My fingers were steady around the grip of my pistol, but I could feel my heart knocking in my chest. Beside me, Holmes was going over his preparations, his expression tight, calculating. It seemed to me that once again in dire straits the machine had taken over from the man. Catching my glance with his…

We lay like that for some time, with my head in his lap and his back against the tree, the both of us drowsy on the blanket spread over the rolling grass, remnants of our luncheon still littered across it. Had someone happened upon us, I am certain that they would have remarked with puzzlement…