Chapter 4, Part iv

Hector followed Burr as the Tove stooped and looked down into the hole. “There he is,” he said excitedly, but then he hissed in fury.

“What, what is it?” Hector asked, scrambling to get a look as well.

“It's going to eat Lilly!” Burr cried, and suddenly leaped straight into the void.

Hector's mind didn't register this for a moment, but the thought connected with his brain like a thrown brick. “Burr, wait! You can't just jump-- Gah! Be careful!”

*

Burr's fur rippled in the air as he leaped from the stone wall straight toward the Bandersnatch. He landed heavily on the beast's neck, and gripped it by the fronds. With a great hissing noise, it bucked and lurched, swinging its great head back and forth to shake him off. Burr sank his teeth into one of the thin, blood-red tissues that sprouted from its neck, and the monster roared in pain. With a sudden movement it heaved into the wall, pinning Burr's left leg and tail to the rock.

With his free leg he deftly swiped with his foot-claws and caught them on another frond, which made the beast convulse and release him. It hurt when he landed on the floor, but he was used to such rough treatment. He scrambled to his feet and rushed to the gray-and-tan heap on the ground.

“Lilly! Lilly,” he called, and stuck his arm beneath her back, lifting her shoulders. Her head lolled back limply, hair splayed across the floor and her jaw hanging open. But Burr couldn't look away from her eyes, which were wide open and moving, but which didn't see a thing: just like the people in the mountain village. “Lilly! Listen to me! What you see is not real, don't believe--”

With a sweep of its mighty claw, the Bandersnatch knocked Burr and Lilly sprawling across the canyon floor. Burr did his best to cover her with his body as he slammed into a boulder; he yelped in pain, and lights flashed behind his eyes. He struggled to stand.

Growling deep in its throat, the Bandersnatch's head loomed high in the air, and with no effort it brushed away the boulder. Burr stumbled backward and looked up at the predator's eyes...

It hissed, and its fronds flashed bright red.

*

Hector wasn't sure what to do. From his high vantage point he could see the humongous Bandersnatch was slink closer and closer to Burr and Lilly, both of whom weren't moving to escape. And if his eyes didn't fool him, Burr was just standing there, watching it get closer!

Something must be wrong, Hector suspected. I have to do something! But what?

Not sure what else he could do, Hector cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted down into the crevice. “Hey! Hey, you! Mr. Bandersnatch!” If it heard him, it didn't respond. It just crawled closer and closer to the frozen Tove, flickering its thin red tongue to taste the air.

“Hey! Get away from him!” Hector cried. His throat seemed choked with anxiety. The beast was only seconds away from gobbling up his friends! And there was nothing he could--

“What'cha lookin' at?” asked a horrible, raspy voice.

(Graphic 4.7: The Jubjub Bird stands next to Hector, looking at him sideways again with its beady eye.)

“Oh, it's you!” Hector sighed with relief. “You're just in time!”

“I need my library card,” the bird demanded.

“Sure, sure. You'll get your card. But can you help me with something first? I need to get down there as fast as--”

“Where's my library card?” insisted the Jubjub. It blinked, then swiveled its head to look at Hector with its other eye. “You promised! I want to read those diaries!”

Hector felt like tearing his hair out. “Look, I'll keep my promise and you'll get that card, but unless you help me rescue my friends I'm afraid I might have to refuse you library privileges! Please, just fly me down there, and I'll... I'll make you an honorary Deputy Librarian! How about that?”

The bird seemed unperturbed by this. It rapped its terrible beak on the rock surface and stomped petulantly. “I want the library card! I want it, I want it, I want it! Give it to me now!”

Hector thought quickly. “Mr. Jubjub, have you ever thought of what it might be like to have a book written about you?”

The Jubjub paused. “What kind of a book?”

Hector grinned and held up his journal, flipping dramatically through the pages. “Why, an adventure story, of course! In which you were the hero! Then everybody who read that book would think of you and say 'Wow, what a brave, handsome bird he is!' You would be famous! Children would read about you in school, and their teachers would tell them 'Remember, you all need to be strong and wonderful like the Jubjub Bird,' and people would write plays and sonnets about you and your marvelous plumage, and they would write about you in their diaries--”

“In their diaries, you say?” it asked. It clicked its beak in interest. “Hmm... brave and handsome, you say? Would they really write plays and sonnits 'bout me?”

