The year was 1897, only a few days after Basil Of Baker Street & I saved Queen Mousetoria, rescued the Flavershams, saved our kingdom, & became knighted.
Let me introduce myself. My name is Dr. David Quincy Dawson. I was once a military surgeon in the Afghan War, until I returned to London a few days ago for Queen Mousetoria's Diamond Jubilee, &...well, you probably already know that story.
Olivia Flaversham had said her final goodbyes to us, & I was just about to leave myself to find my own home, when I heard someone knocking on Basil's front door.
"Now, who could that be?" asked Basil impatiently.
Well, I decided to find out. I went over to the front door, & opened it. Right before my eyes...was the most beautiful mouse I had ever seen in my life!
She was clothed in a big green overcoat, with a pink dress underneath. An emerald cameo held her frilled pink collar-wings together. A big green hat with bright green flowers topped her round head. Her eyes were a startling green, just like Basil's. And there was a small mole on her right cheek.
The lady looked very sad. Her green eyes were red & puffy, & every time tears came out of her eyes, she dabbed at her eyes with a long white hankie.
The lady looked about, & asked, "I-Is this the home of the famous...Basil Of Baker Street?" She dabbed her teary eyes again, & looked hopefully at me.
I tipped my black bowler, & answered confidently, "Indeed it is, Miss!" I then saw her sad expression, & noted, "You look as if you're in some trouble!"
The lady mouse started crying again, dabbed her eyes, & wept, "Oh, ooh, ooh, but I am!" (Here, she blew her nose.) "I am!"
I said warmly, "Then you've come to precisely the right place."
Just then, Basil came up to me, & placed an arm around me.
To the lady mouse, Basil said happily, "Ah, allow me to introduce my trusted associate, Dr. Dawson, with whom I do ALL my cases." He then asked me hesitantly,"Isn't that...right, Doctor?"
I looked up at Basil's hopeful smile. Then I realized that he had wanted me to be his crimefighting partner!
The Watson to his Holmes!
I couldn't believe my ears! "Wha-? What?"
Astonished, & very honored, I said, "Yes, yes. By all means!"
And then I placed my hand in Basil's, & we both shook hands. And then, our partnership was formed.
Basil released his grip, straightened his collar, & deduced, "Hmm... As you can see, Dawson, this young lady has just arrived from the Hampstead district, & is troubled at the mysterious disappearance of an emerald ring missing from the third finger of her right hand." To the lady mouse, he said, "Now, tell me the story, & pray, be as precise as..."
The lady mouse cut Basil off. She asked, "Now, wait just a moment! How did you know where I'm from, & for that matter, how did you know about my ring?"
Basil just replied, "Quite simple, really." He then deduced, "All your clothes are green, which means it must be your favorite color. Emeralds are green, so undoubtedly, you'd wear one with your green ensemble."
Basil then went over to the lady mouse, & held up her palm. "I knew where you wore your ring, because of the chafe marks on your finger."
Sure enough, there were red chafe marks on the third finger of the lady mouse's right hand.
The astonished lady drew back her hand, & stuttered in awe, "Wh-why, yes, you're entirely right!"
Basil deduced again, "As to where you're from, I judged by your dialect that you were from Hampstead."
The further awed lady mouse gasped in astonishment, "AMAZING!!!"
Basil simply nodded his head, & said, "Yes. Now, your story, ma'am."
The lady mouse then began to tell us her story.
"My name is Lady Amelia Mousewell. I'm the Baroness of the Hawaiian Territories , & I've been running the area for many years. I am 25 years old, & I've lived in Hampstead since I was 2 years old. I was born in Ireland , in 1872. My mother was a seamstress, & my father was a farmer. We had a very low income, & we didn't make a lot of money. But all that changed when my family & I moved to London to escape Ireland 's Great Potato Famine of 1874. Our lives were much better than before; in fact, when I grew up & my parents died, I still continued to live in my childhood house in Hampstead."
I was amazed about that woman beyond belief! I said in awe, "That's a rather amazing story there, Lady Mousewell!"
Basil, who was now sitting in his chair, & puffing his pipe, said, "Yes...pray continue."
Lady Mousewell continued, "When my parents died, my mother included her emerald ring in her will. I inherited the ring, & I've worn it ever since."
Basil, still puffing his pipe, muttered, "Hmm-hmm..." He then asked, "Now, can you tell me what happened when you lost the ring?"
Lady Mousewell replied, "This morning, I took my ring off to get my finger some fresh air. When I came back from a meeting with Queen Mousetoria about how to stop the mistreatment of Hawaiian natives & workers, the ring was not on the table, where I had left it. Someone must have stolen it! And I know, because I looked all over the house for it, & couldn't find it."
