The Oriental Casebook of Sherlock Holmes (45 page)

They walked from the hotel to the nearest gate in the great wall. There they found a tongawallah, a rather robust old man, willing to take them the ten miles to Mandor. In the darkness, Holmes tried to get Shiva to talk a bit more, but he was silent in the presence of the driver.

When they arrived at what he thought was a safe distance, Shiva asked Holmes to step down, pointed towards the east, and then asked the tongawallah to return to Jaisalmer.

“I was now alone on the edge of Mandor, Watson. There was no one about. I walked in the direction that Shiva had pointed until I came to the city gates. There were no guards to be seen, and I walked through without interruption. Once into the city, I left the stillness behind. The streets were filled with people and the city had the appearance of great opulence. It was as if I had left India altogether. There were street signs, walled compounds with bougainvillea overflowing the walls. What I could see of the houses reminded one of French cottages from the Midi. The streets were cobblestoned and clean. It was as if I had entered a small town in Europe.”

Holmes went into what appeared to be a café. The language he heard seemed to be a form of French heavily mixed with Indian words. As he sat down, however, all eyes in the crowded room turned towards him and a great silence suddenly broke out. He decided to throw caution to the wind and said in French in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear that he wished to meet “le Captain Fantôme.” What had been until then a rather boisterous and happy crowd enjoying a late dinner stood up and began to leave. Holmes was soon left alone except for the proprietor.

“I repeated my request, and the proprietor came to me and said in the local language,
‘Mandorme personne nahi jo s’appele Fantôme,’
a perfectly comprehensible sentence if one knew French and Hindustanee—‘there is no one in Mandor by the name of Captain Fantôme.’ He was lying of course, and I decided to leave his establishment.”

Now on the darkened street, Holmes lost all freedom to investigate, for he was suddenly surrounded by a group of men with guns and sticks. They appeared to be a contingent of the local
gendarmerie
. They spoke to each other in the same patois, but this time Holmes understood nothing.

“I am here to meet Captain Fantôme. Please take me to him at once,” he said loudly and firmly.

A nervous laugh moved through them, and they pulled the resisting Holmes with them to a small building. There, seated at a desk, was a gentleman with long white hair, a long pointed mustache, and all the physical characteristics of a French inspector of police.

“Who are you, and why are you here?” he asked gruffly in English.

“Who I am is none of your concern,” said Holmes sternly, “but if you must know, read this.”

Holmes handed him a letter from the Viceroy guaranteeing Roger Lloyd-Smith safe passage through the Subcontinent and said, “I wish to see Captain Fantôme.’

“The letter appeared to have its desired effect, for a look of perplexity appeared on his face and he said: “Very well. Since you insist, you shall. There is no difficulty. The Captain is not far from here, and is always happy to meet strangers.”

They left the bureau, and, accompanied by a single guard, they walked through what had become by now a very quiet city. In the moonlight Holmes saw appear before him a large edifice. It was a palace, very much of the Rajpoot form, but its gardens and decorations were distinctly European. The police inspector handed Holmes over to a sentinel, giving him a quiet order in the local patois. Holmes followed the sentinel into the palace, where he was told to wait in a small antechamber.

“I waited several hours, and despite the precarious predicament in which I found myself, I must have dozed off. Just before dawn, however, someone brought me tea and breakfast, and I was informed that the Captain would soon receive me.”

Holmes was led presently down a corridor at the end of which he entered a large room. Seated in a chair at one end was a diminutive figure that he could barely see in the still dim light of the morning. As he approached, he saw that he was facing a rather short, stout, middle-aged woman, dressed in the attire of an Indian princess. As she beckoned him to a seat near her, she said: “I am Captain Fantôme. I understand that you wished to see me.”

“Most extraordinary, my dear Holmes!” I ejaculated with utmost surprise.

“Yes, Watson, I must confess that I was caught off guard and was not prepared for what I saw.”

The Captain herself saw the look of surprise and said, “You seem, my friend, shall we say, a bit taken aback. What is it?”

“The name Captain Fantôme led me to expect someone far different.”

