Revelation

This revelation was frightening and infuriating. Holmes began walking around Reilly as a hawk would circle its prey. It was as if he was kicking himself internally for not unravelling the one mystery that may have cost all of us our lives. He said nothing, stopped for a moment and then returned the pistol to Reilly as he looked him in the eye. It was clear to me that an unspoken truce had been reached. He then resumed his circling while listening to the rest of Reilly’s story.

“Why you were to be killed, I don’t know. Those few in my field who are like me, only follow orders; or, at least, the orders we want to follow.

“I was seconded from SIS to naval intelligence, and was given specific and direct orders by the deputy director of that branch.”

“Sir Randolph Newsome,” Holmes interrupted.

Reilly seemed surprised. “Do you know him?”

“Let us just say that we know of him. This is not the first time we have come upon the name of Sir Randolph Newsome.”

“We met quite clandestinely months ago at a safe house near Harwich, and I was told that Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson were going to try to rescue the Imperial Family. I was told there was the strongest resistance to this in the highest circles of government; and while there were those who wanted you to succeed, I was taking orders from those who did not.

“Further, these same people wished the Imperial Family dead, but under no circumstances did they wish the blame for their death attached to the Bolsheviks. This he emphasized quite strenuously.

“The methods I chose to carry out the assignment were left entirely to my discretion. I would be given as much money as needed for whatever I required.

“Sir George Buchanan, I am almost sure, was told another story. His superior is, of course, the British Foreign Secretary whose name every Englishman knows, Arthur Balfour. From what I could gather, Sir George believed what you believed; that you were sent to rescue the Romanovs, and that I was sent secretly by the British government to help. He told me also that special arrangements had been made with the White leader, Admiral Kolchak, to help me in my task.

“Usually, an ambassador would not know of my true identity or what my true assignment would be; unless he has a direct need to know, which Sir George did not. So I am still not sure if Sir George knows exactly who I am, or what my main function was before I was seconded. That, by the way, is something I promise to disclose to you at another time.

“Stravitski and Obolov I had known many years before in Russia, and they were of the greatest assistance to me thirteen years ago at Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese War.”

“Do you mean you were already working with SIS back then?” I asked.

“Yes. That is where Stravitski saved my life. Obolov was with me only because Stravitski was with me; if you understand.” Holmes and I both nodded quietly.

“As for my men, they are Cheka through and through. But they think I am as well. They, too, believe this to be a very special and personal request by Lenin to bring the Imperial Family back to Moscow for trial. A trial designed to show the world why the Reds were forced into their revolution and to lay the blame solely at the feet of the Tsar. They believe it will absolve them and their Comrade Leader Lenin of any blame.

“I don’t know how much Lenin knows. He, too, is a wild card here. Yes, he knows your identities; but what else? Can Lenin be in collusion with the British? Anything is possible; and for a multitude of reasons we can’t even guess at.

“My men also knew how dangerous this mission would be because we were heading right into the middle of the civil war. In addition, even the regional Soviets, like the one in the Urals with which you have become so familiar, were in virtual rebellion against Moscow. Many of the commissars want to set themselves up as autonomous leaders in their own area. So my men were ready for trouble. In fact, they almost wished it.

“However, one thing bothered me greatly. It was a direct order from Balfour to Buchanan to have me work with Kolchak. Why bring Kolchak into this? If Kolchak was privy to my task, Newsome had not said so. It felt wrong on many levels. So I decided to use Kolchak for my own purposes.

“When I met Kolchak, before you did, he told me exactly what you heard yourselves with me. During our return trip, our train would be surrounded, I would order my men to surrender, they would be shot by Kolchak’s men as traitors, and you and I along with the Imperial Family would be in the safe hands of the Whites, who would then see us safely to Archangel. There, after an invasion by the Allies scheduled for the middle to end of July, you would all be taken out of the country.

“It was now very evident the Admiral knew absolutely nothing of my orders from Sir Randolph. In fact, it now seems that no one I have met knew.”

Holmes interrupted again. “Does that sound familiar to you, Watson? One link not being aware of the other link’s function?”

“Oh, yes, quite,” I said.

“Links?” asked Reilly.

