shadow of britain

Chapter 428 Judas in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The room on the third floor of Nightingale Mansion was decorated to look like a stone courtroom.

Although limited by space, it is impossible to completely restore the appearance of the ancient Jerusalem Tribunal, but it can be seen that the construction company responsible for building this place has worked hard on the interior decoration.

The walls of the court room are made of gray stones that are tightly stacked, and the surfaces of the stones are carefully carved to imitate the deep marks left by time.

The door of the court is heavy and simple. The two huge wooden doors are inlaid with iron decorations, making them appear solemn and inviolable.

When the door slowly opened, there was a creaking sound, like a whisper of history.

Passing through the gate, there is a mini atrium with neat stone slabs on the ground and a small fountain in the center. The sound of gurgling water brings a sense of tranquility to the serious court.

Inside the courtroom, rows of benches were neatly arranged, enough to accommodate many spectators.

Oil lamps hanging on the walls emit a soft glow that illuminates the entire space.

On the high ceilings, detailed carvings and murals display religious and legal themes, highlighting the sanctity and authority of this place.

The ladies who acted as religious leaders sat in a semicircle, their eyes full of suspicion and hostility. The blond lady who plays the highest priest Caiaphas is sitting in the center, her eyes as sharp as razors, waiting for the answer of the lady who plays Jesus in the audience.

His face was livid and haggard, and sweat was dripping from his forehead. He rushed to the judgment seat and threw the thirty silver coins obtained by the seller in front of the high priest. He knelt on the ground and eagerly grabbed Caiaphas's robe, hugged Caiaphas's white thighs, and begged her to release Jesus. .

"you are right."

"He claims to be the Son of God!" one inquisitor accused, her high-pitched voice filled with anger and fear.

The good-looking 'Jesus' stood there calmly, her eyes were deep, as if she could see through the depths of people's hearts.

He raised his hands tremblingly and let out a hoarse cry, which shocked the whole audience. All they heard was: "Caiaphas! He is innocent, please release him!"

The inquisitors exchanged complicated looks, knowing that the answer to this question might trigger the wrath of the Romans.

At this moment, where no one noticed, there was a middle-aged man sitting in the auditorium who couldn't stop shaking. He covered his face, his eyes full of fear and despair. His name is August Schneider of the Foreign Service...oh no, it's not time to turn over the credits yet, his current character should be called Iscariot Judas.

Outside the judgment hall, the disciples who were preparing to judge the betrayer were already waiting there: "Judas, you betrayed the Lord and caused the Lord to be crucified alive!"

Jesus did not shy away. She looked directly into the eyes of the judge and said in a gentle but powerful voice: "You lift up the Son of Man, and he will be lifted up to draw all people to God."

Caiaphas, who was still in shock, tugged at the priest's robe that was pulled by Schneider and exposed half of his shoulders, and said contemptuously: "What does that have to do with us? You bear it yourself!"

The tall Schneider pushed his way through the shocked crowd.

"Are you the King of the Jews?" Caiaphas's voice echoed in the courtroom, her question full of sarcasm and provocation.

When the verdict was about to be pronounced, Judas could no longer bear the pain of conscience.

The blond high priest Caiaphas kicked him to the ground in anger. Schneider lay on the ground and shouted loudly: "I sold the blood of innocent people. This is a sin!"

So Schneider fell down at the feet of Jesus again and said in fear: "You are the Son of God. Please save me and forgive my sins."

In their view, Jesus' very existence is a threat to the status quo. Her words and actions have aroused people's hopes and expectations, which they cannot tolerate.

However, Jesus did not say a word to condemn him. He just looked at Judas pitifully and said, "It is for this time that I came into the world!"

The air was filled with tension and uneasiness, as if every breath could lead to unpredictable consequences.

Schneider knew that pleading had no effect, so he rushed out of the trial hall, shouting in despair: "It's too late! It's too late!"

Her voice was calm and firm, but it hit everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.

But no matter what, at this moment, Schneider, the seller, looked at the scene happening in front of him, and he understood that he had sold the owner to death.

Schneider was horrified and said: "I will commit suicide, hang myself on a tree outside Jerusalem, and use my life to wash away my sins."

The disciples sang in unison: "You have three crimes. First, you revealed the Lord's whereabouts to the high priest and elders for thirty pieces of silver so that they could arrest the Lord. Second, you were responsible for managing the disciples' money. But you often steal public property. Third, after realizing that your actions led to the death of Jesus, you felt desperate and wanted to go out of the city to hang yourself after returning the money. This is disrespectful to the life given by God. Judas. Even now, you still haven’t repented?”

