Chapter Text
2 July, 1886 — Evening
After suppertime, Herlock descended from the attic with Mrs. Hudson in tow, holding a stack of old weathered books.
“What the hell is that?” Seishirou asked.
“These are all bibles!” Herlock replied, laying them all across the floor in a circle as he opened them one by one. “I’ve noted the relevant sections for you to look through, as Christ only appears in a small section…”
I took my seat on the settee, picking up one of the books and flipping through the pages (the bible I had in my hands appeared to be in Greek, from what I was able to parse).
“I’ve taken a liberty of collecting multiple bibles in differing languages, one never really knows when it may be useful, but now that it seems that the day has come!” Herlock grinned. “I’ve collected the Latinate Vulgate, Greek, Middle English, Modern English, I’ve even managed to get my hands on a Chaldean one! Perhaps there will be clues hidden upon these pages, leading to the true culprit!”
“You are so sure that some religious fanatic was involved?” Seishirou asked, thumbing through one of the bibles. “Hmph, and you people think our writing is confounding!”
“This is our key, and I know it,” Herlock mumbled. “It may very well eliminate any other possibilities but the true culprit!”
“I’ll brew some tea, it looks like you will be in for a very long night…” Mrs. Hudson said.
It was rather quiet for some time, the thumbing and rustling of old paper, pages turning and going, the occasional sip of tea. My eyes are still sore as I recall the dim light of the candles that Mrs. Hudson had set out for us, as the fireplace would be less than ideal given the heat.
And I’m sure Seishirou might have thrown one of the books behind him out of frustration to Herlock’s horror… thank goodness for Mrs. Hudson’s foresight!
Herlock was practically cross-eyed as he stared through each passage. I had eventually noticed a pattern as to how ‘Christ’ was written, and it was in stark contrast to the small burnt papers in our possession.
“Sholmes, don’t you find it strange that in all of these texts but our own,” I started, “in all of these texts, ‘Christ’ is capitalized, but on our papers, it is written in the lowercase?”
Herlock dropped the two bibles he had in each hand, causing Seishirou to fall from the chair he had fallen asleep in. There was a bright manic look in Herlock’s eyes as he suddenly took me into his arms, his hands were planted into my shoulders as he practically bounced on his feet. He grinned madly, his eyes sparkled, and he loomed over me. Our faces were so close to each other that his own nose brushed against mine.
I swear I might have died right then and there, every time he swayed closer to me, laughing like a mad man. I do not know whether he intended to lean closer and closer in upon me, or if the thought even crossed his mind at what it’s doing to me. I still cannot sleep, for it will haunt me as soon as I close my eyes. My hand shakes still as I write this, and yet I yearn for this restless feeling! I’m going mad, mad! I will lose my mind long before I am set to return home! Give my best to my family! I am mad, mad I say! This observant man, who peers into the souls of others, learning what they hide, and yet he does not for me… perhaps he already knows, he would know… I should think it a curse, but like the needle I crave it more and more!
London will drive me mad, I suppose this is my fate, and mad I shall be!
“At last, Mikotoba, at last!” He cried out. “The final piece of the puzzle! And it was you that had found it!”
He turned over the blackboard to the side that he had not written on since our adventure with the dancing men. He erased the code and wrote down what we had on the piece of paper.
“One may assume that this is the word in its entirety, had they only seen and not observed like you, Mikotoba!” He grinned. “Come to think about it… where have we seen this word before… perhaps if we lengthen it…!”
Seishirou and I watched as he added three more letters to what was already written. I felt my stomach drop as realisation had suddenly struck, he truly was correct, this was the last key in our puzzle, and it led to one man and one man alone:
G I L C H R I S T