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Phillip Vargas著

卢锡安坐在山顶的一棵大榕树树荫下，俯视着山谷。他双手放在一对枪上，手指摩挲着黄铜的纹路。黑雾卷过青翠的低谷，吞噬着途经之处的一切。蚀魂夜比预想中提前了几个小时降临这个小岛。

Lucian sat on a hilltop beneath the shadow of a large banyan tree and scanned the valley below. His hands rested on his relic pistols. Fingers brushed the bronzed metalwork. The Black Mist rolled across the verdant lowlands, consuming everything in its path. The Harrowing had made landfall on the island several hours earlier.

数不尽的火光落入了黑暗。翻腾的雾气幕天席地。火把一个个渐次黯淡，直至熄灭。因为距离太远，所以听不到垂死的惨叫声。

The light of countless torches moved through the darkness. Clouds of drifting mist enveloped the area. One by one, the fires waned and extinguished, their distance too far to carry the screams of the dying.

只有一个光点炯炯如常。惨绿色的光芒毫不费力地洞穿了黑雾，看似没有受到丝毫影响。那是恶灵的腐败之火。卢锡安见状登时心跳加快，全身血液仿佛沸腾起来。

One light remained strong. Its pallid green glow floated effortlessly through the Black Mist, seemingly unaffected. The corrupted flames of vile spirits. Lucian’s heart quickened at the sight, and a seething heat flushed his body.

他疾奔下山，踏着碎石山路来到了盆地。一具尸体躺在高草间，双臂紧紧抱住自己的肩膀，眼睛瞪大——一对墨黑的晶球死盯着无月的天空。卢锡安继续向前追去。

He raced down the hillside, fighting for purchase on loose gravel until he reached the basin. A body lay in the tall grass. Its arms were tightly wrapped around its shoulders, its eyes wide open—inky black marbles stared at a moonless sky. He marched past and continued his pursuit.

直到发现了第五具尸体，他才停了下来。老人的脸孔因剧烈的疼痛而扭曲。衣衫褴褛。血肉剥离。伤口是镰刀造成的，卢锡安不可能看错。

It was the fifth body that gave him pause. The old man’s features were twisted in a rigor of pain. Robes shredded. Flesh flayed from the body. The wounds from the scythe unmistakable to the trained eye.

他换了个方向，循着一路上的尸体来到了一处陡坡下。他在繁密的树丛间向上攀援。还没接近山顶他便听到了惨叫声。

Lucian changed course and followed the trail of bodies to the base of a steep slope. He clambered up the rise, weaving his way through the dense thicket. The screams reached his ears before he crested the remote hilltop.

黑雾溢满了山顶的空地，许多畸形的形体在浑浊厚重的雾气里无常地隐现。一群岛民惊慌失措地朝悬崖跑去——葬身大海无异于解脱。雾气把他们一个不落地吞没了。狂乱的暗影扑向可悲的灵魂，将死的哀鸣加入了不洁的合唱。

Black Mist poured across the clearing. It roiled and shifted as malformed shapes moved in the thick haze. A crowd of terrified islanders raced toward a sheer cliff drop and the ocean’s bitter promise of escape. The mist engulfed them all. Frenzied shadows descended upon the poor souls, adding the cries of the dying to the unholy chorus roaring within.

他举枪瞄准了翻腾的雾气。一队尖叫的恶灵从中涌出，挥舞着幽影的剑刃，张开满口尖牙向他冲来。

He aimed his pistols at the surging mass. A horde of screeching wraiths spewed out from the mist, charging at him with spectral blades and maws full of jagged teeth.

枪口射出一道净光，屠尽了受诅咒的恶鬼。卢锡安被枪火震得后退了一步，靴子的鞋跟已经探到了悬崖边缘。他冒险回头看了一眼。山下的阴影中，暴戾的大海与碎石累累的海岸反复冲撞。

He fired a blaze of purifying light, immolating the cursed spirits. The blast drove him back a step, and his boot heel found the edge of the bluff. He hazarded a look over his shoulder. Stormy seas crashed against a rocky shore in the darkness below.

无数灵魂的齐声哀嚎中，一个笑声出奇刺耳。卢锡安转过身，双枪架稳了不断接近的浓雾。臃肿狂烈的雾中亮起一星火光。

Laughter cut through the wails of countless souls. He spun around, weapons aimed at the approaching mist. A beacon shone inside the raging swell.

卢锡安将一把枪收回枪套，手伸进皮大衣里，摸出了一颗粘土炸弹。炸弹有拳头大小，粗糙的外壳上有一个记号——比尔吉沃特的老武器匠到底有没有骗他，现在就是验证的时候了。

Lucian holstered one of his guns and reached inside his leather coat. He found the clay grenade and pulled it out. The fist-sized shell bore a proof mark on its rough surface—it was time to see if the old weaponsmith in Bilgewater was right.

他振臂一甩，炸弹凌空飞出，升到最高点时，他抬手开了枪。空中炸开了一朵银色的云。粉尘在半空中涡旋升腾，在致死的黑雾中挤出了一小块闪亮的凝滞空间。

He tossed the shell in a wide arc, and when it reached its zenith, he fired his pistol. The grenade erupted in a cloud of silver dust. The dust swirled and remained suspended in the air, creating a shimmering pocket of stillness within the deadly fog, repelling the Black Mist.

黑雾破开一处缺口，锤石站在那里，脚下是一个年轻女子。链钩剜进了她的身体，正将她的灵魂剥除，让她在剧痛中拼命挣扎。古旧的灯笼开始燃亮，魂锁典狱长将它举了起来，开始亮起。女子毫无生息的身体颓然倒地——监牢里迎来了又一个新的灵魂。

Thresh stood inside the opening, towering over a young woman. She writhed in agony as chained hooks dug into her flesh, rending soul from body. The Chain Warden lifted his ancient lantern as it started to glow. The woman’s lifeless form collapsed to the ground, and the relic accepted its new prisoner.

那幽灵看到卢锡安，笑着说：“暗影的猎手，我们在海力亚很想念你，还担心你早就忘记了挫败的滋味。”

The specter turned to Lucian and grinned. “We missed you in Helia, and feared you'd lost your taste for defeat, shadow hunter.”

锤石敲了敲灯笼。光芒脉动，像是在回应他。

Thresh tapped the lantern. It radiated as if answering his call.

“她的灵魂因你的到来而愈发明亮，”锤石说。“你带来了希望，让她的受难稍微得以喘息。”

“How her soul brightens at your arrival,” Thresh said. “The promise you bring. It offers a brief respite from the misery.”

卢锡安的眼光落在了灯笼上。银色的粉尘驱走了那座监牢所散发出的光晕。他握紧双枪，等待着。

Lucian’s gaze fell on the lantern. Silver dust scattered off the protective bloom of light emanating from the iron-wrought prison. He gripped his pistols, waiting.

“哎，可是失败自有后果，”锤石大笑。“让她的苦痛益发甜美。希望，就像天真的孩子，贸然地冲向累累岩石。”

“Oh, but failures come with a toll,” Thresh laughed. “They make her agony so much sweeter. All those hopes dashed, like a child against the rocks.”

卢锡安的思绪突然闪回到上次的交手，但他把那念头逼走了。

Lucian’s mind flashed on their last engagement, but he pushed the thought away.

“你可知道她最深的恐惧是什么？”锤石说。“永无休止地受难，与你一起。”

“Do you know her darkest fear?” Thresh said. “Suffering until the end of all things, with you by her side.”

灯笼放出的光芒一变，阴森的绿色稍稍减淡了。他感觉到她在努力伸手，想要拥抱他——温暖而无实体，独属于灵魂和回忆的方式。

The light from the lantern shifted, its sickly green hue waning. He felt her reach out and embrace him in that warm and intangible way reserved for spirits and memories.

卢锡安……

Lucian…

她的声音让他心头一暖。锤石说的没错，每当他靠近时，赛娜都能感觉得到。每次相遇，她都似乎变得更近了，像是在反抗锤石的折磨。在他踏上这个小岛的那一刻，两人就感应到了彼此。

His heart warmed at the sound of her voice. Thresh was right. Senna could feel him every time he neared. Her reach had grown with each encounter, as if in defiance of the Chain Warden and his torments. They had sensed each other the moment he’d stepped on the island.

灯笼在锤石手中震动起来。夺目的光彩在里面回旋拉扯，像是要突破监牢。锤石看着灯笼中的异动，不屑地轻笑了一声。卢锡安端枪瞄准了灯笼中那一团渐渐加剧的风暴。灯笼外的防护光晕开始动摇。

The lantern shuddered in Thresh’s grasp. Brilliant spirals of light swirled inside the relic, straining and swelling against the container. Thresh eyed the disturbance and simply sneered. Lucian aimed his guns at the tempest forming inside. The lantern’s protective bloom of light began to falter.

时候到了，我的爱人……

Now, my love…

卢锡安开火了。

Lucian fired his pistols.

刺目的枪火一击洞穿了摇摇欲坠的光晕，命中了铁质的牢笼。灯笼猛地一晃。这是头一次，净化之火敲响了古老监狱的大门。

The bolts of piercing light burned through the wavering defense and slammed into the iron relic. The lantern swung violently on its chain. For the first time, his purifying fire had struck the ancient prison.

