Free The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by William Seil

full dress naval uniform. Standing with calm, naval poise, he was a far cry from the energetic, often impatient master of detection I had known for so many years. But I knew that beneath the beard and uniform, the Holmes I knew was still eager to attack a new puzzle.
    ‘Remember, both of you, this dinner will afford us an excellent opportunity to observe our guests and any exchanges that may occur between them,’ Holmes said. ‘We must place ourselves around the table to see and hear as much as possible. The captain has sent personalinvitations to each of the people on our list, and all have accepted.’
    ‘What should we be looking for?’ asked Miss Norton.
    ‘Anything and everything,’ Holmes replied. ‘Every detail, no matter how insignificant it may seem. We have witnessed some odd behaviour on board this ship. None of it may relate to the safety of the plans but we must take it all into account.’
    We made our way to the grand staircase and descended one deck to the dining room. At the foot of the stairs we entered the reception room, where a number of passengers were clustered in small groups. The reception room was a place of simple, dignified beauty. It was decorated in Jacobean style, with white, carved panelling. On the wall directly ahead of us, a large French tapestry was displayed prominently above a sea of rich, dark carpet. Most of the passengers were standing, although a few took advantage of the comfortable cane chairs. Others gathered around the grand piano in the far left corner to listen to a medley of classical works.
    Captain Smith was standing to the right, showing passengers a large, impressively detailed model of the Titanic . The three of us made our way over to him, hoping for an opportunity to exchange a few private words.
    ‘I wish we were able to display this model outside the glass case,’ Smith told the half-dozen or so passengers who had gathered around. ‘It is really quite a beautiful thing — one of several used by the designers when the ship was built. If I had a key to the case with me, I would remove some of the pull-away sections and show you the interior of the ship. You would be amazed by the detail. Unfortunately, they tell me that it won’t float. And that must be my ultimate test of a good ship — whether it is waterproof.’
    The crowd laughed, and a few moved in for a closer look.
    Captain Smith broke away and guided the three of us to a quiet corner.
    ‘The dinner party is all arranged. We’ll be sitting at the large ovaltable in the centre of the dining room. I cannot say I like the idea of young Bishop being there, though. It is somewhat of an honour for an officer to be invited to the captain’s table. There are others under my command who are more deserving than Bishop.’
    ‘Indeed, Captain, I appreciate the difficult position this puts you in. But I can assure you that this exercise is of great value to the safety of the plans.’
    ‘I understand, Mr Holmes. And now, if Miss Norton would care to join me, I suggest that we all go in for dinner.’
    Miss Norton took the captain’s arm, and the two of them led the way into the main dining area. Other passengers, noting the departure of the captain, also moved towards the dining-room doors.
    The dining room was a magnificent sight. Its design was similar to that of the reception room but it was larger — much larger. The leaded glass windows that lined the walls on either side made me feel that I had just entered the dining hall of a great mansion. Despite the size of the room, a sense of intimacy was created by the columns that supported the white plastered ceiling. In addition, recessed bays along the walls created a number of private dining areas. Throughout this great hall, fine oak furniture stood on tastefully designed linoleum tiles. But the true elegance and magic of this room was brought to life by cleverly arranged lighting, and the sight of passengers in formal dress at dinner.
    Captain Smith