"Hum! So much for the police-court", said
Holmes, thoughtfully tossing aside the paper. "The question for us
now to solve is the sequence of events leading from a rifled jewel case
at one end to the crop of a Balrog on Moria Court-road at the other. You
see, Watson, our little deductions have suddenly assumed a much more
important and less innocent aspect. Here is the Silmaril; the Silmaril
came from the Balrog, and the Balrog was slaughtered by Gandalf, the
gentleman with the tall pointed blue hat and all the other appurtenances
implying that he is in possession of supernatural powers and great
wisdom. So now we must set ourselves very seriously to finding
this gentleman, and ascertaining what part he has played in this little
mystery. To do this, we must try the simplest means first, and these lie
undoubtedly in a advertisement in all the evening papers."
"What will you say?"
"Give me a pencil, and that slip of paper. Now, then: 'Found
at the corner of Anfalas-street, a goose and a tall pointed blue hat. Mr
Gandalf can have the same by applying at 6:30 this evening at 221B,
Baker-street.' That is clear and concise."
"Very. But will he see it?"
"Oh, without a doubt. When he slaughtered that poor innocent
Balrog and roasted it for his fiendish Hobbit friends, in his glee at
preparing black soup out of its giblet he dropped his hat at the place
of the murderous and cannibalistic feast. And he will be specially
interested in retrieving this palladium for his head, Watson. There will
be a most particular reason for it."
"What is that?"
"He forgot, in his gluttonous frenzy, that giblet soup can
only be made out of birds, that is to say, out of winged creatures. Once
his horrendous mistake has become manifest to him he will desire most
fervently to retrieve at least something out of the debacle, such as his
wizard's hat. I think you will agree that the poor man should be
extended some kind of consolation, little though he deserves to be
counted among the Wise after this."
Öjevind Lång
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