-- Chapter 3: Have you met my friends? --

                     I'm runnin' down a dream
                    It never would come to me
                       Workin' on a mystery
                   I'm goin' wherever it leads
                     I'm runnin' down a dream

                                   "Runnin' Down a Dream" -- Tom Petty


     "KI-YA!"
     Monterey hit the floor instinctively, and was grateful for the reflex as the 
body of a male mouse went flying overhead, his katana spilling off to the side. 
Quickly looking over his shoulder, he saw Kan in her nightgown, delivering a solid 
kick at another armed attacker, who managed to block it away from his face. A third 
figure was approaching her from the side, also armed with a katana. Kan, too 
engrossed in pressing the attack against her foe so he couldn't effectively use his
weapon, didn't see the third opponent.
     Monterey was about to shout a warning as the mouse brought his sword up,
when Dale flung the door open from his room, smacking the mouse directly in the 
face. He dropped his weapon and stumbled back, which Monterey took full advantage 
of. He quickly half-crawled, half-lunged at the mouse's legs from behind. They both 
tumbled to a heap on the ground, where Monterey was quick to press his strength 
advantage in close quarters for a swift knockout, picking up the katana afterwards.
     "What's going on?" Dale asked in wonder as he looked around, then gasped as
he saw Kan fighting against the armed mouse.
     "Never mind now, Dale!" Monterey responded. "Kan! Catch!"
     He heaved the katana, hilt first, to her. For some reason, he never doubted her
ability to catch it, and was correct as she merely stole a glance back, snagged the
hilt, and brought the blade around to block the mouse's attack in one fluid motion.
She brought a swing of her own in high, which he blocked, leaving his midsection 
free. Three swift kicks to his chest knocked out, in order, his balance, his breath,
and him.
     "What's happening out here?" Gadget stared from her doorway in shock at the
scene before her.
     Zipper glanced about, increasingly in horror, and the shot off downstairs.
Nobody noticed, busy with the aftermath.
     "You okay?" Monterey asked Kan as she breathed heavily. "I guess I owe you
one, luv." He smiled and nodded to the unconscious heap back down the hall.
     "Not really." She smiled up at him. "Your snoring did keep me awake, after all.
So I was able to step out just in time to see those men, and stop the one after you.
Good thing his back was turned."
     Dale started down the hallway. "What's the commotion down there?"
     As they started after him, Zipper raced back up the stairs.
     It's Chip! His eyes screamed with panic. He's in serious trouble!
     Glancing about, they noticed for the first time the absence of the fedora-
toting chipmunk.
     They tore after Zipper down the stairs, seeing exactly what he was talking 
about. Chip was in a mad dash around a series of tables and chairs, being chased 
ruthlessly by four mice, swiping at him with katanas. Some of which, they noticed 
with horror, were already darkened. It was painfully evident the attackers were 
just herding him, swinging so that they would hit only if he took a second to rest. 
Going through a continuous series of rolls, somersaults, and flips, Chip managed to 
always position himself between a piece of furniture and an incoming blade only 
moments before it hit. But he was starting to run out of furniture, and each time 
the blades got that much closer to being lethal.
     Not waiting any longer, Monterey launched himself from the stairs, arcing
through the air smoothly to come crashing down like a wrecking ball on two of the 
unsuspecting four. Monterey did his country proud, bushwhacking the two into 
unconsciousness. The other two turned to face him as he gasped, the crash taking 
more out of him than he had hoped.
     Not to be outdone, however, Dale also fired himself from the stairs. His aim 
was less than perfect, though, as he crashed heavily onto the side of one of the 
tables. Still, at the same time, Dale's natural luck worked with him, allowing the 
force of the impact to flip the small table up and over, crashing into the attackers
shins. They yelped with pain and surprise, giving Chip all the time he needed. Being
more than just slightly upset, he plowed into one of them, crashing through a series
of broken chairs and tables.
     The one left standing turned between Chip and Dale, not sure which would be
the easier target. Making a straight beeline for his head, Zipper rammed his small 
fist across the mouse's nose, enough momentum to gather his attention. Rubbing his 
nose in anger, he started off after Zipper, never noticing Monterey's incoming fist 
from behind. He sprawled out on the floor and groaned.
