(Meg steps up in front of everyone and clears her throat.)

Meg: Hrm! Okay, this is my fourth fanfic. Well, since I’ve been writing so much about Ratigan, I eventually got bored with that character, and…”

(Ratigan barges onstage.)

Ratigan: WHAT!? How could you get bored with me?

Meg: It was the same old story, Ratigan’s in love with Meg, won’t admit it to himself, terrorizes her, etc., etc. The main plot of three stories. Very dull. I almost fell asleep writing the last one. So anyway, Ratigan won’t be appearing in this next fanfic…”

Ratigan: (grabbing Meg by collar) You can’t dispose of me! I’m the only reason you get any readers for your sob stories in the first place, you rotten, self-centered wench!

Meg: Sheesh James, you’ll be in one eventually. I’ll just have to sacrifice that “no-readers” part for now.

Ratigan: (shaking Meg) You insolent, impudent, selfish-”

Meg: Ian!

(Meg’s boyfriend comes onstage and starts to beat up Ratigan. Meg is released, and continues talking as they fight on the floor, as if nothing has happened.)

Meg: As I was saying, Ratigan will not be appearing, no matter how many references the characters make to him. Read my other fanfics before you read this one, because you might get confused if you don’t. Basil, Dawson, and Ratigan are the property of Disney and may be used without permission. I don’t exactly have clearance with Disney to use these characters, but I’m doing these stories in my own spare time, not paid overtime (or at all, for that matter.) Play nice, ‘cause I really can’t afford to be sued. Meg (Sarentis) Havers, Josh, Mr. Liang, Li Yan, Guangxu, Xing Ryu, Jacques, and anyone else I forgot to mention is the sole property of me. No using without permission! Oh yeah, I’ve never seen Shanghai Noon or Shanghai Knights. I just thought that that title sorta matched. Doncha think?

(Ratigan and Meg’s boyfriend fall off the stage with a loud CRASH.)

Meg: (Rolls eyes.) Men. On with the show!

Chapter One

March 1902-

The ship rocked and dipped dangerously through the choppy waters of the East China Sea. I gazed at the port of Shanghai as it approached. Basil appeared at my shoulder, smoking reflectively on his pipe. I watched his jade green eyes scan the letter in his paws for the thousandth time since we started this voyage. Suddenly he said, “Do you know what a ‘junk’ is?”

“A- I beg your pardon?” I asked.

“Junk. A type of Chinese ship. Curious, curious…” he muttered to himself.

“Excuse me, but what is curious?” I said.

But Basil had gone back to reading his letter. Taken aback by this rather strange behavior, even though it was quite normal for Basil to act like this, I went off in search of Dr. Dawson.

I found the object of my search leaning over the port side of the ship, trying to get over the seasickness, which constantly plagued him. The doctor leaned against some crates and wiped his brow wearily.

“Dr. Dawson, are you feeling better?” I asked.

“I wish I could say I am,” he answered weakly. “But…”

“See the horizon?” I gestured toward the city. “We’ll be docking soon.”

“Good.”

“Have you ever been to China, Dawson?”

“Can’t say I have.” He wiped beads of sweat off his face with his handkerchief. “My military service reached as far as Afghanistan. But Basil’s services are in such want that he is called regularly off on some case or other in a foreign nation. I’m surprised he hasn’t been to China before.”

“He hasn’t?”

“No.”

“Dawson, why was he called here? Basil hasn’t shown me his letter or anything. I have no idea what we’re here for.”

Dawson straightened up a bit, but still seemed pale. He said, “Oh, a mouse knows of some problem or other plaguing the Chinese Empire, and wants Basil to look into it. But the letter was very vague, and gives off an air of mystery to it.”

“That must be why Basil keeps reading that letter!”

Dawson smiled. “Well, my dear, you seem to be very excited about this. But Basil is a detective, not a mind reader. He won’t try to solve any ‘mystery’ until he hears all the details.”

I gazed out at Shanghai, eager to be involved. “I’m so glad Basil brought me on this case. I’ve been meaning to thank you, doctor. You surely must have convinced him to bring me along.”

Dawson leaned over the edge of the ship, suddenly feeling sick again. A few minutes later he sat down on a crate and groaned.

“I beg your pardon Meg. I never was the nautical type, I’m afraid. Eh, what did you say?”

“I was just thanking you for convincing Basil to take me along on this case of his.” I repeated.

Dawson made an attempt to chuckle, but turned a ghastly shade of green from the seasickness. He leaned back and closed his eyes.

“Oh, that wasn’t me. Basil was the one who suggested it. He said he had his own reasons for bringing you along.”

“For more research?” I asked grudgingly. Basil had hired me as his ‘secretary’ on some cases, which mainly consisted of long hours in a library researching bits of information he thought would be useful. The work was dreadfully dull, but the thought of continuing my acting career... made me feel lonely.

“If only you could read Chinese, Meg.” He paused. “No, I believe Basil will reveal everything in his own good time.”

Later that evening our ship pulled into dock. We found ourselves in a crowded port area smelling strongly of fish. I grabbed my small suitcase and violin case and followed Basil as he strolled down the gangplank.

I stayed close to the great mouse detective as we pushed our way through the crowded port. I gazed at the odd mice around me. I had never seen such strangely clad people, with slightly slanted eyes and white fur. The women had smooth black hair, which matched their petite features.

“How extraordinary…” I bumped into a heavyset mouse carrying a large crate. He almost dropped his load. “Ah, um, sorry sir,” I said.

He yelled at me in his native tongue.

“I didn’t mean to!” I said rather sharply as I turned away. Uh oh. Basil and Dawson were nowhere in sight.

“Oh confound it!” I muttered to myself. Wait, confound it? I’m starting to use his phrases? Just what I want to be, another Mr. Bossy-Know-It-All Detective. Brilliant, Meg.

I pushed my way through the crowd of mice on the docks, slightly panicked. I’m going to be fired, I’m going to be fired was all I could think of as I hurried to find them before they realized that I was gone. It became harder to resist the crowd; I was being pushed around like a rag doll.

I forced my way to a back alley where dirty laundry was hung up to dry. Slowly backing up, I bumped into someone else. Turning around, a very poorly dressed sailor started to bark at me.

“Excuse me,” I said quietly, holding up a paw.

He pulled out a sword from his belt. I gave a small yelp and darted off, racing through the congested streets.

I ran out onto a road, tripped, and fell. A wagon came speeding toward me as I let out a scream.

Chapter 2

The wagon jolted to a stop, and an angry farmer let out a string of Chinese as he yelled at me.

“I’m sorry, I’m so terribly sorry!” I said over and over to him. My talking made him shout even more loudly at me.

Someone grasped my shoulder. “Mrs. Havers, please let me handle this,” Basil said. The farmer pointed to the wagon and to himself. Basil tried conversing with him in Chinese, which led to a bigger commotion. He finally led me away, picking up my suitcase as he went. I reached for my violin.

“Meg, this place is very crowded. I can’t be looking for you every five minutes. You could’ve gotten yourself killed!”

“But Basil-”

“Madame, you’re old enough to take care of yourself.”

“But Basil-”

“Basil! You’ve found her!” Dawson exclaimed. “Oh, Meg, you’re an absolute mess! What happened?”

I told them what happened. Basil listened in mild disbelief.

“You almost got your paw cut off on your first foreign case, Megana.”

“That mouse almost killed me!”

He snorted. “You provoked him.”

“Provoked? Provoked! I’d like to see what happens when I really ‘provoke’ someone around here.”

“They have different ways of handling certain situations, Miss Havers-, erm, Mrs. Sarentis, uh, Mrs. H-”

“Just pick a name, Basil.”

“What?”

“Never mind.”

A young girl came up to us. “Meester Basil of Baker Street?” she asked timidly in a heavy accent.

“Yes, I am he.”

“I- I am Li Yan. I shall lead you to master. My master. He send for great detective.”

Basil peered at the young girl. “Who is your master?” he asked.

“I take you to master.”

He stared thoughtfully at her. “Yes, take us there,” he finally said.

“Where is your master?” Dawson asked.

“I take you to master,” she repeated uncertainly in her broken English.

Dawson gave Basil an alarmed glance that seemed to say, Should we trust her?

Basil nodded to Dawson and I, and we followed Li Yan.

Late at night we crawled through a thick forest. Li Yan had taken us in wagons, through dark alleyways, until we had reached this dark forest. Dawson struggled to keep up with us. I myself was tired from the burden of my suitcase and violin.

Basil didn’t seem to be bothered at all by the extensive traveling we had done, for he strode through the forest with an energetic step. I could see the glint of adventure in his eyes.

I suddenly bumped into Basil in the dark. We had stopped.

