Young Sherlock Holmes: Fire Storm

by Andrew Lane

  Sherlock got back to his carriage just as the guard on the platform blew his whistle, warning passengers that the train was about to leave. He settled himself back into his seat. Matty was apparently asleep, and Rufus Stone was busy memorizing a musical score, the fingers of his left hand automatically making the shapes of the notes in the air as he read. Not wanting to interrupt them, Sherlock settled back into his seat with the newspaper.

  The pages were filled with politics and reports of international events. Having heard his brother Mycroft speak disparagingly about newspaper journalists, and how little they really knew about the real reasons for things happening, he only skim-read the articles. Mycroft had once said that reading a newspaper piece about politics was like reading a book review written by a man who had never read the book, but had been told about it by a couple of people that he had bumped into in the street.

  Sherlock did scan the pages for reports of the British Army’s presence in India, but there was nothing. He hadn’t heard from his father for a while now. He knew that things were busy out there, but he worried. He couldn’t help himself.

  The front page was filled with personal advertisements and he was about to skip over them when his eye was caught by something unusual and he found himself drawn into reading them. They were small pieces, usually ten or twenty words – written by readers of the newspaper who paid for them to be printed – but Sherlock found that they opened little windows on to a world he would probably never know anything else about. ‘Dog missing, Chelsea area, answers to the name of Abendigo. Will pay handsomely for return, dead or alive.’ Sherlock supposed that he could understand someone loving a pet enough to pay money to get it back if it went missing, but what kind of person would name their dog after an obscure biblical character, and would want it back even if it was dead? It didn’t make any sense. And what about ‘Footman required urgently, good references essential. Must be able to play ocarina’? People needed good staff, obviously, but why would they need a footman with musical ability, and with such an unusual instrument to boot? Each personal advertisement was a slice of life, and he wanted to know more about the circumstances behind them. Some were obviously in code – apparently random collections of letters and numbers – and he tried to use the skills that his brother and Amyus Crowe had taught him to unlock their secrets. With some of them he was actually successful. Most were arrangements for furtive meetings, probably of people who loved each other but couldn’t, for whatever reason, meet in public, but others were stranger. One in particular made his blood run cold. After he had decoded it, the words said simply: ‘Joseph Lamner, you will die tomorrow. Set your affairs in order. Prepare to meet your Maker.’

  Sherlock turned reluctantly away from the personal advertisements before he became too obsessed with them and skim-read the rest of the newspaper. Two pages contained little snippets of news from around the country, and Sherlock found his gaze snagged by one report in particular, which involved the city to which they were travelling.

  EDINBURGH. Prominent businessman Sir Benedict Ventham was found dead last night at his house on the outskirts of the city. Police have stated that murder by poisoning is a distinct possibility, considering the contorted expression on his face and the colour of his tongue, and have said that they are close to an arrest. Sir Benedict had made a number of enemies through his aggressive business techniques over the years. He had lived recently in a state of fear for his life and only ever ate food prepared by his faithful and trusted cook, who had served him for almost two decades.

  Frustrated at the lack of detail, Sherlock wondered how he might find out more about this murder in Edinburgh. He didn’t think it had anything to do with Amyus Crowe’s disappearance – it would have been a coincidence too far if an article in a newspaper he’d happened to pick up at a passing station was directly related to the reason he was on the train in the first place – but he wanted to get a feeling for the place he was going to – a sense of what Edinburgh was like, and what kinds of things happened there. One of the things that Amyus Crowe had drummed into him on their regular walks through the woods and forests around Farnham was that the more you knew about your environment, the more you could control it. Most people, if they got lost in a forest, would be hungry and thirsty within an hour or two and would have no idea of the way out. Thanks to Mr Crowe, Sherlock now knew which plants to eat and which to avoid, knew how to follow animal tracks to find water, and also knew how to work out which way was north.

