While Akabar was convincing Breck to hold still so that Zhara could use her clerical powers to heal his injuries, Dragonbait hurried to Alias’s side.阿卡巴正在劝布雷克别乱动，好让扎拉用牧师神力治愈他的伤势；与此同时，龙饵匆匆赶到了阿莉亚丝身边。1
Through the soul link he shared with her, he could sense the pain the swordswoman felt from the wound Xaran had given her.通过两人共有的灵魂联结，他能感受到扎兰留下的伤口带给这位女剑士的痛楚。2
The paladin laid his hands on Alias’s shoulders and began a prayer.圣武士把双手放在阿莉亚丝肩上，开始祈祷。3
Although Dragonbait had once explained to Alias that he prayed when he healed, she had never actually heard the words of his prayer before.龙饵以前虽然向阿莉亚丝解释过，他施展治疗术时会祈祷，但她从未真正听过他的祷词。4
A sense of embarrassment came over her as she listened to the paladin’s pious request to his gods for the power to relieve her pain.听着圣武士虔诚地请求诸神赐予他力量，解除她的痛苦，她心中不禁涌起一阵尴尬。5
Dragonbait, she realized, was as devout as all the clergy members she had joked about for as long as she had known him.她意识到，龙饵和她自认识他以来一直拿来开玩笑的那些教士一样虔诚。6
When the wound on Alias’s chest had ceased bleeding and the skin had knit together, Dragonbait ran a teasing finger down the brand on her arm so that it tingled pleasantly, as if to remind her that he still cared for her even if she was an impious barbarian.等阿莉亚丝胸前的伤口不再流血，皮肉也愈合之后，龙饵打趣似的用一根手指顺着她手臂上的烙印划下，带起一阵愉悦的酥麻，仿佛是在提醒她：就算她是个不敬神的野蛮人，他依然关心她。7
“The beholder injured Nameless’s hand, too,” Alias reminded him.“眼魔也弄伤了无名者的手。”阿莉亚丝提醒他。8
Dragonbait turned wordlessly and, taking the bard’s hand in his own, repeated his prayer.龙饵一言不发地转过身，将吟游诗人的手握在自己手中，再次念起祷词。9
The gash in Finder’s hand stopped bleeding and closed, though the bard was left with a long scar.芬德手上的裂口止住了血，也闭合起来，不过留下了一道长长的伤疤。10
As Olive watched Dragonbait heal Alias and Finder, she caught sight of a familiar yellow gem tucked in the paladin’s belt.奥利芙看着龙饵为阿莉亚丝和芬德疗伤时，忽然瞥见圣武士腰带里塞着一颗熟悉的黄色宝石。11
“Finder!“芬德！12
Dragonbait’s found your stone!” the halfling cried.龙饵找到你的石头了！”半身人叫道。13
Dragonbait pulled out the gleaming magical stone.龙饵取出了那颗闪闪发光的魔法宝石。14
“I found it in the passage through the rubble,” he said in saurial, handing the stone to the swordswoman.“我是在穿过瓦砾的通道里找到的。”他用蜥人语说道，把石头递给了女剑士。15
“I dropped it when the orcs grabbed me,” Alias recalled, taking the stone.“兽人抓住我的时候，我把它弄掉了。”阿莉亚丝回忆道，接过了石头。16
She glanced at Olive, then looked at the bard with surprise.她瞥了奥利芙一眼，随后惊讶地看向吟游诗人。17
“What did Olive just call you?” she asked.“奥利芙刚才叫你什么？”她问道。18
“Finder,” the bard replied.“芬德。”吟游诗人回答。19
“That’s my name, Alias.“这就是我的名字，阿莉亚丝。20
Finder Wyvernspur.芬德·飞龙刺。21
The Harpers didn’t quite succeed in wiping it out completely.竖琴手同盟没能把它彻底抹掉。22
Olive discovered what it was.”奥利芙查出了这个名字。”23
“Leave it to Olive to uncover the Harpers’ best-kept secrets,” Alias muttered.“竖琴手同盟藏得最严的秘密，交给奥利芙准能挖出来。”阿莉亚丝嘟囔道。24
Suddenly she laughed.她忽然笑了起来。25
“Finder, as in the finder’s stone?“芬德，就是‘芬德之石’里的那个芬德？26
All this time we’ve been using your name and never knew it.”原来我们一直在用你的名字，却毫不知情。”27
She held the magic stone out to the bard and said, “I believe this is yours.她把魔法石递到吟游诗人面前，说道：“我想这是你的。28
We used it to find you.”我们就是用它找到你的。”29
Finder smiled with delight.芬德欣喜地笑了。30
“That’s the second time in as many days that a pretty woman has returned my property to me,” he said, taking the stone.“短短两天里，这已经是第二位漂亮姑娘把我的东西还给我了。”他一边说，一边接过石头。31
The bard’s compliment wasn’t lost on either Olive or Alias.无论是奥利芙还是阿莉亚丝，都听出了吟游诗人这句恭维。32
Olive shook her head at Finder’s unrelenting flattery as she bent over to retrieve the bard’s magical horn.奥利芙弯腰捡起吟游诗人的魔法号角，对芬德没完没了的奉承摇了摇头。33
Alias, though, hadn’t seen the bard for over a year, and she was overcome with emotion.然而，阿莉亚丝已经一年多没见过这位吟游诗人了，一时间百感交集。34
Her joy at finding him safe and all her yearning to be with him and please him came rushing to the surface.发现他安然无恙的喜悦，以及想和他在一起、想让他高兴的种种渴望，一下子全都涌上心头。35
She threw her arms around Finder’s neck and hugged him.她一把搂住芬德的脖子，紧紧抱住了他。36
“I’ve missed you so,” the swordswoman whispered.“我好想你。”女剑士低声说道。37
“I tried to see you back in Shadowdale, but the Harpers wouldn’t let me visit you.“我在阴影谷时想去见你，可竖琴手同盟不许我探望你。38
I was so worried when you disappeared.”你失踪后，我担心得不得了。”39
For a moment, Finder felt uncomfortable in Alias’s embrace; she had never been quite so demonstrative toward him before.有那么一瞬间，芬德被阿莉亚丝抱得有些不自在；她从前对他从未如此直率地流露过感情。40
Then he noticed Dragonbait watching him curiously.随后，他注意到龙饵正好奇地看着他。41
The paladin was looking, Finder suspected, for some proof that the bard loved Alias as a daughter, not merely as his singing simulacrum.芬德猜想，这位圣武士是在寻找某种证明，想确认吟游诗人爱阿莉亚丝是把她当作女儿，而不只是把她当作自己那个会唱歌的复制品。42
Almost defiantly, Finder embraced Alias in return and discovered to his surprise that, beyond the fierce pride he felt as her creator, he did indeed harbor some tender feelings for her.芬德几乎带着几分赌气，也伸手抱住了阿莉亚丝；令他惊讶的是，他发现除了身为创造者对她怀有的强烈自豪感外，自己心底确实还藏着几分温情。43
“I missed you, too,” he admitted softly.“我也想你。”他轻声承认道。44
Akabar watched the bard and swordswoman’s reunion with satisfaction.阿卡巴满意地看着吟游诗人与女剑士重逢。45
He liked Dragonbait, but the mage felt Alias needed more contact with humans.他喜欢龙饵，但这位法师觉得阿莉亚丝需要多与人类相处。46
He felt even greater pleasure noting how thoughtfully Breck watched Finder and Alias.看到布雷克若有所思地注视着芬德和阿莉亚丝，他更觉欣慰。47
I hope the Harper will show some mercy and take the father’s and daughter’s affection for one another into account in his final judgment upon the bard, Akabar thought.希望这位竖琴手在最终裁决吟游诗人时，能够大发慈悲，把这对父女之间的感情也考虑进去，阿卡巴心想。48
Olive, who was trying to remain casual about the fuss Finder was making over Alias, kept her eyes on the Turmish woman who was healing the Harper ranger.奥利芙竭力装出一副对芬德围着阿莉亚丝大献殷勤毫不在意的样子，目光却始终落在那个正为竖琴手游侠疗伤的图米什女子身上。49
Despite the dark shade of the woman’s skin and the different texture of her hair, the halfling quickly recognized that the priestess was another one of Alias’s “sisters.”尽管那女子肤色黝黑，发质也不一样，半身人还是很快认出，这位女祭司也是阿莉亚丝的“姐妹”之一。50
Finder, the halfling noted, hadn’t even noticed the woman yet.奥利芙注意到，芬德甚至还没发现那个女子。51
He only had eyes for his eldest “daughter,” the one who sang.他眼里只有自己的“大女儿”——那个会唱歌的女儿。52
When the priestess finished healing the ranger, she began speaking softly to Akabar in Turmish.女祭司为游侠治好伤后，便开始用图米什语轻声对阿卡巴说话。53
With the magic earring Finder had given her, Olive eavesdropped on the couple’s conversation.借助芬德送给她的魔法耳环，奥利芙偷听起了这对夫妻的谈话。54
Zhara tugged on her husband’s sleeve.扎拉扯了扯丈夫的衣袖。55
