Dragonbait rushed to Grypht’s side as Alias whirled around.阿莉亚丝猛地转过身时，龙饵冲到了格里夫特身边。1
Breck stood at the edge of the clearing, a second arrow already notched in his bow.布雷克站在空地边缘，弓上已经搭好了第二支箭。2
He must have rediscovered Akabar and Grypht’s trail and tracked them right back to the camp, the swordswoman realized.女剑士意识到，他一定是重新发现了阿卡巴和格里夫特的踪迹，一路追踪他们回到了营地。3
Dragonbait knelt beside the saurial wizard, cursing himself for having forgotten the ranger’s bloodlust.龙饵跪在那名蜥蜴人法师身旁，暗骂自己竟忘了那个游侠嗜血成性。4
Breck cried out, “Don’t touch him!”布雷克大喊：“别碰他！”5
Dragonbait ignored the ranger’s order and laid his hands on the larger saurial’s chest.龙饵没有理会游侠的命令，把双手按在那个体形更大的蜥蜴人胸口。6
He began to pray for the power to heal.他开始祈求治愈的力量。7
“Breck, you idiot!”“布雷克，你这个白痴！”8
Alias called out.阿莉亚丝喊道。9
“What do you think you’re doing?”“你以为自己在干什么？”10
Breck approached them.布雷克朝他们走来。11
“I thought I was saving your life,” he said.“我以为我是在救你的命。”他说。12
“That creature could have killed you in an instant.“那怪物一眨眼就能杀了你。13
What does Dragonbait think he’s doing?”龙饵以为自己在干什么？”14
“Healing him,” Alias explained.“在给他疗伤。”阿莉亚丝解释道。15
“No!”“不！”16
Breck shouted, and shoved the saurial paladin away from Grypht.布雷克大吼一声，把那名蜥蜴人圣武士从格里夫特身边推开。17
“Are you crazy?“你疯了吗？18
That’s the monster that killed Kyre!”那就是杀死凯尔的怪物！”19
“No, he isn’t,” Alias said.“不，他不是。”阿莉亚丝说。20
“Grypht is a saurial like Dragonbait.“格里夫特和龙饵一样，都是蜥蜴人。21
He’s a friend of Dragonbait’s. He couldn’t have killed Kyre.”他是龙饵的朋友。他不可能杀死凯尔。”22
“Well, actually,” Akabar said, “he did kill her.”“嗯，其实，”阿卡巴说，“她的确是他杀的。”23
“See?“看见了吧？24
I told you so!”我早就说过了！”25
Breck said, waving his finger in Alias’s face.布雷克说着，用手指在阿莉亚丝面前挥来挥去。26
Alias shot Akabar a look of frustration.阿莉亚丝懊恼地瞪了阿卡巴一眼。27
Even if the Turmishman didn’t want to lie, he could at least have had sense enough to keep his mouth shut.就算这个图米什人不愿撒谎，至少也该识趣地闭上嘴。28
“He had no choice, though,” Akabar explained.“可他别无选择，”阿卡巴解释道。29
“Kyre was a minion of Moander.“凯尔是莫安德的爪牙。30
She would have enslaved both of us to the Darkbringer if Grypht hadn’t destroyed her.”要不是格里夫特除掉了她，她就会把我们俩都变成黑暗使者的奴隶。”31
“How dare you speak such lies?”“你竟敢说这种谎话？”32
Breck growled at Akabar.布雷克冲阿卡巴低吼道。33
“Kyre was a Master Harper!“凯尔可是竖琴手大师！34
How dare you slander her like that?你竟敢这样诬蔑她？35
And with such a feeble story.还编出这么拙劣的故事。36
Moander is dead.”莫安德已经死了。”37
The ranger turned his bow on the Turmishman.游侠调转弓箭，瞄准了那个图米什人。38
“You’re lying about Kyre.“你在凯尔的事上撒了谎。39
Admit that you’re lying!” he demanded.承认你在撒谎！”他厉声喝道。40
Alias pushed Breck’s bow aside.阿莉亚丝把布雷克的弓推到一旁。41
Despite her anger with Akabar and Zhara and Dragonbait, she couldn’t let Breck shoot them full of arrows.尽管她对阿卡巴、扎拉和龙饵都很生气，却不能任由布雷克把他们射得浑身是箭。42
“Lord Mourngrym said we were to capture Grypht, if we could, and bring Akabar back alive,” she reminded him sharply.“莫恩格林领主说过，要我们尽可能活捉格里夫特，还要把阿卡巴活着带回去，”她厉声提醒他。43
“If we don’t do something for Grypht soon, he’s going to die, and if you don’t stop waving that bow at Akabar, your fingers are going to slip and we won’t be able to bring him back alive either.”“要是我们再不赶紧救治格里夫特，他就要死了；而你要是再拿那张弓对着阿卡巴挥来挥去，手指一滑，我们也没法把他活着带回去了。”44
“All right,” Breck said, “you can heal Grypht, but I want him tied up first.”“好吧，”布雷克说，“你可以给格里夫特疗伤，但我得先把他绑起来。”45
“With what?”“拿什么绑？”46
Alias asked.阿莉亚丝问道。47
“Breck, he’s too big to tie up.“布雷克，他个头太大了，根本绑不住。48
He’s not going to run off anyway.”反正他也不会逃跑。”49
Dragonbait signed something to Alias.龙饵用手语对阿莉亚丝说了些什么。50
“Dragonbait says he guarantees Grypht’s good behavior,” Alias explained to the ranger.“龙饵说，他可以保证格里夫特不会乱来。”阿莉亚丝向游侠解释道。51
“He’s going to guarantee the good behavior of a murderer?”“他要替一个杀人凶手的良好表现作担保？”52
Breck asked sarcastically.布雷克讥讽地问道。53
“It was self-defense,” Akabar insisted.“那是自卫。”阿卡巴坚持道。54
“Kyre wouldn’t hurt anyone.”“凯尔绝不会伤害任何人。”55
Breck retorted.布雷克反驳道。56
“She was possessed by Moander,” Akabar explained.“她被莫安德附身了。”阿卡巴解释道。57
“It’s true Moander was dead, but the evil god’s spirit is trying to return to the Realms.“莫安德确实已经死了，但这个邪神的灵魂正企图重返诸界。58
It can possess good creatures as well as evil.”它既能附身于邪恶生灵，也能附身于善良生灵。”59
“Like the treants,” Alias pointed out.“就像那些树人。”阿莉亚丝指出。60
She shifted her position very subtly, blocking the ranger’s view of Grypht as Zhara bent over the saurial wizard.她极其隐蔽地挪了挪位置，挡住游侠看向格里夫特的视线，而扎拉则俯身察看那位蜥蜴族法师。61
“You saw the treants, then?”“这么说，你们也见过那些树人？”62
Akabar asked.阿卡巴问道。63
“They were controlled by Moander the same way Kyre was,” the mage explained, motioning with his hands to keep Breck’s eyes away from his wife.“它们和凯尔一样，都受到了莫安德的控制。”法师解释道，同时用双手比画着，好让布雷克的目光避开自己的妻子。64
“She might never have joined Moander willingly, but she was possessed by a vine of some sort, the same thing that possessed the treants.“她或许从未自愿投靠过莫安德，而是被某种藤蔓附了身，和附身于那些树人的东西一样。65
We had no choice but to destroy them.我们别无选择，只能消灭它们。66
They tried to kidnap me and nearly killed Grypht.它们企图绑架我，还差点杀死格里夫特。67
Why do you think a single arrow brought him down so easily?你以为为什么区区一支箭就能那么轻易地射倒他？68
He received so many injuries from them that he passed out in our hiding place and slept for hours.”他被它们打得遍体鳞伤，回到我们的藏身处后便昏睡过去，一连睡了好几个小时。”69
Akabar put a hand on Breck’s shoulder.阿卡巴把一只手搭在布雷克肩上。70
“I am sorry for the loss of your fellow Harper,” he said to the ranger.“失去你的竖琴手同伴，我很遗憾。”他对游侠说道。71
“She seemed to me a beautiful and clever woman, traits that Moander could not have made her mimic were they not already her own.“在我看来，她既美丽又聪慧；若非她本就拥有这些品质，莫安德也无法让她装出这样的模样。72
