Chapter 64: Arthur’s Redemption and Hell
Chapter 64 Arthur’s Redemption and Hell
Arthur sat in the rickety carriage, his face unreadable.
He was wet everywhere, it was a bad day and he had to run several streets before he found a public carriage that operated in the morning.
The coachman held the reins in both hands, he saw Arthur, who was covered in rainwater, through the window glass, and asked shyly, “Mr. Officer, do you need a towel?
I have one for wiping sweat, if you don’t mind, you can use it first. The towel is hanging on the handrail inside the carriage, that white one is.”
Arthur’s body was shivering a little from the cold, he reluctantly smiled, “Thank you for your kindness, I’ll be polite then.”
As he took a towel and wiped off his police uniform, he heard the driver’s laughter ring out from the other end of the carriage.
The coachman hid under the rain shield stretched out on top of the carriage and laughed cheerfully as he drove.
“It’s okay, I’m a little embarrassed to say it. You look quite a bit like my little nephew that I raised single-handedly, with similar features, similar profile, and even your hair is all dark and healthy looking.
If he had stayed in the country, there’s no doubt he could have been a Scotland Yard policeman like you; you must have a pretty good income there; after all, the average man can’t afford to ride in a public carriage.”
“Income ……” Arthur paused for a moment as he remembered many things, “Not bad, at least one can live.”
The coachman smiled and said, “Indeed, these days, a job that you can live on is a good job.
That nephew of mine is because he couldn’t survive in his hometown, that’s why he found someone to borrow money to take a ship to the North American colonies.
I heard them say that the North American colonies are not like ours, there is a lack of manpower over there, no matter if you work as a farmer to farm the land or go to a factory to work as a laborer, you’ll get a good deal.
Alas, this has passed for half a year, I don’t know how my nephew is doing in North America, how come he didn’t remember to write a letter to his uncle.”
Arthur consoled, “It may be that the letter written hasn’t been delivered yet, after all, the fastest a cruise ship can travel from Boston on the east coast of North America to Liverpool in the country is half a month.”
The coachman asked with considerable interest, “You seem to know North America quite well, how do you know that the boat ride will take most of a month?”
Arthur smiled, “Because I just returned a ticket to Boston not long ago.”
“Refunded a ticket? You were planning to go to North America before?”
The bus driver was puzzled, “Why? Don’t you have a pretty good job? Only those of us who can’t survive would think of trying our luck in North America.”
Arthur’s hand was cupped with a towel, and he stared out the car window at the foggy downpour, his tone revealing emotions that were a little complicated and a little hard to make sense of.
“There are many, complex reasons for this.”
The driver of the car looked back at the young man, then shook his head incomprehensibly, his eyes flickering with a slightly reddish light like that of a red devil spewing flames from his mouth.
“Young man, you seem to have something on your mind. Still, as a man who has been here before, I’d like to have a word with you.
There is only one most important thing for a person to live in this world, and that is to live.
People live to live, don’t look for any meaning, because life is not meaningful in the first place.
The so-called significance is a reason that people make up for themselves in order to live.
If this reason doesn’t make sense, then let’s change the reason, anyway, there are many reasons, there is always a suitable one for you.”
Speaking of this, the wheels of the public carriage slowed to a stop.
The driver threw his hand back and shouted at the top of his voice, “Mr. Officer, St. Thomas’s Hospital is here, it’s not too far, I’ll charge you the starting price, one shilling.”
Two coins were pressed into the palm of the coachman’s hand.
The coachman froze, looked at the two coins in his hand and asked, “Sir, it’s one shilling, not two.”
Arthur stepped out of the carriage, he straightened his policeman’s uniform and his riding boots stepped on the rain covered stone tiles.
“Just take it, like you said, the two shillings is the reason I made up for myself to live, it’s what I live for.”
He stepped towards the gates of St. Thomas’ Hospital, leaving muddy footprints dripping with water along the way.
The silhouette of Agareth gradually flowed out of the carter’s torso, the boiling oil was tumbling over the red devil’s head, and a blazing fire seemed to be burning between his eyes.
He was seething with rage, and his tremulous whispers, though faintly detectable, seemed to tear through the dreary sky and the pouring rain that filled the street.
His ears seemed to ring with many voices buried behind time, and he was reminded of many distant memories that he did not wish to recall.
–Behold, my servant. whom I have sustained, whom I have chosen, whom my heart delights in! I have given him my Spirit, and he will preach righteousness to the Gentiles.
–He shall not make a noise, nor lift up his voice, nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets. A crushed reed he will not break. He will not blow out a lamp that is about to be marred, but in truth he spreads justice.
–To be a light to the Gentiles, and to preach the truth to the Gentiles. The Savior, whom God has chosen and in whose heart he is pleased, to whom God will give the Holy Spirit, will preach righteousness to the Gentiles, and will be a light to the Gentiles, healing the blind, delivering the captives, leading out the sinners, and holding our hands.
Agareth covered his head, and he was filled with disbelief, “It …… is you?”
Arthur stood quietly outside the window of the autopsy room at St. Thomas Hospital, and he saw that it was crowded with King’s College medical students who had come to class.
The cold wind blew off his round black hat, and the cold rain slapped his face, but when the rainwater gathered in his jaw, it suddenly had a hint of warmth.
The touch, rolling hot, was so hot that it practically uncovered his face.
Every now and then, the sound of a medical professor explaining a lesson came from inside the classroom.
