Still bound to the rack, Alice waited as the Queen of Hearts and Queen of Spades were joined by the Queen of Diamonds and Queen of Clubs. They were like the Queen of Hearts, only slightly less so: slightly less fat, slightly less boisterous, and apparently slightly less powerful, but they seemed to all get on all right, talking in their haute way. The doors finally burst open, admitting the Knave along with the White Rabbit carrying a serving tray, upon which sat a butterfly. It fluttered off as the tray was set on the table and the cover removed, revealing a set of small cakes. "I bring these as tribute," said the snooty, nasally voice of the butterfly, "and a sign of respect to your majesties. They were made only for the fairest in the land." Each queen immediately grabbed one and scarfed it down, lest it not be said that she was one of the fairest. The butterfly also ate, but on a small bit of mushroom. It grew to be six feet long now, and Alice recognized it as the caterpillar she'd seen before.
"I was told you desired to summon the tickle-beast," the butterfly continued.
"Immediately!" the Queen of Hearts said, pelting them all with a few remnants of cake.
"I see. For this one?" he indicated Alice.
"Yes! Bring it immediately!"
"Such a thing is not easily done. The beast is an ancient power, and like many kept from Wonderland for our own protection. I will require your cooperation, your majesties, if we are to do this properly."
"You shall have it," the Queen of Hearts said.
"Very well. To allow it to enter requires permission from the sovereign. I will need each of you to provide the head of your scepter to serve as the symbol of the authority of the rulers of Wonderland. This will not only bring the beast, but contain it and then force it to leave."
"What is this trickery?!" the Queen of Spades demanded. "The heads of our scepters? Such a thing would-"
"Silence!" the Queen of Hearts said, smacking the Queen of Spades very hard on the back of her head. "We will do as you say, wise one, but be warned: if this is treachery, then scepter or no your head will be forfeit!"
"Thank you, your majesty. Also, by summoning the beast we are entering into a contract with it. It will not leave until we provide it a victim to take with it."
The Queen of Hearts turned and offered her huge, evil smile for Alice. "That won't be a problem," she said.
* * *
The four heads from their scepters were taken and screwed together into a cross with each queen's symbol on a side. Alice had been released and now stood with a guard at each arm, terrified of what was about to happen. It seemed that everyone was plotting against her, the butterfly, the white rabbit, the Cheshire Cat... what had she ever done to any of them to deserve to be given to a tickle-beast?!
The butterfly spoke some words she didn't understand, and the room began to tremble. Light began appearing between the gaps in the stone floor, and suddenly, one of them disappeared, replaced by a bright light and a writhing mass of white tentacles. Alice was terrified as she looked at it, and even her guards seemed frightened. The Butterfly, however, seemed completely nonplussed, fluttering easily backwards, so that it stood beside Alice. "And here she is," he said. And with a flourish, he undid the anthropomorphication, the force which makes the playing cards become human, and the collection of scepter heads turned into a playing card.
"And here she goes," said the Cheshire Cat with a snicker, yanking on a pair of carpets, which caused the guards to stumble away. The Butterfly stuffed the card into Alice's pocket, pulled out a piece of mushroom, nibbled on it, and shrunk so that he could no longer be seen. "I suggest you run," the Cat added as it disappeared. Alice did so, but the Queen of Hearts stepped between her and the door.
"How dare you!" she bellowed, grabbing Alice and striding with her towards the opening. Terrified, the girl didn't know what to do, so she flung her foot out and tripped the Queen. She was moving so quickly she lost her grip and tumbled, rolled over, and fell into the opening with all the tentacles. Not caring what was happening to her, Alice bolted through the door and ran out of the castle. From there she went:
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