Azure Bonds

She woke to the noise of dogs—two distinct barkings beneath her open inn window.她被狗叫声吵醒了——敞开的旅店窗户下，传来两种截然不同的吠声。A high-pitched yip confronted a deep, throaty growl.尖厉的吠叫正与低沉的喉吼针锋相对。Alias lay on the tan-stained cotton sheets and pictured a long-haired puppy cast out from its wealthy owner’s household; fending off some huge boxer or Vassan wolfhound.阿莉亚丝躺在染着黄褐色污渍的棉布床单上，想象着一只长毛幼犬被富有的主人家赶了出来，正在抵挡一只体形硕大的拳师犬或瓦萨猎狼犬。

As with men and other savage races, the show of force was as important to the dogs as force itself.狗和人类及其他野蛮种族一样，展现力量与力量本身同样重要。The yipping canine was overmatched, yet its barking went on for what seemed to Alias an eternity.那只尖声吠叫的狗显然不是对手，却一直叫个不停，在阿莉亚丝看来，仿佛持续了无穷无尽的时间。Finally, the dog with the deeper growl reached the end of its patience and snarled savagely.终于，那只吼声更低沉的狗耐心耗尽，凶狠地咆哮起来。The sound of toppling trash brought Alias fully awake.垃圾被撞翻的声响让阿莉亚丝彻底清醒过来。

She opened her eyes, listening for a dying squeal from the smaller dog, but surprisingly the next thing she heard was a series of deep yelps from the large dog.她睁开眼睛，等着听那只小狗临死前的哀号，没想到接下来听见的，竟是大狗接连发出的低沉惨叫。The sound faded away as the large dog fled from the window.大狗逃离窗下，那声音也随之渐渐远去。

Alias threw off the light blanket and swung her feet to the floor.阿莉亚丝掀开薄毯，双脚落到地板上。She rose and immediately regretted it.她站起身，立刻就后悔了。Her head felt as though molten lead had been poured behind her eyes, and her mouth was as dry as the sands of Anauroch.她觉得仿佛有人把熔化的铅灌进了她双眼后面，嘴里则干得像埃诺奥克的沙漠。

She blinked in the reddish light.她在泛红的光线中眨了眨眼。Is it dawn or twilight? she wondered.现在是黎明还是黄昏？她心想。Pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes, she yawned.她用两只手掌的掌根按住眼睛，打了个哈欠。Through the open window, the sea breezes from the Lake of Dragons wafted into the room, along with the far-off cries of fishermen returning with their catch.来自巨龙湖的海风从敞开的窗户吹进房间，还带来了远处渔夫们载着渔获归来时的吆喝声。

Twilight, then, she decided.那么，是黄昏了，她断定。She shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs.她摇了摇头，想把脑中的混沌驱散。Must have slept through the day, she thought.我准是睡了一整天，她想。When did I get here?我是什么时候到这儿的？For that matter, where’s here?说起来，这儿又是什么地方？And what was I doing before I came here?还有，我来这里之前在做什么？

Alias snorted derisively.阿莉亚丝不屑地哼了一声。What she’d been doing was obvious.她之前在做什么，再明显不过了。This wasn’t the first time she’d awakened in a strange place after a drunken celebration.这并不是她第一次在醉酒狂欢之后，醒来发现自己身处陌生之地。

Nonetheless, her surroundings seemed familiar.尽管如此，周围的一切却似曾相识。The inn was built in the same fashion as a hundred others at this end of the Sea of Fallen Stars, and her room held the typical trappings: a bed cobbled together of a mixed pile of wood, topped with a straw tick and sheets that hadn’t been aggressively washed in months; a small second-hand dressing table; a single straight-backed chair draped with her armor and clothing; a small rag rug at the foot of the bed; a brass oil lamp chained to the table; a chamber pot; and a single door.这家客栈的格局与坠星海这一带上百家客栈如出一辙，她的房间里也尽是常见的陈设：一张用各种木料七拼八凑而成的床，上面铺着草褥垫和几个月没好好洗过的床单；一张小小的二手梳妆台；一把直背椅，她的盔甲和衣物搭在上面；床脚处铺着一小块碎布地毯；一盏用链子拴在桌上的黄铜油灯；一只夜壶；以及唯一的一扇门。The window, inset with colorless circles of crown glass that let in the light of the setting sun, opened inward on side hinges that creaked lightly in the breeze.窗户嵌着一片片无色的圆形玻璃，让落日的余晖透进来；窗扇由侧边的铰链支撑，向内开启，在微风中轻轻吱呀作响。

Alias got out of bed and padded barefoot to the chair.阿莉亚丝下了床，赤着脚轻步走到椅子旁。She furrowed her brows, trying to remember the last few days.她皱起眉头，努力回想过去几天发生的事。There was a sailing trip.她似乎坐船出了一趟海。Something went wrong and I had to get out of a seaport quickly, she thought.有件事出了岔子，我不得不赶紧离开一座海港，她想。

Random images of lizard men, shadowy swordsmen, and magic-users blurred in her memory.蜥蜴人、黑影般的剑客和施法者等零乱的景象，在她的记忆中模糊成一片。She shrugged.她耸了耸肩。It couldn’t have been too important.事情不可能有多重要。I wouldn’t get drunk if there was trouble, she assured herself.要是真有麻烦，我才不会喝醉，她这样安慰自己。

She reached for her tunic and suddenly realized that this was important, that she was in trouble.她伸手去拿短上衣，突然意识到这件事非同小可，也意识到自己正身陷麻烦。Serious trouble.大麻烦。

Along the inside of her sword arm, from wrist to elbow, writhed an elaborate tattoo unlike any she had ever seen before.她持剑那条手臂的内侧，从手腕到手肘，蜿蜒盘绕着一幅繁复的刺青，是她从未见过的模样。A pattern coiled about five large, distinct symbols was set deep into her flesh, all done in shades of blue.五个硕大而轮廓各异的符号周围，盘绕着一道深深嵌入她皮肉的纹样，全部由深浅不一的蓝色构成。

She held up her arm in the light of the dying sun. The symbols caught the rays and glowed as if they were stained glass lit from behind.她在将逝的夕阳下举起手臂。那些符号攫住了光线，泛起辉光，仿佛从背后被照亮的彩绘玻璃。She flexed her arm and twisted it back and forth.她屈伸手臂，又来回转动。It wasn’t really a tattoo at all, she realized, noting how her skin rippled across the surface of the massive inscriptions, as though they were buried beneath the surface of her flesh.她注意到自己的皮肤如何从那些巨大的铭文表面起伏掠过，仿佛它们埋藏在皮肉之下，这才意识到，那根本不是什么刺青。

Engrossed by the symbols, Alias unconsciously sat on the edge of the bed in the fading light.阿莉亚丝全神贯注地看着那些符号，在渐暗的天光中不知不觉坐到了床沿。Afraid the symbols might have some hypnotic quality, she studied them with her fingernails pressed into her palms so the pain would distract her from whatever power they might try to exert over her.她担心这些符号可能有某种催眠作用，便将指甲死死掐进掌心，借疼痛分散自己的注意力，以抵御它们可能试图施加在她身上的任何力量，同时仔细研究着它们。

The first symbol, at the bend of her arm, was a dagger surrounded by blue fire.第一个符号位于她的臂弯处，是一把被蓝色火焰环绕的匕首。The tip of the dagger rested on the second symbol, a trio of interlocking circles.匕首尖抵在第二个符号上，那是三个彼此交扣的圆环。Beneath this was a dot and a squiggle which reminded Alias of an insect’s leg.下面是一个圆点和一道弯曲的线条，令阿莉亚丝想起昆虫的腿。The leg danced above the fourth symbol—an azure hand with a fanged mouth in the center of its palm.那条腿在第四个符号上方舞动——一只蔚蓝色的手，掌心中央长着一张獠牙利口。The last symbol consisted of three concentric circles, each a more intense blue, so that the centermost circle was the white-blue of a lightning strike and almost unbearable to look at.最后一个符号由三个同心圆组成，一个比一个蓝得浓烈，最中心的圆呈闪电般的炽白蓝色，几乎令人无法直视。At the base of her wrist the pattern wound about an empty space, as if a sixth symbol was yet to be added.图案在她的手腕根部绕过一块空白，仿佛还有第六个符号尚待添上。

Alias cursed, rattling off the names of as many gods as she could immediately think of.阿莉亚丝破口咒骂，把一时能想到的神祇名字全都一股脑儿念了出来。When neither Tymora nor Waukeen nor any of the others manifested themselves, she sighed and reached for her gear.泰摩拉、沃金以及其他神祇一个也没有显灵，她叹了口气，伸手去拿自己的装备。She considered bolting out of the room, sword in hand, prepared to smite anyone she could hold responsible.她想过手持长剑冲出房间，准备把任何能为此负责的人一剑劈倒。She also considered dropping to her knees and praying for a divine revelation of what she had done to deserve this.她也想过跪倒在地，祈求神明降下启示，告诉她究竟做了什么，才活该遭受这一切。Neither action was likely to do her any good, so she settled for getting dressed.这两种做法大概都不会有什么用，于是她最后还是决定先穿好衣服。

Alias tugged her tunic over her head and stepped into her leather leggings.阿莉亚丝把束腰外衣从头顶套下，又穿上皮裤。She frowned at the clothing.她望着这身衣服，皱起眉头。Why are these so stiff?“这衣服怎么这么硬？”I bought them over a year ago.“我一年多前就买了。”They should be broken in by now.“现在早该穿软了才对。”Unless they’re replacements, she mused.“除非这是替换的新衣服。”她思忖道。There was no mistaking the newness of this set of clothing—it even smelled new.这套衣服崭新得毋庸置疑——甚至还带着新衣服的气味。

But I don’t remember buying any new clothes recently.“可我不记得最近买过什么新衣服。”Is this a spare set I shoved into the bottom of my pack and forgot? she wondered.“难道这是我塞在背包底下、后来忘掉的一套备用衣服？”她心想。She looked around for her pack, but it wasn’t among her belongings.她四下寻找背包，却发现它并不在自己的物品之中。It might have been stolen, she realized, but then it was equally likely she lost it or even hocked it.她意识到，背包也许是被偷了，但同样可能是她自己弄丢了，甚至拿去当掉了。

She slipped her shirt of light chain over her head, but decided against attaching the breast, shoulder, arm, and knee plates.她把轻型锁子甲套过头顶，却决定不装上胸甲、肩甲、臂甲和膝甲。She felt a rocking sensation in the pit of her stomach.她感到胃里一阵摇晃。I know there was a sea trip.我知道自己坐船远行过。Did I get this … tattoo before I sailed or after I arrived?我是出航前弄了这个……刺青，还是抵达之后？

She pulled on her hard-soled boots.她穿上硬底长靴。The soft leather uppers reached nearly to her knees.柔软的皮革靴筒几乎一直伸到膝盖。She checked for her daggers.她检查了一下匕首。Each boot pocket held a slender, balanced wedge of silvered steel.每只靴子的暗袋里都装着一柄纤细匀称的镀银钢匕首。All that remained on the chair was her plate mail and her cloak.椅子上只剩下她的板甲和斗篷。Her fire-scorched longsword and the eagle-shaped barrette she used to keep her hair in place lay on the dresser.她那把被火燎过的长剑，以及用来固定头发的鹰形发夹，都放在五斗柜上。Worse than her missing pack, there was no money among her belongings, but she was still too concerned about the tattoo to worry about money.比背包失踪更糟的是，她的随身物品里一分钱也没有，但她仍旧太在意那个刺青，顾不上为钱发愁。

This memory loss and tattoo may be nothing, she tried to tell herself as she reached for the barrette.这次失忆和这个刺青也许根本没什么，她伸手去拿发夹时，努力这样告诉自己。Holding the silver clasp in her teeth she wound up her long reddish hair and bound it to the back of her head with the barrette.她用牙齿咬住银色发夹，把红褐色的长发盘起来，再用发夹固定在脑后。She remembered Ikanamon the Gray Mage telling her about the time he got so drunk and obnoxious that his fellow party members had a vulgar scene involving centaurs tattooed on his backside.她想起灰袍法师伊卡纳蒙曾告诉她，有一次他喝得酩酊大醉，举止又惹人生厌，结果同伴们在他屁股上刺了一幅涉及半人马的下流图案。Maybe this is just a prank, too, she reassured herself.也许这也只是个恶作剧，她这样安慰自己。A clerical cure will get rid of it for me.找个牧师施法治疗，就能替我把它去掉。

The small hairs on the back of her neck rose, and Alias realized that she was being watched.她后颈上的汗毛竖了起来，阿莉亚丝意识到有人正在窥视她。Turning slowly toward the window, she locked gazes with a reptilian creature peering in at her from the alley.她缓缓转向窗户，与一个从小巷里朝她窥探的爬虫类生物四目相对。

Looking like a cross between a lizard and a troglodyte, the beast’s head just reached above the level of the windowsill.那头野兽看起来像是蜥蜴与穴居人的混种，脑袋刚刚高过窗台。His snout was thinner and more refined than the lizard men Alias had fought before, and he had a huge fin which began just between his eyes and continued over the top of his skull.他的吻部比阿莉亚丝以前交战过的蜥蜴人更细窄、更精巧，头上还长着一片巨大的鳍，从双眼之间开始，一直延伸过头颅顶部。He had no lips, only sharp, disjointed teeth, and his eyes were the yellow of dead things.他没有嘴唇，只有尖利而参差不齐的牙齿，双眼泛着死物般的黄色。In his claws he held the smaller of the two dogs Alias had heard earlier.他的爪中抓着阿莉亚丝先前听见的两只狗中较小的那一只。The puppy, unharmed, had short, white hair, not long as Alias had imagined.那只毫发无伤的小狗长着短短的白毛，并不像阿莉亚丝想象的那样是长毛。Both creatures watched her with an intense curiosity, the lizard still as stone, the puppy wagging its tail, with its pink tongue lolling stupidly out of one side of its mouth.两个生物都带着强烈的好奇注视着她：蜥蜴人像石头一样一动不动，小狗则摇着尾巴，粉红色的舌头傻乎乎地耷拉在嘴角一侧。

Alias reacted instantly with the practiced grace of an experienced adventuress.阿莉亚丝瞬间作出反应，举止间带着身经百战的女冒险者那种娴熟的优雅。She drew one of the daggers from her boot and, with a flick of her tattooed wrist, shot it at her observer.她从靴中抽出一把匕首，刺着文身的手腕轻轻一抖，便将它掷向了窥视者。The creature pitched backward without a sound, but the dog fell into the room with a frightened yip.那生物一声不响地向后倒去，狗却惊叫一声，跌进了房间。The dagger sank half an inch into the oak window frame.匕首扎进橡木窗框足有半英寸深。

Grasping her flame-seared sword, Alias flung herself across the room in one fluid motion.阿莉亚丝握住那柄被火焰灼烧过的剑，一气呵成地纵身跃过房间。When she reached the window, however, the creature was gone and the alleyway empty.然而，等她赶到窗边时，那生物已经不见了，巷子里也空无一物。The short-haired dog yipped at her feet, rising on its hind legs and placing its front paws halfway up her boots.那只短毛狗在她脚边吠叫着，后腿直立，两只前爪搭到了她靴子的半腰处。

“I don’t suppose you know anything about this?” she asked the dog.“我想你大概不知道这是怎么回事吧？”她问那只狗。The puppy merely wagged its tail and whimpered.小狗只是摇着尾巴呜咽。

Alias picked up the small creature, petted it briefly, then dropped it outside the window.阿莉亚丝抱起这个小家伙，随手抚摸了几下，然后把它放到了窗外。The beast barked at her a few times, then began sniffing the rubbish.那小家伙冲她叫了几声，接着便开始嗅闻垃圾。

* * * * ** * * * *

“The lady has risen from the dead!” shouted the barkeep in a merry voice as Alias entered the common room.“这位女士死而复生啦！”阿莉亚丝走进公共厅时，酒馆掌柜兴高采烈地喊道。She did not know this particular barkeep, but knew others just like him who ran inns from the Living City to Waterdeep.阿莉亚丝并不认识这个掌柜，但她认识许多跟他一模一样的人，他们经营的旅店遍布活城到深水城一带。He was a loud, boisterous man, full of “hail-fellow-well-met” attitudes, favoring adventurers in his trade because the additional gold they usually carried made up for the damage their barroom arguments caused.他是个嗓门洪亮、性情豪爽的男人，浑身透着一股“见谁都称兄道弟”的热络劲儿；做生意时，他尤其偏爱冒险者，因为他们通常随身多带的金币，足以补偿他们在酒馆里争吵斗殴所造成的损失。

A few heads turned to look at her, but there were no familiar faces among them.有几个人转头看了她一眼，但其中没有一张熟悉的面孔。Alias had decided to wear her armor plate after all.阿莉亚丝终究还是决定穿上胸甲。She looked more suited for battle than for a few drinks, but many of the merchants, mercenaries, and townsfolk were similarly armed and armored, so she fit in.她看起来更像是要去打仗，而不是来喝几杯；不过，许多商人、佣兵和镇民也同样全副武装，因此她并不显眼。Like most of those in the room, Alias wore her weapon at her side.和厅中大多数人一样，阿莉亚丝把武器佩在身侧。Like all of those doing so, she had the blade’s grip tied to its sheath by white cord, fashioned in “peace knot.”也和所有这样佩着武器的人一样，她用白绳把剑柄系在剑鞘上，打成了一个“和平结”。

She took a table near an interior wall, away from any windows, where she could keep an eye on both doors to the common area, and the barkeep as well.她在一面内墙旁挑了张桌子，远离所有窗户；坐在那里，她既能盯住公共厅的两扇门，也能留意酒馆掌柜。He was a portly, balding man, obviously guilty of sampling his own stock.他是个秃顶的矮胖男人，显然没少亲自品尝店里的存货。He took her attention as a request for service, and after a few obligatory passes with a rag over the bar, he filled a large mug from the tap and brought it over to her table.他把她的注视当成了要他过来招呼，于是拿抹布照例在吧台上擦了几下，便从酒桶龙头接满一大杯酒，端到了她桌旁。Foam ran down the mug’s sides, and beads of water condensed where the rivulets did not run.泡沫顺着杯壁淌下，没有酒沫流过的地方则凝结出了一颗颗水珠。

“Hair o’ the dog what bit you?” offered the barkeep.“来点儿咬你的那条狗身上的毛？”酒馆掌柜提议道。

“On the house?” asked Alias.“店里请客？”阿莉亚丝问。

“On the bill,” the barkeep replied.“记在账上，”酒保回答。“I like to keep things on a cash-and-carry basis.“我喜欢一手交钱一手交货。Don’t worry, you’re still covered.”别担心，还是有人替你付账的。”

For the moment Alias was more interested in the blank spaces in her memory than in who was covering her tab.眼下，比起是谁替她付账，阿莉亚丝更关心自己记忆中的那片空白。“I was here last night?” she asked.“我昨晚在这里？”她问。

“Yes, lady.”“是啊，女士。”

“Doing?”“在做什么？”Alias raised an eyebrow.阿莉亚丝扬起一边眉毛。

“Why, sleeping it off.“嗨，当然是在睡觉醒酒。And it must have been a Hades-raising drunk indeed, for it is the seventh day o’ Mirtul.”而且那次肯定醉得能把冥府都掀翻了，因为今天已经是米尔图月七日了。”When Alias stared at him blankly, he explained, “You been here since the evening o’ the fourth, done nothing but sleep the whole while.”见阿莉亚丝一脸茫然地盯着他，他解释道：“你从四日傍晚就在这儿了，这段时间除了睡觉，啥也没干。”

“Did I come alone?”“我是一个人来的吗？”

“Yes.“是。Well, maybe not.嗯，也许不是。May I?”我能坐吗？”He pointed to the empty seat at the table.他指了指桌旁的空座位。Alias nodded, and he lowered his ponderous weight into the chair, which groaned under the load.阿莉亚丝点点头，他便把沉重的身躯放进椅子里，椅子不堪重负，发出一声呻吟。

“One o’ my regulars, Mitcher Trollslayer,” he continued, “stumbled over you that evening after the last call.“我这儿有个常客，米彻·巨魔杀手，”他继续说道，“那天晚上，最后一轮酒卖完后，他被你绊了一跤。You wuz laid out on my front stoop like a sacrifice to Bane.”你就那么摊在我店门前的台阶上，像是献给班恩的祭品。”

The barkeep drew the circle of Tymora on his chest to ward off any trouble uttering the evil name might bring.酒保在胸前画了个泰摩拉的圆环，以免说出那个邪恶的名字招来什么麻烦。“Anyway, there you wuz with this sack o’ money alongside.“总之，你当时就躺在那儿，身边搁着这袋钱。I put you up, using the money in the sack to cover your tab.我让你住了下来，用袋里的钱抵你的账。Here it is, too, with only the cost o’ the room deducted.”钱也在这儿，只扣了房钱。”From his apron pocket he fished out a small satin sack.他从围裙口袋里掏出一个小缎袋。“Doesn’t count the beer, o’ course.”“当然，啤酒没算在内。”

Alias shook the contents from the sack.阿莉亚丝把袋里的东西倒了出来。A small, greenish gem, a couple of Lantan trade bars, some Waterdeep coinage, and a scattering of Cormyrian coins.一颗泛绿的小宝石、两根兰坦贸易金属条、几枚深水城钱币，还有零零散散的几枚科米尔人钱币。She shoved a silver falcon at the barkeep.她把一枚银隼币推给酒保。“I don’t remember coming here.“我不记得自己来过这里。Someone must have left me.一定是有人把我留在这儿的。Did you see anyone?”你看见什么人了吗？”

“I figgered you must have been carousing with a bunch o’ mates who, when the effects caught up with you, left you on my doorstep with enough cash to guarantee your comfort.“我寻思，你准是跟一帮伙伴喝酒作乐来着，后来酒劲上来了，他们就把你留在我家门口，还留下足够的钱，好让你能舒舒服服地待着。No one told us about you until Mitcher found you on his way out.直到米奇尔出去时发现了你，才有人告诉我们。You wuz alone.”当时只有你一个人。”

Alias looked at the mug as the foam on top diminished to reveal a watery amber liquid.阿莉亚丝望着那只杯子，只见顶上的泡沫渐渐消退，露出下面淡得像水的琥珀色液体。It smelled worse than the rubbish outside.那味道比外面的垃圾还难闻。“Why wouldn’t my ‘mates’ bring me inside?” she asked.“那我的‘伙伴们’为什么不把我送进来？”她问。

The barkeep shrugged.酒保耸了耸肩。The mates-leaving-the-lady-on-the-doorstep theory was apparently his favorite, and it was obvious that he had been telling and retelling it over the past few evenings.显然，这套“伙伴们把女士留在门阶上”的说法是他最中意的，而且很明显，这几天晚上他已经把它翻来覆去讲了许多遍。He was reluctant to change what seemed to him a concise and well-rounded tale.在他看来，这故事简洁完整，因此他不大情愿改口。

“No one has asked after me?”“没人来打听过我吗？”Alias pressed.阿莉亚丝追问道。

“Not a one, lady.“一个也没有，女士。Perhaps they forgot about you.”也许他们把你忘了。”

“Perhaps.“也许吧。No lizards?”没有蜥蜴？”

The barkeep sniffed.酒馆老板哼了一声。“We keep the premises clean.“咱们这店里收拾得干干净净。We wuz waiting for you to wake before cleaning your room.”俺们是等你醒了再打扫你的房间。”

Alias raised a hand.阿莉亚丝抬起一只手。“No lizard-creatures, then?“这么说，没有蜥蜴怪物？Something that looks like a lizard-creature?”也没有什么长得像蜥蜴怪物的东西？”

The barkeep shrugged again.酒馆老板又耸了耸肩。“Perhaps the last brew you had haunted you some.“也许你最后喝的那杯酒让你有点撞邪了。You recall what you wuz drinking?”还记得你喝的是什么吗？”

“I recall precious little, I fear.“恐怕我几乎什么都不记得。I don’t even know what town I’m in.”我甚至连自己在哪座城都不知道。”

“No mere town, but the gem of Cormyr, the finest city o’ the Forest Country.“这可不是什么普通城镇，而是科米尔的明珠，森林之国最好的城市。You are in Suzail, lady, home o’ His Most Serene and Wise Majesty, Azoun IV.”小姐，你现在身在苏萨尔，这里是至尊庄严、英明睿智的阿祖恩四世陛下的居城。”

Alias had a mental map in her head of the region.阿莉亚丝脑海中浮现出一幅这一带的地图。Cormyr was a growing nation, sitting astride the trade routes from the Sword Coast to the Inner Sea.科米尔是一个日益壮大的国家，横跨从剑湾通往内海的商路。The name of its ruler struck a responsive chord.它统治者的名字在她心中激起了一丝共鸣。Is he a friend?他是朋友吗？An enemy?还是敌人？Why can’t I remember things?我为什么什么都记不起来？

“Last question, wise barkeep,” she said, holding up another silver orb, “and I will let you go.”“最后一个问题，聪明的老板，”她说着，又举起一枚银币，“问完我就让你走。”She turned the hand holding the coin to reveal the inside of her arm and its bright tattoo.她转过拿着银币的那只手，露出手臂内侧鲜艳的文身。“Did I have this when I arrived?”“我来的时候，身上就有这个吗？”

“Aye, lady,” said the barkeep.“是的，女士。”酒馆老板说道。“It wuz there when we found you.“我们发现你的时候，那刺青就在了。Mitcher said the Witches of Rashemen wear such tattoos, but a Turmishman said he wuz full of bee droppings.米彻说，拉舍曼的女巫都戴着这样的刺青，可一个图米什人说他满嘴蜂屎。There wuz some mutterings, but I put my foot down and, as you see, the sky hasn’t fallen on my inn.当时是有人嘀咕了几句，不过我坚决不许他们胡来，而且你瞧，天也没塌到我的酒馆头上。I considered you a good omen, at that.”说起来，我还觉得你是个好兆头呢。”

“Why?”“为什么？”

“The name of this house.“因为这家店的名字。The Hidden Lady.”‘隐匿女士’。”

Alias nodded.阿莉亚丝点了点头。Taking this as a dismissal, the barkeep scurried back to his bar, rattling the orbs in his hand as he went.酒馆老板以为这是让他退下，便匆匆回到吧台，边走边把手里的银币摇得叮当作响。

Alias reviewed what the barkeep had told her.阿莉亚丝回想了一遍酒馆老板告诉她的话。It makes sense, she thought.这说得通，她心想。Adventurers have been known to dump off drunken companions, leaving a tattoo as a reminder.冒险者们把喝醉的同伴丢下，再留个刺青作为提醒，这种事并不少见。But why these symbols?可为什么偏偏是这些符号？They mean nothing to me.它们对我毫无意义。

Alias gulped a mouthful of ale, then fought the urge to spit it across the table.阿莉亚丝猛灌了一大口麦酒，随即强忍住把它喷得满桌都是的冲动。The brew tasted like fermented swill.这酒尝起来就像发酵过的泔水。She forced herself to swallow it, wondering if the wretched taste of the beer had been why her unknown benefactors had left her outside and not entered the establishment.她强迫自己咽了下去，心想，她那些身份不明的恩人之所以把她留在外面而没有进这家店，会不会就是因为这里的啤酒难喝得要命。

“I hate mysteries,” she muttered with annoyance.“我讨厌谜团。”她恼火地嘟囔道。She toyed with the idea of pitching the nearly full mug at the barkeep, accusing him of poisoning the clientele.她琢磨着要不要把几乎还是满的酒杯砸向酒馆老板，再指控他给顾客下毒。When in doubt, she thought, start a brawl.拿不定主意时，她心想，就先挑起一场斗殴。

She pushed the beer away, her attention diverted.她把啤酒推到一旁，注意力被别处吸引了。The barkeep was talking to a tall man wearing robes of crimson highlighted with thin white stripes and an ivory white cloak with red trim.酒馆老板正在和一个高个子男人说话；那人身穿饰有细白条纹的深红色长袍，外罩一件镶红边的象牙白斗篷。The barkeep motioned a pudgy hand toward Alias’s table, and the man turned to look at her.酒馆老板用一只胖乎乎的手朝阿莉亚丝的桌子指了指，那男人便转过头来看她。

His skin was dusky and his hair, a curly brown mane banded with gold cords, hung to his shoulders.他肤色黝黑，一头棕色鬈发如同鬃毛，用金线束起，一直垂到肩头。He had a moustache, and his beard was cut straight across at the bottom like a coal shovel.他蓄着小胡子，下颌的胡须底端修得平直，活像一把煤铲。His eyes were blue.他的眼睛是蓝色的。On his forehead were tattooed three blue dots, and a sapphire was embedded in his left earlobe.他的额头上刺着三个蓝点，左耳垂里嵌着一颗蓝宝石。Alias recognized him as a southerner and knew the dots marked him as a Turmish scholar of religion, reading, and magic.阿莉亚丝认出他是南方人，也知道那几个圆点表明他是一名钻研宗教、文字和魔法的图米什学者。The earring meant he was married.那只耳环意味着他已经结婚了。But she did not recognize the man himself.但她并不认识这个人。

Nevertheless, he made his way from the bar to her table.尽管如此，他还是从吧台径直走到了她桌前。Alias rose as he approached—not from politeness, but to give herself the chance to size him up.他走近时，阿莉亚丝站了起来——不是出于礼貌，而是想借机把他打量清楚。He stood several inches taller than Alias—and she was taller than most women and many other men.他比阿莉亚丝高出好几英寸——而阿莉亚丝本就比大多数女人以及许多男人都高。Beneath his soft, flowing robes, the man had a reasonably sturdy frame.柔软飘逸的长袍下，这男人的身板颇为结实。However his muscles did not appear to be trained for battle or hardship, as were her own.不过，他的肌肉显然不像她的一样，受过战斗或艰苦生活的磨炼。He might be a mage, she decided, or a merchant.她断定，他或许是个法师，也可能是个商人。

“I hope you are well, lady?”“希望您一切安好，女士？”His voice had the cultured tone of someone tutored in the local tongue by a scholar.他的声音带着一种文雅的腔调，像是由学者教会当地语言的人。

Alias scowled at his features.阿莉亚丝皱着眉审视他的面孔。“Do I know you, Turmite?”“我认识你吗，图米虫？”

His expression turned stormy.他的脸色顿时阴沉下来。“No. If you did, you would know our people prefer to be called Turmishmen or Turms.”“不认识。要是认识，你就该知道，我们更愿意被称作图米什人，或者图米人。”

Alias sat down and motioned him into the seat opposite her.阿莉亚丝坐了下来，示意他坐到自己对面。She liked his control in the face of her insult.面对她的侮辱，他还能克制住自己，这一点很合她的意。“You care for my drink?“想喝我的酒吗？I’ve lost the desire.”我已经没兴致了。”

Nodding, the Turmishman took a long pull on the mug.图米什人点点头，举起酒杯痛饮了一大口。If it was fermented pig-swill, as Alias suspected, then such drinks were common in the south, she decided, because the stranger seemed to savor his swallow.阿莉亚丝心想，如果这东西真如她所怀疑的，是发酵过的猪泔水，那么这种饮料在南方一定很常见，因为这陌生人似乎喝得津津有味。

“I take it you are the Turmishman who declared I was not a witch?”“这么说，你就是那个断言我不是女巫的图米什人？”

The man nodded and wiped a bit of foam from his moustache.那人点点头，抹去胡须上的一点泡沫。“Your friendly innkeep was too afraid to take you in, and the lout who found you was ready to have you burned.“你那位友善的旅店老板吓得不敢收留你，发现你的那个蠢货则巴不得把你烧死。Or at least relieve you of your purse.”或者至少把你的钱袋拿走。”

“But you knew I was not a witch?”“可你知道我不是女巫？”

“I know that the Witches of Rashemen, if they ever leave their frozen climes, know better than to decorate their bodies with tattoos proclaiming their origins.”“我知道，拉舍曼的女巫就算真会离开她们那冰天雪地的家乡，也不会蠢到在身上刺些昭示自己来历的刺青。”

Alias nodded.阿莉亚丝点了点头。“I’m not of that sisterhood.”“我不属于那个姐妹会。”At least as far as I know, she thought inwardly, since I can’t swear to what I’ve been doing for the past week or so.至少据我所知是这样，她暗自思忖，毕竟过去一个星期左右我都做了些什么，我可说不准。

She hesitated, then asked, “Did you see who brought me here?”她迟疑了一下，随后问道：“你看见是谁把我带到这里来的吗？”

The Turmishman shook his head.图米什人摇了摇头。“I was at this very table when the northerner left and then came right back in, babbling about a dead witch on the front steps.“那个北方人出去时，我就坐在这张桌旁；没过多久，他又跑了回来，语无伦次地嚷嚷着，说门前台阶上躺着一个死去的女巫。Everyone here investigated, and I convinced them your glyphs were harmless, though I have no idea what they are.这里所有人都出去查看了，我说服他们相信你身上的符文并无危险，尽管我也不知道它们究竟是什么。I must confess, to being most curious about them.我必须承认，我对它们非常好奇。May I see them again?”能让我再看看吗？”

Alias frowned but held out her arm, palm upward, revealing the symbols.阿莉亚丝皱了皱眉，但还是伸出手臂，掌心向上，露出那些符号。In the dim common room they seemed even brighter than before, glowing from within.在昏暗的公共厅里，它们似乎比先前更加明亮，仿佛正从内部发出光芒。

The Turmishman looked at them and shook his head, still mystified.图米什人看着那些符号，摇了摇头，依旧满心困惑。“I have never seen the likes of these before.“我从未见过这样的东西。Where are you from?”你是哪里人？”

“I … get around.”“我……四处漂泊。”After another pause she added, “I was born in Westgate, but I ran off and never returned.”又沉默片刻后，她补充道：“我出生在西门城，但后来离家出走，再也没回去过。”

“I’ve seen naught like this in Westgate, and I have traveled the Inner Sea from there to Thay.“我在西门城从未见过这种东西，而我曾从那里一路游历内海，直到塞尔。I must confess, though, I am by no means a sage.不过，我必须承认，我绝算不上什么博学之士。May I cast a spell on them?”我可以对它们施个法术吗？”

Alias involuntarily jerked her arm back.阿莉亚丝不由自主地猛地缩回手臂。“You a mage?”“你是法师？”

The Turmishman grinned, displaying a line of bright white teeth.图米什人咧嘴一笑，露出一排雪白的牙齿。“Of no small water.“而且还不是泛泛之辈。I am Akabar Bel Akash of House Akash, mage and merchant.我是阿卡巴·贝尔·阿卡什，出身阿卡什家族，既是法师，也是商人。Do not fear.不必害怕。I have no wish to entrap you by magics.我无意用魔法设圈套害你。I only wish to know if the marking’s origin is in magic.”我只想知道这印记是否源自魔法。”

Alias glared across the table at the Turmishman.阿莉亚丝隔着桌子瞪着那个图米什人。He was a merchant-mage.他是个商人法师。One of those greengrocers who dabbled with the art, but probably wasn’t skilled enough to cut it as just a sorcerer.不过是那种闲来摆弄法术的菜贩子，多半还没本事单靠当法师混饭。Still, he ought to be capable of detecting magic, and he looked sincere.不过，他应该有能力侦测魔法，而且看起来颇为诚恳。She needed to know more about the tattoo, and here was this Turmishman offering his services for free.她需要进一步弄清这刺青的底细，而眼前这个图米什人正愿意免费效劳。She held out her arm.她伸出了手臂。“I am Alias.“我是阿莉亚丝。Magic does not frighten me, but be quick about it.”魔法吓不住我，不过你得快点。”

Akabar Bel Akash leaned over the symbols and began mumbling words quickly and quietly.阿卡巴·贝尔·阿卡什俯身凑近那些符号，开始低声飞快地念念有词。If the runes on her arm were magical, Alias knew, they would radiate a dim glow.阿莉亚丝知道，如果她手臂上的符文带有魔力，它们就会散发出黯淡的微光。

The merchant-mage chanted, and Alias felt the muscles of her arm writhe beneath her skin as though they were snakes.商人法师吟诵着咒语，阿莉亚丝感觉手臂的肌肉在皮肤下扭动，仿佛一条条蛇。The symbols danced along her arm as if mocking the Turmishman.那些符号沿着她的手臂舞动起来，仿佛在嘲弄那个图米什人。

Suddenly, strands of hellish blue light, intense as lightning flashes, shot from the symbols on her arm, illuminating the whole room.突然，一缕缕地狱般的蓝光从她手臂上的符号中迸射而出，炽烈如闪电，照亮了整个房间。The beacons of color crackled along the beams overhead and were reflected off all the bottles and armor in the tavern, turning the surprised faces of every patron in the room to a deathly blue.一道道彩光沿着头顶的横梁噼啪游走，又从酒馆里所有的瓶子和铠甲上反射出来，把屋内每个惊愕顾客的脸都映成了死气沉沉的蓝色。

Akabar Bel Akash had not been expecting so violent a reaction to his magical inquiry.阿卡巴·贝尔·阿卡什没料到自己的魔法探查会引起如此剧烈的反应。He toppled backward in surprise, chair and all.他吃惊之下连人带椅向后翻倒。His flailing arm caught the half-drained mug of beer and sent it flying across the commons room.他胡乱挥舞的手臂撞上了那只喝了一半的啤酒杯，把它打得飞过酒馆大厅。The droplets of spilled ale took on the appearance of a cluster of blue fireflies.洒出的麦酒滴看上去就像一群蓝色的萤火虫。

Alias caught sight of the barkeep frozen in the blue light.阿莉亚丝瞥见酒馆老板僵在蓝光之中。An instant later, the portly man regained his senses and dove like a sounding whale behind the bar.片刻之后，那个胖墩墩的男人回过神来，像一头下潜的鲸般扑到了吧台后面。His patrons were a tougher lot; many of them were desperately working loose the peace knots of their weapons.他的客人们可要强悍得多；许多人正拼命解开武器上的和平结。

Grabbing her cloak from the back of her chair, Alias twisted it tight around her arm to muffle the light.阿莉亚丝从椅背上抓起斗篷，紧紧缠住手臂，想把光遮住。The blue glow leaked out of the cloak’s edges, and she held the arm close to her body.蓝光仍从斗篷边缘漏出，她只好把手臂紧贴在身上。In an overloud voice she announced, “No problem, no problem!她刻意扯高嗓门宣布道：“没事，没事！My friend here was just showing me a new magical trick that he hasn’t quite learned yet.”我这位朋友只是在给我展示一种还没完全学会的新魔法把戏。”

