Chapter 30
“Any idea where in Oz we are?” Tinkerton asked, from a log where he had plopped down to unlace his boots.
Blinkem shrugged as he carefully stepped around the forest moss and illuminated mushrooms. “Munchkin Country, based on the fauna, I believe, Northeast Quadrant,” he said, listening for something. “That cavern system pulled us clear across the country.”
Tinkerton pried his socks from his feet with a loud “Ah!” and tossed them atop the log. “We need to start a fire, I need to eat, and I need to dry some of these clothes.”
“I think that’s a wise plan,” Alice said, though she truly thought it was a fantastic plan, because she was ravenous.
“I can gather food,” Blinkem said. “You can start a fire?” he asked Tinkerton.
“I can do a fire and… a pot, if you can source water.”
“You’ll need more than two hands if you are to fetch water and gather,” Alice said, feeling a sudden uselessness as the men volleyed over the plan. Blinkem agreed with his usual quiet nod.
“Captain, your helmet, please,” Tinkerton said to the robot, but the robot did not respond. In fact, its eyes were closed.
“Has he fallen asleep?” Alice asked, wondering if robotic men required rest.
“In a way! His crank key has run out. I won’t bother waking him; I’m sure he is tuckered out and could use the time to dry.
” Tinkerton gently banged on the robot’s hollow back, then lifted off the large saucer helmet.
From the seams at the top of the captain’s bald head, silver light streamed.
Alice couldn’t pull her eyes from it, as she took the helmet from Tinkerton.
“That’s right,” he said softly. “See. The same mineral from the cave is what enchants the captain. His brain is a rock. A big fist-sized rock of lurlicite.” Tinkerton grinned with his fist balled. Alice smiled at his joyfulness.
“Don’t step on anything that will kill you while we’re gone,” Blinkem said, breaking the moment between Alice and Tinkerton. “And whatever you do, do not eat those.” Blinkem pointed to the patch of glowing green and yellow mushrooms which surrounded Tinkerton’s bare feet.
“I don’t eat plants that glow, pal,” Tinkerton said with a frisky wink to Alice.
His cheery mood made it all feel more like an adventure than being lost, though the schoolyard competitive spirit she sensed between him and Blinkem felt unnecessary.
She was grateful though that, if she’d had to end up here, it could be with them.
Blinkem studied the ground closely as he and Alice walked, periodically freezing in place and darting looks towards distant noises that Alice couldn’t hear.
She remained silent as he was deeply concentrated, and hunger had made her doubt her ability to form complete sentences, but she desperately needed to address the subject of the watch, along with other matters, such as who the woman Tattypoo was and how she would be able to help Alice, as Blinkem had promised.
But how could a woman Alice didn’t know, from another world no less, have the answers to her questions?
Though, if she did… then, could she also help her find Wendy?
“I was hoping that you could tell me something,” she said, her hand resting readily on the waist pouch that contained the watch.
“Here!” Blinkem crouched down into a patch of wide-leafed vegetation and dug his fingers into the soil around the leaves.
He then pushed his hands into the dirt and grasped firmly, shaking his arms to loosen the earth.
With a heavy yank, he pulled a large mound of dirt from the forest floor.
Bulbous roots clumped together in the dirt. “Radishes,” he said.
“How did you know?” she asked, impressed by his efficient and brilliant scavenging. Though she hated radishes, anything would do in this moment, and the need to address the watch was forgotten.
“I know forest food well. We’re lucky we seem to have hit a bounty,” he said, glancing around the forest where they stood. “That is a bit concerning,” he added.
“What is?”
“There are wild yams over there.” He pointed to another dense patch. “False unicorn there, edible mushrooms there.” He pointed to a spot of soil that was densely covered in short, light mushrooms.
“It’s a garden?” Alice asked, noticing now that the planting was roughly parceled by what it yielded.
“Thas’ right! An’ what be the two o’ ye doin’ in our garden?
” a woman’s voice shouted from above. Alice shot a look up into the dense branches when something, a nut perhaps, struck her on the crown of her head.
Blinkem stepped in front of Alice, pulling her into his back, which radiated with heat. He smelled of sweat and salt water.
“We didn’t mean to intrude. We’re lost and were planning to make a fire, forage, and be on our way,” Blinkem said, scanning the trees as Alice rubbed her head. Another nut whizzed down at them, but Blinkem skillfully blocked it with his forearm.
“Foargin’ in a garden belongin’ to th’ grand folk o’ Munchkins ain’t foargin’, now, is it? It’s thievin’!” the voice shouted and moved somewhere above them.
Blinkem countered, shielding Alice. “I see now that it belongs to Munchkin folk.”
There was a heavy plop on the ground by a large tree at the edge of the garden, which Alice could now clearly see was marked off by logs that stretched between four trees.
