Chapter 21 12-1

After what happened the night before, facing all the unknown disasters tonight, I didn't expect that we could make love.Sasha couldn't imagine not having sex, and although she didn't know the real reason for my fear, seeing me so scared and panicked about losing her made her sexually irresistible. Ourson was downstairs in the kitchen in gentlemanly fashion.We went into the bedroom on the second floor, and from there we plunged into our time and spaceless world, where Sasha was my only energy, the only matter that existed, and the only driving force in the entire universe.She lights up everything.

After that, even the most horrific news seemed to become easier to accept. I told her everything from sunset to sunrise, including the new century monster monkey, Stevenson, and Moonlight Bay had become a gathering place for evil. abyss.Even if she thinks I'm crazy, please forgive me. When I described to her how Orson and I had been harassed by monkeys after we left Bobby's house, she got goosebumps and pulled on her nightgown.She gradually understood the seriousness of the matter, knowing that we had no one to turn to and nowhere to escape, and that we might have all been infected by the Werwinburg virus, facing unimaginable sequelae, she couldn't help but pull the collar of the nightgown tight.

If I found her extremely disgusted by Steven's hand, I can only say that she concealed it very well.When I finished speaking, and even told her about the fragments of porcelain dolls I found on her bed, she got out of her nightgown, ignoring the goosebumps all over her body, and hugged me into her arms, leading me into her bright world again.The lovemaking this time was quieter, slower, and gentler than the previous one.Although she was very gentle before, the gentleness at this moment cannot be increased.We hugged each other with love and longing, trying desperately to cherish the feeling of being together.Oddly enough, our bond was sweeter than ever, as we seemed to be on the verge of being shot for execution.

Perhaps this is not surprising at all, perhaps the extreme danger allows one to strip away all pretense, ambition, and wanderlust, and to focus on those important things that we often forget throughout our lives. The essence and purpose of life is love above all. Make love with your partner, enjoy the beauty of the world, recognize the reality of the past and the present, and don't live in the illusion of the future. If the world as we know it is about to wash away at this moment, then Sasha's composition and my writing would be completely meaningless.Let me paraphrase Pogelt and Bergman: As the avalanche of this crazy future swoops down upon us, the combined ambition of these two men is worth a small pile of beans.In this case, only friendship, love, and surfing matter.The wizards of Werven Castle forced Sasha and I to reduce our lives to the bare essentials.

Friendship, love and surfing.Blossoms can be folded and need to be folded, don't wait for no flowers to break branches.Enjoy them while you have the humanity to know how valuable they are.For a while, we just hugged each other in silence, waiting for the wheel of time to start turning again, or praying that time would stop forever. Then Sasha suggested: "Let's get together." "I thought we'd just started dating." "I mean making sandwich omelettes." "Hmm, the thought of those delicious egg whites makes my mouth water," I say, poking fun at her extreme notions of healthy eating.

"I'm going to make an exception today and use whole eggs." "From this point on, we know that the end of the world is coming." "Cooking with cream." "Add cheese." "The cows in the pasture need to work harder." "Cream, cheese, egg yolk, it seems that you have decided to commit suicide." We pretended to be cool on purpose, even though our situation wasn't cool at all. We all know it.But we continue to pretend, because to do otherwise would be to bow to our inner fears. The stuffed omelette tasted delicious, as did the French fries and the heavy creamed british bun.

While Sasha and I sat at the kitchen table enjoying a candlelit meal, Orson circled around the table, whimpering pleadingly, and whenever he caught our attention, he immediately used the kind of famine children in Africa. Eyes looking at us eagerly. "You have eaten everything I put in your bowl." I told it solemnly. It groaned, as if surprised at how I made such an untrue statement, and continued to whine piteously at Sasha, trying to convince her that I wasn't telling the truth, and it didn't eat anything.It lay on the ground and rolled around, making gestures in the air with its feet, pretending to be pitiful and cute, trying to beg for something to eat for itself.It even performed circles on its hind legs, which was shameless to the extreme.

I kicked out another chair with one foot and said to it, "Okay, you can sit on it." It couldn't wait to jump on the chair and looked at me intently. I said, "I just told this Miss Gudow a super bizarre story, and she believed everything I said without a doubt, even though I had no evidence for it except the priest's jumbled diaries of several months. She The reason for doing this is probably because she has an urgent sex hunger and desperately needs a man for companionship, and I just happen to be the only one who will want her." Sasha threw a small piece of buttered bread at me.The result just fell in front of Olson.It stepped forward without hesitation.

"Stay still, man!" I said. It stopped in mid-air with its mouth wide open, baring its teeth, only an inch away from the piece of bread. It didn't dare to swallow the bread without authorization, but just happily sniffed here and there in front of the bread. "If you are willing to help me prove to Miss Gudao that Fort Werwin's plan is true, I will share some of my stuffed omelette and French fries with you." "Chris, you have to take care of its heart," Sasha said worriedly, her healthy-eating rhetoric relapsed. "It doesn't have a heart," I said, "I see that it has only a stomach in its entire stomach."

