Chapter 38: The Difference Between Humans and Monkeys
The rain continued to fall outside, its relentless rhythm creating a symphony of gentle taps against the windowpane. Through the blurry glass, Arthur and Eldred could be seen engaged in a lively conversation.
Time flew by, and soon the second page of paper Arthur had brought was filled with information about “Thief General” Fred.
**Name:** Fred Matthews
**Gender:** Male
**Age:** 40-50 years old
**Background:**
* Speaks with a Southern accent, suggesting a rural upbringing in Sussex or Kent.
* Served in the army in his youth, possessing knowledge of firearms, gunpowder, and close combat. His regiment is unknown.
* Discharged after the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. Due to the mass demobilization, job opportunities were scarce. During this period, Fred frequented the docks of London, working as a dock laborer to make ends meet. He later formed a group of fellow veterans and used violence to secure control of dock transport businesses.
* By 1820, he diversified his activities, engaging in a range of illegal ventures including but not limited to, receiving stolen goods, theft, robbery, extortion, and blackmail.
* In 1825, his group was severely impacted by complaints from the London Dockers’ Association, leading to the execution of several key members.
* After a period of hiding, Fred and his remaining associates resurfaced in 1828, establishing a private detective agency called “Black Pool” at 75 Brick Lane in London’s East End. They advertised a range of services including thief catching, investigation, and security.
* However, the agency’s day-to-day operations were typically handled by Fred’s subordinates. He rarely appeared in public after 1825, and very few people knew his true identity.
Arthur paused, realizing the complexity of the situation.
Most of Fred’s known crimes occurred before 1825. With so much time passed, gathering evidence for prosecution would be incredibly difficult.
While Fred’s private detective agency could be monitored to gather information, current intel suggested he was operating with extreme caution.
He only engaged in small, quick, and virtually untraceable transactions when dealing with stolen goods.
For larger transactions that were easier to track, Fred exclusively chose clients like Eldred – individuals with Royal Navy credentials or other impeccable backgrounds.
Simply put, the places where he could be investigated were difficult to access, and the accessible places were off-limits.
Arthur couldn’t exactly go to the Admiralty with handcuffs in hand and arrest someone.
Faced with a tangled mess of information and no clear path forward, Arthur felt a wave of unease wash over him.
This Fred was indeed a tricky catch.
Eldred offered some advice, “Arthur, why bother with him? He’s just a retired soldier, a bit of a scoundrel. He doesn’t have much talent, but he’s backed by far too many powerful people.
If you want to get him, you have to do it for good, never capture him alive. If you lock him up in Scotland Yard, I bet half of London won’t sleep a wink.”
Arthur leaned back in his chair, “Does that include you?”
“Me? Of course not,” Eldred replied nonchalantly. “I have my uncle protecting me, my uncle has the Fleet Commander protecting him, the Fleet Commander has the Admiralty protecting him, and the Admiralty has Parliament protecting them.
Everyone knows the privy is full of shit, and everyone knows it stinks, but who has the time to lift the lid?
You have to hold your nose when you need to use the privy, don’t you? Are you going to blow up the whole shit pit?
Honestly, if you were to actually pick up the manure, even if you don’t find it disgusting, you’ll end up with a bellyache. What are you going to do then, shit in the open?”
Eldred’s constant use of crude language made Darwin drop his half-eaten bread.
He complained, “Eldred, are you really a graduate of classical literature?”
Eldred raised an eyebrow, “Why are you asking that?”
He picked up a piece of dried fish, chewed on it, and pointed at Darwin.
“Charles, you can’t be like this! When you sail the seas, and you’re out for a long time, and the ship runs out of supplies, you’ll have to swallow things like rotten fruit and moldy biscuit crumbs.”
Just as the three were chatting, the door to the coffee shop swung open.
The bell above the door jangled, and two police officers, soaked from the rain, walked towards Arthur.
Eldred took a moment to study them, then jumped up from his chair in alarm.
He pointed at Arthur and exclaimed, “Arthur, you really intend to arrest me? You brought two helpers because one wasn’t enough!”
Arthur had no idea where his friend’s sudden paranoia came from. He explained, “Just sit down and finish your dried fish, they’re not here for you.”
Eldred remained suspicious, “Then why are they here?”
Arthur glanced at the clock in the coffee shop and addressed the two officers, “Tom, Tony, you’re both late today.”
Officer Tony apologized, “Arthur, we didn’t mean to be late. We’re used to working on the beat. We were on patrol and suddenly remembered that we’d been transferred to the district police station.”
Tom nodded in agreement, his face flushed, “Arthur, maybe we should go back to the beat. Tony used to be a shoemaker, and I used to be a shoe polisher. We’re really not cut out for paperwork.”
“Who told you that I brought you to the district police station for paperwork?” Arthur asked.
Tony and Tom were taken aback. They spoke in unison, “Then why did you call us here?”
Arthur said seriously, “Anyone can patrol, but not everyone can solve crimes.
I brought you here to train you from patrol officers to detectives.
Since I’ve decided to make you detectives, you need to learn the necessary skills.
Do you know the biggest difference between humans and monkeys?
The biggest difference is that humans learn and strive for higher skills.
And the gentleman before me, Charles Darwin, not only understands monkeys, but also understands humans, and how monkeys evolved into humans.
Therefore, for the next three months, your primary task is to learn natural history and medicine from Mr. Darwin.”
However, before Tony and Tom could respond, Darwin protested.
“Arthur, although I’m a Lamarckist, I don’t think there’s any necessary connection between humans and monkeys.”
Arthur didn’t seem bothered by Darwin’s objection. He waved his hand dismissively, “It’s alright, you can think that way later.”
Now it was Tony and Tom who were troubled.
“Arthur, we can patrol, but this learning thing…”
Arthur understood his colleagues’ character, so he didn’t say anything. He simply held up three fingers.
Tony furrowed his brow, “Arthur, what does that mean?”
Arthur calmly replied, “You two, each get a temporary allowance of three shillings a week, paid from my salary. If you pass the assessment after three months, this allowance will be permanently added to your weekly pay.”
“Whoa…”
Tony and Tom exchanged glances. Without hesitation, they stood at attention and saluted Arthur.
“Yes, sir!”
(End of Chapter)