Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Actress!
Like most cities, it's not always possible to find parking where you need it in Night City.There are many three-dimensional parking lots and parking space reservations, but they are never covered in useful places.If parked indiscriminately, the car is usually either stolen, eaten, or transformed into something completely different as soon as the owner leaves.Dead Boy drove the car of the future into the street near Caliban's Hole, turned off the car, got out, and walked away without looking back.I followed behind him, but couldn't help looking back at the car.The gleaming silver car of the future stands out on the streets of Uptown, and I've already caught a lot of unfriendly glances at it.
"Just locking the doors here is not enough to protect the car," I said.
"My car knows how to take care of itself," Dead Boy said lightly. "The built-in computer has access to all the defensive weapons, and the computer's artificial intelligence includes a weird sense of humor, but no sense of morality."
We walked along the wet sidewalk, and people on the road gave way when they saw us.The neon signs of the shops along the road are as bright as ever, and the music of saxophones and percussion instruments is constantly coming from the shops.On the street, a group of people are blood-sacrificing a mime actor, dedicating his body to a low-level god, and tourists next to him take out their cameras to take wonderful pictures.A teddy bear with its eyes and mouth sewn up stood in the middle of the street distributing leaflets protesting animal testing.The aromas of traditional delicacies from various cultures waft through the night sky.Many people turned around and left immediately when they saw the dead boy from a distance.
We stopped to observe Caliban's hole from a distance.The façade of the nightclub was completely destroyed in the earlier riots, and now a team of recovery experts is working as fast as possible to deal with the aftermath.The Nightside is a place where riots break out and buildings get destroyed, so there's never a shortage of recovery experts who can quickly deal with any mess, though they usually come at a hefty price tag.Of course, most of the manpower is still invested in the buildings that were destroyed in the Angel War a while ago, but the Cavendishes still have a way to invite this group of people to help with the aftermath.The three building magicians are currently casting the transfer spell to restore the signboard to its original state.Watching the pieces jump off the sidewalk and fit together like a jigsaw puzzle is a fun experience.There's a poor fellow next to him trying to push the gate back into place, all the while having to endure the vicious curses from the phantasmagoria-head attached to the gate and guarding it.
The surrounding area was full of people watching the theater. Apart from the audience who were free to watch free sideshows, there were also many peddlers who would come to sell their goods as soon as they saw people gathering.They sell things that people don't use, like some T-shirts, tickets to nightclubs that normal people wouldn't go to, and lots of hot food.Not only are these foods super expensive, they're often unhygienic, and only new tourists are stupid enough to buy them and eat them.
Dead Boy couldn't help snorting at the sight of a fool in a nightgown spending money on what was supposed to be a meat tortilla. "Is there anyone who doesn't believe it?" he said aloud. "Tourists really eat anything. This is a hell of a place with a lot of false advertising. If that guy says aloud what's in the food, look who else will buy it." Wriggling stick !A pie made from the meat of an unnamed monster! Fast food that comes out immediately after eating!'”
"Consumers ask for their own happiness." I said relaxedly. "This sentence should be the motto of the Night City. Everything is not as simple as it seems..."
We watched with fascination as a building magician cast a time-reversal spell on a pile of sawdust.I saw that he was not paying attention, his mana was slightly out of control, and time immediately turned back quickly, and those disdains immediately turned into trees, and began to sprout and grow leaves.We joined the crowd to the mage's boisterous jeers, and the dead boy peered for a moment into Caliban's hole through his dead eye.
"There are quite a few magical barriers that have just been applied in this place." He said softly. "These spells are well concealed, but not much can be hidden from the eyes of the dead. There are also quite a few defensive spells that detect shapeshifting and prevent movement, and most of them specifically target you, John. Here's just Just outside their defensive range, it seems that the Cavendish couple really don't want to see you appear in their shop again."
"How powerful?" I asked.
"Let's put it this way, as long as you touch any spell, your corpse will be so fragmented that you need a palette knife to scrape it clean."
"Oh." I said. "I still have to see Losinger again. Is there any way?"
Dead Boy bowed his head in thought.The people next to him saw him frowning, and all stepped aside. "I can walk right in. Those spells only work on the living."
"No." I said. "First, Losinger will only talk to me, and will not talk to you at all. Second, your actions will definitely trigger all the alarms. If it is not necessary, I don't want to attract the attention of the Cavendish couple. After all They have a strong man under them, a man of ill omen."
"Ah, by the way, young Billy, a difficult kid, will definitely become a dangerous person when he grows up."
"The most likely scenario is that Losingore is still in the waiting room guarded by two battle mages. I have bluffed them once before, and it is unlikely to bluff a second time. Besides, God knows what trap they have arranged ..."
"So what are you going to do, John?" Dead Boy got a little impatient. "We can't stand outside all the time. They will find us sooner or later. How do you get close to that deadly nightingale? Come on, think hard, finding a way is your specialty."
"Since we can't get in," I said slowly. "Then she'll have to come out to us. We're going to send a message in for her. The employees of the store are only going to get in the way of the aftermath, so they must all be hanging around. We just have to find one we can buy and ask him to help." We'll just take a message to Losinger."
"God knows where they are," Dead Boy said suspiciously. "How do you plan to find it, use your talent to locate it?"
"No." I said. "I can't rely on my talent. I have used my talent too often recently. Whenever I open my mind, my whereabouts will be revealed, and my enemies can use this opportunity to find me. You have also seen the people they sent to kill me Those things. No, I'm lucky they haven't come to my door by now. I should start to be careful and take the easy way out. Just check out the bars, cafes and restaurants nearby and you're bound to run into them. These Guys can't live without creature comforts."
As a result, we found them in a themed cafe "Sweet Bee" not far away. All the waitresses in that shop had to wear yellow and black bee suits, two antennae on their heads, and a root on their buttocks. spikes.Although these waitresses shuttled between the tables and chairs with a smile on their faces, introducing today's special meal to the guests, they looked a little unhappy no matter how they looked.The chorus of girls in Caliban's Cave were all huddled around a corner table, drinking bad coffee, smoking cigarettes and chatting loudly.Also at their table was Ian Agger, their musician and prop manager.Ian was the only one who looked happy as Dead Boy and I made our way to their table.
"Oh, it's you again, isn't it?" the blond chorus girl said, flicking ashes to the floor. "Haven't you brought us enough trouble and misfortune? Before you appeared, nothing happened. After you appeared, not only people committed suicide in the front row of the stage, but also rioted outside our store. Those in power should really restrict You should come in."
"They tried." I said coldly. "But I'm still staying here. I need someone to bring me a message to Losinger." I looked around, trying to see a sympathetic smile on their faces, but I only saw unhappy The expression and the slightly raised corners of the mouth.I can't blame them, it's my own notoriety, so normal people like to blame me for bad things.
"Who is this non-popular friend next to you?" the blonde asked.
"Death Boy," I said.As soon as he finished speaking, the whole cafe suddenly fell silent.Ian Agger pushed back his chair and stood up.
"Let's go outside and talk," he said. "Forgive these girls. Because it is about their livelihood, the speech is a bit more aggressive."
We walked together to the door of the store as everyone else in the store hid from a safe distance to peek at us.Ian Agger looked at me, frowned and said, "I'm worried about Rose. After the suicide, the Cavendishes have completely controlled her every move, what to do, how to say, how to think, what They don't care. What they are worried about is how to explain this matter to the music media, and now Rose is a prisoner under house arrest, do you still want to help her?"
"Of course." I said. "Can you take a message to her?"
"Maybe," Ian said. "At least one of my clones should be able to do it."
"Which one is the deity?" I asked.
"It's all." Ian Ag said happily. "I'm a so-called temporary triplet. I have three bodies and one soul, and there is no difference between each other. This is also a characteristic. My mother always said that my birth was the result of fate jumping the needle. At this moment, my The other two bodies are busy setting the stage in the store. Through my ears, they can hear the conversation with you. What message do you want to bring?"
"Not good news," I said. "The Cavendishes once tried to create another superstar. To increase their popularity, they cast a spell on Sylvia Sheen and they created a monster. I mean a real monster. I've seen it with my own eyes The way she looks, I never want something like this to happen to Rose. I want her to sneak out, find a safe place to meet me, and work out what to do next, because I don't believe the Cavendishes will Prioritize her interests. It should not be difficult for Rose to sneak out by herself, and the general bodyguards will only focus on the person who wants to sneak in."
