This Is My Kingdom
Basil was supposed to be here by now. I can't imagine what's taking him so long. Doesn't he know I have an important engagement at Buckingham Palace?
My men keep trying to make me feel better. They hand me glasses of champagne and assure me Basil will arrive in time. They even sing to soothe my seething spirit:
Let us party!
You've got him!
This is the night you become royalty
Let us all pledge our loyalty
To Ratigan, to Ratigan,
The empire's king!
Hail Ratigan! Hail Ratigan!
For our new ruler, let us sing!
"Not your best work," I tell them. "These may very well be your worst rhymes yet!"
In less than an hour, I will be dictator of all Mousedom. The robot that Flaversham built is rather impressive. It should do the job nicely. When the queen is dead, the members of parliament will be next. Their jobs will be taken by my own henchmen, who will do whatever I say without question. Felicia, Mousedom's soon-to-be princess, will make sure no one ever dares oppose my wishes. Unlimited power will be mine forever! All will bow before me!
There's only one way my plan could go wrong, and that's if Basil refuses to walk into my cunning trap. I sent Fidget to the pub a few minutes ago. I'm sure Basil will be there. When Fidget returns to the lair, the most pathetic detective in the empire will no doubt follow, and then I shall have him! He will never be on my case again!
I'm beginning to worry that he won't arrive. What if I misjudged him? What if he actually solves the case before I can destroy him?
I need to relax. I should begin contemplating which parts of my life history I will share once I am the supreme ruler. All children will learn about me in school, and statues will be built to commemorate important events in my life. I must sort through all my memories and decide what is really important. It would also give me something to do while I wait for Basil.