Olsen looked at me with reproachful eyes, as if complaining that I deliberately bullied it knowing that it couldn't speak. I said to it, "When people nod, it means yes. When they shake their head from side to side, it means no. You get that, don't you?" Toothy smile. "You may not trust Roosevelt," I said, "but you should be able to trust this lady. You have no choice, because she and I are going to be together forever, under the same roof, for the rest of our lives .” Ourson turned his attention to Sasha. "Isn't it?" I asked her. "Stay together forever?"

She smiled and replied, "I love you, Snowman." "I love you too, Miss Gu Dao." She looked at Olsen sincerely and said, "Dog dog, from now on, it will no longer be the two of you, but the three of us will depend on each other." Olson winked at me, then at Sasha, and then stared intently at the brioche in front of him. "Now," I said, "do you know the difference between nodding and shaking your head?" Olsen hesitated, then nodded to me.Sasha stared dumbfounded. "Do you think she's nice?" I asked. Olsen nodded. "Then do you like her?" It nods again. I was a little dizzy with joy, and the same excitement appeared on Sasha's face. Although my mother caused the destruction of the world, she also brought new magic and comedy to the world. I need Olsen's cooperation, not only to prove what I said to Sasha, but also to boost our morale so that we can still have a glimmer of hope for the continuation of life after the spread of the Fort Werwin project.Although the survival of human beings is currently facing serious threats from all sides, such as the first monkey groups, etc., although we will all die out due to mysterious diseases caused by genetic transmission between organisms, although only a very small number of people will escape the mind in the next few years Rapid emotional and even physical mutations—perhaps when human beings falter from the position of overlord in the evolutionary competition, there will be successors who are more suitable than us to rule the world. Cold reassurance is better than nothing. "Do you think Sasha is pretty?" I asked the dog. Olsen studied her appearance carefully for a few seconds, then he turned his head and nodded at me. "Why did it take so long to react?" Sasha complained. "It is because it is willing to take the time to study your appearance and make sure that you look good, so it shows its sincerity." I comforted Sasha. "I think you're not bad looking, either," Sasha said to it. Orson wagged his tail happily. "I'm a lucky guy, don't you?" I asked it. It nodded vigorously. "I'm a lucky girl too," Sasha said. Ourson turned to her, shaking his head in disapproval. "Hey!" I protested. Olson winked at me, grinned, grinned, and gasped, and I bet he was giggling at me. "He can't even talk," I said, "but he has a great sense of humor." Now we not only act cool, but also feel cool.If you're really cool, you can overcome all odds, which is one of Bobby's number one tenets.Looking at the world after the devastation of Wervenburg from the immediate point of view, I must say that the guide to a happy life provided by the philosopher Barbie is very useful. Those philosophers who believe in the supremacy of logic, order and method, including Aristotle ), Kierkegarrd, Thotnas MOre, Schelling, and Jacopo Zabarella are no match for him.Logic, order and method are all important, but they are not the only tools for analyzing and understanding life.I have no intention of claiming to have seen Harry Bigfoot, or to have the ability to communicate with the undead, or to claim to be a reincarnation of Kahuna, but when I see the devotion to logic, order, and method lead to this genetic storm...  I think it would be more fun to surf a few big waves. For Sasha, the end of the world is not a reason for insomnia, she still fell asleep soundly as usual.Although I was physically and mentally exhausted, I could only sleep intermittently.The bedroom door was locked, with a chair propped under the doorknob.Ourson slept on the floor, and it would have been the best alarm system if someone broke in.My Glock was on the nightstand beside me, and Sasha's . 