Part 8 (2/2)
”Who would have thought, Hol could be contained in this teht and word had coether in this teistered in its astronomy, if you will, in its relation to the sun and uardians of the relation, there to h the millennia that the minute adjust were made Indeed, these people, the lowliest of outcasts, made the system work and kept well its secrets Levi and I sahat is only a sh, Watson, it is late The tale is told, such as it is”
Holested a walk before bed, and ent out into the early spring night He said no more about the French savant, but instead spoke rapidly about his latest enthusiasm, the polyphony of Orlando di Lasso Then we talked ofhere It was alht e returned, and as we mounted the steps to our quarters, Holreatest of Italian poets: Cos andammo infino alla lumiera, Parlando cose che il tacere e bello
AN ENVOY TO LHASA
IN THE PAGES WHICH I HAVE DEVOTED TO THE ADVENTURES of Sherlock Holmes, I have often alluded to the contradiction between the iical faculties and the extraordinary disorder that he allowed to reign in the world of physical objects iain crossedas I looked up from my book and watched my friend slouched low in his favourite easy chair, his eyes half closed, his mind apparently far distant A year had passed since his return to London, and he was in the grip of another of the long melancholic fits that still seized hi of 1895, a day in late March to be exact, and as the rare London sun began to pour through our sitting roolance around our quarters As my eyes moved over them, I was struck this time not only by Holmes's continued untidiness, but by his ability to ed over many years It was as if in the depths of his boredoed to cultivate a hidden order within the clutter
As usual, his papers, chears were still in the coal scuttle, and his tobacco was tucked into the toe of one of his Persian slippers There were son, however, added inhis more disconsolate moments One of his recently acquired crie, sharp tooth, had now invaded the butter dish A few bullet holes in the form of a ”P” and an ”M” had been added to the wooden mantel, this time presumably in honour of the present prime minister, and his unanswered correspondence was still pinned to the wall by a knife It was only when I looked at this last object more closely, however, that I noticed another alteration, seeh in the entire picture The knife on the wall, originally an old jack-knife, had been replaced by a different instrument, what appeared to be, from where I was seated, a knife of an entirely novel character, one with a golden handle A quick glance about the room informed me that the jack-knife had been transferred to the breakfast table, where it had been thrust to the hilt into an open jar of marmalade
Curious about the provenance of the new knife, I walked over and pulled it fro the correspondence flutter audibly to the floor I heard Holmes suddenly pull himself up in his chair
”Boredoift of the Gods, Watson And the gold knife is from Tibet, should you be at all interested It is aof the double-edged blade and the initial 'S' that appears on the quillon These details tell us ilish ht curvature, is a modified version of one of Major Henry Shakespear's deadly creations The gold handle was of course cast in Tibet, possibly hundreds of years ago”
I made no immediate response to my friend's remarks, but returned to my seat to exath of fine steel that was ehtly shorter handle that appeared to be of solid gold The handle showed alns of wear but bore decorations and an inscription I noted what appeared to be the sun and moon, and the fylfot as it is known in British heraldry, or Buddhist swastika, here presuant characters that I could not read The language I assumed to be the Tibetan
”Indeed, I am most interested, particularly if there is a tale associated with it,” I answered belatedly, with feigned indifference
”Then even though your never-ending curiosity in my exploits threatens my beloved Deold knife andpapers that had lain across his chest onto the floor The boredom suddenly left his eyes, and I could alh the sequence of events that had transpired several years before as it reached his lips I was inwardly overjoyed at his sudden decision to reveal his life in Tibet, but I did not press him, lest he draw back as he had done several times in the past He had , the first time in his brief account of his escape from the Reichenbach Falls But until now, he had resisted all attempts on my part to wrest from him even the smallest portion of his Tibetan adventures I knew only what I had previously reported to the public: that he had lived there under the naian explorer and naturalist
”You see, Watson,” he began, ”my trip to Lhasa was not due to any whim of hest authority of Governe the details until now, it is because several principals in the matter would have been injured by their disclosure This 's paper announced the death of the last of these, and so I am now free to add these exploits to your chronicles”
He took the knife fro the blade
