SHERLOCK HOLMES: FIVE ORANGE PIPS

Chapter 1: The Story of Uncle Elias

In September 1887 my wife was visiting some of her family, so I was staying with my old friend Sherlock Holmes in Baker Street. It was a windy, stormy evening, and the rain was falling heavily outside. Suddenly there was a knock at the door.
I looked at my friend in surprise. 'Who can this be?' I asked.
'If he comes on business in this weather, it's important,' said Sherlock Holmes. 'Come in!' he called.
A young man came in. He looked wet, tired and worried. 'I've come to ask for help,' he said. 'I've heard of you, Mr Holmes. People say you know everything. I don't know what to do.'
'Well, sit down,' said Holmes, 'and tell me about yourself.'
The young man sat down, and put his wet feet near the fire. 'My name is John Openshaw. My father, Joseph, had a brother, my uncle Elias, who went to live in America when he was young. He made a lot of money there. He didn't like the black Americans, so during the Civil War he fought against the men from the North, and with those from the South. But when the South lost the war, and there was equality for black people, Uncle Elias left America. So in 1869 he came back to England and went to live in a large house in the country. He was a strange, unhappy man.
'He did not want any friends,' John Openshaw went on, 'and he often drank a lot. But he liked me, and when I was twelve, I moved to Uncle Elias's house. He was very kind to me. I could go anywhere in the house. But there was one small room at the top of the house which was always locked. Nobody could go into this room.
'One day Uncle Elias got a letter from Pondicherry in India. "I don't know anyone in Pondicherry!" he said, but when he opened the envelope, five little orange pips fell on to his plate. I began to laugh but stopped when I saw my uncle's white face.
"K.K.K.!" he cried. "Oh my God, my God, they've found me!"
"What do you mean, uncle?" I asked.
"Death!" he cried, and ran upstairs.
I looked at the envelope, which had three Ks on the back. There was no letter. Who sent it? And why was my uncle so afraid?
'Uncle Elias went immediately to the secret room and took out a box which also had three Ks on it. He burnt all the papers in the box, and said to me, "John, I know that I'm going to die soon. My brother, your father, will have all my money and my house after my death, and you will have it all when he dies. I hope you can enjoy it, but if not, give it to your worst enemy. I'm afraid that my money brings death with it."
'I didn't understand what he meant, and nothing happened for a few weeks, so I did not feel so worried. But my uncle was very afraid. He stayed in his room most of the time, and drank more than before. He always locked all the doors carefully. Then one night he drank very heavily and ran wildly out of the house, and in the morning we found him dead in a river. The police said he killed himself, but I knew he was afraid to die, so I didn't think that was true.'
Holmes stopped the young man for a minute. 'Tell me,' he said. 'When did your uncle get the letter from India, and when did he die?'
'The letter arrived on 10th March 1883, and he died seven weeks later,' answered John Openshaw.
'Thank you. Please go on,' said Holmes.
'After my uncle's death, my father moved into the house. Of course I asked him to look carefully at the locked room, but we didn't find anything important.'

