Leaving the University of Edinburgh, the sky over Edinburgh was already overcast, and a fine drizzle began to fall.
Returning to the living room of his hotel room, Lionel stood by the window, gazing at the city skyline shrouded in rain.
Rain streamed down the glass pane, blurring the distant Castle Hill and making the room feel particularly tranquil.
Conan Doyle was still immersed in excitement and agitation, pacing restlessly in the room, repeatedly replaying Dr. Bell's words.
His voice trembled slightly:
"He agreed! Lion, did you hear that? Professor Bell agreed! And he said he didn't blame me!"
Lionel turned around, a calm smile on his face:
"Yes, Arthur, I heard. This is a very good start."
He walked to the desk, tapping the surface lightly with his fingers:
"Now, you can rein in your excitement a bit. We still have work to do."
Conan Doyle was stunned:
"Work?"
Lionel sat down in the armchair behind the desk:
"Get out your paper and pen, Arthur. I'm going to tell a new story, and you'll record it."
Conan Doyle came to his senses, an even stronger wave of excitement sweeping over him than before, making him almost leap from his chair:
"Li... Lion?
You... you mean, let me... let me directly record... participate in the creation of a new 'Sherlock Holmes' story?
Not just gathering information?"
This significance was completely different! Gathering information was the work of an assistant, behind-the-scenes support.
But recording Lionel's dictation, and even potentially participating in the story's construction, was almost the status of a true collaborator!
For this young man who had just staked his entire future on the character of "Sherlock Holmes," this was a dream come true.
Lionel watched his flustered reaction, smiling gently:
"Yes, Arthur, record it, and understand why I tell it this way.
'Sherlock Holmes' will encounter many, many cases in the future.
He will solve one mystery after another, becoming a familiar and anticipated old friend to readers.
But in my mind, there are still many stories, many characters, waiting to be brought into this world, and I cannot stay confined to 'Sherlock Holmes'."
Conan Doyle immediately understood Lionel's hidden meaning.
His heart skipped a beat, and a bold idea emerged—
Lionel would gradually hand over the creation of "Sherlock Holmes" stories to himself in the future?!
Conan Doyle swayed, almost falling out of his chair.
This was no longer simple assistance; it was a legacy, an immense trust and honor!
It meant that he, Arthur Conan Doyle, would potentially become one of the "creators" of that great detective.
In the future, he would even become the main narrator!
While this filled him with a sense of trepidation, it was outweighed by ecstasy and a burning eagerness to try.
Conan Doyle's voice still trembled:
"Lion... I... I don't know what to say..."
Lion certainly had his own plans.
"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" would undoubtedly bring him immense fame and fortune; history had proven this.
But he also knew how severely repeatedly creating the same character and replicating similar story patterns could wear down one's spirit.
Historically, Sir Conan Doyle, weary of the detective, once pushed him over the Reichenbach Falls.
He did not want to repeat the same mistake, to be bound by a single character and then have his passion drained by daily creation.
Therefore, nurturing Conan Doyle, allowing him to deeply understand the creative logic of "Sherlock Holmes" as early as possible so that he could take over in the future, was a crucial step.
He was confident about this—after all, even without him, Conan Doyle would write "A Study in Scarlet" seven years later.
This time, he decided to create by "dictation," which was both a challenge to himself and "training" for Conan Doyle.
The history of oral creation in Europe was long-standing and was still adopted by many writers until the 19th century.
For example, when Victor Hugo wrote "Les Contemplations," he would first dictate it, a scribe would record it, and then he would revise and perfect it.
This required clear logical thinking and strong language organization skills, but Lionel wanted to challenge himself.
At the same time, it would allow Conan Doyle to most intuitively experience the birth process of a story from scratch.
Lionel took a deep breath, focusing his attention completely: "Are you ready, Arthur?"
Conan Doyle sat up straight, spread out new manuscript paper, unscrewed the cap of his fountain pen, and held the nib suspended over the page, then nodded vigorously:
"Ready!"
Lionel's voice became rhythmic: "This new 'Sherlock Holmes' novel is named—'The Sign of the Four'."
Lionel began his narration, his voice not loud, yet resonating clearly in the room:
"[In my long association with Sherlock Holmes, his unusual way of thinking and the occasional boredom he showed with monotonous life often perplexed me.
It was on a... well, it was on an autumn evening not long after we collaborated to solve the case of 'A Study in Scarlet'...]"
He dictated the opening of the story, depicting the familiar scene inside 221B Baker Street: Holmes sprawled idly on the sofa.
However, this time the detective was not fiddling with his hypodermic syringe; in this version, Holmes no longer injected cocaine for stimulation.
Lionel only vaguely referred to his "impatience" with monotonous life and a "tendency to seek mental stimulation."
He emphasized Watson's concern about this more, and the ensuing discussion between the two about "deductive reasoning."
"...['Life, my dear Watson, is far duller than people imagine,' Holmes complained, 'I am restless rather than quiet; when I have nothing to do, my mind becomes agitated. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most profound cipher, give me the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere...
I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation. That is why I have chosen my own peculiar profession—or rather, created it, for I am the only one in the world who pursues it.']"
Conan Doyle furiously recorded, nodding occasionally, sometimes showing a thoughtful expression.
Then, Lionel once again had Holmes demonstrate the charm of "deductive reasoning" in everyday life.
This was currently the most interesting part of "A Study in Scarlet" for the public, even surpassing the subsequent process of solving the case.
Lionel felt it necessary to constantly reinforce this label:
"Arthur, repetition can continuously deepen the character's impression in the readers' minds.
But repetition is not simple—'deductive reasoning' can be repeated, but the object of its practice must be fresh."
Conan Doyle looked enlightened.
In Lionel's version, Watson did not pull out his brother's pocket watch—this had already been used in "A Study in Scarlet."
He had Watson pull out a five-pound gold coin from his waistcoat pocket—such coins were usually used for commemoration or collection, not daily circulation.
"['Then, Holmes,' I placed the glittering, tempting gold coin in my palm, 'try to see what you can read from this small piece of metal?']"
(End of Chapter)