Chapter 10 Chapter Ten Pursue with Life

When Suzy Huett and I arrived at the oldest tavern in the world, we found ourselves wearing each other's clothes.Whether it was the final revenge of the fiery Poseidon, or he was just that stupid, Suzy and I were thrown into a scramble by unexpected circumstances as soon as we got there. No matter what era you are in, messing around in the oldest tavern is a very dangerous thing after all.As soon as a huge figure in bear skin saw Susie, he immediately jumped up with a hideous face. Without saying a word, Susie kicked at the testicles of the other party, with such force that even the alcoholic who was sitting ten feet away They couldn't help but let out a cry of sympathy.I took advantage of the situation and punched the opponent in the back of the neck, expressing my dissatisfaction.More than a dozen bearskin man's friends stood up at the same time, took out all kinds of weapons in their hands, and shouted extremely threatening words.I pulled Suzie's shotgun from the holster on my back and threw it into her hand, and immediately there was a pool of blood and brains on the nearby stone wall.Once this gun is fired, no one dares to provoke us anymore.

Suzy and I undressed in public and changed back into our own costumes, while everyone in the tavern carefully pretended not to notice.I don't want to walk around Nightside in Suzie's bra and leather pants; judging by the speed at which Suzie undresses, she probably thinks about as well as I do.We took our clothes from each other, dressed as quickly as possible, and then took a moment to check that everything was where it should be.If there was a problem, we'd have to go all the way back to Londinium to express our grievances violently, which we didn't want to do.Fortunately, not only everything that should be there is there, but they actually washed our clothes clean without leaving a trace of blood.My white coat never seemed so white since I got it; they even polished the metal trim on Suzie's leather coat and every bullet in the belt to shine.After rebuilding our self-esteem, we took a look inside the tavern, then swaggered past the many tables and chairs to the wooden bar at the back of the tavern.

The place was a rubbish heap, crowded and dirty, and there was a foul stench in the air.The entire tavern has no windows, nor any vents, and the greasy ash floats in the air, which feels like flying vomit.The torches on the shelves and the oil lamps on the walls did not bring much light to the gloomy tavern.The floor was sticky all over, and I had absolutely no desire to know what could have made it that way.There was not a single rat in the whole tavern, but it was probably because the rats were all caught by the drinkers to drink.Most of the drinkers are humans, and this is the first time I have seen so many humans gather together in this era.They were ragged and dirty, they seemed to be hooligans and scumbags, and most of them wore skins that looked like they had just been peeled from animals.All were armed, and all looked as if they were ready to draw them and use them.

The tavern was full of people, there were ugly curses everywhere, and there were at least five or six fights going on.A man covered in indigo dye tattoos a druid rune pattern on a barbarian with a bone needle, a bowl of indigo, and a small hammer.The savage screamed in pain, while his companions laughed.Six menacing-looking prostitutes were looting the belongings of two drunk men, and one of them winked at me as we passed, and I had to fight to show no sign of fear.There was a group of werewolves with hair all over their bodies next to them, a vampire sat at another table, and there was a group of primitive people beyond that unless they could provide detailed genealogy and blood test certificates, otherwise no one would admit that they were human.

"You took me to the best date place, Taylor," Suzie said. "Hopefully I'm dressed appropriately." "I don't think the tavern has had a chance to build up its reputation," I said. "There's no room for it to sink down. I have an urge to slaughter the drinkers here, the world would be a better place without them." "You feel the urge all the time, Suzy." "That's true." When the people sitting at the bar saw us approaching, they immediately gave up several seats.In this kind of low-level tavern, this is a symbol of status.I slapped hard on the bar, trying to get the bartender's attention, only to be startled by a small black thing flying by.The drinker next to him grabbed the little black thing and ate it with one big mouth.

There was a man and a woman standing behind the bar. The man was wearing a blouse that was so dirty that the color could not be distinguished. He was about five feet eight inches tall, which was considered very tall by the standards of this era.His face was pale, his hair was disheveled, his beard was bushy, his eyes were dark, his nose was pointed, his nostrils were huge, and his mouth was set as if everyone owed him money.The woman next to her was less than five feet tall, but those vicious eyes made no one dare to underestimate her.She used a thick layer of clay to sculpt her hair into two sharp corners, her face smelled worse than a dog's butt, and with her dirty clothes, she successfully concealed all the charms of women.The duo's job was to stand behind the bar pouring drinks, pushing glasses to customers, taking money and then yellingly refusing to get any change back.From time to time, they would pick up the big wooden stick hidden under the bar and beat the guests, but not every time they could see the reason for the beating, but in this kind of place, I have no doubt that all the people who were beaten All deserved.This couple has been deliberately ignoring my calls, until Suzie fired a shot at the wine cabinet behind them, and finally moved his eyes to us.The nearby drinkers grabbed their wine glasses and walked to the side. Some even remembered that it was getting late and started home immediately.The man and woman came to us unwillingly. The corners of the man's mouth were more smelly than before, and the woman's eyes were more vicious.

"I don't think it's possible to charge you for breaking down the wine cabinet?" the man said. "Don't be delusional." I said happily. He snorted casually, as if he hadn't expected any other answers at all. "I'm Marcellus. This is my wife, Livia. We're here to shop for atonement. Who are you and what are you doing here?" "My name is John Taylor, and this is Suzy Huett..." "Oh, I've heard of it." Livia said suddenly. "Trouble-seeking outsiders, unruly savages," she said with a loud snort, in exactly the same tone as her husband. "Unfortunately, I heard that you two have great power and are very difficult to mess with, so we better be polite to you. Look, I smiled at you. This is my polite smile."

Her smile looked like a mouse caught in a trap.I turned to look at Marcellus, and saw that his smile wasn't much better—I think he hadn't smiled much since he married Livia. "You should be honored," he said grimly. "You have to know that ordinary people are not qualified to see her smile." "Shut up when I talk, Marcellus." "Yes, dear." "I guess you guys want a drink for free?" Livia's tone was as if accusing someone who disrespected the corpse. "Marcellus, have a couple of goodies." "Yes, dear." He took out two pewter cups that looked like drunks in a bad mood, and carefully poured some red wine into them.Suzie and I each took a sip, then immediately looked disgusted and held the cups far away from our mouths.I'm pretty sure I've had worse red wine than this before, but I can't remember where I drank it.This glass of wine is reminiscent of vinegar mixed with urine, but even if it is vinegar mixed with urine, it should taste better than this glass of wine.

