by William Seil
As the man came closer I began to get a clearer look. I was stunned suddenly by the thought that someone might be playing a cruel joke on me. The man was the very image of my departed friend, Sherlock Holmes. He was even wearing the same type of outdoor clothing that he had worn during many of our investigations.
I decided to head back towards the naval academy. We would cross paths and I would soon get to the bottom of this mystery. As I began to move in his direction, the man suddenly stopped and raised his walking stick high into the air.
‘Greetings, Watson!’ he shouted. He then hurried forward at a faster pace, taking long strides all the way.
My head became dizzy with anticipation as I made my own way along the bank. Only concentration kept my legs moving. I saw that my hopes were not unfounded for I could see that my friend was very much alive.
When we reached each other I grabbed him by the shoulders and stared in disbelief, wondering if this could somehow be a twin. Holmes had a satisfied smile on his face. He loved his little surprises.
‘Yes, my dear Watson, it is me. And I must say, it is very good to see you, old fellow. Very good, indeed.’
‘But how...?’
‘Well, Miss Norton and Miss Storm-Fleming remarked on that very same question last night. It was their conclusion that I am indestructible. I found that most flattering, although...’
‘Where have you been and why did you delay your return?’ There was a note of anger and disappointment in my voice. ‘It appears that everyone — except your best and oldest friend — has been aware that you are still alive.’
‘My apologies, but I am not quite as thoughtless as I may seem. It is true that Miss Storm-Fleming has known for some time, but I only told Miss Norton last night. I knew that you have a habit of retiring early, so I decided to wait until this morning.’
‘But it has been a week, Holmes. Where have you been?’
‘Well, I am afraid that our friends in American intelligence, while very generous with their hospitality, have been rather secretive. They thought it was best for my mission that even my closest friends thought I was dead. It was not until yesterday that Miss Storm-Fleming and I were able to convince them otherwise.’
I calmed down and even managed a smile.
‘Wherever did you get that outfit?’ I asked. ‘Surely they are not wearing such old-fashioned garb in America these days?’
‘Oh, the ulster and deerstalker, they were Miss Storm-Fleming’s idea. She used her influence to have them purchased at a shop in Baltimore and delivered here to the academy. She thought it would be...nostalgic for our reunion.’
‘Indeed, it is... But Holmes, tell me...we thought you were dead. How did you manage to escape from the Titanic? And what about Moriarty? Lightoller said he saw you struggling with him.’
‘Yes, good old Lightoller. I owe him much, including my life.’
‘Lightoller saved you?’
‘Yes, but let me start at the beginning. As you know, while Miss Norton and I were on the boat deck, a page delivered a note from Moriarty.’
‘Miss Norton knew that he asked you to meet him, but she did not know where.’
‘The note directed me to go to the roof of the wheelhouse, the uppermost deck area of the ship. At that moment, there was very little activity there. The crew was busily loading passengers into lifeboats on the boat deck, one level below. On my way to meet Moriarty, I was apprehended by a member of the crew, who handed me a life jacket and insisted that I put it on. I must say, if I had not bowed to that sailor’s orders, I would not be here today.
‘At first, I could not find the man. The deck area above the wheelhouse actually extends back past the second funnel. Yet, while searching this large area, I had a sense that I was being watched. Frustrated by my failed attempt to locate Moriarty, I leaned over a rail and watched the activity below. It was a dreadful sight...men trying to comfort their families before loading them into lifeboats. I never in my life felt greater sadness.
‘I was standing next to a lifeboat, similar to the one that you all departed in. I would later be saved by that boat, although I must say it seemed far more precarious than yours.
‘As I looked at the deck below, I heard a deep voice from behind. It was Moriarty, standing there in a life jacket, staring at me with grim determination in his eyes. His words showed the utter contempt for human life that he shared with his brother: “Exciting, is it not?” he said. “It is unfortunate that survival is allowed for women and children only, rather than those of us who can make best use of it.”
‘I exchanged some remarks with him. I learned that the “Hot Russian Honey Bear” was a reference to the submarine plans — part of a prearranged code he had made with his buyer in New York. The “pipe organ in the smoking room” was, of course, the model of the Titanic in the reception room. This was their back-up position for exchanging the plans for money. I must say, he was quite upset that I had found his hiding place.
