THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE 2: A NEW BEGINNING
A "Great Mouse Detective" Fanfiction By The Mouse Avenger

Chapter 6:
Enter The Villains

Monday, October 26, 1897

(CUE MUSIC: "Gymnopedie No. 3", by Erik Satie)

Morning had once risen over Mouse London. Unlike yesterday, however, the sky was overcast with silver-gray clouds, & a gray fog filled the air. A cold wind whistled softly, rustling leaves & stray newspapers about. But on Baker Street, the occupants of Sherlock Holmes' home were safely sheltered from the elements, as were Basil Of Baker Street & his family. In fact, the Great Mouse Detective was still sound asleep in his bedroom on the second floor of his house.

Basil's bedroom was a bit simpler than the other rooms at Lower 221B Baker Street, but nonetheless very beautiful. The walls were painted a light pink, & the floor was covered with a dark-rose carpet. A great canopy bed with pink mattresses & matching bedsheets & pillows, large fuschia curtains (with golden draw-tassels) on all four sides (attached to the fuschia canopy), fuschia blankets, white linens, & reddish-brown mahogany bedposts (with a headboard of the same color & material) stood at the center of the west wall. A large bureau (with a TV & remote on it) stood on the east wall, opposite of the bed. On the north wall, a burgundy armchair with a matching stool stood by the right side of the bed; a large square window (flanked on either side by fuschia curtains with golden draw-tassels) was on that same wall, behind the chair & stool. On both sides of the bed, there were two nightstands, both with drawers & small lamps on them (Basil's had a notepad & pen on top of his, while the other had an alarm clock). An antique looking-glass, along with a vanity & chair, rested in the northeast corner of the room, by the bureau with the TV. A small mirrored closet was on the south wall, by the door. A small lamp hung from the ceiling. The door to Basil's washroom was in the southeast corner of the room.

In his canopy bed, Basil (dressed in his robe, necktie, shirt, sleep-trousers, & slippers) was resting under the covers. The sleuth snored softly as he slumbered peacefully, with a gentle smile on his face. No doubt, he was having very wonderful dreams about his new family, & the lovely life he was now leading. Suddenly, Basil was awakened from his sleep, bolting upright in bed with a gasp when he heard the sound of something crashing & shattering through his bedroom window. Good heavens, what on Mouse Earth was that? thought Basil. I'll have to find out right away! Basil crawled over to the other side of his bed, & pulled back the curtains with his paws, before looking down to see a red brick with a note tied down to it, lying amidst the broken pieces of glass from his shattered window.

Interesting, Basil mused. I assume it's a message for me, but who sent it to this address, & why? Carefully, Basil picked up the brick, & untied the rope around it. Then, he took the note that was once attached to the brick, & held it up in front of his face for him to see. Basil's eyes began darting back & forth as they silently scanned the words written upon the note. Said note, written hastily in black ink script, said: "Dear Mr. Basil, come on down to the alley near the Fish-&-Chips Pub in the East End. My friends & I are in grave danger! You need to try & save us before it's too late—please hurry! Sincerely, J.P."

Whoever this J.P. fellow is, Basil decided, he & his companions are in desperate need of my help! I must go to their aid post-haste! With that single determined thought in mind, Basil moved to place the note on his nightstand, then crawled out of bed to prepare for the engaging day that lay ahead. After ducking into his closet to take out (& subsequently put on) his deerstalker cap, invertness cape, trenchcoat, trousers, & work-shoes, Basil walked out of his bedroom, then turned right, & took the few short paces to the top of the stairway leading to the second floor. Basil then proceeded to tiptoe quietly down the stairs & enter the living room, before walking over to pass through the kitchen door, which he opened & closed with a gentle creak.

Basil's kitchen was definitely the most Spartan of the rooms in his house. The kitchen was full of pots, pans, dishes, silverware, appliances, & various other dining supplies. A large oven & stove sat close together on the west wall. On the east wall, there rested a refrigerator & a large ice chest / freezer, which were separated from one another by the door that led into the adjacent dining room. On the north wall, there was a large counter that spanned the entire length of said wall; the bottom part of the counter was lined with rows of drawers (filled with silverware, utensils, cooking tools, & other things) & cabinets (filled with all kinds of dry & canned food, as well as cleaning supplies). Above the counter, there was another row of cabinets that spanned the length of the north wall (these cabinets were used to store the cereals, potato chips, pretzels, bread, & other foods that came in bags or boxes); a small microwave lay on top of the counter surface. A washing sink sat at the south wall, by the door that led to the living room. The floor was bare, & only sported neatly-nailed wooden planks that complemented the brownish-orange walls.

As Basil walked over to the refrigerator, he realized that his loved ones would quickly notice he was absent from their presence, so he decided to leave them a note to let everyone know where he was & what he was doing. With that thought in mind, Basil whipped out a piece of paper & a ballpoint pen, which he used to write his message; it read, "Dear family, I'm sorry I'm not there to join you at breakfast, but I've been called away on a case. If I'm not already back by lunchtime, then I'll be home later in the afternoon to discuss the case with you. Have a good day, & I love you all very much. Sincerely, Basil."

Basil taped the completed note onto the refrigerator door, & then walked out of the kitchen, before making his way to the front door, opening it, & stepping out onto the porch. Basil shivered a little when he felt the cold chill of the whistling wind, & he wrapped his invertness cape more tightly around his furson to keep himself warm. As the detective walked down the flight of cement steps leading down from the porch, & started making his way across the front yard, he thought it odd that the furson in need of his help—this "J.P." fellow—only asked him, & him alone, to go to the alley. For a moment, a nagging feeling arose in the back of Basil's mind—a feeling that something about this whole situation wasn't quite right...but, then, the feeling went away, & Basil continued on his journey to the East End, hoping he could get to the endangered rodents in time.

While Basil was taking the next Mousetro tram across town, life at Lower 221B Baker Street carried on normally. Olivia (dressed in her fuschia nightgown & matching hair-bow) was still sleeping in her canopy bed, snuggled up with her teddy bear. After a few moments, Olivia woke up with a deep yawn & a stretch of her arms, before crawling out of bed, & going downstairs to the dining room. Hiram, Cousin Timmy, Dr. Dawson, Ratigan, & Fidget (all dressed in their nightclothes) were already seated at the table, preparing to eat their morning meal. Upon seeing Olivia come in to take a seat beside him, Hiram smiled, & greeted his daughter cheerfully, "Good morning, my bairn. Want some breakfast?"

"Uh-huh!" Olivia exclaimed, nodding to her father as she picked up some silverware in her paws.

A few seconds later, Mrs. Judson came in out of the kitchen, smiling as she handed the members of the Baker Street Family their breakfast. "Plates of piping-hot cheese pancakes with maple syrup & butter for everyone!" the mousekeeper announced joyfully. After passing everyone their food & taking a plate of cheese pancakes for herself, Mrs. Judson sat down at the table to eat with the others.

It was then that a thought occurred to Olivia. After swallowing a mouthful of food, the mouseling asked the question that had been on her mind: "Where's Basil, Mrs. Judson? He's not here at the table."

"And he's missing out on this great breakfast!" Fidget added, eating his food.

Carving up her cheese pancakes with a knife & fork, Mrs. Judson explained, "He's out on a case right now, but he should be back by lunchtime, if not later."

"OK," Olivia responded with a nod, before going back to eating her breakfast. As she ate her morning meal, she thought to herself, Wherever Basil is going, it's strange that he didn't take us with him! I can't help but be worried about himhe really shouldn't have gone by himself! After all, being a mouse detectiveespecially the greatest one in the whole worldis a very dangerous job! I really hope he'll be OK out there...Who knows what kind of trouble he might get into? [1]


(CUE MUSIC: 3rd movement of Bela Bartok's "Music For Percussion, Strings, & Celesta")

In the East End, all was quiet on the mouse street of Riverside Way (known to us humans as Narrow Street). For miles around, the only thing that could be seen was thick gray fog, which covered every highway, byway, & building in a heavy blanket of morning mist that seemed to add an air of mystery & mystique to the urban landscape. Only one figure was to be spotted walking the lonely road on which we now find ourselves, & the silhouette of Basil Of Baker Street became clearer & clearer as he gradually emerged from the field of fog surrounding him. After stepping out into the light (or what there was of it on this overcast day), Basil whipped out his magnifying glass from his trenchcoat pocket, & started scrutinizing for clues on the cobblestone streets of Mouse London.

