X. "Meetings."

       Alex looked at the small village that the bus stopped at
briefly before continuing on its route. He was the only one to
disembark.
       What a mess! God must have forgotten this place when He
created the world. New Zealand had many good landscapes, but
this one looked more like picture of the Moon's surface.
       Bare rocks... Sand... Some sick-looking trees... And a
few poor huts, between the remains of other huts... And a small
pool of water down in the valley.
       Alex started to look for the address he had gotten in
the previous village. The shop-owner was a silent type, but a
few drinks and some coins had refreshed his memory. There it
was - little different from the others... It looked as if it
was a miracle it had not collapsed.
      "Put Mary in a place like this for a week, and you would
have one mad mouse," he thought, walking towards it.
       Alex knocked twice on the door, then after a few moments
repeated that harder. No response. The detective cursed to
himself. He had spent weeks to get here, and...
       "Down on the ground!" someone shouted from his left
side. "Or I'll shoot!"
       Alex fought back the temptation make a run for it, and
carefully peered to the side. The weapon was big and solid; a
little over-solid for the small girl mouse who held it. But
Alex was less impressed by the weapon than by the expression in
the girl's eyes.
       "Excuse me..."
       "I'll count to three. One!"
       "Miss, there must be some misunderstanding... I..."
       "Two!"
       He heard a soft click as the girl did something with the
gunlike device in her hands.
       "Okay, okay! I'm doing it!"
       Alex stepped two steps back from the door and quickly
dropped to the ground when the girl hissed a curse through her
teeth. He wasn't brave enough to find out whether she was
bluffing, or if that thing really could make holes in him.
       "Face down!" she ordered, "And don't try move!"
       He heard a few quick steps, and then felt something
press against the back of his head.
       "One move and you're dead," the girl warned in a steely
voice. With her free hand she searched Alex, emptying his
pockets in the progress.
       "Excuse me, miss... I feel that this must be a terrible
misunderstanding..." Alex whispered, afraid to turn his head.
       "You'd better hope so... You're a lawyer?!!"
       "Yes..." Alex started to regret that he had brought all
his documents.
       The gun pressed harder.
       "If you've come for my money, start praying."
       "No! Miss... I'm not here for your money!" Alex started
to protest, and then he heard that "Click" again. Damn! To
travel halfway around the world, to be killed by the object of
your search - what a joke...
       "You're from England?"
       "Yes!" Alex quickly said, and noticed with relief that
the weapon's pressure was lighter.
       "What do you want?"
       "Uh... I seek... a girl... Very like you..."
       There was silence for a moment.
       "Okay, lawyer, stand up."
       The pressure on his back disappeared. Alex stood up and
promptly tried to brush the dirt from his suit.
       "Excuse me, miss..."
       "Law... nie Grant."
       So the girl was hiding her real name. But had been ready
to spit it out, so she must be an amateur at this game. Alex
smiled. Now maybe he would get a chance for payback.

       Lawainee cursed to herself. She had nearly told this
stranger her name. Luckily, she had bitten her tongue in time
to change it. She had learned that telling someone you've just
met your name is a bad thing.
       The lawyer smiled.
       "I assume that that is not the name that your parents
gave you?" he asked.
       "And you're right. But you will live with this one."
       Lawainee hid her weapon in a pocket of her dress, combed
her hair with her hands, and suddenly turned from a fearless
valkyrie into a young and somewhat pretty girl. Or mouse, if
you prefer that term.
       "I also assume that you chose this valley not for the
view? And I am sure you don't carry that device with you to
scare away neighbors?"
       "You're too smart, lawyer. Be careful - folks with too
long a nose don't live long,"
       He smiled.
       "But you intrigue me, and I think, I'll take this risk.
Come in, we will continue our talk at my tea table. And don't
try to refuse; you have earned something after lying in the dirt."
       He didn't refuse.