     Chan, still expertly deflecting Tham's attacks, glanced over his shoulder and
cursed. "Looks like you're lucky this time, Tham. Be seeing you." He flicked his 
hand down to the fire, and a huge explosion of smoke billowed forth.
     Everyone coughed and rubbed their eyes, unable to see. There was a steady
stream of noise, with furniture being bumped into and moved, and the sound of the 
storm as the door opened. A few minutes later, the fresh air cleared out the 
majority of the smoke. The Rangers could also see that the intruders had cleared out
as well, even those that were knocked unconscious.
     Tham coughed a bit more as he walked over to the door and shut it. A light haze
still hung in the air, even though the billowing smoke had stopped. The fire 
continued to burn, practically untouched by the events around it. The rest of the 
tavern, however, could not say the same.
     Broken tables and chairs outnumbered the intact ones. Several lights on the 
wall had been broken. Wooden splinters and debris lay all about. The bar itself had 
several cut marks from swinging blades.
     A noise from the bar caused everyone to jump, except for Tham. The bartender
stepped out from the room behind the bar, where he and his wife lived. He looked 
around casually, then blatantly asked Tham, "Is that it for tonight?"
     Tham nodded. "Yes." He sheathed his wakizashi. "Sorry, Mel."
     Mel shook his head. "It's all right. Just remember to steer clear of here for 
the next few weeks. Hey Alice," he called to his wife as he walked back, "we have to
call the insurance company again tomorrow." He shut the door, leaving the Rangers 
and Kan in wonderment.
     "Does this happen often?" Gadget asked, her brow wrinkled in puzzlement.
     Tham shrugged. "About once every insurance quarter. Don't worry about the
damage, though. Mel has bar fights listed in his coverage."
     Chip, having the first chance in what seemed like years to rest, suddenly felt
extremely light-headed. His vision went white, and he didn't even realize that he 
had collapsed on the ground.
     When his mind finally returned to his body, the first thing he felt was the 
pain from over a dozen cuts scattered all over him. He slowly opened his eyes, and 
gradually the room came into focus. He was lying on his back in his bed, covers 
drawn up to his neck, with Gadget leaning over him, a hopeful look in her eyes.
     "He's coming around, guys!" She called out.
     Looking around and shifting himself to a sitting position, wincing slightly, he
saw that everyone was in the room as well. Dale was sitting on his own bed next to
Monterey, and Zipper was perched on Monterey's shoulder. Kan walked over from the 
window and sat down next to Gadget. Tham stood by the open doorway, watching with 
concern.
     "Whoa..." Chip moaned. "What happened?"
     "You fainted, Chipper," Monterey answered. He snapped his fingers. "Just like
that. Can't say I blame you, though. That was a nasty blade gauntlet they ran you 
through."
     "You're lucky the blades weren't poisoned," Tham nodded. Upon seeing Chip's
worried look, he added, "Don't worry, they weren't. Otherwise you'd be dead by now."
     Somehow, that didn't seem to raise Chip's spirits.
     "Here," Gadget pressed a cup of hot liquid into his hand. "Drink this. It'll 
make you feel better."
     Obeying, Chip took a large swig, and immediately wished he hadn't. It tasted 
like a mouthful of cod oil. He forced it down with a gulp, trying not to get queasy 
from the way it slid down his throat. He handed the cup back, and started to check 
himself over. He saw a number of gauze wrappings around his chest, waist, and 
thighs. And one on his rump, making it difficult to sit. Despite his condition, a 
question popped into his mind concerning that particular injury, and his cheeks 
grew warm from the rushing blood.
     "Who...ah...dressed my wounds?" He asked, a bit nervously. From the tone of
his voice, it was clear what was on his mind.
     Gadget blushed brightly and looked down.
     Kan's grin was shining as she answered, "Why, Gadget of course. She is the one
with the best medical knowledge, after all. I, of course, helped where I could." 
Her coy smile made Chip's blush almost match Gadget's. Almost.
     "Uh, em, thanks," Chip managed to squeak out, drawing the covers up tighter
around him. He shifted and winced in pain again. "How many times was I hit?"
     "Fourteen," Kan said matter-of-factly. "Impressive, but Julius Caesar still has
a comfortable lead on you."