Eventually, Basil spotted a set of footprints, & began following it down the street, before reaching the end of the trail at the outside perimeter of a human's building. When he got close to the wooden wall, Basil looked up from the road, continuing to hold his magnifying glass in his paw as he craned his neck to get a better view of the building he had just arrived at. Above his head, Basil could see the structure's wooden sign, decorated with a large picture of a green scaled fish, swaying to & fro in the wind. Sure enough, Basil had found the place he was looking for, & he was one step closer to his destination. "The Fish-&-Chips Pub," Basil uttered to himself in excitement. "This is it!" Upon looking down from the sign, Basil scratched his chin with his left forefinger & thumb, as he thought to himself, Now, if only I could get to that alley...

Without wasting another second, Basil looked back down onto the street, & quickly found another set of footprints lining the path ahead. Still scrutinizing said footprints with his magnifying glass, the Great Mouse Detective followed their trail, which ultimately led to the alley where he was instructed to go in "J.P.'s" note. Being careful not to disturb anything around him, Basil slowly stepped into the alley, his shadow looming like a giant's across the filthy floor. "Hello?" Basil called out as he walked into the dead-end passageway, looking around for any signs of life in the vicinity. "Anyone here?...Hello?" When Basil received no response, he muttered in bewilderment, "That's strange...There's no one here..."

After gazing around the deserted alley, Basil stopped to think to himself, scratching his chin thoughtfully as he surmised, "Hmmm...perhaps, the mouse who sent me the note must have been abducted, along with his friends." Hoping to find out more, Basil looked back down at the trail of footprints, & continued following them, going deeper & deeper into the alley. Finally, the footprints led Basil to a large pile of garbage & rubbishing lying at the foot of a tall, metal trash can. Upon noticing the trash, Basil smiled, & cried out in enlightenment, "A-HA! A pile of garbage...It could hold some valuable clues that might give me an idea of the missing mice's whereabouts!"

With his every nerve tingling in excitement at this discovery, Basil reached into his trenchcoat pocket, pulled out a pair of rubber gloves, & put them on, before proceeding to sift thoroughly through the mountain of refuse in search for clues. While looking, Basil found a rusty old key, scraps of paper & napkins, bottle caps, torn pieces of fabric, pebbles, broken glass fragments, small springs, a few clockwork gears, & whatnot...but as he inspected every item, the detective grew increasingly frustrated. Not one of these things would be of any use in his investigation! Still, Basil kept looking through the garbage, determined not to give up until he had found something of interest. Finally, the detective's persistence paid off when his paws touched upon something that was very peculiar in its shape & texture. Slowly, carefully, Basil proceeded to pull out the mysterious object, & then took a good look at it. The item was a small jeweled dagger with a gilded hilt & a bloodstained silver blade, engraved with the initials "M.J.P.F.".

"BLAST!" Basil shouted, as he brought down the dagger in front of him, & gazed at it in utter dismay. Hanging his head & shaking it sorrowfully, Basil closed his eyes in sadness, & lamented, "I fear I may be too late to save the mice from the danger they faced earlier..." Then, an idea occurred to him: "However, if I don't manage to find the mice & spare them from any further harm, I may need to investigate further...in the event our 'missing-fursons' mystery should turn into a murder mystery." And, so, Basil continued searching around the alley for clues & other things, holding the dagger in one paw & his magnifying glass in the other. Unbeknownst to Basil, he had been joined in on the investigation, but it wasn't Dr. Dawson who had decided to accompany him...

Now, Basil had stooped down to look at a pile of ragged, bloodstained clothing—presumably belonging to the missing mouse or one of his friends. The silhouette of a tall, thin mouse silently sneaked up to Basil, his bare feet padding against the ground as he walked through the alley. When Basil's ears perked up to the sound of faint footsteps, the detective turned around to face the strange visitor who was approaching him...but, then, he gasped, & a terrified expression crossed his countenance—a look of such horror that words could never effectively describe. As he gaped at the frightening shadow that was slowly looming over him, Basil thought to himself fearfully, No...it can't be! It simply can't! He...he's retired!

The malicious mystery mouse suddenly swung a fist at Basil, knocking him unconscious with a punch to the face. As Basil collapsed to the ground, his magnifying glass & the dagger fell out of his hands. The other mouse took the dagger, but tucked it away in a scabbard attached to his clothing. Then, the vicious intruder proceeded to beat Basil, punching the detective until he formed bruises on his face, then scratched at his clothes, clawed his face & skin until they were covered in cuts & scrapes oozing with blood, kicked him in the stomach & in other areas, slapped him across the face, & finally spit onto his closed eyes. After finishing his attack on Basil, the assailant turned away, & with a dramatic swish of his cape, he was off, leaving his victim in a terrible state.


Later that morning, back at their house, the Baker Street Kids (now dressed up for the day) were doing some chores in the kitchen. Cousin Timmy, Ratigan, & Fidget were washing their dishes & silverware in the sink, as Mrs. Judson watched them with a wary eye. "Now, children," the mousekeeper admonished, "just because you're staying here with us doesn't mean you should expect everyone to do the housework for you! I want to see all those dishes washed, or you won't get to use any of the stuff you bought yesterday at the mall! Understood?"

"Yes, Mrs. Judson..." Cousin Timmy, Ratigan, & Fidget replied in unison. Mrs. Judson put on a satisfied smile, looking quite pleased with the children's cooperation. At the sink, Fidget was spraying water from a shower-type device onto a plate to rinse it, while Ratigan (wearing his royal garb, sans crown) was scrubbing a few other plates with a bar of soap & a washrag. At one point, Fidget smirked devilishly...then sprayed Ratigan in the face with the shower-type device, causing his hair & face-fur to drip with water. The little bat laughed cheerfully, but Ratigan just glared at him in irritation. Not pleased with his comrade's prank, Ratigan griped, "Fidget, I just combed my hair no less than 10 minutes ago! And, now, it's soaking wet!"

"Aw, c'mon, Ratigan, lighten up!" Fidget said, hoping to ease the emotions of his older friend.

"I would lighten up," Ratigan retorted in annoyance, "if you would stop fiddling around, & help me & Timmy clean the dishes! I'm quite sure you'd want to check out some of your new toys & games when we're done, wouldn't you, Fidget?"

"OK, OK, sheesh!" Fidget grumbled, as he went back to doing his chores. "I was just havin' some fun!" With that, Fidget & Ratigan started cleaning the dishes again. Maybe it's just me, Fidget thought, but I can't help but t'ink Ratigan got up on the wrong side of the bed dis morning...Oh, well! Happens to all of us, I suppose...


(CUE MUSIC: "Mercury", from Gustav Holst's "The Planets")

Meanwhile, in the dining room, Olivia (now dressed in her skirt, sweater, bowed shawl, hair-bow, socks, & shoes) was picking up the last of the dishes & silverware from the table. From here, she would bring them to the kitchen for cleaning, & her morning chores would then be done! But, then, a thought occurred to Olivia, taking her attention away from the task at paw. Instead of doing what she had intended to do a few seconds ago, Olivia placed the neatly-stacked pile of plates, bowls, forks, spoons, & knives back onto the table. Then, she walked out of the dining room, & made her way through the living room to the big, round window in the front antechamber. As she climbed up onto the window-seat, Olivia mused, "I wonder if Basil's back from working on his case yet." Once she was finally seated upon the plush bench, Olivia put her paws & face to the glass panes of the window, & peeked outside.

Through the window, Olivia could get a good view of Baker Street, but not a single, solitary soul was to be found walking down the pavement in front of her family's house, or coming out of any of the neighboring homes. And there was a noticeable lack of traffic, too—even the Mousetro tram wasn't speeding by! Boy, everything feels so strange on foggy mornings like these, Olivia thought, as she gazed upon the lonely landscape in front of her. A few seconds passed, during which nothing happened...but, then, Olivia's ears perked up to the sound of merry whistling to a "cheerfully"-sinister tune. A figure in dark silhouette soon came into view, & as he walked down the pavement lining Baker Street, he came closer & closer towards the window...

Upon seeing the figure approach her, Olivia gasped fearfully, & ducked down behind the window until she was out of view, not wanting to be seen by the stranger. For several seconds, she stayed down in her sheltering spot, her heart & mind racing with fear as she waited for the menacing figure to go away. But, then, something inside Olivia told her to take another look at the furson, & the mouseling quickly gathered up her courage. With trepidation, Olivia cautiously peeked out over the edge of the window...just a little bit...not enough for the figure to see Olivia, but enough for her to see the figure. Upon closer inspection, Olivia noticed that the stranger was carrying a bloodstained dagger in his left paw. No sooner did she see this, than the mystery mouse finally walked away, whistling all the while. Once the figure was gone for sure, Olivia turned away from the window, now overcome by an ocean of overwhelming dread. Without wasting another second, Olivia promptly got up from the window-seat, climbed down onto the floor, & bolted for the kitchen, running as fast as her little legs could carry her.