       Inside, the hut was only a little better than the
outside. No wardrobe, no bookcase. Only a poor bed in the
corner, two ramshackle chairs near a rough wood table. On one
wall a row of hooks had been hammered, from which hung some
cheap cotton dresses and... hmm... This silk evening dress and
heavy velvet gown indicated that once their owner had a better
social status than now.
       Also Alex noticed that, inside, the hut all was clean
and orderly. And in one corner there was a stack of various
instruments.
       "Lawnie" made some tea in a small, clean pot, and set it
on the table. Alex carefully sat down in one of the chairs.
       The girl smiled at him.
       "Don't worry, I rebuilt them. I just haven't had the
time and money to repaint them."
       "You did it himself?"
       "Yes. But back to business. You said something - you
were looking for some girl like me, and so you traveled to find
me here, right?"
       Alex pointed at his wallet, which was still in her
pocket.
       "Oh, excuse me, I forgot..."
       Lawainee put all his items on the table. Alex opened his
pocket-portfolio and pulled out an advertisement sample.
       "Please, look at this. Our agency seeks a girl - Gadget
Hackwrench. We have only few photos, this one is the newest...
Miss...? What's wrong, miss?"
       Lawainee sat, suddenly as white as snow, and looked at
the advertisement.
       "What an irony..." she whispered.
       "I'm sorry?"
       "Damn! " Lawainee hissed.
       "You know her?"
       "Do I know her? You bet I know her! Damned rat! It's her
fault I'm now living here and not in a much better place!"
Lawainee jumped to her feet and start pacing around the table.
"Damn!" The girl's fist smashed into the wall so hard that the
hut trembled.
       Alex started to feel better. Though this one wasn't the
right girl, he might be able to get some information about
Gadget from her.
       "Do you know where she is now?" he asked.
       "No. First tell me why you're looking for her, lawyer!"
Lawainee turned on him. "Now!"
       "Please, put the gun down!" Alex shouted, noticing the
strange gleam in "Lawnie's" eyes.
       "Then start talking!"
       "Okay. It started nearly a hundred years ago, when a
poor girl named Olivia Flawhem charmed a rich and high-born
gentleman - Douglas Fergusson..."
       "Hurry up!"
       "Okay, okay. To sum it up - Gadget is the last living
member of the Fergusson family tree branch, starting from
Douglas Fergusson. And she must be found to get the inheritance
her great-grandmother Olivia left her." Alex said in one
breath.
       Lawainee was silent for a moment.
       "Now give me the whole story," she suddenly demanded.
"When I met her, she was as poor as a church-rat!"
       "Okay. Douglas married Olivia but gave up the title of
Duke. His younger brother got the rights to it. Douglas had
three children. Two left no descendants. The third - Alice
Fergusson - married the inventor Vincent Hackwrench against her
father's will. They had one child - Geegaw Hackwrench. Both
Alice and Vincent died in the Second World War in the bombing
of London. Geegaw grew up in a shelter, started traveling, and
married Sumio Nakashito. They, too, only had one child -
Gadget. Both Sumio and Geegaw are now dead. In her last will
Olivia Fergusson left half of her wealth to Alice and her
children and grandchildren, if they are alive. Gadget is the
only one remaining."
       "Hackwrench... Geegaw Hackwrench..." Lawainee murmured
to herself. "Isn't he an aviator? With his own plane?" she
suddenly asked.
       "Yes, he was. But how do you..."
       Lawainee thought hard. There was her chance. If only she
hadn't made those mistakes at the beginning! It would be so
easy to call herself Gadget, and get her wealth and glory.
Sure, she knew little about Gadget, but she knew enough to fool
this lawyer and even those in England who had sent him. If she
had not made the mistake of admitting that she wasn't Gadget...
It would be the sweetest revenge... But no, like a fool she had
messed it up... And now she had to admit...
       And then she remembered. "Yes," Lawainee suddenly
whispered, and her face lit up. "It's so simple! They way we
look the same, and we both can build things!"
       "He was my father," she announced to a shocked Alex.
       The detective nearly overturned the table.
       "What?"
       "I'm not Gadget, but I, too, belong to the Fergusson
clan, and I have the right to claim part of Olivia's wealth, if
you've told me the truth."
       "But you said..."
       "My name is Lawainee Lait. But - I got my family name
from my stepfather."
       "Where and when were you born?" Alex demanded, calming
down a little from the initial shock.
       "Hawaii. On Oahu island. It's small, but it has the main
political power."
       "I know the geography. Why is your family name Lait?"
       "My mother married William Lait, to give me a legal
father. In those years, even if nobody threw rocks at a single
mother, she still didn't have a good chance at surviving
alone."
       "When did it happen?"
       "What are you, the police?!"  Lawainee suddenly hissed
at the lawyer.
       "I don't like it when people try to outsmart me, dear!"
Alex answered sharply. "I've been gathering info about Geegaw's
life for nearly half a year, so I know..."
       "Then maybe you can check to see if he was in Hawaii in
1965-66?" Lawainee grinned back.
       "How did you fond out about your real father?"
       "My mother told me before she died."
       "Do you have proof?"
       "Some letters that he sent to my mother. Good enough?"
       "Show them to me, and we'll see," Alex snickered. He
still believed that the girl was bluffing.
       Lawainee bowed and dragged a small tin box out from
under the bed. She opened it and fiddled with some papers, then
gave to Alex a tiny packet of letters bound with a nearly
colorless cord.
       "To think I nearly burned them..." Lawainee murmured as
Alex opened them and started reading.

       Alex put down the last letter. It was impossible, but it
looked like the girl was telling the truth. The handwriting
matched Geegaw's, and the facts in these letters - the dates of
cargo pick-ups and drop-offs, with some side-notes, all
matched.
       "Miss Lait. As far as I can tell, I must admit that you
have the rights to half of old Olivia Fergusson's wealth."
       "So, I get something after all?" Lawainee grinned.
       Alex smiled broadly.
       "If by 'something' you mean the right to live in the
family castle, and 50 thousands pounds..."
       For the first time in her life, Lawainee fainted.

