I hate purity, I hate kindness, I don't want any virtue anywhere, I want everyone to be corrupted.

- George Orwell, 1984

What constitutes a riot?

Nothing, and everything.

The electricity that is released little by little, the flames that suddenly burn, the force that floats, the wind that flows. The wind touches the thinking mind, the illusory thoughts, the anguished souls, the fiery emotions and the suffering of the cry, and takes them with it.

Where to bring?

Aimless.

Through the government, through the law, through the extravagance and arrogance of others.

The greatest and the most humble, outside of all, the wandering and watching of the people who want to take advantage of it, the vagabonds, the vagrants, the gangsters at the crossroads, the people who sleep at night in sparsely populated and desolate places, those who roof on the cold clouds of heaven, those who never refuse to work and depend on begging for a living, the poor and empty-handed, the shirtless and mud-legged, are all attached to the riot.

Anyone who harbors a secret hostility in his soul for any matter of status, life, or destiny is on the verge of a riot, and when it does, he begins to tremble and feel that he has been drawn into a whirlpool.

Every riot will cause shops to close, securities prices to fall, financial contraction, market depression, business stagnation, bankruptcies, cash shortages, loss of private property, public credit shaking, government and corporate management disorders, and the return of funds in the market, which eventually leads to the depreciation of labor, a surge in unemployment, and fluctuations in people's hearts everywhere.

It is like a tornado that is active in the atmosphere of society, suddenly forming under certain conditions of suitable temperature, and rushing and surging in its rotational motion, rolling up the tall and the thin, the strong and the weak, the tree and the straw, and flattening it, crushing it, destroying it, uprooting it, and finally wrapping it up.

For some reason, Arthur's mind suddenly flooded with these old passages.

Why he thought of this, he didn't know. Perhaps when I read these words in the past, I just thought that these old words were nothing more than a prosaic historical record.

However, when all this happened in front of his eyes, he felt that these words were so real, so manic and painful.

What he didn't expect was that the location he was in now would be the place where the tornado hit.

Plunkitt noticed that the young commander seemed to fall silent, and the veteran, who had been active on the battlefield since the time of the Peninsular War, couldn't help but remind.

"Sir, now is not the time for you to get distracted. No one likes to use knives and guns, even on the battlefield, let alone suppress riots today. But because no one likes to do this kind of thing, commanders often need to be more determined than soldiers on the battlefield. You have done very well today, at least better than the Prince of Orange, who commanded our right flank at the Battle of Waterloo. Therefore, I believe, today will soon pass. ”

Arthur took a deep breath, and the smell from the tip of his nose was not only gunsmoke, but also rusty blood.

"You're right, Plunkit. When a fire starts, a scoop of water can extinguish it. After a while, a bucket of water is needed. In a little while, it's time to use the tap. After that, the house was burned down. At this point, it's time for me to give the order. ”

Arthur spoke: "As Lafayette said, under certain circumstances, if revolt can be the most sacred duty, then insurrection can also be irreparable sin. ”

Plunkitt nodded slightly, and smiled mockingly: "Sir, if you don't say it, I don't know that Lafayette, who claims to be a 'world republican', actually did this kind of thing." ”

"One last warning! Lay down your weapons! ”

Nearly 100 police officers shouted at the rioters, armed with a variety of rudimentary weapons, through the barricades.

"I repeat, lay down your weapons! Now when we go home, we can act as if we didn't see anything! ”

Officer Tom looked a little nervous, though he looked so dignified that he might shoot the thugs at any moment.

But only he knew that, if he could, he would rather kneel down to the people he could see in the streets and alleys in exchange for the men laying down their arms and returning to their shabby huts in peace.

Because, as Arthur's friend and subordinate for many years, he knew very well that this operation was the first time in so many years that he had loaded the musket with live ammunition before the operation, and this also represented Arthur's intention to move seriously.

However, it is naturally impossible for the rioting crowd to retreat here because of his three or two sentences.

They were outnumbered, and they had just dealt the Tower of London guards the first blow, and even if they weren't as gun-armed as the police at Scotland Yard, there was no doubt that they would emerge victorious.

Tom's shouts were echoed by the roar of muskets in the rioting crowd.

Dozens of bullets erupted along with the firelight, perhaps due to the heavy rain or Arthur's deliberate distance of a hundred yards from the rioters, but the salvo did not cause much damage to the police force, and many of the projectiles hit the puddles in front of the police queue, causing ripples one after another.

