Meeting Toby

The room was silent as Basil paced up and down now smoking his third pipe. Olivia had finished her story at least half an hour ago, but no one had spoken since. Vivian was at a loss to see how Basil would make anything of the tale; she could see no possible chance of an answer. Finally Basil removed the pipe from between his teeth.

"This case is most intriguing with its multiplicity of elements," he began thoughtfully, "its many twists and turns." Turning sharply, Basil returned his attention to the young girl. "Now, you're certain you've told me everything? The slightest detail may be important!" he reminded her.

"It's just as I said," Olivia repeated. "And then my father was gone."

"What do you make of it?" Dawson asked Basil with interest.

"I don't see how you could possibly make anything out of it," Vivian admitted, rising from her chair and moving to peer out the window. "There's nothing to go on."

"On the contrary, Ms. Vivian," Basil smiled, "there is quite a bit to go on if one knows what to look for. It is obvious that Ratigan is up to something: a crime of the most sinister nature, no doubt. The question is, what would he want with a toy maker?" he pondered as he placed the pipe again between his teeth.

Vivian shook her head as Basil began to pace again and returned her gaze to the window. As another flash of lightning lit the sky, however, she let out a scream of shock. Through the window, she saw what appeared to be a bat hanging upside down and glaring into the room.

Basil had spun around at her scream and was just in time to see the bat fall from his perch. "Quickly Dawson, we haven't a moment to lose!" Basil cried as he bolted out the door.

"Uh I'm right behind you Basil!" Dawson said and hurried after the detective.

Vivian followed cautiously to the door and peered into the street.

"No sign of the blackguard anywhere," Dawson puffed when he finally reached Basil.

"Not quite, Dawson," Basil replied falling to the ground. "He's left some rather unusual footprints. They obviously belong to the same fiend that abducted the girl's father: Ratigan's peg-legged lackey!"

Vivian followed the trail of footprints with her eyes until she saw something that wasn't a footprint at all. She hurried into the street and picked it up with eager hands. "Basil look here!" she called and held up what appeared to be a hat.

Basil's head shot up and he hurried over to her. He seized the hat and whipped out his magnifying glass. "Ah ha!" he cried happily. "Excellent work, Vivian!" He chuckled and dashed back inside.

Dawson and Vivian followed quickly behind him.

"Is he gone?" Olivia asked fearfully.

"Quite gone," Dawson assured her.

"But not for long Ms. Flamhammer!" Basil cried as he pulled off his dressing gown.

"Flaversham!" Olivia cried indignantly.

"Whatever," Basil replied pulling a coat from inside a clock. "Now, we simply pursue our peg-legged friend until he leads us to the girl's father!" he explained.

"Then you'll get my daddy back?!" Olivia cried happily and leapt at Basil.

"Yes," Basil said stiffly before pushing Olivia to the floor. "And quite soon if I'm not mistaken."

"But how can we follow him?" Vivian asked in confusion. "The footprints ended just beyond the next house. He could've gone anywhere."

"Ah excellent observation, and that is why we must be off to Toby's," Basil explained with a smile.

"Toby's?" Vivian and Dawson repeated together.

"You simply must meet him Dawson, he's just the chap for this," Basil encouraged as he pulled on his overcoat and hat.

"You want me to come?!" Dawson asked in surprise.

"Ha," Basil cried before polishing his magnifying glass. "I would think a stout-hearted army mouse like you would leap at the chance for adventure!"

"Well I am rather curious," Dawson admitted.

"Wait for me! I'm coming too!" Olivia cried, pulling her coat out from under Basil's violin.

Basil gasped and just managed to catch it before it hit the ground. "What?" he called after Olivia. "Certainly not: this is no business for children."

Olivia however was not paying attention. "Are we going to take a cab?" she asked excitedly.

"My dear…I don't think you understand," Basil said with as much patience as he could muster. "It will be quite dangerous."

He made to sit down on the chair where he had recently placed his violin, but Vivian seized his arm and held him away from the seat. "I don't think your violin would respond well to being sat on," she explained with a small smile.

Basil looked flustered for a moment. "Thank you, Vivian. That was most observant of you."

"I'd like to come with you," she said bluntly.

Basil shook his head. "As I said, it will be dangerous and no place for women."

Vivian's eyes flashed dangerously. "The princess has asked me to learn as much from my visit to you as possible. She is quite an admirer of yours and wishes to know more about how you work. I am not afraid of danger, Basil, and I will be joining you and Dr. Dawson regardless of what you say. Do I make myself clear?"

Dawson stood with his mouth agape at the sudden change in tone of this young mouse before him. Basil, however, stood his ground with a slight smirk playing at his lips. "Very well…you may yet prove me wrong Ms. Vivian. I see you are not a woman to be trifled with, and you may perhaps be of use to this investigation. Very well, you may join us. The young lady, on the other hand will most definitely not be accompanying us."

"She knows her father, and you don't," Vivian pointed out. "Besides, this is an extremely personal matter for her, and you cannot expect her to simply sit here and wait on your word that you will find the only family she has left. I will take responsibility for her if I must, but she should come with us as well."

Basil rolled his eyes, but relented. Crossing over to a bookshelf, he carefully turned a picture to the right and revealed a secret tunnel.

"Where does this lead?" Vivian asked curiously.

