Unknown (31 page)

Placing his musical instrument in
its case, he re
garded
me with an expression of sly satisfaction.

"It is my thought, Watson,
that the Oriental ear is
not
closely attuned to the violin. Our observers without
will
not note the difference between my technique and that of Sarasate. At
least, we hope not."

I must have exhibited my frequent
expression of baf
flement
since he laughed softly and jogged my mind
with
the quicksilver of his own.

"Nothing is more reassuring
to a watcher than to
have
the subject of their scrutiny in full view. The next
best
thing being a sound that indicates what he is in
volved
in. Now we can devote ourselves in matters of
importance
while presenting a placid picture to the out
side
world. Certain allies have been busy and we now know for a fact that
chambers across from us have been
taken
over by a supposed Russian gentleman who has
had
a number of Chinese visitors. You will be reassured
to
know that two of MacDonald's men are consuming
enormous
quantities of tea in Parkinson's down the
street,
at a table which has a clear view of our outer
portal.
Elements of that singular organization known as
the
Irregulars under the leadership of that grimy little
rascal,
Wiggins, are covering our back area."

"Good heavens, Holmes,"
I responded, with a chuck
le,
"don't tell me Slim Gilligan is perched on the roof."

"Hardly. Though I expect his
presence. The point is, Watson, that we are under a state of siege,
but we have the advantage. They—the disciples of Chu San Fu—are
watching us but they don't know that we know it."

"What is your plan?"

"Fate may be forming one for
me."

Holmes retreated for a moment into
his inner world
of
contemplation, emerging from it quickly with a trace
of
apology in his sharp eyes.

"Let us consider the
situation, ol' comrade. Chu San
Fu
is convinced that we have the Golden Bird in our
possession.
The information reaching him in his Lime
house
headquarters positions us firmly in his sights. I
am
in hopes that this fact will not prompt any rapid
move
on his part but rather lull him into some carefully
arranged
plan to secure the object of his desire."

"Here we are then, the
sitting ducks."

"But knowledgeable ducks,
Watson. How much better to have our adversary come at us where
we reside in
strength
than to go about our daily existence casting
looks
of apprehension over our shoulders. I well recall
when
Moriarty was bent on my destruction and I
adopted
the role of a moving target. It was a nerve-
wracking
time."

I nodded instinctively,
remembering clearly that period immediately prior to the
downfall of the Napoleon of crime, when Holmes had avoided open
windows like a plague and walked in the shadows and only at night. It
flashed through my mind that at that time he had mentioned that it
was stupidity rather than courage to refuse to recognize danger when
it was close upon you.

"You certainly expect them to
make a move. Why
not
have MacDonald's men on the premises?"

"If we flush the grouse, they
will settle elsewhere.
The
obvious presence of the constabulary will prompt a
change
of plans, which I don't want." My expression
caused
him to continue. "Yes, good chap, I'm inviting
an
attempt on our quarters."

I must say this line of thinking
was wearing my pati
ence
thin.

"See here, Holmes, you preach
the doctrine of ration
ality.
If it's a confrontation you desire, I'm with you, as
you
know. But where is the advantage? The Golden
Bird,
due to your far-sighted planning, is as safe as if it
were
in the vaults of the bank of London. Intruders cannot gain by their
efforts. But neither can we. Chu
San
Fu will not be present if an assault is made. The
matter
will be handled by his dacoits and Chinese scrag-
men.
If we trap them, what do we gain? Suddenly, they
lose
any knowledge of English, respond to all questions
in
their native tongue and. look bewildered. If I judge
the
hold Chu has on his followers, five to ten in Pentonville
will not frighten them into betraying him."

An additional confirmation of my
theorizing crossed
my
mind and I voiced it. "No doubt, his people have
family
in China on whom the master criminal could
wreak
vengeance. An additional guarantee of silence."

Holmes had been gazing at me with
an almost bea
tific
expression of satisfaction.

"My good chap, obviously our
years together have
not
been wasted. You have given a surface evaluation
which
would command respect at a conclave of Scotland Yard
inspectors."

My momentary elation was chilled
by the cold water
of
second thought. "But where have I missed? Were I right, you
would argue the point."

Holmes indulged in a chuckle. "You
know me too well. In answer, let us lift the carpet of your thoughts
and look beneath.
Who is our opponent? How does he
think?
In what way will he react? Were we expecting a
visitation
from Count Negretto Sylvius, Dowson's chief
lieutenant,
I might not be sitting here so smugly. Sylvius
is
much inclined toward spur-of-the-moment action. He
is
impetuous, hence irrational and difficult to anticipate.
But
Chu San Fu is cut from different cloth. A planner.
If
lulled into the belief that we are the sitting ducks you
mentioned,
he will meticulously polish every facet of his
scheme.
Like all master criminals, he has two audiences
to
deal with."

