elaby | Holy whoa!

So, I had been planning to write up a post about how Hound of the Baskervilles is my new favorite Holmes story. Because it's awesome, and the story rocks, and the atmosphere is fantastic and there is spectacular H&W interaction and who doesn't love giant spectral dogs from Dartmoor?

But then I read The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton.

XD!!!!!!!!!

Okay, Hound of the Baskervilles is still the most awesome story, and is good for character development, etc. and soforth. But it just doesn't compare to the sheer concentrated delight of Charles Augustus Milverton.

This story had so many wonderful points XD It starts off with PissedOff!Holmes, which we don't get all too often, and it delights me. I like that we started out with a visitor Holmes already knew, rather than someone he was just meeting for the first time, because we got to see some kind of recognition (and subsequent emotion) from him. Holmes + rage = yay.

Then, we had the utter delight of Holmes being a BAD BAD MAN and masquerading as a plumber and getting engaged to some poor girl so he could get information out of her. Watson was suitably scandalized. It must be hard having to clean up after Holmes's utter lack of consideration for other people's feelings ^^;;;;; I sort of have a fic in the works to that effect, but moving on...

Then once Holmes declares his intention to engage in a fine evening of breaking and entering, we're treated to Watson's adorably overactive imagination about what horrible things could result, and then a scene of adorable snarkitude and loyalty. They argue about the morality of Holmes's prospective burglary, and then there's this:

"Well, I don't like it, but I suppose it must be," said I. "When do we start?"
"You are not coming."
"Then you are not going," said I. "I give you my word of honor - and I never broke it in my life - that I will take a cab straight to the police-station and give you away, unless you let me share this adventure with you."

*cracks up* I LOVE THEM.

There are so many hilarious bits in this part. Once Holmes gives in, he suggests that since they've been sharing rooms for so long, they might as well share a jail cell. And when he asks Watson if he's got quiet shoes (Watson has tennis sneakers! Hee!) and a mask, Watson replies:

"I can make a couple out of black silk."

Which you just happen to have a couple of bolts of handy?! *dies*

But that's not even the GOOD part yet. The good part amounts to this:

Holmes and Watson hold hands.

Twice.

I kid you not.

And okay, one of them is a "leading through dark hallways" sort of hand-holding. But, seriously, they didn't have to hold hands. A hand on the elbow would have sufficed. And even better, the other one is a "purposefully comforting" sort of hand-holding. Let me show you it!

First, the leading hand-holding, to show you the less adorable (yet still plenty adorable) of the two.

The thick, warm air of the conservatory and the rich, choking fragrance of the exotic plants took us by the throat. He seized my hand in the darkness and led me swiftly past banks of shrubs which brushed against our faces. Holmes had remarkable powers, carefully cultivated, of seeing in the dark. Still holding my hand in his, he opened a door, and I was vaguely conscious that we had entered a large room in which a cigar had been smoked not long before.

I like this particularly because it leaves no doubts that there was hand-grabbing-hand, rather than hand-grabbing-wrist, as seems to be the usual with these two. (Which, incidentally, there is plenty of in this story as well - physical contact all over the place!)

Later, after they're surprised by someone awake in the house and hide behind some curtains:

I felt Holmes's hand steal into mine and give me a reassuring shake, as if to say the situation was within his powers, and that he was easy in his mind.

All together now: Awwwwwwwwwwww.

You can well imagine my level of squee. I was reading this on the bus ride home today, and people probably thought I was a lunatic, the way I was grinning.

And aside from all this adorableness, the story is fantastic. Holmes is at his morally indignant best, dumping armfuls of blackmail into the fire. Also, the scene where Milverton is killed is wonderful (vindictive little chibi what I am). And the last scene, where Holmes and Watson recognize the murderer, is delightful. It's ALL delightful. OMG, squee, yea verily.