“The name means nothing,” she said. “It is the name of one of my ancestors, and is used to mislead the outside world. My real name is Elizabeth de Bourbon, and I am the Queen of the Frantzi and absolute ruler of Mandor. And you,” she continued as she glanced at a file in front of her, “are not an innocent English traveller by the name of Lloyd-Smith, but an agent of the British Government identified by my agents as Sherlock Holmes.”

“I am indeed Sherlock Holmes, Madam, but I am not an agent of Government. I am a private consulting detective. Why I am here is a rather long story, which I am sure you would not find particularly interesting—”

“To the contrary, Mr. Holmes, my agents have learned much of your exploits,” she said, pointing to the folder. “You are a most clever fellow, and your reputation precedes you.”

“Thank you, Madam, but I must say that you are far more clever. The existence of Mandor and the Frantzi is a most well-kept secret. Even the best of our Orientalists, who have virtually mapped the entire Subcontinent, have failed to report on you or your people.”

“‘A well-kept secret, but not an absolute one,” she said. “We are what we have to be in order to survive. We are known well by a very few and only vaguely by a larger number in India, particularly the Maharajahs. Our ancestors suffered greatly, and we had to learn how to live in a hostile environment. And so we chose to be by ourselves and to survive by our wits.”

“Your name tells me that you are probably a direct descendant of Jean de Bourbon,” said Holmes.

She smiled and said, “Then you already know something, far more than most. Yes, I am directly descended from him, as is most of the population of Mandor. Jean le Grand, or Maha-Jean, as we call him, was the founder of Mandor, the brave soldier of Akbar the Great. Maha-Jean was given this place as a gift by the Emperor, and he settled here with his wives and family. But soon the local rajahs became fearful of their presence, for they were not Hindoos, but Christians. Maha-Jean was protected by the Emperor, but when the Emperor died, the king of Jaisalmer, leading an alliance of Rajpoot princes, attacked, and Maha-Jean was killed with many of his family. His oldest son, Piyer the First, fled with the remnants of the family to some caves in the desert, where, hardened by the harsh life in the dunes, they learned to survive on almost nothing. Then a most wonderful event occurred. It is celebrated as the
le din de la Neuvième Ratan
, or the day of the Nine Jewels, the fifteenth of July, 1686, in your calendar. It was there in those caves, where they had almost starved, that they discovered that their land would make them rich and powerful.”

She extended her hand, on which she wore a ring with a large, lustrous red stone.

“This is the largest ruby in the world,” she said, “a perfect jewel, found by Emile le Petit Rajah, the youngest son of Piyer the First. It has been worn by every ruler of Mandor since it was discovered. It was one of nine jewels found on the same day in a matter of minutes. Soon there were many more. It was not long before these survivors smuggled a variety of stones to the bazaar, where, with the new monies they obtained, they began to build their kingdom and to protect it with a well-paid loyal army of mercenaries from Persia and the Levant, and even as far away as Africa. We became the chief suppliers of precious stones to all the potentates of the Orient. The Peacock Throne, stolen from India by Nadir Shah and upon which the rulers of Persia now sit, is encrusted with jewels from the ground upon which you walk. We are now rich and powerful. And unknown, we move about the world pursuing our interests.”

“And what are those interests?” asked Holmes.

“Our own power and enrichment first. We the Frantzi are small in number. There are less than a thousand of us, but we travel from Mandor to Europe and America and the Orient with ease. We have our chalets in Switzerland and in the South of France, and our network of agents who supply our every want. Beyond that, we are guided by Le Hukum Primus, or First Command, expounded by Piyer the Third, who understood that the advent of British power in the Subcontinent could be disastrous for us and warned that we must fight it. And so we have supported the cause of rebellion throughout the world. We financed the French efforts during the American Revolution. We were major supporters of Napoleon, and we have tirelessly supported the French and German efforts in Africa. This we continue to do.”

“Benoît and Schaumberg must be part of this game, then,” said Holmes.

“Most observant of you. You are quite correct. Your travelling companions, Schaumberg and Benoît, are simply clients of ours, working against British interests in Africa. Schaumberg is really a Swiss raised in Africa, more Boer than the Boer himself, determined to rid Africa of the British. His family was wiped out a few years ago in the raids of Sir Leander James, and so he bears the English the hatred required to make a good revolutionary.”

