Выбрать главу

“Quick. There’s not a moment to lose. Gunpowder, treason and now plot The cunning devil has set explosive devices on a timer. No doubt the breaking of the door triggered it. Moriarty hoped to destroy the evidence and us with it.”

As we emerged into the courtyard beyond, we heard another series of explosions, louder than the first, from all over the house. There was the sound of glass breaking as windows exploded and we were all showered with flying shards before we reached the comparative safety of the street.

Turning to look at Royston Court, now with streams of fire flickering from every window like obscene tongues, I found myself shivering, although the night was not particularly cold. Can a building take on the quality of evil through the nature of those who built it and from the sinful purpose for which they used it? If it could, then this one did. I seemed to still hear the house spitting defiance until we were safe in our carriage and the sound of the approaching fire engines drowned it out.

When we were well out of the vicinity, Holmes ordered the driver to stop and went back to the carriages that held Lestrade and his men. I could see them engaged in earnest conversation and then the smaller and faster of the carriages took off at a great pace in the general direction of Whitehall.

Alicia and I were left alone in the four-wheeler. On leaving the house I had insisted on draping my ulster around her and now, as she sat back, she looked for all the world like a small child cocooned against all harm. She looked at me for a moment in silence, then reached out and took my hand.

“John H. Watson,” she said simply. “Thank you. There are no words for what you and your friend have done and, even if I could find them, neither of you would wish to hear them. So, may I thank you on behalf of you both?”

And with that, she leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. Now I was the one who had no words.

I was saved from the necessity of speech by Holmes’s return. Those grey eyes missed nothing, of that I am sure, but he merely said: “Time is of the essence, I’m afraid, old fellow. I have arranged for one of Lestrade’s men to take — Alicia — back to Baker Street into Mrs. Hudson’s good care.”

Then to his surprise as well as my own, I heard Alicia say — “Mr. Holmes, if you imagine for one moment that, after all I have been through, I intend to be consigned to the category of ‘Women and Children’ when this little drama reaches its climax, then your knowledge of the modern woman is sadly incomplete. You say that time is of the essence. Then I suggest we waste no more of it. Driver, the Houses of Parliament!”

Holmes was hard put to it to swing himself up into the carriage before the driver cracked his whip and we were on our way. I stole a glance in his direction and the play of emotions across that finely drawn face would have made a narrative in itself. Nonetheless, I would have taken a bet that the dominant expression was one of amused satisfaction. His quick glance in my direction told me that I must have been smiling.

A few moments later he explained his plan.

One of Lestrade’s men had been sent ahead to dig Mycroft out of the depths of the Diogenes Club and have him meet us close to Westminster Abbey. Even with the House sitting, his authority would take us anywhere within the complex of buildings that made up the seat of Government, but it was important we rendezvous out of sight of Moriarty’s agents, who would certainly have set up a surveillance.

“I need hardly add that we must proceed with extreme caution. The charges are undoubtedly set already and we have just seen at Royston Court how effectively they work. Tonight’s debate will find some six hundred people in the Chamber immediately above and, if this morning’s newspapers are correct in their surmise, several European dignitaries are to be present as guests and observers. The subject of the debate is somewhat ironic, in the light of recent events. It deals with greater European collaboration against the threat of terrorism.”

With that he sat back, pulled his hat down over his eyes and appeared to go to sleep.

As the carriage clip-clopped briskly through the south London streets I looked down at the young woman sitting between us. She, too, was sleeping and her dark head had fallen on my shoulder. Why was it that, in the midst of all the terrible events unfolding around us, I wanted nothing more than to keep her safe from harm? Was there something about the line of the jaw or the curve of the lip that brought back memories of my own dear Mary and a marriage death cut all too short? Was some force outside us all trying to tell me that grief must give way to a new life in the great scheme of things? All of these speculations and more were running round in my brain as we drew up in the shadow of Westminster Abbey, a moonlit stone’s throw from the Mother of Parliaments. As if to remind us of its presence, Big Ben struck the three-quarters of the hour. A mere fifteen short minutes separated us from Moriarty’s devilish dénouement.

For a man who had supposedly been sound asleep, Holmes leapt to the ground with remarkable agility, leaving Alicia and I to make our own way over to the group huddled over a map dwarfed by Mycroft’s huge hands. As we joined them, he was explaining something to Holmes and several of Lestrade’s men. I noticed Hawkins among them.

“Here, here and here …” and his finger stabbed various locations on the map — “are the various entrances for the staff.”

Hawkins nodded. “We have our men covering all of them. Go on, sir, I expect the Inspector will be here any minute.”

“Now this …” the finger hovered — “is the entrance to the Main Lobby. All visitors come and go through here. With all of this I think I may say I am tolerably familiar. As far as the nether regions of the building are concerned, I regret to say they are a closed book. However, I am reliably informed that this …”—the finger stabbed once more — “is the door leading to the cellars and it is kept locked at all times when the House is in session. Of course, in a building of this age with all the many additions, I very much doubt if anyone truly knows all the nooks and crannies.”

“Take my word, one man has made it his business to know them by now,” Holmes interjected. “Gentlemen, we do not have a moment to waste, yet we must so dispose ourselves that we do not create alarm. The first sign of an attempted evacuation will undoubtedly cause Moriarty to act precipitately.

“Mycroft, I know, will not take it amiss if I say that, once we have effected our entry to the Lobby, his task is to watch, wait and protect our backs — not least from official interference. We have no time to fill out official forms or argue protocol. You catch my drift, Mycroft?”

“My dear brother, it will be my pleasure to bind officialdom hand and foot in its own red tape, should the occasion arise. Gentlemen, shall we …”

“I beg your pardon, I should also say ‘… and Lady’ …”

“Surely Alicia …” I began to object but Holmes intervened. “With Moriarty’s men undoubtedly roaming the area, I am more inclined to think the young lady will be safer in our company than out of it, old fellow.” A quick nod from Alicia showed that his plan had at least one firm supporter.

In twos and threes we made our apparently casual way across the road towards the Houses of Parliament. Because of the importance of this emergency debate, there was a steady stream of people passing to and fro, so that we did not appear particularly conspicuous as we passed through those historic portals.

Holmes, Alicia and I formed one group, talking animatedly and pointedly looking around us at the architectural splendours, for all the world like tourists seeing the sights for the first time. Hawkins and two other plain clothes constables made their way to the notice boards and loitered with noticeable intent to check something or other on them, while carefully scanning the area.