I can understand your anguish.我能理解你的痛苦。73
I share it with you.”我也与你一样感到悲痛。”74
Breck took a deep breath and let it out slowly.布雷克深吸一口气，又缓缓吐了出来。75
Replacing his arrow in his quiver and shouldering his bow, the ranger nodded respectfully at Akabar.游侠把箭插回箭囊，将弓背到肩上，恭敬地朝阿卡巴点了点头。76
“Thank you,” he said.“谢谢。”他说。77
“However, you must realize I cannot accept your story without proof.“不过，你必须明白，没有证据，我无法相信你的说法。78
There was nothing left of Kyre’s body.凯尔的尸体什么也没剩下。79
You will have to come back to Shadowdale, so Morala and Lord Mourngrym can judge whether you are telling the truth or not.”你们必须跟我回阴影谷，让莫拉拉和莫恩格林领主判断你们说的究竟是不是真话。”80
Behind the ranger, Zhara finished her prayers to cure Grypht’s wounds.在游侠身后，扎拉念完了治愈格里夫特伤势的祷文。81
Akabar looked up at the trees hesitantly, reluctant to agree with the ranger but equally reluctant to refuse him.阿卡巴迟疑地抬头望向树木；他不愿答应游侠，却也同样不愿拒绝。82
He looked anxiously at Grypht, who was rising slowly to his feet.他焦急地看向正缓缓站起身来的格里夫特。83
“He hasn’t time to return to Shadowdale” Grypht said in Realms common.“他没时间回阴影谷。”格里夫特用诸界通用语说道。84
Breck whirled around and discovered the saurial on his feet.布雷克猛地转过身，发现那个蜥龙人已经站了起来。85
The ranger reached for his sword, but Grypht caught his wrists.游侠伸手去拔剑，但格里夫特一把抓住了他的手腕。86
As burly as he was, the ranger was no match for the five-hundred-pound saurial.游侠虽魁梧壮实，却根本不是这个重达五百磅的蜥龙人的对手。87
“You’ve drawn my blood twice in as many days,” the wizard said to Breck.“这两天里，你已经两次让我流血了。”法师对布雷克说道。88
“Frankly, I’m getting a little tired of it.“说实话，我已经有点厌烦了。89
Now you will listen to me without attacking me.”现在，你得听我说话，不许再袭击我。”90
Breck’s body went limp and he glared at Grypht.布雷克不再挣扎，只是怒视着格里夫特。91
“I’m listening, monster.”“我听着呢，怪物。”92
“Good,” Grypht said, but he didn’t release the ranger.“很好。”格里夫特说道，却没有放开游侠。93
“In our world,” the wizard explained, “there are still fools who worship the Darkbringer and give his minions power to walk among us.“在我们的世界里，”魔法师解释道，“至今仍有一些蠢人崇拜黑暗使者，并赋予它的爪牙力量，让它们能够行走在我们中间。94
Kyre came to our world as a visitor to study our music, and we welcomed her, but while she was among us, our tribe was attacked by minions of Moander.凯尔来到我们的世界作客，研究我们的音乐，我们也接纳了她；但她停留期间，我们的部族遭到了莫安德爪牙的袭击。95
Kyre helped defend our tribe most heroically, but she was captured by the enemy.凯尔英勇无比地帮助我们保卫部族，却被敌人俘虏了。96
The Darkbringer made her one of its minions by possessing her body with its vines.黑暗使者用藤蔓占据了她的身体，使她变成了自己的爪牙。97
Since she is native to this world, she can walk among your people without raising suspicion, so Moander sent her back here to prepare things for his return.由于她生来属于这个世界，可以在你们中间行走而不引起怀疑，莫安德便把她送回这里，为他的归来做好准备。98
In the meantime, my tribe has fought against the attacks of other minions of Moander for months now, until all but I and my apprentices and the Champion, the one you call Dragonbait, have been caught and enslaved.与此同时，我的部族数月来一直抵抗莫安德其他爪牙的进攻，直到除了我、我的学徒们和勇士——也就是你们所称的龙饵——以外，所有人都被抓走并沦为奴隶。99
Moander has marched my tribe forcibly through the plane of Tarterus and into this world.莫安德强迫我的部族穿过塔尔塔罗斯位面，来到了这个世界。100
The Darkbringer is using them to create a new body to use in the Realms.黑暗使者正利用他们创造一具新的躯体，以便在诸界中使用。101
I came to your world seeking Champion’s help.我来到你们的世界，是为了寻求勇士的帮助。”102
“Unfortunately I arrived in Kyre’s presence, and she used your ignorance to her own purposes and convinced you to attack me.“不幸的是，我抵达时正好出现在凯尔面前，她利用你们的无知来达到自己的目的，说服你们攻击我。103
When she’d cornered me in Nameless’s room, she imprisoned me in a soul trap.她在无名者的房间里把我逼入绝境后，便将我囚禁在一个灵魂陷阱中。104
Akabar freed me, and I destroyed her before she could enslave us both.阿卡巴释放了我，而我在她把我们两人都变成奴隶之前消灭了她。105
I would not have destroyed her if there was any hope she would live once Moander had dispossessed her, but there wasn’t. Moander’s possession had eaten away the inside of her body.”如果莫安德离开她的身体后，她还有一线生机，我绝不会消灭她，但她已经无药可救了。 莫安德的附身已经将她身体内部侵蚀殆尽。”106
“You kidnapped Elminster and Nameless, and you expect me to believe what you’re saying?”“你绑架了伊尔明斯特和无名者，还指望我相信你说的话？”107
Breck said, tossing his head back haughtily.布雷克傲慢地把头一仰，说道。108
“I didn’t kidnap Elminster or Nameless,” Grypht replied.“我没有绑架伊尔明斯特或无名者。”格里夫特回答。109
“I used a transference spell on Elminster—”“我只是对伊尔明斯特施了转移法术——”110
“That agrees with what Lhaeo said must have happened,” Alias interspersed.“这与莱奥所说必然发生的情况吻合。”阿莉亚丝插话道。111
“That strange place where Morala saw Elminster in her scrying bowl must be Grypht and Dragonbait’s home world.”“莫拉拉在占卜碗中看见伊尔明斯特身处的那个陌生地方，一定就是格里夫特和龙饵的故乡世界。”112
“Then why hasn’t Elminster returned home?”“那伊尔明斯特为什么还没回家？”113
Breck demanded.布雷克追问道。114
“I can only assume that somehow the Darkbringer has interfered with his returning,” Grypht answered.“我只能推测，黑暗使者不知用了什么手段，阻碍了他的归来。”格里夫特回答。115
“What did you do with Nameless?”“你把无名者怎么样了？”116
Breck asked.布雷克问道。117
“Nothing,” Grypht replied.“什么也没做，”格里夫特回答。118
“As I already told Alias, the bard and Olive must have fled to escape from Kyre after she trapped me in her soul gem.“我已经告诉过阿莉亚丝了，那个吟游诗人和奥利芙一定是在凯尔把我困进她的灵魂宝石后，为了躲避她而逃走了。119
I was tracking Olive with the bard’s magic stone, but I turned back when Akabar told me Champion was in Shadowdale.”我原本正用吟游诗人的魔法石追踪奥利芙，但阿卡巴告诉我勇士在阴影谷后，我就折返了。”120
Unable to refute the wizard’s story, the ranger became less adamant, but he remained cautious.游侠无法反驳法师的说法，态度不再那么强硬，但依旧保持警惕。121