Alias quickly circled around the table.阿莉亚丝迅速绕过桌子。She leaned over the tall mage’s sprawled form and, to demonstrate that there was nothing wrong, helped pull him to his feet.她俯身靠近高个法师四仰八叉躺着的身体，为了表示一切无碍，帮忙把他拉了起来。Already most of the patrons had returned to their drinks, but there was a good deal of scowling and muttering.大多数客人已经重新喝起了酒，不过仍有不少人在皱眉嘟囔。

Grasping the collar of his white-striped crimson vestments, Alias held Akabar’s face close to her own and whispered in the tight voice she reserved to threaten people, “Never, ever, do that again,” then added with a hiss, “I should have known better than to trust a greengrocer.阿莉亚丝揪住他那件带白色条纹的深红法袍的领口，把阿卡巴的脸拉到自己面前，用她专门威胁人时才会有的紧绷嗓音低声说道：“永远，永远，别再干这种事。”接着又咬牙嘶声道：“我早该知道，不能相信一个卖菜的。I’m going to a real spell-caster to get rid of this tattoo right now.我现在就去找个真正的施法者，把这刺青除掉。Don’t be here when I come back, Turmite!”等我回来时，别让我再看到你，图尔米特佬！”

With that, she spun and, clutching her cloak-wrapped arm to her belly, strode out of the inn.说完，她猛地转身，把裹着斗篷的手臂按在腹部，大步走出了旅店。She caught sight of the barkeep’s head surfacing from behind the bar just as she pushed the door open.她推开门时，正好瞥见酒馆老板的脑袋从吧台后面冒了出来。

Cursing, Alias stormed three blocks before she dared to duck into an alleyway and unwrap the cloak.阿莉亚丝一路咒骂着冲过三个街区，才敢闪进一条小巷，解开斗篷。The symbols on her arm had returned to their normal appearance, if one could consider a tattoo that looked like pieces of translucent glass set beneath the skin normal.她手臂上的符号已经恢复了原样——前提是有人会觉得一幅仿佛由嵌在皮肤下的半透明玻璃碎片构成的刺青算得上正常。

Alias cursed again, this time without venom or passion, and headed toward the Promenade, Suzail’s main street, looking for a temple that might still have clerics awake at this hour.阿莉亚丝又咒骂了一声，这次却不带半点恶意或激愤，随后朝苏萨尔的主街漫步大道走去，想找一座在这个时辰或许还有牧师醒着的神殿。

The first two temples she tried, the Shrine of Lliira and the Silent Room, the Temple of Deneir, were locked.她先后去了两座神殿——莉拉圣殿和德内尔神殿“静默之室”，却都大门紧锁。Both were posted with identical signs stating they were closed until dawn services.两处都贴着一模一样的告示，声称要等到黎明礼拜时才会开放。

She passed by the Towers of Good Fortune—the huge temple to Tymora—because it looked too expensive, and the Shrine to Tyr, because it looked too prim and stuffy.她从“幸运双塔”——那座供奉泰摩拉的宏大神殿——门前经过，觉得那里看起来太昂贵；她也略过了提尔圣殿，因为那里看上去太过拘谨古板。

Upon reaching the Shrine of Oghma, Alias glared at the note tacked to the door.来到欧格玛圣殿后，阿莉亚丝怒视着钉在门上的告示。She ripped the paper from the tiny nails and let it flutter down the stairs.她一把将那张纸从小钉子上扯下来，任它飘落台阶。Pounding on the door with the side of her fist, her assault was answered by a sleepy caretaker who cracked the temple door open all of two inches and peered out at her suspiciously.她用拳头侧面猛砸大门，一个睡眼惺忪的看守应声而来，把神殿大门拉开一道仅仅两英寸宽的缝，满腹狐疑地从门缝里打量她。

“I need a curse removed!“我中了诅咒，得找人解除！”Immediately!” she gasped with her best maiden-in-distress voice.“马上！”她气喘吁吁地说，使出了自己最拿手的落难少女腔调。The caretaker’s look softened, but he shook his head, explaining that the holy mother was out of town arranging a wedding and that they had only acolytes within, new officiates who lacked the power to deal with such things.看守的神色缓和下来，却摇了摇头，解释说圣母为了筹办一场婚礼去了外地，殿内只剩下一些侍僧，都是刚刚任职、无力处理这类事情的新人。

“Try Tyr Grimjaws, Miss,” he suggested.“去铁颚提尔那儿试试吧，小姐。”他建议道。

Alias backtracked to the Shrine of Tyr the Just only to find her entry barred by two heavily armed guards.阿莉亚丝原路折返回公正者提尔圣殿，却发现两名全副武装的守卫拦住了入口。“Unless it’s life or death,” one informed her, “you’ll have to wait.”其中一人告诉她：“除非事关生死，否则你只能等着。”Apparently the church of Tyr had hired an adventuring party to deal with a dragon terrorizing the Storm Horn Mountains.原来，提尔教会雇了一支冒险队，去对付一条正在风暴号角山脉肆虐的巨龙。The party’s dealings with the monster had been anything but successful.那支队伍与怪物交锋的结果糟糕透顶。The priests of Tyr were all occupied with healing the survivors and resurrecting the bodies of their comrades who had not been incinerated.提尔的祭司们全都忙着救治幸存者，并复活那些没有被烧成灰烬的同伴遗体。

Alias was feeling desperate by the time she screwed up her courage to enter the Towers of Good Fortune, the Temple of Tymora.等阿莉亚丝终于鼓足勇气走进泰摩拉神殿“幸运双塔”时，她已经近乎绝望。At least there was no sign on its front gates.至少它的正门上没有贴告示。She jerked on the bellpull incessantly until a priest appeared, yawning but not cross.她不停地猛拽铃绳，直到一名祭司现身；他打着哈欠，倒没有发火。A corpulent, pasty-faced man, he waddled forward to unbar the gates.那是个身材肥胖、面色苍白的男人，他蹒跚着走上前来，取下门闩。

“I must speak with your superior immediately,” Alias demanded.“我必须立刻见你们的上级。”阿莉亚丝强硬地说。“This is an emergency.”“这是紧急情况。”

The priest bowed as much as his bulk would allow and stood up again, grinning.那名牧师尽力弯下肥硕的身躯鞠了一躬，又直起身来，咧嘴笑着。“Curate Winefiddle at your service.“助理牧师酒琴为您效劳。An improbable name for a priest, I know, but we must play the cards we’re dealt, right?我知道，这名字安在牧师身上实在离奇，可发到手里的牌总得照打，对吧？I’m afraid, lady, that I’m all there is.恐怕，女士，这里就只有我了。His worship and the others are helping the minions of Tyr with healing and resurrecting the would-be dragon slayers.主祭大人和其他人正在帮提尔的仆从治疗并复活那些想要屠龙的人。Unless, by my superiors, you meant to have a word with Lady Luck herself.除非您说的上司，是指想亲自和幸运女神谈谈。It’s possible, but very costly, in more ways than one.这倒并非不可能，但代价极其高昂，而且还不只一个方面。I wouldn’t recommend it.”我可不建议您这么做。”

Alias shook her head.阿莉亚丝摇了摇头。Before the curate could babble anymore, she burst out, “I need a curse removed.”不等助理牧师继续喋喋不休，她便脱口而出：“我需要解除一个诅咒。”

“Now, that does sound serious.“哦，那听起来确实很严重。Come in.”请进。”Winefiddle ushered her past the silver-plated altar to Tymora, Lady Luck, and into a private study for an audience.酒琴领她走过供奉幸运女神泰摩拉的镀银祭坛，进入一间私人书房谈话。An oil lamp lit the musty chamber.一盏油灯照亮了这间散发着霉味的屋子。Dark oak cabinets lined the walls.深色橡木柜沿墙排列。A single, high window framed the night sky.一扇高高的窄窗框住了夜空。The curate offered her a seat and plopped down into a chair beside her.助理牧师请她坐下，自己也一屁股坐进她身旁的椅子里。

“Now, tell me about this curse,” he prompted her.“好了，跟我说说这个诅咒吧。”他示意她开口。

Alias explained how she’d awakened after her unusually long sleep and discovered the tattoo on her arm.阿莉亚丝讲述了自己如何从那场异常漫长的睡眠中醒来，又如何发现了手臂上的文身。At a loss for any other theory, she told him the barkeep’s story that she was a drunk left on the doorstep of The Hidden Lady.由于想不出别的解释，她便把酒馆老板的说法告诉了他：她是个醉鬼，被人丢在了“隐秘女士”门口。Then, she related what had happened when the Turmish merchant-mage had cast a spell to detect magic on the tattoo.接着，她又讲了那名图米什商人法师对文身施放侦测魔法时发生的事。“I don’t remember getting it—the tattoo,” she concluded.“我不记得自己是什么时候弄上它的——我是说这个文身，”她最后说道。“I would never have agreed to it, not even drunk.“我绝不会同意弄这种东西，就算喝醉了也不会。This has to be some sort of stupid prank pulled on me while I was unconscious, but I have no idea who would have done it.”这肯定是有人趁我不省人事时对我搞的什么愚蠢恶作剧，可我根本不知道会是谁干的。”

Alias did not bother to mention her hazy memory of the past few weeks—it was too embarrassing—and she omitted the incident with the lizard as inconsequential.阿莉亚丝没有提起自己对过去几周模糊不清的记忆——那太难为情了——也略去了蜥蜴那件事，因为她觉得无关紧要。

Curate Winefiddle nodded reassuringly, as if Alias had brought him nothing more troublesome than a kitten with earmites.酒琴助祭宽慰地点了点头，仿佛阿莉亚丝带给他的不过是一只长了耳螨的小猫，根本算不上什么麻烦。“No problem,” he declared.“没问题，”他断言道。“There remains only the question of how you would like to arrange payment?”“现在只剩一个问题：你打算怎么付酬劳？”

Alias knew from experience that her coins were an insufficient “offering.”阿莉亚丝凭经验知道，她那点钱币远不足以充作“奉献”。She pulled out the only real valuable in her money sack—the small, greenish gem.她从钱袋里掏出唯一真正值钱的东西——那颗泛着绿光的小宝石。

Winefiddle accepted the terms with a smile and a nod.酒琴微笑着点点头，接受了这个条件。“No. Don’t put it there,” he admonished her before she set it down on the desk.她还没来得及把宝石放到桌上，他便告诫道：“不，别放在那里。”“Very unlucky.“非常不吉利。”Drop it in the poor box as you leave.”“离开时把它投进济贫箱里。”

Alias nodded.阿莉亚丝点了点头。Winefiddle began removing a number of tattered scrolls from a cabinet.酒琴开始从一只柜子里取出一卷卷破旧的卷轴。“The one advantage to serving an adventurer’s goddess,” he yawned as he spoke, “is a steady stream of worshippers in need of your special services, worshippers willing to pay in magical items.”“侍奉一位冒险者的女神，唯一的好处，”他说着打了个哈欠，“就是总有源源不断的信徒需要你的特殊服务，而且他们愿意用魔法物品来付账。”

The cleric stifled another yawn, and Alias gave him a blank look she bestowed on fools she needed to tolerate.这位牧师又强忍住一个哈欠，阿莉亚丝则面无表情地看着他——她一向用这种眼神看那些自己不得不忍受的蠢货。As far as she was concerned, clerics were merely puttering quasi-mages who couldn’t cast spells without worrying about converts, theology, relics, and other nonsense.在她看来，牧师不过是一群磨磨蹭蹭的半吊子法师，施个法还得操心皈依者、神学、圣物和其他种种蠢事。If they weren’t so useful when sickness, famine, and war struck, they would probably have died out altogether, Alias decided, taking their gods with them.阿莉亚丝心想，要不是疾病、饥荒和战争降临时他们还颇有用处，他们恐怕早就彻底绝迹了，连同他们的神一起。Perhaps the gods knew that, and that’s why they put up with the fools.也许众神自己也明白这一点，所以才容忍这些蠢货。

Winefiddle pulled bundles of scrolls from the cabinet with all the grace of a fishmonger hoisting salmon.酒琴从柜子里拖出一捆捆卷轴，那姿态就像鱼贩提起鲑鱼一样毫无优雅可言。He hummed as he checked their tags.他一边查看卷轴上的标签，一边哼着小曲。Alias sat there as quietly and patiently as possible, wishing she had stopped at another inn for a pouch of decent rum.阿莉亚丝尽可能安静而耐心地坐在那里，暗自后悔没在另一家旅店停一停，买上一袋像样的朗姆酒。Finally, the priest pulled two from the lot that seemed to please him.最后，牧师从那一大堆里挑出了两卷，似乎颇为满意。

Despite Alias’s warning of what had happened in The Hidden Lady, Winefiddle wanted to begin with a standard magical detection.尽管阿莉亚丝已经警告过他在“隐秘女士”发生的事，酒琴还是想先从一次常规的魔法探测开始。He waved aside her objections, insisting, “I need to see this extreme reaction myself.他对她的反对置之不理，坚持道：“我得亲眼看看这种极端反应。”Nothing to be afraid of since we know what to expect this time, right?”“既然这回我们知道会发生什么，就没什么可怕的，对吧？”

Alias submitted with a grudging sigh.阿莉亚丝不情愿地叹了口气，答应下来。The cleric passed his silver disk of Tymora over her outstretched arm.牧师将那枚泰摩拉的银碟从她伸出的手臂上方划过。The words he muttered were different from the Turmish mage’s, but the effect was the same.他喃喃念出的咒语与那位图米什法师不同，效果却一模一样。Alias shuddered as the symbols writhed beneath her skin, and she squinted in anticipation of the bright, sapphire radiance which soon lit every corner of the musty study.皮肤下的符号蜿蜒扭动，阿莉亚丝浑身一颤，眯起眼睛，等着那耀眼的蓝宝石色光芒出现；很快，光芒便照亮了这间霉味书房的每个角落。

Winefiddle’s eyebrows disappeared into his low hairline, amazed at the brilliance of the glow.酒琴的眉毛高高挑起，几乎没入低低的发际线中，显然对这光芒的璀璨程度大为震惊。Alias clenched her muscles involuntarily, and the rays swayed about the room like signal beacons, bouncing off the darkened window and the priest’s silver holy symbol.阿莉亚丝不由自主地绷紧肌肉，光束便如信号灯般在房间里来回摇曳，从昏暗的窗户和牧师的银制圣徽上反射回来。

The glow peaked and began to ebb slowly.光芒达到顶峰，随后开始缓缓消退。Winefiddle cleared his throat nervously a few times before he reached for the larger of the two scrolls on the desk.酒琴紧张地清了几次嗓子，这才伸手去拿书桌上两卷卷轴中较大的那一卷。In the blue light he looked less pasty and more powerful, but Alias was beginning to wonder if he knew what he was doing.在蓝光映照下，他显得不那么面色灰白，倒更多了几分威势，但阿莉亚丝开始怀疑他究竟知不知道自己在做什么。

“You really think that piece of paper’s going to be strong enough?” she asked doubtfully.“你真觉得那张纸的力量够强吗？”她怀疑地问道。Maybe I should put this off until morning, she thought.也许我该等到早上再说，她心想。The Shrine of Oghma or the Temple of Deneir might have more competent help.欧格玛神殿或德内尔神庙里，说不定有更能干的人帮忙。

“This scroll was written by the hand of the Arch-cleric Mzentul himself.“这卷轴可是大祭司姆曾图尔亲笔写成的。It should remove these horrors without delay.”它应该能立刻除掉这些可怕的东西。”He stroked his chin thoughtfully and added, “It being such an old and irreplaceable scroll, perhaps you wouldn’t mind, should you come into further funds …”他若有所思地抚着下巴，又补充道：“不过，这卷轴如此古老，又无可替代，所以要是您日后手头宽裕……想必不会介意……”

Alias gave an impatient nod, and Winefiddle undid the scroll’s leather binding.阿莉亚丝不耐烦地点了点头，酒琴便解开了卷轴的皮制绑带。With one hand on her arm and the other holding the scroll, he began to read.他一只手按在她的手臂上，另一只手拿着卷轴，开始诵读。

“Dominus, Deliverus,” he intoned.“Dominus，Deliverus。”他抑扬顿挫地念道。A cold shudder ran down Alias’s spine, a feeling quickly overwhelmed by a burning sensation on her forearm.一阵寒战沿着阿莉亚丝的脊背窜下，但她的前臂很快燃起灼痛，将那感觉彻底淹没。The pain was familiar, but she could not remember why.这疼痛似曾相识，她却想不起缘由。Is this how the magics felt that put the damned thing here?当初把这该死的东西弄到她身上的魔法，带来的就是这种感觉吗？

The fire on her arm intensified, and she clamped her jaw shut to avoid crying out.她手臂上的灼烧感愈发强烈，她死死咬紧牙关，免得叫出声来。She couldn’t have been in more pain if molten metal had been poured over her sword arm.即使有人把熔化的金属浇在她持剑的手臂上，也不可能让她更加痛苦。

“Ketris, Ogos, Diam—” Winefiddle continued, breathing heavily, his teeth clenched.“Ketris，Ogos，Diam——”酒琴继续念着，呼吸粗重，牙关紧咬。Alias wondered if he could feel the heat of her arm beneath his hand.阿莉亚丝不知道他能否隔着手掌感受到她手臂的灼热。

Light beams arced from Alias’s arm like water from a fountain, but instead of spilling to the floor, they wrapped around her until she was surrounded by blue light.一道道光束如喷泉中的水一般从阿莉亚丝的手臂上呈弧形喷涌而出，但它们并未泼洒到地板上，而是缠绕在她周身，直至她被蓝光笼罩。

Suddenly, she wrenched her arm away from the cleric’s grasp and reached down to her boot for her throwing dagger.突然，她猛地从牧师手中抽回手臂，俯身去摸靴筒里的飞刀。As if she was in some horrible nightmare her arm moved of its own accord, like a viper she could not control.仿佛置身于某场可怕的噩梦之中，她的手臂自行活动起来，像一条不受她控制的毒蛇。

The priest had ignored the swordswoman’s arm jerking from his grasp.女剑士的手臂猛然挣脱，祭司却没有理会。It wasn’t really necessary that he hold onto it, and he could not afford to lose his concentration and break off his incantation.其实他并非一定要抓着她的手臂，而他也不能分神，不能中断咒语。“Mistra, Hodah, Mzentil, Coy!” he finished triumphantly.“米斯特拉，霍达，姆曾提尔，科伊！”他得意地念完了咒语。

Winefiddle looked up at his client.酒琴抬头望向他的委托人。She was still bathed in a blue light from the symbols, and her face was a mask of rage.那些符号发出的蓝光依然笼罩着她，她的脸犹如一张愤怒的面具。A low, feral snarl issued from her lips.一声低沉而野性的咆哮从她唇间逸出。He caught the flash of silver as Alias thrust the knife toward him.阿莉亚丝将匕首刺向他时，他瞥见一道银光。With an unexpected dexterity, he shifted sideways.他以出人意料的敏捷向旁边一闪。

The weapon sliced through his robes and bit into his flesh, but it was stopped by his lowest rib.利刃划破他的长袍，咬进血肉，却被他最下方的肋骨挡住了。

Alias looked down in horror at her hand—it moved with its own volition.阿莉亚丝惊恐地低头看着自己的手——它正自行其是。Blood from the dagger bubbled and burned as it dripped over the glowing tattoo.匕首上的血滴落在发光的刺青上，冒着泡灼烧起来。

Suddenly, the scroll Winefiddle had been reading burst into flame, its magic used.突然，酒琴一直诵读的卷轴燃起火来，其中的魔力已消耗殆尽。The curate threw the burning page in Alias’s face.助理牧师把燃烧的书页扔向阿莉亚丝的脸。

The swordswoman swatted the fiery parchment away, and the priest circled around her.女剑士一掌拍开燃烧的羊皮纸，祭司则绕到她身后。Just as he reached the door, Alias felt an electric pulse run down her right arm.就在他抵达门口时，阿莉亚丝感到一道电流般的脉冲沿右臂传下。She tried to grab the wrist with her left hand, but she was too late.她试图用左手抓住右腕，却已经太迟了。The arm hurled the dagger at the priest.那条手臂将匕首掷向祭司。The weapon whirred past his ear and buried itself in the doorjamb.利刃嗖地掠过他的耳边，深深扎进门框。Yanking the door open so hard that it banged against the wall behind it, the priest fled from the study.祭司猛地拉开门，力道之大，门板砰然撞上后面的墙；随即他逃出了书房。

Alias raced after him, no longer in control of any part of her body.阿莉亚丝飞奔着追了上去，此时她身体的任何部分都已不受自己控制。She tried to pull the silvered steel weapon from the wood as she passed by, but the blade had buried itself too deep; she abandoned it so as not to lose sight of her prey.经过门口时，她试图从木头里拔出那柄镀银钢刃，但刀身扎得太深；为了不让猎物脱离视线，她只得将它舍下。

Alias found Winefiddle climbing the steps to the silver altar.阿莉亚丝发现酒琴正沿着台阶爬向银质祭坛。She leaped after him and grabbed at the back of the chain around his neck, the chain that held his holy symbol—the silver disk of Tymora.她纵身追上去，一把抓住他颈后那条挂着圣徽——泰摩拉的银圆盘——的链子。She yanked on it hard, trying to throttle him with it.她猛力拉扯，想用链子勒死他。

Winefiddle lost his balance and tumbled backward down the steps into his assailant, knocking her over as well.酒琴失去平衡，向后滚下台阶，撞上袭击他的阿莉亚丝，也把她撞倒在地。The priest’s fall was broken by Alias’s body, but the swordswoman was not so lucky.阿莉亚丝的身体缓冲了祭司坠落的冲势，可这位女剑士自己就没那么幸运了。The crack her head made on the marble stone echoed through the temple, and the priest’s great bulk on top of her forced all the air from her lungs.她的脑袋撞在大理石地面上，发出的脆响回荡在神殿中，而祭司庞大的身躯压在她身上，将她肺里的空气全都挤了出去。

When Alias opened her eyes again, she was still lying on the floor.阿莉亚丝再次睁开眼睛时，发现自己仍躺在地上。The light on her arm had faded to a very dim glow.她手臂上的光已经褪成了极其微弱的光晕。Her head was throbbing with unbearable agony.她的脑袋阵阵抽痛，痛苦得难以忍受。Gods! she thought, as panic gripped her heart.诸神啊！她心想，恐慌攫住了她的心。I killed a priest!我杀了一个祭司！These hell-spawned markings made me kill a priest!这些地狱孽生的印记逼我杀了一个祭司！No one will ever believe it wasn’t my fault.绝不会有人相信这不是我的错。

She tried to sit up, knowing she had to flee, but the pain in her head made it impossible.她知道自己必须逃走，于是试图坐起身来，可头部的剧痛令她根本无法动弹。Then she heard chanting.这时，她听见了吟唱声。

Winefiddle knelt beside her—not dead after all.酒琴跪在她身旁——原来他并没有死。In the dimness of the temple lamps Alias could see his hands were glowing very slightly.借着神殿灯火的微光，阿莉亚丝看见他的双手正泛着极其微弱的光芒。He held them over the wound in his side and then over her forehead.他先把双手悬在自己侧腹的伤口上方，然后又移到她的额头上方。The throbbing subsided.抽痛渐渐平息了。

“How are you feeling?” the curate asked.“你感觉怎么样？”助祭问道。

“All right, I guess,” she muttered, sitting up slowly.“还好吧，我想。”她咕哝着，缓缓坐起身来。She was unable to meet the priest’s eyes.她不敢直视祭司的眼睛。“I might have killed you,” she whispered.“我差点杀了你。”她低声说道。

“Not very likely,” Winefiddle replied lightly.“不大可能。”酒琴轻松地答道。“We are in Tymora’s temple, and Her luck was with me, not you.”“这里是泰摩拉的神殿，而祂的好运眷顾的是我，不是你。”

His nonchalance startled Alias.他那副满不在乎的样子令阿莉亚丝吃了一惊。She had to make him understand, even if it didn’t matter to him.她必须让他明白，即使他根本不在意。“It wasn’t me, though,” she explained.“可那不是我干的，”她解释道。“My arm … it took me over somehow.”“是我的手臂……不知怎么控制了我。”

“Yes.“没错。The symbols must have instructions to destroy anyone who would try to remove them, discouraging you from seeking out help.这些符号里一定设有指令，会摧毁任何试图去除它们的人，好让你不敢求助于人。I thought you looked possessed—but it couldn’t have been a real possession.”我当时觉得你像是被附了身——但那不可能是真正的附身。”

“Why not?”“为什么不可能？”

“An alarm would have gone off if any possessed person approached the altar.“任何被附身的人只要靠近祭坛，警报就会响起。You didn’t set it off.你却没有触发警报。I don’t think you’re cursed exactly either, or the scroll I used would have worked.我认为你也不完全是中了诅咒，否则我用的卷轴就该奏效了。The symbols on your arm are magical, but they aren’t just magical.你手臂上的符号具有魔力，但又不只是魔法。There’s some mechanistic component to them that protects them from being exorcised.”其中还包含某种机械式的机制，使它们不会被驱除。”

“But I have to get them off,” Alias insisted.“可我非得把它们去掉不可，”阿莉亚丝坚持道。“I can’t run around with markings that make me try to kill priests.“我不能带着这些会迫使我杀害祭司的印记到处乱跑。Who knows what else they might make me do?”谁知道它们还会逼我做出什么事？”

“Indeed” Winefiddle agreed, “but removing them might prove to be complicated and costly.“确实如此，”酒琴赞同道，“不过，要去除它们，恐怕既复杂又昂贵。If it can be done, it would require the power of many clerics and mages, as well as a surgeon.即便真能做到，也需要许多牧师和法师合力，还得有一名外科医生。And you would have no guarantee that the markings would let you live through the procedure.而且你根本无法保证，这些印记会让你活着撑过整个过程。It might be easier and safer for you to cut off the arm and retire.”对你来说，砍掉这条手臂然后退隐，或许反倒更简单、更安全。”

“No!”“不！”

“But these markings are very dangerous.“可这些印记非常危险。You could learn to fight left-handed,” Winefiddle suggested.你可以学着用左手战斗，”酒琴建议道。

“I can already do that,” Alias declared.“这个我已经会了。”阿莉亚丝断然说道。“That’s not the point.“重点不在这里。I’m not going to let these things, or whoever put them on me, ruin my life.我不会让这些东西，或是把它们弄到我身上的人，毁掉我的生活。Besides, suppose they had roots or something that went into my body.”再说，万一它们有根须之类的东西，扎进了我的身体呢？”

“Well, then, I would advise you to learn all you can about the markings.“那么，我建议你尽可能多了解这些印记。None of them are familiar to me.这些印记我一个也不认识。Perhaps if you can discover their origins, you can discover who put them on you and get them to remove them for you.”或许，只要查出它们的来历，你就能查出是谁把它们弄到你身上的，再让那个人替你除掉它们。”

Alias looked down at the blue glyphs.阿莉亚丝低头看着那些蓝色符文。None of them were familiar to her either.她也一个都不认识。Even the Turmishman, Akabar Bel Akash, had found them unusual.就连那个图米什人阿卡巴·贝尔·阿卡什也觉得它们不同寻常。“That’ll take a sage’s service, and sages aren’t cheap.”“这得请贤者帮忙，可贤者的收费并不便宜。”

“True,” Winefiddle agreed.“确实如此。”酒琴表示赞同。“However, I happen to know of a very good one who might be willing to exchange his services for yours.“不过，我碰巧认识一位非常出色的贤者，他或许愿意用自己的服务来换取你的效力。His name is Dimswart.他叫迪姆斯沃特。He lives about half a day’s ride outside of Suzail.”他住在苏萨尔城外，骑马大约半天的路程。”

“What kind of services might he be looking for?”“他可能需要我提供什么服务？”Alias asked suspiciously.阿莉亚丝疑心地问道。

“Better to let him explain that,” Winefiddle said evasively.“还是让他自己向你解释比较好。”酒琴含糊其词地说道。

Five minutes later Alias left the temple, a letter of introduction in her pocket, along with the small greenish gem originally intended for Tymora’s poor box.五分钟后，阿莉亚丝离开了神殿，口袋里装着一封介绍信，还有那颗原本打算投入泰摩拉济贫箱的淡绿色小宝石。She had made a motion toward the box with her hand as she passed it, but the gem remained firmly in her grip.经过济贫箱时，她曾抬手朝箱子比画了一下，但那颗宝石依然牢牢攥在她手中。As she had pointed out, sages weren’t cheap.正如她所说，贤者的收费并不便宜。Her services might not be sufficient to barter with this Dimswart, she told herself.她告诉自己，光靠她能提供的服务，或许还不足以同这个迪姆斯沃特交换。

As she walked away from the temple, an uneasy suspicion occurred to her that perhaps it wasn’t her own frugalness that prompted her to hold onto the gem, but some desire of the sigils not to reward the priest who had tried to help her remove them.走出神殿时，她心中忽然生出一个令人不安的疑念：促使她留下宝石的，或许并非她自己的节俭，而是那些符印不愿让那个曾试图帮她除掉它们的祭司得到回报。

The cobblestone Promenade of Suzail appeared deserted, but as soon as Alias left the temple court a tall figure in rustling crimson-and-white robes stepped from the shadows.苏萨尔铺着鹅卵石的滨海大道上似乎空无一人，但阿莉亚丝刚离开神殿庭院，一个身披沙沙作响的深红白双色长袍的高大身影便从阴影中走了出来。He hesitated, uncertain whether he should follow the adventuress or try to discover her business with Tymora.他迟疑了一下，不知该跟踪这名女冒险者，还是去查明她到泰摩拉神殿所为何事。He made for the temple doors.他朝神殿大门走去。

Then three more figures, dressed in dark leathers, emerged from a dark alley.随后，又有三个身穿深色皮甲的身影从一条昏暗的小巷里现身。Ignoring the first figure they trailed after Alias.他们没有理会先前那人，尾随阿莉亚丝而去。One last figure followed these three—a figure holding a massive tail over his shoulder.最后还有一个身影跟在这三人后面——他肩上扛着一条硕大的尾巴。

* * * * ** * * * *

Alias was in no hurry to return to The Hidden Lady.阿莉亚丝并不急着回“隐秘女士”。Three days of sleep had left her quite awake.睡了三天之后，她此刻毫无睡意。She wandered down to Suzail’s docks.她信步走到了苏萨尔的码头。The last of the schooners had shut down for the evening, and only a few firepots from the warehouses lit the water.最后几艘纵帆船也已收工歇业，只有仓库旁零星几只火盆的光芒映照着水面。The sea air rolled into the city, smelling considerably fresher than three-days worth of unlaundered linens.海风涌入城中，闻起来可比三天没洗的床单清新多了。

She ran through a mental list of individuals who might be responsible for having her marked with the symbols and drew a blank.她在脑海里逐一筛过可能把那些符号烙在她身上的人，却毫无头绪。Any enemies she’d made were either ignorant of her name or dead.她树下的敌人，要么不知道她的名字，要么已经死了。No friends who were still drawing breath would do something like this.仍在人世的朋友中，没有谁会做出这种事。That left someone new—a stranger who had picked her off the street as a suitable vessel for trying out a new piece of magic.那就只剩下某个新出现的人——一个素不相识的陌生人，从街上挑中了她，把她当成试验某种新魔法的合适容器。

Alias came to the end of the wooden plank sidewalk.阿莉亚丝走到了木板人行道的尽头。The beach spread out in a thin white line to her right.右边的沙滩铺展开来，宛如一道纤细的白线。The night sky had grown overcast.夜空已经阴云密布。Like my life, she thought.就像我的人生，她想。She began walking along the shoreline on the sand.她踏上沙地，沿着海岸线走了起来。

Even if a complete stranger had done this to her, she was still left wondering where and when it had happened.即便这事真是一个完全陌生的人干的，她仍然想不明白，它究竟是在何时何地发生的。Now that she thought about it, her memory was missing more than just a few weeks.如今仔细想来，她记忆中缺失的可不只是短短几周。More time than an alcoholic binge could really account for, she decided.她断定，那段空白远比一场酗酒狂欢所能解释的时间要长。

She could recall long-ago adventures quite clearly—like stealing one of the Eyes of Bane from an evil temple in Baldur’s Gate with the Adventurers of the Black Hawk, or her earliest sojourns with the Company of the Swanmays.很久以前的冒险，她倒是记得十分清楚——比如与黑鹰冒险团一起，从博德之门的一座邪恶神殿里偷走一颗班恩之眼，又比如她早年与天鹅女团一同出游的经历。

Her mind went all fuzzy, trying to remember recent events like the sea trip.她努力回想航海之类的近期经历，脑子却变得一片混沌。And there was a sea trip, she insisted to herself, worried that she would forget that as well by the next morning.确实有过一次航海，她在心里坚持道，同时又担心到了第二天早晨，连这件事也会忘掉。Was the lizard-creature on the same ship?那只蜥蜴怪物也在同一条船上吗？I think so.我想是的。Maybe it’s the pet of the magician behind this mess.也许它是幕后策划这一切的魔法师养的宠物。

Alias walked a quarter-mile along the beach before she drew her traitorous arm from beneath her cloak.阿莉亚丝沿着海滩走了四分之一英里，才从斗篷底下抽出那条背叛自己的手臂。The pain had dimmed, but the symbols still glowed faintly, like lichen.疼痛已经减弱，但那些符号仍像地衣一般散发着微光。Cursing did no good, but she cursed anyway.咒骂无济于事，可她还是骂了起来。If they can make me attack a priest, what else can they make me do?他们既然能让我袭击一名祭司，还能逼我做出什么事来？

If she attacked someone else, she could end up with a bad reputation.要是她再袭击别人，名声可就要毁了。No one would hire her as a guard, and there weren’t many adventuring companies who’d have anything to do with her.不会再有人雇她当护卫，也没几个冒险团愿意同她打交道。It was one thing to kill people in self-defense or in combat under command of king or church, but if she were to slay some innocent, unarmed person …为了自卫而杀人，或是奉国王或教会之命在战斗中杀人，是一回事；可要是她杀了某个无辜而又手无寸铁的人……

Alias was lost in her thoughts, absentmindedly digging a half-covered shell from the sand with the side of her boot, so she failed to notice the trio stalking her.阿莉亚丝沉浸在思绪中，心不在焉地用靴子侧面从沙里刨出一枚半掩的贝壳，因此没有察觉到正悄悄逼近她的三个人。The rushing sound of the surf covered the noise of their approach.海浪奔涌的声响掩盖了他们靠近时的动静。One hung back and began chanting a spell, while the other two rushed the swordswoman.其中一人落在后面，开始吟诵咒语，另外两人则冲向了女剑士。

The spell-caster’s incantation, a high-pitched female voice, inadvertently warned Alias of danger.施法者以尖细的女声念出的咒语，无意间向阿莉亚丝发出了危险的警告。The swordswoman whirled around and discovered the pair of armed men advancing on her.女剑士猛地转过身，发现两个手持武器的男人正向她逼近。They carried clubs, but light from the cloud-wrapped moon did not reflect off their black leather armor—armor that was the trademark of a particularly dangerous underworld class.他们拿着木棍，但云层笼罩下的月光却无法从他们的黑色皮甲上反射出来——这种盔甲正是地下世界中某个格外危险的行当所特有的标志。

Assassins!刺客！Alias grabbed at the hilt of her sword and nearly jerked herself off her feet before remembering the blade was still tied to its scabbard.阿莉亚丝一把抓住剑柄，险些把自己拽得双脚离地，这才想起剑刃仍绑在剑鞘里。The awkward movement pulled her forward so, by dumb luck, she rolled within the swing of the first assailant and away from the second.这个笨拙的动作把她带得向前扑去，竟让她走了狗屎运，翻滚着钻入第一个袭击者挥击的内侧，同时躲开了第二个人。With one hand she tried to foil the knot at her sword.她用一只手摸索着，试图解开绑住佩剑的绳结。

Then the spell-caster’s magic let loose—a pair of missiles of hissing energy, leaving a wake of glittering dust in their path.随后，施法者的魔法骤然迸发——两枚嘶嘶作响的能量飞弹破空而出，沿途拖曳着闪亮的尘屑。The bolts dove at Alias like hunting falcons and caught her in the left shoulder.飞弹如猎鹰般俯冲向阿莉亚丝，击中了她的左肩。The arm below that shoulder went dead from the shock, and the force knocked the swordswoman backward on the sand.冲击使她左肩以下的手臂顿时失去知觉，那股力量也将这名女剑士向后掀倒在沙滩上。Ignore the pain, just get the knot, she ordered herself.别管疼痛，只管解开绳结，她命令自己。

Fortunately, the first assailant was an amateur.幸运的是，第一个袭击者只是个生手。He rushed forward while his wiser companion circled.他径直冲上前来，而他那更明智的同伴则绕向一旁。Alias brought her leg up hard and connected.阿莉亚丝猛地抬腿，结结实实地踢中了他。The fool dropped his club, clutching himself in pain.那蠢货扔下棍棒，痛苦地捂住自己。

Get the knot, get the knot, her mind chanted as the fingers of her right hand tore frantically at the binding on her sword.解开绳结，解开绳结，她心里不停念着，右手手指疯狂撕扯着绑住剑的绳结。Don’t think about the spell-caster!别去想那个施法者！Work the knot!快解绳结！

Alias attempted to rise, and the second assailant swung at her from behind, catching her left shoulder again.阿莉亚丝试图起身，第二个袭击者从背后挥棍打来，又一次击中了她的左肩。She rolled with the blow and came up at last with sword in hand.她顺着这一击翻滚出去，终于起身站定，手中握住了剑。The first assassin had recovered, so that Alias stood on the beach facing both armed assailants, shifting her eyes from one to the other.第一个刺客已经缓过劲来，于是阿莉亚丝站在海滩上，面对两个手持武器的袭击者，目光在两人之间来回移动。Worse than that, she could hear the rising chant in the distance of another spell.更糟的是，她听见远处又一段法术咒语的吟诵声渐渐高昂起来。

The chant died with a sudden muffled scream, and the two assassins half-turned in surprise.一声突如其来的闷叫打断了吟诵，两个刺客惊讶地转过半个身子。Alias lunged, catching the first in the belly.阿莉亚丝猛扑上前，一剑刺中第一个刺客的腹部。She lost her grip on her sword’s hilt as the assassin crumbled to the sand.刺客瘫倒在沙滩上时，她的手也从剑柄上滑脱了。