"Is this the so-called 'good stuff'?" Suzy asked. "Of course," Livia said. "We all drink it ourselves." This explains a lot of things.I thought, but didn't say it. "Are you the boss here?" I asked. "It is." Marcellus said. "This place belongs to an old witch, but we are the ones looking after the store. We are slaves bound by law and magic. Although we work hard, we will flee from this place as soon as we have the chance, and let anyone who offends us People pay the price." "Let everyone else feel the pain we have suffered." Livia said.

"Yes, if you have the chance, you must." "You know, we weren't born slaves," Livia said in a tone of long-rehearsed sadness. "Oh, no! Let me tell you, we were once respected Roman citizens, and we would never have anything to do with this kind of place... It's a pity that this guy's business has gone bankrupt..." She glared at her husband with resentment.The man was so ashamed that he couldn't lift his head up under her gaze. "It's really just a short-term turnover," he said sadly. "It's just a small financial problem. As long as you give me a little more time, I can definitely solve it satisfactorily..."

"But you just haven't solved it." Livia said coldly. "So our creditors came to our door, not only took over our business, but also sold us into slavery." The more she spoke, the more sad she became, her voice choked up. "It was really embarrassing and embarrassing. Our friends and neighbors were all present and watched us being auctioned. They all had dinner at our house and received favors from us. Now it's okay if they don't want to help, but they are still on the sidelines." Cynical, some even bid for it!" "We are very lucky to be together, dear." Marcellus said. "At least we are still husband and wife, and we haven't been separated by them." "That's right." Livia said. "It's lucky indeed. We've never been apart and never will be." "Never," said Marcellus.They took each other's hands, and although the expressions on their faces were still gloomy, it could still be seen that there was a kind of friendship that would not be separated even if it was to the death.If it wasn't for these two guys who were showing the true feelings in front of them, it would actually look quite touching. "Anyway," Marcellus said. "Because we had experience in running a tavern in the early years, the owner of this ghost place bought us to take care of the store. At that time, the other party hired someone to bid on his behalf, so we have never seen the real face of the owner. If we know who the owner is , and if we knew what this tavern looked like, we would have volunteered to dig the salt mines. The hell this place removes staff faster than slaves are sold. The couple before us were boiled by guests on a weekend night They came and ate them; and the people before that disappeared without reason, and no one knows what happened to them so far.” "No one has ever been able to stay here as long as we have." Livia said proudly. "The main reason is that we will never let anyone ride on our heads. To survive here, we must be ruthless and fair. As long as we are ruthless and poisonous enough, no one will dare to underestimate us. Don't think that my husband It doesn't look like anything, but it's scary for him to be aggressive." "Ah, but you are the most dangerous man in the world, dear," said Marcellus, smiling, patting his wife's hand. "When it comes to poisoning wine, who can compare with you?" "When it comes to slitting other people's throats, who can be so neat as you, my dear Marcellus? He's as good as a surgeon. It's a joy to watch him kill." "Who is the owner of this tavern?" I suddenly had the urge to change the subject. "A certain powerful old witch," Marcellus said. "It is said that she has existed in the world for thousands of years, and her name is Lilith." "Of course." My heart sank. "Who else but her?" "We haven't seen her before," Livia said. "No one has ever seen it. She was a mysterious landlady." Suzy looked at me and said, "Why does Lilith want to open a tavern?" "I'll ask her," I said. "But wait until I've finished asking all the other questions." "Then," said Marcellus. "Why did you two come to this ghostly place? What should we do to get rid of your entanglement?" "We're looking for a strong helper," I said. "A strong man who has the ability to send us back to the past, at least two hundred years ago. Any suggestions?" Marcellus exchanged glances with Livia. "Well," Livia said. "The most promising way is to go to the Roman gods. Not only are they powerful, but they are too idle. Just pray to them, say a few kind words, and pay some money, and they will probably be willing to help." "This way doesn't work," I said. "Because we've already pissed off Poseidonnis." Marcellus snorted. "Don't worry about that. The Roman gods don't like each other. They are a big family of incest, incest at any time, and all of them are patricides. Just because you piss off Positonis For your sake, I can think of several gods who are absolutely willing to help you." "Actually, he should have changed his name to Neptune by now, but he keeps forgetting about it." I considered their suggestion. "Can we trust these gods?" I asked. "Of course not." Marcellus said. "They are gods." "Let's have some other suggestions." Susie said. "In this case...there is a legend that there is a small town in the southwest, where you can find Mother Earth and ask her for help." Marcellus said. "But it's about a month's journey from here, and you have to pass through many very dangerous areas along the way." "Otherwise, we need to find the god of the druids." Livia said. "According to Roman law, dealing with them is a dead end, but this is the Nightside, so... how much money do you have?" "That's enough." I said, I really expected enough. "Druid witch doctors are very powerful," Marcellus said. "Especially in places outside the city, they are more powerful. It's just that they are very scheming, and they are not good things." "We can take care of ourselves," Suzy said. "At what cost?" I asked. "It's a big price." Marcellus said. "Maybe you'll have to chop off your own limbs or something. It's not that easy to please the druid god. Can you think of anyone you could give to the druids? They'll need it for their rituals and sacrifices." Use the living." "I can't think of it for the time being." Susie said. Livia shrugged. "Most gods demand blood and suffering in return. If it's not your own, it must be someone else's." "I was thinking...you can also consider going to Hunter Hearn." Marcellus said hesitantly. "That's right!" I said as I slapped the bar again, and immediately regretted it, because my palm was all over a puddle of sticky stuff. "Of course, Hunter Hearn! I almost forgot that he still exists in this era." "Hearn?" Suzie said. "That down-and-out little god who hangs out with homeless people in the rat's back alley?" "In this day and age, he is a powerful deity," I said. "His power comes from the ancient English forests and all the wild animals that breed in them. He is a god at the peak of power in this world. He will be Merlin's teacher. Oh, yes...his power can definitely help us return to the world. to the past." "If you can convince him to help." "There is no one in the world that I can't convince." Susie said. "Where shall we find Hunter Herne?" I asked. "He lives in the forest, far away from all human cities and civilizations." Marcellus said. "Nobody can find him unless he wants to, and those who do usually regret it. But my wife and I have done a couple of deals with Hearne's Field Court, and we can take you to him." "We can take you there." Livia said immediately. "But what good are we? How much is it worth to take you to see Hearn?" Suzy exchanged glances with me. "What do you want?" I asked. "Freedom." Marcellus said. "Free from this damn place, this shitty life, this whole system of slavery." "As long as we can regain our freedom, we will pay any price." Livia said. "Then we will seek justice from everyone who has wronged us!" "Help us break free," Marcellus said. "We'll do anything for you." "Anything!" Livia said. "Okay," I said. "Deal. Take us to Hearn, and I will help you get rid of the fetters you are trapped in here." Livia said coldly: "It's not that simple. Lilith is extremely powerful. Can you stop her from sending people to hunt us down?" "She'll listen to me," I said. "She's my mother." Marcellus and Livia stared at me dumbfounded for a moment, then jumped back suddenly as if seeing a poisonous snake.There was shock, fear, and some kind of... unknown emotion in their expressions, but before I could see what it was, they had turned their heads and discussed anxiously.Suzy frowned and looked at me. "Didn't you say try not to let Lilith of this era discover your existence?" "Forgive me," I said immediately. "I've been thinking with my feet. I have a way of finding out the magic that binds them. It's my specialty, remember? But I don't trust these two guys, at least not enough to share all the secrets with them .” Marcellus and Livia came before us again.There was no expression on their faces, but their body movements were obviously very tense. "We will take you to see Hearn." Marcellus said. "We think you are our only shot at freedom and vengeance. Don't listen first: Herne the Hunter is by no means an easy god. Mortals have no place in his eyes, and his only use is as a wild Game on the hunt. Plus, he hates everything to do with cities." "Don't worry," I said. "We have leverage in our hands to make a deal with him." "We have something like this?" Suzy asked. "His future destiny is our bargaining chip." I said. "If he is willing to listen to us, he may be able to avoid future encounters. But I think he probably won't listen. These gods always think that this kind of thing will never happen to them, and they don't believe that they will be forgotten by the world. But... I've never met any god who isn't interested in the future at all." "Poseidonis is not very interested." "Yeah, but Poseidonis is just an idiot with an oversized penis." "It's really big." Susie said in awe. "If the two of you finish talking," Livia said cautiously. "The problem now is that unless someone takes over, or all the drinkers are gone, my husband and I will be restricted by magic, and there is no way to leave the tavern." "No problem." I said. "Susie!" Susie fired a few shots and dropped another grenade, and the entire tavern was instantly emptied.
