Chapter 14 Chapter Fourteen Just Because of That Name

Bailey froze in shock as Jessie ran up and grabbed him by the shoulders, hugging him tightly. His pale lips moved: "Bantley?" These three words were in his mouth without making a sound. She looked at him and shook her head violently, her brown hair twitching. "He's fine." "Then..." Jessie burst into sobs suddenly, and she was sobbing and talking, it was almost impossible to hear what she was saying, "I can't take it anymore, Elijah! I can't eat or sleep, I must tell you." "Don't say it!" Bailey was in pain: "For God's sake, Jessie, don't say anything now."

"I must! I did a dreadful thing, Ilya, a dreadful thing. Oh! I..." She began to incoherent. Bailey said desperately, "Jessie, there are others here." She looked up at R. Daniel as if she had never seen him before.Tears welled up in her eyes, and she probably had refracted the robot in front of her into a blurry image. R. Daniel whispered, "Hello, Jessie." She was taken aback: "Are you that robot?" She quickly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, while getting out of Bailey's arms.Then she took a few deep breaths, and a timid smile emerged from the corner of her mouth. "It's you, isn't it?"

"Yes, Jessie." "You don't mind calling me a robot, do you?" "Never mind, Jessie, I was originally a robot." "I don't mind if I'm called a fool, an idiot or a subversive. I am." "Jessie," Baley moaned. "It's no use, Ilya," she said. "If he's your partner in the case, he'd better know. I can't take it anymore. I've been in so much pain since yesterday. Even if I go to jail Don't care anymore. I don't care that they sent me down to the bottom floor and gave me yeast and water to live on. I don't care... Oh! You wouldn't let them do that, would you, Elijah? Don't let them do it to me Don't be lazy about anything! I'm so scared, so scared..."

Bailey patted her on the shoulder and made her cry. He turned to R. Daniel. "She's upset. We can't keep her here. What time is it?" R. Daniel didn't need to look at a clock or watch: "Fourteen past four." "The chief could be back any minute. Well, you get a patrol car and we'll talk in the driveway." Jessie looked up suddenly. "Drive? Oh no, Elijah!" He tried to comfort her as patiently as possible: "Jessie, don't be superstitious about ghost stories. You can't get on the highway in the way you are now. Be good, calm down, or we won't even be able to pass the big office. I'll get some water for you to drink."

She took out a handkerchief to wipe her face, and said sadly, "Oh, look at the makeup on my face!" "Don't worry about your face," Bailey said. "How's the patrol car, Daniel?" "Already waiting for us, partner Ilya." "Let's go, Jessie." "Wait a minute! Just one swipe, Ilya. I need a touch-up." "Don't pay attention to that!" She still turned around. "Please, I can't walk out like this, just a moment." Bailey and R. Daniel had to wait patiently for her.His hands clenched into fists, tightening and loosening.The robot remained expressionless.

Jessie opened her handbag and rummaged through the necessary equipment. (Bailey once said very seriously that since the Middle Ages, if there is anything that has resisted mechanical improvement since the Middle Ages, it is the woman's handbag. The improvement of the handbag, even if it is only a magnetic closure. The replacement of the metal handle with a utensil also failed.) Jessie pulled out a small mirror and a silver-encrusted cosmetic case.The makeup box was a birthday present from Belle three years ago. There are several sprays in the makeup box, and she uses them all in turn.Of these sprays only the last one used is visible.With a steady and deft touch, she applies makeup to her face, which seems to be a woman's birthright even in the most hostile environment.

She first sprayed the foundation evenly to cover up the oily and rough parts of the face, and then dabbed a layer of golden halo on the foundation.According to long-term experience, the golden halo on Jessie just matches the natural color of her hair and eyes.Then she spritzed a little tan on her forehead and chin, and dabbed some blush on her cheeks, working her cheeks back and down her cheekbones.Next she sprayed blue shadow on the eyelids and earlobes.Finally, she sprays on lipstick.This spray is the only one that can be seen. It is light red in color. The mist shimmers in the air, and the water mist dries up as soon as it touches the lips, and the color becomes darker.