     "He can keep it," Chip remarked dryly. "That's one record that can remain 
intact forever, as far as I'm concerned."
     "Good thing they were only trying to nickel and dime you." Dale came over next
to his friend. "Also good thing you guys made such a ruckus down there. If we hadn't
gotten up in time...." He shuddered.
     "Yeah, but I'm also the reason there were some waiting for you upstairs," Chip
sighed. "Is everyone else okay?"
     "Well," Monterey rubbed his head, "Dale and I may be a little sore after our
Captain Spiffo-takes-flight impersonations, but that's it."
     You got all of the hits, Zipper winked. Lucky stiff.
     "Yeah. I'm lucky I'm *not* a stiff," Chip said dryly, looking over at Tham. "So
now that I've almost died trying to save you, could you explain to me who you are?"
     Tham started forward and opened his mouth, but Kan cut him off.
     "His name's An Tham Sun, and he was being attacked by the Furfoot clan, even
though he claims that the clan belongs to him," Kan said with a definite mocking 
edge to her voice. Chip noticed, for the first time, that Kan was frowning when she
looked over at Tham.
     Tham let out a heavy sigh. "I thought you weren't going to start this, Kan."
     "As per usual, you thought wrong," she snorted. "Gee, maybe with all these
wrong decisions, you really *are* the ruler of that clan!" Her voice was now high-
pitched and ditzy, like a cheerleader for the idiot jock.
     "You know each other?" The Rangers asked as one. Their simultaneous question
brought Tham and Kan out of what was beginning to look like an argument.
     "Unfortunately," Tham grumbled, folding his arms across his chest.
     "The feeling's mutual," Kan snarled.
     Dale could only scratch his head in wonder at Kan. This was the first time he 
had ever seen her angry. Even during the fight, her emotions seemed to be kept in 
check. But here, he could almost sense her urge to strangle Tham. Glancing over at 
Tham's dour demeanor, he picked up on the fact that there was no love lost between 
the two. Kan really did hate this guy, or at least something that he'd done. Still, 
Dale had to admit, Kan still looked ravishing. The way that her anger firmed her 
posture, how her petite nose drew in a bit, even how her slender hands were 
clenched tightly at her sides....
     "Okay," Chip said. "Can we start at the top?"
     As he talked, Gadget took advantage of his distraction and pressed the cup into
his hand again. Reflexively, he took another huge gulp, not realizing what he had 
put into his mouth until it was too late. He forced it down by sheer willpower, 
handing the cup back to Gadget. At least her approving eyes helped to numb the 
horrid taste.
     "Yes..." Tham said slowly, settling down next to Monterey on the end of Dale's
bed. "It's rather complicated, after all. Even more so than *you* think, Kan."
     She narrowed her eyes at him, but he pushed on, ignoring her.
     "First, I really wish we could have met under more pleasant circumstances, but
considering what happened tonight, and if Chip hadn't intervened when he did, this 
meeting might not have ever taken place. Thus, I would like to say that it's a 
pleasure to finally meet the Rescue Rangers."
     He nodded at each of them. "Monterey. Zipper. Dale. Chip." He turned his eyes
to Gadget, and smiled warmly. "And hello to you, Gadget. I take it you received my 
letter."
     Gadget's hands went numb, dropping the cup to the floor.
     "You sent it?!" Monterey almost shouted.
     Everyone started to talk at once.
     "But how--"
     "Why did--"
     "Where does--"
     "QUIET!" Gadget's shout was torn from her heart. Each breath was shallow and
rapid. She felt like she was going to go into cardiac arrest at any moment unless 
she got one answer out of Tham.
     "Is my father...here?" she asked. She had intended to say "alive", but her 
doubt snatched it away at the last second.
     "Yes. He is," he nodded slowly, seeming sad. "I'll take you to him." Nobody
wanted to ask the obvious question, so Tham skipped it.
     "But later. First things first." Tham stated, and Chip had to chuckle at the 
irony of the last statement, "First thing's first." Chip had been saying that for 
years, and it was good to know that he wasn't the only one.