"It leads to Toby's," Basil said simply. "Now if you all will kindly follow me." He hurried into the tunnel, and his three companions followed close behind.

The tunnel finally came to an end, and Basil eased the door open to reveal what appeared to be a human room. Vivian stared into the room with the utmost curiosity. Everything seemed to match almost exactly with Basil's rooms beneath them right down to the littered mantelpiece. "What is this place?" Vivian whispered in awe.

"This is the home of the famous human detective Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr. Watson," Basil whispered back. "Mr. Holmes is where I learned everything I know about the art of deduction."

"He must be an amazing man to inspire you like that," Vivian pointed out.

"I've never seen anyone more brilliant," Basil admitted.

Suddenly, Olivia stuck her head between Basil and Vivian.

"Not a word out of you, is that clear?" Basil hissed at her.

"Basil!" Vivian hissed warningly, and Basil quickly pulled the door almost closed.

"I observe there is good deal of German music on the program," a man that Vivian assumed was Holmes said. "It is introspective and I want to introspect."

"But Holmes," the other man objected, "that music is so frightfully dull!"

"Come along!" Holmes called, and soon, both men had disappeared from the room.

Basil pushed the door open wider again and hopped out of it. Vivian followed quickly behind him, eager to explore more of the room.

Dawson took Olivia by the hand and followed less eagerly.

"Toby!" Basil called as he strolled around the room. "Toby!"

"Who is Toby?" Olivia whispered to Dawson.

"Well my dear, Toby is…well he's a…" Dawson stuttered. Leaning closer to Basil, he muttered, "I say, Basil, who is this Toby chap?"

Suddenly, a violent vibration shook the floor to the point that Vivian lost her footing.

Basil instinctively reached out and caught her under the arms as he beamed at something high over his head. "Ah here he is now!"

Vivian glanced up and gasped; Toby was a hound dog.

Setting Vivian back up on her feet, Basil gestured from her to the animal. "Vivian this is Toby."

"It's lovely to meet you," Vivian managed, looking warily up at the dog.

Toby, however, seemed not to mind Vivian. On the contrary, he seemed to take to her very kindly. He bent to sniff at her dress before wagging his tail violently and barking his approval.

Basil smiled gently before pushing Dawson forward. "Dawson, Toby!" he continued.

"Charmed, I'm sure," Dawson said with a tip of his hat.

Toby instantly began to growl at Dawson until Basil came between them.

"Toby cease, desist!" he ordered until Toby moved away from Dawson. "I'm terribly sorry, old man," he said to Dawson. "Toby has the most splendid sense of smell of any hound I've trained, but he can be deucedly frisky."

Toby, meanwhile, had found Olivia and seemed to be just as happy with her as he was with Vivian. Indeed, it took a pointed whistle and angry look from Basil to refocus the animal.

"Now Toby," Basil began in a business like tone, "I want you to find this fiend!" He whipped out the hat Vivian had found, and Toby instantly began to growl. "Yes you know his type: villain!" Basil encouraged. "Low brow, close set eyes, broken wing-"

Toby froze and looked at Basil in complete confusion.

"Oh, he's a peg-legged bat with a broken wing," Basil explained, and Toby began to growl again. "Yes that's it. Got his scent?" Basil asked, and Toby nodded. "Good boy!" Basil turned to grab a leash, but Toby had returned his attention to Vivian and Olivia.

Basil dashed around to stand in front of them. "Ms. Flanchester," he reprimanded.

"Flaversham!" Olivia, Dawson, and Vivian corrected together.

"Whatever," Basil replied again. "Your father is as good as found!" he announced as he attached the leash to Toby's collar. "Toby!" he commanded, and Toby sprang to a ready position.

"Uh Basil…" Vivian began warily. "Shouldn't you maybe-"

"SICK HIM!" Basil yelled, and Toby's paw landed directly on top of him as he took off.

"Move," Vivian finished lamely as she watched Toby tear out of the room.

"Tally ho!" they heard Basil yell from the hall as they hurried after him.

When they finally caught up with Toby in the entrance to the house, Basil had managed to climb on top of Toby's back.

"Come on up here!" he cried.

Vivian grinned and began to climb up Toby's leg to join Basil. Once she was close enough, Basil reached out a hand to pull her up behind him. Olivia clambered behind Vivian, and Dawson reached the top last. Once everyone was in place, Toby crawled through a flap in the door and walked out into the street.

With his nose to the ground, he traveled several blocks, and Vivian began to worry that the trail had run cold. Suddenly, Toby's head shot into the air, and his whole body froze.

"At last," Basil whispered.

Realizing what was about to happen, Vivian called quickly to Olivia. "Hold on tight to me!" She felt Olivia's arms tighten around her waist just as Toby took off into the night.

The force of his flight was enough to knock Dawson back to cling onto his tail, and Vivian too was slipping until Basil's hand closed around her wrist.

"Hold on to me!" he called back to her, and Vivian hurriedly wrapped her arms around Basil's middle and held on for dear life.

"The thrill of the hunt, eh Dawson?" Basil called behind him.

"Eh quite!" Dawson replied with far less enjoyment than Basil.

"Our peg-legged quarry can't be far now!" Basil yelled in triumph as Toby continued to hurry through the night towards who knew where in pursuit of his villain.

Sorry it took a little longer to get this out, but I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave thoughts/questions/comments in the form of a review, and I'll see you next chapter which should be soon!