锤石怒吼一声，将灯笼甩到身侧。

Thresh roared in anger, sweeping the lantern aside.

黑雾伸出一条条触手，探进灯笼之中，淹没了旋动的光芒。他的挚爱，以及无数渴望解脱的灵魂，被滚荡的暗影吞噬殆尽。灯笼中黑暗弥漫，她被生生拉远，留下惨痛的呼叫。

Baneful tendrils of Black Mist erupted inside the container, overwhelming the spirals of light. The billowing shadows swallowed all semblance of his beloved and the countless souls striving for release. She was ripped away, screaming as darkness spread inside the lantern.

“住手！”卢锡安同声大喊。“放了她！”

“No!” Lucian screamed, in chorus. “Let her go!”

锤石再次大笑。满是嘲弄的冷酷啸声，与赛娜的悲鸣相映。

Thresh laughed. A cruel and taunting howl as Senna wailed in agony.

卢锡安举枪对准锤石。他将全身心的怒火灌注到枪中，射出了一连串的枪火。

Lucian’s pistols snapped to Thresh. He focused all his rage into the relic weapons and released a torrent of fire.

圣光将锤石完全淹没，净化的烈焰点燃了他的灵体。卢锡安箭步上前，再次开枪，但是灯笼周围却重新浮现出黑色的光晕，摁灭了枪火。

The shots engulfed the Chain Warden and ignited his spectral form in a purifying blaze. Lucian dashed forward and fired a second volley, but the shots were nulled by an envelope of darkness reemerging from the lantern.

锤石身上的烈焰被黑暗的能力驱散了。他微笑着高举起灯笼，像是在炫耀一件刚刚得来的奖品。

The flames consuming Thresh died out, quenched by the dark energy. He smiled and held the lantern aloft like some prize to be claimed.

卢锡安感到胸口一窒。破除灯笼光晕的枪火白白浪费了。银屑在他身边缓缓散落。黑雾的触手伸进了炸弹挤出的空当里，慢慢补上了缺口。他已经错过了时机，爱人仍然身陷于囚笼之中。

Lucian felt a heaviness press against his chest. The shots that had pierced the lantern’s defenses had been wasted. All around him silver drifted to the ground. Tendrils of Black Mist seeped into the protective hollow created by the grenade, and the opening started to close. The moment had passed, and his beloved still remained imprisoned.

大势已去，卢锡安举枪冲进了黑雾。

Resigned, he lifted his pistols and charged into the fray.

有什么东西快得根本看不清楚，迎面砸中了卢锡安——锤石的链钩将他击飞了出去。他摔在碎石地上，打了好几个滚，直到脚下的土地变成空无，大海迫不及待地迎上来。

A blur of motion whipped forward and slammed into Lucian. The chained hook sent him flying across the clearing. He hit the ground, tumbling head over heels on hard gravel until the earth gave way to nothingness, and the ocean rushed up to meet him.

2

2

起初是一阵狂笑……锁链划过石板……回荡在密不透风的迷雾里……他总是动作太慢……手枪上荡开的微光……哑火的圣光……他没有开枪……她站在那儿……夹在他与铁钩之间……

It starts with the laughter… chains drag along stone… echoing in the dense haze… he always turns too slowly… pistol sweeping to meet the gleam… the blaze never erupts… he doesn’t have a shot… she’s standing there… between him and hook…

她眼中带着困惑……墨一般漆黑……她在尖叫了……全身都在抽搐……摔倒在地……她的生命流逝一空……刺破他脑海的尖叫声……乞求着他，快走。3

Confusion sets in her eyes… an inky blackness… she’s screaming now… her entire body contorting… falling to the ground… all her days slipping away… the piercing scream in his head… begging him to run.

卢锡安猛然挺起身。肋骨疼得仿佛被打了个洞。他慢慢放松身体，瘫在一张简陋的睡床上，断断续续地喘着气。他盯着头顶的木梁和灰泥天花板，疑惑自己身在何处。

3

赛娜的尖叫仍在他脑海里回荡。他又一次辜负了她。他只能从头再来。

Lucian bolted up and clutched his side. Pain shot through his ribs. He eased back down on the sleeping pallet and drew in ragged breaths. Staring up at wood beams and plastered ceiling, he wondered where he was.

他检查了紧裹着肋骨位置的绷带，发现底下一片淤青，而且摸起来是软的。

Senna’s screams echoed through his mind. He had failed her again. And now he would need to start anew.

他胸口上还敷着捣碎了的草药，揭开后露出一道乌黑的伤口，正是链钩命中的位置。

He probed the tightly wrapped bandages around his ribs and found dark bruising underneath. The area was tender to the touch.

他侧过身，用手肘支着自己坐了起来。一扇百叶窗的缝隙间透进丝丝阳光，照亮了屋角的一个大木头柜子。柜子上设了一个祭台，摆着昨日摘的花和一只雪花石雕成的乌龟。他的大衣和皮背心叠好了放在床边的小桌上，垫着两把圣枪。

Salve-drenched leaves rested on his chest. He peeled off the damp greens, revealing blackened lesions where the chained hook had found flesh.

卢锡安伸出发颤的手，抓过了武器。他先检查她的枪——从石体再到黄铜构件，正如她多年前教他的那样。他的指尖摸着石上一道很深的裂缝。那是他们在艾欧尼亚时留下的纪念。他不禁微笑，然后拿起了自己的枪。枪身上的金属件摸起来有些轻微的变形。这是新伤，得尽快修好。

He turned to his side, leaned on his elbow for support, and sat up. Sunlight streamed in through the slats of a window shutter, revealing a large wooden chest sitting in the dim corner of the room. A devotional altar perched on top, brimming with day-old flowers and a carved alabaster turtle. His leather coat and jerkin sat folded on a small table next to the pallet. The relic pistols rested over the clothes.

他哼地一声站起来，把双枪收进枪套。然后他将手放在枪柄上，体会枪的高度和倾角。两把枪都有些歪。他调整了枪套，又试了一遍。这回行了。他拾起自己的皮背心，小心地伸进双手，再套上外面的长大衣。

Lucian’s unsteady hand reached out for the weapons. He inspected her gun first, examining the hewn stone and bronze metalwork as she’d taught him years before. His fingers found a deep crevice gouged in the stone. A gift from their time in Ionia. He smiled and continued with his own pistol. The metal housing on the weapon gave slightly to the touch. The damage was new and would need to be repaired soon.

卢锡安挪到窗前打开了合叶。阳光伴随着隐约的啜泣声一齐传进来。从这个角度他只能看见一条蜿蜒的小河，还有一部分树丛。蚀魂夜过去了，现在是早晨。

He stood with a groan and holstered the weapons. Then he placed his hands on his pistol grips, feeling for height and cant. The guns sat slightly askew. He readjusted and checked once more. Satisfied, he reached down for his jerkin and eased his arms through the sleeves, and then did the same with the long frock coat.

锤石应该已经不在这儿了。

Moving to the window, he opened the wooden shutter. Sunlight streamed in from outside, along with the faint sounds of soft crying. The narrow angle offered little more than a view of a winding stream and a thicket of vegetation. It was morning, and the Harrowing had passed.

卢锡安得回到自己的船上，才能继续追逐他的猎物。他最后回头扫了一眼，便打开了房门。

Thresh would be leagues away.

门外躺着十几具尸体。

Lucian needed to reach his schooner and start the hunt again. He gave the room one last sweep and headed for the door.

一个年轻女人坐在死者中间，拿着一块布轻柔地擦洗一个老人的尸身。她抬头望向卢锡安——一双温和的杏眼，已经哭肿了。

A dozen bodies lay on the ground outside the house.

“你不该起来。”她说。

A young woman sat among the dead, gently cleaning the body of an old man with a washcloth. She looked up at Lucian, her almond-shaped eyes soft and swollen.

“我没事。你帮我包扎的？”

“You shouldn’t be up,” she said.

她点点头。“我叫米菈。我们在海湾附近碰到了你。”

“I’m fine. Was it you that patched me up?”

“多久之前？”

She nodded. “I’m Mira,” she said. “We found you near the cove.”

“天刚亮的时候，我当时在找我父亲。”

“How long ago?”

他低头望着她脚边的老者。

“Right after dawn, when I was searching for my father.”

她摇了摇头，眼里有一丝沮丧。

He glanced down at the old man at her feet.

“不是他，”她说。“我本来应该也出去找的，但我们人手不够。”

She shook her head, a tinge of frustration in her eyes.

她拾起一块干净的毛巾：“要是你感觉好些了，就来帮忙吧。”

“It’s not him,” she said. “I should be out looking, but we don’t have enough people.”

卢锡安凝视着死者。他们躺在地上，身下草草地铺着刚砍来的蕨叶。有几个的眼睛还睁着——墨黑的晶球，望向虚无。

She picked up a fresh washcloth. “If you’re feeling better, we could use the help.”

他转过头，说：“应该让他们家人来。”

Lucian stared at the dead. They rested on beds of freshly cut fronds, some with their eyes still open—inky black marbles staring at nothing.

