“Wait!” Watson stepped forth. “Before we are judged, tell us of your role to be our executioner, judge and ….jury. Are you able to do so?”
“Since you asked I will comply.” The figure seated there spoken. “I am Kishna Ram, the appointed Guardian of the King Solomon’s vault which you are now in view. Let me tell you of King Solomon.”
“King Solomon was known by many names, and yet he was better known as the King who was great in wisdom, power and with that came wealth. He however was not without his weakness. He had many vices in his life and foreseen the split of the kingdom he was ruling. With that, he sought out places to put his wealth so that they will not be plundered and used by one to capture the lands. There was no greater wealth than the one he held here.”
“The Vault as we are in now was brought over with the assistance of over ten huge ships to tow it here on a huge platform. It was as mentioned before ship wrecked but the location of its hideout was known. The King met them and with all the stupidity that even the King possessed then, a war was fought but not for long before a treaty was called. King Solomon in his wiser form then protected the Tall Men but the pending break in the Kingdom forced him to relocate the Vault and the Tall Men.”
“The Tall Men were then few and they suffered like us, from old age with their body parts
deteriorating. What you see before you here now is only a part of their previous numbers. Like us, the older ones were sent to the chambers to rest.”
“The Tall Men held many secrets that King Solomon knew then was not ready for his people to know. He was the only one who knew how to talk to them and from them, he learnt that concern. Hence the move to relocate here for their safety and our own survival in the lands. Those were the words of the King then to me before he banished here as their human contact.”
“I survived all these generations with their help. They placed me in a chamber to rest and be alive. That was one of the secrets here. More to that, I was to know about all of you were fed to my mind by them. Or their machines. Another of their secrets here.”
“Now you see why the Vault held so much treasures if you may termed them as one or secrets for my King then to call it, that he had to hide it like his other wealth. He did not trust the Raj then but the Tall Men saw the island as their last option. The huge sea creatures were of their migration and with their doing, the creatures grew and fed on the rich sea here.”
“Over the years, the Tall Men numbers dwindled and they have to shut down their works here hence the island was thriving with more that came then but the lions were a deterrent and the natural gully one, with the huge tall wall. The Raj sworn to secrecy preserved the balance but the last one felt the need to share it out. He was the first block to fall.”
“Others came but were repelled by the Tall Men but there were limitations to their ability. They were getting to be fewer in their numbers. Nevertheless, it still worked until your group broke the codes to come so close. The Tall Men decided to learn more on the outside world and some of you were in the first group that was read those secrets. It revealed to me and to them, a new world.”
“A world of opportunities and threats.” The servant of the King stopped then for the tall figures were in some form of communication. He then looked at the group of intruders into their Vault.
“Your world is in a new phase of development after centuries of slower evolution, the new phases in your world will grow rapidly. You will outpaced the previous generations by ten folds but your developments are still not ready for theirs.”
“There…there…. Old chap. I am sure we can work out something. Like a new treaty, The Empire now …the new one anyway spanned over half the world and we can be your protector.” Mycroft to the helm once more. “We have a King….”
“And they are not keen.” Kishna replied. “They have stayed hidden to avoid contact and yet their stay here had not yield any results.”
“Elementary deductions, my dear…. Sir. Your Tall Men are dying if I may add to it the equation.
They feared that without them, their …secrets will be misused by the….us the uncanny humans. I can comprehend that thought.” Sherlock added in. “But don’t you think….”
“No, Sir. Your knowledge or shall I say attempt to hold that knowledge will eventually lead to more destruction.” Kishna replied. “Ask Lady Jane. You came upon a savage and yet primitive continent and what did you do? You colonized it and robbed it of its natural resources. Mankind are doomed but the only reason they have not done was because they have not reached the age of Doomsday.”
“And Doomsday is in your secret?” Watson asked. “Just as we invented the guns to kill each other with impunity by the numbers.”
“Exactly, Doctor. Your adherence to your profession is truly amazing considering the company you keep.”
“And then Sir, I forbid you to …” Mycroft stepped up. “I…”
“You are a fool, Mycroft. Have we not enough secrets of our own to bring doom upon ourselves?” Watson stood in defence for the Tall Men. “Must we hasten our destruction?”
“I agreed.” Lord Greystoke spoke out with his lover in his side. “My home is not mine to call one anymore.”
“Aye, I have to agree. Ireland needs its own too.” Sean joined the savage.
“I join my …lover.” Nina declared her stand. Then she looked at Sherlock.
“Between family and friends, nation and kingdoms….” Sherlock was snapped by Van Helsing.
“Bloody well choose, you nit wit.” Van Helsing stepped towards Watson. “I learned that from my English classes.”
All of them looked at Mycroft.
“As I was about to say then, I forbid you to disclose such secrets to the world now as it’s. We have enough of our own to carry to the graves. More so…”
“Shut up, Mycroft.” Sherlock intervened before looking at the others. “He agreed. That left us with the other ladies.”
Princess Fa Lo Suee was to speak when the Mistress Black Cat spoke.