“Our reunion has not yet been so sweet as theirs,” she whispered in Turmish.“我们重逢时，可没有他们这么甜蜜。”她用图米什语低声说道。56
“Are you still angry with me for fighting with Alias?”“你还在为我跟阿莉亚丝打架而生我的气吗？”57
Akabar looked down at his wife and sighed.阿卡巴低头看着妻子，叹了口气。58
She, too, he realized, needed human contact.他意识到，她也需要与人亲近。59
She’d had her share of terror since yesterday, and although she was very much like Alias, she wasn’t used to the horrors and rigors of adventuring.从昨天起，她也受够了惊吓；而且，尽管她与阿莉亚丝十分相像，却并不习惯冒险中的种种恐怖与艰辛。60
The mage slipped his arms around his wife’s shoulders and kissed her tenderly on the lips.法师伸出双臂搂住妻子的肩头，温柔地吻了吻她的嘴唇。61
“There is nothing left of my anger but smoke,” he whispered back.“我的怒气已经烟消云散了。”他也低声说道。62
Zhara squeezed him around the waist, laid her head on his chest, and sighed deeply.扎拉紧紧搂住他的腰，把头靠在他胸前，深深叹了口气。63
Akabar stroked Zhara’s thick auburn hair.阿卡巴抚摸着扎拉浓密的赤褐色头发。64
Unbidden, a vision of Kyre came to his mind.凯尔的身影不由自主地浮现在他脑海中。65
He couldn’t keep from picturing the half-elf’s long, silky black hair.他忍不住想象着那位半精灵一头丝滑的黑色长发。66
Zhara sensed his unease.扎拉察觉到了他的异样。67
“What’s wrong?” she asked, gazing up at him, concerned.“怎么了？”她忧心忡忡地仰头望着他，问道。68
“Nothing,” Akabar replied, shaking his head.“没什么。”阿卡巴摇着头回答。69
There was no sense worrying Zhara about his feelings for a dead woman.没必要让扎拉为他对一个已死女人的感情而担忧。70
He held Zhara even tighter, but the vision of the half-elf remained.他把扎拉搂得更紧了，可那位半精灵的身影依然挥之不去。71
Olive grew uncomfortable watching Akabar embrace his wife, so she turned her attention to the remains of Xaran’s body.看着阿卡巴拥抱自己的妻子，奥利芙觉得有些不自在，便把注意力转向扎兰的尸骸。72
Someone had once told her that alchemists would buy beholder eyes for potions, but she doubted she could get much for Xaran’s eyes.以前有人告诉过她，炼金术士会买眼魔的眼珠来配制药剂，但她怀疑扎兰的眼珠卖不了多少钱。73
Even before they’d been crushed by the cave-in, stabbed at by herself, and frozen and then burnt by Grypht, they hadn’t exactly been fresh-looking.即使在被洞穴坍塌压碎、遭她亲手刺戳，又被格里夫特先冰冻后焚烧之前，那些眼珠看起来也算不上新鲜。74
There was something worth retrieving from the beholder, though.不过，眼魔身上倒还有一样值得取回的东西。75
Finder’s dagger was still lodged in Xaran’s central eye.芬德的匕首仍插在扎兰中央的那只眼睛里。76
Olive began to roll the beholder over so she could reach the dagger.奥利芙开始翻动眼魔的尸体，好让自己够到那把匕首。77
Grypht caught Dragonbait’s eye and cocked his head.格里夫特与龙饵交换了一下眼神，歪了歪头。78
The paladin moved away from the others to join his fellow saurial.圣武士离开其他人，走到自己的蜥蜴人同伴身边。79
“Well, Champion, what does your shen sight tell you about the bard?”“那么，勇士，你的神视看出那个吟游诗人有什么异样？”80
Grypht asked quietly.格里夫特低声问道。81
“The Darkbringer does not possess him,” Dragonbait replied, but there was not much relief or pleasure in his voice.“黑暗使者并没有附在他身上，”龙饵回答，但他的声音里并没有多少宽慰或喜悦。82
“So he does not burn with the fires of evil,” Grypht said with a shrug.“这么说，他身上并未燃烧着邪恶之火。”格里夫特耸了耸肩，说道。83
“But you have not told me what your shen sight does reveal about him,” the wizard said.“但你还没告诉我，你的神视究竟从他身上看出了什么。”法师说道。84
“He is much the same as before, High One,” Dragonbait said.“他和以前大致一样，尊者。”龙饵说道。85
“A mountain of pride, wrapped in gray fog.”“一座由傲慢堆成的高山，笼罩在灰雾之中。”86
“Neutral … neither good nor evil,” Grypht noted.“中立……既不善良，也不邪恶。”格里夫特说道。87
“A man who walks the wall.“一个走在墙头上的人。88
He does not lack the strength to abide by convictions.他并不缺少恪守信念的力量。89
Why doesn’t he have any?” the wizard growled.那他为什么没有任何信念？”法师低吼道。90
“Perhaps,” Dragonbait suggested, “convictions are not as interesting to him as he is to himself.”“或许，”龙饵说道，“在他眼里，信念远不如他自己有趣。”91
“Do you want your dagger, Finder?”“芬德，你还要不要你的匕首？”92
Olive called out.奥利芙高声问道。93
The bard looked in Olive’s direction.吟游诗人朝奥利芙望去。94
“Of course I do, little Lady Luck,” he said, winking at the thief.“当然要，我的小幸运女神。”他说着，朝女贼眨了眨眼。95
Olive sniffed in mock disdain at the flattering nickname and turned away so no one could see her blushing.奥利芙对这个讨人喜欢的昵称装模作样地哼了一声，转过身去，免得有人看见她脸红。96
Leaning over Xaran’s corpse, she pulled Finder’s dagger from the beholder’s central eye.她俯身探向扎兰的尸体，从眼魔的主眼中拔出了芬德的匕首。97
As Olive’s leg brushed against the remains of her cloak, Grypht could see that the burr that Xaran had spit at the halfling still lay in the folds of the charred fabric.奥利芙的腿擦过斗篷的残片时，格里夫特看见扎兰吐向半身人的那颗带刺种荚仍躺在烧焦布料的褶皱里。98
Alarmed, the wizard noticed that the magic seed pod had begun to swell.巫师惊恐地发现，那颗魔法种荚已经开始膨胀。99
He rushed to Olive’s side and lifted her from the ground by her arm, snatching her away from the seed.他冲到奥利芙身边，抓住她的胳膊将她从地上提起，把她从种荚旁一把拽开。100
“Hey!” she shouted.“喂！”她喊道。101
“Put me down!” she demanded.“放我下来！”她命令道。102
“You’re hurting my arm!”“你把我的胳膊弄疼了！”103
An explosive crack came from Olive’s cloak as the burr split open, releasing a cloud of blue-black dust.奥利芙的斗篷中传来一声爆裂的脆响，带刺种荚迸裂开来，释放出一团蓝黑色的尘雾。104
With his free hand, Grypht grabbed Akabar’s robe and pulled the merchant-mage and his wife farther away from the cloud.格里夫特用空着的那只手抓住阿卡巴的长袍，将商人法师和他的妻子拉得离尘雾更远。105
“Use the stone!” the wizard ordered.“用那块石头！”巫师命令道。106
“Get us out of here!“带我们离开这里！”107
Now!”“快！”108
Finder held up his magic stone with his good hand and took up Alias’s right hand with his injured one.芬德用完好的那只手举起魔法石，又用受伤的手牵住阿莉亚丝的右手。109
“Dragonbait, get over here,” the bard shouted.“龙饵，快过来！”吟游诗人喊道。110
The paladin leaped to Alias’s side and grabbed her left hand.圣武士跃到阿莉亚丝身边，抓住了她的左手。111
As if it had a mind of its own, the black cloud drifted toward the halfling, tucked under the wizard’s arm.那团黑雾仿佛有自己的意识一般，飘向被夹在巫师腋下的半身人。112
Dragonbait grabbed Zhara, and Zhara held onto Akabar.龙饵抓住扎拉，扎拉则紧紧拉住阿卡巴。113
Grypht reached out for Akabar.格里夫特伸手抓住阿卡巴。114
Finder sang a note, and the party glowed a vivid yellow, then vanished.芬德唱出一个音符，众人身上泛起鲜亮的黄光，随即消失了。115
The cloud of black dust swirled once around the spot where they’d stood, then sank to the floor, unable to sustain itself without a host.黑色尘雾在他们刚才站立的地方旋转了一圈，随后沉落到地面；没有宿主，它无法维持自身。116
When the light from the finder’s stone’s teleportation spell died out, the adventurers found themselves once again on the hillside outside the crumbling stone manor.芬德的石头所施放的传送法术光芒消退后，冒险者们发现自己又回到了那座摇摇欲坠的石砌庄园外的山坡上。117
“We should be safe here for a while, at least,” Finder said.“至少，我们在这里暂时应该安全了。”芬德说道。118
To Olive, he added, “You should be more careful, little Lady Luck.”他又对奥利芙补充道：“你应该更小心一点，小幸运女神。”119
“Me?” the halfling said increduously, thinking of all the risks Finder had taken in the past day alone.“我？”半身人难以置信地说道，想起单是过去这一天里，芬德就已经冒过那么多险。120
