My Great Mouse Detective

The Bell Tower

Outside, Felicia was still running from Toby. She darts through bushes and flower beds and scrambles up a wall, where Toby can only leap up halfway and bark at her. Felicia snickers and lifts her chin at him. She turns, lifting her tail, and making a show of leaping down the other side.

Seconds later, she gives another terrified screech as several more dogs can be heard barking and growling. Felicia's ribbon and fur flies as the screen pans over to reveal she jumped right into the Royal Guard Dogs' Kennel. Then, Felicia was defeated.

Back inside, Ratigan throws his attackers away and sheds his robe. Fidget whistles at him from a high balcony, holding Maria.

Fidget: The Woman! The Woman!

Basil turns, horrified as Ratigan jumps from mouse to mouse, and grabs a robe to swing himself to the balcony. Basil, Dawson and Hiram rush forward, and froze as Ratigan holds Maria threateningly over the edge.

Ratigan: Stay where you are or the girl dies!

He disappears behind the curtain, taking Maria with him.

Maria: (Desperately yelling) Basil!!!

Basil: Hurry, Dawson!

Basil leads Dawson, Olivia and Hiram outside, then spots Ratigan's dirigible.

Basil: There he goes!

Basil climbs up a flag pole and shouts down.

Basil: Dawson! Flaversham! Gather up those balloons.

Over a dozen balloons are tied to the palace gate. As Dawson, Olivia and Hiram move to take them, The Basil begins to lower the Union Jack! A storm was approaching as Fidget pedals the dirigible and Ratigansteers.

Maria was bravely standing up to the villain.

Maria: Just wait! Basil's smarter than you! He's going to put you in jail.

She tugs on Ratigan's tail to accent her next few insults.

Olivia: He's not afraid of a big, old, ugly, rat like you.

Ratigan, being much stronger, easily takes his tail back.

Ratigan: (Shouts) Would you kindly sit down and SHUT UP?!

Ratigan's yell sends Maria flying back, knocking her over a stool and into the wall. Ratigan turns and sees the British flag flying in front of him, blocking his path. Fidget cowers as it moves higher.

Basil has taken the flag, the balloons, and a sliding match box for him, Dawson, Olivia and Hiram to fly in. Ratigan sneers and turns the dirigible as Fidget begins to pedal faster.

Basil: Let her go, chaps!

Dawson and Hiram release air from an open balloon, closing the distance between them and Ratigan easily. Ratigan leads them around roofs and chimneys, up and around a statue of Lord Nelson, and straight ahead towards the Tower Bridge.

Fidget pedals as fast as he can as Ratigan steers the dirigible just below the bridge. Dawson braces himself for a crash, but at the last moment, they move downward, just missing it. Up ahead, Fidget stops pedaling, out of breath and exhausted. Ratigan glares at his assistant as the bat hops inside and gestures towards Maria.

Fidget: (Squeakily) We have to - lighten the load.

Ratigan: (mockingly) Oh, you want to lighten the load!

Fidget snickers at Maria, but Ratigan seizes him by the ears instead.

Ratigan: Excellent Idea!

Ratigan tosses him over. Fidget: (Desperately) No! Not me! I can't fly! I can't fly!

Fidget falls to a watery death in the hames and was defeated.

Ratigan hops on the propeller and moves forward. However, Basil and the others have finally caught up, and the detective was preparing to jump.

Basil: Steady!

Basil catches the tail of the aircraft, swinging forward. Ratigan ducks as Basil's feet just miss him. The two adversaries glare at each other, until a terrified scream comes from Maria.

With Ratigan at the pedal, there was no one to steer, and they are heading directly for Big Ben!

Ratigan: (screams in alarm) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!

And CRASH!! On the mouse-made hot air balloon, all Dawson, Olivia and Hiram can do was stare at the empty dirigible hanging from the hole, and pray that their friends are alright.

Inside the clock tower, Basil awakens and rubs his neck, then stares in shock and amazement at the gears and cogs surrounding him. Creeping up unnoticed behind him was Ratigan, his left fist poised, ready to knock Basil down, while the other hand was clamped over Maria's mouth. The young woman struggles and finally pulls Ratigan's hand off her.

Maria: (Screaming) Basil, look out!

Basil turns in alarm as Ratigan knocks him down. Basil rolls and catches the ends of the rotating gear, trying to pull himself back up as Ratigan prepares to deliver another blow. Maria bites his hand, making Ratigan scream in pain, giving Basil the opportunity to climb up the gear and seize the professor's cape, and tangle it between two gears.

Ratigan drops Maria to hold onto his cape to keep from getting strangled, but succeeds in kicking her off the gear. She screams as she falls and lands on a much larger gear, connected to another one that will crush her in a matter of seconds.

Thinking quickly, Basil jumps from the gear and onto a lever, which lifts up a chain towards her. The final keg is approaching Maria as Basil gets closer. She tries to flatten herself against the gear as Basil reaches his hand up. Basil seizes her arm just as the gears connect, and the two smile at each other as the chain continues to lift them to the top of the tower.

Down below, Ratigan's face was filled with anger. As he watches the pair make their escape, his sanity snaps, and with a burst of strength, he tears his cape in half, freeing himself. Basil and Maria stop at the hole at the top of the tower, trapped.