"Opposites Attract"

Author's Note:The events in this story take place after "Three Part Harmony"

Carmen Sandiego entered the museum quietly, heading for the case containing
the fifty specimens she was after. The master thief gasped. Someone had
successfully managed to pick the lock. The fifty square pockets were empty!

"Looking for something, Carmen?" called a familiar voice from the edge of the
wing.

Carmen turned to face Zack and Ivy. With them was their co-worker and the
cousin of Lee Jordan, Mortimer Jordan. She gestured to the plundered display.
"Where are the fifty star rubies?"

Mortimer shook his head. "They're not here."

Ivy perked up. "Mortimer Jordan! What are you talking about? Where are those
rubies?"

"What rubies?"

Ivy glared. "You're just keeping them from Carmen so you can steal them for
yourself!"

Mortimer ignored her. "Carmen, we don't have any gemstones. All we have is
some strawberry jam." He reached into a barrel next to him and pulled out a
red confection. "Want some?"

Ivy was incensed. "You traitor! You turncoat! You're worse than your cousin!"

Zack turned to Mortimer. "Where are those jewels?"

Mortimer shrugged. "The curator must have sold them to another museum."

"You liar!" Ivy snapped. "I can arrest you right here and now! I'll have you
thrown in jail so fast, your head will spin!"

Zack was getting doubtful. "She's not kidding, you know. That's considered
treason--and the penalty for treason is not light."

Carmen seized this opportunity to sneak out.

Ivy didn't seem to notice. "I'll give you one last chance. Where are the
gemstones?"

Zack glanced at them. "Uh, Ivy? Could you at least let him explain? If he has
an explanation, that is."

"Oh, put a sock in it, Zackary! He's just like Lee! Reckless and
untrustworthy!"

Mortimer spoke up. "I suppose you want me to know where I hid the rubies." He
reached into the vat and extracted more of the red substance. He rinsed it
off, revealing a sparkling red stone. "I hid them in the jam!"

"In the jam?" Carmen hissed from above. She slipped away and was gone.

Zack and Ivy were too stunned to speak.

An hour later, Ivy was at home, taking a call from her cousin. "OK, I'll tell
him, but he's not going to like it!" She entered the living room, where Zack
was reading a comic book. "Antithesis wants to know if she can bring Luke
over. You want him to visit?"

Zack's spine coiled with dread. "Luke? Not on your life! He hates me! Do you
remember the time he tied me to the neighbor's dog and lobbed meatballs all
over the gravel driveway?"

"Sorry, little bro." Ivy apologized. "Would have helped you, but I was
preoccupied arguing with Antithesis."

Zack continued. "Luke loves making me feel worthless. And he's always
yelling!"

Ivy turned to leave. "I'll tell her you'll be very happy to see him."

Zack cringed. "AUGH!" He thought a moment. My cousins Antithesis and Luke?
Coming here? Run for your lives!"

The doorbell rang. Zack braced himself and opened the door. "Hi, Antithesis.
Come in."

A young girl of about nineteen years of age entered. She wore a tea-length
pink taffeta puffy-sleeved dress covered with ruffles, white gloves, white
old-fashioned high-buttoned shoes without a smudge of dirt, diamond earrings,
and a matching diamond necklace. Her blonde hair was in a set of sausage
curls pinned back with matching pink ribbons. "Good evening, Zackary."

"Where's Luke?"

"He's outside." Antithesis paused. "I must warn you, though. Luke's gone to
sensitivity training."

Zack was surprised. "They actually let him in?"

"Yes, but I think he's getting too sensitive." Antithesis turned to the door.
"You can come out, Luke."

Luke stepped into the house. He was about five foot five, had blonde hair the
exact same shade as his cousin's, and blue eyes. He wore a cream-colored
shirt buttoned to the neck, a golf-style light brown sweater vest, cream
socks, an expensive watch, and brown leather loafers. Despite the obvious
difference in clothing style, there was no doubt that Zack and Luke were
examples of the unexplained phenomenon known as identical cousins.

Zack studied the visitor's face. "Luke, have you been crying?" Is it
possible? He thought silently. I always suspected he had his tear glands
surgically removed.

Luke squeezed the teddy bear he was holding and spoke in the voice Zack knew
matched his own. "I watched Roman Holiday. A very sad and romantic movie."

Zack changed the subject. He stared at Luke. This was the guy who had thrown
sand at him when they were toddlers? "How long are you staying?"

"Two weeks," Antithesis answered.

"Why? Where are Uncle Douglas and Aunt Narcissa?" Zack asked.

"They're going to attend a world-peace conference in Switzerland," Antithesis
answered, leaving the hall.

Luke set his teddy bear down. "Oh, the heck with this sensitivity! I liked
myself the way I was!" He reached into his briefcase and pulled out a stack
of videocassettes. "I've been waiting till I can watch these bloody war
movies. So, Zack," he said, turning to his cousin. "Do you think I'm mean?"

"Sometimes."

Luke glared. "WELL, WHO CARES WHAT YOU THINK?" He sighed. "Been wanting to do
that."

Ivy came in. "Zack, why don't we leave Luke to his war movie viewing while we
go back to Acme?"

"Good idea, sis....uh, great idea!"

The two detectives left the house. Luke didn't seem to notice.

"Ha," hissed Zack once they were out the door. "We actually got away."

"Ha, indeed!" a voice behind them called. The siblings turned around.

The speaker was Antithesis. "Do you expect me to stay here and watch those
gruesome movies with my brother?"

"All right," griped Ivy. "You can come with us as long as you don't cause any
trouble."

When the trio entered one of the file rooms of Acme Headquarters, they found
Mortimer carrying a stack of folders.

