Yu-Gi-Oh!

A Little Good News

By Lucky_Ladybug

Notes: The characters aren't mine and the story is! The reporter character also isn't mine, really, as she's a human version of the muppet Lana Afghana from Benji at Marineland. (It's a long story.) I was tickled when some YGO fans put together Mode Magazine, a fake magazine in the YGO verse that interviews the Battle City finalists. I thought it was such an adorable idea that I got plunnied for a story where the Big Five are interviewed and I've been working on it for the last month. This takes place in my post-series Pendulum Swings verse, which has redeemed the Big Five. Also, I mostly follow the dub version of Crump because I can't abide his behavior in the original. Hence, I've given him other reasons for any interests he has in younger women. Thanks to Azalea542 and Crystal Rose of Pollux for plot help!

Penguin World stands open and inviting on this late summer afternoon. I called ahead and arranged interviews with all five of the men who run Domino City's penguin sanctuary and theme park, and now I'm approaching with high anticipation. The Big Five, formerly of the Kaiba Corporation, don't often give interviews. I feel honored and privileged to be one of the few members of the fourth estate to obtain this coveted grail. Some people turned against the Big Five after some unflattering rumors about their past actions began going around. I always wanted to give them the benefit of a doubt. Or some of them, anyway. I can't deny I've liked some of them better than others.

The leader, Charles Gansley, is here to greet me at the front doors. He's seen much and done much during his decades of life, and that is reflected in his lined face and sunken eyes. He also looks exhausted from what must have been a long business day, but he is still fully alert and ready to receive me now. "Good afternoon, Miss Allisen." He has a strong, deep voice.

In spite of myself, I'm rather tickled. "You recognize me?"

A nod. "Of course. Lana Allisen. We've all seen your reports on television." He steps aside. "Come inside. It's far too murderous in the hot sun."

"Thank you. I'm used to the sun, but I must admit, it feels better in here." I step into the air conditioned lobby with pleasure. "I guess the penguins don't get outside at all in this heat."

"Not much," Gansley says, "and when they do, they have to be hosed down frequently." He leads me down the hall to his office, his cane clicking on the silvery-gray tiles. "I believe Mr. Crump will be taking you on the tour of the facilities."

"Oh yes!" I enthusiastically exclaim. "This entire establishment was his idea, wasn't it?"

"Very much so." Gansley steps into his office and sinks down at his desk before gesturing for me to claim a vacant chair in front of his desk. He waits for me to sit down before he continues.

"We would have all been willing to be interviewed at once, but you said your boss was looking for a series of pieces and it would work better to interview us separately."

"Yes, that is what he wants," I say. "So, Mr. Gansley, you're well-known in business circles for your amazing achievements, even becoming one of the earliest child entrepreneurs with your lemonade distribution. Did you ever think that someday you would be one of the owners of a penguin sanctuary?"

"I can't say that I ever did," Gansley says. "Had the opportunity arisen, I likely wouldn't have been interested. I didn't think there was a market for it. It was Mr. Crump and his enthusiasm for penguins that made us realize it would be a profitable venture."

"Was that why all of you finally decided to put this place together?" I ask. "Profit?"

"Not entirely. It had long been a dream of Mr. Crump's and we decided to help him fulfill it. We needed something stable and worthwhile to work on and we felt that this project would be a good thing for all of us."

"I'm sure he was very grateful to you, no matter your reason," I tell him.

"He was," Gansley replies.

"In many interviews you talked about everything as though it was a business decision," I say. "I even have one where you said your children and any future children they might have are 'good investment returns.' But it doesn't seem like that's how you see your friendships now."

He looks absolutely uncomfortable to have his past brought up. "No, it isn't," he said. "And honestly, in spite of whatever I may have said in past interviews, I truly cared about my family. I often spoke in business terms because that was what I understood best and it sometimes made me sound cold. It helped drive my wife away. But I love my family and my friends."

"I'm glad to hear that. Have you had any contact with your family since those days?"

"Some."