Li Yan pointed in front of her; an old farmhouse seemed to materialize out of the darkness. “There,” our twelve-year old guide said. “Master’s house.”

The place looked abandoned to me. “Basil, this can’t be it,” I whispered. “Anyone who could afford a servant girl wouldn’t live in a shack like this. Besides, we could’ve taken a wagon. I can see a small road leading to this house.”

“Very observant, Meg. But as you can see, Li Yan has actually been trying to confuse us with all the traveling we have just done, so we wouldn’t remember how to get back here, or to shake off anyone that was following us. Her master must want absolute secrecy. He wouldn’t be so blind as to take us directly to his own dwelling, surely, for secrecy’s sake.”

“Follow me, Meester Basil.”

She knocked on the door of the farmhouse and conversed with a strong-looking youth at the door. Then we were led inside. Li Yan took us to a small room and lit a candle. She then went into another room.

An older mouse in a gray suit came into the room through the door Li Yan had gone through. “Mr. Basil of Baker Street, I presume,” he said, shaking the detective’s hand. I noticed he wasn’t Chinese.

“Yes, I am Basil.”

“Can I offer you a smoke, sirs?” he said, producing a gold cigarette box from his coat.

“No, thank you. Now pray tell me, who are you, sir? What would a British citizen be doing in such a place as an abandoned farmhouse in the middle of the night? No doubt you were sent here by the emperor, sir, as I see you are wearing a ring of the royal crest of the Qing.”

The mouse seemed shocked at first, but then grinned. “You never miss a detail, do you, Mr. Basil?” He then glanced at Dawson and I. “Yes, well, I am Thornton Delevan. As you see, I was indeed sent here on business concerning the empire. But-” he motioned toward Dawson and I, “Can I trust them as I would you, sir?”

“Certainly. This is Dr. David Q. Dawson, my trusted associate, and Mrs. Megana Havers, my secretary. Any information you have to share with me shall be made known to them also.” Basil pulled out his pipe and lit it. “Now, tell me everything your emperor wished to relate to me, and pray be as precise as possible. Unless of course your emperor wishes to tell me himself, since this meeting is so important to him.”

“Well, I- I beg your pardon?” Delevan said.

“Come, now, Delevan. His Excellency is listening to this meeting in that back room. Surely you couldn’t except me not to notice it.”

“Why, that’s amazing!” Delevan went into the dark room and said something in rapid Chinese. I heard another voice reply.

“Basil,” I whispered, “How did you know the Emperor was in that room? It’s so dark in here, let alone in that room. It would be impossible to see anything!”

Basil pointed to the door. “It’s rather elementary, my dear. I heard our guide Li Yan translating everything we said for him.”

Delevan came back into the room, this time with Li Yan and an old, white bearded mouse. He wore dark scarlet robes, with a strange crest on the back of them: two double-edged swords with a monkey in between them. Delevan cleared his throat. “May I present to you His Excellency Guangxu of the Qing, emperor of China.”

Basil and Dawson quickly dropped to their knees in respect; I did a quick curtsey. Guangxu whispered to Li Yan, who translated for us. “The Emperor wish to greet you all to China. He hope you may help his country, Meester Basil.”

Basil answered the emperor in Chinese. I was taken by surprise. I knew he was brilliant, but this was something I never knew about him before. But then, there was a lot I would probably never know.

Basil turned to Delevan. “Mr. Delevan, if you could relate the problem which this country faces to me and my associate,” (I realized he meant Dawson this time) “I shall do my best to evaluate the problem.”

“Well,” Delevan began, “surely you’ve heard of pirates. They don’t often frequent the coasts of Britain, but they’ve been ravaging the South China Sea. They rob ships and then set fire or sink them. They sometimes even dock in small harbors for supplies and burn down villages for fun. The whole fleet of pirate ships is powered by slaves, which are usually young children they capture from the coastal towns and villages. A mouse named Xing Ryu leads them. He’s been the terror of the coast, plundering and murdering our people. Mr. Basil, Xing Ryu is very cunning. The Emperor implores you to help our police track this mouse down!”

Basil pondered for a moment. “Where does he usually attack?” he said.

“His ships are all over the coastline. We’ve found evidence of hidden coves where some of his ships have been found. We believe that he has more hideaways for his pirates.”

“Mr. Delevan, are these ships black junks, with scarlet sails and the symbol of the Seven Plagues?”

“Why, yes. I must say, sir, you certainly astound me with your wide range of knowledge.”

“Excuse me, Basil.” Dawson finally spoke up. “Eh, Seven Plagues? What the devil are you talking about?”

Basil tapped the tips of his fingers together. “The Seven Plagues is an organization that deals in theft, forgery, drugs, smuggling, conspiracies, kidnappings, murders, treason. The organization works around the globe. I’ve hunted out members of it for years in many countries in Europe.”

Delevan said, “Yes, it even exists in the Pacific regions as well. I understand that the Seven Plagues was actually started in London some 18 years ago, by a fiend known as Professor Ratigan. I believe you’ve dealt with-”

“I have,” Basil cut in shortly.

“To think you’ve foiled the most diabolical, sinister mind in all Mousedom is absolutely-”

“I know!” Basil said too sharply. I jumped.

Delevan shot the detective a glare but continued talking as if nothing had happened. “Xing Ryu has been pillaging our coast for around a decade now, but only recently have his efforts turned into the destructive activities that marks a member of the Seven Plagues.”

The Emperor stood up. In broken English, with Li Yan whispering the words into his ear, he pleaded, “Pleese save my people.”

Basil bowed to him and answered, “It would be my honor to do so.”

As soon as the line was translated to Guangxu, he bowed his head to Basil. “Emperor say ‘Thank you, Meester Basil for his people,” the young girl said.

Basil stood up and returned the bow. Then he began to pace the room, suddenly excited by the thrill of this new challenge. “The Chinese authorities have their own ships, do they not?”

“Of course,” Delevan said.

“The pirates not only plunder the villages, but they also kidnap young children?”

“That is their main purpose for entering the villages.”

Basil stopped in front of me. “It would be invaluable if I were to inspect the scene of the last kidnapping. How soon can we be taken there?”

“Tomorrow afternoon, if you like.”

“Would the Emperor mind if he parted with Li Yan for a few days? I would rather prefer a native guide.”

“Guide?” Delevan’s eyes flashed for a moment. He slowly turned to the Emperor and held a private conversation with him. He looked back at Basil. “You may have the girl for as long as you need her.”

“Excellent. Now if you and you Emperor will excuse us, we should be preparing ourselves for the investigation tomorrow.”

“Certainly,” Delevan said. “You have had a weary journey, and you need your rest. Our sincerest apologizes for the poor accommodations; Li Yan will take you to better ones tomorrow.”

Basil exchanged a few more words with the Emperor. The ancient mouse bowed to each of us in turn. Li Yan translated for Dawson and I. “Emperor say ‘Thank you very much, all of you.”

I watched as Delevan left with three score soldiers to protect the Emperor on the journey to Hong Kong.

“Meesus Meg?” Li Yan said. I turned toward her. She took me to a small room. “This is your chamber.” I gazed at the room in mild surprise. The room was sizeable enough, but there was a large crack in one of the walls, and the window had pretty much collapsed into a pile of rubble less than one foot high. The mattress was old and dusty, and the whole place smelled strongly of rotting wood.

“Well…” I began, not quite sure what to say.

“You’re not sleeping there.”

I turned around and found myself looking at Basil. “Pardon?”

“I said you’re not sleeping there. Look at that window. Anyone could get in there easily enough without making any sort of noise. You’ll be sleeping on a pallet in the storage pantry, with Li Yan.”

“I- I do not understand,” the young girl said. “I, in same room as nobeleety?”

I said, “I’m not nobility,” the same moment Basil replied, “Safety reasons.”

“Safety? Come now, Basil. We’re out in the middle of nowhere, in the dead of night. No one could find us even if we told them exactly where we are,” I said.

Basil frowned. “You will sleep in the pantry.”

“And where will you sleep?” I demanded.

“In the kitchen.”

Basil took us to the pantry. I stared distastefully at the cramped room. At one time or another it had held sacks of rice, barrels of wine, and wheels of cheese. Now it was a moldering mess. Broken shelves hug from the wall and the floor was covered with splinters. I almost bumped my head on the low ceiling.

“Basil,” I complained, “Why here?”

Basil fiercely stared at me. “Mrs. Havers, I am not going to lie to you. The Seven Plagues is not an organization to lark about! We are in very grave danger here.”

“Why would we be?” I asked. “No one else knows about this case.”

“I strongly doubt that.”

“Well, perhaps the Chinese government does, but-”

Basil pulled me aside. “Meg, someone was following us here. I could hear them. We lost them earlier this evening, but I’m sure they’ve found the trail once again.”

