Chapter 8 1-3

After Royall was born, Aaliyah often seemed to find Chandler's presence somewhat awkward.Of course she loved Chandler, but she couldn't help but want to forget him.In her half-dream, half-sane moments, Alia would have thought Chandler was a stranger, and for a moment could not recall his name. Aaliyah swore she would love Chandler as much as she loved Royall, but even that vow she had almost forgotten. Alia was not superstitious, but she felt waves of fear.It seems that using the water power of the waterfall to "generate electricity" is a dangerous thing.Turn tens of thousands of tons of beautiful flowing river water into electricity for "consumers".

Arya carried Royall into the bedroom with the phone and called Decker's law firm.Ah, why is Dirk always away!Always away when she needs it.The soft-voiced operator told her dryly that "Mr. Burnaby" was out of office, that he had gone to a meeting at City Hall, with the mayor and the commissioners of the Niagara County Local Commission, of which he was now a member. (Should Aaliyah know this? Or has she forgotten?) "So what's the number there, please?" The sweet-voiced operator reluctantly gave Mrs. Burnaby the number for the mayor's office; The mayor-elect of Niagara Falls is called "Coward" Tyler Wayne; Aaliyah thinks she has the right to call her husband because Dirk rarely calls home now, unlike when they were newlyweds and when Chandler was a newborn At that time, he would often play.Alia's hands trembled a little.Royall writhed on Mom's lap, kicking his tiny fists, not amused; no doubt his diaper was wet again.Alia bit her thumbnail, hesitating whether to call Wayne's office to say that she had some urgent family matter and wanted to speak to her husband right away; Especially often; with two young children, she is too lonely, and she can't help but feel a little frightened.

Nine months pregnant with Royalle, she was very happy.Of course they didn't know it was a boy then.Alia is madly in love with Royall, yet can't help but think that her life would be complete with a daughter. "Alia? Hello? What's the matter?" Dirk's loud, anxious voice rang in her ears.Alia couldn't remember what she was about to call him.Royall gasped and was on the verge of crying.She hastily put her tits in his mouth.Her nipples were sore and straight, looking as if they had been wrung by some mean person.Royall started sucking. "Alia? Honey? What's the matter?"

Then he must love her.Ariah could hear the growing anxiety in his voice. Alia fumbled for the microphone to speak, but the words seemed to pop out one by one.She knew there had to be a special reason for calling Dirk out of the meeting she was having with the mayor, but the bad thing was she couldn't remember the reason."There was a problem just now - the baby was breathing a little bit irregularly, but now he's breathing well and he's fine," she said. "Honey, I can't hear you. Is something wrong with the baby?" "He wasn't breathing normally just now, but he's fine now. Sorry to bother you. I didn't know what to do just now."

"Is he all right now? Is Royal all right?" "It's okay, you listen." Alia put the receiver to Royall's warm little mouth and tickled him, making him giggle sweetly.The loud high notes in it are like the scream of a peacock. "Alia? That's—Royal? Is Royale okay?" Dirk sounded lost, like a blind man trying to open his eyes. "Honey, Royall is fine. He's the best baby in the world." "He's fine, are you sure?" Alia smiled angrily, "I'm sure. If you doubt me, come back and see for yourself." There was a short pause.

"Oh, you scared the hell out of me." Dirk said carefully, he was afraid of making his wife angry again.Ariah knows it: the cautious lawyer husband doesn't want to upset his neurotic and capricious wife.In Dirk's study there is a framed faded daguerreotype of his notorious grandfather, Reginald Burnaby, walking on a taut Rope across the misty Niagara Canyon.He carries a 12-foot pole over his shoulders for balance.Alia knew what an unstable balance that was. As Royall licked and tugged at her nipples, Aaliyah suddenly felt something raw, wet, and hungry in her belly, and it was uncomfortable.She moaned loudly, "Oh Dirk, I miss you. Come back and make love to me honey."

"Alia? What?" "I miss you, Dirk. I want to make love to you. Like we used to, before the kids were born, remember?" There was a pause again.Alia could hear her husband's breathing coming up in a panicked rush. "I'm in a meeting, honey, this meeting is very important. If I don't vote, God knows what will happen. Aaliyah, are you and the baby okay? I have to say goodbye." Decker paused, As if thinking about something, "Is Chandler okay?" Royall sucked so hard that her breasts ached and she laughed, while the pain aroused lust between her legs. "Your son is such a lover, Dirk. You should be ashamed." The milk leaked from Royall's small mouth and ran down his chin.Alya felt that her milk was too weak, as thin as skim milk.Maybe it's not good milk.Not a good mother's milk.Maybe this milk lacks vitamins.Dirk said something more, asked her something, and Alia didn't hear him, the baby's sucking muffled his voice.In the midst of a trance, she vaguely remembered why she had called Dirk. "Did you see that article on the front page of the News? The one at the hydroelectric plant? Why is there our name?"

Dirk immediately replied, "Honey, that's none of our business. It's just part of the family business and has nothing to do with me. Don't get excited and don't feel bad. It's all right." "It's all right. Okay, I see." "I have some shares in Burnaby, but I'm not involved. I have my own life, my own income." Horny and itchy, Alia pulled her breast out of the sucking baby's mouth.The baby couldn't get used to it for a while, and just continued to smack his lips in the air, with a dazed look on his pink face.His watery, handsome cobalt blue eyes with pale lashes blinked and stared blankly.On the other end of the phone, the child's father was saying that he had to go back to a meeting and that he would be home around ten o'clock if possible. "You and the kids are fine, aren't you? I love you."

"Well, I hate you." Alia smiled angrily, then hung up before Dirk could explain to her why he was coming home late again.He always had a lot going on, dinners with his rich business friends, at Mario's, at the rowing club, or at the Rainbow Roof. Chandler picked up the News and read with gusto the article on Niagara Power Station.The kid was gifted at reading, and it seems he has been teaching himself since he was in school, and he still is.His teacher said he was the most literate student in the second grade.But he always read in the dim light, and Alia worried that it would be bad for his eyes.He said, "Mother, does that name—'Burnaby'—mean us? Or is it someone else's name?"

"It's about someone else." At this moment Royall was screaming angrily, his face flushed like a little devil.Arya felt his body temperature rising, reminiscent of a lobster cooking, growing redder.Aaliyah suddenly finds Royalle scary.Why is she so desperate for a second child at her age?When her husband might leave her at any moment?She screamed and put the writhing Royall on — what was that? — beside the bed.The bed was covered with mats, but Royall kicked and punched angrily, bounced, and rolled to the floor; his diapered buttocks and the back of his head hit the carpet almost simultaneously.For a moment there was silence in the bedroom, the little red shrimp-like baby stopped breathing, and then, when enough air had taken in his tiny lungs, he started crying, screaming, growling, and Alia covered the air with her hand. Her own ears, she collapsed.