I can tell he's very uneasy with the topic. That's the last thing I want; I'm not one of those scandal-sheet reporters who digs for the dirt. I know the Big Five have all changed from what they were and I just want to make sure everyone sees that.

"You and your friends definitely make a nice family," I tell him. "I can tell they all care about you very much."

He relaxes now. "It's mutual."

"Do you think of all of the others as your sons or your younger brothers?" I ask.

"Mostly sons," Gansley said. "But Crump and I have never quite figured out how we think of each other since we're fairly close in age."

"That would be confusing," I say. "Maybe brothers would make the most sense."

"Probably," Gansley smirks, "except that Crump is like a brother to the younger three and then it would make it confusing if he and I were also brothers. In the end we're all a family even if we haven't quite worked out the details of our specific relationships with each other."

"Well, whatever works," I smile. "I've seen your parents and they have very glowing things to say about all of you."

"Yes, they've rather adopted the lot of them," Gansley says. "I've always been on good terms with my parents. I didn't realize just how lucky I am until fairly recently."

"Coming from a good family is a special thing indeed," I say.

"Are you planning to show the interview with my parents too?" he grunts, not unfriendly.

"Yes, probably right after yours," I tell him.

"I'm sure they're delighted."

"They did seem pleased." I pause. "You know, I've heard rumors that you and your friends are protectors of the world with magical rings." It's a strange topic, although not as strange coming from Domino City as it might be otherwise. And I have a reason for asking. It's one of the things my boss most hoped I could learn.

If Gansley is surprised or uncomfortable by this question, he doesn't show it. "Oh?" He just smiles easily, but there's a certain twinkle in his eye that wouldn't be out of place on a grandparent concealing a playful secret. "Where did you hear such a rumor?"

"There are people around town who talk about it," I tell him. "And sometimes in other places as well. Some have claimed to see you battling monsters."

He laughs, a deep, pleasant sound. "Me, in my condition?" He laces his fingers on the desk. "Tell me, Miss Allisen, does this look like a magical ring?" He indicates the simple onyx ring on his right hand.

I study it. "No, but looks could be deceiving. If it is a magical ring, the last thing anyone would want to do is alert enemies to that fact. It might be disguised with the utmost simplicity."

"Hmm. Well, it's an interesting fantasy for those so inclined. I am just a simple man taking care of penguins with my four close friends."

"And the rings are like friendship rings?" I suggest. I don't really believe it. "Seto Kaiba has one too. He doesn't always wear it, but it shows up in some photographs."

"The rings are whatever you want to think of them as," Gansley replies. "If you enjoy thinking of them as magical rings, or friendship rings, you are certainly free to do so."

"You certainly keep your secrets," I comment.

"A man my age has to have a few," he smirks.

"Let's talk about your friends," I suggest. "How long have you known them?"

"Not nearly long enough," Gansley replies. "I've known Johnson the longest. He worked for me at one of my businesses as my lawyer. Gozaburo Kaiba became interested in us after a high-profile case and hired us both to join KaibaCorp as part of his board of directors. But I'm sure you already know all that." He quirks an eyebrow.

"I have heard about it," I admit. "That was almost twelve years ago, wasn't it?"

"The high-profile case was," Gansley says. "Johnson and I knew each other for a while before that. By the time we joined KaibaCorp, the other three had known each other for quite some time."

"Mr. Johnson must have become a lawyer at a very young age," I comment. "He's still relatively young now."

"He did," Gansley agrees. "It's not unheard-of. He was very proud of his law degree."

"The other three certainly must have grown close before you two joined them," I say.

"Well . . ." Gansley gives an awkward and gruff smile. "Lector and Nesbitt each became close to Crump, but they were still having trouble getting along with each other. Although, they cared about each other more than they even realized . . . or we realized. They continued to have extreme trouble understanding each other until about a year ago, but they were very protective of each other regardless."

"That's beautiful," I smile.

Gansley smiles a bit and gives a thoughtful nod. "They still don't completely understand each other, of course, but there are far fewer arguments these days. I must say it's very welcome."