"Okay." Jessie said, brushing her hair quickly a few times, looking very satisfied. "I think that should be all right." It took a little longer to put on makeup than what she said, but it was only fifteen seconds.Even so, those fifteen seconds seemed like an eternity to Bailey. "Let's go!" he said. Before she could even put away the makeup box, he pushed her out the door. "Go ahead, Jessie," Bailey said. Jessie had maintained a calm expression since she left Julier's office, but now her face collapsed.She silently looked at her husband and R. Daniel with helpless eyes.

"Tell me, Jessie, please!" Bailey said, "Have you ever committed a crime? A real crime?" "Crime?" She shook her head doubtfully. "Now you must be calm and don't panic. You just need to answer yes or no. Jessie, did you?" He hesitated, "kill anyone?" When Jessie heard this, she immediately became furious: "What are you talking about? Elijah Bailey!" "Have you, Jessie?" "No! Of course not!" Bailey felt his tangled stomach suddenly relax. "Have you ever stolen anything? Altered rations? Attacked anyone? Destroyed public property? Speak up, Jessie!"

"I didn't do anything. I didn't do anything in particular. That's not what I'm talking about." She turned to look at the driveway. "Ilya, do we have to stay here?" "Yes, we have to stay here until things are settled. Well, let's start from the beginning. What are you trying to tell us by running like this?" Jessie looked down, and Bailey's eyes met R. Daniel's over the top of her head. Jessie's voice was soft, but gradually became clear and powerful. "It's about those people, those medievalists. Anyway, you know, Ilya, they're all around you, always talking. It was the same when I was an assistant nutritionist. Do you remember? Elizabeth Sambowe? She is a medievalist. She always said that all our problems are because of the city. Before the city, everything was better than it is today. I often ask her how she is so sure It used to be better than it is now, especially since I met you, and I asked her more often, Elijah, do you remember what we used to talk about and she always quoted me from those little film books that are so common. You You know, like whoever wrote 'Shame of the City' or something. I can't remember the name of that person."