“Yes, I shall tell you more of it later. Please continue.”

“I was going to use the White attack as my cover for yours, and the Imperial Family’s deaths.”

“How?” asked I.

“I would not have my men surrender so easily. During the battle, Stravitski and Obolov would have shot you all. I could then claim to Kolchak, when I finally surrendered, that some hard line troops under my command had taken it upon themselves to kill you all rather than have the Romanovs rescued by the Whites. After a brief struggle between men loyal to me, we prevailed and managed to kill the fanatics in turn.

“We could then claim, and I could almost see the propaganda, that the Imperial Family, in the midst of an unfortunate rescue attempt by private British citizens in the pay of unknown forces, were killed when they were caught in a clash between Red and White forces at Viatka. The two British subjects killed along with the Imperial Family were the internationally known consulting detective, Mr. Sherlock Homes, and his celebrated chronicler, Dr. John Watson.”

“Absolutely brilliant, Reilly,” said Holmes, “you satisfy everyone and you not only remain alive, but prosper from your exertions.”

“Perhaps, but something went amiss. The Whites attacked full out and with artillery and in the wrong place. It was supposed to be Viatka. They themselves were out to kill us all. That wasn’t part of the plan. Kolchak double-crossed me.”

At that, we all realized the humour in the remark and laughed. Reilly then appeared to have a revelation.

“Of course, that’s it! That’s why the bastard met with us in Perm. He put himself in danger to personally gauge our mettle. To see just exactly how large a force would be needed. What a cynical son-of-a-bitch. And I now think I also see why.”

“I believe I do, as well,” said Holmes.

“Right now,” said Reilly, “Kolchak is merely the military head of the Whites. But with the Imperial Family dead, and others of the blood executed or in Red captivity, Kolchak can set himself up as the new Tsar. If the counter-revolution succeeds he becomes master of all Russia. The new question then becomes are the British behind this or not? If ‘yes’, he’s recognized immediately by the Allies, and with their unlimited funds might even bribe Russia back into the war. But if ‘no...’”

Reilly then trailed off in thought. Holmes already had.

“The pieces begin to fall into place,” said Holmes, “but I fear only Lloyd George and his invisible others know all the pieces and all the places.”

While these two sterling minds turned into themselves for solutions to the questions they sought, I had one very pertinent question to which I felt I already had the answer; but I had to ask to see what Reilly would say.

“Forgive me, Reilly for interrupting your thoughts, but now that you have confessed all this to us, I have a question to which I would like an answer, if you don’t mind”

“Please.”

“If the Whites had attacked in the method agreed upon, what would you have done?”

Reilly instantly gave a small smile.

“Well, Dr. Watson, I didn’t know you were also adept at arcane deduction.”

“Not at all. It is simply there for anyone with eyes to see.”

“Not necessarily,” and he nodded towards Holmes who remained lost in his own thoughts.

“Anyway, to answer your question, I would not, of course, have kept my part of the bargain. I would have simply surrendered as planned. Then everyone would’ve lived happily ever after.” Holmes looked at us as if we had taken leave of our senses.

“It is strange, is it not, Dr. Watson, how something like this can completely change one’s life? It’s like the silly tale of the sinner becoming a saint; although, I don’t think we have to go that far.” We both laughed.

The track was sufficiently repaired for us to continue. Reilly’s remaining men, only about eight in number, excluding Obolov, Zimin and the engineer, were aboard, as were Holmes and I; it was Reilly who gave the order to move.

With all that Reilly had told us, I had completely forgotten about Tatiana learning of her mother’s condition. Her sisters, knowing she was her mother’s pet were very gentle with her; but she did not take it well.

When I went in to check on her, she was asleep, as was the entire family. They, like all on this train, needed that sleep.

Night could not come quickly enough for me.

July 12, 1918

Upon waking in the morning, I found myself alone in the railway car, the train swaying back and forth like a drunken sailor, its speed quicker than I had remembered.

I went out to the platform of the soldiers’ car to find Holmes staring off into the numbing flatness of the terrain. The day was even hotter than yesterday, and I was already perspiring profusely.

“Good morning, Holmes.”

“Good morning, Watson.”

“Where is Reilly?”

