"Well, if one has to be something, a cat is not a bad sort of thing to be, is it?" he replies.

"I'm quite fond of this shape, myself."

"Rather better than human, I would agree."

"I'm not sure I can remember ever being a human..." he ponders, stretching thoughtfully.

"Do you like it?" he asks Audrey.

Audrey shrugs. "I'm not sure I really count."

"Well, you are the only one of us here who is human-shaped," he says, "so you must like it at least a little."

Stepping casually off his branch, he lands in the exact centre of the crossroads and looks at Audrey.

"Which way are you going?" he inquires.

"Hatter's house, at the moment. Would you be so kind as to direct me?"

"Oh, so now you're treating the cat as a living signpost."

Everless shuffles a little on her perch to peer down at the black cat, who has still not introduced herself.

"Personally," she murmurs to Audrey, "I would rather be a living signpost than a sourpuss."

The cat doesn't dignify the remark with a reply. Perhaps it simply didn't hear.

"Hmm," says the other cat.

"Well, the Hatter is that way," he tells Audrey, motioning with his tail down the left-hand path, "but I can't say whether he's at home. Whereas, if you go down this path," he continues, taking a couple of steps down the right-hand fork, "you'll find the King and Queen of Diamonds."

Without saying another word, the black cat saunters off down the right-hand fork. 

The Jabberwock hides back under Audrey's hair when the King and Queen of Diamonds are mentioned.

"No diamonds no diamonds no diamonds," it whispers in her ear.

"I think I'll go see Hatter right now. Thank you for the directions, Chess."

"In that case, I may see you later," he says, making to go down the middle fork. 

"Then again, I might not..." 

He walks away down the path, beginning to fade into invisibility as he does so.

Audrey watches the cat until there is no more cat to watch. 

"... why do I feel like I just missed something important?"

"I have no idea," Everless says.

"I suggest that we begin moving before the paths shift again, while we still know our direction."

Audrey nods, and starts making her way along the left-hand path.

The path obliges her by remaining a path through green, spring-like woods filled with dense undergrowth.

The forest is very quiet, and the crunch of Audrey's footsteps almost echoes in the silence, which is otherwise broken only by the occasional distant trill of birdsong. 

The Jabberwock emerges from its hiding place and hesitantly joins in with a few chirps of its own.

Audrey smiles. 

"You're cute, Jabberwock." 

Encouraged, it sings louder.

The song is a joyful one, and, though wordless, manages to convey a sense of delight mingled with hope and enthusiasm. 

Audrey listens as she walks, and hums along quietly.

They sing together for a while, Jabberwock experimenting with harmonies. 

As they round a bend in the path, it stops, freezing in place on Audrey's shoulder and staring down the path. 

There, revealed from behind the trees which formerly screened it from view, is Hatter's house, which Audrey may not have had a good look at when she left it. 

The house is tall, three stories at least, and topped with a large roof in the shape of a hat.

The windows are stuffed to bursting with hats and price tags and advertisements, and a sign above the porch announces 'Hatter Dodgson's Millinery'. 

Audrey smiles, and looks at Everless. "Would you go ask Hatter if he'd come out to talk to Jabberwock?"

"I will ask," Everless says. "But I will not be surprised if the answer is no. My persuasive abilities are nothing to brag about at the best of times."

She flies off around the house, looking for an open window or one which Hatter can open for her.