by Avell Kro
Holmes sat next to the Inspector, hands clasped together on the table, his eyes locked onto those of
Cyrus, who was glancing at Holmes from time to time nervously.
Constable Evans stood at the door after settling the tall man next to Cyrus and handcuffing the two
of them together. Satisfied with what he had thought to do, he nodded to himself and retreated to
the doorway to stand guard.
Outside the conference room two more constables stood guard, armed.
Tesla and Edison sat on the other side of the Inspector with the eccentric energy weapon laid on
the table before them.
“Now, explain to me again, why this…this strange contraption is even here at all?” The Inspector
demanded.
Tesla began to reach for the weapon.
The Inspector slapped his hand away. “No, you don’t! You may be a genius, but this is my world
now, not yours. Blow holes in your own bloody walls!”
Tesla grinned, but the Inspector scowled back.
Tesla and Edison exchanged worried looks.
Tesla nodded to Edison, who nodded back, then took the weapon and ran a thumb along its length.
“The craftsmanship of this is a bit crude…”
The Inspector made a low rumbling sound in his throat. Edison hurriedly put the weapon back
down.
Cyrus grinned, which Holmes noticed.
“No weapon in the world needs to have so many contraptions added to its barrel and grip. It makes
for a clumsy aim as well as probably a poor shot,” Tesla explained.
Holmes nodded. “Which explains why when the man was so close he missed?”
Watson spoke up, but kept his eyes closed. “Obviously the man is no fool, at that range, you can’t
possibly miss.”
Holmes smiled. “My exact sentiments, Watson.”
Watson nodded, yawned and remained still. In a few moments he began to snore once more.
Constable Evans stifled a laugh when the Inspector glared at Watson for making the noise and
interrupting his thoughts.
“Then you believe this man to be harmless?” The Inspector demanded.
Edison spoke up. “Not at all. The weapon is quite capable of creating a hole in solid steel, and in a
man…wel …” He spread his hands. “You saw what it did to your office.”
The Inspector scowled at Tesla. “Indeed.”
Cyrus smiled. “Had I wanted to, none of you would be alive today. So think about that then.”
Holmes eyed Cyrus solemnly. “What then is the reason for the course of your actions?”
“Constable, bring in the evidence,” the Inspector demanded.
Constable Evans left the doorway.
Cyrus looked up hopefully, but when the other two constables came into view, hands on weapons,
he settled down again and sighed.
Constable Evans returned a minute later bearing a bundle. He placed it on the table in front of
Holmes and the Inspector, and then took his place at the door again, relieving the other two
constables.
“Inspector, do us the honor, will you?”
The Inspector slid the bundle directly in front of him and then began unwrapping it.
Holmes gave the slightest of smiles at that moment, because his gesture had disarmed the
approaching storm of temper that plagued the Inspector at times such as these and would
facilitate a better atmosphere to discover the truth.
“Ha!” Holmes said.
Laid within the bundle was a silver and gold plate with strange symbols on it.
Cyrus eyed the plate and they widened a moment, then he looked disinterested again.
The other man, however, seemed quite agitated.
Holmes ignored the plate and turned to the cyclist. “And it has been found that neither of you two
are currently residents of London…” He paused. “…Or for that matter, any part of the Kingdom as
far as we can ascertain.”
The cyclist began coughing.
Harry got up, retrieved a glass of water on a side table, and brought it to the man.
“You’re a gentleman and a…” The man began, and then paused as his eyes caught Harry’s right fist
and the ring upon it.
“The Seal of Solomon!” He gasped.
Cyrus perked up and looked as wel .
Byron and Cyrus exchanged glances.
Harry sat back down, but he had a puzzled look on his face, as if the man had opened a door that
he should not have been able to.
Holmes nailed it. “And it seems as if you two are in pursuit of…not wealth…even thought the plate
here is quite valuable as an artifact.”
Cyrus snorted. “What’s money to a poor man, but an excuse to stop working?”
Holmes right eyebrow arched at that. “You’d prefer to be poor?”
Cyrus laughed. “Poverty is a state of mind. I would rather be poor in earthly goods and rich in what
matters.”
“And what precisely is that, Mister McCormack, if that is truly your real name?”
Cyrus twisted his arms to get more comfortable and as he did so, he caused the tall man to do the
same. Both men’s wrists were now quite visible. Both of them had an identical mark on the exact
same part of their right wrist that looked like a gear with smaller gears with yet smaller gears
descending into infinity.
The same exact symbol that existed on the stock of the weapon.
Cyrus leaned forward, which caused Byron to have to lean as well. “To discover the truth!”
“And what truth would that be?” The Inspector growled. “We have an object of antiquity here. It
was stolen from the Royal London Museum. Surely, you realize it is not a prank to steal an item
which is worth half of the Queen’s royal jewels and you claim it is meaningless to you. You only
care about the truth. What truth, pray tell?”
