In fact, like a tree, the more he yearns for the sunshine in the heights, the more his roots reach into the dark underground.

—Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

London, Asterley Amphitheatre.

In the current complex situation in London, the theatre area in the West End is one of the few pure lands.

In order to deal with the special situation that may occur at any time, Scotland Yard ordered an increase in the patrol of various public areas of London a few days ago.

In addition to London's major banks, which are currently in a run on the city, high-traffic venues such as markets and theatres have also been placed under intense surveillance.

And the Astrid Amphitheater, which is about to stage the famous playwright and Dumas's latest work "Antony", has naturally become the top priority in the surveillance.

According to the theater manager, tens of thousands of spectators were attracted by the famous name of Alexandre Dumas and the arrival of the heroine of the scene, the famous Parisian actress Madame Doval, and the 4,000 tickets arranged by the theater for the premiere of "Antony" were sold out in just one morning.

On London's underground black market, tickets for the premiere of "Anthony" were sold at sky-high prices, with many even claiming that they were willing to pay five pounds to see Madame dovall.

It has to be said that in the current turbulent situation, this is really a strange phenomenon.

Crowds of protesters were everywhere, the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder, and it seemed that a revolution could break out in London at any moment, but the business of the theatre was even more prosperous than it was on a quiet day.

Perhaps it is because these gentlemen and ladies with a little savings want to use drama to blow away the lingering fear in their hearts, so they want to find a spiritual pillar for themselves in the unrealistic fantasy world.

Or maybe it's because the anger of the protesters has reached their minds, triggering their usual stable hormone levels, so they urgently need a drama that can help them express their feelings to calm the bipolar depression in their hearts.

Or maybe it's because they just like the poster that the theater put up for Antony, the line that Alexandre Dumas says through the mouth of the protagonist: "Why should I obey these laws, obey those rules?" None of the people who made these laws have alleviated my pain or fulfilled my obligations once. All I have received in this society is injustice, and all I owe to others is hatred, not the slightest kindness. ”

But whatever the reason, they plan to gather in Astri tonight to enjoy this absurd love story of elopement, cheating and murder by French republicans.

Arthur sat quietly smoking a cigarette in the box of the Astrid Amphitheater, and in front of him lay Dumas and Louis, who were bound by his flowers.

It was still afternoon, and there was nothing in the theater except for the empty seats and the staff who were carrying the stage sets.

Dumas lay on the bright red carpet of the box, his eyes bloodshot and filled with flames of vengeance. The French fat man's teeth were clenched, and with his fluffy explosive head, he looked like an angry lion, and as long as the restraints on his body were loosened even a little, he would not hesitate to pounce on the spotted cheetah in front of him who was looking at him with cunning and agile eyes.

Arthur and Alexandre Dumas stared at each other, and the undulating smoke obscured his face so that he could not see his expression clearly, except through the smoke screen two glittering red eyes, and a voice that once sounded kind but now sounded extremely disgusting.

"Alexander, I know you're angry. I guess if I give you a gun now, you'll kill me right away. So, I'm not going to give you this chance, at least until the end of tonight's show, you're going to have to lie down here. Although it will not be very comfortable to lie down like this, it ...... It's not the first time you've done this kind of thing, after all, and I'm sure you'll get used to it soon. ”

"Hastings!" Alexandre Dumas's eyes split: "You devil! You betrayed me, for the sake of Louis Philippe, for the sake of a French thief, you betrayed our friendship!! ”

Arthur looked at Alexandre Dumas who was so angry that he almost twisted and crawled on the ground, and only smiled and replied, "Alexander, I don't think so. It's just that we have a different definition of friendship, you think that friendship is the mutual trust between friends, and it is to provide all kinds of practical or unrealistic help to friends without reservation.

But, I don't agree with you. I think the way to treat a good friend is to try to make him live in the safest way possible. You long for a heroic end, and you think that giving your life to the revolution and dedicating yourself to your French mother is the best way to end it.

But in my opinion, your behavior is ridiculous and funny, and you cannot go into an unprepared war, an uprising with no chance of victory. Your French mother doesn't need chaos more than anything else, is it true that your mother is looking forward to her children dying rather than watching them grow up healthy and healthy?

If you want to hate me, well, Alexander, I assure you, this will be the last time I offend you. The reason I stopped you at the docks today is because you're only 29 years old. Remember what Mr. Talleyrand said to us?

I've always believed that you can't trust someone who isn't a republican before the age of 30, and you can't trust someone who is still a republican after the age of 30. 'I remember your birthday, and once July 24th this year, I'll do whatever you want. The path is yours to choose, and as a friend I have done my best for you. ”

With that, Arthur suddenly stood up and pulled a wet handkerchief out of his jacket pocket.

Dumas saw Arthur approaching step by step, and shouted angrily, "What do you bastard want to do?!" ”

Arthur leaned down, supported Dumas's chin with one hand, and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Alexander, I know your abilities, so I think it's better to be safe with you." ”

Without waiting for Alexandre Dumas to speak, Arthur covered the mouth and nose of the French fat man with a handkerchief.