"What did you say? What do you mean we have to ride horses?" Susie asked displeased. "Harne the Hunter's field court is set in the forest," Marcellus explained patiently. "He never goes into the city, so we must go and find him. We must ride horses, as it is a long way." I looked at the four horses that Marcellus wanted me to buy.The horse seller kept bowing and kneeling beside me, praising my vision, but I ignored him.Since Marcellus and Livia picked these four out of many horses, I will not show my ignorance by saying something stupid.I know that horses have four legs, and I know the difference between a horse's head and a horse's buttocks, but other than that I know nothing about horses.The horses looked at me with a haughty look, and one of them kept trying to step on my foot.I glared at Marcellus. "How do I know that the owner of the horse shop didn't drive up the price?" "Of course he has," said Marcellus. "This is Night City. But Livia and I have done business with him before, so his price is not too exaggerated. If you think there is a way to get a lower price, of course you are welcome to come." try." "We don't like to bargain." Susie said proudly. "We love violent intimidation." "I've noticed it a long time ago." Livia said. "But since we don't want to attract unnecessary attention, let's obediently pay and hit the road." Reluctantly, I paid the bill with some gold coins from Father Time's bottomless bag.Judging from the expression on the horse shop owner's face after receiving the gold coins, we obviously traded at the price of tourists.Then we came to the newly bought mount. I have never ridden a horse in my life, and now I stand in front of my horse and realize that the horse is much taller than I thought.Susie gave the horse in front of her a hard look, and the horse bowed its head in fright.It's a pity that my horse is not only not afraid of me, but also shows me a mouth full of strong teeth and hostile eyes.What's more troublesome is that in the Roman era, horse riding did not use saddles. A blanket was simply spread on the horse's back, and then a fragile rein was forced into the horse's mouth. "I can ride a motorcycle," Suzie said. "Riding a horse shouldn't be difficult, right?" "We'll find out soon," I said. Marcellus pushed Livia onto the horse's back, and then jumped onto his own horse with a skillful figure, leaving Suzie and me staring. After several failed mounts and a very ugly fall, the horse The shop owner finally moved out a stepping ladder specially made for riding horses (this service fee is extra).Suzie and I climbed onto the horses and held the reins tightly.The ground looked far away from me, and it must have been a pain to fall.At this moment, Father Time's magic began to work again, and all the knowledge needed to control the horse entered our brains in an instant.I straightened up, pulled the rein, and the horse under my crotch immediately realized that I was not a novice who knew nothing, so it stopped on the spot.I looked at Suzie and saw that she was in the same situation as I was.I nodded to Marcellus and Livia, and a group of people set off out of the city. After riding for a not-too-short period of time, we finally came to the junction of the city and the wilderness.Even in such an early age, Nightside was still a big city, and we had to detour around like before to avoid time rifts and things like that.Anyway, we turned a corner and finally left the confines of the city and entered a field of grassland as far as the eye could see.Like a sea of ​​green grass, the field stretches endlessly under the night sky, all the way to the dark forest silhouette on the other side of the horizon.Occasionally, fleeting strange lights bloom in the dark forest, bringing a very unnatural feeling.The