  Thinking of survival in unfamiliar environments provoked a memory of New York, and his arrival in that city a year or so before. He’d been amazed then at the number of newspapers that had been on sale on street corners. Thinking about it now, he wondered how many different newspapers there were in London, and whether they all printed the same story. Presumably not – each must have its own style and its own bias. If he really wanted to know more about the background and the details of this murder in Edinburgh, then it might be a good idea if he bought as many different papers as he could, cut the relevant stories out and compared them against one another, looking for differences and for things that one report mentioned that the other ones ignored.

  The train was some distance beyond Guildford now, and he had lost the opportunity to dive back out and pick up some more newspapers. He made a mental note to do it at Waterloo when they arrived.

  Finishing the newspaper, he made sure that he carefully tore out the report of the Edinburgh murder and folded it several times before putting it in his pocket. If nothing else, comparing the various reports would be an interesting exercise.

  Matty was curled up on a seat, head against the window, fast asleep. Rufus Stone had his eyes closed as well, but judging by the way his hands were twitching he was mentally rehearsing the violin part of the music score.

  Sherlock glanced out of the window again, but the countryside flashing past held little to interest him. He opened the bag that he had brought with him and pulled out a book. It was all about theatrical make-up – how to make it, and how to apply it to produce various effects.

  He buried himself in the book, memorizing the details of how to make your own theatrical putty and make-up, and how to apply it so that nobody could tell unless they were within a few inches of you. The book also talked about changing posture – the way you stood – to make yourself look taller or shorter. He forgot about the train, and the journey, until they clattered over a particularly noisy set of points, and he looked up to find that Rufus Stone was staring at him.

  ‘Thinking of a career in the theatre?’ Stone asked, indicating the book. ‘I advise against it, the way I would advise against sticking your hand inside a dog’s mouth and pulling on its tongue. The pay is bad, the hours are long and unsociable and society does not value those who entertain it. I should know – I’ve spent more time than I care to think about in darkened theatres playing for small, unappreciative audiences.’

  ‘I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up,’ Sherlock said honestly, ‘but I like the idea of being able to change my appearance so that nobody knows that it’s me.’

  ‘To be honest,’ Stone admitted, ‘there are times when I’ve been grateful for the ability to slip past an irate landlord or a former girlfriend without them realizing.’

  ‘You know about theatrical make-up?’ Sherlock asked, intrigued.

  ‘I’ve picked things up, over the years, working in theatres – or, more accurately, spending time in dressing rooms with young and beautiful actresses. Working for your brother, as well. There are some striking similarities between acting and spying.’ He smiled, but there was little humour in his expression. ‘Of course, dying on stage in front of an unappreciative audience is nowhere near as painful as dying in a back alley of a foreign city with a knife between your ribs.’

  ‘Can you teach me?’ Sherlock asked.

  Stone shrugged. ‘I could give it a go. You’ll need a certain amount of raw artistic talent, and a lot of practice – not a million miles
away from what you need to play the violin properly, in fact. Tell me what you already know, and I’ll see what I can add.’

  They spent the rest of the journey with Stone giving Sherlock tips on the art of theatrical make-up. He brought the dry facts in Sherlock’s book to life with funny anecdotes of times when he’d seen false moustaches slide off actors’ faces or watched their make-up streak as they perspired until they looked like some bizarre striped animal. Sherlock found himself laughing, but also learning at the same time, and the rest of the journey seemed to flash past in moments.

  Arrival at Waterloo was becoming a regular occurrence for Sherlock by now. The station, with its soaring iron arches and its glass panels, was a familiar sight, as were the crowds of people in all kinds of clothes, from black tailcoats to bright red-and-yellow checked jackets.

  Rufus Stone led the way outside. ‘We need to get to King’s Cross,’ he said over his shoulder. ‘It’s on the other side of London. Trains leave there for the north of the country.’

  Sherlock looked back over his shoulder, wondering if he would see the two Americans, but if they had been on the train then they were hanging back, keeping out of sight. Perhaps they had stayed at Guildford to ask questions about a big American and a girl who would have been travelling a day or two before.