Seven-year-old Chandler scooped up his irascible brother and carefully put him on the bed, but Royall continued to cry and cry.Alya retreated into the corner with her bare feet, feeling the milk oozing from her nipples and running down her hot skin; she was wearing only a dirty nightgown.Chandler said seriously, "We should get Dad back, Mom, right? Where was he when you called?" 3 The Burnabys now had two children, but Aaliyah felt more alone than ever: she wanted a daughter. The idea came after Royall was weaned.Ah, she missed the feeling of that child sucking on her chest!Pray to God to give me a daughter, a child who can redeem me.so that I can make things right. But in a sense, Aaliyah feels like a failure.She's a woman (obviously) but in a sense, an unfeminine woman, a not good enough woman. Month after month, year after year, Alia became more and more neurotic.She was increasingly concerned that her childbearing years were coming to an end.Alia couldn't help asking her mother, "Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever thought about having a girl?" But Mrs. Little always smiled and shook her head: "No, Alia, I just 'want' 'God gave me my baby, whoever he is, your daddy is just like me. " A smug fool, Alia hated her. (No, although the Littrairs often visited Luna Park at Niagara Falls, and the Burnabys visited Troy once a year on one holiday or another, Alia and her mother were not close. To please their parents Huanxin, Alia, who is already a mother, grinned her teeth and played the role of daughter. She guessed that Mrs. Little must feel that she and Alia were very close, but that was just Mrs. Little’s wishful thinking. Alia had sensibly and Dirk said: "Chandler and Royall need grandparents, and they are good grandparents. So we have to insist on visiting them." This sudden statement surprised Dirk, "But we like For each other, Alia, we have reached a consensus, we are all friends!" Alia shook her head in confusion at her husband: "Of course we have reached a consensus, dear, I have always followed your path. In fact, we Everything you do is for the children.") (At least Claudine Burnaby won't have any misconceptions about it, Aria is so relieved to be completely free of herself!) Of the two Burnaby children, the younger was exactly like his father, while the older was like his mother, at least in temperament. Chandler studies great.He got good grades, but was never complacent.Even in elementary school, he used to ask his teachers for extra homework: usually science topics like the Ice Age, mammoths, saber-toothed cats, Neanderthals, Halley's Comet, the solar system, and so on. (When making the solar system model, Chandler geniusly designed a very delicate device. The sun is made of grapefruit, while the planets are made of smaller fruits, and the last Pluto is made of a grape. When making the orbit model of Comet Thunder, Chandler made a more excellent design: use a spark plug as the comet, and use a colored rubber ball as the earth. Therefore, he won the Niagara County Science Fair Special Award Award for children 10 and under) Dirk was very proud of Chandler.Alia guessed she might be proud of Chandler, too.But she doesn't like Chandler.Although Chandler often sat at the piano and practiced in an attempt to outdo Aaliyah's young students, he had no musical talent.When Chandler was practicing, Alia would sometimes cover her ears and tell him to stop: "Honey, my students may not play much better than you, but at least they make me feel like I didn't teach them for nothing." Money Dele kept buttoning his buttons wrong, even when Alia swore she had buttoned them for him herself.When she came back from school, she was always disheveled like a street bum, and the freshly pressed trousers that had just been put on when she went to school were stuck with dried food residue.Even on sunny days, his shoes are always covered in mud.His shoelaces kept untying, he kept tripping over his disproportionately long feet, and fell down stairs with a horrible gash in his jaw.In the future, this opening gradually turned into a white fossil-like scar.The weather here is always unpredictable, with heavy rain and hail from time to time. The locals seem to have developed an antibody to this kind of weather, but poor Chandler always suffers from respiratory and stomach flus.Knowing that his mother was very worried about him getting meningitis and polio, he still stubbornly didn't pay attention to his body and developed a high fever.Once he developed a high