may aide if we remain persistent. A tragedy that I always lament. I could have helped her bury the past with cement.”  

“It would be good to have allies.  With them we can make sure the evil dies.”  Spalding mused with joy. “If only we had an Alice, the one known to be filled with malice.”  

“The mad one sealed away from before the fall?” Beatrixe mused and to everyone’s delight followed up,  “Only the archives would know where lays that doll.”  

Then their course was set.  To the archives they went and to more allies be they witting or not of their sense.  Soon the kitties will do naught but rot.

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