Sherlock Holmes and the Golden Bird

17

More Light in Dark Places

181

The events had been tiring indeed and when I awoke the following morning, I was somewhat shocked at the late hour. Mrs. Hudson and Billy had returned by the time I found myself in the sitting room. Holmes had breakfasted and the smell of his strong shag was heavy in the room. The volume dealing with Jonathan Wild was on the desk and Holmes sat by the fireplace, his fingers steepled and his aquiline nose pressed against them. I tiptoed out of the room to acquaint our housekeeper of my presence and needs. When I returned, Holmes had not moved a muscle, but he suddenly looked up as though startled by my presence.

"Ah, Watson, you are the late-abed today."

He sprang to his feet, crossing to the silver coffee urn.

"This should still be warm," he said, "and a cup will serve you well. Both of us in fact."

Holmes seldom deigned to perform domestic duties but on this day he bustled around, pouring coffee, urging me to be seated and talking all the while.

"You have ordered breakfast, no doubt?"

I indicated that this was so.

"Splendid!"

I had not lived with Sherlock Holmes so long not to recognize the signs. He had come upon something and was quite delighted with himself and anxious to share his thoughts with his only confidant, me.

"Of course, I have been through the book. Badly written, but one section shows a spark of originality. The author, one Pierce by name, devotes a full chapter to the plans of Wild that never bore fruit. The schemes that the criminal did not or could not take action on. It is in this portion of the book that the only markings appear."

Holmes was at the desk, leafing through the book taken from Barker's dwelling. "Let me read this to you. 'Jonathan Wild was instrumental in a large number of jewel robberies but diamonds were his only passion.' "

Holmes's eyes rose from the page. "This portion is bracketed. A more specific marking comes later." He resumed reading: " 'In 1828, Wild spent much time and a considerable amount of money planning a theft of the Sancy diamond, one of the crown jewels of France. The stone had come into the possession of Demindoff and Wild intended to possess it despite my protestations that the gem was too well-known to be sold and I knew that Wild would never consider cutting it.' "

As Holmes paused for a moment, I offered a comment.

"The author, Pierce, seems to have been quite an intimate of Jonathan Wild."

"Or attempts to picture himself as such. His facts seem accurate. I do know that the Sancy was sold by Demidoff in 1865 for twenty thousand pounds. Or, at least, that is the story. I wonder if Wild actually did steal the stone!"

"Doesn't Pierce make mention of it?"

"Simply that the robbery did not go off as planned and Wild abandoned the idea. Here's the main point of interest: 'The one diamond that Wild really coveted was the Pasha of Egypt though he was never able to get his hands on it.' "

Holmes looked at me, his eyes alight.

"Barker drew a line through 'Pasha of Egypt.' "

"And when he died, that was the word that Lindquist heard: 'Pasha.' "

"Exactly. You can see my interest was immediately sparked."

"But what has the Pasha of Egypt diamond to do with the Golden Bird?"

"What indeed? At one time I mentioned that the pursuit of the Bird would seem more reasonable if it were encrusted with precious gems. Suppose, Watson, instead of jewels on the outside, to give the object a far greater value, there was one jewel, a world-famous diamond, on the inside?"

Holmes's idea was certainly intriguing. "Then all these thefts over a long period of time—they were not really after the Golden Bird but a diamond—the Pasha of Egypt."

Holmes head was shaking slowly in a negative fashion.

"As I have stated on other occasions, it is a capital mistake to theorize in advance of the facts. One begins to twist facts to fit theories, instead of fitting theories to facts. We need facts now, 'Watson, and shall have to seek them from experts. I have dispatched a note to Orloff asking him to arrange a meeting with Edwin Streeter."

"The name is unfamiliar to me."

"The royal jeweler, ol' chap. Streeter wrote a book in '83: The Great Diamonds of the World. I rather fancy he knows the diamond field inside and out and might provide the information that will crystallize this whole matter."

Holmes ran into a snag at this point since the royal jeweler was vacationing in the south of France at this time. However, Wakefield Orloff's intimate knowledge of comings and goings between England and the Continent came to the detective's aid. According to the security agent, Dr. Max Bauer of Germany was in England at the time and Orloff was able to arrange a meeting between the famous gem expert and Holmes.*

* It is interesting to note that Dr. Bauer later, in 1896, published a book called Precious Stones. It was translated and published in England around 1903 and is considered one of the most comprehensive studies of gems ever published.

Happily, the doctor was a follower of the exploits of my friend and was quite delighted to visit our chambers on Baker Street which gave me the opportunity of being present at a most fascinating exchange of information.

The professor had a round, jolly face topped with a profusion of unruly hair. He might have modeled for a character out of Pickwick Papers or perhaps a Bavarian toymaker. Orloff was not present, the doctor having come to our abode alone, for which Holmes thanked him warmly. Bauer stated that he was most happy to visit the world's greatest detective and to be able to meet the famous Doctor Watson. I decided that the doctor was a splendid chap indeed, and then Bauer and my friend got down to business.

