"Yes, I will not only persevere, but I will also get out alive." Verak closed his eyes and enjoyed the massage.
When Keating heard Verak's words, his movements stagnated, and he pressed the button again two seconds later: "I have seen too many people like you who are unwilling to be imprisoned here. The ambitions they maintained at the beginning were eventually eliminated.
I was completely consumed by the cruelty of reality.”
Verak didn't say anything more on this topic to prove that he was different from others. He knew how difficult it was to escape from prison, how unbelievable it was to say, and how terrible time was. In this way, he was trapped for the rest of his life.
Everywhere, anything with timeliness is vulnerable.
He must hold the torch that is not limited by time and space, use it to dispel the darkness, illuminate the darkness, boldly move forward on the thorny road, and gain the courage to persevere.
He thinks he has this torch.
"But I think you'll stick to it," Keating said coldly.
Verak was stunned instead.
After Keating said the previous words, he was unable to refute. After all, Keating had met too many people and there was no reason to think that he was the exception, so he remained silent and planned to use future results to give himself an answer to Keating.
But Keating actually spoke out words of approval for him for the first time.
"...Why?" Verak was puzzled. He was curious about why Keating thought he could persevere.
"You are the first person who can still laugh naturally when facing me after being tortured. Those people in the past either said nothing or used more crazy methods to try to force me to find out the whereabouts of the gold."
Ting explained the reason for such evaluation, "But I just said that I think you will persevere. It is still unknown whether you will be able to escape from jail."
"Well." Verak chuckled for a long time, "Mr. Keating, I have to find a way to leave this cell."
Keating refuses to tell the whereabouts of the gold, so it is impossible to leave here with him openly, and he can only choose the only way to escape from prison. To escape from prison, he must understand the terrain and get a chance to get out, both of which
This can only be done by being transferred to another cell.
"That is a very difficult road." Keating's eyes flashed with worry, "You have also seen them. All their energy is spent on work and living every day, and they have no energy or thoughts.
To escape from prison. They first kill the soul and turn it into an empty shell. In the end, it is not even an empty shell, but a corpse."
"But you can only hope to escape by going to another cell." Verak sighed, "I know that the difficulties I will face will not stop there, but I don't want to consider so many factors."
"You have to go out anyway, right?"
"Well, I have to go out."
Keating said nothing.
Verak slowly moved his neck along with Keating's massage. His neck, which was originally stiff and painful even with the slightest touch, now became numb and numb, and he could gradually twist it up, down, left, and right: "My neck is much better.
thank you."
"I can't do anything about your wound." Keating continued to press on it. "This injury is troublesome outside, but it is even more troublesome in this prison where the medical and mental care conditions are below the required standards. If Lecter is injured tomorrow,
If I make this kind of deal with you, you must refuse, otherwise if you let the wound worsen for two days, anything may happen."
"Understood, Mr. Keating." Verak also knew something about himself. If there was such a deal tomorrow, he would definitely refuse it. Otherwise, his life would be short, and it would be meaningless to know more news about the Equality Society.
The time flashed to eight o'clock in the evening.
The prison guard brought dinner. Today's dinner is oatmeal and oatmeal cakes.
After half a day's rest, Verak's hand was less swollen and he could move more or less, so he didn't bother Keating to feed him during the meal. Instead, he reluctantly drank the porridge with a spoon and struggled to nibble on the oatmeal cake.
.
"Give me the oatcakes." Keating took the oatcakes in Verak's hands and tore them into small pieces for him. Then he tore off his own pancakes and stirred them into Verak's oatmeal. "Eat like this.
It’s more convenient for you.”
Verak's jaw is injured, and his biting and chewing will affect the wound, so it is a good choice to tear the pancake into pieces, soak them until soft, and drink them with oatmeal.
"Your pie..." Verak witnessed Keating giving him the only piece of pie he had.
