teunc.org Stories
Holmes
Sherlock
 
The Adventure of the Unwanted Immigrant
 

I had been delayed at a case, and it was a little after half-past six when I found myself in Baker-street once more. As I approached the house I saw a tall, gangling man in striped pantaloons, a short jacket and a stovepipe hat waiting outside the door. In the bright semicircle which was thrown by the fanlight, it was also possible to discern the small goatee beard that advanced from his chin.
  Just as I arrived, the door was thrown open, and we were shown up together to Holmes' room, the gentleman with the goatee springing upstairs before me with an agility that well suited his gnathionic ornament. He stepped over the threshold, triumphantly waving a passport above his head.
  "You can give me the Silmarilli right now, mister", he cried. "I'm bringin' my new passport straight from the embassy."
  "A passport signed by the Oromë himself?"
  "Same as I said in my cable. Every last dot pricked and every T crossed. He traced out his Hancock in my presence, confirmin' my identity as the rightful owner of those little trinkets. It's the real goods, and you can lay to that." He slapped Holmes upon the shoulder with a rough familiarity which I found quite remarkable. Holmes, however, remained impassive.
  "You have shown great dispatch", he remarked, opening the passport and lazily leafing through it.
  The man from across the sea had found a seat and stretched his long limbs from the armchair. As I had perceived before, he was a gaunt man, sixtyish, with clear-cut features and a yellow goatee beard. His tall hat was adorned with a piece of cloth bearing an extraordinary pattern of stars and stripes. A half-smoked sodden cigar hung from the corner of his mouth, and as he sat down he struck a match and relit it. "Are the jools in this room?" he remarked, as he looked around him.
  "They are indeed", replied Holmes smiling. His hooded, grey eyes regarded the other steadily while the finger of his long, white hand tapped the document given to him. "Are you in a hurry to take possession of them, Mr Blivens? Or should I say... Fëanor?"
  The man's mouth fell open and his eyes suddenly bulged. "Wha-what?" he stammered, and made a hurried attempt to get to his feet. Holmes, however, forestalled him, covering the distance between them in three giant strides.
  "Did you really think your charade would fool me?" he remarked, removing the stovepipe hat of the other with one hand while tearing out his goatee with the other. "Did you suffer from the delusion that I am what they call a sucker in Aman? That you could bamboozle me with your laughable disguise? From the moment you entered the room for the first time, I knew who you were! I don't need to see the ears of a renegade Elf to perceive who he is."
  The other flushed crimson. "Do you dare to thwart me, mortal?" he hissed.
"Infamous roundear spy! Holmes the meddler! Holmes the busybody! Beware of my wrath!"
  Holmes chuckled heartily. "Your conversation is most entertaining", said he. "However, I fear we must break it off. There are some old friends of yours who can no longer endure being separated from you." At a nod from him, I opened the door again to admit two Valarin policemen who had silently negotiated the stairs while the conversation was proceeding.
  "This is Inspector Alatar, and this is Inspector Pallando", said Holmes courteously. "The boat that will take you across the sea is already waiting. And permit me to say, sir, that I hope you will spend a goodish time in the Halls of Mandos; we don't want Elven riff-raff of your kind on these shores."

Öjevind Lång
 

teunc.org Stories
More Holmes:
The Hanging Man ] Interpreting the Tracks ] The Cardboard Box ] The Incredible Jumping Man ] How Did He Get It Back? ] What Does the "F" Stand For? ] Why the Bodies Never Were Found ] Where Did the Stone Come From? ] The Adventure of the Disappearing Troll ] The Pointy-eared League ] The Lamedon Vampire ] A Question of Ownership ] Yellow Faces ] The Case of the Over-sized Hobbit ] The Discovery ] The Crock of Gold ] The Adventure of Fëanor's Old Place ] The Flame of Udûn ] The Heiress ] The Adventure of the Curious Balrog ] South Weathertop ] At the "Admiral Falastur" ] [ The Adventure of the Unwanted Immigrant ] The Final Problem ]