优先遵循ANK汉化
毒药之颂，第五册
阅读
2022-08-04更新
最新编辑:Lu_23333
阅读：
更新日期：2022-08-04
最新编辑：Lu_23333
毒药之颂，第五册
毒药之颂，第五册
整整两天，家族治疗师连连探视卧病在床的泰伊，而蓓娜拉也坐在床榻边，握着他的手。他高烧不退，意识不清，对着看不见的幽灵呐喊。治疗师赞叹年轻人的好运。以前也有人被冲到葛尼岛沿岸，很多是在战争期间，但这是他们第一次遇到有人能活过浩劫。
乌黎雅姑姑来过好几次，替蓓娜拉送来食物。“你要照顾好自己，亲爱的，不然等他好转，就换他去给你探病了”
泰伊的高烧退了，而且终于能够睁开眼，看看陪伴了他十七年的年轻女人，她一直都在他身旁，除了他人生的第一年。她对他微笑，叫来食物，然后默默地协助他进食。
“我知道你熬得过，堂弟”她真挚地低语。
“我倒希望能一了百了，但我好像也心知肚明自己会活下来”他呻吟。“蓓娜拉，你还记得我曾跟你说过的那些恶梦吗？它们都是真的”
“你先多休息，以后再说那些吧”
“不行”他低哑地说。“我必须现在就把所有事情告诉你，你才知道你所谓亲爱的堂弟泰伊，是什么样的怪物。如果你有办法及早知道这些，或许就不会这么殷切地盼望我好转了”
一滴泪珠滑落蓓娜拉的脸颊。她已经成为一名美人，在他停留哀伤之城的几个月期间甚至出落得愈发标致。“无论你做了什么，你怎么可以认为我会停止爱你？”
“我见到以前的保母艾蒂芭，而且跟她说了话”
“噢”蓓娜拉一直害怕此刻的到来。“泰伊，我不知道她跟你说了什么，但那全是我的错。你记得基纳·嘉甫希跟我们讲述达格斯家族和其腐败的那天吧，那天晚上，我看到你的保母在北方草坪上设了某种祭坛，排出第六家族的符号。她一定已经那样好多年了，但是我从不知道那代表什么。我跟崔斐斯叔叔说了这件事，他就把她赶走了。好几次我都想告诉你，可是我太害怕了。她是那么爱你”
泰伊露出微笑。“她对我的忠诚奉献是否和她对那该受诅咒的家族有关联，当这种可能性的疑问浮上你脑海时，难道没让你更害怕吗？我了解你，蓓娜拉，你不是那种不动脑的女人”
“泰伊，我不知道她跟你说了什么，但我认为她非常不安，不管她认为你跟第六家族有什么关系，都不是真的。你必须牢牢记住。一个疯女人的穿凿附会证明不了什么”
“还有其他证明”泰伊叹口气，举起手。他惊愕了一下，然后生气地转向蓓娜拉。“我的戒指呢？如果你看到了，那你一定早就明白我跟你说的全是真的”
“我把那个邪恶的东西扔了”蓓娜拉站起来。“泰伊，我不吵你，好好休息”
“我是达格斯家的继承人”泰伊激动不已，声调几与尖叫无异。“战后被养在因督利尔家，但却受我的先祖之颂驱使。我们还小的时候，我杀了瓦士特，因为那首歌说他偷了我的东西。当艾蒂芭告诉我我的真实身分并给我这个戒指时，我杀了她并放火烧光一切，因为那首歌说她的任务已尽。我回到凯寇里斯家，我的爱人在那里等我，说她也是达格斯家的成员，而且还是我妹妹。我夺门而出，在凯寇里斯试图阻止我时，我割断他的喉咙，因为那首歌说他是敌人”
“泰伊，够了”蓓娜拉啜泣着。“我一个字都不相信。你发了高烧……”
“我不是泰伊”他猛摇头，呼吸沉重。“我父母给我的名字，是达格斯·泰伊松”
“你不可能杀死艾蒂芭，你爱她。瓦士特和凯寇里斯？他们是我们的血亲哪！”
“他们跟我没有关系”泰伊冷冷地说。“那首歌说他们是敌人，就像它正要我相信你是我的敌人，但我不听。我会一直抗拒……只要我有办法”
蓓娜拉奔出房间，把门甩上。她从饱受惊吓的女仆喜莉玛手上拿过钥匙，紧紧把门锁上。
“因督利尔·蓓娜拉小姐”喜莉玛小声开口，语带同情。“你的堂弟因督利尔·泰伊还好吗？”
“只要好好休息，他就会完全康复”蓓娜拉重拾庄重与尊严，揩去脸上的泪水。“任何情况下都不准打扰他，钥匙由我带着。我还有很多事情要忙。我想还没有人跟渔夫谈过替杉笛尔之屋重添补给吧？”
“我不清楚，小姐”女仆回道。“我想没有”
