| Amber Hiccums had had a great fall and winter in | | | | storage shed. The fisherman pushed aside some |
| Paris and New York, and now spring was here in | | | | movable rocks, opened the ramshackle door and |
| Ireland and she sprang out of the jaunting-car to | | | | waved his remaining hand for them to enter. Amber |
| reconnoiter with her dear friends Harmie and Armie, | | | | tugged at her collar. She could barely see a tunnel, |
| the most beloved couple in Dublin. Harmonious Claribel | | | | dank and close. They tiptoed along for about a block |
| Euphony was by every man's calculation, the biggest | | | | and came into a cave-like room with a fire going and |
| gent in Dublin. Some took him to be equal to the | | | | several men sitting around with their pipes |
| length and breadth of it, and his wife, Armonium | | | | asmoke.--Here they are, tell 'em the tale.--Hee Haw, |
| Laribel Phonieux, the most sinuous, continuous, | | | | you must be Amber, Armonium I already know . You |
| roundabout and plural of women. There was trouble | | | | sit down ladies, tea water's boilin'. Here comes each a |
| in Dublin. Before Amber could unpack or even pull | | | | cup, and now the story. Not two hours ago, one of |
| down her ever-popping-up collar, Armie took her by | | | | our agents hiding behind a lamppost in the park, spied |
| the hand. --Let's stroll along the river, lovey, and I'll fill | | | | a group of two young women and three soldiers |
| you in. We've had a serious robbery hereabouts. A | | | | whispering like paranoids. He moseyed over casual-like |
| gang of four, maybe more, has stolen the priceless | | | | and asked did anyone have a match perchance. Well, |
| Viscount Scepter and other treasures from the | | | | you should have heard all the fancy excuses they |
| museum. We fear that the thieves may throw away | | | | came up with about why and where and how come |
| the most precious stone, the famous Morken | | | | and no one even asked them their business, did |
| Diamond, since it would be recognized anywhere and | | | | they?. So upset they were that they grabbed a |
| so will not likely be cut into smaller gems. It would | | | | hostage, one little wandering chewer who was |
| take a better knifeblade than they have to do it in | | | | munching neither on a candy bar nor a popsicle, but |
| any case.--O rocks! Here's some flat ones, lets skip a | | | | only a bit of potato, that harmless she was. As it |
| few stones. You know, it seems likely that unusual | | | | happens, the girl is the very daughter of Martha |
| goings-on will be talked about. Maybe we can pick up | | | | Pandybat, the very secretary and keeper of the |
| some gossip if we go wandering through the | | | | keys of our very little museum. We then received a |
| park.And so they rustled up this and that path, | | | | letter that said we could get Martha's girl back if we |
| stopping to sit hither and thither on benches occupied | | | | would send a messenger with a sackful of money to |
| by chatters, some nicely dressed and others in | | | | 1132 Seashell St. right there at the foot of the castle |
| tatters. Several suspicious men and women passed | | | | just at 7 P.M.He clearly explained it all and showed |
| by, looking quickly at the outsider, then lowering their | | | | them the note. Amber was not known to the |
| heads.--Amber Hiccums, everybody thinks you are a | | | | rapscallions, so was elected as the bag lady, the |
| spy. Come to think of it, they're about right. Don't | | | | thought being that she would not pose a threat to |
| get too close to those brambly bushes, mustn't skin | | | | them. Whoever had that thought was missing more |
| your coat. We're not hearing much here, not worth | | | | than an arm, but that was the decision and off she |
| tarrying any longer, let's go.Armonium Laribel Phonieux | | | | went, with invincible Armie following some distance |
| hustled Amber onto a tram and they hied themselves | | | | after.--How come Eagle-eye Armie is so far behind |
| to the Flowertown Bazaar.--This is the merriest | | | | and how did I get into this mess, anyway?Seven of |
| bazaar I've ever been to, Armie, it has everything! I | | | | the clock was nigh. Amber arrived at the rendezvous |
| must get a little something for Raoul while I'm | | | | holding the bag, her collar up. This scheme was not at |
| here.--Mind the clay and you're about to step on that | | | | all well thought out. What was she supposed to do |
| potted ashplant.--Sorry! Say, look at that | | | | now? A tall dark figure emerged from the shadows |
| candlemaker's stall over there. There's a little cloud of | | | | as zither music hummed through the trees: dum da |
| wicksmoke hanging over it.--That's where we are | | | | dum, da dummm, da dummmm. The person rushed |
| going Ambo, here, let me introduce you to our | | | | forward and grabbed Amber's bag and ran like the |
| nosiest operative, Icarious Uplump Stately.--Aieeayoh | | | | wind. Armie chased and tackled him just as he was |