“I still need more proof,” he said.“我还是需要更多证据，”他说。122
“Where’s the finder’s stone now?”“寻人石现在在哪儿？”123
Grypht released the ranger and pulled from his robe the prize he had looted from Kyre’s body.格里夫特松开游侠，从长袍里掏出那件从凯尔尸体上搜来的战利品。124
“All right,” Breck said.“好吧，”布雷克说。125
“Think of someone in your tribe whom Moander has enslaved and sent to the Realms,” he ordered the wizard.“想一个你们部族里被莫安德奴役并送到诸界的人，”他命令法师。126
Grypht held the stone and concentrated on a saurial he suspected would still be alive, despite the deprivations Moander put its slaves through.格里夫特握住石头，集中精神想着一名恐龙人；尽管莫安德让奴隶们饱受磨难，他猜那名恐龙人应该还活着。127
The finder’s stone sent a beam northwest by westward, toward the peaks of the Desertsmouth Mountains.寻人石向西北偏西射出一道光束，指向沙漠之口山脉的群峰。128
“Give Alias the stone,” Breck ordered.“把石头交给阿莉亚丝，”布雷克命令道。129
Grypht tossed the stone to the swordswoman.格里夫特把石头抛给女剑士。130
“Think about Nameless,” the ranger told Alias.“想着无名者，”游侠对阿莉亚丝说。131
Alias did as the ranger asked.阿莉亚丝照游侠说的做了。132
The first beam of light faded and a second one shot out to the southwest.第一道光束渐渐消失，第二道则射向西南方。133
Alias felt a sense of relief.阿莉亚丝感到一阵宽慰。134
Wherever the bard was, he was far from Moander’s saurial slaves.无论那个吟游诗人身在何处，他都离莫安德的恐龙人奴隶很远。135
Breck wore a thoughtful expression on his face.布雷克脸上露出若有所思的神情。136
“Nameless used the stone to cast a tongues spell so he could speak with Grypht,” Akabar explained.“无名者用那块石头施展了巧言术，这样他就能和格里夫特交谈了，”阿卡巴解释道。137
“I tried to tap into the stone’s magic last night, but it wouldn’t work for me except as a compass.”“昨晚我试着调动石头里的魔力，可除了拿它当指南针以外，我根本用不了它。”138
“I’ll bet it would work for Alias,” Breck said.“我敢说阿莉亚丝能用，”布雷克说。139
“Me?“我？140
I’m not a mage,” the swordswoman said.我又不是法师，”女剑士说。141
“What do I know about magic stones?”“我懂什么魔法石？”142
“You’re Nameless’s heir apparent, so to speak,” Breck said.“可以说，你就是无名者的继承人，”布雷克说道。143
“Try the stone for something other than detecting someone,” he suggested.“试试看用这块石头做点别的，别只拿它来探测别人。”他建议道。144
Alias peered into the depths of the stone, remembering how cryptic Elminster had been on the night last year when he’d given it to her.阿莉亚丝凝视着石头深处，回想起去年伊尔明斯特把它交给她的那个夜晚，当时他说话是多么晦涩难解。145
He must have thought she could use it, too.他一定是认为她也能使用它。146
Back then, when she hadn’t even known about Nameless, the magic object had seemed to her to be just another light stone.那时候，她甚至还不知道无名者的存在，这件魔法物品在她看来不过是又一块照明石。147
Now that she knew it had belonged to the bard, however, a whole new set of memories came to her—memories that Nameless must have implanted in her before she was “born”—memories of how to use the stone.然而，现在她知道它曾属于那位吟游诗人，一整套全新的记忆便涌入脑海——那一定是无名者在她“出生”前植入她体内的记忆——关于如何使用这块石头的记忆。148
“Nameless triggered it with—” Grypht began.“无名者是用——”格里夫特开口说道。149
“Music,” Alias interrupted.“音乐。”阿莉亚丝打断了他。150
Grypht nodded.格里夫特点点头。151
“The bard cast a tongues spell with it.“那位吟游诗人曾用它施展巧言术。152
Since my own tongues spell will wear off shortly, it would be helpful if you could speak saurial.我自己施展的巧言术很快就要失效了，如果你能说蜥族语，就方便多了。153
The bard sang eight notes.那位吟游诗人唱了八个音。154
I’ll try to hum them—”我试着把它们哼出来——”155
Alias waved to Grypht to be silent and closed her eyes.阿莉亚丝抬手示意格里夫特别出声，然后闭上了眼睛。156
“I know what to do,” she said.“我知道该怎么做。”她说道。157
It was almost as if she could hear Nameless instructing her: “To cast a tongues spell, sing an A-minor scale.…”她几乎仿佛能听见无名者在指点她：“要施展巧言术，就唱一遍A小调音阶……”158
Alias sang the scale, at the same time concentrating on the strange saurial tongue.阿莉亚丝唱起那段音阶，同时全神贯注地想着那种陌生的蜥族语言。159
The stone glowed yellow in her hand; then the glow traveled up her arms and surrounded her whole body.她手中的石头泛起黄光；随后，光芒沿着她的双臂向上蔓延，笼罩了她全身。160
Alias was suddenly aware of a myriad of scents wafting from both Grypht and Dragonbait.阿莉亚丝突然察觉到，无数气味正从格里夫特和龙饵身上飘散出来。161
She could not only smell the scents, but also taste them as well.她不仅能闻到这些气味，甚至还能尝到它们。162
Then, unexpectedly, the air filled with noises, too—high-pitched whistles and clicks that complemented the scents.接着，出乎意料的是，空气中也充满了声响——尖锐的哨音和咔嗒声，与那些气味相辅相成。163
“It seems to have worked.“看来是成功了。164
Tell me it worked,” Grypht said to Alias in saurial.快告诉我，确实成功了。”格里夫特用蜥族语对阿莉亚丝说道。165
He gave off a scent like chicken soup, which the swordswoman realized indicated impatience.他散发出一股鸡汤般的气味，女剑士意识到，那表示他已经等得不耐烦了。166
“But I don’t just smell you,” Alias said in saurial.“可我不只是能闻见你，”阿莉亚丝用蜥蜴人语说道。167
“I hear you!”“我还能听见你！”168
“Smells merely convey emotions, emphasis, intonation—” Grypht began to explain.“气味只用来传达情绪、强调和语调——”格里夫特开始解释。169
“But the words are clicks and whistles!”“但话语本身是咔嗒声和哨音！”170
Alias completed the thought for him.阿莉亚丝替他说完了。171
“Why couldn’t I hear them before?” she asked with puzzlement.“那我以前为什么听不见？”她困惑地问道。172
“Your ears normally don’t work as well as ours,” Grypht said with a shrug.“你们的耳朵通常没我们的好使，”格里夫特耸耸肩说。173
Dragonbait reached up and tapped Grypht’s elbow.龙饵抬起手，轻轻敲了敲格里夫特的手肘。174
“High One,” the paladin addressed the wizard, and Alias realized that the name “Grypht” was the closest human approximation to the saurial words for “High One,” though whether it was the wizard’s name or title she could not tell.“尊者，”圣武士对法师说道；阿莉亚丝这才意识到，“格里夫特”是蜥蜴人语中“尊者”一词最接近人类发音的说法，但她无法确定这究竟是法师的名字还是头衔。175
“I would like to speak with my sister,” Dragonbait said, issuing a scent like basil, which Alias realized indicated he desired privacy.“我想和我的姐妹谈谈，”龙饵说道，同时散发出一股罗勒般的气味；阿莉亚丝明白，这表示他希望能私下交谈。176