Silently, Ivy stretched a thin wire across the door frame. Unfortunately,
Mortimer didn't noticed until he tripped.

Antithesis glared. "I saw that, Ivy!" She bent down and helped Mortimer up.

Uh oh. I know that look. Ivy thought. "Antithesis, watch who you speak to.
That happens to be Mortimer Jordan from the wrong side of the tracks."

Mortimer remained silent.

Zack opened his mouth to say something, but Ivy cut him off. "That guy has
some serious criminal tendencies."

Meanwhile, Carmen was explaining her new plans to Jewel Case, Moe Skeeter,
and Lars Vegas.

"But we don't get it, boss!" Lars whined.

"Why would you need to steal fifty rubies?" asked Jewel.

"These are very special rubies--star rubies to be exact," Carmen replied.

"Star rubies occur when a ruby contains tiny needles of rutile," Jewel
informed, filing her nails on an emery board. "Proper cutting will make the
stone display a six-rayed star."

"Correct, Jewel," Carmen continued. "I'm also going to pilfer the 'twins' of
the rubies."

"Twins?" the three crooks echoed.

"Fifty star sapphires."

Jewel smirked. "Rubies and sapphires are both examples of corundum."

"Wouldn't she be fun to take in a jewelry store?" muttered Moe under his
breath.

"I don't know, Moe," whispered Lars. "Few people know it, but Jewel has a
heart of gold."

"Yeah, but she likes to keep it a secret since she stole that heart from a
jewelry shop!"

"What did Ivy mean by 'criminal tendencies'?" Antithesis asked Mortimer
later. The two were sitting together on a bench. "Was your father a thief?"

"No; I was a thief," Mortimer amended.

"But if you're working for Acme, you've obviously reformed."

Mortimer sighed. "I'm glad you think so. Your family doesn't seem to be so
sure."

"Zack and Ivy?" Antithesis asked.

"Those two still think I'm a lying thief."

"Trust me. I've known Ivy for years. We were acquainted long before Zack came
along. She doesn't trust what she can't explain."

"You think so?" Mortimer questioned.

"Of course I do. And if it makes you feel better, Zack and Ivy both hate me
too."

"Why? You seem like such a nice person."

Antithesis nervously fiddled with one of her gloves. "I really don't know
why." She turned back to Mortimer. "Are you all right? You seem troubled?"

"Well, I'm trying my best to fit in here, but no matter what I do, the others
seem to dislike me more!"

"I see. But I trust you."

Mortimer started to cry.

Antithesis looked worried. "It can't be that bad, can it?"

Mortimer continued sobbing.

"Oh, come here," Antithesis hugged her companion. "At least you're making an
effort.

Mortimer calmed down. "Thank you. No one has ever stood up for me before."

Antithesis smiled. "Don't mention it."

"So what happened between you and Ivy?"

"Long story. Let's just say we've never been close.

"And Zack?"

"Zack seems--" Antithesis paused. "I don't know. Terrified of me? I never
have been able to explain it."

Mortimer thought a moment. "Did Ivy ever use Zack to gang up on you with her?"

"Maybe that's it," Antithesis agreed. "Not to mention Zack and my own little
brother have been battling it out ever since they were two. That makes twelve
years. Well, Mortie. There you have it. I hope you know you haven't been
forsaken." She patted Mortimer's shoulder. "You've got a friend."

"So I guess it's one more round for experience," Mortimer concluded.

At the same time, Zack and Ivy were outside their house.

"Isn't it a nice night out?" Ivy asked.

Zack lit a candle. "It is. And I've heard it is better to light a single
candle than to curse the darkness."

"You may be right, little bro. But there will always be people to disagree
with you."

Luke yell could be heard from afar:"YOU STUPID DARKNESS!"

"See what I mean?" Ivy shook her head. "What does Antithesis see in Mortimer?
And how is Luke going to react to this?"

"You tell him, because I won't."

Ivy went to the house. "Luke?"

Luke was sitting on the living room couch. "Yes?"

"I suppose you want to know who Antithesis is currently seeing."

"Sure. Who?"

"Mortimer Jordan. A former thief. Currently an Acme detective, but still
incapable of any moral act."

Luke looked shocked. "What? Did the police have orders to shoot this crook on
sight or what?"

"He wasn't that bad," Ivy corrected. "It's not like he was Clyde Barrow. Do
you want to see Mortimer in person?"

"No! That's it! Now I'm mad!" Luke sank back, "I just want to sit alone on
this couch and be mad!"

"Suit yourself," Ivy told him, leaving the room.

Luke turned on the record player. Beethoven's Adagio Sostenuto from Sonata
Number  Fourteen "Moonlight". Usually the haunting notes soothed him, but not
tonight. He sipped a glass bottle of soda. "Of all the guys she could have
picked, why a wimpy thief? Why not a guy with money that's heaven sent?"

Zack came in. "Antithesis told me to give you this." He tossed Luke a flat
package.

Luke opened the gift. "A record of Brahms! Oh, sometimes, I think I don't
deserve a nice sister like Antithesis."

Zack snickered. "I have often thought the same thing."

Luke snarled and threw his bottle at Zack, who ducked in time. The glass
shattered, the liquid splattering.

"You're not happy, are you?" Zack asked. he ran out before he received an
answer.

Luke sank back on the couch. "When you feel good, you can sit up straight on
a couch. But if you're mad, you sink down. The madder you are, the lower you
sink. I'm sinking to a new low here." He thought for a few minutes. "What if
Anti's new boyfriend were to meet with an accident? Hmmm, maybe I can arrange
something..."

To be continued...