Page 9 of From the Ashes
"The battering ram. They're trying to get in. We must hurry. Rally as many as you can from the dungeon. I'm going to begin my search on the towers."
"You can't go out there, Charlie!"
I squeezed her hand. "Go, Meredith. Have courage."
I ran through the grim corridor to the dayroom and drawing room beyond, up another tight flight of winding stairs to the tower. This one was near the back of the castle, a part I'd not yet seen. The spectacular view of the barren winter landscape was marred by the ring of soldiers stomping their feet in the cold. Their numbers weren't as thick as at the front, but getting past them would be impossible.
The tower sported no damage like the ones at the front of the castle and it was easier to move around, although I had to be careful not to slip. My indoor shoes weren't made for the slick conditions.
There was no sign of Alice so I returned inside. I wasn't aware of how cold it had been on the tower until I was out of the breeze. The castle couldn't be called warm by any stretch of the imagination, but my bones no longer felt frozen as they had in the dungeon. Racing hither and thither had its benefits.
Below me, the battering ram once again thumped into the thick double doors at the keep's entrance. I'd loathed the heavy iron bolt and wooden crossbar when I'd first seen them upon my arrival—they only added to my feeling of imprisonment. But now I appreciated them enormously. I wondered who'd slid them closed over the doors after Mrs. Denk left. Perhaps it was Meredith acting on Sir Geoffrey's instruction.
A sprinkling of terrified screams followed the thump. Good. It meant Meredith had convinced some of the girls to join her in searching for Alice. I would never consider her cowardly again. She may be terrified, but she was forging ahead with the task set for her despite her fears.Thatwas a true measure of courage.
I continued my search across the top of the castle, running up and down stairs until my thighs burned and sweat dampened unmentionable places. The battering ram continued its rhythmic hammering, to the tune of screaming. I rushed past girls in the corridors, searching for Alice in each room, under beds, in cupboards. With every slam of the battering ram, their cries became more and more desperate.
Alice had to be somewhere in the castle. If I was her, and someone was after me, where would I go?
The battering ram slammed into the door again. Wood splintered. Girls screamed. If the army wasn't already inside, they would be soon. Once they were in, would they act like the animals Sir Geoffrey described, or would they leave us alone and go in search of Alice? Did they even know what she looked like?
What if I pretended to be her, and gave myself up?
It might work, if they'd never met her. It could buy us some valuable time to continue the search.
I headed past a terrified teacher down to the ground level. It was mostly deserted, the girls having fled as far away from the door as possible.
"Charlie, where are you going?" Meredith called from the main staircase leading up from the castle's central court. "It's too dangerous down there. They'll be through soon."
"I'm going to speak to them."
"No! You shouldn't! Come with us. We're going to lock ourselves in the old kitchen."
I waved her off and hurried to the door. Some of the wooden panels were damaged, and the hinges loose. It wouldn't hold for long.
"One!" came a shout from beyond the door. "Two!"
"Wait!" I cried. "Stop at once! I'll give myself up if you promise to leave everyone in here alone."
"Who are you?" demanded the harsh voice.
"Alice."
Murmurs followed my pronouncement. "Show yourself."
Damnation. If he wanted to see me, that most likely meant he could identify Alice. We looked nothing alike. She was beautiful and fair, while I had brown hair and was shorter, plainer. "I want some promises from you before I do so," I called back.
"The Queen of Hearts does not make promises."
The Queen of Hearts? Good lord, what next? "What will happen to me if I give myself up?"
"Execution, of course!"
I stumbled backward. Execution! "With no trial?"
The soldiers laughed. "Give yourself up, Alice! The queen will not rest until she receives justice for your slights against her!" He began counting again in a guttural voice that cracked on the word "One!"
"The white rabbit," muttered a familiar voice behind me. "Must find the white rabbit."