“Champion, there simply isn’t time,” Grypht replied.“勇士，实在没有时间了，”格里夫特答道。177
“We have much to discuss before the spell Alias cast wears off.”“在阿莉亚丝施放的法术失效之前，我们还有许多事情要谈。”178
“The tongues spell cast from the stone is permanent,” Alias said.“那块石头施放的巧言术是永久的，”阿莉亚丝说道。179
Grypht looked at the swordswoman in disbelief.格里夫特难以置信地望着女剑士。180
“You must be mistaken.“你一定弄错了。181
You do not understand magic.你不懂魔法。182
It takes a tremendous amount of power to make a spell permanent,” the wizard explained.要让一道法术永久生效，需要极其强大的力量，”法师解释道。183
Alias shrugged.阿莉亚丝耸了耸肩。184
“You’re right.“你说得对。185
I don’t understand magic, but I know this spell is permanent.”我不懂魔法，但我知道这个法术是永久的。”186
Grypht still looked doubtful.格里夫特看上去仍然心存怀疑。187
He nodded to Dragonbait.他朝龙饵点了点头。188
“Have your talk,” he said, “but speak quickly.”“你们谈吧，”他说，“但要快点。”189
The saurial wizard turned away and walked off, taking Akabar and Zhara and Breck with him.蜥蜴人法师转过身，带着阿卡巴、扎拉和布雷克走开了。190
Alias was left alone with Dragonbait.只剩下阿莉亚丝和龙饵单独在一起。191
The swordswoman looked down at the ground and shifted her weight nervously onto one leg.女剑士低头看着地面，紧张地将重心移到一条腿上。192
She could no longer shut out the paladin’s words now by turning her back on his signing fingers, and the memory of how she had done so filled her with embarrassment.现在，她再也无法转过身去、不看他打手势的手指，以此拒绝听取圣武士的话；想起自己方才的举动，她满心羞愧。193
“Sister,” Dragonbait said, “will you accept my apology now, if I offer it in my own language?”“妹妹，”龙饵说道，“如果我用自己的语言向你道歉，你现在愿意接受吗？”194
Alias could smell the saurial’s sadness and tenderness.阿莉亚丝嗅到了这名蜥蜴人的悲伤与温柔。195
She could smell and taste something minty, too, an emotion she’d never sensed in Dragonbait.她还嗅到并尝到了一种薄荷般的气息，那是她从未在龙饵身上感受过的情绪。196
It was remorse.那是悔恨。197
He was really sorry, and there was no way she could deny it.他是真的感到抱歉，她无法否认这一点。198
Yesterday, Alias thought, I told Morala that I would love Finder no matter what secret he told me, yet I would have left Dragonbait without even giving him a chance to explain.阿莉亚丝心想：昨天，我还告诉莫拉拉，无论芬德向我吐露什么秘密，我都会爱他；可我却差点连解释的机会都不给龙饵，就这样离他而去。199
How could I be so cruel and unforgiving?我怎么能如此残忍，如此不肯宽恕？200
The swordswoman put her hands on the paladin’s chest and started to weep.女剑士把双手按在圣武士胸前，哭了起来。201
“You are right to complain that I treat you like a child,” Dragonbait said, stroking the brand on her right arm.“你抱怨我把你当孩子看待，并没有错，”龙饵一边说，一边轻抚她右臂上的烙印。202
“I am over-protective and domineering.“我保护过度，又总想支配你。203
I was afraid you’d be angry, so I said nothing about Zhara, though I could smell that she was your sister immediately.我怕你会生气，所以没有提起扎拉，尽管我一见到她，就从气味中知道她是你的姐妹。204
Then I made matters worse by bringing Zhara along without asking you, because I did not want to argue with you.后来，我又不想和你争执，便没有征求你的意见，擅自把扎拉带了来，让事情变得更糟。205
I just did what I thought should be done.我只是做了自认为应该做的事。206
I took your property and gave it to her without your permission.我拿走了你的东西，未经你允许便把它交给了她。207
I am no better than a thief.”我与盗贼无异。”208
“Much worse,” Alias said, looking up at the paladin.“比盗贼还糟得多，”阿莉亚丝抬头看着圣武士说道。209
“A good thief wouldn’t get caught.”“好盗贼可不会被人抓住。”210
Dragonbait looked startled, then caught the scent of mischief in Alias’s scent and realized she was teasing him.龙饵露出惊讶的神情，随即从阿莉亚丝的气息中嗅出一丝促狭，这才明白她是在逗他。211
He smiled and brushed the tears from her face.他笑了笑，轻轻拭去她脸上的泪水。212
“I’m sorry about fighting with Zhara,” she said.“我很抱歉和扎拉打了起来，”她说。213
“As I said before, if you offend Zhara, it is Zhara you must apologize to,” the paladin reminded her.“我先前已经说过，如果你冒犯了扎拉，那你就该向扎拉道歉。”圣武士提醒她。214
“Right,” Alias said.“对，”阿莉亚丝说。215
“I still don’t trust her, though.”“可我还是不信任她。”216
“Alias,” the saurial said with an earthy scent of frustration, “she is your sister.”“阿莉亚丝，”这名蜥蜴人散发着表示沮丧的泥土气息说道，“她是你的姐妹。”217
“That’s why I don’t trust her,” Alias said.“正因为这样，我才不信任她，”阿莉亚丝说。218
“Dragonbait, the spell Moander’s minions cast on me last year made me unleash Moander on the Realms without even realizing what I was doing.“龙饵，去年莫安德的爪牙施加在我身上的法术，让我在根本不知道自己做了什么的情况下，把莫安德释放到了诸界。219
Phalse put a quest spell on me to hunt down Moander in the Abyss.法尔斯对我施了任务法术，逼我到无底深渊追杀莫安德。220
It nearly tore me apart resisting it.我拼命抗拒，差点被它撕裂。221
I managed to break the spell only by killing Phalse.我只有杀死法尔斯，才破除了那个法术。222
Zhara may think she’s working against Moander, but she could be working for Phalse.”扎拉或许以为自己在对抗莫安德，可她也可能其实是在为法尔斯效力。”223
“Destroying Moander would not be an evil thing merely because some other evil being wishes it,” the paladin argued.“不能仅仅因为另一个邪恶存在希望莫安德被消灭，就说消灭莫安德也是邪恶之举，”圣武士反驳道。224
“Besides, there is more at stake here, or had you forgotten what Grypht just said.“再说，这里还有更重要的事，难道你忘了格里夫特刚才说的话吗？225
The Darkbringer has enslaved my people.黑暗使者奴役了我的族人。226
I must accompany Grypht and challenge Moander.我必须跟格里夫特一起去挑战莫安德。227
Akabar and I destroyed the Darkbringer once.阿卡巴和我曾经消灭过黑暗使者一次。228
It is my hope we can do so again.”我希望我们能再消灭他一次。”229
“But you had Mist with you!”“可那时有迷雾帮你们！”230
Alias declared, referring to the ancient red dragon who had helped Dragonbait and Akabar battle the Darkbringer.阿莉亚丝大声说道，指的是那条曾帮助龙饵和阿卡巴迎战黑暗使者的远古红龙。231
“And now we have Grypht,” Dragonbait countered.“现在我们有格里夫特，”龙饵反驳道。232
“His apprentices often call him the old lair beast,” the paladin added with a smile.“他的学徒常叫他‘老巢兽’，”圣武士微笑着补充道。233
“That’s what we call Mist’s kind on our world.”“在我们的世界，迷雾那一类生物就叫这个。”234
