Detective dreams

There's something about John Densmore’s book: Riders on the Storm. My Life With The Doors. This man claims he knows Densmore, or is Densmore; he tells me about those heady days, way back in the ‘60s. We’re smoking a great deal, hallucinating, sitting in the garden outside the old chemistry lab.

I run over to RN’s place (the place among the stars) to get the book – only that, not the ones on astronomy and pathology. I don’t want to part with it, but he says he’ll be careful, and be back in a day or two. He disappears down the garden path – amid all those mantras and incense.

But the book is really gone. I have a mystery in my hands. I call on Mr. Sherlock Holmes (* As played by Jeremy Brett, who died in his sleep). Mr Holmes is his usual self – betraying not the slightest emotion, yet understanding everything, then extrapolating at every word I utter. But soon, somehow, I become his accomplice in a novel, dangerous game.

We descend from his rooms on an extraordinary mission. This is the 20th century in a great eastern city. As we cross the street, carrying our precious load, a constable in khakhi greets us with a grin – but before there can be any questions, Mr. Holmes hands him his 4 pieces of silver. A car draws up to the sidewalk. We sit in the rear with the machine between us. Up front, there sit two flaxen-haired twins – our guards, and the driver.

Driving down the autobahn suddenly the minarets of an airport. However, we are not destined to escape – flagged down by a team of weapons inspectors on the tree-lined avenue, I get out of the car to explain. They are not impressed – we must be searched! As the silver cars whiz by, I open the boot for inspection.

Cradled in soft quilts are nuts and a sheaf of papers. The leader – a Dr. – something – extracts the carbons. The rest of them all crowd around him – we’re a prize catch. One of them, a fat boffin with a briefcase held close to his chest, disagrees, thinks it’s a sheer waste of time; he’s fed-up and wants to go home.

I get back to the car to ask for permission, but Monsieur Holmes is gone and so are the Twins and so is the Reactor. (31.10.1995)