XII. Change in routes. Desiree slide down at puff porolon chair and relaxed. At last... All this was over. All money was packed inside box, she sit in now. And after a few min. plane will take her to sunfull Hawaii. Sadly, the place beside was empty. But, as she said to Jack about Earl - "I start get tired from him". The as knife cut into hearth. Damned Jack! How strange he looked at her. Even knowing, she betrayed him, he still love her. So sad he was, and so worked out... Damn, Jack will overlive that too! Nothing to worry, noone has died from love. Desiree smirk, but smile turned into angry grin. "Damned!" Wild kick set the small table flying over box and shatter at farther wall. "Jack..." Desiree whispered, turning silent and calm. "Why, Jack? Why you don't kidnap me that time and run away? I was ready... Why you leaved me then? Why... Damned! Be you all damned!!!!" Second kick turn over both coffers. She's and Earl's... Poor Earl... Poor Jack... But she himself? "Head up, de Lury! You have get over harder times, you will get over this too!" Desiree try smiling, but fail. "Damn! Damn, damn and thirty damn!" She wildly rushed into box. "Why? Why now, after near ten years, we meet again!?" Desiree whined. Catching tin beer can, she start wildly force it open, don't caring about tooth's and nails. Get drunk and fall asleep. And wake up into gardens of Eden... Suddenly de Lury feel, how old and broken she is. sure, this one was the last job, she lead. grimacing, she waved with can to piece of mirror, where see himself. "Cheer, girlie! Drink!" After second gulp into belly start growing a good warm feeling, and all problems turn into second plane. After third box get heavy kick. some beer spilled out on floor, but she didn't notice. Desiree, even drunk, still can think and act. Something went wrong. By this time she need be in air already, heading to Hawaii. But instead she still was into airport, into shaking trailer riding through warehouses. Ride stopped and box get dropped somewhere. This start become very strange. "Damned!" Desiree closed beer can, stand, and, little shaking, walk toward corner, where entrance was covered with light paper. She don't reach it. She was into halfway to entrance, when paper broke, and inside rushed two rats. One thing, Desiree newer lower, was rats. Nasty, lazy, they was ready to stole anything and from anyone. and if they feel strong, they don't care much about others. Once at youth Desiree near escaped death from wild rats teethes, and now old memories plus half-can beer, get work together. Desiree grin evilly. if they thinked, they get her sleeping, they was heavy miscalculated. She wait for first rat go closer and kick. Get it! first attacker yell something unintelligent and crawled into ball at her feets. Desiree stepped aside, looking at her work. for a some time he was out of game. Second attacker cursed, draw knife and start advancing more carefully. Desiree to possessed knife. Throw. Missed! Rat grin evilly and charge on her. Desiree jumped up to deliver a ninja-like kick at his head, but missed per mile and landed on back. Lucky for her, enemy, feared, don't notice remains of table and fell over them, dropping weapon. Desiree jumped to feets, cursing herself for getting drunk. Low growl and curses warned, that first enemy regain conscience. Okay. De Lury family don't survive so long, if they don't know, when it is time to turn back and run. And Desiree too was smart enough to not play hero in lost situations. She pour beer in closest rat's face, throw can at second one, turn and run to exit. Straight into stomach of third rat. For a sec she can see only stars. only thing into head was - i'm cornered!. Okay, i'm cornered. Need to admit, there was some de Lury, who made their last stand like heroes. she will be not badder. Kick with knee, and enemy retreat with curses. his hand, still holding her shoulder, make big tear in her dress. Somehow exactly teared dress make Desiree a completely crazy, as she turned toward advancing enemies. "You, snake-crossed bitch!" "This for the bitch!" Desiree launched attack. And succeed. Partially. She get hit on shoulder, instead of face, where he was aimed. but even that was strong enough to throw her off feets. Rolling, Desiree again get up, and start defending against attackers. Without much luck. She managed get nails into face of closest rat, but that was all. "Give up, bitch!" "HA!" Other attacker screamed in rage, jumping away on one feet. "De Lury newer..." Desiree don't notice, how against her back appear fourth rat and with well aimed blow send her senseless on floor. XIII. Meetings continued. "To get your rights, you need travel to England and introduce himself into Fergusholl," Alex said, when Lawainee wake up. Girl smiled poorly. "I'm broken," she waved with hand on surroundings. "That's why i am here. We will travel together, as soon as you get all your works here completed." "Okay." girl stand up from bed, Alex placed her, shake head for little, then bowed and drag out from under bed a big travel bag. Dropping it into bed, she start look around. "Excuse me, you..." Alex wondered. "Packing." Lawainee finished for him. "I don't want to stay here longer, especially if i get free ticket to get away," she noticed, turning evening dress into few papers before placing it at bottom of bag. "I understand." "After Gadget drag me face-first into dirt before all my tribe, i was forced to leave my house and start this gypsy life," Lawainee fold up velvet halat and add it to dress. "May i get to know more about Gadget?" Alex asked. "I understand, it's painful memories, but she is your sister, and by now you need start live with it." Lawainee stopped packing for a moment. "How strange jokes life play with us... I always was so alone, so wanted someone to talk with. She is my only one sister, if Geegaw haven't make others somewhere," she smiled, "And we become worst enemies for each other." Sighting she start packing further, continuing her monologue. "She is like me, as you know by now. Very like. When