Diamond no Kuni no Alice – Bet on My Heart - Volume 1 - Chapter 2

ACT 2 
The Dance of Numbers 

A he books lay stacked up in a mountain under the dim ceiling lights. Alice took a book from the pile and read the title. Her eyebrows drew together. 
“The Finer Points of Converting Heavy Firearms she recited. “What’s this doing here? These shelves aren’t supposed to have anything to do with weapons.” 
“Oh, dear. Did one get mixed in~?” 
Alice grabbed another book. “Yeah. And this one’s When to Use the Knife, When to Use the Dagger. This shelf isn’t organized at all!” 
As Alice pulled out another misplaced book, her shoulders dropped in depression. The book stacks cast dark shadows against the moonlight spilling in from the window. 
A maid, her arms overflowing with books, shrugged as she threw a glance at Alice. 
“Hardly anyone ever comes into this place looking for books, anyway-. So the people who do just put them wherever they find space-.” 
“That’s no excuse! What’s the good of having a reference library if you’re just going to treat it like a barn?” Alice grunted. “What a waste of a great library.” 
She checked another book: One Hundred Choices for Drugs. She didn’t even flip through that one— she just stacked it on the tower of books about drugs. 
As a condition of her staying in Hatter Mansion, Blood had assigned Alice a job: to put the reference library back in order. Or, to be more precise, he had first tried making her a mover and then a maid, but after only a short time of each, he’d decided to have her do something else. She’d worked as a maid in Heart Castle, so she knew she’d been handling that one just fine.. .which meant the Hatters had probably realized that maid’s work would give her access to 
secrets they didn’t want her seeing. 
Thus giving me the hooks. 
After a few time periods as a librarian, they hadn’t shifted her to anything else—which meant this was probably her position now. And she wasn’t terrible at it. 
She was responsible for re-shelving the returned books in proper order—but before that, she had to find and clear those correct spots from the intrusion of other books. Each shelf more or less had a category attached to it, but most of them had books of different sections mixed in. Alice had recruited a maid to help her relocate the interlopers to their proper shelves. 
“They call this a reference library,” Alice muttered. “But not right now, it isn’t.” 
“It’s worth the time to fix it.” 
The very words she was thinking materialized out loud, from a low voice behind her. 
Alice swallowed the complaint stuck in her throat and turned. Blood walked lazily between the shelves, dragging a finger along the books’ spines. 
“I.. .didn’t expect to see you here,” she munnured. 
“I wanted to see how hard a guest works.” He pulled a book at the edge of his fingertips— something from the section designated for industry technical manuals. “Hm. It’s looking more organized already.” 
Alice watched him silently flip through the book and felt a sense of deja vu. But not of this dreary reference library... 
Just of him. His tilted face in profile as he read a book, time and time again. 
In that private room of his, almost a library itself with all its tomes; under the shade in the mansion’s garden; and in that hidden sanctuary with all its red roses in bloom. Blood had always loved reading, so they’d spent many a quiet period together, reading in each other’s company. Hatter Mansion had been a calm, content place that no one would suspect was a Mafia base. Her memories of that were as precious as those of the tea parties in Heart Castle. 
And now, as she stood beside the Blood of the Country of Diamonds, she keenly felt the distance from her past life. As reflections tumbled through 

her head. Blood abruptly looked up from his book. 
“Do you find this work boring?” 
Alice blinked. “Huh? No... Not at all. Why would you think that?” 
“Because you’re just standing there and looking at me.” 
“Urk. Right, sorry.” 
The man gave a snort at her meek apology. “If you aren’t bored, then I envy you. You won’t find a single secret hidden in here—so I thought you might regret the assignment.” 
“I told you that I’m not after secrets she reminded him dryly. “Anyway, about this job— this place is a complete mess. How have you been managing it up until now?” 
Blood slid his book onto a different stack, possibly answering the question. 
Alice sighed. All the reference books in the library seemed useful—even if they were mostly about weapons or drugs or other dangerous things. But out of order, they were useless as reference. It was like leaving a treasure trove to rust. 
“Don’t you have any librarians?” she pressed. “Or maybe you have plans to hire one...?” 