"I can imagine," I chuckle. ". . . I guess since you're the leader, you look after all the others. That must be quite a responsibility."

"They're all mature adults," Gansley grunts. "It would be much harder if they were small children, I'm sure. And it helps that they all respect me and want me as their leader."

"I'm glad they do," I say. "So there's never been a lot of in-fighting in the group aside from Lector's and Nesbitt's problems understanding each other?"

"Oh, there's been little spats among all of us from time to time, especially when we're under stress," Gansley says dismissively. "It would be unreasonably naive to believe otherwise. But if you mean powerlust and back-stabbing, no. We're above that. Even before we drew as close as we are now, it was always the best business decision to work together as a team. If the team succeeded, we all did."

"That's a very mature attitude. It's a shame more groups don't feel the same."

"Any that put success ahead of selfishness do."

"You also all live together, don't you?"

He nods. "We started a practice of rotating whose house we're at each day. It's worked out very well for us."

"You don't ever feel crowded or lose things you need at each other's homes?"

"Each of us lives in a mansion," he points out with a grunt, "and before we started doing this, we only had servants for company. No, we don't feel crowded; we enjoy the companionship. But as for losing objects . . . yes, that does happen on occasion. We always find them eventually."

"Why did you start the practice, if you don't mind my asking?" I've been intrigued about it for a while. It's definitely not something you hear about every day.

"After we came through all that we did, we found we preferred being together," he says. "But we also still loved our houses and didn't want to give them up to move into one house. It's as simple as that."

"A lot of people might be glad for the time apart," I remark.

"Yes, even those who deeply care for each other can need that sometimes," he says. "There are times when we'll go off by ourselves, but it doesn't last long and we're all converging again."

"Another thing you often did, or said you did, was to fire whomever you chose," I remark. "But was it really as arbitrary as you made it sound?"

"Not really," he says. "I would fire people if I felt they weren't pulling their weight and someone else could do their job better."

"That sounds logical to me," I say.

He nods. "Bitter ex-employees would naturally try to twist what I said. But that isn't my problem."

"Do you plan to run Penguin World the same way?"

"Most likely. I suppose I might be a bit more compassionate now than I was then, and if it looks like someone who's floundering in one job might be excellent in another, I might try having them work the other job for a while. But if they are absolutely not working out anywhere, of course they will just have to go."

"And hopefully there will only be one Martin Cove in a lifetime," I remark.

Gansley stiffens at the mention of the ex-employee who caused the entire Big Five and the Kaiba brothers an immense amount of heartache and horror. "Martin Cove was a deranged, psychotic demon," he says darkly. "If I even suspect that an incoming employee is anything like him, he will not be permitted here. Penguin World will be a safe, family-friendly environment for everyone, including the penguins and us."

"That's completely reasonable," I tell him. "I could hardly believe it when I heard about what Cove did to all of you."

"I was actually glad he shot at me so I could fire back and it would be self-defense," Gansley says without hesitation.

"If he hadn't shot at you, would you have still fired on him?" I have to ask. I would hardly be able to blame him if he did. Cove abducted both Lector and Mokuba Kaiba, tortured them for days, and sent Lector's friends horrific packages claiming the contents were parts of Lector's body. It was Domino City's most gruesome case, and it made national headlines. Eventually it turned out that Cove had a friend in the police laboratory who was helping him get parts from bodies in the morgue that he could pass off as Lector's. Horrifying!

"I would have tried to restrain myself, especially with the police right there watching," Gansley says. "Even though we all thought Lector was dead then, there were still the others to look after. I wouldn't have wanted to be arrested and taken away from them."

"You are a very strong-willed man," I say. "I don't know if I could have restrained myself under the circumstances."

"Hopefully you'll never have to find out," Gansley growls. "Unfortunately, we all know that there are more out there like Cove."

"This is a dark world we live in," I remark.

"Oh, there have been people like that since the dawn of time," Gansley grunts. "It's just that it's more widely known now because of the news."

