Chapter 14: Famous Quotations
Chapter 14 Famous Quotes
The two officers, Tony and Tom, followed Arthur’s trail all the way, but even though they were in good physical condition, nay trying to catch up with Arthur in the crowded streets of London was really not an easy task.
By the time they saw Arthur’s figure again, the duo had already arrived in front of the Greenwich District Police Station of the London Metropolitan Police Force.
Arthur stood there, confronting a thirty-something policeman who was a full size bigger than him and had a hawkish nose.
There was hardly any difference between the attire of the two men, the only difference being that the older policeman had three extra V’s on his shoulder patch, which represented his rank – Sergeant.
He was none other than Willox Roberts, Arthur’s immediate superior, the Divisional Sergeant of the Greenwich District Police Station of the London Metropolitan Police.
Arthur, though thin, was head and shoulders taller than the other man.
And though the other man was short, his fierce face showed it, with a shallow knife scar on his neck and the tip of his eyebrow mutilated.
Every scar on his body had a great deal of significance.
His scar came from the Seventh War against the French Confederacy, when he had fought as a British Army soldier in most of the battles against the First French Empire.
And the stump at the top of his eyebrow comes from St. Peter’s Square in Manchester in 1819.
Britain’s involvement in seven wars against France in the 22 years from 1793 to 1815, and the long period of war with France, had a significant impact on the domestic trade and economy, while the British authorities chose to adopt a hard-line, high-pressure policy at home, leading to deepening tensions within the country.
The conflicts accumulated over the years finally erupted in 1819, and on August 16th, a mass rally of 80,000 people broke out in St. Peter’s Square in Manchester.
They demanded the reform of the electoral system, the abolition of the grain law and the abolition of the law against workers’ associations.
Not only that, but the organizers invited the famous radical reformer Henry Hunt to speak to the public.
In a panic, the Manchester City Council ordered the arrest of Henry Hunt and the organizers of the Congress, and the conflict between the two sides intensified.
In an attempt to contain the situation, the British authorities eventually ordered the assembly to be suppressed by the military police and the British Army.
The 15th Light Cavalry Regiment, which had made great achievements for Britain on the Waterloo battlefield, also took part in this operation, and they accomplished their mission with the same ‘excellence’ this time.
The 15th Light Dragoons rode back and forth on their high horses and ultimately resulted in 18 dead and over 700 wounded.
As a result, this action was also jokingly referred to by the British public as the Battle of Waterloo that took place in St. Peter’s Square, or simply the Peterloo Tragedy.
And this sheriff was a part of the Peterloo tragedy.
Willox as a battle-hardened veteran, officially retired last year, and decided to accept the internal arrangements, to the newly established not long to the Greater London Police Department as a police chief.
He paced slowly around Arthur, his eyes like vipers scanning Arthur up and down for a long time before speaking.
“I’ve heard all about what you did at the magistrates’ court. Beautiful, well done, you think I would praise you like that? Arthur?”
Arthur glanced at him, “Where would I be lucky to get a word of appreciation from you?”
Willox sneered, “Count on you having some brains!
To tell you the truth! I’m angry, very angry! You’re also lucky, very lucky!
If I was still in the army, you’d already be on the ground with your stomach covered and unable to get up!
What do you think you are?
You’re just a cop!
All you need is orders, obedience!
Not some bullshit public conscience, that’s for MPs and cabinet ministers to think about!
Arthur, are you trying to overstep your bounds!
Attacking the letter of the law in a magistrate’s court, do you realize what a mess this could make if it got to the top?
What do you think the Supreme Court will think?
What do you think the legislators will think?
What do you think the two justices overseeing Scotland Yard would think?
For the sake of your puny conscience, do you want to drag me down with you?
Answer me! Arthur!”
Arthur spoke faintly, “I purposely came here today to offer an explanation.”
He took off his hat, removed his epaulettes, and handed them over with both hands.