“I doubt there’s a mobster in this world who wants to organize a library. If I posted a librarian job, we’d get two kinds of applicants: spies, or meek little failures who would be useless in our many gun fights.” 
“Oh... I guess you’re right.” 
As Alice nodded, a different thought formed in the back of her mind. It would be a risk to hire someone new, especially with all the warring territories and rival mobsters. But there was a problem even before it got to that—Blood and his people had no room in their hearts to even accept her, an Outsider. Alice remembered how much mobster fighting she’d seen in the Countries of Hearts and Clover—to say nothing of what she hadn’t seen, especially since she’d lived in Heart Castle—but still, the residents of Hatter Mansion had never given her the impression that they were in fights. They were strong enough to protect her, they just didn’t seem... on the offensive. 
The Hatters in the Country of Diamonds lived under much stricter rule, apparently. And since 
Blood had never seemed like a pushover in Hearts or Clover, maybe that just meant he was... worse at management here. Like he was younger and hadn’t gotten the hang of being a leader yet. 
She was starting to understand Diamonds Blood a little better. 
He flashed her a small, slanted smile. “You’re an odd one, to worry about the utility of a mobster’s reference library.” 
“O-odd?” 
“Just my honest opinion.” 
His smile turned nasty as he returned another book to the shelf. She worried he’d only come to make fun of her, but then he moved farther back into the library. 
He gazed at the spine of another book, then took it out and studied the cover. He seemed to have forgotten her presence. 
“Uh... What are you looking for?” she asked at last. She was supposed to be helping out here. 
She thought he’d reject her offer as being none of her business; she was surprised when he obediently 
opened his mouth to answer. 
“I suppose.. .bring me the records on the residents here. Also, if you have anything that can help me understand the changes in finance. I’d like that even more.” 
“Sure. I’m kinda surprised you need so much. Can I ask what you’ll be using it all for?” 
A moment before, he’d been looking at industrial technologies, and after that, information on the forests and rivers in Hatter territory. They didn’t seem like anything directly related to the business of running a Mafia organization. 
Blood drew a breath. “We already told you— there’s a Survey Meeting coming up. I’m trying to prepare.” 
“Oh. The Survey Meeting...” 
She started searching for the books while he continued to explain. She made the occasional noise to let him know she was still listening. 
“I don’t know how much you’ve heard about it,” he murmured, “but there’s a rule in this world that says we have to gather for ‘entertainment’ at regular intervals. The Queen of Diamonds rules this 
country, so she’ll be presiding over the meeting... unfortunately.” 
Alice headed for a different bookshelf to poke around for what he needed. It took him out of her line of sight. 
“If it’s supposed to be ‘entertaining,’ what do you do in it? You’re not going to do a survey to see which lord of which territory is tallest or something, right?” 
“We survey the power of each territory,” Blood said coolly. 
Alice stopped at that. She peeked through the shelf; the back of his white suit jacket faced her, his eyes firmly fixed on the reference book in his hands. 
“Power,” she repeated slowly. “So, like...the relative size of each territory?” 
Blood didn’t turn. “Overall area is part of it, since we try to claim each other’s territory. But nothing is gained through size of territory alone. I wouldn’t call trying to survey something that can’t be surveyed entertaining he added dryly. “The entertainment comes from taking the size of the territory as a foundation, and building on it by 
converting other types of power into numbers.” 
“Numbers?” 
“Yes. This world overflows with numbers. You could say gathering numbers is this world’s best entertainment.” He let a breath out through his nose. “So the Survey Meeting takes those gathered numbers and compares them.” 
Alice grunted her confusion. The one thing she did understand was this was very different from any friendly gatherings and masquerade parties. She kept scanning the book spines and humming affirmatives as he went on. 
“This may be difficult to understand for a prim and proper girl like yourself,” he commented. “But to put it simply, it’s like a card game you would find in a casino. Each territory leader holds the five forces of his territory in his hand: natural resources, population, military, economics, and technology. Only the leaders can correctly interpret these powers and judge how powerful each individual force is in his territory.” He snapped his book shut. “And then he plays one force at a time against the other territories in hopes of dominating.” 
Alice mulled over that. She could understand parameters like “natural resources” and “technology,” but “population” made her knit her eyebrows together. 
She knew a lot about the.. .oddities of this world. She knew the people had clocks in their chests instead of hearts, and that that was how they were recognized by others in Wonderland—as being embodiments of time. 
“So...you’re saying the leader controls the population, and they can be forced to work in cooperation with you?” 
If it were a card game, the population would be nothing more than a hand of cards. 
Alice heard a hint of her disgust leak into her voice. She grabbed the last needed book and carried the stack back to Blood. He looked up from his book at just that moment, and their eyes met. 
She thought he’d return to reading once she handed him the books, but his arm just curled over the stack while he kept his gaze locked on her. 
“Hm...” 
“Wh-what?” she blurted. “If you have something to say to me, then don’t hold back.” 

“I just thought you’d be more surprised or tell me you didn’t understand. You know this world a bit more than I expected you to. Why don’t you tell me where you learned all that, young lady?” 
She paused. “Not from you,” she finally answered, tapping the books in his hands. “These the ones you needed?” 
It wasn’t a lie. No one had put any information specifically into words. But as she’d interacted with the people of Wonderland, she’d naturally increased her knowledge of how their world worked. Her understanding advanced accordingly. 
He finally drew a breath and shrugged. 
“The Survey Meeting is just tedious,” he said. “Going out in a daytime period is already annoying, and gathering the necessary information makes it worse. It’s one giant pain.” 
He looked exasperated by the whole affair. She nodded her response, then added, “Will you need any other reference books after this?” 
“Probably. My main role in the Survey Meeting is to understand my nation’s power.” 
“Okay. Just give me some advance warning next 
time and I’ll grab the books before you come. It’ll save you time.” 
Alice just considered this a natural extension of her job (and thus earning her keep), but something twinkled in Blood’s eye. 
“You’re a strange girl. You’re willing to take on headaches for a Mafia boss who won’t repay the kindness.” 
“It’s not strange. You said I should organize and maintain the reference library. That’s my...well, for now, that’s my role." 
She knew that as an Outsider, she was always going to be treated a bit like an exotic zoo animal— but she got the feeling that Blood was treating her that way for his own reasons as well. 
“I suppose you’re right. You’re our best librarian now. Personally, I’m so busy with work that I can’t spare a moment—I need to get these pain-in-the-ass projects off my desk as soon as possible.” 
He nodded at Alice with a hint of amusement, but didn’t say anything more. He tightened his grip on the stack of books in his arm and headed for the exit. 
Just as he was about to leave, the maid from earlier popped her face in the room. Alice blinked; she hadn’t seen the woman leave. 
But I didn’t hear her while I was talking to Blood. Since she’d been ordered to help Alice, did that mean he’d ordered her to leave? 
“Is your discussion all finished now-?” 
“Ah, yes. Please continue your work here.” 
“I suppose we have to, no matter how annoying it may be-.” 
As the two of them spoke, the color of the light streaming through the door changed. The moonlight shifted into the golden light of day. 
Alice let out a breath. She beckoned the maid over, ready to battle the clutter beast until the next time period. 

The town serving the castle was decorated with a diamond motif, with everything integrating the color yellow. The townspeople milled in one big mass toward a single destination. Flanked by Blood, Elliot, the twins, and a few other Hatter Faceless, Alice twisted her head around to look at the territory run by the castle. 