“We will go with your decision. Our task was not to find the treasure.” The Black Cat looked at the Princess. “Our real task was to find the Emperor who had gone missing for over a year. The Emperor himself held other secrets that we cannot reveal to the world just yet too.”
“Fu Manchu missing? Then who is there now?” Mycroft asked.
“His double to prevent an outbreak of war.” Princess Fa Lo Suee replied. “Much as my father and myself differed in thoughts, we are still family. I will find him. I thought with the so called treasure I could assist him.”
The rows of Tall Men then started off another round of communications and the outcome was told.
“The Tall Men have decided. All of you are spared the death sentence but we will end the saga upon ourselves. We will sink the Vault and everything here.”
“No…:” Watson screamed out and then there was darkness.
39.
Watson was the first to woke up and found himself on the beach. He looked around and saw the others all in the same area. He pushed himself up and then staggered over to Sherlock. He shook the others up
“Where are we?” It was the probably the sensible question to ask but from Mycroft, it was deemed to be like ‘on land, you idiot’. “Are we dead?”
Mycroft did overdo himself there.
“Welcome back to Kerala.” It was Ganesh Nathan; the short figure with a girth that gave him a humpty shape. He was still dressed in the plain tunic and loose pants with the wooden sandals. “I got your note last night. Thank God you survived the tsunami that happened a few days ago. There was a huge explosion in the horizon and we thought all of you were dead then.”
“Did you sleep here without tents? I am so sorry.” Nathan recalled his hospitality then. He motioned to his transport. “I brought the carriages. I got them cheap from London.”
There was a hansom cab with the gleaming driver at the rear. There was two horse traps; the two wheeled horse drawn carriage and not to be missed the local version which was the Tanga.
“For the ladies, I will take the in the landau.” That was the open top carriage with the four wheels.
Soon they were refreshed and having shared a hearty meal at the restored two levelled structure still with an outer wall of brick red walls that held it exclusivity from the nearby fishermen settlement. The garden was adorned by the palm trees without the coconut trees on the southern side of the wall then but a huge bed of roses were planted there.
“It’s managed by a local who was back from London He was once a servant of the Governor then. And here he is.” Ganesh proudly introduced his new servant. “Ganesh Ramesh, my distant cousin on my second mother side.”
The experience in London paid off for there were English pies and puddings alongside the curries.
“Tell me what did happen then.” Mycroft asked in between helpings of the pies.
“I believed we were silenced in a manner of render unconscious and the delivered here.” Watson replied before he looked at Sherlock. “Could you tell him in plain English?”
“Yes, it seems that way.” Sherlock remarked. “The sea does strange things to the mind.”
“We were on the Nautilus if I recall last. There was this Captain Nemo then.” Mycroft asked. “Where is the infernal Captain anyway? I don’t see him at all.”
“I think he went down with the ship.” Van Helsing replied. “I was the last to leave. The Captain wanted to stay. You were knocked out then. The waves were so strong then.”
“Nasty bruise…’ Mycroft rubbed at his left shoulders. “I think I pulled a muscle. The last time I had this was when I was..”
“Mycroft, shut up.” Sherlock cut in. He then looked at the Greystoke’. The man had his wrists bandaged and he was in a sober mode. He remembered Lord Greystoke freeing his lover then from the trapped pipes. It was a great effort of strength then.
“John, I can’t …” Lady Greystoke was troubled then. “Maybe I can ask Watson to check?”
“No, we will leave for London tomorrow. You can do it there, and later we will move back to our real home. The Waziiri have their healers.”
Watson could not avoid hearing the conversation and looked to the other two ladies seated on the next table. He knew who they were but they have no recollections of being there.
“Princess, we need to find your father.” The elder lady spoke up in her native dialect. “He is our task.”
Princess Fa Lo Suee could not recall much of what happened soon after their dirigible caught fire. She remembered escaping with the others but soon after, it was all darkness until she woke up on the beach. She did remembered one thing though.
“The Himalayas….”
“I must be going. We have done what was asked. We found the Captain and his ship. Now that it’s gone our task ends. I will be back in the old role to hunt the demons.” Van Helsing stood up. He was still missing his weapon left on the ship. He will make a new ‘Excalibur’. Watson then walked over to the two Chinese ladies.
“When you are fully recovered, seek us in Baker Street. Your task may be daunting for the two of you alone. Let us help. Forget our past and move on.” Watson told the ladies before he stepped to the bed of roses. There he saw the one he was looking for.
“Nina, its okay to be sad on the ….” Watson held his lover by the hands. “We lost our son, and our family there.”
“So you remembered. I thought it was only me.” Nina broke into tears. “Kishna spared the two of us.”
“Yes, he may have felt we needed to know the truth. But not them. Anyway with the island unknown, we can go like before. “
“No, John. I can’t. We are no more like before. I have my days with you and then with Junior to remember you but the passing of his death meant that we were not destined to be together. Go back to your land and be with whoever you left there. I will be fine.”
“I can’t leave you here. The new Raj will find you and there will….” Watson protested.
