I imagine you've seen Sherlock's post. Perhaps a...wider perspective is in order. So. Let's recap.
We were having a very nice lunch, the four of us, with sandwiches and coffee and crisps and other civilised things. There would've been cake as well, except that, before we got that far, Lestrade spotted someone at another table, someone they've been looking for.
His plan was to step out and phone for backup, which was a good plan. He told me about it, quietly, but not quietly enough apparently (or possibly he can lip read?), because the next thing we knew, Sherlock was on his feet, pointing at the man in question, and shouting, "MURDERER!"
Everyone froze for a second, I suppose because even if you've killed someone it's not ofter you get accused by a six year old, and then the suspect took off, L took off after him, and I tried to prevent Sherlock running after both of them...for about ten seconds. And then the man's friends decided they'd join in.
L had, as Sherlock said, tackled the suspect, and didn't need the man's mates piling on top of them, so I had to do something about them, and Mycroft, bless him, grabbed Sherlock and kept him from running over to help. And by help, I mean kick them with his pointy little feet.
Someone called the police, and there was some mild confusion at first, but L had his warrant card of course, so it was all sorted out in the end.
We're all fine, mainly. Sherlock's uninjured, I suspect Mycroft has some bruises from restraining him, and L bashed his elbow pretty hard on the floor jumping the guy and has assorted bruises and scrapes but nothing serious.
I'll let Sherlock sum up:
"BUT NOW HE'S LOCKED UP AND HE CAN'T MURDER MORE PEOPLE AND THAT'S GOOD AND WE DID THAT AND IT WAS FUN."
We were having a very nice lunch, the four of us, with sandwiches and coffee and crisps and other civilised things. There would've been cake as well, except that, before we got that far, Lestrade spotted someone at another table, someone they've been looking for.
His plan was to step out and phone for backup, which was a good plan. He told me about it, quietly, but not quietly enough apparently (or possibly he can lip read?), because the next thing we knew, Sherlock was on his feet, pointing at the man in question, and shouting, "MURDERER!"
Everyone froze for a second, I suppose because even if you've killed someone it's not ofter you get accused by a six year old, and then the suspect took off, L took off after him, and I tried to prevent Sherlock running after both of them...for about ten seconds. And then the man's friends decided they'd join in.
L had, as Sherlock said, tackled the suspect, and didn't need the man's mates piling on top of them, so I had to do something about them, and Mycroft, bless him, grabbed Sherlock and kept him from running over to help. And by help, I mean kick them with his pointy little feet.
Someone called the police, and there was some mild confusion at first, but L had his warrant card of course, so it was all sorted out in the end.
We're all fine, mainly. Sherlock's uninjured, I suspect Mycroft has some bruises from restraining him, and L bashed his elbow pretty hard on the floor jumping the guy and has assorted bruises and scrapes but nothing serious.
I'll let Sherlock sum up:
"BUT NOW HE'S LOCKED UP AND HE CAN'T MURDER MORE PEOPLE AND THAT'S GOOD AND WE DID THAT AND IT WAS FUN."
104 comments:
Not certain about 'fun'. But I shall go with 'dramatic' with a side order of 'chaotic'.
Your hand okay? my suit needs to get to the dry cleaners. Maybe with Sherlock's wings?
Needs ice, that's all. Probably my eye does too. It was a bit fun...
Definitely with Sherlock's wings. Can't wait to see the dry cleaner's expression when I drop them off together.
I shall have something to say when I finish laughing my head off.
You gentlemen just don't have boring days, do you?
Well done to all of you for putting an alleged bad guy away, even if your methods were a bit unconventional.
Happy Deepavali, everyone!
Mm, a bit. Once Mycroft grabbed Sherlock and I'd stopped having heart failure.
DCI says I can get home once we've processed him. Not entirely looking forward to riding the bike when my arm feels.
People will start to think you're a thug, number of black eyes you've had recently.
It's only two, and the last one was months ago! I am rather glad I don't have to take Sherlock to school tomorrow though. That would require some explaining.