“Come to think of it,” she said aloud, “this is the first place in the Country of Diamonds I’ve gone to aside from Hatter Mansion.” 
She wasn’t sure if this was typical of the place, but the lively atmosphere showed all the signs of a festival. She overheard the conversation of two men who stepped out of an alleyway. 
“Hey, who’re you betting on this time? I’m thinking of throwing my money on the Station.” 
“Y’know, I’ve been thinking that—wait, those are the Hatter guys! Watch your mouth!” 
“Crap!” 
The two animated men suddenly shut their mouths and dropped their eyes to the ground. They tried to nonchalantly put some distance between themselves and Alice’s group. 
Alice tilted her head in curiosity. “Did you hear that?” she asked the others. “Are people betting on something?” 
The twins—who seemed the most excited to be 
out of Hatter Mansion—blinked big eyes at her. 
“Ya didn’t know. Big Sis? Everybody else joins the Survey Meeting by gamblin’ on it. That’s why it’s like a festival out here.” 
“Gambling?” 
“Yeah. They bet on stuff like the rankin’ of each territory. You can win big on a meeting like this.” 
Alice frowned. “But aren’t there only five types of forces? Doesn’t that sort of limit the ways to win?” IftheYe s a strict limit on the cards, she added silently, that means the same outcomes happen over and over... 
Dee shrugged. “There’s five forces in each territory, but there are three Survey Meetings. An’ there’s a rule you can only use one force per meeting.” 
“You keep your strongest force in your hand,” Dum added, “an’ only bring it out when the time’s right an’ you can reverse your fortune. An’ make a fortune!” 
“Yeah, but sometimes you don’t wanna let anyone see your other forces. It keeps the enemy from knowing what you’ve got.” 
“But since there’s three Survey Meetings, even if you use all the forces you can, there’s two you’ll 
never show.” Dum beamed. “Pretty cool, huh?” 
Alice mulled over that for a second. “I think I get it. And the strategizing continues between meetings?” 
“Yup. You can show a strong hand an’ pressure everyone, or make ’em underestimate you by showin’ a weak hand.” 
Clearly, this was yet another way the leaders could perpetuate their fight over territory. Even their muscle-flexing entertainment never exposed all their forces. 
But the twins, especially Dum, seemed to have a different reason for the twinkle in their eyes. 
“Makin’ a fortune,” Dum said dreamily. “I like the sound of that!” 
Elliot made a face. “These Survey Meetings are annoying as hell,” he muttered. “I don’t get the attraction. It’s just too convoluted.” 
Alice smiled nervously. “Sounds like it might be.” 
“Nah,” Dee interrupted. “Once it’s started, it pretty much runs itself. Like the hands of a clock.” 
“Elm...” 
As they walked through the streets, Alice saw 
how much the citizens around them were creeping away. She had never liked crowds, so the little circle of privacy (fear?) around the Hatters was a blessing. Sort of. 
They were in a castle’s territory, but it wasn’t Heart Castle. She didn’t know anyone in Diamond Castle. 
Maybe Elliot noticed her jittery steps, because he snapped, “Hey! Don’t wander off—we’re not gonna look for you if you get lost. And you know what happens to little girls who wander off, right?” 
“I’m staying with the group,” Alice retorted. “I’m just...curious about this place, since it’s the first time I’ve been here.” 
“Not sure I buy that,” he said coldly. “And I still don’t buy that you’re a ‘guest’ of ours. Make one false move and...” 
Maybe it was because Blood stood between him and Alice, but Elliot never drew his gun. Alice shuddered—the Elliot of this country had an even worse temper than the Elliot she knew. As she waved her hands to show that she wasn’t doing anything, Blood opened his mouth. 
“Elliot’s right. I see nothing enjoyable in chasing you down.” 
Without thinking, she turned to glare at Blood. “Listen, you...” 
Blood let out a wicked chuckle. 
Ugh. He was playing with her like a toy. She wished he’d stop using her to distract himself from the Survey Meeting. 
The twins suddenly jumped out in front of Blood, drawing their axes excitedly. 
“Hey, hey, Boss! Can we go to the Garden Party? It smells sooooo good!” 
“An’ we gotta collect info to place our bets right. Play real good this time, Boss! We don’t wanna lose!” 
“Save it for later,” Blood answered evenly. “The bookies at the Garden Party aren’t going anywhere.” 
Elliot growled. “I told you not to bother Blood, you little spit-stains!” 
The conversation descended into backtalk again. None of them were willing to give an inch—they all just took a mile. More than a mile. 
Their arguing was more confusing than usual, so Alice couldn’t find a way to butt in. She winced at 
the shrieks and stopped walking. The arguing group continued on, granting her a little blissful space. 
“Phew.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “I guess I’m not in the mood for a loud festival today.” 
Most of the townspeople were the Faceless— people without roles in Wonderland. Their faces were a little indistinct, admittedly. They bustled around her, festive and animated.. .even if they were hard to tell apart. 
Alice knew getting depressed wouldn’t help her. Maybe she hadn’t chosen to go to the baffling Country of Diamonds, but she had made a decision to stay in Wonderland. She needed to take the craziness in stride. 
She clenched her fists. Cheer up, she told herself firmly. 
Someone grabbed her from behind. 
Alice’s mouth fell open in surprise, but a hand clapped over it before she could scream. Strong arms pulled her back. 
“Mrrf!” 
“Shut up!” someone hissed. “We’ll let you go when we’re done with you.” 
Adrenaline raced through her limbs, and she struggled in the man’s grip. She dragged his hand off her mouth, but new hands and arms suddenly rushed her backwards, dragging her into an alley. 
“Wh-who are you people?!” she cried. 
Her voice echoed in the alley, but they didn’t answer until they’d shoved her far away from the open street, blocking it with their bodies. 
They were Faceless men—dressed in black suits. One of them sneered. 
“You really don’t know who we are? You’re pretty slow on the uptake for a Hatter stooge.” 
Enemies of the Hatters? she wondered, her mind racing. Do they want to ransom me? That didn’t bode well for her, since the Hatters didn’t care much about her in this country. 
She shoved the last arm away. “I have no idea who you are,” she snapped back. “Don’t touch me!” 
“Whatever,” one of the men hissed. “You know what hand the Hatters are going to play, right? Spill it!” 
“What hand Blood’s going to play...? You mean at the Survey Meeting?” 
“Obviously! Maybe he didn’t tell you everything, but he must’ve let some details slip!” 
“We know you’re close with the Hatter—you live with him!” 
The men wanted secrets for the Survey Meeting. Alice was so stunned that she stepped back. 
Her shoulders slumped as the strength drained out of her. 
“Close” with the Hatters. Is that how people saw her in the Country of Diamonds? Really? She had a reputation when she’d spent so long in Blood’s prison? 
The implications of it all made her head hurt. She angrily shook her head. 
“I’m not a member of the Hatter Family, okay? I don’t know anything.” 
“Bull. You live in—” 
“Yes,” she said sourly. “I live in Hatter Mansion. That’s it .” She didn’t add the part about being constantly under watch there. 
As she started to think that maybe she’d chosen the wrong place to stay, the men blinked at her. 
“You’re kidding,” one of them murmured. 
“According to our boss...” 
The men exchanged confused glances, and Alice felt the tension of the “kidnapping” drain away. These men didn’t seem violent. Heck, they hadn’t pulled a gun on her, unlike her hosts at the mansion. 
Another voice suddenly echoed in the alley. “According to me, what?” 
Alice stopped. She didn’t recognize the low, gritty voice with a soft edge. 
She looked up to see a tall, broad man saunter in behind the Faceless goons. As he neared, she saw the sharp outline of facial features.. .which meant he had a role. A Role-Holder of some Diamonds territory. 
She’d never seen him before in her life. 
Glasses rested on a strong nose, but they didn’t cover the scars crisscrossed over his face—a stark contrast to his calm expression. He wore a black suit similar to the Faceless, but with a badge on his left lapel. 
The Faceless men seemed stunned to see the man in glasses; they scratched their heads in obvious confusion. 
“B-Boss...” 
“What are you doing here?” 
“I could ask you the same question. You all disappeared on me, and now I find you roughing up innocent citizens? Watch it. You know trouble’s not allowed during the Survey Meeting.” 
“W-we’re sorry.” 
“We just thought that if you knew what hand the Hatter was holding, you could take him down easier—” 
“You shouldn’t have done this.” 
The “boss” sounded like he was scolding a group of children. The Faceless men all bowed their heads in unison. 
With a wry smile, the scarred leader turned his attention on Alice. 
“I’m sorry for the trouble, miss.” 
Alice was surprised at the apology. She brushed out her skirt. 
“Uh...it’s okay? They didn’t...hurt me or anything...” 
The man stared at her face for a moment. “You’re an Outsider?” he murmured. “But you.. .seem pretty 
comfortable in this world.” 
“I wouldn’t say I’m comfortable with everything, but... Yeah, I’m an Outsider.” 
She remembered her somewhat hyper reaction to similar words when she’d first arrived in Hearts. But now she just nodded. 
The corners of the man’s mouth curved up. It softened his rough features. 
“Gotcha. Sorry again.” 
“Why are you sorry agai—whoa!” 
The man suddenly pulled her against his body and leapt down the alley, the action so rough that Alice’s feet dragged across the concrete. Alice gasped her surprise as bullets exploded the bricks behind where they’d been standing. 
The Faceless men scattered. “It’s the March Hare!” one of them shouted. 
“Don’t shoot at our boss, you bastard!” 
Elliot bared his teeth from the far end of the alley, smoke swirling from the barrel of his gun. But he ignored the Faceless; his furious eyes were locked on Alice. 
“What the hell did you tell the Gravekeeper?” 
Alice’s heartbeat thundered in her ears. “G-Gravekeeper?” she stuttered. 
“I knew it!” Elliot snarled. “I knew you were in cahoots with that asshole!” 
Alice jerked her head at the man who slowly released her. He flicked his ocean blue eyes at her. 
He shrugged. 
“The Hare’s always had an itchy trigger finger.” He looked up at Elliot. “It’s forbidden to attack members of other territories during the festival.” 
Elliot cursed. “What do I care about that?! Tell me straight, Gravekeeper—is the girl your spy?” 
“Well, no, but I doubt you believe me.” 
The Gravekeeper. She’d heard that name in the Country of Diamonds. Elliot had called him the enemy.. .which she believed, considering Elliot had shot at the guy in broad daylight. 
The Gravekeeper made no sign of drawing a weapon, but Elliot kept his finger on the trigger. Elliot slowly advanced; Alice stayed stock still, her heart racing. 
When the Gravekeeper made a slight move to back off, Elliot’s free hand shot out and clamped 
over Alice’s wrist. 
“Ow!” 
Elliot clearly didn’t care about her cry of pain as he roughly dragged her toward him. 
“Shut up. I’m taking you back to Blood —he ’ll get you to talk!” 
“You’re hurting me!” Alice snapped back. “Quit being so rough!” She tried to pry her arm free, but it didn’t do her much good. And it only seemed to stoke Elliot’s anger. 
“I told you to shut up!” 
Alice winced as he squeezed her harder. “S-stop it!” 
“Hey,” the Gravekeeper suddenly bellowed. “My men grabbed her. You don’t have to—” 
“You stay outta this!” 
The Gravekeeper sucked his teeth. “I don’t believe this guy,” he murmured in quiet surprise. 
But Alice barely heard it; Elliot had stopped dead still in the alley, causing her to stumble right into his back. 
Blood stood before him, blocking the way to the street. His blue-green eyes were ice. 

