45 – The deep and dark city, London
Oh, London, thou art the flower of all cities.
Give unto me all pleasures, thou jewel of delight,
Thou carbuncle of great virtue and courage.
– On the glory of the city of London, William Dunbar
1.
“It’s been exposed.”
“Pardon?”
At Professor Moriarty’s words, Sebastian Moran, who had just recently turned seventeen, responded as if she was a fool. It was unusual for her to deviate from the elegant language she stubbornly stuck to after learning it to serve her master.
To this, Professor Moriarty pointed at the white powder lump on his desk, which he had just sampled using the tip of his little finger, and opened his mouth.
To the innocent, it might look like flour kept on a silk handkerchief. Of course, considering professor Moriarty’s special occupation, it was obviously not an ordinary thing. It was just a new substance that had been recently introduced through indirect means.
“This new stuff we brought in, Moran. The quality is disappointing, probably mixed with cheap raw materials. Hence it’s been revealed. It’ll be hard to serve this to the high-class. There are too many impurities, it’s hard to make a solution. Everyone enjoys it in a liquid form, a 7% solution.”
“I apologize, master. It’s my negligence.”
“No, Moran, there’s no need to apologize. I hate it when people apologize for things that they haven’t done wrong. You know that, right?”
At the professor’s reply, Moran stood straight and respectfully waited in silence for him to speak again.
James Moriarty drummed the desk slowly and fell deep into thought. Naturally, since Moran stood right in front of him, she inevitably caught his eye.
His office, including Moran, which had changed a lot, naturally fell into his sight. By nature, he was a proud man and found it satisfying to look at his achievements alone.
Maybe it was justified pride.
Massive wealth, a collection of expensive artworks and paintings collected from all over Europe out of half-interest since there wasn’t much use for his money.
Expensive alcohol, tobacco, and luxury items that took up one side of the room as decoration.
These were minor hobbies that he came to know after returning to London, still he enjoyed every single one of them. Because they were the driving force that kept him alive and breathing.
However, naturally, Moriarty’s gaze turned to Moran. Excluding this city and organization prepared for her, She was the most cherished and favored ‘collection’ that he had put work into.
As is the case with those who are fatuous and aware of their own intelligence, Moriarty could not help but admire his foresight in bringing in the raggedy child dying on the streets 7 years ago, whenever he saw the perfectly groomed Moran.
The girl who is now near adulthood, no, the lady wolf far exceeded his expectations and had long since been an excellent secretary, right-hand, and weapon.
Just last year, during the upheaval of Paris after the suppression of the Paris Commune, didn’t she serve as a useful tool in taking over the chaotic Paris?
Of course, there were some hitches, like the unexpected intervention of the old detective called Lestrade, but Moriarty, with years worth of preparation knowing the victory of the German Empire, the Paris Commune, and the chaos of Paris beforehand, did not allow any failures.
He realized that a lot of time had indeed passed. Thinking about it, he felt like he himself might have aged.
Of course, if a truly aged person were to hear it, they might get angry.
Strictly speaking, compared to Moran and her, and Watson, he was just getting old, James Moriarty was still a young professor at the age of 31, who had once again proven his reputation as a scholar throughout Europe by publishing a paper on asteroid mechanics last year.
Still, undeniably a lot of time had passed.
10 years.
Unnoticeably, 10 years had passed since everything started. What was once a small organization had already grown into an organization that virtually unified the underworld by integrating almost all criminal organizations within the UK, and had half a foot in various parts of Europe.
Just look at the much-changed Moran he cherished.
When she was young, she sometimes resembled a puppy, but now anyone would see her as a swift wolf ready to rip the neck off of her master’s enemies.
The girlish, immature looks had disappeared and she had grown into a memorable beauty, which is a bonus. It can’t be denied that her height and various parts of her body have grown greatly. She may even be on par with Miss Watson.
Remembering how Professor Dodgson sighed with a seemingly scared look as he marveled at how much Moran had changed, made him think of the book she gifted last winter, which caught his eye from the corner of the desk. It was a sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
After finishing his thought, Moriarty slowly opened his mouth again. Moran, of course, knew what her master wanted just by his gaze and didn’t forget to prepare the cup and liquor skillfully.
“Temporary voids due to expansion are inevitable. But ensure things normalize within the next six months, instruct the people below.”
“Yes. And…how should we handle the invitation to that club?”
“The Diogenes Club, was it? Send a reply that we’ll attend. Also… The new semester should start soon now that summer is almost over. When September begins, new students will join. You have the list, don’t you, Moran?”
At the professor’s words, Moran smoothly and politely handed over the list that was already prepared. Naturally, Moriarty could tell that Moran’s movement was slightly slower than usual. A bit of hesitation, or perhaps jealousy towards someone.
Of course, she pretended to overlook it and began to scan through the names of those who had just applied for his lecture. Naturally, he couldn’t help but smile when he came across a particular name.
“Moran.”
“…Yes, master.”
“I’m thinking of holding a small inaugural ceremony for the old student who came to me… The bank robber, we got him, right?”
