Sherlock Holmes: The Shadow From Beyond (25 page)

“Life will not be as simple as it used to be for me Watson, and I may struggle somewhat, but I will be a better person because of it, one not so confined by simple logic and Earthly law, but with a new ability to embrace the cosmic unknown and to accept these possibilities of the unreal. One must adapt to the tools at hand it seems, and I do love a challenge.”

Watson observed then that Holmes seemed to stand straighter, taller even, and that the hungry spark of light had returned to his eyes rekindled.

On that note Holmes pulled a burlap sack out from under his jacket, he reached inside and removed from it the Eye of the Watcher which he held out before him. Both looked upon that relic of horrific consequence grasped within Holmes’ outstretched hand with awe and wonder. It held their gaze for many moments it seemed, drawing them with some powerful hypnotic allure. Then the detective opened his fingers released his grip, and the Eye of the Watcher slid from his hand to fall into the deep waters of the Channel with a light splash.

“It may be Watson, that more of these Eyes or similar artifacts exist in the world, as well as other portal locations, but hopefully they are in places lost to man forever or far from being found by those who seek them. This one Eye at least, should lay untouched at the bottom of the sea and out of reach for centuries to come.”

Once again they stood in silence for a while. The cold wind whipped about them as their minds digested the events of the last week. “Brrrr, the chill in the air rises,” Holmes stated, breaking the silence. “Let us retire and warm ourselves with a nice brandy shall we not Watson?”

“I agree Holmes! I agree! As well as a full pipe.” Watson smiled broadly as he wrapped his jacket a little tighter about his ample frame.

Both then returned inside the ship to enjoy their drinks, smoke their tobacco and watch eagerly as the white cliffs of Dover approached slowly through the misted portholes.

Three months had now past since Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson returned from their memorable adventure involving Count Lebda and the Eye of the Watcher. In that time, half a dozen cases have passed through 221b Baker Street demanding their attention, from burglaries, to blackmail, even one of great political import. But each case so simply mundane of fact, as compared to the fantastic events of that October past, that they were solved in quick and easy fashion. In truth Holmes seemed pestered by these cases, as if they were minor threats that distracted from any real dangers that may lie ahead. He even stated once “These petty delinquents are a trifle compared to the scope of Moriarty and Lebda. I long for another great challenge!” and replied with a simple “Humpf.” when Watson retorted “Well, Holmes, at least the world is safe for the moment. Is that not a better tradeoff?”

In truth the magnitude of their experiences had left both men with completely new perspectives on life. One cannot easily shake off the drastic personal changes that overcome the mind after being exposed to sights of such great and wondrous consequence.

These changes were also reflected in new hobbies the two had begun to pursue.

Watson has since made a regular habit of purchasing as many international newspapers as possible, in which he would diligently scan through looking for articles detailing any strange phenomena or seemingly otherworldly subject matter. The doctor’s search has not been in vain as he has since clipped and saved many assorted articles and tales of bizarre unexplainable events, some that featured details vaguely similar to those in their own recent adventure.

These articles note of ceremonies, bizarre phantasm, missing people, ancient discoveries and the like, and have been studied and charted, categorized and associated in a detailed journal of his own. The number of items Watson has amassed within make it plainly obvious that the horrors from beyond are not yet finished toying with humanity.

Meanwhile Holmes has invested large sums of money in extensive and complex astronomy equipment that allows him to scan the night skies through his bedroom window. He keeps detailed records of certain specific constellation and star field movements that he cross references with the astrological notes he had collected from Lebda’ study. The detective also spends many nights scrutinizing the various archaic occult books he managed to obtain from the residence of Professor Harper before the auction of his property. These tomes now take up prominent shelf space in Holmes’ own library, adding the occult to the already categorized botany, anatomy and chemistry topics on display. His visits to the private collection of books at the Royal British Museum have become a weekly routine and his mail correspondence has grown to include many noted theologians, archeologists, cosmologists and scholars from around the globe.

Watson had noticed, on at least a couple of occasions, that Holmes has entertained visitors of very strange cast and dress at all odd hours of the night. The last of these guests, some Willmarth fellow from the United States, had brought with him a large black box that contained a living creature within, one that scratched frequently against the inside and let out a low hissing sound. Willmarth refused to open the container, but spoke with concern in low whispers as his worried gaze drifted between the detective and the black box that rested on the table.

Neither Holmes nor Watson fully explained to Inspector Lestrade the exact details of what had transpired while they were away on the continent and how they came to the conclusion that Professor Harper had been murdered out of academic jealousy.

The cause of his death and that of the vagrant Cowely were attributed to a rare tropical illness introduced via the letter sent from Lebda to Harper, the amulet being tainted in some way to transmit the disease.

They ignored answering Lestrade’s questions concerning the origins of the physical damage inflicted to Harper’s mansion and to the cell at Scotland Yard, and the inspector knew not to press the matter after meeting Holmes’ stern glare as reply.

In private, both companions rarely speak openly about the incredible events they experienced while in pursuit of Count Lebda, preferring to remain silent in the matter. But every so often, when the moon is full and the stars are bright, they would exchange furtive glances that conveyed volumes of shared concern and ominous dread.

END ?

Erik Branz lives in Montreal, Canada.

Home of local delicacies; poutine, bagels and smoked meat sandwiches,

Summer festivals and the greatest hockey team in the world;

the Montreal Canadiens, of whom he is a big, big fan.

He is an artist with no bounds;

Iillustrator, animator, graphic designer, lyricist, vocalist and now writer.

As a youth he was always entranced by the imaginary world of mystery, fantasy and horror

and embraced the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard and Arthur Conan Doyle,

through whose stories his interest expanded.

After years of reading these tales he decided to write his own.

This is his first novel and hopes you enjoy it.

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact the author at:

[email protected]

Further copies of this novel can be purchased at:

www.theshadowfrombeyond.com

Autographed by the author at no charge, if you so desire.