Siblings Unite

On a Mission

Chapter 5: On a Mission

Back in Basil's flat, Basil finished ranting about Ratigan, he went into his bedroom and shut the door. In his room, he started to sing a song.

How long must this go on?

The cruel trick of fate?

I simply made one careless wrong decision

And that wretched rat was gone

And left me in this state:

An object of revulsion and derision.

Thunder quieted down as he went on,

Hated.

Is there no one

Who can show me

How to win the world's forgiveness?

...

An hour later, Basil left his room, feeling better. Thunder continued to roll, lighting up an article next to Basil's portrait of Ratigan. It read: RATIGAN ELUDES POLICE! 

"This case is most intriguing with its multiplicity of elements," Basil mused as he paced back and forth in the living room. "Its many twists and turns." He turned to Olivia, Andrew, and Clover. "Now, you're certain you've told me everything?" He pointed his pipe at them. "The slightest detail may be important."

"It's just as we said," Olivia explained, "And then our father was gone."

Basil placed the pipe in his mouth, smoking it.

"What do you make of it?" Dawson inquired.

Basil took his pipe out of his mouth and muttered, "Ratigan's up to something." He went upstairs and Olivia and her siblings went after him. "A crime of the most sinister nature, no doubt." He didn't see the siblings walk behind him as he continued his thoughts. "The question is...What would he want with a toymaker?" He continued to smoke his pipe to help him think.

Just as Andrew, Clover, and Olivia were about to follow him, lightning struck again as they watched a bat who hung upside down through the window, grinning at the trio. It was the bat who kidnapped Olivia's father. Clover and Andrew glared at Fidget as thunder struck and Clover, Andrew, and Olivia let out a terrified scream, alerting Basil.

Their scream frightened the bat and he fell until he was out of sight.

"Quickly, Dawson!" Basil said as he opened the front door, where they entered before. "We've not a moment to lose!" He sprinted outside with Dawson following close behind him.

"I-I-I'm right behind you Basil!" stuttered Dawson.

As Basil and Dawson went outside, Olivia, Andrew, and Clover went over to Mrs. Judson for comfort.

Once outside, Basil was disappointed to see Fidget gone.

"No sign of the blackguard anywhere," Dawson said, adjusting his coat.

"Not quite, Dawson," corrected Basil as he got on his knees and hands to see a trail of footprints. "He left some rather unusual footprints." The footprints were muddy. "They obviously belong to the same fiend who kidnapped the girls' and boy's father. Ratigan's peg-legged lackey."

Dawson picked up a cap. "Uh, Basil?"

Seeing the piece of evidence in the doctor's hand, Basil snatched it from him. "A-ha!" Basil exclaimed. He examined it with his magnifying glass. "Excellent work, old man!" He chortled and rushed to the house, with Dawson following him.