GMD 2: Chapter 9, Part 8

THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE 2: A NEW BEGINNING
A "Great Mouse Detective" Fanfiction By The Mouse Avenger

Chapter 9:
More Exciting Escapades

Part 8

(CUE MUSIC: "Neptune", from Gustav Holst's "The Planets")

It only took a short while for Pias & the Baker Street Family to reach the main grounds of the Mouse Gypsy Caravan, & once they had arrived there, they went to Madame Ratburn's wagon, climbing up the small wooden staircase to approach the front door. "Well, here we are!" Pias proclaimed. He lifted up his cane, & used it to knock on the door. A few seconds passed, but no answer came from inside the wagon. Continuing to knock on the door with his cane, Pias called out, "Madame Ratburn? Madame Ratburn?" Still no answer. Pias smirked in amusement as he brought his cane down to place it in front of him, holding it with both paws.

"That's strange..." Dr. Dawson said in puzzlement. "She's not answering the door!"

"Let's go in, & see what she's up to," Pias said. Still holding his cane with his left paw, Pias leaned forward to place his right paw upon the door handle, & press down on it. The front door then swung open to reveal Pias & the members of the Baker Street Family standing in the threshold. The rodents' shadows fell across the floor as they all quietly crept into the wagon. Suddenly, everyone stopped in their tracks, & looked up with surprised expressions when they saw what Madame Ratburn was doing. The elderly psychic was curled up asleep on her cot, with her back turned to her visitors. She snored lightly in her deep slumber. (Since we didn't describe her during her introduction, allow us to briefly elaborate on Madame Ratburn's appearance to you. Madame Ratburn was tall for a mouse-rat hybrid her age, with a slim, slender figure. She had brownish-gray fur, & straight white hair [which she kept up in a bun]. Her rounded head had high cheekbones that curved at a slight angle. A slightly-prominent pink nose [flanked on either side by a pair of medium-length whiskers] was fixed between her haunting blue eyes [topped with slender, curved white eyebrows]. Wrinkles & signs of aging adorned her face. A pair of large, triangular pink ears prominently perked up from either side of her head. Her rat-like pink tail was long & slender, & her lean limbs ended in small paws & feet. She wore a long-sleeved emerald-green dress [adorned with pink-colored patches in various places], a pair of emerald-green bloomers, a purple scarf with fringed edges, a large purple turban, & a snugly-fitting pair of dull, black patent-leather boots.)

"She's sleeping!" Hiram pointed out in a hushed tone.

"Wake her up, Pias!" Basil whispered to his Gypsy friend, as he gently nudged him with his elbow.

With that, Pias grabbed his cane, & walked over to Madame Ratburn, stopping to stand at her bedside. Pias then took his cane up off the floor, & gently began nudging Madame Ratburn with it. As he did so, he whispered to his comrade, "Psst...Madame Ratburn..." At this point, Madame Ratburn stirred & opened her eyes, before turning over on her side to face Pias. In a hushed tone, the gardener alerted the psychic, "You have visitors!"

When she saw who had come to see her, Madame Ratburn sat up in bed with a look of surprise. "Oh, so sorry to have kept you waiting!" Madame Ratburn exclaimed to the smiling members of the Baker Street Family. "I had a premonition you would be coming, but I was just resting to save enough energy for me to use my psychic powers! Several decades of using my otherworldly abilities have drained me of much of my physical energy, & though I've gained some of it back, I must take long naps for several hours a day if I am to use my psychic powers for whatever reason may crop up—otherwise, without plenty of rest, I will quickly become too exhausted, & not be able to use my magic effectively."

"I am quite aware of the reasons behind your routines, Madame Ratburn," Basil stated with an understanding nod of his head. "As you already know, I have a penchant for finding rational purposes for everything." Gesturing to himself, the detective elaborated further, "I have plenty of unusual—but completely necessary—habits, myself."

Upon hearing Basil gleefully gloat about his eccentric tendencies & odd proclivities, Victoria, Hiram, Mrs. Judson, & Dr. Dawson either gave Basil weird looks, rolled their eyes, or shook their heads at him in mock-irritation, while the kids tried to stifle their laughter with paws to their mouths. Madame Ratburn chuckled, & said in amusement, "Yes, & we all know what those are..." (The Baker Street Kids then removed their paws from their mouths, & the adults put on warm smiles at Basil, their unconditional affection for the Great Mouse Detective coming to the surface once again.)

"'Aye, & though there be madness, there is method in it!'" Basil quoted.

"I love that line!" Ratigan remarked, in absolute heaven right now.

"What play was that from, Ratigan?" Olivia asked curiously.

"'Hamlet', Act 2, Scene 2," Ratigan answered aside to his sister.

"Oh, yeah, 'Hamlet'!" Olivia cried, smiling & nodding her head in recognition.

"Dat's da one where he's holdin' da skull of dat guy in da graveyard, right?" Fidget inquired, brightening when he realized what play Ratigan & Olivia were referring to.

Now completely caught up in the conversation, Ratigan launched into a Shakespeare impression of his own, complete with melodramatic voice & poses: "'Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him well!'" The kids & adults all laughed, tickled pink by Ratigan's brilliant performance. Unable to resist basking in his praise, Ratigan broke "out of character", & smiled smugly at the rest of the Baker Street Family, shifting his eyebrows up & down. When the mood of merriment finally subsided, Madame Ratburn asked our pint-sized protagonists, "Now, how can I be of service to you?"