“Everything that happened is my responsibility alone. I alone am responsible for the consequences that have arisen in connection with it. I, Arthur Hastings, Inspector Constable of the Greenwich District of the Greater London Police, hereby resign.”
Willox had both hands behind his back, and he was clearly grinning, but that face was worse than crying.
Compared to the bright weather of the day, his face was grim and dark as if it were a cold, rainy night.
He violently grabbed Arthur’s shirt collar, “You take the blame? You’ll take the blame and resign? Who do you think you are? Do you think you are the Prime Minister of Great Britain!”
Arthur looked at his old face as it came up to his face, he slowly closed his eyes and his clenched fists made a crunching crunching crunching crunching crunching crunching crunching crunching crunching crunching crunching crunching crunching sound. When Willox heard this rattling, he looked down at Arthur’s fist and laughed arrogantly to the extreme, “Come on, strike! Haven’t you always wanted to beat me up! Come on! Back in the day, my old man didn’t even get beaten up in battle, and you dare to fight me?!”
Arthur took a deep breath, and his hands went to his pockets.
“Willox, don’t blame me for not warning you. When I went on patrol in the East End last night, I brought a gun with me just in case.”
As soon as Arthur’s words left his mouth, Willox felt something against his stomach.
Cold sweat slowly trickled down from Willox’s temples, and time seemed to freeze as the two of them stayed frozen on the spot in this position.
Seeing this, Tony and Officer Tom rushed forward to relieve themselves and said: ”Arthur, Sergeant Willox, you all wake up a bit. We are all coworkers, we don’t need to be like this.”
“Right, right …… This will really kill people if it goes on like this.”
But Arthur seemed as if he didn’t hear the two’s persuasion, and instead rushed at Willox.
“Your brain can simply be used to make bells.”
Willox’s pupils shrunk slightly, and he said in shock, “What did you say!”
Arthur shook his head slightly, “I didn’t say that, Victor Hugo did.”
Willox yelled, “Which district is Victor Hugo in charge of?!”
Arthur sneered, “He’s not a cop, he’s a French writer.”
Willox sniffed and felt irritated.
He was about to swear at Arthur, but just as his mouth opened, he felt the thing that was originally on his stomach had moved to his chest.
His forehead was covered in sweat, so he had to improvise and say, “Oh, Arthur. I, I know you’re a high school graduate and someone who likes to read.
But take my advice, read less French stuff, it poisons your mind. You could read something else or something, like our national pastime, Shakespeare or something.”
Arthur nodded, as if he understood the sheriff’s words, and he spoke, “You don’t have as much brain capacity as you do earwax.”
“What did you say!”
“Don’t be angry, Mr. Sheriff. As you wish, that was Shakespeare who just said that.”
Willox’s face flushed red as he tried to fire back at Arthur, but didn’t know what to say, his scanty vocabulary reserves limiting a bellyful of ‘bravado’.
Arthur saw that he didn’t say anything, so he spoke again, “You uneducated bastard.”
Willox looked as if he had given up, and he took a deep breath, suppressing his anger.
“Forget it, just make it up to me. Tell me, who just said that again?”
Arthur raised an eyebrow slightly as he rested his stripped epaulettes and uniform on Willox’s head.
“That line just now, was said by Arthur Hastings. Goodbye, Mr. Sheriff.”
He casually tossed the top on Willox’s chest and disappeared into the crowd of people on the street with both hands in his pants pockets at a subdued pace.
Willox looked down, and it turned out not to be a pistol, but a mediocre pipe.
The tobacco in the pipe had not finished smoking and was scattered all over the place.
Shame, anger, loathing ……
A myriad of emotions flooded Willox’s mind as he clenched his fists and growled in Arthur’s faraway direction.
“Arthur! You wait for me! Don’t think you can get away with taking off these clothes! Laozi will launch an internal investigation against you! I will launch an internal investigation against you!!!”
(End of chapter)