CHAPTER FIVE- Andy's Visit
Sly and Casey now joined Veronica on the living room couch. "Hey Casey," Sly said. "When you waxed my cane, did you happen to use the special Cooper Family Cane Wax?"
"You mean that funny-looking bottle under the sink?" the bird asked.
"Yeah."
"Yeah. That's what I used. That stuff stinks like hell though."
"That's because it's over 5,000 years old. It's my secret family formula. Not only does it shine the wood, but it also preserves it," said Sly.
"I see," responded Casey. Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"I wonder who that could be," Sly said, getting up and heading over to the door. Sly opens the door and is greeted by his good friend Andy Clark as well as a stranger, a fox.
"Andy?" said a surprised Sly. "What brings you here?"
"Andy!" Casey says excitedly. He then runs over to the raccoon and embraces him. "It's been so long since I've seen you!"
"You know this little creep?" Henry asked.
"Know him? We grew up together," said Andy.
"You mean," said Sly. "The raccoon family who raised him is..."
"My family, yes," Andy responded.
"Your fur is just as warm and snuggly as I remember it," Casey said, still hugging Andy.
"Please let go," Andy said, struggling to get free from the bird.
"Sorry," Casey said, letting go.
"So, why are you here?" Sly again asked Andy.
"I believe Casey here has something of Mr. Fox's," Andy responded.
"Um, uh, um, why whatever are you talking about?" said the bird.
"Don't play stupid with me, bird," Henry said.
"You know what he's talking about, Casey," Andy said. "Now give him back his so-called emerald."
"But big brother," Casey said. "It's the most magnificent jewel I've ever seen."
"It's a worthless piece of glass," Andy said.
"Huh?" said the bird.
"Bring it here and I'll show you," Andy said.
"Sure thing," Casey said. The bird disappeared for a moment and then returned with a glittering green gem, which he handed to Andy.
"See," the raccoon said, twisting the top of the "emerald" and removing it. "Just a cheapo candy dish. It might fetch you a buck fifty at a swap meet." He screwed the top back on and gave it to Henry.
"Wow. You're so smart, big brother," said Casey.
"You're too nice," Andy said, patting the bird on the head.
Henry sniffed his "gem" as he held it in his paw. "Where's this been? It smells like unwashed underwear!"
"It's been in the bottom of my duffle bag," said Casey. "I'm sorry about that."
"Don't worry about him," Andy said.
Just then, Henry stuffs his emerald in his pocket and starts for the door.
"Where are you going?" asked Andy.
"Home," Henry replied. "I have to clean this off."
"Fine," said Andy. "But let me get my stuff first."
"OK," Henry said. The two then step out of the house.
Andy returns moments later carrying a suitcase. He sets it down and then sits down on the couch.
"Can I get you anything, big brother?" Casey asks Andy.
"No thank you," Andy replies. He then sets his feet up on the coffee table.
"You get your feet off of there!" Bentley yells.
"Don't be rude to our guest," Sly said.
"You two look so cute together," Veronica said, hugging Andy and Casey.
"So, what's new in your world, Andy?" asks Sly.
"Well, I've added another member to my gang," Andy said. "And I've got a new girlfriend."
"Wow. Really?" Sly asked, stunned. "You and Sandra seemed like a match made in heaven. What happened between you two?"
"It was my family," said Andy. "They kept getting in the way of our relationship. We figured it would be best for both of us if we just stopped seeing each other."
"I see," said Sly.
"Speaking of your family," he then said. "Why did they go through the trouble of taking in an orphan child? I thought you told me your parents were cruel and heartless."
"Oh, they are," Andy said. "They did it all to make themselves look good, to improve their standing in the community."
"And it worked, too," Andy continued. "They got written up in all the local press, and won a good citizenship award. And after everyone stopped heaping praise upon them, they threw young Casey here out onto the street."
"That's horrible," said Veronica as she caressed Casey's feathers.
"That's all in the past now," Casey said. "I've made the best of my situation."
"How come you don't live with Andy?" Sly asks Casey. "He seems like the type of guy who'd take you in."
"Oh, he's offered to let me live with him, but I've turned him down," Casey said.
"Why?" Sly asked.