“What do you think you’re doing, Elliot?” 
Elliot straightened. “B-Blood! I finally found her. And like 1 thought, she—gah!” 
Elliot’s attempt to shove Alice forward was thwarted by Blood’s cane whipping across his face. 
“I asked you a question, Elliot,” Blood said thinly. “What do you think you’re doing?” He flipped the cane in his hand and swung it, hard, into Elliot’s side. Elliot cried out and hunched over. 
“I ordered you to bring her back. Did I tell you to hurt her?” 
“Nngh...ggh!” 
As Blood mercilessly beat his subordinate, Elliot didn’t try to run or even defend himself—he just let Blood whack him over and over with the rod. Elliot’s weakening grip slid off Alice. She didn’t know what to do, so she just stood there, watching in horror. 
Even when blood welled up at the corners of Elliot’s mouth, Blood didn’t stop. 
“Answer me, Elliot! Did I tell you to do that?! 
“No, you...y-you didn’t!” 
“Then why don’t you listen to me?” 
Wham! Blood jammed the end of the cane into Elliot’s solar plexus. Elliot’s tall form finally collapsed to the ground. 
“Koff...augh...” 
“Why do I have to constantly tell you not to go beyond what I order you to do? You know that if I can’t keep you in line, everybody will think I can’t even housebreak a pet!” Blood rammed the bottom of his boot into the back of Elliot’s head. As Elliot curled against the concrete, Blood walked around him, his furious eyes on Alice. 
Alice automatically recoiled, bracing herself. 
But Blood simply took her hand, turned his back on the Gravekeeper, and walked back toward the street. Shocked into silence, she just ran to keep up with his quick steps. He didn’t even spare a glance for the fallen Elliot. 
Alice swallowed. She turned to look back, but the Gravekeeper and his men were already leaving, their backs to her as they exited the opposite end of the alley. 
It was clear that both he and Blood were pointedly not looking at each other. It felt less like an argument 
and more the evidence of a deep, dangerous rift. 
“W-was that the Gravekeeper?” Alice ventured quietly. 
“Yes. That’s the first time you’ve seen his face?” 
“Um.. .yeah.” Alice took a breath. “What’s he the leader of?” 
“The Gravekeeper territory, obviously. He runs the graveyard and the art museum.” 
“Art museum?” Alice repeated in surprise. “That’s... not what I would usually lump in with a graveyard Running a place to exhibit beautiful art while at the same time managing a place where people mourned for the dead... She imagined he was an odd leader. 
And what counted as a “grave” in Wonderland, anyway? When the people in that world “died,” their bodies vanished. All that remained were stopped clocks that had once ticked away in their chests— and Julius was supposed to fix those. 
As she wondered about that, she murmured, “He dressed kinda like you, Blood. I thought he was Mafia.” 
“That’s because he is.” 
“Huh?” 

