The Intriguing Mysteries of Deduction and Stethoscope
Narratives compiled by Dr. Stethoscope, Ph.D.
Prologue: Meeting
Throughout my life I have had the pleasure (and occasional displeasure) of coming across a variety of ponies in and around the kingdom. While most of them were merely passing acquaintances or one-time patients, there have been a few that have left a long lasting impression on me. However, of these particular ponies neither has been as profoundly interesting, as unusual, as unorthodox, or as exceptionally extraordinary as the one that I came to call a friend, Deduction. Through the thirty odd years that I’ve known and lived with him I have had the astounding privilege to partake in a grand number of adventures and mysteries that have served to highlight his keen intellect and prowess. These have also served to heighten my own.
As such I feel that it is my duty as his friend and assistant to record the events and the more interesting cases that occurred during the time when we shared a flat in Buckshire Street in our native city of Trottingham. This so that other generations may come to fully understand what sort of stallion Deduction was and, to this very day, still is. Some might think of him differently that I do and I would not hold you to a fault for thinking that way. However, to those who are currently reading these writings, I urge you to keep an open mind as to his methods and behaviour. Then, and only then, will you be able to fully understand and appreciate the true depths of his genius.
Alas, I feel that if I am going to tell you of our adventures, I must first detail the events that led to our fateful meeting. Fear not for I will not give you my entire life story which, needless to say, is nothing of import. I will, on the other hoof, detail a few ponies of note for they will play a role in one way or another in these narratives.
Around three or four years before I knew Deduction, I had recently finished earning my degree in medicinal studies at the University of Trottingham. Unfortunately, it appeared that I had underestimated the difficulty of finding a proper place in which I could hone my practice. Bitless and desperate, my salvation came to me in the form of a position as an assistant to the town physician in one of the faraway colonies. Normally, I would not have risked such a long and arduous journey across the ocean, but current circumstances forced my hoof. Thus I packed up what few belongings I had from my years as a student and used what little wealth I had accrued at the time to buy myself a place in the next ship to Twilight Town, and to whatever fate had laid out for me there.
The journey was indeed long and tedious but, thankfully, it was made all the better by the disposition of the vessel’s crew. At first, I thought that they would turn their backs on me being that I belonged to a higher social status than them. On the contrary, they treated me with the utmost respect; as if I was one of their own. One of them, a young stallion of twenty years known as Pipsqueak, told me stories of how he had personally met Princess Luna when he was just a small colt during his first ever Nightmare Night.
“She was quite the beauty,” he had told me, “not as beautiful as me wife, but beautiful all the same.”
The captain, a certain calm stallion by the name of Spyglass, was also a rather charming fellow; occasionally sharing a glass of Crystal Brandy with me some nights. I sought to repay his kindness by offering my skills as a medical pony; an offer which he wholeheartedly accepted. I took my time examining the crew to see if any of them were in need of medical attention. Some had bouts of fever or nausea, but nothing gravely serious seemed to affect any of them.
Finally, after nearly two months at sea, the ship finally reached port. Admittedly I had unceremoniously thanked the Goddess for finally landing on terra firma. After bidding the captain, Pipsqueak, and the rest of the crew farewell I immediately set to work at my new profession. The doctor was a rather mature mare; having a thick Manehattenite accent as her distinguishing feature. Most of my time was spent assisting the doctor with her procedures, occasionally performing operations myself under her supervision. The pay itself was fair; a generous twenty bits per hour. Enough to pay for a room at the local inn and to acquire food.
Twilight Town itself was a beautiful village, but I gradually grew more and more homesick at time went by. The doctor was not blind to this and so one day she approached me and placed a large purse containing five hundred bits on my hoof.
“Kid, ya been a great help and I appreciate it,” she said with a smile on her face, “...but I can tell ya miss home and I think you’d be better off back there than here.”
Admittedly, I felt a twinge of sadness at the thought of leaving her alone to care for an entire town. Though she insisted and I finally relented. With that, I chartered a ship back to Trottingham where I had hoped to find better luck than I did before leaving. On the journey back, however, I began to experience severe dizzy spells and a terrible fever. It appeared that I had somehow contracted malaria right before leaving the colony. Why I still managed to continue living still baffles me to this very day. Needless to say, I did.
When the ship arrived at Trottingham, I was immediately taken to the nearest hospital. There I had spent countless weeks in a feverish state of which I am told caused me to mutter incomprehensible sentences and vomit constantly. When I finally began recovering I was as thin as a silver spoon and had seemed to age a few years. Nevertheless, the staff deemed that I was well enough to leave.
