21 June 1881

It has been close to two weeks since the incident with Declan and the arrest of Stewart. Things have been uneventful. I have not mentioned a word to mam because she thought he died a few years ago, and bringing up these sordid affairs would only hurt her further.

Yet, with that said, the events surrounding my uncle were troublesome; I wanted to discover more about his past. Today, after morning ward rounds, Dr. Bell took me aside. “Doyle, I have been invited to St. Petersburg, Russia and will need an assistant.”

I almost died several times on my trip to America in 1878 with Dr. Bell, so needless to say, I was a bit hesitant. When I did not eagerly reply in the affirmative, Dr. Bell showed me a letter.

“It might be in your best interest to accompany me, laddie.”

“How so?” I asked.

“Well, you might be able to learn the truth about your deceased relative, Declan. Here, read this.” He handed me the letter, which was written in English on heavy parchment. The handsome, embossed letterhead consisted of an open book beneath a gold, double-headed eagle.

Dear Professor Bell,

The faculty of medicine and surgery would be honored if you would consent to give a series of lectures and demonstrations of the antiseptic technique of surgery with special emphasis on your treatment of joints infected with tuberculosis. The Academy will pay all expenses for you and an assistant. There will be formal receptions and private consultations. We would especially value your assistance in training a special corps of surgeons to treat victims of attempted assassinations.

Sincerely, and gratefully yours,

Aleksey Sechenov, Professor of Physiology

St. Petersburg Academy of Medicine and Surgery

Dr. Bell must have known how troubled I was about Uncle Declan. His last words referenced the tsar, so perhaps the answer did lie in Russia. Furthermore, in another week, I would graduate with a bachelor of medicine and master of surgery; sadly, there were no prospects for work for me, so there seemed to be few other options open to me. “Does it pay well?” I asked.

“Aye, lad, you will be remunerated handsomely for your time, that I assure you.”

“Well, then, yes sir, I would welcome the opportunity.”

“In that case, come to my home at seven o’clock tomorrow evening to discuss the details.”