Sacris Solemniis

[collector]

[Teapot before him, a plate of pastries beside it, Braxiatel sits at the kitchen table with Strindberg's Ett drömspel open in front of him. Braxiatel stirs sugar into his tea, and a faint smile crosses his face as his eyes flicker to something in the seat to his left.]

[He leans forwards and pours a second cup of tea, then lifts it up to hand it over, the smile widening.] I don't know what you mean by 'ulterior motives,' Comman—

[Braxiatel's fingers tighten on the cup before he can let it go. For a moment, it hangs there, hoping for a hand that cannot take it.]

Ah.

[It is a quiet realization.]

[Braxiatel sets the cup down, away from him. He leans back in his chair and picks up a scone to eat.]

Comments

[collector]

[Braxiatel himself looks startled for a moment, and then he smiles]

There was a saying at my old school: "Time plays silly buggers with us all." The quote I was referring to said 'Boswell,' not 'blogger.' In reference to James Boswell, if you're not familiar.

[rationalist.livejournal.com]

[Curious.] I said it to him during the recent Moriarty business.

[collector]

There was an incident with an opera singer and the King of Bohemia. Long before any encounters with Professor Moriarty, the lauded author of Dynamics of An Asteroid.

[rationalist.livejournal.com]

Bohemia... [He frowns, thinking for a moment.] Well. I don't think he's a professor.

[collector]

Any mathematical inclinations?

[rationalist.livejournal.com]

A computer expert.

[collector]

Similar, I suppose. He must still be a genius.

[rationalist.livejournal.com]

An incredible one.

[collector]

A worthy opponent, able to match you? [there's something of a sigh] My brother has one of those, too.

[rationalist.livejournal.com]

[Curious.] Oh really?

[collector]

Yes. They went to school together.

[Braxiatel's tone has some odd hint of both disdain and exasperation.]

[rationalist.livejournal.com]

[He blinks.]

Old friends?

[collector]

Quite so.

[rationalist.livejournal.com]

Moriarty seems to go far back in my own history, though I didn't know of him until just recently.

[collector]

[Braxiatel leans forwards, curious, his fingers steepling as he observes Sherlock over them.] Really? How so?

[rationalist.livejournal.com]

[Though he raises, his eyebrow, he continues.] His first murder was the first case I truly found myself interested in. I was much younger. A boy drowned in a school swimming pool. I always knew it was murder but I couldn't prove it. Not that the police were interested in what I had to say.

Moriarty kept the boy's shoes. He said the boy laughed at him, so he stopped him from laughing. Brilliant murder, though. I solved it recently during his game.

[collector]

A very mundane motivation. [It is the first thing Braxiatel notices about the case.] It's a dangerous game to be playing, Mr Holmes. Not, I'm sure, that you mind. Others might.

[rationalist.livejournal.com]

I suppose. I'm more concerned about his threat.

[collector]

How vague. Do clarify.