Chapter 8
Dover
The train arrived at the station in Dover just as the sun was starting to set. The trio were quick to jump on a trolley that was heading towards the harbor. Dawson struggled to get his luggage up on the trolley.
"Dr. Dawson, I told you to pack light!" Basil said to his partner as he struggled to pull him up.
The trolley began to move and Olivia takes in the new scenery of Dover. She had never seen the English Channel before and the buildings did remind her of those that resided along the Thames in London.
The trolley stops and Basil shouts, "We get off here!" They hurry off the trolley and Olivia notices that they stopped at a pier of some kind. She sees that humans were admiring the view of the channel and she notices some seagulls, but they were bigger then seagulls.
"This way Olivia!" Basil said and both she and Dawson follow him to a lift inside a metal pole. Once it reaches the top, it reveals that they were on the wooden roof of the pier's covered sitting area.
Olivia sees big gull like birds, either asleep or cleaning their feathers. "Ah! Basil!" one of the gulls said, "You made it just in time! Albert should be in about a minute!"
"We'll wait, oh I want you to meet Miss Olivia Flaversham," Basil said to the bird and Olivia steps forward. "Olivia, this is Bernard, head of Albatross Aviation Team," he explains.
Bernard bows to Olivia, but then looks at her and then at Basil, "You mean THE Olivia Flaversham?!" he asks. Basil nods and Bernard gives a nervous chuckle, "Oh I beg your pardon young lady, but Basil told us a lot about you!" The other albatrosses screech in agreement.
Olivia looks at Basil, "Just how much did you tell them about me?" she asks with a grin.
"Miss Flaversham, when Basil first came to our services, he was this lunatic who demanded that Albert take him to his destination on time," Bernard begins to explain, "However, after that terrifying case with that dreadful Ratigan, he said that he was hoping that one day you would come back."
Olivia blushes and so does Basil. "I guess...I don't know much about your feelings for me," she said.
"Oh, did I say too much? Sorry," Bernard said.
"Hey boss!" one of the other albatrosses shout, "Here comes Albert! Clear the runway!"
Bernard takes the three aside as an albatross, a little bigger then the others lands hard on the surface. He walks out a bit and shakes his feathers. "I'm getting better at my landings," he said.
Bernard then walks up to the albatross, "Albert, Mr. Basil is in need of your services," he said.
"Mr. Basil, this is a rather bad time, I just got back from Northumberland. The winds were atrocious up there and getting back was not easy," Albert replies, but Bernard looks at him in the eye.
"Now Albert, we know that you handle long distances, far better than any of us. In fact, you are the best aviator that can handle strong winds," Bernard explains and adds, "Now please, listen to Mr. Basil."
Basil and Olivia walk up to Albert, he was wearing goggles and had an empty can of sardines strapped to his back, but it was used for seating.
"Albert, this here is Miss Olivia Flaversham, remember from that case I spoke of? With that scoundrel Ratigan?" Basil asks. Olivia curtsies to Albert and he looks at her and then at Basil.
"THE Miss Flaversham?" Albert asks and he chuckles, "Oh my dear, you are the one who calmed him down quite a bit."
"I did?" Olivia replies, curiously, but looks at Bernard, "Although Bernard mentioned something like that."
"Oh yes, after that case, he was almost quiet and not very demanding," Albert answers and asks, "Now, what can I do for you?"
Basil explains the murder case of Olivia's father, Hiriam, and that they found a lead, indicating that Erich Rosenberg was responsible of giving orders to kill the innocent toy maker. "Now Albert, we believe Rosenberg fled to Berlin. Can you take us there?" Basil asks.
Albert scratches his chin and appeared deep in thought. "Give me ten minutes to recuperate and we'll be off," he said and walks towards a water fountain. Albert drinks from the fountain and washes his face.
After the ten minute break, Albert strapped a bigger empty can of sardines with help of his friends. Bernard moves a set of stairs for the three mice. "I'll be taking the back if you don't mind," Dawson said and walks up first, but he seemed woozy.
"Dawson, what did you take?" Basil asks. Dawson shows a bottle of hyoscine and Basil just shakes his head. "Seriously, Dr. Dawson, Olivia is right, you need to conquer your fear," the detective said.
"I rather sleep while I fly," the doctor simply replies and walks up the stairs, but with uneasy steps.
The can had made to fit the three with comfortable seating, rather then have them sit on uncomfortable metal. Basil and Olivia took the seat up front, while Dawson settled in the back.
Bernard then moves the can cover to secure Basil and Olivia and then the other for Dawson. "My lady and gentlemen, we'll just perform a maintenance check and you'll be on your way," Bernard said.
"Thank you Mr. Bernard," Olivia said. Bernard checks Albert's wings and tail feathers. Albert checks his goggles and he gives the thumbs up.
"Remember our motto," Bernard said to Albert, "First you don't succeed, try try again!"
