Elementary my dear Reinhardt. Elementary.
Elementary my dear Reinhardt. Elementary.
Holmes and Reinhardt were sitting outside, under an umbrella at the local Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Holmes was drinking some Bogawantalawa Estate Ceylon black tea; Reinhardt was sipping his usual ice blended drink, half mocha and half white chocolate with whipped cream.
“How can you drink some tea that you can’t even pronounce Holmes?”
Holmes smiled and took another draw on his pipe, “Elementary Reinhardt, I must support the Queen and the Empire, even if you Yanks refuse to recognize the benefits of being part of it. Ceylon, after all, is part of Her Majesty’s empire.”
“Oh yes, the Empire.”
“Do tell me more about this mysterious email address you were complaining about on the drive to this fine tea shop.”
“It’s a coffee and tea shop Holmes.”
Holmes sighed, “And to think that you were once part of the Empire. I thought we had civilized you into tea drinkers but I see we managed to fail on that count.”
Reinhardt explained, again, how his acquaintance had given him her email address and how he had been unable to send her an email.
Holmes could see his friend’s frustration. These Americans, with all of their gadgets and technology, were certainly going to change civilization, if not ruin it, in the process if they were allowed to continue on this never path of continual invention and discovery.
“I say Reinhardt. By any chance, did you bring the note from your acquaintance with you?”
“Yes,” and Reinhardt handed the folded note to Holmes. “Even if you are England’s greatest consulting detective Holmes, I seriously doubt that you will be able to solve this mystery.”
“World’s finest consulting detective,” Holmes drained his now cold cup of tea. “Could you fetch another cup of this fine tea while I analyze the note?” Reinhardt got up and entered the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to refill Holmes’ cup of tea. He still had about half of his ice blended left to drink. Reinhardt returned to find a smiling Holmes.
“You smiling because I have a hot cup of your Bogawantalawa tea for you or because you have solved the mystery?”
“Both, actually.”
“What did you learn?”
After taking a long sip of the tea, Holmes held the cup in his hands for a moment and smiled. “Actually, quiet a lot about your mysterious acquaintance.”
“What could you have possibly learned from reading that simple note?”
“To begin with, she is educated and very intelligent. Probably is very good to excellent in a conversation; you understand, knowledgeable about many subjects. Oh yes, I think she is younger than you.”
“Really?”
“Why, yes, of course. She undoubtedly smiles and laughs a lot.”
“True.”
“She seems to be preoccupied with another matter not relating to you. But, I feel this is only temporary. She seems to have a strong sense of direction and purpose. Is she English or Scottish by chance?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Not French? Good cooks but poor soldiers ever since ’15 at Waterloo. Nothing like a regiment of British grenadiers forming a thin red line to make you feel safe and secure now.” Holmes took another long draw on his pipe; the tobacco in the bowl was about consumed by now. He tapped the ashes into the cement container that was adjacent to their table. “One good aspect of being here in the Colonies is ready access to great tobacco Reinhardt; not like that vile Balkan tobacco you seem to indulge yourself in.”
“Not French Holmes,” Reinhardt remarked, “And it’s the United States of America. We like to think that our Marine Corps is one of the finest groups of warriors in the world. Give me enough marines Homes and I’ll chase the devil out of hell.”
“Always bragging again Reinhardt. Further, I think your acquaintance was under some time constraints; she had to be somewhere else shortly. Smart young woman, getting away from you and all.”
“So much for British humor Holmes. So how do I send her an email? You haven’t explained that to me yet.”
“Ah yes, the easy part,” Holmes reached into his battered leather attaché case and pulled out a small red covered book and handed it to his American friend. “You’ll find the answer on page eleven. You tried to send the mail using a hyphen in the name section. You cannot use a hyphen in the name section; I think is an underscore. Try sending her another message.”
Reinhardt went inside of the store and successfully sent a message. Then, he looked at the book’s title, Emailing for Yanks by Sherlock Holmes, World’s Finest Consulting Detective. Reinhardt shrugged and stuffed the book into his pants pocket. He almost ran into Holmes as he walked back to their table.
“Come along Reinhardt, we have much work to do. I have just received instructions from the Foreign Office recalling me. It seems my old friend Professor Morriarty has escaped and joined up with the Russians. The PM thinks they may be stirring up trouble in the Caucuses and that spells trouble for India and the Northwest Territories”
“What are you talking about Holmes?”
“Don’t stand there man; the game’s a foot and we must lave now.”