Schneider covered his face and knelt down and said: "Now that things have happened, how can I atone for my sins?"

The disciples sang: "Your heart was blinded by greed, and your choices led to tragedy. Your actions have exceeded the boundaries of forgiveness, and you must pay for your crimes! Come with us, take your guilt The sentence has been pronounced and you will be whipped under the gaze of the believers!"

Only a bang was heard, and the door of the trial hall was closed. Schneider's lost figure was no longer visible. He had already been escorted by his ladies to the 'execution ground'.

There was only a crackling sound, and a burst of fire lit up in the 'Jerusalem Judgment Hall' that was supposed to be dismissed. In the seat of the auditorium, Arthur held a pipe in his mouth and took off the big-brimmed hat that blocked his face. After taking a deep breath of cigarette, Just now he commented: "Isn't the pre-plot of this package too long?"

The red devil standing behind him looked at the mini-tribunal and said, "Don't tell me, these girls still make it look impressive."

Fiona was sitting next to Arthur, her face flushed: "The plot may be a bit long, but most of the guests still like this script. In recent months, this project has been the best seller here. Some guests also said that the psychological relief obtained by pretending to be Judas here is better than going to church to confess to the priest. "

Arthur held his chin and thought: "It seems that all the gentlemen who like to play here have done a lot of evil!"

Fiona glanced at Arthur and asked cautiously: "Do you want to try it? It's free. I can try to play the role of the chief judge, or I can crack the whip. I promise, I will be very gentle and it will never hurt. "

Arthur shook his head slightly and said: "No, ma'am, I'm not interested in Judas's script. Although I also bear a lot of sins, I have been shot twice before. After taking the shot, I don't think the whip can do it." It has the effect of atonement for me.”

Seeing Arthur's refusal, Fiona suggested again: "Then... how about changing the script, we can play Jesus here. You play Jesus, I play the disciple, you come and wash my feet, and then we play you Tied to the cross. Oh, no, no, honey, I didn't mean to offend your faith, I almost forgot you're a Catholic and you're such a humble person if you feel you don't deserve to be with Jesus. In comparison, why not let us tie you to the reverse cross, just like St. Peter who was martyred by the Roman Emperor Nero?" This time, before Arthur could speak, the red devil had already taken the lead? She rushed to answer: "Yes, that's right, Fiona, remember to tie this kid upside down so that he has sufficient blood supply to his brain and won't do too many stupid things."

Hearing this, Arthur raised his hand and patted Fiona's face: "Madam, wake up. Although reading some religious stories is better than reading nothing at all, you are obviously a little obsessed now. Treat your little one well. Sisters, if you want to atone for your sins, there is nothing better than doing this. And regarding this, you have been doing a good job. I heard from Charles that you seem to have established a mutual support community, and everyone will earn from it. Set aside a portion of the money to raise the children together?”

Fiona's eyes lit up when she heard Arthur take the initiative to mention this matter. She seemed a little embarrassed, but at the same time, she also felt extremely happy. There was something she could show off to others. There are too many to count, and this happens to be the most important one among them.

Fiona said: "This is not due to me alone. The Urania House established by Mr. Dickens and Pastor John Newman, who has true faith, have been of great help to us. Mr. Dickens helped us raise a lot of money." Free books and Mr. Newman connected us with a school.”

Arthur nodded slightly and said: "I sincerely praise you for the good things you have done, and especially thank you on behalf of my old employer, Scotland Yard. Fiona, you may not know that just because you have done these things, in In a decade or two, Scotland Yard may have hundreds fewer street gangsters to deal with, our reserve police force will increase accordingly, and London's urban crime rate will be due to your good deed. There is much more merit in it than being tied to a cross and being whipped.”

Fiona's cheeks were burning, and she brushed the broken hair away from her ears and said: "You are really too complimentary, I... I didn't think so much when I did these things, and compared with what you did, all of this is insignificant. . Then... can I ask a question? I heard that you may be going to the Kingdom of Hanover soon?

Arthur stood up and nodded: "Yes, although the appointment letter has not yet come out, according to the news, my new position should be the second secretary of the Legation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in the Kingdom of Hanover, although His Majesty the King was originally It is planned to appoint me as the royal commissioner, but if I am the royal commissioner, it must be announced in the London Gazette. Your Excellencies in Whitehall Street are worried that doing so will be too conspicuous and may attract artillery fire from Fleet Street. , and being stationed in the Kingdom of Hanover as a second secretary, you don’t need to worry about this. "

Fiona followed Arthur closely. She lowered her head and asked, "So, you came here to see Mr. Schneider today?"

