plotting to unnerve her

[self_composed]

Bella finds Milliways in the moon palace instead of one of her balconies.

"Huh," she says aloud.

Then, to Alice, Libby, Elena, and Mary, and Lazarus except he autoreplies with a busy message, [Hey folks, Moonstone Palace grew a bar that I don't remember putting in, come check it out.]

Comments

[self_composed]

"Montreal?" Bella asks, puzzled. "If he's been to Montreal, I don't know about it."

[manofmyword]

"That's where I was," he explains, "when I used that name. But then, I never had a - friend like you."

He examines his game for a moment, and then moves a card from one place to another, apparently at random.

[self_composed]

"He told me it could've been any of a number of possible names," Bella says. "I think I may've been the first person to ask him what I should call him. Whistle, on the other hand, I made up. He needed a code name a while ago. Came in handy recently when there was another Alice around."

[manofmyword]

"How'd you kids meet?"

[self_composed]

"High school gym class."

[manofmyword]

He turns his head to one side slightly, leans forward, and peers suspiciously at her.

"When?"

[self_composed]

"Not quite a year ago, when I moved to the town he'd also recently moved to." And if that's not what he means: "February 2005."

[manofmyword]

The Joker blinks. Twice.

With mild incredulity: "He was still in school?"

[self_composed]

"Occasionally," says Bella.

[manofmyword]

"Poor kid," he sighs.

[self_composed]

"He quit showing up after I did," she says. "Of course, I went to college, and he didn't, but now I've dropped out to rule Mars instead."

[manofmyword]

He grins.

"Good for you!"

[self_composed]

"Thanks!"

[manofmyword]

Curiously: "What about his parents?"

[self_composed]

"His father's in jail," Bella says. "I helped. His mother lives in a mansion in my hometown, with a housekeeper who I am trying to set up with my dad."

[manofmyword]

"Jail," he snorts. "Yeah, that'll work."

[self_composed]

"Well, he hasn't escaped so far," Bella says, "and if he does, we have magic powers and he does not."

[manofmyword]

"I killed mine," he says offhandedly. "When I was, mm, fifteen?"

[self_composed]

"That doesn't surprise me overmuch," says Bella. "Both of them or just him?"

[manofmyword]

To answer this question as concisely as possible, he makes a blowing-up motion with his hands and adds the appropriate sound effect.

[self_composed]

"Mm. Mine's parents divorced rather acrimoniously as soon as there were public allegations. I've always found Judith sort of vaguely inoffensive. But I can understand not caring much if she was collateral damage."

[manofmyword]

"Yyyep," he says, "that sounds like mom. Never says a word as long as he can keep it under wraps, but once it gets out there—abandon ship!"

[self_composed]

"At the trial she said she was afraid he'd turn on her," Bella says.

[manofmyword]

He shrugs. "Maybe she was."

[self_composed]

"At any rate, Alice mostly doesn't live with her anymore. Hangs around the house sometimes - he's fond of the housekeeper, she's neat - but I made him an underground lair where he hangs out and bakes and sews and sets himself on fire."