“Please come closer, today’s example is a bit special, it’s a young female who is less than ten years old. We can see that the deceased’s lungs are slightly white and have shown some powdering, she should have died from a lung related disease. Lung disease is now very common in our worker population, and we are committed to researching gas medications for exactly the same purpose ……”
Arthur’s hand shook slightly as he gripped the officer’s knife, and he inhaled and breathed and inhaled again so continuously that he felt his ears were no longer able to hear and his eyes were close to blindness.
He felt like the whole world was spinning and he felt dizzy.
He felt a manic depression in his chest, he had to kill a few people to let go of this knot.
He gritted his teeth, and what came out of his mouth was a half-muffled voice: “Who did this?” The Red Devil stood behind him, he looked at Arthur fixedly, all that flowed from his eyes was incredulity.
Arthur turned around and picked up the Red Devil by the collar and slammed him against the wall, “Agareth! I asked you who did it! Can’t you hear me? Can’t you answer all the riddles of the world! Who did this? Tell me now, how many souls it takes and I’ll pay you all of them!”
Agareth’s head cleared as he hit him.
The red devil took a deep breath as he pressed his hands down and said, “Arthur, calm down, first.”
“How do you expect me to calm down? How do you expect me to explain to Adam! Do you want me to tell him that his friend, that sweet little girl, Robin, was left open in the anatomy classroom at St. Thomas Hospital!”
Agareth reminded, “Arthur, I know you’re having a hard time. And I told you, you shouldn’t be here, it’s like that Charles Darwin said, good people should stay away from hospitals, there’s something …… very …… very bloody going on here… …”
“Is that the bloody question! Why did she die and how did the body get here after she died?
I …… I should never have listened to Scotland Yard in the first place, if I hadn’t done what they wanted and instead made the news public, Robin might not have gotten into trouble ……
I …… it’s all my fault ……”
Arthur gasped and covered his heart leaning against the corner, the only way he could keep from collapsing was by using his strength in this way.
“Arthur, don’t blame yourself too much.” The red devil rode his shoulder and said in relief, “This little girl originally couldn’t live for long, it’s not your fault.”
“Arthur! It’s no good! Robin is missing!”
Suddenly, a shout rang out.
Arthur looked up; it was Tom and Tony, who were supposed to be picking up Robin from her appointment, and Adam, who was being held in Tom’s arms.
Seeing them, Arthur hurriedly tried to get up, but the few times he tried to get up, he fell into a puddle.
Seeing this, Tony rushed up at a faster pace and ran up to try to help him up.
But as he ran up to the window of the anatomy classroom, his steps also jerked to a halt.
Tony looked inside, and almost instantly, he felt his head fill with blood as two lines of tears flowed out.
“I …… I’ll fucking …… I’ll fucking kill these idiots!!!”
He pulled out the officer’s knife and wanted to rush into the classroom like a black bear with angry hair.
But before he could act, he was stopped by Arthur from behind, and the two of them launched themselves in the opposite direction, and all of them ended up falling heavily into the mud.
Tony used his hands to try to break Arthur’s hands, but the arm as strong as an iron clamp would not let go no matter what.
“Arthur, you …… you let go of me! You fucking let go of me! I don’t slaughter these people, you …… you let me die after, how …… how to face God?”
“Tony, you can’t go.” Arthur’s muffled voice rang out, “You’re about to start a family, you can’t do something like this.”
Tony had tears in both of his eyes as he cracked, “And what the fuck is starting a family! Arthur, don’t think you’re the only one who’s a cop, I’m a fucking cop too!”
“Then you can’t go either.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s my order.”
“Fuck your orders!”
Tony dropped to both knees as he clutched his head to the sky, and in the rain, all that could be seen were his bloodshot eyes.
“Ah ！！！！！！！！！”
Tom stopped behind holding Adam, he was overwhelmed by Tony’s reaction.
“Arthur, Tony, what’s wrong with you guys?”
Arthur raised his hand at Tom and he gulped, “Stay back Tom, you and Adam stay right there.”
Tom froze, “Is that an order?”
“No, it’s not.” Arthur’s hair was wet on his head, making him look wretched, “It’s just a request, if you want me to feel better, stay back and I’ll come over.”
Arthur walked over to Tom with his analgesic heart, he crouched down and brought his eyes level with Adam’s.
“Adam, I don’t know what to tell you. I …… I’m sorry for you, and even …… more so for Robin. You believed in me so much and I …… me, I’m sorry I let you down.”
Adam’s eyes slowly widened as he heard this, the nine year old seemed to understand something.
All children from St. Giles Parish were always more precocious than their peers, and he understood the meaning of Arthur’s words.
“Mr. Hastings …….”
Arthur hardly dared to meet his eyes, “I …… I’m really sorry.”
Adam’s eyes were full of tears, he stretched out his arm and hugged Arthur’s head, resting his face on the top of Arthur’s head, “You never had anything to be sorry for, and even if you did, I’m willing to forgive you.”
Arthur dropped to both knees, he slowly closed his eyes, his agitation finally regaining its serenity even in the midst of the rainstorm.
“Adam, I promise you, and I promise Robin, that I will not spare anyone involved in the disappearance of St. Giles Parish.”
He took a deep breath and ran a hand back through his wet hair, then rose and rushed to Tom.
“Tom, send someone immediately to the magistrates’ court for a search warrant for St. Thomas’ Hospital at King’s College.”
He then shouted at Tony, who was crying uncontrollably behind him, “Tony! If you want to take revenge, come with me to the Home Office now, the lead in the investigation of this disappearance will belong to the Greenwich Police District of the London Metropolitan Police!”
(End of chapter)