"How so?"

"His first purpose is to
hoodwink me. But he must do
so
in the manner of the magician to impress those who
follow
his flag. A great deal of his power is psychologi
cal.
Show me the army that believes its general cannot fail and I'll show
you a victorious one. The aura of om
nipotence
is indispensable to one like Chu San Fu."

"If so," I thought,
"he's not alone in that." I'd seen
many
a hardened criminal fall before the name of Sher
lock
Holmes. Seldom had my friend been so loquacious
regarding
a case, but patience is not one of my virtues.

"See here, your reasoning, as
always, is quite faultless
but
how does it affect your purpose in this matter? I'm still in the
dark."

"Let the Oriental strike,
Watson, since we can almost set the time. But let the results be
unknown. If he tastes either victory or defeat, he will know what to
do. But if he is in doubt, then we turn his intricate mind against
himself. Doubt and egotism cannot coexist. We'll make him vulnerable
yet, good chap."

As though satisfied with his
review of the situation,
for
I was no more than an audience to his assessment, a
background
sound to provide punctuations to his sen
tences,
Holmes rose and turned off the gramophone at a
suitable
point, appearing at the window again at inter
vals
to keep our watchers assured of his presence. The afternoon wore on,
though not without incident.

Several times, Wiggins slipped
into the house through
the
back to report to Holmes and leave with written in
structions
for unknown destinations. As the early dark
ness
of a winter's evening approached, Gilligan materi
alized.
To my mind, he never appeared but suddenly
became
present. I assumed that he came in over the
roof.
Now Holmes had no time for play-acting and re
sorted
to the most lifelike waxwork reproduction of
himself
created by Tavernier, the French modeler, a de
vice
which he had used to good effect in former times
and
would, indeed, use again.

Seated in an armchair with
Holmes's dressing gown,
the
effigy was startlingly lifelike and could fool some
one
within our sitting room, to say nothing of watchers
without.
I was assigned the job of adjusting the move-
able
head from time to time and to all intents the great
detective
was placidly reading a book. Needless to say, I
took
great precautions with my job, but managed to
keep
my ears attuned to the animated conversation be
tween
the cracksman and Holmes.

"I went over the Barker digs
and gave it the full
treatment,
Guv. There's nothin' wot's 'id there. That's
the
first thing I established. So I give 'is belongin's a
real
hard look. 'E weren't one fer makin' notes and 'e
traveled
light."

"A temporary residence,"
said Holmes. "Barker's
home
was in Surrey."

"I went over 'is books
carefully, lookin' for some
clue.
'E had the usual bible, a Bradshaw, Whitaker's Al
manac,
a 'ole batch of railroad timetables."

"Standard equipment, the
last. Barker did quite a bit
of
traveling in his line of work."

"There wuz a complete copy of
the works of Edgar
Allan
Poe and I went through that page for page. A
bust.
Then there wuz this kinda strange piece o' work."

I noted that the cracksman
extracted a slim volume from a pocket. "I brung it wiv me, Guv."

Holmes seized the volume eagerly
and his manner betrayed excitement as he read the title.

"Jonathan Wild, Master
Criminal"
He
threw a
glance of
triumph at me.

"Again Wild appears in this
tangle. Let's see. Pub
lished
by Leadenhall Press. Obviously, a limited edition and I would judge
not well-received since it has never
come
to my attention. An old volume, but Wild was at
his
zenith in the last century and his career was not
common
knowledge even then." Holmes had been leafing through the
book as he spoke. "Evidently, this was
written
by a member of the Wild gang who was appre
hended
and served out his time and later attempted to capitalize on the
dubious reputation of his former master. It will bear close
inspection."

"You feel you've stumbled
onto something?" I asked, as bait to learn what intrigued the
sleuth.

"Wild keeps coming up.
Lindquist told us that it was Wild's man, Hawker, who stole the Bird
from the Island
of
Rhodes. Barker had learned something that he tried
to
tell Lindquist before he died. Barker had this book.
Surely,
there is a connection." Suddenly, Holmes's lips
tightened
with a grimace. "It just occurred to me that I
told
Basil Selkirk about the Rhodes incident. I wonder
if
that was the service that I performed for the financier and for which
he sent me the Golden Bird?"