Something scratched Ranma's arm. "Ranma, wake up! It's our stop! We need to get out!"
Ranma mumbled something and shook her head. "Lemme guess, I fell asleep again?"
Shampoo nodded. "Yep! I wonder if it's just a coincidence or if it has to do something with Amnar's heritage."
Ranma stood up. "Well, it can't be helped now. Let's go!"
They got out of the train. Stop 13 was situated in the middle of the city, next to a big mall.
"You know," Ranma said. "The strangest things about it is: When I fall asleep, I'm always dreaming the same dream... but... when I wake up, I won't remember anything about it."
"Really?" Shampoo asked. "Mmmm... Perhaps these dreams are the key. Can't you really remember anything?"
Ranma thought about it. "Well.... not much! But I think it's about that strange corridor I've seen several times. And... yeah, I think there are other girls in my dream as well... but that's about it!"
"Well, we have to wait until you can remember more, then," Shampoo said. "Okay, look around! What could Agoyr's message mean?"
Ranma pulled out the empty envelope.
CF-KTS TB-13 13-CLK
"Hmmm... I think '13-CLK could mean I have to be somewhere at 13 o'clock. But the rest..." She scratched her head. "I have no idea."
"Ranma, look!" Shampoo's paw pointed at the mall. Inside, they could see several shops and little restaurants or snack bars. And one big sign that said "Café Kitsune"!
Ranma grinned. "CF-KTS! I think that must be it: Café Kitsune! And I bet TB-13 means table 13!" She laughed. "I think we should take different names. Like: Sherlock Ranma Holmes and Dr. Shampoo Watson!"
Shampoo giggled. "Well, what are we waiting for?"
Ranma looked at the big clock at the wall. "Okay, it's 12:42 now! Let's wait until 12:55 and then go into the café! If there is someone at table 13 at that time, I bet he is some kind of contact person that is going to help us further."
"I wonder what kind of people want to help us?" Shampoo pondered. "And if they knew something about your secret identity..."
----
At 12:56, they entered the café. They looked around. No guests were here at the time. They searched a bit until they found table number 13 (luckily, the numbers of the tables were clearly visible on some small plates that stood on the tables) and sat down.
Although the café was called 'Café Kitsune' it definitely was a European-style café. On the menu there were different types of cakes, but also baguettes and sandwiches. When the waitress arrived, Ranma ordered just a glass of water.
They waited.
At 13:07, another customer entered the café. It was an older woman, with blueish-gray hair and a gray raincoat. She also carried a plastic bag. She looked around the café a little indecisively, then spotted Ranma and Shampoo. She smiled and walked over to their table. "Excuse me... but is this place free?" she asked while pointing at the chair opposite of Ranma.
"Um, of course!"
"Thank you!" She sat down and put down the plastic bag on the third chair. After that, she reached for the menu. "I've heard they make delicious cherry pie! I wonder if I'll order one..."
She seemed to think for a moment and browsed through the menu. "Yes, I think I'll take one. And a cup of coffee!" She looked at Ranma. "And what about you? May I invite you to a slice of cake as well? Or maybe a baguette?"
Ranma wanted to politely decline, but the woman wasn't taking 'no'for an answer. When the waitress came, the strange woman ordered some coffee and a slice of cherry pie for herself, and a salami baguette for Ranma.
While they were waiting for the food, Ranma asked: "Um, do you know someone called... Agoyr?"
"Excuse me?" the woman said. "Oh, I'm afraid I know no one of that name? Why do you ask?"
"Um... just wondering," Ranma replied. She grew uneasy. Perhaps this wasn't a contact person at all, and perhaps Agoyr's strange message meant something entirely else?
Silently, they ate their food. After that, the woman stood up and said: "Well, it was nice meeting you! Take care!" She reached down to stroke Shampoo's fur, than she left.
Ranma felt like a complete idiot. "What am I doing here anyway?" she asked herself. "Following the leads of a total stranger without knowing what they mean and eating some salami baguette with a strange woman, when I was supposed to be out there and find a clue to the lost princess?" She sighed desperately.
That's when her eyes fell on the plastic bag on the chair next to her. Did the woman forget to take it with her? Should she go after her?
But it certainly wouldn't be a bad idea to look inside it. If this was the right time and place after all, she could have left it here on purpose - and perhaps she just didn't want to blow her cover.
So Ranma reached for the plastic bag and emptied its contents on the table. It wasn't much. Just a big book and a smaller plastic bag with some photo.
Ranma took a look at the book. It was a local history book of the Juuban district. It was pretty heavy and Ranma guessed it would take her days to read through every page. But then she discovered the little paper strip someone used as a bookmark.
She flipped the book open at the right place. Shampoo jumped on the table. The barkeeper looked grimly in their direction, but he didn't say anything.
They could see a map of some real estate with a single house. Ranma frowned. That really didn't help.
But then Shampoo gasped. "Ranma, don't you see? That's the house of Amnar's grandfather! Look, it fits: The big garden and the house that's in the middle of the premises, rather than at the end, where a house would be normally."
Ranma took a second look. Shampoo was right. "Let's have a closer look on this," she murmured. According to the index, the informations about the real estates in the book were at the last page.
She searched for a while and finally found the entry about Grandpa's house.
"Hmm, that really doesn't help us," Shampoo muttered. "All we can see is that Grandpa is enlisted as the rightful owner of the house."
"Yes," Ranma said. "But... for at least 100 years..."
Silence. Then, Shampoo nearly screamed: "100 YEARS??"
"Shhh," Ranma waved her hands. "Quiet!" Luckily, both of the barkeeper and the waitress seemed to have gone into the next room.
"How can he be the owner of the house for more than 100 years?" Shampoo said in a much more quiet voice. "That's impossible!"
"Well, let's take a look at this photo..." Ranma opened the smaller bag and took out the photo. It wasn't really a photo, but a copy of some other book. It seemed to be a report some unknown reporter made about Grandpa's house. Most of the picture showed an old, black and white photography some talented photographer made of the house. The text next to it said that it was 131 years old, the oldest known photography of this town's history.
And on the photo, in front of the house, she could see Grandpa and his two hell hounds.
On a photo that was 131 years old.
And he didn't look one year younger than he did today!
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(Posted Sat, 08 Jul 2006 20:45)
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