蓓娜拉往下走到码头，打算专心处理小事情，用她仅知的方式安抚躁动的心情。泰伊的话挥之不去，但藉由跟渔夫讨论渔获量，协助决定多少该烟熏处理，多少该送去村里，以及多少该趁新鲜送往大屋的食品室，她依然设法找到片刻宁静。
她的姑姑乌黎雅也加入讨论，丝毫没有发现蓓娜拉高明伪装下的痛苦。她们讨论着崔斐斯叔叔和那些议员在岛上作客这段期间吃了多少食物，他们预计何时离开，怎么样准备最好。突然一个渔夫从码头上大喊，打断了讨论。
“有船靠近！”
乌黎雅和蓓娜拉跟造访者致意，那是个穿着神殿女祭司长袍的年轻女人。等她顺利让小船靠岸，她惊为天人的美貌和奇异的熟悉感，都让蓓娜拉诧异不已。
“欢迎来到葛尼岛”蓓娜拉开口。“我是因督利尔·蓓娜拉，这是我的姑姑因督利尔·乌黎雅。我们以前见过面吗？”
“我想没有”女人欠个身。“神殿派我来探询，看看你是否有收到堂弟因督利尔·泰伊的音讯。他已经缺课多日，祭司们开始担心了”
“噢，我们应该要送个信息的”乌黎雅一脸苦恼。“他几天前到了岛上，差点淹死，不过现在好多了。请容我们护送你到大屋吧”
“泰伊现在在休息，我不希望他被打扰”蓓娜拉有些结巴。“呃，虽然有些失礼，但我得跟我姑姑私下说个话。如果请你先行到屋里等我们，希望不会太冒昧。你只要沿着山坡小径走，再穿过草地就到了”
女祭司再次谦逊地鞠躬，然后离去。乌黎雅震惊不已。
“你居然这样对待神殿的代表”她破口大骂。“照看堂弟不至于让你累到礼仪尽失吧”
“乌黎雅姑姑”蓓娜拉把妇人拉到一旁，确保渔夫不会听到，才低声开口。“泰伊真的是我的堂弟吗？他认为他是……达格斯家的人”
乌黎雅沉默了一下，才终于回答。“没错。战争发生时，你还是个婴孩，不知道那时的惨况。晨风省满目疮痍，就连岛上都发生过战役。还记得好多年前，你、泰伊和可怜的瓦士特发现的那堆烧毁残骸吗？那些就是战争的遗迹。战争结束后，那个该诅咒的家族终于溃败，我们看到那些无辜的孩子，这些孤儿唯一的罪过就是有邪恶的父母。我承认有些家族联军的成员，当初赞成将他们赶尽杀绝，彻底歼灭达格斯家，断了他们的血脉。不过最终怜悯之心还是占了上风，那些第六家族的孩子被其他五个家族所收养。我们以为我们同时赢得了战役和和平”
“以神母、上主和巫师之名，如果泰伊深信的一切都是真的，就不可能和平” 蓓娜拉浑身颤抖。“他宣称他的先祖之歌召唤着他，迫使他杀害了三个人，其中两人是我们的家人，凯寇里斯和……他小时候动的手……瓦士特”
乌黎雅用双手遮住自己泪湿的脸，无法言语。
“这些只是开始”蓓娜拉说。“那首歌依然对他传送着信息。他说还有其他人知道事情始末，他们会帮他复兴第六家族。他妹妹……”
“这一定是某种邪恶的幻想”乌黎雅喃喃自语。她发现蓓娜拉正盯着从码头通往大屋的小径。“侄女啊，你在想什么？”
“那个女祭司有跟我们说她的名字吗？”
两个女人飞快跑过小径，一边呼喊守卫。那些渔夫从没见过屋子的女主人如此失控，先是互相张望，然后立刻拿出他们的鱼钩和刀剑紧跟在后。
杉笛尔之屋的前门大大敞开，第一具尸体躺在门口不远处。如今屋子成了屠宰场，鲜血满布。崔斐斯叔叔的贴身男仆阿耐开膛破肚，但依然坐在原本正享用着午后飞令的门厅桌旁；房务女仆莱瑞妮本来正捧着亚麻上楼，如今却断了头；守卫和仆人尸横大厅，仿佛遭吹落的树叶。在楼梯顶端，蓓娜拉看到喜莉玛，差点失声惊叫。她像个破碎的娃娃躺在那儿，她试图穿过窗户逃到外面的狭窄壁架上，却依然惨死刀下。
蓓娜拉、乌黎雅姑姑、渔夫缓缓走过血洗大屋，所有人都默不出声。他们经过泰伊的病房，房间已被破门而入，但里面空无一人。当听到有脚步声从廊道底端蓓娜拉的房间传出来，一行人小心翼翼地慢慢靠近，满怀恐惧。
码头上的那个女祭司站在床边，而蓓娜拉从泰伊手上拿下来的银戒此刻就在她手中。她的另一只手握着一把弯曲的长剑，连同她原本洁净的长袍，都溅上了血迹。她发现自己不再是独自一人，随即露出美丽的笑容，然后鞠躬。
“雅可拉，泰伊在信里描述了这么多，我早该认出是你”蓓娜拉尽可能镇定地说。“我的堂弟在哪里？”