"Not at all."

Arthur took Fiona's hand, and he felt that the other party's body was a little stiff: "I still come to say goodbye to you. Fiona, I am very grateful to you for all the dirty work you have done for me. Although you The asking price is not low, but in this world, doing things with money can also be called a virtue. To be honest, you don't need to be so restrained in front of me, as if I were Jesus. Call me Sir. If you don’t like it, you can continue to call me Arthur.”

At this point, Arthur suddenly seemed to remember something. He stopped, turned his head and warned Fiona: "However, I must also politely remind you, Fiona, don't think that I am not a royal now. Now that I'm an Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, you can call me a bastard. I'm somewhat influential at Scotland Yard, and they didn't hold me accountable for misappropriating public funds there before."

When Fiona heard this, she couldn't help but laugh. Her whole body immediately relaxed, and the stone that had been weighing on her heart for more than half a year seemed to be lighter.

If a person dies and then lives again, will he change?
At least the person in front of him has never changed.

She lifted up her skirt and saluted: "I understand, my dear. Now, is there anything else you need me to do for you?"

Arthur took out his pocket watch and took a look: "Take me to see Schneider, and then recommend me a good restaurant nearby. Alexander, Ledley, Plunkett, and Louis are all here. I plan to invite these friends Have a meal.”

Fiona asked playfully: "Is it the kind of restaurant that has carbonated water?"

"Of course." Arthur took out a check and waved it in front of Fiona: "I'm the one paying this time, and I have the final say."

Fiona took the check away unceremoniously. She just glanced at it and nodded with satisfaction: "For a meal, this is too much. But as a tip for me, this is too much." It seems too little.”

Arthur stopped in front of the door of room 302, held the door handle and said, "Look at the arrangement, this is my budget."

Click.

The door was pushed open gently.

In the dark room, Schneider, blindfolded with black cloth, was roughly tied to a cross.

His forehead was covered with sweat, and his white shirt had been torn, exposing his pale skin.

The three ladies responsible for carrying out the punishment wore only a bra. They had expressionless faces and held soft and flexible whips. Every time they swung the whip, Schneider moaned in pain.

The whip soaked in rose water left traces of blood on his back. In some slightly torn parts of the skin, blood was flowing along the cross.

While the ladies were whipping, they did not forget to recite the lines with great emotion: "Iscariot Judas, you are accused of betraying your mentor and friend. Your crime is a blasphemy against our faith and a betrayal of the sacred. "

Schneider responded in the same manner, full of regret and pain, with a weak and trembling voice: "I...I just acted according to their requirements. I didn't know the result would be like this. Spare me, everyone." Kind lady.”

Arthur's eyes turned, and in the dark corner of the room, he also found a few uninvited guests who were watching with great interest. It was none other than the few relatives and friends he planned to entertain.

While watching, Ridley exclaimed in a low voice: "I...I didn't know that Nightingale Mansion actually has such a new project?"

Alexandre Dumas looked at the service sheet in his hand: "Man, I advise you not to spend money on this kind of service. Do you know how much this item costs? A whole five pounds! Scotland Yard's salary should be paid back." It didn’t make you so rich, right?”

Louis saw Schneider's skin being beaten to pieces, as if he was recalling some unbearable past events. He whispered: "I thought how hard the beating could be? This is not even comparable to when I was in the Swiss Military Academy." If a cadet in the military academy commits a crime, the instructors will usually choose a sunny afternoon and give him a dozen whippings before hanging him on the flagpole. "

Plunkett smoked a cigarette and waved his hand: "Mr. Bonaparte, can it be the same? You are talking about punishment, but I am here for enjoyment, and the five pounds in the middle are the difference."

Arthur glanced at them, then walked quietly to the ladies who were being executed, and winked at them.

There was a trace of hesitation in the eyes of the ladies, but in front of this gentleman who even made boss Fiona avoid him, they finally gave in.

Arthur took the whip from one of them. He raised his hand to wipe the sweat from the corner of his eyes, rubbed his hands vigorously, and then only heard a snapping sound.

"what!!!!!!!!!!"

Schneider's screams could be heard throughout the building.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Alexandre Dumas and others hurriedly ran out.

As for Arthur, he didn't say much. Instead, he threw away the whip, walked back to the door and knocked on it with his hand.

Schneider sucked in a hissing breath. He was about to curse, but Arthur was the first to speak before him: "Excuse me, is it Mr. Schneider? I knew it was you as soon as I guessed it. You are the only one in the whole of London." Only the purest British gentleman like you has the courage to play such a big role.”

(End of this chapter)