Once the plane landed at a very small airport in Charleville, a resort town in the heart of Queensland, Australia, Chiyo was among the first to phone the local authorities. It seems that someone had beaten her to it, as a small group of police officers and other officials stood near the terminal as the plane came to a stop. Before any of the other passengers were allowed to disembark, Tomo and the plane's captain escorted the three men—now handcuffed—off of the plane, where they were turned over to the police. Along with many of the other passengers, Chiyo watched from one of the plane's small windows as the men were taken away, and both the captain and Tomo talked to the officers. Finally, they were allowed off the plane, and Chiyo gathered hers and Tomo's bags and followed the stream of passengers toward the front of the plane, where they descended down a set of stairs to the dusty runway below.
       Already there waiting for Chiyo was Kaorin, whose hair was in a state of disarray, matching the shaken, glazed expression in her eyes. Chiyo waved her hand in front of Kaorin's face, eventually breaking her out of her gaze.
       "Oh, hi Chiyo-chan," Kaorin greeted. "That was certainly an… interesting flight, wasn't it?"
       Chiyo shivered. "Let's not speak about it. C'mon, we should meet up with Tomo and figure out what we're going to do. It seems like we're going to be stuck here for a little while, so we might as well make the most of it."
       "I agree." Kaorin took some of the load off of Chiyo, taking Tomo's carry-on bag from her; then together, they walked toward their friend, who was still talking to various authorities.
       "Hey Tomo?" Chiyo said. "If you're not too busy, we're going to see about getting a room at an inn."
       Tomo turned around. "I'm just finishing up here, so sure, I can join you guys. Was there anything else, officers?"
       "No, that's it! If we need any other information, we'll be sure to contact you."
       "Sounds good!" Tomo replied, before turning back to her friends. "Now, where should we head to—"
       Tomo was interrupted by the arrival of a tall, skinny man in a suit. "Just one moment, Ms. Takino. I have to speak with you about something. My name is Inspector Peterson, and I'm here on behalf of Interpol."
       Chiyo glanced over at Tomo, whose face had gone noticeably pale. "Y—yes?"
       Peterson continued, "I understand that until recently, you were an intern with our New York office, is that correct?"
       "Wait a minute," Tomo replied, a slightly confused—though not entirely surprised—look on her face. "What do you mean, 'until recently'?"
       "We're aware of your recent actions in New York, as well as on this flight of yours, and we have suspended your internship. However, due to your heroism in dealing with these hijackers, I've decided not to recommend a warrant for your arrest at this time."
       This time, it was Kaorin who replied. "Arrest? What for? Tomo hasn't done anything wrong, has she?"
       "Technically, yes. She failed to make her reports, and acted out of line, not to mention the numerous charges of assault that could be filed against her. At any rate, Ms. Takino, we'll make arrangements as soon as possible for you and Ms. Mihama to be flown back to New York City as soon as possible."
       Tomo's eyebrows pinched together, and with anger creeping into her tone, she replied, "But what about the men I've had to rescue Chiyo from twice now? You don't mean to tell me that you aren't going to find out who's behind all this!"
       "Don't get me wrong—we have every intention of investigating these attempted kidnappings of yours. Just know that you should leave this sort of work to us professionals. I'm sorry, but we can't allow you to become involved any further. Listen, I'll see you tomorrow." Inspector Peterson turned to leave.
       "Oh? And how will you find me, eh?"
       "Don't worry about that. We have ways of tracking people down, as you should know. Besides, this is a small enough place that it shouldn't prove too difficult."
       Tomo sighed wearily as the Interpol Inspector receded into the distance. Kaorin placed a hand on her shoulder, while Chiyo regarded Tomo with a sympathetic look.
       "Listen," Chiyo started. "Let's just get a room and get something to eat. We can worry about all this later."
       "Yeah, I guess you're right. Well then, lead the way, shorty!"
       Chiyo rolled her eyes at this comment, but lead she did, taking Kaorin and Tomo into the terminal, where they picked up their bags and asked the airport staff about the local accommodations.

       They ended up in a small, charming hotel on the other side of town, with a great view of the Outback beyond. After checking into their suite and freshening up, the three women headed back downstairs to the hotel's restaurant to get something to eat. None of them had had any sort of meal since that morning, and, largely due to the amount of excitement that had occurred that day, the three of them were starving. Once they arrived, they were quickly seated in a sunny spot by a large, plate-glass window. Tomo and Chiyo eagerly began poring over their menus once they were handed to them, but Kaorin simply took hers and stared off at something located at the other end of the restaurant.
       Chiyo had a tough time deciding what she wanted, and as she looked up to ask her companions what they were ordering, she noticed Kaorin in her trance.
       "Uhh, Kaorin? Are you okay?"
       This comment of Chiyo's caused Tomo to look up from her own menu. "Kaorin? What're you staring at?"
       Chiyo followed the line of Kaorin's vision to the back of the restaurant, where a tall woman with long black hair was sitting by herself, reading a newspaper and sipping from a coffee mug. Turning her attention back to Kaorin, Chiyo was more than a little unnerved to see that her friend was blushing, and her eyes were glistening brightly.
       "It looks so much like her, doesn't it?" Kaorin said in a soft voice. "So cool, so reserved, so awesome…"
       Chiyo looked over at Tomo, who simply shrugged. Tomo then asked, "Who are you talking about, Kaorin? Who does that woman look like?"
       Kaorin's face turned even redder, and she started stuttering, trying to get the name past her lips. "Sa—Sa—Saka—"
       "Sakaki?" Chiyo guessed.
       "Y—yes," Kaorin replied, lowering her head. Tomo gave her an odd look.
       "You really admired her back in high school, didn't you?"
