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Post by Professor Ratigan on Mar 14, 2009 10:45:29 GMT -5
Ratigan pulled out his golden pocket watch and checked the time. His target would be coming by any moment now. He turned to his minions.
"You all know what to do." Ratigan said. "Remember, no mistakes!"
Ratigan pulled out his bell to drive the point home. His men huddled together in fear, then hurried off to do his bidding. Ratigan turned around the corner. Sure enough, the girl was walking straight into his cunning trap. Hanging from a rain gutter was Fidget, looking towards Ratigan for the signal.
"Just a bit further, my dear." Ratigan said, rubbing his hands together. "Just a bit further."
The girl continued down her path. Ratigan waited until she was in just the right spot.
"Now!" He called to Fidget.
The bat cackled, then swooped down on the girl, landing in her hair. As predicted, she swatted her hands at him, not looking where she was going. The pit opened under her weight, and she fell beneath the surface. Ratigan skipped over in glee. If all went well, the fall would have rendered her unconscious, and his men would drag her to their destination easily.
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Post by esmeralda on Mar 14, 2009 10:56:23 GMT -5
Esmeralda hurried through the streets, carrying a basket of food. She had been out shopping. There were more mouths to feed now that Kiara was wounded and had broken her leg, and Esmeralda was worried that something had happened to her patient when she was gone. Their camp for the night were only some feet away, when she felt the ground give way under her. She cried out in shock as she fell into a pit. The basket of food flew through the air in a bow, and landed on the ground as the gypsy girl fell.
"DJALI! KIARA! KOOOOOOOOOOVU!!!!"
She knew that Kiara was hurt and couldn't come to her rescue. But if she heard her, she could tell Kovu what she heard. Esmeralda landed on the bottom of the pit, hitting her head in the fall. The world darkened around her, and she fell to the ground, unconscious.
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Post by Basil on Mar 14, 2009 11:08:12 GMT -5
<<Do you want Ratigan to do more before Basil arrives? Do you want me to just happen by, or is Ratigan planning to summon him with a message or something?>>
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Post by Kiara on Mar 14, 2009 11:18:30 GMT -5
Kiara had been sleeping, resting her leg for the night when she heard something that stirred her awake. Her eyes opened slowly and she looked around for the source of the noise, that was when she realized the noise wasn’t coming from in front of her, but it was coming from the distance...
“Esmeralda?” she called out, her eyes filling with worry when she heard her scream. “ESMERALDA!” She instantly moved to get up, forgetting about her leg and stumbled forward ignoring the pain.
“Esmeralda!” she called out again. Something had happened, something was wrong, Esmeralda should have been back by now and that scream...!
“Kovu, I gotta find Kovu!” she cried out trying to move, but she didn’t get very far and she flopped to her side, turning and glaring back at her broken leg.
“Useless thing,” she hissed at it and then she got an idea. Moving to sit up a bit she let out a mighty roar, hoping Kovu would hear it.
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Post by Professor Ratigan on Mar 14, 2009 11:22:36 GMT -5
~~Basil, I PMed you with what Ratigan's note said. Feel free to jump in at any time ~~ Ratigan looked over the edge of the pit. He cackled with joy when he laid eyes upon the gypsy girl, who wasn't moving. "Poor child." Ratigan said in mock concern. "We shall have to bring her with us and tend to her injuries." Dropping the facade, Ratigan laughed as he waved his men forward. In their arms, they carried ropes. "Tie her wrists good and tight." He ordered. "And then bring her to the mansion, and look smart about it! "Fidget!" He yelled. The bat scampered forward. "Yeah, boss?" Ratigan pulled out a note. "You know what to do, and don't fail me!" "No-no, boss!" Fidget said. "I'll do good, you'll see! I'll-" "GET GOING!!!" Ratigan bellowed. Fidget shook in terror before hurrying away as fast as his peg leg could carry him. Ratigan chuckled before turning to follow his men. "The game's afoot, Basil. You have until midnight to rescue your dear friend, and fall into my trap!"
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Post by Basil on Mar 14, 2009 13:43:09 GMT -5
<<I got the message. This takes place after the Impossible Dream thread, okay?>>
Reading quietly in his hotel room, Basil of Baker Street heard an odd sound. He glanced up -- someone had slipped a note under the door. How curious!
Basil's stomache gave a sickening lurch the moment he opened the paper, for he recognized that hand instantly. Can it be...Ratigan? He had not perished in that fall from the clock tower?
Well, why not? If Basil had survived it was foolish to assume that the Professor had not also found a way. The detective had badly underestimated his foe. But, no time now for self-recrimination.
He read over the note swiftly:
'In the home of 999 happy haunts The ghosts and spirits scare and taunt They desire the mortal girl trapped within Only you can save her from a fate most grim'
'But you'd best hurry, you'd best beware For the fate of this young girl so fair Will be to join the spirits in this home As the 1000 spirit she will roam'
'Grim grinning ghost come out to socialize, Drawn by her terrified cries They will have her join their band For the midnight hour is close at hand'
The meaning was obvious; Ratigan, the fiend, was threatening the life of some young lady of his acquaintance in the Haunted Mansion, where Toby had so lately been injured.
But which lady? Miss Bianca or Gadget? They were the only female mice he had met here. Queen Susan? Perhaps it was Nani. In any case, even if the girl was a stranger, he would have no choice but to effect a reascue.
Basil examined the note quickly but thoroughly for additional clues. It smelt of that wretched tobacco Ratigan preferred, but that was hardly helpful.
