Young Sherlock Holmes And The Pyramid Of Fear

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Come on, boy!

Chestnuts!

I've got some lovely hot chestnuts!

(JINGLING)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Here we are, Mr Bobster. Your favourite.

#... tidings of comfort and joy... #

(SQUAWKING)

Ah...! Ah...! Ah!

(MR BOBSTER CRIES OUT)

# Oh, tidings of... #

(CONTINUED SQUAWKS AND CRIES)

Mr Bobster, are you all right, sir?

Oh!

Ah!

Aah...!

(SCREECHING)

Aah...!

(JINGLING)

(ADULT WATSON) It was a cold,

snowy day in early December.

Lack of funds had forced

my old school to close.

I was being sent to a new one

in the middle of term.

I was accustomed to the open

expanse of the country,

and now I was in the heart of London,

at the height of the Victorian era.

The streets teemed

with every activity imaginable.

I was very taken by what I saw.

Stepping from my carriage,

the sight of my new school

filled me with apprehension.

And yet, I was swept

with a wave of curiosity.

However, nothing could prepare me

for the adventure that lay ahead,

or the extraordinary individual

who would change my life.

(VIOLIN BEING PLAYED BADLY)

There you are, sir.

Stop! Isn't it valuable?

What's more important,

its value or my sanity?

I should have mastered it by now.

- How long have you been playing?

- Three days.

- Perhaps you should be patient.

- You're the new boy.

Yes, I've transferred. My name is...

Wait. Let me.

Your name is James Watson.

You're from the north,

your father's a doctor,

you spend much time writing,

and you're fond of custard tarts.

Am I correct?

- My name isn't James, it's John.

- What's the difference?

- A great deal.

- Very well, so your name is John.

- How did I do on the others?

- You were correct.

On every count. How is it done?

Is it some sort of magic trick?

No magic, Watson.

Pure and simple deduction.

The name-tag on your mattress

reads "J Watson".

I selected the most common name

with "J".

- "John" was my second choice.

- Of course.

Your shoes aren't made in the city.

I've seen them before when visiting

the north of England.

Your left middle finger has a callus,

the trademark of a writer.

You were carrying a medical book

not available to the general public,

only to physicians. Since you

can't have been to medical school,

it was given to you by an older person,

someone who is concerned for

your health:
Your father, the doctor.

- And the custard tarts?

- Simple.

There's a stain of yellow custard

used in making tarts on your lapel,

and your shape convinced me

you've eaten many before.

- There's no need to be rude.

- Come on.

- Hang on, where are we going?

- Do you want to miss Chemistry class?

- By the way, what's your name?

- Holmes. Sherlock Holmes.

The deductive mind never rests, Watson.

It's like a finely-tuned instrument.

It demands practice.

How does one go about

fine-tuning a mind?

Problems of logic,

mathematical equations, riddles.

For example, you're in a room

with an all-southern view.

A bear walks by the window.

What colour is the bear?

- The bear is red.

- Why would the bear be red?

The southern sun is very hot.

The bear would be terribly burnt!

That's the most absurd answer

I've ever heard.

To successfully conclude

the experiment...

...the experiment.

To reiterate, experiment fourteen.

(STAMMERS)

Throw a small piece of potassium

onto some water.

The liquid will be rapidly decomposed

and so violent will be the action

that a large amount of light...

Thank you.

He's being particularly boring today.

...the production of potassium alkyl...

which will be dissolved...

- That was a girl.

- Brilliant deduction, Watson.

Who is she?

What's she doing in a boys' school?

Her name's Elizabeth.

Following her parents' death,

she came to live with her uncle,

a retired schoolmaster.

(STAMMERING)... such is modified by...

Elizabeth was just admiring my new

timepiece. Would you like to see?

- Very interesting.

- All stylish gentlemen wear them.

- Expensive?

- From Bond Street.

- I find that unlikely.

- I beg your pardon?

Had you examined the face,

you'd see it is French in style.

Yet according to this inscription,

the exterior was made in Switzerland.

My suspicion was correct,

the works are Italian.

Congratulations, Dudley,

your timepiece is a fraud.

Keep your opinions to yourself, Holmes.

I look forward to resuming

our conversation...

...when there's a little more privacy.

- Why did you do that?

- Dudley's a pompous ass.

- He's very sweet.

- Really?

Is that why you were standing

so close to him, flirting with him?

Do I detect a sense of jealousy?

Holmes, jealous?

That word is not in my vocabulary.

- Neither is punctuality.

- You're angry because I'm late.

(JINGLING) - As always.

- I'm sorry, but I can explain.

- You had something more important...

- How can you say that?

I was... Forgive me.

Elizabeth, let me introduce you

to my new friend,

the honourable, but clumsy, Watson.

- The ladder's a bit wobbly.

- Hello.

(JINGLING)

Elizabeth! Holmes! I think I've solved

all of the problems!

- Who's that?

- My uncle.

Rupert T. Waxflatter,

retired schoolmaster.

Degrees in Chemistry and Biology,

well-versed in Philosophy.

- Author of 27 books.

- Incredible.

- Most people think he's a lunatic.

- Why?

(CHEERS)

(HE CHUCKLES)

Oh, my God.

(CHEERS)

Ooh... oh...!

Oh!

(BO YS LAUGH AND SHOUT)

A very hopeful sign.

Very hopeful.

Let me see, that makes six!

Six failed attempts!

Nevertheless, we shall not

be defeated. We shall conquer.

I have made up my mind.

The conquest of the skies is in my grasp.

He's done this six times?

(MACHINES WHIZ AND TICK)

I live here with Uncle.

After he retired,

the school gave him the attic.

It's incredible.

I've spent many happy hours here.

He's taught me more than

ten schoolmasters put together.

(BARK)

- Uncas. Say hello to Watson.

- Say hello, Uncas. Say hello.

Watson, he's not a parrot.

- Have you found the weakness, sir?

- The wing material is inferior.

I shall have to rebuild the entire machine.

The entire machine?

Won't that be difficult?

- Elementary, my dear Holmes.

- (KNOCK)

Hm... Erm...

You'll have to excuse me.

Come on, come on, come on.

- I've got it. The bear is black.

- What's that, old chap?

- The bear in the riddle is black.

- Wrong again.

Please don't disturb me while

I'm concentrating on the lesson.

- Are you all right?

- I've sprained my ankle.

Mrs Dribb, will you attend to him, please?

Gentlemen, we cannot permit

ourselves lapses in concentration.

We must work on technique,

rhythm and balance.

There's no better pupil to illustrate

form and technique than Holmes.

Study our stance,

our movements and our style.

En garde.

Touch.

Touch.

My game, Holmes.

Now, gentlemen...

...Mr Holmes lost

because of one important factor:

His emotions took over.

He ignored discipline.

Never replace discipline with emotion.

Well played, Holmes.

(SPEAKS LATIN)

(ALL) Amen.

(HUM OF CONVERSATION)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

- I want to enlist. A general.

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