After an hour of walking upon the hard cobblestones and pavement that made up London's streets, Reed and Mary finally reached their objective. Reed's feet ached, and he felt very hungry. He saw Mary staring up at a street sign with a huge smile spreading across her face.
"Is this it my child? Is this where you wanted to go?" He asked, exhausted and desperate.
"Indeed it is Father!" Mary chirped, then went on.
"Take a look at that sign Father, can you tell me what is so special about it?"
Reed peered at the sign for a moment. It said "Baker Street".
"Well, other than the fact that this is Baker Street, I honestly do not know..."
Suddenly, Reed paused as he realized what his stepdaughter found noteworthy about where they were.
"Mary... You could not mean... You could not think... You could not believe...?" Reed said unbelievingly.
"Yes I do Father. We are getting ready to see..." Mary casually replied as Reed interrupted.
"Mary, Sherlock Holmes DOES NOT EXIST! He is just a fictional character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for the mere purpose of making money, and entertainment."
As Reed said that, Mary kept bobbing her head up and down, as if saying.
"Blah, blah, blah..."
When Reed was done, in a bothered tone, Mary said.
"Father! Don't you see this as a golden opportunity to experiment some more on what the space/time apparatus can do? We at least now know that the ability to disguise its travelers work. Now, we can find out if we are in another dimension!"
"Well..." Reed responded.
"Of course it is!" chimed Mary.
"Ok." Reed sighed.
He and Mary walked down Baker Street, until a minute later, they were outside the supposed home of Sherlock Holmes and his friend, Dr. Watson, 221B Baker Street. Mary appeared to be in ecstasy.
"Oh man!! We are now outside the very, very place Sherlock Holmes calls home! Father, aren't you the least bit excited?"
Reed rolled his eyes; embarrassed at his daughter getting excited over someone he felt and knew was just fiction. Then, he said.
"Mary, I would be excited if the very man you seek did exist. Now that you have seen his "home", could we please find a place to stay for tonight? It is starting to get dark, and I recall reading that the streets of Victorian London were not the safest to be out on after dark."
As Reed finished his speech on finding an inn, the doors of 221B Baker Street opened, and out came a motley group of boys all dressed in the dirtiest and most raggedy garb Reed and Mary had ever beheld anyone wearing. All of them were laughing and carrying on over an assorted range of subjects. The most frequently mentioned ones being the fact that someone had given them money, and what a nice man that person was. Reed and Mary hid by the apartment's side in a side street as the gang passed by them.
"Father! Th...those were the Baker Street Irregulars!" Mary exclaimed as she and Reed came out from hiding.
Reed was about to disprove to Mary that the boys were the famous group who often helped Sherlock Holmes solve various crimes, when suddenly, an old woman dressed in a maid's outfit walked out huffily. She had a broom in her hand like she was going to shoo someone with it, but then a look of relief came to her face. Reed and Mary overheard the woman mumble.
"I wish Mr. Holmes would not invite those boys in like that! They always cause such a stir!"
The stepfather and stepdaughter watched the maid sweep the steps leading up to 221B Baker Street, and then enter back in. Mary witnessed what happened with a sparkle in her brown eyes. She turned to Reed, and proclaimed.
"That had to be Mrs. Hudson! Sherlock's maid and housekeeper!"
Reed stared at Mary with a skeptic look. Then said.
"My child, my child. For all we know, that could have been a bunch of children who happen to reside here, in other words, this could be an orphanage. Her mentioning a man by the name of Holmes was more than likely coincidence. And, she may be as old as Mrs. Hudson was described to be, but I am sure she does not go by that name."
"In other words, you do not believe what I believe." Mary said.
"That is very much correct." Replied Reed.
"Ok then Father-dearest. If you really do not believe in what we have just seen, then I dare you to do the ultimate thing, walk up to that door, knock on it, and let's pay Mr. Holmes a visit right now!"
Reed could not believe Mary had just said what she said to him.
"Now Mary, you are more mature than that."
"Come on Father, let's end this quibble once and for all, and see if there really is a Sherlock Holmes. I dare you to knock on that door."
"You know my feelings on games like Truth or Dare Mary. I think they are absurd, and not to mention immature."
"I dare you."
There Reed and Mary stood bickering at one another. This lasted for ten minutes, until finally, the maid they had seen earlier poked her head out the door, and said.
"Is Mr. Holmes expecting you?"
Before Reed could do or say anything, Mary interjected.
"Why yes he is expecting our presence! Is Mr. Holmes ready to see us?"
"I will go and check." The maid responded.
The maid went into the building, and then came back out two minutes later.
"Mr. Holmes will be ready to see you in a moment. Why not come in, and get warm. Would you like a little tea?"
Reed and Mary followed the maid into 221B Baker Street.
"Thank you madam. It is awfully kind of you to offer us tea this late in the afternoon." Reed said.
"Oh, you are very welcome. By the way, call me Mrs. Hudson. Everybody does." The maid replied.