Grypht set Olive down, and the halfling sank into the grass, exhausted by the teleportation and groaning from the pain in her injured shoulder.格里夫特把奥利芙放下，半身人一头瘫进草地里；传送令她筋疲力尽，受伤的肩膀更是疼得她呻吟不止。121
Grypht waved a finger at the halfling, and the scent of honeysuckle rose from his body.格里夫特朝半身人摇了摇手指，身上随之飘起一股忍冬花香。122
“Grypht says you should be more careful, too, Olive,” Alias translated for the halfling.“格里夫特说，你也该更小心些，奥利芙。”阿莉亚丝替半身人翻译道。123
“You nearly became Moander’s smallest minion.”“你差点就成了莫安德手下最小的爪牙。”124
Confused, Olive looked at Finder.奥利芙一脸困惑地望向芬德。125
“How come I didn’t understand what he said?” she asked the bard, tapping meaningfully on the magical diamond earring he’d given her.“我怎么没听懂他说的话？”她问吟游诗人，同时意味深长地轻敲着他送给她的魔法钻石耳环。126
“The earring will only work for languages that are spoken in the Realms,” the bard explained.“这耳环只对诸界中有人使用的语言有效。”吟游诗人解释道。127
Suddenly he turned to Alias.他忽然转向阿莉亚丝。128
“How did you understand what Grypht said?” he asked.“你怎么听得懂格里夫特的话？”他问道。129
“I cast the tongues spell from the finder’s stone—your stone,” Alias said.“我用寻觅者之石——你的那块石头——施放了巧言术。”阿莉亚丝说。130
“That’s impossible,” Finder said.“这不可能。”芬德说。131
“I enchanted the stone so that only a Wyvernspur can cast—” The bard halted in midsentence, and his brow furrowed.“我给那块石头施过魔法，只有飞龙刺家族的人才能施放——”吟游诗人说到一半，突然停住，眉头紧锁。132
“Then Olive was right,” he said.“这么说，奥利芙是对的。”他说。133
“In the eyes of the gods, you are my daughter.”“在众神眼中，你就是我的女儿。”134
“It’s true, then, that the tongues spell cast from your stone is permanent?”“这么说，从你的石头中施放的巧言术确实是永久有效的？”135
Grypht interrupted.格里夫特插嘴问道。136
“You can still understand me?”“你现在仍然听得懂我的话？”137
Finder nodded.芬德点了点头。138
“But permanency requires tremendous power,” Grypht said.“但要让法术永久生效，需要极其强大的力量。”格里夫特说。139
“Where does it come from?”“这股力量从哪里来？”140
“From the stone,” Finder explained in saurial.“来自那块石头。”芬德用蜥人语解释道。141
“It was a simple artifact before I inserted a shard of para-elemental ice into it, making it a device which could store music, lore and magic”“它原本只是一件简单的神器，后来我在里面嵌入了一块准元素冰的碎片，把它变成了一件能够储存音乐、学识和魔法的装置。”142
“You tampered with an artifact?”“你竟然擅自改动了一件神器？”143
Grypht asked, looking at the bard as if he were insane.格里夫特问道，看着吟游诗人的眼神仿佛他疯了一般。144
“Why not?”“为什么不呢？”145
Finder asked Grypht.芬德反问格里夫特。146
“It worked.”“它起作用了。”147
Turning away from the saurial wizard, the bard glanced at the other adventurers.吟游诗人转过身去，不再理会那位蜥蜴人法师，扫了一眼其他冒险者。148
“This is quite a party you’ve assembled to rescue me,” he commended Alias.“为了救我，你召集的这支队伍可真了不起。”他称赞阿莉亚丝道。149
Zhara sniffed in annoyance.扎拉恼火地哼了一声。150
“You flatter yourself, bard,” the priestess said.“你未免太自以为是了，吟游诗人。”女祭司说道。151
“We are here because we wanted to make sure you did not do Moander’s bidding.”“我们来这里，是因为要确保你没有听从莫安德的命令行事。”152
Finder looked at Zhara in surprise, finally taking notice of her resemblance to Alias.芬德惊讶地看着扎拉，这才注意到她与阿莉亚丝相貌相似。153
“You’re one of the copies of Alias that Phalse made, aren’t you?” the bard asked Zhara.“你是法尔斯制造的阿莉亚丝复制品之一，对吧？”吟游诗人问扎拉。154
“Nameless—um, Finder,” Alias said, “this is Zhara, priestess of Tymora and Akabar’s wife,” she added.“无名者——呃，芬德，”阿莉亚丝说道，“这位是扎拉，泰摩拉的女祭司，也是阿卡巴的妻子。”她又补充道。155
Although she managed to keep her voice even when she said it, she couldn’t keep herself from glowering at the merchant-mage.尽管说这话时她竭力保持语气平静，却还是忍不住怒视着那位商人法师。156
Finder turned his most charming smile on the priestess and bowed low.芬德向女祭司展露出自己最迷人的笑容，深深鞠了一躬。157
“I am pleased to meet you, my lady,” he said.“很高兴见到您，夫人。”他说。158
“Why should you be pleased?”“你为什么要高兴？”159
Zhara asked coolly.扎拉冷冷地问道。160
“I don’t sing.”“我又不会唱歌。”161
“What?“什么？162
Not even the prayer to the stars?” the bard asked with mock surprise, his eyes twinkling with mischief.连向群星祈祷的颂歌也不会唱？”吟游诗人故作惊讶地问道，眼中闪烁着调皮的光芒。163
“I thought all of Lady Luck’s priests sang that prayer each night.”“我还以为幸运女神的所有祭司每晚都会吟唱那篇祷歌呢。”164
Zhara looked flustered.扎拉显得有些慌乱。165
She hadn’t expected this self-serving man to have any knowledge of religion, let alone to know intimate details about prayers to her goddess.她没料到这个自私自利的男人竟然懂得宗教知识，更没想到他连向她所信奉的女神祈祷的细节都知道。166
“Well, yes …“好吧，是的……167
I sing that,” she admitted.那首我会唱。”她承认道。168
“And I’ll wager you sing it beautifully, too,” Finder replied, then he turned his smile on Breck Orcsbane.“我敢打赌，你唱起来也一定很动听。”芬德答道，随即把笑容转向布雷克·奥克斯班。169
Although he hadn’t met the man, he had already guessed who Breck was from the Harpers pin that the ranger wore on his cloak.尽管他没见过这个人，却早已从那名游侠斗篷上佩戴的竖琴手同盟徽章猜出了布雷克的身份。170
“And you, Harper?”“那么你呢，竖琴手？”171
Finder asked.芬德问道。172
“Is your only concern that I do not do the Darkbringer’s bidding?“你唯一关心的，就是我没有听命于黑暗使者吗？173
Or have you come to whisk me back to prison?”还是说，你是来把我抓回监狱的？”174
“I must hear your story first, sir,” Breck Orcsbane said, “to discover whether it confirms or denies what Akabar and Grypht have told me.“先生，我必须先听听你的经历，”布雷克·奥克斯班说道，“才能弄清它究竟是印证了还是否定了阿卡巴和格里夫特告诉我的事。175
Please tell me all that has happened to you since yesterday,” the ranger requested.请把从昨天到现在发生在你身上的一切都告诉我。”游侠请求道。176
“All that has happened to me since yesterday will make a rather long tale,” the bard said.“从昨天到现在发生在我身上的一切，讲起来恐怕会是个相当长的故事。”吟游诗人说道。177
“I hope you don’t mind if I sit down before I begin.”“希望你们不介意我坐下来再开始讲。”178
“Of course not,” Breck replied politely.“当然不介意。”布雷克客气地答道。179
Finder settled down in the grass.芬德在草地上坐了下来。180
Olive handed him his dagger and horn, and she and Alias sat on either side of him like doting daughters.奥利芙把他的匕首和号角递给他，随后和阿莉亚丝一左一右坐在他身边，宛如两个体贴的女儿。181
The others, save for Grypht, sat before him like children listening to a bedtime tale.除了格里夫特，其他人都像聆听睡前故事的孩子一样坐在他面前。182
Grypht stood off from the others, watching with considerable interest as Finder recounted the events of the past day in true bardic tradition.格里夫特独自站在一旁，兴致盎然地看着芬德遵循真正的吟游诗人传统，讲述过去一天里发生的事。183
The wizard could hear, but not understand, Finder, so he was acutely aware of the power the human held over his audience.这名法师能听见芬德说话，却听不懂他说了什么，因此他格外清楚地意识到，这个人类对听众有着怎样的影响力。184
The other six adventurers listened with fascination to the bard’s story, enthralled by the sound of his voice.另外六名冒险者都听得入了迷，芬德的嗓音令他们深深陶醉。185
It was a rare gift, this ability to entertain others, and it attracted people to it, as did anything rare.这种取悦他人的能力是一种罕见的天赋，而它也像一切罕见之物一样吸引着人们。186
