Elminster and Nameless smeared Alias with foul-smelling ointments and bound her wounds.伊尔明斯特和无名者给阿莉亚丝涂上气味难闻的药膏，又包扎好她的伤口。1
When she came to, Dragonbait was using his power to heal Akabar, who had been the most grievously hurt.她醒来时，龙饵正用自己的力量治疗阿卡巴；众人之中，他伤得最重。2
Olive had a nasty gash on her forehead, but the old man who worked beside Nameless assured the halfling that if she would only keep her mouth shut, her headache would go away.奥利芙额头上裂开了一道吓人的口子，但那位在无名者身旁忙活的老人向这个半身人保证，只要她肯闭上嘴，头疼自然就会消失。3
Alias felt no pain, courtesy of the ointments, but she was bone-weary.多亏了那些药膏，阿莉亚丝感觉不到疼痛，但她已经疲惫入骨。4
Akabar, who sat beside her, gave her a nudge and pointed to the old man.坐在她身旁的阿卡巴轻轻推了她一下，指向那个老人。5
“That one was talking to Dragonbait in Shadowdale,” the mage told her.“在阴影谷跟龙饵说话的就是那个人。”法师告诉她。6
Elminster crouched beside Akabar.伊尔明斯特在阿卡巴身旁蹲下。7
“I understand ye wanted to see me on a matter of grave importance.”“老夫听说，你有一桩事关重大的事情想见我。”8
Akabar flushed with sudden understanding.阿卡巴猛然明白过来，脸一下子红了。9
“Elminster?”“伊尔明斯特？”10
“Really?”“真的？”11
Alias said.阿莉亚丝说道。12
“And I thought you were just a goatherd who knew more than was good for me.”“我还以为你只是个懂得太多、对我没什么好处的牧羊人呢。”13
She realized now that Akabar had never actually spoken with Elminster.她这才意识到，阿卡巴其实从未跟伊尔明斯特说过话。14
“He’s nothing at all like you described him, Akabar,” she teased.“他跟你描述的完全不一样，阿卡巴。”她打趣道。15
“For one thing, he talks funny.”“首先，他说话的腔调就怪里怪气的。”16
“Have you ever considered keeping an appointment calendar?”“你就没想过备一本约会日程簿吗？”17
Akabar asked the old sage angrily.阿卡巴恼火地问老贤者。18
“Yes,” Elminster replied.“想过。”伊尔明斯特答道。19
“They make excellent tinder.”“那东西拿来引火再好不过。”20
“You knew all about Nameless,” Alias accused him.“无名者的事，你全都知道。”阿莉亚丝指责道。21
“You knew what I was, didn’t you?”“你知道我究竟是什么，对不对？”22
“I knew about Nameless,” Elminster confessed sadly.“我知道无名者的事，”伊尔明斯特悲伤地承认道。23
“But I was not sure about thee.“但我不敢确定你的事。24
Ye seemed too human to be the made thing he had envisioned.你太像一个真正的人了，不像他所设想的造物。25
In disbelief, I put off coming here to ascertain if the bard was still safe in his prison.我不愿相信，便迟迟没有来这里确认那位吟游诗人是否还安然被囚禁着。26
As they say, the wise aren’t always.”俗话说，智者也不总是……”27
“Aren’t always what?”“不总是什么？”28
Olive chirped.奥利芙脆声问道。29
“Wise,” supplied Alias.“明智。”阿莉亚丝替他补充道。30
Elminster nodded.伊尔明斯特点了点头。31
“Got off my hindquarters fast enough when Moander was unleashed, though.“不过莫安德一被放出来，我倒是很快就抬起屁股动身了。32
Took me two days to trek out here.我跋涉了两天才赶到这里。33
I watched thy arrival on the roof.我看到你从屋顶抵达了。34
New portal—must remember it.”新的传送门——得记住它。”35
“But you tried to get me to give up the songs, and I refused.“可你试图让我放弃那些歌，而我拒绝了。36
You let me go.你却放我走了。37
You knew it was wrong to try to squelch Nameless’s songs.”你知道，企图压制无名者的歌是不对的。”38
“Let’s say I was uncertain.“只能说，我当时并不确定。39
I was prepared to sacrifice them to a greater good.我本来准备为了更大的利益牺牲它们。40