Mrs. Hudson made them sit down in a very tiny lobby while she went to get them some tea.
"Is this it my child? Is this where you wanted to go?" He asked, exhausted and desperate.
"Indeed it is Father!" Mary chirped, then went on.
"Take a look at that sign Father, can you tell me what is so special about it?"
Reed peered at the sign for a moment. It said "Baker Street".
"Well, other than the fact that this is Baker Street, I honestly do not know..."
Suddenly, Reed paused as he realized what his stepdaughter found noteworthy about where they were.
"Mary... You could not mean... You could not think... You could not believe...?" Reed said unbelievingly.
"Yes I do Father. We are getting ready to see..." Mary casually replied as Reed interrupted.
"Mary, Sherlock Holmes DOES NOT EXIST! He is just a fictional character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for the mere purpose of making money, and entertainment."
As Reed said that, Mary kept bobbing her head up and down, as if saying.
"Blah, blah, blah..."
When Reed was done, in a bothered tone, Mary said.
"Father! Don't you see this as a golden opportunity to experiment some more on what the space/time apparatus can do? We at least now know that the ability to disguise its travelers work. Now, we can find out if we are in another dimension!"
"Well..." Reed responded.
"Of course it is!" chimed Mary.
"Ok." Reed sighed.
He and Mary walked down Baker Street, until a minute later, they were outside the supposed home of Sherlock Holmes and his friend, Dr. Watson, 221B Baker Street. Mary appeared to be in ecstasy.
"Oh man!! We are now outside the very, very place Sherlock Holmes calls home! Father, aren't you the least bit excited?"
Reed rolled his eyes; embarrassed at his daughter getting excited over someone he felt and knew was just fiction. Then, he said.
"Mary, I would be excited if the very man you seek did exist. Now that you have seen his "home", could we please find a place to stay for tonight? It is starting to get dark, and I recall reading that the streets of Victorian London were not the safest to be out on after dark."
As Reed finished his speech on finding an inn, the doors of 221B Baker Street opened, and out came a motley group of boys all dressed in the dirtiest and most raggedy garb Reed and Mary had ever beheld anyone wearing. All of them were laughing and carrying on over an assorted range of subjects. The most frequently mentioned ones being the fact that someone had given them money, and what a nice man that person was. Reed and Mary hid by the apartment's side in a side street as the gang passed by them.
"Father! Th...those were the Baker Street Irregulars!" Mary exclaimed as she and Reed came out from hiding.
Reed was about to disprove to Mary that the boys were the famous group who often helped Sherlock Holmes solve various crimes, when suddenly, an old woman dressed in a maid's outfit walked out huffily. She had a broom in her hand like she was going to shoo someone with it, but then a look of relief came to her face. Reed and Mary overheard the woman mumble.
"I wish Mr. Holmes would not invite those boys in like that! They always cause such a stir!"
The stepfather and stepdaughter watched the maid sweep the steps leading up to 221B Baker Street, and then enter back in. Mary witnessed what happened with a sparkle in her brown eyes. She turned to Reed, and proclaimed.
"That had to be Mrs. Hudson! Sherlock's maid and housekeeper!"
Reed stared at Mary with a skeptic look. Then said.
"My child, my child. For all we know, that could have been a bunch of children who happen to reside here, in other words, this could be an orphanage. Her mentioning a man by the name of Holmes was more than likely coincidence. And, she may be as old as Mrs. Hudson was described to be, but I am sure she does not go by that name."
"In other words, you do not believe what I believe." Mary said.
"That is very much correct." Replied Reed.
"Ok then Father-dearest. If you really do not believe in what we have just seen, then I dare you to do the ultimate thing, walk up to that door, knock on it, and let's pay Mr. Holmes a visit right now!"
Reed could not believe Mary had just said what she said to him.
"Now Mary, you are more mature than that."
"Come on Father, let's end this quibble once and for all, and see if there really is a Sherlock Holmes. I dare you to knock on that door."
"You know my feelings on games like Truth or Dare Mary. I think they are absurd, and not to mention immature."
"I dare you."
There Reed and Mary stood bickering at one another. This lasted for ten minutes, until finally, the maid they had seen earlier poked her head out the door, and said.
"Is Mr. Holmes expecting you?"
Before Reed could do or say anything, Mary interjected.
"Why yes he is expecting our presence! Is Mr. Holmes ready to see us?"
"I will go and check." The maid responded.
The maid went into the building, and then came back out two minutes later.
"Mr. Holmes will be ready to see you in a moment. Why not come in, and get warm. Would you like a little tea?"
Reed and Mary followed the maid into 221B Baker Street.
"Thank you madam. It is awfully kind of you to offer us tea this late in the afternoon." Reed said.
"Oh, you are very welcome. By the way, call me Mrs. Hudson. Everybody does." The maid replied.
Mrs. Hudson made them sit down in a very tiny lobby while she went to get them some tea.