Back in the kitchen, Mrs. Judson continued to supervise Ratigan, Fidget, & Cousin Timmy as they finished cleaning the dishes & silverware at the sink. An exhausted, but panicked-looking, Olivia burst into the room, before pushing the open door behind her, & collapsing against it as she heaved & gasped for breath, placing a weary paw over her chest. Upon hearing the commotion, Mrs. Judson, Ratigan, Fidget, & Cousin Timmy all stopped what they were doing, & turned around to face Olivia. As soon as they saw her, they immediately sported concerned, compassionate, anxious, & sympathetic expressions. Putting her paws to the sides of her face, Mrs. Judson cried out in shock, "Oh, my goodness! Olivia!" The mousekeeper then scuttled over to Olivia, approached her at the kitchen door, & bent down over her. Gently petting Olivia's fur-hair with one paw, & placing her other paw comfortingly on the mouseling's shoulder, Mrs. Judson asked with a concerned frown, "Whatever is the matter, dearie?"

Olivia gasped for air a few more times as she attempted to make her answer. Feeling quite upset (& understandably so, after what she had just witnessed at the window), Olivia explained everything, gesturing wildly as she spoke to Mrs. Judson, who became increasingly alarmed as she listened to Olivia's tale. "I was..."—gasp—"...in the antechamber..."—gasp—"...near the living room..."—one final gasp—"...& I was looking out the window! I saw a strange mouse walking down the pavement in front of the house—& he was carrying a big knife in his hand! And the blade of his knife & his clothes had some blood on them! I don't know why, but I have the feeling that something terrible happened to Basil! I think we should go look for him!"

"But, wait, Olivia," Ratigan said as he went over to his little sister, & knelt down in front of her. "How can you be so sure of that?"

"I just know something bad happened to Basil," Olivia replied with a dreadful certainty. "I can feel it!"

At this point, Ratigan rose to his feet with a thoughtful look on his face, & Mrs. Judson turned to look at him worriedly. "Do you think Olivia might be right about Mr. Basil?" Mrs. Judson asked anxiously. "I-I mean, could he have been attacked or something while working on the case?"

"Hmmm...It's possible," Ratigan replied, stroking his chin. Then, turning to face a certain mousekeeper, he asked, "What do you suggest we do, Mrs. Judson?"

"If we're going to find Basil," Mrs. Judson answered, "I think we'll need some additional help..."


Not too long afterward, Olivia, Hiram, Cousin Timmy, Dr. Dawson, Mrs. Judson, Ratigan, & Fidget were creeping through the long, dark tunnel that led to a small, round door (crafted out of a wainscot molding) lying ahead of them. As the members of the Baker Street Family carefully inched their way through the pitch-black darkness, trying to be as quiet as mice (& rats & bats) could, they relied on their paws & eyes to guide them safely through the winding passageway. Finally, the group reached the end of the tunnel, & made it to the wainscot door, which they gently pushed open with a small creak. Then, illuminated by the light pouring out in front of them, Olivia & the others looked out into the living room of a place they were quite familiar with...the house of none other than Basil's mentor, the famed human detective Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes (dressed in his house attire) & his trusty sidekick Dr. Watson (dressed in his formal outing wear, complete with bowler hat) were lounging comfortably in plush chairs before a cozy fire, as they shared a conversation related to the case they were currently working on. "As to the letters, they are very commonplace," Holmes said, as he presented a series of letters to Watson. "Absolutely no clue in them to Mr. Angel, save that he quotes Balzac once. There is one remarkable point, however, which will no doubt strike you."

Leaning over to glance at the letters, Watson quickly noticed something of interest. "They are typewritten," the good doctor remarked.

"Not only that, but the signature is typewritten," Holmes said as he handed over the letters to Watson, so that he could look at them for himself. "Look at the neat little 'Hosmer Angel' at the bottom. There is a date, you see, but no superscription except Leadenhall Street, which is rather vague. The point about the signature is very suggestive—in fact, we may call it conclusive."

"Of what?" Watson wondered, scratching the top of his head in puzzlement.

"My dear fellow," Holmes inquired in bewilderment, "is it possible you do not see how strongly it bears upon the case?"

"I cannot say that I do," Watson replied with a shrug of his shoulders, "unless it were that he wished to be able to deny his signature if an action for breach of promise were instituted."

"No, that was not the point," Holmes declared. "However, I shall write two letters, which should settle the matter. One is to a firm in the city; the other is to the young lady's stepfather, Mr. Windibank, asking him whether he could meet us here at six o'clock tomorrow evening." Holmes then took the letters from Watson, & put them down on his side-table with the envelopes that originally contained them. "And, now, Doctor, we can do nothing until the answers to those letters come, so we may put our little problem upon the shelf for the interim." With that, Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson both got out of their chairs, & made their way upstairs to the second story of the house. [2]

(CUE MUSIC: "Earth", from Gustav Holst's "The Planets")

Once Holmes & Watson had exited, Olivia, Hiram, Cousin Timmy, Dr. Dawson, Mrs. Judson, Ratigan, & Fidget opened the wainscot door further, & then crept out into the living room, tiptoeing across the floor as they looked around for Toby, Holmes' pet basset hound. Putting a paw to her mouth, Olivia called out for her canine companion, "Toby? Toby! Yoo-hoo...It's us...Toby!"

"Who's Toby?" Cousin Timmy asked Olivia, having never heard of him before.

Dr. Dawson was quick to reply, "He's a friend of Basil's, Olivia's, & mine...well, more so Basil & Olivia's friend than my friend, really..." Dawson chuckled nervously, then cleared his throat, & continued, "He's helped us out on cases...Perhaps, Olivia's told you about him?"

Scratching his chin thoughtfully, Cousin Timmy answered, "I think she did once or twice, now that you mention it..."

The members of the Baker Street Family suddenly braced themselves as the ground shook with a mighty thud. Once everyone opened their eyes again, Olivia smiled, & pointed to the creature they had been looking for. "Look, everyone," Olivia exclaimed excitedly, "there's Toby now!"

Toby was sitting on his haunches in the middle of the living-room floor, smiling broadly with his tongue hanging out, as his tail wagged rapidly to & fro. Upon seeing Olivia & the others, the dog barked happily, & started merrily galloping towards the rodent visitors. Olivia, Dr. Dawson, Mrs. Judson, Hiram, & Cousin Timmy put on big smiles as they saw Toby approaching them. Ratigan & Fidget smiled, too, but in a very nervous manner; they looked more like they were ready to bolt at any second. Toby skidded to a stop in front of the members of the Baker Street Family, panting excitedly & looking happy as ever to see his little friends.

Olivia smiled & giggled gleefully as Toby gave her a great big lick with his tongue. Cousin Timmy laughed as he was given the same treatment, & when Toby licked him, Hiram burst into delighted chuckles, too. Not wanting to get Mrs. Judson wet with doggie slobber, Toby instead showed his affections for the mouse-maid by nuzzling her with his big nose. Mrs. Judson returned the gesture with a smile & a friendly pat of her paw on Toby's sniffer. Dr. Dawson, smiling toothily, tried to greet Toby by tipping his cap with a bow, but he couldn't help but shake when he heard Toby sniff the air. Oh, please, the medical mouse thought worriedly, don't let him do anything to me! Then, Dawson reacted in startlement when Toby started to growl angrily, & pressed his face close to his body, not appearing to be very pleased with the scent of the catgut thread stitching Dawson's torn coat-sleeve together. Here we go again! Dr. Dawson sighed dismally. I swear, this dog has a fursonal vendetta against me...Heaven knows why, but if this keeps happening every time we see each other, I'll surely wind up being turned into puppy chow!

Then, Toby suddenly stopped growling (much to Dr. Dawson's relief), & turned to look behind him. Imagine his surprise when he saw Ratigan & Fidget both pulling on his tail to try & stop him from getting rough with Dr. Dawson! "No, Toby, don't do that!" Fidget said sternly, as he tugged on Toby's tail. "BAD!"

"No, Toby, that's a BAD doggie! VERY bad doggie!" Ratigan scolded, doing the same. At this point, Toby popped his head in, & immediately started growling & sneering angrily at Ratigan & Fidget, who smiled nervously & tittered sheepishly. "Now, Toby," Ratigan said to the dog while backing away from him, "I suppose you speak English, right?" Toby did not answer, but continued growling as he approached the two former felons. "Very well, then," Ratigan continued, hoping to appease the angry animal before anything drastic happened. "Now, Toby...Toby! Listen carefully, all right? Fidget & I...are not evil anymore! We're good, see?"

"Yeah!" Fidget agreed, backing away from Toby with Ratigan. "We're good guys now! We ain't gonna hurt nobody, no how!"

