Disclaimer: Don't own Basta, Capricorn, Flatnose, Cockarel, etc. Cornelia Funke does. I don't mind the others, but I wish I did own Basta (dreamin')

Hi all, I'm sorry I've forgotten my own story (blush) but anyways I'm here to continue… just tell me if you like it 'cause I have a LOT of ideas )

"Flatnose… where's that goat, Cockarel?" Hissed Basta angrily, trying to hide a suffocating feeling of fright.

"He's not coming," said Flatnose simply.

Basta growled.

"You know what? I forgot my knife in the house," said Basta and ran back quickly to the house, thinking he could have never made up a more stupid excuse than that. However he had other more demanding worries that that. Cockarel noticed him coming and hid just in time, or at least he thought so. Basta had already seen him but didn't show any sign of that. He didn't have any proof against him and couldn't just attack him for stopping in front of the house. It wasn't as if he didn't want to, but Capricorn had a soft spot for that goat of his.

"You know, I figured you shouldn't stay alone," he said while trying to sound calm.

Maria wasn't stupid, she quickly figured there was something more wrong than just superstitions.

"Basta, what's wrong?" She asked worried.

He didn't answer her but motioned quickly to the window with his eyes. She figured there was someone watching them so she just laughed and simply said:

"You're being a silly old woman with those stupid superstitions of yours," her laugh sounded real enough, but he understood it was fake because of the fear in her eyes. It showed him she'd understood.

"I don't' care what you think. You're coming with me." He grabbed her by the arm, seemingly roughly and took her out of the house and with him.

"Where are we going", she whispered.

"I'm taking you with me… I don't want to but I can't leave alone. The mission has been shortened 'cause the man doesn't want to obey Capricorn. We'll just teach him a lesson and go back home."

They arrived after a hour and a half drive on a very bad and bumpy road. The house was big and seemed comfortable. Maria wondered what the black jackets meant to do here. There were Basta, Flatnose, and one younger she didn't recognize.

"You stay in here!"

"But Basta…"

"That's an order. Learn at least to listen to me from time to time."

Maria sat quietly in the car for whole ten minutes. The she remembered a conversation with one of the maids, called Natalie.

"Do you actually know what Basta does for a living?" she had said.

"Well, I know it's something bad, but I don't care what he does to others as long as he's good to me!", she had answered naively.

"You're being silly. If you knew, you would never want to spend even an hour in that man's company."

Now, a quick thought rushed through her mind. This was probably the only opportunity she had to find out what Natalie was talking about. She knew deeply in her heart that she didn't want to know, but she also knew she couldn't sleep next him peacefully without knowing. A thought that was going to cause her much pain and disappointment.

Next chappie's coming right up. I'm writing it at the moment. wow I'm on fire )