Hector scoffed. “Of course! You would deserve nothing less. You would become a literary hero of legend.”

It shuffled its great, horrible feet, raking its sharp talons across the ground in excitement. “Oh! Oh! Oh! I want everyone to know how brave and handsome I am! I want them to write sunnets about me! I want them to write in their diaries about me! Then I could--”

“But!” Hector exclaimed, and held up his hand to stop the bird. It looked at him in eager expectation. Hector then pointed at the canyon crevice. “You have to help me, first, otherwise there will be nothing for me to write about. You must fly me down to the Bandersnatch. Do you understand?” The bird nodded fiercely. “Good. Then please get me down there.”

“I'm gonna be famous!” squawked the Jubjub bird triumphantly, then suddenly snatched Hector's coat in its beak and flapped its wings. Hector fought not to vomit as the ground lurched away from him, and he reached up to awkwardly grip the bird's huge beak. The wide crack in the ground moved upward to swallow them and down they plunged through the bitter-cold air to where the Bandersnatch crouched, poised to strike at Burr.

Suddenly the lizard lashed upward with its tail and struck the Jubjub bird who squawked in alarm and dropped Hector in a shower of grimy feathers. Hector screamed as he fell the last few feet onto the lizard's back, then rolled off and tumbled to the ground in a sore heap. Limbs shaking with the rush of it all, he forced himself to stand as the ground rumbled with the movements of the Bandersnatch. In the blink of an eye the beast had turned to face Hector, bore its terrible fangs, and let out a deafening hiss.

Hector squinted and covered his face against the flying saliva. “Now, that's no way to treat strangers,” he said as calmly as he could, but the Bandersnatch had no patience. It thrust its head at him and flared its blood-red facial fronds. Hector felt something smash into his mind like a brick through a window.

“You're just embarrassing,” Trisha sighed. She and Hector stood in a large room which he recognized as his parents' house; looking around, Hector realized that not only were his parents and younger siblings there, but Tom, Blanche, Slick Johnny, and all his friends and coworkers from Dunberg. “I'm sorry, Hector, but whenever I'm around you it's just... embarrassing. There's no other word for it.”

Everybody nodded their heads in agreement and avoided his eyes.

Hector blinked in confusion. “What do you mean? What are you talking about? Did I do something wrong?”

“Honey,” said his mother, a wonderfully plump woman, and patted his cheek. “It's just that of all her important jobs, Trisha just finds it awkward to babysit you. And you know what, sweetie, to tell you the truth, a lot of us feel that way as well.”

“It's true,” he heard Tom add among the general murmurs of agreement from the crowd.

“We're glad you spend all your time holed up in the Library,” affirmed Dad. “You know, to spare us all the awkwardness of putting up with your constant talk of children's books and the like. You understand, of course.” There was a prolonged silence, in which somebody shook their head and left the house, closing the door sharply.

Hector put his hands on his hips. “Now, this is just weird. What is everybody doing in here?”

There was an uncomfortable silence; at least, uncomfortable for everyone else. Hector just sighed. He smiled. “Look, I may be awkward, and I probably need to get out more. And I'll be the first to admit that I do tend to dominate the conversation when it has to do with literature. But I'm sure glad you're all usually so nice to me! You have all helped me so much during my life. Tom, you keep things interesting around the library! And Blanche, you keep everything extremely neat and tidy. Slick Johnny's got the best storytelling ability that I've ever seen, and Mom and Dad, how could anyone replace you? Really, it's been great. I thank you all for everything.” Trisha glanced at him with a confused expression, then looked away. “Especially you, Trisha! You come and visit me regularly, and you keep my debate skills sharp.

“I'm not sure why you're all here right now,” he went on, “but I'm helping to save the world right now, and it's the most amazing thing I've ever done. I'm afraid that I just don't have time to sit here and have you all tell me how awkward I am-- and besides, don't you think I already know?” He smiled, and made his way toward the door. People shuffled out of his way. Hector waved to everyone before gripping the handle and swinging the door open. “See you all when I get back, and be careful with the hardwood floor in the kitchen, my mom will give you all what for if you scuff it.”

He walked through the door.