So how many mates did our criminal have? It sounds like you've underplayed your role a bit, John.
I leave the internet for a day cause I'm down with fever and look what you guys have done!
Gosh i hope my lunch break can be that interesting! But most important of all is that everyone is fine! =] (Except for the alleged murder i guess?)
Now I've to go back studying. Got an exam first thing in the morning! (It's almost 10 pm here.)
...and this is the longest comment I've ever written in both of your blogs...
Happy Deepavali, Ria! Hope it's a good one. Light a lantern or two for your internet friends. :)
John, with your penchant for getting your eyes in the way of flying arms, people are going to think you're an international man of mystery.
"The name's Danger. John Danger."
I think that makes Lestrade the hot romantic interest.
Sounds exciting!
"L had, as Sherlock said, tackled the suspect, and didn't need the man's mates piling on top of them, so I had to do something about them..."
Awfully vague, Mr. Danger. Anyone care to elaborate on John's heroic role?
I think that makes Lestrade the hot romantic interest.
Ha. You mean he's my Bond girl?
Lyra - the alleged murderer isn't any more banged up than the rest of us, but probably considers himself much worse off, yes.
Ria - only three. They didn't have as much at stake as L's suspect so they weren't as difficult to deal with.
I'll be your Bond girl (Bond boy?) Any time. I'll need a suitably suggestive name though.
'only there's yes. 'only 3 against 1'. He was amazing, as always. Saved my skin.
'only three, yes' that should have said...obviously.
Happy Deepavali, Ria!
I find it frightening how well children can hear (or lipread) the things they're not supposed to while becoming completely deaf when it's time for chores or other things they don't want to do.
Still, good for you, Sherlock, for not standing by and doing nothing (although next time, asking John and Lestrade for the correct plan of action - if the alleged murderer had had a weapon, innocent people could have been hurt. Including you and your family.)
I have to ask, Lestrade, how did your DCI react when he/she heard the story. I'm sure it's not the first time something like this has happened, but I'm also sure it's not very common.
Good for you, Mycroft, for helping out. Your role wasn't glamorous, but that man wouldn't have been stopped if it hadn't been for you.
Glad to hear no one has more than bumps and bruises.
I am rather glad I don't have to take Sherlock to school tomorrow though. That would require some explaining.
Are you sure Mrs T isn't reading the blogs? And even if your eye is better Sherlock is certain to still be talking all about it with his school friends.
kholly - I don't mind them knowing, it's being required to explain the whole thing in the five minutes I'm dropping Sherlock off at school with all the parents staring at me like I'm some sort of thug. Awkward.
L - how about Marmalade Foxwell?
How about Randy Rider? Ben Dover? Richard Puller? I'm tapped out, but I'm sure you could top those...
So to speak.
I've already posted a long, possibly annoying comment over at Sherlock's post (well, not ALL annoying, but with annoying bits) for him, so this is for the rest of you.
only three
This is known as burying the lead, Mr. Aw-Shucks-Tweren't-Nothing! I'm bowled over. That is no small thing, no matter how much you try to play it down.
For that matter, it is no small thing to find and capture a murderer--a loudly forewarned murderer--by yourself, Bond boy, and with no harm to bystanders, yet.
And Mycroft? You had the hardest job in some ways--and I don't mean the physical difficulty of restraining Sherlock, which can be no easy thing either. I mean the quick grasping of the situation and the acting promptly and responsibly, because acting responsible is the hardest thing of all to do when there is major excitement and heroism going on. So...kudos. Sincerely.
Oh, and Lestrade? If you're going to be a Bond boy, you need a hot swimsuit even more than a suggestive name. And we want a picture of you in it.
Mycroft really was the hero of the hour. If I'd had to hold onto Sherlock, there's not much I could've done about the man's friends, and four against one with L already on the ground... It wouldn't have been a good situation.
DW - It took me far too long to get why Ben Dover was in that list. Ha.
It took me far too long to get why Ben Dover was in that list In which case it is clearly time you sat down with a nice cup of tea.
I'll give him something hot and wet, don't worry, SH.
