by Mainak Dhar
The audience stirred.
Vince said, 'Arun, you know that the war rages in the American Deadland, a renewed struggle inspired by your own actions in creating Wonderland. I have lived in the Central Committee's labor camps and I can tell you that they see us as no more than pawns and slave labor. Every concession we make towards them makes us weaker in their eyes, and you know what they said about bullies, don't you? They feed on weakness.'
Arun sat down, his head in his hands.
'Folks, let's get real here. Do we want a renewed war? All I'm trying to do is to keep our people safe. How will posting messages to the Americans in any way help us make Wonderland safer? Tell me that and I'll listen to you.'
And so it was done. Two Red Guard technicians flew in, and undeterred by the murderous looks Danish gave them, installed software on the computers at the Looking Glass which would prevent them from accessing any of the pages uploaded from the American Deadland. Any second thoughts or concerns the people of Wonderland might have had were silenced by another plane-load of crates, filled with food, cosmetics, and another television.
They did not have to wait long for the next move in the intricate game of chess that Commissar Hu and his masters were playing. After the nightly soap opera, a grim faced woman appeared on TV, with a red ‘breaking news' scroll across the screen.
'People of Wonderland, recent investigations have revealed a most shocking truth concerning the disturbances in the past in the area known as the Deadland. These have led to much misunderstanding between our nations. Newly discovered documents show that some Zeus officers in the Deadland had overstepped their authority and had engaged in illegal smuggling of people without any knowledge of the Central Committee. They were working hand in hand with smugglers in the Mainland who were running illegal farms and then selling food to the people in the Mainland at exorbitant prices in a black market. Two of these smugglers have already accepted all charges against them and have been executed.'
There was a stunned silence among the hundreds gathered in front of the TV. Satish, who had dozed off, suddenly woke up. Arjun sensed what was coming and went to call Alice as the woman continued speaking.
'When their illegal activities were at risk of being discovered, they blamed the Central Committee and instigated the people of the Deadland against us. Then they engaged in terrorist attacks that started the unfortunate war between our nations. Now that our people are once more bound together by fraternal relations of love and respect, it’s time we unmasked who these villains are. Ironically today these same men are in charge of Wonderland's security.'
Alice had now arrived, and she watched in shock as several photos appeared on the screen. There was Colonel Dewan, who had played a pivotal role in their struggle by believing in Alice and helping the resistance in the Deadland, until he paid the ultimate price by losing his life to the Red Guards. A string of officers followed – and finally there was Satish.
She saw several people in the crowd turn towards him. Satish was now on his feet, his eyes narrowed in anger.
'Those bastards!'
A meeting followed the next morning between Arun, Alice, Satish and Arjun.
'Arun, you do realize they are lying, don't you?'
For the first time in weeks, Arun looked actually scared. He had been in his element as Prime Minister, believing he was bringing peace to Wonderland and achieving a destiny he had thought had been taken from him forever. Now his place as little more than another pawn was becoming clearer and clearer to him.
'Satish, I sought refuge here with my family and you saved us from Biters and Red Guards alike. I would trust you with my life any day. I was a politician before The Rising, so I know well what propaganda means and how it can be used and abused, but there's something I had never realized. Something that may yet prove to be our undoing.'
‘What is that?’ Alice asked.
'For people like me, Arjun, Satish, and others of our age, we knew what the world was like before The Rising. We know what messages are likely to be no more than propaganda and what we can really trust. We know that the Chinese were not exactly our allies and how their political system was so different from our democracy. But more than half the people in Wonderland were either born after The Rising or are too young to remember any of this. They take everything they see at face value; they are the ones most excited by the shiny toys and TV shows, and they are the ones the Central Committee is winning over with these messages.'
'They could not defeat us, so they steal our children's minds,' Arjun growled.
'Alice, we need to defuse and manage the situation. I will issue a statement that there must be a mistake and someone is trying to frame Satish.'
Alice stood. 'My father used to tell me something about why he never worked for the Central Committee despite being asked to, and why he always ensured our settlement remained independent in spite of all the difficulties we faced. He used to say that a leash, even if made of the finest silk, is still a leash.'
The meeting ended with Arun’s departure. He planned to issue a statement immediately.
When he was gone, Satish looked at Alice. 'What are you going to do?'
'I think the time's coming when we'll be needed to fight once more. Spread the word among your men that they should make sure our heavy weapons are ready to use.'
Satish grinned.
'About time we did what we should have done long ago.'
As he turned to leave, Alice cautioned, 'Just don't do anything hasty. Lie low for now.'
She turned to see Arjun grinning broadly.
'What's so funny, Arjun?'
'I never cease to be amused by how you order around people three times your age, and how they listen to you.'
Later that day, Alice was called urgently to town. She raced there on her bike, hoping it was not another Biter attack. When she arrived, she found that it was almost as bad. Two of Satish's men had been eating at McDonald's when a couple of teenagers had made comments about Satish being a criminal. Words had been exchanged and before anyone could defuse things, a fight had broken out. One of the boys was in hospital with a broken nose and a large crowd had gathered in front of Arun's office, demanding that Satish's men either be disarmed or confined to barracks.
