Holmes:
Thank you for agreeing to this interview Mr. Krisco.
Krisco: I
was surprised by your invitation . . . especially given that you’re the fellow
who seems to know all the answers.
Holmes: A
misnomer, I fear. I do not know all the answers, but I do know all the questions . . . which is the next best thing. So, let me begin
with this question:
Why on earth did you not let me
retire in peace?
Krisco: You
yourself said that you thought retirement would elude you. I don’t think anyone
who knows you would believe that you would be content to raise bees,
interesting as they are, on the Sussex seashore. But you must understand that
it is not merely me who impinges upon your “golden years,” but your fans who
are begging you to come out of retirement. One hundred years ago, your fans
wouldn’t let Conan Doyle kill you off, and today your fans want the master
detective in action once again.
Holmes: So
be it. But why you . . . an
American? Don’t get me wrong, I
love America and Americans, but I might have thought you ill-prepared for the
challenge.
Krisco: Right
to the point Mr. Holmes. Let me say that I am an ardent fan, and a writer by
trade. But, I didn’t start out to write stories about you. I was initially
planning a series of mysteries based upon British mythology. I traveled to the
UK and Scotland in May of 2013. One of my research treks brought me to Ben
MacDhui Mountain in Aviemore Scotland, to research the Legend of the Grey Man
of Ben MacDhui. There I heard about a creature known locally as 'Fear Liath
Mor'. Over the centuries dozens of sighting have amalgamated into an image of a
humanoid about ten feet tall, covered in hair, and having long arms. I even
uncovered a report, written in 1891, where a climber reported finding large
footprints measuring over 14 inches and stride over 5 feet long. When I spoke
with locals about this malign creature, one person remarked, “It’s a mystery
that only Sherlock Holmes can solve.” That gave me the idea to change the
entire series of mysteries into a series featuring you.
Holmes: Knowing
how our turbulent world needs reason more than ever, I am mystified by your
pandering to the gullible masses . . . the Grey Man . . . really!
Krisco: Funny
. . . that’s exactly what you said in the first story in my collection – A
Bonnie Bag of Bones.
Holmes: Well sir, with that part one of our interview is at an end.
Krisco: But, not your stories. They are just beginning in Sherlock Holmes
– The Golden Years. (Available everywhere.)
End
of Part 1
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