Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 550 The Great Manhunt!
Tuesday, October 3, 1882. The lower half of the front page of The Times was occupied by a special announcement.

It wasn't an editorial or a news report, but a list formatted like a legal document.

The title font size is one size larger than usual, and it uses bold black font:

[Announcement of the List of Officials and Reasons for Formal Indictment by the Attorney General's Office]

The announcement begins with a short quote:

Based on the Treason Act of 1848, the Obscene Publications Act of 1857, the Sedition Act of 1819, and related legal principles, the Attorney General's Office has completed its preliminary investigation into the "illegal publication and dissemination of the novel '1984'".

The following individuals are now formally charged. The case will be transferred to the London Criminal Court for trial.

The list was very long, stretching across two columns from top to bottom.

The first name listed was not surprising—"Lionel Sorel (French citizen)".

This is followed by a detailed description of the three charges:
Seditious libel – To incite hatred, contempt and discontent against Her Majesty the Queen, the Government and the constitutional order by means of publication, writing and dissemination of words.

Inciting public disorder – During the serialization of his work "Pirates of the Caribbean," teenagers in London and other places imitated his contempt for discipline and authority.

The crime of insulting the dignity of the monarchy—Anyone who attacks the personality, authority, or symbolic status of the monarch in a metaphorical manner is not exempt from criminal liability because of the literary form of the attack.

Then, at length, it explains why a case was filed and a lawsuit was initiated:
The publication and dissemination of "1984" was not an isolated event. Lionel Sorel was a deliberate agitator who gradually and progressively tested the waters.

From "The Happy Prince" onwards, he repeatedly depicted the hunger, cold, and despair of the people of the empire, while deliberately downplaying the order and relief provided by the imperial system.

He guides readers to understand suffering as a result of imperial rule, rather than as an individual misfortune.

Subsequently, Pirates of the Caribbean directly attacked one of the nation's most sacred symbols—the Royal Navy—corrupting the minds of young people and undermining national honor.

By the time of "1984," the character 'OLD LADY' in the novel was a malicious allusion to the Queen and constitutionalism. This was not criticism, but humiliation and incitement.

It negated British constitutionalism, portraying obedience as slavery and order as surveillance.

The announcement also added the following explanation:
Given that the defendant is a foreign citizen and is currently abroad, this case will be heard in absentia.

The relevant legal documents have been delivered to the Government of the French Republic through diplomatic channels.

As the list continues, it gradually begins to surprise readers—

The second and third decibels are former editor Norman McLeod and current editor Richard Everard of Good Words.

The charge was the same: "serious dereliction of duty endangering imperial order."

The fourth is Arthur Conan Doyle, charged with "knowingly and willfully disseminating seditious publications and assisting foreigners in subversive propaganda."

The fifth is Oscar Wilde, charged with "aiding and abetting the spread of seditious ideas," primarily because of his advocacy of "The Happy Prince" last year.

Readers who have reached this point are shocked, but not entirely surprised—these figures are all closely associated with Lionel, and it was only a matter of time before they were sued.

Oscar Wilde, for example, is not only London's number one Lionel fan, but this year he has even followed in Lionel's footsteps and is currently on a speaking tour in the United States.

But the list continues, and from the sixth name onwards, the names become unfamiliar:
James Adams

"Sean Omara"

Mary Carter

Joe Harris

Thomas Hardy

William Carter

……

There were 32 names in total, all of them ordinary people, living in poor neighborhoods in London such as the East End, Southwark, Whitechapel, and Beamonte.

Their charges were all listed as "seditious speech".

The announcement also explained why these civilians were being prosecuted:

The defendant, Lionel Sorel, wrote letters and petitions for civilians at the "Bend Pick" pub in East London last year, using the pseudonym "James Bond".

This behavior, ostensibly "helping out of kindness," is actually an attempt to cultivate the image of a "spokesperson for the common people," build personal influence, and incite discontent.

Their true purpose is to bypass formal political channels and conduct illegal underground mobilization.

The 32 civilian defendants in this case were all people who received his "ghostwriting services" at the time.

Afterwards, they spoke out for Lionel Sorel in public on several occasions, calling him a "true gentleman" and a "friend of the poor."

An investigation revealed that these remarks were not spontaneous, but rather part of an organized solidarity campaign.

Therefore, they are very likely accomplices in Lionel Sorel's incitement plot.

The announcement concluded by stating:
All the defendants have been summoned. The trial will be held in late October at the Central Criminal Court.

God bless my Queen, God bless my Great Britain.

Two hours after The Times went on the market, the whole of London knew about the list, and the public was in an uproar!

In the Reform Club, the British gentlemen began a heated debate—

"They're even suing ordinary citizens?"

“We must sue! Otherwise, any writer can go to the slums to win people’s hearts and say, ‘Look, the people support me.’”

"But these people... are just workers, bar owners, and seamstresses. What's the point of suing them?"

"Of course it's useful. It lets all the common people know the consequences of speaking up for that Frenchman."

"But this is too..."

"Too harsh? Too severe? The Prime Minister is pushed to the limit. The Queen is watching him, and Europe is mocking him. He has to resort to ruthless measures."