I feel these names are rather more porn star than flame Bond boy...
They all did brilliantly. Mycroft was a hero, grabbing Sherlock - and was clearly completely ready to fight off anyone who tried to get to them! Danger was like a prize fighter, and I just rolled about in the mud.
I vote "Gregory Goodhead" for your Bond Boy name.
I vote "Gregory Goodhead" for your Bond Boy name.
Niiiiiiiice. ;). Seconded!
Oh, very nice. I approve.
Am I Holly's brother?
I was thinking more Pussy Galore ish.
Spunky Slipidin?
Maybe John's next poll could be a vote on L's Bond name?
Hugh J'Ardonne?
Told you you were like Daniel Craig, Danger. Case proven.
Oh, and Ria, one of my old DCs taught me 'Shubh Deepavali' was an appropriate greeting...I hope she wasn't messing me about and it's not something very rude!
Nice one!
Yep, you're definitely Holly's hot brother. Brains and beauty run in the family, as does the tendency towards exhibitionism.
Captcha is "sultri", An excellent adjective for a Bond Boy.
I'm pretty sure she was right, though not in any of the languages that I speak. Is she from Maharashtra or Bengal?
I don't actually celebrate Diwali myself, but I have a lot of friends who do. In the part of India I lived in (Tamil Nadu), we would say "Deepavali nalvaazhtukkal".
Uh..I think she was from Whitechapel! Sorry, don't know, and she left my team a while ago.
Everyone here (I say, very generally) calls it Diwali, pretty much, too. Is there a reason for that?
I'll give him something hot and wet, don't worry,
You're secretly a sitcom writer in your spare time, right? :D
I'll just stick with "Happy Deepavali," Ria--Happy Deepavali! I had to look it up, never having heard of it before, and it puts me a bit in mind of Chanukah, which is also called the festival of lights!
You might be better off waiting for innie, because I'm not really an expert-- I lived in India for quite a while, but I'm an American, and I'm not at all religious, Hindu or otherwise.
However, I'm pretty sure that Diwali is just a contraction of Deepavali-- whether or not people use it depends on which Indian language they or their families speak.
My understanding of the reasoning behind Diwali is a bit fuzzy (I'm pretty sure it was originally a harvest festival), but I know that it involves lighting lanterns for the people in your life, and fireworks in many parts of South India. Everyone wears new clothes and eats lots of sweets, so it's probably right up Sherlock's alley.
Ria's right - Diwali is a contraction of Deepavali, which literally means "row of lights" (Deepa = light; I have a cousin on each side named Deepa). The longer word is more likely to be used in the south of India, which is more traditionally Hindu.
And it's a time for lights and sweets and just general fun. I did suggest over on L's blog that a Back to the Fuschia customer might come in looking for more flowers. The sweets can be kulfi (Indian gelato), gulab jamun (fried sweet cheese in heavy sugar syrup), or my favorite - therittipal (Indian caramel). We do desserts really well.
Enjoy the day, everybody!
Thanks Ria.
You'll all have to give Danger grief for the next chapter of Back to the Fuschia - it's his turn. Although he might be typing one handed for a day or two.
Sherlock and Mycroft are currently watching a programme about breaking codes in the war. Obviously they are explaining codes very simply, and how they were cracked. And I still don't think I get it. They're transfixed though. Once it's over, I'm sure he'll read this and want sweets!
OMFG. You guys don't go for the quite life, do you? I can really only echo everyone's else's comments about how you both seem to be downplaying your respective roles in the whole kerfuffle.
Lestrade - in the spirit of Pussy Galore, the most bad-ass of all the Bond girls, I'm voting Everard Allcock as your Bondboy name.
Ria, Innie, yeah, like Lestrade I've heard the celebration referred to as Diwali. So, Happy Diwali, everyone :-)
Lestrade - I saw that last night, if it's the same one; it was an excellent programme. I particularly liked the way it really showed how Tommy Flowers, a GPO engineer, was basically as much as a genius as the brain-the-size-of-planet mathematicians and cryptographers like Tutte, Tiltman and Turing. Sterling stuff.
