"Mickey Zucker Reichert - Who Killed Humpty Dumpty" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reichert Mickey Zucker)

"Off with her head!" shouted the Queen of Hearts again, and by the time all the others had shushed
her, the Gryphon had dismissed the Hatter and coaxed Tweedledum and Tweedledee to the stand.
The two stood perfectly still beside one another, each with an arm across the other's back. Though
Alice had met them previously, she could not tell them apart now except that Tweedledee had "DEE"
embroidered across his collar while Tweedledum had "DUM" on his. "I told her the poem about the
'Walrus and the Carpenter,'" Tweedledee explained. "Shall I recite it here again for the court?"
"No!" everyone shouted at once so that it sounded ear-splitting, like thunder.
"Well," Tweedledee said among the echoes, clearly put off by the forcefulness of their answer.
"Then you'll just have to remember that the two tricked hundreds of innocent oysters to the shore, then
ate them every one."
"Cruel creatures," said a plaintive voice from the corner. Before Alice could identify the speaker,
another said, "Sick creatures." This last seemed to come from a clam perched near the jury.
"She said she liked the Walrus." Tweedledee pointed an accusing finger at Alice with his free hand.
"Contrariwise," added Tweedledum, "she said she liked the Carpenter best as well."
Alice had to think back to remember exactly what she had said. It was not until the judge dismissed
the brothers that she remembered calling both of the characters unpleasant, favoring the Walrus only
because he seemed to feel a little remorse, then favoring the Carpenter because Tweedledee told her he
had eaten fewer of the oysters.
Alice had no time to sort out these details before the court erupted into shouted hisses and boos, all
directed at her!
The Gryphon spoke over the crowd with a question for Alice. "Young girl, how old did you say you
were?"
Humpty Dumpty had once tricked her with that same inquiry. Not to be fooled twice, Alice
answered, "I didn't say. But I'm eightтАФ"
"She ate too!" Tweedledee shouted. "No wonder she liked the Walrus and the Carpenter best."
"No! No!" Alice said. "Stop interrupting! It's rude."
"So is murder," said Hum. "And we haven't yelled at you for that."
"But I didn't kill anyone!" Alice shouted.
"Order! Order!" demanded the Gryphon, and quiet returned to the courtroom. "I would like to call
the White King as a witness."
"Then do so," the White King returned.
"Very well." The Gryphon looked at the Rabbit, who had finally returned his ears to their proper
position.
"Calling the White King as a witness!" bellowed the Rabbit rather more loudly than was necessary.
The White King wove through the jury grouping and into the center of the room. Alice knew enough
about courts to feel certain it was not proper for a juror to serve as a witness, too. But, she liked the
White King and hoped he would prove fairer in his judgments of her than those who came before him.
The Gryphon addressed the King. "I understand you were nearby when Humpty Dumpty fell from
the wall."
"Pushed by this murderer," Hum added loudly.
"Alleged murderer," Alice said, proud of her knowledge of such a long word, though still a bit
frightened by the proceedings.
"Ah ha!" shouted Hum. "A-ledged she was. She admits she was up there with him."
"Silence!" shouted the Gryphon with such intensity that all sound disappeared completely. "Except
you, Your Majesty." The Gryphon bowed, waving a talon at the White King. "You may answer, Sire."
"Yes." The King responded as if none of the interruptions had occurred. Even Alice had already
forgotten the Gryphon's question. "I was near. And I sent all my horses and men, as I promised. Exactly
four thousand two hundred and seven." He paused a moment in thought. "Well, since I am in a court of
law, I should say that actually two of the horses didn't go because the Queen needed them for the games
and my two Messengers went to town. But otherwise all my horses and men went."