“If I were you sir I would not move.” a voice from behind me advised, “Now drop the weapon, and don’t even consider going for the ones concealed in your coat.”

Having no idea as to who I was dealing with, save for the fact that he was formerly associated with the Army, I did as I was told.

“And whom might you be sir?” I asked.

“I hardly think that matters, considering the circumstances.”

“Perhaps you are right,” I agreed, “still you must be a gentleman of extraordinary constitution.”

“And precisely why is that?”

I smiled, though he could not see it with my back to him.

“You are aware that I am concealing more weapons within my coat and therefore are at least a moderately observant man. Being that you would have no doubt noticed the body lying at my feet. Most notably you would have observed the fact that it belongs to something so horrifying as to send the average man running in terror. Yet you remain.”

“It’s called a Loup-Garou.” the man spoke, “Though, considering how you dispatched him, I will assume that you already knew that.”

“How on Earth do you...” I began to ask as I turned slowly to face him, watched as his eyes went wide upon seeing my face.

“Not a step!” he shouted, obviously rattled. “You’re...you’re...” he stuttered through mustachioed lips.

“I’m...what?” I asked, calmly.

The man, wearing a bowler hat and a dark grey overcoat, looked away, appeared to be attempting to hide his fear.

“I can assure you man that I have no intent to...my God!” I exclaimed as I watched him shift in appearance before my very eyes. What was he? Something I’d never seen before, of that I was sure. Out of morbid curiosity I went to step forward.

“I will not warn you again!” he shouted, his head still turned to where I could only see part of his face.

“Are you a...a badger?!” I asked him with a slight chuckle. For the first time ever I’d not been instantly mortified by the sight of a were-beast.

“You can see me can’t you?” he asked, his voice betrayed a note of shame.

“Why yes, of course I can. It’s plainly evident.”

“To you, yes.”

Now what could that mean?

“I’m afraid I don’t catch your meaning my good man…or should I say doctor?”

“How do you...” he faced me for a brief moment, then remembered and turned his head, “How do you know that I am a physician?”

“Well it’s quite easy to deduce sir.” I pointed at his hat, “There is a visible bulge in your bowler, likely from a stethoscope. I’ve seen it with other men of your profession before.”

He seemed to pause in thought for a moment before turning his face back toward me just a bit, though he still attempted, futily I might add, to hide behind the short brim of his hat by keeping his head down.

“You’re right. I’m not surprised by the sight of Mr. Cokes, though I must admit to a fair amount of alarm at having found him already slain by one of your kind.”

“My kind?” my face must have clearly demonstrated my confusion.

“You really do not know do you?” he asked, baffled.

“I’m afraid I have no idea of what you are referring to Doctor.”

“You’re a...” he paused, only slightly relaxing his grip on the pistol. “I’m not sure if there’s a word for it but you can see were-beasts can you not?”

I chuckled, “Well of course I can, once they take their bestial form at least.”

“No, you should be able to see them at any time.”

“Well I’m afraid that’s not the case sir.”

The strange little man seemed thoroughly puzzled.

“But I can...I can see you...for what you are. I know what you are and your kind can see through our human form. Even children know that.”

“You say you can see me for what I am. Would you care to elaborate...and also aim that pistol elsewhere if you don’t mind?”

He nodded, lowered the pistol, but only to waist level and kept it trained on me.

“That was not precisely what I meant sir.”

“You’ll forgive me if I take precautions. Your sort are not known for being very tolerant of...what I am.”

I only lifted an eyebrow, left it up to him to explain.

“Like I said I’m not even sure there’s a word for it, at least not in English. They’re quite rare, and I’ve never seen one of you in England before.”

I coughed, signaling that my patience was wearing thin.

“I reacted when I saw you because I was certain that you’d instantly know who and what I was, and to be quite honest I figured that you would try to take my life.”

“What is it about me that is so striking, save for the fact that I am obviously standing over the body of one of your fellow were-creatures.”

The doctor scoffed, “Though we may share a…condition… Mr. Cokes is not in any way, shape or form a fellow of mine. What I saw instantly, when you turned to face me, was the peculiar greenish aura that emanates from your eyes. It is a penetrating energy that normally allows men like you to see through to our true nature.”

Absolutely fascinating.

“So you are saying that, as we stand here, there is a visible green light pouring forth from my eye sockets?!”