       "How couldn't I? She was so cool—even cooler than the boys! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to keep in touch with her for long after high school."
       "Really?" Chiyo asked. "Why's that?"
       "Because I—I lost her address and phone number," Kaorin sighed. "I couldn't forgive myself after that happened."
       "That's okay. I kind of lost touch with her myself. She got really busy with her veterinary studies."
       Tomo added, "Yeah! The same thing happened to me. Last I heard from her, her professors were working her like crazy."
       "Man, we lost touch with so many people, huh," Chiyo said. "It's a good thing we had the luck to run into each other like this!"
       "No kidding," Tomo replied. "So, you two made up your minds yet?"
       Chiyo turned back to her menu, to make sure that she knew what she wanted. "I'm fairly sure what I'm going to order. I don't think Kaorin has even looked at her menu, though."
       "Oh, uhh… no. No I haven't," Kaorin replied, her face a little less red now. "Sorry about that." She quickly scanned her menu as the waitress came back to their table.
       "Are you all ready to order?"
       Tomo and Chiyo nodded affirmatively, while Kaorin gave a more wary nod.
       "All right. What are you all having?"
       "I'll have a chili burger with a side of onion rings and garlic bread, and a vanilla shake," Tomo replied. Jokingly, Chiyo pinched her nose and said, "I'm glad I'm not sleeping in the same room as you tonight!"
       Tomo and the waitress laughed. "I ought to smack you upside the head for that one," Tomo said to Chiyo, "but I'm feeling generous today."
       "Uhh… okay."
       "And what will you be having, Miss?" the waitress asked Chiyo.
       "Let's see… how about the baked lamb chops, with a side of mixed greens and red potatoes. And to drink, I'll have some mineral water."
       "Oooh, fancy," Tomo said. "Guess that's the result of a cultured, high-class upbringing."
       Annoyed, Chiyo reached over and really tried to bop the back of Tomo's head, but the latter managed to dodge the gesture. The waitress turned to Kaorin.
       "And you, miss?"
       Flustered, Kaorin stared at the menu, unsure of what she wanted. The only thing on her mind right now was the woman at the other end of the room who bore a startling resemblance to Sakaki.
       "Miss?"
       Not knowing what she was in the mood for, nor what else to do, Kaorin randomly chose the first thing that caught her eye.
       "I'll have the Chef's Special—the Mexican-style habanero mutton sandwich, with potato wedges and coleslaw!"
       The waitress gave Kaorin a wary look. "Are you sure that's what you want? It's very hot and spicy…"
       "Yes! Absolutely, no problem!" Kaorin replied, flustered. "I eat that kind of stuff all the time!"
       Shrugging, the waitress asked, "And to drink?"
       "Oh, just a diet cola will be fine."
       Beyond the waitress, the woman who may or may not be Sakaki paid her bill to another member of the wait staff, then stood up to leave. Meanwhile, at Tomo, Chiyo, and Kaorin's table, the waitress wrapped up her orders and promised to have their drinks out soon, giving a sidelong glance to the latter the entire time. Once the waitress was gone, Kaorin bolted up from the table, and headed toward the front door, to intercept the Sakaki lookalike. She managed to catch her just as she was walking through the door.
       "H—hey! Is that you, Sakaki?"
       "Huh?" the woman replied, turning around to face Kaorin, who gasped upon seeing her face. She was indeed beautiful, but something told Kaorin that this was not the woman she had admired for so long. "Are you talking to me?"
       "S—sorry!" Kaorin stuttered with an apologetic bow. "I—I mistook you for someone else!"
       "No, it's all right. You're probably thinking of my cousin Sakaki. I'm told that we look a lot alike."
       Kaorin gaped at the woman, her eyes wide, and jaw hanging open. "Y—you're Sakaki's cousin?"
       "Y—yes," she answered, only now noticeably disturbed by Kaorin's actions. "My name is Suzume. Sakaki's here in Australia on business, of sorts, and I'm helping her out."
       "Sakaki's here too?"
       "Er, yes. You see, she works for the zoo in Kyoto, and—"
       Unfortunately, Susuke found herself interrupted by the shocking sight of Kaorin closing her eyes and collapsing to the floor in an overwhelmed sigh.

       When Kaorin awoke, she found that she was lying on her bed in the hotel suite she was sharing with Chiyo and Tomo. In the other room, she could hear the sound of a television, and, turning her head, she saw Chiyo sitting in a chair by the window, reading her book. Chiyo must've noticed Kaorin's looking at her, because, after marking her place in the book with a bookmark, she set it aside and turned to face her.
       "Are you feeling better, Kaorin? Seemed you fainted pretty hard."
       "Y—yeah. I'm all right… I think," Kaorin said, rubbing her forehead. Upon recalling the circumstances under which she had fainted, she blushed and lowered her eyes. "I'm very sorry that I ruined dinner for us all."
       "That's okay," Chiyo replied brightly. "I called the waitress over and had her change our order to a take-out one. Your food's in the fridge in the kitchenette—there's a microwave in there as well if you want to heat it up."
       "Thanks, Chiyo. I owe you one."
       "No problem. I only wish that I had gotten a milkshake like Tomo did. Hers looked so good. Sakaki thought so as well."
       "Sakaki?" Kaorin exclaimed, bolting to an upright position. "She was here?"
       "Yeah. She came by to meet her cousin shortly after you fainted. The two of them carried you up to our room while we took care of the food. I'm kind of glad that the waitress was so understanding about our situation. I ended up giving her a big tip—she deserved it."
       Chiyo's mention of the waitress ended up going through one of Kaorin's ears and out the other. Right now, there was only one thing on her mind. Sakaki and her cousin Suzume carried her up to her room. Her heart racing, she demanded, "Where's Sakaki?"
