The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 858: Chapter 4: The Judas of the Foreign Office_2

Only the sound of a bang was heard as the door of the courtroom slammed shut, and Schneider’s forlorn figure was no longer visible; he had already been escorted to the ‘execution ground’ by the ladies.

Just the sound of a click was heard as the ‘Jerusalem Courtroom’, which should have been empty, was lit up. Sitting in the audience seats, Arthur took off his wide-brimmed hat blocking his face, took a deep puff on his pipe, and then commented: “Isn’t the prelude to this scenario a bit too lengthy?”

The Red Devil standing behind him scrutinized this miniature courtroom and said: “You know what, those ladies really put some effort into it.”

Fiona sat right next to Arthur, her face flushed: “The plot may be a bit long, but most guests quite enjoy this script. Over the past few months, this project has been our top seller. Some guests even said that playing Judas here provides more psychological relief than confessing to a priest at church.”

Arthur rubbed his chin thoughtfully: “It seems the gentlemen who frequent here have committed quite a few sins!”

Fiona glanced at Arthur, cautiously asking: “Would you like to give it a try? It’s free. I can try playing the High Chancellor and wielding a whip. I promise I’ll be very gentle; it won’t hurt at all.”

Arthur shook his head slightly: “No need, madam, I have no interest in the Judas script. Although I carry many sins, I’ve already been shot twice before. After being shot, I don’t think a whip could provide any redemption.”

Seeing Arthur’s refusal, Fiona suggested again: “Then… how about switching to another script? We also have a Jesus role-playing scenario here. You play Jesus, I’ll play the disciple, and you can wash my feet, then we’ll tie you to the cross. Oh, no, dear, I don’t mean to offend your faith. I almost forgot you are a Catholic, and such a humble person. If you feel unworthy to be compared with Jesus, we could tie you to an inverted cross, like Saint Peter martyred under persecution by Roman Emperor Nero?”

This time, before Arthur could respond, the Red Devil answered first: “Yes, Fiona, and remember to tie him upside down, so his brain gets an adequate blood supply, preventing him from doing anything too foolish.”

Upon hearing this, Arthur patted Fiona’s face: “Madam, wake up. Though reading religious stories is better than reading nothing, you are now evidently too engrossed. Take good care of your sisters; that’s the best way to redeem yourself. And you’ve always done a good job in this regard. I heard from Charles that you seem to have established a mutual aid community, where everyone contributes a part of their earnings to jointly raise children?”

Fiona’s eyes lit up as Arthur mentioned this, and she appeared somewhat shy but at the same time extraordinarily happy. This was one of the few things she could boast about to others, and it was indeed the most important.

Fiona replied: “It’s not all my credit. Mr. Dickens founded Urania House, and Pastor John Newman with true faith has helped us greatly. Mr. Dickens helped us gather many free books, and Mr. Newman contacted a school for us.”

Arthur nodded slightly: “I genuinely praise the good deeds you have done, especially representing my old unit, Scotland Yard, to express our gratitude. Fiona, you may not know, because of what you have done, in ten or twenty years, Scotland Yard may have hundreds fewer street hooligans to deal with, and our reserve police force will proportionately increase. Thus, London’s city crime rate will reduce because of your good deeds. This merit far surpasses the act of being whipped on the cross.”

Fiona’s cheeks burned as she brushed away the stray hair by her ear: “You truly overpraise me, I… When I did these things, I didn’t think much about it. Compared to what you have done, mine is insignificant. That… may I be bold enough to ask you something? I heard you might be going to the continent soon? The Kingdom of Hanover?”

Arthur stood up and nodded: “Yes, although the appointment letter hasn’t been issued yet, according to the news, my new position should be Second-class Secretary at the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to the Kingdom of Hanover. Although His Majesty the King originally intended to appoint me as a Royal Family’s Special Envoy, if it were a Royal Envoy, it would need to be announced in the ‘London Gazette’. The gentlemen at Whitehall worry that doing so would be too conspicuous and might attract the Fleet Street’s fire, whereas being dispatched as a Second-class Secretary to the Kingdom of Hanover wouldn’t have such concerns.”

Fiona followed Arthur step by step, head lowered, asking: “So that’s why you came here to find Mr. Schneider today?”

“Not entirely.”

Arthur took Fiona’s hand, feeling her body slightly stiff: “I also came to say goodbye to you. Fiona, I greatly appreciate the dirty and tiring work you’ve done for me all this time. Although your price isn’t low, in these times, getting paid for your work can also be considered a virtue. Honestly, there’s no need for you to be so reserved around me, as though I’m Jesus. If you wish, you can call me Sir; if you don’t wish, continue calling me Arthur.”