Jack London

The People of the Abyss Jack London

"But you can't do it, you know," friends said, to whom I applied for assistance in the matterof sinking myself down into the East End of London. "You had better see the police for aguide," they added, on second thought, painfully endeavouring to adjust themselves to thepsychological processes of a madman who had come to them with better credentials thanbrains."But I don't want to see the police," I protested. "What I wish to do is to go down into theEast End and see things for myself. I wish to know how those people are living there, andwhy they are living there, and what they are living for. In short, I am going to live theremyself.""You don't want to live down there!" everybody said, with disapprobation writ large upontheir faces. "Why, it is said there are places where a man's life isn't worth tu'pence.""The very places I wish to see," I broke in."But you can't, you know," was the unfailing rejoinder."Which is not what I came to see you about," I answered brusquely, somewhat nettled bytheir incomprehension. "I am a stranger here, and I want you to tell me what you know ofthe East End, in order that I may have something to start on.""But we know nothing of the East End. It is over there, somewhere." And they waved theirhands vaguely in the direction where the sun on rare occasions may be seen to rise."Then I shall go to Cook's," I announced."Oh yes," they said, with relief. "Cook's will be sure to know."But O Cook, O Thomas Cook & Son, path-finders and trail-clearers, living sign-posts to allthe world, and bestowers of first aid to bewildered travellers-unhesitatingly andinstantly, with ease and celerity, could you send me to Darkest Africa or Innermost Thibet, but to the East End of London, barely a stone's throw distant from Ludgate Circus, youknow not the way!"You can't do it, you know," said the human emporium of routes and fares at Cook'sCheapside branch. "It is so-hem-so unusual.""Consult the police," he concluded authoritatively, when I had persisted. "We are notaccustomed to taking travellers to the East End; we receive no call to take them there, andwe know nothing whatsoever about the place at all.""Never mind that," I interposed, to save myself from being swept out of the office by hisflood of negations. "Here's something you can do for me. I wish you to understand inadvance what I intend doing, so that in case of trouble you may be able to identify me.""Ah, I see! should you be murdered, we would be in position to identify the corpse."He said it so cheerfully and cold-bloodedly that on the instant I saw my stark and mutilatedcadaver stretched upon a slab where cool waters trickle ceaselessly, and him I saw bendingover and sadly and patiently identifying it as the body of the insane American who wouldsee the East End.