Sherlock Holmes and the case of the crystal chalice

It had been some time since I had been really busy at my practice in London, the summer months had passed pleasantly with very few patients and perhaps only five serious cases in the whole of the season. I had, therefore, been able to spend a great deal of my time at my old lodgings in Baker Street. Much to my disappointment, Holmes' work load was much the same as mine. This had created an atmosphere of tension which escalated as the weeks went by, so intolerable had this state become that, up to the point where I begin my narrative, I had not been to Baker Street for three weeks. It was with a joyful heart then that I received Holmes letter on August 31st, 1892 for the letter was written hurriedly and showed a great deal of excitement in my friend.

Watson(it ran) come at once, have received strange and intriguing letter with no signature. Help most appreciated.

Holmes

It has to be said that whenever I received a letter like this I felt only relief in the knowledge that Holmes' interest was no longer in the cocaine bottle, but on a case. I have never felt cautious or a sense of dread, if I had done then maybe this whole affair could have been avoided, but then maybe Holmes' true intellectual and physical strength would never had been made known, you must decide for yourself whether the reputation increase was worth the pain.

I arrived then full of anticipation and energy for the case, so much so that I the few words of greeting I gave to Mrs. Hudson as she opened the door must have been lost as I fairly flew up the stairs.

I pushed open the door and strode happily in, only to be greeted by an empty chair and a carpet of papers. Holmes had obviously been searching for some document, probably for a clue as to who our client was. As I walked around the room I noted that the drawer which contained his vice was locked, and that the Persian slipper which contained his tobacco was empty. A great deal of thought had gone into this case before he had even met the client.

Mrs. Hudson knocked on the door and entered briskly, no doubt a little annoyed at my hasty entrance.

"Mr. Holmes has gone out Dr" she began "he said you were to wait for him and to glance over the letter in the meantime"

I had not spotted the letter before this moment, but following Mrs. Hudson's gaze I perceived a small white envelope in the table.

I thanked Mrs. Hudson, who left as briskly as she came, then turned my full attention to the document before me. There was no address on the envelope, not even a name and nothing to provide any clue as to its origin. I therefore opened the letter and examined its contents. It was handwritten, brief and quite the strangest letter I have ever read.

Mr.. Holmes

I shall call upon you tonight to explain a matter in which you may take interest. If you are able to assist me in my dilemma, you may become a wealthy man. Expect me at eight o clock sharp. I Hope you are able to make the right decision.

The letter was not signed and gave no indication as to where it had come from or who its author might be. I have no doubt however that Holmes could tell far more from this typed four lined piece of foolscap than I could ever possibly see. I would just have to await Holmes' return before I could anymore. I did not have long to wait, within fifteen minutes there were footsteps on the stairs and my old friend was once again stood in front of me. His eyes were alive with excitement and his face showed positive delight when his eyes fell upon me where I sat.

"My dear friend" he cried as he strode over to me "how good it is that you could come at such short notice, though such hurry was perhaps not necessary, there would have been time for you to have walked here and saved yourself a shilling"

For a moment I was stunned, Holmes' quick observation was known to me and yet every time they would completely elude me.

"How on earth did you come to that conclusion" I asked in amazement "the roads are dry for we have had no rain for days, my shoes would have looked the same even if I had walked, what about my appearance could possibly give me away"

"Nothing about your appearance friend Watson "Holmes replied with a smile "I merely observed you arrive" Holmes walked over to the Persian slipper and filled it with tobacco, he then proceeded to light his pipe.

" I was on the other side of the pavement entering the tobacconist when your cab pulled up, I figured you would need some time to read the letter and make your own conclusions so I took the opportunity to post a reply to a letter I have received"

I was fair to say that I felt positively cheated by this admission, no clever observations or deductions, no quick train of thought of clever reasoning, just simple observation. Holmes must have seen clearly what was going through my mind, for he laughed.

"Watson, even simple methods such as observation are necessary in deduction, but we must desist from such trivial matters, what are your views on the letter."

I stood up and walked over to the table where I had placed the letter

"It certainly is odd, it must have been hand delivered for there is no address and no name on the envelope, as to the letter itself, it is certainly the strangest thing, it seems that you have no option but to see the man"

"It is written rather forcefully and I agree that is written by a man. It is also very strange paper, thick and pale cream in colour. High quality paper, though the deliver was less pristine, observe the thumb mark on the envelope. The man who delivered it then I suspect is not its author, which means that that we are dealing with more than person here.

There are several other small features which at the moment present no significant interest but what I am curious to know is what possible dilemma anyone could have, in which the resolution makes me rich." Holmes furrowed his brow as he thought, sucking hard at his pipe.

"Maybe" I offered "he means that if you take the case he will pay you handsomely, it may be a rich man"

Holmes said nothing but stared hard at the floor, I have seen him deep in thought before, but a thought occurred to me which struck me as odd, I voiced my query to Holmes.

"I had thought" I began cautiously "it was a mistake to theorize before you had data, I am convinced I have heard you say that it biases the judgment"

Holmes didn't move but sucked harder on his pipe. "it is the lack of data which interests me and the reason for it" he murmured. "Why should he be so secretive?"

At this he jumped up from his chair and walked over to the door with some explanation that he must change before our client arrived. I was left to think it over in my own mind.

Who was this man, what was his predicament, why was he so devoid of information, as I thought through these questions excitement came to my mind. I had not realised it was only a few minutes before the hour and the thought of meeting our mystery visitor sent a thrill through me.

The letter had not been false; at eight o clock we heard a ring at the doorbell. There was gruff male voice from downstairs and then the sound of ascending footsteps. The man did not knock but pulled open the door roughly and stepped boldly over the threshold. He was a fearful sight, a tall man dressed in black, with a bulky physique and dark fierce eyes that rested upon me as he looked around the room. There was something about him that made me very glad that I was with Holmes and he beside the drawer which contained his revolver.

"Who are you" he asked coldly still staring at me.