Ian grimaced: "Sylvia Shinn. I haven't remembered the name for a while. We were still wondering what happened to her before. Well, my clone will bring the message to Luo Silk. Now that the Cavendishes are out of Caliban's Cave, she'll probably listen to me. As long as the Cavendishes aren't around, she'll be more independent and wiser."
"They seem to have some strange influence over her," I said. "Did they already attack her?"
"I don't know," Ian said. "The Cavendishes are not allowed to be disturbed by other people when they are in secret meetings with Rose. But it is undeniable that since Rose lived in Caliban's cave, she has undergone great changes. Do you think these Was the suicide caused by the Cavendishes casting a spell on Rose?"
"It's possible," I said.
"Okay," Ian said. "If I send a message and take her out of Caliban's hole, where do you want to meet? It has to be somewhere safe, somewhere she won't be scared, and where no one will notice her. You I also know that she is quite famous now."
"I know what it takes to make a celebrity unobtrusive," Dead Boy said. "Just hide her among a group of famous people. Tell Loschinger to 'Actress!' to find us."
Actress! is one of the most famous and notorious nightclubs in Uptown.There, you can enjoy performances by all the famous female singers in the history of entertainment.Of course, none of these singers are real people, or even women.All of them are male transvestites who like to dress up as female idols.However, professional-level modeling and makeup, coupled with top-notch illusion blessings, enable these transvestites to sublimate their personal paranoia to a higher level, and even use magic to establish a connection between themselves and their idols, and then transfer each other's personality, living habits And other small details are imitated lifelike.All of history's greatest divas, living and dead, have appeared on "The Diva!", at least on the outside. Dead Boy is apparently not here for the first time.The doorman opened the store door and greeted us with a deep bow, without questioning membership or even checking tickets.The laundry girl plays Sixties superstar Helia Black, who, judging by the winks she throws at Dead Boy, is an obvious regular here.Celia completely ignored me, but I didn't take it seriously.Dead Boy was a celebrity in Night City, and I was the so-called anti-famous person.We walked into the main hall of the nightclub, and everything we saw was flowers, silk, and bright lighting effects.The decoration is full of artistic atmosphere, and there are unimaginable popular tastes everywhere.The ceiling is filled with chandeliers and disco balls. The restaurant was full of people and the overall atmosphere was very noisy.Basically, "The Actress!" is a never-ending place.We followed a waitress and squeezed in along the tables and chairs full of customers.All the waitresses tonight are dressed up as Lisa Minnelli in "Hotel."We sat down at a table in the corner, and Lisa and Lisa ordered a super-expensive Coke.As always, I have to add: "No, I don't want Diet Coke! I want real Coke! Man's Coke! And I don't want straws!" Dead Boy ordered a bottle of gin and a stick of the store's superlative cigar.I wrote down the price of the Coke in the income and expenditure ledger.If you don't have the habit of keeping accounts in Night City, you must face the possibility of bankruptcy at any time. "What if Losinger doesn't come?" Dead Boy asked.He had to turn up the volume, otherwise he couldn't cover the noise around him. "What if she doesn't come out?" "Then we'll figure it out then," I said. "Relax and enjoy the show, it cost us a lot of money here." "What do you mean it cost 'us' a lot of money?" It was Elaine and Barbara who sang "I Know Him Well" on stage.Many other famous female singers wandered among the audience, chatting gossip with guests, in order to increase their exposure.There were Marilyn and Dolly, and Barbara and Dusty.Elaine and Barbara ended their song, and then Nicole came on the stage. With the accompaniment of the accordion, she brought everyone the song "Shanghai Lily" with her sad singing voice and appearance.I'm afraid she'll pick up another "End" by The Doors, because listening to too many existential songs at once is a torment for my ears. A few tables away, two Judies were pulling each other's wigs and fighting.The audience by the side clamored and bet on winning or losing. At this moment, Ian Agger walked in holding Losinger's hand. No one in "Diva!" noticed their presence, because everyone assumed she was just another transvestite in disguise, even though she seemed a little more real than the other divas.Ian brought her to our table, pulled out a chair for her, introduced Dead Boy to her, and politely but persistently refused to sit at our table. "I can't stay here. I have to go back. There's a lot to do in the store, and I don't want to be lost." "Have you had any trouble getting Rose out?" I asked. "Not at all. I just told the bouncers they saw John Taylor in the store and they ran to get you right away and we walked out. Listen, I really have to go back. Rose, remember I'll be on stage in an hour." He kissed Loschinger on the cheek and left.Lisa, the waiter, came to wait for Rossinger's order.I watched Roschinger study the wine menu and realized she wasn't the same as before.Despite the same pale face, the same black hair, and the same black dress as before, she looked sharper, happier, and more focused.She looked up and saw that I was watching, and she opened her mouth and smiled happily. "Ah, John, it's good to come out and get some air. You know what I want to do? I want to order five whiskey sours. I'm going to line them up in front of me so I can drink and watch. The Cavendishes wouldn't let me drink at all in Caliban's Hole. Oddly enough, I wouldn't want to drink either. I just ate the diet meals they brought every day and never complained, nothing like Me. Cake! I want cake! Give me the biggest, densest chocolate cake with a tablespoon! I want all the bad things, NOW!" The waiter exclaimed happily, "Well said, sister!" I ordered what Rochinger wanted with the waiter, and Lisa walked away immediately after ordering.Loschinger looked very happy. "The Cavendish couple are very strict, and I am not allowed to do many things. They are not like my agent at all, but more like my mother." "They didn't tell you to quit smoking though," I said. She laughed loudly: "They will try if they dare." Then she suddenly withdrew her smile, and said to me with a serious expression: "Ian said that you went to many people to help me, and you also found Sylvia Xin Eun's whereabouts. I remember that all the music magazine covers were her picture, but all of a sudden she disappeared. What happened, John? What did the Cavendishes do to her?" I filter out the nasty details and tell the whole story about Sylvia Shinn.Dead Boy glared at me a few times, knowing that I was speaking so carefully to scare her, but he didn't say much, just drinking gin and eating cigars in silence.After I finished speaking, Rose let out a long sigh. "I didn't expect that. That poor woman. Is all this the poisonous hands of the Cavendish couple?" "They probably got someone else to do it," I said. "Did they... do anything strange to you?" "No, never." Loschinger said with certainty. "I don't allow them to cast spells on me. I don't need the help of that kind of thing to succeed. I'm a singer, and all I need to become famous is my songs and my voice." She frowned suddenly, and said again: "But Having said that...everything has changed since I lived in the hole in Caliban. Now the songs I write are all sad tunes, and my memory starts to have strange gaps. I feel tired and cold all the time , when the Cavendish couple showed up... I didn't act like myself