we stand together, only one knowing us can part us. She, like me, had a knack on technical tricks..." Alex noticed disappearing into bag thin stack of papers, drawings and blueprints. "She lives into States. Is member of not well known, but well rumored group - "Rescue Rangers". Not counting her, group contains another mouse, two chipmunks and a fly..." "'Rescue Rangers'?" Alex reasked. "I think, i have heared something about them. There was some scramble into newspapers about jewels of Crown, and that name too was mentioned..." "Don't know much about them now. But then. What i don't know, was, that they are like unformal police force. Do it for their own fun. And i as fool try use them to commit crime..." "You meet?" "Into Hawaii. Before that i lived into house of my mother. I was the most beautiful, wise and smart of all mices my age. Unfortunately i wanted more that a usual mice will want. I was elected queen of beauty, but i wanted become real queen of our tribe." Alex raised eyebrow. "Real queen? With *real* power? How that's possible? I think, queen is a birth-title, not reach_it-title?" "You mean your queen of England," Lawainee smile. "No, our queen is different. Our one is the girl, who can show her as the most wise and smart and was chosen by Gods. Really that mean, she need show to all tribe, that she had a magical possibilities, like commanding volcanoes," she explained. "I wanted to become queen - i, who was most misfortunate and beaten into childhood. I wanted be queen for any price. At midsummer all was ready for that. I stopped volcano by my prayers." Noticing stunned Alex, she start laugh. "In reality, it was an artificial one, made to enjoy tourists. All i do, was simply make a connection from his control room to my hut, and into right moment turn it in and out. I like to see, how the poor humans unsuccessfully tried to solve that mystery with eruptions starting and ending himself." Lawainee smiled sadly. "I was popular into tribe, even if i haven't many friends to support me. That was the one of my mistakes." Lawainee sit near bag and closed eyes, remembering. "And, when i applied to queens title, then Haba-Baba, current chief of tribe, said, that i need do "test of surviving" - test to prove, i am God-blessed to become queen. Really, nothing hard for one, who stopped volcano by word. Swim over Crab Pool, full with always hungry gigantic crabs. Cross pan with burning coal. And ten minutes surf into ocean waves, while sharks wait for you under water..." Lawainee smiled over shocked Alex and brushed away hair from eyes. "Yes, i'm still alive, and still into one piece after that all. Now i understand - test was made to stop any young and ambitious mice to become ruler, still leaving hope for rest to stop them object. But that time i was stuck by blind. All i see, was, that my dream sail away from me. I hysterically tried to find something to do these tests and survive or to make others believe, i have completed them. I sit and blindly stare at Crab Pool. And suddenly there was miracle - at least in first sight. Some girl, looking as me, walked over pool like over hard ground! Like saint! Sure, miracle ended, when she get closer and i see some waterproof balloons at her legs." Lawainee added to bag tin letter box and cotton kerchiefs. "And then i get stuck by idea - why risk himself? This strangerin is my perfect copy, and smart. Let her do tests in my place. I asked, she was tired of her friends and agree, and we exchanged. Anyway, i don't reveal to her all dangers. After first test - my tribe throw her into pool inside of cloth bag - she wanted to change back. No one listened to her. They want her do tests - or die trying. No middle way..." After some thinking Lawainee added to bag few cheap cotton dress too. "Let her go halfway - that was completely against my planes. With lies i pushed her into coal test. She survived, but barely. With burned feets and hands, and bathed into marshmallows. And now she had enough - for real. "I'm not Lawainii! I don't go in water!" she yelled at tribe, when was lead to ocean shore. Most of tribe keep laughing, but some, and the chief Haba-baba with them, start worry. I need do something, and do quick. And i found a chance. I lured her friends inside of artificial volcano and closed. I then threated to start eruption, if she don't do third test for me... I misunderestimete her. She not only survived sharks - she released her friends himself too. And stopped my last argument - explosion of volcano, that may burn village. Rest is typical fiasco. Tribe thrown me out, queen place remain free, and chief continue lead. Gadged leaved as hero, i - with what was on me... Lawainee added to bag few paper packets with wild herbs. "So, it need be all... Sure, even before i traveled around without baggage, but this time there wasn't more home, i may return. I can still live into village, but feel all these looks: "Hey look, where goes lost queen!" Okey, we may start moving." Alex nod, still not believing, what he heard. "Ops!" suddenly Lawainee stopped. "By way i will enter shop." "To pay your obligations?" Alex smiled. "May say so." "Cant believe it." "Simply, into shop works one poor girl, Laura. She still rents a place where to sleep. By now she may get my house. With all furniture." "And she will pay for your obligations." "Stop it, please," Lawainee said couldly. "House costs more." "Do you know, how to get out of this place?" Alex asked. "Once a day goes a bus. Hell, we need run co catch him returning!" Alex and Lawainee run around corner, and stopped. Few people at bus station signaled, that they aren't late, as they feared. Catching little air, they start slowly walk toward station, keeping at shadows. Suddenly Lawainee stopped. "Gadget... You think, we will meet?" she asked. "Most probably, yes. She too get rights to Olivias wealth. And i suggest you forget all hate and make peace with her soon. Into wealth-dividing cases only winners is court and advocates." Alex said calmly. By himself he thinked, how Gadget will tell that story. |