fever of 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit, but in order to "not lag behind", he insisted on walking eight blocks to the school to attend class.He was so disobedient that Alia had no choice but to give in. "But if you get meningitis or polio, Mr. Chandler, you go to the emergency room, dig a little grave, and put 'Clever Eric' on the headstone. I'll I don't care about you anymore." Dirk blames Aaliyah for worrying too much about the baby.In his view, Chandler was in good health, and both children were in good health.But Alia said: "Who is so worried about the child's health? Who cares so much about the child's life? It's only me—the child's mother, because if there is something wrong with the child, everyone will only blame me." Dirk laughed at her like a TV Just as funny and humorous as the Lucille Ball in the movie.Lucille Ball was also redheaded, but she wasn't as aggressive and quick-witted as Alia. "Hey, Alia, what can Chandler do? Except for the small chest, he has a great body!" Alia was furious: "Then you are blaming me for making your precious son skinny and malnourished? He He doesn’t eat and reads all the time, what can I do? Maybe he has tapeworms in his stomach!” To make matters worse, Chandler is often inattentive.Royall often looks at you intently, laughing and nodding as he tells you that there are 20 months in his year.At the age of three, Royall learned to shake hands and say hello to friends of her parents.And Chandler is always in a brooding daze, you can even hear the roar of his brain as it turns.Instead of going home after school, he wandered around town or the Niagara Gorge, only to be picked up by a Niagara Police Department patrol boat or by a stranger wearing an out-of-state permit.Children are not allowed to enter the trails near the canyon without an adult, especially Goat Island.But our Chandler Burnaby will show up in these places, and he will say, "It's just an adventure, see what's there." Since the fourth grade, he has been going to the Niagara Falls public Librarians often find him in the adult library rather than the children's library.It is not suitable for a child to be immersed in a sea of ​​books.Naturally, his mother was called to the library to pick him up, much to Aaliyah's embarrassment.Aaliyah was very annoyed with the child, but also found it ridiculous. "If you want to run away from home, sir, please go further than the city." Chandler only apologized slightly and vaguely, and Alia knew he never kept his word. What angered Alia most of all was that she found Chandler still reading during his allotted breaks.Chandler likes to turn the quilt into a little tent and read in it with a flashlight, which of course ruins his eyesight. "If you wear glasses one day, don't blame me. If you are blind, go find a can and beg on the street, but don't beg from me." Chandler's eyes widened at the sight of his mother's anger.But immediately Alia laughed again, and snatched him into her arms. "Hey, good boy, Mommy loves you!" 4 a daughter.Among these greedy men.My little family is complete. Alia waited. 5 "Ridiculous! Worse than a fairy tale." Sometimes, as Aaliyah strolls through Luna Park with her pram, she stops by the side of the paved road to chat with other mothers or nannies.She chatted with Lucille Ball's quick-witted, chatty air, which belied Alia Burnaby's hidden contempt for the company she ran (while her husband was running an entirely different company), which also concealed her contempt for her hypocritical and changeable personality.At this point, she would hear the story of the widowed bride of Niagara Falls.However, no one can remember the red-haired bride.She searched for her husband who committed suicide and jumped off the waterfall in the Niagara Grand Canyon for seven days and seven nights.Nobody knows how long this has been going on, if it's a few years, 25 years, or hundreds of years. A young nurse from Hungary told Alia that the ghost of the widowed bride was still on vigil. "On misty nights, and only in July, she comes. People say, if you see her, don't make a sound, it will scare her away. But if you don't make a sound, She will come to you." Alya laughed.Her heart seemed to be put into a piece of ice, which was absurd. Alia hid her face and laughed, and Royall swayed uncomfortably in the stroller, kicking her feet back and forth. Alia politely asked the Hungarian girl if she had ever seen the ghost of the widowed bride.The girl shook her braided head vigorously. "I'm a Catholic. We