"Originski," Bailey followed up. "Yes. But most of the books she mentioned were worse than this one. Later, when we got married, she would tease me all the time. She said: 'Since you are married to a policeman, I think you must Became a real city girl.' She didn't talk to me very much after that, and I resigned after a while, so that's it. In my opinion, she just said those things to scare me That's all, or you want to look mysterious and attractive. You know, she's an old maid, and she's never married in her life. A lot of medievalists have flaws or flaws in one way or another. I remember you saying People sometimes mistake their own shortcomings for society's shortcomings, and they want to fix society because they don't know how to fix themselves." Baley remembered that he had said those words, but now they sounded frivolous and superficial to his ears. "Please get to the point, Jessie." He said softly. She went on: "Anyway, Elizabeth keeps saying that one day we'll all have to unite. She says it's all the fault of the Outer Worlds, because they want to keep the earth in a decadent state. Yes, decadent, She likes to use these two words best. She will look at my menu for next week, and then say disdainfully: 'Decadent, really decadent...' Jane Miles often imitates her speech in the cooking room, telling us Laughing to death. She said what Elizabeth said that one day, we will destroy the city and return to the land. We will have a total account with the outsiders. It is all their fault. They forced us to accept robots and killed us. Never out of the city. But Elizabeth never said robots. She called them 'monsters without souls.' Oh, Daniel, I'm sorry." R. Daniel said; "I don't know what that word means, but I don't mind. Go ahead, Jessie." Bailey was a little anxious.Jessie is like this, no matter in any emergency or crisis, she always likes to go around in circles when describing a thing. "When Elizabeth talks," she said, "it's always very gay. She'll say, 'The last meeting...' and stop, looking at me half-spirited, half-frightened, as if waiting for me. Asked her about it to show her importance, but on the other hand she seemed afraid that I might get her in trouble. Of course, I never asked her, so I wouldn't make her happy As you wish. Anyway, after we got married, Ilya, it was all over. Until..." She stopped. "Go on, Jessie," Bailey said. "Do you remember our fight, Elijah? I mean, the Jezebel fight?" "Why mention this?" Bai Lai was stunned for a second or two before remembering that Jezebel was none other than Jessie's real name. He turned to R. Daniel and said defensively, "Jessie's real name is Jezebel, and she doesn't like it, so she doesn't use it." R. Daniel nodded gravely.Bailey came to his senses: God!Why waste energy worrying about him? "It's bothering me, Elijah," Jessie said. "It's true! I know it's ridiculous, but I've been thinking about what you said. I've been thinking about you. I mean, I've been thinking about you. It is said that Jezebel is just a conservative. In order to preserve the way of her ancestors, she resists the new way of life brought by the newcomers. After all, my name is Jezebel, and I should..." She was very Trying to think of the appropriate words, Bailey answered for her: "Should I live up to my name?" "Yes." She said, but then shook her head and looked away. "Of course, that's not the case. Even though I have that name, it doesn't mean I'm her. You know, I'm not the kind of person I thought I was, I'm not that kind of person." "I know, Jessie. Don't even think about it." "However, I still think about her a lot, and I also find that we are in the same situation as Jezebel was. I mean, we Earthlings have our old way of life, and the Outerworlders brought Many new ways of living, while encouraging us to change. In fact, we are not so aware of ourselves, but we are unconsciously stuck in it. So, maybe the ancientists are right. Maybe we should immediately restore our old ways. Yes, a good way of life. So I went back to find Elizabeth." "Okay, let's continue." "At the beginning, she said she didn't know what the hell I was talking about, and besides, I'm a police wife. I said it's not about the police wife, and finally she said, well, she will ask so-and-so. After about a Month, she came to me and told me everything was okay. So, I joined them and started attending their meetings." Bailey was so sad. "You never told me?" Jessie's voice trembled. "Sorry, Elijah." "Oh, forget it. I mean stop apologizing. I want to know about this kind of meeting. First, where are they meeting?" A feeling of alienation came over him, even emotionless.The fact that he has been unwilling to believe is actually the case, and it has been said frankly from Jessie. It is already a real fact, and it is no longer a suspicion or conjecture.That's good too, it's always a relief to clear up doubts. She said, "Right here, down here." "Here? You mean right here? Do you mean that?" "Yeah, down this driveway. That's why I don't want to come in. But it's a nice meeting place, we're together..." "how many people?" "I don't know. Maybe six or seventy. It's just a kind of regional group meeting. There are camp chairs, drinks, and people give speeches, mostly about how good the old days were, anyway. One day we're going to get rid of the yokai and the robots and the outsiders and stuff. To be honest, these presentations are kind of boring and clichéd. But we're very patient, mostly because people feel that gathering It’s fun being together and it makes us feel important. We have vows and secret ways to say hello to each other.” "You've never been disturbed? Haven't patrol cars and fire trucks ever been to the