The day before I left the hospital I came across a very familiar face. It was none other than Healing Touch, an old colleague of mine from medical school. It seemed that fate had deemed it wise to make have our paths cross.
“Why, dear Stethoscope!” he exclaimed as we gave each other a friendly embrace. “How ever have you been?”
I gave him a short account of the series of events that had led me here. At the end of my tale, his look of happiness changed to that of pity.
“By the Goddess, how terrible!" He placed a hoof upon my shoulder,”What are you going to do now?”
I merely gave a shrug. “At this point, I find that I should begin searching for lodgings with reasonable prices. After that? Attempt to find some place that is in dire need of doctors.” I told him.
Healing Touch began to smile again. “I do believe I have a solution for your plight.”
“You have?” I asked.
“Indeed! There is this certain stallion that frequents this establishment looking for certain materials for his experiments. He had come to me asking if I knew somepony who was willing to share the rent for a two bedroom flat he had come across in Buckshire Street. At the time I knew of no such pony, but it seems that now the circumstances are different. “ He put a hoof under his chin in thought “As for employment, I have more great news: One of our senior doctors has moved to the Crystal Empire and I have been assigned to recruit a new pony to take his place. What say you?”
I am sure that I needn’t tell you how positively delighted I was to hear this news. He told me that he would talk to the facility’s administrator and would put in a good word for me. I did not mind the fact that I would be sharing my home with another stallion. I enjoyed having company.
As we made our way to Buckshire Street, I took a chance to survey my surroundings. In the time that I had been away the city remained virtually the same. Smoke poured out of the chimneys while Pegasi cleaned the dormant ones with soot covered brushes. Young fillies stood in the corners crying out the newest headline in the Trottingham Times. Mares and stallions in professional clothing still walked down the sidewalk; conversing with each other about their businesses and income.
“Before we arrive, I must talk to you about the pony you will be lodging with,” said Healing Touch whilst we made passed Trotsford Avenue. “He is a bit…odd in terms of his thinking. He seems to take an interest in every form of science. Anatomy, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, et cetera. Though, he is a decent sort of pony.”
“Is he a student?” I inquired.
“Not exactly, though he does seem to enjoy attending lectures and observing procedures on the cadavers. Plus as I mentioned before, he constantly asks for various chemicals from our stores.”
The more I heard of this pony, the more I was intrigued by his queer behaviour. Before I could push for more information, my old friend declared that we had finally arrived at our destination. It was a medium sized building that seemed to blend in with the ones around it. Healing Touch placed a few solid knocks on the dark green door that adorned the front, which was composed mostly of reddish brown bricks. It had been answered by a small tan mare that seemed to have been of the same age as my charge in Twilight Town.
“Why Mr. Healing Touch, how great to see you!” she greeted in a sweet voice, “How are you this fine day?”
“Greetings Mrs. Parsley. I am doing well.”
The mare then turned to me. “And who is your friend?” she inquired; a welcoming look upon her features.
“Mrs. Parsley? I would like to introduce you to Doctor Stethoscope. He is an old university colleague of mine.”
I gave her a tip of my hat. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, madam.” I said.
“The pleasure is all mine.” Her smile seemed to grow wider. “Would either of you like some tea, perhaps some biscuits?” She asked my companion.
“That would be lovely.” He looked up the stairs that adorned the side of the entrance hall, “By any chance, is Deduction still here?”
“Why yes, he is.” she answered, “I was about to bring some tea to his room. Would you like me to fetch him?”
He held his hoof up. “That won’t be necessary. We shall go up ourselves. Thank you, in any case.”
She nodded and made her way to a door at the end of the hall; most likely the kitchen. Healing Touch and I made our way up the stairway one step at a time. They squeaked loudly as my hoof landed on the wood but I paid to heed to it. Soon we came upon a simple wooden door with a metal plate at the top that read “344B” on it. My friend once again took up the mantle of knocking on the door.
“Yes?” came a muffled male voice from inside.
“I say, Deduction?” said Healing Touch, “it’s me, Healing Touch, from the hospital. May we come in?”
The collected voice cried back,“Yes, yes, of course, the door is open.”