Alas, Toby was not convinced, & he continued growling & snarling at Ratigan & Fidget, who were now terrified out of their wits. At this point, Olivia went over to intervene. The Glaswegian girl stood in front of Ratigan & Fidget as she started talking with Toby, trying to convince her four-legged friend that the two rodents were reformed. "Toby," Olivia assured the hound, "Ratigan & Fidget are right! They're good guys now...They're not evil anymore, & they're not gonna cause any more trouble from now on." Making a Girl Scout salute, Olivia added confidently, "Promise."

After listening carefully to his mouse friend, Toby found the truth in Olivia's words. Bursting into a wide smile, Toby gave Ratigan & Fidget great big licks with his tongue. Fidget let out a laugh as he got drenched in dog saliva, but Ratigan didn't look too pleased, as he tried to wipe the slimy slobber off of his clothes. Toby then turned to face Olivia, continuing to smile & pant as he awaited her orders. "Toby, Basil's gone missing, & we need to find him," Olivia said. "Can you help us look for him?" When Toby barked an affirmative "yes", Olivia exclaimed cheerfully, "Good boy, Toby!" Reaching out a paw to pet Toby on the nose, Olivia ordered, "OK, now, sit, Toby!"

(CUE MUSIC: "Rodeo", from Aaron Copland's "Hoedown")

Immediately, Toby crouched down on all fours. He extended one of his ears out in the shape of a staircase, & Olivia, Hiram, Cousin Timmy, Dr. Dawson, Mrs. Judson, Ratigan, & Fidget all "climbed" up Toby's ear to board him. Mrs. Judson & Dr. Dawson both sat together on Toby's rear end. Ratigan sat in front of the two older mice, behind the Flavershams. Hiram sat down in front of Ratigan, folding his arms protectively around Cousin Timmy (who sat reluctantly in his lap). Olivia (in front of her father & cousin) clutched tightly onto Toby's collar with both paws, standing behind the nape of his neck. Fidget, the lookout, took up a vantage position on Toby's head. Once everyone had safely boarded Toby, the dog began rearing back onto his heels like a horse, kicking his two forepaws in the air as he prepared to run. As he did all this, Olivia cried out adventurously, "YEE-HAW! Get along, little doggie! We've got to find ourselves a missing detective! Hi-ho, Toby! Away!"

With a loud howl, Toby sprinted out through Sherlock Holmes' front door, down the cement set of front steps leading to the pavement, across the sidewalk, & onto the cobblestone streets. Olivia smiled adventurously as she held on tightly to Toby's collar, enjoying the thrill of the chase. Hiram & Cousin Timmy braced themselves during the crazy ride that ensued. Ratigan struggled not to lose his grip on Toby's back fur. Dr. Dawson looked a little queasy, but Mrs. Judson stayed by to ease his nerves, & hold her paw in hers (a rather cute moment shared between the two mice, wouldn't you agree?). [2] Fidget tried not to fall from his vantage point on Toby's head as he held on tight for the ride.

Toby rushed down Baker Street a bit more, then turned the corner onto the intersecting (mouse) street of LeFevre Street (known to us humans as Porter Street). Toby then ran down the road, howling. Olivia, Hiram, Cousin Timmy, Dr. Dawson, Mrs. Judson, Ratigan, & Fidget held on for dear life as they bounced up & down on Toby's back. Before too long, our heroes soon found themselves traversing Wiggins Lane (Wigmore Street), as Toby raced across the road in a swift gallop. A human's carriage was making its way down the intersecting boulevard of Wimple Street (Wimpole Street), & began to cross the current street, but Toby & his rodent passengers managed to make it to the other side without getting run over. Once the coast was clear, everyone pressed on.

After a while, Toby & the members of the Baker Street Family had covered a great distance across the West End, & they were getting very close to Mouse London's South End. Now on Wakefield Drive (Great Titchfield Street), the Baker Street Family & their canine carrier turned the corner onto the adjoining street of Newcastle Drive (Eastcastle Street). The rodents all cried out as Toby suddenly slipped into a huge puddle, formed by a spewing water hose that was hanging over the curb. Toby immediately started slipping & sliding & swerving & skating & skimming uncontrollably through the vast puddle, his paws making waves of water shoot up in their wake. All the while, Olivia, Hiram, Cousin Timmy, Dr. Dawson, Mrs. Judson, Ratigan, & Fidget struggled to hold on & not fall off. Finally, after several suspenseful moments, Toby made it to the end of the puddle, & ran back onto dry ground, continuing to follow his course through the city.

Not too long afterward, the Baker Street Family (& Toby) made it to the South End, & they were now running through a busy humans' marketplace on Cheapside Road (Cheapside Street). For the most part, Toby managed to avoid the feet of shoppers & vendors...but, at one point, he accidentally made one of the shopkeepers (holding a huge crate of fruits & vegetables) fall down on his back, letting his container of goods fly high into the air, & spill everywhere! Somehow also managing to avoid the shower of fruits & veggies that fell from the sky, Toby & the Baker Street Family continued racing through the marketplace until they reached the very end; after finally exiting the shopping area, they kept galloping down Cheapside Road to the next street that awaited them.

Many minutes later, the Baker Street Family & Toby had made it all the way across the South End, & they were now officially in the East End of Mouse London. As our heroes traveled along Rosemary Lane (Royal Mint Street), Toby paused, then put his nose to the ground, & slowly started sniffing his way down the street, trying to pick up on Basil's scent. After smelling the ground for a while, Toby suddenly stopped, & perked up in alertness when he found his mouseter's redolence. With a howl, Toby started dashing off down the road. Olivia, Hiram, Cousin Timmy, Dr. Dawson, Mrs. Judson, Ratigan, & Fidget held on tight as Toby began to pick up speed, racing even faster down Rosemary Lane. Eventually, Toby turned the corner onto Dockway Street (Dock Street), then proceeded to go down that avenue, before turning a second corner onto yet another road: East End Highway, the main thoroughfare that would lead them to their destination. As Toby ran faster & faster, Cousin Timmy looked a bit green; Hiram tried to keep his nephew from getting sick. "Say, Olivia, how much further till we find Basil?" Timmy asked, trying not to gag.

Still clutching tightly onto Toby's collar with her paws, Olivia turned back to face her cousin. With a shake of her head, she replied optimistically, "I don't think it'll be much longer, Timmy." Then, Olivia looked at the road ahead, sporting a determined countenance as she thought bravely to herself, Don't worry, Basil, we're all coming to save you! Hang in there!


(CUE MUSIC: "Solveig's Song", from Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt" Suite)

It was 12:00 noon, & the midday chimes of Big Ben echoed faintly through Riverside Way. The light mist in the air was starting to dissipate just a little, & the bitter, blustery breeze had long stopped blowing. Welcoming the change in the atmosphere, Toby & the Baker Street Family rushed past the Fish-&-Chips Pub, & approached the nearby alley where Basil was supposed to be, before stopping when they got to the entrance. Olivia let go of Toby's collar, & jumped down onto the street. Cousin Timmy followed after her, & Hiram then jumped off of Toby's back, landing feet-first on the ground. Once Ratigan had joined the Flavershams at their side, Toby crouched down to let Dr. Dawson climb off his back. After stepping onto the street, Dr. Dawson graciously offered his paw, & helped Mrs. Judson exit her ride. Then, after Toby got back up onto his feet, Fidget took off, & flew down from the dog's head to join the others on the street. As soon as he landed, Fidget said, "Thanks for doing that corrective surgery on my broken wing, Dr. Dawson."

"It's no problem at all, Fidget," Dr. Dawson replied, smiling at Fidget. With that, the members of the Baker Street Family all began walking off to enter the alley. Now inside the dead-end passage, Olivia, Hiram, Cousin Timmy, Dr. Dawson, Mrs. Judson, Ratigan, & Fidget were looking around for any sign of Basil. Suddenly, Olivia gasped fearfully, & sported a horrified expression as she spotted her godfather, & then pointed to him, causing the others to look in that direction. "Oh, no," Olivia cried, "Basil!"

Not too far away, Basil was lying sprawled out on the ground, with his magnifying glass at his side, & his deerstalker cap dislodged from his head. The unconscious detective, now with torn & shredded clothes, was covered in the bruises, cuts, scrapes, & other injuries he had received earlier. Olivia ran over to Basil, & upon looking at her terribly-injured friend, she started shaking him gently, hoping that she would receive a response from him. "Basil?" Olivia asked, as her voice broke, & her eyes started to water. "Basil?" When Basil did not answer, Olivia broke down, & began to cry. Oh, Basil, the mouseling lamented, who did this to you? Why would anyone even want to hurt you? You're such a good & wonderful furson!

Hiram rushed over to the place where Olivia & Basil were, & stooped down to quickly check Basil's vital signs. After seeing that the detective's pulse was running, Hiram brought his daughter into his arms for a great big hug, as he tried to comfort & console her. "There, there, my bairn," Hiram said soothingly, hoping to bring Olivia's spirits back up. "Basil's going to be just fine. Dr. Dawson will have him fixed up as good as new in no time!"