“Then why are we staying here?”

“I may be incorrect, but I believe they may be surrounding the house as we speak. Now, Guangxu left us with one hardly soldier, but the Seven Plagues…”

Basil stopped in the middle of his sentence. Then he barked, “As your employer, I command you to sleep in this room!”

Chapter 3

I was shaken violently awake. Li Yan stared at me with fear in her eyes. “Noise, loud noise!” was all she would say. I pulled the ragged blanket around myself and crept to the pantry door. As I tried to open it, someone else shoved it shut, hissing something in Chinese.

“Jun say to stay here,” the Chinese girl whispered.

We waited for what seemed like days, even though it had to have been only hours since I had fallen asleep. Suddenly light poured in as Dawson opened the door. I could see it was early dawn. “It’s all right,” he said.

I practically ran to the door. “What happened?” I asked eagerly.

“Not to alarm you Mrs. Havers, but we were attacked in the night.”

Basil stood in front of a burly, middle-aged mouse covered in tattoos, questioning him in Chinese. I could see he was tied up. But he wasn’t answering.

“Basil ask him if he member of Seven Plagues.” Li Yan translated. “Ask him if he work for Xing Ryu.”

The mouse glared at him. Then, without warning, he jumped up from the pole he was tied to, clutching a knife he had obviously used to cut the ropes. Li Yan shrieked as he plunged it into his chest.

Dawson ran forward as the mouse fell to the floor. He inspected the pirate for a few moments. He shook his head. “Dead.”

I gasped. “Why- why would someone do such a thing?”

Basil stepped forward. “I’ve heard Xing Ryu tortures his pirates if they allow themselves to get caught. He probably wanted to prevent himself from the pain and agony.” He searched the body and pulled off a medallion. The great mouse detective’s eyes flickered for a moment; then he showed it to Dawson and I. “This, Dr. Dawson and Mrs. Havers, is the seal of the Seven Plagues.” The golden medallion showed seven dragons, each with two ruby-studded eyes, surrounded by a background of a circular pattern.

“How extraordinary!” Dawson exclaimed.

The dragons reminded me of something, but I couldn’t quite put my paw on what it exactly was. A nightmare from the past? Maybe. I racked my brain, and came up with nothing. No dragons. It was really important. Where had I seen those dragons before?”

Basil ran out the door. I followed as Dawson covered the body, Li Yan in tow.

Basil stooped down and studied the ground for a minute. “Two, no, three pirates. They went this way.”

“Can you follow the tracks?” Dawson asked as he came out.

Basil stood deep in thought for a few minutes. Then he turned to me. “Can you handle the arrangements necessary for an inventory of some of the merchant ships in Shanghai? Li Yan will assist you.”

I was about to protest that I was always given all the boring jobs, but a hard stare from the detective stopped the words before they came out. “Of course,” I said.

“Look for ships with valuable merchandise, such as silk, opium, bamboo, tea. Check to see if they’re registered with the government, and where they’re headed off to.”

“Yes sir.”

“Come Dawson,” he said, as he headed off in through the woods.

“How pretty, Meesus Meg.”

I stopped playing my violin. To my surprise, Li Yan had tears in her eyes.

“Why, Li Yan, whatever is the matter?” I said with concern.

“The music. So… how do you say, beautiful? You play very good,” she said. “Never hear such music in my life.”

This was the nicest compliment I had ever received for my playing. I sounded horribly scratchy and weak at most times, and barely practiced in front of anyone. But the voyage had kept me from practicing for weeks, so I was desperate.

“Why, thank you, Li Yan,” I replied. “Don’t you play an instrument?”

She paused, trying to understand what I had said. Finally she answered, “I personal servant of Emperor. I tell Emperor in English what people say.”

“Doesn’t Delevan do that also?”

“Emperor like to have more than one person telling him. But too busy, never had time to play music.”

“That’s very unfortunate.”

She crept toward me. “So pretty, this wood,” she said, pointing to the violin.

I could see she wanted to hold it. “You may touch my violin,” I said.

She gently stroked it. “Where you get such instrument? In England?”

“Yes, it was actually my husband’s…”

I suddenly felt the need to be alone. I slowly packed up the violin and my sheet music. “Li Yan,” I said, “Could you buy some tea for me?” I gave her my purse.

“Yes, Meesus Meg.” She left the hotel room.

I lay down on my mattress, exhausted. “Mrs. Havers, it is?”

I jumped up at the sound of the voice. A small Chinese male was standing in front of me. He had a grandfatherly look about him.

I reached into my pocket and grasped a switchblade, which I kept there. “Who are you?” I asked.

“I am very sorry, Mrs. Havers, for startling you. I am Mr. Liang,” he said, with a hint of an accent.

“Mr. Liang? Well, sir, I have no wish for visitors at this time. If you wish to see Mr. Basil or Dr. Dawson, please call another time.”

“Mrs. Havers,” he said, “I am here to warn you. Your employer is on a very, very dangerous mission indeed. Death may find you all.”

I wasn’t sure whether to trust the old mouse, as he seemed to have no inclination of leaving soon. “His line of work is very perilous, indeed. He knows of the danger-”

“But he also knows how to protect himself from it. You do not.”

“I am under no threat. In fact, I barely get involved myself in the investigations.”

“Meg Havers, I am here to help. I wish to train you in the martial arts.”

I paused. “How do you know my name?”

He smiled gently. “I should admit to you I have been following your employer ever since you arrived yesterday. Knowing Xing Ryu’s thirst for blood, I fear the acceptance of this case has put all of you in very real danger. Please accept my offer to train you in the martial arts.”

He hadn’t exactly answered my question. “Martial arts? I don’t believe I know what you’re talking about,” I said.

“To you Englishmen, it would be a form of defense like boxing. But in reality, it involves using the arms and legs, as well as the mind, to defend yourself against your enemies.”

“Like boxing? Mr. Liang, I cannot accept any such offer. It sounds absolutely unladylike.”

Mr. Liang shook his head. “Meg Havers, pirates don’t care whether you’re a lady or another pirate when they want to kill. All they know is they must finish the deed.” I opened my mouth to speak, but he held up his hand. “Besides,” he added, “there is one in London that you may need to defend yourself and those you love against in the future. Yes?”

I immediately thought of Ratigan. Baker Street had been broken into at least three times this year, but nothing had ever been taken. Anonymous notes were sent to me. Sometimes while out for a walk, I felt as though someone was watching me. I was sure I was in great peril. When these feelings didn’t go away, I started to carry the switchblade with me wherever I went. But I still felt unable to defend myself. Perhaps I should learn these “martial arts” from Mr. Liang.

“Oh… All right, Mr. Liang. I will learn these… defense systems.” A thought occurred to me. “Do you know Basil?” I asked.

“I’ve heard of his greatness, but I have never personally met him.”

“Will you please not tell Basil of this?”

“You don’t want him to know you are learning kung fu?”

“What? Oh, yes. He wouldn’t approve.”

“Certainly, Meg Havers.” The old mouse walked toward the door. “We start the lesson right now.”

“Now? Why now?” I asked, following him.

“The sooner the better,” he replied.

I followed him up to a large room directly under the roof of the hotel. I looked down one of the windows, but the heights scared me back to the middle of the room.

“See that building over there?” Mr. Liang asked, pointing out one of the windows. I nodded. “Jump onto that roof.”

“What! I can’t do that! I’ll fall!” I exclaimed.

“Jump onto the roof.” he insisted.

“No.”

“Jump onto the roof.”

“I can’t.”

He seemed a bit angry. “What do you mean you can’t?”

“It… it’s impossible,” I muttered.

“Nothing is impossible until you say it is,” Mr. Liang said. “You need to have faith in yourself.”

“But… I can’t,” I whined.

“Lack of confidence will result in lack of success.”

“This isn’t what I thought you meant by kung fu.”

Mr. Liang did a backflip, temporarily jumped onto a wall and then a small table, kicked out with his left leg and broke a sandbag hanging from the ceiling.

“That is kung fu.”

I couldn’t hide my shock. “I- I can’t do that!”

Mr. Liang moved to the door. “You are dismissed,” he said.

That statement startled me even more. “Excuse me?”

“You are dismissed,” he repeated. “Can’t teach student unwilling to learn new things.”

“Shall I come back?”

“Come back tomorrow. After detective leaves.”

Five minutes later, I found myself back in my small hotel room, still trying to figure out what I had done wrong.

Li Yan came back, accompanied by Basil and Dawson. They both looked a bit weary from their long day. Basil pulled out his pipe and muttered, “Where are the reports, Meg?” I showed him the list. “Hmm,” he said to himself, looking totally uninterested in it.

