Chapter 11
Entering the Lair
Baron stared at the many books in front of him, quite frustrated.
Even though Lune has come to the conclusion of to not give Ratigan the Cat Eye of Miw, Baron still found it necessary to do some research about the mysterious stones, and what power they possessed exactly, so they can determine why Ratigan may want it.
But no matter how many books Baron opened, he still could not find anything that had anything to do with The Cat Eye of Miw nor the Amazonite of The Pássaro.
Baron sighed and sat down on his red chair.
He looked over to his table to see the journal Haru had left.
'Haru...' Baron thought to himself.
'How long has this book been here?'
Baron stood up from his chair and went over to the journal and looked at the cover.
'Mysteries of the World' it read.
Baron frowned.
'It's been a week already and Haru is two days late of coming home.'
"That's odd... I hope nothing's wrong..." Baron said aloud, looking at the journal's cover.
Once again Baron looked at the covers name and smiled.
"This does sound like something Ms. Haru would read, that silly girl..." Baron said to himself smiling warmly.
Baron sat at his chair once more holding the journal in hand and sighed once again, continuing to examine the journal.
"Hmm..." Baron hummed in his throat.
He opened the book for the first time since Haru left it, and a quizzical look came onto Baron's face.
The first page of the journal showed sketches of rocks, stone, and jewels, with small notes at the side of each sketch.
'Rocks? I don't see anything so uncanny about-'
Baron didn't get to finish his thought because when he turned the page, his eyes widen in astonishment.
"This...this is..." Baron said aloud.
"Baron!" cried a frantic voice outside the bureau.
Baron, who was still looking at the book with astonishment, heard someone burst into the office.
"Baron!" Lune said out of breath, panting.
Baron looked away reluctantly from the journal, and slowly turned to the frantic King, giving him his full attention.
Lune sucked in a couple more breaths, before stepping up to Baron and opening a rolled up note to him.
"Ratigan! He-He- took Yue and Lavender, and demands the Cat Eye of Miw, for their safe return!" Lune spoke barely keeping in his panicked tone.
Baron looked at the fearful father, and looked down at the journal in his hands.
"Lune... I hate to say this, but... we must think thoroughly about giving the Cat Eye to Ratigan..." Baron said.
Lune's eyes widen with shock and anger.
"What?! Why would I need to hesitate?! These are my kits we're talking about?!"
Baron waved a hand to settle Lune.
"I know... but we can't just hand over a powerful stone to a dreadful villain... who could do worse than just harm Lavender and Yue..." Baron said.
"But what can be worse than-?" Lune tried to ask.
"He could have absolute power and harm everyone else..." Baron said.
Lune's shock and anger slowly faded but was still blazed within him.
"W-what?" he said.
Baron held up Haru's journal for Lune to see.
"According to this journal... you can make a single wish with the Cat Eye of Miw, for anything you want." Baron said.
Unmistakable terror showed on King Lune's face.
"Then..." Lune said.
"Then-" Baron finished for Lune, "Then Ratigan could do anything he wanted with the stone. Even take over the world if he wanted to..." Baron said with a stern and serious look on his face.
:O :O :O :O :O
***Haru's POV***
I glared at the dark mouse, Clive, in front of me, as he led me to Ratigan's study.
"Why do you work for that monster?" I asked still glaring at him from behind.
Clive was silent for a moment, and then spoke.
"I owe him..." he said simply.
I raised an eyebrow at him.
"You owe him what?" I said harshly, still holding a grudge over the mouse, for also holding me captive.
Clive kept quiet for a while, and then he finally spoke.
"My life..."
I halted from my walking and my glare automatically disappeared.
"I was once homeless after my parents died, and Ratigan took me in when I was little and told me I was to work for him and do his dirty work. I agreed since I knew I would not stand a chance living on my own in the streets. So, ever since, I've been working for him and not defying him." Clive said with a stern face.
"So then... he practically saved you and raised you?" I breathed.
"Yes, in a way. That's why I work for that 'monster' as you say; I am in debt to him... That's why... I feel ... I'm in debt to you too..." Clive said with his back still to me.
"Eh?" I said.
"You saved me also... remember? From that bus..." Clive said slowly.
I had to think for a few seconds to take in what Clive just said. Then my eyes widen.
"You mean… YOUR one of the mice I saved from being flattened from that bus!" I said pointing to him.
"Yes." he said turning to face me.
I stared into his dark eyes and automatically recognized him as one of the mice she saved. The one she told not to bite her after he struggled in her hand.