“As per your instructions… I’ve located an individual similar in appearance to Mr. Phileas Fogg, master.”
“Good.”
Moran, watching as her satisfied master closed their eyes for a moment, couldn’t help but feel torn. However, she was his protector and follower and dared not defy the master’s decision.
But having observed her master’s interest in that woman up close, she couldn’t help but be concerned.
But that was all for now.
The wolf prepares to welcome the guests, following its master.
2.
Jane H. Watson’s Diary
Things to remember – Check every morning just in case –
1. My name – Jane H. Watson, Born August 7, 1852.
2. Family – Father, Mother, Henry Watson. All deceased. No other family.
3. Present – To enroll in London College of Medicine. I want to be a doctor, like my father.
4. Things to Note – Don’t forget that you are a witch. As much as possible, don’t use magic, remember the side effects. If you forget, go through your diary and notebook to confirm.
5. Likes – Horse racing. Don’t forget, I learned about it thanks to Professor Moriarty.
Don’t bet more than half of your scholarships and inherited pension on horse racing, be careful! Also, check the results of the race every morning, don’t miss any races you should bet on or have already bought tickets for.
Phileas Fogg – Member of the Reform Club, a gentleman who has been helping me in numerous ways since August 20, 1967. Check the diary of that day if you can’t remember properly.
Professor James Moriarty – A genuinely amazing person I met the same day as Mr. Fogg. It’ll be hard to forget Professor Moriarty as a whole, but still, don’t forget. His face is just my type. He is kind and good-looking. A mathematics professor from Christ Church College, Oxford.
He’s a bachelor, but don’t forget he often asks me out for a date. And be careful of his maid Moran, who sometimes shows her disdain for me. (Wolf Cavalier)
3.
There were really only a few days left now.
From noble mtl dot com
Sherlock Holmes, who sagged even playing her beloved violin, thought. After graduating from the boarding school and before sailing off to Oxford, she has been staying at her hometown, where that dreadful thing happened.
Now, she was set to leave for Oxford in two days. Everything was going well. Her brother Sherrinford, his wife, and her nieces and nephews all were great.
However, staying in this place, where her sin had occurred, was indeed suffering in itself. But going to Oxford, where he would be waiting for her, would be different.
Holmes thought.
But at the same time, a terrifying thought struck her. She was shivering unknowingly, clutching her arms covered with goosebumps, but couldn’t seem to shake the feeling away.
‘Let’s…just take one spoonful…. Yes, that’s fine, that’s fine.’
Her trembling hands were already rifling through her trunk and pulled her old faithful friend from the deepest corner.
Laudanum.
Among her few friends, who weren’t even real friends as she deliberately didn’t make any at school, to be accurate, she couldn’t keep up a conversation with those dimwits, was this one.
After cautiously pouring some of the fortunately leftover port wine into a glass, she put a teaspoon of laudanum and stirred it.
Then she gulped it down.
She craved a cigarette, but held back for a short while. Brother Sherrinford was fine, but he didn’t approve of ladies smoking.
Fortunately, she soon felt calm. However, like her ‘friends’ always did, it soon presented a vision of him before her eyes again.
“Moriarty… Professor.”
A familiar face she saw all the time. The face she had seen 10 years ago was looking down at her with the same smile as then.
But, this time too, her opponent was contemptuously silent.
She knew it was a fake. She had changed unknowingly over these 10 years, matured, and was now an adult and no longer a girl. This man would have certainly changed a lot too.
Just looking at the London he had changed was enough.
The sharp rise in crime, mysterious incidents, everything was pointing at this man.
However, today, the apparition strangely chose to speak.
“Do you really think I am responsible for all of this, Sherlock?”
“…What?”
“You are trying to catch the apparition from 10 years ago, but what if you are wrong? If all of this is indeed just a hallucination, as though you are under the influence of drugs, could you bear it?”
“…You wouldn’t do that, you’re a villain, after all.”
The apparition contemptuously fell silent. This was a truly villainous tactic. The more the silence held, the more the doubt that the apparition had just thrown at her turned into anxiety and started crawling up her like a bug.
Sherlock bit her lips hard.
It was okay, she only needed that man. She could meet him soon. In that case, everything would be proven.
And then, that man, no, the apparition she had generated, opened its mouth in what seemed like a mockery.
“But you are slowly accepting it too, Sherlock. You have come to realize, although belatedly, that your parents were an obstacle to what you wanted to do in life. No, you just pretended to realize. You were also involved in it, so hadn’t you known it from then?”
“Shut up!”
In an instant, the apparition disappeared along with a strong pain. When she regained her senses, she realized she had smashed the glass in her hand while under drug influence.
She looked at her palm, from where blood was dripping, but couldn’t feel any pain.
It was okay, everything could be fixed.
Oxford was calling for her. London was calling for her. That man, Professor, was calling for her.
It had to be so.
She had only thought of that man for the past 10 years. If he had forgotten her, it would be too cruel.
London, the foggy, dark city was calling her.
In all the people’s screams,
In all the infants’ terrified cries,
In all the voices, in all the bans,
I hear the clanging of the chains my heart has cast away.
-London, William Blake