don't believe in ghosts. It's a sin to believe in ghosts. If I see a ghost, I close my eyes. If I open my eyes and she's still there, I run away." The girl grinned and trembled, as if she really saw a ghost. Alia said gently, suspiciously, as if speaking to a very young child, "But why, Lena? Why run away? The poor bride and widow are dead, aren't they?" The girl said earnestly, "The ghost is dead, but she went where she wasn't supposed to be. So she's a cursed soul. That's a ghost. That's why I'm running away, Mrs. Burnaby, sure. run away!" Alia had to admit, she too would run away.If she had a choice. Chandler comes home from Luna Park Elementary with a story that makes Aaliyah's heart shudder. A long time ago, Indians performed priestly activities in the Niagara River below the Grand Canyon.Every spring, a 12-year-old girl is thrown into the rapids below Goat Island, which the locals call a living sacrifice.Dressed in her wedding attire, the girl sits in a canoe as the tribe's elder priests bless her and push her into the rapids that flow toward the Great Falls.This girl became the wife of Thor who lived in the waterfall. Chandler said excitedly: "That's why there are ghosts in the waterfall. Sometimes you can see them in the mist. That's why people kill themselves on the waterfall, because Thor is hungry and wants to eat people." Alya shuddered.It's true, or, it was true. But when she turned her head to face the son who terrified her, she had a mocking expression on her face.You can imagine that she was very angry with him. "Nonsense. If you know that these so-called sacrifices are likely to be unwanted children - orphans, or disabled cripples, you won't find this romantic and magical. Poor women." Ali. Ya said excitedly.Chandler yawned at her.Slamming a nine-year-old with the wisdom of an adult is like taking a hand grenade and blowing a hummingbird to pieces.However, there are some harmful hummingbirds that should be blown to pieces. "'Religious Rituals' - 'Religious Murder' - 'Became Thor's Wife' - These are just ordinary murders legendaryized. Ignorant, primitive, superstitious. Like really putting a 12-year-old Girl marrying a grown man is even worse than that. Those goddamn Indians should be thrown in the Niagara River for their 'bravery' too. See how brave they can be, sons of bitches. They can Have a big council, get caught up in that vortex with their Thor." Alia spat, so disgusted and pissed. It was uncanny: Chandler's eyes were colorless.Sometimes they are matte like fish eyes, sometimes muddy yellow, or brownish green.When Alia looked at his face, as it did now, Chandler's pupils seemed to shrink. (Ah, she knew it was coming. He's getting nearsighted. Despite her warnings.) "Understood, honey? Mom is trying to teach you. Don't just hearsay from now on." Chandler nodded like a kicked puppy.At least the kid is learning.He was learning not to be an A student like in school, but to learn to think and doubt.He is learning from his cursed mother. 6 These are happy times.Alia knew. On warm spring days, she took Royall out for walks.Luna Park, Scenic Park, or along the misty Niagara Canyon, where toddlers can find the creeps.At ten months old, little Royall could walk if Alia held his little hand tightly.Proudly circling the Victoria Terrace in the heart of Luna Park, the flaxen-haired, chubby little boy waddled beside his mother, panting and yelping with excitement, while she kept whispering Say something encouraging. "Yes, baby. That's it. That's great! Now put your feet up, Royall. My little Royall is so good, look how steady he walks!" when a bystander praised him. Little Royal's eyes lit up when he applauded and praised him for his efforts.This is no exaggeration. Soon, other mothers and nannies at Luna Park knew Royall's name. Royall, the pretty little boy of the happy Burnabys. Alia's heart was filled with love for the child.Now that he's grown up and is no longer a baby, he's developing his own unique personality.She had a special tenderness for Royall which he had never felt for his brother.Chandler looked cowering, as if afraid of the colorful world, and Royall, looking at it, winked, smiled, and demanded more. Alia was in awe of him.This little kid seems to know that the world is friendly.Alia loved him and would have given him more. As she and Royall left the house for their morning adventures, Aaliyah would sometimes hear Chandler behind her back calling, "Mom, can I come?" She almost forgot it was summer, Chandler No need to go to school.Or