38 Smith & Wesson was on the nightstand near hers.I woke up repeatedly, always feeling that someone had broken into the room, and I felt very insecure. There is no peace even in sleep.In one of the dreams, I was a homeless man, wandering alone under a full moon along a desert road, and I gestured for a hitchhiker. In my right hand, I carried a suitcase exactly like my father's, which was as heavy as if it was full of bricks.Finally, I put down the suitcase, and as soon as I opened it, I saw Stevenson hovering out of the suitcase like a cobra, with a golden glint in his eyes, and I knew immediately that if my suitcase could hold something like death The chief of the bureau is such a strange thing, maybe there is something even stranger inside my body, and then I felt the top of my head being torn apart like a zipper, and then I woke up from the dream. An hour before sunset, I called Bobby from Sasha's kitchen. "How's the weather at Monkey Headquarters?" "There will be a storm later. There will be thunder and lightning in the open sea." "Have you gotten enough sleep?" "Sleeped a bit after the troublemakers were gone." "When was that?" "After I turned the tables and taunted them with my bare ass instead." "So they're scared by you," I said. "That's right, I have bigger butts and they know that." "How many bullets are left in your shotgun?" "There are still a few boxes." "We'll bring some more." "Isn't Sasha going to be on the show tonight?" "No on Saturdays," I replied, "and probably not even on weekday evenings in the future." "That's great news." "We're a target right now. Listen, do you have a fire extinguisher?" "Now you are exaggerating too much. The two of you are not so hot together." "We'll bring some fire extinguishers, these guys are good at playing with fire." Shortly after sunset, I sat in the Ford Explorer, waiting for Sasha to come into Thor's gun store to buy ammunition for Bobby's shotgun, my Glock, and Sasha's .38 revolver.Due to the large number of purchases, please excuse Thor.Hai Sen moved the ammunition to the trunk of the truck for her.He came to greet me by the front window.He was tall and fat, with acne scars all over his face, and his right eye was made of glass.He may not be the top handsome guy in the world, but he used to be a police detective in Los Angeles. He left the police force not because of a scandal, but at the invitation of the deacon of the church to participate in the church and the orphanage sponsored by the church. "Chris, I heard about your father." "At least he doesn't have to suffer anymore." I said, wondering how his cancer was different from normal cancers, and why the people at Werwenburg wanted to perform an autopsy on his body. "Sometimes, it's a gift," Thor said. "Get away when the time comes. He will be missed by many, though. He was a good man." "Thank you, Mr. Hessen." "What are you brats going to do? Are you going to start a war?" "Exactly," I said, and Sasha turned the key to start the engine. "Sasha said you were going clam shelling." "It's not very environmentally conscious to analyze, is it?" He laughed heartily as we drove off. In my backyard, Sasha scans the potholes Orson made last night with a flashlight. "What is buried here?" Sasha asked curiously. "Could it be a whole piece of beef ribs?" "Last night," I said, "I thought it was just digging a hole to express my grief over my father's death. It was purely a way of killing negative emotions." "Grief?" she said, frowning. Although she has seen Olsen's extraordinary IQ, she has not yet fully grasped the complexity of his inner world.No matter what kind of technology is used to improve the IQ of these animals, it will inevitably involve injecting human genetic material into the genetic genes of animals. By the time Sasha understands this, she'll probably have to sit down and let herself cool down for a while, maybe even a week. "Later," I continued, "I realized that it was actually looking for something it thought I needed." I knelt on the grass next to Ourson. "Now listen to me, brother, I know you were in a bad mood last night. You were very sad because of your father's death. You were in a panic at the time, and you couldn't think of where to go. It's been a day since he passed away. You should be more able to accept that fact, shouldn't you?" Olson let out a low