       "Um, she's not here right now. She said she'd come pick us up first thing tomorrow morning. It would've been later, but Tomo convinced her to come by as soon as possible." Chiyo sighed heavily, "I hate to admit it, but she's right in that we really can't afford to be dragged back to New York City at the moment.
       "Man, why does stuff like this always happen to me?" Kaorin whimpered, before flopping back down on the bed.
       Chiyo stood up from her chair and started toward the bedroom door. "I know you're excited to see Sakaki, but you can wait one night, right? I mean, you deal with big stars all the time! How is this any different?"
       "You wouldn't understand. Sakaki is—well—she's special."
       Giving her a strange look, Chiyo simply nodded and left the room. Kaorin sighed heavily and closed her eyes, eventually falling asleep again. She didn't awaken until later that night, when her growling stomach got the better of her. By that time, her new-found traveling companions were asleep, so she tiptoed to the kitchen and cooked her food in the microwave. She was still pretty sleepy, and had even forgotten what she'd ordered at the restaurant; at least until she took a bite out of her warmed-up sandwich.
       "Yeeow!" she exclaimed, but being careful not to be so loud as to wake up Tomo or Chiyo. "Hot hot hot!"
       Kaorin pulled the can of diet cola out of the fridge that had been saved for her and hurriedly opened it, downing a big gulp of the brown, fizzy liquid. She panted heavily as the spicy hot tang from the peppers subsided, then proceeded to pick the habanero peppers out from between the soggy pieces of bread, romaine lettuce, and lamb. She polished off the remainder of the sandwich, as well as the sides, with little incident. Then, after a short stop at the bathroom to brush her teeth and use the facilities, she trudged back to her room, and snuggled into bed. Now that her belly was full, Kaorin had little trouble in falling asleep again.

*****

       Sakaki woke up the next morning to bright beams of sunlight breaking through the small sliver of space that separated the two curtains. Her trip to Australia was wrapping up soon, as much as she hated to admit it, but it still felt really good to see that another bright, clear day was upon her. This was to be an especially interesting day, since she had unexpectedly run into some of her old friends the previous evening. After helping her cousin bring Kaorin—who had inexplicably fainted—back up to her room, Chiyo and Tomo regaled them with the most fascinating tales of their adventure. It seemed a bit of an odd coincidence that they would run into Sakaki like this, much less each other, but after they had returned to their own suite, Suzume wondered if it was some sort of fate that had brought them together.
       "Perhaps…" Sakaki had mused.
       Suzume had replied, "It would be like the time that Maya came to your rescue, wouldn't it? She just appeared out of nowhere that day."
       "I don't know… that seems different. Not so random."
       "Yeah, maybe you're right. Couldn't hurt to stick around with them for awhile, though. Maybe you'll run into all your other friends along the way."
       Sakaki had a feeling that Suzume was right. For one thing, Tomo was still in touch with Yomi, and who knew what the probability was of all of them meeting like this in the first place? The chances of seeing more of her old friends were steadily growing greater. Although Sakaki had made numerous other friends since leaving high school, none of them could ever replace Chiyo, Tomo, and all the rest. She had fond memories of them, and seeing three of them for the first time since she left for college filled her with an elation that she hadn't felt in years. Yes, it was certainly good to see them again. However, this business Tomo and Chiyo had mentioned, about kidnappers and Tomo's recent problems with Interpol, seemed worrying.
       Suzuke came into the room just as Sakaki rose from her bed, ready to head to the bathroom and take a shower. "Did you sleep well?" her younger cousin asked.
       "Yeah, very well, thanks," Sakaki replied, as she walked over to the closet to pick out her clothes for the day. "You?"
       "I did all right. Listen, we have guests."
       "This early?"
       "It's your friends from yesterday. They were wondering if we could join them for breakfast."
       Sakaki sighed. She'd been hoping for a long shower this morning, but it looks like she wasn't going to get it. "Very well. Can you please tell them that I'll be out in a few minutes?"
       "All right." Suzume said, shortly before leaving the room. Sakaki took her clothes and entered the bathroom, this time, to taka a quick shower.
       Sakaki stepped out of the bathroom some fifteen minutes later, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, clean, and with both her teeth and her hair freshly brushed. She walked through the bedroom and into the suite's living room, where Tomo, Chiyo, and Kaorin were sitting on the couch, waiting for her. Sakaki was relieved to see that Kaorin had recovered from her fainting spell. She looked around the room, but couldn't see Suzume anywhere.
       "Oh, if you're looking for your cousin, she had to take off. Said she was going to meet some friends from the zoology team for breakfast."
       Sakaki nodded. Suzume was a college student who had taken an internship with the Kyoto Zoo, thanks to Sakaki's connections, and since they'd taken this trip, she'd made quite a few friends—both with the other interns, as well as some of the staff. However, Sakaki was, even after all this time, still more comfortable around animals than other humans.
       "So," Tomo started, leaning back on the couch. "You've been here for a little while, Sakaki? What's a good place to have breakfast around here, other than the hotel restaurant. Not that that place's food is bad—it's the opposite, actually. I just want to get out and get some fresh air, take in the sights, you know?"
       Sakaki stared at her friends and tried to think of a good breakfast spot. With the sticky situation that Tomo and Chiyo were in, she felt that she had to be careful with her selection. That, and she couldn't afford to spend too much time dining with her friends; not when there was work to be done. Sakaki sighed.
       "There's a couple of good places, but I can't spend too much time with you guys…"
       "Why's that?" Chiyo asked. "Do you have to work today?"
       "Yeah. We only have a couple more days to research the kangaroos before heading back to Japan. Sorry about that."