Blood’s reply stopped her short. He continued a few steps past her before stopping himself and turning around. 
The anger in his eyes had vanished, replaced with an amused gleam. He seemed to enjoy her reaction. 
“His name is Jericho Bermuda,” Blood explained. “He oversees the graveyard, directs the museum, and yes, he is also a Mob boss. I don’t know how he looked to you, but he and I are villains of the same stripe.” His mouth slanted. “If you think he’s going to ensnare you, you’d better be prepared for the consequences.” 
Alice grimaced. “Thanks for the warning,” she muttered. 
Footsteps slowly tapped from behind them. Alice glanced back to see Elliot, hunched over slightly, his fists rubbing at the blood that had leaked from his puffy mouth. 
Alice knit her eyebrows together at the pained look on his face. She leaned in to whisper to Blood. 
“I know this might sound...weird coming from me, since you technically helped me, but...maybe you overdid it with him.” 
“I have my own ways of doing things,” Blood replied coolly. “Don’t tell me how to train my dog.” 
It was clear that he didn’t want her opinion—and her being an Outsider probably didn’t help. She pursed her lips and gave up. 
There was nothing between her and these people that resembled trust or friendship. He was just her landlord now.. .and nothing more. 

The territory leaders were supposed to gather in some waiting room. When Alice asked about the Survey Meeting itself, Blood told her it would take place “close by.” 
By the time Blood and Elliot brought her to a massive building, the twins had disappeared from their waiting spot. Blood didn’t seem surprised. 
“I’m sure they’ll show up again when they feel like it,” he hummed. He gestured to the door. “Ladies first.” 
Alice paused, then walked through the huge doorway. 
The waiting room beyond was already milling with people. Were they all Role-Holders here? 
“An Outsider!” a youngish voice called. “That’s pretty rare! But still, you don’t act like a stranger...” 
Alice turned to the young man who bounded to her side. Based on the clarity of his facial features, he had to be a Role-Holder.. .even though she didn’t know him. 
Wait. She felt a strange sense of deja vu as she stared at him. He wore an eye patch over his right eye, his feminine face strangely pale. It was his purple lips that made her think of someone she did know. 
“What?” she breathed. “You can’t be...” 
“Hm?” He blinked his one visible gray eye at her. “Do you and I know each other?” He suddenly beamed. “Wait, of course you know me. I’m the great and powerful Stationmaster, Nightmare Gottschalk! In the flesh, ha ha ha!” 
He puffed out his chest, belying the thinness of his body. But half a moment later, a large shadow descended from behind. 
“Big words for someone who always folds right 
after starting,” a familiar voice grunted. “Don’t act stupid, or killing you will seem too easy. If you have time to preen, then you have time to go to the hospital.” 
Alice’s eyes widened at the tall, dark-haired man she knew well. He’d lost his familiar suit and tie, and instead wore a rougher ensemble, including a black coat accented with a purple scarf. 
The boy—Nightmare?!—scowled. “Don’t you dare be so rude to me, Gray! I don’t need the stinking hospi—HRRK!” 
Gray narrowed his eyes as the boy hacked out a few watery coughs. “You’re proving my point,” he said thinly. “Go to the hospital, heal up, and then come back to get slaughtered.” 
‘T-I’m not going to go through that just to get killed! I might as well stay sick! I’m not going to the hospital, got it?!” 
“You don’t care about being killed—you just hate doctors. This isn’t on me.” 
It wasn’t just Nightmare’s boyish form that surprised Alice—it was Gray’s attitude toward him. Back in the Tower of Clover, Gray had gallantly 
protected Nightmare, even going to unwanted lengths to take care of his boss. He’d practically been Nightmare’s mother. 
She’d heard the rumor that once, long ago, Gray had been a hitman gunning to kill Nightmare. Was this what he had been like? 
As the implications dizzied her, something soft touched her back. She jumped in surprise. 
“Eek! Wh-who’s that?” 
“I was about to ask you the same thing.” 
A young man with fluffy pink cat ears and a striped fur wrapped around his shoulders slid in front of her. He flashed an achingly familiar smile. 
“Nice to meet you. Miss Outsider.” 
Alice’s chest tightened. “Boris,” she whispered. 
He pushed long bangs from one curious golden eye, eliciting a slight jingle of his many earrings. “You know me? Did the Stationmaster point me out or something? Man, I hate when people talk about me before I get here.” 
He seemed depressed for a second, but then he suddenly laughed. The fangs protruding slightly from the comers of his mouth were rather cute, but 
his most identifying features were the mercurial, ever-changing expressions on his face. 
She could see in his eyes that he didn’t recognize her—like everyone in Hatter Mansion. Frustration welled up in her chest at the thought that she was at square one with him, too. 
With everyone, maybe. 
But there was nothing she could do about it. She smiled at him, and it wasn’t entirely forced. 
“Nice to.. .meet you. I’m Alice Liddell. I hope we can be friends.” 
He saluted her. “Alice. Cool.” 
Something caught his eye; Nightmare and Gray behind her, apparently. He stepped past her to head for them. Her eyes followed his swishing pink tail. 
“I must warn you,” lectured another voice. “We have to move forward on the preparations! It’s almost time to start...” 
“Sidney, you’re always bullying me! It isn’t right to torture little kids!” 
Those voices weren’t familiar. Alice looked up as a small entourage approached. 
They were all wearing black suits, like the 
mobsters in Hatter Mansion—but Alice was starting to think there was a rule that all crews coming to the meeting had to wear black suits. One of the figures in the front—a young girl with a clearly defined face, which meant she had a role—had impressivelooking gold trim on her black dress. She flicked yellow-green eyes at a man lurking in her shadow. 
“I’m doing my best,” she complained. “The least you could do is praise me a little!” 
“You’re the host here, Your Majesty. Please act accordingly. 1 find it very uncomfortable to have my queen made a laughingstock.” 
As they neared, Alice saw that he wasn’t just a man. He was a.. .rabbit. 
The man had floppy black ears to match his dark hair. His eyes were two different colors—one gray, one red—and a monocle rested delicately over the ruby eye. 
The girl suddenly met Alice’s startled gaze. She instantly lit up and ran toward Alice. 
“An Outsider!” she cooed. “What a treat! And the fact that you’re here means that you’re doing us the honor of attending our Survey Meeting? As 
a rule, you’d be ordered to attend an audience at the castle, but I think I’ll make an exception in your case. Welcome!” 
Alice straightened. “Urn, thank you!” she blurted in response. 
Based on the girl’s words and the fact that the rabbit had called her “Your Majesty,” Alice could guess who this was. “You must be the...Queen of Diamonds, right? Your Majesty?” 
The girl beamed. “Yes, I rule the Country of Diamonds. My name is Crysta Snowpigeon. Welcome, Miss Outsider.” 
Alice felt put on the spot as she didn’t know anything about the girl, so she opted for overly formal. “My name is Alice Liddell. Please accept my apologies for not presenting myself to Your Majesty before this...” 
“Please! Don’t be so formal.” Crysta grinned. “I won’t tolerate rudeness from anyone else here, but you’re an Outsider. You don’t know the rules of this world.” 
“You’re so gracious, I don’t deserve it.” 
For whatever reason, the conversation seemed 
to irk the rabbit man; his black ears twitched and trembled. 
“Your Majesty,” he cut in. “We’re about to begin. You must play your part as host! 
“For goodness’ sake, Sidney, stop repeating yourself! We just got here.” She sighed. “I’ll go if I must. Let’s chat afterward, Alice.” 
At the urging of her retainer, the Queen of Diamonds jauntily turned. She strode off, the black rabbit named Sidney scuttling after her. 
The Black Rabbit, Alice thought. The opposite of the White Rabbit, I guess. He looked nothing like Peter. 
But even so, just for a second, the two converged in Alice’s mind. She wiped the overlapping images away. 
Thinking of Peter made Alice feel worse. Gloom settled on her shoulders in bitter reality. 
She’d met the Black Rabbit’s eyes for a second, but he hadn’t talked to her directly. She’d sensed cold indifference from him...even a little hostility. 
The chorus of voices around her sounded like 
other territory leaders and their subordinates talking in bored voices. She heard no room for her to join in, so Alice just let out a breath. 
I really am in a country where nobody knows me. 
She almost wished she were as ignorant of them as they were of her. Seeing all those familiar faces was a double-edged sword: she was glad so many of her friends were here, but she was depressed they didn’t remember her. She wasn’t sure which feeling was stronger. 
She didn’t have long to ponder it, because Blood practically materialized beside her. “You managed to get close to the queen,” he drawled. “Not bad.” 
“She’s only interested because I’m an Outsider,” Alice replied. Her voice sounded weak in her ears. 
In a country where no one knew her, her position as an Outsider was the only card in her hand. People wanted to indulge an Outsider. It was probably the only thing keeping her from getting shot, intentionally or otherwise. At least Blood was sorta her guide now. 
She tried to bury her depression. “Did you ever find Dee and Dum?” she asked him. 

