Molly is adjusting to life at the University. Sherlock is just - adjusting...
Thank you for reading - any comments always very welcome!
"God morgon, Dr Hooper. Happy Walpurgis!" The moment the breakfast plate of traditional herring is placed down in front of her by kindly Annifrid, Molly knows she`s in trouble.
"I hope you will be ready by ten…the Running Falls race starts then, at the River Fyris – oh! You look – "
The aroma of pickled fish, wafting upwards from her plate, has just been the vinegary little straw that broke this nauseated camel`s back, and Molly is pushing back her chair, hand over mouth and heading for the nearest toilet sign.
And Annifrid watches her go, with a contemplative expression on her face.
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To: Sherlock_holmes221 Hotmail .co .uk
From: dr_mollyH googlemail .com
Subject: Walpurgis Festival Fun!
Dear Sherlock (I`m sorry, I still am hard-wired with the letter writing formality I learnt in Junior school)
Well, today has been pretty interesting and no mistake.
Seems like I arrived at Uppsala Universtet just in time for their maddest and funnest day of the year. I met up with Professor Amundssen at half past nine and he made sure we got the best of viewing stations. He offered me a sit on his (huge) shoulders, but I declined, since he is about seven feet tall and you don`t yet know what I`m like with heights.
Sherlock, it was thrilling! Seemed like every one of the 24,000 students here were out and either lined up along the river or throwing themselves along it on, what looked like, Styrofoam sheets and empty plastic beer bottles, all stuck together with gaffer tape and dental floss! I was worrying slightly about health and safety regulations in Sweden, but if they don`t care, why should I? The river Fyris was pretty high and swollen due to the recent rain and about thirty to forty Heath Robinson style floating devices were pitched along in a frothy, foamy mess. I found I was joining in with the screaming too, as they toppled over the Iceland Falls; plunging into what looked exactly like a cauldron of boiling water and almost certain death by drowning/head injury/you name it. I just couldn't believe it when they popped up, like corks out of a bottle and carried on to the finish line. I have, literally, no voice left.
The winner was a third year medical student called Achilles Stromberg. Everyone here is so tall, blond and athletic looking, and he was well-named – a Greek god and no mistake! Achilles is now entitled to free beer and herring (bleurgh!) for a year! (until the next festival takes place).
I have done absolutely no work today. After lunch, we watched as the Walpurgis Pin was handed out to some graduate students, then, at exactly 3pm, hundreds of students all put on their white ceremonial caps at the same time – it looked beautiful, and is supposed to signify the white anemone flowers coming out in bloom, showing Spring has arrived. I probably shouldn't say, but I did have a tear in my eye, particularly when the Orphie Men`s Choir started singing. It was gorgeous, Swedish and totally unintelligible to me, but more tears were shed. I am turning into a massive cry-baby. I blame you. For sure.
After the Champagne Gallop (where everyone runs crazily down a hill and ends up drinking their body weight in fizzy wine) I met Stig`s wife. She is very beautiful, young and, as it turns out, Russian. He met her at a conference in St. Petersburg last Spring, fell in love and married her within four weeks! It seems very romantic (stop rolling your eyes! I KNOW you`re doing it!) and she (Lorka) seems very nice, if somewhat nervy. Probably having to try and speak two languages which are not your own is quite tricky. She had to leave early, before the Spring Address at the Gunilla Bell Tower at Uppsala Castle. It is amazing, Sherlock! All lit up and imposingly powerful looking – a citadel! There was plenty of mingling (as Mycroft would say!) and I met several members of the BMC Research Team. At present, I can`t remember a single one of their names, but tomorrow I get to meet everyone properly, so wish me luck!
