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vocab_drabblesTitle: Imperious
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (ACD)
Length: 400
Rating: Gen
Summary: A cat steals Holmes's thunder.
“But there was no second will!”
We were all in the denouement parlour which was, in this particular case, an actual front parlour. Holmes was standing on the rug in front of the circle of anxious, expectant faces. He was holding court and enjoying himself, about to reveal the whole truth of the matter. For my part, I was pure spectator, seated among the family. Lestrade and a constable were waiting in the wings, so to speak.
“Yes, there was no second will!”
“Ah, but there is!” protested Holmes, relishing the contradiction. He took one step towards the mantelpiece and struck a pose. “Your late aunt was in the curious and inadvisable habit of hiding important things in plain sight, and due to the presence of police and myself, the murderer has been sorely thwarted in not being able to put hands on that second will and destroy it. The second will has, in fact, been with us all along. It is…”
The suspense was popped by a maid’s shout.
“Queenie, no! Come back!”
A well-groomed cat of Siamese breed scampered into the room and, using Holmes as a both climbing tree and springboard, launched itself at the mantelpiece and the vase of spills, spills being rolled papers used to light pipes and lamps.
The vase crashed, the spills spilled on the rug, and the penny dropped for the cleverest of the family. The cry went up.
“By Jove! That’s it! That’s the will!”
Chaos erupted. A late husband’s discarded mistress, two undeserving nephews, a sister-in-law no better than she should be, and a foundling child bent on revenge all threw themselves upon the scattered papers. Some were trying to destroy the will; others were taking the opportunity to destroy their relatives. Or at least get a good swing in.
They wrestled. They fought.
Lestrade, the constable, and Holmes immediately pounced on the fray, attempting to restore order and preserve evidence. The maid, abandoning thoughts of the cat, armed herself with a coal scuttle.
I was about to add my mettle to the mix when, out of the corner of my eye, I observed that Queenie was giving us the slip.
Having stolen Holmes’s thunder and caused utter mayhem, it was only fitting that the imperious animal exit the scene in as regal a manner as possible.
With tail twitching, Queenie strode out of the room. Her work was done.
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (ACD)
Length: 400
Rating: Gen
Summary: A cat steals Holmes's thunder.
“But there was no second will!”
We were all in the denouement parlour which was, in this particular case, an actual front parlour. Holmes was standing on the rug in front of the circle of anxious, expectant faces. He was holding court and enjoying himself, about to reveal the whole truth of the matter. For my part, I was pure spectator, seated among the family. Lestrade and a constable were waiting in the wings, so to speak.
“Yes, there was no second will!”
“Ah, but there is!” protested Holmes, relishing the contradiction. He took one step towards the mantelpiece and struck a pose. “Your late aunt was in the curious and inadvisable habit of hiding important things in plain sight, and due to the presence of police and myself, the murderer has been sorely thwarted in not being able to put hands on that second will and destroy it. The second will has, in fact, been with us all along. It is…”
The suspense was popped by a maid’s shout.
“Queenie, no! Come back!”
A well-groomed cat of Siamese breed scampered into the room and, using Holmes as a both climbing tree and springboard, launched itself at the mantelpiece and the vase of spills, spills being rolled papers used to light pipes and lamps.
The vase crashed, the spills spilled on the rug, and the penny dropped for the cleverest of the family. The cry went up.
“By Jove! That’s it! That’s the will!”
Chaos erupted. A late husband’s discarded mistress, two undeserving nephews, a sister-in-law no better than she should be, and a foundling child bent on revenge all threw themselves upon the scattered papers. Some were trying to destroy the will; others were taking the opportunity to destroy their relatives. Or at least get a good swing in.
They wrestled. They fought.
Lestrade, the constable, and Holmes immediately pounced on the fray, attempting to restore order and preserve evidence. The maid, abandoning thoughts of the cat, armed herself with a coal scuttle.
I was about to add my mettle to the mix when, out of the corner of my eye, I observed that Queenie was giving us the slip.
Having stolen Holmes’s thunder and caused utter mayhem, it was only fitting that the imperious animal exit the scene in as regal a manner as possible.
With tail twitching, Queenie strode out of the room. Her work was done.
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Date: 2022-07-11 11:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-07-12 10:42 pm (UTC)