"How is he, Hiram?" Dr. Dawson asked, rushing over to join Hiram & Olivia by Basil's body.

"His pulse is still running fine," Hiram replied. "I think he was just knocked out."

Dr. Dawson leaned over to inspect Basil's multiple injuries. While seeing Basil's wounds, the medical mouse remarked, "Not to mention terribly beaten...& bruised...& cut...& scratched...& scraped..." Then, with an optimistic smile, Dr. Dawson added, "But it's nothing we can't fix, I'm sure." With that, Dr. Dawson bent down to scoop Basil carefully into his arms, & carried him out of the alley. The Flavershams followed him, scampering off in the same direction. Back on the main street, Cousin Timmy, Mrs. Judson, Ratigan, & Fidget were now gathered by Toby's feet. Olivia, Hiram, & Dr. Dawson (carrying the unconscious Basil) came up to join the others.

"Toby, can you please sit down for us?" Olivia asked. The dog was eager to oblige, & the Baker Street Family climbed aboard their canine steed. On Toby's back, our heroes were now sitting closer together than they were earlier. Dr. Dawson had Basil laid out flat on his back, his deerstalker cap now back on his head. As Olivia, Hiram, Cousin Timmy, Dr. Dawson, Mrs. Judson, Ratigan, & Fidget gathered around Basil's body, & gazed at the knocked-out, injured detective with sad expressions, Dr. Dawson (seated closest to Basil) turned to face Toby, & gently commanded, "Toby, take us to Baker Street. And quickly!"

With that, Toby started running off down the street. As they rode on Toby's back, Olivia, Hiram, Cousin Timmy, Dr. Dawson, Mrs. Judson, Ratigan, & Fidget all gazed sadly at Basil, wondering just what happened to him, & if was going to be all right. Olivia inched forward closer to Basil, & reached out a paw to pet his cheek. Again, the detective didn't respond. Olivia then leaned forward, & cried softly into Basil's chest, as Hiram tried to comfort his daughter from his sitting position behind her. Please, God, Olivia pleaded, don't take Basil away from us! We need him! Let him be OK, please...


That night, everyone gathered together in Basil's bedroom at home. Mrs. Judson stood by the left-side nightstand, using a long taper to light a candle that filled the pitch-black chamber with a gentle golden glow. Cousin Timmy, Hiram, Ratigan, & Fidget all stood at the left side of Basil's bed, gazing down at its sole occupant. The detective, now dressed in his house attire, was nestled under the covers of his canopy bed, still unconscious. As he looked down at Basil from the side of the bed, Ratigan looked visibly upset & distressed—even more so than Fidget, who turned to look at Ratigan. Shaking his head sorrowfully, Ratigan said with a deep sigh, "I just know who did this to Basil..."

"Who, Ratigan?" Fidget asked, hushing his voice somewhat.

Turning to gaze sadly down at his batty brother figure, Ratigan answered, "You can probably tell, right, Fidget?"

"Ummm...I think I have a good idea who you mean," Fidget declared, scratching his head thoughtfully with one webbed finger. And, to tell you the truth, he thought, I wouldn't be surprised if Basil's attacker was the guy we're thinking of! He's been wanting to do something like this for a long time...

In one corner of the room, not too far from the others, Dr. Dawson was putting his things back into his black medical bag. Olivia, now dressed in her usual day clothes, stood at the doctor's side, watching him pack; the mouseling still felt worried & anxious, & her facial expression certainly didn't hide these emotions. "Dr. Dawson?" Olivia asked.

"Yes, Olivia?" Dr. Dawson responded.

"Is Basil going to be all right?" Olivia wanted to know, still filled with deep concern for the welfare of her friend & godfather.

"Well, I've tended to his injuries, disinfected & dressed all his wounds, cleaned up his bruises, & taken care of any other ailment that may have afflicted him," Dr. Dawson replied. "All we can do now is just wait for him to wake up."

"But when will he wake up?" Olivia inquired.

Giving Olivia a reassuring smile, Dr. Dawson answered optimistically, "It probably won't be much longer now, I'm sure." Olivia smiled weakly at Dr. Dawson, who took the mouseling by the paw, & led her towards Basil's bedside to join Cousin Timmy, Hiram, Ratigan, & Fidget. Mrs. Judson turned away from the nightstand, & scuttled over to meet up with the others. After a few more seconds of waiting, Basil finally stirred awake, slowly opening his eyes with a soft groan. Basil's vision cleared, gradually coming into focus as he saw the top of his canopy bed. Then, Basil turned his head to look at the members of his family, who were all gazing at him with happy, relieved, thankful, or otherwise pleasant expressions. Olivia & Mrs. Judson both had tears in their eyes, grateful to see Basil making a full recovery after his earlier assault. What on Earth? Basil thought to himself. I...I'm home...

As Hiram held her steady by the waist, Olivia carefully leaned over to give Basil a big hug. Basil was glad to return the embrace with a warm smile, happy to see his beloved goddaughter again. As she hugged Basil, Olivia cried in a voice choked up with relief, "Oh, Basil, thank goodness you're OK!"

With one paw, Basil tousled Olivia's fur-hair, & then moved down to pat her back comfortingly. "Of course, I'm all right, child!" Basil said warmly. "Even the worst beating I could receive from any thug can't bring me down! It'll take a lot more than that for Basil Of Baker Street to fall to his knees!" After Olivia broke away from her embrace around Basil, & Hiram gently planted her back down onto the floor, Basil turned to smile at everyone. "Well, what's with all the long faces?" Basil asked, trying to cheer his loved ones up. "One would think you were going to a funeral!"

Leaning over to place a paw on Basil's shoulder, Dr. Dawson replied, "For a second there, we thought that would be the case...Oh, speaking of cases, how was your search for the missing mice?"

Basil looked a little anxious for a second or two...but, then, he perked back up again, & leaned over to Dr. Dawson to whisper in his ear, "I think it's best if you & I discussed the search later on, when we were alone..." Then, Basil said to the others, "Well, it's getting awfully late, I'm sure. It's probably bedtime for a certain few of you." Olivia, Cousin Timmy, & Fidget all pouted & groaned in disappointment, as they weren't ready to retire just yet, but Basil knew just how to get them moving along. Now sitting up, Basil faced the rodentlings with a wide smile & a merry twinkle in his eyes, as he said encouragingly, "Now, children, if you go to bed, I promise there'll be a big surprise planned for all of you! Oh, who would want to miss out on that?"

Now excited with the prospect of receiving a reward, Olivia, Cousin Timmy, & Fidget immediately perked up, sporting big smiles on their brightening faces as they rushed out of the room. Ratigan took to his feet, & sprinted after his younger siblings to follow them down the second-floor hallway. Hiram & Mrs. Judson watched the Baker Street Kids take off, then turned to look at Basil. "Um, perhaps," Hiram said, "Mrs. Judson & I should go help the wee ones prepare for their nightly slumber."

"Very well, Hiram," Basil replied.

"We'll be down the hall if you need us," said Mrs. Judson. With that, Hiram & Mrs. Judson both exited the bedroom, closing the door shut behind them. Basil was still sitting up in bed, with Dr. Dawson standing at his bedside. In the dark room, the two mice & their surroundings were illuminated by the glow of the candle on Basil's nightstand, which added an aura of tender tranquility & heavenly beauty to the scenery. A while passed before either Basil or Dr. Dawson said anything. Then, Dawson broke the silence with a clearing of his throat, & asked with a smile, "So, Basil...are you feeling all right?"

The smile on Basil's face began to disappear, & his ears drooped lower & lower, until the last of his chipper facade had finally been chipped away. Now sporting a saddened expression, Basil shook his head from side to side as he answered in a soft whisper, "No...No, I'm not feeling all right."

"It's about the case, isn't it?" Dr. Dawson asked, suddenly looking concerned for his friend.

"That's just it, Dawson," Basil replied bitterly, looking up at his associate with melancholic eyes. "There was no case."

Dr. Dawson was totally caught off guard by this baffling & unexpected response. Puzzled, the medical mouse questioned quizzically, "What do you mean, Basil?"

"The letter I had received from the so-called 'missing mice' this morning was a fake!" Basil cried, becoming increasingly agitated & upset as he endeavored to express the emotions & thoughts that now plagued his troubled mind. "The entire mission was a fake! There weren't any missing mice at all! It was all just part of a clever scheme! A diabolical trap...set by my worst enemy!" Basil sank back into bed, exhausted, but Dr. Dawson quickly bent over to catch him. Dawson gingerly stroked Basil's fur-hair to comfort the detective as he cradled him in his arms, trying to chase away whatever fears were haunting him.

