Finder cursed under his breath as he and Olive turned a corner of the underground tunnels and were forced to another halt.芬德和奥利芙拐过地下隧道的一处弯角，却又不得不停下脚步，芬德低声咒骂起来。1
Olive sighed with resignation.奥利芙无奈地叹了口气。2
Their way was blocked by a wall of rocks, dirt, and mud where the ceiling had caved into the passage.前方的通道因顶部坍塌，被一堵由岩石、泥土和烂泥堆成的墙挡住了。3
It was the fourth such obstacle they’d encountered.这已经是他们遇到的第四处障碍了。4
The first had been at the base of the stairs that led from the ruined manor house to the underground tunnels.第一处就在楼梯底下，那道楼梯从已成废墟的庄园宅邸通往地下隧道。5
It had taken them an hour to clear a hole through it.他们花了一个小时才从中清出一个洞来。6
The second collapse hadn’t been as severe, and within half an hour they’d wriggled their way through.第二处坍塌没那么严重，半个小时之内，他们就扭动着身子钻了过去。7
When they came upon the third collapse, Finder had decided to backtrack to the stairs and try a different route through the maze of twisting tunnels.遇到第三处坍塌时，芬德决定原路返回楼梯口，试着从这片曲折蜿蜒、宛如迷宫的隧道中另寻一条路。8
Now they had no choice but to start digging again.现在，他们别无选择，只能重新开始挖掘。9
“If I hadn’t lost the stone, we could have taken a dimensional door into the workshop,” Finder growled, kicking at the base of the pile of rubble.“要不是我把石头弄丢了，我们本可以开一道次元门，直接进工坊。”芬德低吼道，同时踢了踢碎石堆的底部。10
Trying to keep Finder from dwelling on the loss of his stone, Olive remarked, “Unless the roof in the workshop collapsed, too.奥利芙不想让芬德一直纠结于丢失石头的事，便说道：“除非工坊的屋顶也塌了。11
Then we’d be transported beneath a pile of rubble and dead.”那样我们就会被传送到一堆碎石下面，活活压死。”12
“No,” Finder replied, shoving his torch into the base of the rubble.“不会。”芬德答道，把火把塞进碎石堆的底部。13
“Then the dimension door would leave us in the astral plane.“那样的话，次元门会把我们留在星界。14
The workshop will be fine, though,” he said.不过，工坊肯定安然无恙。”他说。15
“Nothing could have gotten in there.”“任何东西都不可能闯进去。”16
“Half a ton of rock doesn’t need a key,” Olive pointed out, setting her own torch beside Finder’s.“半吨重的岩石可不需要钥匙。”奥利芙指出，同时把自己的火把放在芬德的火把旁边。17
“True,” Finder said, “but these ceilings haven’t collapsed from anything natural.”“确实，”芬德说，“但这些顶部的坍塌并非自然原因造成的。”18
He pointed to a portion of the arched ceiling that was still intact.他指向拱形顶部一处仍然完好无损的地方。19
It was lined with quarried stone, perfectly fitted.那里砌着开采后加工过的石料，彼此严丝合缝。20
“We haven’t found any of the quarried stone in the piles,” he said.“我们在这些石堆里一块这样的石料都没发现。”他说。21
“It would probably be at the bottom of the pile,” Olive replied.“它们大概都在石堆最底下。”奥利芙答道。22
“We haven’t dug that deep.”“我们还没挖到那么深。”23
Finder shook his head.芬德摇了摇头。24
“Some of it would be on the edges.“有些石块应该会落在边缘。25
It’s impossible for an arch to collapse unless some of the stone is removed.”除非有一部分石头被移走，否则拱门不可能坍塌。”26
The bard pointed to the top of the collapsed portion.吟游诗人指着坍塌部分的顶端。27
“It wasn’t pried or chipped out, and it didn’t fracture in a straight line.“这里的石头既不是被撬走或凿掉的，断口也不是直线。28
See how circular the collapsed parts are—making an arc right through the stones?”看这些坍塌处多么圆整——形成的弧线直接穿过了石块，看见了吗？”29
“Yes” Olive said hesitantly, feeling a little nervous.“看见了。”奥利芙迟疑地说，心里有些紧张。30
“It’s been disintegrated,” Finder explained.“它们是被解离的。”芬德解释道。31
“Oh, great!” the halfling muttered.“哦，太好了！”半身人嘟囔道。32
“Recently, too, I’d say, judging from the lack of water damage,” the bard added.“而且我看事情发生在不久前，从没有水蚀痕迹这一点就能判断出来。”吟游诗人又说道。33
“Probably by the same person or creature who dispelled the continual light enchantments that used to be on the archway keystones.”“很可能就是驱散了拱门拱心石上那些恒光术的人或生物干的。”34
“Marvelous,” Olive replied sarcastically.“真是妙极了。”奥利芙讥讽地答道。35
“And we’re digging our way right toward whoever did it.“而我们正在一路挖向干这事的家伙。36
Did it ever occur to you that this person or creature might have blocked the passages because he, she, or it wanted to be left alone?”你就没想过，这个人或生物堵住通道，可能是因为他、她或者它想独自待着，不受打扰吗？”37
“I don’t care,” Finder snapped.“我不在乎。”芬德厉声说道。38
“If it’s there, it’s in my home, and I’m going to get rid of.”“不管是什么东西，只要它在那儿，就是在我家里，我就要把它赶出去。”39
“Right,” Olive said without enthusiasm.“好吧。”奥利芙毫无热情地说道。40
“Suppose you get disintegrated first?”“要是你先被解离了呢？”41
“There’s enough magic in my workshop to demolish an army.“我的工坊里有足以摧毁一整支军队的魔法。42
I created the finder’s stone there,” he said.芬德之石就是我在那里创造出来的。”他说。43
He began pulling small boulders out of the rubble.他开始把一块块小巨石从瓦砾堆里拖出来。44
Olive scrabbled up the pile and began digging out dirt and mud with her tiny pack shovel.奥利芙手脚并用地爬上石堆，拿她那把小巧的行军铲挖起泥土来。45
Finder had broken the handle using it as a wedge on a boulder in the first pile of rubble they’d dug through, so now only Olive could use it comfortably.他们挖过第一堆瓦砾时，芬德曾把铲子当楔子去撬一块巨石，结果弄断了铲柄，所以现在只有奥利芙用起来还算顺手。46
“You mean,” she corrected the bard, “that that’s where you altered the stone’s already magical nature with a piece of enchanted para-elemental ice.”“你是说，”她纠正吟游诗人道，“你是在那里用一块附魔的准元素冰，改变了那块石头本就具有的魔法性质。”47
Finder looked up at the halfling with a hint of surprise.芬德抬头看着半身人，神色间略带惊讶。48
“And where did you learn that?” he asked.“你又是从哪儿知道的？”他问。49
“Elminster was explaining it to the Harper tribunal when I … uh, passed through,” Olive said.“我……呃，路过的时候，伊尔明斯特正在向竖琴手仲裁庭解释这件事。”奥利芙说。50
“He was, was he?“是吗，他还解释过这个？”51
Well, that stone was one of the most brilliant ideas of the century,” Finder said, tossing more rocks into the passageway behind them.“要我说，那块石头可是本世纪最绝妙的构想之一。”芬德一边说，一边把更多石块扔进他们身后的通道。52
“Para-elemental ice is far colder than ordinary ice,” he explained as they worked.“准元素冰远比普通的冰寒冷，”他一边干活一边解释道。53
“It keeps the finder’s stone from overheating no matter how much lore or how many songs or spells are stored inside it.“不管芬德之石里储存了多少知识、歌曲或法术，它都能防止石头过热。54
