Chapter 45 50.Ayrton's quid pro quo

The escort withdrew as soon as the sailor came before him. "Would you like to speak to me, Ayrton?" said Glenarvan. "Yes, sir." "Speak to me alone?" "Yes, but I think it would be better if both the major and M. Paganel were there." "Who is it better for?" "for me." Ayrton spoke calmly.Glenarvan fixed his eyes on him, and then sent for the major and Paganel, who were present at once upon invitation. "Now we're all listening to you," said Glenarvan, as his two friends sat down at the table as soon as they arrived in the square.

Ayrton collected himself, and said: "Sir, it is customary for both parties to sign a contract or negotiate terms, and there are witnesses to sign the contract. That is why I asked Paganel and Mr. Second Major to come. For, strictly speaking, I have come to propose to you It was a quid pro quo negotiation." Glenarvan was used to Ayrton's ignorance, so he didn't even frown, although he felt that it was a bit outrageous for such a person to come to ask him to negotiate and exchange terms. "In exchange for what?" he asked. "On condition that you want some useful facts from me, and I want certain benefits from you. We'll pay for it, sir, will you?"

"What facts can you tell?" Paganel asked. "I'm not asking about the facts, I'm asking about the benefits you want first." Corinafan corrected. Ayrton nodded, showing that he understood the meaning of Golinarvan's words. "The advantage I want is this, don't you mean to deliver me into the hands of the English Court, sir?" "Yes, Ayrton, there is nothing more fair than that." "I don't mean that it's unfair," replied Ayrton quietly; "so if I ask you to let me go like this, you won't?" Before answering such a straightforward question, Glenarvan hesitated for a moment.Harry Grant's fate depends on his answer this time!However, he felt that he was responsible to the law, and this sense of duty finally got the better of him, so he said:

"I will not, Ayrton, I cannot let you go like this." "I'm not asking you to let me go." He replied proudly. "So, what do you want to gain?" "I want a compromise, sir, with the hanger waiting to hang me. The other is my liberty, and you won't. It's somewhere in between." "What can I do?..." "Put me on a desert island in the Pacific Ocean, and give me the most necessary things. I will try my best to live on the desert island, and if time permits, I will repent for my actions there!" Glenarvan was caught off guard by such a proposal, and looked at his two friends, who were also silent.He thought for a while, and replied:

"Ayrton, if I grant your request, will you tell me all I need to know?" "Yes, sir, that is, to tell you all I know about Captain Grant and the Britannia." "Tell the whole truth?" "Say it all." "Who can vouch for that?..." "Ah! I see you are worried about me, sir. You ought to trust my personality, the personality of a bad man, but what can you do? In fact, I have only my personality. Whether you want it or not." "I will trust you, Ayrton," said Glenarvan flatly. "You can do no wrong, ser. And, if I have cheated you, you can always get back at me."

"How can I get revenge on you?" "I can't escape on a deserted island. Come and catch me again." Ayrton answered eloquently.The other party's difficulties need not be mentioned by the other party. He first brought it up and devised his own method for the other party to deal with it, which is irrefutable.He pretended to "negotiate terms" with someone with absolute sincerity, how could the other party not trust him completely?However, he has a further way to gain the trust of the other party. "Listen, Sir and gentlemen, I ask you to take this fact with all your heart: that is, I have everything on the table. I do not intend to deceive you at all, and in this negotiation I want to offer you A new proof of my honesty. I speak frankly because I need your sincerity myself."

"Speak, Ayrton," replied Glenarvan. "Sir, I haven't had a single word from you to agree with my proposal, but I can tell you without hesitation in advance that I don't know much about Harry Grant. Yes, sir, I can give you some details about myself, all about my own situation, which will not be of much help to your clues." A look of great disappointment was shown on the faces of Glenarvan and the major.They had supposed that Ayrton was keeping a great secret, and he now admitted in advance that the material he could furnish would be of little use to the search.As for Paganel, he remained impassive.

In any case, although Ayrton's words were not guaranteed by anyone, his frank attitude had already touched the listeners very much, especially when he added this sentence as a conclusion: "Therefore, I have explained in advance, sir, that our exchange of terms this time will benefit you more than mine." "Let it be, I accept your offer, Ayrton. I promise to put you on a desert island in the Pacific." "Yes, sir." Is Ayrton grateful for this decision?Hard to say.Because his expressionless face did not show any news, as if he was negotiating conditions for others.

