Chapter 9

(JWJ comes in pulling Meg in by the ear.)

Meg: Owow! Let go!

(JWJ lets Meg go.)

JWJ: Now apologize.

Meg: Apologize? Apologize for what?

JWJ: Come on, you know!

Meg: Fine. (Sighs) What we did to Matt Childres is in no way related to how we feel about him. It was only for the sake of the plot.

JWJ: What do you mean 'we'?

Meg: Oh come on! You told me when I was naming the character that it was a good idea!

JWJ: Did not!

Meg: Did too!

JWJ: Did not!

Sarah: WOULD YOU TWO SHUT UP ALREADY?

Meg: Okay. Next chapter is my absolute favorite. Believe me, there's method to the madness.
In minutes they were once again in San Antonio. The dog dropped them off at the train station.

"Thank you old chap," Basil said as he leaped off. "If you ever hear from that mouse, have him refer to me."

The dog gave out a short bark in reply and ran off.

Basil, Dawson, and Flaversham ran over to the train schedule. After scanning it for a few moments, Basil went to the ticket booth and conversed with the mouse there. Flaversham and Dawson waited nearby.

"San... San..." Flaversham muttered.

A young mother walked past them, yelling to her little girl, "Fran! Come here this instant!"

"That's it!" Flaversham exclaimed. Dawson jumped.

Basil spun around. "For heaven's sake, Flaversham, what is it?"

"It was a San Fran something."

"What was?"

"Where he was headed!"

"San Francisco is the only city it could be. Was that it?" Basil asked.

"I am almost certain."

Basil turned back to the ticket mouse and urgently talked to him for another minute. Then he hurried back to his companions. "There's a train leaving right now that's headed for San Francisco!"

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Olivia kicked her seat in a rhythmic pattern.

"Little girl, if you do not quit that aggravating noise, I will personally cut off your foot and stuff it down your throat," Ratigan threatened.

Olivia glared at him but let her foot flap to a stop. She then proceeded to watch the darkness outside the window of the train.

I sat directly across from her, my foot supported on the seat next to her. It still hurt a great deal, but my emotional pain was much stronger than any physical pain I had ever endured. All I could think of were ways to kill the loathsome creature sitting next to me.

Olivia's very presence seemed to annoy him, and I feared that my protection was not enough.

"Professor," I said in a low voice, "what is to be done about Olivia?" Olivia looked up in alarm at this statement.

Ratigan sighed. "Meg, I don't care what happens to the little brat. It is pretty much out of my hands. You choose her future for her. Leave her on the streets, send her on the Orphan Train for all I care!"

Olivia stared at me, terrified. I did not have the slightest idea what the Orphan Train was, so I immediately eliminated that idea. "'Liv, do you have any relatives?"

"No."

"Not one? Not even a friend of the family?"

"Mr. Basil was our only friend. Wait, Dr. Dawson is!"

"Dawson?" Ratigan said sharply. Then he laughed. "Yes, send her to the good doctor!" he said sarcastically.

"What's wrong with that idea?" Olivia demanded.

Ratigan grinned. "I had actually forgot about him! He was last seen leaving San Antonio with Basil. But Basil was found minus your tubby friend. So where could he have disappeared to?"

"Leave him alone!" Olivia cried.

"Oh, he is of no concern to me," Ratigan said. "He could barely get along with Basil there to guide him!"

I looked out the door to our compartment, and to my utter shock, saw Basil in the aisle!

Suddenly everything started spinning. I was falling into a void of blackness.

"Meg? Meg!"

I opened my eyes. Apparently I had fainted. I was now lying on the bench on the left side of the compartment. Ratigan was standing over me, and nearby there was a young porter, looking on.

"What happened? Is it your leg?" Ratigan asked.

Did I just see Basil? Impossible! "Just a little weak," I gasped. "I'll be all right."

"Do you need a doctor?" the porter offered, not knowing what to do.

"No, she just needs some rest," Ratigan said abruptly. "Now get out!"

The young mouse scurried away. Ratigan seated himself next to Olivia, who shrank as far into her corner of the compartment as she could.

"Meg, you look like you've seen a ghost..."

I slowly pulled myself up and glanced at the door. No detective. Nothing.

Ratigan was staring intently at me. I must have missed something he had said. "What?" I asked faintly.

Ratigan turned to Olivia. "See this! This is all your-"

But her face was completely white, a look of pure shock and fear pasted on it. The professor followed her stare to the corridor.

"WHAT!"

He drew his revolver as he shoved the compartment door open.

"YOU!"

"DAWSON!"

"BASIL! RUN!"

"MOVE!"

"WATCH OUT!"

"MOVE!!"

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

I rolled off the seat and fell onto the floor with a cry of pain. Olivia jumped on her seat and ran over to the door, leaping into the corridor. I dragged myself after her.