Oh, I am sorry. I have read this back and I seem to be rambling at the speed of light about my day. It has been exciting, but I was truthfully pretty glad to have so much to look at, since I am sick on so many levels. Vomit-y baby-growing sick, as well as sick with nerves about living up to this mad academic reputation I seem to have acquired. Also, Sherlock, I am massively homesick, and I`m not talking about my time away from Bart`s. I know it was the right decision to come (chance in a lifetime – Mike Stamford), and I know part of my problem is my hormone levels fluctuating like a toddler`s attention span; but, in addition, Sherlock, I am hugely and massively missing you and Baker Street. Tough luck if that is sentiment – I`m standing by my sentiment, so you, Sherlock Holmes, can suck it up (or suga upp, as they say over here).
I am attaching some photos of everything for you. I got a great one of Achilles raising his trophy after the raft race. Just look at his face – must be so excited about the prospect of a year of free herring!
Jag älskar dig,
Molly x
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To: dr_mollyH googlemail. com
From: Sherlock_holmes221 Hotmail. co .uk
Subject: Achilles Heel
Molly,
A fascinating email and one I was very pleased to receive. John`s blog has been sorely neglected since his nuptuals, therefore my caseload has suffered and Mrs Hudson was fearful for her wall.
Your photographs (albeit, a tad blurry and distant) gave me an insight into the Walpurgis raft race which your words alone could not. The facts are thus:
Achilles Stromberg is a cheat
Achilles Stromberg has a serious gambling habit
Achilles Stromberg has a twin brother.
In your pictures, before the race, when Achilles was being cheered and patronised by his friends, he was shaking hands with his right hand. His watch was on his left hand and his hair parting was on his right. The photograph of the winner shows a different story. The man holding the trophy (and, presumably dreaming of herring) was shaking hands with his left, wearing his watch on his right and his hair parting was on the left. He was a different man. I have investigated Mr Stomberg and found him to have been living a little beyond his means. He has engendered substantial debts through gambling, partying and generally misbehaving. He has been a very naughty boy. Through some contacts of mine (you have met Wiggins?) I discovered that the Running Falls raft race has, for the past thirty years, been subject to an enormous amount of illegal betting and gambling. Add to this, the fact that Achilles` twin brother, Aldarik, appeared in the last Commonwealth Games as one of the coxless pair rowing team, and I think you may see the way this is going.
Looking at Google Maps, it is possible to track the route of the Frysis River, through Uppsala. There is a bend, halfway through the race which offers cover to anyone who is out in front. From the online description of the race, I knew that Achilles was way ahead and had ample time for his brother to appear from the tree-covered bank, as seamlessly as he disappeared into it, and finish the race with Olympic standard boat management. Achilles had to start the race, or his friends would have guessed the difference. At the finish, cheering, drinking and salutations were all that was necessary. The race was fixed and the outcome betted upon. Achilles (and presumably, his co-conspirator brother) would have received more than free beer and herring. Achilles debts had been cleared by 6pm last night (don't ask me how I know – Mycroft wouldn't approve).
I have included the following addendum (apologies if your knowledge precedes this) re: mirror image twins. You may wish to point this out to the authorities; alternatively, you may not. The case, although interesting, must figure less than a six, therefore no action is required if you feel nothing would be gained.
I am concerned you are not so healthy at present. Do try and eat the herring, since omega-3 can only be of benefit to the foetus.
Sherlock
Addendum:
Mirror-image twins occur only in identical twins. In approximately 23 percent of identical twins the egg splits later than usual, most often day seven or beyond. The original right half of the egg becomes one individual and the original left half becomes the other. These twins will often have "mirror images" of their features, such as hair whorls that run clockwise in one and counter clockwise in the other, a birthmark on the right shoulder of one and the left shoulder of the other, etc. There is no specific test for determining if twins are mirror-image. The determination is made by observation only, and the twins must be monozygotic, or identical.
One twin will be right-handed, while the co-twin is left-handed. This may be a partial explanation for the fact that a little over one third of identical twins are left-handed, double the rate in the general population. In extreme cases, all of the internal organs are reversed in one of the twins, with the heart on the right, the liver on the left and the appendix on the left.
Taking off her glasses, Molly didn't know whether to laugh, or cry.
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NB: thanks to espee for the tagging advice!