It was also a very minor enchantment, Grypht realized, but one so subtle as to prove nearly irresistible.格里夫特意识到，这也是一种极其微弱的魅惑术，却又精妙隐晦得几乎令人无法抗拒。187
Not even Breck Orcsbane proved immune to it.就连布雷克·奥克斯班也未能免受其影响。188
When he first began listening to Finder, the ranger’s face had been an impartial mask, but soon Breck too, was swayed by the bard’s words, and he looked at the older man with obvious admiration and respect.刚开始听芬德讲述时，游侠的脸还像一副不偏不倚的面具，但没过多久，布雷克也被吟游诗人的话打动了；他望着这位年长者，脸上明显流露出钦佩与敬意。189
At least now, Grypht thought, the ranger will finally accept the truth about Kyre.至少现在，格里夫特心想，这名游侠总算会接受有关凯尔的真相了。190
Olive listened with delight to how heroically Finder portrayed her role in their first escape from the orcs and her subsequent return to the workshop.奥利芙兴致勃勃地听着芬德讲述他们第一次逃离兽人时，她发挥了何等英勇的作用，以及后来她又是如何回到工坊的。191
When she caught sight of the blank look on Grypht’s face and realized he couldn’t understand the bard, she rose quietly and slipped over to where the saurial wizard stood.她瞥见格里夫特一脸茫然，意识到他听不懂这位吟游诗人的话，便悄悄起身，溜到这位蜥蜴人法师身边。192
She slipped her diamond earring off and held it out to him, signing for him to try it.她摘下钻石耳环，递到他面前，打手势让他试戴一下。193
With some amusement, Grypht accepted the tiny piece of jewelry and slipped it on a horn beside one of his ear slits.格里夫特觉得有些好笑，但还是接过这件小巧的首饰，将它套在一条耳孔旁的角上。194
“I know you can cast magic to understand what we’re saying,” she whispered, “but my earring won’t wear out like your spells.“我知道你能施法听懂我们在说什么，”她低声说道，“可我的耳环不像你的法术那样会失效。195
You can borrow it for a while.”你可以先借去戴一阵子。”196
Wearing the earring, Grypht was able to understand the halfling perfectly, though it didn’t give him the power to reply, so he merely nodded his thanks to Olive.戴上耳环后，格里夫特便能完全听懂这个半身人的话了，尽管耳环并未赋予他回应的能力，于是他只是向奥利芙点头致谢。197
As he watched the halfling return to the bard’s side, he wondered if she realized that by offering him the loan of her magical jewelry, she was paving the way for him to fall under the bard’s spell along with the others.看着半身人回到吟游诗人身边，他不禁想，她是否意识到，自己把魔法首饰借给他，正是在为他铺路，让他和其他人一样拜倒在吟游诗人的魔力之下。198
Finder finished his tale with a description of the final battle with Xaran in which they had all been involved.芬德以他们所有人都参与过的那场与扎兰的最终决战作结，讲完了他的故事。199
Only Olive recognized the omissions in the bard’s story.只有奥利芙察觉到吟游诗人的故事中省略了什么。200
He hadn’t mentioned the plan he’d made in the Tower of Ashaba to escape with his magical stone in the event the Harpers judged against him, nor his plan to elude their judgment once he’d fled from Kyre.他没有提到自己在阿沙巴之塔制订的计划：倘若竖琴手同盟作出对他不利的裁决，他就带着魔法石逃走；也没有提到逃离凯尔之后，他打算如何躲过他们的裁决。201
And, of course, he had not revealed that he knew who had looted his workshop.当然，他也没有透露自己知道是谁洗劫了他的工坊。202
Loyally, Olive said nothing to correct the bard.出于忠诚，奥利芙一言不发，没有纠正吟游诗人。203
It could be disastrous, she realized, if the Harpers found out about Flattery.她意识到，要是竖琴手同盟发现弗拉特里的事，后果可能不堪设想。204
“So, Harper,” Finder said to Breck.“那么，竖琴手，”芬德对布雷克说道。205
“What’s your verdict?“你的裁决是什么？206
Are you hauling me back to Shadowdale in chains?”你要给我戴上镣铐，押回阴影谷吗？”207
“Considering the emergency, I have more important things to do than to escort prisoners around, sir,” Breck said to the bard.“鉴于眼下的紧急情况，我还有比押送犯人更重要的事要做，先生，”布雷克对吟游诗人说道。208
Briefly the ranger and the merchant-mage updated Finder on Elminster’s disappearance, Kyre’s death, Grypht’s flight from the tower with Akabar, Morala’s scrying visions, and the hunt for Grypht.游侠和商人法师简要地向芬德讲述了伊尔明斯特的失踪、凯尔之死、格里夫特带着阿卡巴逃离高塔、莫拉拉占卜时看到的景象，以及追捕格里夫特的经过。209
“According to Grypht,” Breck explained to Finder, “Moander turned most of his people into its minions and forced them from his world, through Tarterus, to the Realms.“据格里夫特所说，”布雷克向芬德解释道，“莫安德把他的大部分族人变成了自己的爪牙，逼迫他们离开格里夫特的世界，穿过塔尔塔罗斯，来到诸界。210
These minions are now building the god a new body.”这些爪牙如今正在为那位神祇建造一具新的躯体。”211
“How do you know all this?”“你怎么会知道这一切？”212
Finder asked Grypht.芬德问格里夫特。213
“I’ve been scrying on my people and watching their suffering for many months now,” Grypht explained.“这几个月来，我一直在用占卜术观察我的族人，眼看着他们受苦，”格里夫特解释道。214
“We have to find this new body and destroy it before Moander’s minions complete it,” Breck said.“我们必须找到这具新躯体，赶在莫安德的爪牙完工之前将它摧毁，”布雷克说。215
He slipped off his pack, and from it he pulled out a large parchment map and a thin stick of writing lead.他卸下背包，从中取出一大张羊皮地图和一根细细的书写铅条。216
He spread the map out on the grass in front of him.他把地图铺在面前的草地上。217
“Nice map,” Alias said, impressed with the detailed attention to geography and scale.“地图真不错，”阿莉亚丝说道；地图对地理细节和比例的精准呈现令她赞叹不已。218
“Where’d you get it?”“你从哪儿弄来的？”219
“I made it,” Breck said with a shrug, though from his smile, it was obvious he was proud of his handiwork.“我自己画的，”布雷克耸耸肩说道，不过从他的笑容来看，他显然为自己的手艺颇感自豪。220
“This is the clearing near Shadowdale where we met with Zhara and Grypht and Akabar,” the ranger explained, setting his stick of lead down on the map.“这里是阴影谷附近的那片空地，我们就是在那里遇见扎拉、格里夫特和阿卡巴的，”游侠一边解释，一边把铅条点在地图上。221
“This is the direction the finder’s stone indicated when Grypht thought of a saurial whom Moander has possessed and brought to the Realms,” he said, drawing a line northwest by west on the map.“当格里夫特想到那个被莫安德附身并带到诸界的蜥蜴人时，芬德之石指向的就是这个方向，”他说着，在地图上画出一条向西北偏西延伸的线。222
“Was the saurial you thought of helping to build this body for Moander?”“你当时想到的那个蜥蜴人，是否正在帮莫安德建造这具躯体？”223
Breck asked Grypht.布雷克问格里夫特。224
The wizard nodded.法师点了点头。225
“So Moander’s new body must be somewhere along this line,” Breck said, tracing with his finger the line he’d drawn.“那么，莫安德的新躯体必定就在这条线上的某个地方，”布雷克说着，用手指沿自己画出的线划过。226
He pointed to the region of the map representing the dales.他指向地图上代表谷地的区域。227
“I can’t believe they could have been building a god’s body for three months anywhere in the dales without having been detected by Elminster,” he said.“我无法相信，他们能在谷地的任何地方花上三个月建造一具神祇的躯体，却始终不被伊尔明斯特察觉，”他说。228
“The mountains would be a much more likely hiding place.”“山里才更可能是他们的藏身之处。”229
Breck slid his fingers across the individual peaks of the Desertsmouth Mountains.布雷克的手指从沙漠之口山脉的一座座山峰上滑过。230
“They might be as far off as Anauroch, but there’s nothing in the desert for them to use to build Moander’s new body.“他们或许远在阿诺洛克，但沙漠里根本没有可供他们用来建造莫安德新躯体的东西。231
There’s not enough to eat or drink there for a large party of adventurers, let alone a whole tribe.”那里没有足够的食物和饮水供一大群冒险者维生，更别说整个部族了。”232
