shadow of britain

Chapter 2 A New Opportunity?

London in the 19th century was still at the junction of light and darkness.

The dawn sun had already risen, but the sunlight shone on the pitch-black Thames River without bringing any light. The white mist almost engulfed the entire river, and only faintly could be seen the faint glow of boats moored near various piers. red light.

There are many chimneys in the urban area ahead, although it is still early, but they can't wait to spray out thick smoke with a foul smell, swaying the highly toxic air it is proud of, blocking the scarce sunlight, Make the already gloomy weather even more depressing.

Hangover drunkards, homeless farmers and workers wandering around because of unemployment can be seen everywhere on the narrow streets on both sides of the strait. Health status.

And in the shadows of the streets and alleys, the pickpockets with glints in the corners of their eyes also began to look for their new targets.

Singing prostitutes stand in front of their rental houses full of garbage and sewage to solicit customers. Because of the recent economic downturn, they have to extend their business hours, hoping to exchange for some bread and sugar .

The well-dressed Arthur looked out of place compared with them, and the white eyes and abuse he received along the way also explained the image of the newly established Metropolitan Metropolitan Police Service in the eyes of these poor people.

In the chaotic, noisy, dirty East End, people usually like to use another name to refer to people like Arthur.

They call him a 'peeler', and they feel that the London police are like apple peelers, peeling off their not-so-rich 'skin' little by little, disrupting their business, interfering in their lives, squeezing Compress their living space.

If he had just joined the job, Arthur might have reacted to their scolding.

But more than half a year has passed, and now he just feels numb.

Not far ahead, two ragged drunks wrestled into a ball.

As a skilled police officer, Arthur has long been familiar with this situation.

If you want to reason with drunks, it is best to give them a stick to make them sober first. This principle sounds simple, but it is a valuable experience that Arthur and his colleagues realized after being attacked by drunks many times .

Without hesitation, Arthur drew out the civilized stick from his waist, and hit each of them on the head.

Arthur yelled: "If you two bastards don't want to be thrown in jail, you'd better stop me now!"

The two alcoholics became furious after being beaten. They rolled up their sleeves and wanted to teach Arthur a lesson, but before they could turn around, Arthur's police officer's knife was already on their throats.

"I repeat, if you two don't want to cause trouble, you'd better get out of here immediately!"

The cold touch of the police officer's knife instantly sobered up the drunks.

A drunk man raised his hand to wipe the blood from his nose, and apologized repeatedly to Arthur: "This is just a small talk between friends, we are from Salford, Manchester, and people there are so friendly , it’s not your fault to mobilize people.”

Another drunk with half of his tooth knocked out also echoed: "No, that's right, Mr. Police Officer, we don't intend to cause trouble, we're leaving now."

After finishing speaking, the two hurriedly picked up the felt hats that had been thrown on the ground, supported each other and wobbled away.

Arthur had just cleaned up the two drunks when he saw many street vendors pushing fish fry carts and carrying woven bags selling food on the corner of the street.

They also found Arthur in uniform, but everyone's choice was different.

A small part of them chose to leave this area wisely, but most of them would rather die than give up this street with a lot of traffic.

Right now is the best time to sell breakfast when the sun rises. If they leave here now, it means that they will lose more than half of their daily income, which is a burden they cannot bear in their lives.

So even in the face of Officer Arthur, who was fully equipped and showed his might just now, they didn't intend to give in half a step.

The illusory figure of Agares hovered around Arthur, and he laughed presumptuously and viciously: "Arthur, look at their eyes, they are fierce and vicious, and they wish they could drown you in the cold and smelly Thames River. In their eyes, maybe you are more like a devil than me."

"Yeah! Perhaps in the past six months or so, I have lived more like a devil than you. The street vendors think I am a lackey of the authorities. The authorities suspect that I may have Jacobin tendencies. Jacobins The supporters think I'm sent to watch them, the military police who actually watch them think I'm tipping them off, the magistrates think I'm in league with the criminals, and the criminals think I want to hang them all. This The world is really absurd."

Arthur took off his bowler hat, looked at the Greater London Metropolitan Police cap badge on it, and murmured, "Agares, I've been thinking, maybe it's time to change my way of life."

Agares' eyes lit up when he heard the words, and he even comforted with a seldom-used voice: "Oh! My dear Arthur, you finally figured it out. You cooperated with me earlier, maybe now I have already become Prime Minister. Whoever opposes you, you will kill them and send them all into my stomach, just like you did to Professor Dempsey. Come on, let's start planning the next goal. Why don't you start with the sheriff's boss who is making things difficult for you?"

"I sincerely thank you for your enthusiastic help." Arthur said, "But that's not what I meant by changing the way of life."

"That's not what you mean?" Agares said in amazement, "Then what do you mean?"

Arthur didn't answer his question, but waved the hat in his hand, and shouted loudly at a man in a windbreaker who was bargaining with a peddler in front of him: "Elder, this way!"

Hearing Arthur's shout, Elder had to curse and complain to the peddler, and then trotted to Arthur's side.

"Yo, Arthur. The weather is bad today, and I'm in a mess, but seeing you makes me feel better."

Arthur asked, "What did you argue with the peddler just now?"

When Elder heard this, he couldn't help swearing: "Arthur, you don't know how rude that bastard is! Three of the four oysters he sold to me were already stinky, but he asked It's robbing me for fourpence! If you hadn't called me, I'd have had a fight with him!"

