William Seil - The Furt The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Titanic Tragedy

‘There is no time to discuss that now. Do you have anyone on board who can defuse a bomb? It is attached to a bottle of nitroglycerine.’

The captain thought for a moment. ‘So far as I know, there are no experts on board... I seem to recall Hanson, one of our electricians, saying that he used to set munitions charges when he was in the navy.’

‘Then I suggest, Captain, that we find him and ask him to inspect the device.’

The captain reached for the telephone. ‘Mr Boxhall, please come into my sitting room immediately.’

‘There is no great danger, Mr Holmes. A bomb can damage the ship, but it cannot sink her. Several holds would have to be flooded and...’

‘There are two bombs.’

‘What! Where is the second?’

‘As yet, we do not know.’

‘Good God, man! What has been going on here? Does this have something to do with those stolen documents of yours?’

‘Nothing, sir,’ said Holmes, folding his arms and looking the captain squarely in the eye. ‘In fact, if it hadn’t been for our investigation, you would never have known about the bombs until one o’clock, when they explode.’

‘Both at one o’clock.’

‘Yes,’ said Holmes, reaching into his coat pocket. ‘I have Brandon’s copy of the deck plans here.’ Holmes laid them out flat on the table. ‘This may help us to locate the second device.’ Holmes looked at the plans for a moment, then pointed. ‘Here is the location of the first bomb. If it goes off, it will flood these two holds.’

The captain studied the plans, stroking his beard with one hand, and using the other to point to various positions on the paper. ‘If those two holds are flooded, all he has to do is flood two more in the forward section of the ship. That will sink us. Or he could hit one or two holds in the rear — I would have to consult Mr Andrews about that.’

The captain again picked up the telephone, this time to find the young ship designer.

‘Holmes,’ I said. ‘Should we not be doing something to take Brandon and his cohorts into custody? They might be persuaded to tell us where the second bomb is hidden.’

‘Agreed, Watson, but first things first. Defusing the first bomb should ensure the safety of the ship. And with Mr Andrews’s help, finding the second bomb should not be too difficult. There are only so many places where an explosion would be effective. As for Mr Brandon and his friends, they are fanatics. There is no guarantee they would co-operate, even at the cost of their own lives.’

The captain put down the telephone just as Boxhall entered the room.

‘Good, Mr Boxhall, I have a little task for you to perform... Gentlemen, Mr Andrews will arrive shortly to assist us.’

The captain explained the situation to Boxhall, who took the news with as much professional demeanour as could be expected. Smith then ordered the officer to find Hanson, confirm that he did indeed know about explosives and take him to where the first bomb was hidden.

‘It is now nine o’clock — so please lose no time. If Hanson is unable to defuse the device, we will have to find someone else who can. Mr Futrelle here will go with you and show you the exact position of the bomb. The rest of us will be attempting to locate the second charge. Understood?’

Boxhall accepted the assignment with calm resolve. ‘Yes, sir. Right away.’

‘Oh, Mr Boxhall,’ said the captain, reaching into a desk drawer. ‘You might need this.’

The captain pulled out a silver-coloured revolver. After checking the chamber, he handed it to Boxhall.

‘These are dangerous men, Mr Boxhall. They may come back.’

The young officer seemed somewhat less assured than he had a moment earlier, but he put the weapon in his coat pocket without hesitation. Then he and Futrelle left, making their way to the bridge.

‘And speaking of our Mr Brandon...’ said the captain, ‘it is time that he and his friends learned that this ship and this crew are not to be trifled with.’

Once again, the captain picked up the telephone.

Chapter Twenty

THE NIGHT OF SATURDAY 13 APRIL 1912

Junior Electrician William Hanson was sitting on a crate, wiping his hands nervously on a large red handkerchief when we arrived. He was describing the bomb’s triggering device to Boxhall and Futrelle, who were stooped next to it, examining its contents. The bomb had been moved to directly under the electric light, which provided a clearer view of its inner workings.

Hanson stood as the captain walked through the doorway, followed by Andrews, Miss Norton and myself. Before leaving his cabin, the captain had ordered a search of the ship to find Brandon and his friends.

‘Thank you for coming, Mr Hanson,’ said the captain. ‘Needless to say, this goes far beyond your normal duties.’

‘Anything I can do to help, sir.’

‘Was I correct about your service experience? Are you acquainted with such a device as this?’

‘Well, sir...’ Hanson cleared his throat. ‘I was never what you would call an explosives expert, but I am trained to follow standard procedures for handling ordnance.’

‘But can you defuse this bomb, and another one like it?’ The captain’s voice was calm, but firm. ‘If you are unable to, we will attempt to find someone else. But I do hope that you can, for it is nearly 9.30.’

‘Yes, sir, I think I can...’ Hanson was visibly nervous, but he had courage. ‘No guarantees, mind you. But given the time we have left, I am probably your best chance.’

A thought occurred to me. ‘Captain, could we not simply throw the bomb over the side? It might be safer.’

‘I would not advise it,’ said Hanson, taking command of the situation. ‘Once that thing is wired, it is a hair trigger. It might explode, maybe near some people, while it is being carried to the deck. And besides, it would definitely explode when it hit the water, and probably blow a hole in the side of the ship.’

‘Your point is well made, Hanson,’ said the captain. ‘Proceed.’

Hanson’s eyes widened as he looked at the captain, and then the bomb. It reminded me of the first time I performed surgery. Of course, in that instance, there was only one life at stake.

Hanson rose from the crate, wiped his hands one more time, and approached the bomb. Futrelle and Boxhall backed away to give him room. At that moment, a man in uniform stepped through the door. It was Commodore Giles Winter.

‘Captain,’ he said. ‘I came as soon as I got your message. What is all this about?’

The captain played along with the charade. ‘A bomb, Commodore... planted by anarchists. I am expecting them to be brought before me any moment. But our immediate concern is this bomb...this one, and another planted somewhere on board the ship.’

‘Any progress in finding the second device?’ Holmes said, showing mild concern.

‘Your friend, Miss Norton, is assisting Mr Andrews in a search.’

‘How much time do we have?’

‘One o’clock. I thought it wisest to restrict knowledge of the danger to as few people as possible. We have some sound theories on where the second bomb might be hidden.’

Attention shifted back to Hanson and the explosive device.

‘Do you require any assistance, Mr Hanson?’ asked Boxhall. ‘I have spent a little time with explosives, so if I could be of... ‘

‘No, no thank you, sir. Another set of hands would not do any good. In fact, sir, I think you all would be well advised to leave the room.’

The captain remained silent for a moment. He was not the type of man to seek safety, while a member of his crew was in danger.