His eyes narrowed slightly. “Yes, but I left them with Elliot. I can’t hear myself think once they start screaming at each other.” 
Based on the look on Blood’s face, Alice decided to change the subject. “I would, um, really like to know more about the territories in the Country of Diamonds,” she said carefully. “Who are the other leaders?” 
Blood crossed his arms. “There are four territories, including Hatter Mansion—the others are Diamond Castle, the Train Station, and the Gravekeeper’s museum and graveyard.” 
“I guess Diamond Castle is run by those two I just met. Crysta and.. .Sidney, was it?” 
“Right—the Queen of Diamonds and the Black Rabbit. The Station has the Stationmaster, the Lizard, and the Cheshire Cat. But you seem to know them already, so maybe you didn’t need the explanation, after all.” 
She was pretty sure Blood hadn’t been nearby when she’d spoken to the others, so maybe he had someone following her? 
He s as sharp as ever. 
“Okay. Is there anyone else at the graveyard and museum? Besides Jericho, I mean.” 
“Yes—he has two other Role-Holders in his territory. One is—” 
A loud voice squawked through the room, cutting Blood off. 
“Julius, you’re...strangling me!” a young man cried. “I can’t breathe-!” 
“I don’t like how you’re wandering around and eyeing everything. Walk in a straight line, Ace!” 
Alice sucked in a breath. She whipped around to see a familiar man toss his long hair over his shoulder and drag in a young teenager. 
“Wh...” 
“Speak of the devil,” Blood murmured. “There they are. But it seems like you already know them?” 
Alice swallowed. Julius Monrey, the Clockmaker, looked and sounded just like she remembered—but the rambunctious teenager he towered over wasn’t the Ace she knew. Was he not the Knight of Hearts anymore? And why was he younger now, like Nightmare? 
Julius’s blue eyes locked on her and Blood, then 
slid past them to the rest of the room. The spark of suspicion in his eyes confirmed what she already guessed: he didn’t remember her, either. 
The last vestiges of hope died inside her. Now she’d met them all. And not one of them knew her. 
“At last,” someone called. “I’m sick of waiting. Since everyone is finally here, shall we proceed to the meeting place?” 
Alice paused; the words sounded like Crysta’s, but her voice was different. She craned her neck to find out who was speaking just as the sound of a loud clap filled the room. Before the reverberations died down, the scene shifted around Alice. 
At first Alice thought that the waiting room’s walls had just vanished, but then she turned around. She and the other participants stood in a wide, rounded space like a Roman Coliseum, with countless Faceless citizens looking on from the stands. 
Alice had thought she was used to the casual magic that popped up in Wonderland, but her eyes still widened at the abrupt change. Blood laughed. 
“Follow me—our seats are over there. Why do you look so shocked?” 
“I just wasn’t.. .expecting to teleport or whatever. Who’s the woman who made that announcement?” 
“What do you mean? I just told you. Take your seat.” 
She finally followed his pointing finger; Elliot, the twins, and several other Hatter mobsters sat in a line of nearby chairs. He parted from her side and headed to a chair at the head of the section. His chair—with its fancier upholstery—sat in the front row. 
A seat for the leader. 
Dee squirmed in his chair. “It’s about to start. Brother! Ah, I wanna go to the Garden Party—I hope they set us free quick.” 
“I’m more worried about our bets, Brother. I wanna double our money!” 
Alice lowered herself into a seat next to the twins. She looked out ahead of them, to the middle of the Coliseum, where four giant, hollow, diamondshaped glass sculptures loomed over the ground. She scanned the faces in the assembled groups. 
They went from right to left: the Gravekeeper, Nightmare the Stationmaster, the Black Rabbit, and 
finally themselves, the Hatters. She imagined the four glass sculptures related to each territory. 
No one sat in the front-row seat in front of Sidney. As the noise of the crowd began to die down, Alice’s eyes fell on the silent hostess standing near the sculptures. Her presence alone seemed to draw the attention and quiet reverence of everyone in the stadium. 
She wore a black dress with gold trim, just like Crysta had worn in the waiting room, and she seemed to have Crysta’s eyes. But the child had vanished, replaced by a striking woman with haunting, ethereal beauty. 
“My fellow citizens of the nation, and territory leaders, I thank you for your hard work on this, the Survey Meeting!” 
Her graceful voice echoed through the stadium, commanding the entire area. Alice shivered. 
So Crysta was like the twins in Clover, and jumped between the form of a child and an adult. Alice filed that information away. 
“It’s been quite a while since the last meeting, and I’m sure there are many who have high expectations, 
hm? Those who amuse themselves with wagers are free to enjoy the Garden Party. However, keep in mind that any violence is strictly prohibited. I imagine there are many of you who are exhausted with all the fighting, so I want everyone to take advantage of this truce to refresh themselves and have a fabulous time!” 
The queen ducked her head slightly, her voice turning more solemn. “And now...let the meeting begin!” 
A tumult of cheers and horns exploded into the sky. As if following the noise, flights of doves flapped up into the atmosphere. 
The queen smiled, clearly satisfied, and descended from the stage. She passed a Faceless announcer who climbed onto the stage and stood tall. 
“Let’s get this Survey Meeting underway!” he boomed. “Do those cheers mean that you’re all ready for this?!” 
As the announcer spoke, several dozen Faceless ascended the stage and began their work. 
Alice squinted in confusion, not sure what was happening. Elliot seemed to notice. 
“What’re you doing?” he barked. “If you wanna see, look over there! That’s where they calculate the territory size!” 
“Where they... Oh!” 
The diamond-shaped glass sculptures had been empty, but now they started to fill with sand in a slow trickle from overhead. Each vessel held a different color of sand: yellow, green, black, or blue. In the air in front of the sculptures, numbers ticked upward. 
“What colors represent what territories?” Alice asked. 
“Yellow’s Diamond Castle,” Dee answered. “Green’s the Station.” 
“Then black is Gravekeeper, so blue’s us, Big Sis.” 
The twins seemed on tenterhooks waiting for the results. Alice furrowed her brow. 
“Really? The results of the Survey Meeting are decided in the sand?” 
“Yup! Easy, right? Even the stupid rabbit can understand it with one look! 
“Ha ha, the dumb rabbit won’t do anything hard. This way even he can see the results!” 

