The Mammoth Book of New Sherlock Holmes Adventures - Mike Ashley [248]
“That was quick thinking indeed, Holmes,” I marvelled.
“Well, perhaps I had yet a further advantage. As you know I have always felt that we had not heard the last of Rachel Howells. My mind was, I suspect, ready to accept a hypothesis into which she would fit. Incidentally, Watson,” he continued, changing the subject yet again, “King Charles’s head was still firm on his shoulders when this portrait was struck off. Perhaps it is as well that with the jewels in the Hurlstone crypt we did not find also the several Royal cranium that the crown once encircled.”
“That would have been a sensation indeed!” I responded.
“A sensation, yes, but it might have resulted in others accompanying us on our transatlantic adventure: the eccentric Mr Dick, and Boz himself, were ever fascinated by the events of Charles’s execution! They would certainly wish to see the conclusion of this business. And very good company their shades might prove! However the appearance of Watson and Holmes accompanied by two ethereal companions might prove an experience for which these worthy Canadians are not yet prepared! By the way, Watson,” he added as we turned to leave, “should you decide to write an account of this somewhat cerebral affair, you might consider giving Mr Garrison Bolt an opportunity to participate. I do not believe you will find him as churlish as on the last occasion – or that he will relegate your account to delayed publication at a cut rate price in a Christmas annual!”
The Adventure of the Bulgarian Diplomat
Zakaria Erzinçlioglu
1901 also saw the cases of “The Priory School” and “Thor Bridge”, whilst 1902 introduced us to “Shoscombe Old Place”, “The Three Garridebs” and “The Illustrious Client”. The year 1903 brings us to one of those great puzzles. “The Blanched Soldier” is a case recounted by Holmes himself, not Watson. Holmes was clearly in a begrudging mood when he wrote the case notes because he was rather vindictive about Watson having deserted him for a wife. It would seem that sometime towards the end of 1902 or early 1903 Watson married again, and Holmes felt rebuffed and neglected. In truth, however, Watson had not neglected Holmes. He was there all the time. Holmes just chose to write him completely out of the story of “The Blanched Soldier” by way of rather childish spite occasioned by Watson’s marriage some years later when Holmes wrote up the notes.
During the course of the case Holmes mentioned that he had an urgent commission for the Sultan of Turkey that had to be dealt with. Thanks to the researches of Dr Zakaria Erzinçlioglu, the eminent pathologist, who had access to certain papers in his home country, it has been possible to bring together the full facts of “The Adventure of the Bulgarian Diplomat”, and vindicate Watson’s position once and for all. Holmes may have had one of the greatest brains we have ever witnessed, but at times he could be a cantankerous and awkward individual.
By the early years of the new century the extraordinary powers of Mr Sherlock Holmes had been put to many a severe test and his successes had brought him fame throughout the continent of Europe. Although many of those cases gave my friend great opportunities to demonstrate those deductive methods of reasoning by which he achieved such remarkable successes, yet no case involved a greater array of bizarre personalities and in none would the consequences, in the event of my friend’s failure, have been more horrific than in the case I am about to lay before the public for the first time. For reasons that will become clear to the reader of this narrative, it is only now possible to reveal the full facts of what must be considered one of the crowning points of my friend’s career.