Chapter 11 chapter Ten

"I've had Teddy since I was a little girl." Alisa held Teddy in her arms. I've never seen a teddy bear with a belly full of smugness.I wanted so badly to strangle it. "I found it in a very old place in the Holy Mountain," continued Alisa. "I used to play there. It must be a kindergarten, because there are many other toys in it. But I like Teddy best. I always play with it." To tell it all my secrets. It's my friend, my companion." There was a melancholy in her voice, "It makes me less alone." I'm curious if Alyssa's mother knew about the fact that Teddy was Simkin.Maybe she would have tacitly accepted Simkin's existence, since he was no different from a real teddy bear after all.

Gwendelyn bit her lip and gave Saryon a warning glance.That should be asking Saryon to keep silent. "I lost Teddy a few years ago," Alisa continued. "I don't really remember how. The day before, it was still there. When I went to see it the next day, It's gone. We searched and looked for it then, didn't we, mother?" Alisa looked at me, then at Saryon. "Where did you find him?" At this time, my master became as dumb as I was.He has no ability to lie.I signaled that we had found the teddy bear somewhere near the border.This is not a lie.Saryon translated my words in a weak voice.

"It's strange how it got there!" cried Alisa in surprise. "Who knows, child." Gwendelyn said a little excitedly, stroking the hem of her skirt with both hands. "Go get your father and tell him... No, wait! Please, Father, is there no other way?" "Gwendelyn," Saryon said patiently, "I'm here on a very urgent matter, very important." She sighed and lowered her head.Then, with a forced smile, she said, "Tell Joram that Father Saryon is here." Alisa looked suspicious.Seeing the mother's embarrassed expression, the joy of finding the little bear gradually disappeared.A moment ago, she seemed to be a child again, and now, that moment is gone forever.

"Okay, Mom," she said obediently, "but wait for me. He's far away on the ranch." Then she looked at me, and her expression became pleasant again. "Can I... Reuven come with me? You said he was born on the Holy Mountain. We'll just pass by the Holy Mountain, and he might want to take a good look at it." Ge Wen hesitated, "I don't know how your father would react when he saw a stranger suddenly appear without any warning, child. It might be better if you go by yourself." The light on Alisa's face dimmed.That kind of desolation can be seen at a glance, like a dark cloud covering the sun.

Her mother's expression softened. "Then, Reuven can go, if he wants. But make sure your father sees you first, Alisa." Then she turned to Saryon, and said in a low voice, half proud, half ashamed, "I There is always no way to refuse her." So they didn't take "Teddy" away.Ge Wen and Qiao Lang must know that this little bear is not a real little bear.I can imagine the guilt of these parents for their child, they couldn't let her know real friends.Qiaolan himself was full of loneliness and poverty in his childhood, and he must think that he passed on his tragic fate to his daughter, and that he made her life equally tragic.

Alisa put Teddy into a flower basket, smiled and warned it not to run around again, so as not to get lost again. "Go this way, Reuven," she told me, smiling. I have benefited greatly from being "recovered" by the bear, even though I did nothing.As I followed Alisa away, I glanced back at the little bear.Teddy's black button eyes rolled, then blinked. I keep my backpack next to the bear, but I have my tablet with me.Saryon and Gwendelyn sat side by side on a carved stone bench in the shade of a tree.Alisa and I walked through the garden together.By this time Alisa had untied the hem of her skirt to cover her legs, and put on her straw hat to hide her shiny black hair and face.Her steps were quick, and each step was long.In order to keep up with her, I had to adjust to my accustomed slow pace.

All the way through the garden she said nothing.Of course, I also kept my usual silence.But it was a pleasant time, quiet but not empty.We filled it with our thoughts and made it really just the two of us.It's just that what she's thinking must be serious, and I can tell by the shadowed, melancholy expression on her face. Alisa opened another door in the garden wall and let me go through.Outside the door is a stone staircase winding down a stone cliff.Overlooking the ruins of the holy mountain here, the scenery is really amazing.The green hillsides are set against the gray stone walls, and the tall peaks pierce the blue sky.The big trees are like dark green giant pillars, standing on the light green grassland.For a moment, the two of us stood in front of the narrow mountain road without saying a word, admiring the beautiful scenery around us.

Alisa leads the way ahead of me.She turned around, tilted her head, and looked at me from under her straw hat. "You think it's beautiful here?" she asked. I nod.I can't make a sound even if I try to speak. "Me too," she said with satisfaction. "I often stop here when I go home. That's where we live," she pointed to the wider, long, low building on the other side. "My father said it was part of the Holy Mountain, where the Catalyst Saints used to live. There was a kitchen there, and there was a well. “Dad also made looms for Mum and me. We spun thread in the room there and wove our woolen clothes. The wool was cut from sheep, of course. The library was there too, and when we were done working, Just read there. Sometimes a book together, sometimes separate books."

We talked as we walked down the stairs.Or rather, she was talking.But with her, I don't feel like I'm having a one-on-one conversation.Because of my disability, people around me often just talk to themselves, not to me. Alisa was still talking about books. "Dad likes to read about woodworking, gardening, and everything related to shepherding. Mum reads cookbooks a lot, but her favorite books are Merillon and treatises on magic. It's just that she doesn't read them when Dad is around because that would make him sad." "What books do you like?" I asked in sign language.I move very slowly.