This had not been a part of Basil's plan. Okay, he had to admit to himself that he had never actually come up with a plan in the first place. He had been trying to signal Meg to let her know that help was on the way. He knew she would not reveal anything to Ratigan. But he had not seen Olivia sitting there in the corner.

He dodged mice in the corridor, trying to think of a way to trap Ratigan. The huge rat was on his heels. He quickly spun around and, bracing himself against the walls of the corridor, kicked out with all his might. Ratigan screamed, falling backwards. Basil reached for his pistol, but the rat was upon him in a flash. They fought fiercely, kicking and clawing at each other.

"Sirs..." the conductor said loudly. They ignored him. "Sirs, you cannot fight on this train. You both must get off at the next station. Sirs! Argh!" Basil, who had been tripped by Ratigan, fell into the poor mouse. The detective got up and ran out of the car. The professor had to first disentangle his cape before following.

"STOP, RAT!" Dawson shouted.

Ratigan turned around, and smiling, held up Basil's pistol. "Think the old chap needs this?"

Dawson began to back away. Ratigan fired off two rounds at the doctor before continuing his chase. The mice around him screamed. Some ran back into the compartments; others came out to see what the racket was.

Flaversham ran forward. "Doctor!" he exclaimed.

Dawson's face was red, but he managed a smile. "That fiend managed to put two bullets into my own army revolver!" He pulled out a gun from his coat pocket, which was mutilated from the two bullets it had stopped. He started to laugh.

"Daddy!" Olivia yelled, running down the corridor.

"Olivia!" Flaversham scooped her up and hugged her.

"Where's Meg?" Dawson asked.

"Here I am," a voice called out softly. They all looked; Meg was crawling across the floor. Mice in the hallway made room for her, but with looks of disgust on their faces. Now Dawson could see why; she was wearing a cheap costume of some sort.

"Meg! What's wrong?"

"Her leg is broken," Olivia replied.

Dawson ran forward to help her up. "Are you all right?"

"Who got shot? Was it Basil?" she asked anxiously, breathing heavily.

"No, it was I."

"Dawson! It's not funny!"

"I am telling the truth." He showed her the remains of his gun.

"Then where's Basil?" she cried.

Basil crouched on the roof of the train, facing his archenemy. "Nice to see you again, Ratigan," he said softly. They both swayed dangerously, but neither seemed bothered by this.

"This time I'll kill you with my bare claws," Ratigan growled. He lunged at the detective and they both went rolling across the top of the train, almost falling off. The fighting creatures grabbed the sides just before they could fall.

There they were, hanging onto the side of a train.

Ratigan kicked out with his legs, trying to force Basil to let go. Basil almost lost his grip, but quickly recovered. He held on with one paw and aimed a punch in Ratigan's face, but the rat ducked. It grazed his cheek.

The professor ripped at him with his claws, tearing his cape. Basil grabbed his arm, and they did a sort of arm wrestle.

"Basil!" Dawson called out. He and Flaversham had just left one of the cars and had seen them hanging above them. "We're coming!"

They started to climb up the side of the train when they encountered some of Ratigan's own henchmen... with revolvers.

"Heheh," one said. "This is gonna be easier than I thought."

"Dawson?" Flaversham said quietly, a bit of a panic in his voice. "How are we on weaponry?"

"Only my ruined pistol..." Dawson shot the toy maker a fearful look.

"DAWSON! DUCK!" a feminine voice shouted.

He looked around. "There's no duck around here-"

"GET DOWN!" Flaversham shoved him as several shots sounded. The henchmen dispersed in fright.

Dawson looked up. "Meg?"

I was leaning against the door to the car laughing quietly to myself, a gun smoking in my hands. "'There's no duck around here'?" I said sarcastically, gasping for breath.

"DAWSON! ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?" Basil yelled from his position, still struggling with the rat.

"Give it up, Basil! You're all dead mice!" Ratigan snarled.

"Basil! Get away so I can kill him!" I shouted.

"Meg! Let me handle this!" he barked back. "You're a horrible shot anyway!"

"WHAT?" I exclaimed, but not loudly enough for him to hear. "Oooh, I'll show you..." I limped forward, but Dawson pulled the gun away from me. "Meg, don't prove his point by killing him."

Finally Basil and Ratigan lifted themselves back onto the safety of the roof. Dawson and Flaversham took off, disappearing somewhere under the train.

"Oh, don't leave me here all alone..." I said to myself. I had lost sight of Basil and Ratigan.

Just as I started to limp in the direction that Dawson and Flaversham had gone, Olivia burst out of the door. "Megana!" she exclaimed. "Where is everyone?"

I pointed dumbly up at the roof. Just then I saw Basil leap the distance from the boxcar he had been on to the passenger car we were on.

Flaversham came back, but looked too worried for my liking. "Ratigan's got a horde of thugs on this train! We'll never be able to make it to safety!"

"What?" I asked.

"We found ourselves in the midst of them, right here under the train," he continued. "They took one look at me and realized that the plan had gone to pieces. Dawson is trying to hold them off now!"