she had forgotten that Chandler was still at home.Feeling a pang of guilt, she said at once, "Of course, baby. We thought you wouldn't be interested. You can push the cart." If Royall had the strength left, he'd go with Alia; tired, Alie Ya put him in the trolley and pushed him.As long as she wasn't planning to take piano lessons, there was no way she would be rushing back to 7 Luna Park.What did it matter if someone knocked on the door or called while she was away? Dirk sometimes complained that Aria was unapproachable.She felt the premise was that she didn't want help at all.Not to mention the babysitter coming to help care for Royall.Alia is just the babysitter Royall needs. One cool autumn morning, Aaliyah thought of going to the scenic park.Eager little Royall walked beside her, running forward, and Alia yelled at him to be careful from time to time, holding him in her strong arms when crossing the road, and by money when going up the hill. Dele pushed the cart.Just mother and two sons.There is no father and little daughter. Juliet, that's what Alia would call her.Is there a better name in the world than Juliet? In high school, Aaliyah was convinced that her life was going off track, all because her parents had given her such an absurd name.Some of her father's spinster aunts were long dead. They had only been walking for half an hour when Aaliyah's heels developed blisters.Damn, I shouldn't be wearing these shoes.On the grass, she can walk barefoot; when crossing the road, she is especially careful about burning cigarette butts, small stones, and glass shards thrown on the ground.There are still so many tourists looking into the water by the bridge railing, she has to be careful not to be stepped on.So, while Chandler ran to get them some Rodeo, Ariah sat with Royall at the picnic table and waited.They used to drink Rode Beer in the "expedition".They are especially close to the rushing rapids, just off the pedestrian bridge to Goat Island.The newlyweds are taking pictures on the bridge.A large group of people passed by laughing and talking, with obvious Midwestern accents, it should be a family.Arya wanted to remind them not to underestimate the waterfall because of the noise at noon.Beneath the din some nice sounds could be heard, like vibrating.If you look closely, you can see the looming rainbow shimmering on the river.Alya shook her head and smiled.The roar of the American Falls was so close that it seemed to penetrate her soul. This is your happy hour. 39 years old.You will never have these beautiful and lovely children again. (Was God speaking to Aaliyah this time? Aaliyah thinks so. She's not sure, though.) Yes.Is such that.Children grow up fast.Almost everyone Alia knew, including Dirk's friends and business associates, had children older than the Burnabys.Some children have even grown into adults. Alia wondered how they would disapprove, how disgusted they would look at Dirk Burnaby's strange wife if they knew how desperately she wanted another child.Oh, another baby! Chandler is back with a Lot of Beer.Royall was too excited, however, to take just a few sips.He began to run vigorously around the grass, screaming, stumbling, falling and getting up again, and continued to run, tirelessly.His flaxen hair glistened in the pale sun.He was well-developed, his chubby arms dangling from side to side for balance.It was fascinating to see how pure the nature of this child was.The passion of life seems to be evident in the little Royal.His skin was hot from the constant rush of blood in his body.Despite his wavy hair, no one would mistake him for a girl.Alia remembered how she had bathed little Royall the night before before going to bed, how he had mischievously splashed the water on the floor and over her on purpose.It wasn't the first time that Alia would stare at his tiny cock floating in the sudsy bath water and dream about it after gently washing him.It is so clean and looks so perfect.Those little fleshy sacs cushion it. (If these sacs grow on those sexually mature men, do they contain semen? Alia is not particularly clear about the physiological structure of men. She once asked Dirk.) The strange thing is that Ronaldinho Joel has the ability to provoke his mother, Chandler doesn't.Because Chandler's genitals are just appendages to his emaciated body, that body still seems to belong to Aaliyah.In Royall the genitals are the center of his whole body.The genitals are, or will be, the center of his being.His father's manliness was revived, but it