     "Now then, I promise all will be explained later, but first, we have to get out
of here. Those men that we defeated tonight won't be back, except for Chan, but 
he'll bring a fresh squad with him. I doubt that they'll try to strike tonight, but
it pays to take no chances. Especially," he looked at Chip, "since you've caught his
attention. You're on his personal hit list now, Chip, and trust me when I say that 
that's bad. Even if you were in full health and the fight was fair, my money's on 
Chan. In your current condition, you'll be lucky if he kills you quickly. But," 
Tham's face turned grim, "Chan always took his vengeance too far. In your weakened
state, you'd provide hours of... entertainment for him. Maybe even days."
     Gadget, still trying to adjust to the fact that her father was at least here,
if not alive, felt a tug on her heartstrings for her close friend and teammate. Some
part of her mind, while she watched Tham speak, moved her hand over to Chip's, 
squeezing it tightly. Chip, still dizzy from his wounds, felt another wave of 
fainting threaten to consume him as his blood raced through his system, stirred by 
the sudden touch of Gadget and the warmth of her hand. He fought the wave back, not 
wanting to miss anything Tham told him.
     Besides, if he was unconscious, then he wouldn't able to reveal in this 
incredible sensation.
     "We can take a few minutes to allow Chip to catch his breath, but then we need
to get moving. The Furfoot clan are no longer very forgiving," Tham choked on this 
last bit, and Chip saw that Kan actually had a look of pity for him. Standing up, 
Tham quickly left the room. "I'll meet you downstairs. Please hurry."
     Kan sighed and shook her angrily. "He'll never learn," she said to herself more
than to the room.
     Gadget looked at Kan with a quizzical expression. "Kan, correct me if I'm
wrong, but it sounds like you're going to be coming along. Didn't you say you had 
some sort of business?"
     Sighing, Kan quirked her mouth into a ironic twist. "I do. I was coming up here
to find him." She jerked a thumb over her shoulder after Tham. "He may be a jerk, 
but he doesn't deserve to die."
     "From who?" Chip asked. "These guys we faced tonight? Is it over that
pendant?"
     Kan looked shocked that Chip knew about it, but was quick to cover it up. "Yes,
but don't ask me to explain." She sniffed in disgust. "I wouldn't want to offend His
Majesty Tham's honor." She sneered out the last word.
     The Rangers got the distinct impression that now would be a good time to
change the subject.
     "Well, come on, mates," Monterey stood up and walked to the doorway. "Lets
get things packed up while Chip's resting." He went off to his room, Zipper trailing
behind. Gadget stood up, then looked down at her hand in Chip's. She seemed honestly
surprised by this, and shyly slipped her hand free, heading back to her room. Kan 
followed, pausing in the doorway.
     "By the way, Chipper," she said with a playful wink. "Nice backside." She
giggled and shut the door behind her, leaving Dale, Chip, and Chip's life-sized 
embarrassment in the room.
     "Man..." Dale said watching after her. "I *told* you she's a flirt."
     "Your deductive skills are ever-expanding, Dale," Chip chided his best friend
good-naturedly. "Could you hand me my clothes?"
     Dale grabbed the jacket and hat from the rack and handed them over. "They
aren't exactly in the best shape in the world."
     Chip sighed as he poked a finger through his jacket. "We all have to make
sacrifices, I guess."
     "Are you sure you're okay?" Dale asked with a worried look at his friend's many
bandages. "I mean, I know they were only small cuts, but you sure had a lot *of* 
them."
     Chip waved him off as he slid his jacket on and sprang out of bed, instantly
wishing he hadn't. The whole room wavered uncontrollably before he managed to catch 
his balance. "Yeah, I am a little woozy," he understated, "but I'll be fine. I just 
need to take it slow for a little while."
     Unconvinced, Dale wrapped one of Chip's arms over his shoulder, fully
supporting his best friend, despite his assurances (and complaints). Dale merely 
grinned at the exasperated Chip, who eventually emitted a laugh and gave up. They 
each grabbed the overnight bag, and jointly left the room.
     Moving down the hallway, they glanced at the marks left from the fight 
upstairs. They had hoped that the ones beaten up here could provide some answers, 
but they had disappeared, as well. Tham explained to them that the attackers had 
cleared out while the smoke was everywhere downstairs. Apparently, most of them were
only stunned, not completely out. Those that were out were carried by their fellows.
Tham had to admit that Chan still picked his men well. When they had asked how he 
knew Chan, Tham had evaded the question.