Nameless - I feel pretty bad about how I handled it. Not that I know what else I could have done. Apart from not letting Sherlock see/hear what I was saying, obviously. John's tag of coronary-inducing is spot on.
And yes, that programme. When he's there adding Ns to Ks and making As...it made my head hurt. But Mycroft just nodded a lot. It was all amazing.
Everard Shaft, maybe? Bit punchier ;)
Not your fault that Sherlock is preternaturally observant!
Code-breaking is fascinating. So is cracking ancient languages. I can just about follow the methodology it's explained clearly (well, not always--some methods are beyond me), but to the extent I understand it, I know I could never do it.
As for these names, we are not amused. (Ha! I am too.)
Whoa. Glad everybody's okay, and the "murderer"/suspect is locked up. (Is he still a suspect, or has the completely rational fear of six year olds with pointy feet caused him to confess yet?)
Everard Shaft. Sounds like John Shaft's stripper cousin. (Can you dig it?)
Re: Diwali/Deepavali
http://youtu.be/_B5i6DC2BtM
Have a great time from North America, where most of our culture comes from TV land, which is mostly ganked from the Brits. Cheers!
Random Anon Lurker - He's been charged. Is now waiting to go to court properly - been remanded.
RR - The code they broke had something like 1.6 billion possibilities! I honestly can't comprehend how they did it.
Are they talking about Bletchley Park and the Enigma machine code? Didn't they have to capture one of the German machines and key tables to break that one? (I could be totally wrong, it's been a while since I read about that one.)
Bletchley Park, yes, Enigma, no. The one after Enigma. Much harder, and they didn't have a machine. I've already forgotten the name...which just shows I'd be useless in such a job.
Mycroft tells me the Germans called it 'Lorenz' and the Brits called it 'Tunny'.
Oh, right! I once Americanized/redesigned a quite good book about Bletchley Park, and that 1.6 billion figure stuck in my head. Otherwise I'd never have gotten even that far. Yeah, IIRC the explanation for the Lorenz code started with a table and lost me shortly thereafter.
RR: it was Bletchley Park, but it was the Tunny code (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenz_cipher) that Tiltman and Tutte cracked manually, and then Flowers designed & built Colossus (the first programmable digital computer) to automate the process.
There was a lovely story that Tommy Flowers struggled to use his new PC when he was in his eighties, and went on a course to learn basic stuff like using word processers and spreadsheets. He got a certificate - his only computing qualification :-)
Everard - good point. You certainly want something sharp and forceful, without losing the overall thrust.
Innie - happy Deepavali to you. :) The sweet cheese things sound amazing.
L - Willy Allcock?
Nameless - not too sharp! Ouch.
But yes, a handle suited to the cut and thrust of undercover work, as well as sounding suitably swank for hosting parties where one might come face-to-face with swashbuckling spies, so to speak ;)
Greg - You handled the situation as well as you could with the information you had at hand.
If you had known X,Y, and Z (like Sherlock's ability to lipread), then yes, you could have done things differently, but you didn't. Instead of being paralyzed by the surprises, you rolled with the circumstances and the end result is still the same. Mostly.
~A from NW
Still the same, with 100% more excitably six year olds...
How John finally persuaded him to settle down and stay in bed (if not sleep) I will never know.
Ohhh, Bond names!
Richard Gay-Hardin
Ivan Onnatopf
Johnny Knocker
I'll stop now.
Also, you do realize you're raising Batman in Sherlock, right? And maybe Alfred or Oracle in Mycroft.
Scary,
Bronwyn
There was a lovely story that Tommy Flowers struggled to use his new PC when he was in his eighties, and went on a course to learn basic stuff like using word processers and spreadsheets. He got a certificate - his only computing qualification :-)
Truly lovely!
My dad designed and wrote operating systems for supercomputers for most of his career, and never had any computing credentials at all--his MA was in statistics. But of course, there WAS no such thing as a computer science course, much less a degree, when he was in school. (And he's still not quite mastered Windows XP. Using a computer is a very different thing from building one!)