"Well, if you must know, Madame Ratburn," Basil said, "we would like to address a problem." The smile on his face then changed to a more solemn look, & so did the others'. Her attention now fully grabbed, Madame Ratburn helped herself up off the bed, & landed onto her feet; Pias then took up his cane, walking back towards the Baker Street Family. After watching Pias leave, & taking a moment to gather her powers, Madame Ratburn lifted herself up a few inches into the air, & began floating towards her friends, her eyes & body glowing a pale-blue. The Baker Street Family & Pias all parted to make way for Madame Ratburn, revealing her table with the crystal ball on it. Madame Ratburn floated over to the table, then took her seat in her chair. With a snap of her fingers, nine additional chairs popped up to join the one placed at the other side of the table. The Baker Street Family & Pias all sat down in the chairs, & made themselves comfortable, before turning their heads to face Madame Ratburn as she spoke to them.

"If I may inquire further into the matter of your aforementioned problem, what is this fursonal dilemma that you are going through?" Madame Ratburn asked.

"Well, it's like this, Madame Ratburn," Basil started to explain. "We..."

Madame Ratburn swiftly held up a paw to stop Basil in mid-sentence, & cried, "Wait!" The medium then put both paws to the sides of her head, concentrating deeply, as she revealed, "Don't tell me...You & your family were at Regents Park, trying to spend some quality time together..."

"Whoa, good guess!" Fidget exclaimed, impressed by the accuracy of her statement.

"The great Madame Ratburn never guesses, Fidget! She knows!" Madame Ratburn replied with a sly smile & a waggle of her forefinger. Then, putting both paws to the sides of her head again, Madame Ratburn continued thinking aloud: "And at one point, you, Cousin Timmy, & Olivia were all playing a game on the park green...But you were chased by two menacing figures...Timmy managed to avoid getting caught, & so did Fidget & Olivia, but only after they found their way out of a long & winding hedge maze...Quite a chase took place there, I believe, between Fidget, Olivia, & their pursuers..." After thinking for a bit more, Madame Ratburn let her paws float down to rest on the table, & said, "I can't seem to get any more snatches of the events." The psychic took her crystal ball, & pulled it in closer to her, as she added, "Let me just look into my crystal ball, & see if it can tell me what else took place at the park."

Madame Ratburn proceeded to wave her paws over the crystal ball. Gradually, as the amazed Baker Street Family & Pias watched on, turquoise smoke began to appear in the glass, as well as faint, footage-style images of what took place in the park earlier. As she gazed at the images in the crystal ball whilst waving her hands over the orb, Madame Ratburn said, "Ah, here we are, at Regents Park..." So far, the images that were playing were a recap of the things that had already been established, & Madame Ratburn was quite eager to get to a point where she would find new information. "Yes, yes, I already know about this...And that...And this, too," Madame Ratburn told her contacts from the other side. When visions of the chase in the hedge maze played out against the smoke, Madame Ratburn sighed impatiently, & exclaimed in exasperation, "I already told them about the hedge maze! Could you kindly move on, please?"

At that point, the images in the crystal ball switched to those of Olivia & Fidget's pursuers flying through the sky. More satisfied with her results, Madame Ratburn said, "Thank you..." The medium then took a closer look at the images playing, & remarked, "Hmmm...I think I'm getting visions of the two villains who went after Olivia & Fidget..." (Individual images of Eunice & Shellington appeared in the glass.) "Eunice...& Shellington Batly?!" Madame Ratburn gasped. Now greatly distressed, the Gypsy psychic lamented, "Oh, dear, I knew that Shellington would join the battle against the Baker Street Family! By teaming up with Mouses Fiennes & the League Of Villains, Shellington plans to make sure that the Baker Street Family won't be able to interfere with his criminal capers!" To herself, Madame Ratburn wondered aloud, "Could that fiend possibly sink any lower than he already has?"

Noticing the concerned expressions on the faces of the Baker Street Family, Madame Ratburn said sadly, "I'm afraid it's no longer just a battle between your family & the League Of Villains, Basil. It's also a battle between the very forces of good & evil. Mouses & his thugs are very formidable opponents, & they will do everything in their power to ensure that they come out as the victors of this conflict. None of you have faced such great adversity in your lives, & the League Of Villains is fully aware of that. They will use everything they've got to exploit your inexpertise, & use it to their advantage. With time & experience, your family will become stronger, & you'll find it increasingly easy to take on Mouses Fiennes & his thugs. But this is your first battle, so you're going to need some extra help. As an agent of the otherworldly, I am the only one who is able to prevent the enemy from gaining an unfair advantage over you."

"So, what exactly are you trying to tell us, Madame Ratburn?" Dr. Dawson asked.

Madame Ratburn answered, "Well, several things, really...but first, to clarify what I've said earlier, I have officially gotten involved in the war between good & evil, no thanks to Shellington. I will be serving as your ally in the forthcoming battle between yourselves & Mouses Fiennes."

"And when is this...battle to take place?" Victoria questioned.

"In about five months' time," Madame Ratburn replied. "Mouses & his thugs won't attack you for a while until then, but when they do, it will be a sign to prepare for...the war. I'm just warning you to be careful—you mustn't let your guard slip for a second, or harm may come to you or your loved ones..."

"We'll keep that in mind," Basil said. "Thank you, Madame Ratburn."

"Don't mention it," Madame Ratburn responded with a smile.

"So, is there anything else you want to tell us?" Dr. Dawson queried.

"Oh, there is so much I want to tell you...So much..." Madame Ratburn replied as she shook her head, holding back amused chuckles. Then, more seriously, she added, "But now is not the best time to discuss it, for several reasons. Whenever the need to give you further predictions arises, however, I will certainly let you know."

"Aye, understood, Madame Ratburn," Hiram stated.

"Indeed," Basil affirmed.

"Gotcha," Fidget said.

