James Palmer - Shadows Through Time

“I try,” said Burton, glib.

Holmes ignored his quip and continued. “But what is more interesting, to me, is that some weeks ago you departed England with one George Edward Challenger and a young inventor from Kew and returned almost four weeks later. How you left England is a mystery. You did not book passage on any passenger or cargo ship, nor did you leave the city over land by any route or mode of transport. In fact, you seem to have just up and vanished, traveling on some mode of conveyance unknown to current science.”

“You are quite well informed,” said Burton. “Am I to take it that you have had me under some sort of surveillance?”

“Not at all,” said Mycroft Holmes. “Just a bit of deduction on my part. I am skilled at taking many disparate, seemingly unrelated details and putting them together to form one broad, clear picture of an event.”

“I see,” said Burton.

“After I learned of the mysterious circumstances of your departure, I recalled an odd item from a few years ago.” He tapped a sheaf of yellowed papers on the table next to him. “It seems several years ago that a French marine biologist named Professor Pierre Arronax joined a unique expedition to track down an unknown sea creature that was believed to be attacking several ships.”

“I recall reading about that,” said Burton.

“Monsieur Arronax was tossed overboard in an encounter with the beast, along with a harpooner named Ned Land. Several weeks later, they were discovered on a small island off the Norwegian coast and had a very strange story, which has been recorded in these pages and kept under lock and key by me. Arronax claimed that the sea creature they were tracking was nothing of the sort, but was, in fact, a large submarine vessel piloted by an enigmatic captain who called himself Nemo. I believe this is the self-same vessel in which you, Professor Challenger, and the inventor departed London.”

Mycroft went silent, keen eyes staring into Burton’s. The explorer considered him for a time, wondering how much he should tell him. After all they had been through together, he respected Captain Nemo’s privacy. But the proverbial cat was already out of the bag. Mycroft Holmes knew about Nemo and his fabulous underwater vessel. And what could he do to Nemo anyway? The man was untouchable. No one on Earth could find him, let alone match the power and agility of the Nautilus .

“It’s true,” Burton said at last, and told the tale of his strange journey across oceans and Time with Captain Nemo. He held nothing back, even adding the strange circumstances that led to his departure, the spiritualist madness that had so piqued the curiosity of Professor Challenger, as well as the trouble brewing in the South Seas that led Captain Nemo and the American woman Elizabeth Marsh to seek Burton’s and Challenger’s help.

“Good Lord,” said Abberline when Burton had finished. “I need a drink.”

Mycroft Holmes looked at Burton appraisingly.

“You don’t believe me,” he said.

“On the contrary,” said Mycroft. “Under the circumstances, I have no choice but to believe you. As my brother is fond of saying, once you have eliminated every possibility, whatever is left, no matter how improbable, is the truth. Now, what of this Herbert?”

“He’s mad,” said Burton. “He tried to kill me this morning because he thought I was something called a Morlock. Of course, seven days ago I thought my fellow Cannibal Club members had all been transmogrified into the creatures we encountered on our voyage aboard the Nautilus .”

“And I take it these Morlocks were not present during your adventure,” said Mycroft.

“No. They were something he encountered the first time he activated his Time Machine, on a journey into far futurity.”

Mycroft nodded. “I see. Is he the only one who can operate the machine?”

Burton stroked his beard, staring off into space. “Well, no. I don’t think so. He explained its operations before our journey back through time aboard Nemo’s submarine. It seemed simple enough. The controls are composed of only two levers made of crystal. One controls the motion—forward or backward—through Time. The other controls the speed.” Burton returned his gaze to Mycroft Holmes.

“Why did you visit him this morning?”

“I wanted to know if his memories surrounding our return to London are the same as mine.” Burton told them of his conflicting memories, and the differing events that took place before he left. “I needed to see if Herbert had the same recollections. If so, it would point to…” He let his voice trail off. Chief Inspector Abberline stared down at him as if he had just sprouted a second head. Mycroft appeared more understanding.

“This spiritualist madness sounds interesting,” he said. “I do not recall any such incidents. But let’s table this for now. I’d like you to forget about the Time Traveler as well for the time being, for we have more pressing concerns. And I think you are just the man for the job.”

“Why me?” said Burton. “Why not Challenger?”

“You know what a difficult man Challenger can be,” said Mycroft Holmes. “I have sent him several invitations to meet me here at the Diogenes Club; he has denied them all. I have sent messengers around with an official summons, and he has thrown them out bodily, sometimes violently. Besides, he is much too boisterous. What I need requires tact and subtlety.”

Burton nodded. “Neither a quality the good professor possesses in abundance.”

“Exactly,” said Mycroft.

“But there’s more to it than that, isn’t there?” asked Burton. “I’m not here just because I boarded a secret submarine.”

“Your brother recommended you,” said Mycroft.

“Edward? You know Edward?”

Mycroft nodded once. “As you well know, your brother Edward Burton holds a vaunted position within the British government, as do I. He thinks you are just the man I need, and after careful investigation, so do I.”

“And what of your famous younger brother?” asked Burton. “Why not the illustrious Sherlock Holmes?”

“He is otherwise engaged. Like yourself, my brother is a member of the Shadow Council.”

Burton leaned back in surprise. “You know of it?”

“I know everything I need to know,” said Mycroft Holmes. “If it happens anywhere in the British Empire, you can be assured I either know of it or had a hand in orchestrating it.”

“Well,” said Burton. “Be that as it may, I am no longer a member of this mysterious group. I did what was asked of me when I stepped aboard the Nautilus , and that’s that.”

“The appointment,” said Mycroft, “is for life. It is not a commission one can decline. I assume you were given the chance to do so before you left on your little jaunt?”

Burton nodded. He disliked where this was headed.

“Well then,” said Mycroft Holmes, steepling his fingers. “As a fellow member of the Shadow Council, would you like to know why I have brought you here?”

“I would indeed,” said Burton. So I can get back to my life. So I can fix whatever damage I’ve done to Time. So I can save my Isabel.

“What I’m about to tell you cannot leave this room.”

Burton nodded. Abberline simply looked bored. He had obviously heard Mycroft’s spiel before.

“We have evidence of a weird cult operating in the East End,” said Mycroft. “They call themselves the Esoteric Order of Dagon, and they are growing in numbers. They are engaging in strange occult rites, including, we believe, ritual human sacrifice.”

A chill fled up Burton’s spine at the mention of the cult’s all too-familiar name. Mycroft saw the spark of recognition on his face.