Holmes and Reinhardt were sitting outside, under an umbrella at the local Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Holmes was drinking some Bogawantalawa Estate Ceylon black tea; Reinhardt was sipping his usual ice blended drink, half mocha and half white chocolate with whipped cream.
“How can you drink some tea that you can’t even pronounce Holmes?”
Holmes smiled and took another draw on his pipe, “Elementary Reinhardt, I must support the Queen and the Empire, even if you Yanks refuse to recognize the benefits of being part of it. Ceylon, after all, is part of Her Majesty’s empire.”
“Oh yes, the Empire.”
“Do tell me more about this mysterious email address you were complaining about on the drive to this fine tea shop.”
“It’s a coffee and tea shop Holmes.”
Holmes sighed, “And to think that you were once part of the Empire. I thought we had civilized you into tea drinkers but I see we managed to fail on that count.”
Reinhardt explained, again, how his acquaintance had given him her email address and how he had been unable to send her an email.
Holmes could see his friend’s frustration. These Americans, with all of their gadgets and technology, were certainly going to change civilization, if not ruin it, in the process if they were allowed to continue on this never path of continual invention and discovery.
“I say Reinhardt. By any chance, did you bring the note from your acquaintance with you?”
“Yes,” and Reinhardt handed the folded note to Holmes. “Even if you are England’s greatest consulting detective Holmes, I seriously doubt that you will be able to solve this mystery.”
“World’s finest consulting detective,” Holmes drained his now cold cup of tea. “Could you fetch another cup of this fine tea while I analyze the note?” Reinhardt got up and entered the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to refill Holmes’ cup of tea. He still had about half of his ice blended left to drink. Reinhardt returned to find a smiling Holmes.
“You smiling because I have a hot cup of your Bogawantalawa tea for you or because you have solved the mystery?”
“Both, actually.”
“What did you learn?”
After taking a long sip of the tea, Holmes held the cup in his hands for a moment and smiled. “Actually, quiet a lot about your mysterious acquaintance.”
“What could you have possibly learned from reading that simple note?”
“To begin with, she is educated and very intelligent. Probably is very good to excellent in a conversation; you understand, knowledgeable about many subjects. Oh yes, I think she is younger than you.”
“Really?”
“Why, yes, of course. She undoubtedly smiles and laughs a lot.”
“True.”
“She seems to be preoccupied with another matter not relating to you. But, I feel this is only temporary. She seems to have a strong sense of direction and purpose. Is she English or Scottish by chance?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Not French? Good cooks but poor soldiers ever since ’15 at Waterloo. Nothing like a regiment of British grenadiers forming a thin red line to make you feel safe and secure now.” Holmes took another long draw on his pipe; the tobacco in the bowl was about consumed by now. He tapped the ashes into the cement container that was adjacent to their table. “One good aspect of being here in the Colonies is ready access to great tobacco Reinhardt; not like that vile Balkan tobacco you seem to indulge yourself in.”
“Not French Holmes,” Reinhardt remarked, “And it’s the United States of America. We like to think that our Marine Corps is one of the finest groups of warriors in the world. Give me enough marines Homes and I’ll chase the devil out of hell.”
“Always bragging again Reinhardt. Further, I think your acquaintance was under some time constraints; she had to be somewhere else shortly. Smart young woman, getting away from you and all.”
“So much for British humor Holmes. So how do I send her an email? You haven’t explained that to me yet.”
“Ah yes, the easy part,” Holmes reached into his battered leather attaché case and pulled out a small red covered book and handed it to his American friend. “You’ll find the answer on page eleven. You tried to send the mail using a hyphen in the name section. You cannot use a hyphen in the name section; I think is an underscore. Try sending her another message.”
Reinhardt went inside of the store and successfully sent a message. Then, he looked at the book’s title, Emailing for Yanks by Sherlock Holmes, World’s Finest Consulting Detective. Reinhardt shrugged and stuffed the book into his pants pocket. He almost ran into Holmes as he walked back to their table.
“Come along Reinhardt, we have much work to do. I have just received instructions from the Foreign Office recalling me. It seems my old friend Professor Morriarty has escaped and joined up with the Russians. The PM thinks they may be stirring up trouble in the Caucuses and that spells trouble for India and the Northwest Territories”
“What are you talking about Holmes?”
“Don’t stand there man; the game’s a foot and we must lave now.”
posted by Chuck Reinhardt at 3:36 PM
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