       "Th—that's all right, Sakaki!" Kaorin said, a nervous smile on her face. "We understand perfectly!"
       Tomo pounded her fist on the coffee table in front of her, causing Kaorin, Chiyo, and Sakaki all to jump.
       "No, it's not all right," Tomo declared, "especially when we all have so little time together. How about this? We can do a take-out order for breakfast, and hang out with you while you go to your job!"
       Chiyo smiled. "That's a great idea, Tomo! It'll make our time together that much more enjoyable." She glanced over at Sakaki, who stood still, biting her lower lip. "Umm… that is, if it's okay with you, Sakaki."
       She shook her head. "I don't see why not. Just as long as I can get my work done."
       "No problem!" Tomo said confidently, giving her a thumbs-up. "We wouldn't dream of interfering with your work! You can count on us not to get in your way!"
       "Uhh, thanks… I think…" Sakaki replied, albeit a little nervously.
       "Well then, it's settled!" Tomo declared. "So, Sakaki, you said you knew of a couple of good breakfast spots?"

       With that, the four reunited classmates left Sakaki's suite and headed to a small café, where they picked up an order of bagel sandwiches, coffee, and fresh fruit. From there, they headed back to the hotel, since Sakaki's rental car was parked in the adjacent garage. The four of them piled in; Sakaki in the driver's seat with Chiyo calling shotgun, while Tomo and a slightly disgruntled Kaorin piled into the back. Sakaki, who was only slightly hungry, didn't so much as take a bite of her bagel and egg sandwich during the drive into the grassy scrubland, and opted for just a few sips of coffee before the ride. Thus, she didn't mind too much as her passengers dug into their own food along the way, just so long as they didn't make a mess of the car in the process.
       After a drive that lasted a little less than an hour, Sakaki stopped the car. They were now many miles from the town—many miles from anywhere, actually—and the only other vehicles around were a couple of jeeps parked nearby. Out in the surrounding fields, the heads and shoulders of researchers could just barely be made out.
       Sakaki opened her door, but remained sitting in the driver's seat, taking a sip of her coffee, which was fortunately still a bit warm, followed by a well-deserved bite of her bagel. In the meantime, Chiyo, Tomo, and Kaorin got out of the car and took in their surroundings.
       "Wow," Kaorin gasped. "This place is amazing!"
       Tomo nodded, then walked up to Sakaki and asked, "Say, we aren't anywhere near that big, famous rock, are we?"
       "You mean Ayers Rock?" Sakaki said, in between bites. "No. That's further west."
       "Ahh, okay," Tomo said, kicking up the dirt beneath her feet, until it had formed a dusty cloud. "Too bad. Now what am I gonna tell people when they ask me what I saw while in Australia? No Sydney Opera House, no Ayers Rock, no Great Barrier Reef, no nothing!"
       "Uhh…" Chiyo started, "…how about some wild kangaroos?"
       Almost immediately, Sakaki stood up and joined Tomo and Kaorin in following Chiyo's line of vision. A small group of kangaroos hopped together in the grass in front of them, all heading off in some direction. Despite the amount of work she had done studying kangaroos since setting foot in Australia, Sakaki still couldn't help but be transfixed by the fluid grace of their hops.
       All of a sudden, a flash of fur leaped out of the brush and pounced on one of the smaller kangaroos, causing the four young women to gasp. Sakaki knew that it was merely a dingo out hunting, just another daily event in the Outback's ecosystem, but she still couldn't help but feel some sympathy for the felled kanga. Just then, they spotted a thrashing tail and skinny, flailing legs, all of which soon subsided. Sakaki let out a long sigh, as the hunter had succeeded in subduing his prey. She polished off her own meal, then locked up the car. Her friends were still staring at the spot where the kangaroo had been attacked.
       "I guess I'll introduce you all to the research team, now…"

       Sakaki led the way through the bush to the small base camp that she and her fellow researchers convened at on a daily basis. They ran into Suzume there, and together, the two cousins made the rounds, introducing various zoologists and their assistants. Sakaki, as it turned out, was the only veterinarian on the team, which made her position one of the more important ones. Thus, she reluctantly left her friends at the base camp while she disappeared into the bush, to assist her fellows in conducting the day's research.
       Kaorin leaned back against the large tree that overlooked the camp and sighed happily. "Wow, Sakaki has such a cool job!"
       "No kidding!" Chiyo agreed. "I wonder how often she gets to travel like this?"
       Tomo folded her arms across her chest. "Almost makes me kind of envious. She's a full-fledged vet who gets to tour the world and work with all different kinds of animals. And you, Kaorin, you get to fly to Los Angeles and who knows where else and hob nob with movie stars! As for me, I join the International Police Force Interpol and the only place I ever get to go to is New York City!"
       "Well, I don't get to travel that much," Kaorin replied, a little irritated by Tomo's putting her on the spot.
       "Ahh, never mind," Tomo said, sitting down on a folding stool with a canvas seat. "I don't expect the well-traveled among us to understand."
       Chiyo sighed and shook her head. Changing the subject, she mused, "I wonder what we're going to do until Sakaki gets back. She said she wasn't sure when she'll be able to take a break from her work. For all we know, she could be out there all day."
       "All day?" Kaorin asked.
       "Yeah, and there's not much to do here…"
       "Well, you can always come back to Charleville with me," said a man's voice from beyond the high brush and grass. The three women recognized the voice as belonging to Inspector Peterson, though Tomo picked it up sooner than the others—almost immediately, as a matter of fact.
       "C'mon out, Inspector Zenigata! We know it's you!"
       "'Inspector Zenigata'?" Kaorin asked.
       Chiyo sighed. "I think Tomo's been watching too much Lupin III."