at all. Could it be that they cast some kind of magic on me without my permission?" "It's possible." I said cautiously. "They could have done something and then forced you to forget about it. The Cavendishes don't seem to me to have any morals." The waiter brought five whiskey sours and lined up in front of Loschinger.Losinger cheered happily, and immediately picked up two cups and poured them into his mouth.After putting down the cup, she gasped heavily for a while, then giggled like a naughty child who has done something bad. "That's right! Oh, that's right! That's what it feels like!" She smiled at me, exuding incomparable charm, then looked at the dead boy, and said, "So, what does it feel like to die?" "Don't tell her!" I shouted immediately, and then said apologetically to the startled Loschinger, "I'm sorry, but it's better not to know the answers to some questions, especially those related to him. " "Like why is he eating cigars instead of smoking them?" "That's right." She smiled at me again.Now her smile is kind and warm, completely different from the unreachable cold smile before. "I remember that you often like to avoid problems, Mr. Mysterious." After three glasses of whiskey sour, her French accent gradually became obvious, as if all her vitality had finally returned to her body.She looked at me thoughtfully and said, "You don't really think the Cavendishes are going to hurt me, do you? I mean, they're still making a lot of money from me." "Maybe they thought they were helping Silvia before." I said. "No matter what, we can't ignore suicides, Rose. It must have something to do with the Cavendishes. I don't trust them, and you shouldn't trust them. As long as you say a word, I will have nothing to do with Dead Boy. Take you out of this black and white place. We will find a place for you to hide for a while, hire a few lawyers to carefully study the contract between you and them, and find some experts to determine whether you have been cast on you. Don't worry, I can Guarantee your safety, I know many people who are absolutely willing to be your bodyguards, maybe they are not good people, but..." "No," Losinger's voice was very soft, but his tone was very firm. "I appreciate your help. I appreciate it, but..." "Only down?" "This is the opportunity I've been waiting for, and it's the one time I'm going to be famous. Nobody has the network of the Cavendishes, and they did have a way of getting me a major record label deal. I can't go, I'm Must keep singing. I've been waiting for this day all my life, all I care about is this day. I must not give up at this moment, at least not just because of your speculation. You don't have any real proof that the Cavendishes did it ,right?" "No." I said. "But those suicides..." She grimaced and said, "Trust me, I haven't forgotten. I'll never forget the look on that poor man's face when he shot me in front of me. He looked me in the eye and still had a smile on his face... I Can't let this happen again. I sing to make people happy! I like to lift people's spirits and comfort their hearts so that everyone can regain their courage to face everything again... If the Cavendishes are really corrupt My song, my voice..." She shook her head vigorously. "Oh, I don't know! I don't know what to do!" She snatched up her fourth whiskey sour with a very distressed look in her eyes. We didn't speak for a while, each considering the current situation.On the stage, a Whitney is singing "I will always love you" loudly.Losinger snorted loudly. "I've always disliked this version, the voice is too shrill." "I like Dolly Parton's version," Dead Boy said suddenly. "It feels more homely." I glanced at him: "You always surprise people, don't you?" "Exactly." Dead Boy said. At this moment, the chocolate cake was on the table, and Loschinger immediately put the fourth glass of whiskey sour aside.This cake is really huge, and it is covered with a thick layer of black and white cream.Losinger first said "Oh!", and then "Ah!", and the brilliance of life burst out from his eyes.She grabbed the big spoon and inserted it into the cake without hesitation, and then the corners of her mouth were covered with chocolate and cream.I looked at her silently, and an ominous thought slowly emerged in my heart.Maybe the reason why this Rosinger in front of me is so different from the Rosinger in Caliban's Cave is simply because they are really not the same person?Maybe this one was just another impostor, like the turpa that destroyed the offices of the Nightside Times?If so, it would explain many things, including why she was able to come out and meet us so easily. "I'm going to the toilet." I said and winked at the dead boy. "Very good," he said. "Thank you for reporting this to us." "It's my first time here." I said. "Please lead the way." "I don't need to go to the bathroom," Dead Boy said. "That's one of the perks of being dead." I glared at the dead boy while Rochingore was feasting, and he understood my hint.We got up and walked towards a nearby door marked "Standing".Once inside we see a Kelly standing with her skirt up in front of a urinal to pee.Dead Boy and I waited for her to finish peeing while studying what was being sold in the vending machine on the wall.Dead Boy glared at me as soon as Kelly went out. "You'd better have something important, John. Otherwise, being alone in the toilet with you would seriously affect my personal reputation." "Shut up and listen to me. The Cavendishes sent a fake Rosingale to kill me before, a turpa with a bad temper. Do you have a way to make sure the one out there is the real Rosingale ? Didn’t you always say that the eyes of the dead can see through everything?” "Oh, sure. I've checked." "The results of it?" "She is the real Losinger, but she is dead." I looked at him for a while, and then asked, "What do you think happened to her?" "There's no aura about her. I knew it when I saw her." "Then...then why don't you say it?" "Whether she lives or not doesn't matter. You shouldn't be so narrow-minded, John." "You mean, she's dead, like you?" "Oh, it's different from me. I'm a special case. But she doesn't look like a zombie, but she can't live without aura, as long as she is human, she has aura." "Really?" I was suddenly interested. "What does my aura look like?" "Glamourous." "How could she not know that she was dead?" I felt a burst of anger ignite in my heart. "She doesn't look like she's dead at all. Dead people don't have orgasms eating chocolate." "'Denial is more than the name of a river'. Maybe it has something to do with the Cavendishes controlling her. Do you want me to tell her the truth?" "No, this kind of thing is more appropriate for someone who is familiar with her. Anyway, she told me before that no matter what the truth is, she must know." I looked at the clean tiles on the ground and said: "You How will you tell others about your death?" "Speak with your mouth. After all, death is not the most miserable thing." "What's the meaning?" Dead Boy pretended to be mysterious: "Trust me, John. You don't want to know." "Oh, shut up."
