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