"Ach, Mr. Holmes, you vill vant to talk about precious stones. Iss der any p'tickler vun vot intrigues you?"

"Diamonds, Doctor Bauer."

"A big field. You haf a p'tikiler von in mind, perhaps?"

"I'm interested in several. What could you tell me about the Sancy diamond?"

"Ach, von of ze most vamous. All crown jewels are. Like many great diamonds, it came from India. Before becoming part of ze crown jewels of Fronce, it vas in your country, you know. It vas sold to Queen Elizabet 'round sixteen hundred und vent to Fronce vid Henrietta Maria, de qveen of Charles, first. Den it vent to Cardinal Mazarin as a pledge. The Cardinal vas qvite a diamond fancier und left ze Sancy und seventeen other large diamonds to Louis Fourteenth. In 1791, der vas an inventory of ze French crown jewels und Sancy vas valued at one million francs. During ze revolution it vas stolen along mitt ze Regent und vas not recovered. Den ze beauty showed up as ze property of ze Spanish crown und came into ze possession of Demidoff."

"It was not stolen from him by any chance?" asked Holmes.

"Nein, ze Sancy hass returned to ze land of its birth. It is now ze broberty of ze Maharajah of Patiala. I saw ze stone ven it vas disblayed at ze Paris Exhibition."

"I see," said Holmes and I could see that he was writing off the Sancy diamond in his mind.

"Could you," continued Holmes, "acquaint me with some diamonds that are less famous?"

"All ze great diamonds are vamous but I see vat you are zearching for. Ze Nassak iss not so vell-known, dough it is better dan eighty-nine carats. It came from ze temple of Siva in India und vas acqvired in 1818 by der East India Company."

Holmes appeared interested. "Where is this stone now?"

"Right here in England, Mr. Holmes. Ze Nassak vas bought for seventy-two hundred pounds by der London jeweler, Emmanuek, und vas den sold to ze Duke of Vesminster und it has been in his family ever since. The Nassak iss large but you know it's not just der carats vat iss important. Ze Star of Este is a little less dan twenty-six carats but absolutely flawless."

"Is its present whereabouts known?"

"Indeed. It iss ze broberty of ze ruling house of Austrian-Este. Den der iss ze Pasha of Egypt."

"Ah, have I heard of that stone?"

"Pozzibly. Forty carats. Octagonal. It vas bought by Ibraham, Viceroy of Egypt, for twenty-eight thousand pounds."

"And it is still in Egypt?" Holmes looked disappointed.

"If it vas not, I dink I vould haf heard."

"Doctor Bauer, can you think of any of the great diamonds that have vanished?"

"Ze truly famous stones don't get lost. Und dey cannot be dublicated. Paintings—dot iss somesing else. Paintings iss manmade. For years, der iss vispers about famous paintings. Are dey original or a copy? But diamonds iss made by nature. Von look und de expert knows if dey iss genuine."

"I see," said Holmes, despondently. "Well, Doctor, I am most grateful for your assistance in this matter."

"Somesing vispers to me dot I vass not so big a help. You know, Mr. Holmes, everybody likes to blay in ze ozzer man's back yard. It vass ze Pasha of Egypt dat you vas really interested in, nicht var?"

Holmes had the good grace to smile. "Doctor Bauer, you should have been a detective."

"Dot I vill leave in your cabable hands. Und I shall make inquiries about ze Pasha diamond for you, Mr. Holmes."

The famous gem expert took his leave at this point, allowing Holmes to regard me with a wry expression.

"You see, ol' chap, the danger of becoming intrigued with a theory."

"But Barker did say Pasha before he died. Jonathan Wild was deeply interested in that one particular stone. Possibly, Doctor Bauer will uncover some additional information concerning it."

Holmes brightened up a bit at my thought and so the matter rested for a time. As he later confessed, he became convinced that he was following a will-o'-the-wisp with his diamond idea and he forced himself to concentrate on the irritating sifting of information in search of a pattern that would provide illumination regarding the matter of the Golden Bird. That he had the haunts of Chu San Fu watched, I am sure. Wakefield Orloff was a frequent visitor, a sure sign that Mycroft Holmes's finger was still in the pie. Nothing was heard concerning the shadowy international financier, Basil Selkirk. The entire machinery of plot and counterplot seemed to grind to an unwieldy halt. Holmes was in and out of 22IB Baker Street at all hours and it was obvious that he was annoyed with the lack of progress. As was his custom at times like this, he became secretive and did not communicate his latest theories, if he had any.

It was an afternoon, later in the week, that my friend returned to our lodging, his thin face more drawn than usual. I worried about his highly nervous state and not for the first tune, having seen him drive himself unceasingly to the verge of absolute collapse and then, upon the solving of a case, stage a physical recovery that bordered on the medically impossible.

