22 – The East End Opium Addicts (5)
“eeek!”
Moriarty, who had an obligation to maintain dignity as a professor, unwittingly let out a disgraceful scream. It was unavoidable.
And at that moment, Moriarty could perceive that the ground was getting closer through accelerated movement. He was not athletic, but he spontaneously reached out his hands and thanks to that, he was able to avoid fatefully kissing the ground face-first.
It was a sudden event.
For a moment, he suspected that a piranha that had not yet been dealt with in West End had given up on everything and attacked him.
As a rational man, he could not account for irrational behaviors, so it was not an impossible scenario.
Of course, he knew it was a foolish idea. The purification project in West End had ended months ago, and those who refused to join Moriarty and his organization had long been turned into Sweeney’s eel pies.
Thanks to Moriarty’s charity work, the number of eels in the Thames River had increased, and the poor had plenty to eat. Hence, he could confidently say there was no remnant left, clearly an impossible event.
However, the sudden collision was an unexpected surprise attack that prompted him to think irrationally.
At least, he knew he was not hit with a knife. Although he had never been stabbed or shot, he could logically infer what that pain and feeling would be like plus his hand was the only one hurting and at least there was no new hole in his body.
Of course, that didn’t mean his body was perfectly fine. His abdomen felt heavy, as if he had collided with a small carriage, and it was a fact that a strong collision that could be considered fortunate not to break any bones had hit him.
“This son of a b*tch!”
In that regard, Moriarty was able to once again recognize that he made the right judgment. He saw Porlock cursing and frantically pointing forward.
It was always an interesting and fascinating spectacle.
That small creature trying to push Moriarty out of the way and run away at high speed, even considering Moriarty’s tall height, the small creature that didn’t even reach his belly was trying to run away at a terrifying speed.
If it were an ordinary person or a guard, they might have missed it disappearing into the crowd of Chinese people, but Porlock, the magician, was different.
A fist-sized fire flew at a fast speed and hit it directly on its back. At the same time, as Porlock’s finger flickered on his other hand, it fell flat to the ground just like Moriarty had. If you look closely, you could see a rope that suddenly appeared binding its ankles.
“Are you okay, sir?”
“Cough… Cough! No, it seems that it hit the bone properly. And …”
Coughing and leaning on Porlock for support, Moriarty soon realized that in that short moment, it had rummaged through his pocket and stole his wallet.
He couldn’t help but frown involuntarily.
Of course, in London, there were numerous beggars, thieves, street vagrants, and orphans, so pickpocketing was more or less a part of daily life.
But as with all populated areas, if you were slightly cautious, your wallet would safely rest in the owner’s pocket. Moriarty always thought that those who get pickpocketed in London were fools.
He didn’t expect such a drastic measure. If it was a mistake, it was a mistake. Moreover, the Chinese people who were buzzing and just watching the spectacle that just happened were chattering amongst themselves, surrounding Moriarty and Porlock, and a little further away, the being struggling to untie the rope.
“Why are they laughing?”
Grumbling, Porlock headed towards the pickpocket and Moriarty followed suit. Soon, Moriarty was able to understand why the Chinese were laughing.
“Is it a girl?”
After handing the wallet to Moriarty, Porlock grabbed and lifted the collar of the fallen being. The being who was growling like a beast instead of using human words was held in Porlock’s strong hand, and both Moriarty and Porlock could tell that it was a girl.
Only then did they secretly understand the reaction of the Chinese people. No, not only the Chinese, but it was also clear that anyone in London, or anywhere in Britain, would elicit a similar response.
If you report to the Scotland Yard guard, who claims to protect London while missing more than half of the crimes and only making late appearances, that a thief has entered the house, no doubt they will pretend to mobilize.
But in reality, if you report that you have been pickpocketed by a street urchin boy, only one guard will patrol the area casually, and if you report that you were victimized by a woman, they will laugh at you, telling you to act like a gentleman, and kick you out.
What’s more, it was a girl. If only the target of the attempted pickpocketing was not Moriarty, it is clear that even Porlock would be laughing with the Chinese.
Obviously, but Porlock, who had hardened his survival instinct in harsh life, calmly held back his laughter. Instead, he threatened the little pickpocket who growls like a beast on behalf of the professor.
“Growl!”
“Sir, this one’s completely beast-like. Do I tear its mouth if it doesn’t shut up?”
“Growl! Cough! Cough!”
Of course, in the process, the girl held by Porlock’s strong hand was growling and not backing down from Porlock’s gaze, but rather glaring back at the two men.
In response to Porlock’s threat, it roared even louder, and for a moment, the force made Porlock involuntarily back his head.