The cold also helps the stone retrieve any information I’ve put into it as fast as a human mind could.”这种寒冷还能帮助石头以人类心智所能达到的速度，提取我存入其中的任何信息。”55
Olive recalled that Finder had once compared his own memory and voice to polished ice.奥利芙想起，芬德曾把自己的记忆和嗓音比作打磨光滑的冰。56
“Did you use another piece of this magical ice in Alias?” she asked.“你是不是也在阿莉亚丝身上用了一块这种魔法冰？”她问。57
“Yes,” Finder replied.“是的。”芬德答道。58
“The most talented wizards of the era told me it couldn’t be done, that it wouldn’t work, but they were all wrong.“那个时代最有才华的法师都告诉我，这是办不到的，不会成功，可他们全都错了。59
Alias lives, and she will never forget anything I taught her.阿莉亚丝活着，而且她永远不会忘记我教给她的任何东西。60
She’s even better than the Finder’s stone, since she can learn new things without my help.她甚至比芬德之石更出色，因为没有我的帮助，她也能学习新事物。61
She amazes even Elminster,” the bard boasted.就连伊尔明斯特都对她惊叹不已。”吟游诗人自夸道。62
“I think Elminster likes her more than he’s amazed by her,” Olive said.“我觉得，与其说伊尔明斯特对她惊叹不已，不如说他很喜欢她。”奥利芙说。63
“Don’t let the sage’s grandfatherly act fool you.“别被那位贤者装出来的慈祥祖父模样骗了。64
Alias is the most remarkable piece of craftsmanship Elminster has ever seen, and he knows it.阿莉亚丝是伊尔明斯特见过的最非凡的造物，他自己也很清楚。65
She’s a constant reminder that I was right and he was wrong.她无时无刻不在提醒他：我是对的，而他错了。66
He’ll always regret that he turned me down when I asked for his help trying to create the first singer.”当初我请他帮忙尝试创造出第一个歌者，他却拒绝了我——这件事他会后悔一辈子的。”67
Olive strongly doubted that Elminster felt any such thing.奥利芙非常怀疑伊尔明斯特是否真有这种感觉。68
She was beginning to feel less tolerant of Finder and his vanity.她渐渐受够了芬德和他的自负。69
She was hungry and tired and dirty and, quite frankly, afraid of whatever it was that had disintegrated the ceiling.她又饿又累，浑身脏兮兮的，而且坦白说，她很害怕那个把天花板弄得粉碎的东西。70
Finder had failed to recognize the danger Kyre presented, and Grypht had paid the price.芬德没能意识到凯尔带来的危险，结果格里夫特为此付出了代价。71
The halfling had no desire to become a casualty of the bard’s scheme to recover his home.这个半身人可不想成为这位吟游诗人为夺回家园而筹划的行动中的牺牲品。72
It was time, she decided, to prick his ego, to bring him back to reality and get him to reconsider heading back to civilization.她认定，是时候挫挫他的傲气，让他回到现实，并劝他重新考虑返回文明世界了。73
“So,” Olive said, “what went wrong with the first singer?” she asked casually.“那么，”奥利芙故作随意地问道，“第一个歌者出了什么差错？”74
“I was careless,” Finder replied, rocking a large stone loose from the pile.“是我太不小心了，”芬德一边回答，一边从石堆里撬松了一块大石头。75
“I inserted the enchanted ice too quickly, and it exploded.”“我把施过魔法的冰放进去放得太快，结果它爆炸了。”76
“That’s what you told Elminster.“你就是这么告诉伊尔明斯特的。77
But what really happened?”但真相究竟是什么？”78
Olive asked.奥利芙问道。79
“Why would I lie to Elminster?”“我为什么要对伊尔明斯特撒谎？”80
Finder asked, without denying that there was more to the story.芬德反问道，却并未否认此事另有隐情。81
Olive grinned.奥利芙咧嘴一笑。82
“I’ll know that when you tell me what happened,” she replied.“等你告诉我发生了什么，我自然就知道了。”她答道。83
“What do you know about it, Olive girl?” the bard asked with a light tone, but the halfling could tell she’d made him nervous.“奥利芙丫头，你对这件事知道些什么？”吟游诗人语气轻松地问道，但这个半身人看得出，她已经让他紧张起来了。84
“I know that Flattery came to life,” Olive said, “but even though he looked just like you, he didn’t turn out to be as dutiful a child as Alias.“我知道弗拉特里活了过来，”奥利芙说，“可他虽然长得和你一模一样，却没能像阿莉亚丝那样，成为一个听话的孩子。85
He didn’t want to go into the family music business.他不想继承家里的音乐事业。86
He took up magic instead.”他反而学起了魔法。”87
Finder stopped working and stepped away from the blockade, looking up at Olive with astonishment, perhaps even fear.芬德停下手里的活，从堵住去路的石堆旁退开，抬头望着奥利芙，神情惊愕，甚至可能还带着恐惧。88
“How did you know that?” he gasped.“你是怎么知道的？”他倒抽着气问道。89
Olive sat down on a boulder.奥利芙在一块巨石上坐了下来。90
She laid down her shovel, pulled off her gloves, and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to brush out the dirt.她放下铲子，脱掉手套，用手指梳理头发，想把泥土弄掉。91
“It’s nothing special.“没什么特别的。92
I just happened to run into him—Flattery, that is.”我只是碰巧遇见了他——我是说，弗拉特里。”93
Finder rolled his eyes to the ceiling, muttering, “Halfling luck!”芬德翻着眼睛望向洞顶，嘟囔道：“半身人的好运！”94
He made it sound like a curse.他说得仿佛那是一句诅咒。95
Olive laughed.奥利芙笑了。96
“You don’t believe in that silly superstition, do you?”“你不会真信那种愚蠢的迷信吧？”97
Finder leaned back against the passage wall.芬德向后靠在通道的墙壁上。98
“Of course I do.“我当然信。99
You’re living proof.你就是活生生的证明。100
Why do you think Cassana and Phalse tried so hard to get you to turn against Alias?”不然你以为卡萨娜和法尔斯为什么那么费尽心机，想让你背叛阿莉亚丝？”101
Olive’s eyes narrowed.奥利芙眯起了眼睛。102
It was embarrassing just remembering how close she had come to betraying Alias, Akabar, and Dragonbait.只要一想起自己险些就背叛了阿莉亚丝、阿卡巴和龙饵，她便觉得难堪。103
“Because they were vicious sadists,” she snapped, “who wanted to see just how frightened they could make me.”“因为他们是凶残的虐待狂，”她厉声说道，“想看看他们究竟能把我吓到什么地步。”104
“The truth is, they were afraid of you.“其实，他们是怕你。105
You and all your race never follow the score.你和你的整个种族从来都不按乐谱行事。106
You’re always improvising without the composer’s consent.你们总是不经作曲家同意就擅自即兴发挥。107
You destroyed all their plans with one decision and your halfling luck.你只凭一个决定，再加上你的半身人好运，就毁掉了他们所有的计划。108
I’m beginning to know how they must have felt,” Finder said with an embarrassed grin.我开始明白他们当时是什么感受了。”芬德尴尬地咧嘴一笑。109
“And just what do you mean, you ‘just happened’ to run into Flattery?” he asked curiously.“还有，你说‘只是碰巧’遇见弗拉特里，究竟是什么意思？”他好奇地问道。110
Finder’s sudden interest in her luck made Olive nervous.芬德突然对她的运气来了兴趣，这让奥利芙紧张起来。111
It was bad luck to talk about luck.谈论运气会招来坏运气。112
“You tell me first.“你先告诉我。113
What went wrong when you created Flattery?”你创造弗拉特里时出了什么岔子？”114