"This is my friend and colleague Dr Watson, I'm Sherlock Holmes and you have neglected to give us your name" Holmes' rather cold introduction seemed positively warm compared to the demeanor of the man.

"I want to talk to you, not your friends" the man said curtly, turning his fierce gaze upon Holmes.

Holmes smiled and proffered his hand

"Your name sir" he demanded again. The client did not seem inclined to give his name or his hand but stood still and resolute. "If you do not give me your name" Holmes continued retracting his hand "then I shall have no choice but to refuse to listen to your case, it is entirely up to you."

At this the man smiled slightly and sat himself down in Holmes' chair.

"Smith" he barked to my friend with a sneer "now can we talk"

Holmes moved away from the desk where he had been leaning and walked over to the fireplace.

"Please continue Mr. Smith and tell us what the problem is" he said as he turned to face the man named Smith.

Smith shook his head with a smile

"I said, I haven't come here to talk to your friends, it is you Mr. Holmes that I'm her to speak with, not this Dr"

"We normally work as a pair" Holmes explained with a shrug, this did not impress Smith in the slightest. He lent forward in the chair and fixed my friend a threatening stare. I began to sidle over to the desk with the one intention of getting the revolver from the drawer.

"It is in Dr Watson's best interest that he leaves the room" Smith continued to talk in a quiet, firm tone, "what I have to say is not for his ears."

"Well it is both or none" Holmes said resolutely "make your choice"

Smith stood up and put his hand into his pocket, I made another move toward the desk, my mind focused upon Holmes revolver.

"You've put me a difficult position" Smith said beginning to advance on my friend "you're going to regret not listening to me"

Holmes took a step backward and found himself against the fire place, at this I pulled open the drawer and reached inside for the gun, it was gone. In panic I spun around to face Holmes and found that Smith had begun to back off. Holmes held his revolver firmly in his hand.

"I don't want any trouble" Smith said nervously eyeing the gun "I've said what I came to say, and if you're not going to listen then I'm wasting my time, but you will wish you had listened Mr. Holmes. I'm going now, I'm going" and with that he moved over to the door and let himself out.

Holmes placed the revolver back into his pocket where he had been hiding it and dusted down his chair before sitting in it with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"What do you make of him Watson" Holmes asked as he lit his pipe. I didn't quite know what to say.

"What on earth could he have wanted that he was ready to do anything for" I asked. "well I suppose we shall never know now, he has gone for good I suppose"
"by no means" Holmes remarked heartily "he is sure to be back, don't worry about that one Watson, well maybe not him but someone on behalf of the same person, did you not here his words 'you're going to regret not listening to me' oh no, we have not heard the last of this"

And Holmes was right. Not two days later did I receive another letter from Holmes that was even more agitated than the first one.

Watson

Another letter without signature requesting private audience, grateful of your immediate assistance in the matter

Holmes

p.s bring you revolver

Holmes' last words were not needed; I was fully prepared this time for any trouble that our visitor might cause. I hurried round again to Baker Street and this time found Holmes sitting in the window, a letter in his hand. On seeing me he jumped up and handed me the letter which had prompted him to send for me, it ran thus

Mr. Holmes

I understand you would not communicate with my intermediate. I will call upon you in person tonight and expect to be able to see you alone. It is necessary to speak with you alone as the matter is a delicate one. If you will consent to helping us you will be a rich man. I will come at eight o clock sharp

"They don't give up" I exclaimed after reading the letter "are you going to see them alone"

"Certainly not" replied Holmes as he sat down at the table and began to write a letter, "If you will be so good I would feel better for having your assistance during the interview"

"I will not leave you if you think I can help" I replied "although he did ask to see you alone"

"Watson I believe they need my help more than they want it, there will be more than one person tonight and they will undoubtedly by armed" Holmes replied as he wrote hurriedly "I do not know what it is they need me for but I have a suspicion that it isn't legal, I want your support when I turn down their offer"

At this Holmes folded the letter and put it in an envelope. I was feeling slightly wary of this case by now but didn't want Holmes to miss out on a case which could make him rich.

"You are definitely not going to take the case then." I asked as he sealed the envelope and wrote the address.

"Well that does depend upon what information they are prepared to give me tonight" he relied moving to the door "Mrs. Hudson!!"

Mrs. Hudson came and after enquiring whether or not Holmes was planning on eating at all this week and learning that he was not that evening, took the letter to be posted and left.

"I am not hungry Watson" Holmes said in response to my disapproving look. "That's all, so will you stay"

Of course I would stay, the case of the unknown case, as this was going to be known, was in full swing and I was in the middle of it, where I felt I should be.

But as the night moved on and eight o'clock approached, it was not excitement that filled my head, but a fear of what was going to come. And yet in truth we had learned nothing of the man who was coming, save that he wanted to talk to Holmes. It was not something to fear in itself but both Holmes and myself thought we would enjoy the evening better if we were armed.

At eight o clock the bell rang once more. Holmes sat down in his chair and motioned me to sit as well. Once again the door was pushed open and in stepped three men.

The first was a small thin man dressed in a black suit; he glanced around the room and smiled at Holmes. The other two were larger and were dressed in brown, I recognized one of the men as the man Smith from the last meeting, they also glanced around the room but did not smile. A silence was maintained for what must have been no more than thirty seconds, but seemed like hours, and then finally the small man spoke.

"Mr. Holmes" he began "such a pleasure to meet you at last, and Dr Watson also."

"You have the advantage over us" Holmes said suddenly "what is your name"

The man dressed in black walked forward to where me and Holmes were sitting, he continued to smile all the way there. The smile was incredibly unnerving.

"We want to talk to you Mr. Holmes about a little problem we have, it is a chance to become very rich, very quickly, are you interested"

Holmes shook his head with a smile

"How can I be, I do not even know what the problem is" he said staring at the man. "If you were to tell us both your name and what ever it is you would like me to do I can give a simple answer"

"I will say nothing while your friend is in the room" he replied to Holmes, and then turning to me he added "remove yourself and the interview will be over much quicker, you do not need to be here"

At this Holmes stood up, it was clear he had had enough.

