Shadow of great britain

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

The dawn sun has risen, but the sunlight does not bring any light on the dark Thames River. The white mist almost engulfs the entire river, and only the faint light emanating from the boats parked near the docks can be seen. Red light.

There are many chimneys in the city ahead. Although it is still early, they are already spitting out thick smoke with a foul smell, spreading the poisonous air that they are proud of, blocking the limited sunlight. Making the already gloomy weather even more depressing.

The narrow streets on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are full of hungover drunkards, homeless farmers and workers wandering around because of unemployment. They breathe in the air that has been poisoned by pollution. Their unhealthy sallow skin color already illustrates their poor condition. Health status.

And in the shadows of the streets, pickpockets with thief eyes flashing began to look for their new targets.

Singing prostitutes wait in front of their rental houses filled with garbage and sewage to attract customers. Due to the recent economic downturn, they have to extend their business hours in the hope of getting some bread and sugar. .

The neatly dressed Arthur looked out of place compared to them, and the blank stares and curses he received along the way also illustrate the image of the newly established Metropolitan Police in the eyes of these poor people.

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

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

If he had just joined the job, Arthur might still have some reaction to their insults.

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

Not far ahead, two drunkards in rags were fighting.

As a skilled police officer, Arthur is already familiar with handling this situation.

If you want to reason with drunkards, it's best to give them a stick to wake them up. This principle sounds simple, but it is a valuable experience that Arthur and his colleagues learned after being attacked by drunkards many times. .

Without hesitation, Arthur took 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 into jail, you better stop it right now!"

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

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

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

A drunkard raised his hand to wipe the blood from his nose and apologized to Arthur: "This is just a small fight between friends. We are from Salford, Manchester, and the people there are friendly in this way." , This does not offend you from raising troops and mobilizing a large number of people."

Another drunkard who had half of his teeth knocked out also echoed: "No, that's right, Mr. Officer, we don't intend to cause trouble, let's leave now."

After saying that, the two people hurriedly picked up the felt hats thrown on the ground, supported each other and swayed away.

As soon as Arthur finished cleaning up the two drunkards, he saw many street vendors pushing fish carts and carrying woven bags selling food on the street corners.

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

A small part of them chose to leave this area wisely, but the vast majority would rather die than abandon this heavily trafficked street.

Now is the best time to sell breakfast when the sun rises. If they leave here now, it means they will lose more than half of their income for the day, which is an unbearable burden in their lives.

Therefore, even if they faced Officer Arthur, who was fully equipped and had just shown his power, they did not intend to give in even half a step.

The illusive figure of Agares hovered around Arthur, laughing wildly and viciously: "Arthur, look at their eyes, they are so fierce and vicious, they just want to drown you in the cold and smelly Thames River." In their eyes, maybe you are more of a devil than me."

"Yes! Maybe in the past six months or so, I have lived more like a devil than you. The street vendors think that I am a lackey of the authorities, and the authorities suspect that I may have Jacobin tendencies. The supporters thought I was sent to monitor them, but the military police who were actually monitoring them thought I would tip them off, the magistrate thought I was colluding with the criminals, and the criminals thought I wanted to send them all to the gallows. This The world is so absurd.”

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

Agares's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he even used a rarely used cheesy voice to comfort him: "Oh! My dear Arthur, you finally figured it out. If you cooperated with me earlier, maybe now You have already become Prime Minister. You will kill anyone who opposes you and send them all into my belly, just like you did to Professor Dempsey. Come, let's start planning the next target. How about starting with the police chief who is always making things difficult for you?"

"I sincerely appreciate your enthusiastic help." Arthur said, "But that's not what I meant when I said to change my life."

"That's not what you mean?" Agares said in shock: "Then what do you mean?"

Arthur did not answer his question, but waved the hat in his hand and shouted loudly to a man in a trench coat who was bargaining with a vendor in front of him: "Elder, this way!"

When Elder heard Arthur's call, he could only curse and complain to the vendor, and then trotted quickly to Arthur's side.

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

Arthur asked: "What were you arguing with the vendor just now?"