  A cab was waiting directly outside the station, ignoring the traffic that was struggling to get past. Its driver kept shaking his head at the various people who tried to hail it or climb in. Sherlock assumed that it was waiting for someone important, and he was prepared to walk right past it, but Rufus Stone walked straight up and opened the door. Instead of waving him away or shouting at him, the driver jumped down and took his bag, then looked at Sherlock and Matty expectantly, obviously wanting to take their bags as well.

  Sherlock had been encouraged by his brother Mycroft never to hail the first cab that he saw – just in case it was a trap or a trick of some kind – so Stone’s behaviour surprised him. The violinist was so confident, however, that Sherlock found himself leaving his bag on the pavement and following him inside. Matty did the same.

  Everything became clear when Sherlock found that he was settling himself opposite the impressive bulk of Mycroft Holmes.

  ‘Ah, Sherlock,’ Mycroft said. ‘Welcome. Please make yourself comfortable. And young Mr Arnatt – perhaps you could squeeze yourself in beside me. I believe there is enough room, if you don’t mind pressing yourself up against the far side. Do be careful of my top hat.’

  ‘You sent a telegram to Mycroft,’ Sherlock said accusingly to Rufus Stone as they sat. From outside he could hear the driver throwing their bags on to the back of the carriage.

  Stone’s face was impassive. ‘I had to,’ he said. ‘I work for your brother, and if he found out that I had let you go to Edinburgh without notifying him, there would be hell to pay.’

  ‘There would indeed,’ Mycroft confirmed. ‘I pride myself on knowing everything that goes on around me. If I discovered that my brother had slipped unnoticed through the city, I would be mortified.’

  ‘I’m still going to Edinburgh,’ Sherlock said levelly.

  Mycroft nodded. ‘Of course you are.’ He reached up and rapped with his cane on the carriage roof. ‘King’s Cross!’ he called.

  ‘What?’

  The carriage jerked and began to move away from the kerb.

  ‘Do you think that the disappearance of Amyus Crowe is of no interest to me?’ Mycroft shook his head. ‘He is, apart from being the closest thing I have to a personal friend, a man of exceptional abilities, for whom I have a great deal of professional respect. If he has disappeared suddenly, then there must be a reason, and I wish to know what that reason is. The presence of these two Americans is unsettling as well, given that we do not know whether they are friends or foes. Like you, Sherlock, I am puzzled, and that is a state of mind that I find particularly painful.’

  ‘What about you?’ Sherlock asked. ‘Will you be coming with us?’

  ‘I fear my days of travelling are past,’ Mycroft replied. ‘Our Russian expedition convinced me that I am better staying in London, where I am comfortable, and letting others actually seek out evidence and answers. But I shall be doing my part – while you are looking for Mr Crowe and his daughter, I shall be making enquiries about these two American visitors.’

  Sherlock felt his heart sink. He wasn’t surprised at Mycroft’s decision, but he would have felt more confident with his brother at his side.

  ‘Oh,’ Mycroft continued, ‘I almost forgot. Congratulations on your deduction concerning exactly where Mr Crowe was headed. I cannot fault your logic, although I can fault Mr Crowe’s use of a rabbit’s head. There must have been something less offensive to hand and something less likely to have been stolen by a passing carnivore.’ He peered around the inside of the cab. ‘Do you think,’ he mused, taking the conversation off at a tangent, ‘I could have a carriage panelled, upholstered and carpeted to look like my office? Or like the Diogenes Club? That way I could travel in perfect comfort without the nausea that usually comes with a change of location.’

  ‘But who would bring your morning cup of tea or your afternoon sherry?’ Rufus Stone asked with a smile.

  ‘Those things can be arranged,’ Mycroft said. ‘The cab could stop outside certain establishments at pre-planned times, and waiters could pass trays through the window. I could have entire meals delivered for me to consume on the move. Think of the time saved!’