       The man in the brush complied with Tomo's request, stepping out into the clearing where the Kyoto Zoo's research team's base camp was set up. "That's 'Inspector Peterson'. I'm surprised that you have forgotten my name already."
       "You wouldn't understand," Tomo smirked. "Now, what brings you here on this fine, sunny day?"
       "You know the answer to that question very well, Ms. Takino. I've been ordered to bring you back to New York City, and I'm here to carry out those orders."
       "Excuse me, Inspector," Kaorin put in, "but there's something I don't quite understand. If Tomo's internship has been suspended by Interpol, then why do you have to bring her and Chiyo back to New York?"
       "Questioning, paperwork—you know, the usual," Peterson replied. "All of that must be filed at the office in the city where the original incident took place. Now, if I may have your cooperation, Ms. Takino and Ms. Mihama, then we'll be on our way."
       Tomo glared at the inspector and clenched her fists. She didn't want to be in this situation, yet she wasn't about to comply with this man. She held her ground, Chiyo and Kaorin standing on either side of her, while Peterson slid a hand into the folds of his jacket and grinned.
       "Don't make this any harder for yourself than it already is, Ms. Takino…"
       Just then, a rustling noise could be heard directly behind the inspector, as if someone—or something—was moving toward him at a high speed. Peterson paused and sharply turned his head, while Tomo, Chiyo, and Kaorin looked around him and strained their necks to see if they could get a glimpse of whatever it was that was approaching them from the tall grass. Suddenly, a large brown animal leaped out at Peterson, catching him off guard. The animal—which looked like some kind of wild dog—growled at Peterson. It then took the inspector's tie in between its teeth and proceeded to drag him around in the dirt. Tomo was aghast, yet somehow relieved, at this strange turn of events. She looked up in the direction that the dog had come from, and saw a tall figure in the brush, her long, black hair billowing in the breeze. Sakaki made a "come here" motion to Tomo, then turned away.
       Tomo turned back to Chiyo and Kaorin, who were still watching Inspector Peterson being dragged around by the dog. Placing a hand each on their shoulders, Tomo pulled them away from the scene. Confused, they turned around, and Tomo nudged her head back in the direction that Sakaki was, in an informal gesture to let them know that they were going to make a run for it. Chiyo nodded, and Kaorin followed her lead, even though the latter wasn't entirely sure what was going on. Then, Tomo took off in a run in Sakaki's direction, and found herself relieved to soon hear the two sets of footfalls close behind her.
       They ran, never once looking back, until they came to a large stack of boulders, against which Sakaki stood. Behind her were three more of the wild dogs—one that was slightly smaller than the one which attacked Peterson, and two pups.
       "This is Sarah," Sakaki said, pointing to the first dog. "And these are her two pups, Jessica and Florence. The one you saw attack that guy was Harry."
       "Uhh… thanks for the introduction," Tomo said, "but what exactly are they?"
       "They're dingoes, right?" Chiyo asked.
       Sakaki nodded, while Kaorin asked, "Dingoes?"
       Chiyo answered, "Yep! Wild dogs that are native to Australia. They're carnivores, like most any other type of dog, but I've never heard of one attacking a human before." She turned to look at Sakaki, whose own eyes were fixed on the zoologists' base camp.
       "Never mind any of that!" Tomo said. "What do we do now?"
       Sakaki reached down and scratched the head of Sarah, the mother dingo. "I've contacted my cousin. She has her own set of keys to the rental car, and should be on her way here right this moment."
       "Yeah, but what happens afterward?" Chiyo wondered. "We still have to get to Tokyo…"
       Sakaki lowered her head in thought for a moment, then brought it back up again. "A few of my colleagues are heading back to Kyoto, via Tokyo, tomorrow morning. Perhaps you can take the same flight as them. We can look into it once we get back to the hotel."
       Tomo nodded. "Sounds good. Thanks a lot for saving my skin, Sakaki! I owe you one."
       Sakaki blushed slightly. She wasn't used to receiving such words of gratitude, especially from the likes of Tomo. "Um… you're welcome. And Harry says 'you're welcome' as well."
       Right at that moment, the four young women and the three dingoes heard the sound of a pistol shot, coming from the direction of the base camp. The helpless yelping of a dog came shortly afterward, only to be followed by another gunshot. Sakaki swallowed hard, and she looked down at Sarah, who had lowered her body so that her head and forelegs lay prone against the ground. The two pups looked at their mother with some concern on their small, canine faces.
       "I—I'm sorry, Sarah," Sakaki whispered. "I really don't know what to say, or how to comfort you."
       Sarah closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, growling low. Suddenly, she was on her feet, and bolting in the direction of the camp, where Tomo, Chiyo, Kaorin, and Sakaki could make out the form of the Interpol Inspector, Peterson, stumbling and getting to his feet. Behind them, the young women heard the sound of a car engine roar. Sakaki, recognizing the sound as the rental car, scooped up the two crying cubs in her arms and rushed back to it. Once they realized what was going on, Tomo, Chiyo, and Kaorin followed her lead. They all piled into the car, and Suzume hit the gas.

       Now that they had five people in the car, plus two dingo cubs, the ride back to Charleville was considerably more cramped than that morning's ride out to the zoologists' camp. Sakaki sat in the front, doing her best to keep control of the clawing, restless cubs. Meanwhile Kaorin, Tomo, and Chiyo squeezed into the back; despite the fact that they were all fairly small in stature, the lack of room was still rather uncomfortable. Nobody in the car spoke very much during their ride back to the hotel.