“Are you certain you’ve drawn your line accurately?”“你确定这条线画得准确吗？”233
Finder asked.芬德问道。234
“You could be off by miles.”“你画的位置可能会偏上好几英里。”235
Breck shook his head.布雷克摇了摇头。236
“You bards have a boast that you never lose count of the measure.“你们吟游诗人总爱夸口，说自己从不会数错拍子。237
Well, we rangers have a boast of our own.不过，我们游侠也有自己的夸口。238
We never get lost.我们从不迷路。239
I stood beside Grypht and watched the beam from the finder’s stone very carefully.我当时站在格里夫特身旁，仔细观察了芬德之石射出的光束。240
It ran just between these two peaks—Mount Andria and Mount Dix.”它恰好从这两座山峰之间穿过——安德里亚山和迪克斯山。”241
“Then Moander’s minions must be building his new body approximately here,” Finder said.“那么，莫安德的爪牙一定是在大约这个位置建造他的新躯体。”芬德说。242
“The Lost Vale.”“失落谷。”243
He pointed to a spot on the line just to the south of a peak labeled “Mount Hans.”他指向那条线上的一处地点，就在一座标为“汉斯山”的山峰南边。244
“The Lost Vale is nothing but a myth,” Breck said.“失落谷不过是个传说。”布雷克说。245
“Adventurers have been searching for it for centuries without finding a thing.”“几个世纪以来，冒险者们一直在寻找它，却什么也没找到。”246
“How quickly old Harper secrets are forgotten,” Finder said, chuckling.“古老的竖琴手秘密忘得可真快啊。”芬德轻笑着说。247
“You can’t search for the Lost Vale,” he explained.“你不可能靠搜寻找到失落谷，”他解释道。248
“Someone must take you to it magically.“必须有人用魔法把你带进去。249
It makes perfect sense that Moander would choose the Lost Vale.莫安德选择失落谷，完全合情合理。250
It’s magically hidden and warmed, and there’s a gate to Tarterus nearby.那里被魔法隐藏起来，气候温暖，而且附近还有一道通往塔尔塔罗斯的传送门。251
Isn’t that how Moander got your people from Tarterus to the Realms?”莫安德不就是这样把你的族人从塔尔塔罗斯带到诸界的吗？”252
Finder asked Grypht.芬德问格里夫特。253
“Through a gate?”“通过一道传送门？”254
Grypht nodded.格里夫特点了点头。255
“We can triangulate with the stone to be sure, but my money is on the Lost Vale.“我们可以用那块石头进行三角定位，确认一下，不过我赌失落谷准没错。256
Care to make a bet, ranger?敢不敢赌一把，游侠？257
My hundred gold to your one says I’m right.”我押一百枚金币，对你的一枚，赌我说得对。”258
“How could I resist?”“我怎么可能拒绝？”259
Breck replied, gathering up his map.布雷克一边回答，一边收起地图。260
“We’ll have a better view from the top of the hill,” Finder said, rising to his feet.“到了山顶，我们会看得更清楚。”芬德边说边站起身来。261
The other adventurers stood, except for the halfling.其他冒险者都站了起来，只有半身人没有动。262
“I’ll just wait here until you get back,” Olive said, lying back in the grass.“我就在这儿等你们回来吧。”奥利芙说着，仰面躺回草地上。263
Grypht looked thoughtfully at the halfling, then pulled out a small vial and handed it to Dragonbait.格里夫特若有所思地看了看半身人，随后取出一只小药瓶，递给龙饵。264
“Stay here with Olive,” he ordered the paladin.“留在这里陪奥利芙。”他命令圣武士。265
“See if this salve will help her injury any.”“看看这药膏能不能治一治她的伤。”266
As the others followed the bard up the hillside Dragonbait knelt beside Olive.其他人跟着吟游诗人朝山坡上走去，龙饵则跪到奥利芙身旁。267
The paladin hadn’t realized the halfling was injured.圣武士先前并未意识到半身人受了伤。268
It was so unlike her to suffer in silence.默默忍痛可一点也不像她。269
Now, though, he could see what Grypht must have noticed earlier, the bloodstain on the shoulder of her tunic.不过现在，他也看见了格里夫特先前一定已经注意到的东西——她束腰外衣肩头的那片血迹。270
What happened to your shoulder? he signed.你的肩膀怎么了？他打着手势问道。271
“Xaran took a shot at me last night with its wounding eye,” Olive said.“扎兰昨晚用它的致伤之眼射了我一下。”奥利芙说。272
The halfling sat up suddenly, staring at the paladin in surprise.半身人猛地坐起身，惊讶地盯着圣武士。273
“You’re using a hand cant!” she squeaked.“你居然会用手势暗语！”她尖声叫道。274
“How did you learn it?“你是怎么学会的？275
No one’s supposed to teach it to outsiders.”按规矩，谁也不该把它教给外人。”276
Dragonbait pointed toward Alias’s retreating figure.龙饵指了指阿莉亚丝渐行渐远的身影。277
Olive rolled her eyes up to the ceiling.奥利芙朝天翻了个白眼。278
“That girl is nothing but trouble!” she exclaimed.“那姑娘简直就是个麻烦精！”她嚷道。279
“Just what the Realms needs—a paladin who understands the thieves’ hand cant!“诸界现在最需要的可不就是一个看得懂盗贼手势暗语的圣武士嘛！280
Lord of Shadows, is nothing sacred anymore?”暗影之主啊，难道如今再也没有什么是神圣不可侵犯的吗？”281
Dragonbait chuckled at the halfling’s rhetorical question.听见半身人这句反问，龙饵轻声笑了起来。282
Grypht recommended we try this salve on your wound, he signed.格里夫特建议我们把这种药膏涂在你的伤口上试试，他打着手势说道。283
“I’m not hurt that bad,” Olive said, but when she tried to shrug, the pain made her grimace in spite of herself.“我的伤没那么重。”奥利芙说，可她试着耸肩时，疼痛还是让她不由自主地皱起了脸。284
Let me see the wound, the paladin insisted.让我看看伤口，圣武士坚持道。285
Olive sighed and loosened the drawstring at the neck of her tunic and let the garment slip down her shoulder, revealing a blood-caked bandage.奥利芙叹了口气，松开束腰外衣领口的抽绳，让衣服从肩头滑下，露出一块沾满干涸血迹的绷带。286
Gingerly the paladin lifted the bandage from the wound.圣武士小心翼翼地从伤口上揭起绷带。287
A honeysuckle scent of concern issued from the saurial’s neck glands.蜥人颈部的腺体散发出一股代表担忧的忍冬花香。288
The halfling’s shoulder was in worse shape than Finder’s hand had been, yet she hadn’t said a word when he’d used all of his healing energies on Alias and Finder.半身人的肩伤比芬德先前的手伤还要严重，可刚才他把全部治疗能量都用在阿莉亚丝和芬德身上时，她却一声也没吭。289
Dragonbait poured Grypht’s salve onto the wound.龙饵把格里夫特的药膏倒在伤口上。290
The sticky salve wasn’t a magical healing potion, but as Dragonbait pulled a spare shirt from his knapsack and fashioned it into a fresh bandage, Olive could feel the pain in her shoulder easing.黏稠的药膏并非魔法治疗药水，但龙饵从背包里取出一件备用衬衫，做成一条新绷带时，奥利芙能感觉到肩头的疼痛正在缓解。291
When the paladin finished tending her injury, Olive stood up, saying, “Let’s join the others, shall we?”圣武士替她处理完伤口后，奥利芙站起身来，说道：“我们去和其他人会合吧，好吗？”292
As Dragonbait walked up the hill beside the halfling, he signed, Are you coming with us to fight Moander again?龙饵与半身人并肩走上山丘时，打着手势问道：你要跟我们一起再去对付莫安德吗？293
“I’m going with Finder,” Olive said.“我要和芬德一起去，”奥利芙说。294
“Whatever he decides to do, I’ll do.”“不管他决定做什么，我都跟着他。”295
Dragonbait’s brow furrowed slightly.龙饵微微蹙起眉头。296
He remembered Alias commenting once that Nameless was a good influence on Olive.他想起阿莉亚丝曾说过，无名者给奥利芙带来了好的影响。297
The paladin wasn’t so sure that was exactly accurate.圣武士却不敢肯定事实果真如此。298
He suspected it was the bard’s reputation, more than the man himself, that influenced Olive.他怀疑，影响奥利芙的与其说是吟游诗人本人，不如说是他的名声。299
Like Alias, the halfling probably perceived the bard as a good man.和阿莉亚丝一样，半身人大概也把这位吟游诗人视为好人。300
Both women thought his brilliance made up for his vanity.两个女人都认为，他的才华足以弥补他的虚荣。301
Finder’s special attention to them made him seem to them less selfish and reckless than he really was.芬德对她们格外关照，因此在她们眼中，他显得没有实际上那么自私和鲁莽。302
The paladin doubted he’d ever convince either woman of Finder’s true nature.圣武士怀疑自己永远也无法让她们中的任何一个认清芬德的本性。303