Telekinetically pushing her crystal ball back to the center of the table, Madame Ratburn declared, "Now, if I'm not mistaken, it's getting close to 5:00, & I believe you have agreed to meet up with your friends at Hyde Park. Pias & I shall accompany you to Cirque Du Mousini." The psychic gave a sly smile & a wink to the gardener, & asked him, "Won't we, Pias?"

"Oh, sure...I guess..." Pias answered unsurely. He wasn't usually a fan of big gatherings, but he was willing to make an exception for his friends.

"All right, then!" Madame Ratburn cried happily. Rising out of her chair with an adventurous pose, the medium shouted, "To the fairgrounds!" Madame Ratburn spread her arms out with a flourish, & in a poofy explosion, thick clouds of blue smoke filled the wagon, hiding everything & everyone from view as Basil, his loved ones, & their Romani comrades were teleported to Hyde Park...

When the smoke finally cleared, the Baker Street Family, Madame Ratburn, & Pias found themselves standing in the middle of Hyde Park. Upon realizing that they were not quite at the destination she intended to take them to, Madame Ratburn smiled & chuckled sheepishly, before saying, "Oops...I just realized that we're at the park, but the fairgrounds are a short distance away from where we are. But no worries...or hakuna matata, as they say in Swahili." In another poofy explosion of blue smoke, Madame Ratburn, Pias, & all the members of the Baker Street Family exited the park green, & reappeared in front of a large crowd gathered at the Cirque Du Mousini fairgrounds.

Standing next to or near the Baker Street Family were Grandpa Mitsubishi, Monsieur Victor Claudius, the Merchiorre family, & the Flahertys. Among the other members of the crowd were Sophie, Sophocles Braveheart, Cecil B. DeMont, Slick Willie, Jellybean, Cecelia Green & her dad Martino, Larry Grossmouse, Coucou Cacheau, Amergin Burgess, Mother Caulfield, Flip, Mr. Altoid, Jemediah Fieldson, Joey & Mrs. Wellington, Nate Gregson, Jiggy The Juggling Octopus, Rosie The Ribbiter, Ned The Newt, George & Chester Cheeseman, Bessie Colemouse, Professor Doppler, Chutzpah, Cathy, & Old Mouse Porter. "Oh, Baker Street Family, you're here!" Alfredo Merchiorre said with a smile. "Good! You're just in time for the circus show!"

"I bet it will be most fantastico!" Maria Merchiorre exclaimed happily, cuddling her favorite doll that she had brought along. Maria then looked up at her mother, & asked, "Right, Mama?"

"Ah, sì, la piccola Maria," Carmietta Merchiorre replied cheerfully, as she patted her daughter's head. "I am certain your words will ring true!"

"Oh, boy, I can't wait for the circus to start!" Olivia told her friends excitedly.

"Us, neither, Olivia!" the Merchiorre mouselings agreed in unison, jumping up & down gleefully. "It's going to be so magnifico!"

"Will they have clowns or jugglers?" Tony Merchiorre wondered aloud.

"Maybe dancers or tightrope-walkers?" Bene Merchiorre asked with a warm smile.

"Do you think they will have lions, & tigers, & bears?" Mario Merchiorre asked his older brother.

"Who knows, bro?" Luigi Merchiorre replied with a shrug of his shoulders. Then, smiling, he added, "But whatever will be at the circus, I bet it's going to rock, all the same!"

"Sì, Cousin Luigi!" Luciano Merchiorre said, nodding his head in agreement. "I agree with you wholeheartedly!"

"'Rock'?" Hiram asked himself with a quizzical raise of his eyebrow, puzzled by the expression the Merchiorre mouselings had just used. The toymaker then looked down at the Italian kids, & inquired, "What's 'rock' mean in that particular context, children?"

"Just another word to mean that something is wonderful," Luciano answered, smiling up at Hiram.

"Sì, Mr. Flaversham," Maria agreed. "Wonderful!"

"Oh, OK!" Hiram exclaimed with an enlightened smile, as he nodded his head in understanding. "I see what you mean now!"

Meanwhile, Ben Flaherty & his mother were engaged in a conversation of their own. "Och, what I'd give ta be in th' circus!" Ben cried joyfully. To Mme. Flaherty, he asked, "Ye think, maybe one day, I could join, Mum?"

"Perhaps, someday, when you're older, Bennie-boy," Mme. Flaherty replied with a smile, as she tousled her son's hair with her paw. "But you need to finish your lessons at the academy, first."

"Understood, Mother!" Ben said, saluting.

"Then, it's a done deal, Ben!" Mme. Flaherty declared.

When he heard this, Ben whooped in delight as he hopped into the air, clicking his heels together. "Faith & begorrah, Mum, that's fantastic!" Ben exclaimed ecstatically. "You're a saint!"

"Careful, Ben..." Mme. Flaherty warned, waving a forefinger at her son. "Don't wanna take yer expressions too far, or you might end up sending the Good Lord into a tizzy!"

As he took a step back away from his mother, Ben said bashfully, "Aye, of course..." The boy blushed a little, & smiled sheepishly up at Mme. Flaherty as he apologized, "Sorry, Mother. I had a slip o' the lips, there."

"Oh, no worries, son!" Mme. Flaherty said, smiling once again. "No sin is too great for God to give!" At this point, the red color in Ben's cheeks disappeared, & his smile became more of a happy one. He felt a lot better already!

"Hey, Cecelia!" Fidget greeted his girl friend, waving to her. "How's it going?"

"Muy bien, Fidget, y tu?" Cecelia replied, smiling & waving back to Fidget.

"I'm doing pretty good," Fidget answered. "So's the family."

