Chapter 3

The Age of Hypocrisy (2)

Holmes muttered.

"Life is a crossroads where lonely souls meet on their journey, they may walk the same path, but in the end, they are scattered by the rapids of fate."

"The colonel couldn't kill me; he was a coward, one who couldn't abandon that warm but fleeting illusion, and someone who walked into the abyss himself could never muster such courage. Living on the right path already requires immense courage, let alone the courage to reject a gift from God, a gift filled with God's blessing."

Holmes leisurely filled his pipe with tobacco in the chair on the second floor of Mrs. Hudson's boarding house. Watson seemed to be pondering what to say to his incorrigible friend, who had once again gotten himself into a serious case.

"The scene in that boarding house was already playing in my mind.

"Remember that story from last time? About the crimson thread of murder being revealed amidst the tangled emotions like a ball of yarn."

"It was information, not emotions, right? And that man, despite his tattered body..."

"If the previous case was a ball of yarn, this one... well, it's like looking into a kaleidoscope with no end, where countless fragments of memory are infinitely reflected by numerous mirrors."

The last rays of the sunset filtering through the window of Mrs. Hudson's boarding house faded away, and the moonlight began to fill the space.

Holmes gazed blankly out the window, feeling as if he were dreaming in a familiar setting with a familiar figure, but today, he felt more detached from reality as he reflected on the current case.

"Though it's not a scientific statement, when I first met her, I thought her eyes were like the moon, and when I saw her that day, the moon was burning, a moonlight that seemed to burn everything in the world with the light of the sunset."

"Holmes, I'm always amazed, do you have a poet's talent?"

Watson whistled. Of course, Holmes was insensitive. His doctor friend still didn't know him. Holmes had published two volumes of poetry during his university days.

"Let's leave it at that for now."

I put down my pen. No matter how much I tried to write more, the internal protest was unbearable.

"Still, this is a big problem."

The ideas are running out.

I've been continuing the series based on my version of Sherlock Holmes, but the lack of ideas is a problem.

That's why, I seem to be reading the newspaper more frequently these days.

It was always the London newspaper.

Various incidents, news, and editorials.

"Helping the Belgians who are calling for independence... France and the Netherlands hint at intervention"

"Is it okay to dump waste into the Thames?"

"Construction of London Bridge delayed again..."

There are still salmon in the Thames.

"Still."

Of course, from the perspective of knowing that the fish in the Thames will be extinct within a few years, London was already a dead city.

I have a reason for not buying a house in London even though I've made a lot of money, and instead bought a mansion in the suburbs.

It's hard to live there for a long time.

Even at this point, before the Industrial Revolution has fully taken off, the air in London makes me think of the fine dust in 21st-century Korea, which makes the fine dust in Korea seem like an angel in comparison.

Then, a headline caught my eye.

"Is the Poor Law about relieving the poor or breeding parasites?"

The Poor Law, which provides state subsidies to prevent the poor from starving, is to be abolished?

Well, in the 21st century, there were politicians who made absurd statements that if the government continued to support the lower class, they would become parasites on the national finances, so it's not surprising in the 19th century.

According to the theory of population, if there is no restraint on the tendency of population growth, the world's population will double every 25 years... the food supply increases arithmetically, but the population increases geometrically, leading to an inevitable shortage of resources necessary for survival...

The theory of population, the theory of population, ah, is this the Malthusian Trap or something?

The Malthusian Trap.

The economic book "An Essay on the Principle of Population," published anonymously by Thomas Malthus, argues that because the increase in food production cannot keep up with the geometric growth of the population, population growth must be restrained.

In simple terms, it argues that at some point, the rate of population growth will outpace the rate of food production, and therefore, population growth must be controlled.

Since the increase in food production is arithmetic and the increase in population is geometric, if food production increases by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, the population will increase by 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and if left unchecked, humanity will face inevitable destruction.

The reason this problem hasn't materialized so far is that disease, famine, and war have killed many people, adjusting the population.

The quality of life remains at the lowest level, the population continues to grow, and the cycle of large-scale population reduction and adjustment repeats infinitely, which is why it is called a trap or a snare.

Historical examples include the Black Death, the yet-to-happen Irish Great Famine, and the case of Easter Island, so it's not entirely wrong. In fact, Chinese history up to the modern era showed a typical Malthusian Trap, and the root cause of the French Revolution was famine. Even in modern times, attempts to interpret massacres and South Korea's low birth rate from this perspective have been made.

So, to save everyone, the population of the lower class must be reduced, marriage and childbirth should be delayed or prohibited, and even wars and famines can be used to artificially eliminate them, according to Malthus's argument.

The reason the Poor Law was abolished in Britain was also due to the acceptance of Malthus's theory by the contemporary British government. Providing welfare to the poor would ultimately make everyone poor, and although their fate was pitiful, it was inevitable.

