福爾摩斯探案經典:《恐怖谷》第13章Part7

"So I think also. These infernal Scowrers, this cursed vindictive nest of criminals--"
"No, no, my good sir," said Holmes. "There is a master hand here. It is no case of sawed-off shotguns and clumsy six-shooters. You can tell an old master by the sweep of his brush. I can tell a Moriarty when I see one. This crime is from London, not from America."
"But for what motive?"
"Because it is done by a man who cannot afford to fail, one whose whole unique position depends upon the fact that all he does must succeed. A great brain and a huge organization have been turned to the extinction of one man. It is crushing the nut with the triphammer--an absurd extravagance of energy--but the nut is very effectually crushed all the same."
"How came this man to have anything to do with it?"
"I can only say that the first word that ever came to us of the business was from one of his lieutenants. These Americans were well advised. Having an English job to do, they took into partnership, as any foreign criminal could do, this great consultant in crime. From that moment their man was doomed. At first he would content himself by using his machinery in order to find their victim. Then he would indicate how the matter might be treated. Finally, when he read in the reports of the failure of this agent, he would step in himself with a master touch. You heard me warn this man at Birlstone Manor House that the coming danger was greater than the past. Was I right?"
Barker beat his head with his clenched fist in his impotent anger. "Do not tell me that we have to sit down under this? Do you say that no one can ever get level with this king devil?"
"No, I don't say that," said Holmes, and his eyes seemed to be looking far into the future. "I don't say that he can't be beat. But you must give me time--you must give me time!"
We all sat in silence for some minutes while those fateful eyes still strained to pierce the veil.

“我也認爲是這麼回事。這些萬惡的死酷黨人，這一夥該死的復仇主義罪犯……”
“不，不，我的好先生，"福爾摩斯說道，“這裏另有一個主謀的人。這不是一個使用截短了的獵槍和拙笨的六響左輪的案件。你可以說這是一個老對手乾的。可是我說這是莫里亞蒂的手法。這次犯罪行動是從倫敦指揮的，不是從美國來的。”
“可是他的動機是什麼呢？”
“因爲下這種毒手的人是一個不甘心失敗的人，這個人完全與衆不同的地方就在於，他所作的一切事都一定要達到目的。這樣一個有才智的人和一個龐大的組織動手去消滅一個人，就如同鐵錘砸胡桃，用力過度顯得荒謬可笑，不過，這胡桃自然輕而易舉地被砸碎了。”
“這個人和這件事有什麼關係呢？”
“我只能告訴你，我們知道這些事，還是莫里亞蒂的一個助手走漏的消息。這些美國人是經過慎重考慮的。他們象其他外國罪犯那樣，要在英國作案，自然就與這個犯罪的巨匠合夥了。從那時期，他們要害的人的命運就註定了。最初莫里亞蒂派他的手下去尋找要謀殺的人，然後指示怎樣去處理這件事。結果，當他看到鮑德溫暗殺失敗的報告以後，他就親自動手了。你曾聽到我在伯爾斯通莊園向貴友警告過，未來的危險比過去的要嚴重得多。我沒說錯吧？”
巴克生氣地攥緊拳頭敲打着自己的頭部，說道：“你是說我們只能聽任他們擺佈嗎？你是說沒有一個人能敵得過這個魔王嗎？”
“不，我沒這麼說，"福爾摩斯說道，他的雙眼似乎遠望着未來，“我並沒有說他是不能打倒的。可是你必須給我時間——你必須給我時間！”
一時之間，我們大家沉默不語，而福爾摩斯頗有預見的炯炯雙目似慾望穿雲幕。