How John finally persuaded him to settle down and stay in bed (if not sleep) I will never know.
That's why they call him SuperNanny--crimestopper by day, and, under the cover of darkness, persuader of jump-started 6-year-olds by night...
He was pretty worn out, he just didn't know it till he lay still for a few minutes. It was a big day of catching alleged murderers for someone that small.
John, you should add "expert genius wrangler" to his CV-- helping to raise two super-smart, well-adjusted, emotionally stable kids is no mean feat, and you seem to be doing so with exceptional poise and sensitivity.
Your CV, rather, though I'm sure that L's help is invaluable.
It was a fairly big day regardless how small you are.
Don't usually find suspects over lunch. Or have to chase them through crowds of kids on their halfterm hols.
Ria - he should. He's amazing.
Coming to bed, Danger? I shall kiss your bruises better...
Ria - I'm trying anyway. Hope I'm getting it right.
Mmm, bed. Coming, Everard.
Good gad! That was a bit eventful, yeah? Glad to hear that everyone's okay. I'll just go back to lurking now. *waves*
Coming? Not yet I hope...or I really might be Everard.
It was eventful indeed, Musecalliope - if I can call you that? And with a happy ending...
REReader: My father does similar things, though I'm not allowed to mention specifically what. (I would wink but I don't know the emoticon!)
He doesn't have a formal education in computers and is surrounded by all these people with masters and doctorates in it. I think he feels bad about it sometimes, but I tell him that they knew that when they hired him and were more interested in what he could do.
John, I don't remember a "but it's for justice" tag before. I might have to use that to replace "like a boss" in everyday conversation.
(Hi, my name is DW and I have a tag stalking addiction...)
I hereby demand the poll be edited to include Hugh J'Ardonne.
<3
you're lovely. *smooch*
Although he might be typing one handed for a day or two. Aren't all chapters of Greg the Florist written that way? *wink nudge say no more*
You certainly did have an exciting day, for better or worse. Sherlock's aggressively enthusiastic post made me laugh -- it looks like you are indeed brining up the next generation of NSY. ;)
Like it seems many of your other readers are, I am also sick. Nothing major, sniffles and sore throat, but since I'm walking around in the rain all week and talking to people, it isn't helping matters. (Rain aside, though, if there are any readers on here from Michigan, your state is absolutely gorgeous!!). It will be nice to be home this weekend, traveling season done -- I've been back only 10 days out of the last 60. :/
Now that you've met your excitement quota for the week, how ever are you going to entertain Sherlock? He's going to want to come with you on all your cases now.... ;)
Congrats for nabbing the (alleged) baddie, and well done you Mycroft as well. Youre all three of you very deserving of the BAMF title. ;)
Looking in to wish you a good morning before heading to bed--here's hoping you aren't feeling too many less than pleasant aftereffects of yesterday's Very Excellent Adventure today!
Thanks, RR.
Personally I'm just a little tender in a few places, but fine.
Sorry you're feeling a bit sore, but glad it's nothing worse! I hope the rest of the family are as well. :)
(That was meant to be "fare as well," and should have been "have fared as well," and I should go to sleep now...)
*looks at poll*
I can't choose between Everard Shaft and Gregory Goodhead...
I didn't think you'd actually do a poll...
Wasn't Larry Graysons friend called Everade? Not 'specially Bond adjacent!
Danger, if you and the crime fighting duo are free, can you come down to the yard for lunch? Hopefully a much quieter one than yesterday...
Anytime is fine. Whenever you're around.
Thanks, John! Gulab jamun should be fairly easy to acquire from any Indian restaurant. You'll know it's been done properly if it sort of melts away in your mouth. I suspect Sherlock's favorite would be jilebi, which is so difficult to make that there are actually itinerant jilebi-makers who hire themselves out for ceremonies and weddings. Don't buy any fluorescent orange jilebi - it should be a pale saffron yellow and should be bursting with syrup.