| you scared me with your blooody feral dog. What | | | | about to slither into the train station. Amber and |
| happened to him?--Wo, you sound like one of them | | | | another member of the party who had been lurking |
| sirens durin' the war. Ol' Bunk here stuck his nose in | | | | nearby, joined Armie in holding the miscreant down. A |
| the wrong pub, got a dog biscuit box thrown at him. | | | | third man pulled up the rear. Fifteen minutes of |
| Glad to meet you. Has Armie told you the plan?--Not | | | | intense questioning failed to reveal the whereabouts |
| so's you'd notice, I am a ...--No, no, we can't talk here. | | | | of Martha Pandybat's child and the loot.Amber took |
| I sold a few candles already so I'll close up shop for | | | | off in the opposite direction, as the others puzzled |
| now and meet you two at noon by the timeball. Bring | | | | over how to rescue Martha Pandybat's daughter and |
| Harmie and I'll round up the rest.Noon found them all | | | | the treasures. She knew what she was doing. About |
| hunkered in a circle drawing diagrams in the sand and | | | | an hour later Amber returned and awakened her |
| receiving assignments. Amber and Armie were sent | | | | friends and the rest of Dublin with a thunderous |
| to the hamlet of Kidneyzod because a some big | | | | shout in the street!--What was that terrible noise |
| spending had been spotted there.At twenty-three | | | | here on a Thursday?--I Just needed to get your |
| Enkeedoo St., beside the Gilgamishemishe Fountain, | | | | attention and I thought that tap-tap-tapping wouldn't |
| they found a giant curio sale going on. A mother and | | | | quite do it. I have returned to tell you that the whole |
| her brood, and for that matter all her neighbors were | | | | thing has been a fake, the robbery, the abduction |
| buying multifarious titbits, necklaces of rosevean | | | | and the ransom demands. Martha Pandybat herself is |
| beads, cheap little booklets of poems, CDs of The | | | | the ringleader of this bunch of rounders.--Impossible! |
| Ballad of Garry Owen. O the noise, the noise was | | | | Martha could never be a criminal.--She's not. None of |
| enough to wake the dead.Oops! a boy almost | | | | these citizens is a real criminal. It was all set up by |
| knocked me down. Well bite my bunions!Amber | | | | the museum and the insurance company. The plan |
| recognised a warm human plumpness of a man | | | | was to make the public believe that the scepter and |
| flashing his money about with great to do. It was | | | | other items were gone and that replicas were in their |
| Harmonious Claribel Euphony, her friend who had left | | | | places on display. That way, actual thieves would |
| the meeting to go to Dalkey where it was thought | | | | have no further interest in stealing them. This case is |
| that some of the stolen booty had been seen.--So, | | | | closed.--But Amber Hiccums, everybody thought..., |
| Harmie, do you belong here at our investigation site, | | | | nobody could have..., how th...?--I saw it in his eyes |
| and why are you just throwing your cash | | | | while we were questioning him so I went back and |
| around?--Shh... Cash'll flush 'em out. Go. Go away, go | | | | broke into the museum room and searched through |
| away, I had hoped that I wouldn't encounter | | | | the file cabinets. I scratched up a letter which |
| you.--Okay, okay, I'm history, don't blame me. | | | | explains all. They were just paying the ransom to |
| Ppecmshdepoaufw! Don't forget to pull the chain. | | | | themselves and the child was never in any danger. |
| Acts like he's trying to get over a nightmare.Amber | | | | The constabulary might have a word or two to say |
| caught up with Armonium and the two traipsed off | | | | about the ruse, but our work is finished.Amber |
| to the brownstone bookstore to show off what | | | | smoothed down her ever-up collar,--Armie, Harmie, it |
| nothing they had discovered to Icarious and his fellow | | | | has been a great joy celebrating the solving of this |
| councilor Mr. Nolanetti.Before they could reach the | | | | little mystery together and now summer is hiccumin' |
| door, a one-armed fisherman with crazy eyes pulled | | | | in and I'm off to see Raoul, so beastly 'bye. I'll see |
| them aside and into a narrow path between two | | | | you in my dreamy-dreams. I hate long goodbyes, yes |
| buildings. He growled menacingly.--You'd best come | | | | I do, yes I do. Yes, Adieu.Jack Wilson is a student of |
| with me if you want to save a life y' know. This | | | | the works of James Joyce. He has participated in and |
| way.Behind the bookstore was a square ditch to let | | | | led study groups about Ulysses and other works of |
| the river run off in case of a swelling tide. Over that | | | | Joyce. He has also translated some of Joyce's short |
| was a bridge into a yard with what seemed to be a | | | | stories from Dubliners into the Esperanto Language. |