Basil then got up, put up his pipe, & took off his robe. He reached into a clock case, & got out his trenchcoat (his waistcoat was already on). He put it on, then rushed over to a suit of armor.
He took his invertness cape, & put it on. Then he donned his small deerstalker hat.
Basil then rushed out the door, & shouted, "Hurry along, Dawson! Your second case is at hand!"
All I could do was follow Basil to the outside world.
Lady Mousewell shouted, "Wait for me!" She then rushed out the door, following us close behind.
Basil cried out adventurously, "Tally-ho!" Then a crazy laugh emitted from his mouth...
Author's Notes: This is Chapter 2 of "The Case Of The Missing Ring".
As you can see, this is a pastiche. Or at least my best attempt at it.
In this chapter, the case will be solved. It's a very easy case for Basil, so don't expect to see anything special, or a climax.
(Sorry to disappoint you, folks!)
The characters of Mouses Fiennes & Agent 001 are copyrighted by me right now, but when I work for Disney, they'll be copyrighted by them. Use these characters without asking, & you'll be in very, very big trouble, my friend!
In a dark, damp sewer lair, a young, agile agent/spy/ninja mouse was running through the lair. The spy mouse ran into a giant barrel with a big, golden "M" painted over the doorway. The spy mouse ran into the barrel, & stopped to rest. After gasping for breath, the spy lifted up his hand, & pulled off his black ski mask. He had a prominent nose, long, thin whiskers, tan fur, blue eyes, & a "square" head.
The spy mouse cupped his hand to his mouth, & called out in a deep voice, "Mouses? Ratigan? Anyone?" His words echoed loudly throughout the barrel. The spy called out louder,"I found the ring!" No one answered.The mouse called out again, "I said, I found the..."
The spy was cut off once he heard slow, steady footsteps sounding out. The spy whipped his head around to see a tall, thin, middle-aged mouse walking into the room. The mouse had smoky-gray fur, green-&-gold glass eyes, tufts of fur sticking up on his head, long, sharp claws on his fingers & toes, a really long tail, big, round ears, a prominent nose, & long, sharp, white teeth. He wore a rainbow jeweled brooch, a rainbow amulet set in gold, rainbow rings on his fingers, golden epaulets, a long, blue overcoat, a big, red opera cape, & a light blue shirt.
The mouse said calmly, "Ah...Agent 001..."
A pleased Agent 001 said, "I found the ring, Mouses." Agent 001 then pulled the ring out of his pocket, & placed it in Mouses' palm. "Here," said Agent 001 as he gave the ring to Mouses. Mouses gazed at the emerald ring glimmering in his palm, & giggled insanely.
Mouses said happily, "Ah...001, you've done a splendid job, old chap!" Mouses then ruffled Agent 001's hair playfully, & laughed.
Agent 001 said modestly & happily, "All in a day's work, Master."
Mouses held up the ring toward the light, & said evilly, "With this ring, I, Mouses Fiennes, will..."
Mouses stopped. His face fell. He realized that he didn't have an evil plan.
"...Oh, blast! I don't know what to do with the ring!" A disappointed Mouses slumped down onto the red carpeted-floor.
Agent 001 came up to Mouses, & said sympathetically, "Oh, Mouses, I know how you feel..."
Mouses perked up, & asked hopefully, "Oh, you do?"
Agent 001 then said in a smart-alecky tone of voice, "Yes. It's like they always say, 'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.'"
Mouses's face fell again. He rolled his eyes as he said sarcastically, "Oh, thank you so very much, 001. You're a true philosopher!"
Agent 001, thinking he was being complimented, asked happily, "Really?"
Mouses snapped angrily, "NO!" Mouses sighed in exasperation, & asked in irritation, "Don't you know sarcasm when you see it?!"
Agent 001 corrected, "You mean hear it."
Mouses fumed, & gritted his teeth. "D'ohhhhhhh...!!!!!"
Suddenly, Agent 001's ears perked up to talking outside the barrel.
Mouses asked his spy, "001, what are you...?"
Agent 001 cut Mouses off, & said, "Shhhhhh! I hear something..." Agent 001 then put a hand to his ear...
********************************
Meanwhile, inside the entrance to the sewer lair, Basil, Lady Mousewell, & I were climbing through the sewer pipes to get to Professor Ratigan's old lair.
Basil climbed through the pipes, as he said, "Now, Miss Mousewell, these pipes are very slippery, & very dark. You'll have to..."
Following Basil & me through the maze of pipes, Lady Mousewell cut Basil off: "Don't worry. I know my way in the dark."