"Damn the Blue Devil, we are here for the people, and you, what are you here for! For that mouthful of wagging tail and begging for pity, or is it your master's praise that is not salty or light? ”

Bang!

Plunkitt lowered his flat-raised Baker rifle and moved his sights away from his eyes, the muzzle of the black hole still emitting green smoke.

Arthur, who was on a black horse, looked at the clamoler who had slipped off the box with his bloody shoulders and raised his white-gloved palm lightly: "As you can see, sir. We are here for Britain. ”

The white gloves waved down, and Officer Tony, who was standing in the front row, pulled out the police knife, green tendons crawled all over his neck, he shouted hoarsely, and his bulging eyes seemed to fall to the ground.

"Fire !!"

Tongues of fire erupted from flintlock rifles, arrows rained down from the top of the Tower of London, and time seemed to freeze as blood flowers bloomed in the center of the rioters.

The blank expression, the frightened countenance, the cry of pain, the warm flow of blood, everything was buried by the dark rain of the night.

As ordinary patrolmen at Scotland Yard, most officers may not be able to shoot better than musketeers at 100 yards.

But for members of the Ghost Team who retired from the 95th rifle regiment, shooting from 100 yards in bad weather conditions was just the basis of their training.

In just one volley, a third of the musketeers among the rioters had already been attributioned.

Under the double fire of the police force and the Tower of London Guards, the crowd of rioters, who had just been indomitable, showed signs of breaking up in an instant, and the heavy damage to the musketeers made them lose their backbone, like a herd of lambs to be driven away, unable to resist anymore.

In such a situation, the officers did not choose to make a second salvo either, not because they were merciful, but because they simply did not have time to carry out a secondary charge in such a close fight.

They drew the rod of civilization hanging from their waists, climbed over the barricades laid by the demonstrators, and rushed without hesitation to the group of demonstrators who still insisted on besieging the shield wall of the guards.

With the help of the crackling raindrops, the sound of riding boots trampling on the bluestone bricks was infinitely amplified, like a flock of fierce beasts rushing towards the flock.

The two groups scuffled together, one rioter was crushed, and in an instant three or four policemen rushed up.

The lone policeman was treated the same way by the rioters, but unlike the surrounded demonstrators, he was not greeted with a civilized rod, but with sticks and stones.

In this dark night where blood red cannot be seen, it is not only Arthur who is riding on a horse to direct the advance of the police force, but also several conspirators hiding in a nearby tower.

A few black muzzles sticking out of the dark window of the Xiaolou Hotel, occasionally you can see a few wisps of blue and white smoke wafting out, the cigars in their mouths under the big brimmed hats simmering slightly, and their voices don't sound very real in the crackling raindrops.

"Why is this kid here? What about Wellington, when will he arrive? ”

……

Embassy of France, Mayfair, London.

Under the gorgeous chandeliers, Talleyrand and several ladies were sitting around the card table playing poker.

Outside the window, in the wind and rain, from time to time there would be the roar of horses' hooves and the wails of pain and fear.

When the ladies heard such a tearing roar, they only felt that the brightly lit room was stained a little gloomy. Their faces were slightly pale, some absent-minded, others forced a smile.

Talleyrand threw a 5 from his hand, then raised his hand and tapped lightly on the table: "Lady Jersey, it's your turn, distracted while playing cards will make you lose a lot of money." ”

Mrs. Jersey looked at Talleyrand's indifferent appearance, couldn't help but take off her sweat-soaked lace gloves and asked, "Mr. Talleyrand, aren't you afraid?" London is in chaos now, but you look like you're nobody. ”

Talleyrand held up his depleted glass and motioned to the servant to add a little more to him: "Madame, you cannot be a surgeon if you cannot remain calm in the face of blood, in the face of painful scenes, and in the face of obvious evidence. If you can't stay calm in the face of passion, you can't be a strong person. If you can't be indifferent to any incident, you can't be a politician and a state activist. You obviously don't know what kind of person I really am. ”

When Mrs. Jersey heard this, she couldn't help but clutch her chest and sighed: "I forgot, you can get out of the revolution with your whole body." I don't want to hide it from you, I feel uneasy, and although I haven't seen the scene outside, just hearing the sound is enough to scare me. I really don't know if it's the right thing to do. It doesn't seem to be of any use other than to make everyone hurt each other. ”

Hearing this, Talleyrand held his glass and smiled: "Madam, the people in the Olmark Club say that you are wise, and now it seems that everyone is really fair to you. You're right, using poor people in military uniforms to watch over poor people in short overalls is the secret of tyrants and the problem of the government. But unfortunately, I thought about it for thirty years and couldn't find any solution. So, as kind as you are, let's put our minds to the table. ”

"I ......," said Mrs. Jersey, who took out her handkerchief and covered her mouth, her face pale: "Mr. Talleyrand, I don't want to spoil your interest, but I think I may indeed need to rest." ”

"Okay......"