"Gentlemen" he began "Watson and I work together, whatever you tell me I shall later relate to him, surely it would be easier if he stayed"

The man in black looked carefully at me, and then slowly turned his gaze back to Holmes.

"It is you Mr. Holmes who is the famous detective, am I right"

"Quite so" answered Holmes warily

"And I am right in thinking that Dr Watson merely records the cases? As we neither need nor want a storyteller, I am convinced that Dr Watson does not need to be troubled by this case, please tell me that I am right Mr. Holmes"

Holmes said nothing but placed his hand into his pocket.

"I see, it is true, then maybe Dr Watson would be so good as to leave the room" the man in black turned to me again.

"I'm staying here" I replied defiantly, the man shrugged his shoulders and turned back to Holmes.

"Then maybe we had better talk somewhere else" he asked with a smile.

Holmes shot a look at the two men in brown suits.

"Certainly" he answered "next week?" The man in black smiled.

"no Mr. Holmes, but if you cannot make tonight then how about tomorrow"

"I cannot I'm afraid, the day after perhaps" Holmes suggested.

"Perfect" the man said with a smile " I shall send my friends here to collect you Thursday morning" Holmes nodded and the gentlemen moved to the door. The two men in brown suits stepped over the threshold but the small man in black turned at the door.

"Till then Mr. Holmes, oh and there will be no need to bring that revolver" at this he turned and left.

Holmes moved back to his chair and sat down carefully, his face showed he was deep in thought and that he was deeply troubled, Holmes had always been able to see things I couldn't but I could not see how it was possible for him to suddenly changed his mind about taking the case, as far as I could perceive, nothing had been said that would have made any difference. But Holmes had accepted the offer and now sat deeply troubled in his chair, staring into space.

"Do you not need me to assist you in this case then Holmes" I asked rather coldly, I had been hurt when Holmes had not corrected the man when he suggested that I do not help Holmes in the cases .

"Watson" Holmes began quietly "I shall need your help, but not in the initial interview"

"What do you want me to do" I asked, at this Holmes looked up. The care fell from his face and determination set in.

"What you always do" he answered with a smile "be prepared to question everything, listen and observe the whole time and just ..." Holmes paused "just be ready for when I need you"

I have always felt privileged that Holmes should share his cases with me, and at that moment I felt extra privileged. By involving me in this case it seemed to me that Holmes was putting himself at a risk, so I felt deep gratitude.

Upon Holmes' instruction I stayed away from Baker Street for the next two days. I buried myself in my work, which had, liked Holmes', suddenly become far more interesting and busy. My wife was also pleased that I was not spending each evening with Holmes. It was on Friday afternoon that I next heard anything about the matter. I was sitting reading the afternoon paper in my study when the servant girl entered with a message, it was from Mycroft Holmes, Holmes' brother . I have written before that only on one occasion have I actually fainted and this is true, though as I read through the letter I felt a cold dread spread through my body and my heard whirred. The letter ran

Watson

Come to Baker Street immediately

Sherlock is missing; he was escorted from his rooms in Baker street yesterday morning and has not returned since. Mrs. Hudson the house keeper found a note in his room this morning, stating that if he was not back by Friday morning she was to call the police, you and myself. This she has done and informs me that you are the only person who knew Holmes would be meeting these people. You help is desperately needed.

Mycroft Holmes

When I had recovered from my weakness I cancelled as many appointments as I could and transferred the rest of my patients to my friends practice. I then took a cab and arrived in baker street soon after.

Here I was met by Mycroft and Inspector Lestrade who told me again what had happened.

"what did these men look like" Lestrade asked me after I had explained about the interview, "we need a clear description of them" I gave as best a description as I could but I was so shocked by the whole affair that I could barely recall anything.

"May I see the letter Mrs. Hudson found, inspector" Mycroft asked, he too seemed very agitated and read through the letter twice. "Was there any thing else unusual in his room" Lestrade explained that the room had not been searched

"there seemed very little point" he explained "no crime had been committed in his room, he isn't in there is he" I confess I wasn't thinking very clearly but it seemed to me that Lestrade was somehow enjoying this, Holmes was not around to make him look small with his big observations, the pleasure I read in his face was almost too much for me to stand.

"We will examine Sherlock's room and we'll inform you of any evidence we find" Mycroft announced and took my arm to lead me inside. Lestrade shrugged and climbed into a cab, while Mycroft and myself went into the house.

We found Mrs. Hudson sitting on the stairs, she was weeping and cried out when she saw us.

"oh Dr Watson" she sobbed as I approached, " I don't know where he his, he's gone, he's been kidnapped, oh, oh dear"

"it's alright Mrs. Hudson" I said soothingly "the police are going to take care of it, now don't you worry"

We left her sobbing on the stairs while we ascended to the rooms upstairs. From first glance it appeared that Lestrade may have been right after all, there was no sign of a struggle, nothing to suggest he had been removed against his will. Mycroft had immediately gone to the drawers of the desk, he rummaged through the open ones then without saying a word moved into Holmes bedroom. I felt completely useless, in cases like this I simply followed Holmes and looked at what he had found, maybe the small man had been right, maybe I wasn't any use to Holmes at all. At this moment Mycroft re entered with something in his hand and sat down wearily in a chair.

"he knew this was going to happen" I said quietly "why on earth did he stay here and wait for them, why didn't he just disappear I shouldn't have left him here alone"

"He couldn't have done that" answered Mycroft emptying his pocket "come and look at this" I did as I had been told and sat opposite him. "I found this letter within another addressed to you and myself, this letter was also hidden within his wardrobe. I would not have even found that had there not been this note in place of his revolver"

At this I took the papers from his hand. The first was a small scrap of paper with the word 'wardrobe' scrawled upon it. I then turned my eyes to the next letter; it was a third one from our anonymous client. As I read through it realization dawned and panic arose.