Cyrus grew red in the face a moment, and then sighed. “Have I not already said it was not for the
wealth, but the knowledge?”
Holmes leaned forward, staring a hole in the man. “And what knowledge is that, Mister
McCormack?”
“How to get home,” Cyrus said finally.
Byron looked surprised when Cyrus told Holmes the information.
Holmes smiled.
“And where would that be?” The Inspector demanded, his voice low, but fierce. He was starting to
get tired of all the pretentiousness of the criminal in their custody and was ready to throw the
book at him.
Cyrus looked off into the distance, as if seeing a place no one else could possibly see. He then said,
“Infinitus Mundus. “
Request for Review
If you found some pleasure in reading my work, please take the time to leave a review for it.
Authors can thrive or die for the lack of reviews.
Thanking you in advance for your kindness.
John
Author's Note
I first read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's wonderful spread of detective stories when I was still a child. I
didn't own books, so I read them at the public library, or at my school library. There was no
Internet of Things, no Internet at all at the time. I was very into books as a child, always a loner of
sorts. Even though I loved people, I was somehow always more in love with books. Call me
bookworm then. Now bookworm writer. Maybe.
I went through the entire adult library in my hometown as a child, reading everything from fiction
to non-fiction, science fiction to fantasy, and classic literature to modern. It didn't matter. It was
words on
paper. I loved the smell of books. Still do, even though I cater to electronic books at this
time.
This is all a back-story of sorts to give you an idea of why my Sherlock Holmes while based
somewhat on the canon of Doyle, are nevertheless much more than that. What would be the point
of repeating what's already been done?
No, rather I saw this writing experience as an opportunity to allow my imagination to romp in his
playground, but take elements from other famous authors and stories I've loved over the years.
Obviously, there are copyright issues when it comes to living authors, so even though I'd love to
play in their yards too, that is forbidden territory. So I have contented myself to take my love of
classic literature.. Doyle, Verne, Wells, Dumas, Shakespeare and pour them into a mutual melting
pot. Kind of a United States of Literature, so to speak.
Whereas the Sherlock Holmes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle functions out of London, England in the
Victorian period; mine exists in a parallel world where all the authors who have ever lived and all
their characters are alive at the same time.
Therefore, if you see me including Houdini and Sherlock together, Challenger and Conan Doyle, it
makes more sense if they were alive on that world and not this one.
As a person of with a strong scientific background. .I wrote a treatise on reaching other
dimensions (parallel worlds) as an 8th grader, which my Physics teacher was knocked out about. .I
believe quite strongly in an unlimited universe, where an infinite number of parallel
ones/dimensions exist at the same time.
When I was in India I found that some there adhere to the belief that everything that man can do
or imagine exists in a vast cosmic tapestry so that we do not so much physically exist, as
mentally/spiritually move through that infinite tapestry, each choice we make.. right or
wrong. .creating a branching point that we must follow, even though there were already an infinite
number of other ones. Very close to the parallel world/alternate dimension approach that many
scientists are now coming to accept as a reality.
When I was a kid the scientists barely believed in 4 dimensions. .length, breadth, height and time.
Now as an adult there is talk of at least 9 known dimensions.
But getting back to my stories, what makes them relevant and different is that I can populate them
with any science, any character, any famous figure, writer, artist or whatever and they all fit! They
fit because I created them. For fun. For pleasure. To be able to play on a field of dreams with no end
in sight.
So as you read my stories, dear reader, keep in mind that the Tesla car in my story is not Elon
Musk's electric car, but a vehicle invented by collaboration between Thomas Edison and Nicolas
Tesla in my invented world. It runs not by electricity as we know it, but by a different energy
discovered by Tesla.
In my world Sherlock Holmes is not the first one of the story, but one of several. Watson, likewise.
Just as Spock was duplicated in the Star Trek series of movies to continue their worthy stories, so
have I decided to include devices that will stimulate our imagination, take us to places we could
never have gone before, and allow me to interject from time to time some of the wonderful
insights I have been honored to receive as a maturing adult. So death exists in my creation, but it
has many permutations and outcomes. All exciting and mysterious.
Fol owing this is a description of major characters, as well as items used exclusively in my Baker
Street adventures.
Glossary of the Baker Street Universe
A list of players, places and things that take place in the Baker Street Universe created by this
author as the playground for his fantasies. .and hopefully your own as well.
Bollocks…A common word used by the British to indicate something was nonsense, trash. An
expletive.
Drat, dratted…A swear word similar to damn to indicate frustration.
Tosh…Sheer nonsense and also an unkind reference to the upper class at that time.
Tesla Car. .Device built by Ford in collaboration with Nicolas Tesla. Powered by a new form of
energy unknown to our world yet.
