离恨天

[DE]魔晶仆从[小白试译，第四章，TBC，1/4完]

                                      

第四章

数种前路，数种可能

恩崔立藏身于门口的阴影中，按捺住满心好奇侧耳倾听着正从房间里传出的一阵自言自语。他只能弄明白这番话的一小部分含义。贾拉索正兴奋地用卓尔语飞快说着什么。而恩崔立除了对地底卓尔语的词汇掌握十分有限之外，从目前这个距离他也根本听不清每一个词。

“他们不会长期保持领先于我们，因为我们的动作太快了。”这个惟利是图的领导者说。杀手听清了这一句而且总算是能把整个句子逐词翻译过来，因为看起来贾拉索似乎是在鼓励某人。“是啊，他们会一条街道一条街道地垮台。有谁能和我们联手的力量相抗衡呢？”

“我们联手？”杀手无声重复着，翻来覆去咀嚼这个卓尔词汇以确保自己的翻译是恰当的。我们？佣兵头子不可能是在说他和恩崔立的合作，甚至也不是指巴萨多尼公会的残余势力。相对达耶特独立佣兵团的力量而言，这些不过是次要的附庸。那么，难道贾拉索在恩崔立没有觉察的情况下进行了某种新的交易？也许那是一桩和某个帕夏达成的协议，或者甚至是和一种更强力量进行的密约？

杀手倾身靠得更近，留意听着可能出现的任何恶魔或魔鬼的名字——或者可能是灵吸怪。他忍不住因这三个念头而战栗起来。恶魔们太不可预知、太原始野蛮以致无法真正很好地服务于任何联盟。在某些特殊时刻它们会不惜一切代价满足自己的某些私欲而毫不关心联盟的利益。魔鬼则更可预知——可预知得过头了。就那个种族等级森严的世界观看来，它们自己难免盘踞在金字塔的顶端。

尽管如此，与杀手兴起的第三个念头——事关某些灵吸怪——相比，他几乎希望自己能听见佣兵头子提到一只强大恶魔的名字。在受困魔索布莱的那些日子里恩崔立曾被迫和灵吸怪打交道——夺心魔是卓尔城市生活中不可避免的一部分——他绝对永远永远也不想再见到任何这种有着黏糊糊脑袋的卑劣生物了。

他又偷听了一会儿，贾拉索似乎已经冷静下来并且舒舒服服坐回椅子里。当惟利是图者仍在自说自话着便衣公会那迫在眉睫的覆亡时，杀手大步走进房间。

“就你一个人？”他装作若无其事地问，“我还以为听见有谁在跟你说话。”

人类有些宽慰地注意到这天佣兵头子并没有戴着那个魔法的防护性眼罩，那么很可能这个卓尔刚才并没有会见任何灵吸怪，或者在短时间里也没有这个打算。这个眼罩能防护心灵魔法，而整个世界没有什么比那些可怕的夺心魔更擅长这一类招数了。

“只是整理一些思路，”贾拉索解释道，他说起地表通用语来轻松自如，流畅得就像在说自己的母语，“有太多事正在改变。”

“而且通常都伴随危机。”恩崔立回答。

“对有些人而言是这样没错。”卓尔吃吃笑着说。

杀手狐疑地注视着他。

“当然你不会相信便衣工会能与我们的力量相抗衡吧？”惟利是图者怀疑地问。

“在正面的战斗中那是不可能的。”杀手说，“但这正说明了它能与其他势力共存多年的手段。在明刀明枪的情况下他们没办法和很多力量斗，但他们总是能找到某种办法幸存下来。”

“那只是因为运气罢了。”

“那是因为他们错综复杂关联着很多更强大的势力，”恩崔立纠正道，“如果一个人处于巨人的保护下就没必要追求体格上的强有力。”

“除非那个巨人与某个敌人有更深厚的友谊，”佣兵头子打断了他，“而众所周知巨人们是靠不住的。”

“你和卡林港的那些大领主们谈好了？”人类毫不信服地问，“对方是谁？为什么我没有涉入协商？”

贾拉索只高深莫测地耸了耸肩。

“不可能，”杀手下结论说，“就算你对他们之中某一个或者更多人作出警告，便衣公会已经存在太久了，早就成为卡林珊权力之网中牢固而不可撼动的一部分，对他们这种程度的背叛是不可能成功的。他们自有同盟来保护对抗其他同盟。当屠杀他们时，针对地区权力结构这样一个突然而不稳定的变化而出现的敌对势力就算是贾拉索和达耶特独立佣兵团也没法彻底铲除。”