"I'll repay you somehow... soon, for saving me." Clive said turning away from me again.
I suddenly got an idea.
"Then why not repay me now? Help me escape this place!" I said with hope in my voice.
Clive shook his head firmly.
"I will not do that..." Clive said.
"Why not?! Didn't you just say you would repay me? I would be very happy if you helped me escape this place." I said desperately.
"You forget, I am also in debt to Ratigan and I will not disobey his words. However, I will repay you some other way, without defying Ratigan... one of these days." he said emotionlessly.
'I don't think you can ever repay me if you let me marry Ratigan' I thought to myself angrily.
Once we made it to Ratigan's study, Clive turned to me.
"I'll be leaving now..." he said.
"H-Hey!" I tried to say.
But Clive just ignored me and walked away.
I sighed out of annoyance and knocked on Ratigan's door.
~~~Meanwhile~~~
***Normal POV***
Basil chuckled darkly as he and Dawson stood nearby the green house.
"We have finally located that fiend's lair!" Basil said with a smirk on his face, rubbing his hands together happily.
Dawson rolled his eyes at Basil's eagerness.
"Alright, alright... hold your horses. It's not like we are raiding the place, we're only spying to figure out what are Ratigan's new intentions."
Basil nodded.
"Then let us go."
Dawson nodded and he and Basil put on dark trench coats and crept into the shadows, towards the opening of the house.
~~~Meanwhile~~~
***Haru's POV***
"So tell me my dear, what connection do you have with the Cat Kingdom, exactly?" Ratigan asked me.
I sat on one of his chairs, silent, not sure if I should tell him my whole fiasco with the Cat Kingdom or not.
"I just happen to know a few cats that live there." I said.
Ratigan raised an eyebrow.
"Is that so? Because last I checked, there are hardly any humans that are aware of all the animal kingdoms, unless they were involved with one somehow. So Haru... how do you know about the Cat Kingdom, hmmm…?" Ratigan said.
'What do I do? I can't tell him the truth. I might cause trouble if I tell him I know the King and Queen of the Cat Kingdom personally. I'm afraid if I give away anything, he might use this to his advantage. What should I tell him?!' I panicked in my mind.
"I'm waiting, Haru..." Ratigan said.
~~~Meanwhile~~~
***Normal POV***
Basil and Dawson watched all the mice turn in for the night and head into their own departments.
"Wow... everyone's leaving. We might be able to walk in the open at this rate." Dawson commented.
"Perhaps, but we can't be too careless..." Basil said scanning the area.
Basil then looked both directions and waved his hand for Dawson to follow him.
Dawson nodded and he and Basil sneaked over to another side of the wall.
"See anything unusual yet, Basil?" Dawson asked.
"No...but-" Basil tried to say.
Suddenly Basil's eyes caught sight of a familiar face walking passed them, unknowingly.
"Clive..." Basil whispered.
"Dawson let's follow him..."
~~~Meanwhile~~~
***Haru's POV***
"I-I-I..." I stuttered.
Ratigan started to frown.
"I'm losing my patience, Haru..."
I gulped, but regained my courage and looked him in the eye.
"No... I'm not telling you anything, Ratigan!" I told him firmly.
Ratigan's frown was replaced with a smirk.
"Is that so, love?" he said.
He then began laughing, which made me look at him questioningly.
"You still have that fire in you, Haru, I'm glad..." Ratigan said tapping his clawed finger on her forehead.
I stared at him quizzically.
"Tell me Ratigan... the way you always talk, you sound like you've known me from before. Tell you what, you tell me how you know me and I'll tell you what connection I have with the Cat Kingdom." I said with a sly smirk.
Ratigan's smirk widened.
"Is that what you want?" he asked.
"Yes..." I said.
"Okay then... You see I used to know you back when-"
Knock. Knock.
Ratigan growled.
"Who is it?!"
"It's Clive sir." said Clive opening the door so we could see him.
"Well...? What do you want?" Ratigan snapped at him.
"It's not what I want; it's what needs to be done..." Clive stated calmly.
Ratigan gave Clive his full attention.
"There is a disagreement outside the house, among your workers; they are speaking of the many doubts they have with your plans." Clive said.
Ratigan sighed.
"Clive take Haru back to her dwelling, I'll deal with the others."
Ratigan then left the room leaving me and Clive alone.
"Dwelling... Ha! More like prison cell..." I said under my breath, not sure if Clive heard me or not.
"Let's go." Clive said grabbing my arm harshly.
"Hey! Don't be so rough!" I said.