“Yes, and if I must be quite honest it’s quite disturbing.”

“Well, you’ll forgive me for unsettling you but at the moment it is you who have me at the disadvantage sir.” I motioned to the service revolver. “And though you claim no kinship or comradery with the deceased I do find myself at the end of your barrel.”

The doctor eyed me for a moment silently then lowered the gun to his side.

“If you must know I came here tonight to do precisely what you have already done.”

My interest was piqued and it would have been visible to the stranger through the raising of my eyebrow. The man, or rather badger, reached into his pocket and pulled forth a small object which he tossed in my direction. I caught it in my right hand and examined it in the faint glow of the gas lamps. Silver.

“I believe you will recognize that as a silver bullet, a tried and true method for dispatching lupinids.”

“Lupinids?” I queried.

“It’s what I call wolf-form creatures. I am a doctor after all, so you’ll have to forgive me for desiring to introduce a bit of scientific classification into the world of the unnatural.”

“Interesting, that.”

“What?”

“That you refer to such things as unnatural when you yourself are...” I gestured to him.

“Mr...?”

“Holmes. Sherlock Holmes.” I declared plainly.

“Mr. Holmes, you will find that I am not a man to be ashamed of who he is, but I am also no fool, and therefore in no denial regarding the behavior of many of the homo monstrum that inhabit this world.”

“Homo monstrum?” I asked.

“Yes.” he smiled, “There existed no collective term for the various sorts of non-human beings like myself. So being a man of science, I created one.”

“A bit straight-forward if I do say so myself.”

“Oh?” I watched as he wrinkled his badger nose at me, “And you would have created a more clever moniker I suppose?”

“Indeed.” was all that I said, my eyes dropping to the gun still held at his side, my arms still raised into the air.

“I’m sorry Mr. Holmes but I’ve heard too many tales of people...of those like you, who can ferret us out. In fact you’re kind are typically considered to being homicidal lunatics, so I shall choose not to holster my weapon just yet. Be appreciative of the fact that I am so docile an individual that I have not yet decided to shoot you simply to play it safe.”

I took the opportunity to lower my hands, slowly, to my side. The doctor did not react.

“Ah yes but did you not, this very night, come here with the intent to kill Mr. Cokes? One might question your docility Dr...Watson, is it?”

“How do you know my name?” his brow furrowed and his nose twitched.

“Why by the article in the paper sir. You see, I had at first taken you for a fool when I’d chanced upon it, but now, realizing that you are...whatever it is that you are, I understand that you were instead simply telling the newspaper man what you thought he wanted to hear.” I eyed him suspiciously, “That does still leave two very interesting questions however.”

“Those being?”

“Why would you seek to hunt down these homo monstrum, as you call them, if you are indeed one yourself?”

He seemed put off by the question, offended. “There are a great many things you do not know about the world Mr. Holmes. I receive the impression that you have only just begun to unravel this thread, one that is much longer and more elaborate than you can possibly imagine. Certainly there are many who fit the stereotypes laid out in books, but there are some, myself included, who wish no ill will toward anyone.” he motioned toward the corpse of the Loup-Garou, “His kind are obviously of the former type rather than the latter.”

I smiled broadly. “So Dr. Watson what you are telling me is that you are a monster who hunts monsters?”

“No.” he shook his head, “I mind my own business. I only got involved with this because I was called upon by the residents of the house as part of my medical practice. When I realized the cause of their affliction I knew I had to do something, only because no one else ever would.”

“Could you not have simply instructed them to find lodgings elsewhere? Fed them the line that the glue factory was causing their condition?”

He shook his head, “Yes. In fact I did. Most of them were already in the process of searching for new lodgings. That would not, however, have stopped Cokes from finding new victims.”

“Indeed.” I nodded as I bit my lip in thought.

“You said there were two questions.” Watson reminded me.

“Ah, yes. As you should have been able to deduce by now I mean you no harm. Why is it that you’ve remained in your current state?”

At that he seemed to become guarded.

“You’ve proven no such thing. I know there are more weapons in your coat. What guarantee have I that you’ll do anything short of cut me down the moment I holster my weapon? Also...and this is rather embarrassing...I can’t seem to figure out how. I seem to be...stuck.”

“Well then, if it makes you more comfortable to retain the revolver then by all means do so. In the meantime we’d better hide this body and get you inside before someone sees you in this state.”