Thy vehemence made me rethink the greater good.你的激烈反应让我重新思考了何为更大的利益。41
It was hard to argue with a soul so pure.”面对如此纯洁的灵魂，实在很难反驳。”42
Alias looked shyly at Dragonbait.阿莉亚丝羞涩地看了龙饵一眼。43
If they’d given me a piece of someone else’s soul, she wondered, would I have succeeded in freeing myself?她心想，如果他们给我的是另一个人的一片灵魂，我还能成功解放自己吗？44
“What will happen to Nameless?” she asked.“无名者会怎么样？”她问道。45
“It’s a little late to keep him locked up to protect his secret.“现在还想把他关起来保守秘密，已经有点晚了。46
And you most certainly aren’t going to lock me up.”而且你肯定也不会把我关起来。”47
Elminster looked startled momentarily.伊尔明斯特一时间显得有些惊讶。48
“No,” he agreed.“不会，”他表示同意。49
“That would be unjustifiable.“那样做毫无道理。50
What he did may have been wrong, but what we did may not have been right.他的所作所为也许是错的，但我们的所作所为也未必正确。51
The time has come, I think, to review the matter.”我想，是时候重新审视此事了。”52
“A second trial?” asked Nameless.“再审一次？”无名者问。53
“Perhaps,” said Elminster.“或许吧，”伊尔明斯特说。54
“If so, I will speak in thy defense.”“若果真如此，我会为你辩护。”55
“As will I,” Alias said.“我也会，”阿莉亚丝说。56
Nameless smiled at her.无名者朝她微微一笑。57
“You really refused to give up my songs?”“你真的不肯放弃我的那些歌？”58
“It was wrong to abandon them, and I knew it.”“抛弃它们是不对的，而我心里清楚这一点。”59
Something tickled the base of her wrist, and Alias held her arm up.手腕根部有什么东西挠得她发痒，阿莉亚丝便抬起手臂。60
In the once-empty space a blue rose blossomed, shimmering among the stiller pattern of waves and serpents.原本空白的地方绽开了一朵蓝玫瑰，在静止不动的波浪与蛇形图纹间熠熠生辉。61
Dragonbait clutched at his chest and looked down.龙饵一把按住胸口，低头看去。62
The snaking pattern on his green scales was replaced by a wreath of blue ivy.他绿色鳞片上蜿蜒的图纹已被一圈蓝色常春藤取代。63
“A sign of the gods’ favor?”“这是诸神眷顾的征兆？”64
Nameless asked the sage.无名者问那位贤者。65
“It would appear so,” Elminster agreed.“看来正是如此，”伊尔明斯特赞同道。66
He turned to Alias.他转向阿莉亚丝。67
“I have closed the portal leading to Phalse’s domain, so ye will be safe here.”“我已经封闭了通往法尔斯领地的传送门，所以你们待在这里会很安全。”68
Alias could see that there was only water where the portal had been.阿莉亚丝看见，传送门原先所在之处如今只剩下水。69
The sight of her reflection brought to mind the copies of her Phalse had created.水中自己的倒影令她想起了法尔斯创造出的那些她的复制品。70
Struggling to her feet, she limped to the feast hall door.她挣扎着站起身，一瘸一拐地走向宴会厅的大门。71
“They’re gone!” she cried.“她们不见了！”她喊道。72
“What happened to them?”“她们怎么了？”73
Dragonbait shrugged his shoulders.龙饵耸了耸肩。74
The smell of brimstone rose from his body.他身上散发出一股硫黄味。75
“You hoped to lay them to rest by destroying Phalse,” Akabar reminded her.“你原本希望毁掉法尔斯，好让她们安息。”阿卡巴提醒她。76
“It appears your wish was granted.”“看来你如愿了。”77
“Maybe they were never really there,” Olive conjectured.“也许她们根本就不曾真的存在过。”奥利芙推测道。78
“Maybe they were just an illusion Phalse conjured up to use against you.“也许她们只是法尔斯变出来对付你的幻象。79
They must have vanished when you killed him.”你杀死他时，她们肯定也随之消失了。”80
“Perhaps,” Alias whispered sadly.“也许吧。”阿莉亚丝悲伤地低声说道。81
She could not believe either explanation.这两种解释，她哪一种也无法相信。82