Seeing Mrs. Jersey's symptoms, Talleyrand was not reluctant, and as soon as he stood up and was about to stretch, the military attaché of the embassy pushed open the door of the recreation room and walked in, saying, "Mr. Talleyrand, calm has returned outside. ”

Talleyrand seemed to have known this answer for a long time, so that his face did not make too many waves: "The efficiency is quite high. Who's leading the team outside? Officer Arthur Hastings? If it's him, by the way, ask him if he wants to come in and play a game. ”

The military attache bowed his head and said, "It looks like you may be disappointed." The riots outside were not the responsibility of Scotland Yard, but by the Guards Cavalry. As for Officer Hastings, I have heard that he seems to have led people to the Tower of London, where fierce fighting must have broken out, judging by the concentration of the smoke and the light of the fire. ”

"The fierce battle at the Tower of London?"

Talleyrand paced to the window and glanced eastward, where, as the military attache had said, there was a blaze in the sky.

The old lame man took a sip of the golden wine in his glass, breathed in the cold and depressive air, and said lightly: "To be honest, tonight reminds me of the foggy moon of 1799. ”

Mrs. Jersey stood up and asked softly, "What happened to that foggy moon?" ”

Leaning against the window, Talleyrand seemed to reminisce about that year: "I remember that many illustrious men died on that day. ”

……

The rain fell down the edge of Arthur's top hat, and his face was covered in all kinds of liquids, and even he couldn't tell if it was rain or blood.

Perhaps because of his high head, or perhaps because of his distinctive epaulettes and noble rank, he quickly became the target of the remaining die-hard group when he led the police force into the rioting crowd.

As a police commander, an assistant superintendent of the Metropolitan Police Department, he had the privilege of not beating people with a cane. Arthur wielded the priceless Imperial Sword, the hilt of which smashed into the heads of the rioters, enough to knock them out of the fight, if not to stun them.

And in the crowd that surrounded him, there were twenty years old and forty years old. At the age of twenty, I hope to die for my ideals, and at the age of forty, I hope to die for my family. There are bold and enthusiastic college students, unwavering veterans, homeless street children, and small shop assistants who have just been fired.

To make matters worse, he also found in it a familiar face that he didn't want to see at this moment, a memory he didn't want to mention.

"Black ...... Mr. Hastings? ”

The other man did not seem to believe his eyes, for he remembered that the officer was a very warm-hearted man, and had given him a full amount of money for her funeral, and had found a very decent burial place for her daughter, who was buried like a real lady in St. Mary's Chapel at Oxford.

He is Robin's father.

"Damn it!"

Seeing this familiar face, Arthur smashed away the strong man next to him who wanted to drag him off the horse with a punch, and couldn't help but roar at him loudly: "What the are you doing here!" Why not stay at home! Don't you know that the streets are dangerous? Riots, cholera! Anything you run into can kill you! ”

Robin's father was yelled at by Arthur, and his anger, which had cooled down instantly, stammered back, "Black...... Mr. Hastings, I ...... I didn't know, I just saw them coming here, and I didn't have anything to do at night, so I ......."

When Arthur heard this, his whole face seemed to twitch and deform in the moonlight, and he tried to lift the middle-aged man in his forties onto the horse, but he struggled to twist away.

"Are you in your right mind!"

Arthur looked at the demonstrators gathering more and more around him, heard the sound of horses' hooves roaring in his ears, and the anger in his heart overflowed: "Before the cavalry comes, I will take you out of this hellish place!" If you're left alone here, you're going to die here tonight sooner or later! ”

Robin's father looked a little cowering in the face of Arthur's accusations, and he staggered over his back to the rioting crowd, but even so, he did his best to remove the broken felt hat on his head and apologize to Arthur.

"Right...... I'm sorry, Officer Hastings, but I ...... I didn't expect to trouble you. I didn't mean to get involved in these things, but...... But you don't know, the child also went a while ago, and with such an income, I couldn't pay the rent of the house on time, so I ...... I was kicked out by the landlord.

And recently the economy is sluggish, my leg also fell while working, and the factory found a random reason to fire me because of this. I had no income and could only wander the streets, and when there were people gathering in the streets, I would follow them.