       Once they arrived, Suzume dropped the others' off, then headed to the hotel's garage, to park the car. As Tomo, Chiyo, and Kaorin started toward the front doors, Sakaki looked down at the two orphans, knowing that there was no way she'd be able to bring them inside. However, she couldn't let them go, either; not only had they lost their parents, but they were now no longer in the wilds of the Outback, but back in civilization. Chiyo happened to turn around and glance at Sakaki shortly before she reached the front door; Tomo and Kaorin soon followed her lead.
       "What're you going to do with Jessica and Florence, Sakaki?"
       Sakaki lowered her head and stroked the paw of one of the pups. Then, right at that moment, she had an idea. Lifting her head again, she replied to Chiyo's question.
       "There's a dingo sanctuary that's approximately two and a half hours' drive from here. I can take them there; I'm sure they'll have room."
       "Hey, cool! When are you gonna go there? I'd like to see this place!"
       "You mean, you want to come along?"
       "Sure! If it's not too much trouble, that is."
       "No…" Sakaki replied, once again looking down at Jessica and Florence. "Not much trouble at all."
       Kaorin, her cheeks starting to turn a little pink, added, "W—well then, if Chiyo's going, then s—so am I!"
       Sakaki sighed. "Okay, if you want. What about you, Tomo?"
       Tomo rubbed her chin. "Sure, why not? But I think maybe we should freshen up before we head out again."
       "Good idea!" Chiyo replied. She started to turn toward the door again, then stopped and turned back to once again look at Sakaki, who was staring at her with a bit of nervous confusion.
       "Umm… but what are you going to do, Sakaki? You can't come into the hotel with those dingoes, can you?"
       Sakaki shook her head. "I'll be okay… I'll just leave them in the car. It won't be for very long, so I'm sure they'll be all right. See you all in a few minutes, then?"
       Chiyo nodded, then continued on into the hotel, with Tomo and Kaorin following from behind. Sakaki glanced down at the now-sleepy pups in her arms, a concerned expression on her face.
       "Don't worry, girls. Soon, you'll be somewhere safe."
       She took a deep breath, and then started walking toward the alley at the side of the hotel, which led to the back, where the parking garage was situated.

       Back upstairs in their suite, Tomo, Chiyo, and Kaorin scrambled around the various rooms; they changed clothes, ate snacks, drank some juice, and competed with each other for valuable pieces of bathroom real estate, especially the sink and the mirror. Once they were washed up and a bit less hungry and thirsty, they left their room and headed back down the elevator to the front lobby, where Sakaki was waiting.
       "I called my colleagues to tell them I was going to the sanctuary. I also called the sanctuary itself, so they'd know to expect us. Now let's go… the car's parked right outside."
       Chiyo asked, "Suzume's not coming?" Sakaki shook her head, and Tomo grinned.
       "Great!" she declared. "This'll truly be like old times, then! A real reunion of Miss Yukari's homeroom—well, until Kaorin ended up in Mr. Kimura's class—"
       "Don't remind me," Kaorin put in, her voice dripping with displeasure.
       Sakaki smiled. "Yes, like old times… but a few of us are missing."
       Chiyo joked, "Well, with the way things have been going for us so far, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if we run into them in our future travels!"
       Tomo, apparently taking Chiyo's statement more seriously than it was intended to be taken, pumped her fist in the air and said, "You bet we'll run into them! I'll make sure of it!"
       A disbelieving silence fell over the group, which was broken in a way when Sakaki headed to the front door of the hotel, and to the parked rental car. Silently, Chiyo and Kaorin followed her out. Tomo watched them go, scratching the back of her head.
       "Well, we are going to run into them… aren't we?"
       Half-running to catch up with her friends, Tomo ended up being the last of the group to leave the hotel's lobby.

       Though they were all still a little shaken by Inspector Peterson's appearance at the Kyoto zoologists' base camp, Sakaki and the others managed to get into the car and on a main road without incident. Soon, they left the Charleville city limits, and were once again traveling through the wide open wilderness of the Australian Outback. They were completely surrounded on both sides by brown vistas: low shrubs, tall and dry grasses, and the occasional dusty red rocks. While Jessica and Florence slept peacefully in the back, resting atop Tomo and Chiyo's feet, the three passengers would look out the windows. Occasionally, Tomo, Chiyo, or Kaorin would spot an animal out in the wilderness—a kangaroo, wallaby, dingo, emu, or other such creature native to these parts. Sakaki felt a little bit left out at these proceedings; though she loved animals perhaps more than anyone else in the car, she was also the driver on this excursion of theirs, and as such, had to keep her eyes on the road, and her mind focused on her task. However, this was not like city driving, so she was able to join in on the conversation from time to time, telling the others facts about the animals they saw, and other such bits of knowledge.
       As the trip wore on, and the scenery outside their windows became more monotonous than fascinating, the conversation in the car lapsed into each of the women's doings over the ten years since they had last been all together like this.
       So this was how they made their way to the Central Queensland Dingo Sanctuary—with the radio turned off, the only sounds were the rumble of the engine and the chattering of friends. Tomo regaled them with tales of the various criminology-related jobs that she took while applying to Interpol. Chiyo told them all about her work at the United Nations building; Sakaki in particular listened closely, wondering if Ambassador Tadakichi was anything like the large dog she had come to love all those years ago. Since Sakaki was in such close proximity, Kaorin, who was riding shotgun this time, found herself unwilling to talk about her own work, at least at first; the main reason for this is because she didn't want to seem too snobby and elitist in Sakaki's presence. However, some needling from Tomo and even Chiyo convinced her to change her mind, and she told them all about the various stars she worked with; mostly in Japan, but also internationally. They ended up having such a good time talking like this that Sakaki almost missed the turn onto the small side road that would take them to the dingo sanctuary.