Mr. Holmes (it ran)

Just to remind you of our appointment today, I know you will not have forgotten. In brief we wish you to explain to us how we might obtain the Crystal Chalice. I am fully aware of your contact with

Lord Hignman upon the matter, I expect you to cooperate. If you have changed your mind about the meeting and offering your assistance do not try to disappear. If we are unable to contact you I shall pay a visit on your friend Dr Watson. With some persuasion he will tell me your location and I will find you. Whether you consent to helping me or not, you will assist me in this matter. I hope I make myself admirably clear.

"I don't suppose you are aware of what the Crystal Chalice is Dr" Mycroft asked me when I had finished reading the letter.

"no" I said "but I am desperate to know"

"so am I" replied Mycroft to my dismay "I have never heard of it, though it is probably something which Sherlock knows everything about." he got up quickly and walked over to the window. I do not know Mycroft Holmes very well as we have only met briefly on a couple of occasions but even from my brief knowledge of him I could tell he was deeply troubled by it all.

"we might have a better chance when we find this Lord Hignman" I offered "was there anything else in his room that is of interest" Mycroft shook his head

"nothing of significance" he said quietly " we will go to Monarchy hall now and then on to the police"

"Monarchy Hall?" I asked in amazement, or surely it was the first time any such place had been mentioned.

"yes" smiled Mycroft, "it is the home of Lord Hignman"

It did not take us very long to get to Monarchy Hall; I had passed it before but knew nothing of this Lord Hignman. Mycroft explained as we drove, that he had recently come over from America where he is said to have made his millions. With his roots in England he has returned live out his retirement.

"He's one of the richest men in London" Mycroft added as we pulled up at the hall.

It was quite late now but we were warmly received when the household were informed of who we were.

We were asked to wait in the library for an interview with Lord Hignman, it was a beautiful room. My mind was barley focused on anything that night apart from the plight of my friend but I couldn't help but notice the splendor of the room. Lord Hignman was clearly a man of great wealth.

Mycroft had found himself a seat beside a large table and now sat very still with his eyes closed.

We did not have to wait long to see Lord Hignman, a few minutes of silence bought us a tall man, elegantly dressed with tanned skin and dark hair and a small moustache. He entered calmly and shook me warmly by the hand

"Good afternoon gentlemen" he began warmly "my butler tells me you are here on behalf of Mr. Holmes, you are his brother and friend I believe" Mycroft stood up and proffered his hand

"Mycroft Holmes and this" Mycroft added indicating myself "is Dr John Watson, we need to speak with you about your business with my brother"

At this Lord Hignman stiffened, it was clear that this was a delicate subject.

"Business?" he replied with a slight smile "what business would that be?"

"this business of the crystal chalice" replied Mycroft "don't pretend you do not know what I am talking about"

Clearly Lord Hignman had not been expecting this, his face angered as he shouted

"How dare he speak of this with you" he cried "how dare he when he swore he would tell no one"

"He hasn't said a word about it" I replied in surprise "Holmes would never break the confidence of a client"

"Lies" spat Lord Hignman " no one else in England is aware of it's existence"

"Then how do you account for this" Mycroft pulled out the letter from Holmes room and handed it to Lord Hignman "there are clearly others who know of this crystal chalice"

Lord Hignman read through the letter hurriedly and panic rose in his eyes.

"Who are these people?" he spluttered when he had finished reading the letter. "How do they know about the chalice, no one knows, it must be removed at once" at this Lord Hignman turned and made to leave the room. Mycroft was already there, baring the way.

"No" said Mycroft quietly " you will sit down Lord Hignman" there was something in Mycroft's voice that brought Lord Hignman to his senses and he sat down beside the table.

"Now then" continued Mycroft "my brother is missing, taken by the authors of this letter. You are going tell us exactly what this crystal chalice is and who might be interested in stealing it, do you understand"

Lord Hignman looked desperately between me and Mycroft; it was clear he was desperate to say nothing at all about the matter but eventually he could see it was hopeless and began to speak.

"Alright then" he started as he stood up "I'll tell you. About four years ago I became very rich; in fact I would not be exaggerating when I say that my fortunes totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars. It came about that a diamond of immense value came my way and I was able to buy it. There began my impressive collection of diamonds and precious stones. It is quite above any other collection in the world. The diamond was unique, the only one of its kind. There started the crystal chalice. You may have heard of the blue eye of Adelaide, that was my third buy. Others such as the sphere diamond and the Chinese pearl were collected over the years. I put them all together and had them set in a silver bowl. This then became the Crystal Chalice, I'll show you"

As he had been talking we had been walking through the house, we now found ourselves beside an upstairs door.

Lord Hignman swung open the door; it is fair to say that I had not expected to see what I saw. I looked in hoping to see a grand room with the crystal chalice pride of place in the centre. However all that was in this room was a bare bed, an old brown wardrobe and a laundry basket on wheels.

"is this all" I asked in great surprise "don't tell me you keep such a valuable artefact in a room like this, there is no security here at all"

Lord Hignman smiled

"that was Holmes' idea" he said as we entered "when I asked him how best to keep the thing safe from thieves he told me to place it somewhere where the surrounding objects were of little value, in fact he suggested this room himself when he saw how bare it was"

He was right, the room was bare, I felt certain that if I were the thief, this would be the last place I would look.

"it also has other qualities, not having a window through which it can be accessed" he continued "the chalice is here within this laundry basket" at this he opened the basket and pulled out an old cloth. I could hardly contain my excitement as we drew nearer to get a better look. Lord Hignman handed the object to Mycroft who carefully unwrapped and displayed the wondrous artefact. It was a magnificent sight. The jewels within the bowl caught the light and glimmered fantastically. I was about to comment upon the splendor of the thing when Mycroft wrapped it back up, roughly put it back into the laundry basket and slammed the lid.

"Who else knew of the crystal chalice Lord Hignman" he demanded angrily. " it is impossible that it could only have been you and my brother or else you would not have had any need to consult him on security, so let us have no more lies now sir"

Lord Hignman looked affronted and shocked at Mycroft's outburst. Clearly no one ever spoke to him in that way and he was finding it rather insulting.