was strange and incomprehensible that it was present in such a young boy. "Royal, you're going to have a fever." Royall finally got tired of running laps and started yelling like a frantic puppy, but when Alia wanted to hug him and take a nap on a park bench, he was still uneasy and pushed Alia away ya.oh no!Royall doesn't want to rest yet.Chandler put him in the stroller for a ride around the park, and Alia strapped him in and straightened his little baseball cap with a visor.Royall, like his father, was easily sunburned.Alia reminded Chandler not to push too fast, not to go too far, and not to go down the mountain anyway.She called after them, "Don't get lost. Do you hear me?" But Chandler was walking toward the waterfall, and it was too loud, and he didn't hear it. Seconds later, Chandler and Cart disappeared into a large group of tourists with cameras on their backs, who were walking towards the Maid of the Mist yacht.Not far away, the American flag fluttering high beside the Grand Canyon rattled in the wind. Thank God, thank God for His blessings. Alia sighed, yawned, and stretched out like a big lazy cat on a park bench basking in the sun.Her bare white toes were still wriggling.Oh, how comfortable it is!She should enjoy these.too tired!The flickering light in front of her eyes made her close her eyelids. The concrete road by the river was wet from splashes, but fortunately there was a guardrail beside it.Walking with the tourists, Chandler and the stroller seemed to be with them. No one would think that it was just a nine-year-old boy pushing his little brother in a stroller without his mother watching .The park's rules don't apply to a young boy as smart as Chandler. Aaliyah felt like she was just taking a nap.Like being in a canoe on a rapid, the current isn't going very fast.Now and then she could hear people passing by, loud talking and laughter in a language she didn't know.Is it French? (Are these strangers looking at her? Are they judging her disrespectfully? Said she looks very stern, with freckled red hair, close to see she is actually slim and young like a girl, see Seeing that she has mottled hair, fine white lines on her face, and delicate flesh on her neck. But this lady is still smiling, isn’t she?) Thinking about a few years ago, it should be more than nine years, when she came to An innocent and believable bride in Niagara Falls.I don't know anything about love, sex, and I don't know anything about men. Since that time, since the death of her first young husband—she does not remember him very well now, nor does she want to remember him again—Alia has received from her mother Edna Mrs Erkin had several letters.Alia did not reply.To her shame, she hadn't even taken it apart.She dare not.The last letter she received - when she was pregnant with Royall - terrified her.She printed "Return to unknown, return to sender" on the envelope and dropped the letter in the mailbox. Of course, she didn't tell Dirk.Like all wives, she has her own secret private life, which neither her husband nor her children know about. her husband!Dirk Burnaby was his husband, no one else. But sometimes it would be like this, drifting helplessly into sleep, Alia seemed to have no idea who her husband was. No, her husband was definitely Dirk Burnaby.A man who was far more real than Alia herself, no matter his weight, his girth or his social status. Aaliyah never told Dirk about Claudine's horrific visit.Not even explaining her uneasiness afterwards.That time, Dirk found that Alia had drunk a lot and was unconscious.She didn't mention Claudine's accusation to Dirk either.He's sorry for Alia, he gambles, he finds a mistress, and he puts a girl under medical treatment...a daughter.Please give me a daughter before it's too late. Just the night before, she had been lying in Dirk's strong, sensual arms.Alia had been awake, waiting for Dirk to come home.Oh, he'll be back later, after midnight.And he must have been drinking.Alia knew, but she would forgive him.Her husband was in trouble, and she took comfort in knowing that he would not involve her in it.Dirk Burnaby, too, had his private life.his secret life.而且他是个律师，他的工作原本私密的事情就很多。反正阿莉亚对他那些事情也没什么兴趣。很清楚，阿莉亚不是德克本该迎娶的那种女人。她了解丈夫的威信，和波纳比的朋友还有他们的妻子们在一起的时候，她，波纳比太太，作过一次镇定自若、莫测高深的评论，或者，有时会更加难以理解的沉静，完全一言不发。阿莉亚很擅于坐在晚餐聚会上，在周身环绕的交谈中，注视着空地用手指在桌子上敲击（实际上，阿莉亚是在练习弹钢琴，在看不见的琴键上练习）。在大岛乡村俱乐部，阿莉亚最后一次去那儿的时候，她从聚会上溜走了，自己跑到舞厅找到一架钢琴坐下静静地，梦幻一般地，弹奏了起来，她喜爱的那些少女时代的曲子，那些她曾肆意夸赞过的：《月光奏鸣曲》的第一乐章，年轻莫扎特的一首《米奴哀舞曲》，还有肖邦绝美的《玛祖卡》。阿莉亚弹得如此忘情，她忘记了自己，忘记了身在何处；后来，还是站在她身后咧嘴而笑的韦恩还有豪威尔——德克的两个朋友，嘲弄般突然的鼓掌，把她拉回了现实。