“Are you little brats talking crap about me?!” 
“Shut up,” Blood hissed. “If you’re going to make noise, leave. Just go to the Garden Party and be done with it.” 
Dee whooped. “That’s our Boss! He always knows what we want! See ya later!” 
“Party, party! Free party!” 
The twins clapped their hands excitedly and scrambled to get out. Blood sighed and flicked his blue-green gaze to Alice. 
“They’re surveying each territory for land mass, young lady—to use as the foundation for each team’s power. You can leave if you want. I’ll send someone for you when it’s finished.” 
“Is that how it works?” Alice had assumed no one could leave until the meeting was over. 
The Mad Hatter shrugged. “Sure. The other territory delegations are doing it.” 
Alice suddenly noticed that the territorial leaders were sitting alone. The rest of their Role-Holders had vanished already. The only exceptions were Sidney and Elliot. 
“You won’t be able to escape no matter where 
you go, so do as you like.” 
Alice smiled sarcastically at him. Implying that the guards are tracking me, huh? 
“Okay,” she said slowly. “I’ve been wondering about the Garden Party, so I think I’ll go there.” 
As she rose from her seat, she wondered if this was Blood trying to push her away. In the Country of Clover, Blood had a velvet tongue when it came to guiding Alice’s actions. His words were smooth and effective. 
It reminded her, once again, that the version of Blood who sat here with his legs crossed was a very different man. He kept his eyes on the sand towers and didn’t spare her a glance. 
She left him for the party. 

The Survey Meeting ran a lot of other forms of entertainment—including the Garden Party, an impressive event packed with citizens eating, drinking, and laughing. Alice got to sample the best food in the country while listening unhurriedly to 
a live orchestra. By the time she returned to the stadium, the flows of sand were just cutting out. 
The vessel with green sand seemed fuller than the others, so did that mean the Station’s territory had the greatest land mass? The other three territories were locked with each other pretty closely. 
It was time for the main event. Alice’s heart started to pick up speed as she jogged to her seat. She wanted to see how the territory leaders “used their strengths.” 
The twins were already squirming by the time she got there. Blood, still sitting in the leader’s seat, grinned up at her. 
“Right on time. I was about to send someone after you.” 
“These are the numbers for each territory?” 
“Yes. But it’s just a part of each territory’s score. The leaders can choose their own strengths and change the numbers from here on out.” Blood pointed a gloved finger at Nightmare; the boyish Stationmaster had his hand on a small stand on his desk. Controls on the stand reacted to his hand movements. 

The announcer leapt back on stage, riling up the crowd. “It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for!” he cried. “Will the Station keep its dominant place, or will the other leaders show their hidden hands?!” 
Nightmare laughed, then coughed, then laughed again. He brimmed with youthful confidence. 
“Ha! There’s no doubt that I’ll stay in the lead the entire time! What else...koff hack!” He curled over in a coughing fit, which made him seem less... threatening. 
Jericho and then Crysta laid their hands on their stands, revealing some of their strength. Blood didn’t move. 
As the crowd roared around them, Blood raised an eyebrow at Alice. He beckoned her closer. 
“How’d you like to give it a try, young lady?” 
Alice had no idea what he was thinking; she quickly shook her head. “Thank you for the offer, but I must politely decline.” 
Blood laughed. He finally slid his hand onto the stand. 
The stoppered blue sand started flowing into the vessel once more. And in front of the sculpture, the floating numbers revolved and changed. 