她似乎正要说点什么，村子另一头传来的喧闹声却打断了她。一群人跟着一架牛车，车上装着更多的尸体。米菈定定地看了一会儿，然后急忙跑了过去。

He turned away. “It should be family.”

卢锡安不远不近地跟着她。村里四面八方都有人走出来，有快有慢——有些人显然更着急一些。

It appeared she wanted to say more, but the din of commotion rose from the far end of the village. A crowd gathered around an ox-drawn cart loaded with more bodies. Mira watched the new arrivals for a moment and then hurried out.

村民们簇拥着一个年轻人。他抓着一根沉重的手杖，说话断断续续的。他嚷着：“他们不能这样！他们没这个资格！”同时还用手杖不停地杵地。

Lucian followed at a distance while people approached from various corners of the village. They moved across the cobbled path at their own pace, some more eagerly than others.

“出什么事了？”米菈问。

The crowd of survivors huddled around a young man. He held a heavy walking stick and spoke in fitful gestures. “They can’t do this! They have no right!” he yelled, pounding the ground with his staff.

“纳图人要把尸体烧了！”

“What’s happened?” Mira asked.

村民们群情激昂，纷纷响应年轻人的呼告，还有几个人陷入了悲痛欲绝的境地。

“The Naktu are burning the bodies!”

“他们是什么人？”卢锡安问。

Many in the crowd stirred with anger, joining the young man’s protests. But several other villagers broke down in anguish.

“拜火者。”米菈说。“从岛西边来的。”

“Who are they?” Lucian asked.

“他们要烧了她的灵魂，”一个老人大喊。“什么也不给先人留下。”卢锡安看到米菈的眼里涌出了惧色。

“Fire worshippers,” Mira said, “from the western rim of the island.”

她冲到牛车跟前，歇斯底里地扒拉着成堆的尸体。死者中有几个年老的妇人，但大多数都是年轻男子和孩童。没有一个是她父亲。米菈退了几步，面如死灰。

“They’ll burn her spirit,” cried an old man. “They’ll leave nothing for the ancestors.” Lucian could see the fear coming into Mira’s eyes.

那个老人悲叹一声，抱住了头。米菈伸手将他拥入怀中。她附在他耳边悄声说了几句话，老人看起来似乎感到了稍许安慰。

She rushed around the wagon, frantically searching through the stacked bodies. There were a few older women among the dead, but most were young men and children. None were her father. She backed away, her face ashen.

她面向村民们说：“我们必须把人都找回来，还有哪里没去过的吗？”

The old man let out a mournful sob and held his head. Mira reached out and embraced the elder. She whispered in his ear, and he seemed to calm at the words.

卢锡安看着大家七嘴八舌地议论。不少建议提出又驳回。失踪的人太多，幸存者根本不够。米菈面露绝望，沉默下来。

She turned to the villagers. “We need to find our people,” she said. “Where else can we look?”

他走上前，说：“我知道哪里能找到更多人。”

Lucian watched the crowd deliberate. Numerous suggestions were made and countered. There were too many missing and not enough survivors. Mira had fallen silent, despair on her face.

He stepped forward. “I know where you might find more.”

4

4

天光下的山顶冷清死寂。狂怒的风暴已经过去，只留下一地的死者，散落在刺柳和草丛间。

The lonely hilltop was silent in the light of day. The raging storm had passed. All that remained were the dead, splayed among the bristle willows and the brush.

米菈和村民们在断崖上四散开来，各自查看。很快就有人发现了自己的亲朋和爱人。拿手杖的年轻人跪倒在一个俯卧着的女人身边。他的愤怒已经完全被悲伤所取代。

Mira and her people spread out across the bluff and walked among the fallen. Villagers soon settled over friends and loved ones. The young man with the walking staff dropped next to a woman facedown in the gravel, his anger drained, replaced by sorrow.

卢锡安看向米菈。她蹲在一个老妇人的尸身旁，在她耳边低声诉说。也许是一种祷告吧，卢锡安猜测。

Lucian turned his attention to Mira. She crouched over the body of an older woman and whispered in her ear. Perhaps it was a prayer. Lucian couldn’t tell.

她抬起头，对卢锡安说：“他不在这里。”

She looked up at Lucian. “He’s not here,” she said.

他望着一地的死尸，胸口好像被压住了。她本可以救他们的，或者至少可以尽一份力。她善良得近乎固执，不允许自己抛弃任何一个需要帮助的人。

He gazed at the field of bodies. A weight pressed against his chest. She would have saved them, or at least tried. Her kindness was a stubborn thing that wouldn’t allow her to abandon those in need.

米菈站了起来。“我要送她回家。”

Mira rose. “I should get her home,” she said.

卢锡安俯下身，缓缓地抱起老妇人。她的身体轻飘飘的，仿佛一碰就会碎裂。他将老妇人抱上牛车，放在木板条上铺着的叶床上。他静立了片刻。然后回过头去帮其他人。

Lucian reached down and gently picked up the old woman. She was delicate and brittle in his arms. He carried her to the wagon and carefully placed her on the bed of leaves sitting over the wooden planks. He lingered for a moment. Then headed out to help the others.

他们一直劳作到日过中天。死者实在太多，车子都快装不下了。卢锡安和米菈把最后一批尸体运上板车，其他村民用绳索固定好。

They worked past midday. Gathering the dead in numbers so great they threatened to spill out of the wagon bed. Lucian and Mira loaded the last of the bodies while several villagers secured them with ropes.

卢锡安退到一旁，扶住了自己的身侧。阵阵疼痛扩散到了他的腰部。他已经干了太多的活，但仍然远远不够。他感到疲累不堪，便在悬崖边上坐了下来，望着大海出神。他这一早上已经是满头大汗。

Lucian stepped back and reached for his side, the throbbing pain spreading to the small of his back. He'd done too much. Even though it wasn't enough. Exhausted, he sat down near the edge of the bluff and gazed at the sea. He had worked up a sweat in the morning heat.

“你的骨头还好吗？”

“How are your ribs?”

“过得去。”

“They’re fine.”

米菈在他身旁坐下，递给他一个水壶。

Mira sat next to him and passed him a water jug.

“不剩多少了。”他拿在手里掂量着。

“Not much left,” he said, feeling its weight.

“你比我更渴。”他放下水壶，站起身，脱去了长外套。海风送来一阵凉爽。他重新坐下，慢慢喝光了水，再盖好水壶。

“You need it more than me.”

米菈一言不发，久久地凝望着大海。遥远的海面上，一大群海龟浮上来换气，又再度潜了下去。

He set the canteen down, stood up, and peeled off his long heavy coat. The ocean breeze cooled his skin. Sitting back down, he took a slow drink of water and capped off the empty canteen.

“你看到他们怎么死的吗？”她问。

Mira watched the ocean and said nothing for a long time. Out in the distance, a bale of sea turtles breached the surface for air and then dove back into the deep.

“我来的时候就已经是这样了。”

“Did you see it happen?” she said.

米菈低头看了一眼卢锡安的手枪。“但你之前见过，对吗？”

“It was over by the time I found them.”

他点点头。

Mira glanced down at Lucian’s pistols. “But you’ve seen it before?”

“所以是怎么——”

Lucian nodded.

“不管我说什么，都没法帮你找到你父亲。”

“How does it—”

米菈点了点头，垂下了脑袋。

“Nothing I say is going to help you find your father.”

卢锡安看着浪涛撞在山下的礁石上，一次次起落间，水位渐渐升高。很快潮水就会到最高点，他就能起航了。卢锡安将水壶还给米菈，再次站起来，披上了外套。

Mira nodded and bowed her head.

“去码头，最快的路怎么走？”

Lucian watched the waves crash on the rocks below, the waters rising with each ebb and flow. High tide would peak soon, and he’d be able to launch. He handed Mira the canteen, rose once more, and donned his overcoat.

米菈指向西边的山坡，却发现有一队人正在接近。他们穿着黑色的长袍，为首的是一个祭司，手里拿着一根木头法杖，上头用绳子缠着一块黑曜石。

“What’s the fastest route to the docks?”

“呆着别动。”米菈说。

Mira turned to point toward the western slope of the hill and found a band of men approaching. They wore dark robes and were led by a priest holding a wooden mace with a rope-bound obsidian stone.

卢锡安一句话也没有说，跟在了她几步远的身后。

“Stay here,” Mira said.

拿着手杖的年轻人迎着来人走去。还有一些村民也跟着他一起，拦住了那群人。

Lucian followed, remaining a few paces behind without saying a word.

“你们跨了河，来到了东边。”年轻人说。

The young man with the staff marched up to meet the band of men. Several other villagers joined him and blocked their path.

“我们来这儿，是为了给死者照亮前路。”祭司说。

“You are east of the river,” he said.

“那不是我们的路。”米菈加入了人群。

“We are here to light a path for the dead,” said the priest.

祭司笑了。“等他们爬起来的时候，谁能挡得住？你吗？”

“Those are not our ways,” Mira said, as she reached the group.

年轻人握紧了手杖，咬牙切齿地说：“食灰人，你觉得我会让你烧掉我妻子吗？”

The priest laughed. “And when they rise, who will fight them? You?”

