[Titanic] Ticket

When he got to the bridge tower, Lester realized that the situation here was a mess. Captain Smith looked almost mad with anger, and William Murdoch stood upright in the corner-he was a very British temperament, with his face stretched out. With two deep nasolabial folds, he looks rigid and serious.

"...It seems that we are visiting at an inappropriate time." Karl frowned, maintaining a not very happy expression. He has always been a nobleman who pays great attention to etiquette and habits, and this chaotic captain who looks like a vegetable market Room clearly offended him.

Captain Smith quickly noticed them. It was hard to tell whether the look on his face was embarrassment or more anxiety. He almost rushed forward: "Mr. Hockley, Lester, why are you here?"

Carl smiled softly: "I heard some news-you know, rumors always spread fast in the first-class cabin."

Captain Smith's eyes became a little flustered: "Yes, yes, that's right. We have nothing to do here, Mr. Hockley, at least it's not a big deal—"

"I don't think so, it looks like you have something to say." Carl raised his sharp chin, and there was a kind of arrogance in this damn movement, and his voice even seemed a little sweet, "Smith Captain, you shouldn't deprive him of his right to appeal, do you?"

The old captain was in doubt, and privately eyed Lester anxiously, hoping that he might give him some slight hint—but the young man had a cold face, pale eyelashes covering the same In the cold eyeballs, the gaze appeared very complicated and deep.

Edward Smith felt guilty, and God knows it almost reminded him of the critical scrutiny from his peers after his captain found out that he had accepted a bribe for the first time in his youth.

"...God, it's not William's fault alone..." The old captain took off his hat, his ruddy complexion seemed to turn gray all of a sudden, he was a little unmotivated—or maybe it was guilt, and spit out every word. Words are like chewing a piece of hard bread in your mouth, vague and difficult, "I didn't like him...I have to take full responsibility..."

William Murdoch seemed to have suddenly changed from a corpse to a living person - he almost rudely knocked away Captain Smith, his tone was stiff, but it was not difficult to hear the choking in it: "What does this have to do with you? It's me , I was the one who took bribes from Mr. Ismay, Mr. Smith is the best captain, and I did all this damnedly without telling him, I sold my conscience to the devil!"

"Oh—I was so moved that I almost cried, tear-jerking friendship, isn't it?" Carl snorted, his expression a little indifferent, "Ismay's little trick. What did he ask you to do? Increase the speed of the ship? To secure the Titan The Nick's maiden voyage was earth-shattering enough to take down a blue streamer?"

Biting his lips tightly: "Yes, sir."

The sarcasm on Carl's face was like sea water at high tide, about to flow out from every pore of his body to drown these overwhelmed crew members: "If my memory serves me correctly, Hockley also holds a seat on White Star's board of directors. And a Hockley of Ismay's equal status, just because of you—or your greed and stupidity is tying your head outside the Titanic at full speed and approaching hell? Ha, do you want me to shoot Satan Telegram, so that he can greet him at the door?"

A gentleman's face was twitching constantly, he seemed to have nothing to say, and Lester even saw him touch the holster on his waist with trembling hands-this made him feel disgusted: "Since when did it start?" , Mr. Murdoch?"

William shuddered, and the gun almost slipped out of his fingers—fortunately he held it, but Captain Smith also noticed his abnormality, and the old gentleman took his weapon away almost in a fit of rage. As usual, he might give this young man who tried to commit suicide a severe lesson.

"Morning," William said softly, "he said we were running out of time, and we had to go as fast as possible. I bribed the boiler workers while the captain was away... That's it, Mr. Smith has always been Keeping it in the dark, he didn't find out about my manipulations until he returned to the captain's cabin not long ago."

"Exquisite." Carl clapped his hands insincerely, and then he noticed that Lester's face was a little abnormally pale, and he roughly embraced the young man in his arms—God, he was as cold as just Get out of the water, "Hey, Lester, Lester, how are you? Whoever, give me a drink, don't you see he's about to pass out!"