"I'm ready to answer questions now," he said. "We have no more questions to ask, so tell us what you know, Ayrton, and tell us who you are." "Gentlemen, I am indeed Tom Ayrton, bosun of the HMS Britannia. I left Glasgow on the 12th March, 1861, in Harry Grant's ship. We sailed fourteen months in the Pacific together. I want to find a favorable site for a Scottish colony. Harry Grant is a man of great business, but there are always violent arguments between us. His temperament doesn't suit me. I don't want to accommodate him. You know, Sir, that man, Harry Grant, once he decides to do something, no force can stop him. That man is literally made of steel, and what is steel to himself is steel to others. But , even so, I dare to mutiny. I want the crew to mutiny with me and seize the ship. Whether I should do this is another question. Whether I am wrong or right, Harry Grant has nothing to say. Without delay, on the 8th of April, 1862, I was thrown off the ship on the west coast of Oceania."

"In Oceania," interrupted the major, "so you left the Britannia before she anchored in Callao? She hasn't disappeared since she arrived in Callao." "Yes, because the Britannia didn't anchor in Callao when I was on board. I talked about Callao in Paddy Omor because you told me it anchored in Callao fact." "Go on," said Golinarvan. "I said that I was dumped on an almost deserted coast, but it was only 30 kilometers away from the convict detention center in Perth, the capital of Western Australia. When I was wandering along the seashore, I met a group of convicts. Escaped from the prison. I joined the gang. Sir, don't ask me about my life for two and a half years. I only want to tell you that I later became the head of the convicts under the pseudonym Penn Juss. 1864 I went to the Irishman's farm in September, 1999. I was employed as a servant under the real name of Ayrton. There I waited for an opportunity to rob a ship. This was my ultimate goal. 2 months Then came the Duncan. When you came to the farm, you, sir, gave you the history of Captain Grant. And I knew many things I didn't know. The Britannia was at Callao The mooring, its last message in June 1862—two months after I left the ship, how the paper was found, the ship was wrecked on the 37th parallel, and you are going across the continent of Oceania to find Ha Many good reasons for Leigh Grant, etc. I did not hesitate then. I made up my mind to get the Duncan, a superb sea-ship, not even the fastest warship in England. But the ship suffered badly damaged, and in need of repair. I therefore let it sail to Melbourne, and I myself followed you as a true sailor, and led you to my imaginary shipwreck on the east coast of Oceania. In this way, I led You go through Victoria, and my gang of convicts sometimes follow at a distance, sometimes ahead. My men did a case at Camden Bridge, which was really unnecessary, because as soon as the Duncan was in the East The coast cannot escape my grasp. I have this boat, and I am the king of the sea. Why do I still have to do those small cases? I have led you to the Snowy River so diligently. I used my stomach for cows and horses The beanweed is nearly dead. I led the ox cart into the mud of the Snowway Bog, on my earnest advice... But you know the rest, sir, and you may believe it, If M. Paganel had not made a careless typo, the Duncan would now be under my command. That is my history, gentlemen. Unfortunately, my statement will not give you any clues. You should It can be seen that you are at a disadvantage by exchanging terms with me."