The remaining black figure thrust his club like a sword, seeking to catch Alias between the ribs.剩下的那个黑衣人把棍棒当剑一样直刺过来，想击中阿莉亚丝的肋骨之间。Alias dodged backward, so the force of his lunge knocked the assassin off balance.阿莉亚丝向后闪避，他猛刺的力道反倒使自己失去了平衡。She reached to the top of her boot with her good hand and flung a dagger underhand.她用那只完好的手探向靴口，反手掷出一把匕首。Her aim was true, and the second assailant fell, hands clawing at the protruding hilt, staining the sand with his blood.她掷得极准，第二个袭击者应声倒下，双手徒劳地抓挠着露在外面的刀柄，鲜血染红了沙滩。

Alias breathed deeply and recovered her weapons.阿莉亚丝深吸了一口气，收回了自己的武器。Both men were dead.两个男人都死了。She rubbed her sore shoulder, feeling the tingling of life returning to it.她揉着酸痛的肩膀，感觉知觉正随着阵阵刺麻重新恢复。Then she remembered the spell-caster.随后，她想起了那个施法者。Has she fled, or is she waiting in the shadows?她是逃走了，还是正躲在暗处等着？Alias moved cautiously in the direction the magic missiles had come from.阿莉亚丝小心翼翼地朝魔法飞弹射来的方向走去。

The spell-caster lay face down in the sand about twenty yards away, a nasty gash across her back.施法者面朝下趴在约二十码外的沙地上，背后裂着一道狰狞的伤口。Bending over her body was the lizard-creature.那只蜥蜴怪物正俯身站在她的尸体上方。It’s just as ugly in the moonlight as it had been in the dusk, Alias thought.月光下的它和黄昏时一样丑陋，阿莉亚丝心想。In one paw the creature held an odd-looking blade that had too much steel and not enough grip.那怪物的一只爪子里握着一柄模样古怪的兵刃，刃身钢铁太多，握柄却短得可怜。The tip of the blade was an oversized diamond shape edged with curved teeth that curled backward.刃尖呈一个硕大的菱形，边缘长着向后弯卷的利齿。The teeth were bathed in the mage’s blood.那些利齿沾满了女法师的鲜血。

Alias raised her own sword into a guard position.阿莉亚丝举起自己的剑，摆出戒备的架势。The lizard looked up and hissed.蜥蜴抬起头，发出嘶嘶声。Is that a hostile sign? she wondered.那是在表示敌意吗？她暗自思忖。She tightened her grip on her own blade.她握紧了手中的剑。The beast rose from the mage’s body.那野兽从女法师的尸体上起身。Swordswoman and lizard stood motionless, each waiting for the other to move first.女剑士与蜥蜴一动不动地对峙着，双方都在等对方先动手。

Finally, the lizard-creature gave a muted snarl as it twisted its odd-shaped blade in its hands, spinning the weapon like a baton once, twice, thrice …终于，蜥蜴怪物低低咆哮了一声，双手一扭那柄形状古怪的兵刃，像转短棍一般将它旋了一圈、两圈、三圈……

And drove it, point first, into the ground at Alias’s feet.接着刃尖朝下，将它插进了阿莉亚丝脚边的地面。The creature dropped to one knee beside the grounded blade, head down, offering its bare neck to Alias’s weapon.那怪物在插地的兵刃旁单膝跪下，垂着头，将毫无遮蔽的脖颈送到了阿莉亚丝的剑下。

Alias raised her sword over the creature.阿莉亚丝把剑举到了怪物上方。I failed to kill the thing this afternoon, she realized, and I’ll never have a better chance to deal with it.今天下午我没能杀掉这东西，她意识到，而以后再也不会有比这更好的机会来解决它了。Putting it out of my misery would be the simplest, most logical thing to do.杀了它，让我自己解脱，是最简单、最合乎逻辑的做法。Four dead bodies on a beach attract no more attention than three.海滩上的四具尸体不会比三具引来更多注意。

The lizard remained in its kneeling position, not reaching for its blade.蜥蜴仍跪在原地，没有伸手去拿自己的刀。The creature seemed to be holding its breath.那生物似乎屏住了呼吸。

Alias hesitated.阿莉亚丝犹豫了。You’d think I was a follower of Bhaal, God of Murder.别人准会以为我是谋杀之神巴尔的信徒。First I try to kill a priest, and now I’m ready to slay a foe who’s surrendered.我先是企图杀死一名祭司，现在又准备宰掉一个已经投降的对手。For that matter I don’t know that it’s a foe.再说了，我甚至都不知道它算不算敌人。The creature took out the magic-user for me.是这生物替我解决了那个法师。It’s offering me its services like a knight.它还像个骑士似的，主动提出要为我效劳。

Alias tapped the lizard-creature on the shoulder with the flat of the blade.阿莉亚丝用剑身平拍了一下蜥蜴怪的肩膀。“Okay, you can live.”“好吧，你可以活命。”Her voice sounded overloud and pompous.她的声音听起来响得过头，而且煞有介事。“But one false move and you’re dragon bait.“不过你要是敢轻举妄动，就会变成龙饵。Read me?听明白了吗？Dra-gon bait.”龙——饵。”

The creature nodded and pointed to its chest with a long, clawed finger.那生物点点头，用一根长长的带爪手指指向自己的胸口。

Alias rubbed her temples with annoyance.阿莉亚丝恼火地揉了揉太阳穴。“No, you’re not named Dragonbait.“不，你不叫龙饵。If you give me any trouble, you’ll become dragon bait.”你要是给我惹麻烦，就会变成龙饵。”

The creature repeated the gesture toward itself.那生物又重复了一遍指向自己的动作。

Alias sighed.阿莉亚丝叹了口气。“Dragonbait it is, then.”“好吧，那就叫龙饵。”She pointed toward herself.她指了指自己。“Alias,” she said.“阿莉亚丝。”她说道。“Now let’s search these bodies and get out of here before the watch arrives.”“现在我们搜搜这些尸体，然后赶在城卫队到来之前离开这里。”

Dragonbait nodded and, using an overlong thumb-claw, started cutting the strings of the magician’s purse.龙饵点点头，用长得过分的拇指爪割起了法师钱袋上的系绳。

Dragonbait was like no other creature Alias had ever seen before in all her travels through the Realms.在阿莉亚丝游历诸界的所有旅途中，她从未见过像龙饵这样的生物。He wasn’t a real lizard, at least not of the species she’d helped drive back from the city of Daggerford.他并不是真正的蜥蜴，至少不属于她曾协助从匕首谷城击退的那种蜥蜴人。As she noted when she’d seen the creature at sunset, his snout was thinner at the tip and more rounded than a lizard-creature’s, and he sported a head fin like a troglodyte.正如黄昏时初见这生物时她所注意到的，他的口鼻部尖端更细，也比蜥蜴人的更为圆润，头上还长着一道穴居人般的冠鳍。

Given time for more leisurely study, she could see many other differences.如今有时间从容端详，她又看出了许多别的差异。For one thing, the sharp teeth at the front of his mouth gave way to the peglike molars of a salad eater, and though he walked on his hind legs, his posture was hardly erect.首先，他嘴巴前部的尖牙之后，是吃素的生物才有的钉状臼齿；而且，尽管他用后腿行走，身姿却远非直立。The creature tilted forward some at the hips, balanced by a tail as long again as his torso.这生物的身体从髋部略微前倾，靠一条与躯干等长的尾巴保持平衡。With such an odd posture, his head only reached to her shoulder, about five feet high.由于这种古怪的姿势，他的头顶只及她的肩膀，大约五英尺高。Finally, the scales that pebbled his hide were so small and smooth he looked as though he were covered in expensive beadwork, like a noblewoman’s evening gown.最后，密布他皮肤的鳞片极其细小光滑，令他看起来仿佛浑身覆着昂贵的珠绣，宛如贵妇人的晚礼服。

At any rate, for something more lizardish than human, he was pretty intelligent.无论如何，对于一个更像蜥蜴而非人类的家伙来说，他相当聪明。At least, that is, the lizard made an excellent servant.至少，这只蜥蜴是个极出色的仆从。Upon their return to The Hidden Lady, he busied himself helping her off with her boots, straightening her room, and fetching food for a late night snack.他们回到“隐秘女士”旅店后，他便忙着帮她脱靴子、收拾房间，还取来食物供她吃夜宵。

“I see you found your lizard,” the innkeeper commented cheerily to Alias, upon discovering the five-foot lizard with a cold meat pie and pudding in his paws.旅店老板发现这只五英尺高的蜥蜴两只爪子里捧着冷肉馅饼和布丁，便兴高采烈地对阿莉亚丝说道：“看来你找到你的蜥蜴了。”

Except for a few catlike hisses, snarls, and mewling sounds, Dragonbait remained mute.除了偶尔发出几声猫一般的嘶声、低吼和呜咽，龙饵始终一言不发。If the creature had his own language he did not bother to use it.即使这生物有自己的语言，他也懒得使用。Alias found she could get him to fetch and carry things on command, but he responded to questions with the blank look of a beast.阿莉亚丝发现，只要一声令下，她就能让他取送东西；可一旦问他问题，他便只会露出野兽般茫然的神情。

She needed to know when she’d first met him, what he knew of her memory loss, and especially what he knew of the tattoo.她需要知道自己最初是什么时候遇见他的，他对她失忆一事知道多少，尤其是他对那幅文身知道多少。In frustration and desperation she began shouting questions.在沮丧与绝望之下，她开始大声吼出一个个问题。Her anger only invoked in the lizard a tilted head and a puzzled expression.她的怒火只换来蜥蜴歪着脑袋，露出困惑的表情。

Alias lay back on the bed, defeated.阿莉亚丝挫败地仰面倒在床上。Dragonbait made a sympathetic mewling.龙饵同情地呜咽了一声。Struck with an inspiration, Alias shouted down to the innkeep for an inkpot, quill, and parchment.阿莉亚丝忽然灵机一动，朝楼下高声吩咐店主拿一只墨水瓶、一支羽毛笔和一张羊皮纸来。When the items were brought up, she set them on the table and sat Dragonbait down before them.东西送上来后，她把它们放在桌上，让龙饵坐在桌前。

The lizard sniffed at the inkpot, and his nostrils flared and closed up in annoyance.蜥蜴嗅了嗅墨水瓶，鼻孔因厌恶而翕张几下，随即紧紧闭住。He used the quill point to pick clean the spaces between his teeth.他用羽毛笔的笔尖剔干净牙缝。

Alias flopped back on her bed, laughing.阿莉亚丝一头倒回床上，笑了起来。Lady Luck was playing some cruel joke on her.幸运女神正在同她开一个残酷的玩笑。Here was a creature who might be a key to the fog surrounding her life, and he could explain nothing to her.眼前这个生物或许是驱散笼罩她人生迷雾的关键，可他却什么也无法向她解释。She leaned back against the headboard and closed her eyes.她靠上床头板，闭起眼睛。Dragonbait curled up on the rag rug on the floor at the foot of the bed and wrapped his arms around the curious sword he carried.龙饵在床脚地板上的破布毯上蜷成一团，双臂环抱着他随身携带的那把奇异长剑。

Alias feigned sleep for a while, just to be sure her new companion had no plans to give her a second smile, across the throat with his sword.阿莉亚丝装睡了一阵，只为确定她的新同伴没打算用剑在她喉咙上再送她一道“微笑”。She wasn’t really expecting any trouble, but trust was for corpses.她其实并不觉得会有什么麻烦，但信任这种东西，是留给死人的。She studied the lizard through half-closed eyelids.她透过半闭的眼帘打量着这个蜥蜴人。Asleep, he looked even more innocuous.睡着以后，他看起来更加人畜无害。Like a child, he kept his powerful lower legs pulled up to his stomach.他像个孩子似的，把强健的双腿蜷到了腹前。With yellowish claws retracted into his clover-shaped feet, and with his long, muscled tail tucked up between his legs, the tip lying across his eyes, and with his snout resting on the hilt of his sword, Dragonbait reminded Alias of a furless cat curled about its master’s shoe.淡黄色的爪子缩进三叶草形的脚掌里，肌肉发达的长尾夹在两腿之间，尾尖横搭在眼睛上，口鼻则枕着剑柄；这副模样让阿莉亚丝觉得，龙饵就像一只抱着主人鞋子蜷成一团的无毛猫。

The sword was as curious as its owner.这把剑和它的主人一样古怪。It looked top-heavy and badly balanced.它看起来头重脚轻，平衡极差。Forging that diamond-shaped tip, and the jagged teeth curling from it, could not have been easy, and wielding it seemed impossible.要锻造出那菱形的剑尖，以及从剑尖上弯伸出来的参差锯齿，绝非易事；而要挥舞它，似乎根本不可能。Alias wondered how anyone could keep hold of that tiny, one-handed grip.阿莉亚丝想不明白，怎么会有人握得牢那截小得可怜的单手剑柄。Had she not seen its handiwork on the beach, she would have believed the blade to be ceremonial gear.若不是亲眼见过它在海滩上留下的杰作，她一定会以为这把剑只是件仪式用具。

Dragonbait had no other belongings, unless she counted the tattered, ill-fitting clothes he wore, no doubt out of modesty, since they certainly couldn’t be keeping the creature warm.龙饵没有别的随身物品，除非把他身上那套破烂而不合体的衣服也算进去；那衣服无疑只是为了遮羞才穿的，因为它肯定起不了保暖作用。A torn jerkin covered his chest, and a splotch of ragged cloth knotted at the side hung down from his hips.一件撕破的无袖短上衣遮着他的胸膛，一片破布在一侧打了个结，从他的腰胯间垂下来。

What makes me think he’s not a she?我凭什么认定他不是她？Granted, there’s nothing feminine about his torso, but lizards don’t have breasts or need wide hips for birthing, now do they?诚然，他的躯干没有半点女性特征，可蜥蜴又没有乳房，也不需要宽阔的臀部来生产，不是吗？Alias shook her head.阿莉亚丝摇了摇头。No. He’s a male.不，他是雄性。Some sixth sense made her sure of it.某种第六感让她对此深信不疑。

She looked again at the rags he wore.她又看了看他身上披着的破布。Aren’t lizards supposed to hate the cold?蜥蜴不是应该怕冷吗？I’ll have to find him a cloak, something with a deep hood to hide that snout.我得给他找件斗篷，要有一顶深兜帽，好把那张长嘴遮起来。

Watching the lizard sleeping at her feet, making plans for his comfort, she could no longer feel threatened by him.她看着蜥蜴睡在自己脚边，又开始盘算怎样让他过得舒服些，便再也不觉得他是个威胁了。But she still could not sleep.但她依旧无法入睡。Slipping quietly out of the bed, she padded over to the small dressing table where Dragonbait had carefully laid out the booty from their would-be ambushers.她悄悄溜下床，赤脚走到那张小梳妆台前，龙饵已把从那些企图伏击他们的人身上搜来的战利品仔细摊放在那里。Dragonbait gave a snarl in his sleep as she raised the flame on the oil lamp, then he turned over, still resting on his sword.她把油灯的火焰调亮时，龙饵在睡梦中低吼了一声，随后翻了个身，仍旧枕着自己的剑。

Some watchdog, Alias thought.好一条看门狗，阿莉亚丝心想。She turned back to the scattered assassin equipment and sat down at the table to examine it.她转回身，在桌旁坐下，开始查看那些散落的刺客用具。The daggers—three from the mage, one from each club-wielding assassin—were quite ordinary.那些匕首——三把来自法师，另外两个挥舞棍棒的刺客各有一把——都十分普通。The pair of small vials stoppered with wax were much more interesting.那对用蜡封口的小瓶子就有意思多了。Carefully Alias cracked the top of one, and a rich cinnamon smell wafted up.阿莉亚丝小心地撬开其中一只瓶子的封口，一股浓郁的肉桂香气飘了出来。She quickly restoppered the bottle.她迅速把瓶子重新封好。

Peranox.佩拉诺克斯。A deadly contact poison from the South.一种产自南方、致命的接触性毒药。Nasty stuff even in the hands of competent assassins, Alias thought.就算落在老练的刺客手里，这东西也够歹毒的，阿莉亚丝心想。Disaster for first-time bunglers.要是落在初次出手的笨蛋手里，简直就是灾难。If the pair had used poisoned daggers instead of clubs, I would be lying dead on the beach instead of them.如果那两人用的是淬毒匕首而不是棍棒，现在躺在海滩上死去的就会是我，而不是他们。

Why did they choose clubs to attack? she wondered.他们为什么偏偏选棍棒来袭击？她纳闷道。Did they want to make my death look like an amateur job?他们是想让我的死看起来像是外行人干的吗？She shook out the sack Dragonbait had cut from the mage.她把龙饵从法师身上割下来的袋子抖空。The standard assortment of magical spell-trappings skittered across the wooden desktop—moldy spiderwebs, bits of eyelashes trapped in amber, and dead insects.施法所需的那一套寻常零碎物件窸窸窣窣地散落在木桌面上——发霉的蜘蛛网、封在琥珀里的几根睫毛，还有死昆虫。The only difference, she thought, between a magic-user’s pockets and those of a small boy’s is that there is less week-old candy in the mage’s pockets.施法者的口袋和小男孩的口袋之间，唯一的区别大概就是法师口袋里放了一星期的糖果要少些，她心想。After brushing away the debris, Alias found a few coins and a gold ring set with a blue stone.拨开这些杂物后，阿莉亚丝找到了几枚硬币和一枚镶着蓝色宝石的金戒指。

Something remained stuck in the sack.袋子里还粘着什么东西。She shook the bag harder.她更用力地抖了抖袋子。A talis card fell out onto the desktop, face-down.一张塔利斯牌掉到桌面上，牌面朝下。It bore an insignia of a laughing sun on its back.牌背上印着一枚欢笑太阳的徽记。

Alias pocketed the coins and ring for later inspection and flipped the card over.阿莉亚丝把硬币和戒指揣进口袋，留待稍后查看，然后将那张牌翻了过来。She drew a sharp breath that caused Dragonbait to start in his sleep.她猛吸了一口气，惊得龙饵在睡梦中一颤。

The card was the Primary of Flames, here represented by a dagger trapped in entwining fire.这张牌是火焰主牌，图案是一柄被缠绕的烈火困住的匕首。The card’s pattern was twin to the uppermost symbol of Alias’s tattoo.牌上的图案与阿莉亚丝文身最上方的符号一模一样。Alias felt a twinge from her arm as she compared the two.阿莉亚丝比对两者时，手臂忽然一阵刺痛。

She picked up the card and squinted at it.她拿起那张牌，眯眼端详。It was homemade.这是手工制作的。Though the laughing sun was made by an embossing stamp, the rest of the workmanship was pretty shabby.虽说那枚欢笑太阳是用压印模具做出来的，其余部分的手艺却相当粗糙。Were the other symbols on my arm from other parts of the deck this card came from? she pondered.我手臂上的其他符号，会不会来自这副牌里的其他牌？她思索着。

At least that explained the assassins’ actions.至少，这解释了那些刺客的举动。Alias recalled how clumsily they’d wielded the clubs, as though they were swords.阿莉亚丝想起他们挥舞棍棒时有多笨拙，仿佛手里拿的是剑。They were unused to the more primitive weapon, but were forced to wield it so as not to harm her accidentally with an edged weapon.他们不习惯这种更原始的武器，却又不得不用它，免得使用利刃时不小心伤到她。They wanted to capture me alive, she concluded.他们想活捉我，她断定。That’s why they passed on the poison, too.所以他们才没用毒药。They must have been keeping the peranox in reserve for anyone who got in their way.他们一定是把佩拉诺克斯留着，用来对付任何挡路的人。

Like a five-foot lizard maybe?比如说，一只五英尺高的蜥蜴？

She rose from her seat and, stepping over the soundly snoozing Dragonbait, closed and secured the windows.她从座位上起身，跨过酣睡正香的龙饵，把窗户全都关严锁好。Windows were open when I woke up this morn—evening.今早——不，今晚我醒来时，窗户是开着的。They could have got me then but didn’t. Maybe they didn’t know where I was until they spotted me on the street.他们当时本可以下手，却没有。也许直到在街上看见我，他们才知道我在哪里。Someone must have left me here to keep me safe.一定有人把我留在这里，好保护我的安全。But who?可那人是谁？

She fished the ring from her pocket, twisted it, and said quietly, “I wish you’d tell me what in Tartarus is going on,” but no djinn issued from the ring to enlighten her, nor did Dragonbait break his rhythmic breathing, sit up, and explain all the mysteries troubling her.她从口袋里摸出戒指，转了转，低声说道：“我真希望你能告诉我，塔尔塔罗斯啊，这究竟是怎么回事。”然而，并没有精灵从戒指中现身为她解惑，龙饵也没有停下均匀的呼吸，坐起身来解释困扰她的种种谜团。Frowning, she tucked the ring back into her pocket.她皱着眉，把戒指塞回口袋。

She lay down on her bed and stared at the ceiling, fingers laced behind her head.她躺到床上，双手手指交扣垫在脑后，凝视着天花板。

* * * * ** * * * *

She was not aware she had fallen asleep until a bell from some temple signaled noon.直到某座神殿的钟声宣告正午，她才意识到自己已经睡着了。She opened her eyes to see Dragonbait standing at her bedside with breakfast on a pewter tray—bread and slices of spring fruit with cream.她睁开眼，看见龙饵正站在床边，手里端着一只白镴托盘，上面放着早餐——面包和浇了奶油的春果切片。

Alias planned her next move while they shared the meal.阿莉亚丝一边和他分享这顿饭，一边盘算下一步该怎么办。

“I could rent a horse and ride out to the sage’s home in half a day.“我可以租一匹马，半天就能赶到那位贤者的住所。Save a lot of time,” she said to Dragonbait.能省下不少时间，”她对龙饵说道。Even if he didn’t understand her, it helped her put her thoughts in order to say them aloud.即使他听不懂她的话，把想法说出口也有助于她理清思绪。“But if I purchase a horse and ride it out through the town gate, I might as well hire a loudmouthed herald to announce my departure.“可是，如果我买一匹马，骑着它穿过镇门，那还不如雇个大嗓门的传令官来宣布我要离开。Besides, we have to conserve our meager funds.再说，我们还得省着用手头那点微薄的资金。Sages aren’t cheap.贤者的收费可不便宜。And I don’t even know if you can ride.”而且我甚至不知道你会不会骑马。”

Dragonbait watched her while she spoke exactly as if he understood her.龙饵听她说话时一直注视着她，仿佛完全听懂了似的。

“And I don’t want to leave you behind, do I?”“而且我也不想把你丢下，对吧？”

The lizard stretched his neck forward and tilted his head as though he were confused.蜥蜴向前伸长脖子，歪了歪脑袋，仿佛困惑不解。

The swordswoman sniffed and laughed.女剑士哼了一声，笑了起来。Dragonbait returned to licking the cream out of his bowl.龙饵又低下头，继续舔着碗里的奶油。

No, I definitely want to keep him around, she thought.不，我肯定想把他留在身边，她心想。He feels familiar—as though I’ve traveled with him before.他给我一种熟悉的感觉——仿佛我以前曾和他一同旅行过。Maybe he was on the sea trip with me.也许那趟海上旅程中，他也和我在一起。If I lose track of him, he might fade from my memory, too.如果我跟丢了他，他或许也会从我的记忆中淡去。Besides, I owe him for saving my life last night.再说，昨晚他救了我的命，我欠他一份情。Taking him into my service is the least I can do.把他收作随从，是我最起码能做的。

After sending the barkeep’s daughter out for a cloak to hide her companion’s “lizardness,” Alias pulled on her boots and rearmored herself.阿莉亚丝打发酒馆老板的女儿出去买件斗篷，好遮住同伴那副“蜥蜴模样”，随后穿上靴子，重新披挂好护甲。When his cloak arrived, Dragonbait sniffed at it and growled, but when it became clear Alias was not going to let the creature out of the inn in daylight he relented and, seeming every inch the paladin forced to drink with thieves, he slipped on the garment.斗篷送来时，龙饵先是嗅了嗅，低吼起来；但眼看阿莉亚丝绝不肯让他大白天以这副模样走出旅店，他只好让步，活像一位被迫与盗贼共饮的圣武士，满脸不情愿地穿上了斗篷。

The idea of a lizard with vanity amused Alias.一条蜥蜴居然也爱面子，这让阿莉亚丝觉得颇为有趣。She wondered if he was some magical creature, bred to act as combination jester/servant/bodyguard, like something out of a childhood tale.她寻思，他会不会是某种魔法生物，被培育成集弄臣、仆役和护卫于一身的角色，就像童年故事里的东西。With a shudder, she was reminded of the story of the golem supposedly responsible for the spreading Anauroeh desert, a creature ordered to shovel sand into the region and then forgotten by the wizard who gave the order.她猛地打了个寒战，想起了那个传说中导致安瑙罗赫沙漠不断扩张的魔像：巫师命令它把沙子铲进那片地区，随后便把它和这道命令一起忘了。Why is it I can recall stupid old stories when last ride, last month, much of last year is a blank?为什么这些愚蠢的古老故事我都记得，上一程、上个月乃至去年的大部分经历却是一片空白？Angrily, she shoved the legendary images into the back of her mind.她恼怒地把那些传说中的景象塞回脑海深处。

Their walk out of Suzail was pleasant and uneventful.他们徒步离开苏萨尔，一路惬意，平安无事。Alias deliberately set out in the wrong direction and doubled back twice in case anyone had followed her from the inn.阿莉亚丝故意朝错误的方向出发，又两度折返，以防有人从旅店一路跟踪她。Dragonbait proved to be as tireless a hiker as she, and they reached their destination just before dusk.事实证明，龙饵和她一样不知疲倦；他们在黄昏前片刻抵达了目的地。

Dimswart Manor was a sizable farm, an estate just large enough to be considered a suitable “summer home” by a Waterdeep noble.迪姆斯沃特庄园是一座规模可观的农庄，面积恰好大到足以被深水城的贵族视为合宜的“避暑宅邸”。A red-tiled roof set with three chimneys crowned the solid stonework walls of the main house.主宅以坚实的石墙砌成，顶部覆盖着红瓦屋顶，三根烟囱从屋顶上耸立而起。Alias scowled, knowing that a sage who lived so well would not sell his services cheap.阿莉亚丝皱起眉头，心知一位生活如此优渥的贤者，开价绝不会便宜。

Despite the gathering gloom, there was a great amount of activity around the house as she approached, as if the grounds were the site of some tremendous siege.她走近时，尽管暮色渐浓，宅邸周围仍是一派忙碌景象，仿佛庄园正在筹备一场规模浩大的围城战。Gardeners were trimming hedges and lawns and reorganizing flowerbeds.园丁们正在修剪树篱和草坪，并重新布置花坛。At the rear of the house, canvasmen were laying out the poles of a huge tent.在宅邸后方，搭帐篷的工人正铺开一顶巨大帐篷的支杆。Dwarvish stoneworkers were arguing heatedly with elvish landscapers over the correct placement of their creations of rock and wood, while a tired-looking gnome tried to mediate between them.矮人石匠正与精灵园艺师激烈争论各自那些石木造物究竟该如何摆放，一名满脸疲惫的侏儒则试图从中调解。

In the midst of the chaos stood a tall, straight-shouldered woman with a sunburst of red hair.混乱之中，站着一名身材高挑、肩背挺直的女子，一头红发如阳光般向四周绽开。She hustled about from worker to worker, consulting with each from rolls of plans tucked under her arms.她夹着一卷卷图纸，在工人之间来回奔忙，逐一同他们商议。As Alias approached the house, she could hear the woman shouting for some elves to start hanging lanterns in the newly replanted trees.阿莉亚丝走近宅邸时，听见那女子高声吩咐几名精灵，叫他们开始往刚刚移栽的树上挂灯笼。

Alias pounded on the front door with the hilt of her dagger.阿莉亚丝用匕首柄重重敲响前门。She had to knock twice before a parlor maid, loaded down with tapestries, opened the door.她敲了两遍，才有一名抱满挂毯的客厅女仆打开门。“Sorry, but the mistress isn’t hiring any more entertainment people.”“抱歉，女主人不再雇演艺人员了。”

Alias shoved her boot in the door before the girl could close it.不等那姑娘把门关上，阿莉亚丝便一脚卡在门缝里。“I’ve come to see the sage—on personal business.”“我是来见那位贤者的——有私事相谈。”

“The master’s very busy.“主人正忙得不可开交。Perhaps you could come—”也许您可以改天再来——”

Alias stepped into the hall and gripped the girl’s shoulder.阿莉亚丝跨进门厅，一把抓住女孩的肩膀。She smacked Winefiddle’s letter of introduction down on top of the pile of tapestries the servant was carrying.她把酒琴的介绍信啪地拍在女仆抱着的那摞挂毯上。“Give him this.“把这个交给他。It’s from the Temple of Tymora.是泰摩拉神殿送来的。Urgent.”十万火急。”

“Yes, ma’am,” the maid nodded, showing a little more courtesy.“是，女士。”女仆点点头，态度恭敬了几分。“Would you take a seat and wait right here, please?“请您坐下，就在这里等候，好吗？I’ll send someone to stable your pet.”我会派人把您的宠物送去马厩。”

Alias squeezed the girl’s shoulder firmly, and hissed with annoyance, “He’s not my pet.”阿莉亚丝用力捏紧女孩的肩膀，恼火地低声说道：“他不是我的宠物。”Then she sat down on a bench against the wall.说完，她在靠墙的一张长凳上坐了下来。Dragonbait sat beside her.龙饵坐在她身旁。

The servant blanched, nodded, and hurried away.女仆脸色一白，点了点头，匆匆离去。

While she waited, Alias scowled at the opulence of her surroundings: an estate full of servants; new, gold-threaded tapestries hung in the hall, undoubtedly replacing the older, less stylish ones carried off by the parlor maid; landscaping that required the services of four separate races; a wedding tent big enough to billet an army, and likely enough food and drink to feed them as well.等待时，阿莉亚丝阴沉地打量着周围的奢华景象：一座仆役成群的庄园；门厅里挂着崭新、以金线织成的挂毯，无疑是为了替换客厅女仆刚刚抱走的那些较旧、不那么时髦的旧货；需要四个不同种族的人手照料的园景；一顶大得足以驻扎一支军队的婚礼帐篷，以及很可能足以供那支军队享用的食物和酒水。

No wonder sages aren’t cheap.难怪贤者的收费都不便宜。Dimswart should be delighted to see me.迪姆斯沃特见到我一定会高兴坏了。How else is he going to help defray all these costs?不然他还能靠什么来分担这一切开销？Whatever happened to ancient, cranky, unmarried sages who preferred pursuing knowledge over wordly goods?那些宁愿追求知识、不爱世俗财物，年迈、暴躁又终身未婚的贤者都到哪里去了？

To keep from fidgeting, she studied Dragonbait.为了不让自己坐立不安，她开始端详龙饵。He waited more patiently than she did.他等得比她耐心多了。The lizard sat with his tail over his shoulder, flicking the tip back and forth in front of his face, following it with his eyes.这只蜥蜴把尾巴搭在肩头，让尾巴尖在自己面前来回摆动，双眼也随之转来转去。

What is he? she wondered with aggravation.他到底是什么？她懊恼地琢磨着。Maybe the sage can shed some light on his origins.也许那位贤者能为他的来历解开一些谜团。Not likely, though.不过，希望不大。If I’ve never seen anything like him in all my travels, what chance is there that he’s in any of the sage’s books?如果我走南闯北这么久，都从没见过他这样的生物，贤者的书里又能有多大可能记载着他呢？

Despite the obvious chaos of the household, a butler finally arrived to escort her to the sage’s study.尽管这家里显然乱成一团，终于还是来了一位管家，领她前往贤者的书房。

If Alias had met Dimswart before her visit to Suzail, she might have ungenerously described his build as chunky.如果阿莉亚丝是在去苏萨尔之前见到迪姆斯沃特的，她或许会不太厚道地说他身材矮胖。But compared to the innkeep of The Hidden Lady and Winefiddle, the sage appeared broad-shouldered but lean.但与“隐秘女士”旅店的店主和酒琴相比，这位贤者虽然肩膀宽阔，却显得颇为精瘦。He rose from his seat by the fire and clasped her extended hand in both his meaty paws.他从炉火旁的座位上站起身，用两只肉乎乎的大手握住她伸出的手。

“Well met, well met,” he said, smiling like a halfling with an extra king in the deck.“幸会，幸会，”他说，笑得像个发现牌堆里多了一张国王牌的半身人。“Sit down here by the fire, and tell me what a humble book-banger can do for a warrioress.”“来，坐到火边，告诉我，一个卑微的书呆子能为一位女勇士效劳些什么。”

Warrioress?女勇士？Now there’s a title you don’t hear every day, Alias thought.这称呼可不是每天都能听见的，阿莉亚丝心想。It marked Dimswart as a very old-fashioned sort of sage.这表明迪姆斯沃特是个极其守旧的贤者。“It’s a little complicated,” Alias began.“这事有点复杂，”阿莉亚丝开口道。

“We should start with the essentials,” Dimswart cut in.“我们应该先从基本情况说起，”迪姆斯沃特打断了她。“If you will indulge me, I’d like to exercise my skill.“如果你肯迁就我一下，我想施展施展自己的本领。Leah, our maid, told me I was to expect a sorceress and her familiar.我们的女仆莉娅告诉我，会有一位女术士带着她的魔宠来访。But this creature—” he nodded toward Dragonbait—“is too large to be a familiar, and few sorcerers carry quite so much steel about their person.”可这个生物——”他朝龙饵点了点头，“体形太大，不可能是魔宠，而且很少有术士会在身上带这么多刀剑。”

“All I said to your maid,” Alias interjected, “was that Dragonbait wasn’t a pet.”“我对你的女仆只说过，”阿莉亚丝插话道，“龙饵不是宠物。”

“Quite,” Dimswart agreed, motioning for her to have a seat opposite him.“正是，”迪姆斯沃特表示赞同，同时示意她在自己对面坐下。“We are very reclusive out here in the country, though, and Leah, never having seen such a creature, leaped to the conclusion that if it wasn’t a pet, it must be a familiar, so you must be a sorceress.“不过，我们在这乡下地方极少与外界往来，而莉娅又从未见过这样的生物，于是便断定，既然它不是宠物，就一定是魔宠，那么你也一定是位女术士。You are not.但你不是。You’re a hired sword.你是个受雇的剑士。From your lack of old scars, I’d say you were either a very new one or a very good one, and you have strange tastes in traveling companions.”看你身上没有陈年旧疤，我想你要么才刚入行，要么就是身手极好，而且你挑选旅伴的品味也很奇特。”

Dragonbait cleared his nostrils in a noticeable hwumpf, as he stood by the fire, watching the sage.龙饵站在炉火旁注视着贤者，鼻孔里发出一声明显的“哼噗”，像是在清嗓子。

Dimswart continued.迪姆斯沃特继续说道。“You’re a native of … let’s see, brown hair with a tinge of red, hazel eyes, strong cheeks, good carriage …“你来自……让我瞧瞧，棕发略带红色，淡褐色眼睛，颧骨突出，仪态端正……Westgate, I’d say, though from your fair complexion I’d guess it’s been a while since you’ve lived there.”我看是西门城，不过瞧你这白皙的肤色，我猜你已经很久没住在那里了。”

Alias tried to interrupt, but the smiling sage pressed on.阿莉亚丝想插话，但那位面带微笑的智者却继续说了下去。

“Furthermore, you’re not some hot-blooded youth looking for information to lead you to riches beyond belief; you have a problem, personal and immediate.“此外，你不是什么血气方刚、想找线索发掘惊天财富的年轻人；你遇到了麻烦，既切身又迫在眉睫。A serious problem, otherwise you would never have come to consult with an over-priced, over-educated land-grubber.”而且是个严重的麻烦，否则你绝不会来找一个收费过高、学问过头的刨地佬求教。”

Alias spied Winefiddle’s letter of introduction lying on the table beside the sage with its seal still intact.阿莉亚丝瞥见酒琴的引荐信正放在智者身旁的桌上，封蜡依然完好无损。“What method do you use, wire under the wax, or do you just hold the letter up to a strong light?”“你用的是什么手法，把细丝伸进封蜡下面，还是干脆把信举到强光前看？”

“You wound my fragile ego, lady.“女士，你伤害了我脆弱的自尊。I swear to you I have not yet opened the good curate’s letter.我向你发誓，我还没有拆开这位好牧师的信。I prefer to start afresh.我喜欢从头开始。That way nothing can prejudice my reasoning.”这样就不会有任何东西干扰我的推断。”

Alias shrugged, willing to take the sage at his word—for now, at least.阿莉亚丝耸了耸肩，决定相信这位智者的话——至少暂时如此。

Dimswart resumed.迪姆斯沃特又继续起来。“You sit at ease, but you keep your right arm beneath a cloak.“你坐得很放松，却一直把右臂藏在斗篷下面。Hmmmm.”嗯……”

Alias waited for him to give up guessing and let her explain, but after a theatrical beat the man snapped his fingers, saying quickly, “You have a tattoo, or a series of tattoos, that resists all normal magical attempts to cure.阿莉亚丝等着他放弃猜测，好让自己开口解释，可那人故作戏剧性地停顿片刻后，突然打了个响指，飞快地说道：“你有一个文身，或者说一连串文身，任何常规的魔法治疗都无法将其消除。They are on your right arm and … they are blue, aren’t they?”它们就在你的右臂上，而且……是蓝色的，对不对？”

Alias’s brow knit in a puzzled furrow.阿莉亚丝困惑地蹙起了眉头。Winefiddle had shown her the letter before he’d sealed it.酒琴封信之前曾给她看过信里的内容。There was nothing in it about the color of the tattoo.信中根本没有提到文身的颜色。“How do you know that?” she asked with astonishment—certain he had some sort of trick, but completely unable to guess what it was.“你怎么知道的？”她惊讶地问道——她确信他使了某种花招，却完全猜不出究竟是什么。

“Good artists never reveal their secrets.”“好艺术家从不泄露自己的秘密。”Dimswart winked.迪姆斯沃特眨了眨眼。“But maybe, if we hit it off, I’ll let you in on this little one.“不过，也许等咱们合得来，我会把这个小秘密告诉你。Now, how about giving me a look at that arm.”现在，让我瞧瞧你那条胳膊怎么样？”

Alias, feeling like a much chewed bit of marrowbone, held out her arm in the firelight.阿莉亚丝觉得自己像一截被反复啃过的髓骨，把胳膊伸到火光下。The room was warm, and drops of perspiration beaded the skin over the symbols.屋里很暖，符号上方的皮肤沁出了一颗颗汗珠。

