The Enigma of the Warwickshire Vortex
Encyclopedia
"The Enigma of the Warwickshire Vortex" is a short story about Sherlock Holmes
written by F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre
. It was originally published in The Mammoth Book of New Sherlock Holmes Adventures, a 1997 anthology edited by Mike Ashley
for Robinson Publishing and Carroll and Graf (ISBN 0-7867-0477-2).
The story begins with an extract from a Warwickshire
newspaper article in August 1875, reporting the bizarre disappearance of businessman James Phillimore, age 33. When two bankers called for him at his residence at 13a, Tavistock Street in Leamington Spa
, Warwickshire, he stepped out of his house's front door to join them, then turned and went back inside for his umbrella. The bankers heard Phillimore shout: "Help me! I can't --" ... then no more. When the bankers rushed into the house's foyer, they found that one section of the floorboards—a circle six feet in diameter—had been deeply scorched by some unknown energy discharge. Mr. Phillimore's muddy footprints led directly up to this circle: half a footprint intersected the circle's edge. A portion of his umbrella was found at the edge of the scorched circle, the umbrella's shaft neatly sheared ... the other portion was missing, along with Mr. Phillimore.
Sherlock Holmes, in 1875 near the very beginning of his detective career, visited Leamington Spa and investigated the case personally but found no answer, later regarding the case as one of his few failures.
Three decades later—in April 1906—Holmes is in retirement in the Sussex Downs when he receives news of the San Francisco earthquake. A San Francisco committee engages Holmes to investigate political graft which led to that city's lack of firefighting equipment. Holmes departs for America, bringing Doctor Watson along to help care for the earthquake's wounded.
Reaching New York City in May 1906, Holmes and Watson learn that the next train to California departs the following morning: they have an evening to divert themselves in Manhattan. They visit the Edisonia Amusement Hall at 1367 Broadway, where Edwin Stanton Porter is exhibiting early motion pictures. As they seat themselves for the show, Holmes tells Watson that he is suddenly reminded of James Phillimore ... because motion pictures were invented by Louis Le Prince
, who vanished mysteriously in 1890 ... and, like Phillimore, was never seen again.
The program of films concludes with a Manhattan street scene, filmed earlier that day. Suddenly, in the darkened cinema, Holmes tensely grips Watson's arm. Among the figures milling through the Manhattan street on a morning in 1906 is a man in his early thirties, wearing clothing more appropriate for 1875. "Watson!" shouts Holmes, ignoring the protests of the cinema audience. "That man on the screen! He is James Phillimore!"
As if hearing Sherlock Holmes, the man on the movie screen strides forwards, looking directly towards where Holmes and Watson are seated in the darkened theater. James Phillimore smiles, raises his hand in a salute ... then once again vanishes.
The solution to "The Enigma of the Warwickshire Vortex" involves several bizarre but true cases of synchronicity
, interweaving historic fact with this story's fictions. Author MacIntyre points out, among other odd facts, that the sudden death of Pierre Curie
in a Paris traffic accident occurred the morning after the San Francisco earthquake. In the spring of 1874, American journalist Ambrose Bierce
moved to 20 South Parade, Leamington Spa ... but he abruptly left for California at about the same time that James Phillimore fictionally vanished in August 1875. Two months later, Aleister Crowley
was born in his parents' home at 30 Clarendon Square, Leamington Spa. (James Phillimore's fictitious residence in Leamington's actual Tavistock Street would lie directly between those two genuine addresses.) These facts culminate in a fictional conclusion, with Sherlock Holmes discovering circumstantial evidence that Ambrose Bierce was Aleister Crowley's biological father! While that theory is unlikely to be true, one other detail of this story is fact: Ambrose Bierce (visiting from Washington, D.C.) and Aleister Crowley (traveling east on a round-the-world tour) were both in Manhattan on the same day in May 1906.
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
written by F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre
F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre
Fergus Gwynplaine MacIntyre was a journalist, novelist, poet and illustrator, who lived in New York City and said he had lived in Scotland and Wales. MacIntyre's writings include the science-fiction novel The Woman Between the Worlds and his anthology of verse and humor pieces MacIntyre's...