Chapter 2: More Pips

'Everything went well until a year later,' said John Openshaw. 'But one morning my father opened a letter to find five orange pips inside it. "What does this mean, John?" he asked. His face was white.
"Look!" I said. "There's K.K.K. on the envelope. Those letters were on Uncle Elias's envelope too!" We were both shaking and afraid.
"Yes, and this time it says 'Put the papers in the garden'."
"Which papers? The papers in Uncle Elias's box? He burnt them!" I said.
"And where has this letter come from?" my father said. He looked at the envelope. "Dundee, Scotland. Well, I don't know anything about pips or papers. I'm not going to do anything."
"Father, you must tell the police," I said. I remembered my uncle's letter from India, and I was very worried.
"No, they'll laugh at me. Let's just forget about it," he replied.
'Three days later my poor father went to visit an old friend who lived some miles away. But he never came back. The police said that he was walking home in the dark when he fell down a hill. He was badly hurt, and he died soon after. They decided it was an accident, but I didn't agree. I thought it was murder, and I could not forget the five orange pips and the strange letters to my uncle and my father.
'But I've tried to forget, and I've lived alone in that house for nearly three years now. Then yesterday I got this.'
The young man showed us an envelope with K.K.K. on the back, and five small orange pips. 'You see?' he said. 'It comes from East London, and it says "Put the papers in the garden". Those are the words that were in the letter to my father.'
'So what did you do next?' asked Holmes.
'Nothing,' answered Openshaw. He put his head in his hands. 'I don't know what to do. I'm afraid.'
'Nothing?' cried Holmes. 'Young man, you must do something fast. You're in danger!'
'Well,' I've talked to the police,' said Openshaw unhappily. 'But they laughed at me. They think that there's nothing to worry about.'
'How stupid they are!' cried Holmes. 'And why didn't you come to me immediately? Your enemies have had almost two days to make a plan. Haven't you found anything which will help us?'
'Well, I found this in the locked room,' said John Openshaw. He showed us a small, half-burnt piece of paper. 'It was with my uncle's papers. It's his writing. Look, it says:
March 7th 1869 Sent the pips to three people, Brown, Robinson and Williams.
March 9th Brown left.
March 10th Williams left.
March 12th Visited Robinson and finished business with him.
'Thank you,' said Sherlock Holmes. 'And now you must hurry home. Put this paper into your uncle's box, put in a letter which says that your uncle burnt all the other papers, and put the box outside in the garden. I hope your enemies will be happy with that, and then you won't be in danger any more. How are you going home?'
'By train from Waterloo station,' replied Openshaw.
'There'll be a lot of people in the streets, so I think that you'll be all right. But be careful.'
'Thank you, Mr Holmes,' said Openshaw. 'I'll do everything you say.' He went out into the dark night, the wind and the rain.

Chapter 3: K.K.K.

Sherlock Holmes sat silently, and watched the fire. Then he said to me, 'John Openshaw is in real danger. Why did his Uncle Elias have to leave America? Because he had enemies. When he came back to England he was afraid. That's why he lived a lonely life and locked all his doors so carefully. Now where did those letters come from? Did you see?'
'The first from Pondicherry in India, the second from Dundee in Scotland and the third from East London,' I answered. 'Does that tell you anything?' asked Holmes.
'They're all sea ports. The writer was on a ship when he wrote the letters,' I replied. I was pleased with my answer.
'Very good, Watson,' said Holmes. 'Somebody sent some pips from India, and arrived seven weeks later to kill Uncle Elias. Then he sent some pips from Scotland and arrived three days later to kill John's father. Do you see why I'm worried now? He has sent pips to John from London John's enemy is in London already!'
'Good God, Holmes!' I cried. 'Who is this man?'
'More than one man, I think. They belong to the Ku Klux Klan. That explains the "K.K.K.". Haven't you ever heard of it? It's a very secret group of Americans from the South. They wanted to stop equality for black people and to kill anyone who didn't agree with them. The police couldn't stop them. But in 1869 Uncle Elias, who belonged to this secret group, suddenly left America with all their papers, and so the group could not go on. Of course the group wanted to get the papers back. You remember the half-burnt paper? That was Uncle Elias's American diary. While he was working for the K.K.K., he sent the pips to frighten those three men. Two left the country, but one didn't, so the K.K.K. "finished business with him", or killed him. The K.K.K. always worked like that.'
'Well, I hope they won't kill young Openshaw,' I said.

