Read Online The Hellfire Conspiracy by Will Thomas - Free Book Online
Authors: Will Thomas
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the greatest empire in history cannot feed, clothe, or shelter many of its people. I wonder why the mistakes and attitudes of one generation are doomed to be repeated in the next and why the arrival of a people with a rich and ancient culture such as the Jews inspires fear and loathing among an otherwise sensible people. And right now I’m wondering what caused a university man to take up what is obviously a dangerous profession.”
“What makes you think I was at university?” I asked.
“I may be a woman, but I do have a functioning brain, Mr. Llewelyn. The Reading Room is for scholars. You have a membership. I will even speculate that in spite of your education, you are of humble beginnings. So, was it Oxford or Cambridge?”
“It was Oxford. And you are right about my beginnings. How have I given myself away?”
“If anything, your accent is too perfect. You speak better English than most of the young men in my set.”
“Ah,” I said. There was an awkward pause, during which I thought about the phrase, “my set.” I was right about her class origins. But she was speaking. “I beg your pardon?”
“You haven’t answered my question. What caused a university man to take up such a profession?”
“Eight months in Oxford Prison severely limited my choice of occupations, Miss Potter.”
“My word,” she replied. “That was blunt.”
“My apologies,” I said. “I misspoke.”
“No, no, I admire it, Mr. Llewelyn. You use information like a weapon. That is good. You are in the business of giving and receiving information, as am I. There are people out there attempting to stifle knowledge and mask truth. Sometimes it is private individuals, sometimes it is the government itself.”
“Miss Potter, are you one of those crusaders who want to redistribute the wealth and give the vote to women?”
“Do you consider either of those bad things, sir?”
“To tell you the truth, I have no idea. I’ve never investigated the question before.”
“Then you are more intelligent than most of the male population. At least you haven’t made up your mind without having researched the issues. There is hope for you, yet.”
“Well, good, then,” I said, trying not to laugh. “At least there is hope.”
“So that man with whom you came into the charity was your employer?”
“Yes. His name is Cyrus Barker.”
“He seemed a brusque sort.”
He was indeed a brusque sort, but I didn’t want Miss Potter to get the wrong impression. “He’s a gentleman and a fine employer. And of course, a first-rate enquiry agent.”
“I’ve heard you detectives are very loyal to one another,” she noted.
“Sometimes in an inquiry, your employer is the only person you can trust. He’s saved my life on more than one occasion. Do you volunteer at the C.O.S.?”
“I did for a while, but now I work at a tenement called the Katherine Building. I interview prospective tenants, collect rents, and see that the building is well maintained. As an investigator, I keep a file on each tenant, their history, occupation, family, and beliefs. When they are gone—and, of course, being poor, they rarely stay long—their social history will be of greater use as a record of conditions during this time.”
“So it is a salaried position, then. I am surprised that you work.”
She laughed, displaying a set of perfect teeth. No one in need of money had teeth like that.
“I don’t need to, of course. My father owns a railway. I’m sure he could buy the Katherine Building twice over.”
“It seems an unusual pastime for a young woman, running a slum tenement. Most young ladies would simply marry.”
“Some find the institution of marriage to be a form of tyranny not unlike slavery. Most of us at the Charity Organization Society feel that way. We do not need a man to become whole individuals. We are scholars and freethinkers, Mr. Llewelyn. We refuse to be put on a pedestal but instead hope to help bring about social
“What makes you think I was at university?” I asked.
“I may be a woman, but I do have a functioning brain, Mr. Llewelyn. The Reading Room is for scholars. You have a membership. I will even speculate that in spite of your education, you are of humble beginnings. So, was it Oxford or Cambridge?”
“It was Oxford. And you are right about my beginnings. How have I given myself away?”
“If anything, your accent is too perfect. You speak better English than most of the young men in my set.”
“Ah,” I said. There was an awkward pause, during which I thought about the phrase, “my set.” I was right about her class origins. But she was speaking. “I beg your pardon?”
“You haven’t answered my question. What caused a university man to take up such a profession?”
“Eight months in Oxford Prison severely limited my choice of occupations, Miss Potter.”
“My word,” she replied. “That was blunt.”
“My apologies,” I said. “I misspoke.”
“No, no, I admire it, Mr. Llewelyn. You use information like a weapon. That is good. You are in the business of giving and receiving information, as am I. There are people out there attempting to stifle knowledge and mask truth. Sometimes it is private individuals, sometimes it is the government itself.”
“Miss Potter, are you one of those crusaders who want to redistribute the wealth and give the vote to women?”
“Do you consider either of those bad things, sir?”
“To tell you the truth, I have no idea. I’ve never investigated the question before.”
“Then you are more intelligent than most of the male population. At least you haven’t made up your mind without having researched the issues. There is hope for you, yet.”
“Well, good, then,” I said, trying not to laugh. “At least there is hope.”
“So that man with whom you came into the charity was your employer?”
“Yes. His name is Cyrus Barker.”
“He seemed a brusque sort.”
He was indeed a brusque sort, but I didn’t want Miss Potter to get the wrong impression. “He’s a gentleman and a fine employer. And of course, a first-rate enquiry agent.”
“I’ve heard you detectives are very loyal to one another,” she noted.
“Sometimes in an inquiry, your employer is the only person you can trust. He’s saved my life on more than one occasion. Do you volunteer at the C.O.S.?”
“I did for a while, but now I work at a tenement called the Katherine Building. I interview prospective tenants, collect rents, and see that the building is well maintained. As an investigator, I keep a file on each tenant, their history, occupation, family, and beliefs. When they are gone—and, of course, being poor, they rarely stay long—their social history will be of greater use as a record of conditions during this time.”
“So it is a salaried position, then. I am surprised that you work.”
She laughed, displaying a set of perfect teeth. No one in need of money had teeth like that.
“I don’t need to, of course. My father owns a railway. I’m sure he could buy the Katherine Building twice over.”
“It seems an unusual pastime for a young woman, running a slum tenement. Most young ladies would simply marry.”
“Some find the institution of marriage to be a form of tyranny not unlike slavery. Most of us at the Charity Organization Society feel that way. We do not need a man to become whole individuals. We are scholars and freethinkers, Mr. Llewelyn. We refuse to be put on a pedestal but instead hope to help bring about social
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