“Here!” The voice came from above and I looked up to see Reilly beginning to climb down from the roof of the car. He had been up checking on his men. Two were on machine guns, two had rifles, as did the engineer and stoker, Obolov and Zimin had pistols.

“We shall be nearing Viatka shortly where we’ll stop for water and food. Doctor, I’m going to the Imperial Family’s car now to see how they are.”

“Good. Just wait one moment and I shall come with you. I must check on Alexei.”

Holmes seemed uncommunicative, and I had very long since learned to leave him to his thoughts at such times

I got my bag and after attempting to tidy myself up, went to find Reilly who was already waiting at the door to the Imperial Family’s car. The man was having trouble not knocking.

“All right, go ahead,” I said.

He knocked and heard the Tsar say, “Enter.”

Upon entering the salon we saw all, except for the Tsarina and Tatiana. Reilly’s face registered his disappointment.

The courtesies of the morning finished, I asked to have a look at Alexei who was sitting in a chair next to his father. The swelling was almost completely gone now and the Tsar told me that Alexei had, of his own volition, eaten some fruit. I applauded the Tsarevich and he laughed and applauded back. The Tsar and the Grand Duchesses also joined in the mock celebration.

I then asked the Tsar if I might attend to the Tsarina. He agreed and asked me to follow him. Reilly was awkwardly smiling at Marie who was knowingly smiling back.

The Tsar gently rapped at his compartment door and Tatiana bade him enter.

Upon seeing me, Tatiana stood up and moved to leave, sensing that Reilly was waiting in the salon. She kissed her father gently on the cheek as she nodded good morning to me and I watched the Tsar look at her as she left. I am positive it was the look a parent displays only once per child: that being when the parent first realizes their child is no longer one.

I turned to the Tsarina. She was as before.

“Has she given any indication of who she is, who you are or where she is?” I asked.

“None, Dr. Watson. She has remained as you saw her yesterday. I fear I have lost my Sonny forever.”

I could not truthfully tell him otherwise, so I was forced to dissemble.

“But Your Imperial Majesty, that is not necessarily so. The science of psychiatry, although still a new science, is making giant leaps every day. New treatments are found for illnesses that yesterday were nameless. Please, sir, do not give up hope.”

“Thank you, Dr. Watson. You are a good and kind man, besides being a true healer.”

Odd, I had never been called a healer before. Always doctor or physician. That simple word was suddenly heavy with meaning for me. I felt a primal sensation in my body, akin, I believe, to a first remembered pleasure of childhood. It was a happiness of spirit if you will. I could not help the Tsarina, I knew that, but I could and would help Alexei; and any other who needed me. I suddenly felt my wife and John there with me.

The refuelling went without event in Viatka, as did the next few days before we reached the all-important junction at Vologda.

In summary of those days, the Tsarina grew worse, the Tsarevich grew better, almost as if one was directly affecting the other; the Tsar grew more to accept what had happened to his wife, and grew even closer to his children. Olga, Marie and Anastasia struck up a friendship of sorts with Holmes. They begged to hear of his adventures with humanity’s villains, as if they had not had enough of their own. Holmes seemed to relax as he recounted those adventures. Tatiana and Reilly spent time alone together, either on the platform of the train as it raced on, or on private walks away from the train when Reilly felt it safe enough, and the rest of mankind separated enough, to do so. Reilly’s men eased and opened; only Obolov remaining sullen and reclusive.

Yet even with our inner tensions about the terrors surrounding us, I truly believed these few days to be a quiet, much needed time of personal rediscovery for us all.

The only thing that kept pulling me back from immersing myself in this wonderful sense of peace and near-innocence, was the summer sun of Russia that each morning and each evening turned the crimson colour of the Red star of revolution.

July 18, 1918

We arrived in Vologda amidst mass confusion and snakes of vehicular traffic stretching to what seemed infinity. In this case, infinity was in the direction of Archangel. Whatever was happening, it seemed, at first sight, cataclysmic. The noise was monumental if your window was rolled down, and only unbearable when rolled up. Since the heat was worse than the noise, windows were down. The Imperial Family, naturally, kept their shades drawn.