‘Soon, overcome by anger, he lunged at me. We struggled about the deck for some time. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Lightoller and some crew cutting through the lashings of the Englehardt and attempting to launch it into the water, which was rising well above the bow. They must have thought we were quite mad to be struggling on the sloping deck as the ship was about to sink. But they made no effort to stop us. They had far more important matters on their minds. Soon, they were able to push the boat off the wheelhouse roof and into the water.
‘As I continued to struggle with Moriarty, I felt the bow plunge downwards, then stop. A bulkhead had apparently given way. This caused water to flow over the boat deck, leaving our battleground as one of the last remaining oases. Some passengers began to struggle up to our deck, while others climbed towards the ship’s stern.
‘As you know, my knowledge of baritsu, the Japanese system of wrestling, has saved me from similar situations in the past. I slipped loose from his grip, and sent him tumbling back towards the sinking bow. Just then the ship began to tilt upwards at an ever-quickening pace. Moriarty fell back over the rail and into the water, amongst a frightened and freezing group of passengers. As the stern continued to rise, I decided that my only chance was to leave the ship. I jumped off the starboard side just as the ship’s huge forward funnel broke free and went crashing down into the sea. It slammed into the water just where Moriarty had landed. I heard many screams of terror just before it hit the surface.
‘The shock I felt as I hit the water was tremendous. I cannot describe how cold it was. Lightoller later told me that it felt as though a thousand knives had been driven into his body. I believe that is as good a description as any.
‘I swam as far from the Titanic as possible as the ship slowly descended into the water. When it finally went under, the water was momentarily boiling with air bursting from the hull and debris floating to the surface. It was all I could do to keep my head above water long enough to get my next breath of air. I should note at this point that the struggle with Moriarty and my time in the water had removed the beard and make-up from my face. Commodore Giles Winter had disappeared with the Titanic.
‘After the sea had settled a little I found myself clinging to the sides of the collapsible lifeboat that had been on top of the wheelhouse. It was floating upside down with a, group of passengers just barely managing to stay on top and was being rocked by some of my fellow swimmers who were trying to get out of the water. Soon Lightoller, who had been hanging on to the side, climbed onto the boat and took charge. He managed to get many of us into standing positions on the boat, all facing in the same direction. As the boat tilted, he ordered us to shift left or right to compensate for the boat’s movement. We stayed there, with the cold water lapping over our feet and ankles. As time passed, some succumbed to the elements and fell into the water. But many of us survived and were picked up by the Carpathia.
‘No one on board the lifeboat had paid any attention to me. They were all too busy trying to stay alive. With the help of
Mr Lightoller, I was moved secretly to a private cabin on the Carpathia and allowed to stay there until the ship arrived in New York. For the sake of my mission, the secrecy of my arrival had been maintained.
‘After a day’s recuperation, I asked Lightoller to bring Miss Storm-Fleming to me. Of course, she was quite surprised to see that I was alive. She went on to arrange my meeting with American intelligence authorities in New York, asking me to stay in hiding until then. That, of course, prevented me from contacting you and letting you know that I was safe and sound. But believe me, old chap, I had no intention of beginning my mission without seeing you first.’
‘Well, at least it was not three years, as it was after the Reichenbach Falls. That was a far more dramatic resurrection from the dead.’
‘Now, now, Watson, you know that I have apologized for that many times.’
‘I know, Holmes.’ I smiled and patted him on the shoulder. ‘But after this mission, I expect to see you again immediately. And no more dramatic reappearances.’
‘Indeed, but I also have a request to make.’
I nodded.
‘If, after I return from this mission, you decide to publish an account of it, I would like to choose the title.’
‘And what would you like to call it?’
He stroked his chin with his thumb and forefinger, and looked towards the sky.
‘I would like you to call it His Last Bow, for after this I plan to retire — permanently.’
‘You have my word.’ We shook hands.
‘Well, Watson, to breakfast, but please do not eat too much.’
‘And why not, pray?’
‘The cook is preparing a special meal for us.’
‘A special meal?’
‘Yes, we are having woodcock, with all the trimmings.’
‘But Holmes, Mrs Hudson used to make that all the time. I have long since grown tired of it.’
‘And all this time I thought it was your favourite... Good old Watson, never one to complain.’
‘I am sure it will be quite delicious.’ We both laughed.
‘Shall we return to the academy?’ I said.