祭司狠狠地瞪了他一眼，然后盯着他身后的人群。卢锡安注意到祭司的手指微微地扫过了沉重的权杖，一种下意识的动作。这人想动手。

The young man clenched his staff. “You think I’ll let you burn my wife, ash eater?” he said, spitting out the words.

卢锡安排众而出，说道：“死人不会爬起来。只要方法得当。”

The priest scowled and glanced at his men. Lucian spied the man’s fingertips lightly brush the heavy mace, an unconscious tell. The man was eager to strike.

祭司的眼光猛地甩到他身上，细细打量起来。

Lucian stepped forward. “The dead won’t rise,” he said. “Not if they're put down properly.”

作为回应，卢锡安微微颔首。然后只一个动作，重心就移到一侧，同时拉开了大衣的衣襟，手放在了枪柄上。

The priest dragged his gaze over Lucian, taking full measure of the man.

祭司先是瞟了一眼两把圣枪，又转回来盯住了卢锡安的眼睛。

In turn, Lucian bowed his head slightly. And then, in a single motion, he shifted his weight, slid opened his leather coat, and rested his hand on his pistol grip.

卢锡安与他坦然对视，等待着他的动作。甚至可以说是在期待。

The priest glanced at the relic weapons and then back to Lucian’s eyes.

米菈站到两人中间，双手分开，拦住了他们。

Lucian met his glare and waited for the tell. Even hoped for it.

“住手，今天的惨事已经够多了。”

Mira stepped in between, holding out her arms.

她面对着纳图人的祭司还有他的手下，说：“一个岛。两伙人。井水不犯河水。我们只是想按照自己的方式安葬死者。”

“Stop,” she said. “Let’s not add to the misery.”

众人齐齐看向祭司，但他在考虑米菈的话时，眼睛一直盯着卢锡安。所有人都在等待他的回答。

She turned to the Naktu priest and his men. “One island. Two people. It’s always been so. We just want to bury our dead according to our ways.”

“你们可以收殓死者，”他说。“在河东。”

They all looked to the priest, but the man’s gaze remained fixed on Lucian as he considered Mira’s words. They all waited for his response.

人群平静下来，纷纷散开——除了卢锡安和祭司两人。他们仍然相对而立，等着对方先动。

“You can collect your dead,” he said. “East of the river.”

“人们应该按照自己的习俗来安葬。”卢锡安说。

The crowd settled and fell back, all except for Lucian and the Naktu priest. They remained facing one another, waiting for the other to move.

“People should bury their dead as they see fit,” Lucian said.

“那我们也得先找回他们的遗体，如果打起来就没那工夫了。”米菈说。

“We need to find them first, and we can’t do that if we’re fighting,” Mira said.

卢锡安没说话。他的指尖滑过手枪上的黄铜外壳。

Lucian remained silent. His fingertips brushed the bronzed metalwork of his pistol.

米菈把手轻轻放在他的肩上。“拜托了，你只是个外人。”

Mira gently placed her hand on his shoulder. “Please, you’re a guest here.”

卢锡安点了点头：“行，死的是你们的人，你们说了算。”他的手从枪柄上挪开：“去码头，往西边走？”

Lucian nodded. “Fine. Your dead. Your call,” he said, moving his hands away from his gun. “Western trail to the docks?”

“是的。”米菈深深地叹了口气。她好像还想说点什么，但她只是低下了头。

“Yes,” she said, with a heavy sigh. It seemed she wanted to say more, but she simply lowered her head.

“希望你能找到你父亲。”说完他转头便走了。

“Hope you find your father,” he said, before turning around and walking away.

5

5

码头位于一处避风的海湾。一小队帆船在水中轻轻摇晃。卢锡安的船泊在远端，与几艘满载着货物和臭鱼的货船混在一起。

The docks sat in a sheltered cove. A lonely flotilla of ships swayed gently in the water. Lucian’s schooner was moored at the far end, among vessels laden with unloaded shipments and nets full of rotting fish.

他沿着长堤走去，听见无数甲虫窸窸窣窣的声响——它们在忙着吞吃隔壁渔船上的腐败渔获。这已经是他的第三条船了，之前的两艘都因为经验不足交了学费。航海很难掌握，但是与说服船长追逐黑雾相比，简直易如反掌。

He walked along the pier and heard the scuttling of countless beetles devouring the putrid catch sitting on the trawler next to his ship. It was his third boat, the previous ones lost to inexperience. Learning to sail had been difficult, but far easier than persuading ship captains to chase the Black Mist.

他登上船，走进甲板下层检查补给品。一个星形的标识从架子上掉在了地上，除此之外，别的东西似乎全都原封不动。他把武器放回架子，坐在了自己的床铺上。

He boarded the schooner and went below deck to check his provisions. A star tracker had fallen from the rack, but otherwise, everything appeared untouched. He stowed the instrument back on its shelf and sat on his bunk.

从天花板到四面板壁，贴满了来自世界各个角落的地图和海图。图纸上标注着水深、潮汐和海床特征。

Maps and charts from every corner of the world covered the paneled walls and ceiling. They were marked with water depths, tidal rapids, and seabed features.

他已经追踪蚀魂夜好几个月了。最近一次是从莱肯出发，途径素达若一路南下。他在那一场追逐中跨过了广阔的洋面，最终却在被诅咒的群岛海岸附近失去了黑雾的踪影。东风将他带到了蟒行三角洲一带，也就是他最后遇上风暴的地方。

He'd been tracking the Harrowing for months. His last excursion had started in Raikkon and led him south to Sudaro. That encounter had sent him racing across the vast ocean only to lose sight of the Black Mist off the coast of those accursed isles. Easterly winds had then carried him to the Serpentine Delta, where he'd finally caught up to the storm.

他在地图上摁下一枚图钉，标记出三角洲众多岛屿之一。然后他在钉子上拴了一根细线，牵过来系在暗影岛位置的图钉上。这根钉子上还有更多向北延伸的细线，连接起艾欧尼亚的素达若。类似的标记在地图上还有十几个，都是在过去数年间一一添上的，如今已经连成了一张挂毯。

He pressed a tack on the map, marking one of the numerous islands of the delta. Then he attached a piece of twine to the nail and ran the string back to the marker in the Shadow Isles. That nail held more twine leading north, up toward Sudaro in Ionia. There were dozens of markers dotting the maps, creating a tapestry of the last few years.

卢锡安盯着海图，试图找出一些规律，但他放眼望去看见的只是自己遍及瓦洛兰各地的失败。他想到自己这么多次尝试解救赛娜，却总是功亏一篑。他还想起了锤石，想起自己无端落空的怒火，喉头感到一阵发紧。

Lucian stared at the charts, trying to discover a pattern, but all he could see were his failures scattered across Valoran. He thought of all the times he’d tried to save her and why he’d fallen short. His throat tightened at the memory of Thresh and his misspent rage.

赛娜的尖叫回荡在他的脑海里。

Senna’s screams echoed through his mind.

卢锡安闭上眼，努力压下不断翻涌的绝望，直到他只能听见自己的心跳声。稍许平静下来以后，他又扑到地图上开始了工作。

He shut his eyes and held back the overwhelming despair until all he could hear was the sound of his own heart. Resolved, he turned to the maps and started working.

等他规划好了新的航线准备好出航时，沙漏里还剩一小撮沙粒。他的效率一直在提高，但是测量的精确度仍然难以保证，因为黑雾并不随风而动。

A pinch of sand still remained in the hourglass when he finished plotting the new course and was ready to cast off. His time was improving, but precise measurements were still difficult to gauge. The Black Mist didn’t answer to the wind.

他从床铺上站起来，整理了一下肋骨上的绷带。先前的剧痛现在已经变钝。他满意地走上了甲板，着手解开主帆的升降索。这时，他眼角的余光留意到海岸上的动静。

He stood up from his bunk and adjusted the wrapping around his ribs. The earlier pain now a dull ache. Satisfied, he returned to the deck above and started untying the halyard line to the mainsail. Movement on the shoreline caught the corner of his eye.

米菈正在沙滩上细细翻检。

Mira was combing the beach.

他看着她捡起一个大葫芦，晃了几下，又扔回沙子里。她转了个身，也看见了他。卢锡安只是略略点了下头，便继续手里的活计。过了一会儿，她开始往船这边走来，路上顺手又捡了样东西。

He watched her pick up a large gourd, shake it a few times, and toss it back on the sand. She turned in his direction and caught sight of him. He simply nodded and continued working. After a moment, she started walking toward the boat, picking up another husk off the beach as she approached.

“这是卡拉萨果，”她把手里的东西抛给卢锡安。

“They’re calasa fruit,” she said, tossing it to Lucian.

他接住晃了晃，听到里面有水声。

He shook it, noting the sloshing of nectar inside.

“我父亲经常会从威纳鲁运一船卡拉萨果回来。这些果子是刚采的，最多不超过一天。”

“My father always brought a shipment back from Venaru. These can’t be more than a day old.”

“其他人呢？”

“Where are the rest of your people?”

“基本都回家去准备入殓的事情了，还有些人往泥水洞还有泻湖去了，但是我父亲本该在风暴来临的时候就该回到这里的。”

“Most have gone home to prepare their dead,” she said. “Others were headed to the mud caves and the lagoon, but my father was due back here when the storm hit.