Olive asked.奥利芙问道。115
Finder shrugged.芬德耸了耸肩。116
“He didn’t want to sing.“他不肯唱歌。117
We argued about it, and he got angry.我们为此争执起来，他发了火。118
I had two apprentices with me at the time, Kirkson and Maryje.当时我身边有两个学徒，柯克森和玛丽杰。119
Flattery killed Kirkson and injured Maryje.弗拉特里杀了柯克森，打伤了玛丽杰。120
Then he ran off.然后他逃走了。121
By the time I’d gotten help for Maryje, the trail was cold.等我为玛丽杰找来救援时，线索已经断了。122
Then the Harpers brought me to trial and exiled me.后来，竖琴手同盟把我送上法庭，判我流放。123
I tried scrying for Flattery all these years, but he kept himself hidden with his magic.”这些年来，我一直试图用魔法探查弗拉特里的下落，可他也用魔法隐藏着自己。”124
“Did you name him Flattery?”“是你给他取名叫弗拉特里的吗？”125
Finder’s face turned stormy.芬德的脸色阴沉下来。126
“That was Kirkson’s fault,” he said.“那都怪柯克森，”他说。127
“A practical joke to tease me.“他想捉弄我，才开了这个玩笑。128
Once he told the creature that was its name, it wouldn’t accept a different one.”他一告诉那生物这就是它的名字，它就再也不肯接受别的名字了。”129
“What were you going to name it?”“你原本打算给它取什么名字？”130
“I hadn’t decided yet.”“我当时还没决定。”131
“Hadn’t decided or hadn’t even considered giving it a name?”“是还没决定，还是压根儿没想过要给它取名字？”132
Olive guessed.奥利芙猜测道。133
Finder looked contrite.芬德露出愧疚的神色。134
“I remembered to give Alias one,” he said defensively.“我倒记得给阿莉亚丝取了一个名字，”他辩解道。135
“Alias.“阿莉亚丝。136
Some name,” Olive replied.这名字可真够特别的。”奥利芙答道。137
“I still can’t figure out why you lied to Elminster.”“我还是想不明白，你为什么要对伊尔明斯特撒谎。”138
“I was afraid the Harpers might hunt down the crea—Flattery.“我怕竖琴手同盟会追杀那个造——弗拉特里。139
I hoped if he was free, he might relent and sing my songs after all.”我希望他若能重获自由，或许会回心转意，到头来还是愿意唱我的歌。”140
“Not a chance,” Olive said.“绝无可能，”奥利芙说。141
“Flattery hated your guts.“弗拉特里恨你入骨。142
He wanted to destroy you and wipe out the whole rest of the Wyvernspur clan, too.”他想毁掉你，还想把飞龙刺家族其余的人也全都铲除。”143
Finder turned away from the halfling.芬德转过身去，背对着半身人。144
In the torchlight, Olive couldn’t tell what emotion he was concealing.火把的光照下，奥利芙看不出他藏起了怎样的情绪。145
With his back to her, the bard asked, “So how did you meet him?”吟游诗人背对着她问道：“那么，你是怎么遇见他的？”146
“I was in Immersea,” Olive explained.“当时我在伊默海，”奥利芙解释道。147
“You know the wyvern’s spur—your family heirloom that turns the bearer into a wyvern and protects him from magic and—”“你知道飞龙刺吧——就是你们家的传家宝，能把持有者变成飞龙，还能保护他免受魔法和——”148
Finder spun around and interrupted her.芬德猛地转过身，打断了她。149
“I know all about the spur,” he said with annoyance.“关于飞龙刺，我什么都知道，”他恼火地说。150
“I watched my idiot brother use it often enough.“我那个蠢货兄弟用过那么多次，我早就看够了。151
Get to the point, please.”请说重点。”152
“Well, Flattery didn’t know all about it.“好吧，可弗拉特里并不清楚它的一切。153
Fourteen years ago, one member of your family, Cole Wyvernspur, Giogi Wyvernspur’s father, discovered that Flattery was slaughtering people.十四年前，你们家族的一员，科尔·飞龙刺——乔吉·飞龙刺的父亲——发现弗拉特里正在屠杀无辜。154
Cole figured out that Flattery was a member of the family and challenged him to a duel to keep the family honor intact, so to speak.科尔查明弗拉特里也是家族成员，便向他发起决斗，姑且说是为了维护家族的荣誉。155
Flattery killed Cole, but Cole, using the spur, nearly killed Flattery.弗拉特里杀死了科尔，但科尔借助飞龙刺，也差点杀死弗拉特里。156
So Flattery tried to steal the spur, thinking he could use it against you and the rest of the clan.于是弗拉特里企图偷走飞龙刺，以为可以用它来对付你和家族里的其他人。157
Giogi stopped him, though.”不过，乔吉阻止了他。”158
“Giogi?“乔吉？159
Giogi Wyvernspur?乔吉·飞龙刺？160
That ridiculous fop whom Alias nearly killed last year?”就是去年阿莉亚丝差点杀掉的那个可笑的花花公子？”161
Finder asked.芬德问道。162
“That’s the one.“就是他。163
Grown some since then.从那以后成熟了些。164
Nice boy.”是个好小伙。”165
“What happened to Flattery?”“弗拉特里后来怎么样了？”166
Finder demanded impatiently.芬德不耐烦地追问。167
“Giogi had to kill him,” Olive said softly.“乔吉不得不杀了他，”奥利芙轻声说道。168
“Even if Flattery couldn’t use the spur, he would have wiped out the Wyvernspur family.“即使弗拉特里不能使用那枚马刺，他也会把飞龙刺家族斩尽杀绝。169
He was powerful enough and certainly crazy enough.”他力量够强，也绝对够疯。”170
Finder looked down at the tunnel floor and gave a resigned sigh.芬德低头望着隧道的地面，无奈地叹了口气。171
Olive thought he might be grieving, but when he looked back up, she saw a look of relief on his face.奥利芙以为他也许是在悲伤，可当他再次抬起头时，她却从他脸上看到了如释重负的神情。172
“If it hadn’t been for Dragonbait, Alias would have been just as bad as Flattery,” Olive said.“要不是有龙饵，阿莉亚丝会变得和弗拉特里一样糟，”奥利芙说。173
“Maybe worse.”“也许更糟。”174
“No, she wouldn’t!”“不，她不会！”175
Finder answered vehemently.芬德激烈地反驳道。176
“I didn’t make the same mistake with her.”“我没有在她身上犯同样的错误。”177
“What mistake?”“什么错误？”178
Finder didn’t answer.芬德没有回答。179
Instead, he bent over and resumed pulling stones from the debris that obstructed the passageway.相反，他俯下身，继续从堵住通道的碎石堆里搬开石块。180
Olive reached down and grabbed one of the bard’s fingers.奥利芙伸手一把攥住吟游诗人的一根手指。181
“What mistake?” she repeated.“什么错误？”她又问了一遍。182
“Nothing,” Finder said.“没什么。”芬德说。183
“You’re right.“你说得对。184
Dragonbait made all the difference.”龙饵起了决定性的作用。”185
Olive couldn’t think of anything that could make Finder relinquish any credit for his success with Alias, but she was certain he was lying.奥利芙想不出有什么事能让芬德放弃自己在阿莉亚丝一事上的任何功劳，但她确信他在撒谎。186
However, she wasn’t sure she really wanted to know why.不过，她也不确定自己是否真的想知道原因。187
She did know that she didn’t want to see the workroom where Flattery had been created.她只知道，自己不想见到弗拉特里诞生的那间工作室。188
Olive released Finder’s finger and patted him gently on the wrist.奥利芙松开芬德的手指，轻轻拍了拍他的手腕。189
“Finder, let’s leave.“芬德，我们走吧。190
I told Giogi about you.我跟乔吉说过你的事。191
He said you’re welcome in his home anytime.他说你随时都可以去他家。192
That’s where I was going to take you.”我本来就打算带你去那里。”193