”As I have related to you before, except for the late, unlamented Colonel Sebastian Moran, Moriarty's chief henchman, only one other person was sure that I had survived the fateful encounter at the Reichenbach Falls, and that was my brother, Mycroft, to whom alone I communicated the fact of my fortunate but unexpected survival It was shortly after my arrival in Florence a week later that I informed hie fro that special emissaries of Governood of you to inform me of your final victory and survival in the battle with your great adversary, but in truth I expected no less of you My compliments The world is surely a better place now that Moriarty is no more
This is perhaps not the best moment to intrude upon your privacy or to add to your woes, considering your recent escapades, but a ency It involves a er I shall understand if you decline, but I believe that you are the only individual I know capable of bringing it off You ested to the authorities that you would be the ideal person to execute it Representatives of the highest authority are on their way to you to discuss the matter Please consider it carefully, Sherlock, for in addition to taking you far from your known ene needs of the E trip to one of the remotest corners of the civilised world Expect to hear shortly, therefore, fronor Berolini
As your executor, I have taken charge of your personal affairs, which, I trust, will be in good order when you eventually return A distraught Watson has just placed your obituary in the papers and is noriting up what he believes to be your ”final probleree with you that the deception of a sincerely grieving friend is necessary to your long-terratified by my brother's expression of trust in me, Watson, but I confess that I felt no immediate enthusiasm for the mission he mentioned Mycroft, as you know, is the most brilliant mind available to our Government Indeed, as I have remarked on previous occasions, in soe to me held important clues: the remotest corner of the civilised world could only mean somewhere in Asia, and in Asia lishman But I assure you that what transpired in Tibet, or in any other remote corner of the world for that matter, was then farthest froed the rocks thron on me by Colonel Moran, I had taken to , and had done ten miles in the darkness over the mountains before I boarded a train to Italy The reaction of a terrible weariness was uponfor an pacing back and forth in front of , he said, to find outa day later, that the portiere in the pensione where he had taken a roo at the Piazza della Signoria about the urgent matter of which you have already been infor Berolini The last reference was of course to the faraces the central piazza of Florence And it was to that place that Hol at exactly seven o'clock He placed himself near the statue and looked around It was the hour of what is known in Italy as the passeggiata, and the square was filled with strollers walking arle figure, a short rather stout nor Berolini” He bowed, addressing Holmes in measured but almost flawless Italian ”Please follow me,” he said They walked over to a nearby bench not far from the piazza, where they sat and conversed
”But you are an Englishman nonetheless,” Holmes replied, a bit sardonically perhaps The man was a bit taken aback by his remark
”How on earth did you know?” he cried out, breaking suddenly into English ”I have gone to great pains to create an Italian identity”
”Then begin by taking the added trouble of e an Italian barber to shape yourthat the man was crestfallen at his immediate exposure of him, Holmes did not continue in this vein, for he saw no reason to destroy the man's already injured confidence
”My naht, embarrassed smile
He handed Holn ned to the Italian peninsula Holuise, nor that he easily deduced that Munro had worked in Scotland Yard for a number of years
”We shall leave here separately,” said Munro, ”having recovered his coain in one hour at the address on the back of that card Please memorise it Any cab will take you there”
He removed the card fro quickly, he tipped his hat with a cheerful ”Auguri” and disappeared into the crowd Thorougly a the piazza, one of the most beautiful of Italian creations Then he hopped into a cab, asking the driver to take hined address
It took ale villa beyond the old city limits on the southern route towards Rome, some hours from Montepulciano, Pienza, and the other beautiful towns that fill the Tuscan landscape It was already dusk, and the shadows of the Italian pines were thrown softly everywhere by the golden setting sun
Holainit as he approached He followed hie villa that sat a few hundred yards back froarden They entered and proceeded to the library in which two gentlehly placed at the tinised one of them instantly; the other he knew by name He has asked that I not reveal their identities One of thereat weight in the upper circles of governan the discussion
”Mr Holmes, I am here to explain to you in detail the e to you I sincerely hope that you will agree to take on the tasks that I am about to describe to you Should you choose not to, however, I trust that all that will have transpired between us will be irrevocably forgotten and dismissed from your mind”