"That's wonderful, Fidget," Martino Green said warmly.

At this point, Cecelia waved to the rest of the Baker Street Family, who waved back at her. As she did so, she greeted in Spanish, "Hola, mi amigos y amigas del Panadero Calle!"

Cecil then engaged into a conversation with Ratigan. Smiling at Ratigan, & giving him a thumbs-up, the director complimented, "That was some fine chess-playing you did up at Regents, Ratigan!"

"Thanks, Cecil!" Ratigan replied, returning the smile & thumbs-up. "Although I have to give you plenty of props, as well—you should be a grandmouseter, should you decide to take a break from filmmaking!"

"Perhaps, one day, I will..." Cecil said wistfully. "But right now, my dream in life is to make motion-picture mouseterpieces!"

"Well, you certainly excel in that field, too," Ratigan praised.

"Thank you, Ratigan!" Cecil exclaimed exuberantly, unable to resist taking a bow.

"My pleasure, Mr. DeMont," Ratigan responded, graciously echoing the gesture.

At that moment, Chester Cheeseman waved to Cousin Timmy, & greeted his friend with his usual cheerful countenance, "Hey, Timmy, what's up?"

"Nothing much, Chester," Cousin Timmy said, returning the smile & wave. "What about you?"

"Ah, it's pretty much the same old stuff for me, too," Chester answered. "I'm still waiting for Dad to take me to court so I can watch him do his legal stuff during that big lawsuit your folks were talking about with him earlier."

"Oh, yeah, right! I remember!" Cousin Timmy exclaimed, nodding his head in recognition.

"Little Chester sure is eager to see his old mouse hard at work!" George Cheeseman declared with a proud smile, tousling his son's hair with his paw. "I'll bet you he's gonna make a fine lawyer one day!"

"I have no doubt that he will, Mr. Cheeseman," Basil said pleasantly.

Then, Larry Grossmouse spoke with Cousin Timmy. Giving the boy a smile & a thumbs-up, Larry praised his latest pupil, "You're doing great at piano lessons, Timmy! Keep it up!"

"I will, Mr. Grossmouse!" Cousin Timmy avowed, nodding at Larry.

At this point, Mr. Altoid & Mother Caulfield decided to talk to Cousin Timmy, & see how he had been faring. "Hello, Timmy, yes?" Mr. Altoid greeted with a smile & a wave.

"I hope you've been doing better since we saw each other last month," Mother Caulfield said amiably.

"Well, I..." Cousin Timmy started to say, but he stopped in mid-sentence when he heard a drumroll start to play. "I'll explain later!" Cousin Timmy told Mr. Altoid & Mother Caulfield. As the drumroll subsided, everyone turned their heads to face the large stage that the audience was gathered in front of. The circus show was about to begin! A mystical Italian voice announced, "Buon giorno, mia amici! Welcome, one & all, to the greatest show on Mouse Earth...er, besides the one at Piccadilly Circus, anyway! Welcome to...Cirque Du Mousini!" In the center of the stage, a large, poofy cloud of fuschia smoke appeared. After a few seconds, the smoke disappeared to reveal Henry Mousini, the ringmouseter, owner, operator, head magician, & lead performer at Cirque Du Mousini (as well as part-time composer & mirror-seller, among other things that you will find out later on). ^[34]

Henry was tall for a mouse his age, with a thin, lean figure. He had pale-coffee-brown fur, & straight black hair that went down to his shoulders. His rounded head had a prominent, pointed chin, & high cheekbones that curved at a slight angle. A small pink nose was fixed between his wicked blue eyes (topped with slender, angular black eyebrows). A mole adorned his left cheek, & a big white bucktooth jutted out from his upper lip. An average-sized pair of curvy pink ears flanked either side of his head. His pink tail was long & slender, & his slim limbs ended in average-sized paws & feet. He wore a buttonless periwinkle-blue tunic (which had a midthigh-length hemline that flared out, long & puffy sleeves [completely covered with thick vertical stripes in colors of periwinkle-blue & fuschia], starched turquoise cuffs, a large turquoise mantle [shaped like a sunburst] attached to the shoulder area, & a stiff, starched fuschia collar), a form-fitting pair of fuschia trousers, a fuschia silk cummerbund-belt, an ankle-length turquoise cape, a round fuschia ring on his first right finger, a round turquoise ring on his second right finger, a round periwinkle-blue ring on his third right finger, a round periwinkle-blue ring on his third left finger, a round turquoise ring on his second left finger, a round fuschia ring on his first left finger, & a pair of dull periwinkle-blue shoes (with flat soles, toes that curled upward, & circular, turtleneck-style ankle cuffs).

Upon seeing Henry appear, the audience burst into hearty applause. Henry smiled & took a few bows, before standing back upright, & sweeping his arms aside to gesture to an empty spot next to him. "And, now," Henry announced, "I present my lovely assistant...my adoptive daughter, Blanca!" A large, poofy cloud of red smoke appeared in the spot where Henry was gesturing to. The smoke then disappeared to reveal Blanca. Blanca was tall for a mouse girl her age, with a thin, slim figure. She had white fur, & wavy black hair that fell down to her shoulders, flawlessly framing her feminine face. A small pink nose was fixed between her crafty lime-green eyes (topped with smooth, angular black eyebrows). A small pair of curvy pink ears flanked either side of her head, & a small white bucktooth jutted out from her upper lip. Her pink tail was long & slender, & her equally-slender arms & legs ended in small paws & feet. She wore a sleeveless, strapless, form-fitting crimson dress (which had frilly dark-crimson trimmings going all along the edges of the bust & hem), a pair of crimson bloomers (which had frilly light-crimson trimmings around the leg-cuffs), a diamond-shaped garnet ring on her third right finger, a pair of diamond-shaped garnet earrings (suspended from dangling silver posts), a crimson choker (with a small diamond gem in the middle) around her neck, a silver bracelet (completely covered with small, square-shaped garnet gems) on her left wrist, a pair of crimson high-heel shoes, & a modest amount of makeup on her face.

