The Shadow of Great Britain-Chapter 1691 - 57: The Great Westminster Fire (Part 2)

Chapter 1691: Chapter 57: The Great Westminster Fire (Part 2)

In just five years since Scotland Yard was founded, more than four thousand officers resigned, and over three thousand were dismissed for violating internal discipline.

Bear in mind, the current number of staff at Scotland Yard is just over four thousand, meaning the personnel rotation nearly happened twice in just five years.

Officers who have endured five years in such a low-paying, high-demand environment have essentially become one of the 423 Chiefs of Police within the Greater London Police Department.

If Viscount Melbourne truly hinted that if Rowan and Mayne resigned, the Home Office would disband Scotland Yard, Arthur would definitely grab the Civilization Cane from his trunk and give them a couple of whacks. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Of course, from a basic logic standpoint, not to mention the royal title above Scotland Yard’s head, even without ’Royal’ as protection, Arthur does not believe the Home Office would dissolve such a key department in improving London’s safety.

But considering they deliberately stirred up the conflict between Scotland Yard and the Magistrates, and then, when Rowan and Mayne resigned in humiliation due to the ’Cold Bath incident’, they passionately but secretly threatened the retention...

What the Whig Party intends is evident to anyone!

They simply want Scotland Yard to bow its head and act as a lapdog that succumbs to the Whig Party’s demands.

Putting aside whether this demand is reasonable, it first violates the regulations of Scotland Yard, because it explicitly states in black and white that Scotland Yard must strictly uphold political neutrality.

Rowan did not delve further into this issue; he is inherently someone who dislikes explanations. Had it not been for Arthur’s outstanding recent performance, which greatly changed his impression of his former capable subordinate, Rowan wouldn’t even care if Arthur continued to resent him.

"Over the past six months since you returned to London, I’ve observed everything you did. Not everyone can change an institution’s reputation overnight, nor can everyone resolve a mystery into a political renaissance in the streets, the newspaper, or even the palace."

He paused, extinguishing his cigar in the small copper box in his palm: "I wonder, if you hadn’t been hit by that bullet back then, or if I hadn’t hurriedly taken the cavalry squad to Woolwich on the day of the London riots, what if we had swapped positions at that time? The final outcome might have been much better. At the very least, you might still be at Scotland Yard, handling the Cold Bath incident without it becoming so disgraceful."

The wheels heavily crushed a rainwater ditch at the turn, sending a dull sound into the compartment.

"But things aren’t too bad yet; perhaps there’s still a chance to salvage it..." Rowan murmured, like he was convincing himself, gazing at the gradually clarifying Whitehall, the echo of the parliamentary clock tower distant in the gray-sky backdrop, with a restless orange hue in the light.

Suddenly, Rowan asked, "Arthur, while public opinion is favorable now, why don’t you come back?"

"Me?"

"Hmm." Rowan nodded, his gaze sharp: "Following His Majesty the King’s dissolution of Parliament, I’ve heard several groups have been active these past few days. Over at the Whig Party, John Russell’s faction is in turmoil; Melbourne himself is on the brink as it is. And on the Tory side, Peel has the Duke of Wellington’s strong support. It’s only a matter of time before he returns to form a cabinet."

Rowan, worried that Arthur might misunderstand, spoke candidly: "Of course, I’m not talking about reassuming some pretend position like special representative or temporary advisor. I mean come back, take over my role, and assume the position of Chief of Police, right now."

Arthur initially was taken aback, then suddenly burst into laughter.

Not the kind of polite, superficial laugh, but one with a touch of sentiment and honesty.

"Do you really mean that?"

"I’m not just saying it lightly. You know, I’m not getting any younger. These past two years, I’ve tried my best, but to be honest, my seat is becoming less fitting for me. After you came back, I saw the series of things you’ve done, from the use of the telegraph to handling public opinion, things I can’t accomplish, things no one at Scotland Yard can accomplish."

Arthur shook his head gently upon hearing this: "Don’t say that again, Chief. I joined Scotland Yard not because I’m coveting your seat but because there are matters I truly can’t stand."

"Are you saying you don’t want to?"

"I am willing to help you, help Scotland Yard, anytime, anywhere." Arthur spoke gently but firmly, "But the river cannot flow backward, succeeding your position is not appropriate."