air is heavy and the temperature is cold, but the surrounding area is shrouded in an incomparably fresh breath, which is much better than the stench in the city. Suzy and I rode into the grass behind Marcellus and Livia.The crotch mount galloped forward at a steady pace, and soon left the city behind.This was an era when the word England hadn't even appeared, and the grassland in front of it still maintained a very primitive appearance.It was very quiet along the way, and I didn't hear the sound of any animals at all, but I still couldn't get rid of the feeling of being watched.Occasionally we find in the haystacks some ancient stone pillars, marking the burial place of some great people who were once very important, but are now completely forgotten.I looked up at the sky and found that there were only ordinary stars and a bright moon of normal size in the night sky.It appears we have indeed left the Nightside. As we approached, the shadow of the dark forest grew larger and larger, until at last it filled the entire field of vision.The horse gradually showed uneasy emotions.When we reached the edge of the forest, all the horses began to roar and kick, so that we had to force them into the forest; they seemed to be much wiser than we were. As soon as I stepped into the forest, I immediately knew that I had come to a completely unfamiliar area, a place where ordinary people should not set foot.The trees here are very old, and each one is taller than any tree I have ever seen.This place is the ancient forests of Britain, a primordial place full of darkness and menace.Walking among such huge trees feels like a group of children wandering in an adult world.We walked along a path through the thick woods, occasionally having to push aside twigs to keep going. "Don't draw your sword to cut down the tree." Livia whispered. "It would be bad if the trees were awakened." There is still a dead silence all around, just like being in the bottom of the sea.There is no muffled roar of animals, no chirping of birds, not even the flapping of insect wings.The earth, trees, and other vegetation of the forest fill the air with a thick, musky scent, and the occasional fresh scent of flowers blows in the breeze.A few bright streaks of moonlight among the leaves, together with some natural light from nowhere, provided just the right light for the dark forest path. "Is anyone living here?" Suzy asked softly. "No one dares." Livia replied with the same volume. "This is a barbaric world. The reason why humans build cities is to fight against this kind of place." "So who is spying on us?" Suzie asked. "Trees." Marcellus said. "Of course there are also Hearn's men. We have been under their control since we left the city. They haven't launched an attack yet. Firstly, it's because they recognize Livia and me, and secondly, they are out of curiosity. They It can be seen that the two of you are different." Suddenly, there was a commotion in the woods.The other party shuttled gracefully and silently under the moonlight, occasionally passing by the corner of our eyes, but disappeared before we had a chance to see clearly.They moved with us, sometimes ahead, sometimes behind, but never far away.Sometimes they will stop in the moonlight and provoke our eyes.I saw great bears and wild boars long extinct in the woods of our time, huge stags with huge horns, and hard-eyed gray wolves.These wild animals surrounded us and approached slowly step by step, but they still didn't make any sound.It wasn't until this moment that I realized that we had left the forest path just now and turned to another direction under the guidance of the animals.I quickly turned my head to look at Marcellus and Livia, and found that they didn't respond, and they didn't seem particularly