Sherlock & Co. - The Sign of Four - Part Five

Episode Date: November 5, 2024

INDIANA HOLMES AND THE TEMPLE OF PONDICHERRY - yeah you read that right. I never thought we'd find ourselves in such a location, for such a reason, on such an adventure. It was time to track down the temple of The Surakula, to track The Sign of Four and to understand how it all connected to Tonga Bajwa back in London. Part 5 of 10.  For merchandise and transcripts go to: www.sherlockandco.co.uk For ad-free, early access to adventures in full go to www.patreon.com/sherlockandco Follow me @DocJWatsonMD on twitter, or sherlockandcopod on TikTok and instagram.  To get in touch via email: [e-mail] This episode contains swearing, violence, references to torture, death. Listener discretion is advised. This podcast is property of Goalhanger Podcasts. Copyright 2024. SHERLOCK AND CO. Based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Paul Waggott as Dr. John Watson Harry Attwell as Sherlock Holmes Marta da Silva as Mariana Ametxazurra Acushla-Tara Kupe as Mary Morstan Akshdeep Singh Vohra as Chak Thomas Mitchells as Jonathan Small Written by Joel Emery Directed by Adam Jarrell Editing and Sound Design by Holy Smokes Audio Produced by Neil Fearn and Jon Gill Executive Producer Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For just £6 a month, binge ad-free adventures in full and have access to so much more over at patreon.com forward slash Sherlock and co. Previously on Sherlock and co. Hello mate, three, four of us, sorry sorry and this luggage to the the White Eagle Hotel. Nobody move! We're not moving. Put your hands on your head, face down. Agent Athelney Jones. In the early 2000s this gang appears on the scene. They start breaking into diamond stores, vaults, collections. Then it gets more brutal. They start kidnapping dealers and collectors,

beating them up for information. They interrogate scholars and experts for everything they know. Jonathan Small, he's a friend of ours, an expert in the field. His leg was amputated after a beating. It spills out from the industry to smaller communities, oldie world type places, where the stories were the most coherent and consistent. Everything pointed to Pondicherry. That's the last photo ever taken of Captain Arthur Moston alive. Who's that he's at the table with?

Sholto. I think I want to date with my father's murderer. Sholto is pretty much surrounded if he tries anything. Mary, how are you? He has one of your diamonds. I sent everything to you. Do you have it? Thank you. Mary, look at me. Do you have it or not? Have what? Oh no. No no no no no no. If you did this... You have to try and vomit. Someone call an ambulance. The sign of...Four... Give it up you murderer!

And you see how it reflects on the enormous man-made pool that surrounds it. Yeah, the man-made what? The man-made pool! Okay, out you come, there you go. I think he may have got away from us. Yeah, yeah I think you might be right. Bugger. Yeah, I think you might be right. Bugger! It's nice to watch the world go by, I suppose. Yeah, I guess so.

How far away is he? He says he's looking for us right now. Oh, okay. Hey, morning. Morning. Morning, Marianna. Er, hi. Hello.

Ease deep in thought. Ah, I'm not surprised. Morning. Morning, Mariana. Uh, hi. Hello. Ease deep in thought. Ah, I'm not surprised. Are you okay, Mary? How are you doing after last night? Uh, yeah. I'll be okay. Honestly, don't worry about me. I just feel sorry for Sholto, I guess.

Never thought I'd say that. Speaking of feeling sorry for Mary, Jonathan is coming up. Oh, that's so sweet. Oh, there he is. Hey, Jonathan! Ah, I was halfway to another cafe. Goodness me. Ah, Mary. Hi. I'm sorry. It's okay.

How are we doing? I, um, I feel... I don't know. I feel responsible somehow. Don't be ridiculous. I misguided you. I gave all this talk about the Shadow and his nasty motives and... I'm sorry. Goodness. Before I bore my eyes out over all of you,

how are we? How are we doing? We're okay. Thank you, mate. Sherlock and I ended up taking a bit of a dive last night. A dive? Yeah, we fell into the Golden Temple Pool. Oh, goodness. No. Yeah, yeah. But nearly caught the guy, didn't we, Sheriffs? Hmm, you seem unsure, Sherlock.