One woman shrieked, 'These men are too used to war. They don't know how to live in civilized company anymore.'
Alice glared at her and the woman shrunk under her gaze.
'You have what you call civilized company because soldiers like them bled for you. Don't forget that.'
Arun was inside with Arjun and Satish, who seemed livid.
'Arun, these boys are our best fighters. There is no way I will disarm them.'
Arun rubbed his forehead absently, trying to deal with a throbbing headache.
'This is all going crazy. Look, can you please put your recon teams in a barracks for a day or two till things cool down? Arjun, can your men handle security till then?'
Arjun shook his head sadly. 'My boys can break up fights and help drunks home, and of course they could shoot Biters when they were in the Deadland. But they are not trained combat soldiers like Satish's men, so if there's any trouble with the Red Guards, they won't last too long.'
'But there aren’t any Red Guards around, are there?'
Alice said, 'Not yet, but I'm sure we will cross paths with them soon enough.'
***
Back in Ladakh, Hu was seated in Chen's office, the chess set in front of him as usual, looking more complacent and smug than ever. As events had unfolded in Wonderland over the last few days, Chen had finally begun to grasp the true extent of what Hu and the Central Committee had planned.
'Comrade General, do you see now how this war is being waged and won? I don't care about those savages and their pathetic piece of land, but the fertile lands of Northern India are needed to feed our people, and we need labor to resume working on farms and in the camps back in the Mainland.'
Chen was silent, but Hu fixed him wit
h an expectant look. Okay, if the Commissar wanted groveling and positive validation, Chen would oblige. If it helped him save the lives of hundreds more young conscripts from being thrown away in meaningless battles, he would play along.
'Comrade Commissar, the plan is certainly something I would never have thought of. It's reassuring that the Central Committee has been able to find a more peaceful solution to achieve our goals.'
Hu laughed.
'Comrade Commissar, did I say something to amuse you?'
Holding his belly, tears standing out in his eyes, Hu said, 'Who told you that there is to be no more bloodshed?' Opening his hand, he produced a chess piece. 'You see, Comrade, our game is a little bit different than a normal game of chess. In this game, the White King can be taken off the board and the game will continue.'
***
Arun pulled his jacket around him, trying to keep out the chill. He remembered a time when he actually welcomed Delhi winters, enjoying hot cups of tea in the heated comfort of his bungalow. In the Deadland, winters had meant nothing but misery and huddling in old, tattered blankets. So it was no surprise that the latest shipment from the Central Committee had generated much excitement, as it had brought crates packed with soft woolen sweaters and blankets. Arun had stood proudly as people had openly cheered and clapped. That one moment had brought home to him that he had finally made progress in being a true leader to his people. Wonderland may have been forged in blood and war, but Arun would be the one who brought the beginnings of peace and prosperity to his people.
The flight had also brought with it a message for Arun from Commissar Hu. The Commissar wanted to meet Arun alone to discuss some important matters. Arun had been requested to not share this request with anyone else: the message had euphemistically stated, 'Do not share broadly until we have met to prevent counter-revolutionary elements in Wonderland from sabotaging our continuing partnership'. Arun knew that the ‘elements' being referred to were Alice and Satish, and he was fine with that. He had sought refuge in Wonderland like thousands of others and watched Alice and her followers wage the war that had brought them some breathing space, but while Arun never doubted her courage or skill with weapons, he did not think she had the vision needed to realize that no society could exist in a perpetual state of war. The only way out was to bring about some semblance of stability and peace. Arun was well versed enough in the ways of politics to know that the Central Committee had not been sending all their shiny gifts out of the goodness of their hearts. They would want something back in return, and he guessed that was what this meeting was about. His best guess was that the Central Committee would want to restart the farms in the plains where labor from the Deadland had once worked. When he and the others in the Deadland had been scavenging to survive, many settlements had sent people to these farms to buy some degree of security from Biter hordes. At that time, Alice's vision of these being slave camps and her offering freedom seemed compelling. Now, with a more settled presence in Wonderland, Arun believed that it could be a more equal exchange. He could promise some share of the harvest from these farms in return for assured supplies of goods that would really set Wonderland on its path back to civilization. Already he had a mental list that included more generators, bicycles to help people get around more easily, and a large screen and projector to open the first movie theatre in Wonderland – something that had been much in demand once people had started getting used to the daily dose of TV soaps.
This was what national leaders did, wasn't it? Trade with other nations to bring prosperity to their people; create a vision for a peaceful, stable society; and end long, festering wars. So Arun had slipped away at night, riding a bicycle to the borders of Wonderland and then arriving at the agreed rendezvous point. Part of him was worried at being out in the Deadland alone at night, and he nervously fingered the pistol tucked into his belt, but the excitement of a major new agreement with the Central Committee overrode that nervousness.