By the time we got back to our seats, Loschinger had eaten half the cake and drank the remaining two whiskey sours.As soon as she saw us, she started waving violently, and then licked the chocolate on her fingers, looking very excited and smiling.I sat down across from her with Dead Boy. "I want wine!" she said cheerfully. "Everyone should drink more wine! Do you want cake? I can tell them to add a spoon. No? You don't know what you missed. Sometimes chocolate is better than sex, at least than with Some people have sex. Why do you two have such a bad face, did you find your phone number on the wall?" I took a deep breath and told her what Dead Boy had discovered.I finished speaking in the most direct way possible and sat quietly waiting for her reaction.She acted very calm, her eyes were very calm, she was thinking and licking the chocolate on the spoon, as if she was considering a business proposal, or as if she had just heard the news of the death of a distant relative.At last she looked up at me, without panic, and without sounding very surprised. "That explains a lot of things," she said. "Why is there a fault in my memory, why do I always feel cold, and why am I so obedient around the Cavendishes? They must have done it. The old me, the real me, absolutely cannot tolerate their attitude Yes. Being here gives me the feeling of waking up from a deep nightmare because I'm out of their sphere of influence. Except... I'll never wake up from this dream, will I? I'm dead .” I wanted to wrap her in my arms and tell her everything would be fine, except that I had promised never to lie to her.She frowned, bit her lower lip, looked at Dead Boy, and finally back at me. "Can you guys help me? At least help me find out what these two bastards did to me?" "I can try it." Dead Boy said softly. "I can see things that the living can't see. Since you and I are dead, it shouldn't be difficult to establish a connection between us." He put his hand on the back of her hand and motioned for me to hold his other one hand.I hesitated for a moment before doing so.Because what happened to Gray before has been circling in my mind.The dead boy smiled and said, "Don't pee your pants, John. I just want to go into Rochinger's heart and find out what she saw at the last moment before she died. I think her memory fault should be It is caused by no stimulation. As long as you hold my hand, you can see what I see. But remember, it is just a picture of the past, and we cannot intervene. No matter how much we think, the past is beyond our control. changed." I felt his hand tighten, and we were already out of place.We don't need to use any magic, nor need to use any artifacts. We just rely on the will of a dead person who has been dead for thirty years and refuses to lie down honestly. We travel through time and go back to the past.Now we're in the Cavendishes' office, where I was dragged into and beaten up.The Cavendishes were smiling at the furious Losinger at the moment.She was obviously arguing with them about something, but they weren't listening.Mrs. Cavendish said a few words of comfort while pouring a glass of champagne and handing it to Loschinger.Losinger snatched the champagne, drank it down, and then threw the glass to the ground, then her feet went limp, and her body fell to the ground.She was foaming at the mouth, and her body kept twitching, while the Cavendish couple stood by and sneered until she finally stopped twitching.Then the Cavendish couple looked at a figure hiding in the darkness in the corner, but I couldn't tell who that guy was. Dead Boy lets go abruptly, and we're instantly brought back to reality.Losinger trembled all over, but the corners of his mouth were firmly pressed into a straight line, trying his best to restrain his boiling emotions. "The Cavendishes poisoned me?" Loschinger said. "Why would they murder their own cash cow?" "Good question," I said. "I think it's a question that should be asked in person, in a strong way." "By the way, you can ask them what they did after killing her." The dead boy said, looking at Losinger. "You're not like any zombie I've ever seen. I'm sure you're dead, but there's still a little bit of life left in you." "Maybe Cavendish signed something like yours?" I said. "As Luoxinger's agent, you signed it for her?" "Impossible." Dead Boy said with certainty. "This kind of contract must be signed voluntarily to be valid, otherwise it will be meaningless. People can't lose their souls; people can only sell their souls." "Well," I said. "No matter what kind of resurrection spell it is, it must be cast by a real strong man. Although I didn't see it clearly, I can be sure that there was another person in the office at the time. As far as I know, the ruthless characters under Cavendish should only be A man with a bad omen. Although he will one day become as powerful as his father, he is not a necromancer anyway." "What does all this have to do with someone committing suicide after listening to my song?" Losinger's expression remained calm, but his voice became a little impetuous. "You have entered the realm of death," said the dead boy. "When you came back from the kingdom of the dead, something came back to the world with you, and entered the world through your singing. Those people committed suicide because of this." "How could they do such a thing?" Losinger asked. "How could the Cavendish couple do such a thing? My songs have always been very positive and sunny, even when describing the sadness in the world. My singing is used to lift people up, not to destroy them The Cavendishes took away the only meaningful thing in my life!" She sounded on the verge of collapse, but she held on with steadfast self-control.She put her hands on the table and clenched her fists tightly. "This must not go on, I can't let people die because of me. I want to get my voice back. I want to get my life back!" She stared at the dead boy, then turned to me. "Can you guys help me? Does anyone have a solution?" "I can't even help myself." Dead Boy whispered. "Don't give up too quickly." I said immediately. "Death boy, you just said that she is different from ordinary zombies. Let's find out what happened to her. Death caused by some magic can be reversed." "Do you think the Cavendishes will just sit back and watch?" Dead Boy said. "It's not up to them." My tone was so cold that even Dead Boy didn't want to hear more. Suddenly, there was a dead silence around us.正在表演的音乐跟歌声戛然而止，观众席间沸沸扬扬的聊天声响也顿时消失不见。我们看向四周，发现如今餐厅里所有的女歌手的目光通通集中在我们三人身上。每一个变装男、每个假扮的名人，如今都以一种充满敌意的阴森表情瞪着我们。他们满脸的浓妆开始扭曲，很快被一种非常恐怖的情绪取代，感觉就像是我们突然被一群野狼包围了一样。我跟洛欣格尔以及死亡男孩缓缓站起身来，空气中突然弥漫了一股杀戮的气氛。那一瞬间，所有人的脸上同时感染了一种诡异的笑容，笑容中不带有丝毫幽默。其中一个玛莉莲从袖子里掏出了一把小刀，其他所有女歌手也跟着抄起家伙，从剃刀到手枪什么武器通通出笼，还有好几个人打破酒瓶以碎玻璃瓶对着我们。 “他们被附身了。”死亡男孩低声道。“我看得出来，他们的灵气变了。他们本来都跟本身模仿的对象保持某种程度的魔法连结，而如今这些连结都被一种更强大的讯号掩盖。他们的身体已经被更强大的实体占据了。” “会是刚刚的原始之神吗？”我说。“难道他们找到别的出路来追杀我们？” “不是。”死亡男孩道。“是人类干的。” 一名妲丝蒂突然冲上前来，两眼眨也不眨地盯着洛欣格尔。“我们都是你的歌迷。我们崇拜你。我们景仰你。我们愿意为你而死。你不应该出现在这里的。我们是来带你回到属于你的地方。” “真想不到。”我说。“他们是卡文迪旭办公室外面的那些小鬼，来自地狱的歌友会。一定是卡文迪旭将他们附到这些歌手的身上，要他们把洛丝带回去。” “你不能待在这里。”妲丝蒂无视我的存在，继续对洛欣格尔道。“这些人对你没有好处。你必须跟我们走，回到卡文迪旭夫妇的身边，他们才能帮你变成超级巨星。请立刻跟我们走。” “要是她不走呢？”我问。 妲丝蒂二话不说，举起小刀就对准我的喉咙刺来。我向后一缩，险险避开这一刀。其他女歌手登时也拿起武器一拥而上。茱蒂、凯莉、玛莉莲、妮可以及布兰迪，这些假名女人带着快乐又扭曲的表情，在别人的愤怒与忌妒驱使之下展开攻击。有人要抢走他们心目中的女神，而他们宁死也不愿意看到这种事情发生。对这些人而言，他们是在解救自己的偶像。妲丝蒂再度对我挥刀，我一把抓住他的手腕，扭开他的手指，放脱他的武器，然后一拳把他捶到一边去。死亡男孩随手举起身旁的女歌手向外就丢，仿佛把他们都当作布娃娃一样。只不过对方人多势众，步步进逼，而且手里都拿着恐怖的武器。一名凯特·布什大叫一声，手持尖刀对我剠来。我抓起死亡男孩挡在身前，把他当作人肉盾牌，随即看到那把尖刀狠狠地插入他的胸口，直没至柄。 “你这浑蛋，泰勒！”死亡男孩大叫，不过叫完跟着又笑了起来。我抬着他的身体左挡右挡，瞬间挡下了好几下攻击，死亡男孩不但没有抵抗，反而像是乐在其中。洛欣格尔在我身旁以各种下流手法对付敌人，不但狠狠地抓着他们头发，有机会的时候也会毫不留情地踢向对方下体。我退到墙边，大声呼唤洛欣格尔。她摔开一名从后方扑来的妮可，然后掀翻桌子，挡在我们三个人身前。 “我玩腻了。”死亡男孩说。“我可以施展法术瞬间煮熟他们的脑袋。” “不！”我立刻说道。“不能杀他们！不关这些变装女伶的事。他们也是受害者。” “喔，讨厌。”死亡男孩说。“又到好人好事的时间了，是不是？” 众多女歌手突然安静了下来，在我们面前缓缓聚集，恐吓性地挥舞着手中的武器。我们暂时不会有事，但是却被困在这个角落，完全无路可走。要不了多久他们就会推开桌子一拥而上，到时候……我没有其他选择，只能将一切诉诸天赋。我集中精神打开心眼，运起天赋的力量找出歌迷藉以控制女歌手的魔法连结。我看到所有女歌手的头上都有一条闪亮的线条，然后轻易地跟着这些线条找出一切的源头！一个站在舞台上指挥大局的惠妮。我对死亡男孩比了比那个惠妮，他立刻冲上舞台一拳击昏对方。惠妮一倒地，所有控制女歌手的光线立刻消失得无影无踪。 附身魔法失效，攻击我们的女歌手当场变成一堆东倒西歪的普通变装男。他们在原地停止动作，神色中充满了震惊与困惑，纷纷靠在彼此的身上寻求支持与慰藉，因为被人附身无论对当事者的身心而言都是一种侵犯的行为。有那么一会儿，我还真的以为已经度过危机了，不过事情并没有想象中那么简单。 突然之间，四周凭空出现了十二条黑暗恐怖的身影，当场将所有变装男吓得惊声尖叫。这些怪物身穿西装，身材壮硕，脸上完全没有五官。我使用天赋的频率太高，太过显眼，终于在敌人眼前暴露了自己的行踪，再度引来痛苦使者的追杀。痛苦使者一现身，变装男争先恐后地冲往最近的出口，转眼之间走得一干二净。我也想跑，不过已经来不及了。我们被痛苦使者包围，完全无路可走。它们是死亡与恐惧的化身，力量强大，锐不可挡，具有人类的形体，但是行动却不受肌肉跟骨骼的限制，帽子底下隐藏的脸孔只是一堆皮肤的延伸，没有任何五宫轮廓。它们没有双眼，不过却看得一清二楚。其中一个举起手掌，露出指头顶端套着的皮下注射器。眼看浓稠的绿色液体自针头上滴下，我的身体忍不住颤抖起来。洛欣格尔紧紧地抓着我的手臂，死亡男孩则首度皱起了眉头。 “我是不是应该假设此刻我们的处境比刚刚还要糟糕？” "Oh, that's right," I said. “这些是痛苦使者。