7

Berlin, Monday, May 31

The rooms at the Hotel Rome on Unter den Linden 10 were well-appointed, as was the establishment in general. The chambermaid told me proudly that when the hotel was built in 1876 it was the first in Berlin to have bathtubs. It was built while the new palace was being constructed, and Kaiser Wilhelm I ordered a bathtub sent to his royal apartment once a week until construction was complete. When I expressed surprise, the young woman was quick to reassure me that bathtubs were now the norm everywhere.

I was more than satisfied with the generous initial payment and relieved to find my German adequate thus far. Berlin was a bustling city with construction ongoing at a frenetic pace as it struggled to become a capital worthy of a great nation. During a recent visit, Mark Twain had dubbed it “The Chicago of Europe,” and I’d heard the description was apt, save for the absence of reeking stockyards.

Professor Bell and I awaited Herr Schork in a small meeting room off the lobby, and he arrived with typical German punctuality at exactly three o’clock. He was a thin, nervous young man with an out-sized mustache, trying to hide his insecurity behind a mask of facial hair. It didn’t work.

“Ach, Herr Professor, it is good to meet you, and you as well, Fraülein Harkness,” Schork said. He brushed his lips over the back of my outstretched hand, anointing it with his mustache wax. I regretted not wearing gloves. “How much have you been told, Herr Professor?”

“Very little, other than how this affair involves a delicate matter of security, and that this undertaking in no way compromises the welfare of Great Britain. Am I correct in both?”

“Indeed, Professor. I would even say this affair is of mutual benefit to both our countries, for it involves the surveillance of those who would destroy our social order entirely.”

“You mean anarchists?” I asked, savoring the prim little man’s flinch at the word.

Schork’s eyes darted from side to side, then he nodded. “Precisely. Our efforts to arrest their leaders have consistently failed, and some informants we had within their group have disappeared. The only logical conclusion is we have a spy in the security service. We have tried everything our agents can think of to smoke out the traitor, without success. We need fresh eyes and an unbiased approach. I suggested you, Professor, as you come highly recommended both as a keen observer and a man of discretion. Will you accept the commission?”

“I’ve no love for bomb-throwers, young man, but I’m no spy. How can I be of service?”

“Since we have been unable to find a double agent, our chief of security, Herr Oberst Adler, has suggested we look for breaches in our handling of documents. Perhaps you can determine a manner by which our enemies could intercept instructions meant for our agents and reports from the field. It isn’t much to go on, but we have become blind to the single greatest threat to our nation. I am hoping the man who inspired the figure of Sherlock Holmes can find the answer to our riddle.”

Bell snorted at the mention of Doyle’s fictional detective, “Holmes again! I tell you, lad, I’m fond of the character, but I’m no magician. It’s your money and your purse is generous, so we’ll have a look, but I promise you nothing more than that.”

Very generous indeed! I thought. I could afford a first-class cabin.Schork beamed. “It’s settled, then. Shall I meet you here tomorrow morning at nine o’clock? The chancellery at Palais Schulenberg is nearby on Wilhelmstrasse. I can take you there by carriage.”

Bell looked at me and after my nod, agreed. Hands were shaken, or lightly kissed, and Herr Schork sped away to update the chancellor.

“He’s a bit tightly wound, wouldn’t you say, Miss Harkness?”

“He’s a young man eager to prove himself, but an honest one, I think, else he could not be so forthcoming as to their present difficulty.”

“Let’s hope you’re right, or our time here will be more interesting than we’d like, though it’s easier to be honest about the failings of others. Care to join me for dinner? Seven?”

“Seven it is,” I said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I feel an acute need to wash my hand.”