He could smell Alias’s fear and anxiety, and he understood why she was terrified of the evil god.他能嗅到阿莉亚丝的恐惧与焦虑，也明白她为何如此惧怕那个邪神。235
Of all the masters who had tried to enslave her, Moander was the only one whose command she’d been unable to resist, the only one who had captured her unaided, the only one whose defeat she had not been a part of.在所有试图奴役她的主人当中，莫安德是唯一一个令她无法抗拒其命令的，也是唯一一个独力俘获她的，更是唯一一个其败亡与她无关的。236
“Maybe you should find Nameless and stay behind with him,” Dragonbait suggested.“也许你该去找到无名者，跟他一起留下来，”龙饵提议道。237
Alias lowered her head, ashamed of her cowardice, struggling to fight it.阿莉亚丝低下头，为自己的怯懦感到羞愧，竭力想要克服它。238
“No …“不……239
I want to help you,” she said, but she began shivering in the warm sunlight, and her eyes began to glaze over.我想帮你，”她说，可温暖的阳光下，她却开始瑟瑟发抖，双眼也渐渐失去了神采。240
Dragonbait grabbed the swordswoman’s shoulders, alarmed by her expression, afraid she might faint, but instead she seemed to fall into a trance and started repeating, over and over, the same words she had spoken last evening.龙饵被女剑士的神情吓了一跳，一把抓住她的双肩，生怕她会昏过去；可她非但没有昏倒，反而像是陷入了恍惚，一遍又一遍地重复着昨晚说过的那几句话。241
“We are ready for the seed.“我们已准备好迎接种子。242
Where is the seed?种子在哪里？243
Find the seed.找到种子。244
Bring the seed.”带来种子。”245
This time, though, her words were accompanied by a myriad of scents that rose from her body, communicating a plethora of conflicting emotions—excitement and fear, joy and anguish, impatience and dread, determination and resignation, pride and remorse.不过这一次，她说话时，身体还散发出纷繁万千的气味，传达着无数彼此冲突的情绪——兴奋与恐惧、喜悦与痛苦、急切与惶恐、决心与听天由命、骄傲与悔恨。246
Dragonbait realized at once that it had all the earmarks of a true saurial song.龙饵立刻意识到，这完全具备一首真正的蜥蜴人之歌的所有特征。247
“High One,” Dragonbait shouted, “come quickly!”“尊者，”龙饵喊道，“快过来！”248
Grypht came running up to the paladin.格里夫特朝圣武士跑了过来。249
“What is it?” he asked.“怎么了？”他问。250
“Listen to her song,” Dragonbait insisted.“听听她的歌。”龙饵坚持道。251
Grypht stared at Alias and furrowed his brow, confused by her trance and the words she spoke.格里夫特盯着阿莉亚丝，皱起眉头，对她的恍惚状态和口中所说的话大惑不解。252
“What seed?” he asked.“什么种子？”他问。253
“What is she singing about?”“她唱的是什么？”254
“Shh.“嘘。255
There’s another verse,” Dragonbait said.后面还有一节。”龙饵说。256
“Nameless is found,” Alias said in Saurial.“无名者已经找到。”阿莉亚丝用蜥蜴人语说道。257
“Nameless must join us.“无名者必须加入我们。258
Nameless will find the seed.无名者会找到种子。259
Nameless will bring the seed.”无名者会带来种子。”260
“He will, will he?”“哦，他会，是吗？”261
Grypht muttered.格里夫特咕哝道。262
The scents rising from the swordswoman’s body sent an eerie shiver down Dragonbait’s spine, frightening him far more than the earlier songs of Nameless that Alias had twisted.女剑士身上散发出的气味令龙饵脊背上掠过一阵诡异的寒意，比先前那些被阿莉亚丝扭曲过的无名者之歌更让他恐惧。263
Suddenly Alias stopped her saurial chant.阿莉亚丝突然停止了恐龙人的吟唱。264
Then, just as she had done the night before, she held out her hand, with her forefinger pointing downward, and traced a circle parallel to the ground.接着，她像前一晚那样伸出手，食指朝下，画了一个与地面平行的圆圈。265
“The saurial sign of death,” Grypht whispered.“这是恐龙人表示死亡的手势。”格里夫特低声说道。266
Alias screamed and began to shout in Realms common, “No!阿莉亚丝尖叫一声，开始用诸界通用语大喊：“不！267
No!不！268
No!”不！”269
When Alias screamed, Breck Orcsbane, who had been seated by the fire toasting bread with Akabar and Zhara, leaped to his feet immediately.阿莉亚丝尖叫时，原本坐在火堆旁和阿卡巴、扎拉一起烤面包的布雷克·奥克斯班立刻一跃而起。270
He ran through the clearing to the swordswoman’s side, his sword drawn and pointed at Grypht’s midsection.他拔出剑，穿过空地奔到女剑士身边，剑尖直指格里夫特的腹部。271
“What’s going on here?” he demanded.“这是怎么回事？”他厉声问道。272
“Alias, are you all right?“阿莉亚丝，你没事吧？273
What have you done to her?” he shouted at Grypht.你对她做了什么？”他冲格里夫特喊道。274
Akabar and Zhara came up behind the ranger, equally concerned for the swordswoman, though less inclined to blame Grypht.阿卡巴和扎拉也来到游侠身后，同样担心女剑士，只是没有那么急于怪罪格里夫特。275
Akabar stepped between the wizard and Breck’s sword.阿卡巴挡在法师与布雷克的剑之间。276
Alias snapped out of her trance.阿莉亚丝猛然从恍惚中清醒过来。277
She gasped and looked around in confusion.她倒吸一口气，困惑地环顾四周。278
“Alias?“阿莉亚丝？279
What is it?”怎么了？”280
Akabar asked.阿卡巴问道。281
“What’s wrong?”“出什么事了？”282
“I just had a … a bad dream,” she said.“我刚才做了个……噩梦。”她说道。283
“It was something about Nameless.”“好像和无名者有关。”284
She paused, concentrating hard, but whatever it was, she couldn’t remember now.她停下来，拼命回想，但无论梦见了什么，她现在都记不起来了。285
“First you walk in your sleep, now you dream when you’re wide awake,” Breck growled.“先是梦游，现在又大白天睁着眼做梦。”布雷克咆哮道。286
“What manner of curse are you under?”“你到底中了什么样的诅咒？”287
“I do not walk in my sleep,” Alias snapped.“我没有梦游。”阿莉亚丝厉声说道。288
“You did last night.“你昨晚就梦游了。289
Ask Dragonbait if you don’t believe me,” Breck replied.不信就问龙饵。”布雷克答道。290
Alias looked at Dragonbait, and the paladin nodded.阿莉亚丝看向龙饵，圣武士点了点头。291
“It sounded as if you were singing a saurial soul song,” Grypht said.“听起来，你像是在唱蜥族人的灵魂之歌。”格里夫特说道。292
“But how can that be?” the wizard asked Dragonbait.“可这怎么可能？”法师问龙饵。293
“She’s not a saurial.”“她又不是蜥族人。”294
“What’s a soul song?”“什么是灵魂之歌？”295
Alias asked in saurial.阿莉亚丝用蜥族语问道。296
“Her soul and spirit are bound by magic to my own, High One,” Dragonbait explained to Grypht.“尊者，她的灵魂与精神被魔法同我的相连。”龙饵向格里夫特解释道。297
“But you haven’t received the gift of soul singing,” Grypht said, still confused.“可你并没有获得吟唱灵魂之歌的天赋。”格里夫特仍旧困惑不解。298
“My mother had the gift, High One,” Dragonbait reminded the wizard.“我母亲有这种天赋，尊者。”龙饵提醒法师。299
“That’s right … so she did.”“没错……她确实有。”300