“Well, what did your investigating come up with? Did you catch the pirates?”

“No.”

Dawson explained the day’s adventures to me. “We followed the tracks to the nearest village. A farmer met us there who seemed greatly distressed. He took us to a farmhouse, where there had been evidence of a struggle. From the tracks Basil found, it was certain our fiends had kidnapped four of the farmer’s young children. We continued in our search of the pirates, until we reached a rocky bay. There we met the two mice as they were rowing to an awaiting ship. Basil swam out to them, but they-”

“Dawson, could you for once be quiet!” Basil barked. Li Yan dropped the pot of tea in surprise. The detective spun around and looked as though he was about to strike her. She cringed, waiting for the blow. Basil paused; he glanced at me. He must have seen the fear in my eyes, because he lowered his paw. “I apologize profusely, Li Yan.” He wearily dragged himself back to his seat. “Meg, the fool I was! The fool I am!” He sulkily smoked on his pipe.

A dreadful silence followed this remark. I felt I had to say something, since he had addressed me last. “You are not a fool,” I whispered, afraid to raise my voice.

“Yes I am, my dear. I was so close, but Xing Ryu has eluded my grasp! I followed the boat out to sea, in hopes of catching it before it reached the ship. I made it to the boat, and had managed to knock out the first pirate, but the second one had learned the art of kung fu. I know Japanese boxing, but it was no match for this. I…”

I didn’t hear the rest of the conversation. Kung Fu. Now I knew what I was up against. I knew I had to try to follow the old man’s teaching again tomorrow.

Basil finished and looked at me apologetically. “I’m sorry for being so sharp.”

“Basil, I think you need rest.”

“Yes, I think I do.” He and Dawson got up to go to their hotel room. As he was leaving, he murmured to me, “Thank you, Megana.”

Chapter 4

I swiftly punched each of the padded gloves in Mr. Liang’s paws. “Good, good!” he said as I hit each glove repeatedly. “You are quick to learn, Meg Havers.”

I stopped and caught my breath. “Whew! Mr. Liang, this is pretty tough. When will I be good enough to stop this, this, work?”

“When you jump onto that roof from here,” he replied.

I silently groaned. I had been presented with the same command today as I had been yesterday, to jump onto the roof of the neighboring building. I managed to get out of it without being dismissed again, but that didn’t prevent him from showing his disappointment.

The sun was low in the sky. I wondered how long I had been practicing. I had been there since eight o’clock; what time was it now? My body ached all over from lack of exercise.

“One more exercise before you go, Meg Havers,” the old mouse said. He placed a small ball on his palm. “Take the ball from my paw.”

I almost started laughing, but, remembering he was the teacher and I the pupil, I reached out for the ball. I was just about to grasp it when he swiftly withdrew it.

“Huh?” I said dumbly.

“You were not quick enough.”

I saw what he was doing. “Can I try again?”

“Certainly.”

I waited for a few moments, hoping to catch him off guard. My paw darted out, but he was quicker. “Too slow,” he said. I tried several more times, but failed to grab the ball. “Try again, tomorrow,” my teacher said as I left the room.

I looked at a clock in the hallway. Four o’clock! I had been gone for eight hours. I had sent Li Yan to get me a nice dress, but she would’ve been back hours ago. I ran to my hotel room, to find Li Yan singing to herself. She jumped with fright as I barged in.

“Meesus Meg! Where you been? I so worried! I thinked-” Then she screamed.

It was my turn to jump. I whirled around, expecting a pirate behind me. “What! What is it?” I exclaimed.

“Meesus, you’re hurt!” I gave her a questioning look. She pulled me into the room. “Your paw!” she exclaimed, pointing to a large cut that was dripping blood. “Pirate attack you!”

“No! Oh- I- I cut myself. I was- walking down the street and I fell, and I cut myself on a piece of glass,” I lied as she began to bandage it up. It was a horrible lie, but her poor English wouldn’t be able to see through it too much, I hoped. I had actually cut myself on a spear when I fell during the lesson. The other bandage I had on must have fallen off.

I started to concoct a more believable tale to tell to Basil when the Chinese girl’s next question threw me off guard again. “Meesus Meg, where you been? Why… why you wear a man’s robe?” She seemed shocked.

I glanced down, horrified. I had on a blue silk robe Mr. Liang had laid out for me when I woke up today. It was so I could move about more easily. I now remembered I had worn a dress over it, but had left the dress up in the room above the hotel.

“Oh, I-I-I-” I stammered. “I- this- I- why all the questions?” I tried to change the subject.

Li Yan knew something was up, I could tell. “Pirates,” she whispered, as if afraid someone might hear her. “Very, very dangerous. They- they- do dishonor to beautiful women like Meesus. Afraid for you.”

I slowly exhaled, trying to calm my racing heart down. “Li Yan,” I said, “these are my sleeping clothes. I took a nap while you were gone. I have a habit of sleep walking, and I ended up in another part of Shanghai.”

“Sleep… walk?” I watched her slowly process the complicated phrase through her head.

“It’s when a mouse may walk around while he is asleep. I walked in my sleep today.”

“Oh! I know what you mean!” she said happily. “You woke up in city?”

“Yes,” I replied. “But Li Yan,” I added as she finished wrapping my paw. “Please don’t tell Basil.”

“Why not?” she said confusedly.

“Because he might be worried.”

“We keep- a secret?”

“Yes, that’s it. A secret.”

(Several days later)

Basil leaned far over the stern anxiously. The black junk was just ahead of them. “How long will it be until we catch up with the junk?” he asked the captain.

“Quarter of an hour.”

Basil produced a silver whistle from a chain around his neck and blew into it. “Jacques!” the detective called out.

A large sea gull swooped down and landed on the deck. “What service do ya need guv’ner?” he asked in a Cockney accent.

“I want to know whether Xing Ryu’s other ships are near this harbor. You know what to do.”

The big bird bowed elegantly. “Always’s a pleasure, guv’ner,” he replied as he flew off.

Fifteen minutes later, they sailed besides the massive ship. A pirate jumped onto the railing. “Wha’ do ya want?” he snarled.

“Why, he’s speaking English!” Dawson said.

“Yes…” Basil paced the deck. “He’s British, all right. This is very interesting… Excuse me, good sir. I wish you to return the children you unrightfully kidnapped,” Basil said in a pleasing tone.

“Basil, you can’t be polite to a bunch of scallywags such as these!” the doctor hissed.

“Part of the plan.”

“What plan?”

“Wha’, ya wants the liddle brats? Ya ain’t gettin’ any!”

“Can I have your word on that?” Basil asked innocently.

“Yeah, ya can have any word on tha’!”

Basil smiled disarmingly at the pirate. “What is your name, sir?”

The pirate looked daggers at the detective. “Why should I lets ya know?”

“No reason, really… just wanted to let Xing Ryu know who was responsible for the capture of five score of his pirates because he refused to cooperate.”

“Ya damn fool, go ‘way ‘fores we blow youse ship outa th’ water!” the pirate yelled.

“Where is Xing Ryu, old chap?”

“Ya ain’t ‘old chapping’ me mister. I takes none of that. Besides, he’s on th’ Liu Xue right now.”

“Damn!” Basil muttered under his breath. He regained his composure. “Surrender now, or face the gaol!”

“No ways!” Then he yelled to his fellow pirates, “Ready the cannons!” This command was repeated in several tongues to the other crewmembers.

Basil motioned to government ships, which were slowly circling the junk. “You have half a score of armed ships surrounding you. There is no chance of escape.”

“FIRE!”

I woke with a start. It took me a few seconds to realize that someone was pounding at the door. As I reached to light a lamp, I checked the time. Quarter to five in the morning.

I cautiously inched the door open. A pair of green eyes stared back at me. I squealed, but then recognized the Inverness cape the mouse was wearing.

“Basil!” I hissed, pulling my robe more tightly around me. “What are you doing? Where have you been? Li Yan and I haven’t seen you since yesterday morning!”

He ignored the question and pushed his way into the room. He turned toward me and grinned. “Meg, will you accompany me to Colonel Fremly’s masquerade aboard his yacht?”

“You… What? I beg your pardon?”

“I am asking you to go to Colonel Fremly’s party with me.”

I was speechless. “Are you drunk?” I finally said.

“I am quite right in my mind, Madame. I need an answer soon, because I need to find another girl if I am refused by you.”

I  was flattered. “Why- I-”

“I believe that Xing Ryu may try to attack this ship, considering all the wealthy mice that will be on board,” he interrupted. “I will be attending this party to try to defeat him once and for all.”

The flattery faded there. “Oh,” I said. “All right, I’ll go. When is it?”      

“Tonight.”

He started to leave, but I called back to him, “Where have you been lately, Basil? I hardly know anything about what you’re up to.”

