FS-26 The Heart in Exile
The Heart in Exile
Four Square
FS-26
Rodney Garland
$0.75
Excerpt
“On the whole,” I said, “I think the police shut an eye to inversion whenever they can or want to.”
“Yes,” Noel nodded. “But, of course, you know that when it actually comes to prominent people, they are usually warned, as Oscar Wilde was, often by the highest authority. And there are also cases which are hushed up or made light of. I know for certain that if, for example, a clergyman or a high-ranking officer or civil servant is arrested and there is actually no abuse of authority—I mean, if he has actually been caught having fun with an adult who’s a total stranger—then the detective is usually ticked off. That’s one of the many reasons why most plain-clothes men dislike being transferred to the Vice Squad.”
“Who do the authorities want to arrest, then?” I asked. “I don’t really know,” Noel said, shaking his head. “Male prostitutes I suppose… professionals or people who are blatant about it and advertise the thing. They want to keep it down as much as possible. They know full well it can’t be suppressed, but they don’t want it to spread through advertising, and they don’t want homosexuals to feel too safe…” He drained his glass. “I have to slide,” he said.
On my way home I reflected that, even if the police had known nothing about Julian, the possibility of a scandal or blackmail could still not be ruled out entirely, and I was as involved as ever.
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