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