Chasing Time

“Next, we have the most noble recipient of the Order of the Garter, the Grand Cross of Saint Michael and Saint George, the Grand Cross of the Bath, the Victoria Cross and the lower grades of Knighthood, the leader of the anti-colonial movement, the bell-ringer of the East India Company, the hero of the Crimean War, a Fellow of the Royal Society, a lifelong dear friend of literary giants such as Dickens and Great Dumas, a steadfast supporter of scientific luminaries like Faraday and Darwin, having served as assistant under-secretary, deputy under-secretary, and permanent under-secretary in departments of the Home Office and the Navy Department of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the inaugural Cabinet Secretary and head of the civil service, the first graduate and most distinguished alumnus of our school. Please welcome Sir Arthur Hastings to deliver a speech on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the University of London.”
Arthur's gaze swept across the crowd before him, looking at the young faces and murmured, “Agares, what do you think I should say?”
The Red Devil's wraith hovered behind him, saliva almost dribbling from the corner of his mouth, “Look at these ignorant souls; they still worship you as a hero. Why not say something they'd like to hear?”
Arthur took a deep breath and let out a deafening roar, “Oxford is a bunch of whores' bastards!”
“Oh!!!!”
The audience erupted into thunderous applause.
“Cambridge is the same!” he added immediately.
The applause grew even more fervent...
(The protagonist, possessed by a devil, travels through 19th-century Britain in a world without magic)

The Shadow of Great Britain

As soon as Faraday's question was out, Arthur immediately sensed that something was amiss.


As a top graduate from the history department of the University of London, he knew virtually nothing about the current advancements in science.


To prevent bringing up a whole bunch of yet-to-be-invented new concepts while explaining the Lorentz force, this time he cleverly employed the dodging and evasive techniques he had honed at Scotland Yard and in the Magistrates' Courts.


Touching the back of his head and feigning an apologetic look, Arthur began to speak.


"Mr. Faraday, I apologize for making you misunderstand. I'm from Yorkshire, so my spoken language doesn't have the standard London accent. What I actually meant was not 'Lorenz' but 'Lawrence'."


Faraday replied in surprise, "Lawrence? Indeed, the two words do sound quite similar."


Arthur responded, "Let's not talk about this for the moment. Did you get confused by anything else I mentioned when outlining the left-hand rule?"


Chapter 13 The Duke Summons