A New Mystery at 221 Baker Street

Chapter 76: Plum Pudding

Episode Transcript provided by Ariane DeVere/Callie Sullivan

***

The two entered the Diogenes Club, a gentlemen's club that relied on the absolute silence of its members.

"Good morning, Wilder," Holmes smiling as he signed to the elderly man behind the front desk. "Is my brother in?"

"Naturally, sir," Wilder signed back. "It's breakfast time,"

"The Stranger's Room?"

"Yes, sir," Wildner nodded.

Holmes gestured to Watson, who was struggling to keep up with the unspoken conversation. "This gentleman is my guest,"

Wilder turned to Watson and signed with enthusiasm. "Ah yes! Doctor Watson, of course. I enjoyed 'The Blue Carbuncle', sir,"

Holmes nudged his friend and nodded towards Wilder, hoping Watson would understand.

"Thank you," Watson signed back a little nervously. "I...am...glad...you...liked...it. You are very ugly,"

Holmes looked at his friend questioning what was just signed while Wilder looked in utter shock.

"Ugly," Watson repeated in sign language. "What you said about...'The Blue Fishmonger'. Very ugly. I am glad you liked...my potato,"

Wilder gave Holmes a look in confusion. Holmes, in turn, turned to his friend and signed that Watson needed to work on his sign language more.

Watson, not understanding, broke the rule of silence. "Sorry, what?"

Annoyed, Holmes rolled his eyes and walked away towards one of the private rooms to meet his brother.

"Oh," Watson muttered out loud again before giving Wilder a thumbs up.

Holmes entered The Stranger's Room, passing multiple tables filled with different puddings, cakes, and even a roast ham.

"To anyone who wishes to study mankind, this is the spot," Mycroft Holmes said as he popped the last bit of what he was eating into his mouth.

Watson closed the door behind him and joined Holmes, staring in horror at the amount of food that surrounded the elder Holmes.

"Handy, really, as your ever-expanding backside is permanently glued to it," Holmes commented. "Good Morning, brother mine.

"Sherlock, Doctor Watson," Mycroft greeted, still chewing.

Watson reached out and shook Mycroft's hand. "You look... well, sir,"

"Really?" Mycroft raised a brow. "I rather thought I looked enormous," He picked up a glass of port wine and took a sip from it.

"Well, now you mention it, this level of consumption is incredibly injurious to your health. Your heart-"

"No need to worry on that score, Watson," Holmes interjected.

"No?" Watson asked in confusion.

"There's only a large cavity where that organ should reside,"

"It's a family trait," Mycroft added.

"Oh, I was being critical," Holmes countered.

"I know," Mycroft challenged back. "Pity you didn't inherit the trait quite as well as I,"

Sensing the tension between the two brothers, Watson thought it best to redirect the subject of conversation. "If you continue like this," he addressed Mycroft. "I give you five years at the most,"