Heroes Return VI: Book One London Chapter 26

 

26. 

 

Lord Greystokes did not leave Sherlock Holmes's unit and narrated the past events to them on Mindy Kewal.

“Mindy was the niece of King Kewala of the Jahunder family, who was from your old hunting ground and lately owned a huge business in the dark continent through her father’s interests." Lord Greystokes explained. “She was a wild soul. She was educated here and met my lover, Jane. They are good friends, and on her return home, she was to be wedded to a neighboring chief.”

“She protested and left to find us at the Waziri’s camp. She was then shipped off to Belgium and stayed there till recently; she surfaced in London with her tenure as the assistant to minister Leeson. The rest you know.”

“Since the incident, I have been getting updates on the characters in the case from the Congo and also from China/Japan." Sherlock glared at Doctor John Watson. “I have been studying them. Sleepless hours.”

“That means you are consuming coffee. It does have an effect on us. In the other continent, we plant coffee trees.”

“I thought rubber trees were the preference," Sherlock interjected.

“Yes, and coffee. Many of the elderly said they took that as a daily drink.” Lord Greystokes smiled. “Back here in England, I dislike tea and take coffee as an alternative. I do like strong tea like the ones from upper African states.”

"Cocaine…. I meant caffeine has its effect and carryover.” Doctor John Watson offered his medical opinion. “I did read that coffee and strong tea exhilarate without sensibly intoxicating." (James F. W. Johnston wrote in The Chemistry of Common Life (1855) that coffee "exhilarates without sensibly intoxicating.") “Well, my indulgence in coffee is rather low. However, the reports I got were more on the mining rights there. “Ms. Kewala held some rights to the land and its content, but the approval also required the blessing of the tribe council members.” Sherlock moved the subject matter.

“In the last year, three of the council members have deceased by illness or age. That leaves two others who are now apparently not seen, as the continent is huge, and they could be in the jungle.”

“It is possible, for the Congo land is huge. They may be traveling in the jungle.” Lord Greystokes added. He had good memories of the jungle.

“Or held up somewhere.” Sherlock said. “David Livingstone caused a scare then when he went missing there in Africa. Quite an adventurer. Was it Henry Morton Stanley who found him on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in 1871?” “Yes, it was. And the infamous greeting, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" Doctor John Watson mimics the gesture of the moment then. “No one said to me, 'Are you hurt, Doctor Watson?' when they found me in the hills then. I could bloody well say, "See it for yourself," but I am a gentleman and an officer; I just nodded.

“You are a physician, Watson. Cure yourself.” Sherlock looked at the man. “Own up to that.”

“Gentlemen, we are to address a more important matter?” Lord Greystokes was not glad of the adventure of the doctor there. It opened up his adopted land to more excursions.

“Acceptable.” Sherlock leaned back on his seat. “With Mindy Kewala in the wind, we have to find Doctor Mitsui Ogata. He may be the next clue for us.”

“Doctor Mitsui Ogata? Who is that?” Lord Greystokes asked.

“Watson, be a good chap. Please explain to the Lord. I need to use the privy. Dinner was good, but the contents were a bit too oily.” Sherlock smiled. “And please allow Mycroft in. He seems to be in a hurry. I hope he is not in need of the privy.”

“My gosh, what is it with Shelly?” Mycroft stepped aside for the brother to rush off. “Did someone cream his ass?"

“Close to it. More like an open valve.” Doctor John Watson took his allotted seat before Mycroft sat there. “Why are you here? And this late.”

"Ah…" Mycroft saw Lord Greystoke then. “Hello to you, Lord Greystokes. We were supposed to meet some days back… God, is it Saturday? I am to have a game of bridge with the Wooley brothers at the club. We were to join forces to defeat Strand Kubrick. Nasty player.”

“Your reason for the late call, Mycroft?” Lord Greystokes was past the pleasantries stage.

“Oh, yes. Shall we wait for Shelly?” Mycroft looked at the doctor who shook his head.

“I doubt he will be quick. The load on him may be a culmination of several days or nights. Cocaine does disrupt the workings of the bowels.” Doctor John Watson took out his smoking pipe and filled it with tobacco. “Like the pipe here, you need to clear the previous leftovers before you fill it again.”

“Oh, he is on cocaine again.” Mycroft sighed. “I told him…" "He was never off it, Mycroft.” Doctor John Watson took a puff on the pipe. "Bloody…" "I will be leaving now, gentlemen.” Lord Greystokes had enough of the patter of little gestures there. “I……"

"Please be seated, Lord Greystokes. I mean, please remain seated. I came from an important meeting and then was delivered a package on my way… Well, here it is. The mining reports from Ms. Kewala.” Mycroft produced the package then. “I had only perused it.”

“Does your brain work slower on weekends?” Doctor John Watson leaned forth to take the package. “Are you sure these are it?”

Doctor John Watson perused the documents when Sherlock walked in.

“Mycroft, what a surprise. Do you hold back on any trip to the privy? Now, it smells like a crate of ammonia was discharged there.” Sherlock then turned to look at Watson. “More messages?”

“Mindy Kewala’s reports.”

“Astonishing! Why did she send that to us?” Sherlock had on the expression of the wandering Flying Dutchman’s ship.

“It was sent to Mycroft. He brought it over," Doctor John Watson said. “I can see reports from the… Daniel Jones and Edward Thorne, including Ian Masterson and Brian Leeson.”

“I could not make out the contents, but they do say a lot on the minerals there.” Doctor John Watson handed over the papers.