When Blanca was fully revealed, she took a few bows & curtsies for the applauding audience. "Grazie, mia amici!" Blanca said. "You are too kind!" Blanca then blew a huge kiss to the audience, before scampering offstage. Henry watched his daughter exit with a fond, fatherly smile, then turned back to face the audience.

Punctuating his words with vivid gestures, Henry announced in a theatrical manner, "For today's show, signors e signoras, our first act will be a death-defying tightrope walk over the jaws of doom!" The audience gasped, & paid careful attention to the activity currently taking place on the stage. Clutching a red umbrella in her right paw, Blanca stood on the edge of a high wooden platform at the end of a tightrope. With delicate gracefulness, Blanca stepped down from the platform, & carefully made her way onto the tightrope, holding her arms out at her sides to maintain balance while she continued to hold the red umbrella in her paw. The tightrope was held up by a stake on each of the high wooden platforms on either end of the cable...& in order for her to safely reach the platform on the opposite side, Blanca had to make it across the hungry, wide-open jaws of an enormous alley cat sitting underneath the tightrope!

As all this was happening, Henry narrated the action: "Blanca will use her umbrella to help her maintain balance...but can she make it to the other side of the tightrope without falling into the open mouth of this hungry, 1-human-foot-tall cat?" (The cat attempted to sound ferocious, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was a strange gurgling sound—he was probably ready to hack up a hairball!) "Well, just keep your eyes on Blanca, & you'll find out!"

(CUE MUSIC: "Persian March", by Johann Strauss II)

Blanca smiled & winked at the audience, before proceeding to slowly make her way across the tightrope, her red umbrella still clutched in her hand. Meanwhile, the Baker Street Family & Pias were eagerly watching the show with the rest of the audience, but when Madame Ratburn cleared her throat, they all turned their heads to face her with puzzled looks. Magically producing 11 necklaces that appeared out of thin air, Madame Ratburn exhorted, "I suggest that you put these anti-magic amulets on. Quickly, now!"

Madame Ratburn took one of the anti-magic amulets for herself, then handed all the others to Pias & the members of the Baker Street Family. As Pias, Basil, Victoria, Hiram, Mrs. Judson, Dr. Dawson, Olivia, Ratigan, Fidget, & Cousin Timmy each took an anti-magic amulet into their paws, they stared at it quizzically. "But what will we need them for, Madame Ratburn?" Basil asked.

"No time to explain," Madame Ratburn replied tersely as she put her anti-magic amulet on. "Just put them on around your necks!" Pias & the members of the Baker Street Family immediately complied with their comrade's command. They didn't want to risk going against Madame Ratburn's orders, for fear of what might happen.

"Keep a sharp watch, folks!" Henry Mousini told the audience. Madame Ratburn, Pias, & the Baker Street Family all swiftly turned their heads to look back at the stage. When he saw that everyone's attention was focused on him, Henry wiggled the fingers of his paws as he waved his hands all about, coaching the audience in a hypnotic voice: "Whatever you do, you must not let your gaze wander away...Look closely at Blanca..." Mr. Altoid & Mother Caulfield were now completely hypnotized! A sneaky-looking rat goon in motley, multicolored circus clothing crept up to the two mice, & stealthily removed the golden pince-nez glasses from Mother Caulfield's nose, before running away with them. Meanwhile, Henry kept hypnotizing the audience, & said, "You can't take your eyes off of her for a second!"

Then, a shrimpy mouse goon in multicolored circus clothing crawled across the grass to approach the hypnotized Slick Willie. The goon rose to stand fully beside Willie, then rubbed his paws together in wicked glee when he took one look at the mousician's pockets. "Keep watching Blanca...Keep watching her..." Henry coached the circus-goers. The goon reached into each of Slick Willie's trousers & jacket pockets, pulling out anything he could find—gold coins, dollar bills, pound notes, a golden wristwatch, jewelry, gemstones, a wallet, a checkbook, & whatnot. "Hey! Eyes on the stage, mister!" Henry reprimanded an audience member whose gaze had wandered away. When the circus-goer turned his attention back to Blanca's balancing act, Henry said more pleasantly, "Grazie, signor..." The goon eagerly stuffed all the items from Slick Willie's pockets into a handbag, then sprinted away with the stolen goods.

Then, two mouse goons crept over to the hypnotized Bessie Colemouse & Chutzpah The Squirrel. One of the goons reached his paws into Chutzpah's trousers pockets, & started digging around in them, looking for valuables. "Keep your gaze focused on Blanca, & on nothing else!" Henry instructed the audience. After searching Chutzpah's pockets for a few seconds, the first goon pulled out plenty of dollar bills, pounds, shillings, & bank notes, all of which he stuffed into his handbag, before making his escape. The second goon retrieved a golden compass from Bessie's pocket, & ducked away with the item in his hands.

Madame Ratburn, Pias, & the members of the Baker Street Family were obviously unaffected by Henry's spell, due to the anti-magic amulets they wore around their necks, but they pretended to act as though they were in a trance. Fidget even drooled a little! Meanwhile, Henry kept coaxing his otherwise-hypnotized audience, "Keep looking...Keep looking..." At that point, Blanca (who was still holding her arms out, & clutching her red umbrella in her right paw) carefully walked over the other end of the tightrope...& successfully stepped onto the high wooden platform! "And voila!" Henry cried out merrily. "She's made it!"

