"No, no, no," I muttered, leaning against the mantel after this…mouse…had introduced himself and his colleague.
A mouse, introducing himself.
No.
"It's impossible."
"What is, Mr. Holmes?"
"That I am standing here talking to a mouse!"
The little chap gave a high-pitched squeak that I assumed was the rodent equivalent to a laugh.
"Yes, it is impossible as you state it. Therefore, you must have stated it wrongly," he shot back at me. "Once you eliminate the impossible and nothing remains, then the impossible now becomes only improbable."
I saw Watson's mouth drop open.
"Priory School – can you read, too?" he asked quickly, recognising the maxim from his story.
"Of course."
"Watson," I remonstrated in dismay, as he crept closer and bent down, looking at the two creatures on the desk.
"Yes, indeed, Doctor – we've read all your stories, even copied some of them into books small enough for us," the mouse went on, looking up at Watson with sharp beady eyes.
"Really?"
"Watson, for heaven's sake!"
"Mr. Holmes, why are you so afraid to believe your senses?"
I glared at the mouse, who again gave that little squeaking laugh, echoed by the other creature beside him – what had Basil said his name was…
Wait a moment, I was NOT going to refer to them by names! They were rodents!
Bah.