Watson is right. We did nearly catch the guy. But as we know, we're dealing with a group. The sign of four. Yeah. Sorry, Jonathan. the sign of four. Yes. Sorry, Jonathan. I know what you've been through, and if we'd known... Don't you dare.

I'm made of sterner stuff. The second I heard something was wrong out there, I tell you, I haven't moved that fast in a while. And still, it's not like I need any excuse to come back to this place. Oh, truly the soul of the earth. Wouldn't you agree? Oh, it's amazing. Yeah, yeah, what I was kinda hoping to have a better crack at the local cuisine, though. And also wish I hadn't watched an old man die, so...

Of course, yes, but you will see it. The beauty of this place. It will find a way inside you and glow for a hundred years. I don't want to be boring, but what do you want to do? We have work piling up at home. It's gonna be boring, but what do you want to do? We have work piling up at home. I feel this city cannot offer us much more. Well, Jonathan and I are gonna head back tomorrow if you want to rearrange your flights. Yeah, we could do that, sure.

You've only just got here. Don't you worry. My fourth trip this year. And I plan another, believe me. Plus, I'm here for Mary. Of course, yeah. But we've got her back, haven't we? Hey, nobody needs my back. Sholto needed help, not me. True, true. Speaking of, where is our Interpol agent? That is a good question. Interpol?

Yeah, we had Agent Jones from Interpol fill us in on Sholto. Yeah, he's been tracking him for some time this This is stepped up a gear or two hasn't it? It's definitely getting a bit dicey so Hmm, we think the sign of four killed Sholto. We do do we think they took Tonga the boy well Sholto didn't know who he was Tonga, the boy. Well, Sholto didn't know who he was. Is that correct?

Correct. And the boy had been intercepting the diamonds, we believe. That seems to be the case, yeah. So somebody knew about the diamonds and knew about Sholto and knew about yourself. Two out of three have been eliminated. I know what these people can do.

And this is exactly why we're flying home. We fight again another day. It would appear the targets are not safe in London either, Mr Small. I er, well yes, I suppose that's true. However, he's a fourteen year old and Mary is ex-army, so good luck to whatever stupid bastard tries anything. I would offer my bodyguard services, but I'm not quite sure a one-legged pensioner is what you're looking for.

You're helpful in other ways. What do you know of Pondicherry? Why is it significant? Pondicherry, right. Pudoocherry, of course, now. In the south-east, yes. Mm-hmm. Beautiful place. A region that has publicly heralded the diamond for some time.

It's on various crests and designs from that area. Always has been. It's funny, I... My story times with Dad, dad at Pondicherry. Pondicherry. Oh yeah, you said he would tell you stories about the Princess of Pondicherry? Yeah, I was the princess of Pondicherry in the story. I'd be off on these adventures but the one he would tell a lot, I think, or maybe just the one that's sticking in my head. I had ventured over the high seas back to Pondicherry after beating some dragon or something

probably. And the sacred jewel was missing. No wait I think it was my jewel. Yeah no it was mine and it had been taken despite my wolf that guarded it so fiercely. I liked wolves a lot so yeah um and then I'd go on this quest through uh oh what was it um a jungle of fire then uh oh uh then then there was this flying fox that would show me the way um yeah, yeah. Uh huh. Uh, and then a snake pit. That was always a creepy bit that he loved. And I had to fight this big like beast thing called, oh god what was it called?

Um, Bost? What was it? No, uh, Dost. Dost. Dost. Yeah, Dost. All hail Dost, or something. My dad used to do a voice like a chant thing and

I'd fight him for the jewel and he'd I'd stab him or whatever. I can't remember and he'd spit it out It was in his mouth. He'd spit it out of his mouth and it was mine again Yeah That's gripping stuff I think my bedtime stories involved coming off the bench for Swindon Town. Your bedtime stories where anything could happen, you didn't even start on the team.