Chapter 4: The Last Deaths

John and Robert Hessian, brothers and bachelors, sat together after supper in their house in Oldcastle Street, Bursley. Both brothers were wearing black, because of the death of their older sister three months ago.
Maggie, the servant, came in to take the supper things off the table,
'Leave the coffee, Maggie,' said John, the elder brother, 'Mr Liversage is coming to visit.'
'Yes, Mr John,' said Maggie.
'Slate, Maggie,' said Robert.
'Yes, Mr Robert,' said Maggie.
The slate was on a table near the fire. Maggie gave it, and its pencil, to Robert.
Robert wrote: Why is Liversage coming?
And he pushed the slate across the table to John.
John wrote on the slate: I don't know. He telephoned. He said he wanted to see us tonight.
And he pushed the slate back to Robert.
John was forty-two years old, and Robert thirty-nine. They were tall, dark men, and both were well and strong. And there was nothing wrong with their hearing.
Ten years before, the brothers had a quarrel. The quarrel was a stupid one, like many quarrels. The morning after, Robert did not answer when John said something to him. 'Well,' said John to himself. 'If he doesn't speak, I won't speak.' And then Robert thought the same thing.
Maggie was the first to see that the brothers were not speaking. Then it was their best friend, Mr Liversage, the solicitor, and some of their other friends. But nobody said anything to them. The people of Bursley thought it was funny, and wanted to know which brother would win the quarrel. So Bursley watched the two men carefully, waiting for one of them to speak. But for ten years the brothers went on living together in the same house, and neither man spoke a single word to the other.
Life without words was very difficult for the brothers, but it was also difficult for their servant. Maggie gave them the slate, because it was easier for her when the brothers wrote things down. It was difficult for their friends too.
They began to be a little bored when, at parties, each Hessian talked to everybody in the room - but not to his brother.
There was just one thing wrong with this beautiful quarrel. The brothers worked together in the same pottery factory, and sometimes they needed to speak on business. But they spoke very coldly, and only inside the factory walls. And every evening Bursley watched the two brothers while they walked home, one man five metres behind the other. How stupid it was! But Bursley said nothing.
The conversation by slate that evening was just finishing, when there was a knock at the door, and Mr Powell Liversage came in. He was an old friend of the two from their schooldays. He was also a bachelor, so his evenings were free. He came to see the Hessians every Saturday night, and usually John or Robert went to see him on Wednesdays. But today was Thursday.
'How are you?' asked John, lighting a cigarette.
'Well,' replied Liversage.
'How are you, Powell?' asked Robert.
'Not too bad. And you?'
He sat down and Robert gave him a cup of coffee.
'Well,' said Liversage, after a minute. He sounded a little uncomfortable, 'We've found your sister's will at last.'
'You haven't! When?' asked John.
'This afternoon. It was with some old papers in the bank. Did you know that she had more than twelve thousand pounds?'
'No!' said Robert.
The brothers knew that their sister, Mrs Mary Bott, was rich. They knew that she had no children, and they knew, of course, that they were her only brothers. When she died three months ago, nobody could find her will. And now here it was! Twelve thousand pounds between two people was a lot of money for each of them. But what did the will say?
The two men wanted to know very much, but did they ask the question? Oh no! Neither man wanted to be the first to speak. And so they sat in silence,
'Do you want me to read the will to you?' asked Liversage at last.
'Yes,' they both answered.
Liversage took the will out of his pocket. 'Now, I didn't make this will,' he said, 'so please don't get angry with me.' This is what he read.
You are both very stupid, John and Robert, and I've often said so. Nobody understands why you quarrelled like that about Annie Emery. Your life is difficult, but you've also been very unkind to Annie.
She's waited ten years already. So, John, if you marry Annie Emery, I shall give all my money to you. And Robert, if you marry her, I shall give it all to you. And you must be married in twelve months' time. And if neither of you marry her, then I give all my money to Miss Annie Emery, businesswoman, of Duck Bank, Bursley.
Mary Ann Bott, widow there. That's all,' Liversage finished.
'Let me see,' said John. Liversage gave him the will and he looked at it carefully.
Robert walked around the table and looked at the paper in his brother's hand.
All three men were silent for a few minutes. Each was afraid to speak, and even afraid to look at the others.
'Well, I must go,' said Liversage, standing up.
'I say,' said Robert. 'You won't say anything about tills to Annie, will you?'
'I will say nothing,' agreed Liversage. (But it was wrong of him to say this, because Annie already knew.)
The two brothers sat and thought for a long time.
Ten years before, when Annie was a woman of twenty- three, without family, she started a business for herself, which was a bookshop. John was in love with her, but so was Robert. And the two men quarrelled. They said very unkind, very unbrotherly things, and they were both very angry. Because of this (and because they were stupid), they each decided not to marry Annie. Each man wanted to show the other that he was the better, kinder, nicer brother. And so they did not speak for ten years. And poor Annie Emery, who wanted to marry one of the two (but could not decide which) did not marry anyone.
