The Man With The Umbrella

- 33 -

_

THE CABINET OFFICE.
70 Whitehall, London SW1A 2AS

This is to certify that all materials pertaining to: 

CASE: BT198255D./SH

Have been classified as:

D NOTICE - 100 YEARS

By order of

{signature} E Smallwood
TOP SECRET.

_

Was the notice to all sat in the widened-out office.

"What you're about to see is classified beyond top secret." Mycroft narrated with a cold cloak of authority, standing stoically beside Sherlock Holmes. "Is that clear?" He points out purposely towards Lady Smallwood's PA, Vivian. "Don't minute any of this." The woman who was starting to put her glasses on, discards them away before settling to fold her hands in her lap.

"Once beyond these walls, you must never speak of it. A D-notice has been slapped on the entire incident. Only those within this room; code names Antarctica, Langdale, Porlock and love will ever know the truth. As far as anyone else is concerned, going to the Prime Minister and way beyond, Charles Augustus... Are you tweeting?!"

Turning his head to the youngest Holmes, Mycroft's eyes turn icy and the slight dig of being brothers and having rivalry commences...

***

"There once was a merchant in the famous market at Baghdad. One day, he saw a stranger looking at him in surprise and he knew that the stranger was Death. Pale and trembling, the merchant fled the marketplace and made his way many, many miles to the city of Samarra, for there he was sure Death could not find him."

Amelia sat in the far end corner of the café, enchanted and thrilled by the ongoing story as Jessica told it with cups of coffee's in each of their hands. "But when at last he came to Samarra, the merchant saw, waiting for him, the grim figure of Death. 'Very well,' said the merchant. 'I give in, I am yours. But tell me, why did you look surprised when you saw me this morning in Baghdad?' 'Because,' said Death, 'I had an appointment with you tonight, in Samarra."

Amelia wiggled in her seat as she felt her skin tingle with the brilliant story Jessica had relayed to her without the book. She found it fascinating how one could remember so much from so long ago. She settled with the thought of, some are made better than others. "That was amazing, Jessica. I am, although, confused. Why are you telling me this?"

Jessica, across from Amelia, eyes gazed longly to the petite girl, with flecks of confusion, wonder and a drop of evil, which was something Amelia didn't yet come to understand. She knew Jessica was an oddball but she had the spike of oddity and intelligence which she could only ever see in her.

It pained Amelia to think that Jolene, her best friend, used to be the oddball she associated with through the walk of life...

"Do you read stories often?" Jessica asked with a tilt of her head. Amelia carefully tucked a piece of her hair, around her ear. "That depends..." She pondered whilst tapping her chin. "Do you mean as in a book or as in the hidden story behind a painting?" She rhetorically stated. Taking a gulp of her coffee, Jessica's lip tweaked up as she clacked her fingers against the metal table. "Either." She threw for jest. "Well, I wish I could read books as often as I did as a child but I sometimes don't have the imagination for it. Thinking of it though, my youth will always be with me because I always go back to a personal favourite of mine." Amelia had explained whilst also chugging the last of her own beverage down. "Pride and prejudice."