Sherlocking In Houston
By Don Hobbs

Tulsan Sherlockian Dean Clark, the same Dean Clark who braved the Great Whimsical Sherlockian Tour of Oklahoma and Texas, asked me to go with him to Houston. The occasion was to attend dinner with The Practical, But Limited Geologists. The group is known better as The Friends of Sherlock Holmes to The Geological Society of America. The G.S.A. held their annual meeting in Houston. Dean is the editor of Society of Exploration Geologist and so it was only natural that he attended. It was almost as natural that he asked me to accompany him.

Dean drove from Oklahoma to the Mound of Flowers on Wednesday morning. We wired ourselves up on some good black coffee before heading 245 mile south on I-45. We loaded up with good road tunes, set the cruise control on 73 mph. and headed out. Dean is a resourceful fellow and arranged for us to stay at the home of Delores and Chris Liner. Delores' cousin Joan lives in Barcelona, Spain. We have been trading books with each other for more than fifteen years. Delores used to work with Dean in Tulsa, as did Chris, so we are all just six-degrees of Sherlockian separation.

Delores and Chris recently moved to Houston after spending over a year in Saudi Arabia. Chris is a Geophysicist and now teaches at The University of Houston. Dean and I arrived at their house just in time to receive a glass of Spanish sparkling wine that was being poured. Timing is everything. It certainly took the edge off of driving in the Houston rush-hour traffic. Introductions and re-introductions and other sorted preambles took place over several glasses of bubbly. We had enough time to change into our evening attire and drive off to the restaurant, Artista, located at 800 Bagby Street and Rusk in downtown Houston. The invitation said drinks from 7:00 to 8:00 and dinner to follow. We arrived at 7:00 exactly.

Dean, Delores, and Chris knew nearly all of the guests already upstairs at the bar and there in the middle of everyone was Peter Blau, who is responsible for arranging the meeting. He is the one familiar face among the crowd of Geologist turned Sherlockian. Most there were mildly interested in Holmes. Peter saw to it that their interests were more than piqued, as he gave the evening's first toast. His toast was to Sherlock Holmes, the world's first consulting geologist as well as its first consulting detective. Peter's speech was part toast and part antidote, delivered with that familiar Blauian voice. As the alcohol loosened our collective tongues more toasts were given. I toasted the Mike Miller.

Later on, Peter asked me to explain to the rest of the guests what the Great Whimsical Sherlockian Tour of Oklahoma and Texas because there had been a couple of oblique references to the tour during both my toast and the toast that followed by Dean. I did as I was asked but I am not sure if that was a story the geology world was quite ready for. Soon afterwards the dinner arrived and the conversation fell into smaller pockets. A couple of the geologists I met want to know which of the stories I considered the best for someone new to the Game. I obliged by suggesting the Adventure, the Memoirs, and the Hound to start with. I had another conversation about pastiches, parodies and burlesques. I also had to explain several time why I collected books I was unable to read.

Like all good things, the evening was over in a blink of an eye. Good-byes were said; hugs and kisses were exchanged; and all of the new best friends promised to stay in touch. Of course, if any of the new geologists actually become Sherlockian, then stay in touch they will because that is one thing Sherlockians do so well. And if Peter Blau is arranging things, then it will be a success. He is the master Sherlockian and gentleman to boot.

Happy Collecting!!

Chris Liner, Peter Blau, Delores Liner, Don Hobbs, and Dean Clark at Arista's