Gaslight Grimoire_ Fantastic Tales of Sherlock Holmes - Barbara Hambly [32]
“When was this?” asked Low, with an eagerness which somewhat surprised me.
“Why” — I paused to think — “this was in the spring of last year; April, as I recall. His two servants were struck down by a sudden illness — food poisoning, I suspect — and the poor man seemed somewhat lost, so I invited him to dinner at my club. He seemed more pleased than the invitation itself would warrant, and was reluctant to leave; almost as if he did not want to return to his house. Indeed, he was in a rather agitated state; distracted, as if he were continually turning some problem over in his mind.”
“You are very close to the truth, Doctor,” said Low gravely. “The agitation which Edward Dunning displayed was occasioned by Karswell, and certain steps which that person was even then taking; steps which almost led to Dunning’s death.”
“Death!” exclaimed my friend. “Surely that brought Karswell within reach of the law?”
“Yes and no,” replied Low after a pause. “You see, gentlemen,” he continued, “Karswell was a very clever man in some ways, and was familiar with practices which would allow him to exact revenge against someone while ensuring that he himself remained safe from prosecution; there were rumors that he was preparing another book on the subject, although nothing came of it. Unfortunately for him, he ran up against two people — Edward Dunning being one of them — who were prepared to use his own methods, and thus escape harm by throwing Karswell’s own agents against him.”
“Are you saying that you believe this Karswell used supernatural means to accomplish his ends?” asked Holmes in astonishment.
“That is precisely what I am saying, Mr. Holmes,” replied Low gravely. “I agree with the words of St. Augustine: Credo ut intelligam.” 1 Holmes shook his head.
“I am afraid I must side with Petrarch: Vos vestros servate, meos mihi linquite mores.2 It has been my experience that no case, no matter how bizarre or otherworldly it may seem when it commences, cannot be explained by entirely natural means. Surely your own experiences, Mr. Low, will have shown you that man is capable enough of evil, without ascribing its presence to the supernatural.”
“As to your last point, Mr. Holmes, we are in complete agreement. Where we differ, it seems, is in our willingness to accept that not everything we see or hear or experience can be rationalized. I enter every case I undertake with a perfectly clear mind, and no one is more pleased than I when it can be proved that something which appears to be supernatural has a completely logical explanation that would stand up in a court of law. And yet it is my belief that we are standing on the frontier of an unknown world, the rules of which we do not comprehend and can only vaguely grasp, in flashes, as our unready senses catch broken glimpses of things which obey laws we cannot understand. One day, perhaps, this other world will be understood, and mapped as fully as any known country on earth; until then we can only advance slowly, storing away pieces of the puzzle in hopes that they can be fitted together in the fullness of time.”
It was an extraordinary speech to hear in the prosaic surroundings of a first-class carriage rattling through the placid English countryside; but Flaxman Low’s earnest face and steady voice carried a conviction that it was impossible to ridicule. I could tell that my friend was impressed despite himself, and when he replied it was in a tone more restrained and conciliatory than would have been the case only a few minutes earlier.
“Well, Mr. Low, we must agree to disagree on certain points; but I look forward to the experience of working with you on this case. Perhaps, if you would be so good, you might tell us more of Mr. Karswell.”
“But what can he have to do with this?” I interjected. “He died almost a year ago, and surely can have nothing to do with the matter in hand.”
“Possibly not,” said my friend, “but the fact remains that a man who appears