"The rabbit is upset," said Alice, straightening the table, shoving the cat to the side.
"The rabbit is always upset," said the Hatter. "I think that may be his actual job."
"He's afraid of change."
"He's afraid that if he changes, he'll die," said the Hatter. "The queen will get him."
Alice nodded. "I guess that's a possibility, in Wonderland."
"It's a possibility anywhere, " said the Hatter.
"True."
"You're making changes here, according to what you know from somewhere else. What if the rabbit came to where you live and wanted things to be like where he came from?"
Alice thought about what the Hatter said and nodded. "I probably should have thought about that. Is that what I'm doing?"
"You're changing a way of life for everyone, without thinking about what you're taking away, or starting up. You're just moving through Wonderland like a whirlwind and never thinking about who lives here and what it's doing to them. Parents do that, you know. They think they know what's best, but mostly they don't."
Alice put her head on the table. "Are you saying that I don't know what I'm doing?"
"I'm saying that what you're doing may not be what needs to be done in this place."
"Have I made a mess of things?" said Alice, horrified at her own behavior.
"It's too early to tell," said the Hatter. "And the brim on your hat should be bigger. Not much, just a titch. I've said that from the beginning, but you won't let me fix it."
"My hat?"
"Yes, your hat."
"I love my hat the way it is."
"Ah, but what if that's what's happening here? People may love their lives the way they are, but you're changing them anyway."
"Ack," said Alice, covering her face with her hands.
"How is the dear Kraken, by the way?" asked the Hatter, taking another slice of cake.
"He's beautiful and seems fine. I like him a lot. He's very nice and he's also happy and content."
"Good to know," said the Hatter, spreading jam on his cake.
Alice looked up, "Do you hear that? It sounds...like someone trying to say...something."
"Jam?" he said, offering her the jar.
"No, thank you. Did you hear what the wind was saying?"
The Hatter stood, said he had hats to make, and started walking away.
"What was that, Hatter?"
He didn't look back, but whispered to himself, "It was your sister calling you home."
Alice started to pour more tea, when the cat sat up. "I heard it."
"You did?"
"Yes," said the cat. "But I won't tell you what is said."
"Why not?"
"Because."
"Because?"
"Exactly," said the cat disappearing in front of her.
"He has his reasons for not telling you. So does the Hatter," said the dormouse. "The more things change, the more they stay the same."
"That doesn't make any sense at all," said Alice, her frustration growing. "The more things change, the more different they are from what they used to be."
"That's true," said the dormouse. "Love can be that way too."
"What?"
"You should probably hide, the queen's men are coming."
Photo: Haley Lawrence
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