Part 3 (1/2)

His eyes exa unusual Hole the pandits with regard to their historical translations But as Wright had spoken, Holht's every word, every intonation, every motion of his body

”I was suddenly alive to presences so vicious, Watson, that instinct called forth the most acute reactions of the brain Surely, now, the murderer of Rizzetti hi for the inevitable encounter I had passed , but I had no illusions that, with longer contact, soive h His eyes looked into the distance as he recalled the events in that faraway land

”Pray, continue, Holmes,” I said, fearful that he would stop

He rose fro slowly back and forth in front of ether behind his back I watched hie adventure His body becarace of his physicalwoman appeared at the door, he said It was Lucy Richardson She inforht left at once

”And who is this gentle her question to shi+v Shankar

”'This is a very learned gentle some time with us He is Pandit Kaul, of Kashmir”

Holmes bowed

”Ah, yes,” she said, ”o Welcoe Perhaps you ht join us for tea I would so like to hear about your country, for I would like to visit there once ht learn about this country and its languages as well”

”I am at your service, Miss Richardson I would be most happy to join you and provide whatever assistance you ht desire”

”Please join us at four on the terrace,” she said

Holain as she departed

At tea that afternoon were Lucy and the Resident, whose health seehter and how happy he was that she could visit hiland, of which Holht appeared several times to check on Mr Richardson He seemed preoccupied and took little notice of Holmes's presence Holmes continued to observe him closely, particularly hisuntoward Richardson seeer and in better health than when he first er

”Miss Richardson at one point asked arden We spoke for soreat concern for her father's health I told her that I would help in any way that I could, for I professed to have a knowledge of indigenous plant remedies and the diseases to which they related Katmandu was filled with rare plants, I said, of both beneficent and deadly varieties”

As they returned to the veranda, it was already dusk, and night was about to fall Miss Richardson went directly to where her father was seated As she approached him, however, he sat up suddenly, a look of intense fear on his face visible in the twilight: ”He's there! He's there! He's coarden Holone white His breath caht expire on the spot Dr Wright appeared from the Residence and quickly administered a potion that seemed to calm him alht ”If there is any more excitement here, I shall have to confine you to your room and to prohibit all visitors”

The Resident did not respond but seemed contrite Several servants appeared and carried the sick ht said, ”I am sorry for the incident The Resident is very ill and appears to be having hallucinations, but these are common with the severe fever that he suffers from”

Holmes nodded as if in sympathy, and said that it was time for him to depart As he took his leave, Lucy Richardson turned and said, ”Mr Kaul, I wonder if you would allow ion of the Hindoos To Vishnu Would it be presuht accompany me?”

”I would be most happy to do so,” said Holeon and took his leave A flicker of annoyance passed over Wright's face as Holmes accepted Miss Richardson's invitation, but the doctor hid his emotions instantly Holmes returned to the hotel

”The ht becoeon in the Residency? And where was the mastermind of it all, the murderer of Rizzetti? And as the nature of the Resident's illness? And what of his hallucinations? Or had he seen so real? I decided at that mo the events that I had just witnessed I asked him to make some discreet inquiries Gorashar was disturbed by reed to find the answers I needed at once He also told me that many Nepalese were very disturbed by the ruhostly apparitions in the Residence, for such appearances often were considered to be portents of i He sat down and fumbled in his slipper for his pipe and tobacco He lit up, puffing slowly as the sweet aroan to fill the rooht for a fewhe ate of the Residence She was accooverne couple, said Hol pandit-but they paid no attention to the curious looks they received along the way It was one of those bright s in early February, he said, when the mist has burned off er, a definite prelude to the hot season that is to co Vishnu, a shrine that lies at the very northern end of the Valley The road is no more than a dirt path once one passes a half mile or so from the Residence About halfway, they decided to rest in a ba the way known as the Bansbari Lucy Richardson by now had asked Holmes much about Kashmir He spoke for several minutes about that other Hiht, for one who had never visited the place He had prepared for faron the subject than Lucy Richardson's simple requests afforded, however When he finished, she beca quite soon?” she asked finally

Holmes replied that he had no definite plans at the n holand, Panditji, for I could no longer endure the situation that had come to pass in my mother's home May I burden you with the tale?”

