Sherlock Holmes Never Dies- Collection Four by Copland Craig Stephen

Author:Copland, Craig Stephen [Stephen, Copland, Craig]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-06-20T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Two West then East of Eden

ALTHOUGH SEVERAL DECADES HAD PASSED since my service in the Northumberland Fusiliers, I had not forgotten the art of packing lightly and quickly and being ready to break camp on an hour’s notice. Before the evening had passed, I was ready to go. So, for the next two days, I prowled the bookstores searching for anything that might render Japan a less completely unknown entity. In Hatchards on Piccadilly, I found a recent edition of Baedeker’s blue guides that announced that it would tell me all I needed to know about the island nation of the Far East.

I read it from cover to cover and diligently practiced bowing to the mirror while smiling and saying useful phrases such as ohayo gozaimasu, or arigato gozaimasu, or konnichiwa. I imagined myself courteously bowing to a distinguished shogun and respectfully pronouncing “Arigato Gozaimaaaas.”

Holmes, on the other hand, buried himself in reports in the press and in dossiers sent over from Whitehall regarding the hostilities between Russia and Japan and the complicated relationship of Great Britain with each of them.

“Very well, now, Holmes,” I teased him on the Tuesday evening. “Which of the two are our friends? Or is the correct answer neither?”

He put down the file he was reading and shook his head. “The only certain answer would be ‘a plague on both your houses.’ Japan is currently on good terms with us since we are buying their silk by the boatload and selling them a navy. We have been skirmishing with the Russian bear for five decades in the Great Game throughout the Stans, but we cooperated on the Boxer rebellion. Then back in October we mobilized the Fleet and were almost at war with them after some imbecile admiral of theirs sunk our fishing trawlers on the Dogger Bank. Frankly, I can make neither head nor tail of it, and I rather suspect that even Mycroft must find it confusing.”

“Ah yes,” I agreed, “but then we denied their warships the use of our Suez. So even if we leave tomorrow, we shall beat their fleet to Japan.”

“We shall, indeed,” said Holmes. “And then goodness only knows what duplicity will await us.”

On the Wednesday morning, Holmes and I rose early and found a cab to the Tilbury Wharf. Once there we made our way to the S.S. Delhi, the newest liner in the gleaming P&O fleet, boarded and were escorted to a select cabin in the first class section. As I looked it over in profound delight, I could not help but remember my ocean voyage of many years ago on the troop ship Orontes. My health was broken, and I was near death the entire way back from the Sub-Continent, having been wounded in the war and only barely kept alive by the valiant efforts of Murray, my orderly. The conditions I would be enjoying over the next few weeks could not have been further removed from those miserable days of my youth.

Shortly after we had settled in our cabin, a knock came to the door.

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