Holmes nodded in assent ”You may speak frankly, Your Lordshi+p, and I shall consider most seriously whatever you propose I can assure you, however, that should your mission not suit me, I shall immediately dis here this evening”
”Then listen most carefully, Mr Holmes As you n of other Oriental powers continues to grow and perturb those of us who have the grave responsibility of h the entire Subcontinent has been pacified internally for sorow from outside The Russians, the japanese, and at tiies of the Chinese ehtfully deemed ours They see our Indian possessions as the likely sources of their own eventual enrich burden that we carry there Although the defences of the Erows in Central Asia, an area that, as you know, is almost totally closed to us and still little known at best The Tsars have continued to conquer and plunder the region,their borders eastward to the confines of Tibet, where they already have their resident agents The japanese, their eyes constantly on a weakening and starving China, have already begun to depute their agents there as well You perhaps have heard of the Russian lama Dorjiloff and the notorious Yamamoto of Kyoto”
”The two have well-known cri before they disappeared into the wilds of Tibet,” said Holence and is extreerous He is wanted for a particularly brutal h he has his talents He is wanted in Shanghai for extortion and erappled with both in London, albeit at a distance and unfortunately without lasting success Their reincarnations as Governents have amused me for some time”
”They have been in and out of Lhasa for several years,” continued thewhich period our relations with the Tibetan government have co opinion that these agents, pursuing aggressive Tsarist and japanese policies of expansion in the Orient, have overnment away from its traditionally neutral stance to one that could foreseeably cause us great trouble along our Hi the seeds of political dissatisfaction in the plains of Hindusthan as well The ultimate objective is of course obvious: the removal of Britain as a power from the continent of Asia and the division of the spoils between Tsar and Eard the latter as alth But I aovern this path is taken”
”I understand your concerns,” said Holmes ”What, then, are the iht you here?”
”Recent events led us at first to believe that overnularisation of our relations with Tibet In order to stabilise these relations, we asked that the treaty be signed as soon as possible The Chinese agreed, but they have only nominal control over the Tibetans and could only meekly request Tibetan coovernment proved too feeble to obtain Tibetan consent As soon as certain eleovernment who are unfriendly to us becaan, deliberately and presuents such as Dorjiloff, to undermine it Boundary markers were uprooted and destroyed, border patrols were attacked, and,their trade The ious example of this dastardly conduct occurred when the only road fro, which had been thrown open to trade with India by the stipulations of the convention of 1810, was per of a wall Letters fro this action to the Grand Lama in Lhasa were returned unopened In order to convince the Tibetans that deeds such as these could only prove har run and that it was in Tibet's interest to sign the treaty at once, a treaty that in enerous to Tibet, a special envoy was sent to the Grand La our present position directly and without a, one of the an in the Central Provinces and included a distinguished period of service in Kashmir We had every hope for his success, but except for a brief note sent by Manning hi his safe arrival in Lhasa, nothing has been heard of hione by since his arrival, all requests frooverne of him or his mission Furious hat he considers to be Tibetan duplicity, the Viceroy has now requested permission to send an armed force to take the Tibetan capital and put an end once and for all to Tibetan machinations His Majesty's Government, however, is reluctant to do this without one last approach to the Tibetan governeneral opinion in London that a war in Tibet is to be avoided at this juncture, if at all possible Despite our ion, it would be a costly affair, causing severe repercussions a tribesard as undesirable We are well aware of our losses in Afghanistan and do not wish to repeat such unfortunate episodes An invasion would come only as a last resort The mission which we propose to you, therefore, Mr Hol or learn what has happened to hi that, reco, if you deem it necessary, an invasion of Tibet, for which undesirable eventuality we are prepared; and, finally, of course, to do whatever ht be done to neutralise the effects of Yamamoto and Dorjiloff, particularly the latter Until now, there has been no one e could oppose to the dexterity of the Buriat la some sense to the turbulent children of Tibet We believe that you are aree to the mission, you will have the full force of Government and their resources behind you I should advise that in all dealings with the Tibetan Government you keep to the specific identity which we have chosen for you and confirmed in the documents: if you accept the erson, Scandinavian explorer and naturalist, and incidentally secret envoy of the British Government Your true identity as Sherlock Holmes is to be kept secret and revealed only if necessary to the success of the mission This, I would presu from what little Mycroft Holmes has let us know of your immediate desires”