Well, I can't deny that's very likely true. Still, I can't help saying, "You're very cynical."

"I've studied humanity through the ages," Gansley says. "I've extensively schooled myself on cultures, business practices, and wars from every era. One thing I discovered is that business and war operate on some similar principles."

"Really?" I'm intrigued. "Can you elaborate?"

He nods. "Both businesses and soldiers believe in strength, loyalty, strategy, and hard work. You won't get much of anywhere if you try to run a campaign with weak soldiers who won't cooperate or pull their weight. Your business won't succeed with such employees either."

"I never really thought about any of that before, but you're right," I realize. "And how ironic that KaibaCorp's original goal was making machines for war."

"Yes, isn't it," Gansley muses.

"Did you study war because of that?"

"I studied business and war concurrently long before I ever joined KaibaCorp," he tells me.

"I guess this is a foolish question, but do you believe in and support war?"

Gansley chuckles. "Not a foolish question, since some people would just join a company such as the former version of KaibaCorp for the business aspect and not care one way or another about what the company actually produced. As for myself, I believe there will always be war and that at least some wars are important and even necessary. All five of us believe that to some extent, if you're wondering. I never had a guilty conscience about what KaibaCorp was producing, and some, such as Nesbitt, fully believed in it."

This is all very interesting, but it does prompt a question I've been wondering for some time. "Doesn't it seem awfully dull to work here after being with KaibaCorp?"

"Business is business," Gansley says. "I don't care what one is producing, the basic rules are the same."

"Still, you were all unhappy when KaibaCorp was suddenly changed to a gaming company," I remind him.

"Some were unhappier than others," Gansley says. "Nesbitt was the unhappiest. I would have been perfectly willing to go along with the change, had all of us kept the power we'd had under Gozaburo's leadership and had been given the additional power we were promised by Seto Kaiba. As it was, we were basically reduced to figureheads."

"I can't imagine anyone would be happy about that," I say.

"Not very likely," Gansley grunts. "But anyway, that's all over and done with and we're here now. And I must say, working with penguins is anything but dull."

I laugh. "I have to agree with you on that.

"How do the penguins feel about all of you? Do they like you, or are they mostly interested in Mr. Crump?"

"It depends on the penguin," Gansley tells me. "There's a little Adélie penguin named Sammy who is completely devoted to Crump. Some of the others have favorites as well. Others seem to like us all equally."

"Are there any that especially like you?" I ask.

"The one I associate with the most is a large Emperor penguin named George," Gansley says. "He likes all of us, even though at the same time he has a favorite."

"He sounds like a fun penguin," I say.

"He is," Gansley says. "And fascinating. He was mostly raised by humans and sometimes seems to think he is one. He does the most unusual things."

"I wonder if I should ask or if I'd rather be surprised and just see him for myself," I say.

"It would be more interesting to see him," Gansley says. "I'm sure Crump will introduce you."

"Then I'll wait," I decide.

"I assure you it will be worth it," Gansley says.

"I look forward to it," I smile. "So, are you planning to run Penguin World for the indefinite future? You don't seem like a man who believes in retirement."

He smirks. "I'm not. I'll work as long as I feel up to it, and I hope that will be for a long time yet. I quite frankly don't even know what I'd do with myself all day if I wasn't working."

"Some people are like that," I say. "What most would think of as relaxing just makes workaholics restless. They have to be working to be happy."

"Well, I'm not certain I would describe myself as a workaholic, but I agree with that principle," Gansley says. "Although I would also add that I have to be with my loved ones to be happy."

"And that's the best way to be happy," I smile. "It's really special that you feel that way. So many people can't wait to get away from others. It's nice to find that there are still some who aren't in dysfunctional relationships these days."

"Heh. Sometimes we've probably seemed dysfunctional to outsiders," Gansley smirks. "But you're right—we're not, really."

"You're a regular family," I say.

"We're an unusual family composition," Gansley says, "but yes, we are certainly a true family. If there's one good thing about everything we've been through, it's that we came out of it so close. I wish it hadn't taken our heartaches for that to happen, but I am certainly glad something pushed us together."

