Frank Thomas - Sherlock Holmes and the Golden Bird

"A very nice specimen. Herpestes, of course. His coat is in excellent condition."

The Chinaman was surprised. "You recognize a mongoose? But then, you were in service in India."

"I had that honor."

"Please be seated, Doctor Watson," he said, indicating a chair, placed lower than his and so arranged that the light in the room was centered on it. When one is associated for so long with a detective, one becomes conscious of these things. Also India, while not the Orient, makes one aware of the difference between East and West."

"I prefer to stand, a request which I am sure Chu San Fu would not deny a guest in his establishment."

The Chinaman was forced to look upward at me, a fact that nettled him though his impassive face gave no indication.

"I am sorry that you have been inconvenienced, Doctor Watson."

He was prepared to continue in the same vein but one cannot let that sort of thing go by. It is not the way the Empire survived.

"You are not sorry, at all. In fact you're not the least interested in me. My abduction by your hirelings was for the sole purpose of supplying a tool to be used against Mr. Sherlock Holmes. You may find a sticky wicket there."

My interruption and, indeed, entire manner was vexing to the man and he bit his lips in annoyance, regretting the act immediately. I shifted my position a bit to one side, forcing him to look in a new direction and, since I had moved nearer to his desk, he had to look upward even more. Chu San Fu continued to stroke his mongoose, but I noted that his other hand was near a small gong on his desk. A quick flick of his really absurd fingernails would sound an alert to the giant on the other side of the wooden panel or other henchmen lurking behind the tapestries. I shook my head slightly.

"Really, sir, I am considerably disappointed."

His eyes widened, indicating that I still had him off balance. "You are disappointed in being here, of course, but ..."

"Piffle!" I said, quickly. "I might just as well have been coshed by a ruffian or bagged, which is an expedience of the American underworld. In any case, here I stand and no doubt you have an emissary even now contacting Holmes with dire threats regarding my safety. 'Tis kidnaping, no more than that, a device of the criminally minded."

The Chinaman could not tolerate the position he was in and rose, with an attempt at dignity, so that his face was on the same level as my own.

"Doctor Watson, as you have anticipated, you are being used as barter in a trade which I will propose to Mr. Holmes. Your stay in my—ah—establishment— may be for some time. Holmes is not without resources and he may delay the exchange by use of subterfuge. There is not reason that your sojourn should not be pleasant."

Suddenly, he clapped his hands and a portion of one of the hangings was raised. Two exquisite Chinese girls stepped into the room. They could not have been more than sixteen with smooth oval faces and docile almond eyes. Their robes were of a tighter fit than is common, enhancing slim, nubile forms.

"Good food and spirits and companionship can help while away the hours, Doctor."

This charlatan had the effrontery to almost leer at me, as though we two men of the world understood such things. I drew myself up with an expression of haughty disdain.

"Sir, it is plain that we are wasting time. You would, no doubt, like to hear my views as to what Mr. Holmes has discovered and what his next steps might be. After my return, that is. If I return," I added, before he could make that obvious comment.

"Now, really," I continued, before he could regain the initiative, "what would I, who am no more than a biographer, know of the workings of the greatest mind in England. If I did, do you honestly believe that I would reveal anything to you?" I tried to infuse that last statement with sufficient scorn. "This is England, sir. Here, we are made of sterner stuff."

Chu San Fu angrily clapped his hands and the two girls disappeared from view. How many other followers were lurking within earshot I shall never know but the Oriental looked as though he wished no one had been present during our interchange. He turned his back on me for a moment and I could see he was breathing deeply. Then he flicked a finger at the small gong on his desk and there was a treble-sounding chime. Immediately, the panel through which I had entered slid open. My giant escort stood in the entrance with his bulging arms folded over his massive chest. Chu San Fu turned back toward me.

"You shall return to your place of confinement and we will see what Mr. Holmes's next move will be."

"Whatever it is," I replied, with considerable bravado, "it will entail the element of surprise."

As I began to retrace my steps, I noted a naked expression of worry in the Chinaman's eyes. Holmes had been right. Chu San Fu was a planner and a departure from the norm had thrown him off guard. I positively swaggered from the room.

My huge guardian escorted me back through the maze of underground passageways. It seemed that we followed the same route we had traversed before and I was struck again by the idea that this headquarters of the Oriental criminal was nothing more than a miniature underground city. Other humans were present. I could sense it, but we saw no one as we trod the dirt flooring back to the cubicle in which I had awakened. All the tunnels must have required the labor of large numbers of people and I wondered how the excavated dirt was disposed of. The thought that Chu San Fu might have made use of an abandoned spur of the underground crossed my mind and I made note to mention it to Holmes as a possible clue to the whereabouts of this hideaway.

My captor waited till I had seated myself in the cubicle and I sensed that he would assume guard duties outside my tiny prison with the stoic patience of an Oriental. Suddenly, I thought of the cellar at 221B Baker Street and a huge Chinaman being disposed of by Wakefield Orloff.

"You have a brother?" I asked, as my jailer prepared to leave.

Unwinking amber eyes regarded me and his shaved bullet head moved in a slight nod.

"He is quite all right. In good hands."

It may have been my imagination but it seemed the amber eyes softened. Again, the giant turned to leave. Before closing the door to my room, he glanced inside again. "You all light?"

I nodded that I was. The door closed. A small candle illuminated my limited quarters. Outside the door, I heard the lock being engaged. Slim Gilligan could have opened that lock in less than a minute. The door seemed sufficiently flimsy that even I could have executed an escape. However, I could certainly not get free of my massive guard so I abandoned any plans of freeing myself.

Had I been privy to certain beliefs of India, I might have passed the time contemplating my navel. Instead, I thought back on the strange trail of the Golden Bird. Obviously, Chu San Fu expected to barter me for the Bird. Actually, I was not overconcerned about the situation, knowing that Holmes could surrender the statue without any great loss. The treasure it had concealed was no longer there. Comforted by the thought that I had not placed my friend in too difficult a position, I fell off to sleep. ...

The sound of the door being opened roused me after a period. With the complete lack of windows and nothing but artificial light, I had no idea of the time. My amber-eyed jailer stood within the door as I rose to my feet, rubbing sleep from my eyes. Also present was a scrawny little yellow man with a close-fitting black cap set directly on the middle of his head. He had a blue coat buttoned from neck to belt-line and loose-fitting pants. He shuffled into the room in slippers, a black silk sash in his hands.

For a moment, I envisioned a professional strangler, but he revealed a toothless grin and indicated for me to turn around. As he slipped the sash over my eyes, I suppressed an indication of relief with difficulty. My wrists were secured in front of me with a thin cord that felt no larger than string. However, it held me firmly and I could detect the odor of hemp. I was then led from the room.