moan. "Let's try again then," I said. It went straight to one of the holes without hesitation, and dug the hole bigger and bigger.After about five minutes, its claws made a sound and dug up something.Sasha took a look with the flashlight and found a glass jar covered with mud. I pushed the remaining mud and took out the jar. Inside the jar was a roll of yellow note paper bound with a rubber band.I rolled up the papers, held the front page up to the light, and immediately recognized my father's handwriting.I only read the first paragraph: Chris, when you read this letter, I am no longer alive, and it was Orson who led you to find the burial place of the jar, because only he knows his origin, we should start from this Starting off, let me tell you about Orson... "Bingo," I said.I re-rolled the paper and put it in a glass jar, and looked up at the sky. There was no moon, no stars, and the dark clouds drifted rapidly in the low sky, sometimes being polished by the dim yellow lights gradually lighting up in Moonlight Bay. "We can look at this later." I said, "Let's go, Bobby is there alone." When Sasha opened the tailgate of the Ford Explorer, a flock of screeching seagulls flew low above us, apparently spooked by the strong winds and waves at sea, seeking another safe perch inland. I held a box of ammunition I bought from the Tolgzhi specialty store in both hands, and watched their white wings disappear into the black, windy night sky.The thick fog has long since dissipated. Under the night sky with dark clouds and low hanging clouds, the night looked extraordinarily crystal clear. On the peninsula around us, the sparse weeds swayed in the wind.The sudden gust of wind blows away the fine sand at the top of the dunes like a ghost jumping out of a grave.I wondered if the seagull's haste to escape had any other reason than the wind. "They haven't arrived yet," Bobby said affirmatively, taking two boxes of pizza from the back of the truck. "It's still early for them." "This is the time when monkeys usually eat," I said. "Come out for a little dance after dinner." "Maybe they won't show up at all tonight." "They're bound to show up," I said. "You're right, they're bound to come," agreed Bobby. Bobby came inside with our dinner.Olsen followed closely, not because he was worried that there would be killer monkeys ambushing in the sand dunes, but because he played the role of a food policeman, supervising and ensuring the equal distribution of the sausages. Sasha unloaded two shopping bags from the truck containing the fire extinguishers she bought at Crown Hardware.She closed the tailgate of the truck and pressed the remote locks to lock all the doors.Since Bobby's only garage was already filled with his Jeeps, we had to leave the Ford Explorer outside the main entrance of the cabin. When Sasha turned to face me, the evening wind blew her soft and bright long hair into a bright banner, and her skin shone slightly, as if the moon couldn't help but break through the heavy clouds and shed a beam of moonlight, just to Caressing her delicate face.She seemed taller than she was, like a fairy of nature. "What's wrong?" She couldn't read my eyes. "You are so beautiful, like the goddess of the wind, all the strong winds come for you." "You can talk nonsense," she said, with a big smile on her face. "That's my most charismatic quality." A gust of wind whipped up gravel and sand in our faces, and we hurried inside. Bobby was already waiting inside, and the lights in the room had been adjusted to a pleasant dimness.He easily locked the front door behind us. Sasha looked around at the expanses of glass and couldn't help but suggest, "I wish we could get some triple-plywood and nail the windows up." "This is my house," said Bobby. "I don't want to nail up the windows and hide in the house like a prisoner, just because of those monkeys." I said to Sasha, "Since I've known this cool guy, he's never been intimidated by these monkeys." "Never," echoed Bobby, "so I don't need to be afraid of them from now on." "Then we can at least close the shutters," said Sasha resignedly. I shake my head. "Bad idea, this will only increase their suspicion. If they can monitor us, as long as we don't act suspiciously on the sidelines, they