The Heart of Wonderland

Chapter 27

"What do you mean, it has no answer?" Maddox asked. "It has to have an answer. That's the whole point of a riddle."

"Not so, young man." The Hatter laughed. "Haven't you ever heard of a Buddhist koan?"

"A cone?" Alison repeated. "Like an ice cream cone?"

Maddox shook his head. "It's pronounced the same way, but a koan is part of meditation practice. Some people see them as meaningless riddles or questions with no answer, but my grandmother told me that a true koan has many possible answers."

"Your grandmother is a very wise woman," the Hatter said. Silently, Alison agreed. "And an excellent cook, too."

"An excellent cook? You know Maddox's grandmother?" Alison stared at the eccentric old man. It made sense that the people of Wonderland would remember the former Guardian, but it was strange to imagine Mrs. Kim as a young woman going on adventures. And it was even stranger to picture the calm, graceful woman sitting down to tea with the excitable, scatterbrained Mad Hatter.

"Of course I know Sun-ja!" The Hatter jumped to his feet in excitement. "Oh, the tea parties we used to have—me, Sun-ja, and your grandfather."

"My grandfather?" Alison's heart beat faster. She'd always wanted to know more about her family history, especially now that she knew about her lineage as a Keeper. Was it possible that the Mad Hatter, of all people, could answer some of the questions her father never would?

"Sun-ja makes delightful crumpets," the Hatter went on as if Alison hadn't spoken. "Lighter than air, and twice as delicious. Hers were even better than those at Mrs. Putnam's bakery in London. Why, I remember one afternoon—"

"Wait a minute." Alison held up a hand as she interrupted the Hatter's stream-of-consciousness speech. His rapid patter made her head spin. "You've been to London? But how were you able to leave Wonderland?"

If the Mad Hatter could tell them how he'd been able to travel between worlds, it might give her new information about the accident that had killed her parents. She was positive she'd seen one of the Red Queen's knights that day, and maybe the Cheshire Cat's smile, too. More importantly, the Hatter might be able to give them a clue about what had happened to Maddox's mother.

"Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been? I've been to London to look at the queen." In response to Alison's question, the Hatter recited a nursery rhyme in a sing-song voice.

Ugh. Maddox had been right. The Hatter was so easily distracted, it was impossible to keep him on one topic for long.

"When did you go to London?" Alison tried again. "Can you tell me about your trip?"

"London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down," the Hatter sang in reply. "London bridge is falling down, my fair lady."

Alison exchanged a helpless, frustrated glance with Maddox. There had to be a way to get the Hatter to answer her questions. But how?

Maddox shrugged. "Don't look at me. I've been trying to make sense of him for a week."

Alison's brow furrowed as she thought. "Did Sun-ja go to London with you?" she asked. The man had been at his most lucid when remembering his friendship with Mrs. Kim. Perhaps mention of her would help him focus.

"No, indeed!" The Hatter danced a jig as he spoke. "Before her time, that was."

"Did some other Guardian or Keeper go with you, then?"

He stopped dancing and removed his hat, then bowed with a flourish. "Looking for a Keeper, are you? I'm at your service, madam." When he straightened from his bow, he held his hat over his heart and stood at attention as if he was a soldier waiting for orders.