As the audience applauded, Blanca turned to face the circus-goers with a triumphant smile, before taking the umbrella in both paws, & using it like a parachute as she jumped off the platform, floating down to the stage floor. The teenage circus assistant gracefully landed beside her adoptive father, & the audience's applause grew. By this point, the circus-goers were out of their hypnotic trances. They didn't know what hit them earlier! After closing her umbrella shut, Blanca went over to pose with Henry, & smiled for the audience, who continued to applaud for Henry & Blanca as they tossed flowers & gifts in their direction. After a few seconds, Blanca broke away from Henry to pick up the flowers & presents, going after them like a little mouseling scrambling for piñata candy. Henry watched his daughter with an affectionate smile, then looked up with a more smug expression, raising & lowering his eyebrows devilishly. By the time this show was over, those poor saps would come home with empty pockets, purses, & pawbags, & he & Blanca (as well as their minions) would be wallowing in riches!

As the afternoon progressed, the audience witnessed a wide variety of amazing acts & spectacular stunts by Henry & Blanca Mousini. Finally, Cirque Du Mousini began wrapping up for the day, & Henry announced to the circus-goers, "And now, ladies & gentlerodents, it is time for the final act of today's circus show!" Henry stood at the front of the stage to face his adoring public, while Blanca was positioned closer to the back. The mousette stood in front of a miniature elephant as she handled a set of five plates in her right paw. Still holding the stack of plates, Blanca carefully climbed onto the miniature elephant's back, before standing on top of the creature, who (in turn) stood on top of a round, brightly-decorated platform. All the while, Henry said to the audience, "My lovely assistant Blanca will juggle five plates while balancing on top of this miniature elephant!" The audience oohed & aahed, eager to see Blanca do her trick.

(CUE MUSIC: "Persian March", by Johann Strauss II)

The miniature elephant smiled, & trumpeted with his long trunk. Henry turned around sharply to face the audience, holding up his left forefinger as he said, "Now, I'm going to make that elephant disappear into thin air...but Blanca will land gracefully on her feet, while she continues to juggle her plates...without dropping a single one!" Blanca stood upon the miniature elephant's back, balancing delicately upon her feet as she tossed the five plates into the air, & juggled them around skillfully. The audience let out more oohs & aahs as they watched Blanca's performance with great interest. Henry grinned slyly, & commanded, "Now, watch closely..." Once again, the ringmouseter waved his paws about, & wiggled his fingers, hypnotizing the audience.

The majority of the circus-goers fell under Henry's hypnotic spell, & lapsed into a deep trance. Madame Ratburn, Pias, & the members of the Baker Street Family, however, were still protected from Henry's black magic by the anti-magic amulets they were wearing. A couple of Henry's circus goons crept up to our heroes, eyeing their amulets with interest. The first circus goon looked at his partner with a devilish grin, & pointed to the anti-magic amulets, as he said in a Cockney accent, "Oy, look at those lovely baubles! Oi bet 'Enry would love 'em!"

"Let's nab 'em from these nippers' necks!" the second circus goon exclaimed in a West Yorkshire accent, sporting a wicked smile on his face. "They won't know wot 'it 'em!" And, so, the two circus goons approached Olivia & Cousin Timmy, flanking the mouselings on either side. The knaves then prepared to remove the amulets from around the Flaversham cousins' necks.

"On me mark, Lenny..." the first circus goon commanded his partner. "Three...two...one!" The two circus goons reached for Olivia & Cousin Timmy's amulets, & attempted to grab them, but their paws got shocked with pale-blue blasts of electricity crackling from the necklaces. The circus goons, injured & frightened, immediately drew their paws back away from the amulets.

"Bleedin' Gob, Al, did they put electricity in these things?" the second circus goon asked fearfully.

"Oi don't know, Lenny," the first circus goon replied as he quivered in terror, "but Oi don't wanna stick around to find out!"

"Let's go find some other saps to steal from!" the second circus goon exclaimed, running away.

"Right behind you, Len!" the first circus goon cried, dashing off in the same direction to follow his partner. Olivia & Cousin Timmy pretended to act as though they were still in a trance until the goons were gone. When the two thugs had left the scene, Olivia & Cousin Timmy both sighed in relief as they wiped the sweat off their brows, & said, "Phew!"

At this point, Henry Mousini turned to face the miniature elephant that Blanca was standing & juggling on. He waved his paws, & wiggled his fingers, chanting a magic spell in Italian...

Elefante gigantesco,
Iancio un sillaba!
Chi saprà che lei era qui?
Creatura, lei scomparirà!

The elephant disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke, & Blanca fell down, down, down to the stage floor, continuing to juggle her five plates without dropping a single one. When Blanca landed gracefully on her feet, she tossed all five plates into the air. Each plate disappeared in a cloud of red smoke, & after the last one vanished, the audience burst into thunderous applause. Once again, Blanca took several bows & curtsies. Henry walked over to join his daughter for curtain call, as more flowers & presents were tossed at them. Henry's goons tiptoed onto the stage, & darted as fast as they could for the entrance to the backstage area, clutching their handbags of stolen goods. "Grazie, ladies & gentlerodents!" Henry said pleasantly, smiling to the audience as he took his final bows with Blanca. The circus-goers continued to applaud, & Henry took one last bow, unable to resist smirking wickedly. How he loved this job!