venue?" "No. Never." "Isn't that unusual, Elijah?" interposed R. Daniel. "Perhaps it is possible," said Baley thoughtfully. "There are side roads that are never used. It's not easy to know where they are, though. That's what you do when you're in a meeting." Is that, Jessie? Just giving speeches and playing mindless intrigue?" "That's about it. Singing sometimes. Of course, some drinks and snacks. Not much, usually sandwiches and juice." "In that case," he said cruelly, "why are you nervous?" Jessie became frightened: "You're angry." "Please!" Bailey tried to be patient. "Answer my question. If it's just that, there's no harm. Why are you so panicked in the rain?" "I'm afraid they'll hurt you, Ilya. Good God! Why do you pretend you don't understand? I've explained it to you." "No, you didn't. Didn't explain. You just told me you belonged to a small, harmless secret organization. Have they ever demonstrated publicly? Have they destroyed robots? Or started riots? Killed people?" "Never, Ilya; how could I do such a thing? If they wanted it, I wouldn't take part." "Okay, so why do you say you did a terrible thing? Why do you think you're going to jail?" "Well... well, they used to say that one day they would put pressure on the government. They said we should organize and start a massive strike. We could force the government to ban all robots and drive the outworlders back to their own I thought they were just talking, but this happened, I mean about you and Daniel. They said: 'Now we're going to take action.' And they said: 'We're going to make an example , stop the robot invasion now!' They said you were the one they were trying to make an example of, but they didn't know it was you. But I knew it, and I knew it right away." She broke down. Bailey felt soft-hearted: "Okay, Jessie, it's nothing, it's just talk. You can see it yourself, nothing happened." "I'm so scared and scared. I think I'm a part of it. If there's a murder or something violent, you might die, and Bentley might be involved. And it's all mine and all mine." Wrong I should not have joined this organization, I should go to jail!" Bailey put his arms around her and made her cry.He pursed his lips and looked at R. Daniel, who looked back at him calmly. "Okay. Now I want you to think carefully, Jessie, who is the leader of your organization?" Bailey asked again. She had calmed down and was dabbing the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. "The leader was a guy named Joseph Clement, but he wasn't much of a character. He was about 160cm tall, and I think he was probably henpecked at home. I don't think he would What kind of vicious means are used. You won't arrest him, Ilya? You won't arrest him just based on my words, will you?" Jessie looked guilty. "I'm not arresting anyone yet. Closer to home, how did Clement contact his superiors?" "I have no idea." "Any strangers coming to the meeting? You know what I mean, the big guy from Central Headquarters?" "Sometimes people come to speak, but not often, maybe two or three times a year." "Do you know their names?" "Don't know. Every time I introduce them, the introducer just says: 'This is my own.' Or: 'A friend from the Jack area or so-and-so.'" "Okay, Daniel!" "What's the matter, Elijah?" "Describe the people you noticed, and let's see if Jessie can recognize them." R. Daniel described the people on the list of suspects in a very precise and detailed manner. Jessie listened to various information such as body size and size with a desperate expression, and shook her head firmly every time. "It's useless! It's useless!" She couldn't help shouting: "How do I remember? I can't remember their looks at all. I can't help it" She stopped suddenly, as if thinking about something.Then she said, "You said one of them was a yeast farmer?" "His name is Francis Crowther," said R. Daniel; "worker at the Yeast Farm in New York." "Well, a guy came to give a talk one time, and I happened to be sitting in the front row, and I kept smelling what was actually very faint, generic raw yeast. You know what I mean. I was impressed because the day I always felt nauseous and the smell made me want to throw up. So I got up and moved to the back. Of course, I couldn't tell them why. It's rude to say. Maybe he was you After all, if you hang out with yeast all day, you're bound to get that smell on your clothes." She wrinkled her nose as if smelling it again. "You don't remember what he looked like?" Bailey asked. "I don't remember." She said firmly. "Well, then, Jessie, now I'll take you back to your mother's place, and Bentleigh will stay with you. None of you leave that area. Bentleley doesn't have to go to school. I'll call Send the meals directly to the apartment, and I will also arrange for the police to monitor the corridors around the apartment.” "What about you?" Jessie's voice was full of fear. "I will be in no danger." "But how long will it be like this?" "I don't know. Maybe a day or two," said Bailey, not sure even himself. After seeing off Jessie, Bailey and R. Daniel returned to the driveway. "It appears," said Bailey, "that we are dealing with an organization that has a two-tier base. One conclusion is that there is no particular plan for its base, the only use of which is to provide Mass support. The second is that we must find out the few core members. As for the farce group mentioned by Jessie, we don’t need to pay attention to it.” "All of this," said R. Daniel, "can only be established under the premise of completely trusting Jessie." "Of course!" Bailey said firmly, "Jessie's words are absolutely true." "You're right," R. Daniel said. "Her brain waves don't seem to show any signs of a pathological preference