Arthur said calmly: "Elder, if you really fight with him, it will be very difficult for me. I just taught two drunks who were fighting."

"Never mind him, the big deal is that you just avoid it when I'm fighting."

Elder took out a pipe from his pocket and put it in his mouth, then took out an iron box containing shredded tobacco from his chest to fill it up, and finally lit it with a match.

He took a sharp puff and exhaled the smoke ring, which made him feel more comfortable.

Elder asked: "Let's not talk about this. I asked you a few days ago, what do you think? Instead of staying in this shit pot, why don't you come on board with me. We are short of someone like you An erudite and talented naturalist, come and travel around the world with me, the life is relaxed and happy, the salary can be doubled, and maybe you can meet a few exotic ladies, why not do it?"

He took out another pipe from his pocket, and after filling it with shredded tobacco, he stuffed it into the other's mouth without asking Arthur if he would like it, and even lit it for him on his own.

Elder was busy with his hands, and his mouth was not idle, he kept persuading.

"Arthur, you have to think about this problem. There is no future in the Greater London Metropolitan Police. I heard that most of the policemen you recruit are unemployed textile workers or farmers from the Northeast, or even Even the Irish can get in there.

Those of us who graduate from the University of London are not recognized, but it is because of the bad blood of Oxford and Cambridge and the archbishops of the dioceses.In terms of knowledge, we are much better than them.

And yet fine people like us are denied degrees just because schools admit nonconformists.Is there anything more fucked up in the world than this? "

Arthur took a sip of his pipe and said, "Of course there are."

"Like what?"

"Let's say I know a guy from a very good family, a distinguished family. He's a state religion himself, and he has an uncle who's a Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy, and he's going to go to London University. He says he's going to Relying on my own ability to create a world, but in the end I still have to rely on my uncle's relationship to go to the boat to earn a living."

Elder laughed loudly when he heard the words, and he punched Arthur on the shoulder: "Arthur, you are too mean! I didn't think it through before, but I have figured it out now. Everyone is swimming in the shit basin, if you think you can’t see the shit, it’s not because the environment is better, but because you’ve dived in.”

Arthur was silent for a while.

Elder asked, "Arthur, why don't you speak?"

"Elder, it's really hard for me to imagine."

"what happened?"

Arthur sighed, "You actually graduated from a major in classical literature."

Elder laughed loudly and said, "This is due to your ignorance of classical literature.

Nero said: Regardless of men and women, no one's body is chaste, but most people cleverly cover up their ugliness.

Although he was a son of a bitch, it was true.

Because for writers, male or female, no writer has a clean mouth, and most of them don't even bother to hide it.And I also earnestly hope that I can be a part of them.

Don't talk about this, what are you thinking about?Will you come to our ship? "

Arthur nodded: "This time it's my acknowledgment of your favor. I'm almost tired of my current job. Changing jobs will be good for me and the world."

When Agares, who was bored and wandering around, heard this, he suddenly became angry. He conjured a pitchfork out of nowhere and put it on Arthur's back, roaring.

"Arthur! But it won't do me any good! I'm the devil, the devil! Are you going to let me float with you for years to come and watch whales mate!"

Elder obviously couldn't hear Agares' complaint, and he said in surprise: "So you agreed?"

Arthur nodded and said, "I can't think of a reason to refuse."

"Great! Let's make a deal then."

Elder whistled happily: "You will definitely do a better job than that guy who graduated from Cambridge!"

"The guy who graduated from Cambridge?" Arthur asked, "Do you have any other candidates?"

"It's not other candidates. He was originally going to be the ship's chaplain. But if no suitable naturalist can be found, the captain said that guy can also fill the vacancy. After all, the guy went to Cambridge to study theology. , who studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh for several years."

Arthur asked again: "When are you going to set sail?"

Elder said: "This has to take into account the direction of the monsoon. If the Admiralty is in a hurry, they will start in September. If they are not in a hurry, they will have to wait until winter.

However, you don’t have to worry about your salary during the period from April to before sailing. As long as you confirm your entry, you can get half of your usual salary even when you are on shore. much. "

Arthur laughed at himself: "Of course I don't worry about the salary issue, even the skilled workers in the factory get more than me. But I still don't understand why the Royal Navy wants to organize a scientific research voyage around the world. From what I understand Judging from the current situation, the gentlemen of the Admiralty do not seem to be those who have the courage to dedicate themselves to science."

Elder waved his hand indifferently: "Scientific investigation? Of course it is used to fool people!
The Admiralty doesn't care about scientific investigations.The main orders we received were surveying, surveying and drawing important sea charts in South America, investigating and understanding the sea conditions and political forces near the Pacific Ocean and the Indies, and providing intelligence support for the future Royal Navy fleet entering and exiting this area.

But because the rebels in the North American colonies insisted on implementing the Monroe Doctrine policy and refused to interfere with Great Britain and other European countries in American affairs, we can only label ourselves as scientific expeditions to ensure that we will not conflict with them.

After all, we didn't get any advantage in the two independence wars with them, so it is still necessary to pretend to be harmonious on the surface.

All in all, it is best if some scientific research results can be produced for the position of naturalist, and it will not hurt if it cannot be produced.Apart from the rough seas and the cramped cabin of the Beagle, there was nothing bad about it.

Arthur, you are my best friend, even if I cheat my uncle, I can't cheat you! "

(End of this chapter)