Further in the past, a young Queen Elsmere was elbow-deep in flour as she rolled dough¹ in the Witzend Castle kitchen. At the table behind her, her six-year-old daughters squabbled as they tugged² back and forth³ on an almost empty plate of tarts⁴. 

"You're eating all the tarts!" Mirana complained. 

"You can have the crusts," Iracebeth said, licking berry juice off her fingers. 

Huffing in annoyance⁷, Queen Elsmere spun⁸ toward them. "If you can't get along, there will be no more tarts for either of you," she declared. "Now out of my kitchen. Scat!" She shooed them away with her rolling pin. 

With one last longing⁹ look over her shoulder, Mirana followed her sister out of the room. 

Then she paused, watching Iracebeth trudge¹⁰ away in the other direction. Her sister was most likely going off to play with her ant farm. Mirana waited until she was out of sight. 

Cautiously, Mirana turned around, poking¹¹ her head through the doorway¹² they had just exited to scan the kitchen.When Queen Elsmere turned her back to the door to wash some carrots at the sink, the princess seized her chance. She darted¹³ across the stone floor, snatched the tarts, then whirled back through the doorway as her mother spun around. 

Queen Elsmere shook her head as she spotted¹⁴ the empty plate. "I told them ..." she muttered. 

With light steps, Mirana dashed up the spiral staircase to the tower bedroom she shared with Iracebeth, shoving the tarts into her mouth as she went. Ducking into the circular room (her half decorated in white, Iracebeth's half decorated in red), she gobbled up the last tart⁵, its tangy sweetness filling her mouth. She sighed happily. 

Footsteps sounded in the hall and Mirana looked around in a panic. Burying a twinge of guilt¹⁵, Mirana quickly swept the crusts onto the floor and under the bed on Iracebeth's side. As the door creaked open, Mirana straightened, her hands clenched¹⁶ behind her back. 

Iracebeth walked in, carefully balancing a jar of ants. She stopped and peered at her sister suspiciously. Mirana was standing¹⁷ on Iracebeth's side of the room and had a shifty look on her face. 

"What are you doing?" Iracebeth asked. 

"Nothing," Mirana said. Sliding past her sister, she raced out the door. 

Iracebeth shrugged¹⁸ and continued into the room. When she got to her side, she flicked¹⁹ open the ant farm on her nightstand and slowly poured the ants in. 

As she bent²⁰ to watch the ants settle in, she noticed a speck²¹ on the floor by her bed. She peered closer. Was that a tart crumb²²? 

The door creaked open and her mother strode in, Mirana in tow. 

"What did I tell you?" Queen Elsmere's voice was sharp as she faced her daughters. "No more tarts!" 

"I didn't eat any tarts!" Iracebeth protested. 

Elsmere's gaze landed on the floor. "Why are these crusts under your bed?" she asked. 

Iracebeth's eyes widened as she pieced the truth together ... Her chest aching at the betrayal, she pointed²³ at her sister. "She put them there!" 

Elsmere turned to face Mirana. "Did you, Mirana?" 

Mirana's face was pale and she shrank back from them. 

"You did! Tell her," Iracebeth insisted. 

"Tell the truth, Mirana," Elsmere said. "Did you eat the tarts and put the crusts there?" 

Mirana's lips trembled. She couldn't bear it when her mother was mad at her. "No," she said. Her voice was small and wavered slightly, but then she looked up at the queen, her face sweet and innocent. 

Iracebeth's jaw²⁴ dropped. "But you did! You're lying," she cried. 

Elsmere had heard enough. "The tarts are under your bed," she said to Iracebeth. "Don't blame your sister. She's innocent." 

"No! It's not fair!" Iracebeth stamped her foot. Elsmere reached for her daughter's arm, but Iracebeth dodged²⁵ away and fled down the hall, sobbing²⁶. 

Gong! In the town square, Alice stopped at the sound. Snowflakes landed on her eyelashes as she stared up at the clock tower. 

"The stroke of six!" Alice exclaimed. She looked around frantically²⁷, hoping to spot Iracebeth. 

There! A young girl of maybe six or seven years old hurtled down the street, tears streaming from her eyes. Her head was unremarkable, perfectly²⁸ normal in size, but Alice recognized Iracebeth's heart-shaped face and pouty²⁹ lips. She had been normal once upon a time. 

Gong! 

"The clock! She'll bump her head," Alice cried. She had to stop it! 

Gong! 

Swerving³⁰ too sharply, Iracebeth slipped on the snowy cobblestones and flew toward her father's statue at the center of the square. 

"No, no, no!" Alice cried. 