"I can assure you sir" he replied angrily "that not even my staff are aware of what is kept in this chest"

"Who then are you expecting to steal the chalice" I asked, "surely if what you say is true, you should have no fear of it being stolen"

Mycroft fixed the Lord with a cold glare, but when he spoke his voice was softer.

"Please Lord Hignman, Tell us"

"As I have said" Lord Hignman began "no one in England knows of it's existence, however, back in America there are three people who I know that could know of the chalice"

"Who are these people" Mycroft said with a sigh of relief.

Lord Hignman sat down upon the laundry basket

"well, the man who set the stones, Jacob Kilnor, was killed last year in a train accident in California, so we can rule him out, but he had an assistant Matthew Bates that worked with him, he is aware it exists. Also there is my brother Lord Peter Hignman and my old friend Jack Summers that I was close to during the time the chalice was put together, other than that gentlemen" he concluded as he got up and walked to the door "I have informed no one in the world"

We now made our way downstairs, it was clear that Lord Hignman was seeking to end the interview as quickly as possible.

"What will you do now Mr. Holmes" he asked Mycroft as we collected our hats,

"I will follow my line of enquiry" Mycroft replied "and you will keep us informed of anything out of the ordinary that occurs" and with that we said our goodbyes and left.

Having accompanied Holmes on many of his cases I knew that after information had been given he liked to think it over in his mind, I suspected that his brother would use much the same technique so I said nothing to start with as we travelled to the police station. My mind fell to my friend and the position he had found himself in. I recalled cases where Holmes had gone missing, there had never been any cause for alarm, even when he was detained by the miscreants. Mycroft sat in silence with his eyes shut, it was clear that he was upset by the whole affair; I felt I had to say something encouraging.

"at least we have a clue as to who these people are now" I said brightly, there was no response from Mycroft so I carried on. "I'm sure that Holmes will be alright, he must have expected something like this to happen from that letter he received so.."

"He expected to return" Mycroft cut in abruptly "whatever he had planned it was not for it to be a long interview. He thought he would be returning, he misjudged them. So please Dr, when we find Sherlock, and believe me we will, do not take it for granted that we will find him alive"

Mycroft shut his eyes and turned away. I had been so sure that we would find Holmes that it had never occurred to me that he might actually be dead. I spent the rest of the journey in silence, my head swimming, it was one of the lowest points in my whole life, as if someone had cut out a piece of my inside and left me hollow.

When we pulled up at Scotland Yard I stood up to get out but Mycroft stopped me, I asked him in surprise what was wrong.

"I was a little sharp with you earlier" he replied quietly "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to dash your hopes"

I was touched by this apology

"You haven't" I answered "I have faith in you and in Holmes, what is our plan of action" Mycroft smiled and climbed out of the cab

"Were going to look up about our suspects, come on Watson"

Inside we made our way to the office of Lestrade, who did not seem impressed by our late visit. Mycroft and I explained what we had come to do and enquired at how the investigation was going.

"Well gentlemen" Lestrade began "we've interviewed the landlady and checked the descriptions of the men from the interview. None are from America though"

"can you find out about Matthew Bates, Lord Peter Hignman and Jack Summers, there backgrounds, their connections and when and where they lived in America" Mycroft said as we looked over the notes from Mrs. Hudson's interview.

Lestrade huffed angrily and stood up, "I have got other cases besides this one to deal with Mr. Holmes" Lestrade said firmly "I cannot spend all day going through a list of possible suspects that are not even in this country"

I felt myself becoming angry now, Holmes had helped Lestrade a countless number of times and now he needed Lestrade's help.

"this is far more than an abduction now Inspector" I said moving to the desk " The crystal chalice is in need of protection and you have the means to do this as well as assist the man who has assisted you with no recognition for years" I felt my chest rise and fall rapidly in anger and realized my fists were clenched. Mycroft placed his hand on my shoulder and moved me away.

Lestrade looked at us in his ferret like way and nodded

"you are right" he sighed "Holmes has been of use to the force several times, and while I don't approve of some of his methods, he's a good man, I'll get the records on these men"

We left the station with a glimmer of hope, though Mycroft's words had dampened my spirits significantly.

I didn't sleep well that evening, my thoughts were with Holmes and where he might be. Mycroft seemed confident that we had something solid to work from but to me everything was as dark as ever. I remembered what Mycroft had said when we were in the cab, it made me quite sick to think it but he was right. Holmes may not be still alive, no attempt had yet been made to steal the crystal chalice, suggesting that Holmes had refused to assist the men. Had it cost him his life, I tried to put the matter from my mind for the despair which I felt was too much to bear.

But my fears were soon put to rest for the time being when the following day I received a telegram from Mycroft. My heart leap as I read through the letter,

DR WATSON (it ran)

HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM SHERLOCK STOP HE IS ALIVE STOP MEET AT MONARCHY HALL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE STOP MYCROFT HOLMES STOP

I was at Monarchy hall within twenty minutes of receiving the telegram, there I found Mycroft waiting for me outside the gate, the letter in his hand.

As I approached he mentioned something about needing to speak urgently with Lord Hignman but I was only concerned with the letter which he now handed me.

Lord Hignman

I have been forced to reveal the safety plan we constructed for the crystal chalice. The villains who are at present holding me captive plan to break into you home on Tuesday based on the information I have given them. It is essential that the chalice is placed in the front room and not in the side room. Then guard the usual position as this is where I have instructed them to attack.

I have little time but I had to warn you, please show this letter to my brother Mycroft Holmes and Dr John H Watson, they will need to know that I am safe. Please do as I have said.

Sherlock Holmes .

I'm relying on you

I read through the letter twice, puzzled. It confirmed that Holmes was being held for information about the crystal chalice and that they planed to break into the house. It was in Holmes' own hand but there was something about the letter that made me suspicious. I voiced my concerns to Mycroft the escorted me into Monarchy hall

"look at it" I said anxiously as we walked through the door "he says he has little time and yet the letter is not remarkably short, certainly not the sort of the letter I would have expected to receive from a captive"

Mycroft took the letter from me and read it again

"or" he said quietly "does he mean.." he stopped mid sentence and stared hard at the letter "why" he began again "has he not told us where he is?"