"Who is your worst enemy, Basil," Dr. Dawson asked compassionately, "now that Ratigan's reformed?"

As he looked up at Dawson with a wide-eyed, horrified stare, the only thing Basil could bring himself to say in reply, were the following solemn words, spoken in a voice barely above a terrified whisper: "The Devil incarnate...The worse mouse in London..."


(CUE MUSIC: "Music For The Funeral Of Queen Mary" by Henry Purcell)

Meanwhile, in the East End of Mouse London, the Limehouse district was unusually quiet, as a cold front swept over the city. Torrents of rain pattered & battered down on anything & anyone who dared to venture out of doors, & the waters of the Thames River churned violently in the ongoing thunderstorm. Things in the Low-Level Intercepting Sewage System running along Victoria Embankment, however, were fairly quiet, especially in the catacombs, cellars, & caverns that were sheltered deep within its underground recesses. One of these particular chambers—known to the rodents of London as Darkwater Cellar—happened to be an old wine cellar that had long been abandoned by humans, but was home to several scoundrels with whom you are no doubt familiar. In fact, aside from a few cosmetic changes that had recently been made, you will surely recognize the setting of our story's next scene...for it is none other than the sewer lair that once Professor Ratigan's hideout. [3]

In the lair's throne room, a mass multitude of minions—including Agent 001, Walker, Snotty Sam, Gunsmoke Gary, Eunice, Shellington Batly, Jaywalk James, Terry & Thomas Farrell, Manchester Maurice, & Peewee Pete (along with the reluctant Bill The Lizard, Bartholomew, Red Robertson, Snakes Henshaw, Olga, Miriam, & Old Blind Joe)—were kneeling on the floor, as they bowed together in unison, obsequiously offering their praise to their leader, who was seated in the opulent chair at the back of the room. "All hail Mouses Fiennes!" the goons chanted with every kowtow. The king of the London Mouse Underworld—the original World's Greatest Criminal Mind—had now returned to his devilish throne, & he was glad to be back in business!

Mouses Fiennes was quite tall for a mouse his age, with a lean, thin figure. He had gray fur & matching fur-hair, & his rounded head was adorned with high cheekbones that curved at an angle. His slightly-prominent (& very rat-like) pink nose jutted out from between a pair of wicked golden-yellow eyes with bright-green irises (topped with a theatrical-looking pair of slender, angular black eyebrows). Two large (& somewhat-"triangular") pink ears flanked the top of his head, & his mouth was filled with two rows of sharp white teeth (with a couple of small fangs in the front). A long & thick (but very rat-like) pink tail poked out from his posterior, & his slender limbs ended in average-sized paws & feet, each of which was tipped with sharp claws. Upon his furson, he wore a blue tuxedo-style jacket with matching trousers, a buttonless light-blue shirt (which had a starched white collar that he kept turned up around his neck), & a scarlet silk opera cape, with golden fringed epaulets on his shoulders. Additional accessories adorning his attire were a large rainbow-jeweled brooch (made of huge fuschia, red, orange, golden, lime-green, turquoise, blue, & purple stones set in gold) that replaced his shirt buttons, & a big amulet (also set in gold, & colored with fuschia, red, orange, golden, lime-green, turquoise, blue, & purple stripes) draped around his neck, hanging over the golden fastening-pin of his cape. All four fingers on each of his paws were decorated with large, lavish rings, every one of them set in gold; the rings on his right hand had fuschia, red, orange, & golden stones, & the rings on his left hand had lime-green, turquoise, blue, & purple stones. As he took occasional sips of wine from a glass in his paw, Mouses smirked smugly, basking in his roguishly-fashionable glory & the praise of his esteemed employees. The thugs & minions (happily-rehired & otherwise) all bowed down to their boss one more time as they chanted, "All hail Mouses Fiennes!"

Mouses put his glass of wine down on the arm of his throne, & then got up from his seat to take a bow of his own. "Thank you, my lowly, evil subjects," Mouses said with a haughty smile & a regal, airy tone to his voice. He chuckled darkly, then continued, "I am honored to have you, my faithful minions, with me once again...& I am equally honored to be at the receiving end of your maliciously-marvelous criminal services."

In the crowd, Gunsmoke Gary returned Mouses' smile as he rose up from the floor. Beaming with evil pride & joy, he declared, "It's great to be back, Mouses!"

"Oh, yes!" Eunice agreed, as she got up with Shellington Batly (who was next to her).

"Absolutely!" Shellington added. Both bats briskly stood at attention, & gave sharp salutes.

Walker then got up from the floor, & the other thugs followed his lead. "Yeah, Mouses," Walker cheered with a candy cigar hanging out of his mouth, "we're happy to work for you again!"

Smiling & looking positively happy (in his usual mischievous & naughty way, of course), Snotty Sam laughed & said, "Yeah! Things weren't as much fun without you around, Boss!" Snotty Sam subsequently snorted, then took a moment to run the sleeve of his sweater across his face, & wipe the mucus dripping from his runny nose. Walker (who was standing next to Sam) looked a little disgusted as he witnessed this sight (&, to be frank, who wouldn't?). [4]

Meanwhile, Bill, Red, Snakes, Bartholomew, Miriam, Olga, & Old Blind Joe tried their best to fake convincing "happy expressions", though they all looked more nervous than happy. When one considers the true nature of these kindhearted creatures, one could easily empathize with the unfortunate situation that Bill & his comrades were stuck in. As much as the members of the Goodie Gang wanted to leave the sewer lair, & live normal lives in the law-abiding world above them, they knew that Mouses would do anything in his power to make sure that they stayed with him...for once you were in the villain's employ—voluntarily or otherwise—you were in for life, no thanks to the "blood oath" that Mouses made all of his underlings take prior to hiring. The only way for those with second thoughts to get out of the hideout, aside from escaping, was to earn their freedom by killing one of their fellow minions. Alas, Bill & his friends couldn't bring themselves to go against their morals in such a brutal manner, so they put up & shut up, resigning themselves to their fates as permanent prisoners of the London Mouse Underworld. Even so, the Goodie Gang were determined to refrain from becoming the monsters that Mouses wanted them to be...& they didn't exactly hide this when they reacted to Mouses' announcement.

As his green hands sweated profusely, & he wrung them together anxiously, Bill said with a toothy, jittery smile, "Um, yeah..."

"Sure," Bartholomew muttered.

"We're...sure happy...to be here," Miriam fibbed, "I s'pose..."

"Right...sure..." Old Blind Joe remarked.

"Yeah," Red mumbled.

Satisfied with his minions' responses, Mouses smiled, then sat back down in his throne. "So, Mouses," Gunsmoke Gary asked with a sadistic grin, "did you take care of Basil this morning?" (He chuckled insidiously.) "Did you beat some sense into him?" Gary couldn't help but rear his head back, & let out a cruel, ironic laugh, as the other thugs joined in.

When the thugs' laughter finally subsided, Mouses replied in a self-satisfied, pompous manner, "Yes...Yes, I did. That measly detective won't be bothering us!" At this point, Mouses' face fell, & he frowned bitterly. "For a while, anyway..." the criminal added sullenly. The minions all stared at Mouses in puzzlement, not quite sure what he meant by that final remark...but, then, they sported the same bitter frowns on their grumpy-looking faces when they realized what he was talking about.

"Of course!" Eunice exclaimed with her characteristic sarcasm. "Leave it to the Baker Street Family to save the day!"

"It's a good thing I found them while they were riding home on Toby," Agent 001 said. "Otherwise, you would never have learned of the formation of our newest enemy force."

"Oh, man!" an irritated Walker shouted, slapping his paw against his forehead. "As if we didn't already have to worry about Basil & Dawson!"

"Yeah!" Snotty Sam agreed angrily, placing his paws on his hips. "And, now, we also gotta worry about that kid Olivia, & her dad, & her cousin, & that maid lady, & Ratigan, & Fidget..."

(CUE MUSIC: Orchestral version of "The Gnome", from Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures At An Exhibition")

Upon hearing this, Mouses suddenly snapped alert. He immediately became angry, & bolted out of his chair onto the floor of the dais, pointing a finger at Snotty Sam as his blood began to boil. "What did you just say, Samuel?" Mouses asked menacingly.

Realizing that he had incurred the wrath of his master, Snotty Sam shrunk back in fear, as the other thugs watched him. Stuttering anxiously, Sam tried to make his reply: "Uh, uh, um, ah, I said, uh, Olivia, her dad, her cousin, that..."

"NO!" Mouses shouted, as his voice rose into a furious screech. "Tell me who were the last two rodents you mentioned!"

"Um, Ratigan & Fidget...sir," Snotty Sam piped up timidly. The other thugs winced fearfully, expecting Mouses to show a very negative reaction to Sam's news.