Grypht nodded, remembering.格里夫特想了起来，点点头。301
“Would someone please tell me what a soul song is?”“能不能请哪位告诉我，灵魂之歌究竟是什么？”302
Alias asked again.阿莉亚丝又问了一遍。303
Grypht clapped his hands once and bounced on his heels.格里夫特拍了一下手，又踮着脚上下颠了颠。304
“This is marvelous—even better than the magic stone.“这太妙了——甚至比那块魔法石还要好。305
If she sings what our people know, she will be our eyes and ears in the enemy’s camp.”如果她能唱出我们族人所知道的事，她就能成为我们安插在敌营中的耳目。”306
“What are they talking about?”“他们在说什么？”307
Breck asked Alias.布雷克问阿莉亚丝。308
Although he was unable to follow any of the conversation in saurial, the ranger recognized Grypht’s excitement.尽管游侠完全听不懂他们用蜥族语进行的交谈，却看得出格里夫特有多么兴奋。309
Alias waved Breck silent and shouted in saurial, “What is a soul song?”阿莉亚丝挥手示意布雷克别出声，随后用蜥族语喊道：“什么是灵魂之歌？”310
“A song of our people that reflects our tribe’s state of being,” Grypht explained calmly.“一种反映我们部族生存状态的族人之歌。”格里夫特平静地解释道。311
“When a singer of a soul song sings, her mind opens up to what is within the souls of her tribe, and she sings their song.“当灵魂之歌的歌者歌唱时，她的心灵便会向族人的灵魂敞开，而她唱出的正是他们的歌。312
Sometimes when she sleeps, she often dreams their dreams and wakes singing their song.有时，她入睡后会梦见他们的梦，并在醒来时唱着他们的歌。313
The song will change as the tribe’s condition changes.部族的境况改变，歌也会随之改变。314
It may be a song of joy or contentment, which we accept with pleasure, or it may be a song of grief, which we learn to bear.它可能是一首欢欣或满足之歌，我们会欣然接受；也可能是一首悲恸之歌，我们要学会承受。315
When it is a song of evil, though, we must act—fight the evil, whether it comes from without or within, until the song grows good again.但当它成为邪恶之歌时，我们就必须行动——与邪恶抗争，无论它来自外部还是内部，直到这首歌重新变得美好。316
Because our tribe is controlled by Moander, the tribe knows much anguish, but it also knows of the Darkbringer’s plans.由于我们的部族受莫安德控制，族人深受痛苦，但他们也知晓黑暗使者的计划。317
You probably have just been singing of those plans.你刚才唱的很可能就是那些计划。318
I hope you can do it again.我希望你能再唱一次。319
Something opened your mind to the souls of our tribe and you began to sing.某种东西让你的心灵向我们族人的灵魂敞开，于是你开始歌唱。320
What was it?那是什么？321
What were you thinking about before you went into the trance?”你陷入恍惚之前，心里在想些什么？”322
Alias’s brow furrowed.阿莉亚丝皱起眉头。323
“I …“我……324
I don’t remember.”我不记得了。”325
“Your fear of Moander,” Dragonbait said.“你对莫安德的恐惧。”龙饵说道。326
Alias lowered her eyes, embarrassed, then it occurred to her that this soul-singing trance could explain her other problem.阿莉亚丝难为情地垂下眼睛，随即忽然想到，这种吟唱灵魂之歌时的恍惚状态，或许也能解释她的另一个问题。327
“That must be why I’ve been singing Nameless’s songs differently.“那一定就是我一直把无名者的歌唱得不一样的原因。328
I’ve been turning them into soul songs.”我一直在把它们变成灵魂之歌。”329
“It is very likely,” Dragonbait agreed.“很有可能。”龙饵赞同道。330
“Dragonbait, if you knew what was happening, why didn’t you try to tell me what was wrong?”“龙饵，如果你知道发生了什么，为什么不设法告诉我问题出在哪里？”331
Alias asked the paladin.阿莉亚丝问这位圣武士。332
“I only started to suspect last night,” Dragonbait said, “when you sang in saurial.“我直到昨晚才开始有所怀疑，”龙饵说，“那时你用蜥族语唱了歌。333
At least, you tried to sing, but your words had no feeling, since you hadn’t the power to produce scents.至少，你试着唱了，但你的话语毫无情感，因为你没有制造气味的能力。334
Just now when you sang, it was much more obvious that it was a soul song.”刚才你唱歌时，那是灵魂之歌就明显得多了。”335
“Would someone please explain what is going on?”“谁能解释一下这到底是怎么回事吗？”336
Breck demanded, frustrated beyond endurance at not being able to understand the swordswoman’s conversation with the saurials.布雷克因听不懂女剑士与蜥蜴人之间的交谈，早已焦躁得忍无可忍，厉声问道。337
Alias explained everything that Grypht and Dragonbait had just told her.阿莉亚丝把格里夫特和龙饵刚刚告诉她的一切都解释了一遍。338
“So,” she said in conclusion, staring pointedly at Akabar and Zhara, “I was right after all.“所以，”她最后说道，目光直直盯着阿卡巴和扎拉，“到头来还是我说对了。339
I knew I wasn’t singing the songs wrong because of the gods.”我就知道，我把歌唱错并不是神明的缘故。”340
“Actually,” Dragonbait said, “our people believe that soul singing is a gift of the gods.”“其实，”龙饵说道，“我们的族人相信，灵魂歌唱是神明赐予的天赋。”341
Alias didn’t bother to translate the paladin’s correction.阿莉亚丝懒得把圣武士的纠正翻译出来。342
“You said I sang about Moander’s plans.“你说我唱出了莫安德的计划。343
What did I sing?我到底唱了什么？344
I have no recollection of it whatsoever.”我对此完全没有印象。”345
Grypht quoted the lyrics of the first verse of Alias’s soul song.格里夫特念出了阿莉亚丝那首灵魂之歌第一节的歌词。346
“ ‘We are ready for the seed.“‘我们已准备好迎接种子。347
Where is the seed?种子在哪里？348
Find the seed.找到种子。349
Bring the seed.’ ”带来种子。’”350
“What seed?”“什么种子？”351
Alias asked.阿莉亚丝问道。352
“We don’t know,” Grypht said.“我们不知道，”格里夫特说道。353
“Obviously it is something Moander wants very badly, and he thinks Nameless will bring it to him.“显然，那是莫安德极度渴望得到的东西，而且他认为无名者会把它带给他。354
The second verse of your song went, ‘Nameless is found.你唱的第二节是：‘无名者已找到。355
Nameless must join us.无名者必须加入我们。356
Nameless will find the seed.无名者会找到种子。357
Nameless will bring the seed.’ ”无名者会带来种子。’”358
“And then you screamed,” Dragonbait interjected.“然后你就尖叫起来了，”龙饵插话道。359
“Yes!”“是的！”360
Alias exclaimed, suddenly remembering what had made her scream out in fear.阿莉亚丝惊叫道，猛然想起了是什么让她害怕得尖叫起来。361
“Nameless is in terrible danger!“无名者正身陷可怕的危险！362
We must find him before it’s too late!我们必须赶在一切为时已晚之前找到他！363
Moander is trying to turn him into one of its minions!”莫安德正试图把他变成自己的爪牙！”364
Olive shifted in her sleep from one uncomfortable position to another.奥利芙睡梦中翻了个身，从一个不舒服的姿势换成了另一个。365
Somewhere far overhead, birds started to chirp loudly.头顶上方很远的地方，鸟儿开始高声啁啾。366