Gong! Iracebeth slammed into the base of the statue. Several white rosebushes around the statue, which were already bent under the snow, rained petals³¹ on the princess. 

With a pitiful whimper, Iracebeth sat up slowly, her hands alternately cradling her head and swatting away roses. 

"My head!" she wailed³². "Oh, my head, my head! Stupid roses!" 

"Is your head all right, miss?" a frog man asked. 

"Careful, it's swelling³³ up!" A fish gentleman gasped³⁵. 

Alice stepped back under an awning³⁶. There was nothing she could do. She'd failed ... again. Iracebeth's skull³⁷ puffed³⁸ out and tears poured down her face. King Oleron and Queen Elsmere ran into the square and immediately knelt at their daughter's side. Princess Mirana followed them, her eyes wide. 

King Oleron lift little Iracebeth into his arms. Walking beside them back to the castle, Queen Elsmere held Iracebeth's hand and murmured reassurances³⁹. Mirana trailed after them, guilt written across her face. 

"You cannot change the past," Alice whispered sadly. As she turned away, she noticed the window of Hightopp's hat shop glowing. 

Inside, she could see Zanik bending down. He stood back up, a crumpled⁴⁰ blue paper hat in his hands. Smoothing the paper out, he ran his fingers along the feather, a smile on his face. Then he tucked the hat into his breast pocket, right above his heart. 

Alice froze, remembering the rest of Time's reprimand: Although, I daresay, you might learn something from it .... 

"He kept it," Alice gasped. 

Memories whirled through her head. 

Time's room of Underlandians Deceased—Higgens, Highbottom, Highview ... There were no Hightopps on file! 

A furious Iracebeth threatening vengeance⁴¹ on Zanik at her failed coronation. 

A hopeful young Hatter holding up a paper hat to his father. 

Zanik's secret stash⁴² of green-and-white candy—the very same candy Hatter would get from his favorite tree. 

And finally, the blue paper hat hidden inside the trunk of the same tree, the ground outside charred⁴³ but the paper hat untouched. 

"They're alive. They're alive!" Alice cried happily. Zanik must have hidden the paper hat he'd kept for all those years in the tree to give his son a sign that they were alive! Hatter was right! She twirled with joy. 

"Oof!" Alice smacked⁴⁴ into Time. Latchingon to her with a claw-like grip, he hauled her into the nearest shop, which happened to be a clockmaker's. 

The place was dark and abandoned but for the hundreds of chiming clocks hanging on the walls and resting on shelves. In the light streaming in through the window, Alice could see deep crags in Time's face. He looked like he'd aged⁴⁵ twenty years since she'd last seen him. 

"You have no idea how reckless you have been! The dangers you have courted!" Time shook her arm as he spoke⁴⁶. "If I hadn't caught you—" 

His eyes bulged⁴⁷ slightly and he paused to gasp³⁴ for breath. Letting go of her, he clutched at his chest. 

As Alice watched, he pulled open his vest and stared in alarm at the spreading rust⁶ on his heart clock. 

"I need that Chronosphere—now!" Time cried. His voice was thin and shaky as he advanced on Alice. 

"Let me go," Alice pleaded. She finally had the pieces she needed to save her friend's family. "The Hightopps! I know where they are. I'm going to rescue the Hightopps!" 

"You'll rescue no one," Time wheezed⁴⁸. "There is nowhere you can go that I won't find you." 

Backing away, Alice bumped into a cabinet and slid sideways, glancing behind her as she went. There, on the wall above a fireplace, hung a large antique mirror. The glass seemed opaque⁴⁹, its center turning into wisps of mist. 

"Actually," Alice said as Time reached for the Chronosphere, "I can." Confidently, she stepped backward into the mirror. 

Time lunged forward, but his fingers grasped nothing but air as Alice disappeared into the mist. Feeling a jolt⁵⁰, Alice could see the outline of the Ascots' parlor⁵¹ room. Then bam. She thumped⁵² her head against something terribly hard, and everything went black.

 

时光向前回溯。年轻的埃尔斯米尔皇后正在奥特兰城堡的厨房里揉面团，身上沾满了面粉。在她身后的桌旁，她两个六岁的女儿正在为一盘见底的馅饼争吵着，推来搡去。 

“你把馅饼都吃完了！”莫安娜抱怨道。 

“你可以吃饼皮儿呀。”伊拉贝斯说着，舔了舔手指上的浆果汁。 

埃尔斯米尔皇后十分生气，她转过身对她们说：“你们俩要是不能好好相处，就都别吃馅饼了。现在都给我出去！去！”她挥舞着擀面杖把将两个女儿赶出了厨房。 

莫安娜转过头恋恋不舍地看了一眼，跟着姐姐伊拉贝斯离开了。 

然后她停了下来，望着伊拉贝斯慢慢地向另一个方向走去，她肯定是去玩她的蚂蚁农场了。莫安娜站在原地，直到伊拉贝斯从她视线中消失。 

莫安娜小心地转过身，把头探进她们刚刚离开的房门，向厨房里张望。埃尔斯米尔皇后转身背对着门，去水池里洗胡萝卜。莫安娜公主抓住机会，飞奔着穿过石头地板，一把抓起馅饼，然后转身跑出了厨房。她母亲这时才回过身来。 