"No, I'm fine." Lester pushed Carl away, took a deep breath and stood up straight, "Captain Smith, please order to slow down. In fact, half an hour ago we received an iceberg warning from the Californian, Captain Rhodes told us that out of international humanitarianism, he has issued several reminders, but all he got was scolding of 'get off' and 'don't harass me'."

Carl noticed that the faces of several young crew members were flushed like monkey butts, and Lester's calm and rational voice continued-"Of course, it's not a big deal. As long as the Titanic arrives in New York safely, I think anyone will Willingly forgive the insolence. Captain Smith, I sincerely hope that this was a trip that I will remember for a lifetime—perhaps in the memoirs of my later years.”

"This is my responsibility." Edward Smith saluted, his eye circles a little red, "I have slowed them down in the shortest possible time. This night will pass safely, Lester, I use my Honor Guaranteed."

Lester smiled—it was not a beautiful expression—Carl assured that he could even see a kind of desperation in it: "I believe in you, you are a good captain who does his duty, completely complete."

……

Lester's heart was in a mess.

It is already eight o'clock in the night, and the cold clouds are lingering in the night sky—there are no stars, no moon, the sea water is a little scary, and there is darkness in his eyes—those boundless nights are like ink in his heart, and his thoughts are drawn The man tore open a long crack, and something cold and deep poured in—he clearly felt that every breath was difficult and painful.

"Tell me something, please!" Carl grabbed the young man who was rushing forward with his head buried, and hugged him tightly, "Don't run away, Lester, I'm behind you .Turn your head, I will protect you, I swear."

Lester was breathing heavily, his fingers gripping Carl's ironed shirt like a spasm: "I'm trying to change everything, Carl, it's useless, it's useless, do you understand! I'm going to die, Many people on this ship are going to die!"

Lester's voice was hoarse and desperate, he leaned his forehead on Carl's warm chest, and murmured like a dream: "I don't understand what's the point of this, Carl..."

"Look up at me, boy." Carl squeezed Lester's pointed jaw and forced him to look directly into his eyes, "I don't understand what you're saying, and I don't need any explanation—at least not yet. Whatever, I'm sure you've changed me at least, and now, we're together!"

Lester stared silently at this man with a cold expression—he was only 29 years old, but he seemed indestructible, from body to will, he was absolutely powerful in the true sense. At this moment, no one could imagine that he would die at 20 The Great Depression of the stock market years later—and the cause was nothing more than a ridiculous suicide.

"Carl." Lester held his face, raised his head slightly to kiss him, and the lights of the bridge tower fell on him, like the silhouette of Gabriel refracted from a piece of stained glass.

"what?"

"Whatever, live on." Lester and his brows rubbed together, dry lips rubbing against each other, and Karl saw his boy's eyes—with some warm and bright emotions, like an eternal starry dream, "No matter how difficult things are, live on. And, never forget me, okay?"

……

Carl came back to the room alone, and he kept replaying the kiss and the boy's gaze in his mind, until Lovejoy walked over with a piece of paper in embarrassment: "Master...hmm—I think , you should see this..."

"What——" Carl took it casually—the paper is a bit thick, not the ones he usually uses in his study—the sudden appearance on the drawing paper suddenly took away all of Carl's vocal ability, and he opened his mouth—like A ridiculous goldfish or an idiot or something looking from the paper to Lovejoy's face in astonishment.

The old housekeeper nodded painfully: "They put it in your safe."

"Damn it!" Carl yelled, sweeping away all the decorations and decorations on the table like a whirlwind, "What is she going to do? Challenge me and bring her bloody poor lover? Ha, Bucket, God Damn Bucket, did I ever treat her badly?"

Lovejoy never wished for Lester's presence more than at this moment - but it was obviously impossible for the young man to suddenly become a house-elf on call, and the old butler felt that he was really approaching retirement age - At any rate, I'm glad Bucket won't be the future hostess of the Hockley family—look, finding a man isn't useless, is it?

Carl looked up sullenly, and Lovejoy swears he almost gritted the words: "Get-them-back!"

"Yes, sir."