A crash. A shattering of glass in some far off room. And then a long, droning, dreadful sound…
MMMRRREEEOOWWW…
Basil and Relda looked on in horror as a dainty, flabby ginger paw stepped into the light. The pretty kitty Felicia started towards them.
Fortunately for Felicia, she hadn't eaten in a while and had lost a fraction of weight. Not enough to keep her from being pudgy, of course, but enough to allow her to slide through the door somewhat easily (she did have to turn at an odd angle to shove herself through, however).
She licked her chops at the sight of the two beautiful morsels staring, terrified, up at her. Saliva rushed to her mouth and a ravenous gleam lit up her eyes.
"Ooh, my fluffy wuffy has been so good and waited for her snack," Ratigan crooned. "Here you are, sweetie-pie. A detective and a slattern, wrapped up so pretty just for you."
Felicia bent over. Relda and Basil gagged at the scent of her breath, which smelled horrifyingly of rotting flesh and rubber (why rubber? Thought Basil. Never mind. Whatever it is, I don't want to know).
Felicia opened her mouth wide, her jaw hinging like a snake's, preparing to swallow them both in one gulp. Relda whimpered slightly at the sight of the glistening white, dagger-like teeth, but took a deep breath and shut her eyes, preparing for the worst. Basil glanced quickly over at her and followed suit.
A loud crash startled Basil, and his eyes snapped open. Everyone else whipped their head to the hall, where the noise had originated. Felicia closed her jaws and looked around in confusion, when suddenly…
AAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
An unearthly howl echoed through the choral hall as a giant beast of sorts charged into the room, paws thundering against the wooden floorboards and slobber trailing in a spidersilk-thin stream from his mouth.
The thugs let go of their captives, dropping Basil and Relda to the floor in their haste to move out of the way. The room exploded into chaos as Toby howled at Felicia, who let out a feline scream and ran as fast as her chubby legs could carry her for the exit.
Felicia could only get through the door at a certain angle. In her haste to get away, she had wedged herself in at a different angle and now was stuck, her large bottom pooching out of the door. Toby ran up to her and chomped on her tail.
"YOOOOWWW!" Felicia screamed as Toby pulled her out of the doorway. She clawed at him, missing his eye by inches but causing him to release her tail anyway.
Felicia the cat ran as fast as she could go, disappearing into the night.
"Felicia! My pretty kitty!" Ratigan called in dismay, glaring up at the insolent dog who had dared to harm his beloved cat.
"You insolent, disgusting creature! I will have you-"
Snap. Toby's jaws closed in around the rat, leaving only a tail protruding from his mouth like a spaghetti noodle.
However, the rat apparently didn't taste very good. Toby spat the creature out onto the floor. Ratigan was slimy with saliva, his fur sticking to his head and his fine clothes drenched. He probably would have been very angry if he had been conscious.
As the thugs ran around them, pushing and shoving, making a ruckus, policemen in their blue uniforms flooded into the room, tackling thugs and waving their batons wildly in the air. At first the ruffians had been fighting back, but there were too many policemen. Before long, all the criminals were either handcuffed or in some sort of a headlock.
Basil knelt down, taking Relda's dainty hand in his and helping her to her feet. She shook her head. "I've absolutely no idea what happened," she murmured.
"Neither have I. Good to see we're on the same page," Basil said briskly.
A familiar voice behind them cried out, "BASIL!"
Basil and Relda whipped their heads towards the source of the voice. Dawson merrily ran to them, his mustache turned up in a happy upside-down u-shape.
"Dawson?!" Basil asked wonderingly as the good doctor hugged him happily. Dawson released Basil and took Relda's hand firmly in his, shaking it once or twice and smiling brightly at her. "But-but…" Basil blinked, confused. "But how did you get out of the cage?"
"There was a double-crosser in Ratigan's midst," Dawson explained, practically jumping with joy. "He stole the key from one of the other guards and snuck down just after you left, letting us all out of the cage. I sent Toby in after you, and he went and got all the policemice in London down here! Isn't it wonderful?"
"And the family…they're all right?" Relda asked worriedly.
"Safe and sound. I checked them and made sure there were no lasting injuries. They're being asked some questions right now!"
Basil blinked. He was glad they had gotten out well enough, but the double-crosser…who was he? Where was he?
"Well, I see you nearly got yourself killed then," Inspector Lestrade stepped up to them, addressing Basil. "But you did find the family, and my men just found the Heart Diamond. So bravo for you, I suppose." Lestrade's voice could not have been more flat and unimpressed sounding. He raised an eyebrow at Relda, eyeing her closely. Basil grunted, an annoyed sound.
"I found Ratigan too," Basil pointed out.
Lestrade blinked. "Ratigan?" He asked, confused. "Ratigan is dead."
What?
"He isn't! I just saw Toby spit him out…over there!" Basil pointed over to the corner where the drenched mastermind had been lying. But he was gone.
"Bu-but...but what?" Basil sputtered. "But I saw him…he was just here…"
"Perhaps you had better take a vacation, Mr. Great Detective," Lestrade said, clapping Basil on the back. "Seems you've been hallucinating."
"He was here," Relda said shortly. "And that family and the doctor and everyone else will say the same thing."
Lestrade bowed his head, tipping his cap. "Apologies, Miss." Lestrade said, his tone changing to a more pleasant, gentlemanly sound. "'Twasn't my meaning to offend."
Relda folded her arms but nodded.
"Well, if Ratigan was here, he isn't now," Lestrade pointed out.
The annoyed, confused Basil rolled his eyes. "Yes, thank you for that wonderful observation, Inspector," he muttered sarcastically. Where could Ratigan be?
