Chapter 11. Escape?
Saturday afternoon, Bill and Alice lay resting on their bed. It was an hour till
dinner and they had been relaxing in the hot pool and now lay languidly
alongside each other. "Do you think they will release us?" Alice asked.
"No one seems to want to have us killed. Not even Judith."
"I'm not so sure of those knaves." Alice looked grave. "Nor that Lord
Chamberlain fellow. They seem to think their position is in jeopardy of we leave
and spill the beans of what happens here." She paused, "Would you want us to
keep seeing each other after we get home?"
"Oh Alice, of course I would. I've never met anyone like you. It just seems I
have known you for years. The big problem I see is how we are going to explain
it to our parents."
The Rabbits and the Moles came by as they were discussing the story. Micky
suggested modifying one version they had thought up. "Instead of rolling
straight down the hill and over the cliff, do as you suggest and indicate you
were able to roll sideways a bit and down the more gentle slope to the bottom.
You got a bit scratched and were very winded by the fall but were seen by a
couple in a passing van. They picked you up, blindfolded you and secured your
wrists and took you to a sex club seemingly miles away. Thinking you were
already lovers they showered and put you naked in a bed together. You enjoyed
yourselves and then took an interest in the other activities but you have been
sworn to secrecy not to reveal them. Provided you can convince the Duchess you
won't reveal what really went on and where we are located, then maybe she'll
accept it. The other two alternatives are not promising especially for
youngsters like yourselves. One as you have no doubt heard mentioned is to throw
you down one of the many old mine shafts. The other is you are kept here or
elsewhere as prisoners. Neither would be acceptable to most here and certainly
not to you. We all come voluntarily. It was just unfortunate the escape hatch
gave way and let you in by the back door as it were."
"Perhaps it was fortunate for us," remarked Alice as she gave Bill a kiss, "We
could be dead already!".
"Work on your story then," Petra added. "Remember the final say is with the
Duchess. She is the one you have to convince that releasing you doesn't pose a
threat to the community."
Jane and Judith returned. "We are only your slaves for a few more hours, is
there any further services you would like from us?"
"I would like a look at your bum and a cuddle from you Jane," Alice said. Jane
presented her striped bum to Alice who examined it gently. "I expect you'll be
glad to get out and be able to put some salve on these," she suggested, "They
still look quite sore."
"Not as sore as they would have been had you not spoken up for us," Jane
replied, "But no, I won't be putting anything on them now. The worst pain has
gone and there is that warm feeling down there that makes me just a little
horny." Jane then laid herself on top of Alice and cuddled and kissed her.
"If you don't do the same for me Judith, I shall be very jealous," Bill grinned.
It wasn't quite so easy for Judith. Her tits were still very tender.
Dinner had been over for a while when a knave came and requested Alice and Bill
report to the Duchess's room. Both stood nervously in front of her as she began
her questioning. They felt as if they were already guilty and were on trial for
a crime they didn't commit. Alice was fairly certain now they were not going to
be released. The only options she could see was death down a shaft or permanent
imprisonment. "Have you learned the real names of anyone here?" snapped the
Duchess. Bill answered, "No," but Alice was hesitant.
"Well I don't know his real name," Alice hesitantly, "But I know his business."
"Who?"
"Micky." The Duchess turned to a knave and asked for the Moles to be brought in.
"How did you find out my business? Did you hack into my computer" Micky
questioned.
"No, Micky, I wouldn't do that after all your help. Its just that when you
started the laptop and booted the programme the first time, I noticed the little
logo and then yesterday when I crashed it and rebooted the logo came on screen
again."
"You recognised the little logo?" Micky sounded very surprised. "It doesn't have
any name on it."
"I applied for a summer job with you and the rejection letter had that logo on
it," replied Alice, "Sue somebody signed it."
"Did you get a job elsewhere?"
"Not yet."
"Well perhaps you had better apply again," Micky smiled, "And address it to
Micky Mole!"
"That's if we are allowed out of here," Alice wryly replied.
The Duchess dismissed all of them and told Alice and Bill to wait outside while
she consulted with the two knaves and her Lord Chamberlain. Two hours later they
were still waiting. Angry noises filtered through and from the sound of things
the knaves were definitely not in favour of releasing the pair. The Lord
Chamberlain was also undecided but tended to concur they should be given their
freedom.
"I feel this is the time I should be saying, 'Off with their heads." The
duchesses strident tones came through clearly.
"We have to find our own way out Alice," whispered Bill. "Perhaps if we keep by
the crowd, they'll protect us. Nearly everyone said they didn't want us killed.
Let's slip away while they are arguing. There must be an easy way out." They
didn't hear the Duchess go on to say, "But I'm not going to."
"We'll need some clothes, Bill. We can't go outside like this."
"I haven't seen our real clothes since they were taken from us. Lets get
coveralls from the kitchen, Alice, and hope it's not too cold outside. We don't
have any real idea if we are on the same time scale in here as the outside
world. It may be dead of night for all we know." The pair wandered quietly into
the kitchen and found the coverings and Bill picked up a broom. "You take a
broom too Alice," Bill went on, "It will make us look as if we are working and
give us something to defend ourselves with. I think we'll take the tunnel that
goes to the left of the pool. I saw the tigers go that way yesterday with
suitcases."
They tried to look as if they were just heading for the pool and were able to
bypass the main gathering in the dorm. They'd just entered the side tunnel when
they heard Peter shout, "Stop! They're not going to hurt you."
"Yes, they are," Alice yelled back, "The Duchess said to cut off our heads!"
Both Alice and Bill started running and being young and fit were able to out
pace their pursuers until they came to an unlit Tee junction of the tunnel. They
glanced back and saw the white rabbits scurrying along to catch them. "Right or
left Alice?" The light from the main tunnel dimly illuminated the two side
tunnels for only a short distance and then there was nothing.
"Right," Alice replied with a little hesitation. "We'll be whipped if we're
caught so one way is a good as another. Vaguely they heard Petra scream, "No!
Not that way!" but they went blindly on each holding tightly to the other's
wrist. Suddenly they were falling. Falling in complete blackness. Falling into a
pit that seemed endless. Once more they thought the end had come.
