Sherlock Holmes and the Chinese Junk Affair and Other Stories by Roy Templeman Page A

considerably speed up the time of construction. I decided to have two copies of the vessel made. One copy would be built in the first workshop, and the other in the third workshop.
    ‘The middle workshop would make suitable sleeping and living accommodation and on the day of the demonstration would store all the debris of both demolished pontoons.’
    Holmes continued his account before his spellbound audience. I smiled inwardly, knowing that it would be many a long year before, if ever, they would listen to such a fascinating story. Holmes smiled and, enjoying every moment, went on.
    ‘I have not mentioned during all this account my very good friend, Mr Hing Sung. He acted as my interpreter during my negotiations with the Chinamen and throughout, supervising the copying and building of the pontoons. He will return to his laundry a much richer man, and the Chinese seamen and craftsmen will fade into the scene of London’s Chinatown, also wealthier, to become part of this great city’s society, enriching and adding to our national culture.’
    Events explained by Holmes always seemed so simple, and one wonders why a case could have seemed so impossible to fathom, and yet have so simple an explanation. Yet I knew that it was his sheer brilliance which picked apart the facts of a case, found the vital clues and came up with a solution. Holmes remarked once that the fact magicians never revealed their secrets was because, once revealed, the audience would feel cheated, and illusion, which is the basis of all the aura of magic, would be eroded away, not to mention, he laughed, that the magician relied upon audiences night after night coming to see him for his bread and butter.
    Holmes concluded, ‘Those, Prime Minister, are the facts of the case. There is no “Transposing Machine”, no threat to Great Britain or the Empire. Rodger Hardy has a brilliant brain, and he is to be congratulated upon this attempt of what was a unique and imaginative means to get back money from a government who had reneged on his family, many years ago.
    ‘But he failed, and failed because of one error, and that error was, he should never have allowed the Chinamen to settle here in London’s Chinatown. Instead, suitably rewarded, he should have paid their fare back to China. Had he done this, I would never have had the opportunity of learning from them, first hand, how the confidence trick had been worked.
    ‘But it was the lure of London’s streets lined with gold which had persuaded them to sail halfway around the world to come here in the first instance. He saw no risk from ten Chinamen unable to speak English disappearing into the busy London scene.’
    Holmes leaned back into his chair and, placing both his hands together to form a spire, indicated his explanation was finished. Lord Bellinger, I noted, made opposite body movements, he leaned forward and gripped the arms of his leather chair. He looked around at his Cabinet ministers, two of whom had hardly spoken at all, but to nod and make noises which indicated they were following every word with utmost interest. I think they were overawed by the whole affair. The masterly way Holmes had presented the facts had held them fascinated. Lord Bellinger spoke.
    ‘Why, Mr Holmes, did Rodger Hardy choose to transpose a thing as bizarre as a Chinese junk as a means of perpetrating his confidence trick? For instance, he could have used a railway carriage or some similar large object?’
    Holmes appreciated the thinking behind the question and his reply was a compliment to that thinking.
    ‘I have given that very question much thought, sir, and I have come to this conclusion. Rodger Hardy wanted to construct, over many months, something substantial that could be seen in all its stages of building, until it was finally completed. A sailing vessel, he decided, would be ideal considering the fact that it would almost fill the ballroom, and could by no means be taken out whole, all exits being too