Whitechapel: The Final Stand of Sherlock Holmes by Bernard Schaffer

Author:Bernard Schaffer [Schaffer, Bernard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Adult, Historical, Mystery, Thriller
ISBN: 1463612214
Goodreads: 11988241
Publisher: Createspace
Published: 2011-06-15T16:00:00+00:00

EIGHTEEN

There was a sound was like that of a hundred hammers clanging against sheets of metal that crashed on his skull with such impact that it jarred him. Montague Druitt clutched the sides of his head in agony.

It was time for class.

He wiped the sweat from his face and staggered down the hall, collapsing into the seat at his desk as the students began to filter in. He swept his damp hair from his forehead and sat up, ignoring the concerned looks shot toward him by several of the students.

“Today we will discuss the court of law, and those who serve it. Please get your writing implements ready,” Druitt said, pressing on the desk to get to his feet. “First, we will begin with the barrister. A barrister, you see…appears before the court and presents argument. There is no…ah, no…contact with the person he is…” Druitt licked his lips nervously, gripping the sides of his desk. “There is absolutely no contact made with the accused, so that the court can trust he is impartial-“

The cacophony within him suddenly fell silent, as if a switch had been thrown cutting off their power over him. As Druitt struggled to get on with his lesson, a voice whispered clearly in his ear what he must do next.

Druitt stood frozen for a moment, terrified. The students began to whisper to one another, their voices much less coherent than the one telling him to go to Whitechapel and what he must do there. “No!” Druitt barked. “That is too much.” The clamor returned as instantly as it had vanished with so much force that it made Druitt cry out for it to stop.

“Assistant headmaster?”

“Are you all right, sir?”

“Someone fetch the nurse!”

“No!” Druitt gasped, taking a deep breath. “I am fine. Sit back down at once. I apologize, students. I am not feeling well, but we are nearly finished and must press on. Now, a solicitor, on the other hand, has to…has to….” Druitt looked up at the ceiling and blinked rapidly at the harsh bright light shining over his students heads. Everything else went dark, and Druitt collapsed to the ground where he began shaking violently and foam bubbled from his mouth.

Within the hour, Headmaster George Valentine and Will Druitt were climbing the stairs to the resident teachers’ wing. “It was good of you to come on such short notice, Mr. Druitt,” Valentine said.

“I appreciate the telegram, Headmaster. You said the children reported to you that my brother was yelling?”

“Yes, but apparently it was gibberish. Has he ever suffered fits before?”

“Not that I have ever been made aware of,” Will said. “It is most disturbing.”

They came to Druitt’s door and knocked. Mark Mann, the other Assistant Headmaster opened the door and said, “Come in.” Druitt was sprawled on his cot, sweating profusely. “He hasn’t moved since we brought him up here.”

“Monty?” Will said. “Can you hear me?”

“Blast!” Mr. Valentine said. “Of all the bad timing. We have a meeting at Blackheath on the nineteenth. If Mr.

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