Liston immediately went outside, got on a horse, and galloped away.
On a horse, not a carriage.
And he was really good at riding...
Not that it was surprising.
Horseback riding is a regular subject in medical school.
And Liston is good at anything physical, so since he even learned it, well...
"He's fast..."
"Liston was top of his class. And... well, he's had a lot of practical experience too."
"Practical experience?"
"You think Liston started out making a living in the London scene from the beginning? When his skills were a bit lacking, he went around small towns performing surgeries, and back then... well, a lot of people died."
"Ah."
So, that means he had killed even more people than when I first saw him?
Given that he was practically a killing machine, it made sense that he could ride a horse that well.
It would be stranger if he couldn't ride a horse.
"Shall we do something while we wait?"
"What should we do?"
"How about a card game? I got something good."
"Something... good?"
"Remember when I went to Paris and made some friends? Do you remember the Hashish Club among them?"
"Ah."
No matter how well one rides, given how vast London is, getting somewhere and back in an instant was absolutely impossible.
It wasn't just vast, but also winding and crowded with people, making it even more so.
It meant we had time to kill. I thought we'd make small talk in the meantime, but Blundell brought out a box with a sinister smile.
This guy also got his share of the business, like blood transfusions and whatnot, so he must be handling quite a bit of money now.
Naturally, the box was quite a high-class one, and the item inside also looked unusual.
No... it wasn't just looking unusual, it was an unusual item.
"Is that... hashish?"
"Yes. This one is quite good. It causes relaxation."
It... would cause relaxation, alright.
Not all drugs cause stimulation and excitement.
It's a bit arbitrary to divide them strictly, but things like methamphetamine or cocaine are stimulants, while cannabis is more of a depressant.
"Is that why? I keep thinking about it."
Ah, and people say cannabis isn't addictive, or whatever...
It is.
Well, the meaning is a bit different, but look at Blundell.
His expression is already gone, isn't it?
Since hashish is stronger than regular cannabis, it's probably inevitable, but...
Won't it later be strictly regulated as a drug?
Right now, it's considered a harmless, or rather, a kind of good recreational food item, like tobacco.
"But, Professor. Sir."
"Hm? What?"
Blundell was already taking out the hashish, cutting the end off with a knife with a tap.
As soon as they saw that, my assistants, moving like machines, started bringing over a light.
I wondered where and how they lit it, and then I saw Joseph stealthily stepping on a match to put it out, avoiding my eyes.
White phosphorus.
You crazy bastards...
Huh?
Lead paint, hashish, and now white phosphorus matches!
"Won't this make your mind go in and out of focus?"
"Really? I just feel good."
"That's what I mean... if you feel good for no reason, then something's... We're about to measure blood pressure, will that work well?"
"Ah, ah. Haha. I wondered what you were saying."
Clutching at my fading clarity, I attempted persuasion.
My expectations were fifty-fifty.
In the past, I would have just given up, but surely he's become more civilized by now, right?
He wouldn't remain a man of the 19th century forever, right?
So I said that, but Blundell continued with a smile that seemed to say I was being foolish.
"That blood pressure thing has no meaning other than satisfying curiosity. Well, theoretically... it might have meaning, of course."
"No... surely the fact that blood pressure goes up and down must have some meaning, right?"
"Hahahaha! You just met the Lord and you're talking nonsense."
Isn't saying you met the Lord the most nonsensical part?
While thinking that, I remained silent, contemplating the lies I had spun so far and would continue to spin.
Then Blundell, again with a hearty smile, continued.
"How did the Lord make our bodies?"
"Umm...?"
"Humans are animals of adaptation. The fact that blood pressure changes probably means the situation has changed, so it changes accordingly. It's a natural thing."
"No..."
"Anyway, I'm not really interested. What about the rest of you?"
At Blundell's words, I was momentarily at a loss for words.
This... 19th-century scientific common sense has its peculiar aspects, you see...
So, since some parts are right and some are wrong, it was hard to outright refute.
Simultaneously, everyone except me, meaning my students, were looking back and forth between the hashish and me.
Their bodies were honest; Joseph and Alfred were already picking up the hashish.
That's why it's a drug.
"I, I'm curious about blood pressure."
The only brave soul who resisted that temptation... was Colin.
You're really amazing.
You're an amazing guy!
I was so proud I was about to vigorously pat his shoulders when Liston came in with two people, just as he had confidently promised.
"Ugh, damn. What's that smell?"
He was scowling at the smell of cannabis wafting from the next room.
It was understandable that he swore.
It was a foul smell, whether it was the smell of burning plant matter or whatever.
I really hate cigarette smoke, but I'd rather smell that than this.
"Eeek!"
"P-please, spare us."
Given the situation, his swearing was justified, but from the perspective of those captured, it was just terrifying.
I tried to reassure them by giving them a gentle smile and then asked Liston.
"Why are there two of them?"
"Hah, are you only sparing one?"
"I have a sick old mother!"
Strange pleas squeezed their way in, but I ignored them for now.
Liston's words were important.
"Ah, one is a tanner, and the other is a blacksmith."
