The Great Mouse Detective

Chapter 3: Basil of Baker Street

Angel's POV:

We finally arrive at 221 ½ Baker Street, and Dawson knocks on the door. An older-looking female--carrying books, blankets, pillows, a tea cup, and even a mace--answers the door. Dawson courteously removes his hat and says                                                                                            "Good evening, madame. Is this the residence of Basil of Baker Street?" 

"I'm afraid it is. He's not here at the moment. But you're welcome to come in and wait," she says, moving out of the way a bit. 

"Oh, we don't want to impose. You see it's my sister and I.." I trail off as I don't see Olivia next to me. Dawson points inside where Olivia is sitting in a chair, examining a magnifying glass with interest. 

"Oh my! You poor dear! You must be chilled to the bone!" The lady exclaims as she tosses her stuff at Dawson and runs to my sister. Luckily I have good reflexes, as some of the stuff started to fall and I catch it quickly, setting it inside, shutting the door behind me and Dawson.                   The lady takes off Olivia's hat and wrings the water from it, then takes her scarf. 

"Oh, I know just the thing for you two dears! Let me fetch you a pot of tea and some of my fresh cheese crumpets." She says and takes my scarf and rushes into another room, which I suppose is the kitchen, and shuts the door.

I look around the place, fascinated by what I'm seeing. There is a small propeller being blown by the steam of a teapot, which is operating a bellow that is attached to what are several lit cigarettes and a pipe, all of which are puffing.

On a different table, four different pairs of shoes are being turned in a circular motion, being brushed with black paint then being set onto a stack of blank papers, creating footprints. Olivia is looking around the room with the same interest as me.

"Wow," I whisper. 'This Basil fellow seems like a genius and I haven't even met him in person yet!' I think to myself. Dawson was hanging up his coat when we hear a voice outside the door. 

"A-ha! The villain slipped this time! I shall have him!" Shouts an unfamiliar voice outside. The door suddenly burst open to reveal a large grey mouse dressed in Chinese robes. He smiles triumphantly with a gun in hand as lightning strikes behind him. I jump back a bit, startled, but poor Dawson is petrified as the mouse rushes inside.

"Out of my way! Out of my way!" The large grey mouse exclaims as he runs to one of the tables. "I..I say, who..." Dawson was about to ask but the mouse throws his hat at Dawson's head. Dawson takes it off his head and addresses the mouse again. 

"I say! Who are you?" Dawson asks. 

"What?" The mouse asks as he faces Dawson. "Oh!" The mouse says as he pulls at his head, which turns out to be a mask, revealing his real face.

His fur is a mixture of tan and light brown, and he has shiny brown eyes. 'Wow... He's actually kinda handsome... wait... Bad Angela! You just met this mouse!' I scold myself.

"Basil of Baker Street, my good fellow." the mouse says formally. He smiles at Dawson's confused face and pulls a tab on his robe, which releases the air in the robe to reveal his slender form. Dawson is more baffled than Olivia and myself.

"Mr. Basil! We need your help, and..." Olivia starts as she approaches him eagerly, but he doesn't listen to her as he grabs his normal robe from a dart board and throws the dart over his shoulder, landing a bullseye.

"All in good time," he says.

"But-but you don't understand, sir. We are in terrible trouble." I say to him, but he continues to ignore us. 'How rude!' 

He walks by me and says, "If you'll excuse me." 

Dawson walks up to Basil and shakes his finger at him. "Here now, now. Now see here! These young ladies are in need of some assistance. I think you ought..." Dawson starts to say but Basil interrupts him by handing him the gun. 

"Hold this, will you please, Doctor?" He asks. 

"O..Of course." Dawson says and accepts the gun but his eyes are closed and he has no idea what he's holding or the fact it's pointed at himself. 

"D...Doctor?" I say uncertainty and he opens his eyes and quickly and nervously holds out the gun arm's length away. 

Basil retrieves the gun. 

"Ah. Wait just a moment. How did you know I was a doctor?" Dawson asks as Basil picks up a bullet and places it in the gun. 

"A surgeon to be exact. Just returned from military duty in Afghanistan. Am I right?" he asks. 

"Why..oh yes. Major David Q. Dawson. But how could you possibly--" 

"Quite simple really" Basil says. 

He holds up Dawson's arm to reveal a stitch mark on his jacket. "You've sewn your torn jacket sleeve together with the Lembert stitch." He says as he gathers several pillows. 

"Which only a surgeon uses." I state and Basil stops in surprise, then continues doing what he was doing. "Precisely, and the thread is a unique form of catgut distinguished by its.." Basil says then leans toward me and whispers "...peculiar pungency..." then straightens. 

"And that thread can be found only in the Afghan provinces." I finish for him. 

"Correct!" Basil says and tosses three pillows, one by one, to Dawson who holds them against his body, face mostly covered. 

"Amazing!" Dawson says in a muffled voice. 

"Actually it's... elementary, my dear Dawson." Basil says as he spins the revolver and aims it at the pillows in Dawson's arms. 

Dawson looks around in terror and throws the pillows into a nearby armchair. Basil readjusts his aim and Dawon jumps behind the opposite chair, pulling me and Olivia behind it as well. 

The gun fires and pillow feathers fly everywhere as we cautiously peek out from behind the armchair. 

'This mouse is mad!'

A/N- (Hey! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'll be showing a picture of Angel soon once I get it done! Thanks for reading and see ya next time!)