Shadow of great britain

I came from hell and am going to heaven. I am passing through the world.

——Stendhal "Red and Black"

The afterglow of the setting sun brought a burst of soft light, which fell into St. Martin's Church along the colorful glass windows.

The air is filled with the scent of wood mixed with candle incense and the accumulation of time. In the prayer hall, far away from the noisy crowds in Trafalgar Square, an unknown drama is taking place in an area that no one pays attention to.

William Turner's brush paused for a moment, and he raised his head and looked at the girl half-kneeling next to the black oak coffin.

She held a clean and moist white towel tightly in her hand, and her trembling fingers gently brushed the cooled skin, as if she was brushing away the fatigue and suffering of the world for him for the last time.

The towel moistened Arthur's lips. Perhaps it was an illusion. Turner always felt that because of this insignificant amount of moisture, even the pale face of the deceased became rosy and soft.

Seeing this scene, Turner's calm mood couldn't help but feel a trace of sadness. With the help of the weak candlelight and the dim sunset, he quickly and accurately captured this scene of life and death with the help of the weak candlelight and the dim sunset. Through colors and lines, he tried to Leave this secret and sincere emotion forever imprinted in the world of painting art.

Suddenly, a low, hoarse chanting sound came from his ears.

The pastor, Reverend John Newman from Oxford, was standing alone not far away, holding a turned-out Bible and reciting holy scriptures that expressed endless sorrow in a low and melodious voice.

His voice was like a soothing melody, passing through the empty hall. At this moment, it seemed to resonate and blend with the silent prayer of the weeping girl, the painter's flying brushstrokes, and the sighs of the deceased's close friends in the front row. As one body.

"Now I want to tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in one moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet sounds. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will Resurrected and made incorruptible, we also must be changed. This perishable must put on incorruption. This mortal must put on immortality.

Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. Thank you Heavenly Father for giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, you must be steadfast and unshakable, and always strive to abound in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor is not in vain before the Lord.

His wrath lasts only a moment, but His grace lasts a lifetime. Though there may be weeping for the night, there will be joy in the morning. Our Lord has revealed to us that he has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

You see what love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God. We are truly His children. The reason why the world does not know us is because it has not known Him. Dear brothers, we are God’s children now, and what we will be like in the future has not yet been revealed. But we know that when the Lord appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. "

Fiona raised her hand and gently touched Arthur's cheek. The cold touch came from her fingertips, as if she had been thrown into the Arctic Circle in the cold winter. In front of her eyes, she could see nothing or everything. She couldn't tell whether what she saw in front of her was rain or snow.

A drop of tears slid down the nose to the corner of the mouth, and fell from the chin onto Arthur's forehead.

In the eyes of many people, this is a very rude behavior, but at this moment, no one wants to step forward to stop it, because even the strongest people cannot recover from the scene in front of them.

"Fiona."

Suddenly, Fiona seemed to hear someone calling her name.

She was stunned for a moment, then raised her arm and wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes with the back of her hand.

How she wished she could see a pair of open eyes at this moment, those dark, red eyes that were unforgettable at a glance.

However, God seemed to have made a joke with her, and her expectations were disappointed.

Arthur's closed eyes were like the stone door of the ancient temple. Once it fell, it was impossible to open it again.

yes!

He died and slept forever, like a calm autumn water.

Fiona was stunned for a long time, and her eyes, which were widened in surprise, finally softened again. She gently rubbed the side of Arthur's face and neck, as if she wanted to remember this feeling.

A little fragment of memory emerged in her mind, and she seemed to see the vivid young man again.

The man in a dark blue tuxedo, wearing a police officer's knife and a top hat on his head, opened the matchbox and gently lit the pipe in his mouth, leaning against the corner of the church.

With a heavy inhalation sound, the sparks of the pipe lit up, and thick smoke spurted out from his mouth, as if to surround his whole body.

Suddenly, he raised his head and glanced to his side, with a warm smile that was a bit embarrassed but not impolite.

He took off his hat and nodded slightly to her in apology.

"Sorry, Fiona, I didn't know you were there. A gentleman smokes in front of a lady. It may be a little impolite for me to do this."

Fiona just blinked playfully: "Mr. Gentleman, you know, I don't care."