"Ah, I see. Good. Good."
Thinking about it, I would probably need both of them.
As expected of Liston.
I nodded and then looked at the two.
Somehow, they seemed more scared than before.
The reason was...
'Damn...'
I think I know.
It's because of me, of course.
I have quite a few rumors surrounding me.
Of course, the most famous and meaningful nickname among them is 'The Saint'.
It might sound like an insult, but it actually has a very good meaning.
And that's how it's used.
However, unlike nobles or wealthy people, among commoners and in the slums, slightly different rumors were much more widespread.
'What the hell is the Heart Snatcher?'
Things like being a Qing gangster or a sorcerer are old news now.
The term 'Arsenic Murderer' also spread but faded.
The hottest topic is the heart.
Probably, that day, I mean, drawing blood from a person's heart in the future Trafalgar Square was quite shocking in many ways.
To an outsider, wouldn't it look like a horrifying scene?
Since I'm an exceptionally understanding person, I could comprehend it.
But at the same time, I also felt wronged.
'Did the person die from that? He lived. Although... I have killed people.'
I can't say here, 'But I saved them all, didn't I?'...
It's a regret that I, as a doctor, can't say such an obvious thing.
Anyway, I once again spoke to the two with a benevolent smile.
"The reason I've invited you two here is because I want to create a certain device."
"A, a device?"
"Wh-what kind is it?"
At the word 'device', they still stammered, but as much of their fear seemed to subside, they turned their heads toward me.
Simultaneously, I unconsciously frowned at the foul smell coming from their mouths, which had clearly never seen a toothbrush in their lives.
"Eeek!"
"Spare us!"
Someday...
I really need to do something about toothbrushing too.
It's fine for me since I use various methods to brush, but isn't it true that not just these two, but almost everyone here, doesn't really care about brushing their teeth?
I'm not even sure if toothpaste exists, let alone toothbrushes.
I don't think there is, no matter how much I think about it.
"No, no. We really just need to make the device. I'll even pay you."
"R-really?"
"That's right. Have you been tricked that often? Have you ever heard of me swindling anyone out of money?"
"W-well, now that you mention it... you've taken lives, but— No, that's not it!"
I've never taken a life either, but that's not the important thing right now, is it?
The more important thing was, frankly, that I was going to ask these two to make a device that even I didn't know how to make.
It took quite a long time.
One hour, two hours.
This time lasted even after Blundell, high on hashish, staggered home.
"Do you understand?"
"I understand!"
"Yes, me too."
"What are we making?"
"Just kill me."
"I don't understand!"
I only realized that no matter how much I tried to explain, it was useless.
It was only natural.
I don't know either!
I know what the final form of the blood pressure monitor looks like...
But how on earth am I supposed to know how it was made before?
"Wait, wait."
Just as I was falling into despair, Colin intervened.
It was after he had been chattering about something with Liston.
His face was quite flushed...
"Couldn't we make it like this?"
"Like how?"
"Like this."
"Ah... like that."
The blood pressure monitor he designed—or rather, cobbled together—had a truly complex structure.
Basically, a leather balloon wraps around the arm, air is pumped into it... and the pressure inside is measured through a mercury column.
The point where the pressure in the artery disappears isn't detected by the machine, but by a person.
So, you feel the pulse, and when you think it's gone, that's when you measure the blood pressure.
'It seems like it would vary each time you do it...'
That might be true, but I can't think of any other method for the life of me.
Who on earth in our time made the blood pressure monitor and how?
I respect you, geniuses...
For now, this seems like the best we can do.
Well... someone will improve it, I suppose.
"Okay, this is good. Can you make this?"
"Ah... Yes. Well, I can."
The tanner's expression brightened since he only needed to make the leather balloon.
The one whose face turned utterly lifeless was, of course, the blacksmith.
"So, you're saying I need to do something with this using mercury... how?"
"To measure pressure."
"And what is pressure...?"
He was a blacksmith used to making knives, and now he was being asked to make a blood pressure monitor. The requester wasn't even providing a blueprint, so he must be feeling terrible.
Anyone else would have refused, but we aren't just anyone, are we?
If you mention me and Liston, we're practically the most famous duo in London right now.
"We'll have to catch a pressure expert. Let him try making it in cooperation with that guy."
"Ah, yes. If you could just do that, I'll manage somehow."
And so, things proceeded in this manner.
Saying 'catch' is just a manner of speaking; we always pay enough money, so no particular problems arise.
From what I roughly gathered in the middle, it sounded plausible, so it seemed we just had to wait, but...
If things were always this leisurely, would this be the 19th century?
It can't be.
"Long time no see."
The Police Commissioner has come to visit.
"Ah, how is your mother-in-law's leg?"
"No problems since you amputated it. And after the mirror therapy? The pain is gone too."
"Haha, that's good. If you have anyone else who needs amputation, please refer them to me."
"I certainly will."
No matter when I hear it, it sounds like a strange exchange of pleasantries, and then we got to the main point.
"There have been some suspected poisoning cases in London recently. Do you happen to know anything?"
He was looking at me.
Am I... a suspect?