“I am not a geologist, but allow me to peruse them.” Sherlock took the papers and then sat on his seat. He was all silent then while Mycroft briefed the doctor and the lord on his recent findings.

Mindy Kewala has accommodation at Farringdon, and she made some trips to Liverpool and Dover. She was seen to meet Ian Masterson there.”

“I thought he was missing at sea.” Doctor John Watson looked at the man. He could have drawn any card in a poker game and gotten away without revealing the hand. “Are you mistaken?”

“Well, for one. We have some others who saw him there and possibly now here in London.” Mycroft told them.

“What has this man to do with Mindy Kewala?” Lord Greystokes asked.

“Ian Masterson is an operative of ours who was last in China and went missing at sea when he was to return with some information for us. And more to that, he is the stepfather of one named Gavin Mcleod, who was the escort leader of Mindy Kewala.”

“And he was with Brian Leeson in a mining exploration some years back.” Doctor John Watson took a puff on his pipe. “That I learned.”

“And now Mindy Kewala is missing, or presumably in hiding or to meet Ian Masterson," Sherlock added. “The reports here are informative, and for the exploration to take off, Mindy needs to get the approval of the elders.”

“She may be leaving for the Congo?” Lord Greystokes asked

"Possibly," Sherlock replied. “Or eloped? It seems to be the trend now. But the reports seem to be incomplete. I wondered why. Maybe Mindy was trying to tell us something.”

Meanwhile, Doctor Mitsui Ogata was at the Millwall Dock by the River Thames. It was the early hours before dawn, and the dock was empty except for a few dockers who were lazing there before their work started later. The doctor was disguised as a docker there, with rough-spun waistcoats over the woollen shirt and a neckerchief to cover the lower face and baggy trousers secured with the belt. He wore a flat cap and leather boots needed for slippery decks. He carried a long wooden staff in his hand, using it as a crutch.

“There was an old man on the border,

Who lived in the utmost disorder;

He danced with the cat and made tea in his hat.

Which vexed all the folks on the Border.”

An old man seated by the side sang the limerick there by himself.

Hey you! Go left and enter the warehouse there.” Doctor Mitsui Ogata heard the calling from the dark shadows. He took the instruction and entered the structure. The warehouse was filled with rows of sawn timber, which was transported there before shipping out. He saw the candlelit table at the center and walked towards it. There were two wooden chairs there by the table.

“Please be seated, Sensei.” The doctor heard the request and took the seat there. He placed the staff leaning on the table. The figure appeared from the dark and approached the table.

“Your prowess with the ‘bo’ (wooden staff) is remarkable.” The newly arrived figure sat down.

“I prefer to call it kon (棍).” Doctor Mitsui Ogata said. “It is Okinawan. And what was your preference then, Emperor Fu Manchu?”

“Mone? Years ago, I was proficient with the dao (刀). I am, or rather was, a master of Jianshu from the Wudang school. I must admit, age has caught up with me, and what I wield now is the paintbrush. " The old man laughed. He was dressed like a coolie who has not returned home yet.

“A sensei always remains respected as one.” Doctor Mitsui Ogata smiled.

“You flattered me, Sensei.” The old man smiled. Emperor Fu Manchu had aged; his cheekbones were hollowed out, and the thin mustache looked like the splitting water flow on his jaw. It was his eyebrows that most people missed out on: the long silvery streak that spanned down the side, giving him the aura of a fiery dragon.

“You called for me? Why?” The doctor asked.

“I did. I am aware of the Yomi demons who had done some… unjustified tasks.” The old man sighed. “初生牛犊不怕虎 (Chūshēng niúdú bù pà hǔ)" (Translation: A newborn calf is not afraid of the tiger. "実るほど頭を垂れる稲穂かな (Minoru hodo koube wo tareru inaho kana)" – “The boughs that bear the most hang the lowest.” It means that truly wise or accomplished people are often the humblest”.

“Well said, Sensei. But being humble is not in their mind.” The old man said. “I am… I apologize. I was with them, the novice in the city. Pardon me, an expression. I was dragged here by my daughter’s brashness too. I came with a different purpose and ended with another. I saw the fruits to be picked here. I stayed on, held my own against the others, and established my own. They came and approached me. They spoke of our ancestry, and I was swayed to their intentions, but ……" “We at the Oni Society are grateful to your alliance. We knew of it in Osaka. We are bitter foes in China, but the enemies of our enemy can be our foe. " The doctor cut in. “You had no reason to work with us.”

“Wise words, Sensei. I would have remained an ally or on friendly terms, but they became arrogant and secured the advisement of one whom I detest: Ian Masterson. Unlike Nayland Smith, this one bores into my flesh like a parasite. Ian Masterson took them on a trail of personal glory and killings.”

“I had listened to that before.” The doctor said.

“I have disengaged with them, and they have the city under fire for their actions.” The old man smiled. “A wiser man selects his enemies and friends.”

“I understand, Emperor. I will watch over my friends and enemies … closer." The doctor stood up and bowed to the emperor.

“And please know that the lady you seek, Mindy Kewala, was in Farringdon, and along with her were the Waziri warriors. They were killed by the Yom Demons and took the lady away," the old man told the sensei. “We are all in the faraway land, and at times like this, we are better to be informed than to wander in the dark.”

“Waziri warriors? I am unused to them. Maybe I... I need to check further.” Doctor Mitsui Ogata looked away. “Emperor Fu Manchu, we are too old to do this.”

“Age is a number, but the events that unfold are part of our journey. Mine may be fading, but I am sure yours is still on.” The old man laughed.