"I'm sure the others are too," I say.

"They are," Gansley says. "But they will all tell you that themselves."

xxxx

I'm not sure what I expected to see when tracking down Mr. Crump. Out of all of the Big Five, he's the one most known as a character. But somehow I never imagined the sight of him crouched down at the edge of his desk, winding up a wind-up figure of a penguin and talking to it.

"Okay! You can do it! Come on, let's go!"

He goes around to the other side of the desk and laughs as he watches the penguin waddle over to him.

I walk over to him, amused. "You look like you're having fun."

He doesn't even jump. "What good is life if you can't have some fun?" he grins. He catches the wind-up toy and straightens, holding out a hand. "Adrian Randolph Crump III!"

I take his hand. "I'm pleased to meet you." I have the distinct feeling that he not only knew I was here all along, but that he deliberately put on his show for my benefit. A character indeed!

"So, I'm gonna show you around this amazing place we put together," he says. "Are you ready?"

"Of course," I smile.

As we walk down the hall, I observe him carefully. Have I seen him before? Or someone like him? A family member, maybe? I'm not sure, and yet something about him seems familiar.

"So, what happened to Adrian Randolph Crump II?" I ask.

His expression darkens slightly. "He's alive. Doesn't talk to me unless he wants money. And you can absolutely air that. It'd feel good to publicly call him out as a moocher." He sneers.

Well, there's definitely a lot of pent-up bitterness and hurt there. It's probably justified.

"What about your mother?" I try again.

"Same. They're both losers, honestly. And you can air that too. If they wanna sue, they'll havta prove it's not true, somethin' they can't do."

"We'll see." I probably would air it, if it was up to me. But I have the feeling my boss will cut this part. He's paranoid about anything that could lead us into a lawsuit.

"I hear that Mr. Gansley's and Mr. Johnson's parents are all very kind to you," I say.

Crump brightens. "Yeah, they're great!" Then his expression falters again. "You don't know how much I wish any of them had been my parents instead. But . . . nothin' can be done about that now. I just havta be grateful I've found all the guys and the nice parents by now."

"You have so very much," I agree. "It's a lot to be thankful for, even though you didn't have it as a child."

"You got that right," Crump says.

I decide to change subjects. "I hear you're very into the environment," I remark.

"Always have been," Crump said proudly. "Gotta keep this world good for the penguins, ya know?"

"So are there any specific groups you strongly support?"

"Any that are helping the penguins," Crump says. "Actually, I've been thinkin' I might make my own group."

"That sounds like an idea that would suit you," I have to admit. "If you do that, do you think your friends would join?"

He hesitates. "I'm not sure on that, actually. They're all for helping penguins, of course, but we have some different ideas on how to do that. Nesbitt especially, we kinda clash on methods and ideologies and all that. Like, I'm a big believer in climate change, but no matter what I say, I can't seem to convince him much on that."

"But you're all good friends anyway," I sum up.

"Of course," Crump says. "We're not gonna let things like that get in the way."

"That's better than a lot of people are these days," I remark.

"We just put our friendships ahead of everything else," Crump says. "That's also important since we're working together. Can't get much done if we're at each other's throats all the time!"

"That makes sense to me," I chuckle.

We step into one of the indoor exhibit rooms. It's huge, with a large pool and artificial glaciers and snow everywhere. The penguins are trumpeting and warbling as they jump into the water and out of the water and waddle over to us. Crump takes it all in stride and talks loudly over them as he reaches out to pet the nearest one. "Hey, George! How's it going?"

George leans into his hand and announces his pleasure.

"It's kinda chilly in here, of course," Crump tells me. "I don't mind it, but sometimes it gets to Lector."

"The penguins definitely like things cold." Even though I thought I was prepared for this, I shiver a bit. "You like it so much, it's almost like you're a penguin yourself!"