Rowan still wanted to persuade him, but Arthur raised his hand to interrupt, "I do things without following rules, don’t get along with my superiors, have too close a relationship with journalists, and talk too much with Whitehall. Even if I can stabilize the situation for Scotland Yard in the short term, in the long run, it might not be a good thing for the department."

Speaking of this, Arthur gave an example, "Scotland Yard, after all, is a government department. If I provoke Whitehall, they might just curse me, but they definitely won’t retaliate against the University of London, right? Besides that recently issued teaching charter, the University of London has never received any government favors, nor a single penny of government funds. However, if I were the leader of Scotland Yard instead of the Dean at the University of London, Whitehall would have many means to deal with me."

Rowan said nothing, he just gently tapped his finger on his knee.

Arthur’s tone was not heavy, but it sounded like pebbles hitting a puddle, "My current position is one where I can take action but don’t have to take responsibility. To put it bluntly, if I threw a rock at the Home Office’s window and broke the glass, they might just curse ’damn Hastings,’ but Scotland Yard is different. You know better than I do, when anything happens with the police department, it’s the whole system’s fault. Those people would curse in the newspapers, and the next day they’d force you to write a letter to the Home Office, saying things like we take this seriously, are actively improving, and will definitely address the issues, which is not the work I want to do. From my point of view, this current position is quite good; places where you can’t act, I can move, and places where I can’t act, you can move."

Rowan considered Arthur’s words and then smiled helplessly, "That’s true, besides, you might not even fancy the chair at Scotland Yard anymore."

As soon as Rowan finished his words, the light outside the carriage brightened suddenly, followed by a violent explosion. The coachman abruptly reined in the reins, the carriage came to a screeching halt, producing a sharp braking sound as the wheels left a long white mark on the cobblestones.

"Sir! Up ahead... Westminster Palace seems to be on fire!" The coachman’s voice was filled with panic, mixed with the evening wind into the carriage.

Arthur and Rowan were equally stunned, almost simultaneously lifting the curtains to see that the direction of Westminster Palace in the distance was already engulfed in flames, the blaze soaring into the sky, illuminating half the sky, turning the entire London skyline into a fiery red.

"The Burning of the Houses of Parliament: Close Up," by William Turner, painted in 1834, currently held in the Philadelphia Art Museum.

"The Burning of the Houses of Parliament: Distant View," by William Turner, painted in 1834, currently held in the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Arthur raised his head and found the carriage had already entered Whitehall, the familiar Scotland Yard building was close ahead.

The glow from the burning Westminster Palace reflected off Scotland Yard’s outer walls, making it seem as if this building, symbolizing London’s law enforcement power, too was marked by the sudden fire.

He had just reached out to push open the door, preparing to disembark, but saw the door already ajar. Rowan had rushed out who knows when, his cloak fluttering in the wind.

"You there! Sound the alarm! Get everyone off the clock tower!"

"What the hell is going on? Sons of bitches! Who the hell started this fire!"

"Send people to the bridgehead to investigate the situation, check if the road is closed!"

"Where’s the fire brigade? Has anyone seen that bastard Bax? Isn’t he always in charge of contacting the London Fire Department?"

The street in front of Scotland Yard erupted in chaos due to Rowan’s shouting.

The night patrolmen, officers who had just finished their shift and hadn’t had time to change out of their uniforms, and the team preparing for night patrol were all drawn out by the minister’s roar. Some were still carrying their boots, and some just ran out holding their belts, wielding batons.

Arthur naturally loosened the clasp of his cloak, took off his top hat, and stepped out of the carriage.

He walked to the door, and with a slight turn of his head, he saw several familiar figures: "Bring me the map, the one marked with all of London’s water pumps, drawn by the Police Intelligence Department during the cholera year. Also, call Whittaker to lead people to Westminster Church to evacuate the crowds, and send someone to the University of London to tell the police academy not to sleep, call out the training team, they will take over the eastern street blockade."

A few young officers from the Police Intelligence Department were initially panicking, but upon seeing Sir Arthur Hastings’ face, they instantly seemed to have found their backbone, stood straight, saluted, and then turned to rush out to execute.

"Arthur!" Deputy Minister Sir Richard Mayne strode out, his face tinged with red due to intense running and emotional excitement: "The fire is big, I just sent someone to investigate, reportedly it started from the library side of the Parliament, the flames spread quickly, and one corner of the tower has already collapsed. Now the department’s personnel have all been sent out to extinguish the fire, could you run to London City quickly to call out all the insurance companies’ fire brigades?"