PandoraHearts ~Caucus Race~, Vol. 1 Read Free Page B

care of the stupid rabbit. He actually looks happy—”
    As he mentioned that to Break, Gilbert’s eyes suddenly fell to his own hand.
    Oz’s hand, as he’d dipped the spoon into the oatmeal and held it out to Alice. This was the hand he’d used to grab his wrist.
    The fingers he’d wrapped around Oz’s wrist had been pried off right away.
    …Something was bothering him. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it was there.
    No, I do know. That was—
    He opened and closed that hand, several times.
    He’d fallen abruptly silent. Break watched him, quietly, not interrupting.
    Sharon looked as if she’d like to ask what was wrong.
    “Oh…” Gilbert muttered.
    A scene flared in the back of his mind, just for a moment. Something distant, and faint, and nostalgic.
    Fluttering, sparkling, swirling as it fell—
    Gilbert looked up. He spoke, shortly.
    “Golden…snow…”
    Break and Sharon had no idea what he meant by that, but as soon as the words were out of his mouth, Gilbert had turned on his heel and was walking away, heading out of the office at a rapid clip.
    From behind him, Sharon called to him, but he didn’t have the time to answer. He reached the hall and headed for Oz’s room, almost running. He knew the distance wasn’t that great, but it
felt
far away, and it made him anxious and irritable.
    —That idiot!
He muttered under his breath.
    Arriving at Oz’s door, Gilbert flung it open without knocking, calling “Oz!” as he did so.
    “Ugh, gkh, aaaaaaaaah……!!” Alice cried out in agony.
    | 13:30 |
    On the bed, Alice was clawing at her chest and gasping in pain.
    “Alice! …Alice, are you okay?!” Oz was leaning forward, calling her name over and over.
    “—?! Oz, what’s the matter?!”
    Gilbert rushed over to them. Oz looked up at Gilbert, shaking his head. “I don’t know, she just suddenly…”
    This was much more than a mere cold.
    Alice’s body was arched like a bow. She’d gone into convulsions. She flung the down comforter off, and when Oz reached out to her, worried, she scratched his arm. “Ow!” Oz cried.
    Neither Oz nor Gilbert knew what was happening to Alice. Her arms clawed the air as if she were a drowning swimmer who was desperately trying to surface. Her eyes were unfocused, as if she was delirious from a high fever.
    “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…!!”
    Her scream split the air in the room. “Alice!” yelled Oz.
    Then, abruptly, she fell silent, collapsing limply.
What now?
Gilbert thought, warily.
    “Aah—”
    Alice grimaced, making a small noise, and then—
    “WACHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
    An enormous sneeze shook the room like a volcanic explosion. As it did…
    Mini-Alices poured from Alice’s body.
    “I’m hungry!” “Starving, starving.” “Hey, Oz!” “Bring me meat!” “Or you there, Seaweed Head. You can go instead.” “Meat.” “I want
meat
.” “I want to eat
good
meat.” “What kind of meat is ‘good meat’?” “The meat of meats.” “Really meaty meat.” “The king of meats.” “That’s weird.” “Meat is already the king of foods.” “She’s right.” “It’s a fact.” “Good meat is the meat king of kings.” “That sounds strong!” “How cool!” “I want to eat it.” “Feed it to me.” “Tonight’s dinner was supposed to be steak.” “Grilled meat?!” Grilled meat, hee-hee, pretty amazing, huh?” “What are
you
bragging about?” “Thenthere’s meat in the kitchen?” “There is.” “There is, there is.” “What if there isn’t?” “If there isn’t, there isn’t.” “How philosophical.” “Philosophical?” “Philosophical meat?” “What does that taste like?” “Flavor that makes you think.” “Is it yummy?” “…It makes you think.”



“…Huh? What’s going on?” Oz muttered, dazed.
    It was a scene straight out of a joke, or possibly a nightmare. With that explosive sneeze, about a hundred—no,