              XI. Meetings II.

       Chip woke up. It was midday, but after sleepless night
they all felt so worn. These past few days had held a little
too much actions and trouble, and the last time they had come
very close to death...
       He look at upper bed. Dale was still snoring. He was
lucky, he could sleep anytime, unlike Chip.
       Chip shuddered, started to pull the covers over his
head, but then stopped.
       Some strange sounds were coming from the kitchen.
Like... Like someone weeping!
       Chip considered for a moment - ignore it or go explore,
then chose the latter option.

       "Gadget? You?" Chip whispered.
       Gadget was sitting at the dinner table and crying.
Alone. Hearing Chip's voice, she startled.
       "Oh, its only you, Chip..."
       "What's wrong? I mean, did someone hurt you?" Chip
worried.
       "It's nothing..."
       "But I can see... was it Syril? What did she wanted from
you?"
       "Okay, I'll tell you. Anyway, you'd find out sooner or
later..." Gadget sighed deeply. "She told me that about half a
year ago, in England, my great-grandmother died..."
       "Great... grandmother?" Chip tried to imagine any of her
relatives, but failed. "Gadget, you never told about your
family except your father." he asked.
       "I didn't know... I simply didn't know..." Gadget rested
her head on her arms, then suddenly looked at Chip. "And I
really wanted someone to talk with! You know, Chip, I grew up
alone. I only had my father. Yes, he loved me very much, but he
traveled so much... I never before had friends my age..."
       "I understand, Gadget. But now it's over. I mean, now
you..."
       "It isn't over, Chip. I have to go to her house. I have
to tell them that I'm a member of her family - I, who never
know that! I have to meet people I've never seen before, but
they know her and they are my relatives..."
       Chip tried to find any bad things about this, and
failed.
       "Aren't you lucky, then?" he asked, puzzled.
       "I think, how will they meet me... when I appear - out
of nowhere - and claim half the wealth that they were counting
on. Syril told me that there are three others besides me who
have rights to the old lady's wealth, and they are ready to
take it to court..."
       "I understand now..." Chip sighed.
       "And I can't even give it away, or I will hurt them even
more," Gadget whispered.
       "Why that? "
       "If I accept I will only hurt their wealth. With time,
that will be forgotten and I will be accepted into their
circle. But if I refuse I will hurt their pride. And that's one
thing that never will be forgotten..." Gadget sighed.
       Chip sighed. All this talk about wealth. As if they ate
money. It sounded like that crazy cat - Fat Cat, who never
stopped his string of robberies.
       Life sure had changed since the time he and Dale lived
in a simple old tree and didn't care much about what happened
outside of their park. Sure, they still wore a minimum of
clothes, and lost them when they got the chance. But Gadget and
Jack were serious about this topic, and at the end they had
won. So now they always wore clothes.
       Next came expanding the space in the tree. Gadget wanted
her own room, and a big hangar for the Ranger plane and her
other inventions, and Jack said that if there was to be any
enlargement, then they should take it seriously, and they and
Gadget both drew and calculated. As a result they cut a flight
of stairs to one upper hole over a big horizontal branch, on
which Gadget built a landing platform, and added a few smaller
rooms in a lower hole - for a kitchen, a few sleeping rooms,
and  a workroom. Gadget's sleeping room had been cut between
the upper and lower holes, where they had found a hole forming
in the wood.
       Then Gadget needed power for her inventions. So they
build a line to the closest power line and made an illegal
connection to it. Next came radio, then TV and other things.
       And then there was part hunting. Each time Gadget got
short on parts, they did that. Most of the parts came from
trash cans, but some valuable ones, like vacuum tubes, they had
to steal from stores...
       Chip was saved from the following dark thoughts by a
loud: "What's this?  A secret gathering?"
       "Oh, Dale. Come join the party..." Gadget sighed, then
straightened up a little.
       "Chip, what did you say to her?" Dale stomped over to
his friend.
       "Nothing."
       "Nothing? Then why's she crying?"
       "Calm down, Dale. It wasn't Chip that made me cry..."
       "It wasn't?" Dale looked puzzled, but only for a moment.
"Was it that newspaper rat?"
       "She has a name, Dale. And she only explained to Gadget
her family tree." Chip calmly replied.
       "Yes. My great-grandmother died. A few month ago. And I
never know..."
       "And that's all that made you cry?" Dale relaxed.
       Chip shot a cold look at the other chipmunk, then turned
to Gadget.
       "Don't worry. Relax, get some sleep. In the morning it'll
all look different. I know. Now be a good girl and obey. OK?"
       Gadget nodded. She wiped away her tears, said "Good
night," and stepped upstairs to her bedroom.

       Dale sat at the table and grabbed some fresh berries
from a bowl.
       "And now, what happened?" he demanded.
       Chip forced himself not to say "None of your business!"
       After some moment of silence, he retold to friend the
entire story that Gadget had told him.
       "... And then you stomped in, acting like a rude jerk,
as usual," he added at the end.
       Dale put up hands.
       "Okay, okay, I give up. But I didn't know!"
       "Some times I wonder which end you think with.
Definitely not with the head." Chip noticed.
       Dale stood up.
       "I'm going to bed." He declared.