I could have used a tablet, but that thing seemed out of place and an offense to the place. "You mean, what books do I like?" Alisa was glad to see what I meant. "Earth Books. I know a lot about Earth's geography, history, science, and art, but my favorite is fiction." I know how surprised I am now.If Simharon had books of Earth, they must be very old too, and would have been brought by Merlin and the other builders of Simharlan.If she had learned from those books, she would have believed that the earth was flat and that the sun revolved around it. Then it occurred to me that, according to Saryon, Simkin had been given some Shakespeare plays.Saryon didn't know how he did it, but he speculated that it was before the Iron War, before Sim'jin's magical powers and Sim'harron's vitality waned.Until then, Sim'jin was able to travel freely between Earth and Sim'haron.Cynkin probably knew Shakespeare, or, as Saryon put it ironically - maybe Simkin was Shakespeare! Will "Teddy" show Alisa the book?

Alisa answered my questioning look, "After Simharon was destroyed, the spaceship came to take all the people here to the earth. My father knew that he wanted to stay here, so he asked the spaceship to bring food, tools, Subsistence until we are self-sufficient. He also asked them to send all kinds of books." Of course, this is a reasonable explanation.Joram dwelt on Earth for ten years before returning to Simharon.He knew what his family needed, physically and spiritually, in this life of exile. By this time we had reached the Holy Hill, but instead of going inside, we walked around the gothic buildings (they reminded me of Oxford).We walked along the winding path, past those huge buildings.I quickly lost my way.After passing those buildings, we continued down the hill.Before long, the foothills ahead of us turned lush green.Running some way up the green hills, I saw a white spot—a flock of sheep, and a black spot—the shepherd tending the sheep. I stopped when I saw Joram.Maybe it wasn't a good idea for me to come here so rashly.I pointed out Alisa's father, and then I patted my chest, and then I patted the stone wall beside me (judging from the smell and one or two sheep left here, this should be the sheep pen).I want to tell her that I will stay here until they come. Alicia looked at me, frowning.She understands what I mean.In fact, it was really easy for the two of us to communicate.I was just completely distracted by other things and never noticed it. "But I want you to come with me," she said petulantly.As if this is very important to her. I shook my head, indicating that I was tired, which is definitely not a lie.I'm not that used to physical activity, and we must have walked two kilometers.I took out the tablet and typed on it, your mother was right.You should go see him alone. She looked at the tablet and read the passage. "Daddy has one of these too," she said, touching the tablet with a finger hesitantly. "It's just bigger than that. He's been using that thing for records." Then she pursed her lips, frowned, and looked from me to the sheep, and the figure in the distance walking back and forth tending the flock.After a while, she parted her eyebrows, and her troubled eyes turned to me again. "Mother lied to Father Saryon, Reuven," said Alisa quietly. "She lied to herself too. Maybe it wasn't a lie. Daddy wasn't happy. When that Smither came Before, he was content. But since then, Dad has become silent and often thinks about things by himself, even if he talks, he always talks to himself. He doesn't tell us what happened, he doesn't want us to worry. I thought it might be better if Father Saryon could talk to him. So..." She said in a sweet, deceptive tone, "What is he going to say to Daddy?" I shake my head.It's not appropriate to tell her here.I said again that I would wait for them here and signaled that she should go see her father.She pursed her lips and muttered something.But I believe it was just her unintentional venting.Actually she is sane.In the end she agreed (albeit reluctantly) that maybe this was the best way. She ran down the hill, her skirt billowing, her hat blown back by the wind, her black curls turning into a fluffy wave. I was thinking of her when she was gone.I remember every word she said, every look on her face, every beat in her voice.I am not in love.not yet.Oh, maybe a little bit. I've dated a few women in the past, and some of them were serious, at least I thought so.But I've never been so relaxed and alone with a woman.I'm trying to figure out why.Maybe it's because of the special environment we are in, maybe it's because she is so open-minded and open-minded, and she can speak her mind frankly.Maybe it's just because we were born in the same world.At this time, one of the weirdest ideas appeared in my mind. We are not strangers.Somewhere, our souls know each other. The idea of ​​an impossible romance made me laugh, but a little forcedly.I thought again of that vivid scene—Alyssa is the queen, and I'm just an uninteresting catalyst saint. I pushed the thought out of my mind and re-immersed myself in the beauty around me.But I can still see the wounds in this land, the wounds caused by wars, earthquakes, storms and fires.These wounds are being healed, new trees grow from the ashes of the old, grasslands cover the fissures and gullies in the surface, and the incessant wind is grinding away the sharp teeth of the peaks. Solitude here comes with peace, tranquility.No jets roaring overhead, no phones ringing, no sirens wailing.The air was fresh and clear, with the fragrance of flowers and rain.No gasoline smell, no neighbor's dinner smell.I sat on this low stone wall feeling content and happy.I can imagine Joram, Alisa, and Gwen living here, reading, working in that garden, herding sheep, weaving cloth.I can imagine myself here too.All of a sudden, I longed for this simple and peaceful life with all my heart. Of course, my thoughts are too simple, too romantic.I purposely ignore the hard work, and the solitude here.Earth is not the scary place I imagined it to be, and there are beautiful things to be found there as well. But if Conifer broke down our defenses, conquered our world, and ravaged her with all kinds of atrocities, what beauty would there be on Earth?If the power of the Dark Sword could really be used to defeat those aliens, why shouldn't Joram take it out?Is this the conclusion Saryon has come to? I was worried, thinking, dreaming, sitting on the stone wall, looking at Alisa on the hillside.She had become a bright spot in the green grass.I could see her rejoin her father.From this distance, I couldn't see Joram's reaction, but I believed he was staring at me as I sat here.The two of them stood facing each other and talked for a long time.Then they began to gather the flock together and herd them up the hill toward the sheepfold. The stone wall beneath my ass suddenly became very cold and very hard.