"A foreign agitator, a group of domestic accomplices, conspiring to overthrow the empire. That's a serious charge!"

"But what's the evidence? Just because they said a few nice things?"

"Let's see what evidence the lawyers can produce in court!"

“When I was young, I saw a case in India where a local newspaper editor criticized the governor and was eventually convicted of sedition.”

The evidence was his article, and several readers who said, "He's right." He was sentenced to ten years of hard labor, and the readers to three.

"You said it yourself, that's in India! We wouldn't do that..."

"What? Isn't India part of an empire?"

No one responded; a chill ran through everyone…

------------

Around noon, the news reached the East District. The Bentham Bar was closed. A handwritten notice was posted on the door: "Closed Today."

But there were more than a dozen people gathered outside the bar. They were all nearby workers, vendors, and neighbors.

A young man came running up, panting: "It's true! Old Jimmy got arrested! Four policemen came last night and dragged him out of bed!"

There was a commotion in the crowd.

"Where's Sean? Where's Sean Omara?"

"They arrested him too! It's all over Whitechapel. At 3 a.m., the police broke down the door and took him and his two brothers away!"

"What about Mary Carter? The seamstress?"

"They arrested her...and her father too. He's 67 and can barely walk, but he was taken away as well."

"Where's Joe Harris? That craftsman?"

"He was arrested. His wife was crying while holding the child, and the police wouldn't let her follow them."

People stood silently. The rain began to fall, a fine, dense autumn rain that soaked their clothes, but no one moved.

An old woman whispered, "Just because of a few words... just because I said that Frenchman was a good person..."

The person next to her tugged at her sleeve: "Stop talking. Be careful you don't end up like that..."

The old woman shut her mouth, but tears streamed down her face.

Her son died of pneumonia last year, and they couldn't afford a doctor. It was "Mr. Bond" who wrote a letter to the parish relief society on her behalf, which helped her get some money to buy medicine.

The medicine couldn't save her son, but she remembered the kindness shown to him.

Now, that good intention has become a crime.

----------

By the afternoon, the rain had intensified.

In a narrow alley in Southwark, Mary Carter's landlord is cleaning a room.

Mary and her father were taken away last night, and the landlord came to change the locks early this morning.

The room was sparsely furnished—a bed, an old wardrobe, a table, and two chairs.

There was a picture cut out of a newspaper on the wall, an illustration of Captain Jack Sparrow from "Pirates of the Caribbean".

The landlord tore the painting off, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the fireplace.

Finally, he locked the door and put the key in his pocket. He needed to rent out this room as soon as possible. Every day he missed paying rent was a loss.

----------

The rain is getting heavier.

In a dilapidated apartment building in the Whitechapel district, Sean Omara's wife sits on the edge of the bed, embracing their three children.

The oldest child is nine years old, and the youngest is only two years old.

The police arrived at three in the morning, banging on the door and yelling. They dragged Sean and his two younger brothers, who were sleeping in the living room, out of bed, and the children were terrified and cried.

Before being handcuffed and taken away, Sean shouted to his wife, "Don't be afraid! I'm fine!"

His wife knew he was lying; she had heard of sedition—a crime punishable by up to five years of hard labor and exile to Australia.

Rain drifted in through the broken window, wetting the floor, and the room was bitterly cold.

The eldest son asked, "Mom, when is Dad coming back?"

The wife was speechless.

The second daughter asked, "Why are the police arresting Daddy?"

The wife still couldn't speak.

The youngest son is crying.

A neighbor quietly brought over some bread and potatoes, left them at the door, knocked, and left. No one dared to come in, and no one dared to ask any questions.

Last year, Sean led a petition to have water pipes installed at the city hall. They did install them, though only three pipes, but it's better than nothing.

At that time, the neighbors all said he was a hero.

Now, nobody calls him a hero anymore.

------------

The rain stopped at 8 p.m.

At 117 Boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris, Lionel put down the Times that had just been delivered to him.

It was just getting dark in Paris outside the window, but he felt as if there was no light at all.

He recalled those nights last year at the Bentham Bar. The dim kerosene lamp, the bubbling dark beer, and the rough hands offering two-pence coins…

He said he would help them write letters.

He said he would listen to them.

He once said that two pence was enough.

Now, they are sitting in London prisons because they trusted him.

Lionel considered that British prosecutors might prosecute him, and possibly Conan Doyle as well.

But the involvement of Norman McLeod, who had already resigned, and Oscar Wilde was unexpected enough.

The fact that dozens of civilians are now involved is even more unbelievable to him, and fills him with extreme anger.

Norman McLeod and Oscar Wilde were both prominent figures, and in the end, it's highly likely that nothing will come of it, and they'll just have to pay some fines.

But what about ordinary people? They have no ability to withstand risks. Once they get involved in a lawsuit, their families will be destroyed and they will die.

Lionel put down the newspaper, immediately got up, put on his coat and hat, and headed for the door.

Sophie came over and straightened his clothes, asking, "Where are you going?"

Lionel hesitated for a moment, but then told the truth: "Go to the Latin Quarter and find Paul Lafargue."

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(End of this chapter)