And she's got that juju in her eyes
Makes boys and old men come alive
And she knows the power she possesses,
When they come alive under her caresses...
She feels like someone else....
~ Oingo Boingo, "Everybody Needs"

Maui Mallard kicked back in his chair, setting his feet up on his desk and letting the fan blow into his face. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, oscillating fans. Next best thing to central air conditioning." He used his toe to scoop up the Quackahula Courier from his desk and kick it up into his hands, noting the headline: Temperature, Humidity on Islands Hit Record High. "I think it's a good idea to stay in today."

With that, the fan sputtered and died.

"Crud," Maui growled, getting up out of his chair and standing on tiptoe to inspect the offensive appliance. "Must have blown something..."

"Excuse me? Mr. Mallard?" A voice called out from the doorway, behind the frosted glass.

Maui looked over and gulped as he noticed a very well-proportioned female silhouette on the other side of his door. Quickly checking his reflection in one of the windows, he slicked back the feathers on top of his hat, straightened his hawaiian shirt, and ran over to the door, pulling it open. "Yeeeeeeeees?"

It didn't matter that she was at least two feet taller than him - she was gorgeous. A tropical-print sarong was wrapped around her hips, and she wore just a bikini top with a thin, gauzy beach cover-up jacket over her shoulders. A pair of pink-rimmed sunglasses sat atop her small beak, perfectly matching the cotton-candy shade of her short, fluffy hair. "Hi there," she smiled, holding out a hand. "I read about how you recovered the Shabuhm Idol for the island.... that was incredible."

Maui glanced at the newspaper clippings that had just recently been added to his corkboard over his desk and managed what he hoped was a modest smile. "Well, thank you ... I never would have managed to track it to the Muddrakes' witch doctor if I hadn't had a few ... revelations." Absently, he rubbed at the back of his head.

"Is it true that you're a master of the island's school of ninjitsu, too?" She gushed, looking around the room at his ostentatious tropical decor - the false palm trees in the corners, the strings of orchid-shaped lights, and the numerous Quackahula travel posters.

"Well, yes, I guess you could say that." Naturally, Maui wasn't about to tell anyone - not even a strawberry-blonde bombshell - that the only reason he'd managed to recapture the Idol was because the island's tiki goddess had gifted him with the highest level of power. Such stories about Cold Shadow were best left to kids around campfires - or not told at all. "What brings you here, Miss.... eh...."

"Frisson," she cooed, sliding into one of the chairs in front of his desk. "Jeanie Frisson. And I have a favor to ask of you. I've lost a piece of very important jewelry..."

Maui hopped into his chair and immediately took a notepad out of his desk drawer. "And what exactly would this lovely little lost bauble of yours look like, Jeanie? Can I call you Jeanie?"

"Of course," she winked. "And it's ... I wish I had a photo. It's a small glazed terra-cotta orchid... very, very old. I bought it at an antique shop for a steal, and later on it got appraised for a few million dollars. Unfortunately, I think it's been stolen by a collector." She pouted.

"How do you know it was a collector?" He asked, jotting down notes.

"Well, he'd been haggling with me to buy it quite frequently. The last time I saw him, I was at the local beach... I keep all my jewelry in a locker on the shore - you know, the ones they rent out - and by the time I got back from my swim, the lock had been broken and ... and it was gone." She sighed, sniffling.

"I see. This should be easy enough - what's his name?"

"Harold Rubano," Jeanie replied, leaning over on his desk. "Now, Mr. Mallard..."

"Maui," he gulped, as she leaned a bit closer.

"If you manage to retrieve my lil' orchid for me.... I'll make it well worth your while."

"Oh?" Jeanie was getting extremely close, and Maui instinctively closed his eyes. As he did so, he felt her place something in the pocket of his shirt.

"Yes."

Maui opened his eyes, slightly disappointed - until he checked his pocket and found the fat wad of fifty-dollar bills. "Wow."

"That's for you," Jeanie cooed, tapping an envelope on her palm. "There's about five hundred there... once you give me the Orchid, I'll give you the other half."

A ... thousand dollars? Maui worked his beak silently for a moment, then managed a chuckle. "I'll do my absolute best, Miss Frisson."

"Jeanie," she reminded him, reaching out and running a slender finger down his cheek. Getting up from her chair, she sashayed towards the door, blowing him a kiss over her shoulder as her other hand reached for the doorknob. "See ya 'round, handsome," she winked.

"Wait!" He called out. "How will I get in touch with you?"

"Oh, you won't," she replied, batting her eyelashes. "I'll find you."