Then Olive surprised him by whispering, “Someone has to keep an eye on him in case he tries to do something especially stupid.”这时，奥利芙却低声说出一句令他意外的话：“总得有人盯着他，免得他想做什么蠢得出奇的事。”304
I thought you liked him, Dragonbait signed.我还以为你喜欢他，龙饵打着手势说道。305
“I love him,” Olive snapped, “but I’m not an idiot, you know.”“我爱他，”奥利芙没好气地说，“但我又不是傻瓜，知道吗？”306
I know now, the saurial signed in reply.现在知道了，蜥人打着手势回答。307
In the ruins of the manor house atop the hill, Finder handed Grypht his magical stone.在山顶庄园宅邸的废墟里，芬德把自己的魔法石交给了格里夫特。308
“Think of the same saurial you thought of before,” he instructed the wizard.“想象你之前想过的那个蜥人，”他对法师说道。309
As the others watched, a beacon of light sprang out from the finder’s stone, heading northwest.众人注视之下，一道指引方向的光束从寻踪石中迸射而出，向西北方延伸而去。310
“We’re right here,” Finder said, pointing out on Breck’s map the position of his keep, “and the beam cuts to the right of that mountain—the one that looks like it’s been sliced in half.”“我们就在这里，”芬德指着布雷克地图上要塞的位置说道，“而光束从那座山的右边穿过——就是那座看起来像被劈成两半的山。”311
Breck nodded.布雷克点了点头。312
“That’s Wizards’ Folly.“那是威世智之愚。313
It used to be a whole mountain thirty years ago, before two wizards decided to use it for a battlefield.”三十年前，它还是一座完整的山，后来两个法师决定拿它当战场。”314
The ranger drew a second line on his map.游侠在地图上画出了第二条线。315
The two lines intersected at precisely the spot Finder had claimed to be the Lost Vale.两条线的交点，恰好就是芬德所说的失落谷所在之处。316
“It seems you’ve won your wager,” Breck said.“看来这场赌是你赢了。”布雷克说道。317
Olive and Dragonbait rejoined the others just as the ranger pulled a gold coin from a pouch on his belt and tossed it to the bard.奥利芙和龙饵刚回到众人身边，游侠便从腰间的钱袋里掏出一枚金币，抛给了吟游诗人。318
Finder twirled the gold piece around his fingers and seemed to make it disappear into thin air.芬德让金币在指间转了几圈，随后仿佛让它凭空消失了。319
Only Olive caught sight of the glimmering coin as it slid down the sleeve of the bard’s shirt.只有奥利芙瞥见那枚闪闪发亮的金币滑进了吟游诗人的衬衣袖子里。320
“So, can your magical stone take us to the Lost Vale?”“那么，你那块魔法石能带我们去失落谷吗？”321
Breck asked Finder.布雷克问芬德。322
“To the Singing Cave at the northern edge of the vale,” the bard replied.“能带你们去谷地北缘的歌唱洞穴，”吟游诗人答道。323
“From the cave’s mouth, you can see the whole vale.”“从洞口可以俯瞰整座山谷。”324
“First we should find out about the seed,” Grypht said.“我们应该先弄清楚种子的事。”格里夫特说道。325
“You didn’t say in your tale, but are you sure the beholder didn’t mention a seed to you?” the wizard asked Finder.“你的故事里没有提到，不过你确定那个眼魔没跟你说起过一颗种子吗？”法师问芬德。326
“I’m sure,” Finder replied.“我确定。”芬德答道。327
“What is this seed?”“这颗种子是什么？”328
“Let me explain,” Alias said, shooting a warning glance at the others.“让我来解释吧。”阿莉亚丝说着，警告地瞥了其他人一眼。329
She didn’t want Finder to know that she’d changed any of his songs.她不想让芬德知道自己改动过他的任何一首歌。330
It would only anger him, so she decided to leave that part out of her explanation.那只会惹恼他，因此她决定在解释时略过这一部分。331
“Because my soul is linked to Dragonbait’s, it seems I have a strange ability,” the swordswoman explained carefully.“因为我的灵魂与龙饵的灵魂相连，我似乎拥有了一种奇怪的能力，”女剑士小心翼翼地解释道。332
“It makes me go into a trance and sing about things related to Dragonbait’s people.“这种能力会让我陷入恍惚，唱出与龙饵族人有关的事情。333
Since the saurials are minions of Moander, they know about this seed, and somehow I sang a song about it.”既然蜥蜴人是莫安德的爪牙，他们就知道这颗种子的事，而我不知怎么就唱出了一首关于它的歌。”334
“Sing the song for me now,” Finder ordered.“现在把那首歌唱给我听。”芬德命令道。335
Alias repeated both verses of the saurial soul song for the bard.阿莉亚丝为这位吟游诗人重复唱了一遍蜥蜴人灵魂之歌的两段歌词。336
Now that she was sure that Finder was safe from Moander, she was better able to concentrate on the first verse.既然确信芬德已经不会遭到莫安德的毒手，她便能更专心地体会第一段歌词了。337
She felt as if some stranger had whispered Moander’s secrets to her in her dreams, and she only had to remember the dream and how it had made her feel to understand it.她觉得仿佛有个陌生人在梦中向她低声透露了莫安德的秘密，而她只需回想起那个梦，以及梦中带给她的感受，就能理解其中的含义。338
With a jolt of alarm, she realized that she knew the purpose of the seed as clearly as she had known that Moander had meant to possess Finder.她心中猛地一惊，意识到自己清楚地知道那颗种子的用途，就像她先前清楚地知道莫安德企图附身于芬德一样。339
“The minions have already completed Moander’s new body!” she declared.“那些爪牙已经为莫安德造好了新的躯体！”她断言道。340
“That’s why they need the seed.”“所以它们才需要那颗种子。”341
“What?”“什么？”342
Grypht and Akabar asked in unison.格里夫特和阿卡巴异口同声地问道。343
“The seed in the song is a seed of possession,” Alias explained.“歌里提到的种子是一颗附身之种。”阿莉亚丝解释道。344
“Like the one Xaran used to try to possess Finder?”“就像扎兰企图用来附身于芬德的那颗种子？”345
Olive asked.奥利芙问道。346
Alias shook her head.阿莉亚丝摇了摇头。347
“Not exactly,” she said.“不完全一样。”她说道。348
“When Moander was in the Realms last year, it stored most of the power it acquired in the Realms in this seed, so this seed is much more powerful.“去年莫安德身处诸界时，把它在诸界获得的大部分力量都储存在了这颗种子里，所以这颗种子的力量要强大得多。349
Larger, too, I think.”而且我想，它也要大得多。”350
Alias looked confused for a moment.阿莉亚丝一时间显得有些困惑。351
“The saurials have never seen the seed, so I can’t picture it.“蜥蜴人从未见过那颗种子，所以我无法想象它的模样。352
Moander needs the seed, though, to possess its new body.不过，莫安德需要那颗种子才能附身于它的新躯体。353
Without it, the god can’t return to the Realms.”没有它，这位神祇就无法重返诸界。”354
“Good,” Breck said.“很好。”布雷克说道。355
“Then all we have to do is find the seed and destroy it.”“那么我们只要找到那颗种子，把它毁掉就行了。”356
“If Moander can’t find it,” Akabar asked, “how are we supposed to discover it?”“连莫安德都找不到它，”阿卡巴问道，“那我们又怎么可能找到？”357
“Use the finder’s stone,” Breck said excitedly.“用寻物石啊。”布雷克兴奋地说道。358
Finder shook his head and explained.芬德摇了摇头，解释道。359
“It won’t work if you haven’t got a clear picture of what you’re trying to locate.”“如果你对要找的东西没有一个清晰的印象，它就不会奏效。”360
“We can try,” the ranger insisted.“我们可以试试。”游侠坚持道。361
Finder handed Alias the magical stone, and Alias concentrated hard on the song.芬德把魔法石递给阿莉亚丝，阿莉亚丝全神贯注地想着那首歌。362
She seemed to sense excitement and impatience emanating from Moander.她似乎感觉到莫安德身上散发出的兴奋与急切。363
Although the finder’s stone glowed in her hands, it sent out no beam of light.尽管寻物石在她手中发着光，却没有射出任何光束。364
“Hey!”“嘿！”365
Olive said excitedly.奥利芙兴奋地说。366
“Maybe the finder’s stone is the seed!“说不定寻物石就是那颗种子！367
Maybe it’s glowing to point to itself!”也许它发光就是在指向自己！”368
“Try to keep your imagination under control, little Lady Luck,” Finder chided.“管好你的想象力，小幸运女神。”芬德责备道。369
“That’s impossible.“那不可能。370
Moander has never been anywhere near the stone.”莫安德从来没有接近过这块石头。”371
“Not so,” Akabar said.“并非如此。”阿卡巴说。372