The bard looked up and laughed.吟游诗人抬起头，笑了起来。194
“Giogi?“乔吉？195
That’s who you expected to protect me from the Harpers?你指望保护我不受竖琴手同盟伤害的人就是他？196
Ruskettle, have you taken leave of your senses?”拉斯凯特尔，你疯了吗？”197
“Giogi has a friend called Cat who can keep you hidden.“乔吉有个叫凯特的朋友，她能把你藏起来。198
I thought you’d want to meet her.”我想你会愿意见见她。”199
“Why?”“为什么？”200
“She’s one of the copies that Phalse made of Alias,” Olive explained.“她是法尔斯以阿莉亚丝为原型制造的复制品之一。”奥利芙解释道。201
Finder reached up and grabbed Olive’s wrists.芬德伸手抓住奥利芙的双腕。202
“What?” he shouted.“什么？”他大喊道。203
“You know—one of the twelve copies he made,” Olive explained.“你知道的——就是他制造的十二个复制品之一，”奥利芙解释道。204
“I found another one—Jade.“我还找到了另一个——杰德。205
We were friends, but Flattery killed her.我们是朋友，可弗拉特里杀了她。206
He thought she was Cat.他以为她是凯特。207
He was mad at Cat because he thought she’d betrayed him.他恨凯特，因为他以为她背叛了他。208
She was his apprentice for a while, since she’s a mage.她有一阵子是他的学徒，因为她是个法师。209
Jade was a pickpocket—a good one, too.杰德是个扒手——而且身手很不错。210
Anyway, Cat sided with Giogi against Flattery.总之，凯特站在了乔吉那边，反对弗拉特里。211
He was horrible to her—Flattery, that is.”他对她糟透了——我是说弗拉特里。”212
Finder sat on the pile of rock he’d been shifting.芬德在刚才一直挪动的那堆石头上坐了下来。213
“Olive, I think I’m getting too old to keep up with you.“奥利芙，我觉得自己年纪太大，已经跟不上你了。214
If you have any more revelations, give them to me now, while I’m sitting down.”你要是还有什么惊人的消息，就趁我现在坐着，一股脑儿告诉我吧。”215
“Cat’s going to have Giogi’s baby next spring.“凯特明年春天就要生乔吉的孩子了。216
So you’ll be a grandfather, sort of, besides being an eleventh-generation great-granduncle.”所以，除了是隔了十一代的叔祖父之外，你也算是要当祖父了。”217
Finder closed his eyes and began to rub his temples with his fingers.芬德闭上眼睛，开始用手指揉太阳穴。218
“So how about heading for Immersea?” the halfling asked, hoping Finder would be more open to the suggestion in his shocked state.“那我们去伊默海怎么样？”半身人问道，希望芬德在震惊之余更容易接受这个提议。219
Finder shook visibly and rose to his feet.芬德明显哆嗦了一下，站起身来。220
“I need to get into my workshop first.“我得先去我的工坊。221
Then we can discuss what to do next.”然后我们再商量下一步怎么办。”222
“Suppose whatever’s set up housekeeping down here is between us and the workshop?”“要是那个在下面安了家的东西正好挡在我们和工坊之间呢？”223
Olive protested.奥利芙反驳道。224
“I’m not going to let some squatter keep me from my own home,” the bard answered angrily.“我绝不会让一个强占地盘的家伙把我挡在自己家门外，”吟游诗人怒气冲冲地答道。225
“Finder, you’ve been in exile for two hundred years.“芬德，你已经被流放两百年了。226
It’s not as if whatever it is didn’t wait a decent interval before moving in.”不管那是什么，人家也算等了够久才搬进来。”227
The bard grinned slyly.吟游诗人狡黠地咧嘴一笑。228
“It’s getting awfully late to be on the road, Olive,” he said.“奥利芙，天已经很晚了，不适合再赶路，”他说。229
“Wouldn’t you rather have a bath and spend the night in a comfortable bed before we leave?“出发前，你难道不想先洗个澡，再舒舒服服地睡上一晚吗？230
I can get you that with the magic in my workshop.”我可以用工坊里的魔法让你如愿。”231
Olive tried to fend off the temptation by imagining a ray of disintegration coming toward her.奥利芙想象着一道解离射线朝自己射来，竭力抵挡这份诱惑。232
“The door to the workshop is only about another hundred feet down this passage,” Finder said.“沿着这条通道再走大约一百英尺，就到工坊的门了，”芬德说道。233
Olive pictured the green ray of disintegration Flattery had used to destroy her friend Jade and did not reply.奥利芙想起弗拉特里用来摧毁她朋友杰德的那道绿色解离射线，没有回答。234
“Then we wouldn’t have to walk at all.”“那样一来，我们根本不用走路了。”235
Finder added.芬德又说道。236
“I have copies of my spellbooks in my workshop.“我的工坊里有我的法术书副本。237
I can teleport us to Immersea.”我可以把我们传送到伊默海。”238
Olive sighed at her own weakness.奥利芙为自己的软弱叹了口气。239
She slipped on her gloves, picked up her shovel once again, and started shifting dirt.她戴上手套，再次拿起铲子，开始铲土。240
Finder began to sing a dwarven mining tune as he returned to digging out the rocks.芬德重新动手挖石头时，唱起了一首矮人采矿歌。241
In spite of her annoyance with the bard’s stubbornness and her fear of whatever lay beyond the obstructions, Olive hummed along in harmony.尽管奥利芙对吟游诗人的固执感到恼火，也害怕障碍物后面潜藏的东西，她还是跟着哼起了和声。242
It was too hard to resist the power of Finder’s voice.芬德歌声的力量实在太难抗拒了。243
They were both growing tired, so they worked more slowly.两人都渐渐疲惫起来，干活的速度也慢了下来。244
They’d been at it nearly an hour when Olive felt a flutter of air waft through her hair.他们干了将近一个小时，奥利芙忽然感到一缕气流拂过发间。245
“Got it!” she whispered down to the bard.“挖通了！”她朝下面的吟游诗人低声说道。246
“Do you see anything?”“你看到什么了吗？”247
Finder asked.芬德问道。248
The halfling put her face near the flow of air and squinted.半身人把脸凑近气流，眯起眼睛。249
“It’s too dark,” she reported.“太黑了，”她报告说。250
Her talent for seeing in the dark had never been as well developed as most of her folk, but her other senses were sharp enough.她在黑暗中视物的本领向来不如大多数族人，但她的其他感官却足够敏锐。251
“It feels warmer,” she said, “and—phew!“感觉更暖和了，”她说，“而且——呸！252
Your home’s new tenant isn’t much of a housekeeper.你家那位新住客可不怎么会收拾屋子。253
It smells like garbage.”闻起来像垃圾。”254
Finder started working faster, excited by the nearness of their goal.芬德加快了动作，因为离目标越来越近而兴奋不已。255
Olive slipped down to the floor to give the bard room to work.奥利芙滑到地面上，给吟游诗人腾出干活的空间。256
He piled stones up on either side of the tunnel to shore up the ceiling as he dug into the dirt.他一边往泥土里挖，一边把石头堆在通道两侧，撑住顶部。257
Olive watched him wriggle like a snake into the hole he’d created and disappear.奥利芙看着他像蛇一样扭动着钻进自己挖出的洞里，消失不见了。258
If he wanted to go first, she had no objections.既然他想打头阵，她当然没有异议。259
If there was something waiting on the other side, Finder was a bigger target and made a good shield.要是另一边有什么东西等着他们，芬德目标更大，正好可以当盾牌。260
“I need the torch,” his muffled voice called out.“我需要火把，”他含混的声音从里面传来。261