     They made it downstairs to the main room, where all of the debris rested
peacefully. And piece-fully, at the same time. Tham was sitting in one of the few 
chairs remaining undestroyed. As Chip and Dale moved about the room, even they were
impressed with the amount of damage that had been caused, especially in such a short
period of time. They scooted over to the table, grabbing some other chairs to sit 
in.
     "Oh, Chip, here," Tham slid a heavy book across the tabletop. "I think this
belongs to you."
     Chip picked it up, inspecting it with a smile. "And people wonder why I buy
hardbacks," he remarked dryly. The cover was bent and ripped, the pages all crumpled
and torn in spots, and a small speck of died blood marked the bottom of the front 
cover, where Chip had used the book to close Chan's gaping mouth. And yet, the book 
was still readable. Flipping through, he saw that none of the pages were missing, 
and while some places were torn, the tears were minor and not in an important 
places. While the outside had been bashed around, the inside emerged in surprisingly
good condition, especially considering the circumstances that caused the damage.
     If I'm ever going to write this as a story sometime, he thought, This is the 
perfect item for an analogy.
     Gadget and Kan were next down the stairs, talking back and forth as if they had
known each other for their whole lives. Chip watched them for a long time as they 
talked, until he realized he was trying to decide which was more beautiful, and 
couldn't.
     Monterey and Zipper weren't far behind, only a few minutes after Gadget and
Kan. Everyone gathered around the table, the fire still burning brightly. A light 
haze from the smoke still hung in the air, but not nearly as bad as before.
     "Okay, it's going to be a long trip," Tham started, sounding pragmatic. "It's
generally not a good idea to hike this late at night, but we can get to a cave 
nearby. We won't be able to stay in any more taverns until we get to my cabin 
further up the mountain, as the Furfoot clan will probably be on the lookout for us.
That'll tack an extra few days on to the trip, as we'll have to go a bit out of the 
way to secure a good shelter each night. We'll have to travel during the day, it's 
too dangerous at night with this large of a group. I'll scout out ahead, to make 
sure that coast is clear, and then the rest of you follow behind me. The forecast is
calling for heavy snowstorms again, so stick together people. Any questions?"
     All through the speech, Kan watched him with a sardonic smile, steadily
growing. "Yeah, do you like being wrong all the time?"
     "What?" Tham glared at her.
     "I don't know what Kan's talking about Tham," Dale said honestly. "But why
can't we just take the Ranger Wing over to your cabin?"
     There was a momentary silence.
     "Ranger Wing?" Tham finally inquired.
     "Yeah," Dale answered. "It'll be a little crowded, but it'll be quicker. I 
mean, we made it up this mountain pass in under a day, And that usually takes a 
week or so of hiking. For the animals, anyway."
     "The Ranger Wing..." Tham shot an unamused glance at Kan, who snorted in
response. "I was wondering how you got here so quickly. I thought maybe Cheddarhead
got over there sooner than he planned...." He sighed, and nodded to Dale. "Yes. By 
all means, yes, we can take the Ranger Wing."
     "Then let's go," Gadget stated clearly. She hoisted her pack up and headed out
the door, Kan right alongside her. Monterey helped Chip out after them.
     Tham shot another disgusted look at Kan as he walked alongside of Dale and
Zipper. "It's such a waste," he commented.
     "What?" Dale asked.
     "All that beauty, wasted on such a vile creature."
     Zipper blinked. Oh come on, Tham, she can't be all that bad.
     Tham snorted. "Maybe not to you, but ever since--" He cut himself off suddenly,
then continued. "We used to get along to a slight degree, but recently things have
changed for the worst."
     Zipper merely nodded slowly as he floated alongside. He had spotted that abrupt
change of wording. Something happened recently that Tham didn't want to share with 
the Rangers. While it was his business, his "business" was also tied in with the 
Furfoot clan, which directly involved the Rangers. Zipper cast a nonchalant look 
over at Dale, who gave a slight whistle in response, indicating he noticed it to.
     They moved out back to the Ranger Wing, where the seating arrangement was
hastily thrown together. Gadget and Monterey sat in the front seat, with Kan sitting
on Monterey's lap. While he was uncomfortable with the idea, Kan eased the tension 
by calling him "Santa". She even went so far as to start describing things she 
wanted for Christmas, including a few things that she whispered into Monterey's 
ears, glancing back at Chip in the back seat. Although he couldn't hear them, 
Monterey's blush informed Chip that he was probably better off that way.
