"Canonised" (221b), Holmes Minor November 2019 Monthly Prompt

[gardnerhill]

Title: Canonised
Author: gardnerhill
Form/Wordcount: 221b
Characters/Pairings: Inspector Lestrade, Sherlock Holmes, John Watson
Rating: G
Warnings/Content: None
Summary: Not all saints wear halos.
Author’s Notes: For the Holmes Minor November 2019 prompt: Saints.



Not churchy types, either of 'em. Not fashionable enough for Mr. Holmes' class, I'll warrant, and I reckon the Doctor's seen too much in heathen countries to rest easy in the faith he was raised in.

That attitude doesn't play in Scotland Yard. Coppers go to services regular; most Chief Inspectors require it, if they don't read the lesson to the lads themselves. We need every bit of help we can get out there.

Our first line of spiritual defence is St. Michael, patron of police – it's him we invoke before going to the higher offices, so to speak. More of us call for a bit of divine intervention at the crucial moment than we let on.

I could never imagine those two making prayers of any kind, or invoking saints.

But both came with me when we collared a squad of tuppenny-ha'penny Fagins and the almshouse kids they'd been keeping as slaves – Dr. Watson chasing down one brute and hauling him back, fearless as Joan of Arc breaking the Siege of Orleans, and Mr. Holmes collaring the ringleader like old George facing down his dragon – and I saw the righteous rage on their faces straight from a stained-glass window.

That's when I understood.

They don't need to invoke patrons and arc-angels. They themselves bear the holy fire of the beatified.

Comments

[smallhobbit]

Splendid! So very right, both in appreciation of Holmes and Watson and in acknowledgement of the general requests for divine intervention, desperately needed at times.

[gardnerhill]

Holmes and Watson, the patron protectors of London.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Excellent use of the prompt. Love the voice.

[gardnerhill]

Thanks. I've had Lestrade invoke St. Michael more than once in the "Oubliette" series, so the POV was a natural.

[scfrankles]

Yes, I really like that idea - Holmes and Watson, saints that walk amongst us ^___^ Lestrade can be an insightful chap.

And as always, brilliant b word ^__^

[gardnerhill]

The patrons and protectors of London.

I do like finding appropriate "B" words for my 221s!

[debriswoman]

Oh, nicely done:-)

[gardnerhill]

Thank you! I knew that Catholic upbringing would be good for something some day.