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I told her to run, or tried to--I ended up spitting out a thick stream of blood, and just as the driver pulled back for another blow, I saw Holle up to her feet

"Don’t kill him," a voice said, but it wasn’t hers Where was I? "My brother won’t be happy"

I think the driver nodded I couldn’t see, not out of both eyes, andto loll onthat I alain, it kickeddown, down, down

ten

FIRST AND FOREMOST, I SHOULD SAY THAT I AM PROVIDING this account under great duress, and only with the reassurance that Watson will not read it for a period of eighteen to twenty-four months after the events in question Contrary to what he believes, I don’t take any joy in upsetting him He asked me to fill in some particulars about the period of time in which he was incapacitated, and to tell it in a way that appeals to the reader No info-du, Holmes, he’d said

If I’m to do this, I’ll do it on my own terms Here are the facts: ere locked in Hadrian and Phillipa Moriarty’s basement It had a very plush red carpet on which Watson was currently sprawled They had tied s All of this was August’s fault

I’m not sure if you remember this particular detail from his last account of our adventures, but it takes Watson an absurd amount of tiht ood partner would in fact actively and successfully prevent such occurrences

Your assus Why else would I have left him in Milo’s sad little hotel? (Before we’d arrived, I’d asked my brother to stock our room with paperback classics and murder mysteries--Jamie Watson’s poison, if you’ll excuse the expression--and I hoped that he’d be engrossed enough in Slaughterhouse 5 to not notice that, from time to time, I would slip out to do some work on my own The fact that Milo ordered those books in German is an unfunny joke and hardly my fault)

Yes, I was upset with Watson I was quite upset, in point of fact, but it was nothing in coer I felt when I saw his worried-sick face over the shoulder of my mark Of the two of us, I am the only one who has successfully solved a crime I am, in fact, the far more competent partner, not to ht These aren’t boasts These are quantifiable facts

Here is soirlfriend because I’m terrified you’ll try to wrapthe operative word He needs saving far more often than I do

But there, at least, I’d failed Watson laid out on that plush carpet was disturbing for a number of reasons Every few , and in the ti our situation

The basement had no visible doors or s Our phones had been confiscated and the back of iveapart the wooden furniture to fashion myself a weapon

My father trained me to prioritize in situations like this Make a concrete list, he’d said Be unsparing

A list, then What wereMyself Alive Note that it may appear mercenary to put this first, but anyone who doesn’t have this at the top of their list is a parent or a liar, and I am neither Not to mention that failure to keep myself alive renders the rest of this enterprise ard for his own safety works against hi; the other disagrees He and I find ourselves at an impasse As very recent events have proved, Watson will throw himself into a physical altercation he knows he will lose in an atte, if not a thorough head exaoes without leaving me some small present--a book on vivisection, a pheasant quill--and nothing can rouse hiht There is quite literally no situation I can ily leave his bed between the hours of ten and four Most importantly: he has never, ever called me Lottie, not since I told him I hated the name when I was seven That said, he can and does take care of hiue I should move him further down the list

4My Parentshow to put this? Ideally they would re other than alive, anyway, as they are capable, ruthless, and wealthy enough to make the best of those two other attributes (Ja qualities) I am aware of their disappoint, and now find tedious; I have a so That said, I don’t wish theive it a shot

That is one of those things Watson wouldn’t want me to say out loud You’re awful, he’d say They’re your parents At times, Watson is far too sentiine it would be too much for me to handle

Nota bene: my brother does not appear on this list because he has approxio the size of a sle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">