Olive took up Finder’s torch and scrambled up to the hole.奥利芙拿起芬德的火把，手脚并用地爬到洞口。262
She thrust it through as far her halfling arm could reach and leaned it against the stones the bard had positioned.她把火把尽力往里伸，直到半身人的胳膊再也够不着，然后将它斜靠在吟游诗人垒好的石头上。263
Finder reached back carefully and pulled it the rest of the way through.芬德小心翼翼地把手伸回来，将火把整个拉了进去。264
Olive slipped her shovel into her knapsack and slid back down the rubble to fetch her own torch.奥利芙把铲子塞进背包，顺着碎石堆滑回去拿自己的火把。265
“Damn!”“该死！”266
Finder growled from the other side of the rubble.芬德在碎石堆另一边低吼道。267
“What is it?”“怎么了？”268
Olive called out with alarm.奥利芙惊慌地喊道。269
Finder did not reply.芬德没有回答。270
Olive froze in horror.奥利芙吓得僵住了。271
“Finder?” she whispered.“芬德？”她低声唤道。272
From the other side of the rubble, she heard the sound of rattling iron.她听见碎石堆另一边传来铁器哐啷作响的声音。273
Olive snatched up her torch and scrabbled to the hole.奥利芙一把抓起火把，手脚并用地爬向洞口。274
“Finder!” she shouted.“芬德！”她大喊。275
“No need to shout, Olive girl,” Finder called back.“不用喊，奥利芙丫头，”芬德在另一边高声回应。276
“I can hear you.”“我听得见你。”277
“Why did you say ‘damn’?” she asked angrily, thrusting her torch into the hole.“你为什么要说‘该死’？”她气冲冲地问道，同时把火把伸进洞里。278
“Someone’s put an iron grate across the passage,” the bard explained.“有人在通道里装了一道铁栅门，”吟游诗人解释道。279
“Nothing I can’t handle, though.”“不过，这还难不倒我。”280
As Olive crawled through the hole toward the light, she heard the sound of a wire jiggling in a lock.奥利芙朝着亮光爬过洞口时，听见一根铁丝在锁孔里拨弄的声音。281
As she poked her head out of the hole, she saw the iron grate ten feet away.她从洞口探出头，看见十英尺外有一道铁栅栏。282
There was a door with a simple-looking lock set in it.栅栏上装着一扇门，门锁看起来十分简单。283
The bard was bent over it, picking at it with a bit of wire.吟游诗人正俯身对着锁，用一小截铁丝撬弄着。284
Why, Olive wondered, would anyone seal the passages with cave-ins and then put up an iron grate with a door in it?奥利芙心想，既然有人用塌方封住了这些通道，为什么又要竖起一道带门的铁栅栏呢？285
That is, unless they had some insidious reason to want someone to open the door.…除非，他们怀着什么险恶的目的，就是想让某个人打开这扇门……286
“Finder, wait!” the halfling cried urgently.“芬德，等等！”半身人急切地喊道。287
“Let me have a look first!”“先让我看看！”288
A distinct click echoed down the passageway.一声清脆的咔嗒声沿着通道回荡开来。289
Finder pushed on the grate.芬德推了推栅门。290
It swung open on squeaky hinges.栅门吱呀作响地转动铰链，敞开了。291
The bard turned around, grinning at Olive with amusement.吟游诗人转过身，忍俊不禁地冲奥利芙咧嘴一笑。292
“I told you I could handle it,” he said.“我说过，我应付得来。”他说。293
Olive rolled her eyes.奥利芙翻了个白眼。294
“You can never have too many people check a lock,” she snapped.“锁这种东西，再多人检查也不嫌多。”她没好气地说。295
“Suppose it had been trapped?”“万一上面设了机关呢？”296
Finder shrugged.芬德耸了耸肩。297
“It wasn’t. No harm done,” he said.“可它没有。反正也没出什么事。”他说。298
“Let’s get going.”“走吧。”299
Sometimes, Olive thought, he’s just like a little boy.有时候，奥利芙心想，他简直就像个小男孩。300
She slid down the pile of dirt and stone on the other side and picked up her torch.她从另一边的土石堆上滑下去，捡起自己的火把。301
“After you, my dear,” Finder said, motioning for her to go through the doorway.“你先请，亲爱的。”芬德说着，示意她穿过门洞。302
Olive eyed the passage cautiously.奥利芙警惕地打量着通道。303
It was too dim to pick out any really well-hidden traps.里面太昏暗了，根本看不清那些藏得极好的机关。304
“Age before beauty,” she replied.“年长者优先。”她答道。305
A rueful look flickered across the bard’s face, but he turned and stepped across the threshold into the passage beyond.吟游诗人脸上掠过一丝苦涩，但还是转过身，跨过门槛，走进了另一边的通道。306
Olive understood that look.奥利芙明白他为何露出那种神情。307
Now that Finder was no longer living on the boundary of the plane of life, his body was feeling his great age more, and Finder had never liked anything that reminded him of his mortality.如今芬德已不再徘徊于生命位面的边界，他的身体越发感受到了自己的高龄，而芬德从来不喜欢任何会提醒他终有一死的事物。308
The younger halfling couldn’t bring herself to tease him about it.年轻的半身人实在不忍拿这件事取笑他。309
She remembered all too well her mother’s own groaning complaints when her body began to fail.她清楚地记得，母亲的身体开始衰败时，也曾唉声叹气地抱怨个不停。310
No doubt, Olive realized, I’ll be just as annoyed when I get old—providing I live long enough, she amended, though she suspected the odds of that decreased the longer she stayed with Finder.毫无疑问，奥利芙心想，等我老了，也会一样恼火——前提是我能活到那么老，她又补充道，尽管她怀疑，自己跟芬德待得越久，活到那一天的可能性就越小。311
She trotted after the bard anyway.不过，她还是小跑着追上了吟游诗人。312
“So, where’s this workshop?” she asked when she caught up with him.“那么，那间工坊在哪儿？”追上他后，她问道。313
“Straight ahead, Olive,” Finder said, pointing down the dim corridor.“一直往前走，奥利芙。”芬德指着昏暗的走廊说道。314
Olive held her torch higher and peered into the darkness.奥利芙把火把举得更高，凝神望进黑暗中。315
Two dim torchlights shone somewhere farther down the passage.通道更深处的某个地方，亮着两点昏暗的火光。316
“Someone’s coming,” she hissed, halting in her tracks.“有人过来了。”她嘶声说道，猛地停下脚步。317
Finder chuckled.芬德轻声笑了起来。318
He moved his torch up and down, and one of the lights ahead of them rose and fell as if in reply.他将火把上下晃了晃，前方的一点亮光也随之升降，仿佛在回应他。319
“It’s just our reflection, Olive.“那只是我们的倒影，奥利芙。320
The door is enchanted, made of polished steel.那扇门施了魔法，是用抛光钢制成的。321
Keeps it from being disintegrated.”这样它才不会被分解掉。”322
Olive paced behind Finder.奥利芙跟在芬德身后前行。323
Halfway down the passage, a strand of her hair blew across her face.走到通道中途，一缕头发被风吹过她的脸庞。324
Olive halted again and turned sideways.奥利芙再次停下脚步，转身朝向一侧。325
From a gap in the wall large enough for a human to pass through, warm air, stinking of garbage, blew into the corridor.墙上有一道足以容人通过的缺口，带着垃圾恶臭的暖风正从那里吹进走廊。326
The quarried stone that had covered the gap lay smashed in pieces about the passageway floor, crunching under their feet.原本封住缺口的石材已被砸得粉碎，碎块散落在通道地面上，被他们踩得嘎吱作响。327