A terrible sadness had come over her face, and Holmes could see from it that she had no one else to whom she could turn It was, of course, precisely what he had hoped, for he had suspected that part of the mystery lay in her family's history, particularly in that of her father

”It would in no way burden me I would be most happy to listen,” he said

Holerness hich he awaited the story that Lucy Richardson was to relate to hih London, our rooms, even I, had ceased to exist

Lucy said that her early years were spent in India, in Indore, where her father had his first post When he was appointed Resident in Nepal, she elve years old She was as happy as a child could be, but because there were no schools it was decided that she should return to England Her h the subject was never discussed, Lucy sensed a growing estrangement between her mother and father There was little talk between theh they never bickered in her presence, she often overheard heated exchanges between the from her father was very difficult, for it was not clear when he would be able to visit England, or indeed when she would be able to return to Nepal, if ever

”We left Nepal soland was a sad one for land soon became a dreary bore We settled in my mother's home near Oxford, and I attended local schools until Mother decided that I should attend a boarding school near London The school was a relief fro presence, for it was very clear to both of us that we did not get along well Holidays were rew older, I began to regard my mother with more sympathy than before, for I realised that she was a very lonely woularly from my father directed to me instead of to her All she received from him was a perfunctory note scrawled at the bottoes to me were filled with lively descriptions of Nepal and its people, and the exciting life that he seemed to lead I was particularly envious of his travels outside the Katmandu Valley, which the Rana now pero, she said, that she began to notice a change in her hter and happier than Lucy had ever known her to be And one night, she learned the reason She had taken a lover, a Mr Morrison, a gentleman who had been introduced to her by one of her very old friends, Ellen Maupertuis, a wo in Amsterdam Her friend had met Morrison first on the island of Su He had travelled much and was said to run a business in Amsterdam which imported rare woods from the Dutch East Indies Lucy's mother had invited hi Lucy rather liked hiht her conduct was reprehensible He was tall and handsonise as an incredible intellect He see in ently Her mother was entranced There was little that Lucy could do, and little that she could argue hen her mother told her that she had learned that her father had taken a Sherpa woman from the eastern mountains of Nepal as his mistress ”Upon my return home after my last year of school, I found that Mr Morrison hadwith my mother To the outside world, he was e, a convenient pretense that satisfied local speculation and quieted reat interest in Nepal and my father's work there In explanation he pointed to a lifelong interest in geography and the Hinita, as he called theht expand his business to include rare Hih we had lived there for but a few months, he questioned us both incessantly, and seemed particularly interested in the city of Kats of the streets and gullies of the city which he showed to us for correction His questioning becas of warmth towards him immediately turned to dislike when I learned quite by accident that he had found Father's letters to h I was horrified at the intrusion intoconduct, hethat he had taken the letters because my mother had wanted to re-read for him one of the notes to her from my father My mother supported his explanation, which I knew in my heart to be untrue, and I found myself unable now to talk to ht, she said, just before retiring, she heard herat each other in the library He had been questioning her closely concerning the Residence itself, its occupants, including the guards and the servants, and the arrange the furniture He also wanted to know exactly what the gardens were like She heard herthat she could tell hi beyond what she had already told hi her Lucy heard her pleas forat him There was only silence Mr Morrison opened the door Hersoftly, her face bruised in several places Morrison stood opposite rey eyes filled with an unholy satisfaction She felt as though she was in the presence of evil incarnate She rushed to her e

”My mother's bruises were horrible to see, but they proved not to be serious Had Morrison and she been alone, however, I had no doubt that they would have been far worse She said nothing to , when she said sadly that she was unworthy of him and that he had threatened to leave I was overjoyed at his threat, but my mother, totally under his sway, said that she would do anything to please him and make him stay That afternoon we learned that Morrison had indeed left the guest cottage with all his belongings, leaving no indication as to where he had gone Myall known friends and acquaintances, but Morrison had disappeared, to where, no one knew As the days passed and Morrison did not return,addressed mostly towards me It soon became apparent that the conflict between us would not resolve itself and that I would have to leave After a dreadful argu Morrison's love away froo except to return to h as fast as I could, and I took the first available passage to Calcutta,the difficult land journey from there with an escort sent by the Maharajah”