He rubbed his hair and looked a little tired after working for a long time: "Speaking of which, are you still drinking laudanum? That harmful little drink that makes everyone addicted?"

"of course not."

Fiona took Arthur's arm: "I will always keep your words in mind. Seeing how obedient I am, don't you plan to treat me to a meal before discussing business with me today? ?”

"My lovely lady. Your request is very reasonable and I should not refuse it, but..."

He took out the shriveled wallet from his arms and took a look at it, then scratched the side of his face in trouble: "My financial situation is not optimistic. Alexander, Benjamin and Elder, and now there is another Heinrich. Heine, almost all of my bastard friends are asking me to borrow money. The worst part is that the advance payment for the police toys I ordered from Mr. Colt and Mr. Wheatstone was also made by myself."

Fiona waved her hands indifferently and said: "It doesn't matter. You treat me and I'll pay for the bill. I'll treat it as a kickback for you. Although I am a woman, it doesn't mean that I don't understand the rules or the politics of Britain. Ecology.”

He looked a little surprised or hesitant, but soon he put a hand on his chest, bowed slightly, blinked and said with a smile: "Well, thank you for your generosity, I am very happy to be able to attend you." A charity dinner hosted by myself. By the way, I want to have veal steak tonight. It would be even better if I could have a glass of ice-cold orange carbonated water.”

Fiona rolled her eyes at him, squeezed his arm, and immediately held up the custom-made small pure white lace parasol: "No carbonated water. But, drinking is enough."

The two figures walked further and further away, gradually disappearing into the light and fog in front of them, until they could no longer be seen.

"Miss Fiona."

The voice of calling sounded in Fiona's ears again, pulling her back from her memories.

Fiona looked to the side blankly, and saw that the people in the church had left their seats at some point. They stood in the aisle and looked at her, as if they were hesitant to speak.

However, in the end, Mr. Turner, who was stained with paint, spoke: "Madam, it's getting late and our work has been completed today. Why don't we all go have a meal together? If you feel that the food here is not to your liking, Our gentlemen here will also be happy to take you home first.”

"Ah..." Fiona seemed to have thought of something, and her eyes darted around: "I... thank you for your kindness, but I am not as fragile as you think. Officer Bonaparte should know that I am not as fragile as the average person. Women are different, no gangster has ever dared to cause trouble for me."

When Louis heard this, he couldn't help but remind him: "Miss Fiona, no one dared to trouble you before because..."

Halfway through the words, Louis stopped talking. He knew that he should not mention that name again at this time: "In short, let us send you home. Although the parliamentary reform has been passed and the riots have subsided, London There are usually a lot of people doing dirty work on the streets."

Fiona shook her head repeatedly, and she said with some resistance: "You are right, but you also said that no one troubled me before because... now, he is here too. As long as I don't go too far , then there won’t be any problem.”

"But……"

Louis still wanted to dissuade him, but was interrupted by Alexandre Dumas: "Louis, it's okay, it's not like there are no hotels nearby. If it's late, this lady can stay at the hotel. Trafalgar Square is right next to it. If there's a problem with security here in Whitehall Street, in Parliament, in the Court of Chancery, it means the country is finished."

Seeing this, Pastor Newman on the side also said: "If you stay too late and have nowhere to stay, I will help you say hello to the priests at St. Martin's Church or Westminster Abbey. You arrive You can live in a room with the nuns. Although the conditions are not very good, at least it is safe. Moreover, it will not delay your attendance at Mr. Hastings's funeral tomorrow."

When Fiona heard this, she was immediately relieved. She held up the hem of her skirt and bowed her head and said, "May God bless you, Mr. Newman. You not only forgave me my sins, but also provided me with all kinds of grace."

Newman smiled reluctantly and glanced at the oak coffin: "Don't worry, madam, save the lost lamb. I also learned from him."

After saying this, several people silently left the prayer hall of St. Martin's Church.

Before leaving, Louis did not forget to tell Fiona: "If you want to go back, you can ask the police officers in front of the church for help. They are all members of the Police Intelligence Bureau, so they also know who you are."

Fiona just nodded slightly and watched the group of Arthur's friends walk away until their footsteps could no longer be heard in her ears.

She turned around and looked at Arthur in the coffin.

The warm wind blew through the empty prayer hall and picked up her dress. Fiona was trembling. She only felt her whole body trembling.