“Hmmm,” was all Dimswart said for several moments, and he said it several times.好一会儿，迪姆斯沃特只顾说“嗯……”，而且还说了好几遍。He reached for a magnifying glassware and studied the symbols on her arm even more closely.他伸手拿过一只放大镜，更仔细地端详她胳膊上的符号。Dragonbait positioned himself behind Alias’s chair and tried to see what the sage did.龙饵站到阿莉亚丝的椅子后面，试图看清这位贤者在做什么。Dimswart raised his head so the lizard could peer once through the glass, watching bemused as Dragonbait pulled back, apparently astonished at the sight of human flesh in such detail.迪姆斯沃特抬起头，让那只蜥蜴也透过镜片看了一眼；龙饵随即缩了回去，显然是被如此纤毫毕现的人类肌肤惊到了，他见状不禁觉得好笑。

“A nice piece of work, that,” said Dimswart, snapping his magnifier into its case and leaning back in his chair.“手艺很不错。”迪姆斯沃特说着，啪的一声把放大镜收进盒中，向后靠在椅背上。“The sigils aren’t composed of mere pinprick punctures in the flesh like an ordinary tattoo.“这些符印并不像普通文身那样，仅由针尖刺入皮肉留下的点组成。Each one is made up of tiny runes and patterns packed close together.每一个都是由密密麻麻挤在一起的微小符文和图案构成的。They appear to have great depth as well, and yet—” the sage kneaded her forearm gently, like a surgeon feeling for a broken bone “—there doesn’t seem to be any substance to them.它们看上去也颇有深度，可是——”贤者像外科医生摸索断骨那样，轻轻揉捏着她的前臂，“——它们似乎又没有任何实体。They look as though they are buried beneath your skin.它们看起来仿佛埋在你的皮肤下面。Your flesh above must be invisible, or we could not see the symbols.上面的皮肉一定是隐形的，否则我们不可能看见这些符号。They also seem to move.它们似乎还在移动。All in all, a most fascinating series of illusions.总的来说，这是一系列极其迷人的幻象。Very artistic.很有艺术性。And positively unique.而且绝对独一无二。I’d stake my reputation on it.我愿拿自己的名声担保。Do they hurt?”它们疼吗？”

“Not now, no. The tattoo ached some when detect magic spells were cast on it though, and it burned like the Nine Hells when Winefiddle cast a remove curse on it.”“现在不疼。不疼。不过有人对文身施展侦测魔法时，它确实会有些隐隐作痛；而酒琴对它施展移除诅咒时，它烧灼得就像九层地狱的烈火一样。”

“How about when magic is cast on you in general?“那么，一般有人对你施展魔法时呢？Like a curative spell?”比如治疗法术？”

Alias thought of the assassin’s magic missiles from the previous evening.阿莉亚丝想起了前一晚刺客射出的魔法飞弹。Fat lot of good the signs did for her then.那些符号当时可一点忙也没帮上。Why hadn’t it flashed into the eyes of her assailants when she really needed it to?她真正需要它的时候，它为什么没闪进袭击者的眼睛里？“No effect, as far as I know.”“据我所知，没什么影响。”She shrugged.她耸了耸肩。“I’m really not in the mood to experiment on which spells do what,” she added.“我实在没心情拿自己做实验，看看哪种法术会有什么作用。”她又说道。

“I don’t doubt you’re not,” Dimswart replied sympathetically.“我相信你确实没这个心情。”迪姆斯沃特同情地答道。“Who have you crossed recently?“你最近得罪过什么人？Any dark lords from deep within the pits of the Nine Hells?有没有来自九层地狱深处的黑暗领主？Steal any unholy artifacts?偷过什么邪恶的神器？Break the hearts of any cavaliers whose older siblings dabble in the dark arts?伤过哪位骑士的心，而对方的兄姐又碰巧涉猎黑魔法？No?”都没有？”

Dimswart sat back and pulled a pipe from inside his vest and began stuffing it with tobacco.迪姆斯沃特往后一靠，从背心里掏出一只烟斗，开始往里面塞烟草。He leaned toward the fire for a brand, but Dragonbait beat him to it, holding a flaming twig up to the pipe bowl as the sage puffed on the mouthpiece.他俯身凑向炉火，想取根火引子，但龙饵抢先一步，举起一根燃烧的细枝凑到烟斗钵前，智者则含着烟嘴吸了起来。The sage might have been waited on all his life by scaly servants, his reaction to the lizard was so casual.看智者对这个蜥蜴如此习以为常，简直像是有披鳞的仆从伺候了他一辈子。

“You have him well trained,” Dimswart noted.“你把他训练得不错。”迪姆斯沃特评论道。“Where did you get him?”“你从哪儿弄到他的？”

“We met at the seaside,” Alias answered.“我们是在海边遇见的。”阿莉亚丝答道。

Dimswart lapsed into a thoughtful silence, forgetting to puff on his pipe, so that it went out.迪姆斯沃特陷入沉思，忘了吸烟斗，火便熄了。Finally he asked, “When did you notice this … condition?”最后，他问道：“你是什么时候注意到这种……状况的？”

“When I woke up last night.”“昨晚醒来的时候。”

“From a long sleep?”“睡了很久之后醒来？”

“Three days, I’m told,” Alias admitted.“听说是三天，”阿莉亚丝承认道。“Though I’ve slept nearly as long after overindulgences with ale.“不过，我喝啤酒喝过头以后，也睡过差不多这么久。When I first woke, I thought I’d been drinking, but now I’m not so sure.刚醒来时，我以为自己喝过酒，可现在我不那么确定了。I have a lot of missing memories, several months worth, and that’s unusual for me.”我有很多记忆缺失了，足有好几个月，而这种事在我身上可不寻常。”

“No doubt, no doubt.”“那是自然，那是自然。”Dimswart pulled his pipe from his mouth and leaned toward her.迪姆斯沃特从嘴里取下烟斗，倾身凑近她。“What’s the last thing you remember before you picked up this little token?”“在你弄到这个小玩意儿之前，最后记得的事情是什么？”

Alias sighed.阿莉亚丝叹了口气。“I don’t really know.“我真的不知道。I clearly remember leaving my company, the Adventurers of the Black Hawk, on good terms about a year ago.我清楚地记得，大约一年前，我和自己的队伍‘黑鹰冒险者’友好分手。They were going south.他们要往南走。I never liked the warm climes, so I took my share and left.我一向不喜欢炎热的地方，所以拿了自己那份，离开了。Drifted.之后便四处漂泊。Light work, you know.你知道的，干些轻松活儿。Caravan guard, body guard, challenges in bars.护送商队、给人当保镖、在酒馆里与人比试。When I woke up I had a vague memory of a recent sea voyage—but it’s all too hazy.醒来时，我隐约记得最近坐船出过一趟海——可一切都太模糊了。I …”我……”Alias halted for moment, trying to pull her memories out of the darkness.阿莉亚丝顿了一会儿，试图从黑暗中打捞出自己的记忆。“I met Dragonbait last night, but I think I knew him from before.”“我昨晚遇见了龙饵，可我觉得自己以前就认识他。”She shook her head.她摇了摇头。“I just don’t remember.”“我就是想不起来。”

“Does Dragonbait talk?”“龙饵会说话吗？”Dimswart asked.迪姆斯沃特问道。

Alias shook her head.阿莉亚丝摇了摇头。“What about these symbols?“那这些符号呢？You called them signals?”你说它们是‘信号’？”

“Sig-ils,” corrected the sage, spreading out the pronunciation.“是‘徽——印’。”贤者纠正道，特意把发音拖长了。“Sigils are a higher kind of symbol.“徽印是一种更高等的符号。They’re like a signature symbolizing a greater power.它们就像签名，象征着某种更强大的力量。Clerics use the ones belonging to their churches.牧师使用属于各自教会的徽印。Mages invent their own and protect them, sometimes quite jealously.法师则会创造自己的徽印，并严加保护，有时甚至护得相当厉害。They aren’t really magical, but on a document they carry the authority of their owners, and on any other object they indicate uncontestable ownership of a valuable property.”徽印本身其实并不具有魔力，但印在文书上时，它们就代表其主人的权威；印在任何其他物品上时，则表明主人对某件贵重财物拥有无可争议的所有权。”

Alias felt herself growing hot, hotter than could be accounted for by the fire.阿莉亚丝觉得自己浑身发热，热得绝非炉火所能解释。It was a heat from anger burning within.那是内心燃烧的怒火所发出的热。“I’ve been branded as someone’s slave?”“我被烙上了某个奴隶主的印记？”

“Possibly,” said Dimswart, “though that’s a very special brand.“有可能，”迪姆斯沃特说，“不过那是一种非常特殊的烙印。Something that intricate could only have been done with the help of magic—magic that resists its own diminishment.如此复杂的图案，只有借助魔法才能烙成——而且是一种会抗拒自身遭到削弱的魔法。I suspect it’s responsible for clouding up your memories.我怀疑，正是它蒙蔽了你的记忆。If you knew how you got it, you might be able to remove it.如果你知道这印记是怎么来的，也许就能把它去掉。That’s probably the way it thinks.”它大概就是这么想的。”

“What do you mean, ‘it thinks’?“你说‘它会想’是什么意思？You mean it’s alive?”你是说它是活的？”

“Not in the sense that you or I or this polite lizard is, no. But in terms of a magical creation with its own will to survive, given the desires of its creators, yes.“如果说像你、我，或这只有礼貌的蜥蜴一样活着，那倒不是。不过，若把它看作一个拥有自身求生意志、又被赋予了创造者欲望的魔法造物，那么可以说，是的。Just as an automaton or golem or summoned creature is alive.”就像机关人、魔像或召唤生物也是活的一样。”

Alias slumped in her chair.阿莉亚丝瘫坐在椅子里。“So where does that leave me?”“那我现在该怎么办？”This might be more expensive than she had anticipated.这件事的花费可能会超出她的预料。

“Quite frankly, it leaves you in trouble,” said the sage, pulling on his pipe and finding that it had gone out.“坦白说，你现在有麻烦了。”贤者说道，一边吸了口烟斗，却发现烟已经灭了。He waved away the fresh brand Dragonbait offered.龙饵递来一根新点燃的木条，他挥手拒绝了。“Unless we find out what those sigils are.”“除非我们能查明那些符印究竟是什么。”

Alias drew her gaze away from the fire and fixed it firmly on the sage.阿莉亚丝将目光从炉火上移开，牢牢盯住贤者。“What will it cost?” she asked.“要多少钱？”她问。Her look warned she was in no mood to haggle.她的神情明明白白地警告他，她现在可没心情讨价还价。

“You’re not that rich.”“你没那么有钱。”Dimswart held up a hand.迪姆斯沃特抬起一只手。“Yes, I know that, too.“对，这一点我也知道。You do seem a fairly competent adventuress, however, and I need someone like that at the moment.不过，你看起来倒是个相当能干的女冒险者，而我眼下正需要这样的人。

“You’ve undoubtedly noticed the hubbub outside.”“你肯定已经注意到外面的喧闹了。”The sage jerked his thumb toward the study door, and Alias nodded.贤者用拇指朝书房门口一指，阿莉亚丝点了点头。“My daughter, Gaylyn, is getting married.“我的女儿盖琳要结婚了。Last of the brood, thank the gods.这一窝里最后一个，感谢诸神。I may finally get some peace and quiet.我总算能享几天清静了。Anyway, her young squire is from a noble family here in Cormyr—the Wyvernspurs of Immersea, some distant relations of the crown.总之，她那位年轻的侍从出身于科米尔当地的一个贵族家族——伊默海的飞龙刺家族，算是王室的远亲。The upshot is, in order to impress these new in-laws, I have to lay out quite a spread indeed, and to that end I’ve worked wonders: big tent, finest chefs liberated from the crown’s kitchens, silver wrought for the occasion, and four clerics for the ceremony.归根结底，为了给这些新姻亲留下深刻印象，我非得摆出一场极其丰盛的宴席不可；为此，我可是大显神通：巨型帐篷，从王室厨房挖来的顶尖厨师，为这场婚礼特制的银器，还有四名主持仪式的牧师。Stuff from which boring songs are written.”全是些足以让人写出乏味歌谣的素材。”He gave a cynical laugh.他冷笑了一声。

“I also sent for a bard,” he sighed.“我还派人去请了一位吟游诗人。”他叹道。“No ordinary songster earning meals in a noble’s court, but one of the greats.“可不是那种在贵族宫廷里卖唱混饭的普通歌手，而是最伟大的名家之一。The renowned Olav Ruskettle, from across the Dragon Reach.那位声名远扬、来自龙湾彼岸的奥拉夫·拉斯凯特尔。The caravan Ruskettle was traveling in was attacked by the Storm Horns Dragon.拉斯凯特尔所搭乘的商队遭到了风暴号角巨龙的袭击。Have you heard about it?”你听说过这件事吗？”

“I heard that the dragon has chewed up another adventuring company since the caravan.”“我听说自从袭击那支商队之后，那条龙又吞掉了一支冒险者队伍。”

“Yes.“是的。Well, in the caravan with Ruskettle was a merchant who brought me an eyewitness account of the attack.拉斯凯特尔所在的商队里有个商人，他给我带来了一份关于那次袭击的目击者叙述。Ruskettle tried to sing the beast into submission, the mark of a great bard.拉斯凯特尔试图用歌声让那头巨龙俯首就范，这正是伟大吟游诗人的风范。The beast apparently liked the music, but instead of submitting, took Ruskettle in her claws and headed back for her lair.那头巨龙显然很喜欢这歌声，可她不但没有屈服，反而一把将拉斯凯特尔抓进爪中，带回了自己的巢穴。Suzail sent out a group of adventurers in retaliation, but they were, as you said, chewed up.苏萨尔派出了一队冒险者报复，可他们正如你所说，被嚼了个粉碎。I did, however, manage to obtain from the survivors the location of the monster’s lair and a secret ‘back door’ into it.不过，我设法从幸存者那里弄到了怪物巢穴的位置，以及一条通往巢穴的秘密‘后门’。My question for you is: Will you help a sage who is desperate to avoid breaking his youngest daughter’s heart?”我想问你的是：你愿不愿意帮助一位不顾一切也不想让小女儿伤心的贤者？”

Alias thought for a moment, then asked, “You want the dragon dead?”阿莉亚丝想了片刻，随即问道：“你想要那头龙死？”

“I want the bard, Ruskettle, to play at my daughter’s wedding,” the sage responded.“我想让吟游诗人拉斯凯特尔在我女儿的婚礼上演奏。”贤者回答道。“Clerics of Suzail want the dragon dead.“苏萨尔的牧师们想要那头龙死。Deal with them if you want to kill dragons.”如果你想屠龙，就去跟他们打交道吧。”

Alias shook her head.阿莉亚丝摇了摇头。“I’d rather sneak in, reappropriate your bard, and sneak out.“我宁愿偷偷溜进去，把你的吟游诗人重新弄到手，再偷偷溜出来。I prefer to leave dragonslaying to those in good standing with their gods.”我更愿意把屠龙的事留给那些与自家神明关系良好的人。”

“It’s agreed, then,” said the sage.“那就这么说定了。”贤者说道。“I’ll take time out from the wedding preparations.“我会从筹备婚礼的事务中抽出些时间。There are a million-and-one things to do yet, but Leona, my wife, can handle them better than I. Besides, I’ll feel more useful helping you find out what those sigils mean.还有千头万绪的事情要做，不过我的妻子莉奥娜比我更擅长处理这些事。再说了，帮你查明那些符印的含义，也会让我觉得自己更有用些。In the meantime, you’ll bring me my bard.与此同时，你去把我的吟游诗人带回来。Let’s see that arm.”让我看看那条手臂。”

Dimswart drew Alias over to his desk.迪姆斯沃特把阿莉亚丝领到自己的书桌旁。He opened up a fat volume to an empty page, and with a pen and astonishing skill, quickly copied the insignias on Alias’s sword arm.他翻开一本厚重的大书，找到一页空白，以惊人的技巧用笔飞快地临摹下阿莉亚丝持剑手臂上的符号。“None of these are familiar to you?” he asked.“这些符号你一个都不认识？”他问道。

“I’ve seen one of them on a card carried by assassins who, I believe, intended only to capture me.”“我曾在一张卡片上见过其中一个，那张卡片是一些刺客带着的，而我认为他们原本只是想活捉我。”

“Really?“真的吗？How very interesting.真有意思。Very interesting.”非常有意思。”

“Now, where do I find your dragon?”“那么，我要去哪里找你的龙？”

“The merchant I mentioned before will take you there.“我之前提到的那位商人会带你去。He has some interest in helping free this bard as well.”他也有意帮忙救出这位吟游诗人。”The sage called out, “Come on in, Akash,” and a figure breezed in—clad in a familiar crimson robe striped with white.贤者朝外喊道：“进来吧，阿卡什。”一个身影轻快地走了进来——身上穿着一袭眼熟的白条纹深红长袍。

Akabar Bel Akash bowed formally.阿卡巴·贝尔·阿卡什郑重地鞠了一躬。“We meet again, lady.“我们又见面了，女士。As I told you, Sir Dimswart, she would leap at the opportunity to aid us.”迪姆斯沃特爵士，正如我对您说的，她一定会迫不及待地抓住机会帮助我们。”The Turmishman beamed with pleasure.图米什人喜笑颜开。

Alias scowled, first at him, then at the sage.阿莉亚丝先是怒视着他，随后又瞪向贤者。Akabar ignored her glare.阿卡巴无视了她的怒视。Dimswart, having revealed the source of his information, arched his eyebrows like a stage magician demonstrating the trickery behind his feats.迪姆斯沃特透露完自己的消息来源后，扬起了眉毛，活像一名舞台魔术师在展示其表演背后的机关。

Dragonbait, realizing no one was interested in smoking, blew out the burning brand he’d been playing with and threw it into the fireplace.龙饵见没人有兴趣抽烟，便吹灭了那根一直拿在手里把玩的燃烧木柴，把它扔进壁炉。

Alias shivered in the damp darkness of the cavern and silently wished the vengeance of Tyr and Tempus down on the heads of Akabar and Dimswart and even Winefiddle for getting her into this predicament.阿莉亚丝在洞穴阴冷潮湿的黑暗中打了个寒战，默默祈愿提尔与坦帕斯把复仇的怒火降到阿卡巴、迪姆斯沃特，甚至酒琴头上，谁叫他们害她陷入了这般困境。And while they were at it, thrice-damn that mysterious lizard and damn thrice more the demon-spawn who branded her!既然两位神都出手了，就把那条神秘的蜥蜴诅咒上三遍，再把给她烙下印记的魔裔多诅咒三遍！

The mystical sigils glowed like stained glass on a murky day, illuminating Alias so that she stood out like a beacon in the pitch dark of the cold, dripping cave.那些神秘符印闪耀着光芒，宛如阴霾天色下的彩绘玻璃，将阿莉亚丝映照得通体明亮，使她在这座寒冷滴水、漆黑一片的洞穴中如灯塔般醒目。When she exhaled, the streams of her breath danced like small azure elementals before her eyes.她呼气时，缕缕白雾如小小的蔚蓝元素精灵，在她眼前翩然起舞。

At the beginning of her vigil, Alias had kept the treacherous arm with its glowing brands beneath her cloak.刚开始守候时，阿莉亚丝一直把那条烙印发光、居心叵测的手臂藏在斗篷下面。She was waiting for the merchant-mage, Akabar, to return from scouting out the passages leading to the dragon’s lair.她正等着商人法师阿卡巴从通往龙穴的那些通道中侦察归来。After spending a half-hour huddled in the dark, though, it occurred to her that most dwellers of this cold, wet, limbo would be able to see the heat from her body and smell her above-world scent while she remained blind.然而，她在黑暗中蜷缩了半个小时后，忽然想到：这片阴冷潮湿的幽冥之地里，大多数生物都能看见她身上散发的热量，闻到她来自地表世界的气味，而她自己却什么也看不见。Dumb, dumb, dumb, she chided herself and cast aside the cloak.蠢，蠢，蠢，她暗骂自己，随即甩掉了斗篷。At least now she could see anything that attacked her.至少现在，无论什么东西来袭，她都能看见了。

Where is that damned mage? she wondered for the half a hundredth time.那个该死的法师究竟在哪儿？她已经第五十次这样想了。Tymora!泰摩拉在上！He could have scouted from here to Sembia by now.这么久，他都够一路侦察到塞姆比亚了。How far can this cavern go?这洞穴到底能有多深？

She knew her impatience had little to do with how long the mage was taking.她知道，自己的焦躁其实与那个法师去了多久没多大关系。Mostly it had to do with not liking to have to rely on anyone—especially not some greengrocer.主要还是因为她不喜欢依赖任何人——尤其不喜欢依赖一个菜贩子。

Alias chuckled every time she remembered how, before they’d left Dimswart Manor, Akabar Bel Akash had informed her in that stiff, formal, southern way that House Akash did not sell vegetables.每当阿莉亚丝想起离开迪姆斯沃特庄园之前，阿卡巴·贝尔·阿卡什曾以南方人那种生硬刻板的正式口吻告诉她，阿卡什家族并不贩卖蔬菜，她就忍不住发笑。Tymora!泰摩拉在上！He was so naive.他可真天真。He didn’t even know he was a greengrocer.他甚至都不知道自己就是个菜贩子。

“Riding a wagon along protected trading routes in a guarded merchant caravan doesn’t make you an adventurer,” she had informed him.“坐着马车，跟随有护卫的商队，沿着受保护的商路行进，可不会让你变成冒险者。”她曾这样告诉他。“Until you’ve hiked more than twenty miles a day, slept in a ditch, and eaten something that tried to kill you first, you’re not an adventurer.“除非你一天徒步二十多英里，睡过阴沟，还吃过某种本想先杀掉你的东西，否则你就算不上冒险者。Anyone who isn’t an adventurer is a greengrocer.”不是冒险者的人，统统都是菜贩子。”

But the merchant-mage had insisted that he come along and render what assistance was in his power, and Dimswart had insisted she take him with her.但这位商人法师坚持要跟来，尽己所能提供帮助，而迪姆斯沃特也坚持要她带上他。What reasons the Turmishman could possibly have for helping to rescue the kidnapped bard, Alias could not imagine.阿莉亚丝怎么也想不明白，这个图米什人究竟有什么理由要帮忙营救被绑架的吟游诗人。She had deliberately not asked, and Akabar had not volunteered his reasons.她故意没有问，阿卡巴也没有主动说出自己的理由。He had them, and that was enough.他自有理由，这就够了。

There was something about Akabar Bel Akash that annoyed her—something that wasn’t really his fault, but which she blamed him for nonetheless.阿卡巴·贝尔·阿卡什身上有某种东西令她恼火——那其实并不是他的错，可她还是怪在了他头上。

As the three of them, Akabar, Alias, and Dragonbait, began their three-day journey into the mountains—walking because Alias still felt uncomfortable advertising her presence with horses—Akabar had insisted on telling her all about himself—about the fertile land of Turmish, about customs in the south, and about his wives.阿卡巴、阿莉亚丝和龙饵三人开始了前往山中的三日行程——他们徒步赶路，因为阿莉亚丝仍不愿骑马招摇，暴露自己的行踪——而阿卡巴则坚持把自己的一切都讲给她听：图米什的沃土、南方的风俗，还有他的妻子们。He had two, and they were shopping for a third co-wife, which was why he was in this savage land in the first place—to earn money for the new partner.他有两个妻子，而她们正在物色第三位共妻；他之所以来到这片蛮荒之地，原本就是为了给这位新伴侣挣钱。He told of his voyage across the pirate-infested Sea of Fallen Stars, the outrageous import taxes he’d had to pay on landing at Saerloon in Sembia, and his profitable detour from Hilp up to Arabel and around the Great Wood of Cormyr.他讲起自己如何横渡海盗横行的坠星海，如何在塞姆比亚的萨尔伦登陆时被迫缴纳高得离谱的进口税，又如何从希尔普绕道北上阿拉贝尔，再绕过科米尔大森林，并从中获利。He ended with the disastrous caravan attack by the dragon on the road from Waymoot.最后，他讲到了从路口镇出发的路上，商队遭到巨龙袭击的那场灾难。

Alias had ground her teeth impatiently.阿莉亚丝不耐烦地咬紧了牙关。There had been nothing for her to say.她无话可说。She could not remember what she’d been doing or how she got to Cormyr.她不记得自己此前在做什么，也不记得自己是如何来到科米尔的。She had not even been able to answer questions about Dragonbait.就连有关龙饵的问题，她也一个都答不上来。The whole trip out she had remained as silent as a stone, angry that anyone had the ability to remember when she could not.出发后的整段旅途中，她始终沉默得像块石头，因为别人拥有她所没有的记忆而满心愤怒。

The thing that Akabar described the most was the thing that distressed Alias the most—his sea voyage.阿卡巴讲得最多的，恰恰也是最令阿莉亚丝痛苦的——他的海上航程。He had begun by discussing Earthspur, the center of the pirate activity dreaded by sailors, its lawless organization of cutthroats, and the well-known bombards that protected it.他先从厄斯珀讲起；那里是令水手闻风丧胆的海盗活动中心，有无法无天的匪徒组织，还有保护此地、远近闻名的巨炮。Then, he had given her a humorous description of the fear-ridden Sembian ship captain continually scanning the horizon for the pirates who, he assured Akabar, were lying in wait for a prize such as his ship.接着，他绘声绘色地描述了那位吓破了胆的塞姆比亚船长：那人不停扫视着地平线，还信誓旦旦地告诉阿卡巴，海盗们正埋伏在那里，等着他的船这样一份大礼。The mage then described all the interesting creatures that made their home in the Inner Sea, followed by an essay on ship life.随后，这位法师又描述了栖息在内海的种种奇异生物，接下来还长篇大论地讲了一番船上的生活。Yet, despite all this talk, the period around Alias’s own sea trip remained as fog-ridden as the port of Ilipur.然而，尽管他说了这么多，阿莉亚丝自己那次海上旅程前后的时光，依旧如伊利普尔港一般笼罩在浓雾之中。

Finally, it had occurred to the mage that the swordswoman might have adventures of her own which, though unshared, would make his tales sound dull.最后，这位法师终于想到，这名女剑士或许也有自己的冒险经历；她虽未曾说出口，却足以让他的故事显得乏味。Embarrassed and crushed by the weight of her silence, he had slid into an equally solemn mood.他既尴尬，又被她沉默的分量压得泄了气，也渐渐变得同样严肃起来。It had never occurred to him the frustration he had put her through.他从未想到，自己竟让她经受了这样的挫败与煎熬。

As Alias stood alone in the water-carved cavern, she realized she could not pin down exactly where the borders of her memory loss were.阿莉亚丝独自站在这座由水流侵蚀而成的洞窟里，意识到自己无法确切划定记忆缺失的边界。Pieces of her past seemed to have dropped out.她的过去仿佛缺失了一块又一块。Her mind was like a swamp connecting dry land and open water.她的心智就像一片连接着陆地与开阔水面的沼泽。There was no exact point where murky waters swallowed her memories; islands of certain recollection spotted every time period.浑浊的水域并非从某个明确的界线开始吞没她的记忆；在每一段时期里，都散布着一些记忆清晰的小岛。

Even worse—without the days, rides, or months of connecting space, the past seemed to belong to someone else, another Alias who stopped, gained the mystic runes, then moved on as another person entirely, bearing the same name.更糟的是，由于中间缺少了那些日子、旅程乃至数月时光的串联，过去仿佛属于另一个人——另一个阿莉亚丝；她停下脚步，得到了那些神秘符文，随后又以一个截然不同之人的身份继续前行，只是仍然用着同一个名字。Since she’d awakened in The Hidden Lady, she’d used the battle-skills of the old Alias, skills as finely honed as they were automatic.自从在“隐秘女士”醒来后，她一直在运用从前那个阿莉亚丝的战斗技巧，那些技巧不仅磨炼得炉火纯青，而且早已成了本能。Although there was some comfort in the fact that she hadn’t forgotten her craft, there was something disturbing about the way she felt when she assumed a fighting stance.她没有忘记自己的本事，这一点多少令人宽慰；然而，每当她摆出战斗架势时，自己的感受却又令她隐隐不安。

Instincts took over.本能会接管一切。She didn’t have time to think and plan.她根本没有时间思考和谋划。Only react.只能反应。Like a guardian golem.就像一尊守卫魔像。She remembered Dimswart saying the sigils were alive the way a golem was.她记得迪姆斯沃特说过，那些符印像魔像一样是活的。Are the brands making me fight, like they made me try to kill Winefiddle?是这些烙印在驱使我战斗吗，就像它们驱使我企图杀死酒琴那样？Should I be giving them credit for my ability?我的本领难道也该归功于它们？She shook off this notion instantly and angrily I was a good swordswoman before I got these things, she thought, and I’ll be a good one long after I’ve gotten rid of them.她立刻恼怒地甩开了这个念头。她心想：在得到这些东西之前，我就是个出色的女剑士；等我摆脱它们很久以后，我也依然会是。

Then the most disturbing idea of all occurred to her.随后，最令她不安的念头浮现了出来。Perhaps I died and was resurrected by someone who decided to take his price out of my hide.也许我死过，又被某个人复活，而他决定从我的皮肉上收取代价。Literally.完完全全是字面意义上的。Don’t those newly raised from Death’s Dominions feel uneasy and disquieted?那些刚从死亡之境被唤回的人，不都会感到忐忑不安、心神不宁吗？

More than a few of her companions, after their first visit to the afterlife, chose to retire—to live as farmers, smiths, greengrocers.她有不少同伴在第一次造访来世之后，都选择了退隐——去当农夫、铁匠或蔬菜商。Speaking of which, she thought with annoyance, where is that damned mage, anyway?说到这个，她烦躁地想，那个该死的法师到底去哪儿了？

Alias was beginning to consider retreating through the passage back to the outside.阿莉亚丝开始考虑是否该沿着通道退回外面。Something must have gone wrong for Akabar to take so long to return.阿卡巴这么久还没回来，一定是出了什么岔子。

Before she’d made up her mind, the downward passageway brightened and a glowing orb floated up into her cavern.还没等她拿定主意，向下延伸的通道便亮了起来，一颗发光的球体飘进了她所在的洞窟。The size of a melon and radiating an orange light, the orb held the image of the merchant-mage’s head.那球体有甜瓜大小，散发着橙色光芒，里面显现出商人法师的头部影像。

“What kept you, Turmite?” she asked with a sniff.“什么事耽搁了你，蛀虫？”她嗤了一声，问道。

“I had to wait until the dragon bedded down,” replied the mage.“我得等到那条龙睡下，”法师回答。His voice was muffled by the effects of his spell, a meld of wizard eye—so he could spy out the territory from the entrance to the tunnel in relative safety—and a special phantasmal force—so he could report his findings back to Alias.他的声音受到法术影响，听起来含混不清；这道法术融合了“巫师之眼”——让他能相对安全地从隧道入口侦察周围——和一种特殊的“幻影之力”——让他能把探查结果传回给阿莉亚丝。“It wouldn’t do to have Her Evilness awake when you tried to sneak in.“要是你偷偷潜入时，那位邪恶陛下还醒着，可就不妙了。It would spoil our surprise.那会破坏我们的惊喜。

“My spell is almost exhausted, and I must leave our mission’s completion to you, swordslady.“我的法术快耗尽了，完成任务只能靠你了，女剑士。Ahead of you lie a few gentle curves, no serious drops.前面有几个平缓的弯道，没有什么陡降。The ceiling is low about fifty yards ahead, then the passage narrows to shoulder width.大约五十码外的洞顶很低，再往前，通道会收窄到只有肩膀宽。It lets out on a ledge above the main cavern floor.通道尽头通往主洞窟地面上方的一处岩架。Our bard is in a small cage atop a dais on the far side of the cavern.”我们的吟游诗人被关在一个小笼子里，笼子放在洞窟另一头的高台上。”The mage’s image began blurring, as if a snowstorm had erupted within the orange sphere.法师的影像开始变得模糊，仿佛橙色球体内突然刮起了暴风雪。“Spell’s wearing off.“法术快失效了。Anything I should do with your pet?”你的宠物要我怎么处置？”

“He’s not my pe—” Alias began, but Akabar’s spell was breaking up too quickly to waste time arguing.“他不是我的宠——”阿莉亚丝刚开口，但阿卡巴的法术消散得太快，已经没有时间浪费在争辩上了。“Just keep him from entering the cavern,” she ordered.“只要别让他进入洞窟就行，”她命令道。“And don’t get him mad at you.“还有，别惹他生你的气。The last spell-caster who did didn’t live long enough to regret it.”上一个这么干的施法者，连后悔都来不及就死了。”

“Gods’ luck to you.”“愿诸神赐你好运。”Akabar’s voice sounded a long way off.阿卡巴的声音听起来已十分遥远。His image was gone, and the orange sphere was shrinking.他的影像消失了，橙色球体也在不断缩小。“I hope you know what you’re doing.“但愿你知道自己在做什么。You have fought dragons before?”你以前和龙交过手吗？”

“This will be my first,” she answered quietly, but the sphere was gone and there was no reply from Akabar.“这会是第一次，”她轻声回答，但球体已经消失，阿卡巴也没有回应。I wonder if he heard me, she thought.不知道他听见没有，她心想。Better if he didn’t.最好没有。

* * * * ** * * * *

Five hundred yards behind and somewhat above her, at the cavern entrance overlooking the road from Waymoot to Suzail, Akabar the Turmishman came out of his trance.在她身后五百码、地势略高的地方，俯瞰着路口镇至苏萨尔道路的洞穴入口处，图米什人阿卡巴从出神状态中醒了过来。Dragonbait was still crouched at the mage’s feet, watching the cavern entrance intently.龙饵仍蹲伏在法师脚边，目不转睛地盯着洞穴入口。The air about them was warm, humming with large bumblebees dotting, diving, and dodging about the mountain daisies.他们周围空气温暖，大群熊蜂嗡嗡作响，在山雏菊间忽上忽下，穿梭闪避。

Akabar sat down and leaned against a rock.阿卡巴坐下来，靠在一块岩石上。He made quick thanks to his southern gods that he was not the one about to face a dragon in its lair.他赶紧感谢南方的诸神，庆幸即将深入巢穴面对巨龙的人不是自己。He pulled an apple from his backpack and bit into it.他从背包里掏出一只苹果，咬了一口。Dragonbait twitched at the sound of the crunch, but the creature did not takes his eyes off the cavern mouth that had swallowed Alias.听到清脆的咔嚓声，龙饵抽动了一下，但它的目光始终没有离开那吞没了阿莉亚丝的洞口。

* * * * ** * * * *

Alias continued cautiously along the tunnel Akabar had scouted out for her.阿莉亚丝沿着阿卡巴为她探查过的隧道，小心翼翼地继续前行。The Turmish mage’s report had been reasonably accurate in so far as there were no hairpin curves and none of the drops were impassable, but the passage was not so smooth that she looked forward to a possible hasty retreat.图米什法师的描述还算准确：这里确实没有发夹般的急转弯，几处落差也没有大到无法通行；但通道绝非平坦顺畅，以至于一想到可能需要仓促撤退，她便丝毫高兴不起来。The low ceiling didn’t bother her, but she was a trifle alarmed at the sound her armor made scraping against the walls when the corridor narrowed.低矮的洞顶并不令她困扰，可每当通道变窄，铠甲刮擦墙壁发出的声音却让她有些心惊。Less frightening, but quite annoying, was having to slosh through the small, icy stream that had carved out the tunnel—something Akabar had failed to note.没那么吓人、但着实恼人的，是她不得不蹚过那条冲蚀出这条隧道的冰冷小溪——这一点阿卡巴压根儿没提。Too bad I can’t shrink into an orange melon and float effortlessly along this passageway, she grumbled to herself.真可惜，我不能缩成一个橙色的甜瓜，毫不费力地顺着这条通道漂过去，她在心里抱怨道。

Still, she was grateful that they had learned of this back door.不过，她还是很庆幸他们发现了这道后门。With any luck, the dragon wasn’t aware of it, or at least ignored it as too small to worry about.要是运气好，巨龙并不知道它的存在，或者至少觉得它太小，不值得在意。

A splattering noise warned her that the stream was nearing a considerable drop, and she slowed accordingly.一阵水花飞溅声提醒她，小溪正接近一处相当高的落差，于是她放慢了脚步。She wrapped her glowing arm back in her cloak to hide her presence from the dragon.她把发光的手臂重新裹进斗篷里，以免巨龙发现她的存在。She reached the end of the tunnel and stepped out onto the ledge Akabar had mentioned.她来到隧道尽头，迈上了阿卡巴提到过的那道岩架。The stream fell twenty feet or so into a small pool on the cavern floor.溪水从约二十英尺高处落下，注入洞穴地面上的一方小水潭。Excellent!太好了！The waterfall will cover any noise I make climbing down.我往下爬时发出的任何声响，都会被瀑布掩盖。

Light filtered in from another, larger passage in the side of the cavern.光线从洞窟侧面另一条更宽阔的通道透了进来。This passage provided the dragon egress from its lair.那条通道是巨龙进出巢穴的门户。Holes in the domed ceiling let in more rays of light.穹顶上的孔洞又洒下了更多光束。At first Alias was glad of the light because it drowned out the dim glow of her sigils, and she unwrapped her arm.起初，阿莉亚丝还庆幸有这些光，因为它们盖过了她身上魔纹的微光，于是她解开了裹住手臂的斗篷。Then she noticed the black, cawing birds fluttering in and out of the holes in the ceiling.随后，她注意到那些呱呱叫着的黑鸟，正从穹顶的孔洞中飞进飞出。

Crows!乌鸦！Nine hells!九层地狱啊！Alias cursed under her breath.阿莉亚丝低声咒骂道。Crows were bad luck—not just a sign for the superstitious, but a danger for anyone relying on stealth.乌鸦会带来厄运——这不仅是迷信之人的征兆，对任何仰仗隐匿行动的人来说，它们更是实实在在的危险。One of their raucous cries raised in challenge of her intrusion into their territory would be enough to wake the dead.只消其中一只发出刺耳的叫声，向闯入它们地盘的她示威，就足以把死人都吵醒。For the most part, the birds roosted in crannies near the ceiling, though a few circled in the thermals rising from the dragon’s body.大多数鸟都栖息在穹顶附近的缝隙里，不过也有几只乘着巨龙身体上方升腾的热气盘旋。Since I have no intention of approaching the dragon, there’s no reason for them to get excited, she reassured herself.我又没打算接近那条龙，它们没理由大惊小怪，她安慰自己。

