Silhouette and Solitude
Chapter 1:The Emerald Demon
It really wasn't that difficult. Although he was not too sure on how he was discovered for he had lived in the same home for all of his life. The facts where clear as glass. Queasiness of the stomach, traps set in the corners of the kitchen and poison sprawled through any opening that would lead into the upper house. The master of the upper home was aware of his presence.
Perhaps it is not Holmes. Basil thought himself, sitting comfortably in his chair. He has been haunted by a case for months now and would waste his valuable time setting up mice traps. He stroked a match and lit his pipe that lied between his lips. It's obviously his biographer, Watson, for sanitary reasons and being a Doctor and all.
"Mister Basil!" Mrs. Judson came darting in through the Kitchen door holding all of her good china and silverware. She placed them harshly into Basil's hands who nearly dropped them.
"It's an infestation! All over my kitchen and my good pots and pans!" She shouted.
Basil sighed as he stood from his chair and handed the tall stack of china back to Mrs. Judson.
"Mrs. Judson, my dear, I simply do not have the time to be bothered with nonsense. Can't you simply shoo whatever it is away?" Basil insisted, sitting back down on his red velvet chair. Placing the dishes on the ottoman, the plump mouse placed her hands on her hips.
"Mr. Basil, I understand that the kitchen is not a place of your exact liking, but may I remind you that although it is your kitchen, I am the one who has to use it to cook your dinner and prepare your tea! Do you not care for the safety of your own household?"
Basil sighed and placed his hand over his head. "Cannot you see that I am trying to make this house holder safer by unraveling the cause for all these traps and poisons? INSECTS never harmed anyone, my dear. Let alone insects from London.
"It is NOT insects!" The house keeper shouted, growing red. "It is some sort of yellow eyed, green demon and it is hopping around and ruining my kitchen!"
Basil shot up from his chair and dropped his pipe to the ground below. "A yellow eyed...DEMON...you say?" He questioned, picking up his pistol and pushing passed her to pull open the door leading into the kitchen.
Sure enough, to Basil's surprise, a yellowed eyed creature, jumping from wall to wall and knocking down silver pots and pans. It's green and wart covered body flew from spot to spot and an occasional croaking sound would escape it's lips. Basil's eyes widened as he watched it open it's mouth and eject it's long pink tongue to wrap a black pot and bring it back to it's mouth. Raising an eye brow, Basil assumed that the disgusted look that the creature gave meant that it was not satisfied by the taste of the pot for it spat it back up.
"Kill it!" Mrs. Judson shrieked, taking Basil's arm in her hands and shaking it furiously. Basil ignored the hysterical woman and kept his attention the hopping monster. He knew what this creature was, but he was so far beyond it's species that he was already putting the pieces together on how it got in his home.
Seeing that Basil was ignoring her, and that her kitchen was almost in flames, the house keeper snatched the pistol from Basil hands and aimed it towards the creature. "I'll do it myself then!"
Realizing what was happening, Basil ran in front of the animal waving his arms to stop. "Mrs. Judson-
BANG!
Basil closed his eyes as he heard the shot. Knowing for sure that his heart was still beating, he slowly opened them to see that the shot of the gun set Mrs. Judson flying backward and she was now laying in a puddle of water underneath the sink. Turning around to see what the damage was, Basil was shocked to see that the animal ducked right in the nick of time and the bullet when straight through a large silver pan.
Walking up the creature, Basil smiled slightly. "My dear, Mrs. Judson. This is non other than a mer Salientia! Amphibian for God's sake!" he said petting it on the head. It's eyes yellowed back as if it where pleased by his petting.
Sitting up from the puddle, Mrs. Judson rubbed her aching head. "A what?" she asked drowsily.
"A common frog." Basil informed continuing his rubbing. "And it seems as though it is...some what domestic...as if it where to be a house trained pet."
"House trained my foot! Mrs. Judson said standing up and brushing off her skirt. "I've never seen those things here in London before." She said picking up the pieces of shattered dishes that covered the floor.
"The city you mean, dear. They are rare to the concrete jungle, but in the country sides of Brittan they are most common, but no, you are right..." Basil said, studying the facial structure of the frog. "This poor amphibian is not London at all...Europe even. No..." Basil continued. "This frog appears to be American bred. A species of the southern regions."
"Well." Mrs. Judson began. "That is all very interesting but how did a bloody American frog get in my kitchen?!"
Seeing that the frog was asleep, Basil discontinued his petting and placed his hands in his pockets and began to ponder. "That, Mrs. Judson, is the question at hand." With that, Basil dashed into the living room, leaving his house keeper alone.
"Are you sure you are up to detecting with out Mr. Dawson?" The house keeper asked, peering through the door. "He won't be back for at least another three weeks."
"Mrs. Judson, less you forget that I have solved mysteries long before our dear doctor joined our little family." Basil assured, opening a small circular door that leads into the upper home above his.
"Mr. Basil you know very well that there is poison at the other end. You said yourself not to go through there until we are thought to be gone."
Smiling to himself, Basil looked back to his plump house keeper. "Rest assured that I am ware of the poison. If it is mice that he has spotted up there and by calculating the number of traps and poisons that he set and with our new friend in the kitchen, it is clear that it is not us that has been spotted, but another family entirely." And with that, Basil made his way up to the upper level.