will be less suspicious." Sasha took out the fire extinguisher and cut off the plastic seal on the wrench.A ten-pound mini fire extinguisher that's easy to handle.She keeps one in the kitchen, in a corner out of sight from the window, and hides the second next to a sofa in the living room. While Sasha was busy arranging the fire extinguisher, Bobby and I sat in the candlelit kitchen, our laps piled high with ammunition, and we quietly loaded the ammunition with both hands under the table in case someone suddenly appeared The monkey mafia saw through.Sasha bought three additional magazines for my Glock and three sets of quick-load magazines for her own revolver, and we snapped them into place. "After leaving your house last night," said Russo, "I went to see Roosevelt. " Bobby raised his eyebrows and glanced at me: "Did he have a good chat with the Olsen brothers?" "Roosevelt tried to communicate with it, but Olsen refused to cooperate. But there is also a cat named Montgomery." "Of course," he said dryly. "The cat said the people of Werwinburg wanted me to stay out of it and go on with my life." "You mean you talked to the cat yourself?" "No, it asked Roosevelt to pass the news to me." "You can imagine." "The cat said they'd give me a little warning. If I don't stop chasing, they're going to kill my friend until I obey." "They're going to kill me just to warn you" That was their idea, not me. " "Why don't they just kill you?" "Roosevelt said they respected me." "Yeah, who doesn't respect you?" Even after the monkey nuisance incident, he still has great doubts about the human nature of animals.However, his mocking attitude has obviously restrained a lot. "Just after I left the Nostromo," I said, "I was really warned sternly, exactly as the cat said." I told Bobby about Stevenson, and he asked me, "Is he really going to shoot Orin?" Orson, who was standing guard under the kitchen counter with the quilt on, moaned softly in support of my statement. "So," said Bobby, "you killed the sheriff." "He's the current police chief." "You killed the sheriff," Bobby insisted. Years ago, he was an Eric Clapton fan, no wonder he liked the term. "All right. I admit to shooting the sheriff—but I didn't kill the deputy." "I won't let you out of my sight." He finished installing the quick-installed magazine, and put the remaining bullets in the bag that Sasha the Cypriot had bought in advance. "Nice shirt." I said. Bobby is wearing a rare long-sleeved Hawaiian shirt, bright orange, red, green depicts a lively tropical festival scene. He said, "It's a masterpiece of the Kamehameha Clothing Company, circa 1950 or so." "What's the aftertaste of pizza?" he asked Sasha. "One is smoked sausage and the other is onion ham." "Bobby wears second-hand shirts," I proclaim to Sasha. "An antique shirt." Bobby corrected me. "You can say what you want, anyway, I set fire to the police car, and then I broke into the Church of St. John at night." "Break the window to get in?" "The windows are not locked." "So it's just a mere crime of illegal usurpation." I loaded the backup for the Glock and said with a smile, "Second-hand shirt, vintage shirt, doesn't sound like much difference." "One is cheap," Sasha explained, "and the other is expensive." "One is art," Barbie added.He handed Sasha the leather pouch containing the quick-loading magazines. "Here's your spare ammo pouch." Sasha took the leather bag and fastened it to her belt. I said, "Father Tom's sister is my mother's colleague." Bobby said: "Why, is it possible that she is also the scientist who blasted the earth?" "There was no use of explosives involved, however, she was a participant and is now infected." "Infected," he grimaced. "Do we have to talk about it?" "Yes, but it's complicated and involves genetics." "Nerve-braining stuff, no fun." "It's different this time." On the sea in the distance, lightning illuminated the night sky like dazzling blood vessels, and rumbling thunder came to the sky one after another. Sasha bought a leather ammo belt specially designed for ducks and shooting targets, and Bobby also started to install the bullets for the shotgun. "Father Tom's infected too," I said, slipping a spare pair of 9mm into my shirt pocket. "Are you infected too?" "It's