The Kitsilano house was finally finished. The “Sleepy-Time” roses were in bloom, and the hidden Identity Vault was stocked with disguises. The Blueprint sat on the porch, watching the waves, when a young man in a simple delivery uniform approached the gate.
He looked familiar. He had the same determined chin and kind eyes as the female activist in the old photograph from Belgrade.
“Madame Blueprint?” he whispered, leaning toward the intercom. “I am Agent 00No. I am the great-grandson of the woman you admired. My grandmother told me that if the world ever got too loud, I should find the architect who speaks the old language.”
Alfred the Penguin stood at attention. “He’s been followed, Blueprint! Chippy and Bunny are right behind him!”
Suddenly, the bushes rustled. A dozen chipmunks and with tiny headsets appeared on the fence!
Quick!” The Blueprint commanded. “Agent 00No, into the Identity Vault! Alfred, activate the Sticky Stone traps!”
As the animals scrambled over the fence, click-clack – their little paws got stuck to the honey-glue paving stones. They chattered in frustration, unable to move. Then, The Blueprint pressed a hidden button on her drafting table, and the garden sprinklers hissed to life, coating the intruders in a cloud of bright purple “glitter dust.”
“They’ll never blend in now,” 00Coo chirped through the Coo-municator.
Chipmunk Operatives
Minutes later, the side door of the house opened. Out walked a man in a Kitsilano Courier jacket, carrying a large box of “flowers.” It was Agent 00No in his disguise. He walked right past the stuck, purple animals. They didn’t suspect a thing.
He stopped briefly beside The Blueprint and handed her a small, folded note. It was written in Serbian.
“Thank you, Great-Aunt of the Bureau,” he whispered. “The house is perfect. You have protected the future by remembering the past.”
He disappeared into the flow of people on the beach, invisible and safe. The Blueprint watched him go, knowing that the legacy of the brave women of Serbia was in good hands – and in a very well-built house.
A Meaningful Moment for Ava:
In this chapter, 00No calls her “Great-Aunt of the Bureau.” This is a title of high honour. You can tell her:
“He called you the Great-Aunt of the Bureau because you are the smartest one in the whole organization. Even the great-grandson knows he has to listen to you!”