You were on the bench. Oh, yeah. Oh, that's rubbish. Right, okay. Jonathan, you've got the Gatwick fight, right? Ah, yes I bloody well do, for my sins. Right, we reconvene in London and we get to the bottom of this bloody mess. I've got my research with me for this horrid flight. Do you have my notes on Pondicherry?

I do, yes. Thank you so much again, Jonathan. Oh my goodness, it's a pleasure. Don't worry. Right, love to you all. Bye now. Bye bye. Bye bye. Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye. Mary, be bloody safe for goodness sake. I'm going to go explain how prosthetics work to the security staff for the billionth time in my life.

You know, wish me luck. Bye mate, have a good flight. Bye now. We'll see you tomorrow. Bye bye bye bye'll see you tomorrow. Bye, bye, bye, bye. Right, okay. So I'm actually at the terminal over there, so... Oh, of course, with different flights...

Yeah. Yeah. Okay, well, I'll, erm... I mean, I'll see you tomorrow. Of course, yeah. Safe flight, yeah. Yeah, you too. Let go, you'll see her tomorrow.

Yeah, yeah, alright. See you then. Have a good one. You too. Bye guys, have a good flight. Enjoy first class. I know, I know. Yeah, I know, right?

Back to economy for the rest of my life after this. Bye guys. Bye. Bye. You okay? Yeah. Yeah, no, I'm good. You worried about her.

Hmm. And Jonathan, actually, I feel like, you know, somebody does not like the fact that they're alive. Hmm. I agree. I'm worried about this guy as well, by the way. You all right? Yes.

You seem a bit absent. Oh. You're just avoiding eye contact with the way you alright? Yes. You seem a bit absent. Oh you're just avoiding eye contact with the bum bag. Go on look at it marvel at it. Aye John why couldn't you have left that at the bottom of the temple poor. Excuse me mate the inner waterproof lining saved our passports and his sunflower lanyard. Well they should have been in the hotel safe. Yeah but Athelney Jones said don't trust those hotels, so... Stop it.

Agree. Let's go. I'll have my curry at the airport. I don't quite feel like it. Don't worry, I'll get naans and onion bajis and stuff. No. The journey home. Yeah, it's a 12-hour flight, mate. No one feels like it. No, for goodness sake, I'm trying to

process everything and I just don't feel resolved. Hey hey that's normal, we came all this way right for this this amazing trip, I mean work too, but um it got cut short and yeah you're you're just sad. Sometimes going home can be sad. No I have somewhere else to be. Sherlock! Take the flight! I will see you in London! Sherlock no! Sherlock, no! Sherlock, no! The driver said he went that way. The driver said he went that way. The driver said he went that way.

This is insane. Sherlock! Out, sorry, excuse me. Sherlock! Sherlock! I can't see anything. I mean, I can see loads. Too much stuff everywhere. There's so much noise.

Why would he choose to do this? This is like his worst nightmare. No, I know, right? So, I mean, where would he go for... Oh. What? That sign up there. Where?

Look. Oh, train station. Go, go, go. Excuse me, sorry. Excuse me, excuse me. Sorry, sorry, thank you, thank you! Why can't you take the big case? Just leave it!

No, this is all of our clothes. We'll buy new ones, mine are all from Primark anyway, to be honest. Fine. Bye, bye, really big case. Farewell! I feel so free! Yeah, see? This is why I don't buy clothes. Okay, okay, okay.

Here we are. Erm... Is there like a viewing platform? Maybe he just wants to look at the trains? There's hardly any trains. Okay, erm, there's... I don't see a viewing area or much seating. Down this way. Can you see anything? No, nothing. What the hell, is he answering his phone yet? Try him? My battery sucks. Okay.

Ah! Erm... It's just... It's just ringing out again. God, this is like that Dev Patel film, you know, where they lose their kid at the railway station, and then he turns into an Australian. He doesn't turn into an Australian, John, he gets adopted. Yeah, whatever, that's just how the Aussies get you, you know? The amount of mates I've had, oh, I'm just going on a holiday, bang!

