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Wednesday, February 26, 2014

30 Minus 2 Days of Writing III: Naked And Lost

I stopped stealing insignificant little things like money, jewelry and virtue when it stopped being exciting. The Eiffel Tower, however, is none of those things. It's 10,000 metric tons of hopes and dreams and national pride, and right now it's in pieces and on its way to Berlin, that beautifully organized city that appeals so strongly to my intellect.

And that's the beauty of the two cities, they're worlds apart, yet I feel drawn to both of them. I go to Paris when I need to let my mind run free, when I need passion and art and life to flow through my veins, silky French-accented voices that leave red lipstick on my skin and the teasing touch of feathers and velvet. But Berlin, that's where I go for discipline. When I need to delve into the deepest corners of my mind I seek out Berlin with its whispered secrets, forever repenting, on its knees, hanging by the chains, yet never defeated. Such strength and determination; it fuels my drive, energizes my mind and fills it with possibilities, with endless promise.

This is where the pieces of the Eiffel Tower will end up, and where feathers and chains will collide. On the abandoned tarmac of the Tempelhof Airport, tonight the Eiffel Tower will magically appear, less than 24 hours after it disappeared from Paris. My men are instructed to leave it in pieces, carefully laid out as a giant jigsaw puzzle for Sherlock and the good people of Berlin to figure out. Of course, I also instructed them to leave out one vital piece from the puzzle, making it impossible to reassemble the Tower correctly no matter how hard they try. The greatest prank ever played, and sure to frustrate the crap out of the stuffy Germans.

I can barely contain my glee thinking about it. It's reminds me of the time when I went polar bear hunting with Vladimir Putin and kept pointing out snow-covered shrubs for him to kill. Turns out Vladimir Putin has absolutely no sense of humor and I ended up naked and lost on the Siberian tundra. It was a good day.

I take a sip from my espresso and look out the window at the beautiful scenery speeding by. I'm on a train again, but this time without an ill-mannered sword making my travels miserable. I wonder how long it will take for Sherlock to realize that I'm not in Berlin. I doubt very long, I left him that bar of Toblerone, after all, and I feel a twinge of unease. I have some preparations to make before he finds me. Our game of cat-and-mouse has gone on for too long. It's been fun, but Sherlock is too observant for his own good. One of these days he will outdo me, and I can't allow that. When he finds me, and he will, I will see to it that he won't be around to mess with my plans anymore.

The train stops in the town of Meiringen, where a car is waiting to take me to my final destination. It's a short drive, and as we near our goal I can hear the roar of wild and unforgiving water. This is where the last chapter of Sherlock Holmes will be written.

Reichenbach Falls.








This rather hastily put together post was written for Nicky and Mike's 30 Minus 2 Days of Writing III. To see the other participants' posts, please visit We Work For Cheese.

This particular story line with me in the role of Professor Moriarty and MikeWJ in the role of Sherlock Holmes started sometime around Day 7 when Mike took offense to my shameless blogging outside of our agreement. Rude of me, I know. So in this post, he challenged me. And I, of course, responded. With nudity. This got Mike's panties all in a twist, so he wrote this here post, in which he planted an extremely conspicuous tracking device on me, in what he thought was a brilliant move.  It was, of course, but let's not tell him that. I responded here, by creating a mystery for Sherlock to solve, which he did quite adequately in his next post. I mean, it was nothing to write home about, but he didn't suck, either. And now we're here, about to face off in a fight to the death. Or until one of us gets an ouchie. Tune back in on Friday for the unbelievably exciting last chapter in Moriarty and Sherlock's great adventure. Or don't.
We don't give a damn. *
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31 comments:

  1. mikewjattoomanymorningsFebruary 26, 2014 at 9:40 PM

    Beautifully written, Moriarty, from the comparison and contrast between Paris and Berlin to the subtle hints about your destination you left with the Toblerone. You have a way with words, dear, but that won't help you when we reach the final solution at the Falls. I look forward to our meeting.

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  2. Diabolical! So, um, how long were you naked and lost in Siberia?

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  3. I love this story. It's keeps wanting more.

    Beware. The stick of Toblerone might have explosive qualities.

    I'm excited about the "end" on Friday!

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  4. My, my, my. What have I missed in my absence? You two are not only writing again, but writing to the death! MWJ is a scholarly man with a talented pen (I'm literally talking about a writing instrument), but he is still only a man. And you have hair. Lots and lots of hair. It will be like the dance of Samson and Delilah and we know who wins that one.

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  5. This has been a wonderful series. Stealing the Eiffel Tower was quite a feat, and you've set the stage for the final showdown. Looking forward to it.

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  6. "Berlin with its whispered secrets, forever repenting, on its knees, hanging by the chains, yet never defeated."
    Brilliant and perhaps my most favourite line of anything I've ever read. Ever. When you're world-famous, please remember who shamelessly and repeatedly threw herself at you before anyone knew your pseudonym.

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  7. Your descriptions of Paris and Berlin are so spot on! You are a brilliant writer and even better, an amazing plotter! I'm looking forward to the climax of this tale!

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  8. mikewjattoomanymorningsFebruary 27, 2014 at 7:13 AM

    I agree, Nicky. That line is brilliant, like only Ziva can write.

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  9. mikewjattoomanymorningsFebruary 27, 2014 at 7:14 AM

    It's not her hair that frightens me, it's her mind and her talent. It shames me.

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  10. I am sad. The furthest I can escape to is Atlanta, Georgia and Birmingham, Alabama. Not much adventure at either place. I am so envious.

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  11. Your descriptions of the two cities were both brilliant and poetic. There's something about Berlin that's always been heartbreaking to me and you captured the why of it beautifully.

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  12. I love these snapshots. There's just something in the way you tell a story...I think it's called brilliance. Anyway, awesome stuff. I'm gonna go get a Toblerone.

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  13. "and where feathers and chains will collide." I just LOVE your words... LOVED them.

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  14. "silky French-accented voices that leave red lipstick on my skin and the teasing touch of feathers and velvet." ---- one of my favorite sentences that you've ever written!

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  15. For a very long time, my friend. No one I met wanted to give me any clothes.

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  16. Thanks, Reffie, it's been a lot of fun to write these. Not to mention eating Toblerone. I love chocolate...

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  17. Wait a second now.. Mike is an intelligent man with a way with words, but all I have to bring to the fight is hair? Yup, seems about right.

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  18. Thanks, Linda. I've always wanted to steal the Eiffel Tower, and now my dream has come true.

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  19. Oh wow, you're making me blush, and believe me, it's not pretty. You'll be world-famous way before I am, and when it happens, we'll ditch Jepeto and M and buy an island someplace warm with water the color of satisfaction.

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  20. You just want me to let Sherlock live, don't you? ;)

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  21. Aww, thank you, Linda. Your praise always warms my heart. :)

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  22. Don't be envious. Surely a writer with your imagination can take her stories to places beyond Atlanta and Birmingham. Just try a little harder.

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  23. I had the pleasure of visiting Berlin back in 2012, and the experience moved me deeply. There was something about Berlin that spoke directly to my heart. I want to go there again sometime.

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  24. I don't suppose you'll share that chocolate with me? :)

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  25. Thank you, Katherine, I loved writing about the two cities. :)

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  26. Aww, thank you, Meleah! xoxox

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  27. The ultimate prank, indeed! And of course, one piece will be missing. I would expect no less from Moriarty!

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