     Dale and Tham squeezed in next to Chip, while Zipper alighted upon Chip's
shoulder. Gadget fired up the engines, and they carefully made their way back over 
the path, following the directions that Tham gave them. It was still dark out, and 
the light from the front of the Wing wasn't helping much, so Gadget kept it low to 
the ground and at an easy pace. They had some trouble navigating in the darkness, 
but Gadget trusted her instrument's directions, so they kept a steady course.
     Eventually, the sun broke free of the horizon, allowing them to see clearly. 
The storm clouds had lifted, but Tham guessed it would last only for a few hours. 
But, he also mentioned that at the rate they were moving, they should come to his 
cabin in under an hour. The rest of the trip was in silence, as most of the 
passengers took the opportunity to grab some shuteye, except for three people: 
Gadget, who was piloting the Wing, and Chip and Tham, who had a brief discussion.
     "I want to know what's going on with Gadget's father," Chip stated in a 
whisper. He not only had to be careful so Gadget wouldn't hear, but also so that he
wouldn't wake up Zipper, who was asleep on his shoulder.
     "I told you, I'll explain later," Tham whispered back, reluctance tinting his
words.
     "Why?" Chip's whisper was harsher than he intended. "What are you not telling
us?"
     Tham looked about with a grimace. "Later."
     Chip fumed, but managed to keep his voice down. "Fine. You explain later. But
I'll explain something to *you* right now. Gadget is one of the most sweet, 
compassionate, loving individuals you'll ever have the pleasure to meet. And if you
do anything, either through action or inaction, that crushes her hopes, the very 
same ones *you* built up with that letter of yours, I'm going to make you wish that
I had left you to your fate back at that tavern." Chip could hardly believe his own
ears. He had rarely threatened anyone in his life! And worst yet, he knew that if 
Gadget's hopes were dashed, he would go through with what he implied.
     Tham, on the other hand, looked more pained than intimidated. "I understand,
Chip. And I can tell you this: I have not, nor ever have or ever will have, any 
intention whatsoever to causing Miss Gadget grief. Believe me, she has inadvertently
helped me hundreds of times over."
     "How?"
     Another grimace. "I can't say now. But please, ask again later."
     "You've been reading too many Magic 8-Balls," Chip's sarcasm floated to Tham
in the wind.
     They spoke no more for the rest of the trip, but neither slept, either. Too 
many things were going through their minds. Chip knew that the moment of reckoning 
was fast approaching for Gadget, and he hated the feeling of helplessness that was 
boxing him in. No matter what the outcome of this mission, Gadget would be tumbling 
down that emotional waterfall again, this time without a barrel. If her father was 
still dead, then she would have to go through all of those old emotions again. Only 
this time the lingering remains of a shattered dream would be too hard to swallow. 
If Gadget's father was indeed still alive...well, Tham hadn't committed to that. In 
fact, he refused. It was the only thing about Tham that was keeping Chip from 
trusting what appeared to be an otherwise honest and good mouse.
     Tham, as well, knew the moment of reckoning was nearing. He just hoped that
Gadget would be able to understand why everything had happened the way it did. 
Nobody wanted things to turn out this way. Geegaw didn't want to have to keep his 
existence secret from Gadget. Tham's parents didn't want to become involved in the 
Yakuza. Tham didn't want his parents to have been murdered...
     Tham wiped away a tear, grateful Chip had missed it, staring off into space.
Tham's gaze settled on the back of Gadget's head, her long yellow-orange hair 
dancing out behind her playfully, the morning sun breathing in life to the golden 
highlights.
     May the sun truly grace you with its blessings, Gadget, Tham thought solemnly.
The ancestors know you're going to need them.

     They landed in front of a modest, well built cabin. Made mostly of stone, it 
was tucked away behind some cliffs, protected from the precipitation and winds. The
front of the dwelling looked out over a breathtakingly beautiful expanse of the 
surrounding countryside. It was even possible to see the distant city's skyscraper's
lights on a clear night.