possible, my mother was definitely infected, and so was my father." "How does the virus spread?" "Bodily fluids," I said, placing both magazines out of sight from the window. "There may be other avenues." Bobby looked at Sasha, who was busy transferring the pie to the baking sheet. She shrugged and said, "If Chris has it, so must I." "We've been holding hands for over a year," I told Bobby. "Are you going to heat your quilt yourself?" Sasha asked him. "No need, it's such a troublesome thing, it can be infected with me." I lifted the ammunition box and put it on the ground.The pistol is still in the pocket of my jacket which hangs over the back of the chair. Sasha went on to prepare a pizza dinner for everyone, and I continued, "Olsen may not be infected, I mean, it may play a role more like a carrier." Bobby moved a bullet between his fingers and knuckles, and asked, "How long does it take for pus to vomit blood after infection?" "This is not the same as the disease we generally define. Strictly speaking, it is closer to a process." "Process." Bobby said thoughtfully. "Infected people aren't really sick, they're... transformed in some way." Sasha put the pizza in the oven and asked, "So who was the person who had the shirt before the body?" " Bobby replied, "Who knows what happened in the 1950s?" "Were there dinosaurs in that era?" "Not many," Bobby said with mock seriousness. Sasha said, "What material is the fabric made of?" "Rayon." "Looks like new." "It's hard to spoil a shirt like this," Bobby said seriously, "you'll just love it twice as much." I pulled a Coke out of the fridge for everyone except Olsen.With its tonnage, it would be fine to down at least one bottle of beer at a time, but it must keep its head clear from beginning to end tonight.Others desperately needed a beer for courage.I stood in front of the sink and pried off the bottle cap, and lightning flashed in the sky. In the flash, I saw a figure with an arched back shuttling between the dunes. "Here they come," I said, bringing the beer to the table. "It usually takes them some time to embolden themselves to take action," Barbie said. "I want them to wait until we're done with dinner." "My stomach is flat," Sasha agreed. "According to you, what are the symptoms that will appear during this non-disease process?" Bobby asked. "Will we grow strange tumors like fungus?" "Some people experience psychological degradation, like Stevenson's," I said. "Some people undergo minor physical transformations. As far as I know, there can be major transformations, but everyone Symptoms are different, some people are really not infected, some people don't see any difference even if they are infected, and some people are completely different." Sasha felt Bobby's shirt sleeves with her fingers, showing admiration, and Bobby said triumphantly: "The pattern depicted on the fabric is Eugene Savage's famous mural, the painting is called 'Island Feast' (ISlad Feast)." "What a stylish button." The more she talked, the more interested she became. "The style is top-notch." Bobby agreed with her opinion very much, rubbing one of the yellow-brown striped buttons with his fingers, with a collector's proud smile on his face, obviously quite satisfied with its texture. "Smooth as a coconut shell." Sasha took a stack of napkins from a drawer and put them on the table. The air was damp and sticky.You can feel the skin of the storm inflating like a balloon.It won't be long before it explodes. After taking a sip of my cool Coke, I said to Bobby, "Well, before I tell you the rest of the story, Orson's gonna show you a little bit." I called Orson to my side. "There are several chair cushions on the sofa in the living room. One of them is a gift from me to Bobby. Can you go and get that table cushion?" Olsen walked briskly out of the room. "What the hell is going on?" said Bobby, feeling bewildered. Sasha sat down with a beer, showing a weird smile: "You just wait and see." Her .38 was on the dining table, and she unfolded the napkin to cover it. "Just wait and see." Bobby and I exchange presents every year at Christmas.Exchange one gift at a time. Since we have enough for each other, the value and practicality of the gift is completely out of our