Sotd - Saturday the 13th and today - the 15th of October -
Razor - Megress - (1.5)
blade - Aussie Spoiler - (9 and 10)
brush - Simpsons Chubby One best
soap - Salters Lavender tallow hard soap
post - witch hazel
a/s - Quorum
balm - Barts Lavender lotion
scent - Quorum edt.
Result - great - so good I did it twice.
A first for me I think - identical set up - for two shaves. Everything just worked so goddam well together. A big thank you to
@Paul L - I think it was you? - sorry if it was someone else - for the heads up on the Quorum gift set of the aftershave and edt - for a very reasonable £14.99 in Savers. It is funny they didn't have any in ECI earlier this year in Spain - where the bloody stuff is made - but my other half found the last remaining one for me in the benighted town of Wishaw in North Lanarkshire. Nothing leaves there - not even darkness. Go figure. I love them - well seventies - scent and packaging - I can almost hear the Sweeney theme tune as I apply them - the desire to buy a sheepskin jacket - grow a comb-over - okay - it isn't Creed or Dior - but at the price it doesn't have to be - a nice clean - fresh linen - antiseptic - English - sort of lavender. Fair enough - the sillage is limited - and it is pretty ephemeral - but who cares - it is nice to wear for me. The Salters tallow lavender is well up there in the best value - and performing soaps - in my opinion. Give it a go. The Spoilers march on. Great shaves - enjoy yours one and all - have a good week gentlemen. Yours - I.
Oh - 'The Case of the Poisoned Priest' - part the first -
Baker Street - 1891 -
Watson is shaving - a moment of quiet contemplation - any man might reasonably expect - but - even at his ablutions - he cannot ignore - Wagner's 'Gotterdammerung' - being played manically by his companion in the adjoining room - starting in the middle of the night - on an violin - of Cremona origin. He hadn't even reached the end of the first act yet. Trying for the stoutest of hearts.
‘Dear God - why did I move back into this madhouse?' - he asks his reflection.
Resuming to his lodging with the world's most eminent consulting detective - but six weeks after burying his beloved Mary - not being able to brook - the now empty - silent - domestic spaces they shared during a happy marriage.
Suddenly Holmes stops his demented scraping - blissful silence. The bathroom door crashes open behind the doctor -
‘Watson - Watson - ha ha - we have been summoned! The end of the dry season - I had almost lost faith in the malevolence of our fellow men - ha ha - dress quickly my friend - I shall do likewise - we must away - there is a telegram on the table - read it. Breakfast will be taken later.'
It read - ‘Holmes - come soonest - a foul deed on hallowed ground. Help required. Westminster Cathedral. Insp. Athelney Jones.'
No matter how grisly this might be - a welcome relief from Wagner.
A shaft of light illuminates the high altar - two uniformed officers and Jones are looking over the body between them.
‘Inspector - I received your missive - with great delight - what - who - do we have?'
A heavily corpulent man is slumped forward - face down - his richly ornamented robes indicate his calling instantly - the crossed keys of St Peter - detailed in gold brocade - his rank.
‘Until this morning - he was discovered about eight thirty - Holmes - the Papal legate - the apostolic nuncio to the Court of St James - otherwise - Monsignor Alejandro Arroyo y Lopez - as was.'
‘Felled my dear Athelney - in the posture of prayer - how fitting a way to meet your maker? Ha ha. May we turn him over - to see what more we can learn? Lend a hand.'
Four of them struggle to manoeuvre the dead weight - when achieved - the priest's face is picked out by the god beam - gasps from the constables. A terrible countenance - caught in a final silent scream. Lips and protruding tongue - stained purple. Almost his last act was to cry - tears of blood - now congealed on the cheeks. A sheet of fine hand-woven paper is pinned to the front of his cassock - G.P.L.E.A.I.S - printed in a delicate cursive script.
‘First impression doctor?'
‘Poisoned - I would say.'
‘I concur - Inspector - I shall report to you in 36 hours - good day gentlemen. Come Watson. We have seen all we can see here.'
A horse drawn cab - returning to Baker Street -
‘Holmes - who is the murderer? You are onto something - what was his motive?'
‘Not him Watson - her.'
To be continued.