I...... I'm not afraid that you'll look down on me, and I can get some money to spend with them once in a while, and I can pick up leaks from smashed shops or something. But...... But I assure you, I didn't do any of these things on my own initiative. ”

When Arthur heard this, his eyes seemed to be bloodshot, and his eyes were about to burst, and he scolded: "If something happens, why don't you come to me!" I've done so much just to hear you say to me: I'm sorry, Mr. Hastings! ”

"Hug ...... Sorry, Mr. Hastings. ”

Robin's father tried his best to hold back his tears, he bowed his head and said, "But, but I really don't want to trouble you any longer!" ”

As if he had remembered something, he hurriedly dissuaded his companions and said, "Don't be entangled, Mr. Hastings is not like other policemen, he is a good man." ”

"Good guys? I think you're probably crazy! You're a police informant, right? ”

When the rioters heard someone speaking for the police, they immediately turned their guns and punched him in the stomach, knocking him to the ground.

"Get out of here!"

Arthur kicked over one of the demonstrators besieging Robin's father.

His roar still echoed above the Tower of London, but in an instant, his roar was replaced by the frightened screams of the rioting crowd.

"Run! The Guards cavalry is coming! ”

The insurgents' fear of the Guards cavalry seemed to be innate, after all, they had won more in this country than they had won on the battlefield.

They came like a flood and retreated like a waterfall, and Robin's father was carried forward by the crowd, and Arthur hurriedly took him by the hand and tried to drag him to his saddle and take him away.

But fate always likes to play such jokes, and the demonstrators around him, who were leaving, thought that Arthur was planning to attack their companions, and a stick with the thickness of an arm slashed directly into Arthur's shoulder, and behind him, the horn of the cavalry charge and the continuous firing sounded.

"Protect the Superintendent of Hastings!"

Arthur turned his head suddenly, time stood still for a moment, and he saw a bullet, a pitch-black projectile, running towards his armpit. The cavalrymen had always had good marksmanship, at least this one, and they knew how to save their key men from the hands of the rioters, but what they didn't know was that Arthur was pulling his friend.

Not far ahead, Tom and Tony's twisted faces were clearly visible, waving their hats, and they opened their mouths to yell what Arthur was saying that he couldn't hear clearly.

All he could feel was blood, and when he jumped, blood gushed out of his chest.

The bullet got stuck in the heart and felt cold, like raindrops falling on the face.

The rain on a summer night in June is warm with a hint of coldness and sweetness.

Arthur had thought that he might fall somewhere, but writing the end game for himself in this way was a bit unexpected for him. It's like a nonsensical comedy, and no one can guess such an ending.

Robin's father looked at the blood on his hands, and looked at Arthur who was lying in a pool of blood in front of him, as if he had not yet woken up from the scene in front of him.

He watched as blood twitched and spilled from the corners of Arthur's mouth, and the gentle playful voice rose again: "I...... I'm just funny. ”

He closed his eyes and suddenly remembered the whispers of the devil in his ear.

It's the same rainy day, and it's the same goodbye to life and death.

He remembered that the devil had said to him, "Arthur, do you know? God does not always live in heaven, and even He has his own hell, and that is His love for mankind. ”

And just then, he heard the devil say, "But recently, just recently, God died, died of his compassion for mankind." ”

Agareth's figure was like a flame, slowly emerging beside Arthur, still holding the parchment scroll in his hand, still wearing the monocle.

The Red Devil leaned down and looked at the lenses, looking at the blood on Arthur's body and face, there was neither mercy nor sympathy on his face, and there was only a hint of anger in his eyes.

"Tell me, Arthur, does it make you proud of being an idiot?"

The Red Devil paced as he spread his arms and said, "Do you think you have won this gamble with the devil?" And the price of winning me is to die like a filthy bug? ”

Arthur opened his eyes and stared at the Red Devil's face, which didn't show any emotion, and just smiled and responded, "Agares." ”

"What's wrong?" The Red Devil looked patient: "Do you have any last words to confess?" ”

The corners of Arthur's mouth overflowed with wisps of blood, but the throbbing pain in his chest couldn't stop him from saying mockingly: "I'm sorry." ”

A thunderbolt flashed in the sky, illuminating the back of the Red Devil, whose wings stretched out as if he was covered in blood.

The black, sharp nails grabbed Arthur's throat and looked like they wanted to tear him apart like rags.

"Arthur, you're my hell!"

(End of chapter)