Lionel got up and went to the desk, found a pen and a piece of paper, drew a line on the paper, and marked several points.
"Imagine, this divides the narrative time of the story into at least three stages."
He pointed at the paper and said,
"The first stage is 'when the events are happening,' which is when Watson personally experienced everything at Baskerville Hall.
The second stage is 'when Watson is writing letters,' as he regularly records what he sees and hears and sends it to Holmes, who is in London.
The third stage is 'when Watson is recalling,' which is the comments and reflections he adds many years later when he organizes these materials and writes this story."
Lionel looked up and stared at Conan Doyle:
"The key is that for the same event, Watson's feelings at that time and place, his feelings when writing letters to report to Holmes, and his feelings when looking back many years later, must be different.
We must fully utilize the natural time difference and information gap between these three time points to create a narrative illusion."
Conan Doyle seemed to understand something.
He picked up the sketch Lionel had drawn and carefully examined and pondered it repeatedly.
Lionel did not disturb him, and only after Conan Doyle put down the paper did he continue to explain:
"Therefore, when writing, there must be a clear distinction between the chapters 'when Watson is writing letters' and 'when the events are happening.'
The former is more like an immediate work report, possibly containing personal speculation and current emotions; while the latter, in a diary, might reveal more details he wasn't aware of at the time, or deep-seated doubts and fears.
This difference in expressive form is itself a narrative tool."
At this point, Lionel stopped again, waiting for Conan Doyle to digest his words.
As Conan Doyle thought, his eyes gradually lit up; he seemed to have caught something.
After a while, he suddenly spoke:
"I understand... It's like when we look at the same thing, we might take it for granted at the time, but later, looking back, we might find many suspicious points.
Or, when we describe something to someone in a letter, we unconsciously emphasize certain aspects and ignore others..."
Lionel nodded approvingly:
"Exactly! This is one type of 'narrative trick.' And in this story, there's another even more crucial point, which I call the 'hidden detective''."
"'Hidden detective'?"
Conan Doyle's mind, which had just cleared, was confused again by this new term.
"Yes. For most of this story, Holmes does not personally go to Dartmoor, but instead lets Watson accompany Sir Henry Baskerville to the manor alone.
Readers, and Watson as the narrator, all believe that Holmes is far away in London. But in reality..."
Lionel lowered his voice, his tone becoming mysterious:
"Holmes secretly infiltrated the moor, hiding in a stone hut in the wilderness, conducting his investigation alone."
Conan Doyle's mouth dropped open in surprise:
"Holmes deceived Watson?"
Lionel corrected him:
"Not entirely deception, more like a strategy, a strategy of concealment. This is what's called 'unreliable narration'!
Because the entire story is told through Watson's perspective, and Watson 'believes' Holmes is not present, his narration will naturally reinforce this 'absence.' Readers trust Watson as the narrator, and thus, like Watson, fall into this cognitive trap.
Only at the very end, when Holmes suddenly appears and reveals the solution, will readers be shocked to discover that the detective had been on the scene all along, observing everything like a ghost."
Conan Doyle fell into deep thought, taking longer this time than before.
Only after a full five minutes did he suddenly look up, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism and excitement.
"This... this is brilliant! Manipulating readers' expectations and judgments by controlling narrative perspective and information... This completely overturns the conventional straightforward storytelling method!"
Conan Doyle could no longer sit still.
He stood up, paced back and forth in the room, taking puff after puff of his cigar.
"Lionel, do you mean that Holmes didn't actually 'deceive' Watson—at least not in his crucial actions?
During the time he hid his whereabouts, he actually still obtained information unknown to Watson through his own meticulousness and rationality!
And how he obtained this information is actually irrelevant to Watson's experiences and the superficial progression of the story?
Because his hidden actions themselves did not directly influence the series of events Watson encountered at the manor?"
Hearing Conan Doyle say this, Lionel smiled with satisfaction.
Conan Doyle's understanding was very precise, even pointing out a detail in the original novel that is often overlooked.
Holmes' "incubation period" on the moor had far greater dramatic significance than actual investigative significance.
Lionel also stood up and patted Conan Doyle on the shoulder:
"Absolutely correct, Arthur, and this is also the problem we need to solve.
His concealment cannot merely be a narrative gimmick, nor solely for the dramatic effect of the final reveal.
The way he obtains crucial information is no more complex than the methods in our previous stories.
But we must use clever narration to make all of this bewildering...
In short, this is a game danced by the author, the detective, and the reader; until the very end, no one will know who the true star of the ball is!"
Conan Doyle was so excited he couldn't even smoke his cigar.
He rested the cigar on the ashtray and looked at the paper again and again.
Lionel walked over to him, his tone suddenly becoming exceptionally solemn:
"And, Arthur, this time, I hope you can complete this work independently."
Conan Doyle was stunned:
"Complete it independently? Me? But... for the previous A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of the Four, it was mainly you... I still..."
Lionel interrupted him, his tone firm:
"You are no longer merely a data provider or a copyist, Arthur.
You have studied with Professor Bell, participated in the work of the 'crime laboratory,' and have developed your own understanding of medicine, deduction, and writing.
You are fully capable of handling such a novel. I have already told you the core plot, main characters, atmosphere of horror...
And the most important techniques of 'narrative trick' and 'unreliable narration.'
Now I need you to take up the pen and give it flesh and blood and soul!"
Lionel gazed at Conan Doyle's somewhat pale face, drawn by shock and excitement, but a sense of relief welled up in his heart—he had finally waited for this day!
He said slowly,
"It's time, Arthur. You should become a true creator, not just the shadow of 'Lionel Sorel.'
If you complete The Hound of the Baskervilles outstandingly enough, then your name—Conan Doyle—will be placed before mine."
A brief silence fell over the room, broken only by the occasional crackling of burning wood in the fireplace.
Conan Doyle stared blankly at Lionel, as if truly meeting this mentor and friend for the first time.
Immediately, an unprecedented warmth surged through his limbs, and his heart pounded violently in his chest, almost breaking through his ribs.
He stammered,
"Good... good!"
(End of chapter)