Page 458 - SHERLOCK transcripts

457

[Transcriber’s note: thanks to Swissmarg for squinting her way through the above reports. Also
click here for a transcript of another of the articles.]

The door to the (real) sitting room opens and Mrs Hudson and Inspector Lestrade peer in.
Holmes is sitting in the middle of the floor with his eyes closed and his hands resting on his
knees as described above. They speak barely above a whisper throughout the following
conversation.
MRS HUDSON: Two days he’s been like that.
LESTRADE: Has he eaten?
MRS HUDSON (shaking her head): Oh, not a morsel.
LESTRADE: Press are having a ruddy field day. There’s still reporters outside.
MRS HUDSON: They’ve been there all the time. I can’t get rid of them. I’ve been rushed off my
feet making tea.
LESTRADE: Why d’you make ’em tea?
(She looks round at him.)
MRS HUDSON: I don’t know. I just sort of do.
(They look back towards the unmoving Holmes.)
LESTRADE: He said there’s only one suspect and then he just walks away, and now he won’t
explain.
MRS HUDSON: Which is strange, because he likes that bit.
LESTRADE: Said it was so simple, I could solve it.
MRS HUDSON: I’m sure he was exaggerating.
(Lestrade looks at her, then wrinkles his nose and looks towards Holmes again.)
LESTRADE: What’s he doing, do you think?
MRS HUDSON: He says he’s waiting.
LESTRADE: For what?
MRS HUDSON: The devil.
(He stares at her.)
MRS HUDSON: I wouldn’t be surprised. We get all sorts here.
LESTRADE: Well, wire me if there’s any change.
MRS HUDSON: Yeah.
(He turns and goes down the stairs. Mrs Hudson watches her lodger for a moment longer, tuts
sadly and then closes the door.
In the sitting room, Holmes lifts up a newspaper from the floor and moves it to reveal a small
open case containing a syringe. He reaches down and gently caresses the syringe with one
finger, then picks it up. He looks down at it for a while, then lifts his eyes as if he has made his
decision.)

Some time passes and night is falling. Holmes still sits in the same place on the floor with his
eyes closed. A shadow falls across him and the floor creaks. Holmes frowns slightly and turns
his head a little in the direction of the sound, his eyes still closed. The floor creaks again and
quiet footsteps can be heard. After a moment, a familiar voice speaks.
MORIARTY (softly): Everything I have to say has already crossed your mind.
HOLMES (quietly, not moving): And possibly my answer has crossed yours.
MORIARTY: Like a bullet.
(Holmes opens his eyes, then carefully gets to his feet, putting his right hand into his pocket.
He turns to face Professor Moriarty, who is standing in front of the right-hand window.)
MORIARTY: It’s a dangerous habit, to finger loaded firearms in the pocket of one’s dressing
gown. Or are you just pleased to see me?
(He smiles, then rolls his jaw and tilts his head to the right, crunching the bones in his neck.)
HOLMES: You’ll forgive me for taking precautions.
MORIARTY: I’d be offended if you didn’t.
(He pats the pockets of his jacket, then reaches into the breast pocket and takes out a small
pistol.)
MORIARTY: Obviously I’ve returned the courtesy.
(He looks down at the gun and cocks it, then spins it round with his finger through the trigger
guard for a few seconds. Eventually he stops, holds it properly and wanders vaguely around the
room.)
MORIARTY: I like your rooms. They smell so ...
(He gestures with his free hand as if searching for the most appropriate description, then says
the next word in a deeper voice than usual.)

Transcripts by Ariane DeVere (arianedevere@livejournal.com)