A small figure emerged from behind the tree closest to Alice and Blinkem, hopping onto the log beside them.
She wore a dark skirt and jacket with a belt, as Alice could tell upon closer inspection.
The woman walked across the log toward them as if she were on a tightrope, repeatedly hitting her palm with a slingshot. That explained the nuts.
“’Scuse me, ye thievin’ scoundrels. Ye wouldn’t happen t’ be th’ lawbreakers who set a dragon loose in these here woods, would ye now?” the woman asked. “Dragons be only allowed out every hundred years, accordin’ till th’ law.” The woman tapped her foot as she stood on the log.
Alice was surprised to say the least. Until now she hadn’t even known that dragons existed, let alone that there were laws regarding them.
She was certain that she could reason with the young woman, though.
Blinkem began to speak, but Alice could feel the lie bubbling up within him.
“I’m sorry. This was my fault,” Alice said, stepping around Blinkem to face the woman.
“I’m not from here, and there are no dragons where I come from.
We were trapped in the caves below, and the dragon’s home was destroyed. ”
The small woman jumped down from the log, standing no taller than Alice’s chest.
“Where did ye say ye be from?”
“London. It’s far away from here, I think,” Alice said, still unsure of her location.
“Ne’er heard o’ Londonland. Anyways, we welcome immigrants o’ any stripe here. It’s th’ kind o’ place Oz is,” the woman said, tucking her slingshot into her belt and holding out her hand. “I’m Nimmie Minnie. Mighty pleased to meet ye!”
“Alice Liddell. The pleasure is all mine. Thank you for the warm welcome,” Alice said, shaking Nimmie’s small firm hand.
“Still, ye’ll need ta’ answer till th’ keepers o’ th’ law. I’ll tell ’em to go easy on ye on account o’ ye bein’ immigrants,” Nimmie said.
Escorted by the dutiful, law-abiding Munchkin Nimmie, Alice and Blinkem returned to where they had left Tinkerton. He had cleared shrubs and was working to create a small stick tent with dried leaves and matted grass. “Oh, how wonderful! A new member of our gang!” he exclaimed when he saw Nimmie.
“A gang, ye did say?” Nimmie stopped abruptly.
“Gang? We’re not a gang, just three lost visitors,” Blinkem said. Alice could sense that he was glaring at Tinkerton behind her.
“Whisht now. Whit kin o’ machine be at?” Nimmie asked, stomping towards the robotic man who stood at the same height as her.
“My apologies, what did you say?” Tinkerton asked.
“What in Oz be at?” Nimmie said, knocking on Captain.
“Well, he be a clockwork man. I’ve engineered Captain as a prototype for the Royal Army,” Tinkerton said, cranking the knobs on Captain’s back with absolute pleasure.
Nimmie peeked around the back, watching him turn the keys with the curiosity of a child, though she tried to hide it with a stern brow.
The clockwork man opened his eyes, blinked, and rotated his head like a turning knob to face her. She jumped back as his mustache twitched. “I am Captain. And your name, miss?”
“Ah’ll be damned, he’s enchanted!” Nimmie shouted with laughter. “Y’er some kind of wizard?” She slapped Tinkerton’s elbow with immense force, which he took in stride.
“An inventor, I would say,” Alice said, winning another Tinkerton grin.
“How’d ye think up such an idea like ’at?” Nimmie marveled, not at the captain, but at Tinkerton.
“He was a dream, really. Woke up one day and he was in my mind,” Tinkerton boasted.
“Y’er a right wizard. He’s a Cap’n, ye say?” Nimmie asked, studying the glass eyes of Captain as he blinked.
“I was made to serve with the Royal Army of Oz,” the robotic man said. “Acceptance will be required for Captain to truly be my title.”
“Captain would be your desired rank, but what is your name?” Blinkem asked. The robotic man blinked, then swiveled his head to Tinkerton.
“I haven’t settled on a name yet,” Tinkerton said. Alice wondered why, though now was not the time to inquire.
“A man o’ th’ law. I can admire that. Mayhap th’ lawmakers’ll take this invention inta consideration for yer sentence as well. Go easy on account that ye’re fixed on aidin’ law enforcers.” Nimmie nodded with satisfaction and admiration of the marvelous copper soldier.
“I’m sorry. Did you say something about our sentencing?” Tinkerton asked as his face dropped. Even in the moonlight, Alice could see the color drain from his bright face.
“Follow me!” Nimmie hopped over a protruding root with absolute confidence that her newly apprehended lawbreakers would follow. Alice followed behind Blinkem, and as they left the area that was to be their camp, a shadow passed over the moon. Their dragon followed at a distance.
Alice grew concerned about the creature above, for she knew nothing of what it was capable of. If dragons were to be kept behind vaulted doors for 100 years, they were capable of a great deal, she feared.