Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Rat of Sumatra Read Online Free PDF Page B

glared defiantly at Dodd before slipping through the narrow hatchway.
    Throughout the twenty minutes or so that Holmes was below the three of us stood smoking in an embarrassed silence. I walked over to the furthest handrail and paused for a moment to speculate upon the mysteries that Holmes expected to solve merely by examination. I gazed across the dark brooding river that was heaving with mercantile traffic, bringing to our doorstep all the fruits of the Empire. The skies above were as murky as the waters beneath, overcast by the incessant discharge from a thousand poisonous chimneys and funnels.
    The
Matilda Briggs
would have been partly responsible for this, being a product of the transition from sail to steam. She was quite small for her class, probably no more than 150 feet in length, andhad undoubtedly been built for speed. We subsequently discovered that she had been launched in 1874 specifically to deliver tea from the Indies in as few days as possible. Therefore she had been fitted with two full rigs of sail, one at each end of the deck, together with two incongruous funnels in mid-deck which rendered her the most absurdly ugly craft that I had ever seen.
    Now, of course a heavy shroud of sadness hung over her. The all-pervading silence of her empty decks was accentuated by the sound of the gentle wash playing on her bows as an endless stream of blackened barges churned their way along the river. The tightly furled rigs reminded me of a grove of lifeless trees in the midst of a harsh winter and all the while I pulled on my collar, although now I was chilled at the thought of the awful tragedy that had recently taken place here and the ultimate fate of all those poor souls who had served on board.
    The grating pomposity of Dodd’s voice broke in upon my thoughts.
    ‘Well, I must say!’ he began, between one of his frequent examinations of his elaborate gold pocket watch. ‘I have an appointment in the city to attend, of far greater significance than this, for which I cannot be delayed. Doctor Watson, I should be glad if you would advise your colleague that I shall expect a report of some tangible progress before the week is out.’ With that, one last twist of his ridiculous moustache and a most disdainful doffing of his hat, this singularly disagreeable man took his leave.
    Of course, his dramatic exit would have carried far greater gravitas and dignity had he experienced less difficulty in negotiating the gangplank down to the small pier. As it was he gingerly edged his way down at a painfully slow pace, guiding each step with his gold-tipped cane. On one occasion he completely lost his footing; he turned round towards us and Lestrade and I realized his worst fears by laughing heartily in his direction. He turned sharply awayand completed the remainder of his hazardous departure unscathed. A smart brougham was patiently awaiting him at the quayside and that was the last we saw of Mr Alistair Dodd.
    At that precise moment Holmes emerged through the hatchway. He pointed in the direction of the rapidly departing brougham.
    ‘That, I take it, is our esteemed client,’ Homes declared.
    ‘Have a care, Holmes,’ I warned. ‘For all of his absurdities, should Mr Dodd ever decide to withdraw his commission, I am certain that he has enough influence to render any further investigation on our part difficult in the extreme.’
    Holmes lit a cigarette and smiled mischievously through its thin, blue plume of smoke.
    ‘The doctor does have a point, Mr Holmes. Has your examination of the ship yielded any clues that might have escaped my men and me?’ Lestrade asked, almost as if he was hopeful of a negative reply.
    For an instant Holmes appeared to be strangely surprised at the question.
    ‘Well, I suppose there are probably only three of any real note, although to evaluate their significance at this early stage would, of course, be purely speculative,’ Holmes quietly replied.
    ‘Three!!’ Lestrade squealed, whilst