Tesla devices. .created by the team of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Nicolas Tesla. Anything
from lamps to frigs, to cooking devices. You name it; they've probably invented it in my world.
Moriarity. .one of many. Professor Moriarity lives on in many and various manifestations for the
sake of conflict, as well as invention and discourse. Where would a great detective be without a
great villain to oppose him? While I don't feature Moriarity all the time, be warned he lurks behind
the scenes! A lot!
Sherlock Holmes. .Young man in his early twenties, comes from a humble home and a good
upbringing. Precocious with a perfect memory. Not the cold fish of the Doyle series. Much kinder
and humorous. Still with many of the same characteristics, but softened with a gentler personality,
without losing the edges that give him an engaging purpose and deductions that are truly amazing
at times.
Watson, Doctor John. .hero of the China Wars. Lost first love in China. Now in love with Mrs.
Hudson. Loves Holmes like a brother. Doctor. Never without his black bag in which he carries his
medical supplies and forensics tools that he and Sherlock often use in their investigations. Stocky
with a bit of a stomach because of his love of scones, which I constantly use as a play of humor
about the man.
Mrs. Hudson. .not just a landlady anymore, but an integral part of the detective team. .supplying
support, as well as emotional and sometimes physical support. The glue that binds Watson and
Holmes together. Again, in her twenties like Watson and Holmes. Lovely, but not beautiful, except
of spirit. Kind and resourceful. Very shrewd and intelligent.
Lady Shareen…Lord Graystone’s companion. A beautiful woman with a huge heart. She is
responsible for helping women achieve social and financial equality. She also works to uplift the
poor and homeless.
Professor Langston…the Invisible Man…a well meaning doctor, who concocted a cocktail of
chemicals that has forever altered his atomic structure such that he can turn invisible at will,
though during emotional times of stress he can lose control of his visibility.
Inspector Bloodstone. .a cantankerous policeman who has raving red hair, and a temper to match at times. Works with Holmes a lot, but prefers to work on his own. Distrusts some of the intuitive
moments of Holmes, but in the long run will go with what he reveals as Holmes is more often right
than wrong in his deductions.
Constable Evans. .the long lost son of Inspector Bloodstone. Also red haired, like his father, but
with no temper and a great personality. Everyone likes him.
Queen Mary of Scots. .has never existed. Instead, this one is a derivation of Mary, who was
beheaded and Victoria. Much more intelligent, progressive, but a leader in every sense of the word.
Magic. .exists in this world of Sherlock as does science. Both are equally as relevant to the action
and scenery of the stories.
Fairie. .a land that exists in parallel to Sherlock's world and through which Lord Graystone (Lord of
the Jungle) came through to become part of the Baker Street Brotherhood.
Fairie is richly endowed with
magical creatures and monsters, Elves, fairies and other fun things,
as well as endless realms of green Amazon like lands. Dragons. Which have played a part in several
of my first stories and a few later ones.
Nicolas Tesla. .a genius who has dedicated his life to upgrading the quality of life for everyone on
the planet. Witty, charming and dangerous.
Harry Houdini. .swarthy, suave, into magic in every way. .physical and the real thing.
Professor Challenger. .very tall, built like a bear, flaming red beard and hair. Quick to temper, but
a kind man with a great mind. An adventurer beyond measure.
Captain Nemo. .a reformed pirate with a mind that grasps mechanics that rivals Henry Ford and
Nicolas Tesla. Is famous for his extremely powerful weapon of the sea…the Nautilus.
Jules Verne. .a genius when it comes to theories and fiction, blonde, extremely friendly, caring and
adventurous. Teams up often with H.G. Wells, a friend he grew up with. Designer of the Master of
the World, which in another set of Victorian adventures he uses to fight an invasion from Mars.
H.G. Wells. .a brilliant writer and navigator. Contributes to the flying device Master of the World
and its ability to fly through space and time. Very British and a bit stuffy at times.
Alexander Dumas...a French friend of Jules in one of the worlds I've created for Jules to explore in
unique adventures that do not include H.G. Wells. Huge man with a lust for adventure and fighting.
Henry Ford. .still an arrogant man, but more willing to help others, and often times teams up with
Tesla to do projects. Not prominent yet in my stories, but working on it.
Master of the World. .a huge flying machine that resembles a cross between a dirigible and a
submarine that travels utilizing String theory, with an engine that converts string energy into fuel
that can thrust the ship between parallel worlds, as well as back and forth in time. Created by Jules
Verne, but later on improved by H.G. Wells after their battle with the Martians detailed in my prior
series starting with Invaders.
Lord Graystone. .my version of Tarzan, but instead of being raised by apes, he was raised by a bull dragon. Highly educated and a loyal supporter of Queen Mary of Scots and husband of Lady
Shareen. Sponsors numerous charities for the poor and unwanted. Champion of Fairie.