“Ryu’s raided two villages since we’ve arrived in Shanghai. Unfortunately for him, we’ve captured two of his ships, liberating about three score slaves, most of whom are children between the ages of 5 and 15, not to mention acquiring more plunder than you’ve ever imagined in your life. He’s furious with me.” Basil looked pleased with himself.

Chapter 5

An orchestra played soft music as Basil and I danced on deck. I watched his jade green eyes from behind his white mask dart around, looking for any sign of trouble. He then steered us over to Dawson (dressed in some type of Shakespearean getup), where they held a whispered conference for a few minutes.

Colonel Fremly’s daughter, Isabelle, who was dancing with Dawson, rolled her eyes at them. “Those two!” she exclaimed. “Maybe they should dance together, they seem to want to spend more time with each other than with us!”

I laughed. “I think you’re right, Isabelle. Perhaps we can find some actual gentlemice who would be willing to spend some time actually dancing with us!”

Basil glared at us. “Now see here! Miss Fremly, Mrs. Havers, we’re trying to solve a very-”

“-Important case, we know!” Isabelle and I finished, laughing. “You’ve only been telling us all night,” Isabelle added.

Basil started to pull me back to the dance floor, when his grip on my arm suddenly tightened. He whispered to me, “Stay here. Don’t move from this spot. Tell Dawson to keep dancing, but to watch the fellow dressed as the Red Death.”

“Red Death?” I repeated to myself as he slipped away.

Dawson and Isabelle came up to me. “Meg, where is he going?”

I lowered my voice. “Do you see a mouse disguised as the Red Death?”

“Why, yes.”

“Basil said to act normal, but don’t lose sight of that fellow.”

Dawson nodded gravely. He took the Colonel’s daughter out on the dance floor and kept a sharp eye on the suspect.

I leaned against the wall of the cabin, nervously awaiting Basil’s return.

“ALL RIGHT, EVERYMOUSE! THIS IS A PLUNDERIN’!”

Several women fainted as a score of pirates jumped onboard. I searched eagerly for the Red Death, but couldn’t find him. Then I spotted him. He pulled off his cloak and mask to reveal a dashing Chinese mouse. Even though his clothes were somewhat ragged and he was heavily tattooed, he had a gentlemanly air about him. He jumped on a table and drew himself up to his full height. “No need to fear if you do exactly as I say. I am Xing Ryu, and this ship is now in the possession of me. So put all of your valuable trinkets and things into the sacks that my pirates-”

I saw Basil sail through the air on a rope. He knocked Xing Ryu off his feet, and both mice tumbled to the floor. Mayhem took over as Chinese soldiers jumped onboard.

I pulled off my peacock mask as I searched the crowd for Dawson or Isabelle. Then I spotted Dawson leaning against the rail, blood upon the side of his face. I shoved my way toward him. “DAWSON!” I shrieked.

“Oh,” he mumbled.

“Dawson, can you hear me?” I whispered urgently, pressing a corner of my dress to his head.

“Meg… Isabelle, help…” he said incoherently.

“Isabelle? Where is she?”

“Isabelle… taken…”

Someone grabbed me roughly. I quickly kicked him in the thigh and spun around, dealing the pirate a few quick punches. He fell to the ground unconscious. “My God,” I breathed, shaken by the rush of adrenaline.

I sensed someone watching me. I looked up, to discover Delevan, the British mouse who served the Emperor, staring at me in surprise. When he noticed me looking at him, he scurried away.

I brushed this off as I turned away. I had more important things to do than worry about being ladylike around men.

Basil swiftly twisted his head as Xing Ryu plunged a knife down toward him, missing him by several inches. Basil kicked the pirate in the stomach as he bounded upwards, causing Ryu’s knife to fly out of his paws.

Basil lunged for the weapon, but Ryu kicked it out of the way. The two adversaries tripped over each other and landed spread-eagled, just out of reach of the blade. The Chinese mouse shouted out a curt demand to one of his crew, which was answered by the toss of a sword to the pirate captain. Basil took the opportunity to grab the pitiful knife before Xing Ryu swiped at him.

The detective and the plunderer exchanged a few blows, but the knife soon flew out of Basil’s paws. Xing Ryu smiled triumphantly. “Never defy Xing Ryu, Mr. Basil,” he crooned. “Because you shall now pay… with death!”

Basil forced himself to grin. “You really think so?” he asked silkily.

“I don’t accept parleys, matey.”

“You’ll regret this dearly, for defeat comes in many forms. Sometimes all it takes is a rose with thorns.”

“Madness!”

“Game’s up, Ryu.”

I ran up to Basil and the handsome pirate. The latter turned around as I gave him a knuckle-cracking punch in the face.

“OW!” I nursed my bleeding paw as Xing Ryu staggered back a few feet, a look of total surprise pasted on his face.

He quickly regained his composure. I tried to brace myself for a kung fu fight, but when I saw him advancing with the sword, I started to back away. I cringed as he lifted it up. Then he slowly lowered it.

“I do not harm ladies, my dear,” he purred. “But a lady has never hit Xing Ryu before.” He leaned in closer to me. “Let this be a warning to you, wench,” he hissed. “Cross my path again, and you will not be so lucky as you were this time!”

The sound of gunshots broke the terrifying spell his words had brought on signaling the coming of the Chinese police. Ryu jumped on the railing and bowed elegantly to us. “I’ll look forward to our next meeting with pleasure, Basil,” he said.

“No, Ryu, the pleasure will be all mine,” Basil said with a smirk. The pirate jumped onto a lifeboat that was making away with a score of pirates.

“Oh, by the way,” Xing Ryu continued, showing nothing but absolute pleasure on his face, “you might want to look for the Colonel’s brat.”

“ISABELLE!” I screamed as one of the pirates held her up for us to see.

Basil seemed unusually placid. “Ryu, I thought you tortured little kids, not young woman,” he said in an almost bored tone.

I was seeing red. I jumped up onto the railing, determined to swim out to the retreating craft to save the girl, but Basil pulled me back.

“ISABELLE! ISABELLE! LET HER GO! BASIL, LET ME GO! ISABELLE!”

“Control yourself, Madame!” the detective said sharply.

“They’re getting away, you coward!” I screamed as I tried to kick him.

Basil grabbed my foot to prevent injury to himself, but I heard him let out a slight huff of pain. “Mrs. Havers!” he gasped, “They’re too far away now!”

I had run out of energy anyway. As Basil released me from his grip, I grabbed the silver whistle from around his neck. “Tweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!!!!!!” Jacques! Jacques!” I shouted to the sea gull.

He paused before swiftly flying alongside the yacht. “Ma’am?”

“Help that girl!” I exclaimed, pointing toward the boat.

“No, Jacques!” Basil yelled.

Jacques flew over the lifeboat. A flurry of shots met my ears, and Basil gripped my arm so tightly that I cried out. The startled bird quickly recovered, and dodged away.

Basil breathed a sigh of relief. I turned around and slapped him. “Why don’t you go after him?”

He stared openmouthed at me, rubbing the spot where I hit him. He motioned wordlessly toward several Chinese government vessels already pursuing the various lifeboats. Then he pointed to a black form in the distance. “Do you see that ship?” he asked.

I peered through the darkness. A sudden flash of lightening revealed the largest ship I had ever seen. It’s many decks and masts, not to mention the fact that it was jet black, made it look like some crazed seamouse’s nightmare.

“I asked you once if you knew what a junk was. There is Xing Ryu’s mighty galleon, the Liu Xue.”

Lightening flashed and thunder roared as I barged into Mr. Liang’s room that same night. I found the old mouse meditating in front of a statue of Buddha. “Mr. Liang, I want to learn to fight as well as Xing Ryu!” I proclaimed.

He didn’t move a muscle.

“Well? Are you just going to sit there?”

He remained motionless.

“Answer me, mouse!”

He bowed to the idol and slowly got to his footpaws. He turned around. “Meg Havers is very, very angry,” he said calmly. “Come back tomorrow.”

“No! I am here now! I want to learn! Teach me to swordfight, to kung fu someone, anything!” I said.

He chuckled at my stupid comment. “Kung fu someone? Meg Havers, I believe you are ready to learn to be on the offense, as you English would say.”

“Good! Let’s start now!”

“You certain to devote yourself like this?”

“Yes!”

“Let us start.”

I slowly opened the door to my hotel door, praying that I wouldn’t disturb Li Yan. I heard no noise. I quietly closed it again, joyful in my success. I took my lessons as often as I could, usually all night long. I had improved greatly; I could now fight with a saber and a staff as well as kick, punch, chop, and jump using kung fu, all in just over a week.