“Alias had the stone with her last year when she freed Moander from its prison in Yulash, and Dragonbait used it to follow the god through the gate it created to go to Westgate.“去年阿莉亚丝把莫安德从尤拉什的囚牢中释放出来时，身上就带着这块石头；后来龙饵还用它追踪那位神，穿过它为前往西门城而造出的传送门。373
Although Moander never actually touched it, the god did get quite close to the stone.”莫安德虽然从未真正碰过它，但确实曾离这块石头很近。”374
Finder took exception.芬德不以为然。375
“Xaran never said anything about the stone, and I’d know if anyone had tampered with it.”“扎兰从没提过这块石头，而且要是有人动过手脚，我一定会知道。”376
“But would you tell us if you did know?”“可就算你知道，你会告诉我们吗？”377
Akabar asked suspiciously.阿卡巴满腹狐疑地问。378
“How do we know for sure that you haven’t been possessed by Moander?”“我们怎么能确定你没有被莫安德附身？”379
“How do we know you haven’t been?”“我们又怎么知道你没有被附身？”380
Finder growled back.芬德低吼着反问。381
Anxious to restore unity, Grypht said, “Dragonbait sensed no evil in Finder.”格里夫特急于让众人重归团结，说道：“龙饵没有从芬德身上感知到邪恶。”382
Alias translated the wizard’s statement, and Dragonbait confirmed the swordswoman’s words with a nod.阿莉亚丝翻译了法师的话，龙饵则点头证实了女剑士所言。383
“But there is something wrong with Akabar,” Olive said, remembering the conversation she’d eavesdropped on.“可阿卡巴确实有些不对劲。”奥利芙想起自己偷听到的那番谈话，说道。384
“At least Zhara thought so.”“至少扎拉是这么认为的。”385
“What is it, priestess?”“怎么回事，女祭司？”386
Breck demanded.布雷克追问道。387
Zhara looked down at the ground, unable to deny what the halfling said but unwilling to speak out against her husband.扎拉低头望着地面，既无法否认半身人所说的话，又不愿出言指责自己的丈夫。388
“I have not been possessed but merely enchanted,” Akabar said with a sigh.“我并没有被附身，只是中了魅惑术而已，”阿卡巴叹息着说道。389
“It is the sort of enchantment women can always sense.“这种魅惑，女人总是能察觉出来。390
Kyre fed me a philter of love so I would follow her to Moander.”凯尔给我喝了一剂爱情魔药，好让我跟随她前往莫安德。”391
Alias noted the pained look on Breck’s face.阿莉亚丝注意到布雷克脸上痛苦的神情。392
He’d suffered enough grief from Kyre’s death already.凯尔的死已经让他承受了太多悲痛。393
The news that the half-elf had used magic to seduce another man came as just one more slap in the ranger’s face.如今又得知这个半精灵曾用魔法勾引另一个男人，无异于在游侠脸上又扇了一记耳光。394
“Grypht can dispel the enchantment,” Finder said.“格里夫特可以解除这道魅惑，”芬德说道。395
“Then Moander won’t be able to use your love for her against us.”“这样莫安德就无法利用你对她的爱来对付我们了。”396
“Breck loved Kyre, too,” Akabar pointed out.“布雷克也爱凯尔，”阿卡巴指出。397
“Will you try to disenchant him?“你也要设法解除他身上的魅惑吗？398
Kyre was a beautiful, talented woman.凯尔是个美丽而又才华横溢的女人。399
Why shouldn’t both of us remember her with feelings of love.我们两个人为什么不能都怀着爱意缅怀她？400
Do not waste your spell, wizard,” the mage said to Grypht.别浪费你的法术了，巫师，”魔法师对格里夫特说道。401
“How I felt about Kyre does not matter now that she is dead.”“如今凯尔已经死了，我对她怀有怎样的感情都不再重要。”402
“He’s right,” Breck said.“他说得对，”布雷克说道。403
Only Alias noted the look of pain on Zhara’s face.只有阿莉亚丝注意到了扎拉脸上的痛苦。404
It’s so like Akabar, the swordswoman thought, to think it doesn’t matter that he loves another woman.阿卡巴就是这样，女剑士心想，他觉得自己爱着另一个女人根本无关紧要。405
He expects Zhara to share his affections with his other wives and any other woman he desires.他理所当然地认为，扎拉应该同他的其他妻子，以及他看上的任何女人，一起分享他的爱。406
If it hadn’t been for her friendships with Dragonbait and Finder and Olive, Alias realized, she, too, might have accepted Akabar’s shared affections.阿莉亚丝意识到，如果不是因为她与龙饵、芬德和奥利芙之间的友情，她或许也会接受与别人分享阿卡巴的爱。407
A wave of sympathy for the priestess swept over her, and a feeling of guilt niggled at her conscience, remembering how she had actually hoped Akabar would fall in love with Kyre and become disenchanted with Zhara.一阵对女祭司的同情涌上她的心头，愧疚也啃噬着她的良知，因为她想起自己其实曾盼望阿卡巴会爱上凯尔，从而不再迷恋扎拉。408
The other members of the party had already accepted Breck’s judgment about Akabar’s decision and had returned to arguing about the finder’s stone.队伍中的其他人早已接受了布雷克对阿卡巴这一决定的判断，又继续争论起那块寻物石来。409
“According to your story, Kyre grabbed the stone just before you used it to teleport yourself to this place yesterday,” Grypht reminded Finder.“照你的说法，昨天你用那块石头把自己传送到这里之前，凯尔刚刚抢走了它，”格里夫特提醒芬德。410
“This morning the beholder grabbed for it when Alias dropped it.“今天早上，阿莉亚丝把它掉在地上时，那个眼魔也伸手来抢。411
These events suggest that Moander’s minions have some interest in the stone.”这些事说明，莫安德的爪牙对那块石头很感兴趣。”412
“Maybe they just wanted to use it to find their seed,” Finder argued.“也许他们只是想用它找到种子，”芬德反驳道。413
“That’s possible,” Grypht said, “but it doesn’t disprove the theory that the stone is the seed.”“有这个可能，”格里夫特说，“但这并不能推翻石头本身就是种子的推测。”414
Finder scowled.芬德皱起了眉头。415
“Moander traveled on land from Yulash deep into the Elven Woods.“莫安德从尤拉什经陆路深入精灵森林。416
The god could have left its power anywhere.这位神祇可能把自己的力量留在了任何地方。417
The seed could be practically anything.”种子几乎可能是任何东西。”418
Olive cursed herself for making the suggestion about the stone.奥利芙暗骂自己不该提出关于那块石头的猜想。419
The bard cherished the stone, and if the others insisted on destroying it, Finder would be furious.吟游诗人对那块石头珍爱有加，要是其他人坚持摧毁它，芬德一定会勃然大怒。420
She wracked her brain for some way to convince the others that the idea was wrong.她绞尽脑汁，想找个办法让其他人相信这个想法是错的。421
Fortunately Alias succeeded where the halfling could not.幸好，阿莉亚丝做到了这个半身人没能做到的事。422
“Moander would never have chosen the finder’s stone to hold the seed,” the swordswoman said.“莫安德绝不会选择寻物石来容纳种子，”女剑士说道。423
“The seed’s casing has to break open for the seedling of possession to sprout, but breaking open the finder’s stone would release the para-elemental ice at the center of the stone, and the seedling would die in the cold.”“种子的外壳必须破裂，附身幼苗才能萌发；可要是打碎寻物石，就会释放出石头中心的准元素冰，幼苗也会在严寒中死去。”424
“Yes,” Grypht agreed.“对，”格里夫特赞同道。425
“That’s true.”“确实如此。”426
Olive breathed a sigh of relief as Alias returned Finder’s stone to him.阿莉亚丝把芬德的石头还给他时，奥利芙松了一口气。427
The bard studied the gem thoughtfully.吟游诗人若有所思地端详着那颗宝石。428
“Well, if we can’t find the seed,” Breck said, “we’re back to the first plan.“好吧，既然我们找不到种子，”布雷克说，“那就得回到原先的计划上。429
We’ve got to destroy Moander’s new body before the minions manage to find the seed and resurrect the god.我们必须在那些爪牙找到种子、让莫安德复活之前，摧毁祂的新躯体。430
Are you ready to take us to this Singing Cave?” he asked Finder.你准备好带我们去歌唱洞穴了吗？”他问芬德。431
“Just as soon as I take Alias somewhere safe,” the bard said.“等我先把阿莉亚丝送到安全的地方就行，”吟游诗人说。432
“What?”“什么？”433
Alias exclaimed.阿莉亚丝惊叫道。434
“Moander tried to use you once.“莫安德曾经试图利用你。435
It will try again,” Finder said.它还会再试的，”芬德说。436
“I don’t want you anywhere near it.”“我不想让你靠近它半步。”437