"perhaps he does not know where he is" I suggested, Mycroft shook his head

"no but that not make sense doctor, Holmes would be able to tell from his surroundings where he was no matter where you put him, you must have seen him identify a place from a piece of mud before" I agreed that I had

"so why then is he unable to give any kind of location whatsoever?" Mycroft asked shaking his head.

"maybe the villains have blindfolded him" I ventured but once again Mycroft rebuked my comment.

"if he were blindfolded he would have been unable to write this letter anyway"

"and where did he acquire paper and ink, and how was it posted" he continued

"surely such things are not provided for a captive" I remarked

Mycroft looked at me in surprise and a smile came over his face

"Watson" he began "you've.. "

"thank goodness you could come" Lord Hignman's voice appeared behind me, as I turned round I could see that Lord Hignman was in a deadly full state for his hair had not been tamed in a while and his eyes were wide with nervousness.

"I wired Mr. Holmes as soon as I got the letter but when he arrived he refused to discuss the letter without you here Dr Watson, I'm at my wits end I truly am, oh please say that you can do something" all this was said at an immense speed and by the time he had finished speaking, Lord Hignman was quite out of breath and wheezing terribly.

"you need to sit down my Lord" I said firmly and ordered one of the servants to fetch him a glass of brandy.

When he had drunk the glass an was a little more calm, Mycroft open the door to his office and stood expectantly on the threshold.

"now we shall talk" he said quietly.

"it really is the strangest letter I have ever received, Mr. Holmes" Lord Hignman said when we were all seated

Mycroft wandered around the room reading the letter to himself while myself and Lord Hignman sat desperately trying to think of an explanation for all the questions.

"What puzzles me also" Lord Hignman said quietly after a while "is that Holmes should make such a mistake, I am aware that the letter was written in a great hurry, but.."

"What mistake" Mycroft turned to face Lord Hignman

"Well he says in his letter that the chalice is to be put in the front room and not in the side room and then guard the usual position"

"Well" I asked, not aware of what mistake had been made "why is that a mistake"

"Because the front room is the usual position, it is never in the side room" he answered. "if you look at the letter" he continued "Holmes says to guard the usual position but it is as if he is saying that the side room is the usual position"

Mycroft took the letter back and moved swiftly to the door

" I must think" he said and then he left, closing the door behind him.

We waited for Mycroft for about an hour before we decided that we should probably go and search for him, however as we stood up to leave the door swung open and Mycroft stepped in to the room.

"I know how to find Sherlock and protect your chalice" he cried triumphantly "the answers are all here in this letter. Firstly" he said as he sat himself upon a chair "this whole letter is a plan by the captors, they forced Sherlock to write this to make it look as though he were warning you against the thieves, but really he was asking you to move the chalice to an unguarded room and await the attack on the other side of the house"

"but I have told you" protested Lord Hignman "that room is the usual position, if I'm meant to be guarding the usual position then it will be the front room"

"I believe that my brother has put his life on the line for your stupid piece of silver" Mycroft replied angrily " he has given the thieves incorrect information. If they believe that there will be no one in the front room because everyone is guarding the side room waiting for them then they will not be expecting an attack."

"that's why he could give no indication of where he is" I cried "they would have checked through the letter before they sent it"

"mm well it could have been sent secretly" Lord Hignman ventured "it was not posted, a man delivered it saying that it fell off a cart, as if it had been just lodged in the wheel"

"no doubt the man was one of the thieves" grunted Mycroft "there is something else though"

Mycroft laid the letter upon the table and pulled a pencil from his pocket.

" look at these letters" he began, pointing to, what seemed to be random letters within the text

"I see nothing" Lord Hignman said, voicing my own thoughts.

"yes, you and every other casual observer" replied Mycroft with a smile "I however can see something," Mycroft began to underline the letters he had pointed to "these letters have been written in a different pencil, in fact I think it may be coal. these letters are not random letters but show a hidden message"

As Mycroft finished underlining the letters I began to put them together, the message ran thus.

FOLLOWTHEMBACKHELPME

"he sounds desperate" I said quietly "well, now we know what we have to do"

"exactly" nodded Mycroft "I think were going to need a little help from the police"

That night I arrived Monarchy Hall fully prepared with my pistol, though when I arrived Mycroft informed me that it was unlikely to be needed. We were not going to be accosting the villains, but lying in wait in a cab ready to follow those who escaped.

"the police are instructed to allow at least one of the men to escape, we will follow them back to where they are hiding, then we will do what we have to do"

As we climbed into the cab I felt the same thrill of adventure as I have often felt when on a case, however this time it was more anxiety to find my dear friend than the thrill of catching the criminal.

The minutes passed in silence, we had to be as quiet as possible so as not to raise suspicion.

Then Mycroft put his hand upon my shoulder and pointed toward the house, a group of about three men walked up to the house and disappeared around the side of the house.

"what are they doing" said one of the constable who was with us "they're supposed to be breaking into the front room"

I watched carefully waiting for something to happen, and what happened was not what I expected. Another man crept stealth fully up to the front of the house and with surprising agility scaled the wall that lead into the room where Lestrade and his men were waiting. What happened next happened so fast it wasn't until after that I could say for certain what happened. The men who had previously crept round the side of the house came running at full speed back around the front of the house, shouts ensued from the front room and lights began coming on all around the house. The three men disappeared behind the wall and our driver whipped up the horse. We were off, the men had had a horse and trap waiting for them and now we chased them through the streets. I have never been driven so fast in a cab before and the whole thing rattled and shook.

After about twenty minutes of intense speed we took a sharp turning that led us down through some trees and onto a winding road. On Mycroft's orders we slowed down, in response to my surprised and quizzical looks he said

"we need to make them think they have lost us, but don't worry Doctor, I know where we're headed"

After five minutes we pulled up beside a pale grey building, it was a short long building with windows running all along the bottom of it. We ran to one of these and crouched beside it. As I peered through the window I could see into one room of the building, it was bare and badly lit. Amongst other things such as a broken chair and bits of glass there lay a figure, his hands tied behind his back. As we looked more closely I could see who the man was.

