The
Picture on the Mantle
A Great Mouse
Detective Fanfic
By Cybra
Disclaimer:
The Great Mouse Detective is the property
of Disney while the Basil of Baker Street
mysteries
and character of Brynna Basil are the property of Eve Titus. The
original name of “Sherringford” for Basil’s
first name along with his older brother Myerricroft Basil is the
property of Mademoiselle Irene Relda (Diane T.).
Original story © 2002 by Cybra.
It was still there.
Not physically, but the picture that had once rested
on the mantle still haunted the tan mouse's mind. Neither
the framed copy of The Illustrated London
Mouse nor the dinner bell could dispel its
image from his mind.
In his mind's eye, the picture of his hated enemy remained.
His companion, the good doctor, noted the way he
studied the mantle. The younger mouse's tail occassionally
twitched as if agitated. The tan mouse's eyes were locked on to a
certain spot on the mantle. However, the
doctor dared not interrupt his friend's musings. When he was
ready, the detective would speak his mind.
At the same time, the detective thought back to his
last battle with the Napoleon of Crime. It had literally
been a battle to the death at the top of Big Ben. Though
outmatched when it came to strength and size, he
had escaped using his wits. The rat had fallen to his death.
However, that death had yet to be confirmed. No body had been found.
Either the evil creature he had fought had died in the
fall--the rat's body sinking to the bottom of the filthy
Thames River--or the vermin was still alive.
If the latter choice was true, the monster was biding
his time, waiting for the detective's guard to drop.
Either that or he was searching for the chink in his enemy's
armor.
Silently, the detective thanked his earlier idea of
hardly mentioning his family members. Myerricroft was
relativily safe with the government surrounding him. Their father
was skilled at defending himself and was
a formidable opponent to anyone despite his age. This meant that
if he was attacked, he
could hold off
his attacker until help arrived.
The only one the famous mouse was worried about was
his sister Brynna and her family. She was a very
determined woman who would do anything to protect her family and
and her husband was no coward,
but they and their children were still in the greatest danger.
Her family was a far larger and more attractive
target if word ever reached his enemy. The detective had vowed
never to mention his sister and her family
if he could avoid it.
Even though this helped avoid many dangers, there was
one danger that worried the detective: his hated
enemy, the nefarious Professor Ratigan.
The famous detective had relished his victory, yes,
but it had not seemed as satisfying as he thought it
would be. No matter how hard he tried, he could not shake the
feeling that the private war between he
and his enemy that had started back at Oxford was far from over.
Something his mother once told him entered his mind. A
few of the last words of wisdom she would give
to her children:
"When logic and reasoning fail you, always trust your instincts."
His instincts were telling him that his victory had
been premature; and, in this case, he would follow his
mother's advice and trust them.
The doctor stared as his friend rose from his chair
and walked over to a drawer in his desk. The detective
pulled out a picture frame the retired army mouse had not seen in
weeks and studied it for a moment before
walking back towards the fireplace.
Doctor Dawson and the housekeeper Mrs. Judson watched
in surprise as Sherringford Basil took down
his trophies from the last battle with Ratigan, replacing them
with the rat's old picture.
Basil studied the picture as it sat in its old place on the mantle.
The game was not over yet.
He would not remove the picture on the mantle until it was.