"It's all right, it's all right, darling..."
The man's eyes gradually filled with an almost crazed obsession, and his voice grew stranger, like the sea creature Siren in the movies Miaomiao had watched, luring sailors with her voice.
"My sweet Alice... you've only forgotten... it's all right. I'll make you remember everything..."
He pulled an old pocket watch from inside his coat. Its slender chain uncoiled, and the watch swung gently back and forth before Miaomiao's eyes.
"Look at this, Alice..." The man's voice drifted toward her. "Alice... my Alice... it's time... we should be going to the tea party..."
As Miaomiao's gaze was naturally drawn to the pocket watch in his hand, the man reached over with his other hand and placed the lady's hat he was holding on her head.
Feeling the girl stiffen slightly beneath his hand, the man grinned. His unremarkable, faintly scarred face broke into a madman's smile-
"Alice... my Alice... you've finally come back... our tea party... can finally begin..."
Beneath the hat, the girl slowly blinked, offering no response.
The man smiled. Clearly, everything was going exactly as he had expected.
"Alice... the perfect Alice..."
He gazed at the girl beneath the brim, muttering to himself. Bowing deeply, he made an extravagantly courtly gesture of invitation and extended his white-gloved hand. "Please come with me, my Alice."
The girl hesitated for a moment, but still gently placed her hand in his.
Looking at his freshly finished "masterpiece," the man let out a soft, shrill laugh, like rusty clockwork creaking into motion. He reached out and took Little Fish's hand with extraordinary gentleness, his fingertips conveying a sickly reverence.
"Good girl... yes, just like that, my Alice."
With that, the man led the girl toward a deserted corner nearby. As though she had lost