Olivia's face turned white, but Basil takes her by the hand, "Don't worry, Albert is the best!" he exclaims, just as Albert goes into a dash and runs down the runway, wings flapping.
"OH I HATE THIS PART!" Dawson shouts. Then, Albert falls towards the sea and Olivia grabs hold of Basil's arm. The albatross then opens his wings and a guest of sea wind pulls him up into the air.
Albert straightens out, letting the sea gust take out him to open water. Basil gently shakes Olivia and she looks up. To her amazement, she felt like she was walking on air, even though she was strapped to a sardine can on the back of an albatross.
She turns back to see the seaport of Dover vanish behind them. There were some boats heading back, but they were high above them now. Olivia felt a new sensation take her. She remembered an old Scottish story of a brave mouse woman who dreamed of flying and touching the sky. Maybe this is what that mouse woman felt, but Olivia was told it was just a legend. However, she believed that the brave mouse woman fulfilled her dreams.
Albert flew down the water again and he calls, "If you look just below you, you'll see a pod of dolphins!"
"Dolphins?!" Olivia asks, but then sees large looking fish, except they weren't exactly fish. She watches as the pod swims beneath them and one spews water at them.
"AH COLD!" Albert shouts and flies away from the pod.
They continued to fly over the English Channel for some time. Olivia just kept staring at the vast open sea. "This is what it feels like when going to a new country?" Olivia asks Basil and he nods.
"Your body just feels exhilarating when you first take off and you keep asking 'What adventures will await for me?'" he said.
Then, Albert calls out, "If you look straight ahead, you'll see the northern French coastline!"
"France?!" Olivia calls back and looks ahead. Indeed, they saw what appeared to be lights of a village perched high up as if on a cliff. Olivia couldn't see as the sun had set after they left Dover.
Albert flies over the village, it was filled with warm light and Olivia caught a brief glimpse of humans walking around. She then sees a few mice hanging out on the roofs of the buildings.
"How wonderful it must be to live in a different country," Olivia said to Basil.
He takes her hand and he nods in agreement. He then calls out to Albert, "Do your trick! For Miss Olivia!"
"Trick?" she asks, but Dawson must've heard them, arousing him from a deep slumber.
"BASIL! PLEASE! NOT THAT!" the doctor cries out.
"Go back to sleep Dawson!" Basil calls back.
"Let me find a good hill!" Albert shouts and the village was out of their sight. Albert takes in a gust of wind that rolls him up a high hill and Olivia notices Basil raising his hands high and she does the same.
Albert reaches the crest of the hill and flies downward again. Olivia thought she was riding a roller coaster, although she never got to experience it, but this was by far the best experience.
"Like a roller coaster, right?!" Basil said to Olivia, excitedly.
"Yes! That was amazing!" she replies and settles herself down after feeling her adrenaline rush.
"Albert!" Dawson cries out, "How long until we reach Berlin?!"
"About four hours, might be there before midnight," Albert answers. Olivia had forgotten the amount of time that had passed from Dover to where they were now. She looks back to see Dawson falling back asleep again.
"Albert, where do you suppose we are now?" Olivia asks.
"We'll be in Belgium very shortly, then we'll pass over the Netherlands very briefly," Albert answers. Olivia looks down at the open greenery, below her was a land she wanted to set foot in.
"Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris," Olivia whispers to herself, but Basil hears her.
"Olivia, what's the matter?" he asks and she looks back at him with a smile and tears in her eyes.
"People and mice would tell stories of cities glowing with lights. The crowds would intertwine as if in a dance," Olivia said, but chuckles. "That's what I've heard of countries outside of the United Kingdom. I was..." she trails off and thinks of her words, "I mean I am hoping to set foot in these countries sometime."
"You will Olivia and you know, people dream of far off places. In fact, I thought I wouldn't set foot in France or Germany when I first started my career," Basil replies, but he notices her droopy eyes.
Basil embraces her and lets her head rest on his shoulder. "Basil, I have a feeling that once this case is solved that I must go and live with my family in Scotland," she said and Basil feels his stomach drop. He didn't want her to leave his side, again. He had to purpose to her and hoped that she would accept. However, they would have to deal with Aunt Sophie, it was likely that she would take Olivia and never let her go back to London or back to Basil.
The detective would have to fight the matriarch of the Flaversham family, even if it means that Olivia will be excommunicated from her family. There had to be a way for Aunt Sophie to understand her great-niece's feelings and of Basil's.
"Olivia, as long as I am alive, I will protect you from all the evils in the world. I want you to stay with me," Basil said, but notices that Olivia was fast asleep. He holds her tight and he begins to shut his eyes.
"Good night Olivia," he whispers and he falls asleep as Albert continues his flight towards Berlin.
From the author: I honestly don't know how long a bird can travel from London to Berlin, so I am taking a wild guess with Albert's time. There's a lot going on in Basil's mind. Will he and Olivia have a happily ever after together? Just keep that in mind when we reach the end. See you soon!