“也许我和卡林港有史以来最强大的存在结成了同盟。”贾拉索以他那种典型的摸棱两可夸张地说。

恩崔立眯起黯色的眼睛专注凝视这个令人忍无可忍的卓尔，寻找着某些蛛丝马迹，任何线索，试图推断出这不寻常的行为所揭示的内幕。贾拉索通常都是秘密而隐匿的，一直保持着神秘，而且不管在任何时候都准备抓住时机为自己赢得更大的力量和利益，然而，这件事还是有什么地方似乎有些不对劲。在杀手看来，对便衣公会迫在眉睫的攻击是一个传奇的贾拉索决不会犯的大错。那么，很显然这诡诈的卓尔的确找到了某种强大的同盟，或者对整个时局有了某种更高深的理解。恩崔立很怀疑后一种可能，因为与卡林港街道联系最紧密的人不是佣兵头子而是他本人。

但即使是以这种种可能之一来看，杀手还是觉得有什么地方不太对劲。贾拉索表现得自大而傲慢——而且这卓尔的确是那么认为的！——然而以前他从没见过这种自信，特别是在现在这种具有潜在爆炸性的情况下。

一旦恩崔立想到便衣公会垮台的必然性更深一层，整个局势似乎只能用更具爆炸性来形容。他太清楚黑暗精灵的毁灭性力量，也毫不怀疑佣兵团会屠杀敌对公会，但这必然的胜利中暗藏了太多内幕——的确太多了，因为这个卓尔表现得这样悠闲自若。

“你在这场战斗中的任务已经决定了吗？”佣兵头子问。

“跟我无关，”杀手回答的语调无疑说明他对此感到非常满意，“莱基和金穆瑞指派了所有的人但是把我排除在外。”

贾拉索放声大笑起来，因为这番陈述背后的事实——恩崔立竟然乐意被排斥——表现得太明显了。

杀手眼睛一眨不眨地注视着他，没有露出丝毫笑容。惟利是图者必须明白自己刚走进了怎样的险境，这潜在的悲惨处境会把他和整个佣兵团赶回魔索布莱的黑暗洞窟中。也许有另一种可能，他沉思着。也许贾拉索想要返回故乡于是狡猾地推动这场迁移。仅仅这个想法就让恩崔立退缩起来。如果这卓尔要把他拖回那个鬼地方，还不如痛快杀了他。

也许杀手会被委任为一个代理，就像路斯坎的莫里克一样。不，杀手暗自下了结论，那是不够的。卡林港远比路斯坎要危险，如果卓尔兵团的力量被迫撤离，他决不会这样铤而走险。有太多强大的敌人会被留下来。

“很快就要开始了，如果说现在还没开始的话。”贾拉索说，“这样一切很快就会结束。”

比你所相信的还要快，恩崔立想，但他保持了沉默。这个人类通过深思熟虑、通过小心翼翼权衡一言一行的后果而求存。他如某种精神上的同类般了解贾拉索，但他无法认同这个夜晚所上演的眼前一切，不管从哪个角度来看，这都像是一场代价高昂而多此一举的赌博。

贾拉索到底知道什么他没察觉到的事？

                         * * * * *

……

[TBC]

如标题，这只是一章的1/4，后面貌似都没有阿恩的份，于是寒假里就是在这章没了动力^^bbb（旁：喂喂，不要找客观借口= =++）
目前TOB进行中，可是，当很久不摸这个，不管小兹对小依说了什么，心里终究会有点空。想起某个总是沉默潜行的身影……