The frozen mountain air rushed back to his senses, like a slap to the face. Hector shuddered and blinked, and saw the Bandersnatch towering over him. However, the creature seemed confused and hesitant this time; they looked at each other, and the lizard halfheartedly flapped its red fronds.

“So that's what you do, is it?” Hector asked innocently. The Bandersnatch stood still, and glanced nervously from side to side. “You make people see what they fear most. I get it. You made me see my friends and family tell me I was awkward in front of everyone I knew. I'll admit, that was pretty clever, because I'm normally mortified of that sort of thing, but ever since I've left Dunberg I've gotten... well... I guess you'd say I've gotten more self esteem. I'm over that.”

He looked around and saw his journal lying on the rock floor. He picked it up, dusted it off, and tucked it under his arm as he slipped his hands into his pockets. “You know, Mr. Bandersnatch, I bet you hypnotize people into feeling insecure and ashamed to make you feel better about yourself. Am I right?”

The lizard ducked its head and folded its fronts tightly against its scales. Its tongue flickered weakly.

“I thought so. It's understandable, I suppose. You probably don't even have any friends, I'd venture; but we can fix that.” With this, the Bandersnatch perked up a little and sat down on the ground with a thunderous crash. Hector stabilized himself before speaking. “Since you have that marvelous talent of making people see things that aren't there, maybe you could make others see good things. How about that? You could help them remember their friends and family, or help cheer them up if they're feeling down. What do you think? Want to give it a try?”

The Bandersnatch slowly raised its expressive fronds, and there was a sparkle in its crimson eyes that wasn't there before. It was about to stand up, but suddenly a battle-cry rent the air. Hector peered up into the sunlight and saw the silhouette of a very large and ugly bird with a man sitting upon its back.

“Behold your demise, foul brute!” screamed Aric, and leaped valiantly from the Jubjub bird, vorpal sword raised in the air. Just as he landed on the Bandersnatch's back, preparing to strike, the lizard turned its great head and opened its face-fronds at him. Aric's determined snarl turned into an expression of languid bliss, and his whole body relaxed. The flaming vorpal sword clattered to the ground.

“I feel pretty,” Aric mumbled, and swooned.

Hector laughed and let Aric and the Bandersnatch be; he turned and ran to Burr, who was still standing completely still with a look of grief on his face. Hector grabbed his shoulders and shook him. “Burr! Burr, it's me, Aric! Wake up! The Bandersnatch it's going to eat you any more. Everything's going to me all right. Hey, Burr!”

The brown Tove blinked and shook his head slowly. “What?” he drawled. “Wha' happened...?”

“The Bandersnatch isn't going to hurt us,” Hector reassured him. “Look, he's talking with the Jubjub bird.” In the distance, they could hear the bird asking the Bandersnatch if it kept a diary.

Burr blinked again, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. “But... it was going to eat Lilly...”

As if she had heard her name, Lilly came stumbling toward them from the darkness. She held a paw to her head and her eyes were red and swollen, but she wore a smile. “Hector Blithe, is that you? Burr? And Aric is over there, I see... you found him.”

“I didn't, actually,” he clarified. “But how are you feeling, Lilly? Did the Bandersnatch hypnotize you, too?”

She nodded and massaged her temples. “Yes, it did... I saw my father and mother, and the togom, and River, and a host of other people I know... they were all saying horrible things. But I realized that they are all my friends, and they would never really say things like that; and even if they did, I should keep loving them.” She directed a tired smile at Hector. “Thank you, Hector Blithe, for teaching me to forgive others.”

Hector blushed. “Aw, it was nothing... Burr? What did you see? If it's not too personal to ask.”

Burr shrunk and didn't say anything.

“That's all right,” Hector shrugged. “Now, it's time to ask Aric where he's been.”

The three of them walked to the Bandersnatch, who gingerly bit the collar of Aric's coat and brought him down on the ground. It made a strange clicking sound deep in its throat, and Aric's dilated eyes snapped back to normal.

“What! Where! Where am I? Where did everyone go?”

“You got hypnotized by the Bandersnatch,” Hector explained, as he watched Burr retrieve the glowing vorpal sword. He held it at arm's distance and handed it back to Aric, who absently slid it back into its black sheath. “Except now it makes people see good things, not bad things.”

“So I noticed,” he said with a strange smile.

“Where were you?” Lilly suddenly snarled, and gripped him by the lapels. “It's your fault that all of us were almost killed! Never should you run away like this!”