Holmes listened intently to the Minister's every word Despite his fatigue and reluctance to undertake any arduous assignht of a long trip to a quiet corner of the world where he could recover and plan the de Why not Tibet? The suggested journey not only fit his plan to avoid his enereatest interest It also gave hierous juncture in his life He therefore did not hesitate
”I agree to the mission, Your Lordshi+p, but I shall need immediate assistance I should say, ie of some aspects of Tibet is already considerable, and I shall not bore you with theof this kind, however, without thepreparation, preparation which, under circu the mission-conceivably matters of life and death-must reach to the most minute detail”
The minister smiled when he heard Holmes's acceptance, and in answer to his last words replied: ”Easily done, ht First, accept this portfolio It contains official copies of the treaty to be signed, copies of the charge to Manning as well as the details of hisTibet between ourselves and the Chinese”
As he spoke, he handed Hol the official papers
”Enclosed also is what I trust you will find to be more than adequate compensation for your efforts and for your expenses to Lhasa and return There are also your personal docuerson And now, let us proceed to the adjoining chamber”
They moved to the next room, one smaller than the library but also lined with books It was the second ain to your brother Mycroft, Mr Hol in this villa, the horeatest explorers and scholars of the Orient, and a good friend, I enes Club in London It was in anticipation of your assent to theHe himself is absent from Italy, but he has consented to full use of his collections This rooes on the history and peoples of Tibet and adjacent areas There is, in ement, no better collection anywhere In your stay, an active brain such as yours should be able to absorb and retain as much as it needs Notice, too, that these drawers contain detailed maps, the best now available, on Tibet and on Lhasa itself We have ements for you to live here until your departure fros from your pensione, so you needn't return there at all You will have, in all, six weeks here You will travel then to Naples, and thence to Brindisi, where you will board a shi+p for Bombay Once there, you must seek advice froe of your mission-as to how to proceed and what the best route to Lhasa will be at the time of your arrival Best of luck to you, my dear fellow, and I earnestly hope for your safety and success”
They shook Holorously as they departed
”I was left alone, Watson, elated at the prospect ofthe exhaustion of the previous days By this time it was almost eleven and I decided to retire A knock at the door caht occurred to me, and one of the servants appeared and showed ue enveloped me, and I went smoothly into the first real sleep since the death of Moriarty”
The following days were for Holorous assay into the Oriental literature on Tibet and its neighbours Each day he spent long hours poring over old histories androutes, passes, and altitudes Since he was to travel in the guise of a Scandinavian explorer and naturalist, he made certain of his familiarity as known of Himalayan flora and fauna He studied not only Hooker but also, and not without a certain irony, the works of his re years in the Hiht, he learned the peculiar script and studied the language He read the classic accounts of the Catholic missionaries such as Orazio della Penna and Le Pere Huc By all these accounts, the journey to Tibet was considered to be a erous one, and it was in this last text of Huc that he read of the curious lishman to visit Tibet, a certain Cleood friar's account, killed by bandits as he atte precedent, he thought Danger lurked everywhere for the casual traveller, and accounts of ement
It was the more recent accounts, however, that provided much of what he needed to understand present conditions in the country There hat appeared to be a most complicated political situation The Grand La boy in his ent, one Getong Tsarong Little was known of the latter except that he was the most feared individual in Tibet, known for his ruthless reat cruelties His power see, however, for in addition, there now lived in the Potala itself, the residence of the Grand Lae presence who bore the naent alluded to by the ic but temporary collusion with him was the japanese Ya control of Tibet fro it between their respective govern it would be before the interests of these ters diverged into open conflict rather than reely on the cleverness of our own policy Holht into the Great Game in Central Asia