consideration, and the focus is to see who can buy the lowest auction item.This sacred tradition has continued since we were twelve years old.There is a shelf in Bobby's bedroom where all the cheap presents I've given him are displayed; the only thing he doesn't think is cheap enough is the talisman, so it's not kept on the shelf. Olsen returned to the kitchen with the not-so-low-level talisman in his mouth, and Bobby took the chair cushion, trying to make an expression that it was no big deal. A simple embroidery on the front of this twelve-inch talisman was one of the fundraiser merchandise used by a popular televangelist.The words "Jesus eats up sinners and spits out saved souls" are embroidered in the exquisite square frame. "You don't think this kind of gift is low-level enough?" Sasha said in an unbelievable tone. "Very low-level, yes," said Bobby, sitting with a belt full of ammunition around his waist. "But it's not low-level enough." "Our standards are pretty high." In the year following that chair cushion given to Bobby.I gave him a porcelain statue of Elvis Presey.Wearing the most famous silver-and-white Las Vegas show suit, Elvis sat on the toilet where he died; he clasped his hands in prayer, looked up at the sky, and had a halo around his head.In this festive Christmas gift race, Bobby is always at a disadvantage because he always insists on going to the official gift shop to buy what he thinks is the perfect low-grade item.Because of my XP syndrome, mail order is my only option, and through the various mail order catalogs you can find all sorts of low-end gifts that would fill the shelves of the Library of Congress. Bobby took the chair cushion and circled it in his hand, frowned and said to Orson, "What a trick." "It's not a trick." Russia said: "One of the purposes of the various experiments that Fort Weiwen has been conducting is to improve the intelligence of humans and animals. " "Crap." "I'm telling the truth." "madman." "That's right." I instructed Olson to put the cushion back to its original place, then went to Bobby's bedroom, pushed open the side door with his nose, and brought over one of the black leather shoes that Bobby bought back then. Shoes, because he suddenly found that he didn't have a decent pair of leather shoes to wear to my mother's funeral except flip flops, sandals, and sneakers. The kitchen was filled with the smell of pizza, and Orson looked at the oven eagerly. "Don't worry, you will definitely have your share." I promised it. "Go." Just as Olsen was about to step out of the kitchen, Bobby suddenly said, "Wait a minute." Olsen looked at him expectantly. "It's not just shoes. Leather shoes are not enough. I want the leather shoe on my foot." Olsen snorted, as if to indicate that such a little complexity was nothing, and set off to perform its assigned task without hesitation. Off the coast of the Pacific Ocean, the lightning falling from the sky is like a golden staircase that descends the sea, as if to reveal the arrival of an angel.The ensuing thunder rattled the glass windows of the wooden house, and the rumbling sound lingered in the walls of the wooden house.Such thunderous storms are rare on this temperate coastline.A storm is clearly approaching. I put a jar of dried chile shavings on the dining table and set out paper plates and potholders for the salsa. "Mongojelli," said Bobby. "From a collection of poems about cats." "Sounds so fake." "I think it's a cute name," Sasha objected. "Furball," said Bobby, "that's what a cat is called." The gust of wind suddenly picked up, agitating the vent cover on the roof, and the sound of wind was also heard from under the eaves. I seem to hear the harsh calls of monkeys in the distance. Bobby reached under the table with one hand and regained his grip on the shotgun that had been lying on the ground beside the chair. "Furball or Boots," he said, "those are proper cat names." Sasha cut a piece of smoked sausage into small pieces with a knife and fork, and put it aside to cool for Orson to eat. At this time, the dog returned to the kitchen with a leather shoe in its mouth, and it dedicated the reverse shoe to Bobby, it was the left foot. Bobby took the shoe and threw it in the trash. "I didn't do it because of bite