       Upon first glance, the dingo sanctuary looked like a large ranch; it was completely fenced in, and bore a couple of low, one-story wooden buildings somewhere in the middle of the rectangle of wood fence. There were quite a number of trees on the premises, and from the road, Sakaki and the others could see dingoes of all shapes and colors, frolicking in the brush. Sakaki smiled to herself; she was confident that this would be a great place for Sarah's daughters. After a brief stop to open the gate, drive through, and then close it again, Sakaki continued driving until they had reached a small parking lot adjacent to one of the wooden buildings.
       The four women parked their car and got out; Tomo and Chiyo each carefully picking up a sleeping dingo and carrying it out with them. As they did so, a rugged-looking man in a suede leather hat had come out of one of the buildings. He tipped the brim of his hat in greeting and welcomed them to the sanctuary. "Now, which one of you ladies is Sakaki?" he asked in a thick Aussie accent.
       Sakaki stepped forward and raised her hand.
       "Ah, good to meet you, Miss," the man said, offering his hand. Sakaki took it in her own, and they shook hands. The man looked over Sakaki's shoulder at Tomo and Chiyo, who were holding the two dingo pups. "So, those are the dingoes, eh? Why don't you bring 'em on over here?" The man bid them all to follow him, which they did. They walked around the side of the building by the parking lot through a dusty courtyard of sorts, to a smaller building at the back. A carved wooden plaque mounted adjacent to this building's front door simply read "Clinic"; the man opened the screen door, then pushed his way through another one, where a large room stood on the other side. Sakaki and her companions started following the man, but he stopped and looked back at Tomo and Chiyo.
       "No offense, mates, but can you two wait out here?"
       "What for?" Tomo asked, a little suspiciously.
       "Well, I'm afraid there's something rather shocking in here, and it wouldn't do neither of these pups any good to have to see it."
       "All right…" Tomo replied. "If you say so."
       "Thanks, mates. Now you other two—" the man said, now focusing on Sakaki and Kaorin, "follow me."
       Sakaki and Kaorin did as the man bid them to and followed him into the clinic, taking in their surroundings as they did. The main room, which resembled that used for veterinary examinations, was brightly-lit thanks to large windows that let sunlight stream in. The room was also clean and organized; framed prints and potted cacti scattered about the place served as décor. Sakaki smiled as she took in the pleasant surroundings, but when she saw what was on the examination table, she gasped.
       It was an adult dingo, laying on its side, and partially covered up with a thin blue sheet. A respiration mask was attached to its face, and the bandages that were wrapped around its belly were stained with blood. It was then that Sakaki realized that this was the reason why Jessica and Florence were asked to wait outside with Tomo and Chiyo. This was Sarah, the pups' mother, who had bravely rushed toward her mate after Inspector Peterson shot him down. As Kaorin stood still, wordlessly taking in the horrible scene, Sakaki slowly walked closer to the examination table to get a better look.
       "Sarah," she whispered. "Hang in there… your daughters are safe."
       Though the dingo's eyes were closed, her ear twitched.
       The man scratched his chin. "So this is the pups' mother, eh? Thought that might've been the case. There was another dingo on the scene when my people arrived… he was already gone, unfortunately"
       Sakaki bowed her head mournfully; she had suspected as much. Kaorin asked, "What happened to the man who shot her?"
       "Oh, well he was reported to the local police and escorted back to down. The daddy dingo cut him up pretty bad, so that man didn't put up much resistance. He was rather calm about the whole thing, actually."
       Sakaki and Kaorin exchanged wary glances. Of course Inspector Peterson would be calm; he was from Interpol, after all, and could doubtless get out of such legal tussles with little problems. Hopefully his injuries would stall him where the police might not be able to.
       "Thing I don't get is why the dingoes attacked him in the first place, as he claimed. They are carnivores, but I've never heard of one attacking a human unless it was provoked."
       Just then, a breeze blew through the window and whipped through the hair of a silent Sakaki.
       "Anyway, I'm going to get my assistant in here to have mama—"
       "Sarah," Sakaki corrected. The man gave her an odd look.
       "Er… right. I'm going to have my assistant escort Sarah out of here so we can take a look at her pups."
       The man picked up the receiver of the phone mounted against the wall, punched in a couple buttons, and barked, "Jimmy! Get in here, please—and bring a new table with you!"
       Within moments after the man hung up, a lanky young man with a bad case of bed-head came through an entrance at the back. He was wheeling an exam table—similar to the one that Sarah lay on—in front of him. After he entered the room, he took either edge of Sarah's table in both hands, and briskly wheeled her out. As the first man set the table in place in the center of the room, he told Sakaki, "All right, you can invite your friends in now."
       Sakaki nodded, and went to the door to let Tomo and Chiyo in. The two dingo-carrying young women came inside, and were directed to the examination table, upon which they set Jessica and Florence, who were only just in the beginning stages of waking up.
       "Whew!" Tomo exclaimed. "Am I glad to set that little dingo down! You wouldn't know it by looking at him, but these things get heavy after awhile."
       "Uhh, Jessica is a 'her'," said Sakaki.
       "Him, her, whatever. Can I just set it down?"

       Tomo, Chiyo, Kaorin, and Sakaki left the dingo sanctuary a little while later, after the latter had an extended conversation with the guy who ran the place, mainly about the mother dingo's condition and what was to be done with the young ones. As the sky steadily darkened, they drove back to Charleville, exhausted after a particularly long day. Early tomorrow morning, Tomo, Chiyo, and Kaorin would be heading back to Tokyo, on a chartered flight that Sakaki had made special arrangements to get them on. Sakaki herself still had things to take care of in Australia, and would follow after them a couple of days later. For most of the drive, the car was silent; it was not until Chiyo pried her eyes from the scenery outside the window that anyone so much as said a word.