“他的船入港了吗？”他把果子递回她手里。

“Is your father’s boat docked?” he said, returning the husk.

她摇摇头，眼光投向海面。水里有几艘已经翻覆的船，露出的桅杆标记出了海湾的浅滩位置。

She shook her head and looked out to the water. A handful of capsized ships and submerged masts stood as watery markers in the shallow depths of the cove.

“也许你父亲根本就没上岸。”

“Maybe your father never reached shore.”

米菈看着手里的卡拉萨果。“我们发现了另一艘船的船长，她被冲上了海滩。她的船完全找不到了。”

Mira stared at the calasa fruit in her hand. “We found another ship’s captain, washed up on the beach. Her boat was nowhere to be found.”

卢锡安看了看海岸的水线，几个小时之内潮水还不会涨到最高点。他把升降索快速绕了几圈，重新系紧。

Lucian checked the strandline; high tide wouldn’t peak for a few hours. A quick couple of loops and he resecured the halyard.

“带我去。”他说。

“Show me,” he said

米菈领着他沿着海岸线往前走。他们顺着蜿蜒的湾岸，经过一处礁石累累的浅滩，停在了一块珊瑚礁附近。

Mira led him along the shoreline. They followed the winding rim of the cove past a rocky shoal and stopped near a bar of coral reef.

“我们就是在这里发现她的。”

“This is where we found her.”

卢锡安翻查了一下沙地，只找到一些贝壳和珊瑚。他又仔细观察海水，想要找到船只的残骸。平静的海面一直延伸到天际。

Lucian studied the sand and found only bits of shells and coral. He scanned the water, searching for wreckage. Calm seas stretched across the horizon.

“你父亲是从威纳鲁来的？”

“He was coming from Venaru?”

“他们俩都是，他们是做生意的。”

“They both were, they traded at the markets.”

“风暴从是东边过来的，所以她被冲到了这里。你父亲通常是在她之前还是之后入港？”

“The storm blew in from the east. It could explain why she washed up here,” Lucian said. “Did your father usually make port before or after the other captain?”

“之后。”说完，她逐渐露出了恍然大悟的神色。

“After,” she said, understanding coming into her eyes.

米菈望向大海，深深地吸了口气，浑身打了个冷战。

She gazed out at the ocean and took in a deep breath and let out a tremulous shudder.

“他一个人，还在海上。”她说。

“He would have been out there alone,” she said.

她垂着头，久久地伫立在岸边，看着海水没过脚背。

She bowed her head and stood there a long time, watching the water lap at her sandaled feet.

“但是如果，他已经被冲上岸了呢？”她说。

“What if he washed up on shore?” she said.

米菈猛地抬起头，看向了西边。海岸线一路延伸，最后在岛屿的尽头转弯消失不见。她想要的答案就在纳图人领地的深处。

Mira lifted her head and looked toward the west. The shoreline continued for a distance before disappearing beyond the curve of the island. The answer to her question laid deep in Naktu territory.

6

6

两人一路西行，穿过青草覆盖的沙丘，还有经年累月风雨磨蚀出的海石拱。海岸变得乱石密布，越来越难以穿行，所以他们不得不爬上一座火山坡，沿着一条可以远眺大海的脊线前进。远在南边的海面上，一柱巨石冲天挺立——那是恸心柱，威纳鲁岛的最高点。

They moved west, past grass-covered dunes and towering sea arches carved by seawater and time. The shoreline soon turned rocky and impassable, forcing them to clamber up a volcanic slope and march across a ridgeline overlooking the ocean. Far off to the south, a stone monolith rose from the water to meet the sky—the Pillar of Sorrows, the tallest point on the Island of Venaru.

米菈扫视着海岸，寻找父亲的货船痕迹。她指了指山下的一片礁石，其间躺着一群死海狮。海鸥上下翻飞，啄食着肿胀的尸体。卢锡安点点头，什么也没说。

Mira scanned the coastline, searching for signs of her father’s boat. She pointed to a colony of dead sea lions sprawled on the rocks below. Seagulls scurried about, picking at the bloated carcasses. Lucian nodded and continued without a word.

他们两人从山脊上找路下到了山坳。一条河从狭窄的山谷中流进大海。这就是岛上两伙人天然的分界线。

The pair made their way down from the ridge crest to a ravine. A river wound through the narrow valley and fed into the sea. It was the natural boundary between the island’s two people.

米菈没说话，跨过了河。

Mira crossed the river without saying a word.

他们继续爬上下一座山丘。米菈是爬山的熟手，她在茂密的树丛间毫不费力地穿梭，卢锡安却慢慢被落下了。他每走一步，肋骨处的钝痛就放射开来。绷带已经松开了，他不得不在半山腰停下来。他重新勒紧了绷带，痛得忍不住全身打颤。他的呼吸变得又粗又重。

They climbed up the next hill. Mira scaled the slope with ease, weaving her way through the dense brush while Lucian gradually fell behind. The dull ache of his ribs spread with each labored step. The wrappings had come loose, forcing him to stop halfway up the rise. He tightened the dressing and winced at the worsening pain. His breath drew deep and harsh.

卢锡安望着米菈爬上山顶。她把手搭在额前遮住阳光，继续检视海岸。她突然站住了，捂着嘴后退了一步。

He watched Mira reach the hilltop. She shielded her eyes from the sun and swept the shoreline. Then she stopped. She put her hand to her mouth and reared back a step.

卢锡安手扶着灌木丛间的粗枝，步履踉跄地踩过碎石，终于爬上了山脊。他来到米菈身旁向下望去。礁石间卡着一根折断的桅杆。破损的船帆在风中猎猎摆动。

Lucian scrambled up the loose gravel, using the thick branches and vines from the brush for support. He reached the crest next to Mira and peered over the edge. A broken mast was lodged between the rocks below. The remnant of its sail thrashed in the wind.

他的目光越过残骸，顺着曲折的海岸看向一片沙洲，再经过一串寸草不生的小岛，最终停在了远处的一排悬崖。一群海鸥在岸边盘旋。

He searched beyond the debris, his gaze following the twisting coastline to a band of sand bars, down past a chain of barren islets, until it finally settled on a stretch of towering cliffs off in the distance. A colony of seagulls circled the shore.

7

7

一具尸体四仰八叉地趴在一块火山岩上。海浪轰鸣着撞上犬牙交错的海滩，随时要将遗骸扫进海里。他们唯一的办法就是冒险爬下近乎垂直的山坡。

The body lay sprawled on a boulder of volcanic rock. Thunderous waves crashed against the craggy shore, threatening to sweep it out to sea. A treacherous climb down an almost vertical slope was their only hope.

“很快就要涨潮了。”他说。

“It'll be high tide soon,” he said.

米菈没有搭理他，自顾自地盯着她的父亲。

Mira didn’t answer. She simply stared at her father.

卢锡安拉住她的手臂：“米菈。”

Lucian reached out and touched her arm. “Mira,” he said.

她缩了一下身子，眨眨眼睛，仿佛是刚从昏迷中苏醒。

She flinched. Eyes blinking as if waking from a stupor.

“吐勒藤，”她说。“我们可以编根绳子，做个吊环。”

“Tola vines,” she said. “We can use them to weave a rope and litter.”

他看她说干就干的样子，头一次明白了她的决心有多大。卢锡安深吸一口气，跟了上去。

He watched her head out, understanding for the first time the depth of her conviction. Lucian took in a deep breath and followed.

他们从山顶的灌木丛中采集了一大捆粗重的藤蔓。卢锡安把粗藤编成绳索，米菈则灵巧地编出一个吊环，用来捆住遗体。

They harvested a batch of heavy vines from the thicket dotting the hilltop. Lucian braided the coarse strands into rope while Mira’s deft hands weaved a litter to hold the body.

卢锡安把绳子系在一棵树上，试了试重量。很结实。他将绳子另一头连同吊环一起扔了下去。

Lucian secured the line to a nearby tree and tested the weight. It held firm. Satisfied, he tossed the rope and litter over the side.

“我下去。”他说。

“I’ll go down,” he said.

“还是我去吧。我爬上爬下都习惯了。”

“It should be me. I’ve been climbing for years.”

“我也会。”

“I know how to climb.”

“你刚才都跟不上了。”

“You were having trouble keeping up.”

“我可以的。”她焦躁地摇了摇头。脸颊和耳朵都红了。

“I’ll be fine.”

“他太重了，”她说。“我可以拖着吊环，不让它撞到岩石上。但得靠你把他拉上来。”

She shook her head, frustrated. Ears and cheeks flushed red.

卢锡安向下望着遗体。肩膀宽阔、四肢粗壮，一看就是多年航海的老手，估计体重接近两百斤。他点点头，把绳子递给了米菈。

“He’s too heavy,” she said. “I can guide the litter. Keep it off the rocks. But I need you to pull him up.”

她挪到悬崖边上，背过身慢慢往边缘退去。她最后拽了拽了绳子，脚尖在边缘踮起。她回头望了一眼，沉着地吸了口气，便降了下去。

Lucian looked down at the body. Broad shoulders and thickset limbs from years of battling the sea. Fifteen stone of dead weight. He nodded and handed her the rope.