“Finder, why did you bother to make me a swordswoman if it wasn’t to fight?”“芬德，如果不是为了战斗，你又何必把我培养成剑士？”438
Alias snapped.阿莉亚丝厉声说道。439
“So you could defend yourself if you were in trouble,” Finder said.“是为了让你遇到危险时能够自卫，”芬德说。440
“I didn’t expect you to go looking for fights.“我可没想让你主动去找人打架。441
And I most certainly never dreamed you’d run around trying to destroy evil gods.”更绝对没想到，你竟会四处奔波，想要消灭邪神。”442
“Be reasonable, bard,” Breck said.“讲点道理吧，吟游诗人，”布雷克说。443
“This is no time to be overly paternal.“现在可不是父爱泛滥的时候。444
Alias is a good fighter.阿莉亚丝是个出色的战士。445
We need her.”我们需要她。”446
Grypht added, “Her presence can protect us from the scrying of Moander’s minions.”格里夫特补充道：“她在场，就能保护我们不受莫安德爪牙的窥探。”447
“So can Zhara’s,” Finder countered.“扎拉也能做到，”芬德反驳道。448
“But Alias might sing another soul song that could help us defeat the Darkbringer,” Grypht persisted.“但阿莉亚丝或许还能再唱出一首灵魂之歌，帮助我们击败黑暗使者，”格里夫特坚持道。449
Finder glared at the wizard.芬德怒视着那名法师。450
“I won’t have you using her to sing soul songs.”“我不准你利用她来唱灵魂之歌。”451
“Only you can use her to sing your songs, is that it, Finder?”“这么说，只有你能利用她来唱你的歌，是吗，芬德？”452
Akabar asked.阿卡巴问道。453
“Stop it, all of you!”“都给我住口！”454
Alias shouted.阿莉亚丝喊道。455
“No one uses me!“谁也别想利用我！456
I choose to do things or not on my own.”做不做什么，我自己会决定。”457
She turned to Finder and addressed him with her hands on her hips.她转向芬德，双手叉腰对他说。458
“Dragonbait is my brother.“龙饵是我的兄弟。459
His tribe is my tribe.他的族人就是我的族人。460
You would do well to remember that, Father.父亲，你最好记住这一点。461
I’m going to help the saurials, and you are not going to stop me.我要去帮助蜥蜴人，你休想阻止我。462
Grypht has scried the vale; he can teleport me there if you won’t.”格里夫特已经用占卜术察看过那座山谷；你要是不肯送我去，他可以把我传送到那里。”463
“An hour ago the thought of Moander filled you with terror,” Dragonbait reminded her.“一个小时前，一想到莫安德你还怕得要命。”龙饵提醒她。464
“It doesn’t matter,” Alias said stubbornly.“那不重要。”阿莉亚丝固执地说。465
“I’m not staying behind.”“我不会留下来的。”466
“Fine,” Finder said coldly.“好吧。”芬德冷冷地说。467
Alias looked as if the bard had slapped her in the face.阿莉亚丝的神情仿佛被这位吟游诗人扇了一耳光。468
Olive knew exactly what the swordswoman was feeling and thinking.奥利芙完全明白这位女剑士此刻的感受和想法。469
Alias was on the verge of considering some compromise, just as the halfling had found herself doing so often with Finder.阿莉亚丝眼看就要考虑作出某种妥协了，就像这个半身人自己过去常常对芬德妥协一样。470
I can’t let that happen, Olive decided.我不能让这种事发生，奥利芙下定决心。471
She hurried to Finder’s side and pushed the bard’s hand into Alias’s, saying, “Now that that’s settled, let’s get going.”她快步走到芬德身边，把吟游诗人的手塞进阿莉亚丝手里，说道：“既然事情已经定了，咱们就出发吧。”472
Finder shot an annoyed look at Olive, but to his own surprise, he realized he’d grown too superstitious about the halfling’s instinctive actions to defy them.芬德恼火地瞪了奥利芙一眼，但令他自己也感到意外的是，他发现自己已经太过迷信这个半身人凭直觉作出的举动，不敢违逆了。473
He tightened his grip on Alias’s hand and stole a glance at her.他握紧阿莉亚丝的手，偷偷瞥了她一眼。474
Alias smiled at him shyly.阿莉亚丝羞涩地朝他一笑。475
“I just don’t want you to be hurt,” he said.“我只是不想让你受伤。”他说。476
“I know,” Alias answered.“我知道。”阿莉亚丝回答。477
The others hastily formed a chain with their hands.其他人连忙手拉着手，结成一串。478
Finder sang a series of notes, and the stone’s glow of teleportation surrounded all of them.芬德唱出一连串音符，传送石的光芒将他们所有人笼罩起来。479
The Mouth of Moander looked up suddenly from Moander’s new body.莫安德之口猛然从莫安德的新躯体上抬起头来。480
With Moander controlling her, she shouted, “Gather the fliers.在莫安德的操控下，她高声喊道：“召集飞行者。481
Cast a spell of invisibility on them.给它们施上隐形术。482
They must patrol the vale.”它们必须巡查这座山谷。”483
Several lesser minions hurried to obey the god’s high priestess.几个低等仆从赶忙遵从神祇的女祭司长。484
They began to climb down from the immense mount of vegetation that Moander would soon inhabit.它们开始从那座巨大的草木之山上向下攀爬，莫安德很快就会栖身其中。485
Coral felt her heart sink.科拉尔的心沉了下去。486
When her scrying on Xaran and the Nameless Bard had failed, she had been certain the swordswoman Alias had rescued the bard.当她对扎兰和无名者吟游诗人的窥探失败时，她便确信，是女剑士阿莉亚丝救走了那个吟游诗人。487
No, my priestess, Moander whispered in her head.不，我的女祭司，莫安德在她脑海中低语。488
I can sense the power of the seed.我能感知到种子的力量。489
The bard has brought it to the vale.那个吟游诗人已经把它带进了山谷。490
I told you he was possessed.我告诉过你，他已经被附身了。491
“Then why hasn’t he brought the seed directly to you?”“那他为什么没有把种子直接带给你？”492
Coral asked defiantly.科拉尔挑衅地问道。493
“Why do you need the fliers to search for him?”“你为什么还需要飞行者去搜寻他？”494
Moander ignored her goading.莫安德没有理会她的激将。495
No doubt the bard will have my servant Alias with him, the god informed Coral.那个吟游诗人身边无疑会有我的仆人阿莉亚丝，神祇告诉科拉尔。496
And where Alias is, the paladin will be, too.而阿莉亚丝在哪里，那个圣武士也会在哪里。497
They must be reeled in carefully.必须小心地把他们收拢过来。498
You will have that honor, Coral.科拉尔，这份荣誉就交给你了。499
Champion will be pleased to see you again … at first.勇士会很高兴再次见到你的……至少一开始会。500
Coral looked down at the ground, far below the top of the god’s new body.科拉尔低头望向地面，那地方远在神祇新躯体的顶端之下。501
If I can make it close enough to the edge to jump, she thought, I could end this torment.只要我能挪到足够靠近边缘的地方纵身跳下，她想，我就能结束这场折磨。502
Curiously, Moander didn’t seem to notice her thought or take control of her limbs.奇怪的是，莫安德似乎没有察觉她的念头，也没有控制她的四肢。503
Whispering her former goddess’s name, Coral dashed to the edge of the vast pile of greenery and flung herself away from it.科拉尔低声念着她昔日女神的名字，冲到那巨大草木堆的边缘，纵身跃了出去。504
She began to drift down as gently as a feather.她开始像羽毛一样轻柔地向下飘落。505
On the ground beneath her, she could see a possessed magic-user staring up at her.她看见下方的地面上，一个被附身的施法者正抬头盯着她。506
Moander had used the mage’s body to cast a feather fall spell on her.莫安德借那名法师的身体，对她施展了羽落术。507
She had gained nothing by her suicide attempt.她企图自尽，却一无所获。508
But I have learned much, Moander’s voice came to her.“但我倒是了解了不少。”莫安德的声音传入她脑海。509
Now I know just how far you will go.“现在我知道你究竟会做到什么地步了。”510
I must keep you on a tighter leash, mustn’t I?“我必须把你拴得更紧些，不是吗？”511
It is hopeless to defy me.“反抗我是没有希望的。”512
You, and you alone, will be the one to sacrifice Champion, and no other—just as soon as you have planted the seed to resurrect me in the Realms.“你，也只有你，将成为献祭勇士的人，绝不会是别人——只等你在诸界种下让我复活的种子。”513
Coral’s tears splashed to the ground like rain.科拉尔的泪珠如雨点般溅落在地上。514
Some time later she landed beside them.过了一会儿，她也落到了它们旁边。515
Under Moander’s control, she rose to her feet and strode off to make preparations to capture Dragonbait and Alias.在莫安德的控制下，她站起身，大步离去，着手准备抓捕龙饵和阿莉亚丝。516