     As Gadget parked the Wing in a secluded, out of the way place, Tham was glad
to see to that nobody was home. First bullet dodged, he thought with a glint of 
optimism. Everyone quickly disembarked from the plane, Kan taking a moment to 
enjoy the view.
     "While I still think you're an idiot," she scoffed at Tham, "at least you can 
choose a decent place to live." She turned back to look out over the country. "It 
is an exquisite view."
     "Thank my roommate," Tham shrugged. "He picked the spot after I had
moved...." He broke off again, turning away and walking inside. Chip caught Kan 
watching after him again with that look of pity.
     Something's happened to Tham, Chip mentally noted, and it was recent by the
way he's acting. Kan knows what it is, too. I wonder how well they know each other?
He didn't pursue it at the moment, however, as he followed the rest of the group 
into the cabin.
     The inside was pretty much as modest as it was outside. It was just a large,
one-room living area. A single, large wood-burning stove stood in the center, a fire
burning contentedly inside it and keeping the whole cabin at a comfortable 
temperature. The floor appeared to be actually carved from the rock underneath the 
house, then smoothed and polished, even though it was somewhat uneven and bumpy in 
places. Two beds sat on either side of the cabin, a small dresser and foot locker 
near each. A small, make-shift kitchen occupied one of the corners, while a sturdy 
wooden table and four chairs took up the corner opposite. The walls were barren of
any decoration, save for a map depicting another area of Japan. All of the Rangers
saw the small red marker dots on various locations, and another series of them 
circled.
     Tham walked over to one of the beds and settled down upon it heavily,
weariness clearly evident on his features. Dale and Monterey, after Tham motioned 
for all to have a seat, plopped down on the other bed's edge, not wanting to mess up
somebody else's covers. Kan and Gadget sat themselves at the table, looking around 
curiously. Kan's expression telegraphed her displeasure at the whole place, while 
Gadget's indicated that she was somewhat intrigued. Chip decided to remain standing
next to the warm stove, enjoying the way the heat helped to relax his sore muscles 
and healing wounds. Zipper took a place on Chip's shoulder, also glancing
about with interest.
     Tham didn't speak as he withdraw his wakizashi, polishing the short, curved
blade with care. The others didn't have anything to say, not at the moment, so 
they all waited in relative silence, until Dale asked Tham a question.
     "Are we waiting for someone?" He glanced down again at the bunk he was on.
     "My roommate." Tham never looked up from the cleansing of his weapon. "He
should be back anytime. I had half-expected him to be here already, but he must've 
stepped out for some errand while the weather was pleasant."
     "And he'll help find my father?" Gadget asked, the edges of hope and doubt
clashing in her voice.
     Tham nodded. "Yes. And then, fate willing, we can answer your questions."
     Fate willing? Monterey's thought echoed. What is it with this guy, always so
bloomin' vague and cryptic? He cast his gaze about, sizing up the small structure's 
interior. The mix of tight organization in places, contrasted by utter chaos in 
others, signified the standard bachelor pad set-up. It reminded him of Chip and 
Dale's room back at the tree, and even before then, the room he and Geegaw had 
shared for a while before Geegaw met Terica.
     Again silence shrouded the group. They all had a fair amount of questions they
wanted answers to, but it was clearly evident that Tham would not answer anything 
but the most basic inquiries at the moment. And as much as certain members felt the 
urge to throttle him for his refusal, none actually could press on him. He did, 
after all, say he knew a great deal about them, and trusted them enough to bring 
them directly to his home. It was clear that the Furfoot clan was looking for this 
new location, and was going to good lengths to find it. As far as Tham knew, the 
Rangers might have been spies, aiding him in a set-up battle to win his trust.
     Zipper shook that thought aside, though. Tham actually recognized them, and
even showed them a deal of respect. The least they could do, the housefly figured, 
was to show him the same in return. And at the moment, that was by biding their time
until his roommate returned. They didn't have to wait long. Not more than a few 
minutes later, the door opened up, and Tham's roommate stepped in.
     Tham and Kan watched the Rangers' reactions with interest. Chip, Dale,
Monterey, and Zipper could only stare in shock. And for one of the few times in her
life, Gadget was completely, utterly, speechless.
     The wind whistled cajoling outside, while two members of the Hackwrench
family stood in the same room, each stunned to see the other.