Arun had been so lost in thought that he almost missed seeing the sleek black helicopter that had landed a hundred or so meters away. It had arrived without making any noise, and looked like the helicopter that Vince loved to play around with. A figure stepped out, barely more than a smudge in the darkness. From a distance, in the dull glow reflected from the cockpit of the helicopter, it looked like a Red Guard officer, with the trademark slanted cap. But as Arun got closer, he was surprised to see that the officer seemed to be a woman. He had never encountered a female Red Guard before and wondered if she was an aide who had come to fetch him to meet the Commissar.
A nervous knot formed in his stomach. He did not want to be taken anywhere alone by the Red Guards. Talk of fraternal relationships was great when he was in the relative safety of Wonderland, but not out here when he was all alone.
The Red Guard officer strode toward him.
He had a tactical radio strapped to his belt, and the frequency was set to the Looking Glass. He knew Danish would be there, and while the old man would hardly be able to offer much help, he could alert Alice and Satish. It was a sobering thought as he realized that when he was faced with imminent danger the two people he had done most to undermine in his attempt to gain power were the only two people he thought he could count on to help him.
The Red Guard officer was now mere feet away. In perfect English she said, 'Greetings, Mr. Prime Minister. It is an honor to meet you.'
Hearing her polite greeting reassured Arun and he walked towards her, still unable to make out her features in the dark.
‘Greetings, is Commissar Hu here, or do I need to go anywhere else to meet him?’
The officer chuckled. Then her voice changed, taking on a harder edge.
‘Prime Minister, my brother died somewhere here in the Deadland, cut to pieces by the Yellow Witch and her monsters.’
Arun stopped in mid-stride.
‘I listened to survivors of his unit talk about how people like you cheered and clapped as they were hunted down by her. It was a war, I admit that, but why would you allow the slaughter of those who were willing to surrender?’
After a moment of fumbling for a response, Arun said, ‘No, such a thing never happened. We always let surrendered Red Guard units go. That was Alice’s order.’
‘You lie!’
Li spat out the words and took another step towards Arun. He saw her reach for something at her belt and, suddenly very scared, Arun took out the one signal flare he was carrying and lit it. As he held it in front of him, he got his first look at the Red Guard officer facing him. He took in the red, lifeless eyes, the teeth pulled back in a feral grimace, and the decaying, yellowed skin. He stumbled back, the flare falling to his feet.
‘What are you?’
Li picked up the flare and held it close to her face.
‘I am the Red Queen, dog!’
Arun clicked the transmit button on his radio. He screamed, ‘Looking Glass, I need help!’
Before he could say another word, Li had crossed the distance between them in a single leap and hit him with an outstretched palm. Arun doubled over in pain as he felt his ribs crack. He struggled to his feet as Li pivoted, cracking the edge of her palm against Arun’s nose. He felt warm blood spurt out over his face and mouth and he screamed in pain. He tried to reach for the gun at his belt, but Li grabbed his wrist in a lock, applying pressure until she heard the bones snap. Arun’s screams became incoherent.
Li wanted to make him suffer more, but her orders were clear as to how this man was to die. She brought him close and then leaned forward, opening her mouth to bite. Behind her two of her Biters approached to finish the job.
***
Danish had stepped out to stretch his legs. Sitting in front of the terminals and radio equipment for hours every day was not doing his aging joints any good. Not being able to access the American sites was frustrating but he had nowhere else to go, as he slept most nights in a small room adjoining the Looking Glass. He had decided to call it a night and sleep when he hea
rd the scream on the radio. He rushed back inside, but he heard nothing else. Had he imagined it? He could have sworn he had just heard Arun scream. Falling down into his seat, he tried to call Arun’s tactical radio.
‘White King, do you copy? This is the Looking Glass.’
He flinched as he heard a low moan, sounding more like an animal in pain than a human being. That was followed by a roar that could have come only from a Biter.
***
EIGHT
‘White Queen, I think I saw some movement about a kilometer east of your current position.’
‘Roger, White Knight. I’m on it.’
The moment they had been alerted by Danish to the transmission from Arun’s radio, Alice, Satish and Arjun had been scouring the area around Wonderland. Arun’s wife did not know where he had gone, other than the fact that he had stepped out late for a meeting. That set off alarm bells in Alice’s mind, so they agreed to not only search Wonderland, but also the land bordering it. Vince was in his helicopter, using its motion sensors and heat detectors to aid in the search. Not knowing what they were getting into, Alice radioed Satish and Arjun to join her before they investigated what Vince had just spotted.
Vince reached the location well before they did and what he saw was clear. There was a heat signature in the darkness almost directly below him. From the limping way the figure seemed to be moving, it was either a badly wounded man or a Biter. He would have taken the helicopter down for a closer look but Alice had told him to stay in the air to provide warning in case this was a Red Guard trap.
Alice was riding her bicycle and so far had been cautious in the darkness but was now pedaling as fast as she could. Arun and Satish were on their own bicycles just behind her. They had debated coming out in a jeep but Arjun had cautioned that it would make too much noise and alert any potential adversaries. From over Alice’s head came the soft hum of the helicopter; she was close. Vince must have seen her on his sensors as he turned on the powerful spotlight below his copter, lighting up the figure below him.