Author's Note: Gah, forgot to put this on before I uploaded. I apologize if this causes confusion. Anyway, the plot moves some more. If slowly. You have no idea how long this thing is going to be. And the plot sometimes slows down to a crawl and refuses to go faster. But we're getting there. If slowly.
Please to feed the fanfic muse with juicy reviews.
Still don't own this, wish I did. Please don't sue. I have no monies to give.
The receptionist at the Gamelon Building looked up as Link came in. "Oh. You're the one with the thesis."
Link nodded. "Yes, I was hoping to get another interview with Mr. Gant. Is he in yet?"
The receptionist still didn't think he belonged in this building. "He is. Did you make an appointment? Mr. Gant is a very busy man."
Link tried very hard not to roll his eyes. "No, I didn't make an appointment. I was hoping I might could slip in if he has a few minutes free."
She wasn't impressed. And the look she gave him said volumes about her opinion of someone who'd try to 'slip in' to the schedule of the CEO of one of the most successful corporations in the world. "I'll ask, but I don't think he'll be amused." She picked up the phone. "Mr. Gant? I'm sorry to disturb you. That graduate student would like a followup interview. He doesn't have an appointment." She glared at Link again as she said that. Then her expression changed. "I see. Yes sir." She hung up and pointed at the elevator. "Mr. Gant will see you. In the future, please make an appointment. Mr. Gant can't always be expected to have a spare moment."
"Gotcha. Appointment." Link escaped into the elevator and spent the trip up to the executive officies wondering if it wouldn't be easier just to meet Gannondorf at his apartment. Sure, Link's apartment was a mess and it was smaller than Gannondorf's office, but at least he didn't have a receptionist. But he'd got up there.
Gannondorf was working on some paperwork, and didn't look up when Link came in. "My receptionist doesn't like you."
"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly the suit and tie type, and she thinks I'm unprofessional because I didn't make an appointment. Here's the Megaton Hammer back." He pulled the weapon out and offered it to Gannondorf. And didn't that just feel like one of the most unnatural things he'd ever done in his life.
"I trust you've dealt with the dodongos, then, and can now get back to the matter at hand?" Gannondorf took the hammer and carefully laid it on his desk.
"Yeah, the dodongos are gone. Question. Have you checked your email yet this morning?" Because Link had, and he'd got an important one.
"I sent one before I came to the office. I don't recall giving you my email address, so I doubt you sent me one." Gannondorf raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't. But if my email's any indication, you might have gotten something interesting." With his eyebrow still raised, Gannondorf turned to his computer and started logging in. As he did, Link leaned against a wall. "Last night was kind of weird for me. How was it for you?"
"Tell me what you think of this." Gannondorf produced the green crystal he'd recovered and tossed it to Link. His email loaded, and he frowned as he read it.
Link caught the crystal and ran his fingers over it thoughtfully. Then he produced the red crystal he'd found. "I think this is why the Oracle Foundation wanted us to compare notes." He held both crystals up side by side. They weren't of an identical cut, but they were clearly related. "I got mine off a giant dodongo that shouldn't have been there. What about you?"
"A large spider like creature that made itself at home in my parking garage and destroyed a car that cost me a good deal of money." Gannondorf opened the attatchments and looked at them thoughtfully. "In fact, this picture is a good representation of it."
"I didn't look at the attatchments. Lemme see." Link came around to look over Gannondorf's shoulder. "... I know that. I fought that once, ages ago. That's Queen Ghoma."
"The name sounds familiar."
"It was the spider queen that made a nest in the Deku Tree after you cursed it. I don't know if you remember, it was so long ago. It was when you were trying to find the three Spiritual Stones."
Gannondorf hesitated for a moment. "I understand if you blame me for what I did. But I won't apologize for it."
Link shrugged with no expression. "I wouldn't expect you to. It was a long time ago. It wouldn't do any good to get into it now. A Deku Sprout grew back eventually." Link shook himself. It had upset him a great deal at the time, but he'd come to terms with it over the years. "It doesn't matter. Anyway, if Queen Ghoma took over your garage, and that really was King Dodongo I fought in the subway, then..." He pointed at the third picture. "I think we should be expecting that one. Barinade."
Gannondorf studied the picture and the accompanying text. "Aquatic?"
"Mm. I haven't heard anything yet, but it'll probably pop up somewhere by the bay, if it hasn't yet. Ship maybe, or the drydocks." He shook his head. "I'll keep my ears open. Chances are, when it shows, they'll call me, if that one guy doesn't get it first."
"Competition?" Gannondorf sounded amused.
Link shrugged. "Something like that, although he does keep my workload managable. You know that vigilante that pops up in the papers every now and then? That guy. Sometimes he gets into my territory. But not really in my way usually. It just might make it a little hard to get to Barinade first." He considered the crystals he was still holding. "I want to hold on to these for a little while. There's someone I can ask about them." Because he had a thought, and he wanted confirmation.
"I assume that you trust this person, and they've done you some good in the past." Gannondorf shrugged. "We can negotiate who gets what magical artifact later."
"I trust her. And she knows what she's talking about, when you can get sense out of her." Link studied the crystals again. "If you got a crystal, I'm betting you had one of those holes in reality things. And I think the Oracle Foundation is right, this has gotta be connected to the Stone of Ages. It's too... neat."
"I had considered that, yes."
Link was quiet for a moment. "I've got a feeling. I think this is only the beginning."