The great beast itself lay curled catlike.那头巨兽像猫一样蜷卧着。Alias had no doubt that the monster was a light sleeper.阿莉亚丝确信这怪物睡得很浅。She wouldn’t be surprised to discover brittle twigs or bells scattered across the main entrance.就算发现正门入口处散落着易折断的枯枝或铃铛，她也不会觉得意外。It was even possible that the dragon was capable of casting magical spell guards to wake her if anyone crossed the threshold into her treasure hold.甚至还有一种可能：这条龙能够施放魔法警戒，只要有人跨过门槛、进入她的藏宝库，就会将她唤醒。

And what a hoard that hold held!而那座藏宝库里，竟藏着何等惊人的宝藏！Even by a dragon’s standards the loot was immense.即使以巨龙的标准衡量，这批战利品也多得惊人。It included not only chests of gold lions and other precious coins, but split bags filled with trade bars, tapestries, and bolts of satin and velvet, marble statues, and bound books.其中不仅有装满金狮币和其他珍贵钱币的箱子，还有裂开后露出贸易锭的袋子、挂毯、成匹的缎子和天鹅绒、大理石雕像，以及装订成册的书籍。Many of these items were still packed in the wagons that had been picked up and flown here by the monster.其中许多东西仍装在货车上，那些货车是被这怪物整个抓起、飞运到此的。The dragon lay between the front entrance and the mounds of shimmering wealth, but nothing blocked Alias’s access to the beast’s hoard.巨龙卧在正门入口与一堆堆闪闪发光的财富之间，但阿莉亚丝通往巨兽宝藏的路上却没有任何阻碍。

If the treasure was enough to start the adventuress sweating with gold fever, the bones were enough to quench that fire.如果说那些财宝足以让这位女冒险者因黄金热而汗流浃背，那么那些骸骨便足以浇灭这股狂热。Alias could spot piles of white as large as the treasure itself.阿莉亚丝看见一堆堆白骨，其规模不亚于那些财宝。Most were the remains of cattle and other large beasts the dragon used for food, but more than a few human skulls gleamed among all that ivory—the remains of adventurers Alias did not intend to join.其中大多是牛和其他大型牲畜的遗骸，都是巨龙的食物；但在那一片象牙般的白色之中，也闪现着为数不少的人类头骨——那是冒险者的遗骸，而阿莉亚丝可不打算加入他们。

Alias leaned against the rock and watched the dragon’s massive chest scales rise and fall with the deep breathing of slumber.阿莉亚丝倚着岩石，注视着巨龙硕大的胸部鳞片随着沉睡中的深沉呼吸一起一伏。Akabar’s description of the monster had been accurate.阿卡巴对这头怪物的描述十分准确。The drab rust scales that darkened to a purplish hue toward the belly confirmed that the creature was a female, and her huge size could only come with great age.那身暗淡的铁锈色鳞片越接近腹部便越呈紫色，证明这头巨龙是雌性，而她如此庞大的体形也只可能源于漫长的岁月。

The crows danced over the beast’s hide, picking at the bugs beneath her scales.乌鸦在巨兽的皮背上蹦跳，啄食着她鳞片下面的虫子。Alias realized the crows were actually ravens with wingspans as wide as she was tall.阿莉亚丝意识到，那些其实是渡鸦，展开双翼后，翼幅几乎与她的身高相等。They only looked small, dwarfed by the size of the dragon.它们只是被巨龙庞大的身躯衬得显小。

Alias tore her eyes away from her unwitting hostess.阿莉亚丝强迫自己把目光从这位毫不知情的女主人身上移开。No sense in hypnotizing myself with awe, she thought as she peered across the cavern for the bard’s cage.没必要让敬畏迷了自己的心神，她一边想，一边朝洞穴对面望去，寻找关着吟游诗人的笼子。She spotted it perched solidly atop an altar carved into the rock.她发现笼子稳稳地坐落在一座从岩石中雕出的祭坛顶上。This must have once been a temple, she decided.这里从前一定是座神庙，她断定。To what god?供奉的是哪位神明？

The body in the cage lay slumped against the bars.笼中人的身体瘫靠在栏杆上。Tymora, Alias prayed silently, don’t let me be too late.泰摩拉，阿莉亚丝默默祈祷，千万别让我来得太迟。The figure rolled over, apparently in its sleep, and Alias sighed with relief.那人翻了个身，显然只是在睡觉，阿莉亚丝如释重负地舒了口气。She prepared to enter the lair.她做好了进入巢穴的准备。

As quietly as possible, she secured a rope to a stalagmite on the ledge where she stood.她尽可能不发出声音，把一根绳子牢牢系在自己所站岩台上的一根石笋上。She kept herself facing the dragon as much as possible as she climbed down, using only her arm muscles, not daring to push against the wall to break her descent for fear of setting loose rock clattering down.她向下攀爬时尽量始终面对着巨龙，只靠双臂的力量，丝毫不敢蹬墙减缓下降的速度，唯恐踩松石块，让它们哗啦啦地滚落下去。A few ravens spied her and retreated to the roof, but others continued scavenging on the dragon’s hide.几只渡鸦发现了她，退到了洞顶，但其余的仍继续在巨龙身上觅食。

Slipping warily between the piles of treasure, Alias checked the ground carefully so she didn’t accidentally crunch her foot down on a dry bone and tested her footing lightly so she didn’t slip on any loose stacks of coins.阿莉亚丝警惕地穿行于一堆堆财宝之间，仔细查看地面，以免一脚踩碎干枯的骨头；每一步也都轻轻试探，免得在松散堆叠的金币上滑倒。She threw off the temptation creeping over her to grab something valuable and flee.她压下了悄然袭来的诱惑，不让自己抓起什么值钱的东西就逃。She was here for one thing only.她来这里只为一件事。Once that had been secured, well … maybe on the way out she might manage a few sacks of gold.等那件事办妥以后，嗯……也许出去时，她还能设法带走几袋金币。

She tiptoed up the stairs leading to the altar.她踮着脚走上通往祭坛的台阶。The cavern air was filled with the wheeze of the dragon’s breathing, the splash of the waterfall, and the occasional croak of a raven.洞窟里的空气中充斥着巨龙呼吸时的嘶嘶声、瀑布的飞溅声，以及偶尔响起的乌鸦啼叫。Not until she’d reached the top did Alias take her eyes from the floor and study the cage.直到登上台阶顶端，阿莉亚丝才把目光从地面移开，仔细打量起笼子。It was sloppily lashed but quite sturdy.笼子捆扎得很潦草，却相当结实。A small form lay in its center, balled up tightly in a cloak of expensive, gaudy brocade.一个小小的身影蜷缩在笼子中央，身上紧紧裹着一件昂贵而艳俗的锦缎斗篷。Alias spied a plait of fire-red hair fastened with a green bow.阿莉亚丝瞥见一条火红的发辫，上面系着绿色蝴蝶结。

Damned mage.该死的法师。He should have checked more closely.他本该看得更仔细些。This is a little girl, not a bard.这是个小女孩，不是什么吟游诗人。I’ve risked all this for nothing.我冒了这么大的险，结果全是白费。Ruskettle is no doubt already residing in the dragon’s belly, to make room for this new toy.拉斯凯特尔肯定早已进了巨龙的肚子，好给这个新玩物腾地方。

The swordswoman was so angry that she spun about, intent on leaving that very instant, but she turned back to face the cage.女剑士气得猛然转身，打算立刻离开，可她又转回来，面向笼子。She would rescue the prisoner anyway, not from any sentiment or human kindness, but just for the pleasure of shaking the child in Akabar’s face and proving to him what a fool he was.不管怎样，她还是要救出这个囚徒——不是出于什么同情或人性的善意，只是为了把这孩子带到阿卡巴面前，让他亲眼看看，好证明他有多蠢。Sliding her sword between the bars, she gently poked the cloaked bundle.她把剑伸进栅栏之间，轻轻戳了戳那团裹在斗篷里的东西。

The brocade-wrapped form turned over rapidly, causing the cage to groan slightly where the ropes held its timbers in place.那团裹着锦缎的身影迅速翻过身来，令固定笼架的绳索处微微发出呻吟。The package opened to reveal not a child, but a small creature dressed in garb that made Akabar’s crimson and white robes seem conservative.那团东西舒展开来，露出的并非小孩，而是一个身材矮小的生物；她身上的服饰艳丽得让阿卡巴那身绯红与纯白的长袍都显得保守。A creature without footgear, but long, curly red hair on her hands and feet that matched the mop on her head.这生物脚上没穿鞋，手脚上却长着长长的红色卷毛，与她头顶那蓬乱的红发一模一样。A halfling!一个半身人！Alias whined silently.阿莉亚丝在心里哀号。And a female halfling at that.而且偏偏还是个女半身人。

“Rescue at last!” cheered the halfling in a happy whisper.“终于有人来救我啦！”半身人压低声音，欢欣地说道。

“Shh!” warned Alias.“嘘！”阿莉亚丝警告道。Why did it have to be a halfling?为什么偏偏是个半身人？How come no one mentioned Ruskettle was a halfling?怎么从来没人提过拉斯凯特尔是个半身人？Or even that Ruskettle was a she?甚至连拉斯凯特尔是个女的都没人说过？

Suddenly, Alias sensed the deadly quiet.突然，阿莉亚丝察觉到四周一片死寂。The stream spattered on, but the dragon’s regular breathing and the crows’ occasional caws had stopped.溪水仍在哗啦流淌，但巨龙规律的呼吸声和乌鸦偶尔的啼叫声都停了。The halfling’s eyes widened, transfixed by something behind and above Alias.半身人瞪大了眼睛，呆呆盯着阿莉亚丝身后上方的某样东西。Something horrible cleared its throat with a cough like a bag of lead coins dropped off a tower.某个可怕的东西清了清嗓子，那咳声就像一袋铅币从高塔上坠落。

With a sigh of resignation, Alias turned around slowly.阿莉亚丝无奈地叹了口气，缓缓转过身。

“Looking for something in particular?” asked the dragon.“在找什么特别的东西吗？”巨龙问道。“Or are we just browsing?”“还是只是随便看看？”

The dragon, though she had not bothered to rise, was no longer balled up like a cute kitten by a fireside.那条龙虽然懒得起身，却已不再像一只蜷在炉边的可爱小猫那样团成一团。Her front paws curled beneath her bulk, her body rested comfortably below the level of her rear haunches, and her neck curved in a relaxed S-shape.她的前爪蜷在庞大的身躯下，身体舒舒服服地伏着，低于后臀的高度，脖颈则放松地弯成了一个S形。Even seated in this way, her jaws hung twice as far above the ground as Alias’s perch on the raised altar, and her reptilian golden eyes looked down from another ten feet higher than that.即使这样坐着，她的巨颚离地面的高度也足有阿莉亚丝所在的高台祭坛的两倍，而那双爬行动物般的金色眼睛又从高出巨颚十英尺的地方俯视着她。

From what little Alias could see of her belly, it was a twisted mass of scarred, purple and violet scales.阿莉亚丝只能看到她腹部的一小部分，那里尽是扭曲纠结、伤痕累累的紫色与紫罗兰色鳞片。Several of the scars were still fresh and oozing—compliments of the adventuring party that had tried to defeat her but failed.其中几道伤口还很新，正渗着液体——那是那支曾试图打败她却以失败告终的冒险队所留下的“馈赠”。

With those long tendrils hanging down from her chin and face, Alias thought, she looks like a cat.看着从她下巴和脸上垂下的那些长须，阿莉亚丝心想：她看起来真像一只猫。I guess that makes me the mouse.这么说来，我就是那只老鼠了。Then the swordswoman noticed, tucked behind the monster’s left ear, a raven regarding her with a stare as unblinking as the dragon’s—the only one that had not retreated to the ceiling.随后，女剑士注意到怪物左耳后藏着一只乌鸦，正以和那条龙同样一眨不眨的目光注视着她——这是唯一没有退到天花板上的一只。The dragon’s spy.那条龙的密探。

“Poor dear,” rumbled the dragon.“可怜的小东西。”那条龙低沉地隆隆说道。“Are you ill-versed in the common tongue?“你不太懂通用语吗？Where do they send these robbers from, anyway?话说回来，这些强盗到底都是从哪里派来的？Asken bey Amnite?阿斯肯·贝伊·安姆人？No. You don’t look like a southerner.不。你看起来不像南方人。Cheyeska col Thay?切耶斯卡·科尔·塞尔？Not that either.也不是。Do you speak any language known to the Sea of Fallen Stars?陨星海一带所知的语言，你会说其中任何一种吗？I detest not knowing where my next meal is coming from.”我最讨厌不知道下一顿饭会从哪里来了。”

The dragon’s ramblings shook Alias from her trance.那条龙絮絮叨叨的话让阿莉亚丝从恍惚中惊醒。The beast had transfixed her with a gaze that would have done a basilisk proud, yet here she was, nattering like some fishmonger’s wife.这头野兽曾用足以令蛇化蜥自豪的目光慑住了她，可此刻却像个鱼贩子的老婆似的喋喋不休。Alias tried to speak several times, until the words found purchase in her throat and she spat out, “I come from Cormyr.”阿莉亚丝几次试图开口，直到那些话终于在她喉咙里找到了着力之处，她才猛地吐出一句：“我来自科米尔。”For the moment, she added mentally.至少眼下如此，她在心里补充道。

“Oh, so you are native flesh,” said the dragon, coiling her neck back as if to view Alias in this new light.“哦，原来你是本地肉，”巨龙说道，将脖颈盘曲着向后缩去，仿佛要以新的眼光打量阿莉亚丝。“How precious.“真难得。I do hate foreign mystery meat.我最讨厌那些来路不明的外国肉。They put such odd things in their bodies.”他们总往自己身体里塞些稀奇古怪的东西。”

Alias blinked hard, fighting the sudden drowsiness that descended on her.阿莉亚丝用力眨了眨眼，抵抗着突然袭来的困意。First the dragon’s gaze, then its rich, rumbling words, seemed to drain the energy from her body, as if the rest she had received earlier in the week had done her no good.先是巨龙的目光，接着是她那醇厚低沉的话音，似乎都在抽走阿莉亚丝体内的力气，仿佛她这周早些时候得到的休息全无作用。This must be what they call dragon-fear, Alias realized.这一定就是人们所谓的龙威，阿莉亚丝意识到。She shook herself out of the lethargy.她振作精神，摆脱了倦怠。

“I am no foreigner, but Alias of the Inner Sea, swordsmaster and adventuress,” she announced.“我可不是什么外国人，我是内海的阿莉亚丝，剑术大师兼女冒险家，”她宣告道。

“Oh, really?” replied the dragon.“哦，真的吗？”巨龙答道。“You must forgive me for not knowing anything about you, but I’ve been so out of touch.“请原谅我对你一无所知，我实在太久没跟外界接触了。I am Mistinarperadnacles Hai Draco.我是米斯蒂纳佩拉德纳克勒斯·海·德拉科。You may call me Mist.你可以叫我米斯特。And I’ll call you … supper?至于我，就叫你……晚餐？Yes, it’s about time for a light, early supper.没错，差不多该早早吃顿清淡的晚餐了。So nice of you to deliver yourself.”你亲自送上门来，真是太贴心了。”

The dragon shifted its weight, and Alias saw for the first time the front paws of the beast, huge, three-toed triangles, each corner of the triangles sporting a claw.巨龙挪了挪身子，阿莉亚丝这才第一次看见这头巨兽的两只前爪——硕大无比，呈长着三趾的三角形，每个角上都生着一根利爪。Further up each foot glinted an opposing dew claw.每只脚掌更上方的位置，还闪烁着一根与其余爪子相对的悬爪。All the claws were as crimson as fresh blood.所有爪子都像鲜血一般猩红。

Alias held up her sword with both hands—not to attack, but as a warning gesture.阿莉亚丝双手举起剑来——并非为了攻击，而是以此示警。She replied, “You must forgive my unwillingness to serve as your meal, O great and powerful Mistinarperadnacles, but instead I think I will challenge you to the Feint of Honor.”她答道：“伟大而强大的米斯蒂纳佩拉德纳克勒斯，请原谅我不愿成为你的餐点，不过，我想改为向你发起荣誉佯攻的挑战。”

“The Feint of Honor?”“荣誉佯攻？”Mist echoed the last words with a tone of surprise.米斯特语带惊讶地重复了最后几个字。Then she chuckled, a sound that echoed like thunder about the cavern.随后她咯咯笑了起来，那声音犹如雷鸣，在洞窟中回荡。“What can you know about the Feint of Honor, O Supper?”“你对荣誉佯攻又能知道些什么，晚餐啊？”

Alias stepped back until her back was touching the wicker of the cage and replied, “It is the proper name given to the ritual combat of subdual instigated in the most ancient of times by the wisest of dragons.”阿莉亚丝一步步后退，直到后背抵住笼子的柳条，才答道：“这是远古时代由龙族中最睿智者创立的降服仪式战的正式名称。”

Mist sniffed, “And I presume you know why?”米斯特哼了一声：“我想，你也知道原因喽？”

“Because, in the most ancient of times, your people fought amongst themselves so fiercely that many promising wyrms died.“因为在远古时代，你们龙族自相残杀得太过惨烈，以致许多前途无量的龙都丧了命。Indeed, scholars believe you may have wiped yourselves off the face of the land had not the Feint been decreed.”事实上，学者们认为，若非颁布了佯攻之规，你们或许早已从大地上彻底消失。”Alias pressed her calf against the cage bars in hopes that the halfling would notice the dagger in her boot.阿莉亚丝把小腿抵在笼栏上，希望那个半身人能注意到她靴子里的匕首。

“Yes.“不错。True enough.”确实如此。”The dragon nodded, settling back on her haunches.巨龙点点头，往后一坐，蹲在后腿上。“Having heard of this custom, all manner of militia and mercenary have come barrelling into my home and the homes of my brethren, beating on us with the flat of their blades, firing blunt-headed fowling arrows, and generally disturbing our rest until we are forced to destroy them just to regain our composure.“自从听说了这项习俗，各式各样的民兵和雇佣兵便横冲直撞地闯进我的家和我同族的家，用剑身拍打我们，朝我们发射钝头猎鸟箭，总之搅得我们不得安宁，直到我们不得不消灭他们，才能恢复平静。A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.一知半解是很危险的。It implies a lot of ignorance.”因为这意味着无知甚多。”Mist twisted her neck so that her jaws were uncomfortably close to Alias’s head.米斯特扭过脖子，让她的巨颚逼近阿莉亚丝的脑袋，近得令人难受。“You see, the Feint is a code for dragons.“你要明白，佯攻是龙族的规约。It has nothing to do with you puny, but delicious, mortals.”它与你们这些渺小却美味的凡人毫无关系。”

“Not so, O Mistinarperadnacles.“并非如此，米斯蒂纳佩拉德纳克勒斯啊。True, many humans may attempt subdual without following the formal codes, and their senses are as bootless as a halfling.不错，许多人类可能会不遵循正式规约便企图降服巨龙，而他们的判断力也像半身人的靴子一样，根本派不上用场。And he who walks in here without sense, walks in here unarmed.凡是毫无判断力便走进这里的人，无异于手无寸铁地走进来。You are then entirely within your rights to exterminate them as you see fit.”那么，你自然完全有权随意消灭他们。”Alias felt a pat behind her knee, a signal, she hoped, that the halfling had understood, but she had no sensation of her dagger being slid from her boot.阿莉亚丝感觉有人在她膝后轻拍了一下；她希望这是半身人已经会意的信号，但她并未感觉到匕首被从靴子里抽走。“But you may not with honor deny a challenge properly made—”“但若有人依照规矩提出挑战，你便不能有违荣誉地拒绝——”

“Your speech is oddly accented,” said the dragon.“你的口音很古怪。”巨龙说道。“I think you come from beyond Cormyr.”“我想，你来自科米尔以外的地方。”

“Unless, of course,” Alias continued, “you are a common dragon.“当然，除非，”阿莉亚丝继续说道，“你只是一条普普通通的龙。Then, of course, you may behave as you will.”那样的话，你自然可以任意妄为。”

Fire flared in Mist’s eyes.米斯特眼中燃起怒火。“And do you know the formal codes, O Supper?”“那么你可懂正式的规矩，晚餐啊？”

“I know first to ask the dragon’s name if it is not already known,” replied Alias.“我知道，如果还不知道龙的名字，首先就该询问，”阿莉亚丝答道。

“Common courtesy, at the very least, common sense as well.”“这至少是起码的礼貌，也是起码的常识。”

“At this point, I must say you have offended me.“说到这里，我必须指出，你已经冒犯了我。You have monopolized the services of this halfling, an offense to art; you have kept her imprisoned in this cage, an offense to humanity; and you have referred to me as Supper, an offense to my honor.你独占了这位半身人的技艺，是对艺术的冒犯；你把她囚禁在这只笼子里，是对人道的冒犯；你还称我为晚餐，是对我荣誉的冒犯。For these barbarities, Mistinarperadnacles, red mistress of flame and sunsets, I challenge you!”为惩罚这些野蛮行径，火焰与晚霞的赤红女主人米斯蒂纳佩拉德纳克勒斯，我向你挑战！”

“Quite nice,” said the dragon.“相当不错，”巨龙说道。“Your composure does you credit.“你如此镇定，值得称许。You astonish me, young one.你真令我惊讶，年轻人。This is a custom veiled in antiquity.这项习俗早已湮没在远古岁月的迷雾之中。I don’t believe one sage in a hundred could recall the formalities so precisely.我看一百位贤者中，也未必有一位能如此准确地记得这些礼仪。Just where did you acquire this knowledge?”你究竟从哪里学到了这些知识？”

Alias did know the answer to that question.阿莉亚丝确实知道这个问题的答案。She remembered it, but she did not know how.她记得答案，却不知道自己为何会记得。Instead of trying to answer Mist’s questions, she continued with the terms of challenge.她没有试图回答米斯特的问题，而是继续陈述挑战的条件。

“My weapon will be this single blade.”“我的武器将只有这一柄剑。”Alias indicated her sword with a nod of her head.阿莉亚丝朝自己的剑点了点头。“You may use your claws.“你可以使用利爪。No biting, no breathing fire, and no magic.”不准撕咬，不准喷火，也不准使用魔法。”

Steam was beginning to rise up from Mist’s nostrils, indicating the beast was no longer amused or intrigued, but losing her patience.米斯特的鼻孔里开始冒出蒸汽，这表明这头巨兽已不再觉得有趣，也不再感到好奇，而是渐渐失去了耐心。Alias continued hurriedly, “We fight until the first three hits or until the other surrenders.阿莉亚丝赶忙继续说道：“谁先击中对方三次，或是迫使对方投降，战斗便告结束。If I am victor, I demand you free the halfling Ruskettle and allow both of us to leave your lair safe and free.”如果我获胜，我要求你释放半身人拉斯凯特尔，并允许我们二人安然无恙、自由地离开你的巢穴。”

“What?“什么？No demands for a chest of gold or for me to leave this happy land and never to return?”不要求一箱黄金，也不要求我离开这片乐土、永不再回来吗？”Mist mocked her.米斯特嘲弄道。

“None,” Alias replied flatly.“没有。”阿莉亚丝冷冷地答道。According to the code, the more demands she made, the more compromises she would have to make toward the dragon’s terms.按照准则，她提出的要求越多，就越得在巨龙的条件上作出更多让步。If they even came to terms.还得看她们能不能谈成条件。Steam now poured from Mist in great billows.此刻，大团大团的蒸汽从米斯特的鼻孔中喷涌而出。

She could breathe fire anytime, Alias thought.她随时都可能喷火，阿莉亚丝心想。If her ego and pride don’t bind her to the ancient code, I’m dead meat.要是她的自负和骄傲不能让她受古老准则的约束，我就死定了。

“It is a sad state of affairs,” Mist growled, “when a dragon cannot use those gifts invested in her by Tiamat.“事情竟沦落到这种地步，”米斯特低吼道，“一条龙连提亚马特赋予的天赋都不能使用。At the very least, I must use my claws and my teeth.至少，我必须使用我的利爪和牙齿。We will fight until you are dead or you convince me to surrender.我们要一直战斗，直到你死去，或是你迫使我投降。In compensation, if you win, I will grant you a chest of gold.作为补偿，如果你赢了，我会赏你一箱黄金。I am a generous spirit, you see.”你瞧，我可是很慷慨的。”

“Accepted,” Alias replied without hesitation.“接受。”阿莉亚丝毫不犹豫地答道。

The dragon reared back, her head raised into the stone dome high above.巨龙向后直起身子，头颅高高昂入上方的石穹顶。The raven flapped noisily from her head.乌鸦从她头上振翅飞起，扑棱声大作。Surprised, Mist could only foolishly repeat, “Accepted,” thus locking herself into the agreement.米斯特吃了一惊，竟傻乎乎地只能重复道：“接受。”就这样把自己锁进了这份协议。

“The code is honored, the pact is made,” Alias declared and lunged forward beneath the dragon’s chest.“准则已守，契约已成。”阿莉亚丝宣告道，随即猛冲到巨龙胸膛下方。She slashed out with her sword, catching the beast just below the forward knee.她挥剑劈出，正中巨兽前膝下方。The blow was not forceful enough to cut into the scales, but it hurt.这一击力道不足，未能劈开鳞片，却让她吃了痛。The dragon roared, and her knee buckled so that she toppled forward.巨龙咆哮一声，膝盖猛地一软，向前栽倒。Alias dashed between her hind legs.阿莉亚丝从她两条后腿之间飞奔而过。Careful to avoid the creature’s tail, the swordswoman dragged her blade across Mist’s purple-plated rump, knocking loose a few half-healed plates.女剑士小心避开巨兽的尾巴，将剑刃拖过米斯特覆着紫色鳞甲的臀部，刮落了几片尚未完全愈合的鳞片。

Mist howled and spun about.米斯特嚎叫一声，猛地转过身来。Her gleaming eyes seemed to burrow into Alias.她那双闪闪发亮的眼睛仿佛要把阿莉亚丝看穿。“Foul!” she hissed.“犯规！”她嘶声说道。“You used the sharp side of your blade.”“你用了剑刃。”

“Our contract did not limit me to the flat of my weapon, wyrm!”“我们的契约可没规定我只能用剑身的平面，巨龙！”Alias shouted, dodging backward to avoid the slash of the triple scythes at the end of the dragon’s paw.阿莉亚丝大喊着向后闪避，躲开龙爪末端三把镰刀般利爪的挥击。

“O ho!”“哦嗬！”Mist cackled, following up her first assault with a thrust from the other front paw.米斯特尖声怪笑，另一只前爪紧接着刺出，发动第二轮攻击。Alias twisted and rolled away as claw tips scored deep into the wall she’d had at her back a moment before.阿莉亚丝扭身滚开，利爪尖端在她片刻前背靠的石壁上划出了几道深痕。“So you are now a lawyer as well as a fighter!”“这么说来，你如今不但是个战士，还是个律师！”Mist taunted as she yanked her claw from the rock, causing a small avalanche of stone to topple down.米斯特一边讥讽，一边从岩石中拔出利爪，带得一小片碎石坍落下来。

Alias retreated back among the treasure and bone piles, sparing only a glance for the now-empty cage on the altar.阿莉亚丝退回宝藏与骸骨堆之间，只匆匆瞥了一眼祭坛上如今空空如也的笼子。She averted her eyes quickly so as not to alert Mist to the halfling’s escape.她立刻移开视线，以免让米斯特察觉半身人已经逃脱。Have to keep the wyrm’s attention on me, Alias thought.得让这头巨龙把注意力一直放在我身上，阿莉亚丝心想。Unfortunately, that should be no problem.不幸的是，这应该不成问题。

Instead of lunging her neck toward the warrior, Mist retreated and rose to her hind legs, unfurling her wings.米斯特没有伸长脖颈扑向战士，反而向后退去，用后腿站立起来，同时展开双翼。The leathery folds of flesh caught the subterranean breeze like sails, then fanned the air back in powerful waves toward Alias’s corner of the cave.一层层皮革般的翼膜如风帆般兜住地下的气流，继而扇起一阵阵强风，扑向阿莉亚丝所在的洞穴角落。

The last raven retreated to the roof to avoid the assault, but Alias had no way to evade the force of the wind.最后一只渡鸦退到洞顶躲避这阵袭击，阿莉亚丝却无从避开狂风的冲击。She was lifted from the ground and buffeted over several large treasure chests.她被卷离地面，在好几只巨大的宝箱上方翻滚颠簸。Her rough passage knocked the arm and leg guards off one side of her armor and left her pinned beneath a granite statue of some forgotten Hillsfar noble.一路上的猛烈磕撞扯掉了她一侧的护臂和护胫，最后她被压在一尊花岗岩雕像下；那雕像刻的是某个早已被遗忘的希尔斯法贵族。

She began squirming out from beneath the stone, but Mist loped forward and laid her chin down on top of the statue.她开始扭动着从石像下脱身，但米斯特大步奔上前，把下巴搁在了石像顶上。Her fetid breath made Alias gag.她恶臭的气息熏得阿莉亚丝一阵干呕。Mist’s mouth tendrils curled in glee.米斯特嘴边的触须欢喜地卷曲起来。Alias closed her eyes, certain she was about to have her head bitten off.阿莉亚丝闭上双眼，确信自己的脑袋马上就要被咬掉了。

“So, little lawyer,” Mist hissed, “I can slay you now by fire, for who would know I violated the codes?”“那么，小律师，”米斯特嘶声说道，“我现在可以用火烧死你了，因为谁会知道我违反了准则呢？”

“Well, me for one,” came a high-pitched but resonant voice from above.“这个嘛，至少我会知道。”上方传来一个尖细却洪亮的声音。“And you know the old saying—tell a bard, and you tell the world.”“你也知道那句老话——告诉一个吟游诗人，就等于告诉了全世界。”

Mist whirled around in surprise.米斯特惊讶地猛然转身。The halfling bard stood on the ledge by the opening to Alias’s back door.那位半身人吟游诗人站在阿莉亚丝后门入口旁的岩台上。She leaned weakly against the rock wall, but her eyes sparkled with mischief and vengeance.她虚弱地倚着岩壁，眼中却闪烁着恶作剧与复仇的光芒。Alias took advantage of Mist’s inattention to escape from the embrace of the Hillsfar noble and began to climb up a wagon loaded with treasure.阿莉亚丝趁米斯特分神，挣脱了那名希尔斯法贵族的怀抱，开始往一辆满载财宝的马车上爬。

Ruskettle strummed a chord on her tiny yarting, a miniature guitar with seven catgut strings.拉斯凯特尔在她那把小巧的雅廷琴上扫出一个和弦；那是一种装有七根羊肠弦的微型吉他。“Now let’s see, this is spur of the moment, mind, but how about—” The bard began to sing:“让我想想，先说好，这是临时起意，不过这样如何——”吟游诗人唱了起来：

I heard the mighty rush of fire我听见烈焰汹涌的呼啸

From the ledge above the cave.来自洞穴上方的岩台。

The attack of a common coward那是卑鄙懦夫的偷袭，

No dragon, just a knave.不是巨龙，只是无赖。

She broke her oath in combat,她在战斗中背弃誓言，

Now shunned by one and all.如今被所有人唾弃。

Not even other dragons就连其他巨龙

Will have her in their hall.也不容她踏入厅堂。

“Then of course we’ll need a chorus for everyone to join in on,” Ruskettle continued hurriedly:“当然，还得有段副歌，好让大家一起唱。”拉斯凯特尔急忙接着说道：

Oh, listen to the story哦，听听这个故事，

Of the scandal of the wyrms.这桩龙族的丑闻。

Red Mistinarperadnacles,红龙米斯蒂纳佩拉德纳克勒斯，

Rumored mad and quite infirm.据说疯癫又病弱。

With a single belch of fire,只一嗝喷出烈焰，

This fool dragon with no shame,这无耻的蠢龙，

Her honor she has vaporized已将自己的荣誉蒸发殆尽，

Like the Mist that is her name.如雾消散，恰似她的名字米斯特。

Alias cringed at the lyrics’ strained meters, but had to admire the singer’s nerve.阿莉亚丝听着那歌词生硬拗口的韵律，不由得缩了缩身子，但也不得不佩服那歌手的胆量。Great clouds of steam filled the dome above Mist’s head.大团蒸汽弥漫在米斯特头顶的穹顶之中。The bard hadn’t a chance of outrunning the fires that had to be burning inside the wyrm.巨龙体内必定燃着烈火，那吟游诗人根本不可能逃得过。Instead of escaping, though, Alias noted, she risked her hide to gain time for me to wriggle out of danger.然而，阿莉亚丝注意到，她非但没有逃跑，反而冒着丢掉性命的危险，为我争取时间，好让我爬出险境。

Goaded forward by the image of a roasted halfling and a failed mission, Alias launched herself from the lid of a large cask toward the dragon’s head.一想到半身人会被烤熟，任务也会失败，阿莉亚丝便猛地从一只大木桶的盖子上跃起，扑向巨龙的头。She fell short of her mark, but managed to catch a fistful of the tendrils hanging from Mist’s chin.她没能跃到预定的位置，却设法一把抓住了从米斯特下颌垂下的触须。Arching her back and kicking her legs like an acrobat, the swordswoman swung herself backward, over the side of the dragon’s mouth, past her dripping, exposed teeth, beyond her steaming nostrils, and landed squarely on the bridge of the dragon’s nose.女剑士弓起背，像杂技演员一样蹬动双腿，借势向后荡去，越过巨龙的嘴侧，掠过她裸露在外、滴着水的牙齿和冒着蒸汽的鼻孔，稳稳落在了巨龙的鼻梁上。

Alias wedged her blade between Mist’s eyes, so that the creature’s pupils crossed, trying to focus on her foe.阿莉亚丝把剑刃抵在米斯特双眼之间，逼得这生物两只瞳孔都转向中间，试图看清自己的敌人。

“Match was until surrender,” Alias panted, sweat rolling down her face in rivulets.“比试说好打到一方认输为止。”阿莉亚丝喘息着说，汗水一道道从脸上淌下。Her exhaustion deepened with her proximity to the dragon’s steaming and foul exhalations, yet she tightened her grip on her hilt.离巨龙那灼热而恶臭的吐息如此之近，令她越发疲惫，但她仍攥紧了剑柄。“Do you surrender, wyrm, or shall we see how much of your brain I can reach when I plunge my blade into one of your eyes?”“你认不认输，巨龙？还是说，我们来看看我把剑刺进你一只眼睛时，究竟能刺到多少脑子？”

For Alias, the next few moments were frozen in time.对阿莉亚丝而言，接下来的片刻仿佛凝固了。Steam rose about her and water splattered to the floor, but the principals of the tableau stood motionless: the dragon considering the value of her eyesight and the length of the warrior’s blade, Alias trying to remain perched on the creature’s scaly nose, Ruskettle awaiting the outcome, so eager to witness it she would not flee like a sensible person.蒸汽在她周围升腾，水珠飞溅到地面上，但这幅画面的几位主角全都一动不动：巨龙在权衡自己双眼的价值和女战士剑刃的长度；阿莉亚丝竭力稳坐在这生物布满鳞片的鼻子上；拉斯凯特尔则等待着结果，她太想亲眼见证这一幕了，根本不肯像个明智的人那样逃走。

Finally Mist hissed, “This time, little lawyer, you win.”终于，米斯特嘶声说道：“这一次，小律师，你赢了。”

“I accept your surrender,” Alias replied.“我接受你的投降。”阿莉亚丝答道。She kept her gaze on the creature and her sword over Mist’s nose.她的目光始终盯着这生物，剑也依然横在米斯特的鼻子上方。No blanket of condensing steam poured from the beast’s mouth to indicate she had cooled her inner fires.巨兽口中没有涌出凝结成雾的大片蒸汽，说明她并未熄灭体内的烈火。

Mist has no intention of honoring the pact, Alias realized.米斯特根本没打算遵守约定，阿莉亚丝意识到。She wants me dead even more than ever, but she doesn’t dare try to kill me unless she can get the tell-tale bard with the same blow.她现在比以往更想要我的命，但除非能一击杀死那个会把真相说出去的吟游诗人，否则她不敢动手杀我。All she has to do is breathe fire once I’m standing beside Ruskettle.只要我站到拉斯凯特尔身边，她喷一次火就够了。

Alias’s mind scrambled for a scheme to delay the dragon’s attack, hoping that the halfling had enough wits to play along.阿莉亚丝绞尽脑汁，想找个办法拖延巨龙的攻击，只盼那半身人足够机灵，能够配合她。“I’d like to be let down over there by my friend,” the swordswoman said.“我想请你把我放到那边，我朋友身旁。”女剑士说道。

“But, of course,” Mist replied, her tone full of sugary venom.“当然可以。”米斯特答道，语气甜腻，却充满恶意。The dragon kept her head perfectly steady as she swung her neck over to the ledge, anxious that Alias should not slip or lean on the blade and drive it into an eye.巨龙把头稳得纹丝不动，同时将脖子摆向那处平台；她唯恐阿莉亚丝滑倒，或是压到剑刃上，让剑刺进自己的一只眼睛。

Alias hesitated before she stepped off Mist’s snout.阿莉亚丝迟疑了一下，才从米斯特的吻部走下来。Winking at the halfling, she said, “That ring of fire resistance makes you a lot braver than usual, bard.”她冲半身人眨眨眼，说道：“那枚火焰抗性戒指让你比平时胆大多了，吟游诗人。”

“What?“什么？Oh, yeah.哦，对。The ring of fire resistance.火焰抗性戒指。Well, you know my motto: If you got it, might as well flaunt it.这个嘛，你知道我的座右铭：既然有了，不妨炫耀一番。You think I’d have risked singing to a dragon without one?”你以为没有它，我敢冒险给一条龙唱歌吗？”

Alias leaped from Mist’s head to the ledge and sidled behind the halfling, as if to use her tiny body for a shield.阿莉亚丝从米斯特的头上一跃而下，落到岩架上，然后侧身躲到半身人身后，仿佛要拿她娇小的身体当盾牌。The swordswoman’s heart pounded as she ordered the dragon, “Now go fetch the chest of gold you promised me.”女剑士的心怦怦直跳，却仍命令巨龙道：“现在去把你答应给我的那箱金子拿来。”

