Chapter Twenty-One

Meg: We all know what is going to happen from now on, right? I mean, the whole Diamond Jubilee. You may be asking, "How is Rose going to be involved? There were no female thugs in the movie!" Be patient. I promise I have thought this out extensively. It makes sense.

"From the brains that brought you the Big Ben Caper

The head that made headlines in every newspaper…"

Rose laughed to herself as the words of Ratigan's self-dedicated song wafted to the kitchen. He could be really self-absorbed sometimes, but she did not mind; she has vested an interest in him as he had in himself.

She finished putting together a tray of fish, cheese biscuits and tea for the toymaker, Flaversham, who Ratigan was using for his latest scheme. The professor had already outlined the plan to Rose. It was brilliant, she had to admit. She just wished that Flaversham had not been forced into it. He was such a kind, sweet man, and he did not need the taint of a crime on his shoulders.

Rose took up the tray and left the kitchen through the back entrance, not wanting to disturb the singing and drinking she knew was going on in the throne room. She pattered towards the cell occupied by Flaversham, took out her keys, unlocked the door, and opened it.

The toymaker looked up sadly when she came in. "Oh. Hello, Miss Rose."

"I've brought you dinner," Rose said, trying to cheer him up.

"Thank you," he said, going back to his robot.

"Come on, take a break. That can wait."

Flaversham seemed relieved that he would be free from his burden, if only for a short while. "Miss Rose?" he asked as he sat down at the table. "The professor was just in here a few minutes ago."

"Oh?" Rose frowned. She despised how Ratigan treated his captives; he was charming and friendly while giving the person a sense of their impending doom if they did not fulfill his wishes. Such treatment confused already frightened people.

"He… he's going to bring my Olivia here!" Flaversham cried out. "Here, to this horrible place!"

Rose groaned inwardly. Ratigan had told her that he was going to be forced to if Flaversham did not cooperate. Apparently he had refused to cooperate.

"He wouldn't dare hurt her… would he?" he asked.

She was just about to reply when she heard the sound of Ratigan's bell. She and Flaversham's eyes locked as they heard the pounding of Felicia's feet upon the stone floor. There was a pause; Rose thought she had heard someone singing. And then… a meow.

Rose was inwardly panicking. What had caused Ratigan to use the bell on someone? Who had it been? She prayed that it had not been Gerald; he was one of her closer friends. But she knew that she could do nothing about it. Ratigan had often threatened to use the bell on everyone, a warning not taken lightly. Often Rose wondered when her turn would be.

Rose saw Flaversham's fears in his eyes, confirmed by the fear in hers.

"He wouldn't," he whispered.

"Please, don't make it any harder for yourself," Rose said softly.

Flaversham looked dumbly at his food. "How can you work for such an evil man?"

"He has always been good to me," Rose lied.

"But to betray the Queen! How can you?"

Rose stiffened. She was having trouble dealing with that part of the crime. Stealing something, like the Crown Jewels did not matter to her. But regicide? She had been brought up to love the Queen. Assisting in her murder had not been something Rose ever thought she'd find herself a part of.

Flaversham raised his eyes to her face. "You were forced in this life, weren't you?" When she did not answer, he said, "I'm sorry for you."

"Don't be," Rose said crossly, getting up to go.

"Miss Rose-" Flaversham paused. "Please, if he gets a hold of my Olivia, protect her for me."

"I cannot-"

"Please!" The pain in his eyes touched an emotion that she thought had been long dead.

She bit her lip, and then said, "I'll try." With that, she left.

Rose locked the door and leaned against it. She sank down onto the steps wearily.

Flaversham had been probably the most communicative captive Ratigan had ever had. He remembered Rose from February, when she and Scarlet had bought the toy for Deidre. Rose was already guilty that he should remember her, that she had met him before doing him this wrong turn.

Rose was the product of an experiment a sick and twisted mind had contrived; her heart and soul belonged to him, and he gave her little in return to satisfy her spirit. Flaversham someone sensed this, and had from the start been kindly with her. Rose started to regret Ratigan's influence on her, all the evil she had done, because this poor man felt sorry for what she had become.

There was something else that was bothering Rose. She was afraid that Ratigan's scheme would work. He had high goals for himself; goals he planned to begin as soon as he took the throne. Rachel Dunlap had been visiting him more and more often, and spoke of when Ratigan would be king. Rose had heard them talk; Rachel was going to leave her husband to join Ratigan in London.

She gripped the locket around her neck. She feared that Ratigan's sudden rise to power would make him forget all about his little Rose… and for what? A flighty woman? A government Rose could not help run?

She wanted to die. If she lost him, she did not know what she was going to do. She had already sacrificed almost everything she had for him.

Almost everything a young woman can sacrifice…

Sometime later Rose approached Ratigan, who was talking to Doonegan about the crime. The rest of the thugs were till drinking and carousing. "Sir? Can I speak with you?" she asked.

He glanced at her, and then did a double take when he saw the worried look on her face. "Why?"