Crump laughs, but it sounds somewhat uneasy. "Funny you should say that. . . ." But then he swiftly changes topics and starts talking about all the penguins, pointing out each one by name. I'm impressed by how quickly he makes identification of them all. Each one has unique markings and voices, and Crump can instantly pick each one out.

"They're certainly loud," I exclaim as the honking continues in the background.

"Yeah, aren't they?" Crump yells back. "And I think they get louder on purpose when they know people need to talk! They're smart enough."

"I guess they want the people to pay complete attention to them," I chuckle.

George trumpets in apparent agreement.

"George here likes to go wandering through our offices," Crump chirps. "He's nuts about all of us, but there's no doubt he especially loves Nesbitt."

That's more than a little surprising. Out of all of them, I never thought Nesbitt would be the favorite Gansley mentioned. "Your tech wizard? He seems so . . . remote and distanced, and all business. I've also heard he's very arrogant."

"Don't you believe it!" Crump grins. "He's just a big softie. You'll see that when you meet him."

"I don't know," I say. "The reporters who came before me have all said how hard it is to really get him to talk about anything other than his machines."

"Yeah, that's sure one of his favorite topics," Crump says. "And his buddies! He'll probably be pretty awkward and shy if you try to get him to talk about us, though."

"And he probably wouldn't like you saying that about him, would he?"

"Probably not." Crump pets George again and steps away to continue the tour. "But he knows I talk too much! Nothing new under the sun."

I have to smile as we walk on. George waddles after us, spreading his flippers and trumpeting as if to say, "Wait for me!"

Crump slows down to let him catch up to us. "So, you're gonna come with us? It's hot outside the building, you know."

George warbles.

"Well, if that's what you want! We'll go over to the gift shop and you can hang out with the girls." Crump pets him again and we continue walking.

"So Nesbitt is really shy, is he?" I chuckle. It still seems strange to think about, but I can't get my mind off it.

"Depends on what you ask him," Crump grins. "But yeah, he is. If you ask him about machines, though, you'll get a completely different side to him! Machines are something he's real confident about."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"As for bein' arrogant, like you brought up a few minutes ago, yeah, he's been that. But not so much anymore."

"So he's humble now?"

"Eh. I wouldn't exactly say that either. You'll see when you meet him."

I study him in amusement as we head for the doors. "So, what are the others like?"

"You've already talked to Gansley, right?"

"Yes, I just came from him. He's a very nice man. I'm sure he's amazing as a grandparent."

"He is," Crump grins. "The kids are crazy about him."

"I always heard he was very coldly efficient. Having seen him, I believe the 'efficient' part but not the other."

"He's been both," Crump says. "But he was always good deep down.

"Lector's super polite. He doesn't try to be charming; he just is. The girls lap it up. I can't help bein' kinda jealous sometimes, especially since he ain't really interested!"

I can't deny Lector was always the one who caught my eye the most when I saw them all interviewed before. He was always far more attractive to me than someone who's deliberately turning on the charm just to try to win points with the ladies. The fact that that wasn't on his mind at all gave him a pure and genuine nature that's so rare, and for me, sought-after. I can hardly wait to interview him.

I'm probably showing too much of my love-sickness to poor Mr. Crump. I quickly try to change the subject before it can linger in the air.

"And Mr. Johnson? . . . I know about what happened to him," I quietly add. "If he doesn't really want to be interviewed by me, I'll understand." Poor Mr. Johnson never wanted the sexual assault at the hands of his former secretary to go public, but there was no way to keep something like that quiet. For a while he wasn't appearing at the Big Five's press conferences at all, and then always in the background when he was. Eventually he started coming out more again, but he's never been quite the same. He still tries to be smooth and unruffled, and maybe he fools most people, but I can see he's still hurting and still afraid. I'm sure it set him back a great deal when Lector's cruel ex-fiancée deliberately pretended to assault him again just to shake him up.

Crump sobers instantly. "It was a really bad scene," he said. "I havta admit he was kinda worried wondering if he could handle the interview, but he wanted to try. If he doesn't keep you around long or something, though, you'll know it's not personal, right?"