. It was originally published in The Mammoth Book of New Sherlock Holmes Adventures, a 1997 anthology edited by Mike Ashley
Mike Ashley (writer)
Michael Ashley is a British bibliographer, author and editor of science fiction, mystery, and fantasy.He edits the long-running Mammoth Book series of short story anthologies, each arranged around a particular theme in mystery, fantasy, or science fiction...
for Robinson Publishing and Carroll and Graf (ISBN 0-7867-0477-2).
The story begins with an extract from a Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
newspaper article in August 1875, reporting the bizarre disappearance of businessman James Phillimore, age 33. When two bankers called for him at his residence at 13a, Tavistock Street in Leamington Spa
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
, Warwickshire, he stepped out of his house's front door to join them, then turned and went back inside for his umbrella. The bankers heard Phillimore shout: "Help me! I can't --" ... then no more. When the bankers rushed into the house's foyer, they found that one section of the floorboards—a circle six feet in diameter—had been deeply scorched by some unknown energy discharge. Mr. Phillimore's muddy footprints led directly up to this circle: half a footprint intersected the circle's edge. A portion of his umbrella was found at the edge of the scorched circle, the umbrella's shaft neatly sheared ... the other portion was missing, along with Mr. Phillimore.
Sherlock Holmes, in 1875 near the very beginning of his detective career, visited Leamington Spa and investigated the case personally but found no answer, later regarding the case as one of his few failures.
Three decades later—in April 1906—Holmes is in retirement in the Sussex Downs when he receives news of the San Francisco earthquake. A San Francisco committee engages Holmes to investigate political graft which led to that city's lack of firefighting equipment. Holmes departs for America, bringing Doctor Watson along to help care for the earthquake's wounded.
Reaching New York City in May 1906, Holmes and Watson learn that the next train to California departs the following morning: they have an evening to divert themselves in Manhattan. They visit the Edisonia Amusement Hall at 1367 Broadway, where Edwin Stanton Porter is exhibiting early motion pictures. As they seat themselves for the show, Holmes tells Watson that he is suddenly reminded of James Phillimore ... because motion pictures were invented by Louis Le Prince
Louis Le Prince
Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince was an inventor who is considered by many film historians as the true father of motion pictures, who shot the first moving pictures on paper film using a single lens camera....
, who vanished mysteriously in 1890 ... and, like Phillimore, was never seen again.
The program of films concludes with a Manhattan street scene, filmed earlier that day. Suddenly, in the darkened cinema, Holmes tensely grips Watson's arm. Among the figures milling through the Manhattan street on a morning in 1906 is a man in his early thirties, wearing clothing more appropriate for 1875. "Watson!" shouts Holmes, ignoring the protests of the cinema audience. "That man on the screen! He is James Phillimore!"
As if hearing Sherlock Holmes, the man on the movie screen strides forwards, looking directly towards where Holmes and Watson are seated in the darkened theater. James Phillimore smiles, raises his hand in a salute ... then once again vanishes.
The solution to "The Enigma of the Warwickshire Vortex" involves several bizarre but true cases of synchronicity
Synchronicity
Synchronicity is the experience of two or more events that are apparently causally unrelated or unlikely to occur together by chance and that are observed to occur together in a meaningful manner...
, interweaving historic fact with this story's fictions. Author MacIntyre points out, among other odd facts, that the sudden death of Pierre Curie
Pierre Curie
Pierre Curie was a French physicist, a pioneer in crystallography, magnetism, piezoelectricity and radioactivity, and Nobel laureate. He was the son of Dr. Eugène Curie and Sophie-Claire Depouilly Curie ...
in a Paris traffic accident occurred the morning after the San Francisco earthquake. In the spring of 1874, American journalist Ambrose Bierce
Ambrose Bierce
Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist and satirist...
moved to 20 South Parade, Leamington Spa ... but he abruptly left for California at about the same time that James Phillimore fictionally vanished in August 1875. Two months later, Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other...
was born in his parents' home at 30 Clarendon Square, Leamington Spa. (James Phillimore's fictitious residence in Leamington's actual Tavistock Street would lie directly between those two genuine addresses.) These facts culminate in a fictional conclusion, with Sherlock Holmes discovering circumstantial evidence that Ambrose Bierce was Aleister Crowley's biological father! While that theory is unlikely to be true, one other detail of this story is fact: Ambrose Bierce (visiting from Washington, D.C.) and Aleister Crowley (traveling east on a round-the-world tour) were both in Manhattan on the same day in May 1906.