Chapter 51: The Man in the Dream
Sunlight streamed through the window, and thin cellulose fragments that had escaped from between aged books gently settled upon the floor.
The unwinding of a clockwork spring, the shrill cry of a pendulum reaching its apex before descending, and Lord Liddell’s weathered voice resonated softly throughout the room.
“As I mentioned before, Dodgson favored Alice among the three sisters. All three sisters and three brothers were aware of this. Only the oblivious adults remained ignorant. But from a certain point onward, that favoritism began to intensify alarmingly, until even I, who was rarely present at home, became aware of it.”
Liddell clenched his fist.
“Later, Dodgson would invite Alice alone to picnics, or hold her hand while walking around the yard. Since he wasn’t neglecting his tutoring duties, there was no grounds to reproach him for that alone. However, we all sensed something was amiss, even if we couldn’t articulate it. He was too close. Too close to that child.”
Veins protruded across his hands where skin had grown thicker than muscle with age.
“And finally, that cursed day arrived. Alice went out with Dodgson as usual, but strangely, returned home alone late at night. Her once-glossy black hair was disheveled, and her body was covered with flowers and leaves that didn’t grow anywhere nearby, along with copious amounts of sand. The pretty dress Alice so adored was tattered as if caught on branches, and her appearance was wretchedly unkempt, like someone who had wandered outdoors for days. My wife, startled, asked the child where she had been. Alice answered thus.”
Liddell said.
“Wonderland.”