Harold Rubano's address proved to lead to a very chic mansion on the west side of the island, on the top of a bluff overlooking the ocean. Palm trees lined the driveway, interspersed with exotic plants, and Maui noticed an overabundance of red orchids blooming, as well.

"Guy likes orchids," he muttered to himself, parking in the round terrace in front of Rubano's house. A large fountain depicting Babaluau, the Island's patron tiki goddess, sparkled in the center. "Hey, Bab," he smiled, tipping his cap to the fountain. The water shimmered red for an instant, and the statue animated itself, grinning.

"Maui," she greeted him. "What're you doing here?"

"Investigating a robbery," he smiled. "Hopefully Cold Shadow won't have to get involved."

Babaluau ran a gloved hand through her long, bushy ponytail. "Ohhhh, I'm not sure, Maui," she said thoughtfully. "If you're talking about the Red Orchid .... you might want to be careful. That's no ordinary necklace."

"No kiddin', it's gonna net me a thousand bucks..."

Babaluau rolled her eyes. "Oooooh, Maui Mallard! You may have saved our island by recovering Shabuhm, but ... sometimes, you're impossible!" With that, she adapted a placid smile once more and went back to her statue form.

She always makes me out to be some bumbling, inadept flatfoot, Maui thought to himself. Well, I showed her before and I'll show her again. I can handle this! Making his way up the steps, Maui rang the doorbell, putting on his "detective face". A pretty, black-feathered duck answered the door, straightening out the skirt of her maid's dress.

"Allo?"

"Hi there. Maui Mallard ... I'm here to see Mr. Ruban about a piece of jewelry..." He coughed. "The Red Orchid?"

"Ooh!" The maid's eyes widened. "He will see you right away, zen! Walk zees way..." She skittered away from the door, fairly on her toes. Maui briefly considered mimicing her, then shrugged and padded after her.

The maid led Maui through an extravagant foyer, its floor patterned in pink and black marble squares. The walls were paneled with mahogany, and numerous cases filled with antiques. Some sat on shelves, and others were set in, flush with the wall. Maui stopped frequently to gaze at them in awe. "So, Mr. Rubano's been collecting for how long?"

"Az long az I have worked for heem ... weech would be about ten years." The maid batted her lashes at him and plucked a feather duster from her waist, brushing instinctively at one of the cases. "'Ee eez very interested in ze defenseev arts... ninja and things."

Maui smiled appreciatively at an antique set of Chinese stars set in blue velvet. "He's got some great stuff here. Does he practice?"

"Ask heem yourself, M'sieur. Mallard." The maid led him to a double set of doors, also paneled in mahogany, engraved with scenes of island mythology, then knocked. "M'sieur Rubano?" Silence followed. Frowning, she opened the door to reveal a luxuriously furnished office, decorated with even more antiques. The centerpiece of the office was a large glass bell jar, frosted with orchid designs - but it was empty. As the maid headed towards the desk near the east window, Maui instantly turned his attentions to the bell jar.

"Ah, zere eez a note - M'sieur Rubano 'az gone to speak with some of heez people."

"Hmm," Maui shrugged. "I guess I can come back later, then. But can you just answer me one question, please?"

"But of course."

"Would this bell jar happen to be reserved for the Red Orchid?"

"Well yes," the maid said innocently. "When he gets it ..."

Maui grinned. "Aha! ... Thank you very much. I'll be back to talk to your employer about this, for certain. Merci."

The maid grinned as she ushered him back towards the door. "Come again, M'sieur Mallard."

"Oh, I will," he winked. Heading towards his car, he smirked. So. Rubano's so cocky about getting the Orchid from Jeanie that he's already got a place set for it in his own office. That's not smart. Definately not smart. ... But why would he have an orchid as the centerpiece of a ninjitsu collection?? Shrugging, he slid into his driver's seat, then yelped as he noticed someone sitting in the passenger seat.

The figure leaned over and clapped a hand over his beak, giggling. "Shhhh, it's only me."

As she took her hand away, Maui spluttered, "Jeanie?!?"

"The one and only," she grinned. "Any luck?"

"Well, Rubano wasn't there. But his maid was very helpful."

Jeanie stared at him for a moment. "Oh really?"

Maui coughed. "Well yeah, she showed me Rubano's collection. Did you know, he only collects martial-arts-related stuff? .... I wonder why he'd want your Orchid."

Jeanie scratched her head pensively, leaning back in her seat. "I couldn't tell you... there's an old story about it once being worn by a mythological island figure, but ... she didn't have anything to do with the arts."

