kind.
At last our vehicle stopped at the far end of the yard and we jumped down.
We were standing in a yard, similar to that of Mrs Fordeland’s hotel. Holmes beckoned us to follow, paid our cabby and strode into a door at the head of the yard. We found ourselves in a dark corridor which smelled of cooking and floor polish, along which Holmes strode with seeming authority.
At last a green baize door opened at Holmes’ hand to reveal a more brightly lit and better-decorated corridor. We followed that until it opened out into a spacious lobby and I realized that we had entered another hotel by its mews entrance.
Holmes stepped immediately to the manager’s desk and presented his card. After a few words he beckoned us to follow him up the staircase that curved out of the lobby. On the first landing, we found the corridor entrance guarded by a desk, at which stood a young man of oriental appearance, though dressed in dark formal clothes. Behind him, on either side of the passage, stood two splendidly costumed guards, each richly caparisoned and each with a sword at his side.
Holmes asked our client for her card and presented it with his to the young man at the desk.
‘You will be pleased to wait here,’ said the young man. ‘I shall have to consult His Majesty’s secretary.’
It was only then that I realized where Holmes’ quick wits and his encyclopaedic knowledge of London had brought us.
In minutes the young man reappeared, accompanied by an older man, whose face was creased into a smile.
‘Mrs Fordeland, Mr Holmes,’ he said, ‘this is an unexpected pleasure, but His Majesty will be happy to see you at once.’
At his gesture we followed him between the guards and along a richly decorated corridor to a pair of double doors at the end. These too were guarded by soldiers. The secretary motioned to them to open the doors and soon we followed him into a large room.
I imagine that, in ordinary circumstances, the room served as a secondary ballroom or reception room for the hotel, but it had now been converted to act as the audience chamber of King Chula of
Mongkuria. Its walls were hung throughout with splendid tapestries in bright colours, great clusters of palms and bright flowers filled each corner and a sumptuous carpet led from the doors to a low dais on which stood a richly carved and gilded chair.
Seated in this chair was a man of middle years with the handsome and even features of the Mongkurian people, and a small oriental moustache. He stood as we approached and I could see that he wore heavily embroidered slippers, trousers of black silk and a resplendent tunic woven with rich and complex designs. As he rose, Mrs Fordeland and her granddaughter curtsied formally and Holmes and I took their lead and bowed deeply. We were evidently in the presence of the King himself.
‘Mrs Fordeland!’ he exclaimed. ‘Such a pleasure to look upon you after so many years.’ He stepped forward from the dais and took both of our client’s hands. ‘I had hoped to see you in two days, but you come by surprise and you bring with you the most eminent detective of the world!’
Mrs Fordeland introduced us and His Majesty was kind enough to assure us that he knew my friend’s reputation through my published accounts.
‘Your Majesty,’ said Holmes, ‘I apologize for our untimely appearance in your suite, but Mrs Fordeland has found herself in no little danger and, in attempting to avoid that danger, I had no recourse but to throw our party on your mercy.’
‘Danger?’ said the King, frowning. ‘How comes it that a lady like Mrs Fordeland is in danger in this city? But you will tell me, Mr Holmes, while we dine. His Majesty has done his diplomatic business for today and it is time for refreshment.’
He beckoned his secretary and spoke quickly to him, then waved us after him with a peremptory gesture. We followed him to another chamber, where a meal had been laid, and we were shown to places at the table.
Once we were seated and being served, I looked about me. The room was smaller than the audience room, but had larger windows and a balcony overlooking the hotel’s garden. Like the principal room, it was profusely decorated with palms and flowers and half of one wall was covered in ornamental birdcages and I could see that their occupants were not native to Britain. Throughout our meal the birds engaged in a quietly cheery chatter with themselves and with each other.
Of the meal itself I recall little, save that it was excellent and that there was almost no dish offered that I had ever sampled before. His Majesty ate sparingly, as seemed to be his habit, while paying grave attention to Holmes’ account of the situation which had brought us to his suite.
When the meal was concluded we withdrew to chairs on the balcony and fruit juices were served. The King was silent for a while, apparently looking over the garden, which seemed to be at its best.
‘There is no problem, Mr Holmes,’ he said, suddenly. ‘Mrs Fordeland has served my country and my family well. It is an honour and a privilege to give her my protection. My entourage occupies two entire floors of this hotel. It will be no difficulty to accommodate all of you for as long as is necessary.’
‘That is extremely kind of you, Your Majesty,’ said our client, ‘but will it not create difficulties for your staff?’
‘I am quite sufficient difficulty to my staff, Mrs Fordeland. Everything else is easy by comparison.
Please, honour me by accepting my offer,’ and he smiled broadly.
‘Then I am pleased and honoured to accept your generous hospitality and your protection for myself and for my granddaughter,’ said Mrs Fordeland.
‘The spirit of my revered father would never have forgiven me if I had done any less,’ said the King.
‘Much as I know you disputed many issues between you, he had the greatest respect for your
intelligence and learning, and much as I know you sometimes angered him, he held great respect for your independence of mind. It was a quality that he valued highly.’
‘He was a man of great kindness, as well as a great king,’ said our client. ‘I have always deemed it a signal honour that he chose me to educate his wives and children and, thereby, allowed me to assist in some little part his ambitions for your country. If I may make so bold as to say so, Your Majesty, you have continued his work as he would have done it, if all I read of Mongkuria is true.’
I will swear that the King blushed. ‘I learned as a boy in your class, Mrs Fordeland, that you do not award praise that is unearned, and I value your words most highly for that reason. I have tried to follow my royal father’s path and to advance the nation and my people. There is still much to be done and, as in my father’s day, there are still far too many people who will offer to do it for us at a price in freedom which we will not pay.’
He reached for a carafe of fruit juice and refilled our glasses to cover his reaction. When he had taken a long draught, he rose and we followed suit. He motioned us to be seated again.
‘I must take a rest,’ he said. ‘My day has been passed, before you came, in listening to engineers from every country in Europe, who want to build me a railway. My secretary will have been making
arrangements for your accommodation and he will see that you are shown to your rooms as soon as possible. I am sure that, after this morning’s events, you too will wish to rest. I look forward to enjoying your company at dinner.’
He was true to his word and it was not long before we were escorted to rooms on the floor above.
Holmes and I were allocated two bedrooms with a small sitting room joining them and, after I had taken a short nap, I joined Holmes there.
‘Ah, Watson!’ he said. ‘I have taken the liberty of sending a message to Mrs Hudson to pack a small bag for each of us. The King’s people will collect them soon.’
‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘You know, I have to hand it to you, Holmes. When we were trapped in the street by Kyriloffs thugs, I thought we were really bottled up and in for trouble, but not only did you find a way out, you landed us as guests of the King of Mongkuria. Very well done!’
‘I am delighted, Watson, that you have not, on this occasion, attributed the result to luck. The fact is that, as soon as Mrs Fordeland made us aware of her connection with the King of Mongkuria, I made it my business to discover where His Majesty was quartered, in case it became of relevance. What got us out of trouble today was that knowledge combined with my knowledge of London’s geography, a basic tool of my practice. It is both foolish and dangerous to attempt a battle, or even to run away from one, unless one has a sound knowledge of the