Next thing you know, they've emigrated. Hey, shh! It's like, okay, I get it, you can go to the beach and eat big prawns, but it's just the big prawn, mate, get over it. God, John, shh! It's not worth the, uh, oh, let me see, the spiders, sharks, kangaroos look pretty confrontational, to be honest. John! What?

Look! I, uh, yeah, what am I looking at? That platform, the train. Train? Train to... Pondicherry. Do you think? I do think. Come on, go, go, go! We figured it out! I figured it out! We did it!

Sherlock? Sherlock? Are you in here? Must be another carriage, come on. Where are you, you big stupid genius, for God's sake. Why can't he go missing in like, Bristol? Why does he have to go missing in one of the biggest countries in the world? Oh, I can't see much in here. No, me neither. How long do we have until the train leaves? Oh man, like two minutes. Oi, this is not good.

No, it is not. What do we do? Do we stick it out or... I don't know. And to make matters worse... What? I really need a wee. So?

You check the carriage up that way, I'll quickly use this toilet then we'll reconvene on the platform. What a terrible use of your final couple of minutes searching for your friend on this train. I need to go, Mariana. It's better than bickering here with you. Right, is that locked or unlocked? Oh, sorry. Can't you knock, for goodness sake? Sherlock! What the hell are you doing? I'm trying to have a wee in peace.

Yeah, on a fucking train to Pondicherry, the airport had toilets, mate. Okay, fine. I will apologise. You will apologise? Yes. Well, where is it then? You can't just forecast an apology and then go quiet. Well, if the trip proves fruitful, I won't need to apologise, will I? So let's just wait and see. So we're really doing this, huh? You really think Pondicherry is the key to finding Tonga? Indeed. It's time to locate this fabled diamond and see what its hallowed

temple can reveal about this most peculiar case. Right, let's do it. Er, okay, train is only 49 minutes to Pondicherry. Fab, lovely. John? Yeah? That says 49 hours. What? No, you're... No, that's wrong, because it's 1pm now. It says it gets in just before 2pm, see? Mm-hmm, 2pm? On Monday? It's Saturday?

I... It's Saturday. Sherlock! The golden light, pours through the blinds. Wash away the worries like a winding tide. Whoa. Yeah. Pretty. Yesterday, left far behind. Snap! Nope. Pretty. Snap! No, wait. Snap! You can't just keep saying snap!

Snap! Oh my god, I won! I won! We're stopping for the elephants, guys. Guys? Hello, you. Now I miss Archie. He looks like an elephant. No, no, but he kind of smells like one. Goodbye, lovely fellow. He wanted to feed the ducks and they just caved sprinting towards him and the panic. I wasn't panicked.

Come off it. I can't look anymore, stop it! That's a beautiful country. Like a whole world. Tigers! What? Look! Tigers! tigers tigers it's a sanctuary quick quick take photos you take photos I'm busy looking at take photos if somebody doesn't take a photo I swear to God With you, no need for words to say your love Oh, this is incredible.

You finally got your food you wanted. Greatest food in the world. Greatest. You do know that a lot of white people get a bad bite on their first trip out here. Yeah, this is worth it. Okay. You're sleeping in a different cabin tonight. Big mountains. Indeed.

Do you feel absolutely tiny right now? Ant-like. I know, right? Stunning. Hmm. Still worth it? Oh yeah, 100%. Did you?

Yes, yes, I washed my hands. Wow, that is yet another beautiful sight out of our little train window. It sure is. We should open a Sherlock and Co branch in India. I agree. Me too. For you I... Hello there, listeners. Say hello. Hi, listeners.