I proceeded to crawl back into bed when a lamp was turned up. Basil sat in an armchair with an angry expression on his face.

“Where were you?” he demanded as he stood up.

“I-, uh- I…” I stammered, not sure what to say.

Wait, don’t let him boss you around. You’re a grown woman, Meg. It’s none of his business.

“Excuse me, but what business do you have in our room in the middle of the night?” I shot back.

“What business? What business! Li Yan was practically frightened to death when she found your bed empty three hours ago! I’ve been up half the night waiting for you to come back!”

“Why would you care where I was going!” I said sharply, feeling my old temper flaring up again. “You’re not my caretaker, Basil!”

Basil glared at me, clearly frustrated at my impudence. “My line of work, and this case, is a danger to all of our lives,” he said, “and as your employer, I must be sure of your safety. You cannot just go gallivanting about Shanghai in the early hours of the morning without my consent!”

“I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself, Mr. Basil,” I said sarcastically.

“And get yourself captured by Xing Ryu? Look at what happened to Isabelle! And you’re not exactly unknown to the Seven Plagues, Megana Havers. He wants his revenge! Josh would most certainly not approve of this!”

“Well, Josh isn’t here now to tell me so, is he,” I retorted.

Basil stopped. “Meg… I… well…”

“And why isn’t he here? Because of me! Because I couldn’t control my temper, and was sent to you! Because I had to be a prying Pandora and opened a music box! Because I…” I suddenly felt weak and exhausted. “Because I fell in love,” I whispered. “And now he’s gone, and it’s all my fault. There’s nothing I can do to change that.” I turned away.

I heard Basil come up behind me. “You’re only right about one thing,” he answered gently. “You fell in love.” I slowly turned around, astonished by this comment. “Meg,” he continued, “the only person you can blame is that black-hearted fiend that has destroyed many more happy lives and mice than you could imagine.”

At that moment I felt complete gratitude and a friendship for him.

“But you can’t go out in the middle of the night, endangering yourself!”

Any kind thought I had had for my employer was completely diminished. “Fine!” I threw my paws up in the air. “Okay, you win, Basil! I’m going to bed, so just leave, all right?”

“Don’t speak to me like that, young lady…”

“Just leave!”

“Fine!” He stormed out of the room and slammed the door.

“That mouse!” I went to my bed, but found Li Yan hiding in a corner, staring at me with wide eyes. She seemed terrified. Any anger I felt for her for telling on me vanished. “Oh, Li Yan, I’m sorry,” I said.

“I am regretting, Meesus,” she whispered. “I did not wish to make Meester Basil angry with Meesus. I only thinked you were in danger…”

I put my arm around the tiny girl. “It’s all right. I would’ve done the same for you.”

“Thank you,” she said. “Oh, Meesus?”

“Yes?”

“Who is Joa- Joa- Joash?”

“You mean Josh?” I sat down next to her. “Well…”

“You did what?”

Basil threw his paws up in the air, much like Meg had done only a few minutes before. “Dawson, she’s just asking for Xing Ryu or Ratigan to kidnap her! Don’t you understand?”

Dawson folded his arms. “Basil, now see here, she’s been having a very difficult time lately-”

“Oh, don’t you start with me about being easy on her again! She has to learn the danger of the situation we’re in!” Dawson started to speak, but Basil interrupted, “Do you remember the burglaries on Baker Street a few days before I received the letter from Guangxu?”

Dawson answered slowly, “Yes.”

“Now, you know I have many enemies, but all are in jail. All except two.”

“Two?”

“Come now Dawson. Think. The fiend who hates me more than anything else on this earth, and the villain who were are currently trying to hunt down!”

“Ratigan and Ryu?”

“Of course!” Basil exclaimed. He restlessly paced the room. “And Ryu wasn’t my enemy at the time of the burglaries, so that only leaves one to try something to frighten me into submission.”

“Frighten you?” Dawson asked. “Basil, I don’t quite understand…”

“Letters, Dawson. I found them placed on my desk, the only thing in my room that wasn’t disturbed during those unlawful enterings. It a was threat. I am used to threats. I’ve been chased by cats and owls, drugged, poisoned, partially drowned, strangled, stabbed, and shot at, not to mention threatened that such things would happen to me. But this was something different. Meg’s safety and freedom was threatened, and the letter went into corrupt detail of how she would be treated. Dawson, part of the reason I allowed her to come with us was so I could keep an eye on her. And if she starts to run about the city unsupervised, she’ll be asking for trouble!”

“Ratigan’s after her?”

“Of course he is!” Basil yelled a little too loudly. He meekly paused, but continued when he was sure the girl in the next room hadn’t heard him. “That vile sewer rat has been looking for revenge for over a year now, Dawson. It’s only a matter of time before I meet up with him again. And Ryu… she almost completely destroyed his overly emphasized ego when she…” Basil stopped. His pride couldn’t get him to say: saved my life.

Dawson smiled slightly, knowing exactly what his colleague was thinking. “Basil,” he said slyly, “treating her like a little girl doesn’t exactly put you on her courting list-”

“Long day ahead of us today!” Basil interrupted abruptly. “Better get one more hour of sleep in!” The doctor chuckled as the detective hurriedly got into bed. “Oh, grow up Dawson!” he barked. But as Basil turned away from him, he slowly smiled.

Chapter 6

I paced about the room, anxious to start my lesson. Mr. Liang wasn’t there yet. Basil and Dawson had gone off to follow another lead on their case. I had sent Li Yan on another errand.

I decided to start warming up for my exercise by practicing some kicks and jumps. The vigorous exercise started to clear my mind. I thought about how far I had progressed. I need to clear the roof soon. I need to. I need…

My eyes fell upon a long staff laying against the floor of the opposite wall. I had used staffs before, but this one was noticeably longer than the others had been. Suddenly an idea started to take form. Could I use this to get to the other roof?

I picked up the bamboo pole and leaned it against the wall next to a rope ladder leading to a trapdoor to the roof. I climbed the rope and opened the trapdoor, lifting myself up. I then pulled the pole up with me. As I held it level I teetered dangerously, but managed to keep my balance.

The roof wasn’t flat, but slanted at all four sides like a traditional pagoda. But as a mouse, it was fairly easy to do a little crawl to the side of the structure. I peeked over the side and squeaked in surprise. I was really high up. To fall would mean the death of me. I could barely make out the shapes of mice below me.

I tried to place the pole on the roof to use as a bridge, but it wasn’t anywhere near to reaching the other roof. Mr. Liang probably wouldn’t have accepted that anyway.

Then another idea came to me. Use it like a staff. Vault the roof.

I gulped. I had never made a jump that far. I inched away from the edge, resigning myself to the fact that I wouldn’t be able to do it. Then I remembered something Mr. Liang had said to me: Nothing is impossible until you say it is. You need to have faith in yourself.

“Faith?” I mumbled. “I need a miracle.” I looked longingly at my goal. Do it. Do it. Come on, Meg. Do it!

I backed up and held the pole from the base, which seemed to make sense at the time. I took a deep breath, braced myself, and sprinted toward the edge. I pitched over the side. Then I decided to take a look downward. Big mistake. I started to fall sideways and slightly backwards, falling, falling…

Basil knelt down and inspected the ground, mentally calculating the size of the pawprints in the dust. Dawson stood nearby, watching Basil carefully observe everything about the room, from the broken door to the broken pieces of pottery on the dirt floor.

Basil turned toward the Chinese couple huddled in the corner. “How many children do you have?” he asked in Chinese.

“Three boys and a little girl. All were taken,” the husband answered. His wife burst into a fresh wave of tears. “Ah, Zhen, do not weep.”

“My poor little ones! We shall never see them again!” Zhen cried in her husband’s arms.

Compassion swept through Dawson as he witnessed the mourning of the parents. He wondered how Basil felt about the whole situation. The great mouse detective rarely showed his emotions to others, which had caused many mice to see him as a heartless creature at times. In fact, the case of Olivia Flaversham and her missing father and the murder of Meg’s husband had been the only two times Dawson could recall seeing Basil moved to kindness for others.

Dawson slowly walked outside as his partner continued to question the mouse couple. Villagers carefully watched him as they went about their daily activities. The doctor tried to ignore their stares, but it was useless. He sighed and leaned against the wall of the small hut.

A glint of gold caught his eye. Dawson bent down and picked up a small signet ring with tiny Chinese characters on it. He rushed inside. “Basil! Basil, I think I’ve found something!”

At the last instant I forced myself over and just barely grasped the edge of the roof. I swung precariously, still handing on to the pole. I slowly lifted my foot up to the wood frame, and gradually pulled myself up.

I crawled far away from the side of the roof, breathing heavily, too shocked at the fact that I was still alive there instead of flat on the ground, dead. That’s it. No more! I give up!