"the police are coming" Mycroft whispered, "I'm going to find the way in"

I felt so helpless as I stared at the body of Sherlock Holmes, I couldn't even tell if he were alive or dead for he didn't move a muscle and his eyes were shut. I began to get up but as I leant against the window for support it swung open with a slight squeak and to my overwhelming relief, the body on the floor opened it's eyes and Sherlock Holmes looked up at me.

I turned to call for Mycroft but before I could make a sound the door of the room below me banged open and two men charged in through the door and over toward my friend. One of the men grabbed my friend and pulled him upright while the other spoke in a harsh American accent.

"you thought you could fool us Mr. Holmes but you have failed, the only fool here is you, you've breathed you last"

At this he placed a bag over my friend's head and tied a rope about his neck. This he attached to a hook on the wall, Holmes struggled weakly against his binds but he seemed to have no strength left

I could hear the police banging against the door , trying to break it down but all my attention was focused upon the group below me.

I cocked my gun at the rope and as it pulled taught I pulled the trigger. To my great surprise and relief my shot was accurate and Holmes' body fell to the ground. I ran toward the door which the police had finally managed to break down and flung myself through it. I have some confused recollection of a struggle that ensued between the crooks and the police but all my mind could focus on was the limp figure upon the ground.

In a daze I ran across the room and loosened the noose from around his neck then pulled off the bag from his head. For a brief moment that felt like an hour, he was still. Then with a long shuddering breath, Sherlock Holmes stirred in my arms.

A few days later, when Holmes had recovered enough to leave the hospital and was settled back into his rooms in Baker Street, I paid him a visit. He was laid upon the couch when I arrived with the police beside him, but looked much as he always did, save the gruesome bruise which he sported on his forehead.

" a gift" smiled Holmes following my gaze, "from Mr. Bates. I was about to make a full statement to the police, I owe you an explanation too my dear friend "

He sat up in his bed and, ignoring my frowns, lit his pipe.

"I have been without tobacco for three days Watson, you will permit me to smoke. You remember the last interview that we had with the gentleman who refused to give his name. We had agreed that his friends would collect me Thursday morning so I spent Wednesday deciding what to do. I concluded that it was only an interview that they requested. I had an idea that I might be detained if I refused the case but it did not seem very likely. After they had told me that they did not wish you to feature in the case I reasoned that it was either an extremely delicate matter or an illegal one. I wrote the note, which I believe you found and placed it in the wardrobe. It was not until Thursday morning that I receive the last letter they sent, by which time it was far too late to arrange anything with Lord Hignman. I knew then what I would be asked to do but before I had the chance to contact the police the door bell sounded and they had arrived. I place my revolver in my pocket just as they walked into the room.

"are you ready Mr. Holmes" asked one of them "its time to go"

This surprisingly warm introduction was accompanied by a proffered hand and a smile.

"I trust this will be a brief interview?" I asked

The gentleman smiled and continued to offer his hand. When I accepted however he pulled me to the ground and the other gentleman searched through my pockets removing my gun.

"Now we can go" he snarled at me. They let me get up and opened the door. "There is a coach waiting for you"

The journey was not the most pleasant of my life; however I cannot say I was treated badly. We sat in silence for a hour while I tracked where we were headed.

By the time we arrived I knew exactly where we were but this, it turned out was fairly useless information.

I was taken into a small building amongst an array of others that were alike. I thought for a second to cry out but came to the conclusion that it would have been pointless and dangerous to do so. Inside the building I was sat in a chair in a room where another man sat watching me. From his clothes I could tell he was an American and his voice confirmed this.

"Mr. Holmes, my employer is so pleased you have agreed to help us in our problem, would you care for a cigar"

"I have not agreed to help in this case; I merely came because it appeared I had no choice"

The men behind me shifted and moved up behind me but the American gentlemen help up his hand.

"I understand Mr. Holmes that we may have been pushy with you but it is necessary that you help us we cant do it without you, so if you could just give us an indication of how to get at the crystal chalice, you will be rich and under no extra obligation. What do you say?"

I looked at the man and shook my head

"I am afraid it would be against all my principles and the law if I were to except your offer, you understand that I simply cannot agree"

The American gentleman smiled,

"you can bend the rules a little, you wont even be breaking the law, all you will be doing is talking over the hiding place of the crystal chalice, we will just happen to overhear you. You can't be convicted for that"

All this was said in such a fashion that it might have been a school boy joke that he were engaging me in.

I shook my head firmly "You will not even entrust to me your name" I replied "I cannot trust you at all, I refuse"

At this I stood up and bid them all good day and went to the door.

My way was blocked by one of the ruffians who had brought me here and before I had a chance to defend myself he had leapt upon me and held me firm. The other took hold of my hands and bound them together with rope. I struggled but it was no use, they were very well prepared and far too strong for me."

At this Holmes held out his hands and showed us the bruises caused by the ropes. With a smile at our shocked faces he carried on in his narrative.

"the American gentleman walked over to me and spoke in a calm voice.

"I don't think I made myself clear, it is necessary that you help us and you will whether you agree to or not, now let us have the details of the security plan and you can go home"

I stared back into his eyes and said steadily "Do you seriously expect me to believe that as soon as I give you those details you will simply allow me to go to Lord Hignman and warn him. I don't think so, I will not help you break the law, whether I have choice or not,"

"Yes you will" smiled the American "take him away"

At this is I received a thump in the stomach causing me to bend double. I was dragged away by my arms and thrown into the carriage again. I confess that I feared greatly for my personal safety and lashed out in any way I could, with my legs I attempted to kick the carriage door open and escape but the ruffians laid into me so violently that after about fifteen minutes I could barely move. I must have then lost consciousness for when I awoke I was tied by the hands and feet in the room where you found me"

Again he paused, wincing he opened his shirt to reveal his bruised torso. The constable beside me shook his head and inspector Lestrade who had just joined us nodded sympathetically.

