Beatrice turned around to say something sarcastic and obscure not long after the two had set off into the maze, only to find that her companion was no longer accompanying her.

“Hey, Hatty! Keep up!”

“I thought I was ahead of you,” He shouted back.

“What? Where are you? Wait – which hand did you use?”

“My left.”

“Well, there you go, Dum-Dum, I went right!”

“Okay, just stay there and I’ll walk back.”

Beatrice waited but it was in vain. “Where are you?”

“I’m trying to get to the entrance again, but I can’t find it,” Mad Hat called.

“Did you go exactly the same way back?”

“Yes, but it’s like it’s all sealed up.”

“Oh, that’s just great…”

“How so?”

“Never mind, just follow my voice - but keep your hand on the wall!”

“Okay, keep talking.”

“Have I shut-up yet?” she asked loudly. “Frankly I’m surprised that you’ve even put up with me this far - adventure or no adventure. I mean, I like to think of myself as someone who’s easy to get along with, but I know I have a habit of just going on and on… I really do try to stop myself when I notice I’m doing it, but I just can’t seem to help it.” She continued using her outside voice. “I guess at least this once it’s come in handy, but-”

“No need to shout, I’m right here.” Mad Hat was peering through the shrubbery right next to her from the other side.

“Oh! Can you squeeze through to this side?” He tried but the branches were too thickly interlaced. “I guess we can just walk along and see if we meet up anywhere,” she suggested.

“You really do talk a lot.”

“Fine, you talk.”

“About what?”

“Anything. Anything and everything that comes to your strange mind.”

“You know I’ve heard of your world before, but I’ve never heard of someone coming to ours from there. Or vice versa.”

“Then how have you heard of it?”

“Old stories… but they never talk about people traveling to or from there, just the kind of creatures and monsters you have.”

“Oh? Such as?”

“I hear you travel in big armored things that run and fly.”

“What, like planes, trains, and automobiles?”

“I suppose... and that instead of Kings and Queens you have a whole group of people telling you what to do and how and when to do it.”

“Well, that part’s true. Too bad they don’t always agree, or even know what’s going on half the time.”

“They say that things in your world sometimes move so fast you can’t see it.”

“Ha! It’s called Time, and there’s never enough of it.”

“What don’t you have time enough to do?”

“Oh you know… cleaning my house for one... and relaxing for another… It’s kind of like an endless struggle between having time for the things you have to do and the things you want to do.”

“What sort of things do you want to do?”

“Right now I just want to sleep in my own bed and not leave my apartment for a few days.”

“Your apartment?”

“You know, a small place you rent from someone instead of owning your own house because you bought too much avocado toast?”

“Oh. I just live above my shop. We all do, except for the Royals and their staff who live in the castle of course.”

The two suddenly popped out into a mutual clearing of their respective paths.

“Okay, this time let’s be sure to both walk in the same direction,” reminded Beatrice.

“Should we go forward to the right or left?”

“What’s wrong with upways?” Came a mysterious and silky third voice.

“Or slantways?” came a forth of equal timbre.

Two very oversized cats stepped out from the shadows in front of them.

“You can even go zig-zag,” said the white one.

“Or polka dot,” offered the black one.

“Why limit yourself so?”

“There are so many options.”

“Are those cats talking to us?” Beatrice inquired of her partner in crime.

“I suppose so. I’ve never heard a cat talk before though,” he replied.

“No? Well, they definitely don’t talk where I come from.”

“Perhaps they just don’t care to talk to you,” one of the cats rationalized.

“Or maybe they’re just stupid,” supposed the other.

“Are you suggesting that not all cats possess the intelligence that allows them to talk?” retorted the one.

“On the contrary - I’m merely suggesting that they lack the brains to want to,” said the other.

“And with that do you mean to imply smartness must be present alongside the want to converse?”

“Not even. I am proposing that–” But the thought was never finished. Beatrice and Mad Hat had tried to slink off during this quarrel but they were noticed.

“You won’t get out that way,” said the one cat.

“Oh, most definitely not that way,” said the other.

“Which way then?” Beatrice inquired.

“That’s up to you.” “Yes, entirely up to you!” was the reply.

“If it’s up to me I choose this way, thank you very much!” She tried to set off again.

“It’s up to you which way you would go,” “Not which way you could go,” the cats grinned.

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Mad Hat demanded.

“It means…” “…that a game must be played…” “…and the outcome of the game will determine…” “…who shall go where.”

“What kind of game?” Beatrice asked warily.

“A game of truth,” “And of false.”

“Is that kind of like ‘Truth or Dare’?” Beatrice sought to clarify.

“If you dare to be false.” “Though that’s quite a risk.”

“Well, get on with it then,” Mad Hat said impatiently.

“Get on with it!” bristled the white cat.

“Get on with it, he says!” echoed the black cat.

They grinned at each other menacingly.

“We know why you’ve come here…” “…and so does one of you.”

“The Truth-sayer can be on their merry way…” “…but the Lie-sayer will be cast astray!”

“What a bunch of nonsense,” Beatrice huffed.

“So thinks the White Queen.”

“What do you mean Queen? I am not a Queen!”

“Careful what you say, my dear!” “Lies are not taken well, I fear!”

“I am not lying. I am not a Queen and I have no idea what you mean by it.”

“Mean… the old Queen was mean.” “Mean, Mean, Mean!”

“Just let us go on our way, will you?” Mad Hat demanded.

“Will you? Won’t you?” “Do you know the Red King’s Dream?”

“I haven’t the slightest idea,” he retorted.

The cats suddenly became a little more ferocious. They barred their glistening teeth and stood ready to pounce.

“Two liars we have here!” one snarled.

“Toss them out!” snarled the other.

“Out, Out, Out!” they shouted in unison.

Beatrice and Mad Hat drew back in horror as the felines leapt and landed just before them, their wild faces so close the bipeds could feel the hot breath. Before they knew it, the ground below the two adventurers fell away and they began to tumble down below the surface. The great cats snapped their teeth so hard the bone shattered into tiny little pieces that rained down after their prey.