The Geographic Society of Archaeological Discovery is located in New York, but don't go looking for it.

The head of the society, Samuel Larson, opened the door to the meeting room. Inside were twelve desks in a semicircle. All but one were occupied. Samuel opened his roll card. "Carolyn is in the Himalayas, but the rest of you are present. Good. How is everyone's progress? We'll start with you, Marilyn."

Marilyn Rawley glared at the man sitting next to her. "My partner falls asleep on the job! Andrew!"

"Zzzzzzzzzz...." was Andrew's only response.

Marilyn crossed her arms.

Samuel moved on. "Clarissa Argyle?"

"Scotland's burning."

Everyone gasped.

"Not literally!"

Everyone sighed.

"Ahem." A small, scrawny archaeologist began. "I'd like to propose a new location for myself: Nigeria."

"A new job?" chortled Joseph Jackson. "You? Little insignificant Patricia Logica?"

"It's possible," Michael Richardson commented.

"Aye, but complicated," agreed Victor Loser. "You'd have to get permits and the whole messy bit."

"What's wrong with Colorado?" asked Elizabeth Chester.

"Nothing's wrong with being the Queen of the World," snorted Brandy Wine, admiring her reflection in the mirror. "Which I am and you're not."

"I was talking to Patty," replied Elizabeth dryly.

"No one asked your opinion anyway," sneered Benjamin Lassen.

Edmund Ford sighed.

Patricia turned on her heel, and stormed out. Unfortunately, she slipped on a puddle of water and landed flat on her face.

The archaeologists laughed.

Patricia glared. "Stop laughing!"



[The Himalayas]

"Any sign of her, Ivy?" asked Zack.

Ivy skimmed the Nepali countryside. "No...wait! Scarlet snowsuit exclusive to a certain master thief!"

Zack raised his binoculars. "Where?"

Ivy pointed. "In the window of that hotel room!"

There was a piercing scream. "I've been robbed!"

Carmen's silhouette crossed to the window. She was clutching three golden bells. The thief grabbed onto the railing and climbed down.

Carolyn climbed after her. "No! Those are my bells! I've searched for years! Give them back, and I won't call the police!"

Carmen ignored her and vanished.

Carolyn sank into the snow. "Just my rotten luck. I finally find the key to a lost city and it's stolen."

"Are you all right?" asked Zack.

"No! I'm not all right!" Carolyn snarled. "That woman had the nerve to break into my room and steal my bells!" She breathed deeply, and her expression softened. "Who are you?"

Ivy flashed her Acme badge. "I'm Ivy, and this is my brother, Zack. Do you have any idea who that was?"

"No, only that she took what I wanted most," Carolyn whimpered.

"You didn't recognize her?" Zack asked incredulously.

"Who was she?"

"Carmen Sandiego, the greatest thief the world has ever known," informed Ivy. "Don't you ever read the papers?"

"I've been out of touch lately."

"Who are you?" asked Ivy.

"I'm Carolyn LeRue, Archaeologist. I'm a member of the Geographic Society of Archaeological Discovery's Dozen."

"Why would Carmen want to steal your bells anyway?" wondered Zack out loud. "It's not like VILE's starting a marching band."

Ivy grimaced. "Heaven forbid."

Carolyn sighed. "You see, somewhere in those mountains, buried beneath a blanket of snow, lies the lost city of Dimensia. The inhabitants of Dimensia were a peaceful people known as the Puzzlers. The Puzzlers were quite advanced. Yet, one day, the entire city was wiped out by an avalanche."

"Yeah, but how does that tie in with the bells?"

"Well, according to legend, the bells will make the city rise again from the snow."

So that's what the bells are for, Carmen thought from behind them. She felt a pull at the bells she still held. Whirling around, she spotted a short, thin woman.

It was Patricia Logica, who grabbed the trio of golden artifacts. "Stay back, or I'll destroy them." She stepped backwards, slunk into the shadows, and was gone.

To be continued.