卢锡安紧张地看着米菈一寸一寸地下降——驾轻就熟——直到她找到了一处落脚点。喘了几口气后，她看准了下一个位置，开始继续攀爬。

She moved to the rim of the precipice and slowly backed up to the edge. After testing the rope one final time, her toes eased onto the threshold. She glanced over her shoulder, took a calming breath, and went over the side.

她重复了好几轮，来到了一处宽阔的平台，距离底端还有三分之二路程。风势渐强，携来海水的气息。米菈稍作伸展，甩了甩手臂。她抬起头，和卢锡安示意一切顺利。

Lucian anxiously watched Mira inch her way down the rope—hand over fist—until she reached a toehold. A few breaths later, she spied over her shoulder, found her next target, and repeated the process.

休息过后，她抓起绳子，开始寻找下一个落脚的地方。过了一会儿，她又看向卢锡安，摇了摇头。下面没有安全的位置。

She did this again and again until reaching a broad ledge a third of the way down the bluff. The wind had picked up, bringing along crisp ocean air. Mira stretched out her arms and shook them loose. Then she looked up at Lucian and signaled everything was fine.

“我拉你上来。”

Rested, she grabbed the rope and scanned for another perch. After a while, she looked back up and shook her head. There were no safe holds underneath.“I can pull you up.”

“还不行。”

“Not yet.”

米菈研究了一阵右边的岩壁，指了指几码开外的一道狭梁。她必须横着荡过去。卢锡安点点头，然后看了一眼下方的浅滩与乱石。

Mira studied the rockface to her right. She pointed to a narrow shelf several yards away. Reaching it would require a sideways move. Lucian nodded, then glanced at the shallow waters and jagged rocks awaiting below.

米菈把绳子缠在小臂上绕了几圈，卢锡安的喉头不禁开始发紧。然后她毫不犹豫地助跑几步，跃出了平台。

His stomach tightened as she wrapped the rope around her forearm. Then, without hesitation, she took a running start and leapt off the ledge.

她掠过岩壁，落在了石梁上。碎石和砂土在她脚下崩落。她身子一歪，在边缘晃了一下，就摔了下去。

Mira swung across the rockface and dropped down on the shelf. Dirt and rock crumbled beneath her feet. Her body tilted to one side, teetered on the edge, and fell.

卢锡安看着米菈沿着绳子滑落，双腿在空中乱蹬。慌乱中，她的一只脚卡在了沙子里，整个人被翻了个个儿。米菈双手狂乱地舞动，搅住了藤蔓，猛地停了下来。她发出一声痛吟。

Lucian watched Mira slide down the rope, kicking her legs for purchase. A foot lodged in the loose dirt and flipped her upside down. Her flailing arms tangled in the vines, breaking her fall in a jolting stop. She wailed in pain.

绳索突然散开了。她摔在礁石上，又弹起来落进了水里。

The line unraveled and she was bouncing off the rocks and into the water.

卢锡安疾奔过去抓住了绳头。他还在心急火燎地寻找一条下去的路，米菈已经从水里浮出了头。

Lucian scrambled to his feet and grabbed the rope. He was frantically searching for a path down when Mira finally broke the surface.

她手脚并用地从水里爬上了海滩，精疲力尽地倒在礁石上，胸口快速地起伏。

She fought against the swell, kicking and clawing onto the craggy shore. Exhausted, she collapsed on the rocks. Her chest rising and falling rapidly.

“我下来了！”

“I’m coming down!”

米菈颤巍巍地举起手，朝他摆了摆。

Mira raised a shaky hand and waved him off.

等到呼吸逐渐平复，她坐了起来。她久久地盯着父亲的遗体。她伸出手，温柔地轻抚着他的发丝。然后她将他翻了过来，头靠在他胸膛上开始哭泣。

Gradually, her breathing settled, and she sat up. She stared at her father’s body for a long time. Her hand reached out. She gently stroked his hair. Then she turned him over, laid her head on his chest, and wept.

卢锡安没有再看下去。他恍惚间想起了自己的经历。他心里很清楚，米菈会永远被绝望困住，不能脱身。

Lucian looked away, adrift in his own memories, knowing she could remain there forever, anchored to despair.

过了一会儿，她站起来，伸手拖过吊环。卢锡安看着她按下了悲痛，变成了父亲坚强的女儿。在死亡的定局面前，这是唯一的面对方式。她轻柔地将遗体推到一边，将藤蔓放在他身下，再缠好。固定好了以后，她向卢锡安打了个手势。

After some time, she stood up and reached for the litter. He watched her shut away the overwhelming grief and become the dutiful daughter. It was the only way to prepare for the finality of death. She gently pushed the body onto its side, placed the vine-woven stretcher underneath, and rolled it into place. Once secured, she gave the signal to lift.

卢锡安拽着绳索往上拖，米菈跟着遗体一起攀登，小心地控制吊环不要撞上山崖。卢锡安很快就一头大汗，胁下的钝痛开始变得尖锐。

Lucian grabbed the rope and pulled, hoisting the body while Mira climbed alongside, guiding the litter and keeping it from slamming against the rocks. It wasn’t long before he worked up a sweat, and the dull ache in his side started to sharpen.

每拽一下，疼痛便加剧一分，逐渐扩散到了他的半边身体。他手臂打颤，绳索开始打滑。他握紧藤蔓，缠在了一个树桩上。

The pain worsened with each heave of the rope. It spread across his side until his arms trembled, and the rope slipped. He clutched the vines and wrapped them around a dry stump.

“你还好吗？”

“Is everything all right?”

“嗯……稍等。”他艰难地喘着气说。

“Yeah… Hold on,” he said, struggling for breath.

疼痛平复了。他从悬崖边望下去，吊环在半中间摆荡。米菈跨坐在一旁突出的山石上等待着。

The pain subsided. He glanced over the edge. The litter dangled halfway down the slope. Mira waited nearby, straddling a pair of rocky outcroppings jutting from the cliff face.

卢锡安从树桩上解下绳子，谨慎地小幅动作，每拉一下都护着身体。他像划桨的水手一样，保持着稳定的节奏。

Lucian untied the rope and worked slowly and deliberately, bracing himself with each heave before walking his hands down the vines and pulling again. He built up a rhythm like an oarsman and made steady progress.

肋骨处突然痉挛了一下，绳子又是一滑。

His ribs spasmed, and his grip failed.

下方传来了米菈的尖叫声。

Mira yelled down below.

卢锡安拼命地呼吸，手上竭尽力气握紧，哪怕粗糙的绳索把血肉都磨破了。终于拽住了绳子。吊环上的重量把他拖得往前踉跄。

Lucian fought for air as the rope slipped through his hands. He clenched the coarse vines, searing flesh until his grip finally locked. The deadweight yanked him several feet toward the edge.

他脚下猛蹬，靴跟在沙地上刨出了两条小沟方才停住。两条手臂被重量拉得颤抖不停。他逐渐发力，感觉肩膀的关节都快脱臼了，但是吊环却几乎没动。

He kicked out his feet, gouging twin trenches as the heels of his boots dug into the soft dirt and slid to a stop. Trembling arms strained against the weight. He pulled until the joints in his shoulders threatened to pop. But the litter refused to budge.

肋骨间爆发出剧痛，让他再次痉挛。他勉强勒住绳索，左右四顾想找个东西，随便什么东西，来绑住绳子。什么也没有，只有他自己。

The pain in his ribs flared, building to another spasm. He squeezed the corded vine and glanced to his left and right, searching for something, anything, to tie down the rope. There was nothing, there was only him.

他的双手也开始抽搐。卢锡安看向大海。他的爱人还被困在地平线之外的囚笼里。如果他死在这儿，他就要食言了。这代价太大。

He looked out at the sea as his hands started to cramp. His beloved was imprisoned somewhere beyond the horizon. If his journey ended here, his promise would remain unkept. The price was too high.

卢锡安甩了甩头，放松了手心。绳子向外滑出了一寸。

Lucian shook his head and eased his grip. The rope slipped an inch.

几乎与此同时，他感到心口一紧。换作是她，就绝对不会放手。那个固执的女人一定会对米菈信守承诺，尤其是看到她不顾危险地寻找自己父亲之后。

No sooner had he done it than a tightness clutched his chest. She would have never let go of the rope, her stubbornness would have kept her faithful to the young woman below. Especially after all she had risked to find her father.

绝望之下，卢锡安不再犹豫。他将藤蔓卷在了自己的前臂上。绳子像捕兔子的陷阱一样猛地夹紧，将他的身体一扭。卢锡安又一次把脚跟踩进沙地，但没有用。死者的重量把他一步步拖向深渊。

Desperate, and with nothing left to give, Lucian wound the vines around his forearm just as his grip failed. The rope tightened like a snare around a rabbit and wrenched him forward. He drove his heels into the dirt again, but it was no use. The weight of the dead was dragging him toward the drop.

悬崖边上突然探出一只血迹斑斑的手，抓住了边缘。片刻之后，米菈翻了上来，就地滚到卢锡安身旁抓住了绳子。两人一起把遗体拖上了来。

A blooddrenched hand rose from below and clawed the edge of the cliff. A moment later, Mira hauled herself up, rolled to Lucian’s side, and grabbed the rope. Together they pulled until the body reached the top.