"His friends don't like me much. I think they're afraid I'll replace one of them," the bird said. "Andy's got a good thing going and I don't want to mess it up."
"Oh," said Sly.
"Hey, I have an idea," Andy said. "How about all of us go out on a heist together?"
"That sounds like a great idea, big brother!" Casey said excitedly.
"Oh no!" Bentley said. "I will not allow us to be dragged into another one of your reckless adventures."
"No one invited you along, butthole," Andy said to the turtle. "Anyhow, I've had my eye on this diamond showroom for a while." The raccoon yawns. "I'm quite tired. We'll lay out plans after I get some sleep."
"OK," Sly said. "Feel free to rest in Bentley's room."
"I will NOT allow this smelly fleabag to place his germy fur upon my bed!!" said an outraged Bentley.
"Fine," Sly said. "You can use my room."
"OK," Andy said. "I'll see you in a bit." He then heads off toward Sly's room sleepily.
"This is going to be so much fun," Casey said.
"Yeah," said Sly. "It's been a while since my last real adventure."
"I can't believe you're going along with this," Bentley says.
"Thieving with Andy is always so fun," Sly said, ignoring the turtle.
As the group of thieves relaxed within Sly's hideout, two strangers lurked outside. One of them, a tall muscular swan dressed in a black leather jacket, blue jeans, and black boots, peered into the house through a side window with some sort of electronic device in his "ears."
"This is truly a great day for us," the swan said softly. "Three of the five most wanted in the world are in there, and it seems they've got something big planned."
"So, what do we do now, Oliver?" asked the other stranger. This fellow was a turtle. Just like Sly's friend Bentley, he wore glasses. But he was a bit taller than Bentley, and most of his shelled body was covered with clothing, unlike Sly's friend.
"For now, we just wait for them to reveal their plan. Then we will follow them to their destination and catch them in the act," said the swan.
"I don't know about this..." said the turtle.
"Trust me, Todd," the swan said. "For I am one of the world's greatest crimefighters."
The turtle groaned at the sound of these words. "I just hope you realize who it is we're about to deal with."
"No criminal is a match for me, I mean, us," the swan said confidently.
"I sure hope you're right," said the turtle.
Sly and Casey now joined Veronica on the living room couch. "Hey Casey," Sly said. "When you waxed my cane, did you happen to use the special Cooper Family Cane Wax?"
"You mean that funny-looking bottle under the sink?" the bird asked.
"Yeah."
"Yeah. That's what I used. That stuff stinks like hell though."
"That's because it's over 5,000 years old. It's my secret family formula. Not only does it shine the wood, but it also preserves it," said Sly.
"I see," responded Casey. Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"I wonder who that could be," Sly said, getting up and heading over to the door. Sly opens the door and is greeted by his good friend Andy Clark as well as a stranger, a fox.
"Andy?" said a surprised Sly. "What brings you here?"
"Andy!" Casey says excitedly. He then runs over to the raccoon and embraces him. "It's been so long since I've seen you!"
"You know this little creep?" Henry asked.
"Know him? We grew up together," said Andy.
"You mean," said Sly. "The raccoon family who raised him is..."
"My family, yes," Andy responded.
"Your fur is just as warm and snuggly as I remember it," Casey said, still hugging Andy.
"Please let go," Andy said, struggling to get free from the bird.
"Sorry," Casey said, letting go.
"So, why are you here?" Sly again asked Andy.
"I believe Casey here has something of Mr. Fox's," Andy responded.
"Um, uh, um, why whatever are you talking about?" said the bird.
"Don't play stupid with me, bird," Henry said.
"You know what he's talking about, Casey," Andy said. "Now give him back his so-called emerald."
"But big brother," Casey said. "It's the most magnificent jewel I've ever seen."
"It's a worthless piece of glass," Andy said.
"Huh?" said the bird.
"Bring it here and I'll show you," Andy said.
"Sure thing," Casey said. The bird disappeared for a moment and then returned with a glittering green gem, which he handed to Andy.
"See," the raccoon said, twisting the top of the "emerald" and removing it. "Just a cheapo candy dish. It might fetch you a buck fifty at a swap meet." He screwed the top back on and gave it to Henry.
"Wow. You're so smart, big brother," said Casey.