Keating took a mouthful of porridge with a spoon and said, "I'm old. I sit here all day, so I don't need to eat so much. But you didn't eat at noon and you're still injured. Eating more will also help your recovery."
Verak held a full lunch box: "...Thank you..."
"Eat quickly." Keating continued to drink porridge slowly.
Verak had been hungry for a long time, and now that the pancakes and porridge were all mixed together, he simply poured the food from the lunch box into his mouth and ate it hungrily.
At 8:10, the prison guard took away the lunch box. After eating and drinking, Verak, who felt that his strength had recovered a lot, waved his hand: "I will carry you to take a shower later."
"Forget it for today." Keating shook his head and took out another book to read. "You are injured and cannot touch the water. If the infection becomes suppurative, you will be in trouble."
"Thank you..." Verak thanked him.
"I wouldn't kill someone directly just to have someone help me take a bath." Keating read the book.
Verak sat on his prison uniform and leaned against the wall: "What are you reading?"
"On the origin of species based on natural selection, which is the preservation of superior races in the struggle for survival." Keating replied, "A book written by a Welshman explains the theory of biological evolution in a very logical way. Although I find it hard to believe it,
There is no denying that he writes well."
"I don't quite understand." Verak shook his head, not understanding what this book was about.
"A book that subverts cognition, do you want to read it?" Keating asked, "I have read this book many times."
Verak raised his hands to indicate the wound: "I can't see now."
Keating could see that Verak was bored now, so he moved and faced him: "Let me give you a general introduction."
"Okay." Verak felt that this book with a very long name, and he only remembered the four words "Origin of Species", was much more interesting than the "Crues" that Keating gave him before, because Keating described this book
He mentioned "subverting cognition" at the time. Having already had his cognition subverted once by "Equality", he was very interested in this type of book.
"This book was published in the capital of Wellland six or seven years ago, but the translation into Bresci and Dunman only happened not long before I was imprisoned... The author puts forward a very unique idea in the book.
A subversive point of view, that is, biological species in nature are not unchanged, but gradually evolve and develop from lower to higher levels..." Keating explained this book.
Verak listened with great interest.
The scientific principles in it simply opened up a new world for him, overturning the theory that humans were created by God.
"That's about it. I think it will be the most controversial book in the world today." Keating spent about twenty minutes telling the contents to Verak.
"Oh my god..." Verak didn't know how to evaluate this book, "It's really subversive, and it was hard to accept it for a while..."
"Don't think so much." Keating put away "On the Origin of Species According to Natural Selection, That is, the Preservation of the Superior Races in the Struggle for Survival" and took a sip of water. "Just kill the time and read it."
"Did you bring all these books in by yourself?" Verak asked.
Keating said "Yes": "When I was arrested, these books were also brought with me. At my request, they did not confiscate them. However... these were the only books I brought with me at the time.
I have watched it dozens of times now.”
"Didn't you go to them again and ask for other books?"
"I'm overthinking it. It's good to keep these few books. How can I get others?" Keating smiled and shook his head.
Verak thought of something, and he sat up straight: "You told me a book, let me tell you one too."
"What book?" Keating didn't care. He had read too many books, and he didn't think Verak could tell him anything he didn't know or that would be refreshing to him.
"Equality." Verak said.
"Theory of Equality?" Keating thought for a moment and made sure he had never heard of it. "Who wrote it?"
"Francis, he is from Bresci." Verak did not mention Chris, because he was mentioning Chris now under the guise of Chris's identity, and it would be a bit awkward to talk about "The Theory of Equality".
Keating shook his head again: "I haven't heard of it."
"You were already in jail when he became famous, and this book was just published not long ago. It's normal that you don't know." Verak said.
"Does this book have any connection with your organization Equality?" Keating asked. Equality, "Equality", it's too difficult to stop people from connecting.
Of course, Verak didn't want to hide anything. He just wanted to talk to Keating about "Equality" openly and express the most advanced views and concepts.