As they started to come out of their trance, the circus-goers all proceeded to walk away from the stage, & spread throughout the park green a little as they exited the fairgrounds. Soon, the circus-goers began to feel around themselves in a daze, gradually becoming aware of what happened to them earlier. Bessie Colemouse stuffed her right paw into her trousers pocket, digging around for something. When she couldn't find it, she instantly snapped alert, & drew her empty hand out of said pocket, staring at it with wide eyes. "Oh, no, my golden compass that I use for flight navigation is missing!" the upset aviatrix cried.

Coucou Cacheau stuffed her paws into the designer handbag slung over her right shoulder, looking around for something. When she couldn't find it, she instantly snapped alert, & withdrew her empty paws from her handbag, staring at them with wide eyes. "And so is my National Rodentarian Award for all my work in charity!" a distressed Coucou exclaimed. Shaking her head in disbelief, & clutching both paws to the sides of her forehead, the fashion designer cast a dismayed glance to the sky, & cried, "Ah, non, non, non, mon Dieu, this cannot be!"

Jemediah Fieldson stood at Coucou's feet, looking dismal. "What about me, Coucou?" Jemediah said tearfully. "All my medals are missing, too! My National Rodentarian Awards, my old navy decorations, my Mousetoria Cross, my Blue Heart, my Medal Of Valour—all of my precious awards & medals are gone! Gone!" The elderly benefactor took out a handkerchief, & sobbed into it.

Not too far away, Slick Willie was sobbing into a handkerchief that Jellybean provided for him. "Oh, Lawd, all my cash & jewelry & gold stuff...my wallet...my favorite gold watch...my checkbook...It's ALL GONE!" the mousician lamented, before sobbing into his hankie some more.

Jellybean patted Willie's back, & tried to comfort his mouseter with an assuring smile on his face. "There, there, Slick Willie, don't cry!" the bandmate consoled. "We'll find your stuff & get it back...somehow...I guess..."

Unfortunately, Slick Willie was not convinced or comforted by Jellybean in the slightest. Crying into his hankie even more, Willie sobbed hysterically, "Wha-haw-haw-haw-haw-haw-haw-haw-hawk!"

As Slick Willie dabbed at his watering eyes with his hankie, & sniffled, Jellybean placed a supportive paw on his friend's right shoulder, hoping to comfort him some more. "It's OK, Willie...I lost a few things, too," Jellybean said. Slick Willie turned his head to face Jellybean, still sniffling & looking sad as tears rolled down his cheeks. "But they're all just things, Willie," Jellybean continued as he gave Slick Willie a big hug. "At least, we still have each other."

Again, Slick Willie was not consoled in the slightest. He sniffled once more, then glowered bitterly at Jellybean, & said in a voice dripping with scathing sarcasm, "Thanks, J.B.!" Slick Willie then pouted, while Jellybean looked hurt. After all, he was just trying to help!

Elsewhere, Cecelia Green was hugging her father Martino, crying into his chest, while Martino wrapped his wings around Cecelia, & stroked her hair with his right hand, trying to comfort his distressed daughter. "Ay, ay, ay!" Cecelia wept miserably. "I've lost my gold pocket-watch with my name on it—the one that I got for my quinceañera last year!"

"Fear not, mi hija," Martino avowed assuringly, speaking gently to Cecelia as he continued to comfort & console her. "All hope is not lost. I'm sure we'll get your watch back somehow, someway!" Martino smiled warmly at Cecelia as he took her chin in his webbed hand, lifting it up so that their gazes met. "Just keep your chin up, Cece, & everything will turn out all right," the older bat said optimistically.

Cecelia looked at her father, then smiled at him through the last of her tears. His words had comforted her. "Thanks, Papi," Cecelia said, now feeling much better. Cecelia & Martino then both hugged each other tightly, smiling warmly.

Meanwhile, Madame Ratburn, Pias, & the members of the Baker Street Family had been watching everything from afar, & their hearts went out to all the poor rodents whose valuables had gone missing. Fidget looked away from Cecelia, & turned to face the others, frowning sympathetically. "Boy...Cecelia really must love dat gold pocket-watch she got for her quinceañera...whatever dat is," Fidget commented compassionately. ^[35]

"I'm sure she does, Fidget," Dr. Dawson assented, nodding his head in agreement. Tilting his gaze up to face Basil with a concerned look, the medical mouse asked, "Basil, is there any way we can get Cecelia's watch back?"

"How about the rest of the stuff that our friends are missing?" Mrs. Judson inquired.

Smiling optimistically, Basil replied, "Not to worry, Mrs. Judson. I'm quite certain we can successfully retrieve the items. We just need to track down Henry Mousini & his goons first."

"You think the guys at the circus took everybody's stuff, Uncle Basil?" Cousin Timmy queried.

"Yes, Timmy," Basil answered, before grasping at the anti-magic amulet around his neck, & stating, "And I'm beginning to realize why Madame Ratburn made us wear these anti-magic amulets."

"Why?" Hiram questioned.

"To protect us from Henry's magic spell!" Basil surmised. "He hypnotized the audience, & caused them all to look up at the stage—creating the perfect diversion for his goons while they went to steal everyone's money & valuables! But since they were in a trance, & focusing on Blanca's deucedly-clever performances on the stage, the audience never suspected a single thing—unfortunately for them, but rather luckily for that melodious, odious thief & his cohorts!"

And the misery didn't stop there! "Oh, no, my money is missing!" Sophie shouted sadly, as she turned over her empty purse, & shook it up & down.

