originally published Shadows Over Baker Street, 2002
Holmes and Watson are visited by a strange young man, who claims to be an entomologist. He has three odd things he found in the Middle East recently - a metallic cylinder, covered in weird glyphs - a star-shaped stone - and a particularly ugly parasitic worm (now in a jar of formaldehyde). To Watson's great surprise, Holmes calls him a fraud and throws him out!
Shortly after, Guy Boothby's Dr. Nikola arrives, explaining that the earlier visitor was his employee, Persano, but the artifacts are legit. He believes they will put him in touch with advanced alien intelligences, who may be able to help him with his goal of achieving immortality.
Holmes and Watson journey to a former lab of Nikola's, where Persano and a mechanical man activate the cylinder, opening the gate. Holmes and Watson flee at Holmes' command, watching a mysterious cone of light destroy the shack. Holmes and Watson retrieve the three items from the shack, finding no evidence of Persano, but a couple more worms.
Amusing for its shudder-pulp in-jokes (Fu Manchu is referenced, too), but a pretty minor piece of work.
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