It was towards dusk and Reilly asked Holmes and I to stay with the Romanovs in their car. His men remained on guard on our roof, with Obolov in command, while Reilly took Zimin into Vologda to see what was happening. This was new territory for Reilly just as much as it was for us. Had he concluded his original business, he would have been travelling in a different uniform, and with quite different companions.

His sole concern now was for the safety of Tatiana and her family. Holmes and I were merely appendages which, if frost-bitten, could be severed when threatening the health of the body. Being a disposable appendage is not an enviable position.

In the salon, the Grand Duchesses, except Tatiana, who was with her mother, talked amongst themselves about the madness outside. Holmes and I made small talk with the Tsar who had become expansive with curiosity about the surging chaos. At one point, he even asked “Do you think the counter-revolution has succeeded?” It was Holmes who shook his head and quietly said, “No, Your Imperial Majesty. It could not happen so quickly.”

I watched the Tsar’s face show only the slightest twinge of emotion then he shrugged his shoulders and said brightly, “I do hope Colonel Relinsky returns to us in one piece.”

“Knowing Relinsky,” said Holmes, “he would return to us even if he were in two pieces.” We laughed at that and the Tsar turned to Alexei, who, I must say, was now doing very well. They began speaking to each other in Russian.

Within the two hours that passed until Reilly returned, Obolov knocked, an odd event since Reilly had banned him from the car’s vicinity; and some rather well-dressed men and women in their middle-ages pounded on the sides of our car, jabbering in Russian, until forcefully pushed away by two of our guards.

The Tsar looked puzzled as he translated for us.

“They were asking of whoever was inside if they could come in. They said all were killed, there was no way out, and the Germans were coming. I do not know what they meant by ‘all were killed,’ but about the Germans, could this be?”

“Your Imperial Majesty,” said Holmes, “we have been out of touch with the real world for some time now and knowing how fluid is the situation within the borders of your country, anything at all seems possible.”

The Tsar thought about that for a moment. “Yes, anything is possible.”

Hard upon that, Reilly returned. Zimin was sent to check on the men. All in the salon waited on Reilly’s words, with which he was more than forthcoming as soon as I had given him a look confirming for him that all was well with Tatiana.

“No, gentlemen, the Germans aren’t coming. That insane rumour seems to have taken hold and has spread as quickly as a rash.”

“Well, something must have started this mass of humanity on its rampage of flight,” said Holmes.

“Yes, something did. Remember that the entire diplomatic corps was precipitously moved here back in February when they thought the Germans were going to threaten Petrograd? Well, here they’ve sat, quiet and happy, until early yesterday.

“It seems that SIS got hold of the American Ambassador, David Francis, and warned him of the coming Allied invasion. Why SIS told the American Ambassador is beyond me. I would’ve thought his own people would tell him; or at the very least, his brother ambassador, Sir George.

“Francis was the head of the diplomatic corps here, and he went to all the other Allied Ambassadors, then to the Italian, the Chinese, the Japanese, and the bloody Brazilian Ambassadors, for God’s sake, and told them likewise. So all those ambassadors then went and told all their families, and all their dependents, and all their employees, that very shortly, as soon as the British and Americans landed at Archangel, they would not be smiled upon by the local Reds.

“Somehow, that warning about the British and the Americans transmogrified into an impending attack by the Germans, even though the Russians aren’t even in the God-damned war any more. What you see is the result.”

“Where are all the diplomats?” asked Holmes.

“Gone. Francis commandeered a train for them and they headed north last night. Once everyone woke up and found all the diplomats gone, the terror took hold like a snapping turtle.”

“Incredible,” said the Tsar.

“Quite,” said Reilly.

“But why did Francis and the others leave so quickly? Surely they still had ample time?” asked Holmes.

“True enough,” said Reilly, “but the other news coming at the heels of the German rumor really tore it. Since no one knew how the Reds or Whites or anyone would take the news, Francis and his friends decided flight was the better part of valour.”

“What other news?” asked the Tsar.

“Forgive me, Your Imperial Majesty, in the excitement of the moment it seems I’ve forgotten to convey it. Quite simply, you and your entire family have been executed by the Bolsheviks at Ekaterinburg. You’re all dead.”