“And Benoît?” Holmes asked.

“A legionnaire, working in Algeria to subdue the Sahara and to consolidate French gains in North Africa, a descendant of a close friend of Maha-Jean, Benoît le Boigne the First, or as he is known here,
Benoît le Premye Dost
. He is different from Schaumberg. He bears the British no hatred, and is merely a professional soldier doing a job.”

“And their mission this time?”

“The export, shall we say, from India of diamonds and jewels. This is their fourth trip to Mandor. This time they will take with them several million pounds’ worth of raw diamonds destined for the markets of Constantinople, where they will be sold and the monies used to finance armies of rebellion. These diamonds are our gift.”

“In return for what?” Holmes asked somewhat sardonically.

The woman smiled. “Yes, you are right. We do expect a return, and that is simple.”

She rang a bell, a servant entered and she said in the local patois,
“Ramon, est-ce que Schaumberg aur Benoît sont pahuncte?”

“Uiji, Mem Rani, ve sont pahuncte aj maten. Vous unko dekh cahate?”

“‘Ji-oui. Unko isi fer ana.”

In a moment, the servant ushered in Benoît and Schaumberg. They showed no surprise in seeing Holmes. Rather, gleeful smiles appeared on both their faces.

“So, dear Roger, “said Schaumberg,” it is as I thought. You are a British spy.”

“Hardly, my dear Giacomo. I am, shall we say, self-employed. I do not work for the British Government, nor any other, I might add. However, even as a private individual, I must say that I do not look with favour upon your activities in the Subcontinent. They will have to end.”

Schaumberg’s smile disappeared and a look of extraordinary hatred appeared on his face. Turning to Benoît, he said, “You see, you see, I warned you in Tonk, but you would not listen.”

Unperturbed by his associate, Benoît did not answer him, but addressed the Captain: “When will our loads be ready for departure?”

“They are ready now. But word has come from our agent in Lahore that disturbances have occurred in Hyderabad, and the British have deployed several thousand troops along the major routes to Karachi. Your departure will be delayed for at least five days.”

Schaumberg became very agitated at these words. “But we must leave at the latest tomorrow. Otherwise our ship will leave Karachi without us.”

“Calm yourself, M. Schaumberg. You are too excitable,” said Captain Fantôme. “Your ship will not leave until you are on board. We have arranged that as well. And now, gentlemen, where are the documents assuring us of our remuneration?”

“I would prefer that our English friend leave at once,” said Benoît quietly.

“Do not be concerned. Our friend will not leave Mandor. He is to be one of our permanent guests. What he learns here matters not at all.”

“Very well, then,” continued Benoît, “here are official secret documents signed by the ministries of France and the Boer Government granting the company,
Frères les Comtes de Bruxelles,
exclusive mining rights in perpetuity in all of the French possessions in Algeria and the Boer states of Natal and the Transvaal.
Frères les Comtes
we understand to be the exclusive agent and representative of the Frantzi of Mandor.”

Benoît handed the documents to Captain Fantôme, who read them through.

“These are correct and well prepared,” she said, and, motioning for a pen to the servant, she signed them, returning copies to Benoît.

“And now, my friends Benoît and Schaumberg, please rest for the next few days but be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. You will travel by foot in the dead of night before you are met by a group of our men who will lead you by a secret route to Karachi. As we have done since you arrived in India, we have planned every step of your way, alternately delaying and rushing you for your own security and for that of the treasures that will accompany you to Constantinople. You understand that our survival and yours as well depends on the total veil of secrecy that we have been able to maintain through many years.”

Then, turning to Holmes, she said, “And you, my friend, will be our permanent guest in Mandor. You will have the freedom to roam the city at will, but do not try to leave. Its border is well patrolled, and one can only leave with my permission. I shall, however, do everything I can for your comfort. Because your stay will be, shall we say, of indeterminate length, we will take extraordinary measures very quickly to insure that, as you will see. In the meantime, if you have any requests, please let me know, and I shall honour them if they are within my capability.”