Ayrton stopped talking, and waited there with his arms folded habitually.Both Glenarvan and his two friends remained silent.They felt that the whole truth had been told by the rascal.The reason why the Duncan was not hijacked by him was only because of a reason that he never thought of.His helpers had all been to the shores of Tuff Bay, as evidenced by the prison uniform that Glenarvan had found.They had faithfully waited for the Duncan there, and must have gone off to the New South Wales countryside to do their robbery and arson after a long wait.The major was the first to continue the cross-examination in order to establish some dates concerning the Britannia. "So you were thrown off the west coast of Oceania on the 8th of April, 1862," he asked. "Absolutely," answered Ayrton. "What was Harry Grant's plan back then, you know?" "Only vaguely know a little." "Tell me, Ayrton, that a little sign may lead us to a clue." "All I can tell you, sir, is that Captain Grant wanted to see New Zealand. This part of his plan was not carried out while I was on board. So the Britannia, after leaving Callao, went near New Zealand. It is not impossible for many lands in the country to come to reconnaissance and reconnaissance. This is in line with the date of the wreck of the three-masted ship mentioned in the document-June 27, 1862." "Of course it does," said Paganel. "However, the handwriting on the document does not have a word like New Zealand." "I cannot answer that," said Ayrton. "Well, Ayrton, you have kept your promise, and I will keep mine. We shall discuss which island in the Pacific we shall drop you on." "Ah! any island, sir," answered Ayrton. "Go back to your room and wait for our decision." Ayrton withdrew, guarded by two sailors. "The big villain could have been a man," said the major. "Yes, strong disposition and cleverness: how can such good material be used for evil?" replied Corinarvan. "How is Harry Grant?" "I'm afraid it's over! Poor boys, who can tell where their father is?" "I can tell!" Paganel went on, "Yes! I can tell them." We must have noticed!The geographer, who is usually so talkative and impatient, was almost silent when he questioned Ayrton.He just listened and didn't speak, but his words were a blockbuster, and Glenarvan was startled at first. "You! You, Paganel, do you know where Captain Grant is?" "Yes, as the others know." "From whom?" "Still from the old file." "Ah!" said the major in a tone of absolute disbelief. "Listen to me first, Major, and then shrug your shoulders. I didn't say it a long time ago, just because I was afraid you wouldn't believe it. Besides, it would be of no use if I did. Today I am determined to say it, Because what Ayrton means just confirms my opinion." "So what about New Zealand?" said Glenarvan. "Listen to me before you judge. I saved everyone's lives by miswriting a word, not without a reason, or rather not without a reason. Glenarvan relates that I wrote the letter The term Sealand was troubling my brain at the time of the 1990s. The reason is this: Do you remember the scene where we ran into the ox cart to avoid the convicts? The fact that the major had just finished telling Mrs. Helen about the convicts. He handed her the Australia New Zealand Daily that had the Camden Bridge tragedy in it. While I was writing the letter, the paper fell to the floor and folded in half to reveal the back half of the entry. It is aland. My heart seems to suddenly light up! Aland is exactly the aland written on the English document. We always think that this word means land, but in fact it should be the remnant of the word Zealand." "Hmm!" Glenarvan snorted. "Yes," continued Paganel, with firm confidence, "that explanation never occurred to me, and you know why? It was because the French documents were more complete, and I naturally pinned them down to find them, and this The important words happen to be missing from the French document." "Oh! Oh! You are so subjective, Paganel, that you have forgotten your two original explanations a little too easily," said the major. "Argument, Major, I'm ready to answer." "If you do this, what explanation does Austral have?" "That's the original interpretation. It's just the australes." "Okay. What about indi? You first thought it was indiens and then explained it as natives (indigens)?" "This word, for the third and last time, I interpret it as an indigence!" Paganel replied. "And the word contin!" cried the major, "It's always the mainland." (continent) right? " "Since New Zealand is just an island, it's not a mainland." "And what is it?" asked Glenarvan. "My dear sir, I will read you the full explanation of the document, and then you can judge. I just want to remind you of two points: first, try to forget the original two reliefs, and put your minds Explain it from all preconceived stereotypes. Second, there are certain places that you may find far-fetched. Maybe I didn’t explain them well, but these places are irrelevant, especially gonie, which I interpret as sinister, I always feel something is wrong in my heart, but I can't think of other explanations. Moreover, my explanation is based on French documents. Don't forget that the document was written by an Englishman. He may not be very proficient in French. This After a little confession, I began to read my explanation." Then Paganel read the following slowly, word for word: "On June 27, 1862, the three-masted ship Britannia, belonging to the port of Glasgow, sank in the rough seas of the southern hemisphere, near New Zealand-this is the landing in the English document. The two sailors and the captain Grant arrived at This island. Unfortunately, it has long turned into a wild and desperate person. Zite dropped this document at longitude... and latitude 37°11'. Please rescue quickly, or you will die here." Paganel finished.His explanation is acceptable.However, because this explanation seems to be equally correct as the previous two, it is also likely to be equally wrong as the previous two.Therefore, neither Glenarvan nor the major wanted to discuss it.However, since the Britannia was nowhere to be found on the 37th parallel, nor off the Patagonian coast nor the Australian coast, New Zealand's chances were better.Paganel brought this up, and it particularly attracted the attention of two of his friends. "Paganel, why have you kept this new explanation secret for nearly two months? You must now tell me why?" "Because I don't want to give you any more empty fun. And we were going to Oakland at that time, exactly where the 37th parallel on the papers points to." "But then we got dragged off the route to Auckland, why didn't you say so?" "That's because the document, though properly interpreted, is not conducive to Captain Grant's safety." "And why, Paganel?" "Because, if the assumption that Harry Grant is still on the shipwreck in New Zealand is established, and there is no news for two years, it means that he either died on the shipwreck or died at the hands of New Zealanders." "So, in your opinion...?" asked Glenarvan. "My opinion is: some traces of the sunken ship may be found, and the victims of the Britannia must be finished!" "Let's not talk about all this for now, friends! Let me find a suitable opportunity to tell this sad news to Captain Grant's sons and daughters!" said Glenarvan.