"Mr. Flaversham, I'm useless with this leg. What are we going to do?"

"Mrs. Havers, Oliva, you two need to get to safety!"

He supported me and we hopped to the next car, finding a hole to let us in. One second later, a rather cut up and bruised Basil appeared behind us.

"Basil!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Where's Ratigan?" Flaversham asked.

"With that gang of his. And Dawson! Oh, where are you, old friend?" He disappeared for a minute, but came back with Dawson in tow.

The three males managed to shove a three-foot crate over the opening. "There!" Basil said. "That'll buy us some time."

"What are we doing?" I asked.

"Escaping I hope," Basil replied cheerfully.

"Escaping! We can't run away now!"

"We're outnumbered," Dawson said.

"Why can't we just kill Ratigan?" I said bluntly. Basil ignored my question, and instead took a quick inspection of the boxcar. He hurried to a crate by the door to the boxcar. "One rat... only one!" I continued. "We can leave the thugs alone!"

"Meg, those thugs will shoot us all dead before we can escape."

"Coward," I muttered.

He glared at me. "Live today, fight tomorrow. You should have at least learned that much from Mr. Liang."

The detective scrambled up the side of the crate and pushed open the lid to the box. Meanwhile, the crate that was blocking the opening was starting to slide away. The assorted yells of Ratigan's henchmen were heard. Dawson and Flaversham strained to keep the crate over the opening, but they were fighting a losing battle. Olivia helped me to hobble over, and the four of us combined our strength to hold them back.

Suddenly there was a huge explosion, and everyone was thrown back. I fell on my bad leg with a scream of pain.

"Meg! Are you all right?" Basil tried to help me up. I fell back down.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? Of course I am not all right!" I snapped. Then I calmed down a bit. "What happened?"

"There was gunpowder in those crates. I just took a little bit and lit it, but it set off both crates." I looked over at the door. It was completely blown off, leaving a tremendous hole in the boxcar. Flames licked the edges of the hole.

"Dawson! Flaversham! Drag that crate in the corner over there!" Basil ordered. I tried to stand up again, but it felt like it was breaking off completely. "Basil..." I moaned. He gently picked me up and carried me to the hole he had created.

Dawson and Flaversham had the crate by the edge. The Texan countryside whizzed past. "Closer to the edge," he commanded.

"Basil! You're surely joking!" Dawson exclaimed. "This is madness!"

"Aha! True, my dear Dawson. But there is method in it!" he said excitedly. "Closer!" They reluctantly obeyed, pushing a quarter of it over the edge. "Now everyone in! Quickly now!"

Everyone was shocked. "We'll be killed!" Flaversham yelled.

Just then the crate that was blocking the smaller opening to the boxcar was shoved away. Ratigan's sinister face popped into sight. "There they are!" he roared. "GET THEM!"

Everyone scrambled in without further complaint. "Hang onto me," Basil said to me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he climbed up into the crate. Once in the crate, I realized that it was filled with blankets. I looked back. Ratigan had reached the crate, and was starting to climb the side.

"COME BACK AND FIGHT, YOU COWARD!" Ratigan screeched.

"Everyone leaned forward!" Basil called out, still holding onto me. Slowly the crate tottered over the edge, and suddenly fell. Ratigan leaped off just in time.

I hardly remember what happened next. The crate tumbled along, finally crashing to pieces. As we flew out of the crate, I let go of Basil, rolling to a stop nearby.

I must have fainted again, because I then found myself in a horse-drawn wagon.

"What the...?" I said stupidly.

"Good, you're awake." I looked besides me; Basil and Dr. Dawson were sitting besides me.

"Where are the Flavershams?" I asked.

"Sleeping," Basil replied. "They've had a hard day."

"What's your name?" Dawson asked me.

"Dawson, you know my name."

"I am checking to see that you didn't suffer any trauma to the head," he said.

"Megana Trina Sarentis Havers. I'm nineteen years old, I'm Danish, I lived near Alborg, Denmark until I was nine, when my parents died of typhoid fever, and I almost became a nun at age seventeen. I was married to Josh Havers, killed by Ratigan, who has kidnapped me... three times so far."

"All right Meg, you're just fine," Dawson said.

"I was sent to work for Basil during my training because I was unruly or something to that extent," I continued. Basil and Dawson exchanged confused looks. I kept talking. It almost reassured me that I was alive, that everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours was not just a nightmare, but had really happened. "I reside at Lower 221B Baker Street with Dr. David Q. Dawson and... wait! Basil, what's your first name?"

He laughed. "You can stop now, Meg."

"Okay... but what is your first name?"

He leaned in and whispered, "Get some rest. I'll tell you another day."

Leigh: (Sarcastically) Wonder where you got the 'method to the madness' line.

Lizz: I liked this chapter!

Meg: Lizz, you're my only supportive and uncomplaining friend. The rest of you are all mean!

JWJ: That's because it's more fun to pick on you than to be nice to you.