Under normal circumstances, Moriarty may have ordered Porlock to deal with the foul-tempered, less-than-human pickpocket and come back. But, he couldn’t help but be interested in the creature held in Porlock’s hand.
It was a strange event. He was a gentleman of the United Kingdom, so he always kept fairness in life and death and dealt with women, children, and elderly people alike in a gentlemanly manner. Even when dealing with leftovers in East End, he often sent parents and children together to alleviate the sadness of being left an orphan.
He certainly was not conscious of other people’s gaze. While the victim of pickpocketing may become a laughingstock, no one cared about how they handle the pickpocket if they caught them on-site. Especially, if the opponent is merely a street urchin girl.
If Moriarty and Porlock were to drag the girl into a deserted alley right now, no one would care.
“Sir?”
Although he expressed his loyalty once again by expressing his anger on behalf of the professor, he didn’t act first without the professor’s order, it was one of Porlock’s secrets to survival. Never crossing the line was important, and he waited again for Moriarty to instruct the next move.
“Just a moment.”
But Moriarty paused for a moment.
From noble mtl dot com
There was a high chance that it was just a coincidence. Of course, there was a force beyond this that caused the situation, but at least running into the little pickpocket was a coincidence.
However, his intuition was telling him something, and Moriarty always trusted his intuition. After all, the girl’s extraordinariness had revealed itself despite the fact that she had remarkably endured the flames of the Fire Forest.
At first glance, she was definitely a noticeable child. Of course, not in terms of looks, but her appearance alone was enough to attract people’s attention.
She wore a large, tattered bread hat on her head, typical of newsies, but her golden hair jutted out haphazardly. Covered in dust and dirt, and several filth, the smell was horrible, but despite that, her blond hair was softly glowing, not entirely losing its light.
What impressed Moriarty the most was her sharp gaze staring back at him unabashedly. The icy eyes seemed ready to devour him at any moment.
She was small, but definitely around the same age as his beloved, now estranged, former student.
Of course, she wouldn’t be as intelligent as Sherlock. There couldn’t be another child as special as him. However, Moriarty rather liked those who would blatantly show their teeth, even if they were idiots.
Above all, if his deduction was correct, this girl had a secret.
“Huh?”
As Moriarty gently removed the girl’s hat, Porlock let her drop in surprise. The girl squirmed to resist Moriarty’s touch, but the hat she had been wearing was already in the professor’s hand, and Porlock could see the two ears sticking out over her head.
They were not human, but those of a beast. By their shape and form, one could guess they belonged to a wolf.
“A werewolf-“
“This f*cking bastard!”
Porlock cut off Moriarty’s words with a curse. Meanwhile, the girl was struggling to escape but could not get out of the ropes enchanted by the wizard.
When Porlock late realized he had interrupted the professor’s words and spat out a curse, he was trembling and trying to flatter him as Moriarty began to speak.
“That’s fine, I’m not angry. Just say it. Isn’t she a werewolf? Why’d you react that way?”
“Uh… Well…That’s because, this b*tch, the cursed b*tch, Professor! She’s a damn half-penny werewolf! I’m sure her mother cursed her in the womb, causing her to be born like that! Oh, don’t get close to her, she’s a filthy creature!”
“…Is that something to be so scared of?”
Porlock, who was still trembling as if he had seen a cursed creature like a medieval serf, added a brief explanation while attempting to calm himself, probably out of fear of Moriarty.
Although it was an ineloquent explanation typical of the stupid Porlock, it was clear enough for Moriarty.
Werewolves also occasionally existed in the world. Sadly, there weren’t any in Moriarty’s group, but apparently, there were some living in the East End.
Werewolves can turn into wolves, but on the surface, there is no difference from ordinary humans. If they mate with a human, typically an ordinary person or rarely a werewolf is born.
However, on a very slim chance, as Porlock ignorantly put, “God’s curse” might result in an impure being who is neither human nor beast, as was the case with the girl before his eyes. These are individuals who cannot fully transform into wolves and live their entire lives in their imperfect forms.
Looking closely, it did seem to be the case. She had the ears of a wolf, and although there was no hair on her face, when the girl fell over, it was confirmed that she had a tail to match the wolf’s, hidden quite fairly.
As for the curse, he certainly didn’t believe it. Moriarty was not yet stupid enough to believe such foolish superstitions. He probably will never understand Porlock in his lifetime. It was misery for the smart people.
If he believes in trivial superstitions and shivers in fear, why is he calmly committing acts that would make his boss send him on a non-stop express train to hell? Moriarty wanted to mock and question Porlock but suppressed the urge and instead focused on the young wolf girl who continued to gaze at him threateningly.
Definitely, she was intriguing. She was another interesting girl.
He wanted her.