surprised.Suzy pulled out the shotgun, and I immediately signaled her not to be impulsive, but she still leaned the gun on her shoulder and looked around suspiciously. Sparks appeared in the shadows ahead, flickering and flickering, forming complex patterns that were difficult for human eyes to discern.These sparks have no real form, they are purely composed of light blown by the breeze, full of mischievous and sad, happy and crazy breaths, they are the will-o'-the-wisps that haunt the forest.They sing brisk tunes in a language that does not belong to humans, and they are always leading us forward.The birds began to sing, but it was very different from the birdsong I had heard before. It sounded like a warning sign of some kind of crisis, reminding us that we had entered hostile territory. We passed a bright clearing and saw a group of elves dancing to silent music, with completely irrational steps under their feet.Of course, I think there is no rationale to follow. It may not be true that there is no rationale to follow. Maybe it's just because our mortal eyes can't see the mystery.A group of bandicoots passed us across the road, then stopped to look at us with wise eyes.I can feel that the whole forest has come to life around us, intentionally or unintentionally revealing the hidden dangers in the forest to us.The animals stayed hidden until they were sure we had no chance of turning back. Suddenly, a clearing appeared in front of him, as if the trees on both sides were receding together.Our horse stopped, looked down, and looked as if it had been drugged or enchanted.The open space in front of him was very vast, with plenty of light. Apart from the will-o'-the-wisps, there were many other formless light sources bouncing up and down around the open space and floating around, illuminating the entire space as brightly as day.On the opposite side of the clearing was a large circle of strangely shaped monsters, apparently members of the so-called Field Tribunal, and sitting among these monsters was none other than the leader representing the field forces—Hunter Hearn. Marcellus and Livia got off their horses and looked at me.Suzy and I looked at each other, then jumped off the horse at the same time.Susie looked relaxed, but the gun in her hand was always pointed at Hearn.The four of us walked slowly through the open space in front of us. Marcellus and Livia looked very calm, as if they were here on a pilgrimage.Maybe in their hearts, this place is really a holy place.With every step I take, I can feel unfriendly eyes coming from all directions.We are surrounded.I can clearly feel it.To make matters worse, there was apparently no life to welcome us in this wild place. We finally came to the hunter Herne.He looked nothing like the Hearne I saw in Rat's Alley.The Herne of our day is old and decayed, having lost all its strength as human civilization ruthlessly strangles the wilderness.But the Hearn in front of me is a powerful god whose strength is at its peak, and that incomparable smile clearly shows that we are still standing here because of his permission; it is because of his kindness that we have not died yet .His appearance is still so ugly, but his whole body is full of animal muscles, his physique is very strong, exuding a wild natural breath and the divine power that only a god can possess.Two huge antlers grew from his forehead, and his eyes had the savage look of a predator. He is like a burning furnace, full of endless energy and vitality in his body. Anyone who looks at him knows that he has the ability to run for a day and night without getting tired, and he still has the strength to tear his prey to pieces with his bare hands.His dark copper-colored skin is covered with a thick layer of body hair, and the