I started cautiously back to the trapdoor, silently chiding myself for trying such a foolish endeavor. Then my thoughts wandered back. 

Don’t stop. Don’t give up. Do it. I can’t. I’ll kill myself. I won’t. What about Josh? He’d want you to. Do it for him. You can defeat this tribulation!

I turned around, estimating my chances of making it over safely to the other side. I closed my eyes and whispered a soft prayer. Then, without hesitation, I charged.

Basil glanced at the direction the pawprints had been headed in. “This way,” he said with a wave of his hand. Dawson scurried behind to keep up with the excited mouse.

Basil knelt down to the ground again. He started to crawl on his hands and knees, mumbling to himself. Suddenly he perked up. “Aha! By Jove, I’ve found it!” Basil exclaimed.

“Found what?” Dawson asked.

Basil reached into some bushes and produced a small cigarette, a bit soiled from the moist earth.

“So Ryu’s men were here!” Dawson exclaimed. “Just like the other ones we’ve found.”

The mouse sat in deep concentration, as if he was on the brink of discovery. He slowly rolled the soggy object over and over again in his paw, making note of every minute detail. “Like the others. Not smoked. Not even been bitten on. Not well made, either. Paper’s unrolling a bit here. And the toba-” He stopped mid-sentence. “What do we have here?” Basil slowly peeled the cigarette apart and removed the tobacco. “Dawson!” He handed the paper to his colleague.

The doctor squinted at it. “Chinese symbols. A message!”

“Yes. They translate:     North by northwest.

                                    Jon-shi

                                    2,000.”

“Basil, what does it all mean?”

Basil lined up the cigarette and the item Dawson had found earlier. Then he produced a small leather wallet and dumped out its contents. Three similar cigarettes. Basil slowly unpeeled each one, revealing a different message each time, but translated in the same type of order: a north/south/east/west reading, a Chinese name, and a number. “I have it, Dawson, I have it!” he said triumphantly. He pulled out his silver whistle, and after giving a call for the sea gull Jacques, proceeded to explain his findings.

“It’s rather elementary. Let us use this cigarette we discovered just now. The north/south/east/west readings are directions to various points to raid, obviously from the position of Shanghai. The names are the names of various towns. For example, Jon-Shi is the town that was raided last night.”

“And the number 2,000?” Dawson asked.

“That is still unclear, but I do believe it is a price for the slaves they are to capture.” Basil picked up a pinch of the tobacco and sniffed it. “Made on the British Isles. Rare in China; too expensive to import. And here!” He handed Dawson the gold item. “A signet ring, with the crest of the Qing on it. Most likely a copy of the Emperor’s own. So that means-”

“Someone in the empire is conspiracing with Xing Ryu!” Dawson interrupted in ecstasy.

“Exactly! He’s been writing out directions for the pirates on cigarette paper, which draws no suspicion to him, telling them the best possible locations for a raid, and the price they’d receive for mouse cargo. He must have also gotten a copy of the signet ring to them for use on official-looking documents. Who knows how many goods they’re smuggling out of the country with such means!”

“Well, well sir, I really must congratulate you on your keen observations,” an oily voice said. The pair jumped up. Basil reached for his revolver, but he was too late; a score of pirates appeared out of the surrounding foliage.

Xing Ryu stepped out of the cover of the trees. “So we meet again, Mr. Basil of London. And how perfect too; I had thought that when my first mate lost the ring, it was to be the end of me.”

Basil showed complete loathing in his eyes for the young mouse. “When I reveal this all to the Emperor-”

“Too bad you’ll die with the secret.” A burly mouse clubbed the detective and his friend into unconsciousness. “Take them back to the Liu Xue,” he barked. “I know of one who will pay a fine price for the pleasure of killing the detective.” The pirates disappeared into the trees.

Jacques sat on a branch, witnessing the kidnapping. He took off toward Shanghai.

This time I didn’t look down. The wind whistled through my fur as I sailed through the air. Suddenly my footpaws hit stable ground. I gasped, hardly believing my eyes. I had made it! I faced the building I had just left. Mr. Liang stood there, beaming at me.

“Meg Havers, I have no more to teach you. Your training is complete.”

“Ma’am, ma’am! Mrs. Havers!”

I turned around and to my surprise, found Jacques coming toward me. “Jacques?”

He swiftly perched himself down on the roof. “Ma’am, Mr. Basil and Dr. Dawson were kidnapped!”

“Pardon?” I asked, hardly believing my ears. “They were… they… how… when?”

“Outside of Jon-shi, almost an hour ago! Ma’am, Mr. Basil was just going to reveal the identity of the one who’s been betraying the Emperor all this time, and they just popped up and surrounded him and the doctor!”

“He’s not… dead?” I gasped.

“No, the two mice were not,” he said, emphasizing on the word two. “But they’re going back to the Liu Xue. Ryu’s going to-”

A loud explosion met my ears. The building shook violently as explosion after explosion went off, followed by fire and smoke in the harbor. I lost balance and fell, stumbling about on the roof. Jacques quickly caught me.

“Meg Havers, the Chinese navy!” Mr. Liang pointed.

I gazed at the harbor in a stupor. Pirate galleons were bombarding the Chinese fleet. Wood and gunpowder exploded in a crazy hail of fire and terror.

“My God,” I whispered. I looked at Mr. Liang. “We can’t get the Emperor to go after the Liu Xue now! He’ll be busy protecting Shanghai. What are we going to do?”

“We? What do you mean, we?” he said flatly.

“But… you’ve got to do something!”

“Not me, my daughter. They are your friends. You must help them. They are depending on you now.”

I followed his eyes to the harbor. Peering through the thick smoke, I could make out a black form in the distance. The beginnings of an idea were taking shape. “Jacques! Are there other birds in the area willing to aid in an attack against Ryu’s ship?”

He looked surprised. “Now that ya mention it, ma’am, I can get a good many down at the harbor.”

“Could they carry a mouse?”

He smiled broadly. “Can they carry a mouse! Ma’am, we can carry three mice, luggage, and all!” Realization slowly came to him. “Ya want to…”

“Perfect! I believe I have a plan that won’t get us all killed. All right, Mr. Liang, do you know any fighting mice that wouldn’t be at the harbor right now?”

Mr. Liang grinned. “Li Yan, your guide, knows many families that would be willing to fight for their little ones.”

“All right, this is my battle plan…”

Chapter 7

Basil was throbbing with pain as he gained consciousness. Blurred shapes slowly formed into the images of mice. He groaned softly as he took stock of his surroundings. From the sound of whips nearby, he concluded that they were in a chamber in the slave hold of a ship. The room was dark and foul smelling; the floor covered in a crust of salt. A trickle of water seeped through the floor. Dawson was beside him, still unconscious. Basil couldn’t move his arms. A quick inspection using his tail told him that he was tightly chained to the wall.

He heard the door unlock. Feigning sleep, he stole a peek at the mouse approaching them. It was a big, burly mouse, carrying a lantern. He set this on a peg by the door.

“Getup, now!” he grunted, giving the detective a sharp kick in the stomach.

Basil sharply drew in his breath. He shook Dawson awake as Xing Ryu swaggered in. Basil could tell that he was slightly intoxicated. “Well, we have the greatest detective in the world along with his faithful sidekick,” the pirate captain slurred as he aimed a kick at the groggy Dawson. “You’ve been defeated once and for all, Mr. Basil!”

Ryu pulled out a flask and took a long draught from it. Basil pasted a grin on his face. The pirate angrily threw the flask in his face. “Temper, temper,” Basil said.

“Shut up!”

“No need to act immature now.” The detective was clearly enjoying provoking the young mouse.

It slowly dawned on Ryu that Basil was trying to play with him. He smiled. “Hah, you’re in no position to be telling me that, detective! You are dead.”

“Really?” he asked sarcastically. “I don’t appear to be dead.”

Ryu lost his temper. “Fool!” he hissed. “You’re a dead mouse as soon as we get to London. There, Lord Ratigan waits to, ‘welcome’ you.”

Basil’s smile wavered a little. His mind spun as he tried to think of an escape plan. He would be fine if he could free himself before the ship left the harbor (or had it left already?) He didn’t know how long he had lain unconscious. The cell let in no daylight. What about London? Basil knew how long it took for any type of ship to make it to the city, but that information was useless in a place that didn’t give him a clue to the passage of days. There was still the possibility of escape when the junk anchored in another port, but Ryu would be sure to not let that information slip around Basil. The detective had his ways of telling, though…

Another pirate dashed into the room, bowling Xing Ryu over. He cursed, saying in rapid Chinese, “You worthless excuse for a pirate! This hole is only big enough for one mouse, let alone four, you mindless piece of garbage!”

