Shadow of great britain

36 Lancaster Gate, Bayswater, London.

Arthur was sitting at home, with two machines at his hands. One was a wire recorder that was playing recordings, and the other was a gramophone used to burn records.

The red devil stood behind Arthur, his white fangs still hanging with scarlet flesh almost close to Arthur's ears. He licked his tongue gently, and his saliva dripped on Arthur's shining epaulettes.

"Arthur, what are you worried about? Wouldn't it be better to take this recording directly to Parliament? Why do you need to use a gramophone to make so many backups? You should know that as long as this recording is available, the Whigs will If you can completely defeat the Tories in public opinion, as their right-hand man, you will definitely be rewarded with a bone. Now that you have climbed to this position, don't you want to go higher and see the most fascinating things? Scenery?”

Arthur glanced at him and just rubbed the gloves that were stained with too much wax: "Agares, is this your suggestion to go all the way to the dark side? Or, you did it on purpose. If you had left yourself a way out in heaven back then, you wouldn't have ended up living in the world after being driven out of hell by Baal, playing with me all day long."

Agares was not angry when he heard this. He just clasped his hands and smiled and said: "Don't be so mean all the time, Arthur, I'm doing this for your own good. Why do you want to give away such a big credit?" ?”

When Arthur heard this, he just picked up the tea cup and took a sip: "For my own good, I haven't heard such familiar words for a long time. Then I thank you for your kindness, Agares, but you know, humans are If you have a rebellious mentality, I can only thank you for your kindness."

Agares asked: "Oh, my dear Arthur, look what you are saying. Where are your ideals and your beliefs? After experiencing so many things, do you have any intention of climbing up?" Is there still no interest at the top of the slippery pole of British politics?”

When Arthur heard this, he just smiled: "Agares, ideals and beliefs are something everyone has. But if it is true as you said, one day I climb to the top of that oily pole, I will never I will sacrifice my life for my so-called faith.”

The red devil pinched his chin and questioned: "Then why is this?"

Arthur put down the tea cup and said: "It's simple, because I'm afraid that I am wrong. I have no interest in conducting scientific experiments on the public of Great Britain. Didn't we talk about it before? At most, I can only be a king, not a god." But everyone knows that kings will make mistakes, and only God can have absolute correctness. I am not God, so I cannot always be right, so I will not do experiments, and if someone must do experiments , it’s best not to happen under my nose. This is why I want to arrest those doctors who illegally used corpses. Those guys did not obtain the consent of the deceased before conducting experiments. "

When the red devil heard this, he just smiled and raised his eyebrows and said: "Don't you like philosophy very much? Then you should know that there is a man named Hegel in Germany. You are arguing against his so-called fear of mistakes. , are you actually afraid of the truth?"

"Hegel?"

When Arthur heard this, he just shook his head helplessly: "I respect Mr. Hegel very much, and I also want to wish him a long life. Only in this way can he see with his own eyes what truths will come out of the German land in the future. I I bet it will definitely be a big surprise. But maybe he will like that thing. After all, when you are young, you worship God, and when you mature, you start to worship the country. Can the Germans not live without something to worship?

Why doesn't he compile a "National Bible" and add some religious stories, just like what is written in the "Bible" - a paradise full of love, peace, beauty and happiness, without any pain and troubles, with many beauties There are flowers and fragrant trees, and there is a vast grassland. There was no disease, no poverty, no pain to be seen, and no cries even to be heard. There is a tree of life located in the center of the golden street in Paradise City. It continues to bear abundant fruits all year round. The leaves on the tree can heal all people. There is no need to look for ways to treat diseases. Every disease can be cured.

By the way, I think it is quite appropriate to tear down all the churches in Germany and turn them into state churches. The only problem now is that I don’t know if God would mind if multiple gods called ‘rational countries’ compete with him for business. Oh, by the way, you devil must not mind. "

The red devil covered his mouth and said with a bad smile: "Oh! Arthur, so aggressive! But why are you so hostile to him?"

Arthur did not answer directly, but asked instead: "You are a devil, so you should know better than me. I have been wanting to ask you for a long time, if you suffer and be pious on earth, will you go to heaven after death?"

Agares just smiled when he heard this. He neither answered yes nor no.

Arthur asked again: "Then if you do a lot of evil in the world, will you go to hell after death?"

Agares was still smiling and silent.

Seeing his appearance, Arthur just held the teacup and curled his lips: "I knew it, so why did you set up these two bloated bureaucracies, Heaven and Hell? I now seriously suspect that you were laid off by Barr. You used to be a non-staff officer like a Scotland Yard sergeant, right?"

When Agares heard this, he suddenly became furious, as if someone had stepped on his tail: "Arthur! We are discussing philosophical issues now!"

Seeing his appearance, Arthur probably felt confident. He comforted him: "But your existence is not useless. At least you have proved that the Bible is not made up. Speaking of which, thanks to Hegel. The national church in the country might as well worship you. The stories in the Bible are quite interesting, but that’s all.”