Elminster, detecting the scent of lemon and ham from the saurial’s body, cocked an eyebrow but said nothing.伊尔明斯特察觉到那个蜥蜴人身上散发出的柠檬和火腿气味，挑起一边眉毛，却什么也没说。83
“I think it’s time to check the larder and see what goodies Phalse left behind,” Olive suggested.“我看该去检查一下食品储藏室，瞧瞧法尔斯留下了什么好东西。”奥利芙提议道。84
“In the cellars of this place,” Nameless said to Dragonbait, “you will find a sword.“在这地方的地窖里，”无名者对龙饵说道，“你会找到一把剑。85
I would be honored if you would accept it in place of the one you lost.”如果你愿意收下它，代替你失去的那一把，我将深感荣幸。”86
Dragonbait nodded graciously.龙饵欣然点头致意。87
Nameless knelt by the injured halfling, who still cradled her head in her hands.无名者在受伤的半身人身旁跪下；她仍用双手抱着头。88
“There’s something I’d like you to have, too, Mistress Ruskettle.”“我也有一样东西想送给你，拉斯凯特尔女士。”89
The halfling’s eyes shone as she held her hand out.半身人双眼放光，伸出手来。90
In it Nameless placed a small, silver harp and crescent moon pin, the symbol of a Harper.无名者将一枚小巧的银制竖琴与新月徽针放进她手中，那是竖琴手的标志。91
She smiled up at Nameless.她抬头望着无名者，露出了笑容。92
“Really?“真的？93
For me?”送给我的？”94
She pinnned the gift to her tattered gown.她把这份礼物别在自己破烂的长袍上。95
“Thank you.”“谢谢你。”96
“That’s going to raise some hackles,” said Elminster quietly.“这下可要惹恼一些人了。”伊尔明斯特轻声说道。97
“Let it,” Nameless said.“随他们去吧。”无名者说。98
Elminster smiled at Akabar.伊尔明斯特朝阿卡巴微微一笑。99
“I have a gift for ye, Akabar Bel Akash, a piece of advice perhaps more valuable than any magic item.“我有一件礼物要送给你，阿卡巴·贝尔·阿卡什——一条忠告，或许比任何魔法物品都更有价值。100
It takes less time to solve thy own riddles than to wait in Lhaeo’s office.”解开自己的谜题，可比在莱奥的办公室里干等省时多了。”101
Akabar grinned and nodded.阿卡巴咧嘴一笑，点了点头。102
Nameless looked uncertainly at Alias.无名者有些迟疑地看着阿莉亚丝。103
“I have no more gifts to give you, yet I would ask for something from you.”“我已经没有别的礼物可以送给你了，不过，我想向你讨一样东西。”104
Uncertainty gripped the swordswoman, a fear that Nameless would ask for something she could not give him, or something she would not wish to.女剑士心中顿时充满不安，唯恐无名者会向她索要某样她给不了的东西，或是她不愿给的东西。105
“What is it?” she asked.“是什么？”她问。106
“I know of your birth,” her ‘father’ said, “and Mistress Ruskettle has told me something of your travels.“我知道你的身世，”她的‘父亲’说道，“拉斯凯特尔女士也告诉了我一些你旅途中的经历。107
But I wish to hear you tell your tale.”但我想听你亲口讲述自己的故事。”108
Alias laughed with relief.阿莉亚丝如释重负地笑了起来。109
Moving to the edge of the pool, she sat down and beckoned her audience to draw close.她走到水池边坐下，招手示意听众们靠近些。110
Olive perked up attentively, eager to hear the tale that would bring her fame throughout the Realms when she began telling it herself.奥利芙顿时精神一振，专心听了起来，迫不及待地想听听这个故事——等她自己开始讲述时，它定会让她名扬诸界。111
“I woke in Suzail, in the land of Cormyr, to the sound of two dogs barking.…”“我在科米尔的苏萨尔醒来，耳边传来两条狗的吠叫声……”112
As the three men and the saurial listened to Alias’s beautiful voice, Olive leaned back and promptly fell asleep.三个男人和那名蜥族人聆听着阿莉亚丝动听的声音，奥利芙却往后一靠，立刻睡着了。113
点句末的编号，从那一句开始听