rr.eastofealing-第11章

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　at　the　pleasure　of　meeting　once　more　a　noble　friend；　is；　to　say　the　least；　a　little　perplexing。'
　Holmes　drew　deeply　upon　his　cigarette　and　blew　out　a　plume　of　light　blue　smoke。　'It　is　a　singular　business　and　no　mistake。'
　Pooley　and　Omally；　who　had　been　shaking　their　heads　in　disbelief　and　generally　making　with　the　rumbles　of　suspicion；　gave　the　thing　up　and　slumped　in　their　seats　sipping　liquor。
　'It　all　truly　began；'　said　Holmes；　'one　foggy　November　night　back　in　Eighteen…ninety。　The　previous　month　had　been　a　successful　one　for　me；　having　solved　the　remarkable　case　of　the　Naval　Treaty　and　been　more　than　adequately　rewarded　by　Lord　Holdhurst。　I　was　experiencing　a　brief　period　of　inactivity　and　as　you　will　recall；　such　spells　are　no　good　to　me。　My　soul　as　ever　ached　for　the　thrill　of　the　chase；　the　challenge　of　pitting　one's　wits　against　some　diabolic　adversary；　the　blood　coursing　through　the　temples；　the　rushing　of。。。'
　'Quite　so；'　said　Professor　Slobe。　'Your　enthusiasm　for　your　work　is　well…recorded。　Upon　this　particular　evening；　however？'
　'Yes；　well；　Watson　and　I　had；　I　recall；　just　partaken　of　one　of　Mrs　Hudson's　most　palatable　tables　of　roast　beef；　and　were　setting　towards　consuming　the　last　of　a　fine　bottle　of　Vamberry's　Port；　when　there　came　a　violent　knocking　upon　our　chambers'　door。'
　'Probably　the　raven；'　said　Omally　sarcastically。
　'Do　you　mind？'　said　Professor　Slobe。
　Holmes　continued。　'I　had　heard　no　rappings　upon　the　front　door　and　knowing　that　Mrs　Hudson　was　below　in　the　kitchen　was　put　immediately　upon　my　guard。　I　had　many　enemies　at　that　time　you　must　understand。　I　counselled　Watson　to　open　the　door　whilst　I　remained　at　my　chair；　my　revolver　upon　my　knee；　covered　with　a　napkin。'
　'Exciting　so　far　isn't　it？'　said　Pooley；　yawning　loudly。
　'Riveting；'　said　Omally。
　Holmes　continued　once　more。　'The　two　figures　who　revealed　themselves　upon　the　door's　opening　were　quite　unlike　any　I　have　before　encountered。　I　pride　myself　that　I　can　accurately　deduce　the　background　and　occupations　of　any　man　set　before　me；　but　those　two　left　me　baffled。　They　were　tall　and　angular　with　almond…shaped　eyes　and　oriental　features。　When　they　spoke　I　found　their　accents　totally　alien。　Watson　permitted　them　ingress　into　our　rooms　and　although　they　refused　both　food　and　drink；　saying　that　such　were　impossible　for　them；　what　they　had　to　say　was　precise　and　to　the　point。　They　had　e　from　the　future；　they　said；　naming　a　year　well　in　advance　of　this。　The　world　they　came　from　was　vastly　different　from　that　I　inhabited；　but　they　were　adamant　in　offering　few　details。　They　were　perplexed　by　a　problem　of　utmost　import　which　required　the　deductive　reasoning　of　a　mind　their　century　did　not　possess。　They　had　read　in　their　history　books　of　my　humble　exploits　and　felt　I　was　the　man　to　tackle　the　task。　Was　I　willing？
　'As　you　can　imagine；　I　was　more　than　doubtful　and　demanded　some　proof　of　their　claims。　What　they　showed　me　was　more　than　adequate　to　convince　me　that　they　told　no　lie。'
　'So　what　are　you　doing　here？'　asked　Professor　Slobe。　'You　should　surely　be　away　into　the　future　by　now。'
　'No；'　said　Holmes。　'You　must　understand　that　their　sophisticated　equipment　enabled　them　to　traverse　the　fields　of　time　in　an　instant；　but　it　was　not　possible　for　them　to　take　a　being　from　the　past　forward　into　the　future　with　them。　I　would　have　simply　crumbled　to　dust　upon　my　arrival。　They　were　more　subtle　than　this。　They　arranged　for　a　secret　place　to　be　built　for　me　where　I　might　be　placed　in　suspended　animation。　They　would　then　travel　forward　in　their　time…eliminating　conveyance；　and　unearth　and　resuscitate　me　almost　on　the　instant。'
　'Ingenious；'　said　the　Professor；　turning　towards　Soap　Distant。
　'How　was　I　to　know？'　plained　Soap。
　'Well；'　said　the　Professor；　'simply　consider　this　a　pleasurable　stop　off　along　your　journey。'
　'I　think　not；'　said　Holmes。　'Mr　Distant　here　has　broken　the　seal　and　disabled　the　means　of　my　travel　through　time。　Unless　you　happen　to　know　of　someone　who　can　reset　the　apparatus；　I　would　appear　to　be　trapped。'
