Team of Seven Heroes Shorts Tales 3; Chapter 2

2.

“In conclusion, astrology uses mathematics to calculate the aspects of the planets. It’s no mumble jumble of data but a detailed study of the data to work out figures which are meaningful.” Doctor Moriarty addressed his lecture of students.

“Doctor, so my relationship with my friend had nothing to do with the constellation and the alignment of the stars?” Doctor Moriarty looked to the student who have him the astounding equation to reply on.

“No, Phillips. It’s a mathematically possible to equate your relationship to the biological needs of both of you than the stars. You are a creation of the flesh and therefore will seek out the other states to co-exist. The stars alignment is too remote to your biological needs but the distance of the moon may cause you to peed more. And I won’t be quoted on that outside of this room. The medical faculty will have me on their wall as the next specimen.”

“One more question, Doctor.” The voice came from the side and he was one of the doctor’s better students. “Can we equate killing of one other to the equations of maths?”

“One is a paradox, and the other is a result of data. Killing does not hold any logical numbers to its result. You may kill one or two or many but there was no way of saying that will be the number you will kill. There are many unaccountable factors that cannot be contained in an equation.” Doctor Moriarty replied. “However, we can contain the killing factor by setting the limits to the killer. Or killers. For example, its mathematical probability that one who kills by gun will be do so with the gun, and if the gun is a single shooter then the killer will kill based on the timing and accessibility of the victims. It worked the same for a killer with a knife. The weapon is the limiting factor for the knife have a limited reach and takes a longer time to do the killing.”

The students cheered the Doctor then before he continued.

“As I can coached the class here to be killers but some of you may followed your own methods. And if I set a limit to your kill, some of you may exceed it. All that is unpredictable for I cannot read your mind although I may influence it. The equation to the final result held am emotional factor that cannot be interpreted by the mathematics data. If I could, I will be teaching your medical science with more precision.”

The Doctor then held up his arms to motion that he was to leave. He packed his books and then exited the lecture hall. He had no more classes but there were others waiting for him. He took the journey by carriage, and then he was at the doorstep of a house in the outside of London. It was the homes of the middle class and held no attachment to the huge estates a distance away. They called the homes there the Middle Town for it was the demarcation line for the affluent and the city ghettos.

“Come in, Doctor. You are the last to arrive.” Doctor Moriarty handed over his overcoat to the figure at the doorway. The figure was tall in height and held a huge frame fitted well in the dark suit. The figure took the overcoat to the cloak room. The Doctor took the wall along the corridor to the next chamber which was furnished with the round table and chairs for five persons. Other than that, the entire house was devoid of furniture.

“Moriarty, James Moriarty. I am ever surprised if you ever made it here.” The one who spoke wore a tweed suit of the lighter grey shade. He was an elderly man with a receding hairline and his spectacles perched on the nose bridge. He held the watch with the chain attached to his vest.

“And on time as usual.” The elderly man laughed. “You will make a good crime lord one day. Precise to the last count.” 

“The last kill, Lord Millard. I will correct you.” Another voiced out from the beside the elderly man.

“Yes, Lord Henry. He is a fine candidate.” The elderly man replied. He then turned to the other two seated there. “Gentlemen, this is our calculative mathematician, Doctor James Moriarty. Both Lord Henry and myself have deemed him suitable to fit the shoes of the deceased.”

“Doctor Moriarty, please be introduced to General Ian Smith, and Commander Tyrone Smith. Both shared the same family name but they are distance apart in the blood.” The other two gentlemen wore tweeds but they each have no resemblance to Lord Millard. They are also elderly but with their background, they sat upright and held a strong stare at the Doctor.

“He is not trained like the both of you but he held a unique set of skills of coordination and planning with uncanny precision that his actions are never linked back to him. He has perfected the art of killing by proxy.”

“Indeed, he had done it. The murderer of our esteemed ex-partner Major Dennison was avenged by Doctor Moriarty with the assistance of his henchmen. The murderer was not traced to us.” Major Patrick O’ Neil Dennison was killed when he tried to escape the authorities at Glasgow and Doctor Moriarty arranged their retaliation murder with the use of Irish thugs.