8

8

天刚黑，两人就看到了火光。他们拖着遗体下了山，看见山谷里燃起了十几个火堆。

They saw the fires shortly after dark. Lucian and Mira dragged the litter down from the ridge crest, watching dozens of pyres roar to life in the valley below.

两人在一棵榕树下坐着休息。卢锡安摸摸肋骨，整理了一下新换的绷带。米菈则盯着火焰。她颤悠悠地呼出一口气，抹了抹眼角。

The pair stopped to rest beneath the canopy of a banyan tree. Lucian sat and probed his bruised ribs, adjusting the freshly wrapped bindings. Mira gazed at the flames. She exhaled a shuddering breath and wiped the corners of her eyes.

“你的手。”卢锡安说。

“Your hands,” Lucian said.

她看了看裹好的手掌，绷带上渗出一块猩红。

She regarded her bandaged palms. A spot of crimson stained the dressing.

“没什么。”

“They’re fine.”

“又流血了。让我看看。”她举着手掌让卢锡安小心地拆开绷带。掌心被绳子磨破的伤口已经血肉模糊。他不禁为米菈和其他人所遭受的痛苦而感到愤恨不平。

“They’re bleeding again. Let me see.”

他打开自己的水壶替她清洗伤口和破开的水泡。然后割下一截衣服重新包扎起来。

She held out her hands while Lucian carefully unwrapped the bandages. The rope burns on her palms were slick with blood. He tensed, resentful of all the suffering Mira and her people had endured.

“他们将遗体连同灵魂一同火化，彻底灰飞烟灭。”她眼睛紧盯着远处的火堆。

He popped the stopper on his water flask and washed the loose skin where the blisters had burst. Then he cut a fresh length of cloth and redressed the wounds.

卢锡安不清楚他们的信仰，但是他知道这是对死者的许诺。

“They burn the body and spirit. There’s nothing left,” she said, watching the fires in the distance, her gaze fixed and unwavering.

“我们该走了。”他说。

Lucian didn’t understand their beliefs, but he understood promises to the dead.

卢锡安和米菈一人抓着一截绳子绕在肩头。两人合力拖动起沉重的担架出发了。他们艰难地朝着一道山坡顶端跋涉，脚下的碎石咔咔作响。

“We should get moving,” he said.

还没到山顶，他们就听到了人群的吟唱声。

Lucian and Mira each grabbed a length of rope and slung it across their shoulders. They pulled in unison, setting the heavy litter into motion, and moved out. Gravel crunched beneath their feet as they trudged up the slope.

卢锡安示意米菈矮下身，带着她钻进了灌木丛。借着浓密的植被作掩护，他们望见山谷里有一群纳图人聚在河边。

They heard the chanting before reaching the crest.

虽然那群人站在一棵树的树荫里，但是卢锡安还是认出了那个祭司。他举起权杖，明亮的朱红色光芒在黑曜石上脉动。光芒照亮了草地上的一具尸体，然后瞬间将其点燃。

Lucian signaled Mira to stay low and led them to a thicket. The heavy brush provided cover as they scanned the valley and spotted a party of Naktu gathered near the riverside.

纳图人的吟唱随着火焰越燃越烈。祭司放下权杖，石头上的光芒逐渐黯淡。人群重新归于阒寂。

They stood shrouded in the shadows of a tree, but Lucian recognized the priest. The man raised his heavy mace, and the obsidian stone began pulsating a bright vermilion. The soft glow revealed a body lying in the grass by the bank. It burst into flames.

卢锡安抽出了手枪。

The Naktu’s chant rose as the pyre burned brighter. The priest lowered his staff, and the light from the stone waned. The group fell silent.

“你在干什么？”米菈说。

Lucian drew his pistols.

“做个了结。”

“What are you doing?” Mira said.

她摇摇头：“已经结束了。”

“Ending this.”

他没有看她，起身就要走。米菈拽住了他的臂膀。

She shook her head. “It’s already done.”

“何必呢？”她的眼中流露出恳求。“就算你把他们全都杀光，那些尸体也已经化成灰了。”

He looked past her and started heading out. Mira reached for his arm.

纳图人沿着河岸，围在了下一具尸体旁。

“Why?” she said, her eyes pleading. “Even if you killed all of them, those people would still be ash.”

“他们现在可是在河东。”卢锡安说。

The Naktu marched along the river bank and gathered around another body.

“我清楚得很！”米菈陡然提高了音量，语气充满抵触。她退后一步，双手张开。“你觉得我愿意这么干看着吗？他们可是我的族人！”

“They’re east of the river,” he said.

她低头看着父亲的遗体，眼眶开始湿润。

“I know where they are!” she said, her voice loud and defiant. She stepped back and threw up her arms. “You think I don’t want to do something? They’re my people!”

“可我没办法……”米菈声音发颤地说。“我得送父亲回家。这才是最重要的。我不关心纳图人，也不关心他们干了什么。我只在乎他。”

She gazed down at the litter holding her father. Her eyes started to well.

不等卢锡安回话，她就弯下腰拾起了绳子挎在肩上。她身体前倾，努力拖拽着父亲的遗体。终于，担架在粗糙的石地上动了起来。米菈独自拖着父亲，缓缓地向前走去。

“But… I can’t…” she said, voice trembling. “I need to get my father home. He’s all that matters. Not the Naktu, or what they’ve done. Only him.”

纳图人又开始了吟唱。

Mira didn’t wait for a response. She bent down to pick up the ropes to the litter and slung them over her shoulders. Leaning forward, she strained against the weight, trying to get the body moving. The litter finally shifted on the rough gravel, and she slowly pulled away, alone.

卢锡安望着他们围在另一具尸体旁。祭司举起权杖燃起了火。卢锡安全身涌过一阵怒火，但米菈的话仍在他心里回荡。怒意渐渐平息，只剩下一股悲伤的却意。他收好武器，加入了米菈。

The Naktu chanting started anew.

9

He glared down at the men as they gathered around another body. The priest raised his staff and ignited the pyre. Rage flushed through Lucian, but Mira’s words resonated in his head. The anger slowly ebbed. All that remained was a mournful resignation. He holstered his weapons and rejoined Mira.

两人抵达村子时已经是午夜。村民们的窃窃私语和窥视伴随着他们回到空屋。精疲力竭的两人放下绳子，在门外坐了下来。附近几间房子里点着火把，但大多数村舍沉默地静坐在黑暗中。

9

“我们带着他进屋去吧。”米菈说。

It was past midnight by the time Lucian and Mira reached the village. Hushed whispers and lingering gazes followed as they arrived at the empty house. Exhausted, the pair unslung the ropes to the litter and sat outside the door. Torch lights burned inside a few nearby homes, but most sat dark and silent.

两人清扫了前厅，将遗体放在蕨叶铺成的床上。米菈把水倒进一口锅里，放在炉子上生起了火。房间里洋溢起暖意。

“We should take him inside,” Mira said.

米菈靠着父亲坐在地上。

They cleared the front room and laid out the body on a bed of fronds. Mira poured water into a pot, placed it over the irons, and lit a fire. Warmth bathed the room.

“爸爸，这位是卢锡安。是他帮我带你回家的。”

Mira sat on the floor next to her father.

这些话语让卢锡安的胃揪成一团。他在悬崖边上曾经动摇过。完全是因为米菈的决心，才让两人坚持到了最后。

“This is Lucian, Pappa,” she said. “He helped bring you home.”

她慢慢地解开父亲衣服上的贝壳纽扣，打开了他早已磨损的破旧衬衣。她哭了出来。他的两臂和胸前印着乌黑的伤口。米菈伸出颤抖的手，想帮他褪下剩余的衣物。但是她突然停了下来，眼里泛着泪光，眼神空无。

His stomach clenched at the words. He had faltered at the hilltop. It was only Mira’s resolve that had kept them faithful and carried them until the end.

“让我来吧。”卢锡安说道。

She gently unfastened the seashell buttons on his tunic and opened the frayed and worn garment. She let out a sob. Blackened wounds marred his arms and chest. Her trembling hand reached out to undo the rest of his clothes. But she stopped short, eyes shimmering and distant.

“谢谢。”她的声音几不可闻。

“I can—?” Lucian offered.

他点点头，凝视着尸身，仿佛看见了他临死前最后一刻的经历——无法言喻的恐怖，以及苦痛非常的惨烈。

“Please,” she whispered.

记忆的闸门轰然洞开，几乎要将他溺死在悲痛中。他推开那些念头，集中精神，尽力给予米菈抚慰。

He nodded and stared down at the body. The man’s final moments were etched on his flesh. They told of unspeakable horrors and the agonizing end.

卢锡安脱去男人的靴子，解开了他的腰带。他试着把裤子卷下来，但是皮革浸透了海水，变得十分紧绷。他从大衣内侧拔出了匕首。米菈点点头。于是他从侧边的缝线处划开了裤子。

A floodgate of memories opened and threatened to drown him in grief. He pushed the thoughts away and focused on the meager solace he could offer.

米菈从炉子上取下铁锅，往水里加了一些樟脑油。一股甜香混着蒸汽腾起。

Lucian removed the man’s boots and untied the cord on his trousers. He tried to roll them off, but seawater had tightened the leather. He produced a dagger from inside his coat. Mira nodded. He cut the woven leg seams and removed the sheared garment.