Maui frowned. "Huh... what story?"

"Oh," she said absently, "I don't remember it all ... only that much." She held up a hand and pinched her fingers together, demonstrating.

"Well, anyway - get this," Maui started the little blue car, pulling out of Rubano's driveway. "He had a case already in his office that the maid said was specially designed to hold the Orchid."

"My Orchid!" Jeanie gasped. "That ... "

"We'll get it back for you. However, the maid said that it was currently in the possession of someone else, or something like that. At least, she hinted at it. ... She said that Rubano was off seeing..." He paused, affecting the maid's French accent. "Some of heez people."

Jeanie giggled. "But how do you know they have it?"

"I don't," he said matter-of-factly. "I guessed, because the maid also said Rubano didn't have the Red Orchid yet. I want to say he had some other people steal it for him, and is going to see them today to deliver payment and pick it up."

"Well, we need to find out who these people are!" Jeanie urged. "You should go back there!"

"No, the maid knows me. I have to go back later on tonight. Maybe when I go to talk to Rubano again, he'll have it, and then I can get it back for you. That'd be much easier, anyway."

She nodded, sliding her sunglasses up over her bill and looking out the window. "True. ... Say, I'm starving. What say I treat you to lunch for a good day's work?"

"Lunch?"

"Yeah."

"Well," Maui chuckled, "I normally don't go on dates with clients."

Jeanie laughed. "A date? Who said it was a date?"

Maui chuckled nervously. "Well, um ..."

"Because I think it's an absolutely charming idea." She reached over and ruffled his feathers. "I'll take you to the Tiki Torch .... you know where that is?"

"Yeah," Maui nodded, pulling onto a side street. "So, what is it that you do, huh?"

"Oh... me? Odd jobs, for now. Till I find real work," Jeanie shrugged.

"Then, if you don't mind my asking, how do you get all this money?"

"One of my last jobs paid very generously," Jeanie smiled. "It's all in knowing where to look for work."

"You'll have to teach me sometime," Maui said flatly, pulling into the parking lot of the Tiki Torch. A small dive set on the beach, with one wall open to the elements, it was decked out in the style of a native dwelling, decorated in full Hawaiian kitsch. Live birds fluttered around in the eaves, singing racously, and large tiki masks hung on the wall. Maui got out of the car and held the door open for Jeanie. "There ya go."

"Thank you," Jeanie smiled, pushing down her shades to wink at him before making her way over to the bar. "Mai Tai, please."

"Uh, just a fruit punch, please, I'm driving," Maui held up a hand. The bartender, a brown-feathered duck, smiled and set about making their drinks. "How did you know about Shabuhm, anyway?"

Jeanie shrugged. "Oh, when you do odd jobs, you hear a lot of things. I interact with a lot of different circuits... the Muddrakes, for instance."

Maui's eyes widened. "The Muddrakes? How do you do odd jobs for natives?"

"They had me help put in their jacuzzi."

"Jacuzzi???"

"Hey, native people like to be with the times, too," Jeanie shrugged. "And besides. They let me come and use it whenever I want."

I bet they do. Her in a jacuzzi... Maui blinked rapidly, then hit himself on the beak. Stoppit! "What do you want to eat?"

"Oh, I'm just going to get the chicken caesar and the cold fruit soup."

"Hmm, I think I'll get the pastrami on pumpernickel. Sounds good."

After the bartender gave them their drinks and took their orders, Maui sipped pensively at his fruit punch, looking out at the ocean. "Jeanie?"

"Yep?"

"I really wanna know why the heck Rubano wants that necklace of yours. It just doesn't make sense."

"Couldn't tell you," Jeanie sighed, twirling the paper umbrella from her Mai Tai between her fingers. "Maui, take your mind off the case for a bit, I won't mind. It's such a hot day. You need to relax." She tossed the umbrella aside and reached out to massage his shoulders.

"Jeanie, please, I ... ooh. No, that's ok, go right ahead." Maui closed his eyes and arched his neck back, sighing. "You're good at this."

"I try," Jeanie whispered. "Maui, please. Relax. It doesn't matter to me why he wants it. I just want it back. And you already have a wonderful plan on how to get it. That other five hundred dollars is as good as yours, you have a delicious sandwich on the way, and, need I remind you, you're on a date. Relax!" With that, she gave him a tiny kiss on the tip of his beak.

Maui gulped. "But Jeanie..."

