NPIA Headquarters, an Undisclosed Location Somewhere in Neopia Central
"What are you doing?"
Agent_Magnolia the (newly painted) Disco Aisha
stared sternly at two green Chia moving men. "Lunch break ended hours ago. I'm
not paying you to sit around like a bunch of Slugawoos."
"You're not paying us."
"Oh, be quiet." Magnolia pointed to a bookcase
in the corner. "I think that'll look better to the right a little."
In compliance with Magnolia's request; the
two Chias nudged the bookcase to the right. "Is this okay?"
"Nah, more to the right."
"Here?"
"More."
The Chias pushed the bookcase all around the
room until finally it rest right outside the corner where it started.
"Why didn't you just tell them to push it
to the left?" asked Sys-op.
"Oh yeah, that's right," Magnolia replied.
"'Right' just sounded better, that's all." The door creaked ajar, (since it
couldn't quite open all the way because of a box in front of it,) and Chief
the yellow Wocky and Noelle the red-haired, yellow Aisha walked in.
"Oh, there you are, Noelle!" Magnolia exclaimed.
"The office is coming along just fine. You'll be able to move in it in just
a second. Aren't you so glad we offered to help?"
"'Help,' she says," one of the exhausted moving
men grumbled. "Phhht."
"YOU stay out of this!" Magnolia snapped.
She then turned her attention to Noelle. "I wasn't quite sure if you wanted
that piano there or not."
"Oh, certainly," Noelle replied. "I took piano
lessons for ten years."
"Um...might I interrupt?" Chief asked timidly,
handing Magnolia a newspaper.
Pint-Sized
Pirate Terrifies the Primitive Tropics; Archaeologists in a Huff!
MYSTERY
ISLAND TROPICS - The ancient city of Canooga was robbed of its riches
today. Authorities say that an outlaw short in stature by the name of
Captain N. Shortfellow is responsible. Archaeologists who recently discovered
the city are baffled.
"Really,
it's sick," says Kunao the Split Aisha, a part of the archaeology team.
"We found that city only a week ago, and have yet to search the site,
and along comes Shortfellow the pirate to ruin our investigation for artifacts--he's
stolen them all!"
Among
the stolen artifacts were several piles of gold and jewels, and an ivory
statue of the city's ruler, Queen Tafmet.
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Magnolia didn't bother to read on. "What does
this have to do with me?"
"You're going to Shortfellow's ship to retrieve
the Tafmet statuette. The ship's name is--" Chief looked at the newspaper. "Oh,
the Silver Filamen."
"He has a Filamen, or something?" Magnolia asked.
"Who knows? I suppose it was the first thing
to come to mind." He turned to Noelle. "You'll be going with Noelle. It will
also be a good chance to get to know each other better."
"I guess," Sys-op murmured. "Okay, let's go
find this Shortfellow guy."
Mystery Island Harbour
"The Silver Sea, The Nightrider, of course, we
have to be looking for a ship named after a swimming light bulb." Magnolia observed
a few other large vessels lining the harbour. "Who names anything the Silver
Filamen anyways?"
"I suppose it's a bit strange," Noelle commented.
"But the name of the ship isn't what we're focusing on right now."
"There's ours!" Sys-op exclaimed. "It's a...it's
a...it's a..." The ship was barely half the size of all of the other vessels.
"...Ferry."
"I suppose they don't call him Shortfellow for
nothing," Magnolia observed, idly twirling her pirate hat in her paws. "The
sooner we get this over with the better."
Magnolia, Noelle and Sys-op boarded the ship/ferry
soon afterwards. Noelle couldn't help but notice a blue-framed door cracked
slightly open on one side of the deck. "Magnolia," she said. "All of the other
doors have a red frame. Do you suppose they keep their treasure in that room?"
"Isn't that a bit noticeable?" Sys-op asked.
"Maybe we should look into that."
Magnolia made no hesitation in quickly slipping
through the door. The inside room was lined with treasure chests galore, some
opened, and a few gold coins spilled across the floor. In the middle of the
back wall was a small stool with a purple cushion that looked as if something
had been resting on it earlier.
"Canooga must have been pretty wealthy," Sys-op
murmured.
"Never mind that," Magnolia replied. "That cushion
must have been where they kept the statuette. They must have moved it somewhere
safer."
"That puts us at a bit of a disadvantage," Noelle
said with a sigh. "Let's head back to meet the captain."
"I'd like to meet you first," said an Acara
in the doorway. "Who're you two?"
"Ah--uh--Ma...lia--I'm Malia," Magnolia quickly
replied. "This is--"
"Andrea, ma'am," replied Noelle. "That's Syssie--the
resident talking Kadoatie." Noelle pointed to the pink Kadoatie on Magnolia's
shoulder.
"Er--um--BRAAAAWK! BRAAAWK! SYSSIE WANTS A CRACKER!
BRAAAAAAAAWK!"
"Right," replied the Acara. "My name's Athalce.
I'm from Meridell, but came to Mystery Isle a few years ago."
"Uh...arr," Magnolia answered at a loss for
words. "Uh...we be natives of Krawk Island, err, matey. We joined the crew...uh...a
month ago."
"Really?" asked Athalce. "Why haven't I seen
you around?"
"Uh...called in with scurvy. No--lab ray accident--had
the neezles for months."
"What about that red-head?" Athalce asked.
"What?" Noelle queried.
"Y'know--you sound more French to me."
"Uh--" Noelle frantically thought up an excuse.
"French/Neopian Pirate Exchange Program..."
"BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWK!"
"Uh--I think Syssie REALLY wants that cracker--now--arr--we'll
be seein' you, matey. Uh--arr."
Malia, Andrea and Syssie made haste in quickly
returning outside. "THAT was too close!" Magnolia exclaimed.
"All I know," Sys-op stated, "is that my Christmas
Bonus had better be pretty good this year if I have to squawk like that again!"
"It was convincing enough," Noelle replied.
"At least you're not from the 'French/Neopian Pirate Exchange Program'! Don't
tell me she actually believed that one!"
"Probably not," Magnolia murmured. "We ought
to get off of this ship while...we...still...can..."
The group watched in horror as the vessel drifted
off to sea.
"AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGHHHH!"
"W-wait! We can't stay here!" Sys-op cried as
Athalce walked up to her.
"What's the problem?" she asked.
"W--" Sys-op stopped herself. "BRAAAAAAAWK!"
"Nothing's the matter," Noelle replied. "We
didn't know the ship would be leaving this soon, that's all."
"I thought you should meet the captain," Athalce
replied. "You are new here, correct?"
"Uh--arr! Of course we should meet him!" Magnolia
chirruped. "Maybe he's got something IMPORTANT to tell us!" Sys-op and Noelle
knew that by saying 'something important,' Magnolia meant the stolen statuette.
To be continued... |