The red devil glared with wide eyes, and sprayed sparks from his nostrils for a long time. Then he calmed down and asked another question: "Arthur, I will explain to you slowly about heaven and hell in the future. But You have to tell me first, doesn’t it suit you what the Germans like to worship? You are just a king in Britain, but you can be a god over there!”

When Arthur heard this, he just took a sip of tea and said: "Agares, don't give me bad ideas. If you go to Germany, I'm afraid I won't be able to be a god. I'm worried that I will be nailed to Berlin by them." Although the quality of Scotland Yard's uniforms is not bad, it is too much to be placed in a museum as a relic."

When Agares heard this, he just shook his head slightly, and then asked: "Then let's go back to Hegel first."

Arthur replied: "There is nothing to discuss about Mr. Hegel's theory. If he is right and the country is rational, what about the recording before me?"

When Agares heard this, he couldn't help but open his mouth a little, showing rows of sharp white teeth and laughed.

He snapped his fingers, conjured up a doctor's hat and put it on Arthur's head. He just wanted to hold his head and kiss him twice.

"Oh! My dear Arthur! Professor Agares must congratulate you, you little bastard finally graduated! You finally understand what is going on. Those guys are nothing special at all. Everyone is nothing. They are all digging for food in this trough. Members of Parliament, the Cabinet, and the Prime Minister all eat their own food. If they don't get the food in your hands, it just means that their claws are not long enough for the time being. Everyone is eating anyway, so you Why don’t you go up and take a bite?”

Arthur held his chin in his hand: "Because when doing things in Britain, you still have to follow some rules. This is a matter between the two parties. It has nothing to do with Scotland Yard, and it should not be related. This kind of political balance comes from It's not easy, and breaking it does no one any good. Britain is not Russia, and stroke is not a fashionable cause of death here. As the Greeks used to say, remember the lessons of Daedalus and avoid the fate of Icarus.

I'm not interested in experimenting here. And I have not forgotten the lesson Mr. Talleyrand gave me. Barbarism is only two steps away from civilization, and it wanders around civilization. As soon as you relax, it will come back again. Why should I be a barbarian when there are civilized ways to solve problems?

In the end, most people who engage in intelligence work will not end well. If I start using improper intelligence to attack the opposition party now, how will the Police Intelligence Bureau be able to stand on its own in the future? The Whigs will not be happy just because they have benefited from this place. On the contrary, if they are to step down one day, they will definitely disband our small organization as soon as possible. Agares, you are a learned devil, you must know what I mean. "

Agares couldn't help but applaud Arthur when he heard this.

"Smart, calm, and even beginning to understand the world. Arthur, you, this little villain, are really getting better and better. My expectations for you are indeed correct. However, have you ever thought about it? What about other ways to solve problems? You should know that there are many solutions to every mathematical problem. The derivation process is different, and the difficulty of understanding is naturally different. Method, method is the key to the work, and you will just immerse yourself in it. Life is just a blindfolded donkey. Arthur, I believe you must have the ability to seize the moment and the artistry to demonstrate success. Or, you can just give a little bit of your insignificant soul."

When Arthur heard this, he was about to pull Agares to chat for a few more words, but this time the Red Devil didn't know whether he was angry before or had learned to be smart.

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned into a faint wisp of dust and flew away with the wind. Arthur raised his eyes and saw that the window sill was covered with a thick layer of dust, and there was a line written on the dust - rest today and tomorrow. Overtime service requires two additional souls.

Arthur just took out his pocket watch and took a look at it: "It's five-thirty in the afternoon. This should be considered an early departure, right? The devil's free profession is really willful."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door outside the house.

Arthur stood up and opened the door, and said without thinking: "Alexander..."

But before he finished speaking, his brows wrinkled: "Huh?"

It’s no wonder Arthur was confused, because the person standing outside was not the fat French man who had recently been obsessed with reviewing major restaurants in London, nor was he a suspect who was destroying the city appearance by posting matrimonial advertisements everywhere, but a man holding a small parasol. Touching lady.

Fiona put away the parasol and handed it to the younger brother who was following behind her. She held up her skirt and gave a slight salute: "Mr. Hastings, why do you look so disappointed? This is so disappointing. I’m sad, don’t I look better than that fat French guy?”

"That's not the case," Arthur replied, "I just thought you made a special trip to fish him out of the Thames."

Fiona shook her finger: "No, no, no, Mr. Hastings, you haven't paid me yet, so let him soak in the river first. Having said that, can you bear to look at such a person?" Is there a petite and fragile lady standing outside the door?"

Arthur looked around for a moment, then stepped out of the way and said: "I have no habit of rejecting ladies, but I have to explain in advance that I do not provide laudanum here."

When Fiona heard this, she just rolled her eyes at him and snorted softly: "I should have quit early."

"The coffee?"

"Too bitter."

"black tea?"

"Only drink from Ceylon."

"Carbonated water?"

"Hiccup after drinking, a lady doesn't think about it."

Arthur slammed the door: "Are you here to cause trouble?"

"Oh! Mr. Hastings, couldn't you be more of a gentleman?"