Mouses appeared to have calmed down...but his anger was really just simmering beneath the surface. "Did you just say...Ratigan & Fidget?" Mouses asked. When Snotty Sam answered in the affirmative, Mouses paused for a few seconds. Then, his face turned scarlet-red with rage, & he let out a primal shriek of fury! The thugs gasped fearfully, & started scrambling for cover in the newly-repaired throne room, hiding behind furniture, curtains, the big pile of jewels & coins & whatnot, the big champagne fountain—anywhere they could shelter themselves from Mouses' wrath. At this point, Mouses started throwing a humongous temper-tantrum, putting it lightly. He screamed & shouted & darted everywhere around the throne room, picking up furniture & tossing it all over the place, throwing every object he could find in his path, breaking & smashing things, beating the walls with his fists, tearing at the curtains, scooping up thugs & throttling them or bonking them on the head or otherwise acting violently towards them—overall, it was not a pretty sight. All throughout the duration of his meltdown, as he boiled & stewed in his rage, Mouses cried, "Ratigan...has REFORMED?! He's REFORMED?! He's a GOOD RODENT NOW?! And he's joined forces with that MEASLY DETECTIVE & his goodie-two-shoes, law-abiding FRIENDS?! Devil forbid it! Devil BLOODY FORBID IT! I won't stand for Ratigan being a good rodent! I SIMPLY WON'T STAND FOR IT!"

When Mouses was finished with his lengthy & terrifying outburst, he suddenly stopped & panted for breath as he stood in the middle of the throne-room floor. A wild look was in his eyes, & his expression was not completely void of fury. After a while, Mouses finally calmed down, & sniffed arrogantly as he stood up straight, brought up a paw to smooth out his ruffled & messed-up fur-hair, turned around with a dramatic swish of his opera cape, & calmly walked back over to his throne. The thugs & minions timidly started to emerge from their hiding places, creeping cautiously onto the floor & gathering in front of Mouses. A number of the goons had black eyes, missing teeth, scratches & cuts, & other injuries. With a regal flourish, Mouses sat back down in his chair. He sipped some more of his wine, then looked back at the thugs, & said in a flat, jaded tone, "Needless to say, I am not too pleased with the news that 'Snotty Sam' has so graciously provided us."

"Well, I can't say that I blame you, Mouses," Gunsmoke Gary said, smiling up at Mouses in an encouraging manner. "The majority of us, with the obvious exceptions of certain others..."—he gave a 'stink eye' at Bill, Red, Snakes, Bartholomew, Miriam, Olga, & Old Blind Joe—"...would certainly agree with you that Ratigan definitely does not deserve to be teaming up with Basil Of Baker Street, his chubby associate Dr. Dawson, & their ragtag team of friends."

"Gary's right, Mouses!" Eunice declared. "We don't need another Goodie Gang trying to foul up our villainous schemes! The Goodie Gang we already have among us is bad enough!"

"You certainly make a good point, my little whisker-nose," Shellington said sweetly, schmoozing to Eunice. When Shellington leaned over to kiss Eunice on the nose, she blushed & giggled coyly in response. Playfully swatting a paw in the air, the femme fatale said to her boyfriend, "Oh, get along with you, you charming scoundrel!"

(CUE SONG: "The Master Of Evil")

"So...what are we gonna do about this, boss?" Snotty Sam asked, picking his nose (with an icked-out Walker once again bearing witness to this gross gesture).

Mouses, seated on his throne, rose up to stand on the dais, & faced the thugs as he replied with a smile, "What any loyal thugs would do for their fallen leader...take him back to the hideout, & corrupt him, of course! And when we make Ratigan evil again, the Baker Street Family won't be able to stop us this time! The prophecy from long ago is destined to soon come true! The League Of Villains shall throw Mouse London into an unholy reign of terror & chaos! And that's just how I like it!" With that, Mouses promptly began dancing, as he burst into song...

I am the master of evil!
I rule all thugs mean & tough!
I craft the crimes that get put in the Times
Of crime, I just can't get enough!

I am a criminal genius!
My wile & my style make me proud!
There is no doubt what they shout about me...

Mouses' over-the-top song-&-dance routine was suddenly interrupted by Bartholomew, who was sitting on the floor of the throne room. The stout little thug covered his ears with his paws, hidden behind the overly-long sleeves of his sweater, as he complained painfully, "Goodness, you sing so loud!" When he heard this insulting interjection, Mouses frowned angrily, & glared at Bartholomew. For a few seconds, Mouses growled irritatedly, & his face turned red...but, then, his fur returned to its normal collar as he put on a toothy, roguish smile, & withdrew a small golden bell from his coat-breast pocket—a dreaded instrument that, when rung, spelled instant doom for those who heard its jingle. Mouses gave the bell a merry ring-a-ling-a-ling, & waited a few seconds.

Soon, Bartholomew's ears perked up to the sound of thudding footsteps; he turned around, looked up, & saw a tall, dark shadow looming over him. His eyes grew wide as saucers, & he looked scared out of his mind! Bartholomew was staring up at the hungry-looking face, ravenous yellow eyes, watering mouth, & gaping, fang-toothed jaws of Felicia, who peered at him through the doorway of the throne room, licking her chops noisily. After taking one look at Felicia, Bartholomew screamed like a little girl, then quickly took to his heels, & started running for his life, as his legs & feet turned around like wheels that propelled him a few mouse inches above the ground, rotating in a dizzying blur.

Just as Bartholomew was about to make a run for safety, however, Felicia's front paw reached in to grab him tightly, squeezing the life out of the poor mouse, & making his eyes bulge from the pressure on his body. And before long, Bartholomew was yanked out of the throne room, & Felicia brought her prey in for the kill. Bartholomew continued to scream like a girl, as Felicia brought him closer & closer towards her waiting jaws. Then, Felicia put Bartholomew into her maw, & shut her jaws over her morsel. Inside Felicia's damp, moist mouth, Bartholomew found himself sitting on the cat's tongue, just seconds away from being digested. The massive malkin was just about to swallow him, but just as Bartholomew started sliding down into Felicia's throat, the mouse managed to grab onto her tonsils at the last minute. Bartholomew squeezed them tightly as he held on for dear life, hoping that he would cause Felicia to get sick & spit him out.

Felicia smiled contentedly, not yet realizing Bartholomew hadn't been swallowed...but, then, she suddenly looked like she was ready to barf. Felicia gagged, then promptly spit Bartholomew out. Back in the barrel-throne room, Bartholomew went tumbling through the doorway, & onto the floor. He did a series of clumsy somersaults, then stopped at one point, sat back up on his bum, & turned to glare at Felicia. "Thank 'eavens I wasn't drunk enough to not try that trick the last time, you darn cat!" [5] Felicia glowered at Bartholomew through the barrel-throne room's doorway, & blew a raspberry at him. Bartholomew was eager to return the gesture, & he, too, stuck his tongue out at Felicia, & did a Bronx cheer. Meanwhile, Mouses was still singing to his thugs, but in a more melancholy manner...

I am the master of evil,
But it wasn't always that way
For 14 years, there was a crim'nal so dear...
Oh, how I pine for those days!

At this point, Mouses was no longer in the barrel-throne room, but in a mystical mist of long-ago memories. His rich British baritone filled the air with its sonorous sound, as he went on a trip back in time...& began to relive the fateful events that took place on one freezing night, 17 Decembers ago...

On a cold winter's night, not too long ago,
I was strolling in the streets
It started to snow as I headed for home...
Then I heard somebody weep

I saw a bundle with a baby enfolded
It was a young rat, all alone in the coldness
I picked him up, & held him so sweetly
And I took the babe home with me

Upon returning to the present, Mouses asked, "And do you know who that boy grew up to be?"

Having not paid attention to the previous story, Bartholomew looked up at Mouses somewhat stupidly, trying to think of a good answer, as his master turned to glare solemnly at him. Scratching his head thoughtfully, Bartholomew finally replied, "Uh, me?"

"No, you idiot!" Mouses snapped, bonking Bartholomew on the head in reproachment. "Ratigan!"

"Oh, right," Bartholomew said, now realizing he was wrong. An embarrassed Bartholomew put his arms & paws behind his back, & smiled sheepishly at Mouses, tittering nervously. (If this were an anime or manga, Bartholomew would probably have been doing a big sweatdrop right now!) Mouses glared at Bartholomew for a few more seconds, then pounced away, gliding over the head of the stout minion below him. Mouses then landed swiftly on his feet in the middle of the throne-room floor, where the thugs had just put up a series of large paintings & portraits depicting Ratigan at various stages of his life, right up to the days before the Diamond Jubilee. [6] As the music became more furious & fierce, Mouses looked upon each of these images, & his mind became flooded with another rush of memories. He could recall every single thing that happened when these pictures were made, down to the most diminutive of details, & the more he thought about everything he & Ratigan had been through together, the angrier he became when he realized what all those years ultimately led up to. As all this was going on, Mouses continued singing...