我的敌人派来追杀我的走狗。它们的存在完全是一种概念，并不真实，所以不会受伤也不会死。我们没办法阻止它们。” “你平常都怎么对付它们？”洛欣格尔问。 “我拔腿就跑。我这辈子有许多时间都在躲避痛苦使者的追杀。”我再度运起天赋的力量，绝望地想要找出一条出路，但是徒劳无功。附近没有任何出口，翻倒的桌子根本也阻挡不了它们前进。我们眼睁睁地看着十二名痛苦使者步步逼近，有如癌症一样残酷，命运一般无情。就在此时，一条女性的身影突然出现，对着一个痛苦使者死命扑上。他本来是变装为凯莉的男子，不过在经历过刚刚附身之后，所有的装扮跟气质都已不复存在，如今只想找个目标发泄满腔的怒火。他一刀刺进痛苦使者的胸膛，随即感到对方体内传来一股强大的吸力，将他的刀跟手都牢牢困在体内。紧接着痛苦使者随手一挥，凯莉当场粉身碎骨，成为地板上的一滩血水。 “可恶。”死亡男孩惊道。“真是惨不忍睹。你知道，这不禁让我好奇……在有办法拼凑回原状的情况下，我的身体究竟可以被人砍成多少块？” “别想这种无聊事，帮忙生点办法出来。”我大声道。 “男士们，”洛欣格尔说。“没有时间了。请告诉我你们有对付它们的办法。” “我还在等你想呢。”死亡男孩说。“我只是一具会走路的尸体而已。我所有的把戏在这些怪物面前都没有用处。你惹上的敌人可真难缠呀，约翰。” “好吧。”我嘴干舌燥地说道。“就这样了。死亡男孩，带着洛丝逃走。只要你们不挡路就不会受到攻击。它们的目标只有我。” “它们会怎么对付你？”洛欣格尔问。 “幸运的话，它们会赏我个痛快。”我说。“不过我从来没有那么幸运过。痛苦使者是恐惧与绝望的混合体。拜托，你们快走吧。” “我不能丢下你不管。”死亡男孩说。“我必须行善，记得吗？现在弃你不顾会抵消掉我好几年的善举。” “我也不会丢下你。”洛欣格尔说。“你是我摆脱卡文迪旭夫妇的唯一希望。” “拜托，”我说。“你们不懂。如果你们留下，它们会以残酷的手段对付你们。我以前见识过。” “你会有办法的，约翰。”洛欣格尔说。 "I believe you." 不过我却不相信自己。我从来不曾真的打赢过痛苦使者，每次面对它们我都只有逃命的份。它们简直就是我心中最深沉的梦魇。最接近的痛苦死者伸出苍白的手掌抓起挡在我们身前的桌角，轻轻一挥就将整张桌子抛开。死亡男孩向前一站，我则将洛欣格尔拉到身后。就在此时，所有痛苦使者突然停下脚步，转过空白的面孔，似乎在倾听着某个只有它们才听得见的声音。它们开始颤栗，开始发抖，然后一个接着一个分崩离析，支离破碎，化作无数腐肉跟黏液跌落在地。前一刻还是恐怖至极的十二条痛苦使者，如今却已经变成缓缓在地上散开的一团烂泥。我跟死亡男孩面面相觑，然后同时转头往一阵嘲弄笑声的方向看去。我们看到西装笔挺的恶兆之人比利·拉森，出现在大厅另一边的舞台上，脸上的表情十分得意。他身边站了两个殡仪馆业者打扮的人，分别是卡文迪旭先生跟卡文迪旭太太。 “我早就说过了，约翰。”恶兆之人道。“我比你想象的要强大多了。我是熵伯爵，是一切事物的克星，像这种丑陋的怪物根本不是我的对手。现在，你手里握有不属于你的东西，我要你立刻交出来。” “来吧，亲爱的洛欣格尔。”卡文迪旭先生说。“演出的时间就要到了。” “你也不想演出迟到吧，对不对？”卡文迪旭太太说。 洛欣格尔依然紧紧抓着我的手臂。“我不要跟他们回去。不要让他们带走我，约翰。我不能回去过那种半梦半醒的日子，我不要继续接受他们的控制，变回那个只会微笑点头，附和他们每一句话的傀儡。我宁死也不要回去。” “只要你不想去，没有人可以强迫你。”我道。不过这话此刻并没有什么说服力，就连我自己都不太相信。我依然震慑于恶兆之人刚刚所展现的力量，无法想象他竟然有能力摧毁痛苦使者。他已经成为具有支配力量的强者，拥有跟他父亲熵伯爵一样强大的实力，而我只不过是一个凡人，唯一能依靠的只有小小的天赋，以及恶名昭彰的名声……我抬起头来，故作神秘地看向比利。 “这也不是我们第一次对立了，比利。退下，不然就让你尝尝我的天赋……” “你不敢。”恶兆之人面目狰狞地笑道。“你的敌人已经知道你的确实位置，如果你蠢到再度开启心眼的话，天知道接下来他们会派什么东西过来？说不定是连我也对付不来的怪物唷。不，此刻你唯一的选择就是交出那个女孩，然后在敌人再度找上门来之前夹着尾巴赶快离开。”他突然大笑起来。“从此之后，你再也唬不了任何人了。我会大肆宣扬你躲在桌子底下的丑态，并且告诉大家把你吓得要死要活的怪物如何在我手中变成一滩腐肉。现在，你给我退下，约翰。不然我就用我的力量找出足以令你永不翻身的厄运。”
Actress! is one of the most famous and notorious nightclubs in Uptown.There, you can enjoy performances by all the famous female singers in the history of entertainment.Of course, none of these singers are real people, or even women.All of them are male transvestites who like to dress up as female idols.However, professional-level modeling and makeup, coupled with top-notch illusion blessings, enable these transvestites to sublimate their personal paranoia to a higher level, and even use magic to establish a connection between themselves and their idols, and then transfer each other's personality, living habits And other small details are imitated lifelike.All of history's greatest divas, living and dead, have appeared on "The Diva!", at least on the outside. Dead Boy is apparently not here for the first time.The doorman opened the store door and greeted us with a deep bow, without questioning membership or even checking tickets.The laundry girl plays Sixties superstar Helia Black, who, judging by the winks she throws at Dead Boy, is an obvious regular here.Celia completely ignored me, but I didn't take it seriously.Dead Boy was a celebrity in Night City, and I was the so-called anti-famous person.We walked into the main hall of the nightclub, and everything we saw was flowers, silk, and bright lighting effects.The decoration is full of artistic atmosphere, and there are unimaginable popular tastes everywhere.The ceiling is filled with chandeliers and disco balls. The restaurant was full of people and the overall atmosphere was very noisy.Basically, "The Actress!" is a never-ending place.We followed a waitress and squeezed in along the tables and chairs full of customers.All the waitresses tonight are dressed up as Lisa Minnelli in "Hotel."We sat down at a table in the corner, and Lisa and Lisa ordered a super-expensive Coke.As always, I have to add: "No, I don't want Diet Coke! I want real Coke! Man's Coke! And I don't want straws!" Dead Boy ordered a bottle of gin and a stick of the store's superlative cigar.I wrote down the price of the Coke in the income and expenditure ledger.If you don't have the habit of keeping accounts in Night City, you must face the possibility of bankruptcy at any time. "What if Losinger doesn't come?" Dead Boy asked.He had to turn up the volume, otherwise he couldn't cover the noise around him. "What if she doesn't come out?" "Then we'll figure it out then," I said. "Relax and enjoy the show, it cost us a lot of money here." "What do you mean it cost 'us' a lot of money?" It was Elaine and Barbara who sang "I Know Him Well" on stage.Many other famous female singers wandered among the audience, chatting gossip with guests, in order to increase their exposure.There were Marilyn and Dolly, and Barbara and Dusty.Elaine and Barbara ended their song, and then Nicole came on the stage. With the accompaniment of the accordion, she brought everyone the song "Shanghai Lily" with her sad singing voice and appearance.I'm afraid she'll pick up another "End" by The Doors, because listening to too many existential songs at once is a torment for my ears. A few tables away, two Judies were pulling each other's wigs and fighting.The audience by the side clamored and bet on winning or losing. At this moment, Ian Agger walked in holding Losinger's hand. No one in "Diva!" noticed their presence, because everyone assumed she was just another transvestite in disguise, even though she seemed a little more real than the other divas.Ian brought her to our table, pulled out a chair for her, introduced Dead Boy to her, and politely but persistently refused to sit at our table. "I can't stay here. I have to go back. There's a lot to do in the store, and I don't want to be lost." "Have you had any trouble getting Rose out?" I asked. "Not at all. I just told the bouncers they saw John Taylor in the store and they ran to get you right away and we walked out. Listen, I really have to go back. Rose, remember I'll be on stage in an hour." He kissed Loschinger on the cheek and left.Lisa, the waiter, came to wait for Rossinger's order.I watched Roschinger study the wine menu and realized she wasn't the same as before.Despite the same pale face, the same black hair, and the same black dress as before, she looked sharper, happier, and more focused.She looked up and saw that I was watching, and she opened her mouth and smiled happily. "Ah, John, it's good to come out and get some air. You know what I want to do? I want to order five whiskey sours. I'm going to line them up in front of me so I can drink and watch. The Cavendishes wouldn't let me drink at all in Caliban's Hole. Oddly enough, I wouldn't want to drink either. I just ate the diet meals they brought every day and never complained, nothing like Me. Cake! I want cake! Give me the biggest, densest chocolate cake with a tablespoon! I want all the bad things, NOW!" The waiter exclaimed happily, "Well said, sister!" I ordered what Rochinger wanted with the waiter, and Lisa walked away immediately after ordering.Loschinger looked very happy. "The Cavendish couple are very strict, and I am not allowed to do many things. They are not like my agent at all, but more like my mother." "They didn't tell you to quit smoking though," I said. She laughed loudly: "They will try if they dare." Then she suddenly withdrew her smile, and said to me with a serious expression: "Ian said that you went to many people to help me, and you also found Sylvia Xin Eun's whereabouts. I remember that all the music magazine covers were her picture, but all of a sudden she disappeared. What happened, John? What did the Cavendishes do to her?" I filter out the nasty details and tell the whole story about Sylvia Shinn.Dead Boy glared at me a few times, knowing that I was speaking so carefully to scare her, but he didn't say much, just drinking gin and eating cigars in silence.After I finished speaking, Rose let out a long