When Elder heard this, he couldn't help but cursed: "Arthur, you don't know how rude that fucking thing is! Three of the four oysters he sold me were already smelly, but he wanted to Charge me four pennies, this is simply robbery! If you hadn't called me, I would 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 a lesson to two drunkards who were fighting."

"Whatever, at worst, you just need to avoid it when I fight."

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

He puffed out the smoke ring and felt better.

Elder asked: "Let's not talk about this anymore. How have you considered what I asked you a few days ago? Instead of staying in this shit basin, why not come on board with me. We are missing someone like you. You are a knowledgeable naturalist, come and travel around the world with me, your life will be relaxed and happy, your salary will be doubled, and you may even meet a few ladies from other countries, why not?"

He took out another pipe from his pocket, filled it with tobacco, and without asking Arthur if he wanted to, he put it into the other man's mouth and lit a fire for him.

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

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

Although those of us who graduated from the University of London are not recognized, it is all because of the bad guys at Oxford and Cambridge and the archbishops of various dioceses. When it comes to knowledge, we are much better than them.

However, outstanding people like us cannot receive degree certificates just because the school allows people of non-conformist religions to enroll. Is there anything more fucked up than this? "

Arthur took a sip from his pipe and said, "Of course there is."

"For example?"

"For example, I know a guy who comes from a well-off family and a prominent family background. He believes in the state religion and has an uncle who holds the rank of rear admiral in the Royal Navy, but he insists on coming to the University of London. He says he wants to I relied on my own ability to make a career, but in the end I had to rely on my uncle’s connections to make a living on the ship.”

Elder laughed loudly after hearing this, and punched Arthur on the shoulder: "Arthur, what you said is so mean! I didn't think about it before, but I have figured it out now. Everyone is swimming in a basin of shit, and if you feel like you can’t see shit, it’s not because the environment is better, but because you’ve already dived in.”

Arthur was silent for a while after hearing this.

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

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

"What's wrong?"

Arthur sighed: "You actually graduated from Classics."

Elder laughed loudly and said: "This comes down to your lack of understanding of classical literature.

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

Even though he was a son of a bitch, he was right.

Because for writers, no matter male or female, no one has a clean mouth, and most of them don't even bother to hide it. And I also fervently hope that I can become one of them.

Let's not talk about this anymore. How have you considered it? Will you come to our ship? "

Arthur nodded: "This time I admit your kindness. I am almost tired of my current job. Changing my job will be good for me and the world."

Agares, who was originally bored and wandering around, heard this and was immediately furious. He summoned a pitchfork from nowhere and pressed it against Arthur's back, roaring.

"Arthur! But it won't do me any good! I'm the devil, devil! Are you going to let me float on the sea with you for the next few years to watch whales mating!"

Elder obviously couldn't hear Agares's complaint. He was surprised and said: "So you agreed?"

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

"Great! Then we'll make it a deal."

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

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

"It's not considered another candidate. He was originally going to be the ship's chaplain. But if he can't find a suitable naturalist, the captain said that guy can also fill the vacancy. After all, that guy went to Cambridge to study theology. , who studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh for several years.”

Arthur asked again: "When do you plan to set sail?"

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

But you don’t have to worry about your salary during the period from April to before sailing. As long as you are confirmed to join the job, even if you are on shore, you can get half of your usual salary. This salary is still better than what you get at the Metropolitan Police Department. Much more. "

Arthur laughed at himself: "Of course I'm not worried 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 global scientific expedition. From what I learned Judging from the situation, it seems that the gentlemen of the Admiralty are not people who have the courage to devote 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 research. The main orders we received were to survey, measure and draw important nautical charts of South America, investigate and understand the sea conditions and political forces near the Pacific and the Indies, and provide intelligence support for the Royal Navy's fleet to enter and exit this area in the future.

However, since the rebels in the North American colonies insisted on implementing the Monroe Doctrine policy and refused Great Britain and other European countries to intervene in American affairs, we could only give ourselves the title of scientific expedition to ensure that we would not conflict with them.

After all, we did not get any benefits in the two wars of independence with them. It is still necessary to pretend to maintain peace on the surface.

All in all, it would be best if the position of naturalist can produce some scientific research results. It doesn't hurt if it can't be produced. Apart from the rough seas and the Beagle's cramped cabin, there's nothing bad about it.

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