And you? Hello. Oh, alright mate. Jesus, swallow the mic, why don't you? You put it towards my mouth. Yeah, but you don't need to be that close. Welcome to Pondicherry or Pudicherry as it's known these days. But just about everyone we've bumped into so far has used both. We are following our new best friend Chuck, Chuckrapani, our guide to all things pondu cherry

Say hello Chuck Hello listeners Where are we going Chuck? We are currently walking alongside the Sangrabani river On the Putucherry side Tamil Nadu is on the other side over there See Oh yeah

And we are walking to the hidden temple So it's actually called the hidden temple? Gupt Mandir. Yes, Gupt Mandir. Yes, which it means sort of cryptic, temple basically. So yeah, hidden temple. But as I warned you, it is not, not easy. No, I know.

We just have to observe some things. Some secret things. Yeah, secret things. Used not in the least bit curious chap. God, it's humid, isn't it? The people in this area have always spoken of the thieves, the jewel barons, the wars and battles for the gemstones. That I have learned that it is best to let people follow their heart. If your heart is wanting these kinds of things,

then I have no wish to join you on your journey of greed or desire. Well, I mean, we don't want any jewels. I've heard that before too. No, yeah, of course, I get it. But we just want answers. And I hope you find them Doctor. Down there. Where?

You see? The bend in the river? Where the farmed fields stop? And the land begins to rise. Yeah, yeah, I see it. That is your temple. But there's nothing there. It's just a hill. On the outside, yes.

The temple is cut into the hill. Come. Chak, thank you. Yeah, thanks, Chak. You sure you don't want to join the quest? I'll skip this one. Good luck. Bye. Bye, Chak. I will miss our football chats, Chuck. Me too. Up the Swindon town.

Ha ha ha! Yes! Spread the word! That was Chuck. We got chatting to him on the train. And instead of going straight to the hotel, we got our trekking boots on. That's not true we are all in the same footwear. Unfortunately. Yeah you think yours are bad look at mine. Yes but it wouldn't be an adventure unless your shoes got destroyed so. Yeah that's true that's true. But anyway we um well I think we kind of kept our cards close to our chest with Jack, didn't we? I tried that, yes.

But you didn't fare so well. No, come on. Anyway, we told him... We thought something had gone down at a temple in Puducherry slash Pondicherry, and we think it may have involved westerners. Maybe not. We asked about Captain Morstan and he kind of... well, he knew. No one said Surakula, but it just goes to show how tuned in the locals are to the story, the myth of it all. And now the trek continues. The hill is probably about a mile away. It's a really warm night.

No signs of rain though. Starry and moony. And we met a backpacker on the train. Well, Marianna did. She was chatting him up. He was Spanish. So they talked about Spanish stuff like omelettes. European Championships.

Anyway, he was heading home and he gave us a tent so we're gonna get right outside the spooky temple and pop the tent up and spend the night. Should be f***ed well not fun but hopefully we will get answers on the sura kula and why that means Tonga and Mary are in danger. So yeah. Oh, morning. Hey, morning. Oh, God Almighty. Back? Yeah. Oh, I think I slept on a rock. Yeah, same. Coffee.

Hey, there's coffee. I took some sachets from the train, made of fire. Here, look. Oh, hey, hey, hey. And I boiled some water. Oh, you are. I like you. Thanks. I like you too. Cheers. Thanks. I like you too. Cheers. Cheers.

I wonder what Archie's doing right about now. Let's see. It's seven a.m. here. So what, like, uh, two? Two a.m. at home? Yeah. So snoring and drooling, do we think? Yeah, I'd say so. I'd say so. Come a long way, haven't we? Yeah, yeah we have. Proud of us? Me too.

I think you worry the adventure's gonna be like 15 parts long and totally incoherent. Oh, totally. It is the end of the podcast Yeah Yeah Had a good run though Are we ready? Hey, Indiana Holmes, what are we thinking? Indian who? Never mind Careful there. Yeah, yeah yeah I'm okay this slanted floor leads down into the first chamber then we have a door okay and where does the door go I have no idea. I was kinda hoping for a play-by-play there, but alright.

That's a weird smell. Is there? Yeah, I think so. Maybe it's just... Yeah, maybe it's just very old. Look at the walls. Hold on, let me get my phone light. Inscriptions. Yeah, but what does it say? Don't know, but it's pretty.