两人用亚麻布擦拭了遗体，抹去了泥土和海盐，还有死者身上常见的秽物。米菈抓起父亲的手，仔仔细细地清洁了指甲。全部完成之后，她深深地拥抱了父亲。她眼里泪光闪闪，满含爱意和悲痛。

Mira retrieved the pot from the fire and added camphor oil to the water. A sweet fragrance rose with the steam.

米菈站起来走进隔壁的房间，拿出一根带有玛瑙和珊瑚装饰的银制发夹。她把发夹放进父亲手里，然后交叠在他胸口。

They cleaned the body with linen washcloths, gently scrubbing away dirt and salt and all the impurities natural to the dead. Mira held her father’s hand, taking great care to clean beneath the fingernails. When they were done, she embraced her father tenderly, her eyes shimmering pools of love and sorrow.

“这是我母亲的。她在成婚那天送给了他。”

Mira stood and went to an adjoining room, and returned with a silver hairpin decorated with agate and coral. She placed the pin in her father’s hands and laid them across his chest.

卢锡安看了看左边枪套里的手枪。那是她的，黄铜的部件比他自己那把更加精细雅致。

“It was my mother’s. She gave it to him on their bonding day.”

“我刚出生，还没到夏天的时候她就死了。后来，父亲担心过了这么多年，他老了这么多，再见到她时她就认不出他了。”

Lucian glanced at the relic weapon in his left holster. Her pistol, its bronzed metalwork more elegant and intricate than his own.

米菈颤抖了一下，苦笑一声：“我总觉得他好傻。”她的眼睛漫出了笑意。“她当然能认得他，而且一定会带他回家的。”

“She died before my first summer,” she said. “He feared too many years had passed. That he’d grown too old and she wouldn’t recognize him when his time came.”

卢锡安想起了黑雾里囚禁着的无数灵魂。她父亲现在可能也在其中，经受无尽的折磨与苦难。但他没有勇气告诉她。

Mira shuddered, and a wistful laugh escaped her lips. “I always thought it was foolish,” she said, her eyes smiling. “Of course she would know him, and guide him home.”

“你守住了信念。这才是关键。”他说。

He thought of the countless souls imprisoned by the Black Mist. Her father now likely among them, tormented and suffering. He didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth.

米菈沉默了许久。

“You kept your faith. That’s all that matters,” he said.

“所以你追逐黑雾，也是为了守信吗？”她说。

Mira remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.

他向后仰去：“它夺走了我的一切。”

“Is that why you chase the mist, to keep a promise?”

“那你是为了复仇？”

He shifted his body and leaned back. “It took everything from me.”

卢锡安盯着炉火：“你看到黑雾时想法就变了……”

“So its revenge you’re after?”

米菈看着父亲。

Lucian stared at the fire. “It’s different when you see it…” he said.

两人陷入了长久的沉默，沉浸在各自的思绪里。房间里只有炉火的噼啪声。最后，米菈先开口了。

Mira glanced at her father.

“我当时不在……我不知道他经历了什么……包括每个人。”她话音颤抖，语气温和。“但是就算报了仇，也不可能把他们带回人世了。”

They fell into a deep silence, both lost in their own thoughts. The fire crackled in the hearth and broke the stillness. Mira spoke first.

她抹去眼角的泪水，继续凝视着父亲。

“I wasn’t there… I don’t know how it was for him… for any of them,” she said, her voice tremulous and soft. “But vengeance isn’t going to bring them back.”

卢锡安的目光落到自己的手上。他两手靠在枪上，手指抚摸着铸铜。

She wiped the corners of her eyes and turned her attention back to her father.

他想起为了救她而尝试过那么多次，以及每次失败的缘由。这么些年来，他觉得自己已经不再是出于复仇的动机了，但是这个念头总在他脑海里盘旋。

Lucian’s gaze fell to his hands. They rested on his pistols, fingertips brushing the hammered bronze.

锤石的笑声一直在回荡，淹没了一切……包括她的声音。

He thought of all the times he’d tried to save her and all the reasons he’d failed. All these years, he believed he was beyond vengeance, but the words kept turning in his head.

他闭上眼，心中默念许多年前学会的颂词。“凿除闲质，独留圣石……凿除闲质，独留圣石……”

Thresh’s laughter echoed in his mind, drowning out everything… even her voice.

但是祈祷既没有压住他脑中的笑声，也没有稳住他的双手。他紧紧抓住手枪，直到手指发痛，耳边只剩下自己的心跳。

He shut his eyes and silently repeated the mantras he’d learned so long ago. “Carve away the unwanted. Keep only the stone… Carve away the unwanted. Keep only the stone…”

回忆扑面而来。从他失去她的那刻开始，历经这么多年，再到他最近一次失败。此间种种，如同刺目的闪光和震耳欲聋的咆哮将他掩埋。他的心跳开始加速。每一声撕心裂肺的尖叫……每一回施虐的狂笑……每一次怒不可遏的冲锋……让他的呼吸愈发急促。突然，他一直苦苦追寻的规律在脑中变得清明。

But the ritual failed to silence the laughter or steady his hands. He gripped the pistols until his fingers ached and all he could hear was the beat of his own heart.

真相仿佛一块巨石压在他的胸口。是他的愤怒让他一直追寻着她，让她的身影在他心里萦绕不去，让他不致于沉进无底的悲痛深渊。抛弃愤怒就意味着背叛。然而也正因为这愤怒，让他无法将自己的挚爱送入长眠。他曾答应过会让她安息，但他所做的一切只是徒增她的苦痛。

The memories unfolded. From the moment he’d lost her, so many years ago, to his last failed attempt. They all rushed his mind in blinding flashes and deafening roars. His heart raced. He struggled for breath as he witnessed every gut-wrenching scream… every sadistic laugh… and every rage-filled charge. The pattern he’d sought finally resolved in his mind.

从她死去那天开始，他就一直在辜负她。10

A heaviness pressed on his chest as he saw the truth. His anger let him hold on to her. It kept her memory alive without plunging him into a bottomless well of despair. To abandon that rage was to be unfaithful. And yet, it was anger that kept him from putting his beloved to rest. He had promised to bring her peace, but all he had done was add to her misery.

卢锡安站在船甲板上，观看了葬礼的全程。米菈和族人用饰有海龟壳的轿子将他们的至亲抬了出来。遗体用白色亚麻布紧紧缠裹，然后葬进了海滩上的一处公共墓坑里。

He’d been failing her since the day she died.

“他们将会重生，回归大海。先人将会带他们回家。”米菈曾经说过。

10

卢锡安准备好要起航了。他解开了升降索，拉起主帆。帆布窜上桅杆，在海风中鼓满。他在拴绳子时看到米菈走了过来。他朝她招了招手。

Lucian had watched the burial from the deck of his ship. Mira and her people had carried their loved ones on doolies of carved turtle shells. The bodies wrapped tightly in white linen. They were buried at dawn in a deep communal pit on the sandy shore.

“葬礼办得不错。”他说。

“They will be reborn and return to the sea where the ancestors will guide them home,” Mira had said.

“谢谢。谢谢你所做的一切。”

Lucian prepared to cast off. He untied the halyard and pulled on the line, hoisting his mainsail. The canvas ran up the mast and unfurled in the wind. He was cleating the line when he saw Mira approaching. He waved her over.

卢锡安点点头，看向了大海。平静的海面直抵天际。

“It was a good ceremony,” he said.

“还要追黑雾吗？”她说。

“Thank you,” she said. “For everything.”

他摇摇头：“我也有死者要安葬。”

Lucian nodded and gazed out to sea, the ocean calm across the horizon.

米菈虚弱地微微一笑。“也许等你完事以后，你可以回来。这里容得下你。”

“Still chasing the mist?” she said.

“也许吧。”他嘴上这么说，但心里并不确信。

He shook his head. “Going to bury my dead.”

卢锡安看着她走上海滩。她半路停下来捡起了一个成熟的葫芦，晃了几下，拿在手里继续往前走。等她走到树林边上，站在通往村子的小路路口时，她转过身挥了挥手。

Mira offered a wan smile. “Maybe after you’re done, you can come back. There’s a place for you here.”

卢锡安也向她挥手，而他知道这一去就是永别。

“Perhaps,” he said, but he didn’t believe so.

暗影岛将会是他旅程的终点。再也不需要打下一枚新的图钉，也不需要再缠上一根细线了。他将凿去自己心中的愤怒，完成他的誓言。唯一重要的事就是送她进入长眠。他心里很清楚，这也将是他的终期。他只希望能够最后再听一次她的声音。

Lucian watched her stride back toward the shore. She stopped to pick up a ripe gourd, shook it a few times, and kept going, fruit in hand. When she reached the treeline and the path leading to her village, she turned and waved.

如果世上真有好运会眷顾他，她就会在那儿，等着领他回家。

Lucian waved back, knowing he would never return.

The Shadow Isles would be the final leg of his journey. No need for another tack or string of twine. He would carve away the anger and keep his promise. All that mattered was putting her to rest. In his heart, he knew it would be his final deed. He hoped to hear her voice one last time.

If he were truly fortunate, she would be there to guide him home.