Aric put up his hands defensively, leaning away from Lilly's snout. “Look, I was going after the Bandersnatch. It snuck into our cave last night, and I had to chase it off. I didn't want it to come back, but I got a little sidetracked... Look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I caused you all so much distress, especially you, Miss Lilly, because you are the Guide, after all.” He smiled winningly. “Now, will you please let me go?”

She released him, brushed off his coat, then batted his face with her fist.

“Ow!”

“I am glad that you are safe,” Lilly said firmly. “Don't do that ever again.”

Aric rubbed his cheek. “Now I know not to. Yikes, I think you knocked a tooth loose...” He cracked his jaw, then grew serious. “But we're severely sidetracked now. We've lost far too much ground, and I'm absolutely certain that the Mome Raths are on their way to the Tulgey Wood, and we have to get there first, or else. The question is, how do we get there?”

“Well, I ain't flyin' you there,” the Jubub bird complained, startling Aric with its sudden appearance at his side. “One o' you's is fat enough as it is.” It hobbled over to Hector and whispered, “Would you say I'm dashingly handsome, or ravishingly handsome?”

“Ravishing, definitely.”

The bird danced around happily.

Lilly pointed at the Bandersnatch, who sat patiently, watching them talk. “The Bandersnatch can climb these mountains very quickly, and surely it knows how to cross them. Noble Bandersnatch,” she said, bowing before the lizard, who looked away shyly. “We must get to the Tulgey Wood to stop the Jabberwock from waking. We must get there quickly. Will you please take us there?”

The gigantic creature nodded and lowered its head. Lilly swiftly swung herself up to sit on its neck, and helped Burr to sit behind her. Aric, laughing with incredulity, reached up and struggled to find a seat. “Come on, Hec,” he called down. “Sorry, there's no time to get your books. We have to leave now if we want to get there in time.”

Hector turned to the Jubjub bird, who glared at him with its eye. “Would you please be so kind as to go get my books from our cave? I give you permission to read them all. Please bring them back to Dunberg, with this--” Hector pulled out his library card and some string he had in his pocket, scribbled a note on the paper and tied it around the bird's stringy neck. “--This will get you into the library. Give it to Tom or Blanche, they'll let you in. Just don't eat anybody.”

The bird was elated. “Yes, yes! Yes! My own library card! My own, my own! Ha ha ha ha! Mine!” It flapped its putrid wings and struggled into the air, finally vanishing from sight as its laughter echoed through the canyon.

Aric helped him onto the Bandersnatch's back as the beast began to move. “I have a question for you, Aric,” he asked, wrapping his arms around Aric's waist as the lizard dug its claws into the wall and started climbing upward with sickening verticality.

“Shoot, Hec.”

“Were you after the Bandersnatch so it wouldn't show you your past?”

Aric tangibly stiffened, then laughed softly so no one else would hear. “You're too quick for me, Hector. Later, I'll tell you exactly why. But I was indeed after the Bandersnatch because of what it would show me. Don't tell anyone I told you that, okay?”

“I won't,” Hector said between gritted teeth. Finally, after climbing for a year, the lizard became horizontal again and started bounding across the snowy hills. “One more question, actually,” he managed to say between leaps.

“Yes, Hector.”

“Were you watching us when the Bandersnatch was about to eat us?”

Again Aric paused. “Yes. And to answer your next question, I got the Jubjub's attention by telling it I had a nice, juicy diary.”

Hector squeezed his eyes shut as the Bandersnatch leaped gracefully across a ravine; he make the mistake of opening his eyes for a horrible moment when he could see a tiny river with great ice chunks some miles below. They landed with a crash, then kept moving.

“Sorry, Aric, just one more question.”

“Then you get just one more answer.”

“How do you know so much about everything? The Toves, their culture, the Jubub bird, the Bandersnatch, the Mome Raths. The vorpal sword, too. How--”

“I'll give you that answer,” Aric whispered solemnly, “But some other day. Okay? Let's just get everyone over with, then I will answer all of your questions. I promise.”

“Okay,” Hector said, and concentrated on not throwing up as the Bandersnatch slithered up another rock face.

*

(Graphic 4.8: Three black-clad Tove thralls stand in the snow, watching the Bandersnatch crawl away. They follow it, unseen.)