“我比较喜欢自称达格斯·雅可拉”她回应。“你的假堂弟、我的真兄长，已经前去完成他的使命。真遗憾你不在这里，不然他就能跟你来个更永久的道别”
蓓娜拉的脸因愤怒而扭曲。她对那些带着武器上前的渔夫示意：“杀了她”
“第六家族会重振旗鼓，达格斯·泰伊松将是我们的领袖！”雅可拉大笑，在她使出传送术如鬼影消失无踪之际，那些字句依然在房内回荡。
The Poison Song, Book V
The Poison Song, Book V
For two days, the House healers attended Tay in his bed, and Baynarah sat by his side, holding his hand. He was feverish, neither asleep nor awake, screaming at invisible phantoms. The healers complimented the young man's fortitude. Bodies had washed ashore on the island of Gorne several times, many during the War, but never once had they seen one that lived afterwards.
Aunt Ulliah came in several times to bring Baynarah food: "You must be careful, dear, or when he's all well, he'll have to attend you on your sickbed."
Tay's fever broke, and at last he was able to open his eyes and see the young woman with whom he had spent seventeen years, all but the first year of his life. She smiled at him, and called for food. In silence, she helped him eat.
"I knew you wouldn't die, cousin," she whispered fondly.
"I hoped to, but somehow I knew I wouldn't either," he groaned. "Baynarah, do you remember all those nightmares I told you about? They're all true."
"We can talk about it when you've rested some more."
"No," he croaked. "I must tell you everything now, so you'll know what kind of a monster you call your dear cousin Tay. If there was some way you could have known before, you might not have been so eager to see me well again."
A tear rolled Baynarah's cheek. She had grown into a beauty, even in the few months he had been away in Mournhold. "How can you think I would stop loving you, no matter what you've done?"