"You're too nice," Andy said, patting the bird on the head.
Henry sniffed his "gem" as he held it in his paw. "Where's this been? It smells like unwashed underwear!"
"It's been in the bottom of my duffle bag," said Casey. "I'm sorry about that."
"Don't worry about him," Andy said.
Just then, Henry stuffs his emerald in his pocket and starts for the door.
"Where are you going?" asked Andy.
"Home," Henry replied. "I have to clean this off."
"Fine," said Andy. "But let me get my stuff first."
"OK," Henry said. The two then step out of the house.
Andy returns moments later carrying a suitcase. He sets it down and then sits down on the couch.
"Can I get you anything, big brother?" Casey asks Andy.
"No thank you," Andy replies. He then sets his feet up on the coffee table.
"You get your feet off of there!" Bentley yells.
"Don't be rude to our guest," Sly said.
"You two look so cute together," Veronica said, hugging Andy and Casey.
"So, what's new in your world, Andy?" asks Sly.
"Well, I've added another member to my gang," Andy said. "And I've got a new girlfriend."
"Wow. Really?" Sly asked, stunned. "You and Sandra seemed like a match made in heaven. What happened between you two?"
"It was my family," said Andy. "They kept getting in the way of our relationship. We figured it would be best for both of us if we just stopped seeing each other."
"I see," said Sly.
"Speaking of your family," he then said. "Why did they go through the trouble of taking in an orphan child? I thought you told me your parents were cruel and heartless."
"Oh, they are," Andy said. "They did it all to make themselves look good, to improve their standing in the community."
"And it worked, too," Andy continued. "They got written up in all the local press, and won a good citizenship award. And after everyone stopped heaping praise upon them, they threw young Casey here out onto the street."
"That's horrible," said Veronica as she caressed Casey's feathers.
"That's all in the past now," Casey said. "I've made the best of my situation."
"How come you don't live with Andy?" Sly asks Casey. "He seems like the type of guy who'd take you in."
"Oh, he's offered to let me live with him, but I've turned him down," Casey said.
"Why?" Sly asked.
"His friends don't like me much. I think they're afraid I'll replace one of them," the bird said. "Andy's got a good thing going and I don't want to mess it up."
"Oh," said Sly.
"Hey, I have an idea," Andy said. "How about all of us go out on a heist together?"
"That sounds like a great idea, big brother!" Casey said excitedly.
"Oh no!" Bentley said. "I will not allow us to be dragged into another one of your reckless adventures."
"No one invited you along, butthole," Andy said to the turtle. "Anyhow, I've had my eye on this diamond showroom for a while." The raccoon yawns. "I'm quite tired. We'll lay out plans after I get some sleep."
"OK," Sly said. "Feel free to rest in Bentley's room."
"I will NOT allow this smelly fleabag to place his germy fur upon my bed!!" said an outraged Bentley.
"Fine," Sly said. "You can use my room."
"OK," Andy said. "I'll see you in a bit." He then heads off toward Sly's room sleepily.
"This is going to be so much fun," Casey said.
"Yeah," said Sly. "It's been a while since my last real adventure."
"I can't believe you're going along with this," Bentley says.
"Thieving with Andy is always so fun," Sly said, ignoring the turtle.
As the group of thieves relaxed within Sly's hideout, two strangers lurked outside. One of them, a tall muscular swan dressed in a black leather jacket, blue jeans, and black boots, peered into the house through a side window with some sort of electronic device in his "ears."
"This is truly a great day for us," the swan said softly. "Three of the five most wanted in the world are in there, and it seems they've got something big planned."
"So, what do we do now, Oliver?" asked the other stranger. This fellow was a turtle. Just like Sly's friend Bentley, he wore glasses. But he was a bit taller than Bentley, and most of his shelled body was covered with clothing, unlike Sly's friend.
"For now, we just wait for them to reveal their plan. Then we will follow them to their destination and catch them in the act," said the swan.
"I don't know about this..." said the turtle.
"Trust me, Todd," the swan said. "For I am one of the world's greatest crimefighters."
The turtle groaned at the sound of these words. "I just hope you realize who it is we're about to deal with."
"No criminal is a match for me, I mean, us," the swan said confidently.
"I sure hope you're right," said the turtle.