Basil, Lady Mousewell, & I climbed through the sewer pipes, until we got to a small sewer grating. Basil lifted up the grating, & stepped into the sewer lair. Lady Mousewell & I followed him.
As my friends & I crept through the lair, Basil cautioned, "Now, everyone, do keep quiet. It's very dangerous here."
Basil, Lady Mousewell, & I tiptoed quietly through the sewer lair, until we all got to the barrel-throne room. We crept to the stairs under the door, & hid there. Basil cocked an ear as he heard two mice talking from inside the barrel.
Curious to know what Basil was doing, I whispered, "Basil, what are you...?"
Basil put a finger to his lips, & said, "Shhhhhh....!!!!"
A man lamented from inside the barrel, "Oh, Agent 001, what are we to do about my son?"
Lady Mousewell asked in a whisper, "Son?"
Another mouse, possibly this Agent 001, said, "Son? Oh, oh, Ratigan, of course...wait a moment, what happened to him?"
The other rodent sighed, & started weeping as he lamented, "He fell off Big Ben, & died! And now I have to get another heir to my criminal throne!"
Agent 001 comforted, "There, there, Mouses. Perhaps I could be of some assistance..."
The other mouse snapped angrily, "What are you, mad?! You're just a SPY!!!"
Curious to know what was going on, I whispered, "Basil, who's that man?"
Basil whispered back,"That monster is the world's greatest criminal mind, Mouses Fiennes! He corrupted Ratigan as a young child, & forced me to go on this lifelong goose chase!"
I commented, "Oh. And all this time, I thought Ratigan was the one you were after."
Basil explained, "He was! But then again, I'm also after Mouses, too!"
Lady Mousewell then whispered loudly, "Shh! Listen!"
Basil & I stopped talking, & listened to Mouses.
Mouses said wistfully, "Ah, well, I'm afraid we can't do much now. C'mon, 001, let's find someone else to be my heir."
Mouses & Agent 001 then walked out of the barrel, through the grating, & out of the sewer lair.
When the coast was clear, Basil, Lady Mousewell, & I came out of our hiding place, & ran into the barrel throne-room. We looked around for the ring as quickly & thoroughly as we could.
Basil looked on the arm of a fancy throne (probably Professor Ratigan's), & found the ring. He snatched it in his hand, & rushed up to Lady Mousewell.
Basil gave the ring back to Lady Mousewell, & said, "Here you go, Miss Mousewell."
Lady Mousewell smiled, as she gazed at her ring clutched in her hand.
An ecstatic Lady Mousewell said happily & gratefully, "Oh, thank you, Mr. Basil! Thank you so much!"
Basil just replied modestly, "Oh, think nothing of it, my dear Miss Mousewell. It's all in a day's work!"
Hoping to get out of here with our lives, I said, "Yes...now, we have to hurry! Mouses & that spy will probably be coming back!"
Basil said, "Then, let's hurry!"
Basil, Lady Mousewell, & I took the ring, & rushed out of the throne room as quickly as we could. We rushed through the sewer grating, & finally escaped the sewer lair.
Later that night, Basil & I were back at Baker Street, sitting together in the sitting room. Mrs. Judson came out, with a pot of herbal tea, &, of course, some of her famous cheese crumpets. She rested the food on the table, & Basil & I dug in.
As I sipped my tea, I remarked, ?Well, Basil, I do say that escapade wasn?t as great as the Flaversham Case??
Basil nibbled a cheese crumpet, as he said, ?But it was your second case, old bean. It really should be a memorable experience for you!?
Flustered, I said, ?Oh, but it was, Basil. It really was! It just wasn?t as, well?action-packed or long as the first one.?
Basil just said, ?Well, Dawson, sometimes cases can be closed rather quickly.?
Mrs. Judson came in, bringing a letter to Basil.
Mrs. Judson handed the letter to Basil, & said, ?Here?s a letter for you, Mr. Basil.?
Basil then tore open the letter, & began to read it.
It said, ?Dear Mr. Basil, thank you for finding my ring. I would have been in such pain had I not found you. When I first found out I lost the ring, I had heard so much about you, but never actually known you until now. Thank you for helping me, & I hope we become friends someday soon. Sincerely, Lady Mousewell.?
Apparently touched by the letter, Basil put down the epistle, then got out a quill pen & another piece of paper. He then began to write a reply.
As I gazed at Basil writing the letter, I mused to himself, ?Maybe someday, those two may get married!? I then gave out a hearty chuckle, hoping in my heart that Basil & Lady Mousewell would become friends.
And that is the story of my second case with Basil Of Baker Street.