"I saw my old nursemaid Edebah, and spoke to her."
"Oh," Baynarah had feared this moment. "Tay, I don't know what she told you, but it was all my fault. You remember when Kena Grafisi taught us about the House Dagoth, and its corruption. That night, I saw your nursemaid making some kind of altar out on the north lawn, using the symbol of the Sixth House. She must have been doing it for years, but I never knew what it meant. I told Uncle Triffith, and he sent her away. I've wanted to tell you so many times now, but I was afraid to. She was so devoted to you."
Tay smiled. "And didn't it frighten you even more to wonder if there was any connection between her devotion to me, and her devotion to the accursed House? I know you, Baynarah. You're not one of those women who doesn't choose to use her mind."
"Tay, I don't know what she told you, but I think she was very troubled, and whatever she thought about you and the Sixth House was wrong. You have to remember that. The ramblings of one madwoman are proof of nothing."
"There's more," Tay sighed, and held up his hand. For a moment he blinked, and then turned to Baynarah angrily. "What happened to my ring? If you saw it, you must have known already that everything I'm saying to you is true."
"I threw the filthy thing away," Baynarah stood up. "Tay, I'm going to let you rest now."
"I am the heir of House Dagoth," Tay was wild-eyed, almost screaming. "Raised after the War as House Indoril, but driven by the Song of my ancestors. When we were young, I killed Vaster because the Song told me he had stolen my inheritance. When Edebah told me who I was and gave me this ring, I killed her and burned her house to the ground, because the Song told me she had served her purpose. When I returned to Kalkorith's house, my love was there, telling me that she was of the House Dagoth too, and my sister. I fled, and when Kalkorith tried to stop me, I slew him, because the Song told me he was an enemy."
"Tay, stop," Baynarah sobbed. "I don't believe a word of it. You've been feverish..."
"Not Tay," he shook his head, breathing heavily. "The name my parents gave me was Dagoth-Tython."
"You can't have killed Edebah, you loved her. And Vaster and Kalkorith? They were our cousins!"
"They were not my true cousins," Tay said coldly. "The Song told me they were my foes. Just as it's telling me now that you're my foe, but I won't listen. And I'll keep from listening... as long as I can."
Baynarah fled from the room, slamming the door behind her. She took a key from the her startled maid Hillima, and secured the lock.
"Serjo Indoril-Baynarah," Hillima whispered, with great sympathy. "Is all well with your cousin, Serjo Indoril-Tay?"
"He'll be perfectly fine once he rests," Baynarah recovered her dignity, wiping the tears from her face. "No one is to disturb him under any circumstances. I'll take the key with me. Now I have much work to do. I don't suppose anyone's spoken to the fishermen about restocking Sandil House's supplies?"
"I don't know, serjo," said the maid. "I don't think so."
Baynarah marched down to the docks, and relieved her troubled heart the only way she knew how, by concentrating on small things. Tay's words never left her, but she found temporary comfort talking to the fishermen about their haul, helping determine how much should be smoked, how much should be sent to the village, how much should be delivered fresh to the House larder.
Her aunt Ulliah joined the discussion, oblivious to Baynarah's well-disguised agony. Together, they discussed how many provisions Uncle Triffith and his commanders had devoured during their weeks on the island, when they would be expected to return, and how best to prepare. One of the fishermen on the docks called out, interrupting.
"A boat is coming!"
Ulliah and Baynarah greeted the visitor as she arrived. It was a young woman dressed in the robes of a Temple priestess. As she docked her small boat, Baynarah marveled at how beautiful she was, and strangely familiar.
"Welcome to Gorne," said Baynarah. "I am Indoril-Baynarah and this is my aunt Indoril-Ulliah. Have we met before?"
"I don't believe so, serjo," the woman bowed. "I was sent by the Temple to inquire whether word had come from your cousin, Indoril-Tay. He has been missing from his classes for some days now, and the priests have become concerned."
