The Wonderground

Epilogue

"I bring news," announced Salinja, "to brighten your evening." The sarcastic tone in his voice was palpable.

The fear rose up in her again. What had happened?

"Imagine my surprise when I discovered recently, that when you fled to the Upworld those ten long years ago..."

He paused to allow Caina to guess what was coming next.

"...you were not alone."

He knows.

"An heir to the Forest kingdom throne," he proclaimed. "You had a baby. A son."

Caina crumpled.

"If only it were true, I thought," he sneered. "It gave me an idea!" he continued theatrically. "What better way to persuade you to reveal the location of the stolen piece of the Star of the Forest, than to entice your son from the Upworld and capture him!"

"No!" screamed Caina.

"Of course, we had to find him first," he declared. "But your husband has been very co-operative," gloated the Red Prince. "The fool loves you very much."

"Where is my husband?" she pleaded. She heard sounds of a muffled struggle outside.

The door flung open and a gaunt, half-naked man with his head shrouded in a bloodied hood was pushed into the cell. His hands were tied behind his back. He stumbled blindly and tripped over his own bare feet. His face smashed into the dirt floor with such force that he lay, unmoving, at Salinja's feet.

"Francis!" howled Caina as she scrabbled over to tend to her unconscious husband.

She gently lifted the hood and patiently untied the knots binding his wrists. He stirred and began to babble incoherently. "Traitor...kill you...they know where he is...White Castle...school...rat...so sorry...so very sorry."

She shook her head and tried to comfort him.

"What your husband is trying to tell you is that he revealed the location of your son," interrupted Salinja. "The school," he smiled.

Caina held Francis tightly and began to sob.

"However, he could not provide your child's Upworld name," spat the Red Prince with annoyance. "I assume that the Dream Tailor intervened and provided your son with a new identity and memories after you abandoned him?"

Caina's heart lifted. They had not found him after all.

She did not rise to Salinja's bait. They had not abandoned him. They were forced into hiding after their life in the Upworld had been discovered. The Dream Tailor had covered their tracks. But at what cost? Her son had no idea who he really was and the Red Prince now knew where to find him.

"Once I knew he was at the school, I concocted a scheme to bring all the boys of the right age, to the Lowdown via the Wonderground," explained the Red Prince smugly. "I would quite happily have killed them all, one by one, in front of you, until you told me the location of the piece. Alas, my plan was executed by idiots and only three boys crossed over."

Caina was relieved. She gave a weak, reassuring smile to her husband.

"You may well smile," sneered the Red Prince. "However..."

She held her breath.

"...I discovered that your son was one of the three boys," rejoiced Salinja, clapping his hands together. "Perhaps he was drawn to his homeland?"

Caina's smile disappeared and she began to sob. "You have him?" she croaked.

"I do not," retorted Salinja angrily. "They have since escaped capture and returned to the Upworld."

Caina's resolve hardened. Her son was strong. Resourceful. Clever. Just like his father. Francis determinedly sat up and leaned against the wall of the cell. Caina's smile returned. She hugged her husband warmly. The Gatekeepers would increase security. Their son would be protected.

Salinja turned towards the cell door. "I almost forgot," he said wistfully, spinning back to face them and snapping his fingers flamboyantly for effect. "Do you not want to know?"

"Know what?" managed Francis, between scratchy breaths.

"How I know?" mocked the Red Prince. "How I know it was your son."

Francis winced in pain. Caina's hand was gripping his wrist. Her knuckles were white and her fingernails were biting into his skin. His blood was dribbling down her fingers and onto the dirt. He tried to free himself, but she was rigid with fear. Her face was ashen and she was not breathing. Her lips started trembling and she mouthed the same words, noiselessly, over and over.

The piece. The piece. The piece.

"You could have hidden it anywhere in the Upworld and I would never have found it," scoffed Salinja. "But you selfishly placed the piece around the neck of your innocent son!"

Francis looked confused. "What's he talking about?" he asked Caina. "A piece of what?"

She was unresponsive.

"A piece from the Star of the Forest," clarified Salinja. "A most treasured artefact. Did she never explain when she met you why she had fled the Lowdown to the Upworld?"

Francis looked crestfallen. He knew his wife had many secrets. This was something new. He looked searchingly into her eyes. She blinked several times and stared back, looking for forgiveness.

"Your child will not evade me forever," resolved Salinja. "I promise to reunite you all very soon. Once I have removed the piece from around his cold, shattered neck."

Francis and Caina lay weeping together on the floor. Broken.

"One more thing," Salinja taunted smugly. "A gift. From me to you. Let us call it an anniversary present."

Francis was surprised to see Salinja remove a cheap four colour biro from within his clothing. His blackened thumbnail slowly depressed the red nib. The Red Prince grabbed Caina firmly by the wrist and scrawled a single word into the pallid flesh of her left forearm:

CHARLIE