Chapter Five: The Trinket.

I was beginning to think it wasn't worth it. Following meaningless clues in the hopes of finding our mother? It all just seemed pathetically sad, and it was hard not to think about it as we marched our way into a tight little room in the corner.

"I don't usually do this," uttered the security Koopa from inside the booth. "But if the boss says it's okay..."

"Of course it is!" spoke Wario. "These guys are cool. We go golfing every season, right?"

Mario and I nodded.

"All right, come in then," said the Koopa. As we entered, we quickly noticed the surveillance booth was filled from top to bottom with monitors, each with its focus on a separate part of the building. I could see a turtle in punk garb kicking away at a garbage container, and at another screen a rifle owner firing was away at clay saucers.

Wario reached into equipment drawer, taking out a dusty tape player and plugging it into one of the sets. "Pass the tape over, will ya?"

I carefully tore off the badly wrapped package and handed it over.

Right from the off, Papa's tone had changed. We couldn't help but wonder what had happened between the two recordings that caused him to be so distraught. Did he know how close to death he really was?

"In the past," he spoke, "there may have been some quarrels between Wario's family and I. This isn't to say that he and I never agreed, but for the most part we were adversaries. His vile, unrelenting greed eventually drove us apart."

The yellow-clad entrepreneur had somehow gotten a hold of some Peanut Brittle and was munching it with zest as he watched. "...What?" he said as everyone stared at him.

Papa went on. "But enough about him. I want to make sure and make a clear point about this." He straightened up from whatever he was sitting on. "My oldest son, I pass on a personal heirloom that has been enclosed in the package."

I lifted the brim of my cap slightly, scratching my forehead. "Huh? There's only the cassette inside." I looked around and inside the discarded scrap of paper. "Did anyone open this before me?"

"Probably," answered Wario. "It's just a security measure. You can never be too safe these days."

"Then we'll go ask all of the Koopas," suggested Brother. "Maybe one of them took it."

"Maybe," I said, still pondering. "But maybe..." I glared at Wario again.

"But maybe what?" he asked innocently.

"Perhaps someone may have pawned it?" I asked with an obvious tilt of my head.

Wario gave a laugh. "Heh, you think I was serious when I said that?" He looked nervously at the four of us. "I was kidding, folks! Honestly..."

The security Koopa seemed to think otherwise. "Um, sir? Isn't this you?" He directed our attention to previously taped video footage of something yellow and bloated ripping away at a basket filled with unopened parcels.

"Didn't I tell you to erase that?" asked Wario, his cover blown.

"Actually, you didn't," spoke the Koopa, seemingly oblivious.

"Aw, geez," he realized. "I forgot - all you guys look alike."

I was thoroughly peeved at this point. "If you could just show us to that heirloom now..."

x x x

"What sort of heirloom was it?" spoke the rat.

Not wanting to waste a coin, Wario had sent the trinket to the sleaziest pawn shop in the relatively nearby Island of Hags. The storekeeper kept his eye on the three of us as he spoke within his newly erected plexiglass divider. Apparently worried that we would ambush him, he continuously patted an object that he kept out of view. I had no question as to what it was.

"That's the problem," said Mario. "We only know that it's supposed to have been passed down from our father, and that it was pawned here."

"That certainly makes it easier for me," replied Pawno with a heavy air of impatience. "Look, I don't have time to go looking around for this alleged heirloom thing. I hardly even have time to collect all twenty-four masks in this game I got here." The rat briefly showed us the golden cartridge.

"Really?" said the Guide with a sharp squeak in his voice. "I was done with that part ages ago."

"Oh yeah? Then how do I get the Fairy Mask?"

"Just bring the stray to the Great Fairy again."

Pawno said nothing.

But it was that Game Pak that sparked an idea. "Wait a minute! I think I know what the heirloom was." I shoved a hand into my chest pocket, retrieving an old, warped photograph of Papa as a young man. "See? Look at this!"

Brother and the guide leaned in tightly and I placed the darkened photo under a nearby lamp. I had forgotten how strong Papa's genes were in Mario - you could almost mistake the person in the picture for Brother himself. But what suddenly made the shot intriguing was the object hanging from his neck.

"Bowser's golden locket," I muttered in a nervous whisper.