"Oh, we should have sent word," Ulliah fretted. "He came here a few days ago, half-drowned. He's better now. Let us escort you up to the house."
"Tay's resting now, and I asked that he not be disturbed," Baynarah stammered. "Actually, I know it's dreadful manners, but I need to talk to my aunt for a moment. Would it be too terrible if I asked you to wait for us at the house? You have only to follow the path up the hill and across the lawn."
The priestess bowed again humbly, and began the walk. Ulliah was scandalized.
"You know better than to treat a representative of the Temple that way," she snapped. "You can't be so exhausted from tending your cousin to have lost all sense of civility."
"Aunt Ulliah," Baynarah whispered, drawing the woman away from the ears of the fishermen. "Is Tay truly my cousin? He believes himself to be ... of the House Dagoth."
Ulliah took a moment to respond. "It's true. You were just a baby yourself during the War, so you couldn't know what it was like. There was not a part of Morrowind that wasn't ravaged. There was even a battle here on the island. Do you remember that burned pile of wreckage you and Tay and poor little Vaster discovered so many years ago? That was the remains. And after the War, when that accursed House was finally defeated, we saw the little innocents, the orphans whose only crime had been born to wicked parents. I admit there were some in our armies, the combined forces of the Houses, who would have had them all slaughtered to annihilate the legacy of Dagoth. In the end, compassion prevailed, and the children of the Sixth House were adopted into the other five. And so we thought that we had won the war and the peace."
"By the Mother, Lord, and Wizard, if all that Tay believes is true, then there is no peace," Baynarah trembled. "He claims that the Song of his ancestors called to him, and forced him to slay three people, two of them our Housemen. Cousin Kalkorith and ... when he was a little boy ... Vaster."
Ulliah held her hands over her tearful face and could not speak.
"And it is only beginning," said Baynara. "The Song still calls to him. He said there were others who knew, who would help him raise up the Sixth House. His sister..."
"It must be an evil fantasy," Ulliah murmured. She noticed that Baynarah's gaze was now upon the path leading from the docks towards the house. "Niece, what are you thinking?"
"Did that priestess give us her name?"
The two women ran up the path, calling for guards. The fishermen, who had never seen the mistresses of the house so undone, looked briefly at one another and then followed quickly behind, pulling out their hooks and blades.
The front gate to Sandil House stood wide open, the first of the corpses lying close within. It was now an abattoir, painted fresh with blood. There was Aner, uncle Triffith's valet, gutted but still seated at the foyer table where he had been enjoying his afternoon glass of flin. Leryne, one of the chambermaids, had been decapitated while carrying some once-clean linens up the stairs. The bodies of guards and servants sprawled about the hall like blown leaves. At the top of the stairs, Baynarah had to hold back a sob when she saw Hillima. She lay like a broken doll, slain as she tried to pull herself out onto the narrow window ledge.
No one spoke, not Baynarah, nor Aunt Ulliah, nor the fishermen, as they walked slowly through the blood-drenched house. They passed Tay's sick-room, its door broken open, and no one within. When they heard the sound of footsteps in Baynarah's room down the hall, they approached slowly, cautiously, with great dread.
The priestess from the docks was standing by the bed. In her hand was the silver ring Baynarah had taken from Tay's finger. In her other hand was a long, curved blade, splashed like her once pristine gown, with gore. She smiled prettily and bowed when she saw she was no longer alone.
"Acra, I should have recognized you by Tay's description in his letters," Baynarah said in her steadiest voice. "Where is my cousin?"
"I prefer to call myself Dagoth-Acra," she replied. "Your false cousin, my true brother, has already gone to fulfill his destiny. I'm sorry you were not here so he could give you a more permanent farewell."
Baynarah's face twisted in fury. She motioned for the fishermen, who advanced with their weaponry. "Tear her apart."
"The Sixth House will rise again, and Dagoth-Tython will lead us!" Acra laughed. Her words were still echoing as she gave the sign of Recall and vanished like a ghost.
沪公网安备 31011002002714 号