soles of his feet are not human feet, but animal hooves.He is Herne the Hunter, the wild laugh in the woods, the bagpiper before the dawn, the bloody maw on the killing field.His smile hides sharp teeth, and his body odor is a mixture of sweat, urine, and the musk of beasts.He pissed openly in full view, and the acrid smell caused a commotion among the animals around him.The animals writhed restlessly because their god was marking his territory before everyone's eyes. The Hearn I don't know before me is even far from what I expected.He made me terrified from the bottom of my heart.His body odor invaded my long-forgotten animal instincts, and it made me feel a desire to fight against it, an urge to flee, and a devotion to bow my head and worship him.I'm too far away from home, it's a different world, I don't deserve to be here.This is Herne, which represents the spirit of hunting and chasing, based on fangs and claws, the most primitive animal instinct in nature.He is the wild breath in the forest, the joy of victory of the weak and the strong, and all the wild past that human beings left behind when they left primitive life and embraced civilized society. And I want to threaten and lure such a terrifying monster to achieve my goal?I must be crazy. The Throne of Bones of Hearne the Hunter was decorated with thorns, and the armrests were covered with animal furs and human scalps, several of which were still bleeding.The back of the chair was imbued with the fangs and claws of animals, too many to count, evidently the trophies of former prey.Suzy suddenly leaned into my ear and whispered softly, which almost made me jump.Her expression was as calm as usual, and there was no trace of fear in her voice. "Marcellus and Livia found it very easily." She whispered. "And they don't seem to be particularly surprised by everything here. It seems that this is not the first time they have come. You know, it is not too late to leave now. As long as we take the lead in attacking, there is still a chance to escape unscathed of." "I thought it was too late the moment I entered the forest," I whispered. "So let's save the violent means for last. Besides, there is no way to get Hearne's help to shoot and kill members of the Field Court." "I'm not deaf, do you know?" Livia said suddenly. “我丈夫跟我确实曾经来过此地，而且还来过很多次。” “喔，没错。”马赛勒斯道。“很多很多次。我们认识赫恩很久了，他也认识我们。” “说实话，我们会变成奴隶不是因为生意资金周转不灵，”莉维雅露出一个难看的微笑。“而是跟我们所做的生意本身有关。” “我们贩卖奴隶给赫恩。”马赛勒斯很快地说道。“奴隶都是从市场里买来的，来源很合法。不过买来之后我们就把奴隶带入森林，来到此地，交给森林之神，成为狂野狩猎中的猎物。你知道，他们真的很喜欢猎杀人类。部分原因是为了报复，因为人类为了建立城市而乱垦森林；不过主要原因在于人类是最会逃命的猎物。刚开始，一切都很顺利。我们满足他们的需求，他们付出一笔合理的费用，彼此各取所需，皆大欢喜；当然，只有那些奴隶不太欢喜，不过重点是，根本没人会在乎奴隶的生死。然而有一年冬天，由于天气太冷了，奴隶供不应求，拍卖的价格飙上了天。我跟莉维雅别无他法，只好上街绑架游民。那些都是贫穷的蠢人，不会有人发现他们失踪的。” “只可惜就是有人发现了。”莉维雅道。“于是开始有好事之徒介入调查，后来终于引来罗马军团的注意，最后在作案的时候将我们当场逮捕。” “我们赚了很多钱，”马赛勒斯道。“但是大部分都花在辩护律师身上，而且辩了半天根本没有半点用处。我在行政官面前提出非常有力的辩护论点，但是他们根本不肯听我说话。我是说，我们绑架的又不是公民……” “那年刚好是选举年，”莉维雅恨恨地道。“所以我们所有的财产都被充公，人也沦落到奴隶市场拍卖。不过如今多亏了两位，我们终于重获自由，可以有机会找人报仇了。” “报仇，”马赛勒斯道。“向所有的敌人报仇！”说完两夫妇同时大笑。 他们转过身去不再理会我们，对着森林之神赫恩低头行礼。我跟着鞠了个躬，苏西也微微点头表达敬意。赫恩身边的怪物个个带着热切的神情看着我们，一种让我十分厌恶的神情。莉维雅发现我在看他们，于是主动帮我们介绍原野法庭里的重要成员，不过声音中充满了嘲笑的意味。 锁链贺伯是一个身材高大的人形动物，身高约莫十尺，拥有一身结实的肌肉以及一颗野猪脑袋。他的嘴唇之间突起许多弯曲的獠牙，深陷的眼眶里绽放出血红的疯狂目光。粗粗的脖子上拴着一个大铁环，铁环之上垂了数条长长的锁链。很多年前曾经有人试图将他锁起，但是最后还是让他逃脱。他的手掌及小臂上不断滴落着黏稠的鲜血，于空气中洒下浓浓的血腥气息。六名身材较为瘦小的猪头人蹲在他脚边争闹不休，口中不断流下口水，以一种十分饥渴的神情看着我跟苏西。他们都曾生而为人，不过却让贺伯变成了如今这副猪头德性。其中有几只刚转变不久，身上还穿着人类的破烂衣衫。 方脚潭米亚斯是一名尼安德塔人，身长五尺，宽度也是五尺，体型宽宽扁扁的，相貌则介于人类跟猩猩之间。他没有下巴，嘴巴很宽，几乎没有嘴唇，不过眼神之中却流露出一股和蔼可亲的气息。他若有所思地打量着我跟苏西，下意识地在自己长满长毛的身上搔痒。 莉维雅指着一群超大的野狼说是狼人。我一点也不怀疑她的说法。这些狼的眼中透露出人类的智慧，同时也散发出非人的食欲。旁边站了几只巫妖。从他们殓服上的污垢看来，应该才刚从泥土中爬出来不久。他们拥有惨白的皮肤以及燃烧的双眼，另外还带有一双锐利无比的尖爪。 巨魔、稻草妖、哥布尔，以及其它各式各样早已遭到世间记载所遗忘的怪物。这就是赫恩的原野法庭——野蛮、恐怖并且致命。除了这些成员之外，还有森林之中的野生动物，自四面八方往这个原野中唯一具有停战效力的空地缓缓逼近。它们就像陪审团一样看着我跟苏西，而赫恩就是法庭上的法官。森林之神突然在王座上向前一倾，许多鬼火立刻飘到他头上疯狂打转，转出一道看似神圣的光环。 “马赛勒斯与莉维雅。”赫恩的声音有如夏天的艳阳一般温暖，又好比山羊的吼叫一样嘶哑。“你们两个势利小人已经很久没有出现在我的法庭中了。听说你们在那座受诅咒的城市里遇上了麻烦，失去了原有的地位与财富。” “没错，原野之王。”马赛勒斯口齿伶俐地道。“但是我们已从奴役的命运中解放，来到您的面前打算取回我们的地位与财富。我妻子跟我为您带来了一份大礼——两名来自未来的时间旅人，一个叫做约翰·泰勒，一个叫做苏西·休特。他们还以为来此可以请您帮忙呢。” “他们真的不太聪明。”莉维雅道。 “我就说吧。”苏西小声道。“要我先杀谁？” “再等一等，”我也小声说道。“还是有机会谈判的。” “我不介意帮伟大的狩猎添加两只猎物，”赫恩懒洋洋地说道。“但是要取回你们的地位可不是这么简单的呀。” “这个男的不是普通人，”莉维雅道。“他是老巫婆莉莉丝的儿子。” 此言一出，整个法庭中的怪物全部同时站起，连赫恩都从王座上跳了下来，发出有如巨熊一般惊人的怒吼。野蛮的怪物们群起而鸣，震耳欲聋的声响盖过天地间所有一切。他们从四面八方向前冲出，凭空挥舞利爪、甩动尖牙，叫声中充满了强烈的仇恨之情。在苏西来得及举枪瞄准之前，怪物们已经一涌而上，打掉了她的大枪，将她整个人压在地上，不由分说就是一顿毒打。 我的情况也不好过。马赛勒斯趁着老婆道出我的身分时就已经抄起一根短棒向我脑后捶下，当野兽冲到我的身边时，我根本早已经半昏半醒地跪在地上。之后有很长的一段时间，我身上不断承受着各式各样的冲击，拳打脚踢，爪撕牙咬，鲜血四溅，将周遭的土地染成一片鲜红。 不知道是因为他们打累了，还是在赫恩命令之下住手，总之最后原野法庭的成员终于离开了我们身边，回到他们原先的位置。他们兴奋地大口喘气，欢愉地发出笑声，每一个身上都染有我跟苏西的血液。猪头人粗暴地将我们拉起，然后拖到王座前。赫恩君临天下地坐在王座上，十分满意地欣赏着手下在我们身上留下的伤痕。 我脸上跟嘴巴里都是鲜血，全身无处不痛，不过脑袋已经慢慢清醒。我曾被真正的拷问专家折磨过，跟以前的经验比起来，这些动物的拳脚根本不算什么。只要让我恢复神智，这个森林之神就准备尝尝什么叫做永生难忘的挫败。我对着赫恩咧嘴微笑，毫不理会自嘴角飘出的鲜血。有那么一点时间，赫恩露出迟疑的神色。没让手下当场把我击毙绝对是一个致命的错误，我发誓一定要他为了自己的愚蠢而付出代价。 接着我转头看到苏西，立刻就将一切报复的想法通通抛到脑后。她身上的皮衣处处染血、破烂不堪，脑袋低低地垂在胸前，脸上不断滴下鲜血。如果不是猪头人扶着的话，她根本不可能还站得起来。他们将她打得很惨，因为只要还有一丝气息尚存，苏西·休特绝不会放弃抵抗。于是如今的她被两只猪头人架在中间，有如一个真人大小的染血洋娃娃，甚至无法回应我的叫唤。马赛勒斯跟莉维雅大声嘲笑着我，整座原野法庭也跟着一起大笑。我疯狂地想要挣脱肩膀上的束缚，但是猪头人实在太多，而且我的头也实在太痛，根本无法集中精神施展惯用的小伎俩，甚至连伸手去外套口袋中摸索道具都办不到。 他们又捶了我几拳。我尽量忍着不要惨叫，但是根本办不到。过了好一会儿，我终于感觉到他们停止殴打，也慢慢发现赫恩在对我说话。我抬起头来，瞪着他。 “莉莉丝之子。”赫恩得意洋洋地说。“你一定无法想象我们有多么欢迎你的到来，因为我们原野法庭最痛恨的就是莉莉丝。她以绝对的自由为名，创造了夜城这座城市，却将我们排除在外，只因为我们崇尚野性，喜好杀生；只因为我们想要拆毁她的城市，灭绝所谓的人类文明。城市跟原野势不两立，丝毫不可能并存，我们始终都很清楚这个事实。莉莉丝表面上为所有生命提供一块自由乐土，实际上大家所能拥有的也不过就是她所允许的自由。我们是唯一看穿这种矛盾的生命，所以我们才会遭到放逐。莉莉丝压抑了人们的原始本能，把我们当作过去的记忆，如同弃而不顾的垃圾般忘得一干二净。为此，我们绝对不会善罢甘休的！” “我对这一切毫不知情。”我尽可能咬字清楚地说道。“不过话说回来，我跟母亲鲜少交谈。你想对我怎样，赫恩？” “我要伤害你，藉以间接伤害莉莉丝。”赫恩道。“你将会成为狂野狩猎中的猎物，而我们将会穿越整座森林展开追逐，一寸一寸地撕裂你、折磨你，将你的体能逼到极限，直到你再也无法动弹为止。到时候你将会跪在我们面前摇尾乞怜，而我们就会把你撕成碎片，只留下脑袋不动，好送回去给你母亲留作纪念。” “她不会认得我的，”我说。“我的死对她而言毫无意义。” 赫恩大笑，整个原野法庭中的怪物也跟着一起大笑。 “你们要的是我，”我说。“跟这个女人无关。只要让她走……我保证一定会让你们体验一段前所未有的狂野狩猎。” “我可不这么想。”赫恩轻松道。“她是你的女人，伤害她就等于是伤害你。所以我们会先猎杀她，等见识过我们的手段之后，你就会有理由跑得更快了。” “你知道，”苏西缓缓拾起头来。“我越来越无法忍受大家都认定我是泰勒的女人了。” 她手肘向后一顶，击中一名猪头人的腹部，当场痛得对方捧腹大叫。接着她挣脱了身后的束缚，反身一脚踢中另外一个猪头人的下体，登时将对方踢得离地而起。猪头人抱紧卵蛋跌回地面，完全叫不出半点声音。苏西两手一伸，抓住一名猪头人的猪头，使劲一扭，立刻爆出一声清脆的碎骨声。接着她将猪头人的尸体向旁一丢，往赫恩的王座扑了过去。 旁边的猪头人大吃一惊，瞬间一涌而上，试图凭着数量优势阻止苏西。然而苏西靠着强壮的肌肉以及高傲的自尊一步步地向前逼近，完全无视猪头人的攻击，眼中只有赫恩一个身影。我使尽全力想要挣脱，但是全然徒劳无功。我想自己一辈子都不曾像苏西这般强壮过。眼见她不屈不挠地勇猛顽抗，我实在不得不为她感到骄傲。这时锁链贺伯跳入场中，一挥锁链卷上苏西的喉咙。冰冷的链圈向内紧缩，深深地陷入苏西的肉里，将所有的空气跟力量通通挤出她的体外，直到她终于不支倒地，再度被猪头人制服为止。 “我们真的该离开了，赫恩大王。”马赛勒斯有点不安地说。“我们为您带来上好的礼物，只希望求得一点点回报。” “正好我的心情不错，”赫恩懒洋洋地回道。“你们想要什么回报？” “力量，”莉维雅冷酷地道。“足以帮助我们复仇的力量，足以在敌人身上加诸恐惧及苦难的力量。让我们成为力量强大的强者，赫恩大王。让我们加入您的原野法庭，跟您一起狩猎人类。” “这是你们两人共同的愿望吗？”赫恩问。 “是的。”马赛勒斯热切地道。“赐给我们力量，让我们从此都不分开，令所有人都尝到我们曾经受过的痛苦。” “既然你们这么说，那就这么办吧。”赫恩语气轻蔑，显然不怀好意。马赛勒斯夫妇察觉赫恩语气不善，立刻挤到彼此身边。赫恩对着他们微笑说道：“你们将会成为一代强者，生生世世永不分离，在夜城之中散播我给人类的诅咒！” 他大笑，原野法庭的成员也再度跟着大笑，整片空地之中充斥了恐怖的笑声。赫恩突然伸手一比，马赛勒斯跟莉维雅当即腾空而起，撞成一团。 在凄厉的惨叫声中，两人的身体不断挤压，肋骨一根根地断裂，他们的皮肤浮动，溶为液体，然后彼此交缠，融合为一。接着他们的脸孔也融入彼此的体内，两个原本分开的惨叫声如今也合而为一。没过多久，森林之神的面前就出现了一个比正常人高大两倍的怪物，身上布满无数关节以及突出体外的白骨，眼中燃烧着恐怖疯狂的神色。怪物试图张嘴讲话，但是由于他实在惊吓过度，根本说不出话来，于是只好可怜兮兮地嚎啕大哭。他无法习惯这具全新的身体，一时之间失去了平衡，向前一倒，四肢着地，不断地摇晃着畸形的脑袋。 “去吧，去为夜城带来瘟疫吧！”赫恩道。“所有痛苦的人们都会被你吸引，藉由他们的苦难，你们将会得到你们渴求的力量。疼痛、恐惧以及绝望就是你们的力量泉源，而在那麻木的世界中所造成的苦难将会成就你们想要的报复。藉由我所赐的礼物，你们永远都不会分开了。毕竟，这一切都是你们想要的，不是吗？” 赫恩坐回他的王座，神情轻蔑地挥了挥手，手下的怪物立刻将这只夜城新生的强者逐出空地。他有如动物一般四脚着地在地上爬行，好像疯子一样高声尖叫，离开了原野法庭的势力范围，展开他漫长的苦难生涯。在场只有我曾经见过这怪物，知道有一天他会赢得“恸哭者”的封号，成为所谓的“痛苦圣者”，一直到许多世纪之后才在我的手上毁灭败亡。 时间之中充满了因果的巧合。 锁链贺伯突然走上前来，在场所有生命的目光登时投注在他的身上。他用力一扯身上的锁链，苏西立刻被拉到赫恩面前。此时苏西精疲力竭，暂时无法动弹。赫恩看了看巨大的猪头人，接着点头允许对方发言。 “我们猎杀这个女人就够了。”锁链贺伯道。他说话的声音纯粹只是野兽的叫声，如果没有时间老父的法力加持，我根本不可能听得懂。即使我懂得他话中的意义，他的声音在我耳中还是异常难听，如同某种根本不该学会如何说话的东西在说话一样。“把莉莉丝之子还给莉莉丝吧。将他送还给她，看看她会如何回报我们。” 法庭之中响起一阵表示同意的叫喊声，不过大部分的法庭成员在赫恩发表意见之前还是不敢说话。只见森林之神很快地摇了摇他的大头。 “莉莉丝不会为了任何人而低头的，即使是她自己的血脉也是一样。不管我们如何虐待她儿子，她都不会放弃丝毫权力。不，只有藉由杀害属于她的东西，我们才能伤害到她，才有机会表达对她的城市及种种限制的不满之情。我们要让她知道不管她创造了什么，我们都有能力将之摧毁。