埃尔斯米尔皇后看到空盘子，摇了摇头。“我告诉过她们……”她咕哝道。 

莫安娜迈着轻快的脚步，沿着螺旋楼梯冲向她和伊拉贝斯共同的卧室，一边跑一边飞快地把馅饼塞到嘴里。一钻进她俩的圆形房间（她那一半装饰成了白色，伊拉贝斯那一半装饰成了红色），莫安娜咽下最后一口馅饼，甜甜的味道萦绕在嘴间。她心满意足地叹了口气。 

走廊里传来一阵脚步声，莫安娜惊慌失措地四下看了看。顾不上内心的歉疚，她迅速把饼皮屑抖在地上，扫到了伊拉贝斯的床下。房门被推开了，莫安娜直起身子，双手紧紧地攥在背后。 

伊拉贝斯小心翼翼地捧着一罐蚂蚁走进了卧室。她在莫安娜的面前停了下来，满脸狐疑地盯着她。莫安娜站在卧室的红色这边，目光躲躲闪闪。 

“你在干什么？”伊拉贝斯问道。 

“没什么。”莫安娜说着从伊拉贝斯身边溜开，快步走出了房间。 

伊拉贝斯耸耸肩进了屋。她走到红色那一边，轻轻打开床头柜上的蚂蚁农场，然后慢慢地把蚂蚁倒进去。 

她弯下腰，观察蚂蚁们安家。这时，她注意到她床边的地板上有一块碎屑。她靠近仔细一看，这不是一块馅饼皮儿吗？ 

就在这时，埃尔斯米尔皇后推开门走了进来，莫安娜跟在后面。 

“我是怎么跟你们说的？”埃尔斯米尔皇后提高了声调，看着女儿们说道，“不准再吃馅饼了！” 

“我没吃！”伊拉贝斯不服气地抗议道。 

埃尔斯米尔的目光落到了地板上，问道：“那为什么你床底下会有饼皮儿？” 

伊拉贝斯瞪大了双眼，她这时才明白到底是怎么回事……妹妹的背叛让她胸口一阵剧痛，她指着莫安娜说：“是她把饼皮儿弄到我这边的！” 

埃尔斯米尔皇后转向莫安娜，“是你吗，莫安娜？” 

莫安娜脸色苍白，往后退了一步。 

“就是你！告诉她呀！”伊拉贝斯坚持说。 

“说实话，莫安娜，”埃尔斯米尔说道，“到底是不是你偷吃了馅饼还把碎屑丢在这里的？” 

莫安娜哆嗦着嘴唇。她无力招架母亲对自己发火。“不是我。”她回答说。她微弱的声音轻轻颤抖着，但是当她抬头看着母亲时，她露出了甜美而无辜的神情。 

伊拉贝斯惊得拉长了下巴。“明明是你偷吃的！你在撒谎！”她喊道。 

埃尔斯米尔听够了。“馅饼可是在你床底下，”她对伊拉贝斯说，“不要责怪你妹妹了。她是无辜的。” 

“不！这不公平！”伊拉贝斯气得直跺脚。埃尔斯米尔伸手去抓她的手臂，但伊拉贝斯躲开了，沿着走廊跑下去，一边跑一边哭。 

咣！听到这个声响，爱丽丝在小镇的广场上停了下来。她抬起头凝望着钟塔，雪花落在她的睫毛上。 

“六点的钟声！”爱丽丝叫了出来。她焦急地环顾四周，希望能够找到伊拉贝斯。 

在那儿！一个六七岁的小女孩正沿着街道狂奔，脸上挂着泪水。她的脑袋大小正常，并没有什么特别之处，但爱丽丝还是一下子就认出了伊拉贝斯的心形脸蛋和噘起的嘴唇。原来红皇后的脑袋一度是正常的。 

咣！ 

“那座钟！她的头就要撞上去了！”爱丽丝叫了出来。一定要阻止这件事！ 

咣！ 

伊拉贝斯转得太急，在积雪覆盖的鹅卵石上滑了一跤，朝着广场中央她父亲的雕像飞扑过去。 

“不！不！不要啊！”爱丽丝喊道。 

咣！伊拉贝斯撞上了雕像底座。雕像周围的几丛白玫瑰被雪压弯了枝条，撒了她一身花瓣。 

伊拉贝斯可怜地呜咽着，缓缓地坐起来。她一边双手交替抱着头，一边拍掉身上的玫瑰花瓣。 

“我的头！”她哭号道，“啊，我的头，我的头！这些破玫瑰!” 