以下为原文：

Chapter 4
                MANY ROADS TO MANY PLACES

    Entreri stood in the shadows of the doorway, listening
with great curiosity to the soliloquy taking place in the
room. He could only make out small pieces of the oration.
The speaker, Jarlaxle, was talking quickly and excitedly in
the drow tongue. Entreri, in addition to his limited Deep
Drow vocabulary, couldn't hear every word from this
distance.
    "They will not stay ahead of us, because we move too
quickly," the mercenary leader remarked. Entreri heard and
was able to translate every word of that line, for it seemed
as if Jarlaxle was cheering someone on. "Yes, street by
street they will fall. Who can stand against us joined?"
    "Us joined?" the assassin silently echoed, repeating the
drow word over and over to make sure that he was translating
it properly. Us? Jarlaxle could not be speaking of his
alliance with Entreri, or even with the remnants of the
Basadoni Guild. Compared to the strength of Bregan D'aerthe,
these were minor additions. Had Jarlaxle made some new deal,
then, without Entreri's knowledge? A deal with some pasha,
perhaps, or an even greater power?
    The assassin bent in closer, listening particularly for
any names of demons or devils-or of illithids, perhaps. He
shuddered at the thought of any of the three. Demons were
too unpredictable and too savage to serve any alliance. They
would do whatever served their specific needs at any
particular moment, without regard for the greater benefit to
the alliance. Devils were more predictable- were too
predictable. In their hierarchical view of the world, they
inevitably sat on top of the pile.
    Still, compared to the third notion that had come to
him, that of the illithids, Entreri was almost hoping to
hear Jarlaxle utter the name of a mighty demon. Entreri had
been forced to deal with illithids during his stay in
Menzoberranzan-the mind flayers were an unavoidable side of
life in the drow city-and he had no desire to ever, ever,
see one of the squishy-headed, wretched creatures again.
    He listened a bit longer, and Jarlaxle seemed to calm
down and to settle more comfortably into his seat. The
mercenary leader was still talking, just muttering to
himself about the impending downfall of the Rakers, when
Entreri strode into the room.
    "Alone?" the assassin asked innocently. "I thought I
heard voices."
    He noted with some relief that Jarlaxle wasn't wearing
his magical, protective eye patch this day, which made it
unlikely that the drow had just encountered, or soon planned
to encounter, any illithids. The eye patch protected against
mind magic, and none in all the world were more proficient
at such things as the dreaded mind flayers.
    "Sorting things out," Jarlaxle explained, and his ease
with the common tongue of the surface world seemed no less
fluent than that of his native language. "There is so much
afoot."
    "Danger, mostly," Entreri replied.
    "For some," said Jarlaxle with a chuckle.
    Entreri looked at him doubtfully.
    "Surely you do not believe that the Rakers can match our
power?" the mercenary leader asked incredulously.
    "Not in open battle," Entreri answered, "but that is how
it has been with them for many years. They cannot match
many, blade to blade, and yet they have ever found a way to
survive."
    "Because they are fortunate."
    "Because they are intricately tied to greater powers,"
Entreri corrected. "A man need not be physically powerful if
he is guarded by a giant."
    "Unless the giant has more tightly befriended a rival,"
Jarlaxle interjected. "And giants are known to be
unreliable."
    "You have arranged this with the greater lords of
Calimport?" Entreri asked, unconvinced. "With whom, and why
was I not involved in such a negotiation?"
    Jarlaxle shrugged, offering not a clue.
    "Impossible," Entreri decided. "Even if you threatened
one or more of them, the Rakers are too long-standing, too
entrenched in the power web of all Calimshan, for such
treachery against them to prosper. They have allies to
protect them against other allies. There is no way that even
Jarlaxle and Bregan D'aerthe could have cleared the
opposition to such a sudden and destabilizing shift in the
power structure of the region as the decimation of the
Rakers."
    "Perhaps I have allied with the most powerful being ever
to come to Calimport," Jarlaxle said dramatically, and
typically, cryptically.
    Entreri narrowed his dark eyes and stared at the
outrageous drow, looking for clues, any clues, as to what
this uncharacteristic behavior might herald. Jarlaxle was
often cryptic, always mysterious, and ever ready to grab at
an opportunity that would bring him greater power or
profits, and yet, something seemed out of place here. To
Entreri's thinking, the impending assault on the Rakers was
a blunder, which was something the legendary Jarlaxle never
did. It seemed obvious, then, that the cunning drow had
indeed made some powerful connection or ally, or was
possessed of some deeper understanding of the situation.
This Entreri doubted since he, not Jarlaxle, was the best
connected person on Calimport's streets.
    Even given one of those possibilities, though, something
just didn't seem quite right to Entreri. Jarlaxle was cocky
and arrogant-of course he was!-but never before had he
seemed this self-assured, especially in a situation as
potentially explosive as this.
    The situation seemed only more explosive if Entreri
looked beyond the inevitability of the downfall of the
Rakers. He knew well the murderous power of the dark elves
and held no doubt that Bregan D'aerthe would slaughter the
competing guild, but there were so many implications to that
victory-too many, certainly, for Jarlaxle to be so
comfortable.
    "Has your role in this been determined?" Jarlaxle asked.
    "No role," Entreri answered, and his tone left no doubt
that he was pleased by that fact. "Rai-guy and Kimmuriel
have all but cast me aside."
    Jarlaxle laughed aloud, for the truth behind that
statement-that Entreri had been willingly cast aside- was
all too obvious.
    Entreri stared at him and didn't crack a smile. Jarlaxle
had to know the dangers he had just walked into, a
potentially catastrophic situation that could send him and
Bregan D'aerthe fleeing back to the dark hole of
Menzoberranzan. Perhaps that was it, the assassin mused.
Perhaps Jarlaxle longed for home and was slyly facilitating
the move. The mere thought of that made Entreri wince.
Better that Jarlaxle kill him outright than drag him back
there.
    Perhaps Entreri would be set up as an agent, as was
Morik in Luskan. No, the assassin decided, that would not
suffice. Calimport was more dangerous than Luskan, and if
the power of Bregan D'aerthe was forced away, he would not
take such a risk. Too many powerful enemies would be left
behind.
    "It will begin soon, if it has not already," Jarlaxle
remarked. "Thus, it will be over soon."
    Sooner than you believe, Entreri thought, but he kept
silent. He was a man who survived through careful
calculation, by weighing scrupulously the consequences of
every step and every word. He knew Jarlaxle to be a kindred
spirit, but he could not reconcile that with the action that
was being undertaken this very night, which, in searching it
from any angle, seemed a tremendous and unnecessary gamble.
    What did Jarlaxle know that he did not?

                         * * * * *

……

【作者: 无一物】【访问统计:】【2006年03月2日 星期四 22:44】【 加入博采】【打印】