Olive came half awake, but from the back of her mind came a reminder that she didn’t want to be awake, so she kept her eyes closed and ignored the birds.奥利芙半醒了过来，但内心深处有个声音提醒她，她并不想醒，于是她仍闭着眼睛，对鸟鸣置之不理。367
A beam of sunlight struck her face.一束阳光照在她脸上。368
Olive drew her hood up over her eyes.奥利芙拉起兜帽，遮住眼睛。369
Then her stomach rumbled.接着，她的肚子咕咕叫了起来。370
“Damn!” the halfling grumbled.“该死！”半身人嘟囔道。371
She glared up angrily at the well shaft overhead, which taunted her with its inaccessibility.她恼怒地抬头瞪着上方的井道；它高不可攀，仿佛在嘲弄她。372
If only it had been nearer a wall, they could escape.要是它离墙近一点就好了，那样他们就能逃出去。373
She was experienced at climbing walls.她很有攀墙的经验。374
Unfortunately, she couldn’t hang from ceilings, and the well came out in the center of the ceiling.可惜她没法吊在天花板上，而井口偏偏开在天花板正中央。375
She sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.她坐起身，揉去眼中的睡意。376
“Stupid well!” she muttered, rummaging through her knapsack.“蠢井！”她一边嘟囔，一边在背包里翻找。377
There wasn’t any fruit left.水果一点也没剩。378
She and Finder had finished it off last night.她和芬德昨晚已经把水果吃光了。379
Buried in the bottom of the knapsack, she found three stale sweet rolls.她在背包底部翻出了三个不新鲜的甜面包卷。380
She left two for the bard and took one for herself, nibbling at it slowly as she studied the excavation Finder had begun last night.她给那位吟游诗人留下两个，自己拿了一个，一边慢慢啃着，一边端详芬德昨晚开始挖掘的地方。381
The bard had climbed to the top of the passageway wall, where he had dug into the dirt and pounded at the stone with Olive’s broken shovel until he’d created a second shaft in the ceiling.吟游诗人爬到了通道墙壁的顶端，在那里挖开泥土，用奥利芙那把断掉的铲子猛砸石块，终于在天花板上凿出了第二条竖井。382
It was all of four feet deep.这条竖井足足有四英尺深。383
He’d finally slipped down from the wall, frustrated and exhausted.最后，他又沮丧又疲惫地从墙上滑了下来。384
In the morning light, Olive judged the old well shaft to be at least fifty feet deep.借着晨光，奥利芙判断那口老井的井筒至少有五十英尺深。385
She estimated it would take about a week for one man and a halfling to dig that far straight up.她估计，凭一个人类和一个半身人，要笔直向上挖那么远，大约得花一个星期。386
Finder was trying to angle his shaft toward the well shaft, hoping to connect with it so they could climb out the rest of the way through the well.芬德正试着把竖井斜着朝老井的井筒挖，希望能将两边打通，这样他们就能从井里爬完剩下的路程，逃到外面。387
Since the well shaft was only twenty feet from Finder’s shaft, digging to it should only take days … days without water or food.芬德挖的竖井离老井的井筒只有二十英尺，因此挖通应该只需要几天……没有水也没有食物的几天。388
Olive crept over to the corner where Finder lay sleeping.奥利芙悄悄爬到芬德沉睡的角落。389
He slept like the dead, heavy and still.他睡得像死人一样，身子沉重，一动不动。390
Asleep, the power of his voice and the animation of his face were not apparent, and he looked far older.睡着之后，他声音中的力量和脸上生动的神采都消失不见，看起来老了许多。391
Once he’d been lord of the ruined manor house somewhere above them, commanding the respect of his peers and the worship of his apprentices.他曾是他们上方某处那座荒废庄园的主人，既受到同辈敬重，也受到学徒崇拜。392
Now he was curled up like a corpse, buried alive by his own magical horn.如今他却像具尸体一样蜷缩着，被自己的魔法号角活埋在这里。393
Olive studied his face and hands carefully.奥利芙仔细察看他的脸和双手。394
There were no signs of vegetation growing out of his ears or his wrists.他的耳朵或手腕上都没有长出植物的迹象。395
There was no hint of green in his skin.他的皮肤上也看不出一丝绿色。396
Maybe Finder had been right and his clothing had protected him from whatever had burst out of the burr.也许芬德是对的，他的衣服保护了他，让他没受到那颗刺果里迸出的东西侵害。397
Something clattered in the passage behind Olive.奥利芙身后的通道里传来一阵哗啦声。398
The halfling swung around with her dagger drawn.半身人猛地转过身，匕首已然出鞘。399
Pebbles were rolling from the top of the fresh wall of dirt created when Olive had collapsed the ceiling.奥利芙弄塌天花板后形成的那堵新土墙顶端，正有碎石滚落下来。400
Something was shifting inside the pile.土堆里面有什么东西在动。401
Olive knelt beside the bard and shook his shoulder frantically.奥利芙跪到吟游诗人身边，拼命摇晃他的肩膀。402
“Finder!” she whined.“芬德！”她带着哭腔叫道。403
Finder groaned and looked up groggily at the halfling.芬德呻吟一声，睡眼惺忪地抬头看着半身人。404
“Go ’way,” he growled.“走开。”他低声吼道。405
“Finder, something’s trying to get in by digging through the cave-in!”“芬德，有东西正挖穿塌方，想闯进来！”406
Olive whispered urgently.奥利芙急切地低声说道。407
The bard sat up and reached for Olive’s sword, which he’d been using as a dagger.吟游诗人坐起身，伸手去拿奥利芙的剑；他一直把那把剑当作匕首使用。408
A large rock tumbled down the pile, and a muck-encrusted vine as thick as Olive’s arm slithered out from where the rock had been.一块巨石从乱石堆上滚落下来，一根沾满污泥、足有奥利芙手臂那么粗的藤蔓从巨石原先所在的地方蜿蜒钻出。409
It rose up like an angry snake, and they could see that there was a mouth at its tip—a lipless maw full of rows of sharp fangs.它像一条愤怒的蛇般昂起，他们看见它顶端长着一张嘴——一张没有嘴唇、布满排排尖牙的血盆大口。410
Olive had seen just such a growth before on Moander’s body in the Realms.奥利芙以前曾在诸界的莫安德身上见过一模一样的赘生物。411
“Nameless,” the mouth called out.“无名者。”那张嘴喊道。412
It spoke in the same grating, high-pitched voice as Xaran.它说话的声音和扎兰一样，尖厉刺耳。413
Finder rose to his feet and approached the vine carefully.芬德站起身，小心翼翼地走向那根藤蔓。414
“Is that you, Xaran?” he asked, halting a few feet from the mouth.“是你吗，扎兰？”他在离那张嘴几英尺远的地方停下，问道。415
The vine twisted so that the mouth faced the bard.藤蔓扭转过来，让那张嘴朝向吟游诗人。416
“You will do Moander’s bidding whether you choose to or not.“无论你愿不愿意，你都将听命于莫安德。417
It is only a matter of time,” the vine mouth said.这只是时间问题。”藤蔓上的嘴说道。418
“You are mistaken,” Finder said heatedly.“你错了。”芬德激动地说道。419
“Moander tried to pervert my singer.“莫安德曾企图腐化我的歌者。420
I will never deal with the Darkbringer.”我绝不会与黑暗使者打交道。”421