for lying." Bailey glared at the robot: "Of course not! And you don't have to mention her name in your report, understand?" "Listen to you, partner Elijah," said R. Daniel calmly, "but in this way, our report becomes incomplete and inaccurate." "Possibly, but nothing bad will happen. She has come forward and told us all she knows, and mentioning her name will only put her on the police record. I don't want that to happen. " "In this case, if we are sure that there will be no new discoveries, her name can of course not be mentioned." "I promise, she's said all she knows, without reservation." "Also, can you tell me," R. Daniel asked, "why she was asked to abandon her old beliefs and adopt new ones just for the name of Jezebel? The motive seems unclear. ’” They drove slowly through the crooked, hollow tunnel. "It's hard to explain," Bailey said. "Jezebel is a rare name. It was originally a bad girl's name, and my wife loved it. It gave her a novelty, through which she could Feeling a badness that she has never experienced before is a kind of compensation for her rigid life." "Why would a law-abiding woman want to feel bad?" Bailey almost laughed. "A woman is a woman, Daniel. Anyway, I did a stupid thing. I told Jessie in a daze that the historical Jezebel wasn't really evil, and she could say She was a good wife. I regret that statement to this day." "It turned out," he went on, "that I pissed off Jessie. I destroyed something irreplaceable in her life. I guess what she did afterward was revenge. I think she So going to an event that I don't approve of is to punish me. However, I don't think she has a conscious motive for revenge." "Is the motive still unconscious? Isn't that a contradiction in wording?" Bailey looked at R. Daniel, not bothering to explain to him what unconscious motivation was.Changing the subject, he said, "It follows from this that the Bible has a tremendous influence on human thought and emotion." "The Bible? What is the Bible?" Bailey was first surprised, then surprised at his own surprise.He knew that the people in the outside world lived under a completely mechanistic personal philosophy, and R. Daniel probably knew less than the people in the outside world, not more. He put it simply: "It's a classic that about half the world's population respects." "I don't quite understand the meaning of that adjective you speak of." "That is to say, important and affirmed. Under proper interpretation, the content of this book covers a set of codes of conduct. Many people believe that human beings can only achieve the greatest happiness if they live by these codes of conduct. .” R. Daniel seems to be thinking about the meaning of this passage. "Has this code been incorporated into your laws?" "I'm afraid not. This kind of norm is not suitable for legal binding. It must be followed by individuals from the heart and on their own initiative. In a sense, it is even higher than the law." "Above the law? Isn't that another contradiction in wording?" Bailey smiled wryly. "May I quote you a passage from the Bible? Are you curious and want to know?" "Please." Bailey slowed down the car, and then braked.He closed his eyes to remember.In fact he wanted to pronounce it in Middle English with the intonations of the Middle Bible, but to R. Daniel Middle English was just meaningless syllables. He began to speak casually in modern modified English, as if he was talking about the life of contemporary people, rather than tracing back the distant stories in the distant and vague past of mankind: "'But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, and returned to the temple in the morning The people gathered together, so he sat down and taught them. The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and made her stand before them. They said to Jesus, Sir, this woman is Caught in adultery. According to the law of Moses, such a woman should be stoned to death. What do you say? What should be done with her? "'They said this to test Jesus, to find an excuse to accuse him. Jesus did not answer, but stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger. They continued to question him, and Jesus straightened up and said to them, who among you thinks If she is innocent, anyone can throw a stone at her. "'After he finished speaking, he bent down and wrote on the ground with his fingers. After everyone heard what Jesus said, everyone, old and young, left one by one. In the end, only Jesus and the woman remained. Jesus straightened up and said, "Woman, those people are here." Where is it? Has no one condemned you? "'She said, Lord, no. "'Jesus said, I do not condemn you either. Go! Sin no more.'" R. Daniel listened attentively. "What is adultery?" he asked. "It doesn't matter. It's just a crime at that time. The punishment is to be stoned to death. That is to say, the person who committed the crime must be stoned until he is killed." "Is that woman guilty?" "Have." "Why wasn't she stoned?" "Because after hearing what Jesus said, none of those people felt qualified to throw stones at that woman. The implication of this story is that there is something higher than your sense of justice.Human beings have an impulse called compassion, and a behavior called forgiveness. " "I don't understand the meaning of the word, partner Ilya." "I know." Bailey murmured, "I know." He started the patrol car, his body shook, and the car rushed forward.He leaned against the back cushion of the seat. "Where are we going?" R. Daniel asked him. "Go to Yeasttown," Bailey said. "Get the truth out of the lips of conspirator Francis Crowther." "Do you know what to do, Elijah?" "No. But you know, Daniel. It's easy." Their car galloped forward quickly.