Mist’s eyes narrowed to tiny slits.米斯特的双眼眯成了两条细缝。Steam rose from her nostrils.蒸汽从她的鼻孔里升起。Tymora, make her believe the ruse!泰摩拉，让她相信这个骗局吧！Alias prayed silently.阿莉亚丝默默祈祷。The dragon turned her head away from the ledge and lumbered toward a pile of gold.巨龙把头从岩架旁转开，迈着沉重的步子朝一堆金子走去。Alias swallowed hard.阿莉亚丝艰难地咽了口唾沫。

“Why didn’t you kill her when you had the chance?”“你刚才有机会，为什么不杀了她？”Ruskettle whispered through clenched teeth.拉斯凯特尔咬紧牙关，低声问道。

“And fall to my death or get crushed by a dragon in her death throes?“然后摔死，或者被垂死挣扎的巨龙压死吗？No, thank you.不了，谢谢。That wasn’t what I was paid for.别人付钱让我做的可不是这个。Now, let’s get out of here.”现在，我们赶紧离开这里。”

“What?” the bard asked.“什么？”吟游诗人问道。

“We’re leaving,” Alias replied, grabbing a handful of the halfling’s cloak.“我们要走了。”阿莉亚丝答道，一把攥住半身人的斗篷。Alias slipped into the passageway leading out of the lair, trying to tug the halfling with her, but Ruskettle jerked herself loose.阿莉亚丝钻进了通往巢穴外的通道，试图把半身人一起拽走，可拉斯凯特尔猛地挣脱了她。

“We have to wait for the gold,” the bard insisted.“我们得等着拿到金子。”吟游诗人坚持道。

With an exasperated growl, Alias grasped the small woman by her shoulders, pulled her into the passage, and shoved her in the lead.阿莉亚丝恼怒地低吼一声，抓住小个子女人的双肩，把她拉进通道，推到前面带路。

Their way dimly lit by the runes embedded in Alias’s flesh, Alias prodded and pushed at the halfling until they reached the upper cavern where the swordswoman had waited for Akabar’s scouting report.嵌在阿莉亚丝血肉中的符文发出微光，为她们照亮道路；阿莉亚丝一路又戳又推地催着半身人，直到她们来到上层洞窟——先前女剑士就是在那里等候阿卡巴的侦察报告。Once they reached this point, however, Ruskettle twisted from her grip and dropped angrily to the floor.然而，一到这里，拉斯凯特尔就挣脱了她的手，气冲冲地落到地上。Alias slipped her sword arm into her cloak before the halfling caught sight of the glow of the sigils.趁半身人还没看见那些印记的光芒，阿莉亚丝把持剑的手臂缩进了斗篷里。

“Why’d you do that?” the bard demanded.“你为什么要这么做？”吟游诗人质问道。“She was going to get us some gold!”“她本来要给我们弄些金子来的！”

“Stupidhalfling!”“蠢货半身人！”Alias panted, her words running together.阿莉亚丝喘着气，话都连到了一起。“Mist is a red dragon!“米斯特是条红龙！”That makes her as greedy and as untrustworthy as an Amnite merchant!“这意味着她就跟安姆人商人一样贪婪，一样不可信！”The only thing that stopped her from burning us to cinders was the fear you would escape and tell someone.”“她没把我们烧成灰，唯一的原因就是怕你逃出去告诉别人。”

“But she believed your story about me having a ring of fire resistance.”“可她相信了你编的故事，以为我有一枚抗火戒指。”

“For the moment.“暂时信了而已。”But if she had sniffed any jewelry on you when she first kidnapped you, she would have made you take it off.“可她刚绑架你时，要是闻到你身上有任何首饰，早就会逼你摘下来了。”You aren’t wearing any rings.“你一枚戒指也没戴。”Any minute now she’s going to remember that, and then—”“她随时都会想起这一点，到时候——”

Cool air from the outside rushed down the passage.外面的凉风顺着通道猛灌下来。Alias could picture Mist sitting by the ledge, inhaling deeply, smoke from her hidden forges pouring out of her snout.阿莉亚丝仿佛能看到米斯特坐在岩架旁深深吸气，隐秘锻炉里的烟雾从她的鼻孔中滚滚涌出。

“Come on!” the swordswoman shouted, picking up the halfling, tucking her under her arm, and running for the surface exit.“快走！”女剑士大喊一声，抄起半身人，把她夹在腋下，朝通往地面的出口飞奔。Ruskettle was unexpectedly heavy, and between the extra weight and having to check her footing, Alias felt as though she were running underwater.拉斯凯特尔出乎意料地沉；既要负担额外的重量，又得留神脚下，阿莉亚丝觉得自己简直像在水下奔跑。

A roar began behind her, a deep rumbling sound.她身后响起一声咆哮，低沉得如同雷鸣。Harsh cries followed—ravens, she realized, caught in the conflagration.紧接着传来一阵凄厉的鸣叫——是乌鸦，她意识到，它们被困在了烈焰之中。Her back grew uncomfortably warm as the dragon’s breath chased her down the passage.龙息沿着通道追赶她，她的后背热得难受。If she didn’t reach the exit quickly, the approaching wall of super-heated air would do her in before the beast’s metal-twisting flames even reached her.要是不赶快抵达出口，那堵逼近的炽热气浪会在巨兽那足以扭曲金属的烈焰追上她之前就先要了她的命。

The heat grew unbearable, and Alias wondered if she might already be burned so badly that she would die but her muscles and mind didn’t know that yet.热浪变得令人无法忍受，阿莉亚丝甚至怀疑，自己是不是已经被烧伤得足以致命，只是她的肌肉和头脑还没有察觉。The halfling was still squirming in her arms as she made a final leap toward the opening in the mountainside, praying to Tymora that she would clear it before the hot air singed her flesh and the fire stripped it from her bones.半身人仍在她怀里扭动；她朝山壁上的出口奋力作出最后一跃，同时向泰摩拉祈祷，希望自己能在热气灼伤血肉、烈焰将肉从骨头上剥离之前冲出去。

The moment Alias cleared the stone passage, Dragonbait’s tail snaked out from the right.阿莉亚丝刚冲出石砌通道，龙饵的尾巴便从右边蛇一般甩了过来。The powerful muscles in the scaly, green ribbon knocked the swordswoman and her passenger down the slope of greasy grass.那条覆着绿色鳞片的长尾肌肉强健，将女剑客和她怀里的乘客撞倒在油滑的草坡上。

Alias looked back.阿莉亚丝回头望去。The opening where she had been only an instant before was now filled with flame and soot.就在片刻之前，她才刚刚逃出的洞口，此刻已被烈焰与浓烟填满。The rock about the cave entrance melted in the heat, twisting and flowing until the passage was sealed shut.洞口周围的岩石在高温中熔化、扭曲、流淌，直至将通道彻底封死。Silence settled over the mountainside.山坡上陷入一片寂静。

Dragonbait rubbed his mildly scorched tail and gave a reptilian whimper.龙饵揉着微微烧焦的尾巴，发出一声爬行动物般的呜咽。Akabar, upon hearing the sound of the dragon’s inhalation, had assumed a safer position several paces away from the back door.阿卡巴听见巨龙吸气的声音后，早已退到离后门几步远的安全位置。He now looked down at the soot-blackened women with amusement.此刻，他饶有兴味地低头看着那两个被烟灰熏黑的女人。

Alias looked down at Ruskettle, and it suddenly dawned on her why the halfling had been so heavy.阿莉亚丝低头看着拉斯凯特尔，突然明白了这个半身人为何会那么重。On her tumble down the hill, the bard had lost, in order, Alias’s dagger, two pouches of gold coins, an opal the size of a cockatrice egg, a handful of jade statuettes, a ratty scroll, and a large, ornate book marked with the sigil of Akabar Bel Akash.从山坡上滚下来时，这位吟游诗人依次掉出了阿莉亚丝的匕首、两袋金币、一颗鸡蛇兽蛋大小的蛋白石、一把玉雕像、一卷破破烂烂的卷轴，以及一本装饰华丽、印有阿卡巴·贝尔·阿卡什徽记的大书。

For half a score of heartbeats, Alias lay among the flowers of the mountain meadow.足足十次心跳的工夫，阿莉亚丝一直躺在山间草甸的花丛中。She gasped in the thin mountain air, trying to will away the stabbing pain in her chest and the searing agony across her back.她在稀薄的山间空气中大口喘息，竭力想凭意志驱散胸口的刺痛和横贯后背的灼烈剧痛。She imagined the dragon-heated metal of her chain shirt burning through her jerkin and inwardly cringed.她想象着被巨龙烤热的锁子甲正烧穿自己的皮衣，不禁暗自瑟缩。

Dragonbait, having knocked her and the halfling out of the direct path of the dragon’s breath, was at her side immediately, his clawlike hands on her shoulders, helping her rise.龙饵把她和半身人撞出了龙息的直接喷射路线，此刻立刻来到她身旁，用爪子般的双手扶住她的肩膀，帮助她站起身来。He smelled heavily of woodsmoke, but his chivalrous aid helped make Alias feel a little better.他身上散发着浓重的柴烟味，但他那富有骑士风度的援手还是让阿莉亚丝感觉好受了一些。

Farther down the slope, the halfling was scurrying about, trying to recover the items lost in her tumble.坡下更远处，半身人正四处奔忙，试图找回翻滚时掉落的物品。She grabbed one of the leather-bound tomes, but a sandal-clad foot suddenly appeared and held it tight to the ground.她一把抓住其中一本皮革封面的厚书，可一只穿着凉鞋的脚突然出现，将书牢牢踩在地上。

“I believe,” Akabar Bel Akash said, “that this particular item is mine.”“我相信，”阿卡巴·贝尔·阿卡什说道，“这一件东西是我的。”

The halfling gulped.半身人咽了口唾沫。“You were the wizard in the caravan,” she piped, wheels visibly turning behind her eyes.“你就是商队里的那个法师。”她尖声说道，眼珠转动，显然正在飞快盘算。“Of course.“当然。I brought this from the dragon’s lair to …” she sighed deeply, “… to return to you.”我把它从巨龙巢穴里带出来，是为了……”她深深叹了口气，“……还给你。”

Akabar harumphed and, keeping his foot atop the book, reached over and picked up the age-torn scroll lying near it.阿卡巴哼了一声，一只脚仍踩在书上，俯身捡起了旁边那卷年久残破的卷轴。

“That’s for you, too,” the halfling offered, jamming the opal and the jade figures back into her pockets.“那个也归你，”半身人主动说道，一边把蛋白石和翡翠雕像塞回口袋。

Alias had by this time removed her charred cloak and shucked off her chain mail shirt.这时，阿莉亚丝已经脱下烧焦的斗篷，又褪去了锁子甲。The cloak was a total loss; the heavy cloth had taken the brunt of the blast.斗篷彻底毁了；爆炸的威力大半都被那厚重的布料承受了下来。The heat had been enough to fuse portions of her chain into solid lumps along the back and leave the light leather jerkin beneath hard and cracked.高温将她背部的部分甲环熔结成了坚硬的疙瘩，连下面那件薄皮坎肩也变得又硬又裂。The leather must have insulated her back just enough though, for what she could see of her skin there, while pink, was not charred.不过，皮革想必恰好为她的背部隔绝了足够的热量，因为她能看见的那部分皮肤虽然发红，却没有烧焦。

Blind Tymora’s luck, Alias thought.真是瞎眼的泰摩拉赐下的好运，阿莉亚丝心想。Her back ached as though she had a sunburn, but no more.她的背部像晒伤一样隐隐作痛，但也仅此而已。She abruptly shouted to the others, “Let’s get a move on!”她突然朝其他人喊道：“咱们快走！”

The newly rescued bard ambled up the hill with the mage.刚获救的吟游诗人和法师一道溜达上山坡。Akabar held his recovered tome pressed tightly under his arm and used his hand to hold open the battered scroll, scanning its contents as he approached Alias.阿卡巴把失而复得的典籍紧紧夹在腋下，一手撑开那卷破损的卷轴，一边浏览其中的内容，一边朝阿莉亚丝走去。

The halfling planted each foot firmly at shoulder-width, and stuck out her hand toward the swordswoman.半身人双脚稳稳分开，与肩同宽，朝女剑士伸出手。“We haven’t been properly introduced.“我们还没正式认识呢。Ruskettle is the name, song and merriment the—”我叫拉斯凯特尔，歌声与欢笑是——”

“Not now,” hushed Alias.“现在不是时候。”阿莉亚丝压低声音打断了她。“Look.“看。In about five minutes, ten minutes at most, the red reptile is going to check to be sure we’re dead.大约五分钟后，最多十分钟，那条红色爬虫就会来查看，确认我们是不是死了。She’ll come lurching out of the cave entrance.她会摇摇晃晃地从洞口出来。It’s at least a mile to decent tree cover.…”离最近的、足以藏身的树林至少有一英里……”

Dragonbait sniffed the air and growled.龙饵嗅了嗅空气，低吼起来。The halfling turned to the lizard and offered her still outstretched hand.半身人转向那蜥蜴，把仍然伸着的手递向他。Dragonbait backed away a step and bared his teeth.龙饵后退一步，龇出了牙。Ruskettle hastily lowered her arm.拉斯凯特尔连忙放下手臂。

“If we flee,” Alias said, “it’s likely we’ll be caught in the open and fried.”“如果逃跑，”阿莉亚丝说，“我们很可能会在毫无遮挡的地方被追上，然后烤成焦炭。”She arched her eyebrows and looked at the mage.她扬起眉毛，看向法师。

“Any suggestions?”“有什么建议吗？”

“Seal her in?”“把她封在里面？”Akabar offered.阿卡巴提议道。

“Sure,” countered Alias.“好啊，”阿莉亚丝反驳道。“Have an avalanche handy?”“你能随手弄场雪崩出来吗？”

“Mayhaps,” the Turmishman replied with a grin.“或许能，”图米什人咧嘴一笑，回答道。He held up the scroll he’d been perusing.他举起方才一直在仔细研读的卷轴。It was crammed with tightly calligraphed symbols.上面密密麻麻地写满了工整的符号。“This title says it is a spell to conjure a wall of stone.”“标题说，这是一道能召出石墙的法术。”

Alias’s eyes lit up.阿莉亚丝眼睛一亮。“Can you cast it?”“你能施展它吗？”

The magic-user nodded.法师点了点头。“All I need do is use a simple trick to read the magic.“我只需要用一个简单的小法术来解读其中的魔法。That will evoke the powers locked within the text.这样就能唤醒封存在文字中的力量。Of course, it may not work.”当然，也可能不会奏效。”He spread his hands in a gesture of uncertainty.他摊开双手，做了个表示不确定的手势。

“Half a chance is better than none,” the warrior insisted.“哪怕只有一半机会，也比毫无机会强，”战士坚持道。“Let’s try it out on the beast’s front door.“我们去那头野兽的正门试试。Dragonbait!”龙饵！”

The lizard stopped staring at the halfling and followed the swordswoman and the mage over the scattered boulders that ringed the mountain.蜥蜴不再盯着半身人，跟随女剑士和法师越过环绕山体、散落各处的巨石。The halfling brought up the rear.半身人走在最后。

They don’t stand on ceremony much here, it occurred to Ruskettle moodily.这里的人可真不讲什么客套，拉斯凯特尔闷闷不乐地想。As she walked, she pocketed her latest acquisitions, a ring and a small vial smelling of cinnamon.她一边走，一边把新近到手的东西装进口袋：一枚戒指和一只散发着肉桂气味的小瓶。

By the time they reached the lair’s main entrance, steam was billowing from within.等他们抵达巢穴的主入口时，蒸汽正从里面滚滚涌出。The cavern’s front opening was small but still quite wide enough for a dragon to pass through.洞穴正面的入口虽小，却依然宽得足以让一条龙通过。From somewhere deep within, beyond their sight, a deep, throaty muttering rose and fell.在他们看不见的洞穴深处，低沉而粗哑的嘟囔声时高时低。

“Can the dragon use spells?”“那条龙会施法吗？”Akabar asked the halfling, concerned that the beast might have other, hidden talents.阿卡巴问半身人，担心那头野兽或许还藏着别的本领。

“No. She’s just cursing,” the halfling explained.“不会。她只是在骂人，”半身人解释道。“The old girl talks to herself, deciding what she should do, where she should go, who she should eat, and so on.“那个老家伙总爱自言自语，琢磨自己该做什么、该去哪里、该吃掉谁，诸如此类。All that stuff.”全是这种事。”

Alias said grimly, “Can we just seal her in and get out of here before she reaches a decision?”阿莉亚丝冷冷地说：“我们能不能直接把她封在里面，趁她还没拿定主意赶紧离开这里？”

Akabar held the scroll out at arm’s length and began intoning its spell in a low, melodic voice.阿卡巴把卷轴伸到一臂之外，开始用低沉而富有韵律的声音吟诵上面的咒语。Every so often, he would glance up at the entrance, then back to the paper.他不时抬头瞥一眼入口，随即又低头看向卷轴。

Alias looked at her sword arm, but the symbols remained inert.阿莉亚丝看了看自己持剑的手臂，但那些符号依旧毫无动静。Relief was quickly replaced by a sensation of horror as she spotted Ruskettle ambling over the stones directly toward the cavern’s mouth.可当她发现拉斯凯特尔正踩着石头，悠然自得地径直走向洞口时，那份宽慰立刻化作一阵惊恐。

The small humanoid took up a position some twenty yards from the cavern and cupped her hands before her mouth.那个小小的类人生物在离洞穴约二十码的地方站定，双手拢在嘴边。She bellowed, or at least shouted as loud as a small creature could, “Heyyy, Misty!”她放声大吼——至少是以一个小个子所能发出的最大音量喊道：“嘿——米斯蒂！”

All at once, the mutterings in the cavern stopped.洞穴里的嘟囔声顿时停了下来。

Alias held her breath.阿莉亚丝屏住了呼吸。Akabar looked up and almost scrambled the spell by missing an inflection.阿卡巴抬起头，因为漏了一个语调变化，差点把法术念乱。He continued to read aloud, though faster than before.他继续高声诵读，只是比先前快了许多。Alias looked for Dragonbait, but the lizard was bounding over the rock-strewn hillside toward the halfling.阿莉亚丝四下寻找龙饵，却见那只蜥蜴正越过遍布岩石的山坡，朝半身人飞奔而去。

Ruskettle continued her taunting.拉斯凯特尔继续出言挑衅。“We made it, you big sack of shoe leather!“我们成功了，你这个装满鞋皮的大口袋！We got out, and I’m going to tell everyone you’re an oath-breaker!我们逃出来了，而且我要告诉所有人，你是个背弃誓言的家伙！You jackass-faced salamander!”你这只长着驴脸的蝾螈！”

Dragonbait was only halfway to the halfling’s position when a deep rumbling came from within the mountain, like the sound of an erupting volcano.龙饵离半身人的位置才走到一半，山腹中便传来一阵低沉的隆隆声，犹如火山喷发。The mage quickened his verbal pace yet again.法师再次加快了念咒的语速。Alias was torn between worrying that the mage’s speed would spoil the scroll’s spell and that the wall created wouldn’t be large enough to cover the lair’s entrance or strong enough to stop a dragon.阿莉亚丝左右为难，既担心法师念得太快会破坏卷轴上的法术，又担心造出的石墙不够大，无法封住巢穴入口，或是不够坚固，挡不住一条龙。

“Oath-breaker, Fight-faker!” brayed the halfling.“背誓鬼，假打鬼！”半身人扯着嗓子叫道。Twin amber lights appeared far within the cavern, growing larger by the second.洞穴深处亮起两点琥珀色的光芒，并且一刻不停地变大。They framed a red, open mouth set with swordlike teeth.两点光芒之间，是一张血红的大嘴，里面长满了利剑般的牙齿。

“Flame-brain, Lame-brain, Tame-brain, oooff—” The halfling’s jeers were lost in a sharp exhalation as Dragonbait slammed into her, knocking her down the hillside for the second time in ten minutes.“喷火蠢蛋，瘸腿笨蛋，温顺软蛋，呜噢——”龙饵猛地撞上半身人，她的嘲骂顿时化作一声短促的闷哼；这已是十分钟内，她第二次被撞得滚下山坡。

The rising roar of the oncoming dragon now hurt Alias’s ears.迎面冲来的巨龙吼声越来越响，震得阿莉亚丝双耳生疼。Akabar was shouting as well, spitting out the last phrases of the incantation.阿卡巴也在大声呼喊，急促地吐出咒语最后的几个短句。The scroll itself was being consumed by the force of the magics and was burning bright yellow in the merchant-mage’s hands.卷轴本身正被魔法的力量吞噬，在商人法师手中燃起耀眼的黄光。

Everything broke loose in the span of a breath.一息之间，一切骤然爆发。Mist’s body appeared from the darkness, visible in the sunlight that shone only a little way into the cavern.米斯特的身躯从黑暗中现了出来，进入了只能照进洞穴不远处的阳光里。The dragon was flying low and fast, about to shoot through the small opening, falling upon the party like a hawk among sparrows.巨龙贴地疾飞，眼看就要穿过那道狭小的洞口，像扑入麻雀群的鹰一般扑向众人。

Then there was a great whooshing noise, and a huge wall of stone blocked the party’s view of the monster.紧接着，一阵巨大的呼啸声响起，一堵庞大的石墙挡住了众人望向怪物的视线。They heard, however, a bone-crushing smash coming from the far side of the wall, and saw the barrier arc outward at its center, trying to contain the force of several tons of wyrm flying at top speed.然而，他们听见墙的另一面传来一声足以粉碎骨头的巨响，还看见屏障中央向外拱起，竭力承受着一头重达数吨、全速飞行的巨龙所带来的冲击。

When the wall bulged, Alias was sure that the magical mortar would give.石墙鼓起时，阿莉亚丝确信那魔法灰浆一定会撑不住。Astonishingly, it held, even losing half of the bulge by springing back some.令人震惊的是，它竟然撑住了，甚至还向后弹回了一些，消去了近一半的凸起。Silence descended on the mountain meadow.山间草甸上顿时一片寂静。Akabar collapsed by the burned remains of the scroll and put his head in his hands.阿卡巴瘫坐在卷轴烧焦的残骸旁，双手抱住了头。

Ruskettle picked herself off the ground, scowled at the lizard, and shouted down at Alias, “That was hard work.拉斯凯特尔从地上爬起来，怒视着那个蜥蜴人，又朝山下的阿莉亚丝喊道：“这可真够累人的。When do we eat?”我们什么时候吃饭？”

For the next few miles, as they wound down the hillside and into the cover of deeper woods, Alias kept checking over her shoulder.接下来的几英里里，他们沿着山坡蜿蜒而下，进入更幽深的树林掩护之中，阿莉亚丝一路不住地回头张望。Despite having sealed Mist in, the swordswoman half-expected the dragon to dive on them from the sky, bathing the entire forest in flames.尽管已经把米斯特封在了里面，女剑士还是隐隐觉得那条龙会从空中俯冲下来，将整片森林淹没在烈焰之中。Logic insisted that Mist had to be at least slightly injured from her sudden collision, and it would take her at least a day to dig her way out, but Alias felt more comfortable playing it safe by assuming that Mist was pursuing them.理智告诉她，米斯特突然遭到撞击，至少也受了些伤，而且至少得花上一天才能挖出一条脱身之路；但阿莉亚丝宁愿谨慎行事，假定米斯特正在追赶他们，这样她心里更踏实。

The swordswoman made the party turn off the road onto the first trail into the woods, so it was nearly dusk by the time they reached the stone circle where she and Akabar and Dragonbait had spent the night before.女剑士让一行人离开大路，转上遇到的第一条林间小径，因此等他们抵达那座石环时，天色已近黄昏；前一晚，她和阿卡巴、龙饵就是在那里过夜的。

In the setting sunlight, the red hewn rock of the druid circle blazed as though the hillock on which it stood was afire.夕阳下，德鲁伊石环那凿削过的红色岩石灼灼生辉，仿佛它所在的小丘正燃烧起来。According to the map Dimswart had given Alias, this site had long been abandoned by the clerics of nature, yet the pines encircling the clearing showed no sign of encroaching and reclaiming the area.根据迪姆斯沃特交给阿莉亚丝的地图，这处遗址早已被自然祭司们弃置不用，可环绕空地的松树却丝毫没有侵入并重新占据此地的迹象。Alias wondered whether the trees were discouraged by the rocky, frost-cracked soil or thwarted by some lingering magic.阿莉亚丝不知道，树木究竟是因遍布岩石、被严霜冻裂的土壤而却步，还是受到了某种残留魔法的阻碍。

At any rate, the bare space discouraged her as well.无论如何，这片光秃秃的空地也同样让她望而却步。Last night they had found the clearing too cold to use as a camping site.昨晚，他们觉得空地太冷，不适合扎营。Twenty feet down the slope under the cover of the pine branches, on the soft carpet of pine needles, they were sheltered from the wind and considerably warmer.沿山坡往下二十英尺，在松枝的遮蔽下，踩着松针铺成的柔软地毯，他们既能避风，也暖和得多。This night, the trees would also shelter them from Mist’s gaze.今晚，这些树也能遮挡米斯特的视线。Alias was glad to have good reasons to avoid the stone circle.阿莉亚丝很庆幸自己有充分的理由避开石环。The giant columns, set in no detectable order, made her uncomfortable.那些巨大的石柱毫无可辨的次序，令她心中不安。She and Dragonbait hurriedly retrieved the party’s gear from its hiding place in the hollow at the foot of one of the sandstone rocks.她和龙饵匆匆取回了队伍的装备；那些东西藏在一块砂岩脚下的凹洞里。

Akabar was puffing on smoky, sparking pine needles when Alias and the lizard returned to the dark camp under the trees.阿卡巴正对着一堆冒烟、迸着火星的松针吹气，阿莉亚丝和那只蜥蜴回到了树下昏暗的营地。While Akabar prepared dinner, Alias, wrapped in a cloak from the cache, patrolled the edge of the clearing, occasionally glancing at the bard.阿卡巴准备晚餐时，阿莉亚丝裹着一件从藏物处取来的斗篷，在空地边缘巡查，偶尔瞥那名吟游诗人一眼。

Ruskettle was short, even for a halfling.拉斯凯特尔个头很矮，即便以半身人的标准来看也是如此。Not even three feet high.还不到三英尺高。There was nothing childlike about her figure, though.不过，她的身材可没有半点孩子气。She was in the full bloom of womanhood, with plenty of curves, but she also had a slender waist and none of the plumpness most members of her race had.她正值韶华，身段丰盈有致，却又腰肢纤细，丝毫没有她的大多数族人那种圆润肥胖。Her leanness, the muscles of her calves, her deep tan, all indicated to Alias that the bard was an adventuress like herself.她精瘦的体态、小腿上的肌肉和晒得黝黑的肤色，都让阿莉亚丝看出，这名吟游诗人和自己一样，也是个冒险者。Yet, Alias was not prepared to like or trust her at all.然而，阿莉亚丝压根不打算喜欢她，更不打算信任她。The bard hadn’t made the slightest effort to help Dragonbait and Akabar set up camp or prepare their meal.这个吟游诗人根本没费半点力气帮龙饵和阿卡巴扎营或准备饭菜。Besides, halflings were trouble.再说，半身人总会惹麻烦。Alias had never met an exception to the rule.阿莉亚丝从没遇到过例外。

She joined the others for dinner, seating herself opposite Ruskettle, still watching her intently.她也过来和其他人一起吃晚饭，在拉斯凯特尔对面坐下，依然目不转睛地盯着她。

“I don’t know how to thank you properly,” the halfling bard mumbled between bites of smoke-cured mutton.“我真不知道该怎么好好感谢你们才是。”半身人吟游诗人一边大口吃着烟熏羊肉，一边含混地说道。“The halflings of the south have a saying: I owe you my life, your belongings are safe with me.”“南方的半身人有句俗话：我欠你一条命，你的财物在我这里就安全了。”

The mutton leg, which might have lasted Alias and Akabar another two days, was quickly disappearing.那条羊腿原本或许还够阿莉亚丝和阿卡巴再吃两天，此刻却飞快地消失着。Ruskettle tossed her long, curly hair over her shoulder and motioned with her clay bowl for another helping of soup, still chewing as though her life depended on it.拉斯凯特尔把长长的鬈发甩到肩后，举起陶碗示意再来一份汤，同时仍在拼命咀嚼，仿佛性命就系于此。

Akabar furrowed his eyebrows at the small creature’s gluttony, but he ladled out another portion of the hearty gruel, a thick barley stock with bits of salted coney seasoned with herbs from the merchant-mage’s copious pockets.阿卡巴对这个小家伙的贪吃皱起了眉头，但还是又给她舀了一份丰盛的浓粥；那是用大麦熬成的稠汤，里面放了些咸兔肉，又用商人法师众多口袋里掏出的香草调了味。

“I can see you’re keeping our food safe,” Alias joked.“看得出来，你正替我们好好保管食物呢。”阿莉亚丝打趣道。“Are you sure it’s the musical ability of Olav Ruskettle that is renowned, and not her appetite?”“你确定声名远扬的是奥拉夫·拉斯凯特尔的音乐才华，而不是她的胃口吗？”

The bard swallowed and wiped her mouth.吟游诗人咽下嘴里的食物，擦了擦嘴。“The name’s Olive, dear.“我叫奥利芙，亲爱的。Olive Ruskettle.奥利芙·拉斯凯特尔。Don’t worry.别在意。Everyone makes that mistake.”人人都会弄错。”

“Dimswart said it was Olav,” Alias muttered as a tiny fear crept over her.“迪姆斯沃特说是奥拉夫。”阿莉亚丝喃喃道，心头悄然爬上一丝恐惧。Perhaps she had rescued the wrong person.也许她救错了人。

“Well, I should know my own name, don’t you think?“哎呀，我自己的名字，我总该知道吧？The problem is that some fool clerk made a mistake writing it down once on some official document and ever since I’ve had to correct people.”问题是，有个蠢货文书有一次把我的名字错写在了某份公文上，从那以后，我就不得不一直纠正别人。”

“I see,” Alias replied suspiciously, wondering whether Mistress Ruskettle wasn’t wanted under the name of Olav for something more serious than straining rhymes.“明白了。”阿莉亚丝满腹狐疑地答道，暗自揣测拉斯凯特尔女士会不会是因为比生拼硬凑韵脚更严重的事，才以奥拉夫这个名字遭到通缉。

“As for my appetite,” Olive Ruskettle explained, washing down a loaf of bread with a long pull on a waterskin, “you should know that that witch of a dragon, while having a civilized appreciation for my musical talents, had a lot to learn about the care and feeding of a halfling.“至于我的胃口，”奥利芙·拉斯凯特尔解释道，一口气从水囊里喝了许久，把一整条面包送了下去，“你们得知道，那条女巫般的恶龙虽然颇有文明品位，懂得欣赏我的音乐才华，但在如何照料和喂养半身人这件事上，却还有很多东西要学。Her own eating habits were anything but regular, and I had a devil of a time convincing her that I could not live on raw venison.她自己的饮食习惯毫无规律可言，而我费了九牛二虎之力才让她相信，我不能靠生鹿肉活下去。Then I discovered that her cooking technique left something to be desired.后来我又发现，她的烹饪手艺也实在不怎么样。If you had not come along, my dear,” she said shaking her head sadly and patting Alias’s boot, “I’m afraid my little bones would have joined those of the heroes littering the floor of the dragon’s lair.”要不是你及时赶到，亲爱的，”她悲伤地摇着头，拍了拍阿莉亚丝的靴子，“恐怕我的这把小骨头，也要和散落在恶龙巢穴地面上的那些英雄遗骨作伴了。”

As the bard continued to make up for a ride’s worth of lost meals, Alias thought of the heroes’ bones littering the caverns of Mist.吟游诗人继续大吃大喝，补回一路骑行中错过的饭食；阿莉亚丝则想起了散落在米斯特洞窟里的那些英雄遗骨。Heroes with all the bravado and lack of sense of the halfling.那些英雄和这个半身人一样，空有一腔蛮勇，却毫无头脑。Alias shook her head remembering the bard’s outrageous behavior at the mouth of Mist’s lair.阿莉亚丝摇了摇头，想起吟游诗人在米斯特巢穴洞口那番无法无天的举动。

Alias’s first adventuring party, the Swanmays, had been like that, all flash and fanfare.阿莉亚丝最初加入的冒险队天鹅女团就是那副德行，只会虚张声势，大造声势。One encounter with trolls had taught them the wiser course of stealth and surprise.一次与巨魔的遭遇让她们学会了更明智的做法：隐秘行动，出其不意。

She remembered the battle with the trolls clearly, as though it had happened last week.她清楚地记得那场与巨魔的战斗，仿佛就发生在上星期。So why can’t I remember last week? she thought with frustration.那我为什么记不起上星期的事？她懊恼地想。She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that Akabar nudged her.她沉浸在思绪中，直到阿卡巴轻轻碰了碰她。

“I’m sorry, what?” she asked.“对不起，你说什么？”她问。

“I said, ‘Do you think we’ll return in time?’“我刚才问，‘你觉得我们能及时赶回去吗？’For the wedding, I mean.”我是说，赶上婚礼。”

“We’d better, or all this effort was for nothing,” Alias answered, oblivious to the feelings of the halfling.“最好能，否则这一番辛苦就全白费了。”阿莉亚丝答道，浑然没有顾及那个半身人的感受。

Olive Ruskettle apparently took no offense.奥利芙·拉斯凯特尔显然并不介意。Her mind was also on other things.她也在想着别的事情。“As anxious as I am to make my Cormyrian debut, I simply haven’t the strength to keep pace with you.“我虽然迫不及待地想在科米尔人中初次亮相，可实在没力气跟上你们的脚步。I shall have to have a mount.”我得弄一匹坐骑才行。”

“I don’t care for sore feet and aching muscles any more than you, Mistress Ruskettle,” Alias replied.“我和你一样不喜欢脚底生疼、浑身酸痛，拉斯凯特尔女士。”阿莉亚丝答道。“We walked here for secrecy’s sake, but, since we seem to have eluded the dragon, horses sound like an excellent idea.“我们徒步来这里是为了保密，不过既然看来已经甩掉了那条龙，买马倒是个绝妙的主意。How lucky for us you managed to acquire so much of the dragon’s wealth while I was fighting for your freedom and life.我为你的自由和性命拼杀时，你竟设法弄到了这么多巨龙的财宝，我们可真幸运。We can purchase mounts at the first farm we come to.”到了遇见的第一座农庄，我们就可以买几匹坐骑。”

Olive moved the mutton bone away from her face long enough to give Alias an unabashed grin.奥利芙把羊骨头从脸前挪开片刻，毫不羞愧地冲阿莉亚丝咧嘴一笑。“I assure you, my feet made a bee-line for safety while you so valiantly risked your life to rescue me.“我向你保证，在你英勇地冒着生命危险来救我时，我的双脚可是径直奔向了安全之处。My hands would have felt left out if they’d been any less useful, don’t you know?”要是我的双手没那么有用，它们岂不是会觉得受了冷落，你说是不是？”She waved the bone in the direction of the sacks of treasure.她挥了挥那根骨头，指向装着财宝的几个口袋。“Please, feel free to consider this the party’s treasure to be used to cover expenses.“请尽管把这些当作整个队伍的财宝，用来支付开销。Whatever remains should be divided evenly among those who survive our encounters.剩下的部分，应当由在我们一次次遭遇中活下来的人平均分配。Even—” she cocked an eyebrow in Akabar’s direction “—if some were less useful than others.”即使——”她朝阿卡巴的方向挑起一边眉毛，“——有些人没有其他人那么有用。”

Akabar’s brow furrowed in astonishment at the woman’s nerve.阿卡巴惊愕地皱起眉头，没想到这女人竟如此胆大妄为。“That is very human of you, small one,” he said.“你可真有人情味，小个子。”他说。“Particularly since that spellbook you pulled from the dragon’s lair was my own.“尤其是因为你从龙巢里拿出来的那本法术书原本就是我的。Most strange, though, because that book was missing from my wagon since the first day out of Arabel, which was, I believe, where you joined our caravan, several days before the dragon attacked us.”不过，最奇怪的是，那本书从我们离开阿拉贝尔的第一天起就从我的马车里不见了；我记得，你正是在那里加入我们商队的，而那是在巨龙袭击我们的好几天之前。”

“Most strange, indeed,” Olive agreed, returning Akabar’s level glare.“确实奇怪得很。”奥利芙迎着阿卡巴冷冷的目光，表示赞同。“But”—her eyes returned to her soup bowl, and she took a gulp of broth before continuing—“these are strange times, so the sages say.“可是——”她垂眼看回自己的汤碗，喝了一大口汤才继续说道，“正如贤者们所言，如今正是怪事频发的年月。Mannish kingdoms war and plot while old gods, long forgotten, stir in their restless sleep.”人类诸国征战不休、阴谋迭起，而久已被遗忘的古老诸神，也在不安的沉眠中蠢蠢欲动。”She lifted the soup bowl as if making a toast.她举起汤碗，仿佛要敬酒。“Let’s celebrate your good fortune at having your valuable tome returned to you, instead of probing into yet more mysteries.”“咱们还是庆祝一下你的好运吧——你那本珍贵的典籍终于物归原主——就别再追究更多谜团了。”She drained the soup bowl and held it out again.她把碗里的汤一饮而尽，又将碗递了出去。“Is there, perchance, any more soup?”“请问，还有汤吗？”

Akabar drained the last of the pot into Olive’s bowl.阿卡巴把锅里最后一点汤全倒进了奥利芙的碗里。Olive leaned toward the treasure pile, plucked the magical book from the coins and carvings, and held it out to the wizard as he held out her soup bowl.奥利芙探身凑向宝物堆，从钱币和雕刻品中抽出那本魔法书；巫师将她的汤碗递给她时，她也把书递了过去。Both parties gave the other a smile that was less than earnest as the exchange was made.交换时，双方都朝对方露出了并不怎么真诚的笑容。

Akabar inspected his book for signs of damage.阿卡巴仔细检查自己的书，看是否有破损的痕迹。Alias reached for a tiny pouch near the treasure pile and loosened the string about its neck.阿莉亚丝伸手拿起宝物堆旁的一个小袋子，解开了束在袋口的绳子。

“Not that,” Olive objected.“那个别动。”奥利芙反对道。“Those are some of my personal effects.”“里面是我的一些私人物品。”But Alias had already dumped the contents of the pouch on the ground.可阿莉亚丝已经把袋里的东西全倒在了地上。A collection of keys, picks, and wires glittered in the dirt.一堆钥匙、开锁器和金属丝在泥土中闪闪发亮。A small gold ring rolled toward the fire.一枚小金戒指朝火堆滚去。