"Shh." She paused, rubbing at his shoulder. "You're really tense, you know that? ... I think our lunches are ready." Gently, she pushed him back away from her and straightened the collar of his shirt. "When lunch is done, maybe I should get my beach blanket out of your car and I can get those knots out while we sit on the beach."

Maui's eyes glazed over.

"Sound good?"

"Uh huhhh..."

Jeanie laughed as the waiter set their lunches down in front of them, breaking Maui's trance.

"Thanks," he managed to stutter, picking up half of his sandwich. "At any rate, Jeanie... I need to talk to Rubano again. But don't worry. I'll get your necklace back."

"Thank you ..." She nodded. "It'd mean a lot. You see, it used to belong to my sister."

"Your sister?"

"Yes..." Jeanie nodded. "She's gone, now. She's been gone for a while."

Maui blinked. "But.............. I thought you said you bought it?"

"Oh! .... Oh, I.... I did. It was hers, and when she passed, the family pawned it...... I bought it back." Jeanie pushed her sunglasses up on her beak and dug into her salad.

"Oh. That mus'a been tough," Maui frowned through a mouthful of pastrami. "M'sorry."

"Don't be," Jeanie shrugged. "We're both better off, now..."

Maui frowned, perplexed, then shook the feeling off his shoulders and dug into his sandwich.

"Lunch was fun," Jeanie smiled, as Maui ushered her out of the car, in front of a pale green apartment building. "We'll have to do it again sometime."

"Not a problem," Maui grinned. "I usually have a lot of free time. And thank you for paying."

"Also not a problem," she shrugged. "What're you gonna do now?"

"Well, I don' t know. Probably just find a spot where I can think, sort things out." Maui replied. "I do that sometimes... it helps."

Jeanie straightened her sarong and smiled, tapping a fingernail on his beak. "It sounds like a good idea to me, too. ... You be careful, Maui Mallard." Leaning over, she took his beak in her hands and kissed him.

Maui stared at her, swallowing as he watched her glide up the stairs of the apartment building. "......You, too," he called out. Getting back into the car, he reached into his glove compartment and pulled out a small talisman - a yin-yang symbol edged with glittering red stone. Slipping the talisman around his neck, he started the car and drove down to one of the island's recreational paths. As he made his way down the rough trail, he pulled one of Jeanie's fifty-dollar bills out of his pocket and rubbed it between his fingers absently.

"That's a lot of money for one necklace," He said to himself. "But it was her sister's. I know how it is to have things with sentimental value." Smiling slightly, he adjusted the baseball cap on his head - the one his mother used to wear on her photographing excursions to keep away the island sun. Reaching a large palm on the side of the trail, Maui headed off through the underbrush until he came to what was probably the island's tiniest, most secretive beach - a miniscule dune, marked on either side by palm trees, overlooking the ocean. Sitting down on the sand, Maui leant his back up against one of the palms, staring out at the ocean with the talisman in his hand. "..... I really wish I knew what the deal was with Rubano and that orchid."

"What, you're coming to see me just to play Bulfinch's Mythology?" Babaluau sassed, appearing at the foot of another tree. She walked over and sat beside him. "Maui, I told you, don't get involved...... the Red Orchid's nothing but trouble!"

"I'm going to get it from Rubano tonight, and then I'm going to give it back to Jeanie, and I'll be done with it!" Maui spluttered. "Geez, Bab. What's so troublesome about that?" The tiki goddess fixed him with a stern glare, and he sighed. "Look," he said apologetically, "I only want to know the myth behind that Orchid. It'd just make me feel better."

Babaluau frowned. "You won't stop until you know, will you? You won't believe me. You never do." She sighed petulantly, tossing her ponytail, then stood, helping Maui to his feet as well. "Very well, then. If you're so hung up on this girl and the story about the Red Orchid ... go and ask the Muddrakes what they know of Caravani."

"Caravani."

"Yes. They'll tell you what you wish to know. Watch your step, Maui." With that, Babaluau headed behind one of the palm trees and vanished.

Muddrakes, Maui frowned, looking through the foliage at the group of Quackahula natives carrying out their business in the center of their village, situated at the top of a mountain. I hate Muddrakes. .... Sure, they may have led me to Shabuhm, and they may have decided that I'm an honorary member of their tribe. But they still threw my mom in that stupid volcano. I'll always hate Muddrakes. As he perched in a tree, watching, waiting for the right moment to make an entrance, he saw a figure approach the campfire. Wonder who that is....

The intruder to the Muddrake camp, a lanky duck with blond hair, held up a hand and called out a greeting in the Muddrake language. The diminuitive red-headed ducks immediately flocked over to him, shouting happily.