Alexandre Dumas was at first struggling, but soon he felt his consciousness blur and his writhing body lose strength, and the words he had spoken before he fell unconscious were the same French he had taught Arthur.

“Je te dis merde！” (May you go out and step on)

Arthur smiled lightly: "Alexander, I remember this, which can also be translated as wishing me shit luck, thank you." ”

Dumas rolled his eyes, only to hear a thud, and his drooping head slammed into the floor.

......Louis, who was lying next to Alexandre Dumas and was tied up, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw this: "The effect is fast enough!" It seems that you are right, this new substance called chloroform can indeed be used as an anesthetic. Alexander slept like a baby, and everything was done, and I finally didn't have to go on with him on his journey to France. ”

Arthur retrieved his unfinished pipe from the table and put it in his mouth again: "I have to say, your acting skills are good, Louie." I'm sure even Mr. Vidocq himself would have been able to achieve the same effect as you at best. Maybe you should consider changing careers, and you can definitely become a famous actor who is famous all over the world. ”

Louis turned over with difficulty, and he spoke: "Although I am indeed interested in theater, I always feel that the stage of the theater is still too small for me. ”

Arthur leaned back in his chair and asked, "Then I'll send you back to France?" ”

"France?"

Louis paused, then continued: "The stage in France is indeed far larger than the theater, even so large that it is beyond my ability. For now, I think the Scotland Yard scene is the most suitable for me, there are so many roles for me to choose from, today I can be a republican, tomorrow I can be a Bonapartist and the day after tomorrow I can be a pure royalist. I don't say this to disrespect those who make a living out of it, but I do think that role-playing at Scotland Yard gives me far more freedom than a professional actor who is bound by the framework of a script. ”

At this, Louis twisted his stiff neck again, and he spoke, "Then again, Arthur, should you let me go?" It's not the first time I've been tied up, like Alexander, but to be honest, it's pretty uncomfortable for me to be like this. ”

As soon as Louis finished speaking, he caught a glimpse of Arthur's smiling eyes, and a feeling of something bad suddenly rose from his heart: "Arthur, you ......"

Arthur smiled and asked, "Two things, one good and one bad, which one do you want to hear first?" ”

Louis stared at Arthur for a long time, and he took a deep breath, "Bad. ”

"Louie, you've been fired."

Arthur stood up and said, "In my capacity as Assistant Superintendent of the Greater London Metropolitan Police and Director of the London Police Intelligence Bureau, I inform you that from today onwards, you have been officially dismissed from the Greater London Metropolitan Police and the Police Intelligence Bureau, and you will no longer enjoy our rank salary and related allowances. ”

Louis was silent for a moment, and then asked, "What about the good side?" ”

Arthur smiled and raised his handkerchief: "We didn't fire you because you did something wrong with your job, nor did we want to hand you over to the French government, we just didn't want a noble Bonaparte to be involved in the current turbulent London political situation." In other words, Louie, you are free, congratulations. ”

"What the is this......

Before Louis could finish his words, the handkerchief was already attached to the tip of his nose.

Perhaps because he was not as large as Alexander, he fell to the ground without even uttering a complete sentence under the influence of the same dose of chloroform.

Arthur knelt on one knee, looked at the two friends on the ground, one fat and one thin, and unhurriedly stuffed the handkerchief back into his jacket pocket.

The figure of the Red Devil appeared behind him, and Agareth looked at the scene in front of him with bad intentions, baring his fangs and sneering viciously.

"Arthur, it looks like you're going to lose two good friends today. But I appreciate your style, which is arbitrary, arrogant, and unreasonable, which is what a good villain should do. Do you know why you got a shot in Liverpool? It's because you used to be so mother-in-law that you should slowly learn how to behave like a real man. ”

Arthur glanced at Agareth beside him, and his hand rested on the doorknob and replied, "Agareth." ”

The Red Devil leaned against the wall with interest and asked, "What's wrong?" ”

"There were things in the past, I didn't do it right."

When Agareth heard this, goosebumps fell to the ground, and the Red Devil felt like he had fallen into the very center of the Arctic Circle, and he was so cold that he rubbed his body vigorously to try to warm himself up.

He rubbed and scolded, "Damn! Arthur, you bastard boy! If you could divide half of my disgusting skills into figuring out how to become a good Devil Contractor, maybe Barr would be kneeling at my feet and licking my shoes by now. ”

Arthur smiled, he didn't say anything, just opened the door and walked out.

He had barely gone out of the room when he saw a lady in front of him, dressed in a new red dress and with a simple smile peculiar to a country girl, teasing her son.

The little boy was wearing a newly made tuxedo, and his expression was a little embarrassed and cramped, as if he was not suitable for wearing such high-end clothes. In this strange and magnificent theater, what he felt was not excitement and joy, but the uneasiness and panic brought about by the unfamiliar environment.