Without a word, he disappeared into his bedchamber, returning after a short period clad in his dressing gown and slippers. Seated in his favorite chair, he brooded in silence. I advanced no greeting, nor posed any questions, feeling that should he wish the comfort of communication it would be best to let him instigate it.

After another ten minutes, a long sigh escaped him and he rose in search of his pipe.

"Forgive me, Watson, but I have been much preoccupied of late."

"Small wonder," I stated, and secretly congratulated myself on having said nothing.

Holmes fished in the toe of the Persian slipper for his shag and soon there were clouds of acrid smoke.

"This matter of the statue has provided nothing but a series of dead ends," he said, bitterly.

"I thought you were on to something with that idea of the Pasha of Egypt diamond."

"As did I. The devilish thing about it is that I keep returning to that theory. Common sense finally led me to some digging into Oriental life. Did you know, old friend, that in the Chinese calendar this is the year of the diamond?''

"I say," I exclaimed, laying aside my paper, "that must provide some germ of a motive though I cannot think what."

"I can," said Holmes, and then, in keeping with a most frustrating habit of his, let the matter drop. Before I could pose a question to explore this more thoroughly, he was off on another tangent.

"There is a line of inquiry which I have pursued that may pay off. I have a message that Orloff will be with us shortly and I trust that the news he brings will be of benefit."

Again the sleuth lapsed into silence and I consoled myself that the security agent would soon break it.

On the stroke of six, Wakefield Orloff tapped on our door. Orloff was one of the very few allowed immediate access to Holmes at any time. While it was most frequently my chore to answer the door, this time Holmes sprang to his feet and opened our portal anxiously to usher the agent within.

Orloff's slightly moon-shaped face was completely impassive as he removed his lethal bowler hat with its steel-lined brim and placed it on an end table within easy reach.

"Well, man?" questioned Holmes, impatiently.

My friend's high-strung manner did not phase Orloff in the least, but then what would?

"We were able to secure the best man on metals available. His tests were time-consuming, but necessarily so. As to his findings, they will intrigue you. The Golden Bird is not in its original state."

"Ah," said Holmes, with gratification. He threw me a sharp glance. "No matter what happens now, Watson, we were right." His hawklike visage returned eagerly to Orloff.

"Our man," continued the security agent, "established that a portion of the base of the statue is of a gold of a different quality and age than that of the rest of the statue."

"Conclusion?" There was a tight smile on Holmes's lips.

"A large part of the base had been hollowed out as a depository for something. No indication as to what the object was but our man is certain that it was removed recently. The filler gold used to solidify the statue's base was poured not long ago."

"Selkirk," stated Holmes with conviction.

"Why him?" Orloff and I asked together.

"It all fits. Finally, we are dredging some sense from this morass. It is the diamond theory, of course. I'm obsessed with it but there does not seem to be any other logical explanation. Here are the facts." Holmes centered on Orloff for a moment. "In the Chinese calendar, this is the year of the diamond. Now, Chu San Fu's daughter is to be wed to Maurice Rothfils of the famous banking family. In the normal order of things, she will be presented at court."

I realized my head was nodding as I recalled the meeting with MacDonald some time back and his mention of this coming social event.

Holmes continued, savoring the words. I could see that his mind, at last, had a clue as to how to fit the pieces together. "The Chinese are renowned for their pride."

"They are not alone in that," I blurted, without thinking.

"But they make a fetish of it ... a religion. Face is everything. What would a modern-day bandit like Chu San Fu desire above all things?" Holmes chose to answer his own question. "His daughter, presented to Her Majesty, wearing a gem that need not take second place to the crown jewels of England. That is why he's risked his men recklessly in an attempt to secure the Golden Bird. Somehow he knew that there was a famous diamond inside it."

"But why a diamond?" questioned Orloff. "I will agree that whatever was concealed within the statue figures to be a gem. Size alone narrows the choice to that. But why not a ruby? An emerald?"

"Because there are so few famous rubies or emeralds or pearls for that matter. Were this long-concealed treasure one of those stones we could probably name it now. But there are many famous diamonds and we seek a particular one. The daughter of Chu San Fu must be able to wear it openly. Therefore, it cannot be a stolen one. The solution to this entire matter is but a hair's breadth away. Somewhere there is recorded history of a unique diamond that will fit our requirements. Now I must find out its name."

"Would you wish to speak to Doctor Bauer again?" asked Orloff.

"Let me do some preliminary research first. As the eminent expert remarked in this very room: 'Diamonds are a big field.' I must narrow down the possibilities or I will but waste his time."

Orloff was not satisfied. "But what about Chu San Fu?"

"The Oriental has ceased to be a problem. Now we know what he is after or soon will. Basil Selkirk is the stumbling block."

Events proved Holmes wrong on both counts.