Beyond the gap was a tunnel stretching farther than the torchlight could reveal.缺口后方是一条隧道，一直延伸到火光照不到的深处。328
“This must be where whatever it was that disintegrated those arches broke in,” Olive said.“那些拱门不知被什么东西分解了，那东西一定就是从这里闯进来的。”奥利芙说。329
Finder turned and walked back to inspect the gap.芬德转身走回来，查看那道缺口。330
“Yes,” he said slowly.“没错，”他缓缓说道。331
“The hillside is riddled with natural caves and galleries.“这片山坡里遍布天然洞穴和坑道。332
I had this gap sealed off to keep cave monsters out.我让人封住了这道缺口，好把洞穴怪物挡在外面。333
I should have filled in the tunnel behind the gap, too.我本来也该把缺口后面的隧道填上的。334
Well, it can’t be helped now,” he said with a shrug and continued down the corridor, intent on his goal.不过，现在也没办法了。”他耸耸肩，继续沿走廊前行，一心奔向自己的目标。335
Olive stared down the tunnel behind the gap, wondering what sort of creature, possessing the power to disintegrate things, would live with that smell.奥利芙凝视着缺口后的隧道，心想究竟是什么样的生物，既拥有分解物体的力量，又能忍受那股臭味住在这里。336
Something without a nose, she thought, an idea that did not comfort her any.没鼻子的东西，她想，而这个念头并没有让她觉得安心半分。337
For a brief moment, she thought she saw tiny points of red light, but they blinked out immediately.有那么一瞬间，她以为自己看见了几个微小的红色光点，但它们立刻就熄灭了。338
She stepped closer to the hole.她朝洞口靠近了一步。339
From down the corridor Finder had followed came the rattle of another iron grate.芬德先前走过的那条走廊深处，传来了另一道铁栅栏的哐啷声。340
With a start, Olive realized they had fallen into a trap—one undoubtedly set by the unknown thing that had disintegrated the ceilings.奥利芙猛然意识到，他们落入了一个陷阱——毫无疑问，这是那个将天花板化为乌有的神秘东西设下的。341
Her heart pounding with fear, she raced down the corridor toward the bard.她吓得心怦怦直跳，沿着走廊朝吟游诗人飞奔而去。342
Ten feet from the steel door to his underground workshop, someone had set up a second iron grate with a door.在距离他那间地下工坊的钢门十英尺处，有人又架起了一道带门的铁栅栏。343
Finder had wedged his torch in the grating and was already bent over the door’s lock with his wire pick.芬德把火把卡在栅栏上，已经弯下腰，用钢丝撬锁器摆弄起门锁来。344
“Must be something to keep the children out,” the bard muttered disdainfully, but Olive could see at a glance that the lock on this second door was far more complicated than that on the first.“准是用来防止孩子们进去的。”吟游诗人不屑地咕哝道，但奥利芙一眼就看出，第二道门上的锁远比第一道复杂。345
“Finder,” she whispered nervously, tugging on his sleeve, “it’s a trap.“芬德，”她紧张地低声说道，一边扯着他的袖子，“这是个陷阱。346
Something’s coming from the caves back there.有什么东西正从后面的洞穴里过来。347
We have to get out of here.我们必须离开这里。348
Now!”马上！”349
“Don’t be silly, Olive,” the bard said.“别犯傻了，奥利芙。”吟游诗人说道。350
“I’ll only be a moment; then we can seal ourselves in the workshop.“只要一会儿就好；然后我们就能把自己关在工坊里。351
Ouch!”哎哟！”352
Finder drew his hand up to his mouth and sucked on his knuckle.芬德抬手凑到嘴边，吮了吮指关节。353
“Scratched myself,” he said with a touch of embarrassment.“把自己划伤了。”他略带尴尬地说道。354
Olive’s eyes widened with horror.奥利芙惊恐地睁大了眼睛。355
“Spit!” she ordered him.“吐出来！”她命令道。356
“What?” the bard asked with amusement.“什么？”吟游诗人觉得好笑地问道。357
“Spit, you idiot!“吐出来，你这个白痴！358
You’ve been jabbed by a poison needle!你被毒针扎了！359
Don’t swallow!”别咽下去！”360
Finder’s brow wrinkled with concern.芬德担忧地皱起了眉。361
He turned his head and spat on the floor while Olive pulled out a flask and shoved it into his hands.他转过头，把唾沫吐在地板上；与此同时，奥利芙掏出一只小瓶，塞进他手里。362
“Rinse your mouth and your hand,” she ordered, looking back down the corridor anxiously.“漱漱嘴，再冲洗一下手。”她命令道，同时焦急地回头望向走廊深处。363
Finder took a swig from the flask and spat it out, gagging and coughing.芬德从酒壶里灌了一口，随即吐了出来，又干呕又咳嗽。364
“What is this?” he asked.“这是什么？”他问。365
“Luiren Rivengut,” the halfling said.“路伦裂肠酒。”半身人答道。366
“Best whiskey there is.”“世上最好的威士忌。”367
“Tymora!“泰摩拉啊！”368
If the poison doesn’t get me, this stuff will!”“毒药要不了我的命，这玩意儿也会要了我的命！”369
Finder muttered.芬德嘟囔道。370
“Wash out the scratch,” Olive ordered.“把划伤的地方洗一洗。”奥利芙命令道。371
Finder splashed some of the whiskey on his knuckle.芬德往指关节上洒了些威士忌。372
“Let’s go,” Olive said.“我们走吧。”奥利芙说。373
“Olive, now that I’ve sprung the trap, we’ve nothing to lose,” Finder said, bending back over the lock with his pick.“奥利芙，既然我已经触发了陷阱，我们也没什么可损失的了。”芬德一边说，一边又俯身把开锁器伸进锁里。374
“It will be a snap to get this grate open and get into the workshop.”“打开这道铁栅门、进入工坊，根本不费吹灰之力。”375
“No, it won’t,” the halfling insisted, growing more frantic with each passing moment.“不，没那么容易。”半身人坚持道，随着时间一刻刻过去，她也变得越来越慌乱。376
“This is a tee-trap,” she explained.“这是个丁字陷阱。”她解释道。377
“The first lock had a silent alarm.“第一把锁连着无声警报。”378
This lock will be so complicated it will detain us long enough for guards to reach us from that tunnel back there.“这把锁会复杂得多，足以拖住我们，直到守卫从后面那条隧道赶过来。”379
We’ll be trapped long before we can get the door open.”“我们还没来得及开门，就会被困住。”380
“No, we won’t,” Finder insisted, jiggling his wire in the lock, but a moment later, he fumbled the wire and it bounced through the grate.“不会的。”芬德坚持道，一边用细铁丝在锁孔里拨弄；但片刻之后，他手上一滑，铁丝脱手，穿过铁栅弹到了另一边。381
He slid his arm through the grate in an unsuccessful attempt to reach it.他把手臂从铁栅间伸过去，想把它够回来，却没能成功。382
Something crunched on the broken stone in the passage behind them.他们身后的通道里传来一声踩碎石块的喀嚓声。383
Finder froze, his lockpick forgotten.芬德顿时僵住，把开锁器忘在了脑后。384
Very slowly the bard pulled away from the grate, rose to his feet, and turned around.吟游诗人极其缓慢地离开铁栅，站起身来，转了过去。385
In the passageway near the tunnel behind the gap in the wall stood three shadowy human-sized figures.墙上缺口后方的隧道附近，通道里站着三个影影绰绰、与人等高的身影。386
Their beady red eyes reflected the light of the bard’s and the halfling’s torches.它们那一双双珠子般的红眼睛，反射着吟游诗人和半身人火把的光芒。387