For 17 years, I nurtured the infant
For the day he would become a delinquent!
I molded him into the rogue I planned for him to be...

My boy was the world's greatest criminal brain,
The fabulous felon who'd seek wicked fame!
But on the night he was supposed to be king,
He had to go & betray me! A shame...

Then, Mouses' rage gave way to sadness, & Mouses sank to his knees on the floor, & posed tragically (again, with his usual over-the-top dramatics). Agent 001, seated in the corner of the room, accompanied his master's sorrowful, sung soliloquy with a gentle melody that he played upon the strings of Mouses' prized harp...

Oh, Ratigan, how could you do this?
You once lived a life of sweet, blissful malice,
But you gave it all up to begin a new life...
You became good! Such a pity!

Immediately, however, Mouses perked up happily, & he rose back onto his feet with a sense of newfound strength, sporting a determined sneer on his face as he sang...

But that will soon change, don't you worry,
For I'll take you back, & we'll hurry
To make you the villain you're destined to be,
And soon, we shall poison the city...

All of Mouses' thugs & minions raised triumphant paws into the air, sporting wide, ear-to-ear smiles on their faces as they joined in the ongoing musical number, with Mouses counterpointing with ecstatic exclamations before finally singing in unison with his lackeys...

With crime! ("Hurrah!")
This time...("Huzzah!")
There won't be a reformation!
Let's say
Hooray
For the day of your defamation!

"Now, my thugs, listen up!" Mouses addressed his minions. [7]

"What's the news, master dear?" the thugs replied, cocking their ears, & paying undivided attention to Mouses.

Lifting up his forefinger in a cautionary gesture, Mouses remarked...

There's a last little matter
That I must make clear...

Being the master of evil,
I must do this deed with great caution,
Lest there be a flaw in my fabulous felony...

"Oh, what a very sad notion!" the thugs exclaimed as they stepped back away from Mouses, sported mock-tragic looks, & put their paws to their foreheads, imitating Mouses' flair for the dramatics.

"But that will not happen, will it, boys?" Mouses sang, as he waggled a finger at his minions, & smirked at them mischievously.

"Naye, guv'ner!" Snotty Sam, Gunsmoke Gary, & Walker replied, smiling as they shook their heads in unison.

"We'll c'rrupt him again, won't we, boys?" Mouses asked, smiling devilishly.

"Aye, guv'ner!" Jaywalk James, Terry, & Thomas answered, smiling as they all gave sharp salutes in affirmation. Striking a triumphant pose, Mouses sang with wicked glee...

Chaos will erupt
When our friend is corrupt!

"Amen to that, Mouses Fiennes!" the thugs cheered. For a moment, Mouses & his minions felt as though they would be unstoppable...but, then, they were all brought back to reality when questions began to arise among them. Standing up on the floor (& ever dwarfed by his taller & larger co-thugs), Peewee Pete tugged on Mouses' coat tails to get his attention, & asked, "But, Mouses, just how are we gonna bring Ratigan over to the hideout?"

"And how are we gonna get rid of the Baker Street Family, so they don't muck up our plans?" Walker wondered.

Raising a paw, Jaywalk James questioned, "Should we bring Fidget, too, or do you just want Ratigan?"

"How can we make sure the police & mouse detectives don't try to track us down?" Eunice inquired.

"I think I may be able to assist you in that matter, Mouses!" Shellington added.

With that, the thugs all started clamoring, chattering, & asking questions simultaneously, crowding around Mouses until they were practically suffocating him. Finally, after a few moments, Mouses managed to push all the thugs away from him, & said, "Please, my good minions, don't start peppering me with questions until we lay out a basic plan! The sketch of the big picture must come first, & then, the details follow after that! Understood?" When the thugs gave their affirmative answers, Mouses continued with a pleasant smile, "Good! I'm glad you understand the procedure we must take in order for this plan to work efficiently!"

"I think you mean 'effectively', Mouses," Agent 001 remarked.

"Yes, in order for it to work effectively, right!" Mouses declared, smiling sheepishly as he corrected himself. With a nervous chuckle, Mouses used his handkerchief to wipe away the sweat forming on his brow, then cleared his throat, & addressed the thugs once more. "But, anyway...irregardless..."

"You realize that's not the correct term for 'regardless', right, Mouses?" Agent 001 corrected. Mouses glared at Agent 001 in annoyance, but the pedantic head thug continued with his lecture: "If you want your thugs to take you seriously, don't start contradicting yourself with that other word—which isn't even a word, really!"

Mouses was getting quite tired of this nitpicky nonsense. Leaning in close to Agent 001, & scoldingly pressing his forefinger against the minion's nose, the crime lord said irritatedly, "Agent 001...when I want you to give me a grammatical lecture, I'll kindly ask for one, thank you!" Agent 001 glowered at Mouses, then walked away, pouting grumpily. Once Agent 001 had joined the other thugs, Mouses continued, "Well, regardless, irregardless, whatever...The point is, my dear thugs & minions, that I sincerely appreciate your efforts to be patient & wait until we come with a good basic plan for Operation: Corruption!" After the goons all cheered & applauded, Mouses formed an evil smile on his face, & began singing the last portion of his song...

Ratigan, take one last look at your life...
All in good time, your heart shall be black,
For you belong to the side of evil,
And I'll make sure you come back!

"That's a fact!" the thugs piped in, before gathering around Mouses, & continuing to sing in unison as they showered their leader with their warbled words of praise...

Oh, he is the master of evil,
The nastiest rodent around!
He has a hard heart, & there's no doubt about it
That he's the worst felon in town!

Mouses couldn't help but bask & indulge in his lackeys' flattering, sycophantic exultation of him. Smiling arrogantly, Mouses declared in a conceited, airy tone, "Of course!"

He is a criminal genius,
The meanest one you'll ever see!

"Naturally!" Mouses said with a haughty grin. It was quite obvious that he was really enjoying the attention he was getting from his thugs.

"He's crafty, & cunning, & cruel as can be!" the minions complimented, to which Mouses replied with a proud smirk, "I'm the vilest villain in history!" Then, crowding up around Mouses one last time, the thugs sang their final lines...

Who is the bloke that we love the most?
His name is Mouses Fiennes!

It was then that Mouses finally laid bare the essence of what he hoped to accomplish within the next year or two. Singing to the melody of a familiar tune he had taught his adoptive son & former protege long ago, Mouses swore to himself...

My dear pupil, don't worry...
When the day comes when you're with us once more,
There's much planned for you that lies in store!
Oh, Ratigan,
Oh, Ratigan,
On that blessed day,
My Ratigan,
My Ratigan,
We'll show you that crime really pays!

With that, Mouses reared back his head, & launched into a fit of evil, maniacal laughter. The crime lord's cruel cackling echoed loudly through the cavernous regions of the vast sewer lair, & into the stormy night. From now on, Mouses vowed, no one in Mouse London will be safe from our reign of terror! And that pesky Baker Street Family won't stand in the way of our schemesI'll see to it that they all succumb to my rule, by whatever means necessary! Once I take Ratigan back under my wing, we'll be unstoppable! The League Of Villains will become a force to be reckoned with!


[1] Then again, Basil worked without a partner on cases for many years...

[2] Yes, I proudly ship Dr. Dawson & Mrs. Judson! ^_^ I really think they would make an adorable couple, don't you?

[3] The exact location of Mouses Fiennes' sewer lair was a bit of a challenge to determine, but looking at the writings of fellow GMD fan Irene Relda made the task a lot easier for me!

[4] I am sure you are probably thinking that Snotty Sam is a very childish & immature character. That is the case...but, then again, Snotty Sam has a very childish & immature personality.

[5] And, now, you know how Bartholomew survived in the first movie! ^_^ I hope this explanation is plausible enough for your tastes.

[6] According to the script for the film version of GMD 2, the respective images featured in this part of the song-sequence depict the following scenes: (1) Mouses feeding Baby Ratigan milk from a bottle; (2) Mouses sternly lecturing an 8-year-old Ratigan in his room; (3) Mouses teaching a 9-year-old Ratigan how to shoot a gun; (4) Mouses watching with pride as a 14-year-old Ratigan gets away with his first bank robbery; (5) a 15-year-old Ratigan posing smugly for the camera; (6) an older Ratigan sitting in his throne, decked out in kingly attire.

[7] I failed to mention this in the previous chapter, but whenever you see fully-italicized lines in the dialogue, these are single lines of song lyrics incorporated into the story's main text.