"In private, sir. Please?"

"Let's go to the study. I'll speak with you later, Doonegan."

When they were in the study, Ratigan closed the door and offered her a seat. She remained standing and faced him. He leaned against the door, folded his arms, and said, "Well? What's all this about?"

"Sir, I don't want to be a part of this crime."

Ratigan's eyes narrowed in suspcion. "Don't be silly. You're going to help."

"I… I cannot."

"Rose…" he said in a warning tone, sounding annoyed.

"I've thought this out, sir. I really have. I'm not like you. I cannot kill anyone. Not even the Queen."

"You're not going to-"

"But I'd be directly involved," she interrupted.

"You are already involved. You're the one who gave me Flaversham's name. Now stop being ridiculous."

"But sir!" Rose cried. She realized her voice was trembling. She tried to pull herself together and sound more matter-of-fact. "Sir, I want to be in the audience at the Jubilee. I want to see you in the beginning stages of your power. I cannot help you get into the palace anyway; I cannot act the part of a palace guard. I'm a woman. But I want to see you, in all your glory…" her voice trailed off.

Ratigan was giving her a strange look. "You don't want to be backstage, with the others? You want to be lost in that crowd?"

"Yes, sir."

"You don't want to be in my government, Rose?"

"How can I, sir? I know nothing of governing. How could I be of any use to you after you gain your power?"

Ratigan seemed to understand her. "So this is what this is all about? You're afraid I am going to drop you as soon as I take over the kingdom?"

Rose blushed. She decided not to bother elaborating on the fact. "I know it, sir."

He gave a strange, unbelieving sort of laugh. "Well, I'll be damned." Then he laughed harder.

"Sir?" Rose said indignantly, insulted that he was laughing at her.

He calmed down a bit. "Rose, Rose, Rose," he said, chuckling a little. "I reward those who help me. Remember?"

"But I cannot help you anymore."

"Really?"

Rose looked up at him. He looked amused. "How?" she asked.

Ratigan stared at her a minute, as if he was sizing her up. She blushed again.

"Rose, I'll make a deal with you. Take some of the money in the throne room and buy yourself a dress. Take a night off. Go to the Jubilee. Let us handle everything. Afterwards, come back to the Queen's quarters, and we'll discuss your career then."

"After the Jubillee?"

"Yes, afterwards. I have something for you. All right?"

So there was hope! Rose gave him a small smile. "All right, sir."

The next day Rose was shocked to find a little girl in a green bottle outside the barrel. As soon as the little girl saw her she began to bang on the glass and shout, "Help me! Let me out!" in a muffled voice.

Rose hurried over, but stopped, embarrassed, when she got to the bottle. The girl was obviously Flaversham's daughter. Poor girl, to be stuck in a bottle!

"I'm sorry," Rose said apologetically. "I cannot let you out."

"Please! I need your help." She pointed to Flaversham's cell and looked with pleading eyes at Rose. "My daddy's in there, and that big, old, stupid rat has got him!"

"Don't call him a rat," Rose warned softly.

"Please, get Mr. Basil!"

"Basil? Basil of Baker Street?" Rose frowned.

The little girl looked hopefully at her for an instant, but became dejected when she saw Rose's expression. "Oh… you don't like him?"

Rose shook her head. "No, I don't," she said shortly.

"Why not?"

"He did me a great wrong once."

"Mr. Basil? But he'd never do anyone wrong!"

"Well, he did with me."

"I'm sure he didn't mean to!"

"Yes, well, he should have been more careful now, shouldn't he?"

"What did he do to you?"

Rose sighed. "I've got to go." She really did; she was going to get ready for the Jubilee in the kitchen, where she could use the stove to heat up her curling irons. Besides, she did not want to talk about Basil.

"No, wait! Why don't you like Mr. Basil?"

Rose heard something like a loud bang from behind a huge crate. She turned back to the little girl. "I'm sorry!" she said, running off to investigate the source of the bang.

She ran around the crate, only to be met with a strange sight: the thugs were propping up a human gun and bow and arrow. A human axe lay on the ground, and thugs were scrambling around it, trying to set it up again as Ratigan yelled, "YOU IDIOTS! HOW HARD IS IT TO HOLD ONTO THE ROPES? NO ONE WOULD SUSPECT THAT YOU WERE ALL ABOUT TO OVERTHROW THE QUEEN, BEING THE CLUMSY, INCOMPETENT MORONS YOU ARE!"

Rose was thoroughly confused. Fidget hobbled past with a "'Scuse me." He looked horribly tattered, as if he had had a fight with a cheese grater.

"Fidget! What's going on here?" Rose asked.

The bat stopped and looked at her. "Wha'?"

"What is all this?" Rose said, motioning to the weapons being set up. "I don't understand."

"It's Ba-Ba-Basil," Fidget stuttered. "He's ah… on our tail."

"Basil?" Rose felt a surge of anger wash over her. Basil was going to ruin everything for Ratigan!

