10-31-2003, 04:11 PM
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obsolete
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 617
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Frederica D'Argenio
PANDORA'S BOX
Antiques
All Kinds, At Fair Prices!
Frederica D'Argenio, proprietor
142 Mott Street
The bell over the door jingled, heralding a visitor to her shop. Freddie set down the Tiffany lamp she'd just finished rewiring, a lovely piece that she was tempted to keep for herself. Then again, if she kept every momento... Well, the warehouse she had over in Jersey was already filled to the brim.
"Be right there!"
Parting the beaded curtains that hung in the doorway to her workroom, Freddie looked around for the customer. She hadn't heard the bell a second time, yet no one was there. Stranger things had been known to happen, she chuckled to herself as she headed toward the back again.
That's when it caught her eye. An envelope. Slightly battered yet none the worse for the wear, it was propped against the antique cash register on the counter.
"Jim?" The portly old mailman usually stuck around for a cup of coffee while on his route, but this time he hadn't even said hello. Maybe it was a sub, Freddie shrugged as she picked up the letter.
Forward. Forward. Forward. No post mark. No date. She couldn't help wondering how long it had been travelling to make its way here. "So open it already. Sheesh!"
The contents were interesting: An invitation to a scavenger hunt. Someone obviously knew she was a packrat, but in Bolivia? Freddie shrugged and looked at the second page. A map -- directions to her destination, no doubt. The last is what caught her eye though. A photograph of a sword.
A Schiavona by the look of it. It had been a while. They were once used by the Dalmatian Slavs who made up the Doge's guard. Good for both cut and thrust.
Freddie ran her fingers over the photo before setting it down and picking up the letter once again. How could she resist? Then again, maybe she wasn't supposed to.
*********
The earliest flight Freddie could get to La Paz was a day later (with a connecting), but she used that time to her advantage. She'd phoned the cop shop to let them know she'd be out of town and picked up some things she might need while she was off playing Butch Cassidy and Sundance -- or was that Etta Place?
A few stores and more than a few hundred bucks later, Freddie had her supplies along with a new backpack and bedroll. She already had a great pair of boots that would do her -- she knew better than to head out in new ones. Clothes, too. As for things she couldn't travel with... well, she'd worry about those when she got where she was going. Anything could be had there -- if you knew where to look. And she did.
And so her journey began...
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