“But Cap’n-”

Ryu unsheathed his dagger from his scabbard. Using the hilt, he gave the pillager a smart blow to the jaw. The mouse stumbled backwards as he screamed in pain. Blood poured from the fresh wound.

“Insubordinate, mutinous idiot! Now what is it!” he barked.

“Weh… weh… weh’re being attacked!”

“Attacked? I dealt with those clowns back at Shanghai.”

“No ships, Cap’n. Gulls, carrying mice!”

“What?”

I readied myself to jump off as Jacques neared the Liu Xue. “Jacques, where will you be while we’re fighting?” I called out to the large seagull.

“Right with ya, ma’am,” he answered. “A couple of those pirates could do with a good bath in the sea. I plan to help them into it.”

I joined in his laughter. I haven’t laughed in ages. And why now? I could get myself killed. Why was I laughing?

“Easy does it, missus,” Jacques said, gracefully sweeping downward. The junk, which had been the size of a toy boat only a moment before, grew with amazing rapidness. I grasped my sword tightly and leaped.

I had jumped too soon; I fell clumsily on the deck, rolling head over tail for a few moments. I lay spread-eagled for another moment, too dazed to get up. The pound of paws on deck brought me back to the present. I sprang to my footpaws.

A large group of pirates was starting to gather around. Above me I saw other mice following my lead. First one, then another, and another, jumped on deck. The pirates were too confused to react.

Then Jacques swept down, picked up one particularly large rodent, and took off above us. He slowed down and dropped the unfortunate mouse into the South China Sea.

“Atttttttttaaaaaaaack!” I roared. The Chinese pirates and rescuers seemed to have understood my meaning, for they took up arms and clashed. The battle had begun.

Ryu rushed onto the deck. What he saw relieved him. “Hah!” he spat. “we outnumber them easily five to one.”

“Argh!” A seagull carried  the pirate he had been talking to away.

Ryu ran to his first mate. “Get the cannons out, you fool! Kill the birds!” As the mouse ran off to do his bidding, Ryu joined in on the fighting, quickly slaying an old farmer. There was nothing like a good, clean fight.

I raced down into the slave hold, the youth called Jun and his father Kou following closely. The slave master screamed at us in Chinese.

“Go ahead, meesus,” Kou said. “Jun will take care of him.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. Find Meester Basil.”

“Thank you. When you’ve taken care of him, get the chains off the children,” I said.

“Meg!” a familiar voice called out.

“Isabelle?”

“Meg, right here!” I raced down the rows. Isabelle wildly waved her hands from the last bench, the chains clanging together. She looked weak and worn.

“Isabelle! Oh Lord, you’re alive! I thought I’d never see you again.”

“Meg, they have Mr. Basil and David,” she said.

“Basil? David? Dr. Dawson?” She nodded. “Where?”

She motioned to a dark corridor behind her. “I think he’s dead,” she whispered. “He was so limp and still.”

“I’ll find them. Kou and Jun will have you out soon.”

I ran into the corridor. A dim lantern hung from a hook in the wall. I found the keys on the same hook. “Basil?” I called out.

Silence. Then, “Miss Sarentis? Is that you?” from the last chamber.

I gave a squeal of delight as I unlocked the door. They were both chained to the wall, nursing wounds to the head. I ran forward and unlocked Dawson’s chains first. He slowly got to his feet. Basil gazed at me in a mild stupor as I released him from his bonds. “How… how did you…”

“I should get a raise for this,” I interrupted. “And you think that I can’t take care of myself. Hah! Look at yourself…” He grasped my paw. I stopped talking.

“Where’s Ryu?”

“You’re too weak. He’s mine!”

“No, I want to settle the score.”

“Basil!”

He forced himself up. “Dawson,” I pleaded. “Please restrain him for a while. Oh, and Isabelle is looking for a man named David. Any ideas?” I smiled knowingly at the doctor as his face light up. “Bye Basil.” I darted away.

“Meg!” he shouted after me.

The sea gulls had come back with more reinforcements. Ryu was starting to get worried. “Come on, you spineless cowards!” he rallied to his crew. “We still have the upper paw!”

“Ryu! The wench has come back!”

He turned around. What he saw made him roar with laughter. “Little girl, stay out of this! You might cut yourself with that big sharp knife.”

“Awww, you afraid to go up against a little girl?” I taunted. “Come on; I’m ready.”

“This will be too easy.” He came forward as I readied myself. His first swipe was easy to block; I swung low, making him jump over my blade. He lunged towards me. I dodged it; causing him to fall into the main mast. His blade was caught in the wood. Before he could pull it free, I did a double kick into his stomach. Ryu reeled backwards, but caught himself. He grabbed a fallen staff and vaulted towards me. He had me on the ground in a flash. He tried to pin my paws down, but I bit him in the arm. He quickly let go. “Cyopang!” he yelled, struggling to pull out his dagger. I tried to kick him in the face; he dodged it and gave a swinging kick into my side. I stumbled backwards a few paces. Springing onto the side of the mast, I rebounded and ran straight into him, knocking us both to the ground.

“Meg!” I turned to see who it was; but the chaos was too great. Then several blasts. Ryu groaned. He lunged towards me with the dagger. I ran and slid under his feet; the pirate captain tried to stop, but too late. He stumbled and fell overboard.

“Ma’am!” Jacques appeared where Ryu had fallen. “Help has arrived!” I looked over his shoulder. Merchant ships, armed with cannons.

Dawson and Isabelle joined us. “What happened to Basil?”

“He was with you,” I said to Dawson.

“I went to help Miss Fremly here, and he left. Meg, when we came up here, we saw you fighting Ryu. A pirate was going to slay you, but Basil… he, uh… saved you.”

“He tried to warn me…” I murmured, remembering the voice that called my name.

Chapter 8

“So Delevan was the one behind all of this,” Dawson said quietly. We were on an ocean liner on our way home. Ryu had drowned before anyone could arrest him. All the other pirates had surrendered. Now, five days later, we were on our way back. I had explained everything to Basil and Dawson, about the martial arts lessons, Mr. Liang, and some of the secrets Li Yan had kept for me. As we sailed farther away from Shanghai, I realized how much I missed that sweet girl.

“Delevan.” Basil muttered. “I observed the signet ring on his paw the first night that we came here. The ring that he had acquired from his lofty position with the Emperor was eventually used against the old mouse when they smuggled goods. The pirates had the correct documents whenever they entered the harbors.”

“And the cigarettes?”

“That was the final clue. They were the exact type Delevan had offered us during that first meeting in the old cottage.”

“So, is Delevan tied in with the Seven Plagues?” I ventured to ask.

“Yes. He’ll most definitely be executed for his crimes in a matter of weeks.” There was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Basil said.

An old mouse entered. “Mr. Liang!” I exclaimed.

“Mrs. Havers, Dr. Dawson, Mr. Basil,” he said, bowing his head to each of us in turn.

“Good evening, Liang. How is your granddaughter?” Basil asked.

“Excuse me?” I said. “Granddaughter?”

“Yes, my beautiful granddaughter,” Mr. Liang said quietly. “She is very well. She is coming to London to improve her English. Someone needs to take over Delevan’s position.”

“Pardon?” Dawson looked as surprised as I felt.

“Liang, I believe that we’ve thoroughly confused the poor girl and dear Dawson here,” Basil laughed.

“Li Yan, your lovely guide, happens to be my daughter’s daughter,” Mr. Liang answered.

“You must be joking!” I exclaimed. “All this time, I never knew? Wait, how did Basil know?”

“Ask him yourself,” he replied.

“Ah… well… um… no.” Basil looked a little embarrassed.

“Meg, I’ve known your employer for a good ten years now. He informed me in his last letter, just before you arrived in Shanghai, of a young woman who showed amazing promise in forms of fighting.”

“Basil? You suggested it? That’s why you brought me along!” I jumped up and hugged him for the second time in my life. “Then why did you yell at me when I snuck out for lessons?”

“So you wouldn’t suspect. Li Yan didn’t even know. Meg!” he tried to say sharply, but in vain.

“Let her show her gratitude, Basil,” Dawson said. He was beaming.

“All right, that’s enough!” Basil said, disengaging himself from me. “Now, this doesn’t mean that you can be careless on another one of my cases, Miss Havers, erm, Mrs. Sarent-, eh-”

“Basil. Just call me Meg.”

“Oh. Ah, yes. Meg.”

I smiled. “That’s an improvement. We have a long way to go, don’t we?”

He put his arm on my shoulder. “Yes. We do.”

Neither of us voiced the ‘Thanks,’ which we felt for the other. I saved his life; he saved mine. And we never mentioned it to each other. I was beginning to discover a friend in the great mouse detective.