No One Can Hold Me Down

Leaving the orphanage, Dawson looked at Basil. He seemed to be deep in his toughts. "Basil" Dawson finally asked when they arrived to Baker Street "how can you be sure that Ratigan is alive?"

"Instinct, my dear Dawson. Just instinct."

"Oh."Dawson tought for a moment, then: "Do you really think that his daughter knows where he could be? I mean, she's just a child..."

Basil shook his head. "She's more than a child, Dawson: she has more brain and cold blood than most of the people in the Mousedom. Trust me."

Dawson looked at him. "You have already met her before, didn't you?"

The detective sat on his armchair. "Yes, I met her two years ago. At the time she was just seven, but yet she saved my life."

"She did WHAT?"

"It's a long story, my dear fellow."

"I have a lot of time, Basil."

Basil sighed."Very well. Had you never heard abuot Geoffrey Carmichael, the Killer of Alleys?"

"Yes, I' ve heard about him. You're the one who stopped him, aren't you?"

"Well, not exactly: I didn't get him all by myself. Somebody helped me."

"Who...?"

Basil stared at the fire who was burning in the fireplace. "Professor Ratigan" he answered quietly.

Dawson's jaw almost dropped on the floor. "WHAT? He helped you? It's impossible!"

"Yes, I said the same thing at the time."

The poor doctor was stunned. "But...why did he help you?"

"Carmichael killed his wife in front of their daughter's eyes."

Dawson's eyes widened. "Oh, God..."

Basil gave a short laugh. "I said the same thing when he told me that. Anyway, what happened two years ago doesn't matters. Now I must back to work!"

"But Basil, you're still wounded..."

Basil shrugged. "I don't care of it."

"But I'm a doctor, Basil, and I care of it! You need some rest!"

"I'll rest after I'll have put him to jail, Dawson. Not before."

The old teacher, Mr. Wren, cleared his troath. "Children, as you should know, we have a new guest. Her name is Ginevra Ratigan"he spat out the last word as it was poison.

Ginny's blood was boiling. How you dare, you goddam...

"Stand up and tell us about yourself, Ginevra" the teacher ordered.

Now the whole class was staring at her.

Ginny unwillingly stood up. "If I have to..."she looked around to the other children "I guess you already know who I am. I warn you to not upset me and leave me alone. You upset me, and I'll tear you apart. It's not so difficult to understand, isn't it? If you really want to fight, good: it will be over within five seconds with you on the floor. By the way, I'm an half-blood, so don't dare to call me a rat. I hope I've made myself clear enough. Oh, I almost forgot...call me Ginny, not 'Ginevra'. Remember that."

The other children looked at her, terrified. "Sit down and shut up, Ginevra"the teacher snapped "don't start the day with a detention!"

She simply smirked and sat down.

Mr.Wren stared at her in disgust for a moment or two, the he turned to the other children. "Very well, children, now open your book on page twenty-nine..."

I hate this place, Ginny tought, alone on her desk. She hadn't talked with anyone of the other children, and no one had dared to talk with her. So much the better: she didn't want their friendship. She looked at the teacher again: he was trying to teach the multiplication table to that bunch of idiots. Ginny sighed and rolled her eyes. Her father had already taught her the multiplication table when she was just four. The little girl looked at the others, feeling like a caged tiger. She would willingly kill all those poor useless idiots just to give vent to her feelings. I must go away, or I'll get mad. I can't stay here.

Ginny looked out of the window, her chin resting on her hand, and began to plan her escape.

A week passed. Ginny carefully studied every little habit of the orphanage's night watchmouse, and she found out that every evening a child was send to bring him a bottle of brandy for the night. Her brain began to work about this. A bottle of brandy, uh?

Oh, yes. YES! That's the master plan!

If only she could have some sleeping-pills...

"Ginevra, are you fine?" Mr. Wren asked, looking at the little girl sitting in front of the table. Ginny shook her head tiredly. She had always been a good actress.

"I'm not very hungry"she said with a trembling voice, altough she was starving.

Altough he was digusted to touch a half-rat, the teacher placed his hand on her forhead. "You're warm"he said. Ginny grinned inwardly. Of course I'm warm, you idiot. I rubbed my forhead so hard that I've almost pulled up my fur!

"I feel a little weird"she said instead, trying to seem weak and sick.

"Hmm."Mr. Wren stared at her for a moment, then: "Follow me" he ordered "I must bring you to the infirmary."

He had bought it! Ginny tried her best to not smile.

Oh, daddy, who is the World's Greatest Criminal Mind now?

The nurse put a thermometer inside her mouth and covered her up.

"Don't move, brat"she said sharply "I'll come back within two minues."

As she left the room, Ginny stood up and placed the thermometer on the stove. She and growled towards the door. " 'Don't move' "she mocked "yeah, right."

She went to the medical box and tried to open it. It was locked, just as she had expected. Ginny took a hairpin from her hair and drove it inside the lock, using it to force the lock.

"Oh, please" she whispered, manoeuvreing with the hairpin "please, please..."

CLACK! The box finally opened.

"Yes!"

Ginny grinned and opened the box. She rapidly took some sleeping-pills and pulled them in her poket, then she closed the box and locked it. She went to bed again and covered herself. She put the thermometer in her mouth again just as the nurse entered.

I'll be out of here within the end of the week. No one can hold me down. No one in the world.