At two o'clock in the morning, John took a penny out of his pocket.
'Who shall go first?' he asked.
Robert felt very strange. His elder brother was speaking to him for the first time for ten years. For a minute he couldn't speak. John tossed the penny and put his hand over it.
'Heads or tails?' he asked.
'Tails,' said Robert.
But it was heads.
On Friday evening John knocked on the side door of Annie Emery's shop. While he stood there, he began to feel afraid. He still wanted to marry Annie, that was true. But how could he explain the last ten years? He began to hope that Annie was not there.
But the door opened, and there she was.
'Mr Hessian!' she cried, with a bright smile.
'I was just walking down Duck Bank,' he said. 'And I thought...'
And in fifteen seconds he was inside the house, sitting down asking her the next day. And in another five minutes he was asking her to marry him, then and there.
She moved away from him quickly.
'It's very sudden. I must think about it,' she answered.
How happy he was! Her answer would soon be yes, he was sure.
'Will you be at church on Sunday?' she asked.
'Yes.'
'If my answer is yes, I shall wear white flowers in my hat, I prefer to give you my answer like that, without words. And if I am not at church next week, I will be the week after.'
'I understand,' he said. 'And if I do see those flowers, perhaps I can come to tea?'
'Yes. But you mustn't speak to me when I come out of church.'
He walked home down Oldcastle Street. He was a happy man - and he felt much younger than his forty-two years.
She was not at church on Sunday. Robert was away on business most of the week, and John was alone in the house. For many hours he sat at home, thinking about the next Sunday. Robert returned home on Friday.
On Sunday morning, John was up early. He put on his new shirt, which came from the best shop in Hanbridge. Robert was also out of bed early, and he was wearing a new shirt and a new suit. They had a silent breakfast.
'I'm going to church this morning, Maggie,' said Robert, finishing his breakfast. 'Where are my new shoes?'
This was a surprise. Robert did not usually go to church.
They walked to church, with John fifty metres in front of his brother. When he came into the church, Miss Emery was not there. The service was beginning when she walked in. She was wearing white flowers on her hat! There were about a hundred and fifty-five white flowers - her hat was like a coming round the comer at the other end of Duck Bank. They met outside Annie's door.
'What are you doing here?' asked Robert angrily.
'I'm coming to see Annie? replied John, also very angry.
'So am I!'
'Well, you're too late? said John. 'I've asked her to marry me. And she has said yes.'
'Don't be stupid,' replied Robert. 'She's marrying me!'
'When did you ask her?' asked John,
'On Friday?
'And did she say yes?'
'Not on Friday. But her answer was to wear white flowers at church this morning?
'That was for me!' said John.
The quarrel went on for some time.
'Come on,' said John, 'Let's go home. We can't talk in the street. Annie will see us from her window?
They walked home quickly. And the quarrel went on at home all afternoon. It got noisier and angrier, and at six o'clock Maggie came into the room. She told the brothers that they must stop fighting at once. She then told them that she was leaving their house forever.
'Why did you do it, my pet?' asked Powell Liversage.
He and Annie Emery were sitting in the garden of his house in Trafalgar Road,
'Why did I do it?' asked Annie. 'Oh, they were so stupid, Powell. I know they're your friends, but really! For ten years they said nothing to me, and then, because of their sister's money, they come to see me. And Powell, they were so stupid. They really thought that I liked them, I wanted them to meet at my house because I wanted to tell them what I thought of them. But I was watching from my bedroom window when they met in the street. They started to quarrel again, and then they went away.'
'They'll be angry with me, I'm afraid,' said Powell. 'When they find out that we're going to get married. They'll say I want to marry you for the...'
'I don't want the money, dear,' said Annie, 'They can keep their twelve thousand pounds.'
Powell was a little sorry to hear this, but he said, 'Yes, of course, dearest,' and took Annie's hand.
Just then Powell's mother, who lived with him, came down the garden.
'Powell,' she said, 'John Hessian's here. He wants to see you.'
'I must go,' said Annie. 'I'll go across the fields. Good night, Mrs Liversage. Good night, Powell.'
Liversage went into the house and found John,
'Powell,' he said. 'I've quarrelled with Robert. I can't stay at home. Can I sleep in your spare room?'
'Of course, John, of course.'
'I think I'll go to bed now, if that's all right.'
An hour later there was another knock at the door, and Liversage opened the door to Robert Hessian.
'Hallo, Powell,' said Robert. 'Can I sleep here tonight? I've had a terrible quarrel with John, and Maggie's gone, and I can't stay in the same house as John,'
'But what-'
'Look, I can't talk I'll go up to your spare room?
'All right,' said Liversage.
He took Robert up the stairs, opened the door to the spare room, pushed him in, and closed the door.
What a night!