"You're welcome." Inspector Lestrade said. He smiled at the doctor and Relda. "I'd like to ask you all a few questions about what has happened tonight, if you don't mind."
The questions were the same as they usually were. What had happened? How did it happen? Who was there? Etc, etc. Basil gave the shortest, most uncooperative answers he could, which annoyed Lestrade to no end. But Basil didn't care. He wanted to know what had happened to Ratigan. And who was that double-crosser?
After the questioning was finished at last, Basil, Dawson and Relda boarded the happy dog Toby and began their way back to Baker Street.
"So, that was quite the adventure, wasn't it?" Relda said, grinning widely. It had been terrifying when she was almost dead, of course, but looking back, it was actually quite exciting.
"It was, wasn't it?" Dawson smiled back at her. "It's quite enjoyable, I assure you." He looked kindly at her. "Will you be joining our ranks, Miss Cheddarton? Solving all our cases with us?"
The smile evaporated from Relda's face. "Well…" Relda rubbed at her arms, frowning at the darkness surrounding them. "I-I can't. Singing is my passion. Solving crimes is fun, but I have a career to think about." She smiled rather sadly. "I do enjoy it, though…"
Basil, who hadn't been listening to anything the two had said in the past two minutes, spoke up. "That double-crosser you were talking about, Dawson. Where did he go after he got the police?"
Dawson blinked, startled. "I-er, I don't know. I was too busy sending Toby in, and getting the Muensters the care they needed."
"What did he look like?" Basil inquired further.
Dawson tried to recall. "Um…hm. Let's see. He was tall, average build, at least I would say so… uh, light brown fur and greenish eyes, from what I could see under the hat. Oh, and a mustache- say, Basil, why do you ask?"
Basil narrowed his eyes, thinking. "Just curious," he murmured.
Relda reached out and patted Basil sympathetically on the shoulder, smiling wanly. "I'm worried about Ratigan too," she told him. "Who knows where that piece of filth will turn up next? But don't worry," she gave him a reassuring smile, "you'll get him yet."
Basil smiled slightly at the sight of her hand resting on his shoulder before blinking it away. "I hope so," he muttered.
She leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek. "You will," she told him.
Dawson, who was pretending to be fiddling with his shoelace, smirked at Basil's silence. HE was sure that if he looked up, Basil would have frozen in place, a large, goofy grin on his face.
Mentally changing subjects, Dawson realized he hadn't gotten a thing to eat since…since he couldn't remember when. Perhaps Mrs. Judson will whip up a batch of crumpets, thought Dawson happily. His stomach growled as Toby bounded off towards 221 ½ Baker Street.
From the shadows, a tall mouse with light brown fur, wearing a too-big cap and shabby jacket, was leaning against the mildewing brick wall of a fishery. He picked at the jacket, looking scornfully down at the holes that let the cold air seep in. It was far different than the warm long coats he was used to, and he quite looked forward to changing back into his normal garb once he was in his comfy home.
His dark green eyes flicked back up to the departing form of that dog and its passengers.
Basil of Baker Street probably had no idea that he had been followed around London since last Tuesday, ever since word got out about his conversation with Bill Higgins. He had been warned about getting involved with the Rakers, after all, but knowing him, he would just get involved anyway.
When the fog at last obscured his view, the shadowy mouse looked down at the ground. Basil of Baker Street had had a close one tonight. He probably had no idea who it was that had pilfered the key to the cage while the guard was roaring drunk, let the family and that doctor fellow out of that cage, and called Inspector Lestrade immediately to the scene. And even if he did know who the Rakers' infiltrator was, Basil would either refuse to believe it or read it as some sort of conspiratorial strategy move for personal gain.
Edmund sighed. He knew he couldn't keep his baby brother out of harms' way forever, but at the same time he was happy with the way everything had worked out. Brother safe, diamond recovered, family found, and an entire underground organization revealed and arrested. Edmund loved it when things worked out like that.
"Hmm. Now what to do about that guest of mine?" Edmund wondered, turning and walking down the street to his personal carriage. Here, his personal carriage meaning a human child's toy carriage with a wind-up horse, parked in an alleyway and mostly obscured from view. He wound up the key that was in the smiling mechanical horse and let go, sliding into the seat as the toy lurched forward. In the comfort of his coach, Edmund grinned at the unconscious rat that was snoozing away in the other seat. The carriage was having a bit of a hard time moving along with Ratigan's extra weight, but Edmund was too busy wondering about what to do next to worry about that.
"Hm." Edmund wondered. "I should turn him in immediately to the police." But Ratigan might be interesting to talk to. Surely he has some information that Edmund could use at work. Information about criminals.
And Basil so dearly wanted to arrest him. Maybe Edmund could drop off the rat on the doorstep of 221 ½ Baker Street, wrapped up with a bow, as an early Christmas present to Basil.
The possibilities are endless, thought Edmund as the carriage rocked and slowly made its way down the sleeping streets of London.
Author's Note- And That's All Folks!
For this story, at least.
It might be a little bit, but I plan on at least one more story about Basil's adventures, a sequel that picks up right where this one leaves off. I just need to figure out what exactly I'm going to write. I hope to get Olivia in here somehow, but whatever happens happens, you know?
So, what did you guys think? Did you like it? I hope so. (I'm winking, but you can't see that through your computer screen. At least, I hope not.)
Thank you all for your nice reviews, special shoutout to rosesoffantasy, to whom I am so grateful for her kind and funny words. Hope to hear from all of you!
Thank you for reading and buh-bye for now!
Narwhals Forever