With his left hand, Finder grabbed Olive’s wrist and thrust her behind him, while with his right, he drew a dagger from his boot.芬德左手一把攥住奥利芙的手腕，将她推到自己身后，同时右手从靴子里拔出一把匕首。388
One shadowy figure drew closer to the torchlight.一个模糊的身影向火光靠近。389
It was a male creature with a jutting forehead, a snout, long canine teeth, pointed ears, and green skin covered with coarse hair.那是个雄性生物，前额突出，长着口鼻部、长长的犬齿和尖耳朵，绿色皮肤上覆盖着粗硬的毛发。390
Orcs, Olive thought with a disgusted shudder.兽人，奥利芙厌恶地打了个寒战，心想。391
Tymora, why couldn’t it have been something cleaner or nicer, like giant rabid rats?泰摩拉啊，为什么来的就不能是更干净、更讨人喜欢的东西，比如患了狂犬病的巨鼠？392
The other two orcs stepped into the light just behind the first.另外两个兽人紧跟着第一个，也踏入了光亮之中。393
Each wore a pair of trousers, a vest of dirty yellow cloth, a necklace decorated with dried human ears, and a belt with a holstered axe, and each held a loaded crossbow pointed at Finder’s middle.他们各自穿着一条长裤和一件脏黄色布背心，戴着以风干人耳装饰的项链，腰带上挂着一把装在套中的斧头，手里还各持一把上了弦的弩，瞄准芬德的腰腹。394
They carried no torches; they apparently could see well enough in the dark without them.他们没有携带火把；显然，即使没有火把，他们在黑暗中也看得足够清楚。395
“S’render ’r die,” the first ore ordered in slurred, barely intelligible common.“投……降，要不就死。”第一个兽人用含混不清、几乎让人听不懂的通用语命令道。396
“Such unappealing options,” Finder replied glibly.“这两个选择可都不怎么诱人。”芬德油嘴滑舌地答道。397
“I surrender.“我投降。”398
Here,” he said, offering his dagger, hilt first, to the orc, but Olive could tell from the way his left hand tightened about her wrist that he was tensed for a fight.“给你。”他说着，把匕首柄朝前递向兽人；但从他的左手攥紧奥利芙手腕的动作，奥利芙看得出，他已绷紧身体，准备一战。399
The orc squinted his eyes suspiciously, but he was too tempted by the sight of the emeralds and topazes set in the hilt of Finder’s dagger to order the bard to throw the weapon to the floor.兽人怀疑地眯起眼睛，可芬德匕首柄上镶嵌的祖母绿和黄玉实在太诱人了，以至于他没有命令吟游诗人把武器扔到地上。400
Moving a step closer, the orc reached out to take the weapon from Finder.兽人向前挪了一步，伸手去接芬德的武器。401
More quickly than Olive would have thought possible, Finder’s right leg shot up from the floor, kicking the ore’s crossbow hand.芬德的右腿以奥利芙无法想象的速度猛然从地面踢起，踢中了兽人握弩的手。402
The orc howled and fired his weapon, but the bolt discharged harmlessly toward the ceiling, then clattered to the floor.兽人嚎叫着扣动了弩机，但弩箭无害地射向天花板，随后当啷一声落到地上。403
Finder charged between the other two orcs, pulling Olive with him.芬德拉着奥利芙，从另外两个兽人中间猛冲过去。404
The halfling threw her torch into the face of one of the creatures as she passed it.经过其中一个兽人身边时，奥利芙把火把掷向了它的脸。405
Hurriedly the bard raced down the dark passage, dragging Olive behind him as though she were a rag doll.吟游诗人匆匆奔入黑暗的通道，拖着身后的奥利芙，仿佛她只是个布娃娃。406
Olive heard the orcs chasing after them, then the twang of another crossbow.奥利芙听见兽人在身后追赶，接着又听到一声弩弦崩响。407
The bolt thunked into something soft.弩箭噗的一声扎进了某个柔软的东西。408
From the grunt Finder made and the way he stumbled, the halfling guessed the bard had been hit, but he regained his balance and ran on.从芬德发出的闷哼和踉跄的脚步来看，奥利芙猜想他中箭了，但他很快稳住身子，继续向前跑。409
He smashed into the iron grate at the other end of the corridor.他一头撞上了走廊另一端的铁栅门。410
Something cackled beside them.有什么东西在他们身旁咯咯怪笑。411
It was a fourth orc, Olive realized, sent to relock the door leading to escape!奥利芙猛然意识到，那是第四个兽人，是被派来重新锁上这道逃生门的！412
The damned orcs weren’t as stupid as they looked.这些该死的兽人并不像看上去那么蠢。413
In the dark, she couldn’t see the creature, but she heard him breathing beside her.黑暗中，她看不见那家伙，却能听见他就在身旁喘息。414
Finder tugged on the iron grate door, but it held fast.芬德用力拉扯铁栅门，但门纹丝不动。415
A rough, hairy hand grabbed Olive’s left arm and began pulling her away from the bard.一只粗糙而毛茸茸的手抓住奥利芙的左臂，开始把她从芬德身边拽开。416
Olive shrieked.奥利芙尖叫起来。417
Finder tightened his grip on the halfling’s right wrist and tugged back.芬德攥紧她的右手腕，把她往回拉。418
Olive felt like a wishbone at a feast.奥利芙觉得自己就像宴席上被人扯着争抢的许愿骨。419
She sensed Finder slashing at the orc with his dagger, then something warm and sticky gushed over her head—orc blood.她感觉到芬德正挥匕首砍向兽人，紧接着，一股温热黏稠的液体喷了她满头——是兽人的血。420
The orc released her arm and fell heavily.兽人松开她的胳膊，重重倒了下去。421
“Get the lock!”“把锁打开！”422
Finder ordered, pushing Olive toward the door.芬德命令道，将奥利芙推向门边。423
He used his own body to shield her from the rest of the orcs, who had to be moving stealthily toward them.他用自己的身体护住她，挡着其余那些必定正悄无声息地向他们逼近的兽人。424
Olive felt her way to the lock, slid a wire from her hair, and jiggled it in the iron mechanism.奥利芙摸索到门锁，从头发里抽出一根铁丝，插进铁制锁具里拨弄起来。425
She couldn’t believe how easily she got the bolt to turn over.她简直不敢相信，自己竟如此轻易就拨开了锁闩。426
If she’d been the one to open it the first time, she would have realized much sooner that this was a trap.如果第一次是她亲手开的锁，她早就会意识到这是个陷阱了。427
As she pulled open the grate, she heard more crossbows twanging in the darkness and the sound of another bolt burying itself in flesh.她拉开铁栅门时，听见黑暗中又传来一连串弩弦崩响，还有另一支弩箭扎进血肉的声音。428
Tugging at Finder’s sleeve, the halfling got the bard through the door, pushed it closed, and, within moments, relocked it with her wire.奥利芙拽住芬德的衣袖，把他拉过门去，随即关上门，没过多久便用铁丝重新锁好了。429
As she turned to hurry down the corridor, a hand slipped through the grate and grabbed her hair.她转身正要沿走廊匆匆离开，一只手忽然从铁栅间伸出来，抓住了她的头发。430
“Let go!”“放手！”431
Olive shouted.奥利芙大喊。432
She felt Finder near her, stabbing through the grate.她感觉到芬德就在身旁，正隔着铁栅栏往里猛刺。433
She felt the hand go limp as it released her.她感觉那只手松软下来，放开了她。434
“Through the hole,” Finder shouted.“从洞里走，”芬德喊道。435
“Go!“快走！436
Go!快走！437
Go!”快走！”438
Olive scrambled up the pile of dirt and stone in the dark, all the while concentrating on locating a trace of the cool air on the other side of the cave-in.奥利芙在黑暗中手脚并用地爬上土石堆，同时全神贯注地搜寻塌方另一边透来的一丝凉风。439