"The content written in this book is the meaning of the existence of our organization." When mentioning "Equality", Verak's face became more serious, "From the purpose of establishing our organization to the ultimate goal of our organization. Never
The ideals that are taken seriously by those with vested interests, and the reasons why countless people sacrifice their lives for them...are all included."
"I'm very curious about what makes you, a young man from a big conglomerate, give up everything he enjoys, dare to put life and death aside, and compete with the government." Keating has read other books and almost knows them by heart. Now can anyone help me?
He talked about a book he had never read, and it was such a book stained with countless hot blood and exuding strange charm. He was happy to listen.
"Then let's start from the first chapter 'Understanding Inequality'." Verak smiled slightly and introduced "Equality" to others as a member of the Equality Society. This feeling is difficult to describe, "The foundation of the current world.
No matter how you look at it, there is only the creed of equality and nothing else. But ironically, inequality still dominates society."
At nine o'clock, the prisoners who were working elsewhere came back to rest, and the deserted underground floor became lively again.
In cell 208, Verak was narrating the contents of "Equality" logically and clearly, while Keating was sometimes frowning in thought and sometimes swallowing saliva.
The two seemed to be isolated from the outside world.
"...People can erase it, people can laugh at it, but it will never be truly erased or damaged by being trampled on; because it is correct, it is sacred, and it represents the ideal that people pursue.
, it symbolizes the future of divine revelation, it has taken advantage of theoretical principles, and it will eventually win in objective fact one day. It is indelible, and it is eternal. (Note: 1) "I don’t know the past.
It took a long time, until Verak's mouth was dry, before he finished the first chapter of "On Equality" in detail.
Keating said nothing.
There was a brief silence in the prison cell.
"This is the content of the first chapter." Verak broke the silence and stood up to take a drink of water. "If you are interested, I can tell you about the content of the subsequent chapters when I have time."
"Do you have anything to do now?" Keating did not comment on whether "The Theory of Equality" was good or bad, or what its content was. He just stared at Verak, "It's only nine o'clock, I think we can finish the first chapter before the break.
Listen to the content of Chapter 2."
"...There is enough time." A smile gradually appeared on Verak's face.
He didn't know what kind of impact "The Theory of Equality" had on Keating. At least Keating had aroused curiosity now - just like him who was ignorant and ignorant at the time after reading the first chapter.
There are also people who have huge doubts in their hearts and try to understand deeply to solve their doubts.
"Then let me tell you about the second chapter of the Theory of Equality, that is, 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity'..." Verak told the subsequent content.
Keating listened solemnly and said nothing.
During this period, Ross, the musician next door, came to say hello to Verak and asked him how he was injured and how Lecter had abused him in the morning. Verak ignored him and concentrated on conveying the views and concepts of "The Theory of Equality" to him bit by bit.
Keating.
The prisoners have finished taking a shower.
The lights went out.
The noise subsided.
Snoring was everywhere.
In the dark prison cell, Keating sitting on the bed and Verak sitting on the floor remained motionless.
"That's it." Verak didn't know what time it was before he finally finished the second chapter.
Keating still didn't speak, so Verak asked proactively: "What do you think of this book?"
"It's too early to talk about opinions now. I will have a good chat with you after you tell me everything that follows." Keating's voice was very low. He looked into Verak's eyes.
Although he couldn't see him, he could clearly see the light in Verak's eyes, "How is this young man named Francis doing now?"
"He has been sacrificed." Verak said.
"It's a pity." Keating sighed, feeling sorry for Francis' death.
Verak silently nodded slightly in the darkness. He hoped countless times to have the opportunity to meet Francis and Chris and have a good chat with them.
"...Go to bed early." Keating reminded, "Don't forget that you still have many tests tomorrow."
"Okay." Verak stood up and climbed onto the bed, "When I come back alive tomorrow, I will tell you the third chapter. Good night."
"Good night."
——
Note 1: This paragraph quotes the original text of "On Equality" written by Pierre Leroux.