When Miss Richardson had finished her story, Holested that they continue on to the shrine of the Sleeping Vishnu A group of children had by now gathered about the, and they s sounded, and the children motioned to them to follow They climbed to the top of the shrine, where they looked down on a procession, the continuation of the very saures, with large brass faces, their bodies clothed in red robes, walked slowly to a small statue of the Buddha, where they bowed in silence, and then moved on They watched them until they disappeared in the distance They then turned back, and by the time we reached the Residence, it was dusk, and the pandit took his leave

”Lucy Richardson's deeplystory had served to confirh I did not know it for certain, there was a growing suspicion in ht now be in Kats Nepalese? Perhaps he was the ht's actions within the Residence But as far as I kneas not there but elsewhere How to resolve these questions?”

He decided on immediate action First, he needed to know more about Morrison He recalled that he had confided his whereabouts to only one individual, his brother Mycroft, hoed an elaborate code system should he have to establish contact with hiraphic principles that Mycroft had invented in his youth Whenever possible, as an added precaution, this code was ees Hole of Hunza on several occasions in the past and once before Lorana, an obscure South A no access to the Hiinally discovered This language, even more unknown than Burushaski, was almost extinct and was known to only two Europeans The possibility of its being understood in any way during the ned the ensen,” the nalish lexicon This would identify the language as well as the book that would help Mycroft decode it In his e, he asked for as much information about Morrison and his whereabouts as Mycroft could uncover Gorashar hired a reliable runner to take the e by the shortest route to the Tarai, thence to the nearest wireless station in India for transmission to London The runner was instructed to wait for a reply assu a normal trip for the runner and adequate time for Mycroft to provide answers to his questions, he could expect an answer in no less than three days

”I then determined,” said Holht and speak with Richardson hiht bewould not be a difficult business The Residence was not particularly well guarded Hol the day and three at night They solected to do so Scaling the high ould be the main problem, but he had noticed several places where this could be done by cliht when I set out The nocturnal scene of Katmandu by now had becoht so that I ht pass unnoticed were I to be seen in the dark I walked quickly, taking the route through the central bazaar area In a short tih Asantol to Kaate and continued on to the Residence As I arrived I could see by the light of their lanterns that the three guards were fast asleep Entering would pose no probleht should he be with the Resident during the night I decided, however, that it orth the risk I scaled a tall tree that was near the wall, clie limb, and juarden and the back of the Residence There was a light co from anear the veranda, and I as I drew closer I could see the Resident He was alone and in his nightgown I drew as close as I could He appeared to be at work He riting by candle light, engrossed in the tasks that he had been forced to neglect during the days previous Everything appeared calht noise in the garden below There, ure, well over seven feet tall, dressed in black, walking slowly toward the Residence He carried a lantern in his left hand and appeared to be searching the ground as he walked His clothes were re white beard The figure interrupted its walk, stooped over, and began to an its slow approach to the Residence It was at this point that Holmes saw the Resident ure drew nearer, Richardson rose, opened the door to the veranda and walked out He took slow deliberate aied that the shot had to be a direct hit The figure reeled slightly but did not fall Again Richardson took careful ai several shots While their impact was visible, they did not stop nor wound the apparition There was only a strange, dry, cracking noise as the impact of the bullets hit its body

Unable to stop the apparition, Richardson beca In the few seconds in which Holure in the garden disappeared into the night He continued to lie flat on the wall so as not to be noticed Richardson was helped back into his bedrooht at the sight of his treht came soon after Holmes watched as he mixed a potion He appeared calm and unconcerned as he ministered to the Resident, and soon left

Holmes s clearer to hi hallucinations What he had seen was real and not the nocturnal ih the , he could see hihtened, the pistol firht hand Holmes's task noas to reach hiun and put an end to his own life, for he was an excellent shot Fortune ith hi and was beginning to doze off Whatever Wright had fed hiun to take effect

When Holmes was sure that he was asleep, he made his way over to the veranda and entered the Resident's rooently Richardson was about to scream when Holmes put his hand over his mouth firmly and said: ”Have no fear I a visions”

”Kaul!” he exclaimed ”How on earth did you enter?”

”All explanations at the proper tiht noe haven't a er You must leave the Residence with me at once Your absence will be for a short time, at the most perhaps two days, perhaps only a matter of hours”

”I cannot leave hter”

”You have no choice For the er, but you are Trust me Time is short”