marks or dog drool," he assured Orson. "I didn't intend to wear these leather shoes again." I thought of the Thor gun store envelope I found next to my Glock pistol on my bed. The envelope was damp and oddly dented. Where I'm sure I'll see it. Bobby walked back to the dining table and stared at my dog. "What do you say?" I asked. "Say what?" "You know that." "Is it necessary to say?" "right" Bobby sighed. "I felt like I got sucked in by a big wave, and then all my brains were sucked out by the back wave." "You did a great job." I praised Orson. Sasha waved Orson's pizza to keep the cheese from scalding his mouth. Then she put the plate on the ground. 欧森兴奋地甩动尾巴，在桌脚和椅脚之间甩得劈哩啪啦作响，向我们证实了高度智商和良好餐桌礼仪之间丝毫没有关连。 “丝绒。”巴比说：“又简单又像猫的名字，丝绒。” 我们吃技萨喝啤酒，在餐桌上三根蜡烛闪动的微光中，我极尽目力地浏览父亲写在黄色笔记纸页上的卫文堡简报，他很简洁地描述卫文堡从事的活动，包括研究计划出乎意料脱轨所酿成的灾祸，以及母亲在整件事当中参与的程度。虽然父亲不是学理工出身，只能用外行人的用语转述母亲告诉他的事情，但是整个简报为我提供了非常丰富当的资讯。 我说：“昨晚当我问史帝文生是什么害他变成这个样子，他回答我'一个死不了的送货小弟。'”他指的其实是逆向病毒。显然，母亲运用反向替换基因的选择性特质，研究出一种新的逆向病毒。 当我从父亲的简报书抬起头来时，萨莎和巴比一脸茫然地盯着我。 他说：“欧森可能听得懂你在说什么，可是我只不过是个大学的辍学生。” “我只是个DJ” “而且是个很棒的DJ” “谢谢你的夸奖。” “只不过你放太多克里斯·艾萨客的歌了。”他补充说道。 这一回的闪电又快又直地直劈入海，仿佛一道载满火药失速下坠的火电梯，在撞击地面的一刹那急遽引爆。整个半岛都随之跳动，木屋也跟着摇晃，雨点和爆破的碎裂物一阵呼啸地打在屋顶上。 萨莎看着窗外说：“搞不好它们不喜欢下雨天，说不定它们会走开。” 我伸手探人挂在座椅上的夹克口袋，取出手枪，放在桌上随手可及的地方，然后学萨莎用餐巾纸将枪盖住。 “基因疗法最常使用在临床医疗研究上，科学家们运用各种基因疗法对抗不同种类的疾病，包括爱滋病、癌症、和遗传性疾病等等。这个作法的原理是，假如病人体内某种基因发育不全或完全欠缺某种基因，我们可以用完好的基因取代他体内的坏基因，或者注入他体内缺少的基因，以增强细胞对抗疾病的能力。这个作法已经在临床上得到令人振奋的结果，有愈来愈多成功的小案例，但是也有失败的例子，导致令人咋舌的意外发展。” 巴比说：“现实生活里总是有那么一只酷斯拉，这一分钟，东京市还熙熙攘攘洋溢着欢乐和繁荣的气氛，下一分钟，整个都市就被巨型衡妈的大脚碾平。” “问题出在将健康的基因移植到病人体内的这道手续。他们通常使用破脚的病毒作为携带基因进入细胞的媒介。也就是所谓的逆向病毒。” “破脚的病毒？”巴比听得一头雾水。 “也就是已经无法繁殖的病毒。这么一来，对人体就不会造成伤害。当它们将人类基因载入细胞体内时，能够让基因与细胞内的染色体紧密捻接。” “送货的小弟。” “这些送货员达成任务之后，”萨莎接着问：“是不是应该死掉呢？” “有时候它们没有这么轻易就死掉。”我说：“而且可能会导致发炎或强烈的排斥反应，严重时甚至会将基因送达的细胞毁灭。于是有些科学家们开始研究改进的方法，试图使逆向病毒更类似替换基因。替换基因撷取自个人体内的遗传基因，它们本身已具有复制和与细胞内染色体结合的功能。” “酷斯拉就是这么来的。”巴比用戏渡的语气对萨莎说。 她说：“雪人，你怎么会懂这些事情？不会是读那几页东西两分钟就有的心得吧。” “当你觉得这些研究报告有可能救你一命的时候，即使内容再枯燥，读起来照样津津有味。”我回答：“要是有人能研究中个方法，用正常的复制染色体取代我体内残缺的基因，我的身体就能自动分泌可以修复紫外线伤害的酵素。” 巴比接着说：“那样一来，你就再也不是黑夜怪客了。” “我就可以和怪物身份说拜拜。” 在倾盆大雨撞击屋顶的声音之上，后面阳台忽然传来劈哩啪啦的脚步声。 我们朝声音的来源一转头，刚巧看到一只大恒河猴从阳台地板跳上靠近厨房水槽的窗台。被雨淋湿的毛皮乱糟糟的，看起来瘦骨如柴。它灵巧地站在狭窄的窗台上，一只小手捏着垂直的窗根，用寻常猴子好奇的眼神向屋内窥视，这只猴子外表看起来似乎很正常，除了它凶恶的眼神之外。 “我们愈是不理不睬，它们会愈快丧失耐性。” “它们愈是不耐烦，”萨莎说：“就愈不谨慎。” 我安然自若地大口咬下第二块洋葱火腿披萨，一边用手指轻敲桌上的那叠黄色纸页。“在创览当中，我无意间瞥到父亲写的这一段，他竭尽他有理解的范围为我解释母亲的这套新理论。她为卫文堡的计划发展出一套研制替换基因的革命性新做法，使携带基因进入病患细胞体内的安全性大幅提高。” “我这下真的听到大啦妈的脚步声了，”巴比故意夸张地说：“磅！磅！磅！” 窗口上的那只猴子对着我们尖叫c 我朝离我们最近的窗户瞥了一眼，没有猴子在那里偷窥。 欧森用后腿站着，前脚趴在餐桌上，拼命向萨莎施展魅功，用丰富表情表示它还要一些被萨饼。 “你该听过小孩子用来分化父母的伎俩吧。”我提出警告。 “我比较像是它的嫂嫂。'他说：“无论如何，说不定这是它这辈子吃的最后一顿，我们也一样。 " I sighed. “好吧。不过假如我们逃过这一劫，这么做就等于树立一个不好的先例。” 第二只猴子跳上窗台，两只都露出牙齿对着我们尖叫。 萨莎挑了最窄的一片被萨，切成小块，倒进地板上的狗盘子里。 欧森面带忧虑地看了窗口的猴息子一眼，不过即使在这些末日怪猴的环伺下，它的胃口丝毫不减，全神贯注在它的晚餐上。 其中一只猴子开始用手掌在窗玻璃上韵律地拍打，而且比先前叫得更大声。它的牙齿看起来比一般的恒河猴要长和锐利，威力足以让它扮演掠食者的角色。这个特征或许是卫文堡那些武器研发人员游戏式的研究成果。在我眼里，我看到的是安淇拉的喉咙。 “它们可能想藉此分散我们的注意力。”萨莎说。 “除非它们打破玻璃，否则屋内没有其他入口。”巴比说：“假如它们胆敢闯进来，我们一定会听到声音。” “又是雨声又是敲玻璃的声音，这么嘈杂，我们听得到吗？”她怀疑地说。 “我们绝对听得到。” “除非万不得已，我们绝不能轻易散开，”我说：“它们聪明得很，知道个个击破的道理。” 我眯着眼睛望向离我们最近的窗户，仍然没有猴子在那个区域出没，只见阳台外的沙丘风雨交加。 水槽边上，其中一只猴子抓着窗榻转过身。它发出像嘲笑般的尖锐叫声用屁股对着我们，把它那赤裸裸、光秃秃、奇丑无比的屁股贴压在玻璃窗上。 “那么，”巴比问道：“你闯进神父公馆之后发生了什么事？” 意识到时间有限，我很快地将发生在阁楼、卫文堡和曼纽。拉米瑞兹家的事—一交代过去。 “曼纽，这个双面人。”巴比说，感慨地摇摇头。 “恶——”萨莎用嫌恶的语气说，不过这不是她对曼纽的评语。 窗户上，那只公猴子对着我们将丰沛的尿液酒在玻璃上。 “唁，这倒是新把戏。”巴比说。 水槽边的窗口上，愈来愈多的猴子开始跳到半空中窥探屋内，就像热油锅中的爆米花，蹦起来又掉下去。它们吱吱喳喳地尖叫，感觉起来似乎有一大群，虽然每次出现在窗口的都是同样的六只猴子。 我灌下最后剩下的一点啤酒。在这种情况下，要保待心情的冷静可以说一分钟比一分钟困难。我怀疑自己有没有足够的精力和专注力冷静地出击。 “欧森，”我说：“你不妨到屋里四处巡视看看。” 它听懂我的意思并立即出发巡视。在它走出厨房之前，我说：“不要逞英雄。要是你发现什么事不对劲，就拼命地狂吠，然后赶紧回到这里跟我们会会。” 它走出我的视线之外。刹那间，我立刻觉得很后悔派它出去，虽然我心里知道这是正确的抉择。 第一只猴子排完膀跳的尿液之后，换第二只猴子转过来面对厨房并开始洒出它的水柱。其余的猴子则在一旁的栏杆和阳台的屋梁上荡来荡去。 巴比坐的位置正对着餐桌旁的窗户。和我一样，他的眼神也不时朝那块意外安静的区域探索。 闪电似乎暂时告一段落，不过海面上轰天的雷声依然不绝于耳。 这样的气氛显然让猴群更加兴奋。 “我听说布莱德·彼特（Brad Pitt ）的新电影很卖座。”巴比说。 萨莎说：“我还没看。” “我一向都是等录影带出来才看。” 它们试着打开后面阳台的后门。门把被扭动得嘎嘎作响，但是门锁牢牢地领着无法打开。 水槽边窗台上的猴子跳开。另外两只跳起来的猴子取代它们原先的位置，同时间始朝着玻璃撒尿。 巴比说：“这部份我可不负责清理。” “这个，我也不要清。”萨莎坚持地说。 “或许它们用这种方式把攻击性和愤怒发泄完之后就会离去。” 我揣测说。 巴比和萨莎显然在同一家补习班上过如何做出怀疑表情的课程。 “或许没这么容易。”我连忙修正。 黑暗中一颗像樱桃果核大小的石头忽然从天外飞来，砸在其中一扇玻璃窗上，原本在窗台上偷窥的猴子纷纷跳走避开火线攻击。 更多的小石子迅速纷至沓来，感觉起来就像是遭受冰雹撞击。 距离我们最近的窗户却完全没有受到石头攻击。 巴比从地上抬起猎枪并将它放在大腿上。 就在一阵枪林弹雨的石头大战达到顶峰时，却猛然停止。 猴群疯狂的尖叫声愈演愈烈，几乎到了狂喜的地步，它们的声音充满超自然的诡异，和死气沉沉的黑夜融合成一股邪恶的魔力，勒令谤泪大雨对木屋发动前所未有的大肆袭击，教人听了胆战心惊。无情的雷声轰隆隆地打碎夜空的躯壳，给予闪亮的电叉可趁之机再度刺人天空的肉体。