“Finder!“芬德！440
Here!” she called out when she felt a bit of cooler air blowing through the tunnel.这边！”当她感觉到一股稍凉的空气从隧道里吹来时，便高声喊道。441
The bard scrambled up the slope beside her and pushed her through the opening.吟游诗人爬上她身旁的斜坡，把她从洞口推了过去。442
Olive crawled as fast as she could to clear the tunnel so Finder could get through.奥利芙以最快的速度往前爬，好腾出隧道让芬德通过。443
After a full minute, when he still didn’t emerge from the opening, Olive started back through to see what was keeping him.足足过了一分钟，他仍未从洞口出来，奥利芙便爬了回去，想看看是什么绊住了他。444
She found his body lying in the tunnel, motionless.她发现他一动不动地躺在隧道里。445
“Finder, you’ve got to get moving!” she shouted, shaking him by the shoulders.“芬德，你得赶紧动起来！”她一边大喊，一边抓住他的肩膀摇晃。446
She grabbed his hand, thinking, quite unreasonably, that she might drag him through.她抓住他的手，极不理智地以为自己或许能把他拖过去。447
His hand was warm, but it was puffed up to the size of an grapefruit.他的手仍是温热的，却已经肿得像一只葡萄柚那么大。448
It’s the poison from that damned needle trap, Olive thought.是那该死的毒针陷阱里的毒，奥利芙心想。449
He didn’t get just a little scratch; he got stabbed good.他可不只是擦破了点皮；他被扎得结结实实。450
“I should have realized he’d lie about it,” she muttered to herself as she rummaged through her knapsack, searching in the dark for the one potion that might help the bard.“我早该想到他会撒谎，”她低声自语，一边翻找背包，在黑暗中寻找唯一可能救得了这位吟游诗人的药剂。451
In the dark, she had to identify the correct vial by its shape.黑暗中，她只能凭形状辨认出正确的药瓶。452
She pulled it out, then shook the bard some more.她把药瓶取了出来，又用力摇了摇吟游诗人。453
“Finder, you’ve got to drink this.“芬德，你得把这个喝下去。454
Wake up!” she insisted.醒醒！”她执意催促道。455
The bard groaned softly.吟游诗人轻声呻吟了一下。456
That might be the most reaction I get out of him, the halfling thought.这恐怕就是我能让他做出的最大反应了，半身人心想。457
Quickly she turned his head sideways, unstoppered the potion, and poured it past his lips.她迅速将他的头扭向一侧，拔掉药水瓶的塞子，把药水从他唇间灌了进去。458
“Swallow,” she ordered.“咽下去。”她命令道。459
To her great relief, he did.令她大大松了口气的是，他照做了。460
After a few moments, Finder stirred, then croaked, “What?”过了一会儿，芬德动了动，随后声音嘶哑地问：“什么？”461
“Finder, come on!”“芬德，快点！”462
Olive implored.奥利芙恳求道。463
The bard shook himself and wriggled forward slowly.吟游诗人晃了晃身子，缓缓向前蠕动。464
Olive backed away, tugging on his tunic encouragingly.奥利芙一边向后退，一边拉着他的短上衣鼓励他。465
Finally they both reached the other side and rolled down the pile of rubble.最后，两人都爬到了另一边，顺着瓦砾堆滚了下去。466
Olive could hear the orcs arguing among themselves in some unintelligible tongue.奥利芙听见兽人们正用某种听不懂的语言相互争吵。467
Then the grate rattled loudly.接着，铁栅栏哐啷一声巨响。468
“I’ll light a torch,” Olive said.“我来点根火把。”奥利芙说。469
“It’ll just take a mo—”“只要一会儿——”470
“We don’t need one,” Finder muttered.“我们不需要火把。”芬德低声说道。471
Olive felt the bard take her right hand in his left.奥利芙感觉到吟游诗人用左手握住了她的右手。472
With his poisoned right hand, he felt along the wall, leading her through the maze of passages.他用中了毒的右手沿墙摸索，带着她穿过迷宫般的通道。473
She could sense he was limping.她能感觉到他走路一瘸一拐。474
The next cave-in was easier to crawl through, but it took Finder several minutes to negotiate it.下一处塌方比较容易爬过去，但芬德还是花了好几分钟才勉强通过。475
Olive put her hand on his back after he’d managed to pull himself through.等他终于把自己拖过去后，奥利芙把手放在了他的背上。476
His shirt and tunic were drenched with perspiration.他的衬衫和短上衣都被汗水浸透了。477
“Do you want to rest for a minute?” she asked.“你想休息一会儿吗？”她问。478
“No,” the bard growled.“不。”吟游诗人低吼道。479
“Keep going.”“继续走。”480
By the time they reached the cave-in below the stairs, Finder’s breathing was strained and shallow, and his skin was cold and clammy.等他们来到楼梯下方塌陷的地方时，芬德的呼吸已经变得急促而微弱，皮肤冰冷湿黏。481
Olive wasn’t sure he’d make it up the slope of the tunnel they’d dug.奥利芙不知道他还能不能爬上他们挖出的那条隧道斜坡。482
When she finally crawled out into the shaft of sunlight pouring down the stairway, Olive was exhausted, but perhaps the knowledge that it was the last stretch gave the bard more strength.奥利芙终于爬出隧道，进入从楼梯上倾泻而下的那束阳光时，已经筋疲力尽；但或许是知道只剩最后一段路了，吟游诗人反而又添了几分力气。483
He clambered through the tunnel and, with a great beastlike roar, tore up the stairs, passing the startled halfling.他手脚并用地爬过隧道，发出一声野兽般的震天咆哮，猛冲上楼梯，从惊愕的半身人身旁掠过。484
Olive muttered as she was forced to use her hands to help her scrabble up the steep steps.奥利芙一边嘟囔，一边不得不用双手帮忙，艰难地攀上陡峭的台阶。485
Once she’d reached the top, she slammed the stairway door closed and threw the dead bolt.她一到顶上，便砰地关上楼梯间的门，插上了门闩。486
Her companion had a key to lock it as well, but he was in no condition to use it.她的同伴还有一把钥匙，可以再把门锁上，但他现在根本没法用。487
Finder lay on the stone floor of his ruined manor house, silent and motionless.芬德躺在他那座已成废墟的庄园宅邸的石地板上，无声无息，一动不动。488
Olive bent over the bard and shook him gently, whispering his name.奥利芙俯身凑近吟游诗人，轻轻摇晃着他，低声呼唤他的名字。489
The bard didn’t answer.吟游诗人没有回应。490
He had a bolt in the back of his right shoulder and another in his left thigh.他的右肩后方插着一支弩箭，左大腿上还插着一支。491
He was either very lucky, or the orcs were lousy shots, Olive thought.要么是他运气极好，要么就是那些兽人的箭术烂透了，奥利芙心想。492
Very gently she eased the weapons from his flesh.她极其小心地将两支弩箭从他的血肉中拔了出来。493
Blood seeped from the wounds, but at least it didn’t gush out profusely.鲜血从伤口中渗出，但至少没有汹涌喷出。494
The wounds weren’t serious enough to have made him pass out.这些伤还不至于让他昏迷。495
It’s still the damned poison from the damned needle trap, Olive thought.还是那个该死的针刺陷阱上的该死毒药，奥利芙心想。496
The potion she’d given him wasn’t strong enough to counteract the poison.她给他喝的药水药效不够强，无法抵消毒性。497
All she’d accomplished by pouring it in him was to prolong his dying for a few hours.她把药水灌进他肚子里，唯一做到的不过是让他多苟延残喘几个小时。498