"Of course." But I frown in concern. ". . . Do you think he'll ever fully heal?"

"We all sure hope so." Crump pushes the door open and steps outside. George follows, and moves swiftly in the direction of the gift shop.

I have to chuckle. "It's almost like he knew what you said."

"Who says he didn't?" Crump smirks.

We follow George through the door into the gift shop. Two teenage girls at the counter look up.

"Hey," a brunette one greets.

"Hey there," Crump returns. To me he says, "This is Téa Gardner and Serenity Kawai-Wheeler. They're working here at the gift shop for the summer."

"And you're Lana Allisen," Serenity smiles at me. "Mr. Crump said you were coming today."

"Yes," I say. "So, how do you two like working here?"

"It beats serving burgers," Téa said.

Serenity nods in agreement. "It's really neat here. The best thing is seeing all the cute penguins!" She comes around from the counter and pets George. "Hi, George!"

George spreads his flippers and exclaims in delight.

A back door opens and a blond boy waddles out in most of a penguin mascot costume. He's holding the head in his flippered hands. "Hey, is that reporter here yet?"

Téa looks over in amusement. "She's right here, Joey."

Joey goes red. "Oh yeah?" He looks over and sees me. Now he gulps in mortification. "Hi there. . . ." A weak wave.

I'm staring. "Joey? Aren't you Joey Wheeler the Duelist?"

He immediately perks up. "You've heard of me?!" His eyes gleam with amazement and hope. He's starved for recognition.

"Of course. You're one of the world's top Duelists." At Téa's look of disbelief, I add, "I really don't know why more people don't know of you, considering you consistently rank high in every tournament you enter."

"Alright!" He rushes to my side now that I've given his ego a much-needed stroke. "I'm not usually a penguin, you know. This is just to . . . kinda help out around here and hang out with my sister and my friend while there's not a tournament goin' on."

I smile in amusement at his attempt to be tough. "That makes perfect sense to me."

"He walks around the place and lets people take pictures with him," Crump said.

George looks Joey up and down and makes a sound of definite disapproval.

Téa laughs. "I think he knows you're not a real penguin, Joey."

"Well, of course he knows it!" Joey retorts. "He's smart, ain't he?!"

We leave them with George after a few minutes and head out to explore the rest of Penguin World. It really is an impressive place, with a midway and rides in addition to the buildings housing penguins.

"You've definitely created something special," I tell Crump. "I have an affinity for the ocean and its creatures, but I didn't realize how much the world needed a penguin-exclusive theme park until you invented it. How did you get the idea?"

Crump puffs up with pride. "Oh, pretty much like you said, because the world needed it! Anything I can do to get penguins better known and I'm there! . . . And also, heh, because I just plain wanted it to exist so I could visit it."

I have to laugh. "Well, that's a perfectly legitimate reason too."

"You know it! We're also planning some attractions for Halloween and Christmas this year."

"Ooh, something like a haunted midway for Halloween and maybe lights everywhere for Christmas?" It's not original, but it's something park patrons look forward to, and I'm sure the Big Five will put unique twists on their versions of these classic attractions.

"Somethin' like that!" Crump said. "I don't wanna say too much at this point, but we're really gonna get down with celebrating all the holidays here."

"I'll certainly see if I can get back here for Halloween and Christmas," I smile.

"Yeah, you should!" Crump reaches to open the door to another building. The sunlight catches the gleam from the blue ring he's wearing.

"That's a very interesting fashion statement," I remark. "All of the Big Five seems to wear them, in different colors."

"It is pretty neat, isn't it?" Crump holds it up to catch the light.

"So, is there any special meaning behind them? It seems unusual for all of you to have them for no reason."

"Oh, there's a reason," Crump says. "But it's a private thing, you know?"

"Seto Kaiba also seems to have one," I say.

"Oh yeah?" Crump shrugs. "We patched things up with him, so that doesn't matter."

"Are you really close with him now?" I can't help asking.

"I dunno that we'll ever be buddy-buddy, but we're on pretty good terms," Crump says.