       "Hey, Tomo?" she asked.
       Tomo, quietly drifting off to sleep in the front passenger seat, opened her half-closed eyes a little larger and glanced in the back. "Huh? What is it, Chiyo-chan?"
       "Well, I was just thinking… what are we going to do once we actually get to Tokyo?"
       "I… I'm not sure. But it must be easier to find answers close to the source than anywhere else, right?"
       Chiyo furrowed her brows and shook her head. "Maybe so, but all that guy said was that they were to bring me back to Japan. I don't know how long you've been away from our home country, but I do remember Japan being pretty big. Tokyo alone is as huge as New York City, if not bigger."
       "Don't worry, Chiyo-chan. If we work together, we can get to the bottom of this. Even if it means finding another one of those suited guys and drilling them for info."
       "I certainly hope we don't have to resort to that!"
       Tomo smirked. "Ahh, you're no fun!"
       At around that time, they were just reentering the city limits. Charleville's various inns, resorts, and restaurants were lit up with bright yellow incandescent bulbs, but not so bright that they blocked the spectacle of the stars, Nature's own little fairy lights. Sakaki eased the car up the street and around some corners until they reached the entrance to the hotel's parking garage. She parked the car, and the entire group got out, all stretching their legs after their long ride across the Outback. From the garage, they headed straight to the hotel's restaurant, where they ordered margaritas in addition to their dinners, and talked more about old times, and the years that had passed between them. Tomo, feeling a bit worn out by the day's events, tossed a couple of American ten dollar bills on the table and stood up to leave.
       "I don't know how long you guys are planning on staying up, but I'm turning in."
       "Whoa!" Chiyo exclaimed. "That's certainly a change from the old days! During our trips to Chiyo's summer house, you were always the one who insisted on staying up late!"
       Sakaki nodded in agreement. "Yes, but she was also always the first to fall asleep."
       Tomo glared at Chiyo and Sakaki. "That's it! I've heard enough from you guys! I'm going to bed."
       A little flustered, Chiyo smiled and replied, "I'm sorry, Tomo. Anyway, I was about to turn in soon as well, so I guess I'll come with you." She turned to look at her companions still sitting at the table. "What about you guys?"
       "I think I'll stay up a little while longer…" Sakaki said, idly swirling the straw in her strawberry margarita. Having heard Sakaki's reply, Kaorin nervously nodded and declared, "I—I'll stay up a little later too!"
       Tomo shrugged. "Okay, have it your way. See you in the morning!"
       Chiyo paid her own part of the bill—this time, with Japanese yen, as she had had the foresight to go to a currency exchange place during hers and Tomo's layover in Los Angeles. However, Sakaki wasn't sure that any of this cash would do them any good, as they were in neither the United States nor Japan, but Australia. She sighed and shook her head as she stared at the bills. Kaorin followed her lead, then a thought struck her.
       "H—hey Sakaki? D—do you mind if I pay for your part of the bill?"
       Sakaki glanced up at Kaorin, wearing a questioning glance which caused the latter to be even more nervous than before.
       "W—well, it's just that w—we have two different kinds of currency here. I… uhh, I travel a lot between Japan and the U.S., so I can use both kinds of currency. I—I can pay for the whole bill with my credit card, and, uh, take Chiyo and Tomo's cash to cover their parts."
       "You sure you want to do this? I have no problem paying my own part of the bill."
       Kaorin smiled, trying to keep her cool, but it was no good. Still flustered, she replied, "Ah, b—but I don't have much use for Australian money!"
       "I have some yen on me, so it shouldn't be a problem, right?" Sakaki pulled out her wallet and opened it. As she started sorting through the bills it contained, Kaorin clamped her hands on top of Sakaki's, finding them to be strong, yet smooth, just like she imagined. Naturally, Kaorin's face only turned an even deeper shade of red.
       "P—please let me pay the bill, Sakaki. I insist!"
       Now blushing herself, Sakaki could see that there was no way Kaorin was going to compromise. "Very well…" she replied. "You can pay the bill…"
       "Oh, and uh, don't w—worry about repaying me or anything!"
       Sakaki sat still and stared at Kaorin, not replying, and not even knowing how to reply if she chose to do so.

       In the meantime, Tomo and Chiyo took the elevator back up to their suite. As Chiyo stifled a yawn, Tomo leaned back against the rail and folded her arms. "You know, I really can't wait to see where all of this leads."
       "I don't know if I even want to," Chiyo replied. "The implications seem frightening."
       "What do they want with you?" Tomo said, speaking more to herself than Chiyo. "Why are they tracking you down?"
       "I only wish I could tell you."
       Tomo cocked an eyebrow. "You don't say. Hmm… you don't know any super-secret U.N. stuff, do you?"
       "Of course I don't! I'm only an ambassadorial assistant—it's not like I'm the ambassador myself!"
       "Right, right," Tomo replied dismissively.
       The elevator stopped at their floor and they got out. After Chiyo unlocked the door and they walked inside, Tomo asked once again, "You sure you don't know anything?"
       "Yes! If I did, you probably would've heard about it by now!"
       "All right, I'll take your word for it. Man, I really want to find out what these guys are up to."
       Chiyo shivered. "Let's not think too much about that now. It's late, and we have to get up early tomorrow morning."
       "Yeah, we do."
       After Chiyo retired to her room to get ready for bed, Tomo took a shower and brushed her teeth. Despite Chiyo's advice, this curiosity about the younger woman's pursuers was eating away at Tomo, and she knew that it would not subside until her questions were answered.

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Written November 2004 | Copyright 2004, Reeve.

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