Fiona covered her mouth with her lace gloves, pretending to be sad and moved back, looking at the most comfortable chair that she had chosen long ago and leaning on it: "I have brought you an incredible thing. Is this how you treat meritorious service?"

"That's not the case." Arthur picked up the teapot and brewed a little more: "I just gave out a small house to the meritorious officials in the bureau this morning. If you are interested, I can also prepare a small house for you."

But Fiona was obviously not as easy to deceive as Whetstone. She clutched her chest and said sadly: "It doesn't sound like a good thing. Don't you have a more direct reward? For example...tickets What……"

Arthur put the teapot back on the coffee table and said: "Fiona, don't breathe loudly when you speak. It's not like you don't know the consequences of playing this trick on me. Just like when we first met, you ended up unlucky." It must be you."

When Fiona heard this, she pulled her skirt down unbelievingly: "Mr. Hastings, are you trying to pull out a gun again?"

Before he finished speaking, he heard a snap, and instantly there was a flintlock pistol on the table. Arthur picked up the teacup and nodded slightly: "You're so smart, you guessed it right."

"Take it back, take it back!"

Fiona was so shocked that she trembled all over: "Damn it! Where did you learn this trick? With such strong skills, why don't you go to fight in the street? I recently opened a boxing ring in the East District and I'm in need of you. This kind of guy can fight!"

"You came to me just to talk about this?"

"Of course not!" Fiona said angrily: "I was so scared by you that I forgot about the real thing. We caught a gringo on the pier at noon today."

"Oh." Arthur nodded and said: "I knew that Alexander must have fallen into your hands. When he wakes up, just let him go. He is such an adult, he should know the way home. "

Fiona covered her chest with one hand to press her pounding heart, and replied: "It's not that fat man! It's another gringo, an artilleryman!"

"Artillery?" Arthur held his chin and thought for a moment: "That's still Alexander."

"He is a relative of the emperor!"

"A relative of the emperor?" Arthur thought for a while: "There are not many emperors in the world. Romanov in Russia? Or Habsburg-Lorraine in Austria? Bourbon in Brazil? It can't be Aixinjue. Luo?"

Fiona crossed her arms, nestled in the sofa chair and sulked: "It's from the front!"

"From the previous dynasty?" Arthur thought for a long time, and then asked hesitantly: "surnamed Zhu? No, there are no crooked-neck trees in London!"

Fiona rolled her eyes at him: "Mr. Hastings, you are in a state of mind that doesn't match what you say before what you say. You actually told me that you didn't hide laudanum at home? His surname is Bonaparte, the Bonaparte of Napoleon. ! If you don’t want it, I’ll have him thrown into the Thames and drowned right now. Anyway, he came here smuggled in and didn’t even have an entry passport, so it’s not a big deal if he dies.”

"Bonaparte?" When Arthur heard this surname, he immediately became interested: "How old is he? Also, do you know where he comes from?"

Fiona said disdainfully: "A young man about the same age as you, but far more considerate than you. The girl under my command gave him a few compliments and asked him to tell the truth. He said that he was originally in After graduating from a military school in Switzerland, he went to Italy to participate in the Carbonari uprising in Rome for his lofty ideals. However, the uprising was brutally suppressed by the Papal States and the Austrian army. He was wanted in all countries on the Apennine Peninsula, and in order to return safely Switzerland, he had to take a boat out of the country by sea and return to Switzerland via London.

He disembarked from the West India Pier in London this morning. He originally planned to have a meal nearby and play for a few days before leaving. But the aura of a fat sheep that he exuded made the people under my command keep an eye on him from the beginning. You can probably imagine what happened next. After going through a classic plot, he surrendered. It's a pity that this kid didn't have much money at all. We gave him a tough hand and forced him to find an acquaintance to raise money. In the end, he vomited everything about his surname Bonaparte.

At first, everyone didn't believe it, but he said that his uncle lived in London and gave us a copy of his uncle's address. As a result, when we checked, it turned out to be a match. We definitely don’t dare to make a casual decision on this kind of thing, so we thought of coming to you..."

The more Fiona talked, the less confident she felt.

In fact, although she said she had brought a surprise to Arthur, in fact she knew very well that this was a hot potato.

The Bonaparte family fell into their hands. They had no choice but to let them go or kill them. They could only come to Arthur to bring peace to them.

When Arthur heard this, he also understood the little ninety-nine in Fiona's heart.

He asked: "That Bonaparte, what is his full name?"

Fiona quickly replied: "Charles-Louis Napoleon Bonaparte."

Although Arthur had already guessed in his mind, he couldn't help but take a breath when he heard this: "You really caught an emperor for me! Who said women are inferior to men, Fiona, do you know? You Cambridge brothers are almost right up there with the Duke of Wellington."

Fiona was almost desperate when she heard this. She begged bitterly: "My dear, just help me find a way. At worst, I will give you back all the hundreds of pounds I took from you before."

When Arthur heard this, he thought for a moment, then sighed and said, "That's all, leave this to me."