The next day I awoke to find Holmes already dressed and studying a blueprint, a floor plan of the Victoria and Albert Museum. He had spread the blueprint on our dining table and was busy annotating the plan with a pencil. I wandered over to the table with a mind to discover what was afoot.
"Are you planning our defences?" I asked.
Holmes was tapping the pencil on the plans and running his index finger along the various corridors inside the museum. “Indeed, Watson. I am studying the layout of the museum and the ways that intruders might enter the building and reach the bell. The architects, in their wisdom, designed the museum so that it would be well lit by natural light which, in turn, means a plethora of windows.”
I looked at the plans, observing, “It is not a bank Holmes!”
Holmes slammed the pencil down on the table, shouting, “Precisely! The openness of the design is an inherent weakness in its security.”
I could see there was a deal of frustration mounting in Holmes and suggested that it might be time for some tea. I rang the bell and asked Mrs Hudson to bring up a breakfast tray for me and two cups.
Holmes strode across the room and sat in his favourite armchair by the fireside. He drew his knees to his chest and placed his hands together with the fingers steepled against his lips. After a moment or two he spoke. “I'm sorry, old fellow. I find this so damnably frustrating. If we were to suggest moving the bell to a place of safety each evening, it would reveal our hand and also greatly displease the Chinese.”
Holmes then sat back in his chair with his eyes closed, his prodigious intellect focussed on the task.
The tea arrived and whilst I tucked into toast and home-made strawberry preserve, Holmes sipped at his tea. It was clear that he continued to consider several options, saying to himself, “We must make sure that the approach to the bell is made as difficult as possible for any intruders."
I finished my breakfast and wandered over to the floor plan of museum. During my service in India, I had several times been present when the senior officers of my regiment had planned defensive strategies for our headquarters. "It seems to me, Holmes, that there are but two corridors that any thieves might use to reach the bell. The main entrance is nearby but is too secure to be a point of entry."
Holmes finished his tea and came to stand by me at the table and I indicated the two corridors that I had identified. Holmes nodded and tapped his forefinger on his pursed lips. "What do you know about Chinese Imperial assassins, Watson?"
For a moment I was dumbfounded. "Well, probably as much as I know about the man in the moon!"
At this, Holmes roared with laughter and patted me soundly on the back. "Then let me enlighten you, old fellow.” Holmes reached for his pipe and then began to give me a potted history of the rise of these feared fighters.
"In Japan, these secretive, highly trained fighters are called Ninjas...although they did not originate there. The name comes from the Chinese middle ages when the forerunners of these assassins were called Yinja, in the Chinese tongue, Kejia. The Chinese peasants referred to them as forest demons, 'Lin Gwai'. They were the epitome of stealth and brought with them death." Holmes’ face looked grim.
"The thieves we face are as determined as they are deadly. I think we may have to involve brother Mycroft, despite the ambassador's concerns." With that he reached for his notebook and dashed off a cryptic telegram.
It was about mid-day when we heard the sound of a Hansom draw up at the curb in the street below. Holmes, I saw, was immediately alert. "Ah, I presume this to be Mycroft."
A few moment later, the door to our rooms opened and in swept Mycroft Holmes. He appeared to be somewhat flustered as he struggled with the fastening for his cape. Eventually, he was free of it and cast it to one side.
Mycroft, a man of few words when speaking to his brother, came straight to the point. "What is this about Sherlock? Your cryptic telegram did little to inform but greatly alarmed me."
Holmes invited Mycroft to sit and then proceeded to speedily and succinctly recount our meeting with the Chinese ambassador.
Mycroft was silent for, perhaps, thirty seconds. He seemed to be turning over the facts and at last he spoke. "Yes… a very delicate situation, Sherlock. One, I think, you must not get yourself involved in."
Holmes was outraged. "What? You expect me to leave the Chinese ambassador in fear of his life because of my inaction and my indiscretion? No! Mycroft. That will not do! I cannot stand by and let this happen!" Holmes stood towering over Mycroft, his fists clenched and his face scarlet.
Mycroft looked up at Holmes and quietly said, "I'm afraid you must. You forget that the Victoria and Albert Museum is a government building and, as such, its security is the affair of the Crown."
Holmes’ fist crashed down onto the dining table. "No! There is not only honour but lives at stake here. I must be part of this!" Holmes started to pace in front of the fireplace. I saw reason in what Mycroft had said but I also understood Holmes’ position.
I felt the need to intervene, saying, "From what you have said yourself, Holmes, the men who seek to steal the bell are trained killers. What do you propose, Mycroft?”
Mycroft turned towards me, sensing that I might be something of an ally in this. "It will be difficult, Watson, for I feel I cannot fully involve Her Majesty's government." Glancing at Holmes, I could detect some small sign of relief pass across his face.
Mycroft rubbed his chin. "To guard the bell I think I may have to call in some markers from Special Branch." Mycroft paused. "Sherlock, this is no longer simply a personal matter. The relationship between two sovereign states may be jeopardised. You must promise me that you will not interfere in protecting the bell."
Mycroft looked towards Holmes. I could plainly see Holmes’ internal torment. He was clearly torn between his personal commitment to the Ambassador and the protection of the interests of the Crown.
Holmes engaged Mycroft with a steely look and, with a wagging forefinger, said, "I will agree to this only on one condition. Should the bell be stolen, I will involve myself fully in its recovery with no impediment on your part, Mycroft."
Mycroft thought for a moment then nodded. "Agreed, but I warn you, Sherlock. If you are not true to your word and you are found in the environs of the museum, I will have you arrested and the implications for you will be grave."
Holmes considered this for a moment and then nodded. Mycroft said no more, he stood, collected his cape and with a nod to me, he swept from our rooms.