Discussion Post: The Adventure of the Illustrious Client

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

Hi, everyone! Time for discussion again, and this week we have The Adventure of the Illustrious Client.

- Watson and Holmes meet some heinous villains in these stories, but few are as utterly detestable as Baron Gruner! Wow. He's one piece of work. Like Charles Augustus Milverton, he commits horrible acts not for money or love, but simply because he enjoys them. And what he enjoys is... horrifying. His grotesque book is a particularly disturbing concept.

- Do you believe Baron Gruner's talk of "post-hypnotic suggestion" as an explanation of Violet's creepily cold, dismissive behavior? Or is that simply who she is, willing to wish away all those pesky murderous facts out of blind devotion?

- Did Holmes know about what Kitty had planned with the vitriol or was it really a surprise as he claims? If he knew, does he deserve some of the blame/punishment(/credit) for the assault?

- Holmes lets Watson in on his ruse (well, most of it anyway) early and trusts him with the knowledge. Pretty much the opposite of how he treats his friend in years prior during the events of The Dying Detective.

- Another discussion ending on a happy note: I loved Watson calling Holmes out for his use here of the first person plural in the case of "our assistance".

…"he has some real need for our assistance."
"Our?"
"Well, if you will be so good, Watson."
"I shall be honoured."

Awww!

The Adventure of the Illustrious Client: A Man's Home Is...

[methylviolet10b]

Author: methylviolet10b
Rating: PG
Character(s): Sherlock Holmes
Summary: A man's home is his castle, in more ways than the obvious.
Warnings: Not much. There are very few spoilers here for ILLU.
Word Count: 60
Author's Notes: 60 words of my own inspired by one of the canon stories.
Disclaimer: I don't own them.

ILLU -- The Adventure of the Illustrious Client

…at half-past five a cab deposited us outside 104 Berkeley Square, where the old soldier resides -- one of those awful gray London castles…

I could have afforded such a castle myself at this latter stage of my career. But to give up the comforts of Baker Street, the familiarity of the rooms, the scolding care of Mrs. Hudson, the memories of warmth, companionship, and triumph that permeated the walls?

There was no amount of money in the world that could buy me that.

The Adventure of the Illustrious Client: Omission

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

Canon Story: The Adventure of the Illustrious Client
Title: Omission
Author: spacemutineer
Rating: PG

Eventually the morphine pulled Holmes under despite his best efforts.

In the kitchen Mrs. Hudson was waiting, worried hands curled around her steaming teacup.

"Why did you not send for me last night, Martha?" I asked finally, stung by the omission.

She sighed. "Why does anything happen in this house, Doctor? Even then, I could do only as he wished."

The Illustrious Client

[flawedamythyst.livejournal.com]

Canon Story: The Illustrious Client
Author: flawedamythyst
Rating: PG
A/N: Two related ones this week, because I wanted both of them to get a say.

I am not a suspicious man by nature, but association with Sherlock Holmes has given me cause to be so on more than one occasion. Thus, the first thing I did once I had rushed to his sick room was to examine his wounds closely in order to make sure that they were real, and as bad as he claimed.

*

I must confess that I did consider deceiving Watson as to the severity of my injuries, but the painful memory of his hurt reaction to the incident with Mr. Culverton Smith kept me from doing so. His honest relief every morning as he found me better than reported in the newspapers assured me that I had made the right decision.


*

The Illustrious Client: A Frustrated Robber

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Canon Story: The Illustrious Client
Title: A Frustrated Robber
Author: thesmallhobbit
Rating: G

A houseful of valuables they told me.  So I thought I’d slip in, grab a few articles and make a run for it.  Get them to a fence and make a good few bob for myself.  Pity no-one thought to say that they were talking about posh china.  Much too easy to drop and break.  I’ll have to look elsewhere.