"Ruby! Ruby, ruby, ruby!"

He chuckled, straightening the collar of his suit. "Have you heard anything?"

The Muddrake witch doctor stepped forward. "Nothing, no no. But the Orchid Girl needs to know how it works. She will come and see us. Then, we will help you take Orchid."

Rubano! Maui realized, nearly falling from his perch. .......And he's having the Muddrakes take the Orchid from Jeanie? ...... No, wait. Jeanie already lost the Orchid. Maybe there's another person involved? Hmm!

"And what about her, then?"

"Helzapopon is hungry." The witch doctor pointed to the volcano's mouth at the edge of the Muddrake camp. "Orchid girl will do well to keep him from being angry."

Harold Rubano frowned. "Volcanic sacrifice? Isn't that a bit .... extreme?"

"For someone who takes Caravani Orchid ... not at all. It is what is required. She thinks we are kind - but she is mistaken."

"Huh." Rubano shrugged, scratching his head, before handing the Muddrakes a case of grape soda. "There you go ... thanks for your help. I'll be back to get the Orchid tomorrow."

"Thank you." The witch doctor grinned. As Harold Rubano made his way out of the Muddrake camp, the witch doctor walked over to a large stone tiki idol in the center of the camp - the famed idol of Shabuhm. Pulling on the figure's hand, the witch doctor opened up the idol and placed the soda inside. "Mmmm, grapes."

Maui frowned, too busy sorting out the facts he'd just learned to realize his chance to make an entrance. So ..... a girl has the Orchid now. The girl took it from Jeanie. The Muddrakes will get it from her, throw her in Helzapopon to keep poor mom company ... and then they'll give the Orchid back to Rubano? ...... Hmm, interesting. It makes sense. ... But I still don't know about this Caravani!

From the edge of the camp, another welcoming shout rang out - a female's voice.

The girl!

"Hey guys! Came to use your jacuzzi!"

"Frizzy!" The witch doctor grinned, as Jeanie came into the clearing, her sarong swapped for the other half of her bikini, and a longer cover-up wrapped around her body. "You come to give us gift."

"Well..... I didn't really bring anything."

"Hmm... well, either way, we will find it."

"Thanks, boys, you're sweethearts."

"Three cheers for Frizzy!" The witch doctor cried out, thrusting his staff into the air. Immediately, the Muddrakes surrounded Jeanie, taking her up in their arms and carring her around the camp, cheering.

That's sweet. They like her. Maui smiled.

Then his smile faded as they tossed her straight over the edge of the volcano.

"JEANIE!" He yelped, jumping out of the tree. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

The witch doctor held him back by the waistband of his jacket as he struggled to reach the edge of the volcano. "MAUI!" He snapped. "Calm down.... if she has the Orchid with her, she will be fine."

"Wha????" Maui slumped down on the ground, staring at the edge of the volcano. "But she hired me to get it back for her..."

"The Orchid belongs to Ruby," the witch doctor berated Maui, hitting him over the head with his staff. "Don't be stupid."

"Rubano?!? But the bell jar...... your talk .... .and the beach, and ...."

"Frizzy stole Orchid from Ruby. He knows she worked with us and came to see us ... so he had us keep eye on her," the witch doctor explained. "He met with us because he wanted story behind the Orchid."

"Caravani, right?" Maui mumbled, setting his beak in his hands.

"Yes! .... Caravani was Babaluau's rival," the witch doctor explained. "They each had biiiiiiiiiig contest to see whose fighting skills were better. Babaluau was better than Caravani, but she would not let herself lose, so she went into another world, a world where she was stronger than Babaluau. When she was there, Caravani found a way to call on the powers of her other, stronger self while she was fighting."

"Kind of like how I use this to harness the Island's energy to be Cold Shadow?" Maui pointed to the talisman around his neck.

"Yes. But you only take the power of this world. Caravani's Orchid uses the power of the other world, making a person .... two people."

"Huh??"

"You summon your other self into your body," The witch doctor explained.

"So it's like being possessed by an evil twin?"

"Kinda. Complicated stuff."

"I can tell!" Maui blinked rapidly, rubbing at the back of his neck. "So the Orchid that ....." He sighed. "That Jeanie stole from Rubano .... that gives her the power to call on this other self from this opposite world?"

"Yes," the witch doctor nodded. "Now you get it! ... Now, if she has the Orchid with her now.... she's not dead."

"Why not?"