Eh, excellent penmanship, or carvmanship. Yes, no hidden codes as such. But look here. Is that a man being burned alive? It would seem that way. Oh look, after opening the door. Lovely. Shall we? I mean, unfortunately we probably shall. Yep.

Now, how does this... ...open? Come on! Need a hand? Please! Okay, here we go! Ah, man! Come on!

Jesus, this is heavy! Who made this door, Le Crusais? Fuck! Argh! Gizzy! Argh! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Let's just exercise caution. This door has trapped trespassers before. Totally severed from the knee. Just using your backpack, John. Hold still. No, no, wait. The... it's an instruction. It's not a warning. And... and... the fire isn't on the other side of the door.

It's on this side. Yeah, what? Look, we... okay. The entrance to the temple is here. Then... the slope. Then... it's fire. Then... door. Okay, the slope. Then, it's fire. Then, door. Okay, so we said something alike, I guess.

Oh yeah, let's just burn the ancient temple, sure. No, no, no, no, I see it, I see it, I- I- here. What are you doing? Starting a fire. Splashes of oil. Where? Here, by the seam. And... ah! a bowl beneath it. Can you see? Yes, yes, yes, yes. Okay. Okay, great. Now what happens? Do you see? Vines. Vines have sealed the door on the other side. The flame reaches through and burns off the vines that hold the door closed.

Well, that's quite a system. Oh, hey, it's getting loose. Here. Ready? One, two, three. Arrrrgh! Ah! Yes! Eh, good work, Marianne. Indeed. The door opened.

Quite easily, though. Me-meaning? The vines haven't grown much since the last visitor? Correct. Someone has been recently there. Onwards. But we are now in, feels like a tunnel. It's got quite cold quite quickly.

I feel like, yeah, there's definitely a smell, isn't there? Death. Seriously? Got to admit, I think he's right. That, that smell is death. It is, and we have a choice to make. We have arrived at our fork. Which tunnel do we take? Two tunnels. One isn't too dark from the looks of it, looks wider, and doesn't smell of death. Then there's that one. We're a detective agency, we're not tourists. Death it is.

Oh! Bats! They scared the crap out of me. The Indian flying fox. What? Look, above. You can see them hanging. Yeah, gross, mate. You can see their colouring Yeah, gross, mate. You can see their colouring. That reddish breast. Oh yeah, they look like foxes. Tiny upside-down winged foxes.

Wait. What? Her father. Mary's father. His bedtime stories. The Princess of Pondicherry. The flying fox, it would show her the way. Yes. And there was a jungle of fire.

Oh yeah, the vine. The vines we just had to burn to get through. So the jungle, the Flying Fox, then... Whaaaaat? Wait, what was the next thing in her story? Snake Pit. See you later, guys. Watson. All the best. Dawn. Whaaaaat? Wait, what was the next thing in her story? Snake Pit. Ahem, see you later, guys. Watson? All the best.

John. I mean, no wonder we can smell death. I mean, Snake Pit, for God's sake. Come. We cannot make a judgement until we see for ourselves. Mate. What? That's... Just like saying to a toddler, you'll enjoy it when you get there. It is snakes in a pit. We've come all this way. But for what? Tonga isn't down there, is he?

Do you think that, Sherlock, that he's gonna be there? I don't. Then what do you think? I think... I think we will expose the rot that has spread so far as to even reach into the walls of a 14-year-old boy's bedroom in West London. That's what I think. You think they're here? The sign of four?

The question is not whether they're here, but whether they are still here. Oh, you think they've entered the temple? I do. It's just chasing any other bud guy, right? Right. Yeah, sure. On we go. Weird job, innit?

Uh, what? Our job, a bit weird, really. Oh, yeah, yeah, I agree. Like, someone asked me the other day what I did, and I said I'm a podcaster, and then they gave me that look that, well, you know, anyone that says I'm a podcaster should get, to be honest. But I mean, look. Look at us now. I'm not really a podcaster, am I? I'm, er, an adventurer.