  ‘If you were allowed to eat and drink in here,’ Sherlock pointed out, ‘then you would grow so fat that you would never be able to get out again, which would undermine the entire point of having your own carriage in the first place. You would be like a snail in its shell.’

  Mycroft nodded. ‘A fair point,’ he conceded.

  ‘If you’re not going to stop us going to Edinburgh,’ Matty piped up, ‘then why are you here, Mr Holmes?’

  ‘An excellent question, young man, and one that cuts right to the heart of the matter. I am here to see my younger brother, of course – something that hasn’t happened for a while now – and I am also here to warn the three of you to be careful. It has presumably occurred to you that anything which could cause Amyus Crowe to run rather than fight is likely to be bigger and more dangerous than you expect. I have always regarded Mr Crowe as a man entirely without fear. To find out that there is something that scares him is like finding out that the moon is entirely hollow at the back, like a dish, rather than a ball, like the Earth.’ He sighed. ‘I am also led to understand that Edinburgh is an unusually dark and violent city. The Scots themselves are a Celtic race, which means that they are prone to moods that range from maudlin depression to sudden anger. Do not think Scotland will be like Farnham, or London. Although you will not cross water – apart from the River Tyne, of course – and although the people you meet will speak English – of a sort – you should treat Scotland as you would a foreign country.’ He handed across an envelope. ‘I have taken the liberty of making your travel arrangements. Here are your tickets, and the address of a hotel into which you have been booked. Keep me informed as to what you discover. I regret to say that I have no agents of my own in Edinburgh, otherwise I would ask them to be on the lookout for Amyus Crowe and his daughter, and to keep the three of you from harm as well.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Sherlock said, taking the envelope. ‘Mycroft . . .’

  ‘Yes, Sherlock.’

  He paused before going on. ‘I think you should know that Mrs Eglantine has left the employ of Uncle Sherrinford and Aunt Anna.’

  Mycroft stared at Sherlock for a long moment. ‘Has she indeed?’ he murmured eventually. ‘Do I take it that this sudden reversal of fortune for that remarkably unpleasant woman has something to do with you?’

  ‘It has a lot to do with him,’ Matty said proudly. ‘And me!’

  ‘You must tell me the story when you get back.’ Mycroft kept staring at Sherlock. There was a strange look in his eyes, as if he was simultaneously seei
ng someone very familiar and someone who was a complete stranger. ‘You have my gift of being able to see a seed and extrapolate the flower,’ he said eventually, ‘but you also have something I lack – a regard for flowers, and a dislike of weeds. I admire you, Sherlock. I admire you greatly.’

  Sherlock looked away, suddenly feeling a lump in his throat. He watched the buildings flow past the windows until he had his feelings under control.

  ‘I shall write to our mother,’ Mycroft announced suddenly. ‘I shall ask her to invite our aunt and uncle to stay with her for a few days. This family feud has long passed the point where it should have been forgotten. By the time our father returns from India I want it forgotten.’

  ‘Mother is . . . all right?’ Sherlock asked hesitantly.

  Mycroft’s lips tightened almost imperceptibly. ‘She has good days and bad, but I think she is on the mend.’

  ‘And Emma?’

  ‘Our sister is . . . well, she is what she is,’ Mycroft said cryptically. ‘Let us leave it there.’

  The carriage suddenly swerved sideways, towards the kerb, and stopped. Sherlock heard a scrabbling sound as the driver climbed down from his perch. Moments later the door opened.

  ‘King’s Cross,’ Mycroft announced. ‘If I remember my Bradshaw’s Railway Time Tables, then I believe you will find a train leaving for Edinburgh within the hour.’

  ‘Thank you for meeting us,’ Stone said. ‘And for the tickets and the hotel arrangements.’

  ‘Look after my brother,’ Mycroft replied. He stared at Matty, and raised an eyebrow. ‘If it isn’t too much trouble, look after this one too. I find him curiously entertaining, and my brother obviously likes him.’