"Sir!" Rose called, rushing over to the professor. "Sir!"

He stopped yelling for a moment and saw her. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to the Jubilee."

"I am," Rose said, holding up the brown parcel that contained her dress. "But Basil! He hasn't discovered the lair, has he?"

"He hasn't… but he will!" Ratigan said, laughing wickedly. "Isn't it marvelous?"

He was making absolutely no sense to Rose. "But sir, isn't that a… bad thing?"

"Of course it is!" Ratigan shouted rather boisterously. "Of course! It would just ruin everything!" He laughed again, appearing as if he was drunk on the news of Basil discovering the lair.

"I don't understand…" Rose began.

"A little to the left! To the LEFT, you meatheads!" Ratigan yelled at his men. Then, aside to Rose, "What is there not to understand?"

Rose frowned. "Why do you want Basil to come here? Tonight, of all nights?"

Ratigan put his hand on her shoulder and steered her towards the weapons that were being set up. "Picture this," he said excitedly, breathing rapidly. "Human weapons: an anvil, a pistol, an axe, a bow and arrow…" He began to outline the whole plan to her, the elaborateness of Basil's execution, all done with mathematical precision and genius. It would be a death fitting the rival of the most brilliant mind in London, the man who had caused the professor so much trouble. "Isn't it marvelous?" he repeated.

"It's amazing," Rose agreed.

Ratigan looked down at the parcel she was holding. "When are you going to the Jubilee?"

"One half hour before you do, sir. I want a good place in the crowd."

"Stay until Basil comes. You can see the show."

"I won't get to the Jubilee in time."

"You can ride in the dirigible."

"That's all right."

He looked surprised. "Don't you want to see Basil's demise?"

"No."

Ratigan shot her a sidelong glance. "Why not?"

She grimaced in reply.

Ratigan sighed. "I forgot. You can't stand watching people die. You're too soft, my dear."

"I'm sorry, sir."

"No you're not. You're only sorry to see people who don't give a damn about you die. Rose, how old are you?"

"Seventeen, sir. Tomorrow's my birthday."

"Really?" Ratigan looked at her. "Eighteen years? Tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Hm." He looked at her neck, where the locket he had given her for her first crime hung. He fingered it gently, a small smile appearing on his lips. "You've been with me for almost one year."

"I know, sir."

He opened the locket for a moment and looked at the small mirror. He opened his mouth, but paused, and then shut it again. He let go of the locket. "Go get ready. I'll show you the trap when you're done."

"I can't wait to see it, sir." She turned to go.

"Don't forget that I want to see you after the Jubilee!" he called after her.

She turned around and grinned. "I won't forget."

Little did they know the turn Fate was about to give them. If only they had known what was to happen, I am sure Ratigan would not have built so elaborate a trap, or would have made sure that Giovanni did not drug those drinks. Perhaps then those fifteen precious minutes would not have been lost. Maybe he would have left a thug to watch over the victims of the trap. There are so many 'what ifs' that Rose thought about later, so many loopholes they could have plugged up, so many possibilities… after all the potential outcomes, why did it have to happen the way it did?

Meg: (typing away at her laptop) This is getting tough, writing a story that takes place during the movie. I'm forced to follow a timeline that I have never understood. First of all, Olivia goes to Basil the night before the Jubilee, right?

Leigh: Yeah… well, according to the beginning of "The World's Greatest Criminal Mind."

RAEB: (imitating Ratigan) "Tomorrow night our beloved Monarch celebrates her Diamond Jubilee."

Meg: Okay, good, I'm not wrong. All right then, but what about after that? The toy store they went to, the human one, was closed. Obviously they were there at night. So… then where the heck was the next day? I mean, there was too little time from when Basil and Dawson found Fidget's list to when they went to The Rat Trap in the movie to count for at least another twelve hours, right? And we saw Basil turning up a lamp in the movie… so why was that? Was it still night, or was it just a rainy day? WHERE DID ALL THE TIME GO?

Luke: (to Ratigan) You heard her. What happened to all the time?

Ratigan: That's a secret.

Luke: Uh Meg, he says it's-

Meg: (irritated) I HEARD HIM! (looks at computer screen) Oh shoot.

Everyone else: What?

Meg: Erm… you know the name 'Rose McGeady?'

Emma: Yeah.

Meg: Well, McGeady just seemed to fit as a good last name for someone named Rose. You know?

Luke: So?

Meg: Well, ah, yeah… I Googled the name "Rose McGeady", and… I read this book called, "Please Help Me, God," a couple years ago about this Catholic organization called Covenant House that houses children who are abused or homeless. The author of the book is one Sister Mary Rose McGeady.

Emma: I don't get it. What's the problem?

Meg: I inadvertently used a nun's name for Rose's name! I just used a nun's name for my 'evil' main character's name! And Meg Sarentis was going to be a nun, and she is loved by Ratigan and Rose loves Ratigan and… TOO MANY SIMILARITIES! Argh! I knew I had heard that name somewhere before!