“你的头还好吧，小姐？”一位青蛙送货员问道。 

“小心点，都肿起来了！”一位鱼先生倒吸一口气。 

爱丽丝走回到雨棚下。她什么都做不了。她又……失败了。伊拉贝斯的头撞肿了，眼泪哗哗直流。奥瑞隆国王和埃尔斯米尔皇后急忙赶了过来，蹲在他们的女儿身旁。莫安娜公主也跟来了，眼睛瞪得大大的。 

国王抱起小伊拉贝斯返回城堡，皇后跟在他们旁边，握着伊拉贝斯的手轻声安慰她。莫安娜紧紧跟在后面，脸上写满了愧疚。 

“你无法改变过去，”爱丽丝难过地低声说道。她转过身去，注意到高帽子家族帽子铺的橱窗正透着亮光。 

爱丽丝看见店内的桑尼克弯下腰，又站起来，手中拿着一顶皱巴巴的蓝色纸帽子。桑尼克先把纸抚平，又用手将羽毛捋顺，脸上浮现出了微笑。然后他把纸帽子装进胸部的口袋，正贴着他的心脏。 

爱丽丝僵住了，她想起了“时间”的训斥：但是我敢说，你会从中学到些东西的…… 

“他把纸帽子留下了。”爱丽丝倒吸一口气。 

记忆在她的脑海里翻腾。 

在“时间”城堡中那间“地下国人逝者”的屋子里——有希金斯、海博特姆、海威尔……就是没有高帽子家族！ 

在加冕仪式上出了丑的伊拉贝斯恼羞成怒，威胁说要报复桑尼克。 

儿时的疯帽子满怀希望地把纸帽子举起来递给父亲。 

桑尼克秘密收藏的绿白相间的糖果——和疯帽子从他最爱的树上得到的几乎一模一样。 

还有藏在那棵树树干中的蓝色纸帽子，周围的地面都烧焦了，可它却安然无恙。 

“他们都还活着。他们都还活着！”爱丽丝高兴地大叫起来。桑尼克一定是将他收了多年的纸帽子藏在树洞里，提示儿子他们都还活着。疯帽子是对的！爱丽丝高兴地转了起来。 

“哦！”爱丽丝不小心撞到了“时间”。“时间”用爪子般的手紧紧抓住爱丽丝，把她拖到最近的商店里，正好是一家钟表店。 

店内光线昏暗，除了墙上挂着、架子上摆着的几百只嘀嘀嗒嗒的钟表之外，别无他物。借着透过橱窗射进来的光，爱丽丝能看到“时间”脸上深深的皱纹。和上一次见到他相比，“时间”仿佛又老了二十岁。 

“你根本不知道你有多鲁莽！你招来了多少危险！”“时间”一边说，一边摇晃着爱丽丝的臂膀。“要是我没有抓住你……” 

就在这时，“时间”的眼睛微微凸了出来，他停下来喘了口气。他松开爱丽丝，用手紧紧揪着胸口。 

在爱丽丝的注视下，“时间”扯开他的马甲，惊慌失措地盯着他的心钟，上面的锈迹正蔓延开来。 

“快给我时空传送仪——现在就给我！”“时间”大叫着向爱丽丝逼近，可他的声音颤抖着，微弱不堪。 

“放开我！”爱丽丝恳求道。她现在终于能解救她朋友一家了。“高帽子家族！我知道他们在哪儿。我要去解救他们！” 

“你谁都救不了！”“时间”气喘吁吁地说道，“你逃不出我的手掌心!” 

爱丽丝后退着，撞上了橱柜，溜到一边去了，一边走一边向后瞥。壁炉上方的墙上挂着一面古老的大镜子。这面镜子看上去灰蒙蒙的，中心泛着一缕缕薄雾。 

“事实上，”“时间”伸手去抓时空传送仪时，爱丽丝说，“我可以。”说着，她自信地向后退了几步，走进了镜子里。 

“时间”向前猛扑过去，但是除了空气，他什么也没抓住。爱丽丝消失在了薄雾中。一阵颠簸之后，爱丽丝看到了阿斯科特家会客厅的轮廓。接着，嘭的一声，爱丽丝的头狠狠地撞上了什么东西。她眼前一黑，昏了过去。

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