We made our way inside the flat as he wished. It was a fairly decent sized abode, furnished with two large chairs, a couch, a large bookcase and a desk at the other side of the room. It contained a multitude of objects, including a telephone, various test tubes and beakers that seemed to belong to a laboratory, and stacks of papers. Sitting at the desk was a grey earth stallion with a black mane that was neatly combed back. Emblazoned on his flanks was, curiously, the image of a magnifying glass. He was looking through what appeared to be a microscope; his back turned towards us.
“Hello sir.” My colleague greeted “What are you doing?”
“Merely observing this specimen.” The stallion answered “These parasprites seem to have a similar wing structure than that of a common fly. Not only that, but their eyes are almost exactly the same. It is most interesting.”
Healing Touch and I shared a look. “That’s fascinating. But more importantly, I have found a solution to you lodger problem.”
At this the stallion diverted his attention from the contraption and turned towards us, allowing me a better look at his features. He had a calm face with a few wrinkles forming around his eyes. They were of a brown colour and seemed to show signs of exhaustion, possibly from concentrating intently on his specimen. A half-finished cigarette hanged from his lips which he extinguished on the ashtray that was placed upon the desk. He left his seat and walked towards us, a smile forming on his face.
“Excellent!” he exclaimed “This is certainly wonderful news.”
I held out hoof which he shook softly. “A pleasure to meet you, sir. My name is Stethoscope. I have heard a good deal of you.”
“I am pleased to meet you as well. I take it you’re my new roommate?” I nodded. “Well then, welcome to your new lodgings. I am sure you and I will get along just fine.”
He had seemed friendly enough. I believed that living with him would have been no trouble at all.
Healing Touch cleared his throat, bringing our attention to him. “Well, I must be off now.” He turned to me. “Would you like me to send for your belongings?”
“That would be splendid.”
“Very well. I shall leave you two alone to get acquainted.” With that, he stepped out through the doorway and down the stairs. Deduction closed the door behind him and pointed to one of the large chairs in the middle of the room.
“Please, have a seat. Mrs. Parsley told me she would be bringing tea soon.” I obliged him and made my way to chair. Slowly, I sat down on my haunches; feeling the fabric rub against my coat. My fellow lodger sat on the one next to mine. “So, Mister Stethoscope, am I safe in assuming that you are also a doctor?”
“Technically, yes. Though, I’ve yet to locate an actual position. I have only recently returned from working as an assistant to a physician in one of the colonies.”
“Interesting.” said he“Well, I believe I should tell you about myself. As you can see and have most likely heard, I hold a keen interest in the art of inquiry. I strive to learn more about the problems and events that this life of ours can present at any given moment. My mind constantly craves stimulation and challenge and, without it, it would no longer be of any use to me. That is why I chose the profession I chose or rather, created it.”
“And what would that profession be?” I asked.
He smiled; “I would guess you would say that I am a sort of ‘consultant’ for various parties in the city. There are times when ponies cannot find enough help from the constables or that they wish to not seek them at all. As such, they come to me for my help to investigate their problems and solve their mysteries.”
“Like an inspector?”
He gave a dry chuckle. “Not exactly, though I have been keen to help the force as well. You see, since I am not part of the city police, I do not need to operate within restrictive boundaries. I am allowed to make my inquiries any way I see fit; within reasonable limits, of course. In fact I-“
He was interrupted when the telephone began to ring abruptly. Deduction quickly excused himself and made his way to the desk. He picked up the earpiece with his hoof and began to speak into the main body of the phone. “Yes, this is Deduction speaking. Yes. Yes. I see. Interesting. I will be there post haste.”
After a few minutes of talking, he hung up the telephone and made his way towards me.
“Who was that?” I asked.
“That was the police. They have something they wanted to show me. Would you like to accompany me?”
I was slightly taken aback by his offer; I had only just met him. “Are you sure?”
“I insist. I can always use another personal opinion on certain matters. Plus, you can observe for yourself what I do.”
I cannot lie. I was curious as to what his profession exactly entailed. Besides, until my position in the hospital was secured, I did not have anything else to do. “Very well, let us go.”
“Excellent! Come, let us make haste.” As I stood up from the chair, he approached the long wooden coat rack that stood next to the door. Standing up on his hind legs he plucked off a hat that was hanging from the top. It was a simple top hat that had seen its fair share of use.
“Follow me, Mister Stethoscope. It’s not too far away, so we can arrive there by hoof.” He passed through the threshold.
As I followed behind him I did not realize that this first meeting would forever linger on in my memories until after I pass from this world. I could not fathom that this would lead to a mystery unlike no other.
Prologue End