Of course, the Poor Law hasn't been abolished yet.

It's only natural, as I haven't paid much attention to the Poor Law, but the abolition of the Poor Law is gradually becoming a topic of public discussion.

Considering how slowly the government moves when making, revising, or abolishing laws, it will probably take a few years before it is abolished.

But that's not the important thing right now.

I can smell a good idea.

The Malthusian Trap has become a reality, and humanity is trapped in an overpopulated Earth in the 21st century.

Even the wealthy can hardly eat real meat, and most people survive on a thin gruel made from seaweed, while the government pays a death benefit.

A hell of a tax.

The government mercilessly fires machine guns at the people protesting to lower prices, a jar of strawberry jam is traded at a price comparable to a diamond, and the middle and upper classes mostly eat hard biscuits and water. A meal with meat stew and a salad without dressing is something even the highest echelons of society eat with gratitude.

A new food to save humanity from hunger has been released, but the truth that it is made from human flesh is revealed at the end of the work.

Soylent Green is people! Soylent Green is people!

I could almost hear the sound of gold coins pouring into my ears.

***

I immediately contacted the publisher.

I met the editor at a high-end French restaurant in London.

"About this novel, Soylent Green."

The editor looked perplexed.

"Are you aware of the current public opinion about abolishing the Poor Law?"

"Not at all."

"But people will associate it with that. It could be used politically."

The editor said seriously.

"It's very common for politicians to misinterpret statements that have nothing to do with them. There are many such cases, and your statement could be one of them."

I nodded and cut a piece of the terrine that came as an appetizer.

"Personally, I think abolishing the Poor Law is a foolish decision. We should increase the population; population is power, and there are still undeveloped lands everywhere. We should think about sending immigrants to colonize them, not about killing people. If the pie is small, we should make it bigger. My point is, we should go out before we suffer the same fate."

"Go out?"

"Out of Britain, out of Europe, out of the continent."

I spoke before the editor could.

"I'm just warning about the inevitable future that experts have spoken about. I will also propose solutions. Development is the key. Develop technology, farm more land, expand into a wider world, even beyond Earth, to relieve population pressure. More colonies are the solution to all these problems."

To be more precise, it's a plagiarism of a future movie story, but let's say it is.

"Humanity must advance. Not only that, but we must also develop science and technology. Advanced technology and more territory are the pie. We should think about expanding the pie, not killing people. My novel will clearly convey this message. After all, there's Canada, Australia, and Asia, right?"

It's an imperialistic statement, but what does it matter? It's an imperialistic era, and no one will nitpick over my words.

"You're right."

The editor agreed without much objection.

"We must go out, not stay here. Staying here means decline."

"... But as I said, they will quote your work out of context."

"Then I'll release a sequel."

The editor's eyes widened.

"You're already thinking about a sequel?"

"Well, if they quote it out of context, I'll publicly criticize them. I'm advocating for more investment in science and technology and more colonization, not for killing people. We shouldn't abolish the Poor Law but send the poor abroad to reduce wasted land. There's plenty of land in America, South America, and Australia, which has too few people. Can't we colonize them? Worrying about the Malthusian Trap now is like worrying about starving to death because you only have three days' worth of food at home. Just go out and buy ingredients from the market."

"Eventually, there will be limits on Earth, so what do you think...?"

"If Earth is too small, we should go to space. I believe that with the right technology and a hundred years, Mars can be transformed into a habitable environment, and even a farming planet to supply food to Earth. And beyond this solar system, to other stars."

Humanity's view of space hasn't expanded beyond the galaxy, but the heliocentric theory is firmly established, and there is sufficient information about stars and nebulae outside Earth.

In other words, it's reasonable to say that there are other stars and habitable planets outside Earth. What year was the novel "The War of the Worlds" published, with its Martians?

"I believe in humanity. I believe in human wisdom. Humans can survive without killing each other."

In fact, I don't believe in it at all.

As someone who remembers what happened in the 21st century, I think there's no emptier statement than believing in humanity.

But at least now, this statement works.

Before World War I, during the Belle Époque, the Industrial Revolution, and the Victorian era, technology was seen as the key to solving all problems.

However, even in the Victorian era, there were many problems, such as the pervasive solemnity, imperialism and colonialism, moral corruption from within, and the hellish wealth gap.

But despite these issues, there was hope for a better future and a bright tomorrow.

That's the difference between the 21st-century Republic of Korea I remember and the early 19th-century British Empire.

The quality of life was clearly much lower, but there was hope for a better future.

That's why the statement "I believe in humanity" might resonate.

I said this while picking up my knife to cut into the main course. The sauce and juices from the perfectly cooked steak were tempting me.

"But if people don't listen to me, then I really need to release a sequel, don't I?"

"Hehe, I don't know whether I should hope that people listen to you or not."

I chuckled and put a piece of steak in my mouth.

It was delicious.