“Tonight, we are to discuss the unfortunate of revival of one by the name of Jack the Ripper.” Lord Millard sounded out the first order of the meeting. He was stopped when the walking cane of General Smith tapped on the table.

“Lord Millard, you seem to have skipped an important issue. The succession of Doctor Moriarty had not been put to a vote.” General Smith was fond of the Major and regretted his murder was done by authorities. He was hoping for the Major to support him in the votes but with the Major gone, he has to nurture another one. Doctor Moriarty looked promising but the General was careful on whom he befriended then.

“Regretfully, I am getting senile. Yes, we shall vote. So, its two from me. Lord Henry have given me his consent.” Lord Millard looked to Lord Thomas Henry. “Your votes please.”

Lord Millard voiced his call for votes. He was the Chairperson and held an extra vote for their unnamed leader. General Smith knew that he was outfoxed by the other and nodded. Commander Smith did the same and the decision was carried through.

“Good, we shall get on now. Our leader is upset that the Ripper tales have made it rounds. The last uneventful killings have dragged the reputable names in the streets and mob justice had almost started if not for the timely control of the papers publications. and the strong steering by the Royals and Lords on the news avoided many bad publicities.”

“Indeed, it had. We are now to repel these new murders. I heard the last one was of another lady disrepute…” General Smith trying to bring the discussion to something fruitful was cut off by the Doctor.

“I stand to correct you, General. The lady in question was a mother of five and for her survival, and the children she had endured as a lady of the amorous services. If she had a choice in her life works, she could be a nanny or at worse the waitress but the later does not pay well, and the former requires a letter of reference.”

“You are well versed with the …. Commoners.” Commander Smith cut in. “I am impressed. We have ….”

“Never questioned the ancestry of the members, nor do we discriminate against one.” Lord Millard snapped in. “I stand for Doctor Moriarty. His father was a Banker and his family hails a brother who is a Doctor of Science and himself trained from Oxford and Cambridge. Surely, his family ties are irreputable.”

Doctor Moriarty smiled at the grand defence put up by the Lord. If only the Lord have mentioned that his mother was an Irish maid in the household whom his father had fallen for. Due to the relationship, his father was banished to Ireland where he sat up his own profession to advise on financial matters. It was much later when the family had decided to forgive the black sheep of the family and then was the Moriarty of Ireland introduced to the others. As the surviving son of the family, Moriarty father inherited the family estate and business in name but not in influence. His father had to fight for his own with his own family and the immediate peers. His father died a broken man and followed on by his mother. By then both brothers have carved a name in their own world.

The Moriarty brothers vowed vengeance on their family members. The two minds of science and mathematics planned the demise of their cousins; death by unknown factors or attributable to known cause without a trace to them. It was then the brothers realized that to be better in crime was to been away from it. Frank Moriarty build his reputation as the recluse and those who knew him was either killed or left him alone. He built his own empire from behind the scenes of society with his network of spies and killers. James Moriarty took on the academic faculties to nurture new talents and converted them to his way. They became his organizer of the criminal lords. Soon his dark reputation called him to join this one named the Council. He had planned his ascension there with the planned murder of Major Dennison by the authorities.

“I am not questioning the family ties of the Doctor, but for a man of academic knowledge, you seem to be leaning towards them. Perhaps you have an experience with them.” Commander Smith queried on. “

I have dealt with many of these commoners. The Navy have a home for them.”

Doctor Moriarty frowned on the insulting meaning of the other. He had known many great men who have served in the Navy and they have never singled out the seamen by their social ranks.

“I was teaching the …. commoners as you placed it for some years in my service to community. They are just as good as we are. As a matter of facts, I found a number of recruits to join my cause.”

“Bravo. Tell me how did you remain incognito as a criminal?” General Smith took his turn then.

“By staying with the lot of you.” Moriarty then stood up and bowed to them. Lord Millard then took the discussion back to the Ripper. 

“I said we find the Ripper and ripped his heart out.” The meeting concluded with that message but James Moriarty left there with an enemy within the group.