“Oops, sorry,” Alias said nonchalantly as Olive snatched the ring from the ground.“哎呀，对不起。”奥利芙从地上抢起戒指时，阿莉亚丝满不在乎地说道。“You know, that ring looks familiar,” she added before the bard had a chance to pocket it.“你知道吗，那枚戒指看起来很眼熟。”还没等这位吟游诗人把它塞进口袋，她又补充道。

“Oh, this?“哦，这个？I picked it up in the dragon’s lair as well.”也是我从龙巢里捡来的。”

“I have one just like it.“我也有一枚一模一样的。Same blue stone set in gold.”同样是蓝宝石，镶在金子上。”

“Maybe you dropped it when you were fighting the dragon,” Olive suggested.“也许你和龙搏斗的时候把它掉了，”奥利芙猜测道。“Can you prove it’s yours?”“你能证明它是你的吗？”

Alias regarded the halfling’s nervy challenge with considerable amusement.阿莉亚丝颇觉好笑地打量着这半身人胆大包天的挑衅。

Olive slipped the ring on her finger.奥利芙把戒指套到手指上。At first it jangled about, too large for her tiny digits, but a moment later it shrank to a perfect fit.起初，戒指在她纤小的手指上晃来荡去，显得太大了，可片刻之后，它便缩小到恰好合适。“Oooo.“噢——。It’s magic.它有魔法。Was yours magic?你的那枚也有魔法吗？What did it do?”它有什么用？”

Alias was unable to reply since she had not bothered to experiment with the ring she’d looted from the assassins.阿莉亚丝答不上来，因为她根本没费心试验过那枚从刺客那里搜来的戒指。But she knew now as well as Akabar just how safe her possessions were in the care of the halfling bard.不过现在，她和阿卡巴一样清楚，自己的东西交给这位半身人吟游诗人保管，究竟有多么“安全”了。

Akabar looked up from his books, which he’d been checking for damage.阿卡巴从书本间抬起头来；他刚才一直在检查那些书有没有损坏。“You had best be cautious with that thing, little one,” he warned.“小家伙，你最好小心那东西，”他警告道。

“Nonsense,” Olive said with a sniff.“胡说，”奥利芙哼了一声。“There’s no danger as long as you know the right way to deal with these things.“只要知道对付这类东西的正确方法，就不会有危险。All you have to do is hold your hand over your head—” the halfling demonstrated, while Akabar stepped backward and Alias rose to her feet “—and command the ring, Show your power to me.’你只要把手举过头顶——”半身人一边示范，阿卡巴一边向后退去，阿莉亚丝则站起身来，“——然后命令戒指：‘向我展示你的力量。’If that doesn’t work then there are certain key words you should—”要是这样不管用，那还有几个特定的关键词，你应该——”

They never heard the rest of the bard’s lecture.吟游诗人接下来的讲解，他们再也没能听到。Suddenly the ring’s power did indeed display itself.戒指的力量突然真的显现了出来。Akabar’s tome began to glow a soft blue, as did a ring on his finger and the one on Olive’s. Alias’s sigils outshone them all, emitting blue beams crazily about the pine forest.阿卡巴的巨著开始泛起柔和的蓝光，他手上的一枚戒指和奥利芙的那枚也一样。阿莉亚丝身上的印记却比它们全都明亮，蓝色光束在松林中疯狂地四处迸射。

“Damn!” the swordswoman shouted, tears brimming in her eyes.“该死！”女剑士喊道，泪水涌上眼眶。She wrapped her cloak tightly around her body, though a blue glow peeked out at the hem and neckline.她用斗篷紧紧裹住身体，可蓝光仍从下摆和领口透了出来。

“What was that?”“那是什么？”Olive gasped, her eyes glued to Alias.奥利芙倒吸一口气，双眼紧盯着阿莉亚丝。

“Detect magic, I imagine,” Akabar answered, moving to the swordswoman’s side.“想必是侦测魔法，”阿卡巴一边回答，一边走到女剑士身旁。“You aren’t in any pain, I trust?”“你没觉得疼吧？”

“I’m fine,” Alias muttered between clenched teeth.“我没事。”阿莉亚丝咬紧牙关低声说道。

Olive continued to stare at the swordswoman as though she’d grown a second head.奥利芙继续盯着女剑士，仿佛她长出了第二颗脑袋。“You have a magical arm!”“你的手臂有魔法！”

“Ignore it,” Alias muttered.“别管它。”阿莉亚丝低声说道。

“But, it’s really magical!“可它真的有魔法！Incredibly magical!魔力强得不可思议！More magical than anything I’ve ever seen.比我见过的任何东西都更有魔力。I’ll bet you could have sliced Mist into pieces.我敢说，你本来能把米斯特切成碎片。Maybe we should go back and try it.”也许我们该回去试试看。”

“I said, ignore it!”“我说了，别管它！”Alias shouted.阿莉亚丝喊道。

For the next several minutes an embarrassed silence reigned in the camp.接下来的几分钟里，营地中笼罩着尴尬的沉默。Akabar cleaned out the dinner pot and used it to heat water for tea.阿卡巴把煮晚饭的锅清理干净，用它烧水泡茶。Olive finished her soup and polished the mutton bone nearly to ivory.奥利芙喝完了汤，又把那根羊骨头啃得几乎像象牙一样光洁。Alias clutched her wrapped arm close to her until the sigils’ light began to dim.阿莉亚丝把裹住的手臂紧紧抱在身前，直到符印的光芒开始黯淡。

Dragonbait laid more wood on the fire, and then stepped outside the campsite to stand in the darkness, facing the hilltop, as though he expected danger from that direction.龙饵往火里添了些木柴，随后走出营地，站在黑暗中面朝山顶，仿佛料定危险会从那个方向袭来。

“So, tell me, mage,” the halfling piped up, obviously uncomfortable without chatter about her.“那么，说说吧，法师，”半身人尖声开口；身边没了说话声，显然让她很不自在。“Where did you find your familiar?”“你是在哪里找到你的魔宠的？”She indicated Dragonbait by nodding her head in his direction.她朝龙饵的方向点了点头。“I’ve seen nothing like him from the Sword Coast all the way south to magical Halruaa.”“我从剑湾一路向南，直至充满魔法的哈鲁阿，都没见过像他这样的。”

Alias snapped, “Dragonbait is my companion, Ruskettle, not the mage’s familiar.阿莉亚丝厉声说道：“龙饵是我的同伴，拉斯凯特尔，不是法师的魔宠。I did not find him.不是我找到了他。He found me.是他找到了我。He has proved more than useful.”事实证明，他可不只是有点用处。”

“Aye, I’ve noticed.“是啊，我看出来了。Especially at pulling halflings out of the fire.尤其擅长把半身人从火坑里拉出来。I meant no offense, I assure you.我向你保证，我绝无冒犯之意。It’s just that I’ve never heard of a lizard acting as a manservant before.只不过，我以前从没听说过蜥蜴会给人当男仆。But then I’ve never heard of a magical arm before either.”不过话说回来，我以前也从没听说过魔法手臂。”

Alias gritted her teeth.阿莉亚丝咬紧了牙关。If the halfling wasn’t going to give her curiosity a rest, it was time to go on the offensive.既然这个半身人不肯收起她的好奇心，那就该转守为攻了。“You know, I’ve never heard of a halfling bard before.”“你知道吗，我以前也从没听说过半身人吟游诗人。”

“Well, that’s easily explained,” Olive smiled.“哦，这很容易解释，”奥利芙笑着说。“I gained my training in the south; things are very different there.”“我是在南方受训的；那里的情形大不一样。”

“I am from the south as well,” said Akabar.“我也来自南方，”阿卡巴说道。“And now that the lady mentions it, I have never encountered a bard of the halfling race, either.”“现在经这位女士一提，我也从未遇见过半身人吟游诗人。”

“Ah,” replied Olive, staring sadly into her empty bowl.“啊，”奥利芙答道，伤感地凝视着自己的空碗。“Well, you are from Turmish, I seem to remember.”“唔，我记得你好像来自图米什。”

“Yeees,” the mage said, anticipating what was to come.“是——的，”法师说道，已经料到她接下来要说什么。

“Well, I was trained farther south than that.”“哦，我受训的地方比那里还要靠南。”

“Anywhere near Chondath?”“离琼达斯近吗？”Akabar asked.阿卡巴问道。

“Chondath?“琼达斯？Yes, just a wee bit farther south than that.”对，就比那里再往南那么一丁点儿。”

“Sespech?”“塞斯佩奇？”

“Yes, Sespech.“是的，塞斯佩奇。There is a barding college there with a fine teacher who taught me all I know.”那里有一所吟游诗人学院，学院里有位好老师，我会的一切都是他教的。”The halfling flashed Akabar a beaming smile.半身人朝阿卡巴露出灿烂的笑容。

“How odd,” drawled the mage, tugging at the edge of his beard.“真奇怪，”法师拖长声音说道，一边揪着胡须末梢。“One of my wives comes from Sespech, on the Vilhon Reach, and while she is quite talkative about the merits of her native land, she has never mentioned halfling bards.”“我的一位妻子就来自维洪湾畔的塞斯佩奇。她很爱谈论故乡的种种好处，却从没提起过半身人吟游诗人。”

“Ohhh.“哦——No, no, no, no,” corrected Olive.不，不，不，不是这样，”奥利芙纠正道。“You’re talking about Sespech between the Vilhon and the Nagawater.“你说的是维洪与纳迦水域之间的塞斯佩奇。I was referring to a place much farther south.我指的是南方远得多的另一个地方。How far south have your travels taken you?”你最远去过南方哪里？”

“I’ve traded as far south as Innarlith, on the Lake of Steam,” the mage said.“我最远去南方做过生意的地方，是蒸汽湖畔的因纳利斯。”法师说道。The halfling nodded.半身人点了点头。

“Our company …”“我们一行人……”Alias wrinkled her brow, trying to dredge up memories as bright but as liquid as quicksilver.阿莉亚丝皱起眉头，竭力打捞那些明亮却又如水银般流动不定的记忆。“Our company fought on the Shining Plains.“我们一行曾在闪耀平原战斗过。Yes, that’s right, and we traveled through Amn once or twice.”对，没错，而且我们还曾一两次途经安姆。”

The halfling looked at Alias a moment, confused by her interruption about places farther to the west and outside the realm of the discussion.半身人困惑地看了阿莉亚丝片刻，不明白她为何突然插话，提起更偏西方、与眼下话题毫不相干的地方。She shrugged and continued her far-fetched explanation to the mage.她耸耸肩，继续向法师讲述那套牵强的说辞。“And in Innarlith there were dwarves from the Great Rift?” she asked.“那么，因纳利斯有来自大裂谷的矮人？”她问道。

“Yes, from Eartheart,” Akabar replied.“有，来自大地之心。”阿卡巴答道。

“Well,” Olive concluded triumphantly, “below the Great Rift, on the Southern Sea, is the land of Luiren.“所以嘛，”奥利芙得意地总结道，“大裂谷以南、南海之滨，就是路依伦。We have a Sespech there, and a Chondath, which are small but bustling towns, the namesakes no doubt of your larger nations.我们那里也有一座塞斯佩奇和一座琼达斯，都是规模不大却热闹繁忙的城镇，无疑是以你们那些更大的国家命名的。Anyway, in Sespech, the one in Luiren, I was trained, having made a long pilgrimage from Cormyr.总之，我从科米尔长途跋涉、一路朝圣来到路依伦，并在那座塞斯佩奇接受了训练。I was attempting to return to my homeland when that fool wyrm plucked me from my wagon.”我正要设法返回故乡，那条蠢龙却把我从马车里抓走了。”

“Dimswart says you came from across the Dragon Reach,” Alias said, puzzled.“迪姆斯沃特说，你是从龙湾彼岸来的。”阿莉亚丝困惑地说道。

“No, I come from Cormyr.“不，我来自科米尔。You see, traveling by boat does not agree with me, so I journeyed to Luiren around the western edge of the Inner Sea.你瞧，我坐不惯船，所以我是沿着内海西岸，绕道前往路依伦的。Desiring to see even more of the Realms, I returned from Luiren around the eastern edge of the Inner Sea, through many wild and dangerous lands.为了见识更多诸界的风光，我离开路依伦后又沿内海东岸返回，穿越了许多荒蛮险恶之地。I made a name for myself in the nations of Aglarond and Impiltur.我在阿格拉隆德和因皮尔图尔诸国闯出了名声。I had just entered Procampur when I received Master Dimswart’s most generous offer to entertain at his daughter’s wedding.我刚进入普罗坎普，就收到了迪姆斯沃特大师极为慷慨的邀请，请我在他女儿的婚礼上献艺。And glad I was to come home, Procampur being a stuffy town, too restrictive for an artiste.”我当然很高兴回家，毕竟普罗坎普是座沉闷的城市，对艺术家来说规矩太多了。”

Alias and Akabar exchanged glances.阿莉亚丝和阿卡巴交换了一下眼神。Akabar looked frustrated, but Alias had to smile at the halfling’s tale.阿卡巴显得颇为懊恼，阿莉亚丝却听得忍俊不禁。There had to be at least a dozen lies tangled up in her story, but it wasn’t worth the trouble proving it.她这番故事里至少掺了十来个谎言，可也不值得费心去一一拆穿。Olive, like any other halfling, would only invent more lies to cover the originals.奥利芙跟其他半身人一样，只会编出更多谎话来掩盖原先那些。Better to wait until she accidentally let the truth slip out.还不如等她不小心说漏嘴，自己吐露真相。

Alias stood up and stretched.阿莉亚丝站起身来，伸了个懒腰。“Going to be a cold night.“今晚会很冷。We need more wood.”我们得多捡些柴火。”She walked toward the clearing where the moonlight revealed fallen limbs.她朝空地走去，月光照出了那里的断枝。

“So, what’s her story?”“那么，她是什么来历？”Olive whispered to Akabar, jerking her head at Alias’s retreating figure.奥利芙低声问阿卡巴，同时朝阿莉亚丝渐渐远去的背影扬了扬下巴。

“Story?” echoed Akabar.“来历？”阿卡巴重复道。“To what are you referring?”“你指的是什么？”

“She has a magical arm!”“她有一条魔法手臂！”Ruskettle’s voice rose half an octave.拉斯凯特尔的嗓音陡然高了半个八度。

Akabar shrugged.阿卡巴耸了耸肩。He was taking a lot of pleasure in thwarting the woman’s unbearable curiosity.能挫一挫这个女人令人难以忍受的好奇心，让他觉得十分痛快。

“Look, mage,” Olive sighed.“听着，法师，”奥利芙叹了口气。“I owe her.“我欠她一个人情。I want to help.”我想帮她。”

Akabar’s feelings softened somewhat.阿卡巴的态度稍稍软化了。“Not that I believe you for a moment,” he said, “but just in case your words are earnest, I will tell you.“我可一点儿也不相信你，”他说，“不过，万一你说的是真心话，我就告诉你。The glyphs on the lady’s arm are magical, not the arm itself.那位女士手臂上的符文具有魔力，并不是她的手臂本身。Some unknown power carved them into her flesh, but she cannot remember the event.某种未知的力量把它们刻进了她的血肉，可她不记得这件事。As a matter of fact, she cannot remember the events of several of the past months.事实上，过去几个月里发生的许多事，她都不记得了。In exchange for the meaning of the glyphs, she has agreed to deliver you safely to Master Dimswart.作为交换，她答应把你安全送到迪姆斯沃特大师那里，以换取这些符文的含义。The best service you can do her is to come along peacefully and perform well at this wedding.”你能为她做的最大帮助，就是乖乖跟我们走，在这场婚礼上好好表现。”

Olive pondered the information for a few minutes, then she speculated aloud, “So anything could have happened during the time she can’t remember.奥利芙琢磨了几分钟，然后放声推测道：“这么说，在她失去记忆的那段时间里，什么事都有可能发生。She could have been a slave, or a concubine to a powerful sorcerer, or married to a foreign prince—a princess dripping in jewelry.”她可能做过奴隶，或是某个强大术士的姬妾，又或者嫁给了异国王子——成了个满身珠宝的公主。”

“Or a wandering swordswoman,” added Akabar.“也可能是个浪迹天涯的女剑客。”阿卡巴补充道。

“Or a princess,” Olive repeated to herself, “dripping in jewelry, her lover killed, her kingdom usurped, and her memory lost through the fell magics of her enemies.”“也可能是个公主，”奥利芙自言自语地重复道，“满身珠宝，爱人被杀，王国遭人篡夺，而敌人的邪恶魔法又夺走了她的记忆。”

Akabar shook his head at the bard’s wandering fantasy.阿卡巴对这吟游诗人信马由缰的幻想摇了摇头。He was reaching for another log to throw on the fire when a strong wind suddenly rushed down from the hilltop.他正伸手去拿另一根木柴添进火里，忽然一阵强风从山顶呼啸而下。The pines danced with alarming energy, and sparks from the campfire scattered across the ground.松树以骇人的劲头狂舞起来，篝火迸出的火星四散落在地上。The ground shook, and over the howl of the wind came a malicious laugh that brought both mage and halfling to their feet.大地震颤，风的怒号中传来一阵恶毒的笑声，惊得法师和半身人双双跳了起来。

“Alias!”“阿莉亚丝！”Akabar shouted, dashing toward the clearing.阿卡巴大喊一声，朝林间空地冲去。

Olive Ruskettle grabbed a brand from the campfire and rushed after him.奥利芙·拉斯凯特尔从篝火中抓起一根燃烧的木柴，紧跟着冲了过去。If Alias had some wealth, the halfling realized, she could prove profitable to have in one’s debt.半身人意识到，如果阿莉亚丝颇有些财富，让她欠自己一个人情，说不定会有利可图。

* * * * ** * * * *

While Ruskettle was trying to persuade Akabar Bel Akash to tell her about Alias, the swordswoman was searching for Dragonbait.拉斯凯特尔正试图说服阿卡巴·贝尔·阿卡什跟她谈谈阿莉亚丝，而这位女剑士却在寻找龙饵。She’d assumed he had gone off to collect more firewood.她原以为他是去捡更多柴火了。If that were the case, Alias thought, he would have returned by now.阿莉亚丝心想，如果真是这样，他现在早该回来了。He kept eyeing the hilltop.他一直在盯着山顶看。I’ll bet he’s gone to investigate that stone circle.我敢说，他准是去查看那圈石头了。

With a sigh Alias began climbing the hill.阿莉亚丝叹了口气，开始往山上爬。

A shadow at the edge of the clearing moved, accompanied by a scrabbling sound.空地边缘的一团阴影动了动，同时传来一阵窸窸窣窣的抓挠声。The lightning-blue beams emanating from the sigils had died away, but the cursed patterns still gave off light enough to rival the moon.符印中射出的闪电般湛蓝的光束已经消失，但那些受诅咒的图案依旧散发着足以与月光争辉的亮光。Alias drew her arm from her cloak and held it up.阿莉亚丝从斗篷里抽出手臂，高高举起。A large shape by the base of a pine tree, startled by the second light source, scampered down the hill into the darkness.松树根旁一个庞大的身影被这第二处光源吓了一跳，飞快地蹿下山坡，消失在黑暗中。Only a porcupine, peeling tree bark for dinner, O great warrior, Alias mocked herself.不过是一只正在剥树皮当晚餐的豪猪罢了，伟大的勇士啊，阿莉亚丝自嘲道。But don’t worry, you scared it off.不过别担心，你已经把它吓跑了。

Chuckling, she doubled her pace until she reached the center of the stone circle.她轻笑起来，加快了一倍脚步，直到抵达石圈中央。The half moon hung overhead like a gold lion coin split apart by looting pirates.一弯半月高悬头顶，宛如一枚被劫掠的海盗劈开的金狮币。In the moonlight, the red stones appeared black and their edges and corners, dulled by the wind and rain, blurred into the darkness.月光下，红色的石头看上去漆黑一片，棱角经风雨磨钝，模糊地融入了黑暗。She wondered why more enduring and brighter rock had not been used in the circle’s construction.她不明白，建造这座石圈时为什么没有选用更耐久、更明亮的石料。All the druid temples she’d ever visited before had been built of granite, not sandstone, and placed among oaks, not pines.她以前见过的德鲁伊神殿无一不是由花岗岩而非砂岩建造，坐落在橡树林而非松林之中。

She jumped on a rock and surveyed the landscape.她跃上一块岩石，环顾四周的地貌。The tops of the encircling pines stood out against the moonlit sky like triangular crenelations of a castle wall.环绕四周的松树梢映衬着月光下的天空，宛如城墙上一排三角形的垛口。The original path to the temple was overgrown with brambles which reflected the moonlight.通往神殿的旧路已被荆棘覆盖，枝叶反射着月光。Of Dragonbait there was no sign.四下不见龙饵的踪影。

Some parts of the hill dropped away in miniature canyons, and Alias began to worry that perhaps he had slipped or fallen down one of these.山坡上有些地方陡然陷落，形成一道道微缩的峡谷，阿莉亚丝开始担心龙饵或许失足滑进了其中一道。She shivered in the cold air.寒冷的空气令她打了个哆嗦。She’d suddenly felt very vulnerable.她突然觉得自己毫无防备。Like a fool, she’d forgotten her sword.她真蠢，竟忘了带剑。She jumped from the rock and headed down the slope toward the campsite.她从岩石上跳下来，沿山坡朝营地走去。

A glint of metal on the ground caught her eye.地面上一点金属的闪光吸引了她的目光。She veered from her intended path and moved toward it.她偏离原定路线，朝那边走去。At the foot of a larger than man-sized boulder lay Dragonbait’s oddly shaped sword.一块比人还高的巨石脚下，躺着龙饵那柄形状奇特的剑。Alias leaped forward and lifted the gleaming blade off the ground.阿莉亚丝一跃上前，从地上捡起那柄闪亮的剑。The weapon’s weight astonished her.这件武器的分量令她大吃一惊。It felt no heavier than a fencing foil, and its balance was not awkward in the least.它拿在手里就像一柄花剑那样轻，重心也丝毫不显别扭。It also felt warm to the touch—not just the grip, but the blade as well.触手还带着暖意——不只是剑柄，连剑刃也是温热的。

A shadow stirred on the boulder.巨石上有一道影子动了一下。Alias spun about with Dragonbait’s sword raised, keeping the stone to her back, but there was no one there.阿莉亚丝猛地转身，举起龙饵的剑，将巨石护在背后，可那里一个人也没有。Slowly, Alias turned back toward the boulder.阿莉亚丝缓缓转回身，望向巨石。Then she saw that, unlike all the other rock about the hilltop, this one was clear, like a huge hunk of quartz, and the shadow she’d thought moved across it had really moved in it.这时她才发现，与山顶周围的其他岩石不同，这块巨石竟是透明的，仿佛一大块石英；而她刚才以为在石面上移动的影子，其实是在石头里面动。She pressed her face to the stone.她把脸贴到石头上。

Thrashing at the heart of the rock, like a fly caught in pinesap, was the lizard’s twisting form.在岩石中心，龙饵扭动的身躯正拼命挣扎，如同一只困在松脂里的苍蝇。“Dragonbait!”“龙饵！”

Suddenly, something heavy struck the back of her legs below the knees and she toppled backward, crying out in surprise.突然，一个沉重的东西猛击她膝盖以下的腿后侧，她惊叫一声，向后栽倒。A violent wind sprang from nowhere, slapping the pines about the clearing.一阵狂风不知从何处骤然刮起，抽打着空地四周的松树。

She tried to roll away from whatever enemy had felled her, but something held her ankles fast.她试图翻滚着躲开那个击倒她的敌人，可有什么东西牢牢箍住了她的脚踝。She stared at her feet in horror.她惊恐地盯着自己的双脚。They were bound in crystalline manacles, and her horror grew into panic as the rock crept farther up her legs in a twisting motion, like a vine climbing a pole.她的双脚已被水晶般的镣铐锁住；岩石又像藤蔓攀爬杆子一般，盘旋着沿她的双腿继续向上蔓延，她的恐惧顿时化作了惊慌。

Using Dragonbait’s sword, Alias beat on the stone bonds with fury, not considering what damage she might do to the weapon or even to herself.阿莉亚丝挥起龙饵的剑，狂怒地劈砍着石头镣铐，根本没想过自己可能会损伤这件武器，甚至伤到自己。The blade did not shatter, but cut through the engulfing stone as though it were liquid.剑刃并未碎裂，反而像切入液体一般，劈开了那不断吞噬她的石头。Like sap, or syrup, the clear stone oozed back over the hack marks and continued growing faster than she could chop.那透明的石头如树液或糖浆般渗回砍出的缺口，并继续生长，速度比她劈砍得还快。Soon the stone oozed beneath her legging plates where she could not reach it, miring her tightly in place.很快，石头便渗进她腿甲下方，蔓延到她无法触及之处，将她牢牢困在原地。

The ground trembled.大地颤动起来。With a squelching thulk a dome of earth rose before her, carrying with it the crystal boulder that imprisoned Dragonbait.伴随着噗唧一声闷响，一座土丘在她面前隆起，也将囚禁着龙饵的水晶巨石一并托了起来。Alias looked up in horror and realized that the rounded eruption was a huge, monstrous rock head.阿莉亚丝惊恐地抬头望去，这才意识到那圆鼓鼓的隆起竟是一颗巨大而狰狞的岩石头颅。Dragonbait’s prison rested on top of the head, a lump above its temple.囚禁龙饵的水晶压在头颅顶上，像太阳穴上方鼓起的一个肿块。Farther down, two eye-disks glowed a sickening yellow.再往下，两只圆盘般的眼睛泛着令人作呕的黄光。Below these was a gaping maw smelling of sulfur.眼睛下方是一张散发着硫黄气味的血盆大口。

The sound that issued from the mouth sent an ice dagger slicing down Alias’s spine.那张嘴里发出的声音，犹如一柄冰冷的匕首顺着阿莉亚丝的脊背直刺而下。The head laughed, a familiar, hoarse, wheezing laugh.那颗头颅笑了起来，发出一种熟悉的、嘶哑而带着喘鸣的笑声。Familiar, she was sure, to her old self, the self whose memory was missing, lost in whatever darkness this monster had sprung from.她确信，从前的自己一定熟悉这笑声——那个失去了记忆的自己；那些记忆遗落在某片黑暗之中，而这怪物正是从那里冒出来的。

A moment later, a great stone arm rose from beneath the earth.片刻之后，一条巨大的石臂从地下升了起来。The creature’s chest rose from its mossy bed as well, dark red earth set with a glowing blue symbol of interlocking rings—just like the set on her arm.那生物的胸膛也从覆满苔藓的卧床上隆起；暗红色的泥土上嵌着一个熠熠发光的蓝色符号，由相互交扣的圆环组成——和她手臂上的那组一模一样。

With a sickening lurch, Alias felt herself hoisted above the ground.随着一阵令人恶心的猛晃，阿莉亚丝感觉自己被举到了半空。The stone about her legs proved to be part of the amorphous fist attached to the arm of the monster.事实证明，包裹她双腿的石头，正是连在怪物手臂上的那只不定形巨拳的一部分。The monster held her up to its face.怪物将她举到自己面前。As she swung upside down in the hellish yellow glare of its eyes, she felt her sigils jump and writhe and flare as brightly as they had when Winefiddle had tried to dispel them, until an aura of near blinding blue shone all about her, the monster’s head, and the crystal prison holding Dragonbait.她倒悬着，在怪物双眼地狱般的黄光中来回摇摆，只觉得身上的魔印猛然跳动、扭曲，迸发出耀眼光芒，就像酒琴试图驱除它们时一样，直至近乎令人失明的蓝色光晕笼罩了她、怪物的头颅，以及囚禁龙饵的水晶。

The creature laughed again.那生物又笑了起来。Its chortle unnerved her, and she hacked at its fist, its face, its eyes, anything she could reach with Dragonbait’s blade.它咯咯的笑声令她心神不宁，她便用龙饵的剑劈砍它的拳头、面孔、眼睛——凡是够得着的地方，她一概乱砍。The sword passed through the creature’s body; its “flesh” was the consistency of peat, but neither the creature’s eyes or voice registered any pain.剑从那生物的身体中穿了过去；它的“血肉”如泥炭一般松软，但无论是它的眼睛还是声音，都没有流露出丝毫痛苦。The hoarse laughter brought a lost memory fluttering across her inner vision, but like a bat in the darkness, she felt it but could not grasp it.那嘶哑的笑声唤起了一段遗失的记忆，扑闪着掠过她内心的视野；可它就像黑暗中的蝙蝠，她虽能感觉到它，却怎么也抓不住。

The monster raised her up to its temple and held her against its head so that she stood next to Dragonbait’s crystal cell.怪物把她举到自己的太阳穴旁，将她抵在头上，让她站在龙饵的水晶牢笼旁。The lizard gestured to himself, a motion that caught her attention.蜥蜴指了指自己，这个动作引起了她的注意。She took a deep breath in an effort to calm herself while she watched him miming the same motions over and over.她深吸一口气，努力让自己平静下来，同时看着他一遍又一遍地比画着同样的动作。First he would raise his hands together over his head, then pound them against the transparent wall of his trap, then slap himself on the forehead.他先把双手并拢举过头顶，再用双手猛砸囚笼透明的墙壁，然后拍打自己的额头。

Huh?嗯？

Raise, pound, slap.举起，猛砸，拍头。Raise, pound, slap.举起，猛砸，拍头。

The creature of earth tugged its other arm from the soil.泥土怪物将另一条手臂从土壤中拔了出来。The newly freed fist held a gemlike twin of Dragonbait’s prison.刚刚获得自由的拳头里握着一块宝石般的水晶，与龙饵的牢笼一模一样。The earthen giant brought this second crystal up to where it caught the blue rays from Alias’s sigils and scattered them into the dark night.泥土巨人把第二块水晶举起来，让它接住阿莉亚丝身上符印射出的蓝光，并将光芒散射进漆黑的夜色。Then the great stone cracked and split along its center.接着，巨大的水晶从正中裂开了。The blue light of her cursed runes revealed a clear, rippling slime within the crystal’s open heart.她受诅咒的符文发出的蓝光，照出了水晶敞开的核心中清澈而微微荡漾的黏液。Any moment she would become another bug in amber.转眼间，她就会变成琥珀里的另一只虫子。

Raise, pound, slap.举起，猛砸，拍头。

Why does Dragonbait keep slapping himself on the head? she wondered.龙饵为什么一直拍自己的脑袋？她纳闷地想。

Dragonbait pointed at her.龙饵指了指她。She slapped herself on the head.她拍了拍自己的脑袋。He shook his head furiously and pointed at the crystal over his head.他拼命摇头，又指向自己头顶上方的水晶。

“Not my head!” she yelled excitedly, finally understanding.“不是我的脑袋！”她终于明白过来，激动地喊道。“The creature’s head!”“是这怪物的脑袋！”

Clenching both her fists about the hilt of Dragonbait’s weapon and twisting her body, Alias smashed Dragonbait’s sword against the lizard’s crystal prison.阿莉亚丝双手紧握龙饵那把武器的剑柄，扭转身体，将龙饵的剑狠狠砸向蜥蜴的水晶牢笼。

Steel screeched on rock, and the force of the blow traveled up Alias’s arm, leaving it numb.钢铁刮过岩石，发出刺耳的尖鸣，撞击的力道沿着阿莉亚丝的手臂向上传去，震得整条手臂失去了知觉。The crystal split like an eggshell, and Dragonbait spilled out of the jagged hole, followed by a mucky ooze that poured down the monster’s face.水晶像蛋壳一样裂开，龙饵从参差不齐的破洞中跌了出来，紧随其后的是一股污浊的黏液，顺着怪物的脸倾泻而下。

The monster shrieked, a baneful cry that carried leagues on the wind and seemed to set off a gale that bent large pines and snapped their heavy branches.怪物发出一声凄厉的尖啸，那不祥的叫声乘风传出数里之遥，仿佛掀起了一阵狂风，吹弯高大的松树，折断粗重的枝条。A moan issued from the earth, echoed by the rocks of the stone circle, and then the huge beast’s shoulders slumped and began to flow back into the ground.大地深处传出一声呻吟，石圈中的岩石也随之回响；随后，巨兽庞大的双肩垮了下来，开始流回地底。

Patting her hand gently, Dragonbait took his sword from her numbed grip.龙饵轻轻拍了拍她的手，从她麻木的手中取过自己的剑。He slashed at the rock hand that held her, and the stone flowed away from her legs like sand.他挥剑砍向攥住她的岩石巨手，石头顿时如沙粒般从她双腿旁流散开去。They were free, but there was a forty foot drop from the monster’s head to the ground, and Alias was reluctant to make the leap.他们自由了，可从怪物头顶到地面足有四十英尺，阿莉亚丝不太敢纵身跳下。

She spotted Olive Ruskettle below, throwing daggers at the behemoth.她看见下方的奥利芙·拉斯凯特尔正朝那头庞然巨兽投掷匕首。The halfling’s weapons buried themselves in the monster’s chest.半身人的武器深深扎进了怪物胸膛。The tiny blades couldn’t possibly hurt the monster more than a bee sting would harm a human warrior, yet the monster cried out again like a feral child.那些小小的刀刃绝不可能给怪物造成什么伤害，就像蜜蜂蜇一下伤不了人类战士一样，可怪物却再次像个野孩子般尖叫起来。

More goo oozed from the shattered crystal on the monster’s head.更多黏液从怪物头顶破碎的水晶中渗了出来。The wound was undoubtedly mortal, but Alias worried now that she and Dragonbait might be crushed by the monster’s death throes.这伤势无疑是致命的，可阿莉亚丝此刻担心，她和龙饵或许会被怪物临死前的挣扎压成肉泥。Dragonbait tugged on Alias’s arm and forced her to half-leap, half-slide to the rock monster’s shoulders.龙饵拽住阿莉亚丝的胳膊，迫使她半跳半滑地落到岩石怪物的肩头。

Akabar’s voice rose in a chant, and a lance of rainbow light struck the creature in the chest above the dimming rune of interlocking circles.阿卡巴扬声吟唱，一道彩虹般的光矛击中了那生物的胸膛，正落在那枚逐渐黯淡的交叠圆环符文上方。The rainbow broke into a thousand small motes, spreading across the creature in a dancing, swirling pattern.彩虹碎裂成千百点细小的光屑，以舞动盘旋的轨迹扩散到那生物全身。

With one arm about Alias’s waist, Dragonbait began climbing down the monster’s back, using his hand and foot claws to keep his grip.龙饵用一条胳膊环住阿莉亚丝的腰，开始沿着怪物的背往下爬，以手脚上的利爪牢牢攀住石面。Dragonbait jumped the last ten feet just as Akabar’s magic consumed the creature’s torso and slid up its head and arms.就在阿卡巴的魔法吞没那生物的躯干，并沿着它的头部和双臂向上蔓延时，龙饵从最后十英尺高处一跃而下。The moon shone through the stone wherever the rainbow light covered it.凡被彩虹光芒覆盖之处，月光都穿透了石头。

The creature gave one last plaintive groan and faded into the night.那生物发出最后一声哀鸣，消失在夜色之中。Even the torn earth where it had risen fell neatly back into place.就连它破土而出时撕裂的地面，也平整地恢复了原状。Akabar and Olive ran toward Alias, shouting victory cries.阿卡巴和奥利芙高喊着胜利的欢呼，朝阿莉亚丝跑来。Behind her, she smelled the woodsmoke scent that seemed to cling to the lizard.她闻到身后传来柴火烟的气味，那气味似乎总是萦绕在那只蜥蜴身上。A clawed hand squeezed her numbed shoulder gently, and Alias felt warmth flow into the limb.一只带爪的手轻轻捏了捏她麻木的肩膀，阿莉亚丝感到一股暖流涌入那条手臂。Dragonbait looked up at her, and she felt sure there was concern in his eyes, though they looked as dead yellow as ever.龙饵抬头望着她，阿莉亚丝确信他的眼中流露着关切，尽管那双眼睛依旧是一片死气沉沉的黄色。The lizard drew back as the halfling and the mage reached Alias’s side.半身人和法师来到阿莉亚丝身旁时，那只蜥蜴退开了。

“Did you see?”“你们看见了吗？”Olive asked.奥利芙问道。“While this one was struggling to remember his spell,” she jerked her head in Akabar’s direction, “I wounded it to the quick with two daggers to its heart.“这位还在费劲回想他的咒语时，”她朝阿卡巴的方向甩了甩头，“我已经用两把匕首刺进它的心脏，把它伤到了要害。My aim was never better.我从没扔得这么准过。What was it, anyway?”话说回来，那到底是什么东西？”

Akabar looked down at the bard in disbelief.阿卡巴难以置信地低头看着吟游诗人。“Perhaps later you would care to hone your abilities by throwing at the side of a barn,” he suggested dryly.“也许过会儿你可以拿谷仓的墙练练投掷，好磨炼一下本事。”他干巴巴地提议道。“That was some type of earth elemental, though not one of the standard breed normally called up by magic-users.“那是某种土元素，不过并非施法者通常召唤的标准种类。Perhaps it was from the Plane of Minerals, which abuts the Earthen Plane.它或许来自与土元素位面毗邻的矿物位面。At any rate, it was a conjured creature, or my dispel magic chant would not have worked on it.”无论如何，它是被召唤出来的生物，否则我的解除魔法咒语不会对它奏效。”

He turned to address Alias.他转向阿莉亚丝说道。“I’m sorry I cast my spell before you could finish climbing down, but I judged you were safer falling than being crushed beneath the monster.”“很抱歉，没等你爬下来我就施了法，但我判断，摔下来总比被那怪物压扁安全。”

“Quite right,” Alias answered, nodding her head, though she was obviously preoccupied with some other thought.“确实如此。”阿莉亚丝点头答道，显然却在想着别的事情。

“Someone summoned something that big just to capture you?”“有人竟然召唤出那么大的东西，就为了抓住你？”Olive gasped.奥利芙倒吸了一口气。“You must be someone important.”“你一定是个大人物。”

