Chapter Seven

Josh remained in the cabin with me for the rest of the evening. When the clock struck twelve and Ratigan still failed to show up, Josh left me to sleep while he waited outside for the professor.

I was lightly dozing when a large pair of feet passed me. I opened my eyes. Ratigan went into the bedroom, leaving the door ajar. Curious, I got up from the floor and peeked through the door, as the music box was turned on. I couldn't help it; the power of the music box consumed me once again.



"Sing sweetly, sing sweetly my rose, my love

Who watches me from heaven above,

Sing softly, sing softly to the stars of night

As they gently caress me in the soft twilight.

Sing to me a song of old

My rose, courageous and bold,

Do not fear, stay by me

You will never leave.

Sing sweetly, sing sweetly my angel of light

The past whispers secrets into the night,

Safely here, my troubles are gone

As I sing to you this song."



Ratigan jumped. He turned toward me. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

I could believe it. Professor Ratigan, the fear of the known mouseworld, apologizing for waking up a young girl! It was unheard of.

"It's... alright, sir," I stammered. "I'll be going now sir."

I turned to leave. "Meg?"

Ratigan was staring at me strangely again. "Yes Professor?"

"You don't have to call me 'Sir' and 'Professor'." He chuckled. "I wasn't born with those titles."

"Then what shall I call you? What is your name?" I asked.

He paused. "James. That's my name."

"James." I liked that name. It seemed to make him seem less evil.

He came over to me. "Yes. Call me James." He bent down, and kissed me. But this time, I didn't resist as much as I had before. I don't know why.


Basil read the telegram again, excited. "This is it, Dawson!" he shouted. "The key to finding that maid of mine!"

"Well, Basil, what is it?" his colleague asked.

"An old mouse writes about 40 miles south of the Baltic," he said. "Said he found a girl, very sick, named Anne. She asked for me, and said she needed to help a certain Meg. Then two suspicious characters named Bob and GC took the girl away. He wants me to investigate this matter. It's the first clue I've found in weeks!"


We arrived in Denmark two weeks after my kidnapping. I was presented before my great- grand aunt, who was currently ruling Denmark. She bought my story. I then pleaded with her to let me marry the mouse that had helped me get my memory back, Ratigan. Of course, he went under an alias. She consented to it; too thankful I was there to rule my country.

I saw Anne again. She looked worse than before. She was terribly sick. I begged Ratigan to take better care of her.

As adjustments were made to my wedding dress, I gazed at my engagement ring. We were to be married in one day. One day.

I never expected to be married, ever. I had always wanted to be a nun. I had cried many times over my fate. I was going to miss my normal life terribly. I was also going to miss Anne.

She had still tried to stop me from accepting this marriage. She knew how stubborn I was, though. When I still refused to be swayed in my decision, she begged me to try to bring kindness and compassion to Ratigan. Perhaps, she had said, he might become good one day. It was a far-fetched dream, in my opinion.


The maids stepped back from me. "My lady," Marie said, "you look like a fairy-tale!"

I gazed at myself in the mirror. "I can't believe it," I muttered. I felt overcome with pity for myself. "You are dismissed," I said uncertainly to the maids. I still wasn't quite used to giving orders.

When they left, I blushed at my reflection. I did not even want to think about tomorrow. For a while, I stared at myself in the mirror, fingering the rose necklace about my neck.

I went to the vanity and picked up the scarlet and gold music box. I turned it on, and closed my eyes. The music soothed me. I no longer sang the song.

I had been standing there for quite some time, when a hand was laid upon my shoulder. A sinister voice behind me said, "You look gorgeous, my dear."

The trance was broken. I spun around, to face Ratigan. "How. did you get in here?" I asked.

"Through the servants' passageway in the wall," he answered, grinning wickedly.

"Oh, I didn't know there was one," I said uneasily. I walked over to the vanity and put the music box back in place. "James," I began, still unused to calling him by his first name. "James, you should leave. It's bad luck to see the bride in her wedding dress before her wedding day."

He put his arms around me. I gently pushed him away. "What's wrong?"

"Please James, wait until tomorrow." I went over to the mirror and began unpinning my veil. I could see him standing close behind me.

"That reminds me..." he said. "You are going to go through with this my dearest Meg, aren't you? Because," he said, toying with his pistol, "you know what the consequences are if you don't."

I shut my eyes, wishing he would go away. He comes in here, acting like he loves me, and then reminds me that my friend's life is at stake if I don't!

"Yes," I said through gritted teeth. "I will go through with it, sir."

I turned to put the veil aside when he gave me a kiss. He turned and left the room.
Meg: Good thing Ratigan isn't here, because he'd definitely kill me for making him fall in love.

RAEB: But he might have killed JWJ.

Meg: That's not my problem. He's the one that started on calling the Professor a 'rat'.

(JWJ comes in looking perfectly fine.)

JWJ: Hey.

Meg: (mouth gaping open) You... you... what?

RAEB: Yeah, you don't look half as bad as Meg looked when she came back.

JWJ: Well, Meg doesn't know how to handle these cartoon characters.

Meg: Ratigan didn't do anything to you?

JWJ: Nope.

Meg: That's so not fair! That's it, I quit. Liz, you take over. (storms out of room.)

Lizz: Uh... please review?