Free The Midwinter Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes: Three Adventures & The Grand Gift of Sherlock by Craig Janacek Page B
Authors: Craig Janacek
was due to a miracle?”
Holmes pursed his lips. “Watson, let me tell you a story. It concerns one of the greatest thinkers of the modern era and one of the greatest despots. You once accused me of having little knowledge of astronomy, [219] which at the time was true. But when I began to investigate the Napoleon of crime, I realized that I needed to rectify this deficiency in order to understand the mind of a man who could write about such pure mathematics as The Dynamics of an Asteroid . [220] So I began with Newton, and then moved to Laplace. When reading about the Frenchman, I encountered an amusing anecdote about his meeting with Bonaparte himself. Laplace formally presented the Emperor with a copy of his masterwork, Mécanique Céleste , but Napoleon had already been informed regarding its contents. Bonaparte was fond of asking embarrassing questions, so he received it with the remark, ‘Monsieur Laplace, they tell me you have written this large book on the system of the universe, and have never even mentioned its Creator.’ Laplace drew himself up and answered bluntly, ‘ Je n'avais pas besoin de cette hypothèse-là .’” [221]
“I had no need of that hypothesis,” I translated, after which. I walked on in silence for some time.
Given the acuity of his senses, Holmes was certainly able to detect that I was troubled by this answer. “Watson, do you know the true meaning of the Christmas season?”
“A midwinter festival, I suppose?” I replied irascibly.
“Yes, for certs, that is how it began,” he agreed in an amiable tone. “But it has taken on a larger meaning. People make a grave mistake when they think that they simply need to ‘believe’ for all to turn out right. It is not about believing. Belief without action accomplishes naught. The true meaning of Christmas can be found in our actions. Doing good deeds for your fellow man. And it is, of course, a time for forgiveness. A time for peace on earth and good will towards men, women, and children.” [222]
I thought about this in silence, my equanimity slowly returning, until we reached Baker Street. We paused before Number 221 and I turned to Holmes with an outstretched hand.
“Happy Christmas, Holmes,” said I, smiling.
He took it warmly. “Happy Christmas, Watson.”
§
THE
ADVENTURE OF
THE FIRST STAR
To Danica
“Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
Let your heart be light.
From now on our troubles
Will be out of sight.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
Make the yuletide gay.
From now on our troubles
Will be miles away.
Once again as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore,
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Will be near to us once more.
Through the years we all will be together,
If the fates allow,
Hanging a shining star upon the highest bough,
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.”
by Hugh Martin
(1943; alternate lyrics added by Martin 1957)
LITERARY AGENT’S FORWARD
It is a rare occasion when something truly magnificent results from what at first appears to be a straightforward tragedy. However, twenty-two years after the fact, that is exactly what transpired in 2014, when a long-suppressed manuscript by Dr. John H. Watson was brought to light by the serendipitous accident of the great fire at Windsor Castle, the preferred weekend residence of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
The fire began in the Queen's Private Chapel at 11:33 am on 20 November, 1992 when a wayward spotlight ignited a nearby curtain. Despite the rapid response of the Castle Fire Brigade, the blaze spread quickly through the original medieval timber ceilings and the later oak paneling which so richly adorned the royal chambers.
In addition to the several hundred firemen directly involved in fighting the fire, the Castle staff and tradesmen swiftly transformed themselves into a volunteer salvage corps. Working with an admirable mix of haste and care, they removed the vast majority of furniture and
Holmes pursed his lips. “Watson, let me tell you a story. It concerns one of the greatest thinkers of the modern era and one of the greatest despots. You once accused me of having little knowledge of astronomy, [219] which at the time was true. But when I began to investigate the Napoleon of crime, I realized that I needed to rectify this deficiency in order to understand the mind of a man who could write about such pure mathematics as The Dynamics of an Asteroid . [220] So I began with Newton, and then moved to Laplace. When reading about the Frenchman, I encountered an amusing anecdote about his meeting with Bonaparte himself. Laplace formally presented the Emperor with a copy of his masterwork, Mécanique Céleste , but Napoleon had already been informed regarding its contents. Bonaparte was fond of asking embarrassing questions, so he received it with the remark, ‘Monsieur Laplace, they tell me you have written this large book on the system of the universe, and have never even mentioned its Creator.’ Laplace drew himself up and answered bluntly, ‘ Je n'avais pas besoin de cette hypothèse-là .’” [221]
“I had no need of that hypothesis,” I translated, after which. I walked on in silence for some time.
Given the acuity of his senses, Holmes was certainly able to detect that I was troubled by this answer. “Watson, do you know the true meaning of the Christmas season?”
“A midwinter festival, I suppose?” I replied irascibly.
“Yes, for certs, that is how it began,” he agreed in an amiable tone. “But it has taken on a larger meaning. People make a grave mistake when they think that they simply need to ‘believe’ for all to turn out right. It is not about believing. Belief without action accomplishes naught. The true meaning of Christmas can be found in our actions. Doing good deeds for your fellow man. And it is, of course, a time for forgiveness. A time for peace on earth and good will towards men, women, and children.” [222]
I thought about this in silence, my equanimity slowly returning, until we reached Baker Street. We paused before Number 221 and I turned to Holmes with an outstretched hand.
“Happy Christmas, Holmes,” said I, smiling.
He took it warmly. “Happy Christmas, Watson.”
§
THE
ADVENTURE OF
THE FIRST STAR
To Danica
“Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
Let your heart be light.
From now on our troubles
Will be out of sight.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
Make the yuletide gay.
From now on our troubles
Will be miles away.
Once again as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore,
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Will be near to us once more.
Through the years we all will be together,
If the fates allow,
Hanging a shining star upon the highest bough,
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.”
by Hugh Martin
(1943; alternate lyrics added by Martin 1957)
LITERARY AGENT’S FORWARD
It is a rare occasion when something truly magnificent results from what at first appears to be a straightforward tragedy. However, twenty-two years after the fact, that is exactly what transpired in 2014, when a long-suppressed manuscript by Dr. John H. Watson was brought to light by the serendipitous accident of the great fire at Windsor Castle, the preferred weekend residence of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
The fire began in the Queen's Private Chapel at 11:33 am on 20 November, 1992 when a wayward spotlight ignited a nearby curtain. Despite the rapid response of the Castle Fire Brigade, the blaze spread quickly through the original medieval timber ceilings and the later oak paneling which so richly adorned the royal chambers.
In addition to the several hundred firemen directly involved in fighting the fire, the Castle staff and tradesmen swiftly transformed themselves into a volunteer salvage corps. Working with an admirable mix of haste and care, they removed the vast majority of furniture and
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