Chronicles of the Lost Years (The Sherlock Holmes Series) by Tracy Cooper-Posey Page A
Authors: Tracy Cooper-Posey
Tags: Romance
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methodology known to man, in addition to a not-inconsiderable supply of tricks that barely gave lip service to fair play.
The latter Holmes did not hesitate to teach Elizabeth in conjunction with more orthodox skills. His intention was to develop her ability to defend herself by whatever means was necessary. There was a degree of self-interest in this: Holmes did not want to be wholly responsible for Elizabeth’s safety and well-being, for their circumstances in the near future may put them in the position where he could not help her and her survival would depend entirely on her own abilities. He reasoned that if she were to overcome her natural weight and power disadvantages, foul play must be included in her repertoire of defense.
Elizabeth was more than willing to agree with this philosophy. She only had to remember back to the moment upon the moors when she had been utterly at the mercy of a shepherd to see the logic in learning to fend for herself.
Lessons in violence therefore became a regular program.
Holmes also bought her a wicked-looking knife. Elizabeth showed me the knife, after first carefully ensuring Mrs. Hudson was out of the way. The knife was curved and sharp and had a gold hilt embedded with green gems. The hilt appeared ornately overworked, but the clever placement of the gems gave a perfectly comfortable grip. The gold was supposedly from the high ranges to the north of Tibet.
After the incident at the mosque, Elizabeth almost entirely discarded with European dress standards and she sensed her change in costume not only prevented curiosity about her, but helped Holmes relax his guard even more. She took to wearing the Arab head cloth to disguise the unusual color of her hair and a burnoose for comfort and disguise.
It was the first time either of them had dressed “native” and once she had encouraged Holmes with her descriptions of ease and freedom he, too, donned the burnoose and veiling headgear.
I gave a start at this and Elizabeth smiled at my reaction. “We were not there to keep up the side, you know,” she pointed out.
They found the local costume opened up doors for them that would have remained firmly locked otherwise and they entered into a previously unsuspected world. This was the world of the Saracen, one that lay between the traditional regions of east and west, although sympathies in this strange world lay firmly to the east. They were already familiar with the challenges Islam made to their social and political traditions, but now they discovered sub-layers of complex cultures and exotic social structures revealed, pearl-like, one layer at a time, drawing them ever deeper into the heart.
They explored it with the enthusiasm of children, crossing the strait each morning to wander at will on the Asian side of the city, sampling language and culture, soaking up the richness before returning each night to their European style hotel.
“We were straddling a turning point,” Elizabeth said quietly, fingering the blade of her knife. “At night you could hear the wailing and singing of the mosques mixed up with the tolling of the church bells. And everywhere you looked the same contrast appeared.”
As they learnt more the choice before them simplified. They could follow the traditional route of journeying British and risk Moran following their trail, or they could throw all their concepts and prejudices aside and sink into the other world that began here in Constantinople.
The final result of this busy intersection of chances was perhaps inevitable.
During the fourth week of their stay, they were forced to visit the Al-Sahib square in the Arab quarter on the Asian side of the city. Communications in that part of the world are uncertain and Holmes knew the further east they traveled the less reliable they would become. He decided that his gold snuff box from the King of Bohemia must be sacrificed for they needed ready cash—nothing else would suffice.
Al-Sahib Square was a
The latter Holmes did not hesitate to teach Elizabeth in conjunction with more orthodox skills. His intention was to develop her ability to defend herself by whatever means was necessary. There was a degree of self-interest in this: Holmes did not want to be wholly responsible for Elizabeth’s safety and well-being, for their circumstances in the near future may put them in the position where he could not help her and her survival would depend entirely on her own abilities. He reasoned that if she were to overcome her natural weight and power disadvantages, foul play must be included in her repertoire of defense.
Elizabeth was more than willing to agree with this philosophy. She only had to remember back to the moment upon the moors when she had been utterly at the mercy of a shepherd to see the logic in learning to fend for herself.
Lessons in violence therefore became a regular program.
Holmes also bought her a wicked-looking knife. Elizabeth showed me the knife, after first carefully ensuring Mrs. Hudson was out of the way. The knife was curved and sharp and had a gold hilt embedded with green gems. The hilt appeared ornately overworked, but the clever placement of the gems gave a perfectly comfortable grip. The gold was supposedly from the high ranges to the north of Tibet.
After the incident at the mosque, Elizabeth almost entirely discarded with European dress standards and she sensed her change in costume not only prevented curiosity about her, but helped Holmes relax his guard even more. She took to wearing the Arab head cloth to disguise the unusual color of her hair and a burnoose for comfort and disguise.
It was the first time either of them had dressed “native” and once she had encouraged Holmes with her descriptions of ease and freedom he, too, donned the burnoose and veiling headgear.
I gave a start at this and Elizabeth smiled at my reaction. “We were not there to keep up the side, you know,” she pointed out.
They found the local costume opened up doors for them that would have remained firmly locked otherwise and they entered into a previously unsuspected world. This was the world of the Saracen, one that lay between the traditional regions of east and west, although sympathies in this strange world lay firmly to the east. They were already familiar with the challenges Islam made to their social and political traditions, but now they discovered sub-layers of complex cultures and exotic social structures revealed, pearl-like, one layer at a time, drawing them ever deeper into the heart.
They explored it with the enthusiasm of children, crossing the strait each morning to wander at will on the Asian side of the city, sampling language and culture, soaking up the richness before returning each night to their European style hotel.
“We were straddling a turning point,” Elizabeth said quietly, fingering the blade of her knife. “At night you could hear the wailing and singing of the mosques mixed up with the tolling of the church bells. And everywhere you looked the same contrast appeared.”
As they learnt more the choice before them simplified. They could follow the traditional route of journeying British and risk Moran following their trail, or they could throw all their concepts and prejudices aside and sink into the other world that began here in Constantinople.
The final result of this busy intersection of chances was perhaps inevitable.
During the fourth week of their stay, they were forced to visit the Al-Sahib square in the Arab quarter on the Asian side of the city. Communications in that part of the world are uncertain and Holmes knew the further east they traveled the less reliable they would become. He decided that his gold snuff box from the King of Bohemia must be sacrificed for they needed ready cash—nothing else would suffice.
Al-Sahib Square was a
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