Nameless, re: Shaft vs. Goodhead. The former's a fact (and medical problem, really) while the latter's a skill. And we've all heard how skilled our favorite DI really is.
there are actually itinerant jilebi-makers
I have a feeling this is going to be Sherlock's new future career when he reads this, for at least five minutes.
L - love to. Around two?
Two is good. Call me when you're downstairs? They'll think you're handing yourself in, with your bruises...how are the boys? Sherlock hasn't tried to arrest anyone else?
Innie, my only skill is my ability to find trouble wherever I go.
my only skill is my abillity to find trouble
Surely you mean your ability to find Danger?
Might be a bit early - we got ourselves together sooner than I thought we would.
He hasn't tried to arrest anyone seriously, but he did do a reenactment of yesterday for Mrs Hudson...
I trust Mrs. Hudson was suitably impressed. :)
How's your eye, John? And your hand?
I hesitate to ask which part Mrs Hudson had to play...an innocent bystander, I hope?
Early is fine. Just remove me from my piss-taking team, who have already said they'll get a local primary school on the case next time I call for backup, and all sorts of other hilarious observations.
I told them all Sherlock and Mycroft definitely acted older than most of them.
Ha. If Sherlock had ever applied his point feet to their shins, they wouldn't mock.
We'll be there in about two minutes.
He may yet get the chance...my Suoerintendent wants to see the three of you. (no kicking my Super! Only subordinates.)
I'm on the way down to fetch you.
Uh oh...
Ha! Now you know how I feel!
At least he can't fire me.
...just lock you up. Yeah.
(my phone corrected that to 'lick you up'. Not an image I needed in my head.)
I'm not even reading the last half of that comment.
Coward.
RR, didn't find him - we were thrust together by higher powers!
Where 'higher powers' = Mrs Holmes.
Tell you what--you give us the whole story, and we'll decide who did what finding. (You could run a poll...:) )
What did the Superintendent have to say?
Ah, nevermind that last bit--I see you've already answered on your blog, L!
I've had to leave them eating cakes in the park and come back to work, so have just posted a quick account of their meeting with my Super on my blog, RR.
Whoops, crosspost! That's timing for you... :)
re: Shaft vs. Goodhead. The former's a fact (and medical problem, really) while the latter's a skill. And we've all heard how skilled our favorite DI really is.
Innie: good point, well made - I have voted accordingly :-D
So you think I'm a silver-tongued devil, rather than a priapismic monster?
Hmm.
John made us choose.
It's John's fault, huh? Again? I believe you.
It's John's fault, huh? Again? I believe you.
This could come in awfully handy...
I may get badges made. Sherlock could hand them out.
Of course it's John's fault. Maybe yours a bit :-p
And are you suggesting that you are in fact a priapismic monster and not a silver-tongued devil? I mean, either is good, and both is better, but if you feel that realism is the key to the poll, then... maybe we should ask John what he thinks is your most compelling attribute?
0:)
Wow y'all live quite the exciting life! And hello, I'm relatively new to your blogs (only started about twoish weeks ago), but I'm all caught up. What fun adventures!
And I know it's a bit late but about code breaking in the war, did you know that in World War II America used the Navjo language to speak in code? It was never broken at any point during the war. I know for a fact it was used in the Pacific theatre, and it may possibly have been used on the European theatre as well, but I'm unsure about that (Oh, and just in case you don't know the Navjos are an Native American tribe in the US). There's a movie about it, I believe it's called Windtalkers, but I might be wrong. It's been years since I watched it.
Sorry about the long post!
I'll just sit here being amused that it says "Nothing Happens to Me: well, that was exciting" at the top of the page. Sleep well all!
Ha, Calliope!
Hi, Yang! Yes, I am familiar with the Navajo code-talkers. Did you know that they have a website, where the code talkers tell their own story? It's fascinating.
ReReader: Hello! I didn't know they had their own website, I'll have to check it our! Thanks!
I saw this today and immediately thought of you guys. A group of computer scientists cracked the code on a 250 year old document that turned out to be a manual for a German secret society!
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2011/10/26/computer-scientists-crack-unbreakable-code-find-minutes-of-250-year-old-secret-society/
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