幸好那会儿德克也走了进来。阿莉亚感到很受伤，被羞辱了，匆匆地逃开了。但是我会报复你的。有一天会的。 之前的晚上，她有种想哭的情绪。不是不快乐，就是想哭。从公园里的其他妈妈那里（她们大多数都比阿莉亚年轻很多！）阿莉亚知道每个人不时地都会“想哭”。如果你是个女的，这没什么。其实，阿莉亚倒是挺高兴的。躺在德克的臂弯里，纯纯的幸福感让她不禁哭了出来。为什么哭呢？他们的孩子多么漂亮啊。没有人配有这样漂亮的孩子。 “但是，亲爱的，”阿莉亚把脸拱在德克法兰绒睡衣的领子上，低声细语，“我们也需要一个女儿啊。一个小女孩。哦，我们不能放弃！我们要有一个女儿，这样我们的家就完整了。”德克要回答的时候，阿莉亚拼命控制着自己，尽力不颤抖。这个问题他们已经讨论过好多次了，成了他们现在做爱的前奏。如今他们做爱的方式和以前，他们刚结婚的那些年已经很不一样了，那时候他们无拘无束、充满兴趣、炽如烈火。现在，他们做爱时，阿莉亚会紧紧抓住德克，带着一种坚决而又绝望的神气。她扭曲的脸显示着下面骷髅样的轮廓。她的嘴痛苦地张合，眼睛凸出来又落回去。这样的时候，德克几乎对阿莉亚感到害怕。一个男人害怕一个女人，这个人却恰好又是他的妻子。他叹口气，抚摸着阿莉亚温暖的前额，像是在安抚她。他爱阿莉亚太深了，深到几乎不能再看到她；就像是一个人要站得离镜子太近，他就没法看到自己的影子了。 “我当然喜欢再有个女儿。但是我们这样做明智吗？在我们这个年纪？而且要是我们再生个儿子怎么办？”阿莉亚身体都僵硬了。she laughed. “你是说，在我这个年纪。”她说得很轻，以掩饰自己受到的伤害。 早上，阿莉亚热情地吻过德克后说，“再有一个儿子也不错啊，是不是？我们就可以建个篮球队了。” 阿莉亚微微笑着，沉浸在阳光中，思索着这件事情。 不管怎么样他们是做爱了。她，这个女人，想要怀孕，想要再生个孩子。 一个女儿！带走的我儿子们吧，请给我个女儿。我再也不会向您祈求任何东西了，哦，上帝啊，我发誓。 “夫人？醒醒，夫人。” 一个尖利急切的声音。谁的呢？ 阿莉亚醒了过来，然而她的眼睛还没睁开。当她尝试去攀援那峻峭挺拔、闪着水珠的大峡谷的花岗岩石墙，她是多么紧张啊！有人在大声和她说话。 “夫人，请醒一醒。” 阿莉亚感到有人在推她的肩膀，是什么人呢？一个陌生人，在这种公共场合，在她毫无防备躺着的时候，胆敢去碰触她。她的眼睛忽的睁开了。 她惊慌失措，结结巴巴的说，“怎么——回事？你是谁？” 事情已经发生过了。It's now. 阿莉亚竭力坐起来、站起来的时候，一个陌生人严肃地和她说着话。（可是为什么她光着脚呢？她的鞋哪儿去了?）她匆忙地整了整衣服，用手拢拢鸟窝样的头发。一个穿着绿色制服的年轻的小伙子，公园的服务员，严肃地和她说着话，好像她犯了严重的错误。这个小伙子比阿莉亚年轻很多。“夫人？这些是你的孩子吗？他们在山羊岛可是没有和大人在一起。” 钱德勒向母亲靠过来，愧疚地垂下了头。在婴儿车里，那个宝宝是给系在车上的，头上歪歪斜斜扣着个棒球帽。啊，他叫什么名字：罗约尔，是我从报纸上看到的名字，它的发音吸引了我。罗约尔?曼森，一匹获胜的纯种马。阿莉亚盯着她的孩子们好像很久没有见过他们了。可是，他们刚才跑到哪儿去了呢？过了多久？为什么阿莉亚，德克?波纳比的妻子，在一个公共场合光着脚被一个毫不相干的人责备？“是的，他们当然是我的孩子，”阿莉亚生气地说道。“钱德勒，刚才你跑哪儿去了？我担心死你了。我告诉你不要走远的。” 公园管理员怀疑地看着阿莉亚的时候，钱德勒嘟囔着道了歉。从这个管理员的表情你大概可以猜到，他不相信阿莉亚就是这些孩子的母亲。钱德勒红色的格布衬衫和宽松的卡其裤全都被溅湿了。这个孩子根本不像月神公园的德克?波纳比的孩子，而像是一个流落街头的孤儿。阿莉亚想去打他，狠狠的。就连罗约尔也不像话，鼻涕流的老长，口水从张着的嘴里流了出来。他的脸痴痴傻傻，只是呆呆地睁着眼睛。 啊，天哪。要不是那顶帽子，估计罗约尔的小狮鼻要被晒坏了。 阿莉亚训斥着钱德勒，他又不听话了。就在这个时候，公园管理人员走开了，带着难以置信的神情。听着阿莉亚对钱德勒的教训他摇了摇头，严肃得要命。他以为他是谁？联邦调查局的吗？阿莉亚觉得，他有权逮捕或者传唤自己的话，他一定早就这样做了，那样或许是个解脱。罗约尔从他的迷茫中回过神来，开始大声哭喊：“妈妈？妈——妈!” 阿莉亚赶紧蹲到他面前，抱起了他。 “宝贝儿，妈妈在这儿。” 妈妈一直在这儿。 妈妈和钱德勒哼着“睡吧娃娃”,推着婴儿车回到了月神公园。罗约尔，哭得筋疲力尽，已经睡着了。 7 “波纳比太太，好消息！” 噢，是吗？ “啊，天哪。医生，谢谢您。” 她当然很震惊，快被惊喜吓晕了。 阿莉亚估计到自己已经怀孕了，就是那天在风景公园躺在阳光下做梦、飘忽的时候。然而，她知道：她知道一些事情。她的青春中最美妙的东西已经开始消失了。 朱丽叶在1961年5月底出生。 我的小家庭，完整了。 对于他，这个女人就是一只兀鹫，盘旋在他的视线边缘。弓着背，栖于高处，眼睛眨也不眨地盯着他。等候着他。 她就是黑衣女人。她在观察他，伺机等候要拦截他。她耐心等候、坚持不懈。等候着他，等候着德克?波纳比软弱下来。她知道他的名字，还有他的电话号码。他惧怕她到位于月神公园他的家来。 尽管接待员已多次告诉过德克这个女人姓甚名谁，但他还是几乎立刻就给忘在了脑后。 于是他想到了死亡。一只眼神精确、耐心无限的兀鹫。于是他想到了良心，这与他的生活有一定的距离。 不要卷进去。看在耶稣的份上。 这是你人生最后的需要，波纳比。 “玛德琳，请再向那位妇女解释一下，我'实在抱歉'。我'非常遗憾'不能见她，也不能考虑接她的案子，不是因为现在不能，也不是因为我手头案子堆积成山，'而是因为这种有关人身伤害的诉讼不是波纳比的专长'。” 玛德琳做他的接待员十一年了，知道“专长”什么意思——这个词儿是雇主眼下的口头禅之一。专长是指专业、行业，一个人干得很出色的一个领域。专长是指德克?波纳比律师所知道的运用他的技能和狡猾所能赢得的东西。 还有一次，他说：“玛德琳。不，请把这些材料还给她。请再次向她解释'波纳比先生真诚的道歉'诸如此类的话。这种诉讼案子不是我所要做的，虽然我也确实登记注册过，也有年头了。” 玛德琳显得犹豫不决。当然她会按照波纳比先生的吩咐去做，毕竟她是受雇于他。爱上他，这么多年了。但她的爱是那种没有回报的爱，甚至也得不到承认。“但是，波纳比先生，她会问我，他看了我的信没有？——至少他看了那些照片了没有？我怎么回答？” “告诉她，没有。” “'没有'——只说'没有'？” “没有，我没看她的信，也不看那些照片。” 他开始变得烦躁不安、恼怒不已。开始失去了波纳比式的风度。开始感到自己像是一个被追逐的男人。最使他惊讶的莫过于，在所有人中，惟有玛德琳用一种歉意和责备的表情面对他；好像不依赖他，她已就此事形成了自己的观点。 “噢，波纳比先生，她只想见您几分钟，她保证。也许——您应该？她是一位非常”——玛德琳停了下来，为她的冒失脸红起来，搜肠刮肚地寻找着最准确、最有说服力的字眼儿——“真诚的女人。” “真诚的女人是最危险的女人。上帝宽恕我们吧！” 德克退后一步，进了他里面的办公室。德克终于使玛德琳笑了，但这是一种恼怒、悲伤的笑。一种对你波纳比失望的笑。 这只兀鹫。这个黑衣女人。在德克?波纳比办公大楼的大厅内等候，已经成了她的习惯。有时是在外面的台阶上，有时是在人行道上，有时甚至是在蒙蒙细雨之中，抑或是在薄暮时分，那时，他工作得太晚，也无意回避她了，因为加班时间长了，精力也无法集中了。 他在自己视野的边缘处瞥见了她，这个在此盘旋的黑色身影，他不愿仔细地看，不愿接触她的目光。在她还没来得及叫出他的名字之前，他就急转身，迅速地走开了。 He is very clear.不能卷进去。不能为同情或是怜悯所动。 如果她在后面叫他，他就装没听到。 No.I won't.I can not. 自从和阿莉亚相恋、结婚后，他就再也不把自己想象成一个孤独地跨越拉紧的绳索的浪漫人物了。架在深渊之上的绳索！再也不是了，他不再是那样的人了。他永远不再是那样的人了。他的祖父雷金纳德?波纳比在大瀑布的命运将不会是他的。现在是1961年，可不是1872年。德克?波纳比现在不是孤身一人了，永不再是孤身一人了。他已经给自己的命运打上了封条。或者说，他的命运已经给他打上了封条。 阿莉亚向他吐露过心迹：“如今我们安全了，亲爱的！即使我们其中的一个被带走了，我们还剩两个呢。如果你离开我”——她喉咙里发出了低沉的笑声，她在嘲弄自己的担忧——“我还有他们三个呢。” 德克笑了，向来阿莉亚跟他说的这些离奇古怪的话，都是逗乐的。他们之间已形成了习惯——德克假装一脸严肃地摇摇头，说：“阿莉亚！你说的什么呀。” “嘿，总得有人说吧！” 阿莉亚的反应机智、勇敢。她那绿玻璃般的眼睛、红色的头发和苍白的面容使四十岁的她有一种年轻、不谙事实的神情。在和阿莉亚生活了十余年之后，德克认为自己对她的了解甚至比刚开始的时候还要少。他寻思着是否所有的女人都这样？ 当然啦，阿莉亚可不是任意的“所有女人”。 他思索着她的话。“如今我们安全了。”这是什么意思？这是家庭生活和急于传宗接代的根本准则吗？像在神话故事中一样，人类希望通过自己的孩子延续自己的生命。活得比自己的寿限越长，越重要。而越重要，对某人来说，也就越长久。 不要孤单。尽量不要知道某人身处孤独之中。 他现在是一位四十五岁左右的已婚男人，一位深爱妻子的丈夫，一位深爱孩子的父亲。一位在当时当地受人尊敬的公民。我是什么样的人，没有人会怀疑。不再有人怀疑，这我知道。 有时这种爱来得如此强烈，以至他无法呼吸，感到胸腔在收缩。他那年幼的两个儿子和襁褓中的女儿。他们的妈妈抬起头以一种胜利的目光望着他，那是一种带有恐惧和危险的胜利的目光。德克敏感地意识到，他们现在就是我拉紧的绳索，到将来就是我的深渊。 这个女人，黑衣女人，已经请尼亚加拉大瀑布的其他律师提起上诉了。几周来她辗转于各个律师事务所，奇怪的是，她会拖了这么久才来求助于德克?波那比事务所：他猜想，因为她知道自己支付不起他的诉讼费，可她也不像是能支付起这幢大楼里所有事务所律师诉讼费的人呢。这幢新建的塔式大楼叫做双彩虹广场，位于市中心的彩虹大街和主街上。 她已经把她的案子递给了尼亚加拉县卫生局。她有意要和《尼亚加拉新闻报》的编辑攀谈一番，而事实上她已经和一位记者谈过了。消息在这座城市迅速传开，尽管工厂工人和手工劳动者的人口在迅猛增长，但这个城市仍旧是一个规模不大、人口密集的城市。城市的核心力量是那些掌握权力、举足轻重的人物，也就不到50人吧，且全部是男性。德克?波纳比当然是其中之一，而且他们中的大多数是他的朋友，或朋友般的熟人。而其中那些老一辈人则是他父亲维吉尔?波纳比的朋友或熟人。德克和他们属于同一个私人俱乐部。他们的女人都崇拜他。 