Title: The Landmarks of London - Trafalgar Square
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (ACD)
Rating: G
Length: 565
Summary: Introduction by the Ocelot, Editor of the Marylebone Monthly Illustrated:  In our series on famous London landmarks we have reached Trafalgar Square.

The reader might think being situated at the base of Nelson’s Column would restrict one’s view of life, but looking across Trafalgar Square one sees a significant part of humanity passing by.  From the early morning clerks and shop assistants hurrying to their places of work, to the ladies in their finery meeting friends for lunch, the nannies taking their charges for an educational visit at the National Gallery, and on through the day until the late night revellers make their way home, all the inhabitants of our great city pass by my outstretched paws.

It was thus in the early hours of yesterday morning I perceived a beggar making his way slowly across the square.  He paused to scoop some water out of the fountain and stood for a few minutes looking around.  There was no sign of a police constable, who would be sure to move him on, but nevertheless the beggar seemed ill at ease.  Finally, he was approached by a young woman, whose dress proclaimed her to be one more likely to be on her way home rather than about to begin the day.

They had a brief conversation and I caught the glint of a few coins being passed from the beggar to the young woman.  This puzzled me, for the beggar did not look as if he had the money to spare for such pleasures, but when she departed he did not follow her, so I presumed the transaction had been of a different nature.

Shortly after this a carriage drew up and a well-dressed gentleman stepped down.  The beggar approached the gentleman and appeared to be asking for money, in a rather more forthright way than one might expect.  The gentleman seemed about to strike the beggar, but recalled himself at the last moment and hurried away.  He was about to cross the road when he felt in his pockets and presumably discovered the beggar had stolen something.

He turned back, but at that moment a police carriage appeared and a ferret-faced little man and two burly constables jumped down.  The little man pointed to the beggar and shouted, “Arrest that man.”  The constables said, “Yes, inspector,” and hurried over to grab the beggar.

The gentleman waved, but the inspector said, “Nothing to worry about, sir.  This one’s a habitual criminal, we know all about him.  If you find he’s taken anything of yours, please contact us at Scotland Yard, and it can be returned to you.”

The gentleman scowled and left again.  The constables brought the beggar close to my plinth.  The inspector came over and told them they could leave.

The beggar took an envelope out of his pocket and passed it to the inspector.  “Here, Lestrade, I believe this will be sufficient evidence for you.”

“Thank you, Mr Holmes,” Inspector Lestrade replied.  “I would prefer not to employ unprofessional means, but in this case I do not think we had any alternative.”

“When the security of the realm is involved,” Sherlock Holmes said, “I believe we are safe to say the end justifies the means.  And we can be assured our gentleman friend did not obtain this document honestly either.”

So, as I said at the beginning, the reader might think there is little for a Lion in Trafalgar Square to see, but all life, from the lowest to the highest, does indeed pass by.