sigh. "I didn't expect that. That poor woman. Is all this the poisonous hands of the Cavendish couple?" "They probably got someone else to do it," I said. "Did they... do anything strange to you?" "No, never." Loschinger said with certainty. "I don't allow them to cast spells on me. I don't need the help of that kind of thing to succeed. I'm a singer, and all I need to become famous is my songs and my voice." She frowned suddenly, and said again: "But Having said that...everything has changed since I lived in the hole in Caliban. Now the songs I write are all sad tunes, and my memory starts to have strange gaps. I feel tired and cold all the time , when the Cavendish couple showed up... I didn't act like myself at all. Could it be that they cast some kind of magic on me without my permission?" "It's possible." I said cautiously. "They could have done something and then forced you to forget about it. The Cavendishes don't seem to me to have any morals." The waiter brought five whiskey sours and lined up in front of Loschinger.Losinger cheered happily, and immediately picked up two cups and poured them into his mouth.After putting down the cup, she gasped heavily for a while, then giggled like a naughty child who has done something bad. "That's right! Oh, that's right! That's what it feels like!" She smiled at me, exuding incomparable charm, then looked at the dead boy, and said, "So, what does it feel like to die?" "Don't tell her!" I shouted immediately, and then said apologetically to the startled Loschinger, "I'm sorry, but it's better not to know the answers to some questions, especially those related to him. " "Like why is he eating cigars instead of smoking them?" "That's right." She smiled at me again.Now her smile is kind and warm, completely different from the unreachable cold smile before. "I remember that you often like to avoid problems, Mr. Mysterious." After three glasses of whiskey sour, her French accent gradually became obvious, as if all her vitality had finally returned to her body.She looked at me thoughtfully and said, "You don't really think the Cavendishes are going to hurt me, do you? I mean, they're still making a lot of money from me." "Maybe they thought they were helping Silvia before." I said. "No matter what, we can't ignore suicides, Rose. It must have something to do with the Cavendishes. I don't trust them, and you shouldn't trust them. As long as you say a word, I will have nothing to do with Dead Boy. Take you out of this black and white place. We will find a place for you to hide for a while, hire a few lawyers to carefully study the contract between you and them, and find some experts to determine whether you have been cast on you. Don't worry, I can Guarantee your safety, I know many people who are absolutely willing to be your bodyguards, maybe they are not good people, but..." "No," Losinger's voice was very soft, but his tone was very firm. "I appreciate your help. I appreciate it, but..." "Only down?" "This is the opportunity I've been waiting for, and it's the one time I'm going to be famous. Nobody has the network of the Cavendishes, and they did have a way of getting me a major record label deal. I can't go, I'm Must keep singing. I've been waiting for this day all my life, all I care about is this day. I must not give up at this moment, at least not just because of your speculation. You don't have any real proof that the Cavendishes did it ,right?" "No." I said. "But those suicides..." She grimaced and said, "Trust me, I haven't forgotten. I'll never forget the look on that poor man's face when he shot me in front of me. He looked me in the eye and still had a smile on his face... I Can't let this happen again. I sing to make people happy! I like to lift people's spirits and comfort their hearts so that everyone can regain their courage to face everything again... If the Cavendishes are really corrupt My song, my voice..." She shook her head vigorously. "Oh, I don't know! I don't know what to do!" She snatched up her fourth whiskey sour with a very distressed look in her eyes. We didn't speak for a while, each considering the current situation.On the stage, a Whitney is singing "I will always love you" loudly.Losinger snorted loudly. "I've always disliked this version, the voice is too shrill." "I like Dolly Parton's version," Dead Boy said suddenly. "It feels more homely." I glanced at him: "You always surprise people, don't you?" "Exactly." Dead Boy said. At this moment, the chocolate cake was on the table, and Loschinger immediately put the fourth glass of whiskey sour aside.This cake is really huge, and it is covered with a thick layer of black and white cream.Losinger first said "Oh!", and then "Ah!", and the brilliance of life burst out from his eyes.She grabbed the big spoon and inserted it into the cake without hesitation, and then the corners of her mouth were covered with chocolate and cream.I looked at her silently, and an ominous thought slowly emerged in my heart.Maybe the reason why this Rosinger in front of me is so different from the Rosinger in Caliban's Cave is simply because they are really not the same person?Maybe this one was just another impostor, like the turpa that destroyed the offices of the Nightside Times?If so, it would explain many things, including why she was able to come out and meet us so easily. "I'm going to the toilet." I said and winked at the dead boy. "Very good," he said. "Thank you for reporting this to us." "It's my first time here." I said. "Please lead the way." "I don't need to go to the bathroom," Dead Boy said. "That's one of the perks of being dead." I glared at the dead boy while Rochingore was feasting, and he understood my hint.We got up and walked towards a nearby door marked "Standing".Once inside we see a Kelly standing with her skirt up in front of a urinal to pee.Dead Boy and I waited for her to finish peeing while studying what was being sold in the vending machine on the wall.Dead Boy glared at me as soon as Kelly went out. "You'd better have something important, John. Otherwise, being alone in the toilet with you would seriously affect my personal reputation." "Shut up and listen to me. The Cavendishes sent a fake Rosingale to kill me before, a turpa with a bad temper. Do you have a way to make sure the one out there is the real Rosingale ? Didn’t you always say that the eyes of the dead can see through everything?” "Oh, sure. I've checked." "The results of it?" "She is the real Losinger, but she is dead." I looked at him for a while, and then asked, "What do you think happened to her?" "There's no aura about her. I knew it when I saw her." "Then...then why don't you say it?" "Whether she lives or not doesn't matter. You shouldn't be so narrow-minded, John." "You mean, she's dead, like you?" "Oh, it's different from me. I'm a special case. But she doesn't look like a zombie, but she can't live without aura, as long as she is human, she has aura." "Really?" I was suddenly interested. "What does my aura look like?" "Glamourous." "How could she not know that she was dead?" I felt a burst of anger ignite in my heart. "She doesn't look like she's dead at all. Dead people don't have orgasms eating chocolate." "'Denial is more than the name of a river'. Maybe it has something to do with the Cavendishes controlling her. Do you want me to tell her the truth?" "No, this kind of thing is more appropriate for someone who is familiar with her. Anyway, she told me before that no matter what the truth is, she must know." I looked at the clean tiles on the ground and said: "You How will you tell others about your death?" "Speak with your mouth. After all, death is not the most miserable thing." "What's the meaning?" Dead Boy pretended to be mysterious: "Trust me, John. You don't want to know." "Oh, shut up."