Cathy Sheridan had searched her entire purse for her missing valuables, but to no avail. Cathy's empty purse lay at its owner's feet, while Cathy herself was ranting & raving over the theft of her fursonal items. "My jewelry! My cash! My ID! All my make-up & perfume! My cancer-holder!" Cathy blurted angrily. The playgirl turned to glare at her purse, & kicked it with her foot as she cursed, "Rats!" Several rats in the crowd (including Ratigan) caught wind of what Cathy had said, & they did not appreciate her usage of that derogatory interjection. When the rats glared at a surprised Cathy in indignation, Cathy switched to a more politically-correct term: "I-I mean, darn!" The rats all smiled at Cathy, now pleased, & went back to their earlier business. Cathy looked a little embarrassed...She was going to have to get used to a lot of things in the New Mousetorian Age!

An upset-looking Professor Doppler frantically searched his pockets for any sign of his valuables. When the results of said search were fruitless, the scientist lamented, "I've lost all of my scientific instruments!"

Meanwhile, Cecil B. DeMont had found nothing in his upturned pants pockets. Clasping both paws to the sides of his face, the filmmaker moaned miserably over the theft of the cherished item that had occupied the space in said trousers: "My pocket-camera!"

When he saw that his trousers pockets were also empty, Chutzpah The Squirrel felt his heart sink. The teenage troublemaker cried, "All the moolah I won in my bet..."—he immediately stopped & corrected himself, while a nervous expression formed on his face—"...er, got in my allowance!"

"My favorite fountain pen!" Amergin Burgess wailed when he saw that his pen-case was missing from his jacket-breast pocket.

A dismayed Flip Le Bouffon wheeled onto the scene, spinning around in front of Chutzpah & Amergin as he wondered aloud, "Sacre bleu, what is going on with everyone losing their stuff?" The clown raised a horrified glance to the heavens as he clasped both paws to the sides of his face, & said, "It is terrible!"

Now overcome with great anxiety, the circus-goers looked worriedly at one another as they chattered amongst themselves. At that point, Basil cleared his throat into his right paw, & held up the same hand to wave to the circus-goers as he called out to them, "Excuse me! Excuse me, everyone! I can offer an explanation as to what happened to your possessions!" This got the circus-goers' attention, & the rodents all turned their heads to face the Baker Street Family, Madame Ratburn, & Pias. Basil then explained, "It turns out that Cirque Du Mousini is a lively, colorful, & very clever cover for pickpocketing. Henry hypnotized you into staring at Blanca while she did her tricks, & as you were lured into a trance, Henry's motley assortment of goons pilfered from your pockets & purses." (A slight pause.) "Now, after carefully analyzing the circumstances of the situation with my brilliant powers of deduction, I have reached the conclusion that Henry Mousini, his assistant Blanca, & their henchrodents are the ones who are responsible for stealing your fursonal items & valuables."

(CUE MUSIC: "Perfumes Of The Night", from Claude Debussy's "Images For Orchestra")

As the circus-goers listened attentively to every word Basil said, the detective elaborated further with a smug smile, "However, since you were all hypnotized during the show, you do not have the ability to recall the details of the events that took place, but luckily...thanks to Madame Ratburn..."—Basil gestured to the Gypsy psychic, causing her to smile bashfully & blush—"...Pias, my family, & I did not fall prey to Henry's magic spell, & so, we have been unaffected by the hypnotic trance that affected all of you. And since we are aware of what you are not, that means my Gypsy friends, my family, & I have all the knowledge & information we need in order to retrieve your stuff. And I can assure you that we will recover said items."

Now smiling & feeling quite relieved that a solution to their problem had been found, the circus-goers turned to face one another, & chattered amongst themselves in excitement. The tension in the air was palpable, & Nate Gregson could already feel her journalist senses tingling! The current situation was perfect fodder for her next news report! At Nate's command, her loyal news crew (who had accompanied her to Cirque Du Mousini) quickly got their equipment set up, & the cameras soon began rolling. Holding her microphone in her left paw, Nate announced with a chipper smile, "This is Nate Gregson, reporting to you live from the fairgrounds of Cirque Du Mousini..."—her voice trailed off as she slowly turned her gaze to the left, gradually becoming shocked & surprised by what she saw next—"...which has...now...disappeared?" Sure enough, there was now a large empty spot occupying the space where the Cirque Du Mousini fairgrounds once were.

Almost as quickly as the circus-goers' hopes for finding their valuables had soared, they came crashing down again. "Oh, no!" Sophie moaned miserably in lamentation. "Now, how are we to get our stuff back?"

"It'll take a miracle for someone to track down Henry, & retrieve all of the items he & his goons stole from us!" Jemediah said sadly.

Everyone bowed their heads, & looked dejected...except for Mother Caulfield, who kept her chin up, & smiled warmly at them. "Well, as someone who believes in miracles, Jemediah, I don't think that'll take very much effort on God's part," the nun said optimistically, prompting the others to look up at her in surprise. Mother Caulfield then turned to look at part of the crowd, & added, "He's got a good number of helping angels right here among us!" Everyone smiled again, filled with new hope, when they saw who Mother Caulfield was referring to.

Madame Ratburn, Pias, & the members of the Baker Street Family stared up at the others with shocked or surprised looks...then formed smiles on their faces, nodding their heads in agreement with Mother Caulfield's words. "That He does, Mother Caulfield...Indeed, that He does," Dr. Dawson declared. While the others continued smiling & nodding, Dr. Dawson stopped, & sighed to himself, casting a worried gaze to the ground. He just hoped that this case wouldn't be too difficult for them to solve, given the little evidence & virtual absence of clues that they had. If this is going to be our first case together, Dr. Dawson thought, You certainly picked a doozy to solve!

^[34] In case you can't already tell, Henry Mousini is largely modeled after the villain Sarousch from "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame 2".

^[35] As Obi-Wan Kenobi would say, "That's good, Fidget. You're taking your first steps into a larger world!"