But you can't say that at a garden party, can you? Oh, me? Yeah, I'm an adventurer. I'm Chief Adventure Officer. Shh. Oh, yep. I'm Chief Adventure Officer. Shh. Oh, yep. That's a snake pit. Okay, great. Umm... what do we do? There's a door on the other side of the room, see? Oh, yeah. Uh...

Oh, well, hey, look. Look, look, look. If you go along the wall on the right, you can walk straight past the pit and get to the door. Come on. Wait. Put the wall on the right, you can walk straight past the pit and get to the door. Come on. Wait. Put the light on that door. Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr No, not yet. Sherlock, this is quite obviously the way. Booby-trapped temples tend to structure their routes and pathways to the unobvious. Good point. But your second problem.

We know someone has been here recently. But the cobwebs on that door over there. Look at them. Rather dense and plentiful wouldn't you agree cobwebs mean untouched correct I would venture the door we need opens a different direction what's what direction down Shannon oh god, he is wading in snakes! He is wading in bloody snakes! Wait, Sherlock!

Don't be afraid of the pythons. They're not your problem. The vipers and crates are much more dangerous, right? Okay. Okay. Embrace the pythons. Cool, lovely, here we go. Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god.

Yeah, now it feels as weird as I thought it would. Oh no, no, get off, off, you big slithery twat. Oh my god, don't, don't, keep them, John. That one went for me. Feel for any looseness in the floor. Feel for changes in height or texture. Wait, wait. I feel something. What? It's rattling slightly.

It feels like a door. Like a trap door, cellar door? Let me see. Come, come, hold my hand. Thank you. Where? Just here. He's put his hands in with the snakes. Can I kick that one? He's done nothing but hiss at me since I came in here.

You're right. It's a door. And... I feel... a latch. Okay, Marianna, step back. What are you doing? Heading into the next room. Sherlock!

Sherlock? Sherlock! Sherlock? I'm alright. Now, quick! Jump through before more snakes fall in! Okie dokie, piss off you slimy wankers! Uh, ladies first. Nope! Whoa! Let me close it back up. There we go. That smell... I think I see where it's coming from. Where? Look.

Oh no. There's bodies everywhere, Sherlock. Good God. It's a massacre. Most look shot, from what I can tell. Yeah, a few rounds of magazines here on the ground. But why? What... what happened here? The Stone Wolf. Look, just like Mary said, the protector of the stone.

Then where's the stone? There's a plinth. Well, that'll be it. That'll be it. Go. Go. What? It... Where is it?

It's not here. It's been taken but not recently Dust has collected in this basin here. Then who are these people? Could be thieves Could be just some poor locals that had come to protect the Suricula upon hearing of the threat. I think you may be right. What makes you say that? The blood.

The writing on the wall. Here, some light. It was written in haste. Haste? From what? Death. The sign of four. Mohinder Singh. Abdullah Khan. Dost Akbar.

I think he tried to write another name here. But he didn't make it. Wait shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh shh She... Mary, she was... When she was in Afghanistan on her first tour, she was kidnapped and held hostage in a cave. The Barak Khan hostages? Yeah, that was her. She said that the soldiers that had her, they were telling her that Abdullah Khan was coming.

Curious. And her dad, in the stories, the bad guy was called... The monster, I mean, or whatever. He was called Dost so Abdullah can Dost Akbar they're in the sign of four they're hunting her and Captain Morstan knew they would come for her but who Tonga what when we first met Prisha she claimed his friends had mentioned he'd been meeting a man named Mohinder Singh. Come on! Oh, there we go! Nice to see this guy. And the trees.

Nice day. Nice to see this guy. And the trees. Nice to not smell corpses, really. What next? Well, that would be a question for the master detective. We... head back to London. There's a boy who needs us. Yeah, you're right. Yep. Yep.

And I bet Wiggins has been overfeeding him as well. I meant the missing child. Oh, right. Don, jeez! The The End You