~~~Meanwhile~~~
***Normal POV***
"Look! Basil! There's Ratigan!" Dawson said pointing to the big figure walking to the lair's exit.
"Yes, and there's Clive." Basil said.
"And he's got a girl..." Dawson said pulling out his spectacles from his coat pocket to get a closer look.
"Ow! Be easy!" the female mouse said.
"Come, let us follow Ratigan." Basil said ready to run after Ratigan, but was stopped by Dawson's hand clutching his coat.
"But, what about the girl?"
Basil looked down at Clive and the female, and looked to Dawson.
"What about her?" Basil asked.
Dawson glared at Basil.
"We should help her, she looks as if she isn't working for Ratigan, from the way Clive is dragging her to that cage." Dawson said pointing to the direction Clive was walking in.
Basil studied the thrashing girl and sighed.
"Alright... but this was your idea." Basil said pointing to Dawson.
Dawson groaned.
~~~Meanwhile~~~
***Haru's POV***
"Really, Clive, would ya quit holding on so tightly?!" I hissed in Clive's ear.
Clive didn't respond, as usual, and continued walking to my cell.
I groaned, knowing words weren't going to get me anywhere with this guy.
Once Clive and I made it to my 'dwelling', he opened the cage door for me to go in.
"I'm sorry to say this Clive, but we won't be needing your assistance any longer." said a voice.
Before Clive and I could react, Clive eyes widen, and he fell to the ground, knocked out cold.
Speechless I just stared down at him with my mouth agape, wondering what the heck just happened.
"Come, Ms.!" said a voice.
I suddenly felt a furry hand grab my furry hand.
I turned abruptly to a round tan mouse, about a head shorter than me, with a lighter tan colored bushy eyebrows and same color moustache, wearing a black trench coat.
"We must hurry, and get you out of here!" he said tugging on my hand for me to follow.
"What- what?!" I said hardly believing what was going on.
"We haven't a moment to lose." said the voice from earlier.
From behind where Clive stood, a taller tan colored mouse came out of the shadows, with a longer face then the other, with no extra facial hair (except for those dark eyebrows) , wearing the same black coat.
"Let's take the young lady and go, before this guy comes to." he said gesturing to the knocked out Clive.
"Yes, but where are we going, and who are you?" I asked.
The two mice looked at each other and back at me.
"I'm Dawson." said the small one.
"I'm Basil." said the tall one.
"Come my dear, just trust us..." said Dawson.
I stared at the two, and for some odd reason, I kind of felt that I could trust them, even though mice and rats weren't my favorite animal in the world right now. Ugh... I hope I don't regret this...
"Okay I'll come..." I said.
:O :O :O :O :O
Clive opened his eyes and a small groan erupted from his mouth.
He sat up, finding himself on the dresser, next to the silver cage that they kept Haru in, with its door wide open.
'What happened?' Clive thought.
All of a sudden, a voice began ringing in Clive's head.
"I'm sorry to say this Clive, but we won't be needing your assistance any longer."
"Basil... he knows..." Clive said.
"Clive!" went a voice.
Clive turned to see an angry Ratigan, standing in front of him.
"Where's Haru?" he hissed.
Clive thought for a moment about the voice that was still ringing in his head and replied.
"I believe she is with your foe, Basil of Baker Street." Clive said.
"Curses!" Ratigan said hitting the silver cage in anger, which caused it to rattle in protest.
Clive watched as the giant rat tried to control his temper as much as he could.
After some time Ratigan sighed in relief.
"It can't be helped... perhaps this is for the best." he said leaning on the cage.
Clive, clearly puzzled, asked;
"What do you mean, Doctor?"
"Haru was getting much too depressed in this dark and old place, so I guess some time out will do her some good. And maybe perhaps... she will give away my plans to him about the three stones."
"Is that a good thing?" questioned Clive.
"Yes, it is indeed. Haru will tell Basil my intentions and Basil will do everything in his power to stop me, even try to collect the last stone, to get it out of my hands."
Clive raised an eyebrow.
"So once he does, I will take the stone from him, and get Haru back at the same time. So basically the stone and Haru will be served to me on a silver platter."
"Might I ask... which stone are you talking about?" Clive asked.
"Why Clive, I'm talking about the one that has been missing for decades, the last one besides the Cat Eye of the Miw and the Amazonite of the Pássaro." Ratigan said.
Clive looked at Ratigan, urging him to continue.
Ratigan smirked.
"I'm talking about The Opal of The Hund, the one that will make me ruler of the entire world!"