So far all of the Big Five are certainly secretive about these rings. That only makes me all the more sure that the rumors of them being magical could be true. But does that mean even Seto Kaiba uses a magic ring? That's so hard to believe. Still, it's obvious Mr. Crump won't be telling me anything about them either. I'll have to find another topic. Maybe it's time to get into the big one. I never planned to ignore it, but somehow once I met him there were other topics that took precedence.

"So, the word on the street is that your biggest dating interest is in younger women," I say. "Very younger women."

Crump doesn't look ashamed or embarrassed at all. "The younger, the better!" he declares. ". . . Within reason, of course."

"All of your servants are women, even the butler," I remember.

"Yeah, no reason why a woman can't be a butler," he grins.

"And the girls you have working for you in the gift shop. Are you interested in them?"

Now Crump actually does go red. "Well, the younger one, Serenity, she's already spoken for," he said. "Téa, well, I can't deny I kinda hoped that once she turned 18 she might be willing to go on a date or something, but nah, I don't think that's gonna happen. We're just friends, and that's okay. Heck, I'm honored she's happy to be friends!"

I have the feeling there's something more that happened there that he's not saying. "Why wouldn't she want to be friends?" I ask.

"Oh, you know, kids don't usually make friends with old guys," he says with an airy shrug. "But Téa and the others, they're different. More open-minded."

"You're sure that's the only reason?" I pointedly ask.

Crump snorts. "Just because I like 'em younger doesn't mean I'm some kind sicko. I just wanna have more time to be with them!"

"Well, that's a reason I've never heard before," I have to admit.

"It's true, though!" Crump insists.

"It's good to know, just in case anyone has been leery about Penguin World because of those rumors," I tell him.

"Rumors always blow everything out of proportion and ruin people's lives," Crump says in annoyance.

Not that I don't agree that can happen, but I think I'll switch gears a bit. "What are your friends' love lives like?" I ask. "Are any of them seeing anyone?"

"Nah," he says. "But they've each got different reasons for it."

"I imagine Mr. Gansley is soured from his marriage falling apart," I remark.

"Well, that and also, he's pretty wrapped up in his work. Actually, we've all had that situation going on, Lector and Johnson especially."

"Mr. Nesbitt is notorious for never being interested in anyone. It sounds like he and you are complete opposites when it comes to romance."

"You'd havta ask him about that," Crump says. "But what the heck, yeah, maybe I don't get it, but I've always respected him about it."

"That's better than a lot of people would be."

"What do they know?" Crump snorts. "I'll bet they don't have many buddies, except maybe ones who agree with them 100%."

"You bring up a good point," I say. "All five of you have such different personalities, yet you all work together so well as a team and care so much about each other."

"Yeah, we've all got different strengths, so when we're doing a project, we each grab onto whatever we're best at! You work with anybody for as long as we have and you either love the other guys or hate their guts. I'm glad that in our cases, we all got closer together."

"I'm sure the other men feel the same," I smile.

"They do," Crump insists. "And honestly? None of us really care if we ever hook up with somebody or not, even me. Sure, the thought of it's fun and all, and I still like the idea, but it's not something I actually need. Nesbitt's always said that you don't need romance to be truly happy. I thought it sounded crazy years ago, but now I get it. You just need people who really love you, and we've got that! Who needs romance?"

"Well, that's great that you have such a healthy attitude about it," I say. "But Mr. Nesbitt was the one who said that? That still seems hard to believe, if he really meant it the way you've taken it."

Crump rubs the back of his neck, looking a little sheepish now. "You got me," he admits. "When Nesbitt first said it, he thought he just needed his machines to be really happy. So he learned stuff too! We're all better for knowing each other."

"I can think of a lot of people who would benefit from your message," I say.

"I'm sure! And you can blare it out loud and clear. Maybe it'll help some people be grateful for what they already have, instead of always trying to find something more."

Crump is certainly a much deeper person than I always gave him credit for being. I'm truly happy I finally got the chance to see what he's really like.

"I hope it will," I tell him.