Anyone who knew Alexandre Dumas could tell at a glance the identity of this little boy. Because this boy has almost exactly the same unkempt hair as his father, he knows at a glance that he is a fat man's amorous species.

Arthur stepped forward, and the crunch of his riding boots on the ground startled the lady and the boy.

Madame looked back at Arthur and couldn't help but smile gratefully: "Mr. Hastings, you are here, if you say so, Alexander will ...... too"

Arthur nodded slightly, and replied with a smile, "Miss Rabe, it's a pleasure to see you again." If you want to see Alexander, he's behind me at this point, room 203. The key to the box is here, and if you want to see him, you can go there now. Don't be too surprised when you go in, though, he may have done his best last night and is now sleeping dead.

You can secretly give him a passionate French wet kiss and forgive him for abandoning his wife. You can also give him a punch and kick to vent your resentment towards this negative man. Exactly how to do it, it's all up to you. I have done everything I can to arrange the best way for you to meet. My only request to you is not to untie the rope from him. ”

"Rope?" Miss Caterina Rabe asked, puzzled, "Did you tie him up?" ”

Arthur casually remarked, "That's right, but it's to cure his illness." Alexander: Recently, in order to create "Anthony", he has developed some mental illnesses and is not very emotionally stable. But rest assured, this is not an incurable disease, and the doctor said that as long as he is actively treated, he will be cured soon. If you notice that he wakes up and is in a grumpy mood, you can call me to arrange for four officers on the second floor to go in, they know how to make Alexander quiet. ”

As Arthur said this, he suddenly noticed that the little boy holding his mother's hand was staring at him intently with big black eyes.

Seeing this, Arthur leaned down and rubbed his little face, and said with a smile: "I promised you that I would bring your father to see you, and now that I have fulfilled my promise, you should be happy, right?" ”

Dumas shrank behind his mother's red dress and looked at Arthur for a long time, until he found that his mother was looking at him with reproachful eyes, and then Dumas timidly said, "Thank you...... Thank you, sir. ”

Arthur wasn't angry, he just asked, "Tell me, what are you going to do to your father after you see him?" ”

Dumas showed half of his face from behind the red dress, and replied shyly and bravely: "I...... I want to teach him a lesson. ”

"My dear little Alexander!" Miss Rabe couldn't help but ask, "How can you say such a thing!" How do I teach you at home? ”

Dumas was reprimanded by his mother, and he couldn't help but be frightened, but in a moment he insisted: "I...... I still want to teach him a lesson, who ...... Who made him throw me out of the study like waste paper before? Whereas...... And he was scuffling with my mom......"

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help laughing, and he raised his hand to stop Miss Rabe's slap: "Madam, don't pay too much attention to it, Tong Yan is unscrupulous." ”

Miss Rabe said helplessly and reproachfully: "Sorry, Mr. Hastings, I have no education, so I have taught my children like this, you know, I do a good job of needlework, but I ...... Alas......"

Arthur shook his head and replied with a smile: "Madam, don't belittle yourself too much, in my opinion, you have taught this child quite well." There is revenge, and he is indeed very much like his father. ”

"Yes...... Is it so......" Miss Rabe looked a little unconfident, and she replied shyly, "Thank God, if he can become a brilliant playwright like his father in the future, even if only a fraction of his talent." ”

"He will."

Arthur replied categorically, then leaned down and patted Dumas on the shoulder, and said in his ear, "If you want to teach your father a lesson, it's best to go now, because I'm afraid he'll wake up in a while." ”

Dumas's eyes lit up when he heard this, and even his expression was full of energy, he clenched his fists excitedly, nodded at Arthur, and said, "I will!" Thank you, Mr. Hastings. ”

This time, his thanks Arthur was completely felt, this young man was sincere.

After Dumas said this, he sprang straight forward like a small rocket.

Seeing this, Miss Rabe was so frightened that she hurriedly followed: "Alexander! You can't do that to your father! ”

Arthur saw that the mother and son were far away, and took out his pipe again and put it in his mouth, but before he could light the fire, he heard a messy footsteps.

Several Scotland Yard officers rushed upstairs in a hurry, perhaps running so fast that they couldn't brake and almost crashed into Arthur.

"Long ...... Sir! Feeling...... The intelligence is true, the agitators who escaped in Bristol have really shown up in London, and we've had police reports that they found out that some of the guys had just appeared in Greenwich, and they were mixed up with the protest groups. Director Rowan suspects they may have intended to replicate the 100,000-strong riot in Bristol, organising manpower storms of police stations, prisons and town halls. ”

Arthur glanced at them, then at the pipe in his hand.

Eventually, he suppressed his craving and threw his pipe away.

The pipe hit the ground, and the tobacco scattered to the ground.

"Inform Plunkitt that he should bring the Ghost Team and come to the Metropolitan Police Department immediately."

(End of chapter)