Akabar turned to study Dragonbait, who sat on a rock, studying his blade in the moonlight.阿卡巴转头打量龙饵；他正坐在一块岩石上，借着月光查看自己的剑刃。The lizard-creature ran a clawed thumb along the edge and growled like a cat.那蜥蜴生物用带爪的拇指顺着刃口划过，像猫一样低吼了一声。“It seems you’ve nicked his blade,” Akabar said to Alias, pointing to the lizard.“看来你把他的剑刃磕出了缺口。”阿卡巴指着那蜥蜴，对阿莉亚丝说道。Dragonbait pulled something from his belt pouch.龙饵从腰间的小袋里掏出一样东西。Alias watched as Dragonbait began sliding a whetstone along the steel edge.阿莉亚丝看着龙饵开始用磨刀石沿着钢刃来回磨动。

“He seems more worried about his weapon’s condition than yours,” the halfling sniffed.“看来他更担心自己的武器怎么样，而不是你怎么样。”半身人嗤声说道。

“Quite right,” Alias repeated.“说得没错。”阿莉亚丝重复道。She shivered.她打了个寒战。Pulling her cloak about her, she headed back down the hill to the campfire.她把斗篷裹紧，走下山坡，回到营火旁。Her head still echoed with the stone creature’s hoarse laughter.那石头怪物嘶哑的笑声仍在她脑海中回荡。Familiar, she thought, familiar as an old friend.熟悉，她心想，像老朋友一样熟悉。Familiar as death.像死亡一样熟悉。

In the backyard of Dimswart Manor, two days journey from the mountains, in the countryside near Suzail, laughter and the clink of fine crystal filled the wedding tent.在距离群山两天路程、苏萨尔附近乡间的迪姆斯沃特庄园后院里，婚宴帐篷中充满了欢笑声和精致水晶杯碰撞的清脆声响。Now and then the multi-colored cloth walls shivered as some high-spirited child ran into the slender, black vloon wood rods supporting the sides.不时会有哪个兴奋过头的孩子撞上支撑帐篷四壁的纤细黑色弗隆木杆，五彩斑斓的布墙便随之一阵颤动。The white roof wafted alarmingly each time some tired or drunken soul leaned against the huge center pole that supported the tent roof.每当某个疲惫或醉醺醺的人靠上支撑篷顶的巨大中柱，白色的帐篷顶都会令人心惊地飘摇起来。

Alias and Akabar had arrived late the previous night, mud-spattered and exhausted, but with a famous bard on the pony between them.阿莉亚丝和阿卡巴前一晚很晚才抵达，两人浑身泥点，疲惫不堪，中间那匹小马上却驮着一位著名的吟游诗人。Dragonbait loped along behind them since he refused to ride.龙饵大步跟在他们身后，因为他不肯骑马。Fortunately, he’d had no trouble keeping up with the group.幸好，他毫不费力就跟上了众人。

The lady of the house welcomed them with as much hospitality as she could, considering her home was already full of visitors, all certain of their supreme importance in the scheme of things.女主人竭尽所能地热情款待了他们，尽管她家里已经住满了宾客，而且个个都深信自己在这世间举足轻重。Small but comfortable rooms were found for the adventurers in the servant’s wing.仆役厢房里为这些冒险者腾出了几间不大却舒适的房间。

Their hostess insisted they attend the wedding, though it was obvious to Alias that she did so only because it would be awkward to ask them to leave.女主人坚持要他们出席婚礼，尽管阿莉亚丝看得出来，她这么做只是因为开口请他们离开未免太尴尬。Gratitude for the service they’d just rendered was the last thing on Lady Leona’s mind.至于他们刚刚帮过她的忙，莉奥娜夫人根本没把感激这回事放在心上。She had given Alias the distinct impression that, in her opinion, fighting a dragon was a snap compared to planning a wedding for three hundred people.她让阿莉亚丝清楚地感觉到，在她看来，与筹办一场三百人的婚礼相比，和巨龙搏斗简直易如反掌。

More suitable attire was found for the female guest—a sky-blue strapless gown with leggings and a capelet.他们为这位女客找来了一套更合适的服装——一件天蓝色无肩带长裙，配有紧身裤和一件小披肩。One accessory had been added, a pair of arm-length, fingerless gloves, no doubt supplied to cover up her “affliction.”此外还添了一样配饰：一双长及手臂、不包手指的手套，无疑是用来遮掩她的“病症”的。

Alias was uncomfortable in the gown, despite the good fit and excellent cloth.尽管长裙十分合身，衣料也极为上乘，阿莉亚丝穿着它还是很不自在。She felt naked without her armor, and she kept tripping over the skirt.没有铠甲裹身，她觉得自己仿佛赤身裸体，而且总是被裙摆绊到。You’d think I’d never worn a dress in my life, she chided herself the third time she’d neglected to lift the hem and stepped on it.第三次忘记提起裙摆、一脚踩上去时，她暗暗斥责自己：瞧我这样，别人准会以为我这辈子从没穿过裙子。After all, I wasn’t born in armor.毕竟，我又不是生来就穿着铠甲。

As far as her unreliable memory could recollect, she had worn dresses before becoming an adventurer.据她那并不可靠的记忆所能回想起来的，在成为冒险者之前，她也穿过裙子。Even after she took up the sword, she’d risked teasing from the male members of her party and allowed herself the luxury of a more feminine wardrobe while she stayed in town.甚至在拿起长剑之后，她待在城里时也甘愿冒着被队伍里的男性成员取笑的风险，奢侈地穿些更有女人味的衣服。

That thought reminded her of her purpose in remaining here.这个念头提醒了她留在这里的目的。Dimswart had uncovered information on the sigils, but wouldn’t have time to review it with her until after the wedding.迪姆斯沃特查到了一些关于那些符印的资料，但要等婚礼结束后才有时间和她一起查看。She scanned the crowd anxiously for the father of the bride, hoping that he might have a moment to give her some clue, something that would make the wait, in this warm tent full of frivolous people, bearable.她焦急地在人群中搜寻新娘的父亲，希望他能抽出片刻，给她一点线索，让她在这顶温暖而又挤满轻浮之人的帐篷里等待时不至于那么难熬。

Dimswart was mingling through the crowd, looking as jolly as a trader who has deceived the tax collector.迪姆斯沃特正在人群中四处应酬，喜气洋洋得活像个骗过税吏的商人。When Alias spotted him, he was lending a friendly ear to a gathering of his daughter’s friends, no doubt hearing a saintly version of the bride’s last night of freedom.阿莉亚丝发现他时，他正亲切地听女儿的一群朋友说话；毫无疑问，她们讲的是新娘最后一个自由之夜的圣洁版本。Shrieks and giggles emanating from the bride’s quarters had kept Alias awake into the small hours of the morning.新娘住处传出的尖叫和咯咯笑声，害得阿莉亚丝一直到凌晨才睡着。Yet, the bride looked fresh as morning, and though she was important enough to warrant a seat, she would not stay in it.然而，新娘看起来却像清晨一样神采奕奕；她的身份尊贵，足以享有座位，却怎么也不肯老实坐着。Instead, she roamed the tent and the lawn in her white gown, with the crest of her upswept hair bobbing like peacock feathers.她反而穿着一袭白色礼服，在帐篷与草坪间四处游走，高高盘起的发髻顶端起伏摇曳，宛如孔雀翎羽。

Nothing holding that girl up but the stays in her bodice, and nothing keeping her moving but nervous energy, Alias thought.这姑娘全靠紧身胸衣里的撑骨才没倒下，也全靠紧张过度的精力才走得动，阿莉亚丝心想。The bride, Gaylyn, had greeted everyone, even taken a moment to thank Alias for all her help.新娘盖琳向每个人都打了招呼，甚至还特意抽空感谢阿莉亚丝帮了这么多忙。It was doubtful she knew exactly what Alias had done, since she’d greeted many people with the same platitude, but she seemed in earnest.她到底知不知道阿莉亚丝做了些什么，实在很难说，因为她也用同样的客套话问候了许多人，不过她看起来倒是真心诚意。She’d go far in court, Alias decided, even without help from her new in-laws.阿莉亚丝断定，即使没有新姻亲的帮助，她在宫廷里也会前途无量。

The groom, Lord Frefford Wyvernspur, towed along by his new bride, sparkled almost as brilliantly, dressed in the green and gold of his family, the Wyvernspurs of Immersea.新郎弗雷福德·飞龙刺勋爵被新婚妻子牵着到处走，身穿伊默海飞龙刺家族的绿金两色服饰，也显得几乎同样光彩照人。

The wedding was the social event of the season and, in a spirit of festive goodwill, the imported nobility bumped elbows against the local hoi palloi.这场婚礼是本季最盛大的社交盛事；在节庆的友善气氛中，外来的贵族与本地的平民百姓摩肩接踵。His Majesty, Azoun IV, remained in court in Suzail on the advice of the court wizard, Vangerdahast.国王陛下阿祖恩四世听从宫廷法师范格达海斯特的建议，留在苏萨尔的王廷中。However, a number of lesser Cormyrian lords and ladies were present to benefit from meetings and conversations with the heads of rising Suzail merchant households and local freeman leaders.不过，仍有不少地位较低的科米尔贵族男女到场，好借着会面和交谈，从苏萨尔新兴商贾家族的族长及本地自由民领袖那里获益。

Alias caught a glimpse of swirling crimson and white on the far side of the tent.阿莉亚丝瞥见帐篷另一边有一抹绯红与白色在旋动。Akabar’s head poked above the press of shorter Cormyrians.阿卡巴的脑袋从一群身材较矮的科米尔人头顶冒了出来。Tired of being a stranger among so many, she decided that even the foreigner’s company would be preferable to standing alone.她厌倦了在这么多人中间形单影只，便觉得就算与那个异乡人作伴，也好过独自站着。Elbowing her way through the crowd, she caught fragments of conversation.她用手肘在人群中挤出一条路，沿途听见了只言片语。

“Well, if you ask me,” said one bass voice, “they should have had a cleric of Ilmater there.“要我说啊，”一个低沉的嗓音说道，“他们本该请一位伊尔梅特的牧师到场。God of endurance, suffering, and perseverance.”那可是坚忍、苦难与不屈之神。”

Alias gave a derisive snort.阿莉亚丝轻蔑地哼了一声。Considering the confusion caused by having four clerics at the marriage ceremony, a fifth might just have helped start a jihad.婚礼仪式上有四位牧师就已经闹得一团糟，再来第五位，恐怕正好能挑起一场圣战。The swordswoman recalled the moment when both the bishop of Chauntea and the patron of Oghma stepped forward at the same time to offer the blessing.这位女剑士回想起裳提阿的主教与欧格玛的祭司同时上前赐福的那一刻。For seven heartbeats the priest and priestess stood, staring stonily at each other until the male bishop bowed deeply and surrendered the floor.整整七次心跳的时间里，那一男一女两位祭司冷冷地对视着，最后男主教深深鞠了一躬，把发言的位置让了出来。

“If you must know,” a disconnected whisper confided, “we dressed in blackface and wrote filthy slogans on the side of the citadel.“你非要知道的话，”一个不知从哪里飘来的低语悄声透露道，“我们把脸涂黑，在城堡外墙上写了些下流标语。Horrible, horrible things about Princess Tanalasta and a centaur.”都是些关于塔娜拉斯塔公主和一名半人马的可怕、可怕的话。”

A strong political statement, Alias thought sarcastically.真是强有力的政治宣言，阿莉亚丝讥讽地想。

“Go ahead, Giogi,” a slurred female voice encouraged some unseen gentleman.“来吧，乔吉，”一个口齿不清的女声怂恿着某位看不见的绅士。“Do your impression of His Majesty.“学学陛下的样子吧。Giogi does the most on-target imitation, you can just close your eyes and picture the old stuffed codger.乔吉模仿得最惟妙惟肖，你只要闭上眼睛，就能想象出那个老古董的模样。You know that line he always uses, ‘Let me state, O people of Cormyr, my people.’你知道他总挂在嘴边的那句话，‘请允许我声明，科米尔的人民啊，我的人民。’Everyone says that even Azoun himself would do a double take.大家都说，就连阿祖恩本人听了也会惊讶得再看一眼。Pleeease, Giogi.”求你啦，乔吉。”

Yes, please, Giogi, the swordswoman begged silently.是啊，求你了，乔吉，女剑士在心里恳求道。Anything to keep the woman from whining.只要能让那个女人别再哼哼唧唧，怎样都好。

“No, you’re quite wrong,” a gravelly male voice replied in a different conversation.“不，你完全错了，”另一个谈话圈里，一个沙哑的男声回答道。“The problems in the Moonshaes are completely local.“月影群岛的问题完全是当地的问题。The rise of their goddess has nothing to do with the tenets of Chauntea’s faith.”他们那位女神的崛起与裳提阿信仰的教义毫无关系。”

Alias shook her head incredulously at the speaker’s arrogant assurance.听着那人傲慢而笃定的口气，阿莉亚丝难以置信地摇了摇头。As a traveled adventurer she knew better.身为一个游历四方的冒险者，她知道事实并非如此。No problem was ever completely local; problems rippled through the Realms from shore to shore.没有任何问题会仅仅局限于一地；问题会像涟漪般扩散，从一处海岸传到另一处海岸，遍及诸界。Now where did I hear that line before? she wondered.我以前是在哪里听过这句话来着？她心想。

“Lady Alias?” a familiar voice addressed her.“阿莉亚丝女士？”一个熟悉的声音叫她。“I trust you’re having a fine time?”“我相信您玩得很开心吧？”

Alias turned and blinked twice to accustom her eyes to the shadowed side of the tent.阿莉亚丝转过身，眨了两下眼睛，好让双眼适应帐篷阴暗的那一侧。Dimswart stood, his comrade-in-ale, the priest Winefiddle, right behind.迪姆斯沃特站在那里，他的酒友酒琴牧师就站在身后。Each held a foaming mug of beer.两人手里各端着一杯泛着泡沫的啤酒。

“Yes, yes I am,” Alias replied politely, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face.“是的，是的，我很开心，”阿莉亚丝礼貌地答道，将一缕散落的头发从脸上拨开。“I was just trying to cross the room, but it’s like wading through soft sand.”“我只是想穿过这间屋子，可感觉就像在松软的沙地里跋涉。”She could not meet the eyes of the cleric.她无法直视那位牧师的眼睛。In addition to trying to kill him, she had also cheated his church of his fee.她不仅曾试图杀死他，还赖掉了本该付给他教会的那笔酬金。

But Winefiddle smiled absently at her, and the sage nodded in blank agreement.但酒琴只是心不在焉地朝她笑了笑，那位智者也茫然地点头附和。Their faces were both more flushed than the heat in the tent warranted, and they swayed from side to side, bumping into each other.两人的脸都红得不像只是帐篷里的暑热所致，而且还左右摇晃，不时撞到彼此。

Giving her elbow a little fatherly squeeze, Dimswart bellowed over the noise, “We’ll talk about your little problem just as soon as Leona and I get the children off.迪姆斯沃特像父亲似的轻轻捏了捏她的胳膊肘，扯着嗓门压过周围的喧闹声：“等我和莉奥娜把孩子们送走，我们马上就来谈谈你那点小麻烦。That way I’ll get out of the clean-up.”这样我就能躲过收拾残局的活儿了。”He laughed, and some of the ale sloshed from his mug.他大笑起来，杯里的麦酒也泼洒出了一些。“Have you eaten?“你吃过东西了吗？Had a mug?”喝过一杯没有？”

Alias shook her head, and Winefiddle pressed his flagon into her hands.阿莉亚丝摇了摇头，酒琴便把自己的大酒杯塞进她手里。“Hardly touched,” he slurred.“几乎没动过。”他含糊不清地说道。

Alias smiled nervously and, not wishing to give the curate any further cause for offense, took a swig.阿莉亚丝紧张地笑了笑，不想再给这位助理牧师任何见怪的理由，便喝了一大口。The ale was as vile as The Hidden Lady’s.这麦酒和“隐秘女士”的酒一样难喝。

“No more, thanks,” Alias said, passing the mug back to Winefiddle.“不了，谢谢。”阿莉亚丝说着，把酒杯递还给酒琴。“I think I’d better keep keep my wits about me.”“我想我最好还是保持、保持清醒。”

The curate shrugged and took a long, hearty draught.助理牧师耸了耸肩，痛痛快快地喝了一大口。Alias excused herself and plunged back into the crowd in the direction she’d last seen Akabar’s head.阿莉亚丝告辞离开，又一头扎进人群，朝她最后看见阿卡巴脑袋的方向挤去。She spotted Olive Ruskettle seated on a small bench in front of the wedding table, leaning low over her yarting as she tuned it so she could hear the strings over the noise of the crowd.她看见奥利芙·拉斯凯特尔坐在婚宴主桌前的一张小凳子上，低低俯身凑近她的雅廷琴调着音，好让自己能盖过人群的喧闹听见琴弦声。

Alias’s attention was drawn away to Akabar, who was watching something with great amusement.阿莉亚丝的注意力又被阿卡巴吸引了过去，他正兴致勃勃地看着什么。Empty crystal cups rose and fell above the heads of the crowd in an ever increasing number.越来越多的空水晶杯在人群头顶上方起起落落。How odd.真奇怪。I would have thought jugglers too common for Lady Leona, Alias puzzled.阿莉亚丝纳闷地想，我还以为莉奥娜夫人会觉得杂耍艺人太俗气呢。

“Higher taxes will be the death of me,” complained a voice in the milling crowd.“再加税我可就活不下去了。”拥挤的人群中有个声音抱怨道。

“A lovely couple,” an elderly woman declared.“真是般配的一对。”一位老妇人断言道。“I wonder if he’s told her about his second cousin.“不知道他有没有把自己那个二代表亲的事告诉她。The one who went quite mad and became an adventurer, you remember?”就是那个彻底疯了、跑去当冒险者的人，你记得吧？”

“Oh, go ahead, Giogi,” wheedled the slurred female voice Alias recognized from earlier.“哦，来嘛，乔吉，”阿莉亚丝认出是先前那个口齿含混的女声，正撒娇央求着。“Just once.“就来一次。He really does sound just like King Azoun.”他听起来真的和阿祖恩国王一模一样。”

Finally, Alias squeezed between the multi-hued bodies and stood beside Akabar.终于，阿莉亚丝从一片五颜六色的人影间挤了过去，站到阿卡巴身旁。Upon spying the juggler though, she growled with annoyance.然而，一看到那个杂耍艺人，她便恼火地低吼了一声。Dragonbait lay on the ground dressed in fool’s motley, tossing and catching seven pieces of Lady Leona’s crystal with all four feet and his tail.龙饵身穿小丑的彩衣，躺在地上，用四只脚和尾巴抛接着莉奥娜夫人的七件水晶器皿。Akabar was just tossing an eighth cup into the fray.阿卡巴正把第八只杯子抛进那纷飞的器皿之中。

The clear hemisphere landed in the lizard’s right front claw and scribed a complicated journey behind its mates from right front to left rear to right rear to left front to tail, and finally bounced up in a high arc by the tail to land again in the right front claw.那只透明的半球落入蜥蜴的右前爪，跟在同伴后面划出一道复杂的轨迹，从右前爪传到左后爪，再到右后爪、左前爪和尾巴，最后被尾巴高高弹起，划出一道弧线，重新落回右前爪中。Already an admiring crowd had gathered, allowing the lizard more open space in the mob than anyone else had received.一群赞叹不已的观众早已围拢过来，让蜥蜴在拥挤的人群中拥有了比任何人都宽敞的空地。

“What’s he doing here?”“他怎么会在这里？”Alias hissed to Akabar.阿莉亚丝压低声音，冲阿卡巴嘶声问道。

“It’s called juggling.“这叫杂耍。Don’t you have that in the north?”你们北方没有吗？”The mage grinned as he added a cup to the bobbing glassware.法师咧嘴一笑，又往上下翻飞的玻璃器皿中添了一只杯子。

“I can see that,” Alias replied, beginning to lose her patience.“我看得出来，”阿莉亚丝答道，开始失去耐心。“Why?”“为什么？”

Akabar shrugged.阿卡巴耸了耸肩。“Some northern women assumed he was a pet and began tossing him food.“有几个北方女人以为他是宠物，就开始朝他扔吃的。In their excitement, they began bombarding him, actually.实际上，她们一兴奋起来，简直是在拿食物狂轰滥炸他。Rather than appear impolite he began juggling what he couldn’t eat.为了不显得失礼，他便把吃不下的东西玩起了杂耍。I thought it would be easier and cleaner to toss cups than fruit salad.”我觉得，扔杯子总比扔水果沙拉来得容易，也干净些。”

“But he’s not supposed to be here,” Alias insisted through clenched teeth.“可他不该在这里，”阿莉亚丝咬紧牙关坚持道。“I told him to stay in my room.”“我叫他待在我的房间里。”

Suddenly, Lady Leona broke through the crowd, and the party-goers went deathly quiet.突然，莉奥娜夫人冲破人群闯了进来，参加宴会的人顿时鸦雀无声。The noisiest members of the group turned away hastily to engage themselves in the more civilized pastime of conversation.其中闹得最凶的几个人赶紧转过身去，装作投身于交谈这种更文明的消遣。”

The mother of the bride gave a polite but firm cough, such as a god might make on the last day’s dawning.新娘的母亲礼貌却不容置疑地轻咳了一声，仿佛神祇在末日破晓时发出的咳声。Dragonbait lost his concentration, and eight cups tumbled to the grass.龙饵一分神，八只杯子便跌落到草地上。The ninth cup bounced off his nose, and he looked up sheepishly at Lady Leona.第九只杯子从他的鼻子上弹开，他难为情地抬头望向莉奥娜夫人。

Dimswart’s wife glared at Alias.迪姆斯沃特的妻子怒视着阿莉亚丝。“If you are quite through with your pet, I would like to signal for the professional entertainment to begin.”“如果你和你的宠物已经闹够了，我想发信号请专业艺人开始表演。”

“He’s not my …” began Alias, but Lady Leona swirled about and headed for the wedding party’s table.“他不是我的……”阿莉亚丝刚开口，莉奥娜夫人便猛地转过身，朝婚宴主桌走去。The crowd parted for her as a rank of archers breaks at the arrival of a formation of lancers.人群纷纷为她让路，如同一列弓箭手在一队长枪骑兵到来时迅速散开。

Alias hustled the lizard to his feet.阿莉亚丝赶紧把蜥蜴人拽了起来。“Where did you get that ridiculous getup?” she asked, tugging on the silk motley.“你从哪里弄来这身荒唐行头的？”她扯着那件丝绸丑角服问道。

Dragonbait smiled and spun about so she could see the whole outfit.龙饵笑了笑，原地转了一圈，好让她看清整套装束。Little bells attached to the costume jangled.缀在衣服上的小铃铛叮当作响。

Alias sighed.阿莉亚丝叹了口气。“Pick up the cups,” she ordered, pointing to the crystal on the ground.“把杯子捡起来。”她指着地上的水晶杯命令道。

With exaggerated care the lizard obeyed, stacking the glittering hemispheres on the table with the punch bowl.蜥蜴人故意摆出一副极其小心的样子照办了，把那些闪闪发亮的半球形杯子摞在盛着潘趣酒碗的桌上。

Lady Leona’s voice rang out from the wedding table.莉奥娜夫人的声音从婚宴主桌那边响起。“Attention, everyone.“请大家注意。”Lords and ladies.”“各位爵爷，各位夫人。”The tent quieted to a low hum, and the mother of the bride continued.帐篷里渐渐安静下来，只剩低低的嗡嗡声，新娘的母亲继续说道。“I am very pleased to introduce Olive Ruskettle, master bard and songsmith.“我非常荣幸地向大家介绍吟游诗人大师兼歌匠奥利芙·拉斯凯特尔。”Mistress Ruskettle has composed an ode to commemorate the joining of our two families.”“拉斯凯特尔女士谱写了一首颂歌，以纪念我们两个家族的结合。”

Polite applause followed, and then people were still again.众人礼貌地鼓掌，随后又安静下来。

Alias decided to take advantage of the temporary emptiness of the doorway to escort Dragonbait back to their room.阿莉亚丝决定趁门口暂时无人，护送龙饵回他们的房间。She grabbed a handful of the baggy motley and began tugging him away from the crowd.她一把抓住那件肥大的丑角服，开始把他拽离人群。Whimpering slightly, he pointed at Olive.他轻声呜咽着，指了指奥利芙。

“I think he wants to hear the bard sing,” Akabar said.“我想他是想听那位吟游诗人唱歌。”阿卡巴说道。

Alias sighed in resignation.阿莉亚丝无奈地叹了口气。

Dragonbait folded his arms and tilted his head, the very archetype of a music connoisseur.龙饵抱起双臂，歪着脑袋，俨然一副音乐鉴赏家的标准派头。Except for being a lizard.只不过他是只蜥蜴。

Ruskettle began strumming the yarting.拉斯凯特尔拨响了雅亭琴。The opening chords sounded to Alias like those the bard had used to taunt the dragon three days ago.在阿莉亚丝听来，开头的和弦很像三天前那位吟游诗人用来挑衅巨龙的曲调。

Though the halfling sang well and her tune was catchy, conversations continued about the edges of the tent, out of earshot of the hostess.尽管这名半身人歌唱得不错，曲调也很动听，帐篷四周却依然有人交谈，只是离得很远，女主人听不见。

Alias caught the words of a nasal voice.阿莉亚丝听见一个带着鼻音的嗓音说了几句话。“As I said to Sir Rafner, taxes.“就像我跟拉夫纳爵士说的，税。”Raise taxes.”“提高税赋。”

“She seems awfully short for a bard,” remarked one of the bride’s girlfriends, “but I wouldn’t know good music if it attacked me in the dark.”“她当吟游诗人是不是矮得太过分了？”新娘的一位女友说道，“不过，就算好音乐在黑暗里袭击我，我也认不出来。”

“Not much, just fourteen or fifteen mugs,” a drunken voice insisted from the ale table.“没喝多少，也就十四五杯。”麦酒桌旁一个醉醺醺的声音坚持道。

“Giogi, do it for me, please?”“乔吉，就为我来一次嘛，好不好？”

For gods’ sake, Giogi, Alias thought, would you just get it over with?看在诸神的份上，乔吉，阿莉亚丝心想，你就不能赶紧做完了事吗？

Giogioni Wyvernspur sighed.乔吉奥尼·飞龙刺叹了口气。Minda would not quit asking him to repeat the imitation until he complied.明达不停央求他再模仿一次，不答应便不肯罢休。He should never have done it for her in the first place.他一开始就不该模仿给她看。Giogi was not a young man of much sense, but he had enough to realize that his cousin Freffie’s wedding reception was not the sort of place one did imitations of one’s sovereign king.乔吉并不是个多有头脑的年轻人，但他至少明白，在堂妹弗雷菲的婚宴上模仿自己的君王，实在不合时宜。His only hope lay in getting it over with quickly and quietly.他唯一的指望，就是尽快悄悄把这事应付过去。

Alias heard a young man’s voice reply, “All right.”阿莉亚丝听见一个年轻男子答道：“好吧。”

“Hooray, Giogi!” the woman cheered.“乔吉万岁！”那女人欢呼道。

“Finally,” Alias mumbled.“总算要来了。”阿莉亚丝咕哝道。

“Let me gather myself,” Giogi said.“让我先酝酿一下。”乔吉说。Then his voice changed, becoming deeper, huskier, masking the squeakiness of youth and taking on a mountain lander’s burr.接着，他的声音变了，变得更低沉、更沙哑，掩去了年轻人嗓音里的尖细，带上了山地人的浓重口音。

“My Cormytes.“我的科米尔子民。My People.我的人民。As your king, as King Azoun, and as King Azoun IV, I must say that the need to raise your taxes is a result of the direct depravations of …”作为你们的国王，作为阿祖恩国王，也就是阿祖恩四世，我必须说，提高赋税实乃……直接败坏的结果……”The voice dropped to a whisper.声音低成了耳语。“Vangy, who is being depraved this time?”“范吉，这回是谁在搞败坏？”

Alias’s breath quickened.阿莉亚丝的呼吸急促起来。She focused her attention on Giogi’s altered voice.她把注意力集中在乔吉变了样的声音上。To her, the rest of the chatter died away, leaving only the husky tone.对她而言，其余的嘈杂声全都消失了，只剩下那沙哑的嗓音。A powerfully sinister feeling swept over her, leaving her dizzy.一股强烈而邪恶的感觉席卷了她，令她头晕目眩。The crowd was suffocating her.人群压得她喘不过气来。Her arm began to ache miserably.她的手臂开始疼得厉害。Nearby she heard a growl.她听见附近传来一声低吼。

Panic rose in Alias.恐慌在阿莉亚丝心中升起。Her body was moving of its own accord, just as it had when she nearly killed Winefiddle.她的身体正自行行动，就像她差点杀死酒琴时一样。She tried to hold herself still, fight the urge to lunge at the Wyvernspur noble, but without success.她竭力让自己一动不动，抗拒扑向那位飞龙刺家贵族的冲动，却毫无用处。Far off she heard women screaming and men shouting.她听见远处有女人尖叫，男人呼喊。Something nearby was burning.附近有什么东西烧了起来。

Standing right beside Alias, Akabar felt her stiffen.阿卡巴就站在阿莉亚丝身旁，感觉到她的身体猛然僵住。He noticed the smell of smoke almost immediately.他几乎立刻就闻到了烟味。With horror he watched the glove that covered her tattoos blister and burn away.他惊恐地看着遮住她纹身的手套起泡、燃烧，最终化为灰烬。Then he heard Alias snarl like a dog, and saw her face contort into a mask of rage.接着，他听见阿莉亚丝像狗一样咆哮，并看见她的脸扭曲成一副狂怒的面具。

Dragonbait turned to look at her in confusion.龙饵困惑地转头看她。When Akabar laid a hand on her left arm to offer his assistance, she shoved both man and beast away with unbelievable strength, propelling herself in the opposite direction.阿卡巴把一只手放到她的左臂上，想要帮忙，她却以令人难以置信的力量将一人一兽都推开，借势朝相反的方向冲去。With murder in her eyes, Alias leaped onto Giogi.阿莉亚丝眼中杀意毕露，猛地扑向乔吉。

She landed on top of him with a scream, her hands about his throat in an instant.她尖叫着扑到他身上，双手瞬间扼住了他的喉咙。She might have wrung his neck, but she caught sight of a long, sharp knife used to cut pies and cake.她本来很可能会拧断他的脖子，却瞥见了一把切馅饼和蛋糕用的细长利刀。She reached for it, but lost her grip on the young man as she did so.她伸手去拿刀，却因此松开了抓住那年轻人的手。Giogi managed to twist away from her, and she plunged the pastry blade into the table where he’d been pinned only a moment before.乔吉趁机扭身逃开，而她则把那把糕点刀狠狠插进了桌面——就在片刻前，他还被她按在那里。

“I say, I wasn’t that bad,” the green-and-gold-clad noble sputtered.“我说，我也没那么糟吧，”那个身穿绿金两色衣服的贵族结结巴巴地说道。“I didn’t want to do it, really.“我真的不想那么做。It’s just that Minda kept begging me, you know?”只是明达一直求我，你知道吧？”

Alias yanked the blade from the tabletop and drew a fresh bead on her target.阿莉亚丝从桌面上拔出刀，再次瞄准了目标。Giogi backpedaled furiously.乔吉拼命向后退去。Women screamed and several Wyvernspur menfolk, seeing their kin beseiged, shouted a battle cry and moved in on the attacker.女人们尖叫起来，几个飞龙刺家的男人见自家人遭到围攻，便高喊战斗口号，朝袭击者逼近。Alias kept them all at bay with the knife.阿莉亚丝用刀逼住众人，不让他们靠近。One cocky fellow got too close and received a slash across his cheek to show for it.一个自命不凡的家伙凑得太近，脸颊上挨了一刀，算是得到了教训。

Several of the groom’s relatives, faced with a mad assassin, fled the area as quickly as possible, leaving the tent sides flapping where they’d torn up the stakes.新郎的几个亲戚面对这个疯狂的刺客，以最快的速度逃离了现场；他们拔掉了固定帐篷侧幕的木桩，留下幕布在风中拍打。

Olive, her ode interrupted, her audience gone, moved toward the fight.奥利芙的颂歌被打断，听众也跑光了，于是她朝打斗处走去。She helped Akabar up from the ground as she demanded, “Just what does she think she’s doing?”她扶起倒在地上的阿卡巴，同时质问道：“她到底以为自己在干什么？”

“I think the sigils,” Akabar explained in a whisper, “are trying to make her kill that man because he sounds like the king of Cormyr.”“我想，是那些符印，”阿卡巴低声解释道，“它们正试图让她杀掉那个人，因为他的声音听起来像科米尔的国王。”

Olive glanced over at Giogi, who was now crawling along the ground.奥利芙瞥了一眼正贴着地面爬行的乔吉。“But he doesn’t look anything like Azoun.”“可他长得一点也不像阿祖恩。”

“The sigils don’t know that,” Akabar pointed out, wracking his brain for some way to put the warrior woman out of commission without injuring her too severely.“那些符印可不知道这一点。”阿卡巴指出，同时绞尽脑汁，想找个办法在不让这位女战士受太重伤的情况下制服她。

A northerner of huge girth tried tackling her from behind.一个身形粗壮得惊人的北方人试图从背后将她扑倒。Alias pivoted, jammed an elbow into the man’s belly, and backhanded him in the face with the handle of the knife.阿莉亚丝转过身，一肘猛击那人的肚子，又反手用刀柄抽在他脸上。Bleeding from the nose, the man fell into the crowd.那人鼻血直流，一头栽进了人群。

Having lost her target, Alias’s eyes swept through the tent.目标不见了，阿莉亚丝的目光扫遍整座帐篷。She spotted Giogi cowering beneath the punch table.她发现乔吉正蜷缩在果汁桌下面。She dove for him just as he managed to scramble to the other side.她朝他猛扑过去，而他恰好手脚并用地逃到了桌子另一边。

Dimswart, realizing that it would not look good if one of his clients murdered one of his new in-laws, grabbed Akabar’s shoulder.迪姆斯沃特意识到，要是自己的一位主顾杀了自己新结的姻亲，脸面上可不好看，便一把抓住阿卡巴的肩膀。“Do something,” he demanded.“快想想办法，”他命令道。

Akabar nodded his head, but he hadn’t prepared any magical spells that would be useful at a wedding celebration-turned-brawl.阿卡巴点了点头，可他事先准备的法术里，没有一个能在由婚礼庆典演变成的斗殴中派上用场。

Olive seized control of the situation by grabbing Dragonbait.奥利芙一把抓住龙饵，控制住了局面。“We have to stop her!”“我们得阻止她！”

The lizard cocked his head in confusion.蜥蜴困惑地歪了歪头。

In a flash of inspiration Akabar cried, “Stop her, before she gets hurt!”阿卡巴灵光一闪，喊道：“快阻止她，别让她受伤！”

Dragonbait nodded.龙饵点了点头。Dodging the confused, fleeing guests, he tackled the central pole of the tent.他闪过那些惊慌逃窜的宾客，猛地撞向帐篷中央的支柱。The huge beam slid across the grass, pulling the walls up and the roof down.那根巨大的梁柱从草地上滑过，将四壁向上扯起，帐顶则随之塌落。Stakes ripped from the ground, and the pole toppled over with a thud, bringing acres of tent down and putting an end to the pandemonium with a great whoosh.木桩被从地里拔了出来，支柱砰然倒下，大片大片的帐篷随之坍塌，呼啦一声巨响，终结了这场混乱。

Akabar was one of the first to emerge from under the cloth, his red and white silk robes only slightly stained with grass.阿卡巴是最先从篷布底下钻出来的人之一，他那身红白相间的丝袍只沾上了些许草渍。He immediately scanned the area for Alias’s figure, but his view of the grounds was blocked by the growing throng of refugees.他立刻四下搜寻阿莉亚丝的身影，可越来越多的逃难者挡住了他望向场地的视线。He waited by the edge of the collapsed structure, assisting others to their feet and hoping the swordswoman would appear.他守在坍塌的棚架边，扶其他人站起来，同时盼着那位女剑士现身。

When Giogi emerged from beneath the tent, he kept crawling until he bumped into the knees of a dowager Wyvernspur.乔吉从帐篷底下钻出来后仍继续往前爬，直到一头撞上飞龙刺家一位老夫人的膝盖。

“Giogioni, you are a fool,” the lady declared.“乔吉奥尼，你真是个蠢货。”那位夫人断言道。“This civil unrest is a direct consequence of your open disrespect for our sovereign.“这场骚乱，正是你公然不敬我们的君主所造成的直接后果。I’ve warned you time and again that you were courting disaster.”我一次又一次警告过你，你这是在自寻祸端。”

“Yes, Aunt Dorath.”“是，多拉丝姨妈。”

“Get off your knees, you idiot.”“别跪着了，你这个白痴。”

“Yes, Aunt Dorath.”“是，多拉丝姨妈。”

The bride and groom and their attendants rolled out from the tent, giggling hysterically.新娘、新郎和他们的随从们从帐篷底下接连滚了出来，一个个歇斯底里地咯咯直笑。Lady Leona emerged near Dragonbait, looking less than amused.莉奥娜夫人在龙饵附近钻了出来，看起来一点也不觉得好笑。Upon seeing whose scaly hand had helped her rise, the woman jerked her arm back while blasting the Turmishman with a withering glare.一看清扶自己起身的是谁那只覆着鳞片的手，她猛地抽回胳膊，同时向那名图米什人投去一道凌厉得令人发怵的目光。She looked about impatiently for Sir Dimswart.她不耐烦地四下寻找迪姆斯沃特爵士。

When the sage finally appeared, empty mug in hand, Leona drew him aside.那位贤者终于现身时，手里还拿着一只空杯子，莉奥娜把他拉到一旁。In quiet but threatening tones she declared, “I will not have Gaylyn’s wedding day ruined.她压低声音，却满含威胁地说道：“我绝不容许盖琳的婚礼被毁掉。I am taking our guests into the garden to continue with the celebration.我要带宾客们到花园里继续庆祝。You must deal with this … situation.”你必须处理好这个……局面。”

Spying Olive Ruskettle, who was smoothing out her bulging pockets as best she could, Leona made her way to the bard and escorted her to the garden.莉奥娜瞥见奥利芙·拉斯凯特尔正竭尽所能地抚平她那几个鼓鼓囊囊的口袋，便走到这位吟游诗人身边，领着她去了花园。

Dimswart turned to Akabar.迪姆斯沃特转向阿卡巴。“Your adventuress has caused a great deal of trouble.”“你那位女冒险家惹出了不小的麻烦。”His voice was even, but his upraised eyebrows made his point.他的语气平静，但扬起的眉毛已经充分表明了他的意思。