"For the same reason you did not die when we threw you in volcano."

Maui pulled the talisman out from his collar. "This protected me - because I'm a ninja. Are you saying that the same thing will happen to Jeanie?"

"Yes. Only, Caravani's Orchid will send her to the other world."

"...........So she's there."

"Yes."

"I need to go get her - I want to talk to her. I can't believe she did this to me..." Maui ran a hand over his eyes with a groan. "Women!!!"

"Yes, the women always trouble. ... But I can't send you after her. You need the Red Orchid for that."

Suddenly, a glowing red orb appeared over the campfire and floated over towards them. A lightning bolt lanced out from the orb, and once the flash died down, Babaluau stood between the two of them.

"What did I tell you, Maui Mallard?" Babaluau scolded, folding her arms. "I told you you were in over your beak! Aaaas usual!"

Maui sighed. "Yeah, yeah ...... I'm sorry for not listening to you."

"You should be!" The witch doctor hit Maui over the head once more and scoffed. "You listen to Babaluau!"

"Dang straight," Babaluau nodded commandingly. "Now, if you're going to go after this Frisson girl, you need to be aware that there are other doors into our world - they come out in different places. And, as a Quackahula Ninja, you can't spend too much time in the other world, or the power in your talisman will become corrupt, and you will be melded with your other self - as Caravani was."

"Will that happen to Jeanie?"

"It will even if she does not stay in the Negaverse."

"The wha?"

"The other world," Babaluau clarified. "The Red Orchid's power corrupts someone so much that even in this world, they become one person, not two." She held out her hand, and a crackle of red lightning appeared in the air, then swirled into a glowing portal. "You know what you have to do, Maui. Now, go and do it. But don't stay too long - and come back the way you go in. That is the only safe way." With that, another lightning bolt flashed out. The tiki goddess vanished, and the red orb she had come in floated away into the evening sky.

"So ....." Maui nodded. "This is it." He placed both hands on the talisman around his throat, clasping his fingers around it. As he closed his eyes, he felt the world begin to spin around him, faster and faster, though his feet remained solid on the ground, connecting him to the energy of the island. Suddenly, he felt the familiar blindfold around his eyes and the black ninja jacket tied around his waist. The talisman's weight and shape changed to that of a long stick of bamboo, and he smiled, sensing the heat of Babaluau's portal in front of him.

"Wish me luck," Cold Shadow called out.

The witch doctor laughed. "You'll need it!"

The world spun around Cold Shadow, all over again, and finally he felt himself land, hard, on the ground.

"CRAP," a voice snarled. Then before he knew what was happening, a webbed foot slammed into his chest. "I didn't think you'd be able to follow me here."

Grunting, Cold Shadow dragged himself to his feet. "Why'dja do this to me, huh, Jeanie? What's your problem? I mean, it's all well and good to want to be a ninja and stuff. But you're tapping into the wrong power..."

"No, I'm tapping into the perfect power. In our world, I'm weak," Jeanie informed him, hoisting him up by the collar. "But here, I'm strong. As soon as I read about Caravani's power, I knew I had to get my hands on it. It'd help me. .... It's not easy for a girl to get along - not anywhere." She dropped him mercilessly on the ground, and Shadow heard the rip of paper. "But with this little note I found in your office, I think I have the perfect way to make a good living for myself. So, try not to miss me too much. And don't bother looking for me. If you try to come after me, I'll make sure you wish you didn't. ..... I really do thank you, Maui. You were the perfect diversion. I'll be taking my five hundred dollars back."

Cold Shadow gnashed his teeth, then lashed out at her with his stick.

"You missed," she giggled, as his stick caught at the chain around her throat. "Maybe you shouldn't wear that silly blindfold?"

With a grin, Cold Shadow tore the Caravani Red Orchid from Jeanie's neck and flipped it into his hand. "No thanks, I find it rather comfortable. ..... Nice knowing you." Quickly, he tucked the Orchid into his belt and dived back through the portal.

"You're back already?" The witch doctor gasped, as Cold Shadow landed unceremoniously on the ground beside the Muddrakes' campfire.

Giving the center of his stick a twist, Cold Shadow waited as he felt the world spin around him again, then opened his eyes, shaking his head. "Yeah, I'm back." Reaching into the pocket of his Hawaiian shirt, Maui pulled out the Red Orchid. "And I got this for Rubano, too. Dangerous little trinket that it is."

"What about the girl?"

"Oh ..." Maui sighed. "Every detective needs to have 'the one that got away', don't they?"

To The Epilogue --->