Perhaps he was in awe of this sacred place, or he felt that such a scene should not be desecrated.

However, she felt that she could no longer hide or pretend.

Even though she had just confessed her sins to Newman, even though she had just cried and said that she would change her ways.

But, but...

At this moment, what was accumulated in her chest was a prairie fire, like a volcano crater that had been suppressed for a long time. The feelings that had been accumulated for a long time could no longer be concealed by her.

She tremblingly stretched her hand into the coffin, towards the face that haunted her.

Just like other deceased people, Arthur's body was very heavy, but Fiona didn't know where she got the strength to hold him in her arms.

She placed Arthur's head quietly on her chest, and couldn't help showing a look of intoxication on her face, which seemed to be a little remorseful and a little humble. She murmured: "I am really a despicable person." Women, perhaps, will never be able to change in their lifetime.”

And where she couldn't see it, Agares was sitting on top of the icon of the church. The red devil crossed his fingers and held his chin, with a playful smile on his face that showed a successful conspiracy.

The red devil gently patted the face of the holy statue under his crotch, and whispered provocatively: "Did you see it? Old man. This is really a moving picture! It's on your territory, right now. At this moment, the most evil combination in the world will take place!"

He witnessed with his own eyes, Fiona raised Arthur's chin, closed her eyes and pressed her lips lightly.

In an instant, shining six-pointed stars flew out from the red devil's forehead. They continued to grow and expand until they enveloped the entire church.

Then, it curled up and tightened again until Fiona and Arthur's bodies were tightly wrapped together.

Magnificent purple and sparkling red bloom at the same time.

They symbolize the most decadent and purest depravity in the world.

Gradually, a huge dark hole with no light appeared in the six-pointed star formation.

Agares examined and observed, turning over the parchment in his hand from time to time, like an ancient scholar who was working hard.

Suddenly, his right eye twitched slightly, and Agares suddenly snapped his fingers, as if time had stopped at this moment.

The six-pointed stars dimmed one after another, and as the stars dimmed, the souls gradually emerged in the air.

A full 9 out of 10 points means a face that deserves a beating, and a full 5 out of 5 points means a rebellious mind.

If he had a choice, Agares might give him the brain of a normal person, but he couldn't make the choice for many things.

Agares's eyes were filled with red light. He looked at the light blue phantom suspended above Arthur's body and suddenly exhaled from his nose: "Welcome back, little bastard!"

Agares waved his fingertips violently, and his soul plummeted downwards, pouring into the already stiff torso. There was only a bang, and a burst of light blue stardust exploded from the oak coffin, as if Fluorescent powder was sprinkled all over the floor.

Fiona's mouth blocked Arthur's lips, and she greedily searched for them. She felt like she was falling into an ice cave, but she seemed to be rising into the torture of hell.

Her tongue rubbed against Arthur's fangs, and a small gash was opened. Blood flowed freely in her mouth, as if she wanted to let her experience the feeling of being shot in the heart. The pain that penetrates the heart.

She poured Arthur into her arms and was never willing to let go, even if people wanted to bury her and Arthur together.

Suddenly, she seemed to feel something.

Like a hot iron, a generous hand pressed on her waist, and her tongue was suddenly twisted.

She opened her eyes in horror. Fear, fear, excitement, all human emotions seemed to be gathering in her heart at this moment.

She saw that the familiar face in front of her was twitching like a worm.

Those tight bronze doors and those tightly closed eyes are being shaken.

Fiona suddenly let go of her lips. She was scared but excited at the same time. This was a contradictory emotion, but no matter what, she was unwilling to let go at this time.

Because she saw that the eyes that she had prayed for countless times were slowly opening. The black eyes were like the night sky outside the window, and the light red light revealed the dusty world returning from the other side.

Arthur looked at Fiona in front of him, and his weak lips moved slightly.

His voice was like a call from ancient times, low but loud enough.

"water……"

When Fiona heard these words, she felt as if she was in a dream. She couldn't believe what was happening in front of her, but she hugged him tightly in her arms as if she was worried about losing him again.

She heard Arthur's weak and helpless voice ringing in her ears: "You...why don't you scold me, but...you still hug me?"

When Fiona heard this, she just buried her head in his neck. Her eyes were already filled with tears: "Because there is no one in the world who is more unhappy than you."