Stooping, Basil next searched the ground outside his door. The carpet revealed some interesting footmarks, namely, those of a peg-legged individual. The detective had no doubt to whom they belonged.
Swiflty donning his hat and overcoat, Basil placed his revolver in his pocket. He would have to pick up Dawson along the way.
He shuddered involuntarily. His arch-enemy alive and at large was bad enough, but it was mortifying to realize that the crime-lord had discovered his whereabouts before he, Basil, had been aware of Ratigan's presence.
Beside all that, his worst fear had materialized: his enemy was striking at an innocent person to get to him.
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Post by Professor Ratigan on Mar 14, 2009 13:55:59 GMT -5
~~Cool post, Basil! ~~ Ratigan chuckled evilly as he approached the gypsy. She was starting to regain conciseness. Pulling out his handkerchief, he gently wiped away at the blood on her forehead. Nothing that would require medical attention, not that it would matter in a few hours. "Tsk tsk tsk." Ratigan said as Esmeralda's eyes finally opened. "Such a terrible fall you took, my dear." He placed his handkerchief back in his pocket. "I really must apologize for this rather impertinent introduction." He continued. "So beastly and savage, not at all to my normal tastes. However, I'm afraid it was unavoidable. You see, I doubt you'd be a willing victim for my plan to destroy Basil of Baker Street, so I had to take drastic measures to get you here."
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Post by Basil on Mar 14, 2009 14:15:43 GMT -5
<<Thanks. :) I think I'll have to wait for Dawson before I can post again. You guys have fun--can't wait to read what Esme has to say to Ratigan>>
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Post by esmeralda on Mar 14, 2009 14:20:21 GMT -5
Esmeralda slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was a blur at first. Her head was aching, as someone had hit her, and she felt a bit nausea. Luckily it quickly passed. She was in a room she had never seen before, and someone was standing in front of her, gently wiping the blood on her forehead.
"Wh-where am I?" Esmeralda asked. "And who are you? What am I doing here?"
Her vision became clearer, and she could see the one talking to her. A... rat? He was speaking to her about Basil. She felt a twinge of pain in her heart, and her emerald eyes filled with tears. Hadn't she already done enough damage by breaking his heart? Should she now cause him more pain by letting this criminal torment him? She decided quickly that she didn't want Basil to get more hurt than he already was. She would do what she could to protect him. Somewhere deep inside her, she still had a soft spot for that brave little detective.
"If you think you can hurt Basil of Baker Street through me, you are seriously mistaken," she said calmly. "He hates me."
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Post by Dr. David Q. Dawson on Mar 14, 2009 14:38:15 GMT -5
Dawson was looking forward to a very nice and relaxing time alone in his hotel room right now. It would be nice after dealing with an amnesiatic Basil. All the good doctor wanted was to enjoy reading the novel he had been working on for the last while. Perhaps a little glass of sherry.
As much as he would love this, he was certain that with Basil around that would not be the case. He was almost certain of it, actually, and was quite prepared to follow the detective out if it proved necessary. He hoped it wasn't.
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Post by Basil on Mar 14, 2009 14:46:55 GMT -5
Basil tried to enter the doctor's room without knocking, never thinking how rude that would be.
"Blast these hotel doors!" Not only did they lock automatically, but they didn't even have decent, ordinary locks that a chap could turn with burglar tools. No, only those odd slots with the plastic cards you poked inside.
He knocked urgently and called, "I say, Dawson, open up. The game is afoot!"
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Post by Professor Ratigan on Mar 14, 2009 14:51:24 GMT -5
"You are in the Haunted Mansion, Esmeralda. And I am Professor Ratigan." He said. "Charmed, I'm sure."
Ratigan chuckled at Esmeralda's statement.
"He may act as though he hates you, I am sure." Ratigan said. "After all, no woman ever captured his heart as you did. And no one ever broke it quite as you did, either."
Ratigan pulled out his handkerchief again and pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "Poor Basil... It must have been so devastating for him... But trust me, my dear, it is all a facade. Basil only acts like that to hid his true feelings for you.
"And even if he did hate you, he's far too honorable to let an innocent girl suffer, especially at my hands." Ratigan continued, giving an evil laugh. "So predictable. It shall be his undoing."
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Post by Dr. David Q. Dawson on Mar 14, 2009 14:59:51 GMT -5
Dawson looked up from his book and sighed with the air of a martyr. Putting aside his book and sherry. Standing and hopping to the floor, he scurried to the door and hopped onto the table he had moved in front of his door. Opening the door, he hopped down again and looked at the urgent mouse in front of him.
"What on earth is going on, Basil?" he asked curiously. "Has the world begun to rocket into the sun or has Toby eaten another civilian?" he added sarcastically.
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Post by Basil on Mar 14, 2009 15:06:12 GMT -5
"No time for such pleasantries, Doctor. Read this."
He handed Dawson Ratigan's note, brushed past him into the room, and began to pull open the bureau drawers one by one.
"The worst has happened. Ratigan has returned."
"The earth crashing into the sun might be preferable."
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Post by Dr. David Q. Dawson on Mar 14, 2009 15:11:40 GMT -5
"I say, Basil--!" Dawson started to say when he read the note. Good heavens! This was tertible. "I say," he repeated weakly. "Now who on earth would he kidnap?"
That was when he saw Basil opening the drawers. He immediately protested.
"I say, old man, what on earth are you up to?"
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