By the time we got back to our seats, Loschinger had eaten half the cake and drank the remaining two whiskey sours.As soon as she saw us, she started waving violently, and then licked the chocolate on her fingers, looking very excited and smiling.I sat down across from her with Dead Boy. "I want wine!" she said cheerfully. "Everyone should drink more wine! Do you want cake? I can tell them to add a spoon. No? You don't know what you missed. Sometimes chocolate is better than sex, at least than with Some people have sex. Why do you two have such a bad face, did you find your phone number on the wall?" I took a deep breath and told her what Dead Boy had discovered.I finished speaking in the most direct way possible and sat quietly waiting for her reaction.She acted very calm, her eyes were very calm, she was thinking and licking the chocolate on the spoon, as if she was considering a business proposal, or as if she had just heard the news of the death of a distant relative.At last she looked up at me, without panic, and without sounding very surprised. "That explains a lot of things," she said. "Why is there a fault in my memory, why do I always feel cold, and why am I so obedient around the Cavendishes? They must have done it. The old me, the real me, absolutely cannot tolerate their attitude Yes. Being here gives me the feeling of waking up from a deep nightmare because I'm out of their sphere of influence. Except... I'll never wake up from this dream, will I? I'm dead .” I wanted to wrap her in my arms and tell her everything would be fine, except that I had promised never to lie to her.She frowned, bit her lower lip, looked at Dead Boy, and finally back at me. "Can you guys help me? At least help me find out what these two bastards did to me?" "I can try it." Dead Boy said softly. "I can see things that the living can't see. Since you and I are dead, it shouldn't be difficult to establish a connection between us." He put his hand on the back of her hand and motioned for me to hold his other one hand.I hesitated for a moment before doing so.Because what happened to Gray before has been circling in my mind.The dead boy smiled and said, "Don't pee your pants, John. I just want to go into Rochinger's heart and find out what she saw at the last moment before she died. I think her memory fault should be It is caused by no stimulation. As long as you hold my hand, you can see what I see. But remember, it is just a picture of the past, and we cannot intervene. No matter how much we think, the past is beyond our control. changed." I felt his hand tighten, and we were already out of place.We don't need to use any magic, nor need to use any artifacts. We just rely on the will of a dead person who has been dead for thirty years and refuses to lie down honestly. We travel through time and go back to the past.Now we're in the Cavendishes' office, where I was dragged into and beaten up.The Cavendishes were smiling at the furious Losinger at the moment.She was obviously arguing with them about something, but they weren't listening.Mrs. Cavendish said a few words of comfort while pouring a glass of champagne and handing it to Loschinger.Losinger snatched the champagne, drank it down, and then threw the glass to the ground, then her feet went limp, and her body fell to the ground.She was foaming at the mouth, and her body kept twitching, while the Cavendish couple stood by and sneered until she finally stopped twitching.Then the Cavendish couple looked at a figure hiding in the darkness in the corner, but I couldn't tell who that guy was. Dead Boy lets go abruptly, and we're instantly brought back to reality.Losinger trembled all over, but the corners of his mouth were firmly pressed into a straight line, trying his best to restrain his boiling emotions. "The Cavendishes poisoned me?" Loschinger said. "Why would they murder their own cash cow?" "Good question," I said. "I think it's a question that should be asked in person, in a strong way." "By the way, you can ask them what they did after killing her." The dead boy said, looking at Losinger. "You're not like any zombie I've ever seen. I'm sure you're dead, but there's still a little bit of life left in you." "Maybe Cavendish signed something like yours?" I said. "As Luoxinger's agent, you signed it for her?" "Impossible." Dead Boy said with certainty. "This kind of contract must be signed voluntarily to be valid, otherwise it will be meaningless. People can't lose their souls; people can only sell their souls." "Well," I said. "No matter what kind of resurrection spell it is, it must be cast by a real strong man. Although I didn't see it clearly, I can be sure that there was another person in the office at the time. As far as I know, the ruthless characters under Cavendish should only be A man with a bad omen. Although he will one day become as powerful as his father, he is not a necromancer anyway." "What does all this have to do with someone committing suicide after listening to my song?" Losinger's expression remained calm, but his voice became a little impetuous. "You have entered the realm of death," said the dead boy. "When you came back from the kingdom of the dead, something came back to