rephrase that statement. I know a great deal about you. On the other hand, you know nothing about me.”
“Apart from your name and that you are acquainted with Alexander Reed and Lincoln Scoular.”
Moriarty’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “True, but that is very little and of no consequence. If you should seek out the aforementioned gentlemen to verify your assertion regarding our acquaintance, I am sure you would not find them.” The smile vanished and the eyes grew icy.
“I’m sorry, I don’t quite understand...” I said, shaking my head.
“Of course you don’t, my dear doctor. Let me help you a little. I am the head of a vast criminal organisation. It is an efficient structure, which carries out robberies, forgeries and even the occasional murder.”
He paused and raised an eyebrow, awaiting my reaction to this startling revelation. I did not know whether this was some monstrous joke or whether the fellow was mad. My expression must have revealed my thoughts.
“I speak nothing but the truth. At least half of the crimes committed in this great grey city are perpetrated by my employees. And I am the organising power in charge of this most profitable of enterprises.”
“Either this is some rather bizarre test or a jest in bad taste—”
Moriarty shook his head. “It is no jest. Despite my calling, I believe in telling the truth. When necessary. Honesty is a fine virtue, even if it should be exercised sparingly. I assure you, I have no intention of misleading you.”
I rose from my chair, anger boiling within me. “I thank you for that, sir,” I snapped, “but why on earth you feel the need to convey this information to me, I do not know, and furthermore, I do not want to know. However, let me state clearly lest there should be some misunderstanding in the matter, if you hold any notions of involving me in your... activities , let me disabuse you of such ideas now.”
Moriarty did not reply; his features remained passive, but I detected a trace of amusement in his eyes.
“So,” I continued, “having established that, I believe there is no further purpose to this interview, and therefore if you will excuse me...”
I moved towards the door.
“Stop where you are, Doctor.” His voice was brittle and harsh, like the crack of a whip. “You will appreciate that the knowledge you now possess concerning me and my ‘activities’, as you referred to them so decorously, places you in rather a privileged and, I am afraid, very precarious position. You have now become a threat to my anonymity and safety. I assure you, Doctor, if you leave this room now, you will be dead within the hour. Another fatality floating in the Thames.”
“ What? ” My blood ran cold at these words. Whatever nightmarish charade I had found myself party to, I was convinced by Moriarty’s demeanour that he meant every word of his warning.
“Trust me. It is not an idle threat. Now, do please sit down, Doctor,and try not to look quite so outraged. You have made the mistake of not listening to the full story — a mistake I had not expected either a doctor or a writer to make.”
I felt trapped, caught in some diabolical web of intrigue which I could not explain. Numbed by fear and with my mind reeling, I slumped down into the chair. What on earth had I let myself in for? There was something about this man — his presence, and the fierce aura that seemed to surround him — that convinced me that all he told me was true, and that indeed my life was in his hands.
“It is not to any stranger that I divulge the secrets of my calling, but of course in one sense you are not quite any stranger. Thanks to my colleagues, Captain Reed and Mr Scoular, I know a great deal about you.”
Until Reed’s name was mentioned, my befuddled mind had not connected him with the creature before me, but then suddenly so many little pieces seemed to float together in my mind to create a very disturbing picture. Reed and the mess funds. Once
“Apart from your name and that you are acquainted with Alexander Reed and Lincoln Scoular.”
Moriarty’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “True, but that is very little and of no consequence. If you should seek out the aforementioned gentlemen to verify your assertion regarding our acquaintance, I am sure you would not find them.” The smile vanished and the eyes grew icy.
“I’m sorry, I don’t quite understand...” I said, shaking my head.
“Of course you don’t, my dear doctor. Let me help you a little. I am the head of a vast criminal organisation. It is an efficient structure, which carries out robberies, forgeries and even the occasional murder.”
He paused and raised an eyebrow, awaiting my reaction to this startling revelation. I did not know whether this was some monstrous joke or whether the fellow was mad. My expression must have revealed my thoughts.
“I speak nothing but the truth. At least half of the crimes committed in this great grey city are perpetrated by my employees. And I am the organising power in charge of this most profitable of enterprises.”
“Either this is some rather bizarre test or a jest in bad taste—”
Moriarty shook his head. “It is no jest. Despite my calling, I believe in telling the truth. When necessary. Honesty is a fine virtue, even if it should be exercised sparingly. I assure you, I have no intention of misleading you.”
I rose from my chair, anger boiling within me. “I thank you for that, sir,” I snapped, “but why on earth you feel the need to convey this information to me, I do not know, and furthermore, I do not want to know. However, let me state clearly lest there should be some misunderstanding in the matter, if you hold any notions of involving me in your... activities , let me disabuse you of such ideas now.”
Moriarty did not reply; his features remained passive, but I detected a trace of amusement in his eyes.
“So,” I continued, “having established that, I believe there is no further purpose to this interview, and therefore if you will excuse me...”
I moved towards the door.
“Stop where you are, Doctor.” His voice was brittle and harsh, like the crack of a whip. “You will appreciate that the knowledge you now possess concerning me and my ‘activities’, as you referred to them so decorously, places you in rather a privileged and, I am afraid, very precarious position. You have now become a threat to my anonymity and safety. I assure you, Doctor, if you leave this room now, you will be dead within the hour. Another fatality floating in the Thames.”
“ What? ” My blood ran cold at these words. Whatever nightmarish charade I had found myself party to, I was convinced by Moriarty’s demeanour that he meant every word of his warning.
“Trust me. It is not an idle threat. Now, do please sit down, Doctor,and try not to look quite so outraged. You have made the mistake of not listening to the full story — a mistake I had not expected either a doctor or a writer to make.”
I felt trapped, caught in some diabolical web of intrigue which I could not explain. Numbed by fear and with my mind reeling, I slumped down into the chair. What on earth had I let myself in for? There was something about this man — his presence, and the fierce aura that seemed to surround him — that convinced me that all he told me was true, and that indeed my life was in his hands.
“It is not to any stranger that I divulge the secrets of my calling, but of course in one sense you are not quite any stranger. Thanks to my colleagues, Captain Reed and Mr Scoular, I know a great deal about you.”
Until Reed’s name was mentioned, my befuddled mind had not connected him with the creature before me, but then suddenly so many little pieces seemed to float together in my mind to create a very disturbing picture. Reed and the mess funds. Once
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