Fay Hart's Challenge

None of these are my best works, so I apologize if they are not that good or accurate.

Okay. Your Great Aunt Petunia died. She has left you the bulk of her estate. She had immigrated to America
in the 1930's. To, let's say, Savannah, Georgia. You are her only surviving heir. You have to go in person to claim your inheritance. No hiring a proxy to go for you.


My name is Inops, my mother named my after our living conditions, then she rolled over and died. A fitting entry into our world. I've spent my life on the streets with not a penny to my name so you can imagine my surprise when a government official tracked me down and informed me I had inherited an estate in America. You can't begin to imagine what that meant for me, a roof, a bed, someplace I can call home. Then the official broke it to me, "You have to collect it in person."

Now how could I ever afford that, so I stood there by the docks potting a way to sneak on board a ship. The Bottom Dweller was moored in the harbor, not at all pretty, it was a cargo ship, but it was going to America, close enough to Georgia that I'd be there in no time if I could manage to stow away. I waited until it was dark, one drunkard on duty. I could probably walk straight past him without him noticing, but I couldn't risk it. I jumped into the water, it was like ice, but the filthy state of it disgusted me most of all and I'd grown up in the gutters. I pulled my saturated weight over the side, I had to hide, I opened the crates to discover that sadly, the only thing this ship was transporting was manure. I had no choice, I climbed in amongst the manure and made myself comfortable for the journey.

For two weeks we sailed across the seas, luckily I had enough food with me for the trip. It wasn't until the crate was opened that I realized I had reached my destination. When they lifted that lid, boy were they surprised, they were speechless and I can't blame them. I must have looked a sight, not to mention the stench. I spared no time, I went straight to Georgia to claim my inheritance, I tried hitching, but in my condition lifts were more than scarce so I walked the entire distance. I walked up to the claims office two days later and I walked out of there a rich man. Filthy Rich.