他怎么向这位黑衣女人解释呢：我的朋友是你的敌人，但我的朋友不可能成为我的敌人呀。 德克对这位绝望的妇女打算状告尼亚加拉大瀑布市诉讼案的细节了解不多，只知道这类案件的解决决不会有利于她，法官甚至都不会认真考虑它。人们谣传说，她的家庭成员都有相当严重的健康问题，可能她还流过产；或是有人这么说过。她正在自己的居住区、在第九十九大街和科文大街的邻近区域，设法组织一个业主协会，以抗议当地小学的健康恶化的状况。他在《尼亚加拉新闻报》上看到过具有误导性的标题：家长组织抗议第九十九街学校。下面则是一行简短而中立的专题报道。 尼亚加拉大瀑布市的市长是德克的老朋友“胆小鬼”韦恩，他坚信黑衣女人——他很难想起她的名字——是一名“著名的赤色分子”。事实上她是一位“臭名昭著”的赤色分子的女儿，这位赤色分子是30年代北托纳旺达地区产业工会联合会的组织者，死于和警察及罢工的破坏者的冲突之中。“这些人”过去带来了很多的麻烦。这位妇女和她的丈夫可能是一家塑料厂的装配工人，他们是“职业煽动者”。很显然他们是犹太人，“接受来自莫斯科的命令”，他们曾经参与了在布法罗举行的对罗森博格们处以死刑的抗议示威活动。可能两人还没有结婚，但作为“公社的部分”已经“开店营业了”。人人都知道共产主义是“无神论”——这是事实。这对夫妇来自纽约或是底特律，他们手中有第九十九大街的大片房屋的抵押契据，把它作为活动的“前沿”。这名女子患有“精神病史”，而男子则有“坐监记录”的前科。有孩子们和他们住一起，他们声称是他们的孩子。这位妇女自称她流过产，但这是城市的错误，而不是她本人的错误。她声称由于这个城市的饮水、土壤、空气，或是第九十九大街学校的操场的缘故，她的孩子们都生病了，但有谁相信她所说是事实呢？她已经给这所学校及尼亚加拉县卫生局招致了很大的麻烦。韦恩长篇大论、措辞激烈，仿佛他的人身正遭受着黑衣女人的威胁。这是一个周日早晨的两点钟，在斯特劳顿?豪威尔新购置的能俯瞰鹿角岛的白色殖民地时期建造的房屋里，纸牌游戏正到了一个间歇时刻。克莱德?考博恩、巴兹?费奇、麦克?麦肯纳、都?伊顿都在那儿，都?伊顿的哥哥娶了德克的姐姐西尔维亚，德克也在那儿。韦恩说：“这些赤色分子！就像罗森博格之流，他们还梦想着推翻美国政府并以公社和自由之爱来取代它，这才是这场'抱怨'的真正目的。” 德克?波纳比喝了上等的苏格兰威士忌酒，整晚上手中的好牌数量既能让他一次又一次地赢，又不让他的朋友们士气低落或迁怒于他，他亲切友好、心情顺畅，一直坐到游戏结束。他能感觉到何时运气可能会从指尖溜走。他带着律师的睿智说道：“'这些人'想要的是赔偿——这是一种通过法庭可以求得解决的途径。要推翻美国政府，见它的鬼去吧。” 他对刚才一股脑说出的话认真吗？Maybe. 他会为刚才所说过的话而后悔吗？ 黑衣女人！那只兀鹫。 在她有名有姓之前，在她在他面前是一个活灵活现的人之前，她是一种威胁。她让他在心中咒骂着。该死的我不会的，如果我做了，我就是一个傻瓜。 德克永远不会对阿莉亚提起黑衣女人的事，决不会主动提起。他更清楚——这次他有足够的经验！——不要和他容易激动的妻子谈论任何有问题的事情。他们的谈话很可能在开始的时候很正常，但几分钟之后，阿莉亚就会变得警觉和不安。在过去的几年里，她对位于月神公园的家之外的广阔世界越来越焦虑，拒绝读《尼亚加拉新闻报》的头版内容——“如果你无能为力的话，知道的太多惹人心烦意乱。”她回避任何的“外国”新闻，因为那总会让她焦虑不安。她拒绝看电视新闻，家里的杂志她也只钟情于《周六晚邮报》、《女性家庭期刊》和《读者文摘》，但不看《生活》与《时代》周刊。在社交聚会上，她会突然为自己找个借口离开，以避开那些会转向令她不愉快的话题的谈话，比如德克和他老战友之间回忆战争的谈天说地。（德克有一位战友老熟人在臭名远扬的“大轰炸”后进入了德累斯顿。而另外一个战友，现在是在大岛河滨居住的银行家，他在“解放”奥斯维辛集中营时曾人在现场。）钱德勒描述在月神公园小学进行的“蹲下-盖上”训练①（以防万一发生苏联导弹突袭）时，阿莉亚听得聚精会神、毛骨悚然，吓得把手指甲都咬破出血了。即便是那些有关孩子们在户外排列成纵队进行普通的消防演习，也会让她感到沮丧。当然，阿莉亚也知道这种做法的实质——“你应该作最坏的打算。”然而，假如德克开始忧虑地说起他的法律业务，假如他不是以一种最随意的谈话方式提及他的工作，那么，阿莉亚就会面色紧张。这时，德克就会逗她笑，她也喜欢被他逗着开心。她想要他告诉她，月神公园7号之外的世界是蠢瓜和无赖的区域。如果你既不是蠢瓜又不是无赖，你就不要参与到那个世界之中，你就可以保持超然与独立。这样，阿莉亚就能够自得其乐、开怀大笑。她最爱看德克模仿当地法官、政客和他法律界的同行。她有一种愉悦的恶作剧般的幽默感。但是，一旦德克开始严肃地讲话时，她的脸又会绷紧。她从不过问他接手案子的结果，他猜想，那是由于她害怕，她害怕他会告诉她官司输掉了，或是赢得不如他和委托人所希望的那般光彩。她害怕他失败，害怕他事业蒙羞，害怕他破产。她害怕他的母亲会“剥夺他的继承权”（正如德克常念叨地那样，他已没有希望得到母亲的钱财了，并声称事实上他已经被“剥夺了继承权。”）总之她好像害怕他会突然死掉（心脏病突发、车祸），害怕他会“消失”——“蒸发。” 就像她的第一个丈夫那样，德克心想。 只是，奇怪的是阿莉亚似乎再也回想不起来，在德克?波纳比之前她有一位丈夫。 他们的第二个儿子出生后，他那嘹亮的嗓音和充沛的能量占据了大量空间，使得他们在月神公园7号那座优雅的排屋显得过于狭小。德克不顾阿莉亚的反对，在对面月神公园22号买 了一座更大、有五间卧室的排屋。这所新房子和他们现在住的这所宅院是同一个年代的，建于20世纪20年代。沙石建成的房子坐落在一块一英亩的土地上，四周环绕着榆树和苏格兰松，楼上、楼下的房间都很宽敞，在城市的这个区域里它应当属于一流的不动产。阿莉亚对搬家还是显得很固执，几周来脾气暴躁、情绪紧张。尽管不喜欢，但她却别无选择，只能由着丈夫在新的居民区雇用了一个全职的管家和保姆。“我想我们必须要很有钱，”她干哑着嗓子说道，“像所有的波纳比家族成员那样。玩儿命哪。” 德克接道：“阿莉亚，无论我们富有还是贫穷，'命运'都会找上门的。” 阿莉亚颤栗了一下。她嬉戏地拍了拍德克，把她那被咬的突起的指甲嵌入到他的胳膊里。她不想让他怀疑自己的病态表现。 要紧的是，波纳比的新房子和他们的老房子一样距离第九十九大街和科文大街只有几英里，正如钱德勒正上五年级的月神公园小学离第九十九大街学校也只有几英里一样。 然而，它迟早是要发生的：1961年9月，德克?波纳比毕竟还是接受了这桩“厄运”的诉讼案。这起法律诉讼开始以“奥谢克案”而闻名；可是随后就变成声名狼藉的“爱的运河”。 ① 太快了——真是不可思议！——消息迅速传遍了尼亚加拉大瀑布市。传遍了联系紧密的法律界，人们彼此都熟识，或是他们愿意认为认识彼此；传遍了市政大厅和市县的法院；传 遍了德克?波纳比所属的阶层，或者是如果他那有着一头红发的脾气古怪的妻子更愿意社交的话而可能所属的阶层。在一些居民区，人们对消息的真实性表示怀疑，而在其他一些地区，人们则表示出了愤怒。 “德克?波纳比？他疯了吗？他一定知道这桩案子是不可能会胜诉的。” 还有，“波纳比！你得把案子推给他，那家伙有勇气。” 还有，“波纳比！那个杂种。那个背叛了他的阶层的叛徒。他的事业完蛋了。” 爱的运河。德克?波纳比说：“这不是一条运河，永远也不会是一条运河，而且它和爱一点关系都没有。” 他确信自己已经下定了决心：不和黑衣女人讲话。（看来他记不住她的名字。）当这个鲁莽的女人在他的事务所外大胆地想接近他的时候，他刻意地躲开了她，他拒绝她到自己的办公室去拜访他。到1961年6月中旬的时候，她不再试图接近他了，她也不再以鬼鬼祟祟的兀鹫式的方式出现在他面前。然而，这种情景却开始溜进了他的睡眠，开始扰乱他的梦境，使他像受惊吓的孩子一样大声地呜呜哭泣。阿莉亚听到后，就会把他轻轻推醒，问他出什么事了？做噩梦了吗？心脏病发作了吗？夜晚，在楼上他们的卧室里，阿莉亚焦虑地抚摸着他的胸部，抚摸着他那有着坚硬毛发的上身，身子由于噩梦渗出的冷汗而变得湿凉光滑。他的身体战栗着，心脏像一个钟摆一样敲击着。 德克喃喃道：“阿莉亚，没事，没什么事，睡觉吧，亲爱的。” 他确信自己下了决心了。无论如何他要让这个黑衣女人从他的生活中消失。她是否最终找到了一位律师来接手她的案子，他没有听说。他也害怕知道。 六月下旬的一天，德克开车回家途中，天空乌云密布，顷刻间雷声大作，大雨如注。他的车停在主路大街和费瑞大街的十字路口等待红灯，圣?安妮医院就在附近。这时，他看到公共汽车站牌儿处，一位年轻女子带着个孩子挤在伞下。她们身上没披雨衣，只穿着夏天的衣服。像平时一样，暴风雨来得迅猛，短短几分钟内，六月温和的气候就陡然下降了20度。雨点像机关枪子弹一样打落下来，下水道里污水横流。那女人半蹲在孩子身边，斜撑着伞，竭力想不让孩子被雨淋着，但徒劳无功。雨点在狂风中肆意地抽打在她们身上。德克把车靠在路边，对着母女俩大声喊到：“嗨，需要送你们一程吗？上来吧。”女人迟疑片刻，上了车，坐在了这辆豪华轿车的前排。她把瑟瑟发抖的小女孩儿抱在腿上，收起了雨伞。她气喘吁吁的，看起来有点迷茫。“爱丽丝，对这位好心人说声谢谢！先生，您真是个大好人。”女人一边说话，一边为小女孩儿擦脸，把她太妃糖颜色的湿发从眼睛前面拨开。那女人满头黑发，身上穿的旧衣服已经湿透了。她大概有28岁，看上去行色匆匆但精力充沛；她的皮肤呈橄榄色，透出点苍白，她没有化妆，乌黑的眼睛像矿石一样闪闪发光。尽管她的眼睛下面有一些像是擦伤一样的痕迹，但德克仍觉得她看起来精神气十足。 不知道是她还是孩子，身上散发出一股口香糖或冰棒一样的水果味，但却混杂着一丝刺鼻的消毒剂的味道。 德克客气地询问她们应该把她们带到哪里去，女人拿出了一个住址给他，并为要德克行驶这么远的路程而感到抱歉。——“您干脆把我们带到公共汽车总站吧？那样我们也已经感激不尽了。”女人说出的住址让德克不自觉地想要退缩。朝东边还要走很远的路，那片尼加拉亚大瀑布地区他可一点也不熟悉。那里是无人地带，现在则有新建的住房，工厂，仓库，从地里挖出来的土堆还有被砍伐的树木。可他当然要把这可怜的母女送回家，这是他唯一能做的事了。他开着他昂贵的新款林肯大陆轿车（车身是海绿色的，车胎壁是白色的，车子是自动档的，里面是天鹅绒的窗帘，让阿莉亚每次看到它的时候，都会联想到一个时髦的首饰盒。德克觉得这个迷人的女人和她的女儿很可怜，她们刚才一定是去了医院，在这样恶劣的天气里却不得不搭乘城市公共汽车。他看到那女人手上戴了一个装饰简单的结婚戒指和一个镶着豌豆大小宝石的订婚戒指，他感到心中被扎了一下：所有男人、所有丈夫若不能为妻子儿女提供哪怕是稍好一点的生活，在他看来这都是不能容忍的——这近乎是一种道德上的深恶痛绝了。 得了吧，波纳比：穷人只能这样。 他不得不时常提醒自己这个事实。如果这真是事实的话。