the world with you, and entered the world through your singing. Those people committed suicide because of this." "How could they do such a thing?" Losinger asked. "How could the Cavendish couple do such a thing? My songs have always been very positive and sunny, even when describing the sadness in the world. My singing is used to lift people up, not to destroy them The Cavendishes took away the only meaningful thing in my life!" She sounded on the verge of collapse, but she held on with steadfast self-control.She put her hands on the table and clenched her fists tightly. "This must not go on, I can't let people die because of me. I want to get my voice back. I want to get my life back!" She stared at the dead boy, then turned to me. "Can you guys help me? Does anyone have a solution?" "I can't even help myself." Dead Boy whispered. "Don't give up too quickly." I said immediately. "Death boy, you just said that she is different from ordinary zombies. Let's find out what happened to her. Death caused by some magic can be reversed." "Do you think the Cavendishes will just sit back and watch?" Dead Boy said. "It's not up to them." My tone was so cold that even Dead Boy didn't want to hear more. Suddenly, there was a dead silence around us.正在表演的音乐跟歌声戛然而止，观众席间沸沸扬扬的聊天声响也顿时消失不见。我们看向四周，发现如今餐厅里所有的女歌手的目光通通集中在我们三人身上。每一个变装男、每个假扮的名人，如今都以一种充满敌意的阴森表情瞪着我们。他们满脸的浓妆开始扭曲，很快被一种非常恐怖的情绪取代，感觉就像是我们突然被一群野狼包围了一样。我跟洛欣格尔以及死亡男孩缓缓站起身来，空气中突然弥漫了一股杀戮的气氛。那一瞬间，所有人的脸上同时感染了一种诡异的笑容，笑容中不带有丝毫幽默。其中一个玛莉莲从袖子里掏出了一把小刀，其他所有女歌手也跟着抄起家伙，从剃刀到手枪什么武器通通出笼，还有好几个人打破酒瓶以碎玻璃瓶对着我们。 “他们被附身了。”死亡男孩低声道。“我看得出来，他们的灵气变了。他们本来都跟本身模仿的对象保持某种程度的魔法连结，而如今这些连结都被一种更强大的讯号掩盖。他们的身体已经被更强大的实体占据了。” “会是刚刚的原始之神吗？”我说。“难道他们找到别的出路来追杀我们？” “不是。”死亡男孩道。“是人类干的。” 一名妲丝蒂突然冲上前来，两眼眨也不眨地盯着洛欣格尔。“我们都是你的歌迷。我们崇拜你。我们景仰你。我们愿意为你而死。你不应该出现在这里的。我们是来带你回到属于你的地方。” “真想不到。”我说。“他们是卡文迪旭办公室外面的那些小鬼，来自地狱的歌友会。一定是卡文迪旭将他们附到这些歌手的身上，要他们把洛丝带回去。” “你不能待在这里。”妲丝蒂无视我的存在，继续对洛欣格尔道。“这些人对你没有好处。你必须跟我们走，回到卡文迪旭夫妇的身边，他们才能帮你变成超级巨星。请立刻跟我们走。” “要是她不走呢？”我问。 妲丝蒂二话不说，举起小刀就对准我的喉咙刺来。我向后一缩，险险避开这一刀。其他女歌手登时也拿起武器一拥而上。茱蒂、凯莉、玛莉莲、妮可以及布兰迪，这些假名女人带着快乐又扭曲的表情，在别人的愤怒与忌妒驱使之下展开攻击。有人要抢走他们心目中的女神，而他们宁死也不愿意看到这种事情发生。对这些人而言，他们是在解救自己的偶像。妲丝蒂再度对我挥刀，我一把抓住他的手腕，扭开他的手指，放脱他的武器，然后一拳把他捶到一边去。死亡男孩随手举起身旁的女歌手向外就丢，仿佛把他们都当作布娃娃一样。只不过对方人多势众，步步进逼，而且手里都拿着恐怖的武器。一名凯特·布什大叫一声，手持尖刀对我剠来。我抓起死亡男孩挡在身前，把他当作人肉盾牌，随即看到那把尖刀狠狠地插入他的胸口，直没至柄。 “你这浑蛋，泰勒！”死亡男孩大叫，不过叫完跟着又笑了起来。我抬着他的身体左挡右挡，瞬间挡下了好几下攻击，死亡男孩不但没有抵抗，反而像是乐在其中。洛欣格尔在我身旁以各种下流手法对付敌人，不但狠狠地抓着他们头发，有机会的时候也会毫不留情地踢向对方下体。我退到墙边，大声呼唤洛欣格尔。她摔开一名从后方扑来的妮可，然后掀翻桌子，挡在我们三个人身前。 “我玩腻了。”死亡男孩说。“我可以施展法术瞬间煮熟他们的脑袋。” “不！”我立刻说道。“不能杀他们！不关这些变装女伶的事。他们也是受害者。” “喔，讨厌。”死亡男孩说。“又到好人好事的时间了，是不是？” 众多女歌手突然安静了下来，在我们面前缓缓聚集，恐吓性地挥舞着手中的武器。我们暂时不会有事，但是却被困在这个角落，完全无路可走。要不了多久他们就会推开桌子一拥而上，到时候……我没有其他选择，只能将一切诉诸天赋。我集中精神打开心眼，运起天赋的力量找出歌迷藉以控制女歌手的魔法连结。我看到所有女歌手的头上都有一条闪亮的线条，然后轻易地跟着这些线条找出一切的源头！一个站在舞台上指挥大局的惠妮。我对死亡男孩比了比那个惠妮，他立刻冲上舞台一拳击昏对方。惠妮一倒地，所有控制女歌手的光线立刻消失得无影无踪。 附身魔法失效，攻击我们的女歌手当场变成一堆东倒西歪的普通变装男。他们在原地停止动作，神色中充满了震惊与困惑，纷纷靠在彼此的身上寻求支持与慰藉，因为被人附身无论对当事者的身心而言都是一种侵犯的行为。有那么一会儿，我还真的以为已经度过危机了，不过事情并没有想象中那么简单。 突然之间，四周凭空出现了十二条黑暗恐怖的身影，当场将所有变装男吓得惊声尖叫。这些怪物身穿西装，身材壮硕，脸上完全没有五官。我使用天赋的频率太高，太过显眼，终于在敌人眼前暴露了自己的行踪，再度引来痛苦使者的追杀。痛苦使者一现身，变装男争先恐后地冲往最近的出口，转眼之间走得一干二净。我也想跑，不过已经来不及了。我们被痛苦使者包围，完全无路可走。它们是死亡与恐惧的化身，力量强大，锐不可挡，具有人类的形体，但是行动却不受肌肉跟骨骼的限制，帽子底下隐藏的脸孔只是一堆皮肤的延伸，没有任何五宫轮廓。它们没有双眼，不过却看得一清二楚。其中一个举起手掌，露出指头顶端套着的皮下注射器。眼看浓稠的绿色液体自针头上滴下，我的身体忍不住颤抖起来。洛欣格尔紧紧地抓着我的手臂，死亡男孩则首度皱起了眉头。 “我是不是应该假设此刻我们的处境比刚刚还要糟糕？” "Oh, that's right," I said. “这些是痛苦使者。我的敌人派来追杀我的走狗。它们的存在完全是一种概念，并不真实，所以不会受伤也不会死。我们没办法阻止它们。” “你平常都怎么对付它们？”洛欣格尔问。 “我拔腿就跑。我这辈子有许多时间都在躲避痛苦使者的追杀。”我再度运起天赋的力量，绝望地想要找出一条出路，但是徒劳无功。附近没有任何出口，翻倒的桌子根本也阻挡不了它们前进。我们眼睁睁地看着十二名痛苦使者步步逼近，有如癌症一样残酷，命运一般无情。就在此时，一条女性的身影突然出现，对着一个痛苦使者死命扑上。他本来是变装为凯莉的男子，不过在经历过刚刚附身之后，所有的装扮跟气质都已不复存在，如今只想找个目标发泄满腔的怒火。他一刀刺进痛苦使者的胸膛，随即感到对方体内传来一股强大的吸力，将他的刀跟手都牢牢困在体内。紧接着痛苦使者随手一挥，凯莉当场粉身碎骨，成为地板上的一滩血水。 “可恶。”死亡男孩惊道。“真是惨不忍睹。你知道，这不禁让我好奇……在有办法拼凑回原状的情况下，我的身体究竟可以被人砍成多少块？” “别想这种无聊事，帮忙生点办法出来。”我大声道。 “男士们，”洛欣格尔说。“没有时间了。请告诉我你们有对付它们的办法。” “我还在等你想呢。”死亡男孩说。“我只是一具会走路的尸体而已。我所有的把戏在这些怪物面前都没有用处。你惹上的敌人可真难缠呀，约翰。” “好吧。”我嘴干舌燥地说道。“就这样了。死亡男孩，带着洛丝逃走。只要你们不挡路就不会受到攻击。它们的目标只有我。” “它们会怎么对付你？”洛欣格尔问。 “幸运的话，它们会赏我个痛快。”我说。“不过我从来没有那么幸运过。痛苦使者是恐惧与绝望的混合体。拜托，你们快走吧。” “我不能丢下你不管。”死亡男孩说。“我必须行善，记得吗？现在弃你不顾会抵消掉我好几年的善举。” “我也不会丢下你。”洛欣格尔说。“你是我摆脱卡文迪旭夫妇的唯一希望。” “拜托，”我说。“你们不懂。如果你们留下，它们会以残酷的手段对付你们。我以前见识过。” “你会有办法的，约翰。”洛欣格尔说。 "I believe you." 不过我却不相信自己。我从来不曾真的打赢过痛苦使者，每次面对它们我都只有逃命的份。它们简直就是我心中最深沉的梦魇。最接近的痛苦死者伸出苍白的手掌抓起挡在我们身前的桌角，轻轻一挥就将整张桌子抛开。死亡男孩向前一站，我则将洛欣格尔拉到身后。就在此时，所有痛苦使者突然停下脚步，转过空白的面孔，似乎在倾听着某个只有它们才听得见的声音。它们开始颤栗，开始发抖，然后一个接着一个分崩离析，支离破碎，化作无数腐肉跟黏液跌落在地。前一刻还是恐怖至极的十二条痛苦使者，如今却已经变成缓缓在地上散开的一团烂泥。我跟死亡男孩面面相觑，然后同时转头往一阵嘲弄笑声的方向看去。我们看到西装笔挺的恶兆之人比利·拉森，出现在大厅另一边的舞台上，脸上的表情十分得意。他身边站了两个殡仪馆业者打扮的人，分别是卡文迪旭先生跟卡文迪旭太太。 “我早就说过了，约翰。”恶兆之人道。“我比你想象的要强大多了。我是熵伯爵，是一切事物的克星，像这种丑陋的怪物根本不是我的对手。现在，你手里握有不属于你的东西，我要你立刻交出来。” “来吧，亲爱的洛欣格尔。”卡文迪旭先生说。“演出的时间就要到了。” “你也不想演出迟到吧，对不对？”卡文迪旭太太说。 洛欣格尔依然紧紧抓着我的手臂。“我不要跟他们回去。不要让他们带走我，约翰。我不能回去过那种半梦半醒的日子，我不要继续接受他们的控制，变回那个只会微笑点头，附和他们每一句话的傀儡。我宁死也不要回去。” “只要你不想去，没有人可以强迫你。”我道。不过这话此刻并没有什么说服力，就连我自己都不太相信。我依然震慑于恶兆之人刚刚所展现的力量，无法想象他竟然有能力摧毁痛苦使者。他已经成为具有支配力量的强者，拥有跟他父亲熵伯爵一样强大的实力，而我只不过是一个凡人，唯一能依靠的只有小小的天赋，以及恶名昭彰的名声……我抬起头来，故作神秘地看向比利。 “这也不是我们第一次对立了，比利。退下，不然就让你尝尝我的天赋……” “你不敢。”恶兆之人面目狰狞地笑道。“你的敌人已经知道你的确实位置，如果你蠢到再度开启心眼的话，天知道接下来他们会派什么东西过来？说不定是连我也对付不来的怪物唷。不，此刻你唯一的选择就是交出那个女孩，然后在敌人再度找上门来之前夹着尾巴赶快离开。”他突然大笑起来。“从此之后，你再也唬不了任何人了。我会大肆宣扬你躲在桌子底下的丑态，并且告诉大家把你吓得要死要活的怪物如何在我手中变成一滩腐肉。现在，你给我退下，约翰。不然我就用我的力量找出足以令你永不翻身的厄运。”