The Shadow of Great Britain-Chapter 44 - 6 Adam’s Ultimate Fate

44: Chapter 6 Adam’s Ultimate Fate

44 -6 Adam’s Ultimate Fate

In the cafe, Eld and Arthur were discussing the affairs of the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Arts.

Suddenly, Police Officer Tom, who had been attentively listening to Darwin’s lecture, stood up abruptly, nodded apologetically to Darwin, and then came over to Arthur and whispered.

“Arthur, I’d like to ask for the afternoon off.”

Arthur asked, “Time off?

Is there an issue at home?”

Tom crossed his hands and lowered his head, looking rather embarrassed, “Indeed…

Indeed, there is something.”

Seeing this, Tony couldn’t help but curse, “Tom!

You’re always such a coward!

Can’t you stand up straight as a man?

If you want time off, just ask for it.

Why do you look like you’ve done something wrong?

Arthur isn’t Wilcox; do you think he’ll dock your pay?”

Annoyed, Tom glared back at Tony, “It’s not that.

I just feel bad for Arthur.

It’s embarrassing to ask for a day off on the first day he’s assigned us to the precinct!”

Arthur didn’t take the matter to heart, but he could tell that Tom was troubled by something.

So, he pointed to the clock in the cafe and said, “There’s nothing wrong with asking for time off.

But it’s almost noon now.

Why not stay for lunch before you go?

Don’t be polite today; I’ll cover the meal expenses for all four of you.”

Eld, sitting opposite Arthur, heard this and spoke up with a grin, “Woah!

Arthur!

It’s different now that you’re a Police Superintendent, isn’t it?

You’ve become so generous with your spending.

So how much do you make a year, on the record?”

Arthur glanced at him and replied indifferently, “Around a hundred pounds.”

“A hundred pounds without even adding the under-the-table income?

Ha!

Then I won’t be shy!”

Eld turned his head and called out to the bartender, “Bring me four more oysters!

And make sure to remove the leech eggs!”

Afterwards, Eld chuckled and asked Tom, “Brother, what would you like to eat?

I’ll order for you too.”

Hearing this, Tom repeatedly gestured no, “I don’t need to, I’m in a hurry and won’t be having lunch.”

Arthur took a sip from his coffee cup and asked seemingly casually, “What’s the rush?

Is your wife giving birth?

If she’s about to have the baby, I can give you a few more days off; you don’t have to hurry back.”

Tom, seeing Arthur’s concern, felt uncomfortable continuing to hide the truth.

He touched the back of his head sheepishly and said, with his head lowered, “My wife still has some time before delivery, so don’t worry about her.

I’m taking time off for young Adam; today’s the day he’s getting out of prison.”

Arthur frowned and asked, “What does Adam’s release have to do with you?

Are you planning to pick him up?”

Tony chimed in as well, “Ah, Tom, you’re such a soft touch.

It’s not the boy’s first time in jail; he knows his way home.”

Tom turned red in the face and struggled for a while before he finally mustered the courage to speak.

“Arthur, Tony, you two might not know.

The day before yesterday, Adam’s gambling-addict father got drunk and got into a fight on the street, seriously injuring someone.

The verdict from the Magistrates’ Court came out yesterday; he was sentenced to fourteen years of transportation to Australia and a fine of twenty pounds.

When I went to Adam’s house to collect the fine on behalf of the court, I found out that his mother had run off with all the valuables from their home.

With his father being transported and his mother disappeared, you both know what kind of fate awaits a child in this situation.

Either become a factory child laborer and die on the production line, or continue pilfering on the streets, where if luck runs out, getting beaten to death in the street isn’t out of the question.

In any case, there’s no way he could survive to adulthood.

Last night, after I discussed this matter with my wife, she suggested that perhaps we should just adopt Adam.

I thought about it, and my wife seemed to make a lot of sense.

“Though we’re a bit poor, but well, one child or two, raising them should really make no difference…”

After hearing Tom’s words, everyone in the room didn’t say anything, they just looked at Tom in unison and burst into smiles.

Tom’s face turned red-hot and he waved his hands bashfully, “What are you all staring at me for?”

Eld, with a toothpick in his mouth, gave Tom a thumbs-up, “Badass, brother!”

Darwin closed his book and said, “Officer Tom, earlier you kept apologizing for being too dumb, saying no matter how much you’re taught, you just can’t learn.

But as I see it, being dumb isn’t the problem, lacking conscience is the problem.”

Tony smacked him on the head and cursed with a laugh, “Damn, kid!

And here I thought you were up to some despicable deed!

Why keep something like this hidden?”

As for Arthur, he stood up, patted Tom on the shoulder, and said with a puckered smile.

“Tom, everyone says I’m the man with the most guts at Scotland Yard.

But I disagree.

Because in my opinion, you’re the real man of substance at Scotland Yard!”

Upon hearing this, Tom’s beet-red face finally couldn’t help but crack a smile.

His face was drenched in sweat, but that didn’t stop him from standing at attention and giving Arthur the most standard salute.

“I’ll learn from you, sir!”

Arthur patted his arm and pulled out two notes from his pocket, stuffing them into Tom’s pocket, “Go on.

You may skip a meal, but today’s meal is on me.

You’re not allowed to refuse because this is an order.”

“Yes, sir!”

Arthur watched Tom walk out of the café, feeling that even the dark clouds and drizzle outside had taken on a sort of beauty.

“Gentlemen, order whatever you’d like.”

No sooner had he finished this sentence than the café’s bell rang again.

A uniformed police officer pushed the door open and quickly scanned the room before bee-lining to Arthur when he spotted him.

“Sir, someone’s come to the precinct looking for you.”

“Looking for me?

Did they come to report a crime?”

The officer shook his head, “Doesn’t seem like it.

This person has been coming for several days in a row now.

But since you were on holiday the past few days, they kept missing you.

They insisted on seeing you after finding out you were in today.”

Eld slurped down an oyster just served to him and mumbled with a full mouth, “Who the heck is that?

So stubborn?”

The officer seemed baffled by the unexpected visitor too as he responded, “It’s a strange one for sure, but doesn’t seem like a thug.

He’s dressed properly and even has a cross hanging on his chest, looks like a priest.”

“A priest?” Eld joked with Arthur, “It wouldn’t be a member of the Anglican Puritans, coming specifically to hassle you, the non-Anglican Police Superintendent, would it?

Arthur, if you can’t out-argue him later, might as well convert on the spot to save yourself the trouble.”

Actually, Arthur was indifferent about religious faith in general; his non-following of Anglicanism was simply because there were too many Anglican churches in London.

Because there was a troublesome rule at Scotland Yard stating that if a policeman were Anglican, they’d need to team up every Sunday morning for church service.

To take it easy on Sundays, Arthur had thus claimed to be Catholic.

Moreover, he’d consistently professed to be a traditionalist, making every church in London, in his eyes, not authentic or genuine, and not meeting his understanding of a true church.

Therefore, he refused to participate in any religious activities organized by Scotland Yard.

Had it not been for the fact that atheists weren’t quite socially acceptable during these times, Arthur wouldn’t have had to go to such lengths.

After hearing the officer out, Arthur exhaled in resignation, “Alright, lead the way and let me meet him.”