The story so far: Tempus has altered the timeline by ensuring that Jack the Ripper kill Lois' ancestor, Charlotte Dodgson, before Charlotte ever gave birth. With Charlotte's death, Lois ceased to exist. Clark and H. G. Wells have travelled back to Victorian England three days before the murder is to occur in order to try to rectify the situation.
The Case of the Flying Man (2/7)
From the notebooks of John H. Watson:
Of all of Holmes' cases, the one that involved both the most bizarre events and the most infamous villain is the one I shall call the Case of the Flying Man. Because of the sensitive nature of the story, because I am bound by certain promises of secrecy, and because I do not wish to lose the credibility I currently have with my readers, I shall ensure that this story will not be published even after my lifetime. I am recording the events herein solely for the sake of completeness in my own private journals. I intend to modify my will to include instructions for my solicitor to burn this particular journal upon the event of my death.
I shall never forget the events of that Monday. Holmes and I were finishing one of Mrs Hudson's excellent breakfasts when we heard a knock upon the door. Our good landlady announced that we had two visitors. Not long after Holmes had instructed her to show them up and to bring some tea for our guests, we saw enter our chamber a pair of gentlemen whose appearances were so mismatched as to be almost comical. The younger one was broad of chest and shoulders, well muscled, and in a new looking suit of a rather unusual cut. He had apparently left his home in a hurry, for he had neglected to wear a hat. He was obviously trying to contain his distress. His companion was much older, much shorter of stature, and wearing a suit which, while in good condition still, had obviously been worn for a while. He appeared much calmer but also much less self-confident than his companion, as was evident from the way he fiddled nervously with his bowler.
By this point in our acquaintance, I was well aware of how my friend would indulge in a display of his mental prowess by stating the results of his deductions without elucidating his train of reasoning. He claimed he did this to reassure clients that they were in competent hands as well as to put them at their ease prior to having a serious discussion with them. While I do not doubt for a minute that those are some of the reasons he did this, I have long harboured the suspicion that he also simply enjoyed receiving the acclaim of audiences who have not yet had first-hand experience with his mental legerdemain. That day was no different.
"Please, sirs, come in and make yourselves comfortable. This is my colleague, Dr Watson. He is the embodiment of discretion. Feel free to say anything before him that you would say to me alone. Watson, it would appear that you and our guests have something in common. All three of you are writers." As Holmes scrutinized the taller visitor more closely, his brows shot up in a very rare display of surprise. He quickly schooled his features into a more neutral expression as he addressed the subject of his examination. "Although it would appear that you, sir, employ means of recording your words that are, shall we say, considerably more sophisticated than those employed by my contemporaries. I have written a monograph on the various instruments employed in recording the written word, and on how one may discern the specific writing utensils preferred by professional writers from the patterns of calluses caused by each type of instrument. I must confess, Mr Kent, that your lack of calluses is quite unique. Even more so considering that you spent much of your formative years engaged in agricultural labor."
He pretended to be unaware of the look of stunned amazement, coupled with a measure of uneasiness, on the taller visitor's face as he turned to our other guest. "But then, perhaps the fact that you are a companion to Mr Wells would help to explain at least some of these anomalies."
His speech gave me much food for thought. Why had he been so stunned by the appearance of our first guest? Why had he referred to 'my contemporaries' rather than 'our contemporaries' when addressing them? What could he mean by the anomalies being at least partially explained by Mr Kent being Mr Wells' companion? By 'Mr Wells,' did he mean 'Herbert George Wells'? If so, I must admit to having had a certain resentment that Holmes had grouped Wells into the same category as myself. I write factual accounts. I had understood Mr Wells to write fantastical stories. I had never been enamored of that genre; and at the time I thought the stories of Mr Wells to be even worse than those of Doyle. ("The Lost World," indeed. Stuff and nonsense!)
Mr Wells seemed even more flabbergasted than his companion. "I had known of your brilliant intellect, Mr Holmes, but how in the world did even you deduce all of that? My writings have gained a certain fame within some circles, but few recognize my face. How did you know our names, much less everything else you just stated? It is all completely accurate, I assure you."
Holmes chuckled slightly, "Simplicity itself. I needed only the power of observation, not deduction, to discern your name, as you have written it in the inner band of your bowler. As to the rest, were I to lead you through the process of my observations and deductions, you would agree with me that each step followed logically from the one before, until no conclusions other than the ones I have stated could be possible. However, you are obviously here on a matter in which time is of the essence. Please describe your case to me."
Was it my imagination, or did both visitors start a bit and look at each other when Holmes uttered the phrase "time is of the essence"?
Mr Wells spoke next, "You are correct, Mr Holmes, that we have come to you on a matter of considerable urgency. We have reason to believe that a Miss Charlotte Dodgson is in terrible danger from the notorious killer known as Jack, and we must contact her immediately. We need you to locate her so that we can do so."
"Indeed. If that were all there were to the case, I would refer you to the local constabulary. However, it is apparent to me that there is far more involved. And if I am to assist the both of you, I need to know everything pertinent. To begin with, Mr Kent, when are you from?"
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, come now, sir. Your attire is made of a mixed fibre combination. Although it is predominantly wool, it also contains a strengthening fibre with which I am unfamiliar. The fibre used to secure the buttons is similarly unknown to me. And I have made a study of all materials used in the fabrication of clothing. Even more obvious is the fact that the frames of your spectacles are of a material which the world has not yet seen. Couple these observations with several others which I have made, and the obvious conclusion is that at least parts of your companion’s most famous piece of speculative fiction may in fact have some basis in reality. Your secret is safe with me. So now, sirs, please enlighten me as to all of the relevant details of your case." Holmes sat back and rested his steepled fingers against his lips. His half-closed eyes belied the intensity with which he listened to the unfolding narrative.
Mr Wells and Mr Kent together related the most astonishing story I have ever heard. But although it sounded preposterous to me, Holmes’ earnest consideration of it made it evident to me that he believed it to be credible. Apparently, Mr Kent came from a time over a century into the future. Lois Lane Kent, his wife, disappeared before his eyes. Mr Wells was able to trace her disappearance to the death of Miss Dodgson. As history originally unfolded, Miss Dodgson was to become Mrs Kent's ancestor; however, an evil time traveller named Tempus disrupted the timeline by ensuring that Jack kill Miss Dodgson before she were to conceive any children. Our visitors wished to prevent this from happening, and therefore came to our London. They had yet to locate Miss Dodgson, and so wished to solicit Holmes' services. Because the timeline had been altered, the precise circumstances surrounding her impending death were unclear. All that was known was that it was to occur sometime in the East End three evenings hence. They did not even know what the lady looked like.
Holmes agreed to take on the case and asked our visitors to return the following morning at the same time to discuss any developments which may have transpired. As soon as they had made their departure, Holmes summoned Wiggins to request that the Baker Street Irregulars find out all they could about Miss Dodgson. When we were once again alone, he began to transform himself to look the part of a ruffian, while explaining to me that since Jack's victims were ladies of questionable repute, he thought it likely that Miss Dodgson would be found in one of our city's less reputable neighbourhoods. His change of attire would permit him to blend into that environment and put the local denizens at their ease, the better to determine what they knew.
When the transformation was complete, he left our flat. That was the last I saw of him that day.