The majority of the people in the stadium held their breaths. Alice felt crushed by the pressure as she silently watched the progress. Beside her, the twins folded their hands together in desperate prayer. 
The sand didn’t fall at a constant speed—at times it would reduce to a tiny trickle, only to burst into a heavier flow. Alice guessed the flow rate was calculated to keep the spectators on the edges of their seats. I bet it’s driving the gamblers bananas. 
The flow of sand into the vessels slowed and finally stopped. 
Cheers and miserable wails erupted simultaneously as the announcer, who had been silent up until this point, raised his voice to the crowd. 
“And there you have it! The first-round victory goes to our hosts. Diamond Castle!” 
The audience roared in response. 
“And with that, the first Survey Meeting comes to a close! Don’t miss the second round!” 
As the announcer wrapped up the proceedings, 
Crysta gave her hands a sharp clap. The Coliseum vanished around them, leaving everyone back in the waiting room they’d started in. The teleportation had been so smooth...almost as if the hands of a clock had been wound backwards. 
Crysta puffed out her chest proudly at Sidney, who now stood beside her. “I hope you saw that,” she chirped. “I’m the winner! Ha ha!” 
His eyebrow twitched. “We have a veritable mountain of things to discuss, but this will suffice for now. I never thought you’d bring that out...” 
“Rabbit, you’re a rotten winner! You should be taking this opportunity to bury me in heaps of praise!” 
Sidney heaved a great sigh as Crysta smiled innocently at him. Alice was starting to see that young, enthusiastic girl from earlier in this older, beautiful queen. It was a little unnerving. 
On Alice’s side of the room, Elliot was livid. His body trembled as his white fists clenched at his sides. 
“I can’t believe it... How could Blood lose?!" 
Blood waved a hand. “Down, Elliot. The first round is always like this.” 
The final rankings for the round were Castle, Station, Grave/Museum, and Hatter Mansion in dead last. But Blood didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. With Elliot practically shooting steam from his ears, Alice was confused as to who exactly had lost. Even the twins—who had been so caught up in their bets—just shrugged. 
“Hm. So the Castle came in first this round... Kinda expected, but my winnings were crappy. How ’bout you. Brother?” 
“Kinda like you. An’ we were aimin’ for the jackpot...” 
Whatever payday Dee and Dum had been hoping for, this hadn’t been it. The actual ranking of their own territory seemed irrelevant, though. 
How very like them. 
As Alice scanned the reactions of the other members in attendance, someone tapped on her shoulder. 
“Yo. Good job today.” 
She craned her head to look behind her. “Jericho...?” 
The Gravekeeper lifted a finger to his lips, 
indicating for her to keep quiet. His eyes gleamed behind his glasses. 
Fortunately, Elliot was still raging at the Survey Meeting results, so the Hatters were too distracted to look at Alice. She licked her lips and nodded. 
“I wanted to apologize for my men,” Jericho explained. “Earlier—in the street. I didn’t have time for a proper apology in all the chaos.” 
“Don’t worry about it. Actually, you saved me. Thank you for that.” 
She smiled and gave him a slight bow. A hint of pleasure played at the comers of his mouth. 
“Still, my men started the whole thing. Maybe I can make it up to you at my place?” 
“Your place? But your territory is...” 
Her face broke into a grimace at the thought of the name Gravekeeper, but Jericho quickly waved away the idea with a flick of his hand. 
“Now, wait—that’s not what I mean. I wouldn’t invite a lady to a graveyard. You may not know this, but I’m also the director of the art museum.” 
“Oh, right,” she replied in relief. “I guess I did know that.” 
She’d heard about all the violent unrest in the Country of Diamonds, but she’d also been shut up in Hatter Mansion ever since arriving. She thought it might be nice to take a chance and get out a bit. 
The territory leader runs the art museum. She was interested in what kind of art was on display there. 
When she nodded, he handed her a slip of paper. It was a priority ticket with a fashionable design on it. 
“Here. Come and enjoy yourself anytime you like.” 
“Thank you. I think I’ll take you up on that.” 
Unfortunately, the Gravekeeper was a territory rival and ran an opposing Mafia organization. Alice didn’t know if the Hatters would let her go, but she didn’t receive many favors. She figured she’d take the ticket and be grateful. 
A curious illustration of an animal printed on the ticket caught her eye. But when she squinted at it, Blood’s voice drifted suddenly from much too close. 
“Did you win a bet and you’re checking your winnings, young lady?” 
“B-Blood!” 
Alice hurriedly stuffed the slip of paper into 
her pocket. “N-no,” she stuttered. “It’s nothing.” When she furtively glanced back at Jericho, she was relieved to see that he was already gone. She saw him in another area of the room, speaking to members of his territory. 
Blood pursed his lips. “What is it? Did you have some business with someone?” 
Blood seemed suspicious, but his eyes didn’t move to Jericho. Maybe he didn’t put that much together, Alice hoped. 
“It’s nothing,” Alice repeated, then tried to change the subject. “What do we...do after this? Now that round one of the Survey Meeting is done?” 
“We go home. The entertainment is over. The only question now is,” Blood murmured, his eyes moving past her, “what do we do about that?” 
Alice followed his gaze to see Elliot and the twins still making a fuss over the results. Well, to be more accurate—Elliot was furious and the twins added fuel to his fire. 
“I just don’t get it!” Elliot growled. “Blood was supposed to come in first, no matter what!” 
“You’re such an idiot!” Dee snapped back. “If 
the boss wins every single time, what’s the point of havin’ a Survey Meeting at all?” 
“Yeah, if everyone knew he was gonna win, we’d win even smaller pots! There’s no money in the kitty if nobody’s willin’ to bet!” 
“So? They can just bet on Blood!” 
Their shouts carried through the waiting room, and Alice found herself grimacing. Elliot didn’t seem to notice the other delegations making their exits nearby. 
Blood sighed. “Shall we leave them behind?” 
“It wouldn’t be right, Blood.” 
He irritably waved a hand. “They’re nothing but trouble.” 
As Alice hummed a noncommittal response, she slid her hand to the outside of her skirt pocket. Her fingers ran over the slight bump of the priority ticket inside.