　Professor　Slobe　scratched　at　his　head。　'That　might　present　some　problems；'　said　he。　'Although　there　is　always　the　thought　that　your　visitors　are　already　in　the　far　future　discovering　your　loss　and　even　now　are　setting　back　to　search　for　you。'
　'Such　is；　of　course；　the　case；　but　they　might　search　for　a　century　and　not　find　me。'
　'What　a　load　of　old　rubbish；'　said　Omally　suddenly　rising　from　his　seat。　'e；　Jim；　let　us　away　to　our　beds。'
　Pooley　climbed　to　his　feet。　'Be　fair；　Professor；'　said　he。　'This　is　all　a　bit　too　much　over　the　top。　I　know　that　the　world　is　always　ready　and　waiting　for　one　more　Sherlock　Holmes　story；　but　this　is　pushing　credibility　to　the　very　limit。'
　'Do　you　doubt　who　I　am？'　Holmes　rose　to　his　full　height　and　stood　glaring　at　the　deuce　of　Thomases。
　'Be　fair；'　said　Pooley；　'this　is　very　far…fetched。　You　are　at　the　very　least　extremely　fictional　in　nature。'
　'I　am　as　fictional　as　you；'　said　Sherlock　Holmes。
　'Ha；'　said　Pooley。　'If　you　are　the　legendary　doyen　of　detectives；　answer　me　some　questions。'
　'Proceed。'
　'All　right　then；　what　are　the　thirty…nine　steps？'
　'Wrong　story；'　said　John　Omally。
　'Ah；　well。。。　In　The　Red…Headed　League　how　did　you　know　Vincent　Spaulding　was　actually　John　Clay　the　murderer；　thief；　forger；　and　smasher？'
　'By　the　white　splash　of　acid　on　his　forehead　and　his　pierced　ears。'
　'Who　lost　his　hat　and　his　goose　in　The　Blue　Carbunkle？'
　'Henry　Baker。'
　'What　was　the　Musgrave　Ritual？'
　'Who　was　it？　He　who　is　gone。　Who　shall　have　it？　He　who　will　e。　What　is　the　month？　Sixth　from　the　first。　Where　is　the　sun？　Over　the　oak。　What　was　the　shadow？。。。'
　'Right；　right；　under　the　elm；　we　know。'
　'Who　was　the　Norwood　Builder？'　Jim　asked。
　'JonasOldacre。'
　'And　the　Three　Students？'
　'Gilchrist；　Danlat　Ras　and　Miles　McLaren。'
　'And　the　plumber　engaged　to　Charles　Augustus　Milverton's　housemaid？'
　'Myself；'　said　Holmes。
　'Well　you　could　have　read　them。　I　always　believed　that　Holmes　really　did　go　over　the　Riechenbach　Falls　with　Professor　Moriarty。　Those　later　stories　were　the　work　of　a　stand…in；　I　thought。'
　'Bravo；'　said　Holmes。　'You　are；　of　course；　correct。　You　must　understand　that　a　certain　amount　of　subterfuge　was　necessary　to　cover　my　disappearance。　My　exploits　were　chronicled　by　Doctor　Watson；　through　an　arrangement　we　had　with　a　Mr　Conan　Doyle。　I　left　it　to　him　to　continue　with　the　stories　after　my　supposed　death。'
　'Hang　on；'　said　Pooley。　'Not　that　I　can　make　any　sense　at　all　out　of　this；　but　if　you　went　below　under　the　pretence　of　dying　in　the　Riechenbach　Falls　how　could　you　possibly　know　about　the　Norwood　Builder　and　the　Three　Students。　That　was　four　years　later　in　The　Return　of　Sherlock　Holmes。'
　'Ah；'　said　that　man。
　'Ah；　indeed；'　said　Professor　Slobe。　'And　Mil…verton's　plumber？'
　'Detective's　license？'　Holmes　suggested。
　'I　give　up；'　said　John　Omally。
　'Me　also；'　said　Jim。
　
　10
　An　inexpensive　veneer　of　sunlight　was　thinly　varnishing　the　rooftops　of　Brentford　as　Norman　Hartnell　took　up　the　bundle　of　daily　papers　from　his　doorstep　and　hefted　them　on　to　his　counter。
　The　early　morning　was　always　Norman's　favourite　time　of　the　day。　The　nights　were　hell；　for　whilst　his　body　slept　upon　its　Hartnell　Mark　II　Hydrocosipit；　his　brain　went　on　the　rampage；　plotting；　planning；　and　formulating；　driving　him　on　and　on　towards　more　preposterous　and　unattainable　goals。　But　in　the　early　mornings　he　could　find　just　a　little　peace。　He　could　peruse　the　daily　papers　as　he　numbered　them　up　for　delivery。　He　was　in　the　privileged　position　of　ever　being　the　first　in　the　parish　to　know　the　news。
　On　this　particular　morning；　after　a　very　rough　night　with　his　capricious　cerebellum；　Norman　sliced　away　the　twine　bindings　of　the　paper　bundle　with　his　reproduction　Sword　of　Boda　paper　knife；　eager　to　see　what　the　rest　of　the　world　had　been　up　to。　As　he　tore　the　brown　paper　covering　aside　and　delved　into　the　top　copy　a　singularly　interesting　piece　met　his　eye；　almost　as　if　it　had　been　simply　waiting　there　to　do　so：
　GOVERNMENT　GIVES　RIGHT…HAND　PLAN　THE　THUMBS　UP；　he　read。
　An　all…party…sitting　last　night　gave　the　Lateinos　and　Romiit