He nodded and we strolled back along the river bank, quietly enjoying a most spectacular dawn.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks are owed to Martin Breese, who first published this book back in 1996 and used his magic touch to produce a quality publication and ensure its successful introduction to readers.
My deepest appreciation goes to family members and friends who provided help and encouragement when I was writing this book. This includes past and current members of Seattle’s great Sherlockian society, The Sound of the Baskervilles, with whom I have shared canonical adventures for the past three decades. I would also like to thank Bob Cumbow for his advice and support.
This book would not have been possible without the research of Titanic historians, particularly Walter Lord, author of A Night to Remember and The Night Lives On. A wealth of information on the structure, equipment and interior features of Titanic is contained in a 1911 issue of The Shipbuilder magazine.
Above all, I owe my thanks to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, whose Sherlock Holmes stories first captivated me in my childhood and still have a firm hold on my imagination.
William Seil
November 2011
THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
THE PEERLESS PEER
Philip José Farmer
During the Second World War, Mycroft Holmes dispatches his brother, Sherlock, and Dr. Watson to recover a stolen formula. During their perilous journey, they are captured by a German zeppelin. Subsequently forced to abandon ship, the pair parachute into the dark African jungle where they encounter the lord of the jungle himself...
ISBN: 9780857681201
AVAILABLE NOW!
THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
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Carole Buggé
Holmes and Watson find themselves caught up in a complex chessboard of a problem, involving a clandestine love affair and the disappearance of a priceless sapphire. Professor James Moriarty is back to tease and torment, leading the duo on a chase through the dark and dangerous back streets of London and beyond.
ISBN: 9780857681218
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Sam Siciliano
A mysterious gypsy places a cruel curse on the guests at a ball. When a series of terrible misfortunes affects those who attended, Mr. Donald Wheelwright engages Sherlock Holmes to find out what really happened that night. Can he save Wheelwright and his beautiful wife Violet from the devastating curse?
ISBN: 9780857686985
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For many years, Dr. Watson kept the tale of The Giant Rat of Sumatra a secret. However, before he died, he arranged that the strange story of the giant rat should be held in the vaults of a London bank until all the protagonists were dead...
ISBN: 9781848568600
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Edward B. Hanna
Grotesque murders are being committed on the streets of Whitechapel. Sherlock Holmes believes he knows the identity of the killer—Jack the Ripper. But as he delves deeper, Holmes realizes that revealing the murderer puts much more at stake than just catching a killer...
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Imagine the twisted evil twins of Holmes and Watson and you have the dangerous duo of Professor James Moriarty—wily, snake-like, fiercely intelligent, terrifyingly unpredictable—and Colonel Sebastian ‘Basher’ Moran—violent, politically incorrect, debauched. Together they run London crime, owning police and criminals alike.
A one-stop shop for all things illegal, from murder to high-class heists, Moriarty and Moran have a stream of nefarious visitors to their Conduit Street rooms, from the Christian zealots of the American West, to the bloodthirsty Si Fan and Les Vampires of Paris, as well as a certain Miss Irene Adler...
“It’s witty, often hilarious stuff. The author portrays the scurrilous flipside of Holmes’s civil ordered world, pokes fun at ‘guest stars’ from contemporary novels and ventures into more outré territory than Conan Doyle even dared.”
Financial Times
“The Hound of the d’Ubervilles is a clever, funny mash-up of a whole range of literary sources including Thomas Hardy, HG Wells, EW Hornung, Maurice Leblanc and most of all, Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories and novels... It is extravagantly gruesome, gothic and grotesque.”
The Independent
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The nineteenth century is about to draw to a close. In its place will come the twentieth, a century of change, a century of science, a century that will see the superstitions of the past swept away. There are some who are determined to see that never happens.
A body is found crushed to death in the London snow. There are no footprints anywhere near it. It is almost as if the man was killed by the air itself. This is the first in a series of attacks that sees a handful of London’s most prominent occultists murdered. While pursuing t
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A brand-new original novel, detailing a thrilling new case for the acclaimed detective Sherlock Holmes.
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In turn-of-the-century New York, the Great Houdini’s confidence in his own abilities is matched only by the indifference of the paying public. Now the young performer has the opportunity to make a name for himself by attempting the most amazing feats of his fledgling career—solving what seem to be impenetrable crimes. With the reluctant help of his brother Dash, Houdini must unravel murders, debunk frauds and escape from danger that is no illusion...