“In time, you will return even your precious singer to Moander,” the vine mouth said.“到时候，你甚至会把你那宝贝歌者送回莫安德身边。”藤蔓上的嘴说道。422
“You can go to hell!”“你下地狱去吧！”423
Finder snarled.芬德怒吼道。424
He slashed out with Olive’s sword and sliced the mouth off the end of the vine.他挥出奥利芙的剑，一剑削掉了藤蔓末端的那张嘴。425
The vine whipped around his sword arm.藤蔓猛地缠住了他握剑的手臂。426
Finder tried to pull it loose with his other hand, but twinelike tendrils flared out from the vine and lashed his hands together at the wrists.芬德试图用另一只手把它扯开，但藤蔓上骤然伸出数根细绳般的卷须，将他的双手从手腕处紧紧捆在一起。427
Olive leaped forward, slashing with her dagger, and hacked through the vine near where it came out of the pile of rubble.奥利芙猛扑上前，挥动匕首，在藤蔓钻出乱石堆的地方附近将它砍断。428
What was left of the vine retreated back into the debris.残余的藤蔓缩回了碎石之中。429
The tendrils wrapped around Finder’s arms went limp, but Olive had to help the bard free himself from them.缠在芬德双臂上的卷须软了下来，但奥利芙还是不得不帮吟游诗人挣脱它们。430
“Well, that was heartening,” Finder said glibly.“嗯，这可真让人振奋。”芬德轻描淡写地说。431
“What was heartening?”“什么让人振奋？”432
Olive asked incredulously.奥利芙难以置信地问道。433
“That Xaran is still alive waiting to grab you and turn you into a vegetable?”“扎兰还活着，正等着抓住你，把你变成蔬菜？”434
“No,” Finder said.“不是。”芬德说。435
“what was heartening was that Xaran used a tendril to slither in here, instead of simply disintegrating this pile of rubble.“让人振奋的是，扎兰用一条触须蜿蜒着伸了进来，而不是直接把这堆瓦砾解离掉。436
It must have injured its disintegrating eye.”它那只能够施放解离术的眼睛一定受伤了。”437
“Great.“真棒。438
Since you stabbed its central eye, now it has only nine more to use on us,” Olive said.既然你刺伤了它的中央眼睛，现在它只剩下另外九只眼睛可以用来对付我们了。”奥利芙说。439
“Eight.“是八只。440
The eye that charms beasts will be useless against us,” Finder reminded the halfling.那只能够魅惑野兽的眼睛对我们没用。”芬德提醒半身人。441
“And I imagine both of us have the will to resist the eye that causes sleep.”“而且我想，我们俩都有足够的意志力抵抗那只使人沉睡的眼睛。”442
“Oh … now I feel better,” Olive said sarcastically.“哦……现在我感觉好多了。”奥利芙讽刺地说。443
“There are only seven ways left for it to kill or capture me.”“它只剩下七种办法可以杀死或抓住我了。”444
“Xaran doesn’t have any hands to dig himself out, but we do,” Finder said.“扎兰没有手，没法自己挖出来，但我们有。”芬德说。445
“But Xaran can put out another tendril and strangle us in our sleep,” Olive protested.“可扎兰还能再伸出一条触须，趁我们睡着时勒死我们。”奥利芙反驳道。446
“We’ll just have to keep watch.”“那我们只好轮流守夜了。”447
Olive heard a shout, as if from far away.奥利芙听见一声喊叫，仿佛从很远的地方传来。448
She silenced the bard with a wave of her hand and listened hard.她挥手示意芬德安静，凝神细听。449
In a few seconds, there was another shout.几秒钟后，又传来了一声喊叫。450
“Orcs!” the halfling said in panic.“兽人！”半身人惊慌地说。451
“There are still orcs alive out there!“外面还有兽人活着！452
They’ll dig Xaran out, then come in after us!他们会把扎兰挖出来，然后再进来追杀我们！453
Then what?”到时候怎么办？”454
“A good question,” the bard muttered.“问得好。”诗人喃喃道。455
“A good question indeed.”“确实问得好。”456
The Mouth of Moander peered into her scrying pool at the Nameless Bard and his halfling companion.莫安德之口凝视着占卜池中的无名者诗人和他的半身人同伴。457
It was only a matter of time before they were recaptured, but Moander didn’t allow her to take her eyes off them.他们被重新抓住只是时间问题，但莫安德不许她将目光从他们身上移开。458
Last night, the high priestess had felt a rare moment of pleasure and hope when the bard’s dagger had survived Xaran’s disintegration ray and destroyed the beholder’s central eye, and she had dared to gloat over her master’s setback when the bard had felled the orcs and ruined their warren with his magical horn.昨晚，诗人的匕首挺过了扎兰的解离射线，还毁掉了眼魔的中央主眼，那一刻，这位高阶女祭司感到了罕有的喜悦与希望；而当诗人击倒兽人，并用魔法号角摧毁它们的巢穴时，她甚至胆敢为主人遭受的挫败而幸灾乐祸。459
Now the evil god kept the priestess’s eyes fixed on the bard, savoring her fresh despair.如今，这位邪神强迫女祭司一直盯着诗人，细细品味她新生的绝望。460
Coral wished fervently that she was standing at the top of the well with a rope to help the bard escape.科拉尔热切地希望自己此刻正拿着一根绳子站在井口，好帮助诗人逃脱。461
Since the priestess had been unable to scry Akabar this morning, presumably because he’d rejoined the protected Alias, Moander was now relying on Nameless to locate the Turmishman.今天早上，女祭司无法占卜到阿卡巴，想必是因为他已经重新回到受保护的阿莉亚丝身边，因此莫安德如今只能指望无名者来找到那个图米什人。462
Without Nameless’s help, the search for Akabar could go on far too long, increasing the risk that someone would find the hiding place of the god’s new body, perhaps even someone with power enough to destroy the body and free the possessed saurials.没有无名者的帮助，寻找阿卡巴的行动可能会拖得太久，令邪神新躯体藏身之处被人发现的风险不断增加——甚至可能被某个力量强大到足以摧毁那具躯体、解救那些被附身的蜥蜴人的人发现。463
Moander forced Coral to speak the very words it used to taunt her.莫安德强迫科拉尔说出它用来嘲弄她的那些话。464
“Even if the bard could fly out of that trap, he cannot escape the Darkbringer now.“即使那个诗人能飞出陷阱，他现在也逃不出黑暗使者的手掌心了。465
The seeds of possession grow in him,” the god declared through Coral’s mouth.附身的种子正在他体内生长。”邪神借科拉尔之口宣告道。466
“No!”“不！”467
Coral insisted.科拉尔坚称。468
“Xaran’s spores exploded hours ago, and the bard still shows no signs of possession.“扎兰的孢子几小时前就已经爆裂了，可诗人至今没有显露出任何被附身的迹象。469
He has resisted your evil seeds.”他抵抗住了你的邪恶种子。”470
“No, he hasn’t,” Moander forced Coral to say.“不，他没有。”莫安德强迫科拉尔说道。471
“The seeds are simply taking longer to grow within him because he is human and such a large man.”“种子只是在他体内生长得更慢，因为他是人类，而且身材如此高大。”472
“You lie!”“你撒谎！”473
Coral shouted in anger.科拉尔愤怒地喊道。474
“You lie to torture me!”“你撒谎就是为了折磨我！”475
“Do I?“是吗？476
We shall see,” Moander said via the priestess’s voice, and the Darkbringer made Coral laugh the high-pitched cackle of the insane.我们拭目以待吧。”莫安德借女祭司的声音说道，接着，黑暗使者迫使科拉尔发出疯子般尖厉的咯咯笑声。477