• It had been about an hour since the encounter with the robot, when Alice asked, “Am I really seeing this?” She pointed at a ram shackled looking hut. It abandoned. However, on the roof, freshly painted proclaimed “STORE.”
    “You’d better be,” David replied, halting beside her. “Otherwise we’re both crazy. Do you think we should go in?”
    Alice shrugged. “What could happen?”
    “Lots of things.. There could be a crazy ax murderer in there for all we know.”
    “Ok then,” replied Alice smiling. “You first.”
    David drew his gun and yanked back the slide. He held the gun down as he approached the door. He cautiously opened it. “Hello, dearie,” a sweet voice called from inside the shop. David and Alice exchanged looks, then he put his gun away. They both went in.
    The shop was surprisingly large. Dust motes drifted thick in the light from the open door. Most of the windows were caked with a layer of grime that blocked all incoming light Selves were aligned in aisles all over the shop. On the selves themselves were all sorts of items. Everything from lighters to kettles to tea cups to books. They didn’t seem to have any particular order, but were rather just thrown on the shelves in any which way. Way in the back, behind the counter, nearly invisible in the gloom, was a sheep knitting. She wore thick glasses and a green knit hat.
    David did a double take. A sheep? He thought incredulously. “Hello dearies” the sheep said in an old lady voice. There was no mistaking it. A talking, knitting sheep. “Hello!” replied Alice, who didn’t seem to find a talking animal the least bit odd. “I’m Alice. This is my friend David. Go say hello,” Alice commanded. He just waved.
    “Well then,” the lamb said, putting aside her knitting. “My names Teresa. Now, tell me dearies, are you here to trade?”
    “Trade?” asked David.
    “Trade.” Teresa replied. “’The exchange of goods between two parties.’ That sort of thing?”
    “I know what trading is.” David snapped in reply. “I just don’t think we have anything to trade.”
    The sheep pointed at the pistol David had taken from the downed robot. “May I see that?” she asked. David nodded and handed it to her grip first while Alice began to wanderer the aisles.
    She examined it for several minutes without comment,. Finally, just when he was about to say something, Teresa looked up said, “Ah…I see you’ve killed a pawn. Very nice.”
    “A what?” David asked. Alice, hearing their voices, came back over.
    “A pawn. Soldier of the Red King.
    “The who?” This time it was Alice who spoke.
    “Ah…” Teresa peered at the two of them with renewed interest. “You aren’t from around here, are you?”
    They both nodded.
    “Well then, let me tell you a little something about what’s going on here, dearie.” She leaned back in a rocking chair that Alice swore wasn’t there a second ago. “In the land of Mirra, there are two kingdoms. One is Wonderland ruled by the Queen of Hearts. She commands legions of card soldiers. However, they are still living. That is, they are flesh and blood.” Teresa paused to pick up her knitting again.
    “The other is called the Chessboard. It’s ruled by the Red King. The King and his army of chessmen are nothing like Wonderland. They are all mechanical. Their brains are a series of clockwork gears. The fact you were able to take one down, even just a pawn, is quite a feat. You should be proud.” The sheep looked up again from her needles. “Would you like a cup of tea, dear?”
    “Sure”
    The lamp reached under the counter and produced a trio of blue china tea cups and saucers, followed by a big steaming kettle. She poured them each a cup. David tried his, and shuddered at the bitter taste that ran down his throat. “Sugar, darling?” asked Teresa. David replied “Yes please” and added a sugar cube. He sipped it slowly again. He found it still bitter but drinkable. For a few minutes there was silence as they drank their tea.
    “Well,” said Teresa finally. “I’d suppose I’d better continue if I hope to get done today.” She put her cup aside. “Now, as I was saying, Wonderland and the Chessboard are very different. They’ve hated each other for as long as anyone can remember…except for maybe the ancient caterpillars.
    “Now they’re at war. It’s a sheer nightmare. Entire villages are wiped off the map. Makes a big mess too. The land between the two kingdoms has become almost unlivable.” She paused to take a long draught of her tea. “Now, I suppose you’ll want to be getting to Wonderland?”
    “How did you know?” David asked before Alice could.
    “Ah…these old eyes of mine are still pretty sharp. For instance, I can see that you have no items to trade.”
    “Then we’re doomed!” David burst out. “There’s no way in hell we’re getting to Wonderland City without any food!”
    The sheep chuckled. “I said you have no items to trade.” She stared intently at him through her spectacles. “But you do have certain services I can use.
    “What kind of services?”
    “There’s something I want you to take from someone. Two somethings actually.”
    “Who’s the person?” Alice asked.
    Teresa’s eyes flashed. “The White Rabbit.”
    Unseen by the other two, David shuddered, and then wasn’t sure why. Something about the White Rabbit scared him.
    “And what do you want us to take?” continued Alice.
    “I want you to take her pocket watch and kid gloves.” Teresa replied.
    “Do we have to kill her?” David chimed.
    Teresa laughed. “I imagine you’d find that very difficult to do, dear. No, all I want is for you to take the watch and the gloves.”
    David nodded. “Ok then, we’ll take the stuff, get back here, and be on our way!” But the sheep shook her head slowly.
    “I didn’t say I wanted you to bring them to me.” She explained. “I said I wanted you to take them from her.”
    “Why?” Alice asked.
    “I think she’s been using them for far too long…” she said mysteriously.