I suddenly felt a pang of guilt and turned my head. How could I have let Holmes go to this interview alone, he had already told me that he needed my help. Holmes seemed to read my thoughts for he said

"I refused to let you come Watson, you needn't feel guilty about it"

"You really went through it old man" I said turning back

"It was not a desirable situation to be in, no" he continued as he carefully buttoned up his shirt. "I was alone when I woke and for the first ten minutes simply lay there trying to work out exactly what had happened. When I had calmed down a bit I tried to sit myself up but I was in too much pain. I lay there and tried to think of a way out of this. I confess I was as stupid as an ass for all I could think of was how I would not give in to their torturous methods. I simply lay there, for the rest of the day, that night I drifted in and out of sleep, the pain from my injuries kept me from being comfortable. The whole of the next day and again the whole night passed without a sound from anyone. I decided that I needed to come up with a plan, it was clear that they had thought this through and were not going to accept my refusal. So I arrived at an idea that would initially please the thieves, prevent the valuable artifact from being stolen and deliver myself from my unhappy predicament, however I could not simply change my mind for no reason, they would smell a rat. I had to make it look as though I was only helping them because I had no choice, so I had to wait. The next day the men entered without taking any notice of me, they brought through a table and placed in front of me, then a chair to set at the table. They then brought in platefuls of food and a large jug of water and set them upon the table.

I stared at the food but turned my mind from my stomach pains, as you know three days without food or water is not such a feat for me as it would be to others, however" Holmes looked at me and smiled vaguely "I had not been eating regularly beforehand, I had not in fact eaten for two days when I was taken so I was therefore quite desperate with hunger. They then left the room and with some effort I managed to get myself to sit up and move over to the table. With my hands tied however it was not easy to reach the food.

After a struggle I sat upon the chair and with an effort I managed to use the knife upon the table to cut through the rope binding my arms. Hands free at last I ate my way through the food and drink upon the table.

As I sat, the door was unlocked and Mathew Bates strode across the threshold. Upon seeing me sat at the table he stopped, smiled at me and said

"Mr.. Holmes, good to see you up and about" I stared back but said nothing.

As he walked toward me I noticed that he carried a stick in his hand

"Have you given any more thought to our offer, Mr. Holmes" he asked as he approached. Meeting his eyes I gave a dry chuckle

"Offer?"

"mm request then, I hope you enjoyed your meal I could be your last for a while" he stared at me, his eyes focused and unblinking "are you ready to help us?"

I knew what my answer would bring, but I could not concede yet, it would have seemed too soon.

" I have gone days with no food through my own choice" I told him "why do you suppose that now I would suddenly be unable to cope, I will not help you break the law, you would be wiser to let me go"

Mr.. Bates shook his head slowly, took up his stick and said in a low voice

"I don't think you quite understand the situation Mr.. Holmes"

I flinched as he roughly pushed the table aside and stood before me. I have a confused recollection of the next events but I am sure that Bates suddenly struck me across the head with his stick while shouting "you will tell us how to get that chalice"

The blow knocked me out cold"

At this Holmes paused and closed his eyes. So detached had he seemed throughout his narrative that it was easy to forget that the recollection of the event must be painful to him. He shook his head and continued.

"When I recovered I was upon the floor, my head span and I could barely focus on the face that was staring down at me.

" I think I know what it is that is troubling you Mr. Holmes" he said casually as he swung his stick to and fro. "You need a doctor"

I looked at him, puzzled for a moment before I realized he wasn't offering medical attention.

"no" I groaned, but he carried on

"I could get you one, he's a brilliant one, you'd like him. We could bring him here and give him the same hospitable treatment we've shown you, how you would like that"

Well what I could do" Holmes paused and looked at me. "I couldn't have them bring you in could I, I knew then that it was time for my plan. So I told him I accepted his offer, I would help him obtain the Crystal chalice.

After I had recovered from my injury" at this he gestured toward the bruise upon his brow "I asked for ink and paper to write the letter you later received, they did not take to my idea well, suggested that it would be far easier to simply break in and take it if they knew its location. I told them that they would be behind bars in a flash, that it was too well guarded for them to possibly walk in and take. They eventually accepted it and I was given pen and paper and I wrote the note"

Lestrade was impressed by Holmes' plan, as was I, you could see it in his face. Out loud, however, he said

"I'm surprised that Bates fell for your plan, from what I can gather he's an intelligent man, good education"

Holmes turned a steely glare upon Lestrade and said fiercely "he is an intelligent man, however I refuse to believe that simply because a man has received an admirable education that this makes him immune to greed and irrational and rushed actions. Bates wanted the crystal chalice too much," he continued in a calmer tone "it made him accept any conceivable plan without too much thought.

The rest you are aware of" he concluded " they left me saying that if they returned empty handed, then I would hang. I waited and truthfully, I thought I would die"

Holmes looked at me and smiled

"I never doubted your abilities to work out the code and to find me, but in my mind I could see that even if you did follow them back, you would be but a few steps behind and it would take only minutes, seconds even for them to end my life. I needn't have worried" he said smiling at the inspector "when I saw Watson I knew that I would be safe and here I am, is there anything left that I have not explained?"

At this Holmes led back in the chair and looked around the room, Lestrade picked up his hat and stood.

"You won't need to appear unless they deny the charges" he said solemnly. Holmes simply nodded . it was an awkward silence but short as Lestrade soon made his excuses and left.

That was probably the most terrifying of any case that I have been privileged to encounter during my acquaintance with Sherlock Holmes, it is still to raw in my mind and indeed in that of my friend to publish the true facts as yet, however if you are reading this now then I can only assume that enough time has elapsed and the matter dulled in our minds. As for the criminals, Bates served a prison sentence though in my mind he should have hung. Alas it was not him who pulled the rope, himself and the strange man behind all of the proceedings will be at liberty once more with years of their crimes. That is of course until they are apprehended once again by my brilliant and brave friend.