总有一天，我们会把她那座可恶的城市化为灰烬！” “我真的不认为她会受到多少影响。”我尽可能理性地说道。“我来自未来，许多世纪之后的未来。她根本还不知道我的存在。” 法庭成员再度骚动，试图搞懂我到底在说些什么，最后他们还是看向赫恩，等待森林之神的决议。看来大部分的法庭成员都不太有自己的想法。赫恩缓缓摸着下巴上的胡子，思考了好一会儿。 “我听得出来你说的是实话……不过，不管过去、现在、还是未来，你始终都是她的儿子。她是有办法认出你的。” “好吧，”我脑中瞬间转过无数个念头。“这样如何，由于我来自未来，所以很清楚未来的你会发生什么事，赫恩。我知道你即将面对的不幸命运，如果你想要避免那种命运的话，就必须听我说。” 赫恩考虑着我的话，不过其它法庭成员则满脸疑惑地看着他。最后他对抓着我的猪头人点了点头，然后就又是一阵好打。我被打得跪倒在地，只能双手抱头保护自己。苏西怒吼一声，试图过来救我，但是脖子上的锁链再度阻止了她。我沉入自己的世界里，尽可能地忽略身上的疼痛。最后他们终于打完了，我也终于能够再度抬头看向赫恩。我想要说话，但是一张嘴就喷出鲜血。赫恩对着我大笑。 “除了你即将面对的痛苦与恐惧，其它所有一切我都不在乎。我要报仇。”他自王座中站起，高举双手道：“来狩猎吧！依据古老传统的规则，我们来举办一场正式的狂野狩猎！” 所有法庭成员同声欢呼，举起大脚跟利爪用力拍击地面，抬起头来对着天上的月亮同声嚎叫。空气中弥漫了一股饥渴的气息，狂野灼热，有如一颗巨大的心脏脉动一般。他们的血液中对狩猎的渴望开始沸腾，几乎已经可以尝到狩猎结束时所能享受的屠杀快感。他们满心欢愉地向我看来，浓厚的野兽气味登时充满了整块空地。 “就从这个女人开始猎起，”赫恩温柔地对着苏西微笑。“当然她比较没有挑战性，不过在主菜之前先来点甜点总是比较有趣。快看你的女人最后一眼吧，莉莉丝之子。因为下次见面的时候，你绝不可能还认得她的。” 他跟手下一同大声嘲笑，开心地沉浸在我的恐惧与绝望之中。然而我是约翰·泰勒，从来不知道绝望为何物的约翰·泰勒。我将疼痛与懦弱挤出脑外，用尽全力盘算脱身之计。我不能袖手旁观。我绝对不能眼看苏西因我而死。我发过誓不惜性命也要保护她，而我绝对不是随便说说而已。 “怎么了，赫恩？”我大声道。“你没胆子面对真正的猎物吗？你一定要藉由猎杀一个女人，才能唤起足够的勇气来追杀莉莉丝之子吗？” 所有的笑声通通停歇，在场所有动物全部看着赫恩。他大步走到我面前，举起大手作势欲打，不过我只是面露微笑地瞪着他的脸。他迟疑了，手掌停在空中没有挥下。他以为我已经没有力气反抗，以为已经击破我的心防；然而我到底还是莉莉丝之子……第一次，赫恩开始了解到这个头衔代表的意义为何。他环顾四周，观察手下的反应，在所有法庭成员的眼中看到同样的迟疑神色。我已经在他们心中种下了怀疑的种子，如今在场的动物都以为他坚持猎杀苏西的原因只是不敢面对我。我当众挑战他的权威及胆识。他绝不能在手下面前示弱，也绝对不能在莉莉丝之子的面前示弱。 “很好。”他向猪头人比了个手势，猪头人立刻将我压倒在地以配合赫恩的身高。我都忘了他的身材如此矮小。“那我们就不猎杀那个女人，直接将她就地处死吧。等你被我们追得走投无路、汗水洒尽、血液流干，叫天不应、叫地不理之时，你就会羡慕她能够先你一步痛快死去……到时候我们再来撕开你的身体，让你亲眼看到自己的内脏被我们啃光。” “想得美。”我冷冷地说。“如果你杀了她，就不要妄想我会逃跑。就算你打死我也不能让我移动一步。我会站在原地唾弃你，绝对不会满足你们的狂野狩猎。不，要我逃跑就必须遵守我的条件，用我的命来换她的命。只要你让她活下去，我保证让你们追得痛快欢畅、永生难忘。” 赫恩怒道：“凭你也够资格跟我谈条件？你以为能够逼迫猎人赫恩就范吗？” “我当然够资格。”我道。“我乃莉莉丝之子。” 他突然张口大笑，然后转身面对自己的法庭下达命令。锁链贺伯放开苏西，铁链有如灵蛇一般窜回他的手中。接着所有动物开始鼓噪，为了狩猎的出发顺序以及预计路线大声争论。我实在太疲惫也太疼痛了，根本没心情去听他们说话。我鼓起所有的精神与意志，想办法爬过空地，慢慢向苏西的方向移动。这短短几步的距离几乎用尽了我所有力气，不过最后我们终究还是聚在一起。我们肩并着肩，靠着彼此的身体相互扶持，挣扎地坐起身来。猪头人一直监视着我们，不过既然上面没有下令，他们也就不出手阻止。我和苏西在地上静静地坐了好一会儿，两张染满鲜血的面孔凑在一起，藉由彼此的身影安慰自己的心灵。 “这不是个好主意，泰勒。”她终于开口说道。 “我同意。”我说着用舌头舔了舔两排牙齿，确定到底是哪一颗被打得松脱。“别担心。我有办法让我们脱身。我总是有办法的。” “我的身体状况没有外表看起来那么糟，”苏西小声道。“狼人之血，记得吗？我的力量已经渐渐恢复了。只要这些猪猡一不注意，我就可以……” “不要轻举妄动。”我道。“这对他们来说已经是家常便饭了。再说，你能做什么？用靴子里的匕首攻击赫恩吗？你根本接近不了他。你可以逃跑，但是绝对逃不出他们的掌握。到最后，他们还是会把你杀了。” “我不会丢下你一个人逃的。”苏西道。 “只要我没失算，你就没有逃跑的必要。”我说。“我有个计划。” 她勉强笑了笑：“你总是想得出计划，约翰。” 我闭上双眼休息片刻，感觉自己从来没有被打得这么惨、这么累过。“天呀，我很难过，苏西，很抱歉把你牵扯进来。” “闭嘴，约翰。”第一次，她的声音中流露出焦虑的情绪。“你如果在这里放弃的话，我们两个就死定了。” “我没事。”我说着强迫自己张开眼睛。 她上下打量着我，以非常冷静的神情检视我的伤势。“你看起来真的很糟，泰勒。成功的机率太低了，凭你现在的状况别说去跑什么狂野狩猎了，就连跑出这块空地都有问题。我看还是让我来吧。只要等到狼人之血真正发挥效力，我绝对可以跑得比任何动物都快。” “才怪，”我说。“或许你比世界上其它动物都快，但是绝对跑不过赫恩的原野法庭。他们根本是为了狂野狩猎而生的。这次一定要让我来，苏西。相信我，我知道自己在做什么。” 她看了我好一会儿，脸上的表情就跟往常一样冷淡。“你没必要这样做，约翰。不必为了我这么做。” “错了。我有必要。”我说。 我不能告诉她原因，不能让她知道我宁死也不要看到她变成我曾见过的那个她；我不能告诉她我这么做是为了要证明自己并不是汤米·亚布黎安口中的那个无情怪物；要证明我并非只是我母亲的儿子。为了拯救她的性命以及我的灵魂，就算牺牲性命也在所不惜。 再说，我心里有个计划。 四周突然安静了下来，我立刻转头去看发生了什么事。只见所有动物以及原野法庭的成员全部站在原地僵立不动，神情紧张地看着正在场中互瞪的猎人赫恩以及名叫方脚潭米亚斯的尼安德塔人。他们互不退让地凝视着彼此的脸庞，双方都没有退让的意思。如今空气之中浮现了一股全新的紧张气息，仿佛某种隐藏的冲突即将爆发。赫恩脸上渐渐显露出愤怒的神色，不过方脚还是维持着一贯的冷静，只是脸上多了一点庄严的表情。单就气势而言，森林之神似乎已经输了一截。 “我是此间最年老的长者。”方脚潭米亚斯说道。他的声音和缓稳健，有如一条流动的大河。“早在你出现之前，我就已经存在于此，赫恩。早在森林需要神明之前，早在动物聚集于此之前，我就已经行走在这片土地上。我的年纪甚至比夜城还要古老。天地之间只有我还记得森林最初所拥有的活力，只有我曾听过树木之间的交叠言语。我记得土、石、水的灵体，目睹过自己族人的灭亡，见证了人类的兴起。你是在人类之后才出现的，森林之神，虽然你宁愿忘记这个事实。我是此间最年老的长者，在我看来，你已经忘记狂野狩猎所代表的真正含意。” “你是很老，”赫恩道。“但是年纪并不代表智慧。我是这里的王，你不是。在我的领导之下，狂野狩猎成为令人闻风丧胆的名词，甚至没有任何人类胆敢喧之于口。现在你竟敢质疑我领导的方向？” “你订下严厉的规则，为狂野狩猎注入全新的力量。”方脚冷静地说道。“所有参与狂野狩猎的生命都严守你所订下的规则，并且从中获得莫大的欢愉。如今难道只因为有人挑战你的权威，你就可以自己破坏规矩吗？如果狂野狩猎的领导神自己都不遵守规矩，其它动物又何必再去理你？要是变成那样，狩猎又还剩下什么意义呢？” 法庭的成员们开始交头接耳，显然有不少生命持有相同的意见。赫恩听得清清楚楚，只是不肯承认。 “我破坏了什么规矩？”他问。“藐视了哪一条习俗？这次狩猎一如往常，所有规则都没有改变。” “那么猎物就该知道他应跑向何处，为何而跑。”方脚道。“以及如果他侥幸得胜的话，将可以获得什么样的奖品。如果缺少希望和活下去的理由，他就没有动力成为顶尖的猎物。” 赫恩的表情越来越难看：“如果你打算干涉这次狩猎……” “当然不是。”尼安德塔人冷冷地道。“那就违反你所订下的规则了。这是你的狩猎，赫恩。我只要你开出输赢的条件、狩猎的终点，以及猎物的奖赏。” 法庭成员开始窃窃私语，似乎个个幸灾乐祸地等着看赫恩出糗一般。赫恩向四周一瞪，所有动物立刻安静了下来。他不再理会方脚，转头看向我们两人，手势一比，猪头人马上将我们从地上抓起。我依然感觉很糟，不过短暂的休息已经让双脚恢复了一点力道。我的脑袋还很昏沉，但是思绪却已逐渐清晰。我将双手保持在外套口袋附近，随时