“Here I am Nina the Servant. I am no more the Princess. I am not keen on any treasure or kingdom. I am fine here with Ganesh. He will take care of me. He is like a father to me.” Nina looked away from Watson. “I have the sea to soothe me in my coming days.”
With that Watson took leave of her to join his friends. Nina stood there for a while before she walked to the beach. There the Bosun was waiting with the small boat. She took his offer to sail to the waiting Nautilus. It was not the one she sailed on but the original one where Prince Dakkar once sailed with. It was raised from the sea bed and restored by the Tall Men.
Once she was on-board she greeted the Captain on the ship.
“Good day, Captain Nemo.” The one seated there on the seat stared motionless to the front. He was unable to move or talk for his mind was not in its full capacity. Nina patted his right hand and then sat down by the seat next to the Captain.
“Take us out, Bosun. Speed at one knot to the depth at twenty five feet before we descent at the open sea to a hundred. I want the Captain to see the world he knew.”
“Aye, Princess of the Nautilus.” The Bosun replied before he rushed off to the Engine Room where a Tall Men was there fidgeting with the controls. The Nautilus then roared out in its pipes on its renewed voyage to the open sea.
“Aye, I love you too.”
40.
Watson looked at the paper he held in his right hand. It meant something then but with the task over, it was worthless.
“Worthless to me anyway.” Watson muttered to himself before he tossed the paper into the fireplace.
“Did you say something, Watson?” Sherlock looked from the window at Watson. “I say we have visitors. What odd hours for them to come.”
Watson was then holding his cane and hat was about to leave for home and the comfort of a wife but he knew from the tone of that voice he was needed. He replaced his cane and hat before the door to the rented unit was knocked on. It was Mrs Hudson with hair in curlers and a heavy night robe over her thin frame.
“Sherlock Holmes, I do wished that you maintained your visiting hours to the daylight hours.” Mrs Hudson then stepped away. “Anyway these poor lasses need the fire place more than you do, Doctor Watson.”
Two ladies stepped into the rented unit and were offered the seats by the fireplace. The two ladies were dressed in a thick overcoat and held a set of brolly in their arms.
“Watson, do you know that brolly is a formidable weapon in the hands of an expert of the arts. I know for sure the Bartitsu exponents would agree with me for it can be a substitute for a cane.” Sherlock looked at the two ladies.
“Welcome to my humble abode, Princess Fa Lo Suee and Madame….” Sherlock smiled. “I believed we met in Kerala recently.”
“Sherlock, I want you to find my father, Emperor Fu Manchu. He is missing.” The princess spoke out. “He…”
“I say old chap, you do have a fine collection of books on bees.” The figure was in the next room having stepped in then. He was perusing the books that found its shelf in the bidet area. The unit have limited space and rental in London was horrendous.
“My apologies, Princess. I did not know you will be here.” The newly arrived man apologised then. He was a tall man with a well build frame dressed in the grey tweeds three piece and holding a book there.
“Nayland Smith at your service. Your father and myself are well acquainted.”
“Hold him, Sherlock. He is the man who had my father imprisonment now.” The princess stood up and levelled the brolly at the man. “Move and I will shoot the dart at you.”
“Precisely which is why I hold the book here in front of me.” Nayland replied. “On the imprisonment, I am not the one holding him. In fact I don’t know who held him and where. I thought he was still in Hong Kong last summer.”
“Lady and old chap, please refrain yourself from making my unit your personal battle ring. If I recalled, Nayland was here to ask me to capture a beast and you are asking me to find ….another. Pardon the idioms but Fu Manchu in my view is one equivalent to that of a beast. No offence meant.”
“My father is not a beast. He is a proud man and I think I am wasting my time here.” The princes took to leave but her companion stopped her.
“We need his help. Don’t be rash.”
“Yes, don’t be. The enemies of your in hiding below are not of your average thugs.” Sherlock looked to Watson. “My dear Doctor, we have a new case.”
Sherlock then looked at Nayland which the later replied.
“Ladies first.”
Across the land towards east, a man stood watching the early morning birds fed on the seeds he had just thrown on the flooring. He was dressed in a long silvery gown with the striking green dragon motifs sewn onto the back. He heard his servant steps approaching from a short distance and held up his left hand to motion him to stop.
“Step no more ahead. You will scare the birds.” The man spoke. “Speak from there.”
“My Lord Emperor, we located the Princess. She is in London.” The servant replied. “We have tailed her and await your command.”
“Spare no one and not even the females. They could breed more of their own and we will have to fight to kill them once more. Do it from the womb and all will be over.”
“As you commanded, my Lord Emperor.” The servant took to leave but the one he called the Emperor asked him a question.
“How fare my twin brother?”
“Fine, my Lord Emperor. I have given him the book to read.” The Emperor had passed on the book titled The Prince and the Pauper. “The weather there is cold and the book may be burned for woods when he finished reading it.”
“Good for him.” The Emperor smiled when he saw the birds having fed on the seeds were then dead. Then with a new feeding area, others will come to share the same fate.
It was all about choosing the place to fight your battle.
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