THE IRREGULAR CASEBOOK OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (24 page)
Evans shrugged. ‘Mr Machen’s kidnap and the abduction of young Mary are enough for me to get my teeth into. I am going out on a limb for you, Mr Machen. You have my respect for Mr Holmes to thank for my agreement.’
It says much for Machen’s eloquence, and, let me admit, the strange things we had witnessed, that the rest of us made no objection to this odd idea.
Machen led us towards the great mountain. Holmes and I were silent, but Mycroft complained bitterly that he was tired. At length we left the high road into a narrow lane, which wound its way sinuously to the lower ridge of the mountain. We began a steep walk, crossing cold streams that fell from the rocks, through hazel brakes, and out on to wild and windswept heights.
An old farmhouse stood there amid twisted beech trees. The place seemed deserted except for an old shepherd up on the hill, leaning on his crook, protected from the chilly winds by a hooded cloak. He made no movement as Machen beat upon the dark oaken door.
The man who answered was dressed in the simple fashion of a farmer. He shook Machen’s hand and led us into a long room, dimly lit by one window of greenish glass. He and Machen stood in whispered conversation. I caught the name Craddock as Machen addressed him. The man nodded, fetched a bunch of keys, and opened a door in the room. We descended a flight of uneven steps into a dark room lit only by one high, narrow window set with iron bars. Craddock opened a kind of aumbry set into the wall and took the iron box from Machen. Quite effortlessly, and with great gentleness, he opened the lid, and Machen gestured to Holmes. They both peered inside. Then Craddock closed the lid, placed the iron box in the aumbry, and locked it. Machen shook his hand.
Back out in the cold morning air, Machen turned to Holmes. ‘This is the best place for it. Poe would have approved. It is hidden in plain view.’
‘I still do not understand what all this means,’ I said.
‘I think,’ replied Holmes, ‘it means that you did not ask Royston Fisher the one question he had been waiting to be asked—What is the Stone from the Heavens?’
‘And the answer,’ said Machen, ‘depends on your Latin. The Eye of Lucifer Cult were convinced they had
Lapis ex
Coelis
. The Stone from the Heavens. A confusion with
Lapisit exillis
, I suspect, which is the name for a certain sacred object when symbolised as a stone——’
A breath of wind caught the hood of the old shepherd on the hill, revealing underneath a familiar mass of dark beard and flowing black hair. Machen saw my expression, nodded, and smiled such a smile as might have illumined his face before his days of grief.
‘He is cured of his hurt at last, for the thing that was stolen, while in his keeping, is safe. And wherever it is, he must still be a guardian.’
We began our descent of the mountain.
‘I sincerely hope,’ said Machen, wearily, ‘that this is the very last time I write fiction and find it is coming true!’
A few moments of silent trudging followed. Then I could stand it no more.
‘Holmes,’ I said, ‘what did you see when Craddock opened the box?’
For a second Holmes said nothing. Then he glanced at me and shrugged.
‘An old cup, Watson. Just an old cup.’
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