The new airport in Clarendon is called Troy.The arrival hall is a novel glass building with plaster walls. Willie Barbie stood outside the arrival hall, looking up at the sky, hoping to hear or see the approaching aircraft.At this time, a girl came towards him.Willie suddenly felt a gust of cold air, his teeth could not help but rattled, and his body shivered. There was no reason to feel so cold. This season, Willie was blowing a slightly moist and refreshing east wind. Look at that girl again, that It has a unique beauty, just like a delicate and light refrigerator. He had beautiful, flaming red hair, and a face that was white, delicate, and somewhat solemnly sweet.Her look and gesture immediately confirmed the first impression that dazzled Babi-she was a wonderful stunner.Her eyes met his, and she gave him a quick, happy smile, her mouth really a little too big.

Babi turned his face to her, feeling a little suffocated.He looked into her stern, slightly smiling eyes again - they were so green.He watched her carefully, trying to pick out that unconscious shiver in her.He was aware of an attraction as inexplicable and illogical as the shudder--Willy felt that life had made him somewhat indifferent to women, and thought himself quite capable when it came to women. Defensive. Her green suit, smartly tailored and equally austere, is instantly recognizable, expensive and carefully designed to match the green of her eyes.She also wore a short white fur coat against the chill of an October afternoon.Willie immediately judged that this must be the fur of an arctic wolf. After bleaching, it might be the fur of a white arctic wolf itself.

However, that hair is really a bit strange. She was carrying a chic snakeskin handbag, with two handbags wrapped around her arms, like two coiled argyle pythons.The straps were open like a flat, shallow basket, and the kitten seemed to be struggling to get out.It was a half-sized, cute little black cat, tied with a length of red ribbon with double knots. The cat and the girl were a little out of harmony. The kitten blinked and looked calmly at the gradually brightening lights in the dusk. This girl is not like the kind of girl who takes kittens as pets. A woman with such a unique temperament will never put cats and dogs in exquisite handbags. A black cat should never appear in such a lady's handbag.

He tried to forget that strange, shiver-like panic, how she could have known him.Clarendon is not a big city, and journalists are common.With red hair like hers, once you see it, you will never forget it.He glanced at her again, and saw clearly that her provocative eyes were indeed staring at him, yes, she was staring at him. "Babby?" Her voice was crisp and dynamic, soft, throaty, exciting, just as exciting as her hair and eyes, and her demeanor remained moderately casual. "Willie Barbie," he responded, "on-the-spot reporter for the Clarendon Star." He deliberately pretended to be careless, but in his heart he wanted to dig into the strange feeling just now. In short, he didn't want her to go away soon.

"The editor wants me to kill two birds with one stone tonight," he said to her, "and one is Colonel Walwin—it's been twenty years and he's still in uniform, and he's proud of it. I hear he's recently resigned from Warwick. A light job as a government official, back home in his small town, running for the Senate. He wouldn't say anything to the press anyway, except when he saw Preston Twee." The girl listened calmly, but the little black cat yawned at the flickering lights. A small group of pick-up people gathered behind the iron fence, waiting for the plane to arrive at the port.On the other side of the barbed wire fence, the ground crew in white overalls are busy preparing for the incoming plane.The girl's aggressive green eyes were still fixed on Willie, and her voice was deep and soft, alluring.

"What about your other eagle?" "This eagle is no small thing—" Barbie said. "Dr. Lomercan Monrick, the central figure of the Human Research Foundation. He's flying here from the West Coast tonight, along with his survey team. They went to the Gobi—oh, maybe you already knew that?" "No, I don't know." Something in her voice made Babi's pulse beat faster, "Tell me?" "Those archaeologists," Babi said, "dig up something in Mongolia before the war, and then the Japanese surrendered, oh, in 1945, they managed to get through the diplomatic hurdles and went back to dig ...Sam Quinn, the doctor's right-hand man, served in China during the war, he knows a lot, I don't know what they are looking for, but it must be something extraordinary."

The girl listened with interest to his continuation. "They are all local people here. They all came back tonight. They have been out for two years. They were soldiers, bandits, sandstorms, pythons, and they encountered the worst things in that place. It is said that they It will bring back new discoveries that will shock the archaeological world." "What would that be?" "That's my job for tonight." Babi's bewildered gray eyes continued to scan the girl.The little black cat looked at him happily, but from the girl, Babi couldn't seem to find any clues to connect with his surprise just now.Her smiling green eyes were almost impassive and unsuggestive.Babi was really afraid that she would go away all at once, so he tried his best to calmly ask: "Have we met?"

"I am your opponent." There seemed to be some kind of friendship in her voice. "April Bell, of the Clarendon Horn," she said, shaking a small, black interview book at Barbie, and then putting it in her palm, "I was told, Watch out for you, Willie Barbie." "Oh?" Babi grinned, nodded his head at the passengers waiting in the lobby, and said, "I thought you were changing planes here, to Hollywood or Broadway. You're not from the Bugle, are you?" He looked at her flaming hair and shook his head enviously. "I must have seen you somewhere."

"I'm a novice. Actually, I just got my degree in journalism over the summer. I just started working at The Bugle this Monday, and this is my first real assignment." There was something in her tone. Childish mystery. "I felt like a stranger in Clarendon, um—I was born here, but I moved to California when I was a few years old." Her white teeth gleamed in a confident smile. "I'm a novice indeed," she said softly, "and would very much like to get a job in the Bugle, writing a quality report on Dr. Loomerk Monrik's expedition. Their Scouting sounds exciting and overwhelming, and I didn't take that class in college. Baby, if I ask you some stupid questions, okay?"

Babi was fascinated by her teeth, which were white, neat, and still looking strong, just like those pretty girls in toothpaste advertisements, showing their white teeth and gnawing bones.Immediately Babe's mind pictured Aprile Bell gnawing on a bright red bone like an ad girl, and that was exciting. "OK?" Babi swallowed, retracted his thoughts, and grinned at her.I thought to myself, don’t look at her new arrival in the press, she has a lot of stories, look at that kitten, it is undoubtedly her best female weapon, when her fiery eyes and provocative hair are not working, she carries a kitten in her handbag What man can refuse a trainee female reporter?

"We're rivals, women," he said, trying to be serious.Her slightly terrified expression moved him, but he still did not change his tone, "Isn't April Bell your real name?" "The real name is Susan," she said beggingly, "but I think it would be much better if the name Ai Pulu appeared under the headlines of the news." Her voice was short and deep, "Please, Dr. Monrique must be important, otherwise, the newspapers wouldn't all be grabbing the news." "You're right, his news is serious," Babi echoed. "His team is only four people, and I dare say it's quite an adventure to go to such a place at this time. Sam has Chinese friends." , they must have helped a lot.” She quickly wrote down in the interview book that her white and slender hands suddenly reminded Babi of some kind of animal's dexterous and timid front paws.It's a bit strange to associate such random associations. "Chinese friends?" she murmured as she memorized, "Really? Do you know what they'll bring back?" "I don't know anything about it," he said. "The Star" learned from gossip from the foundation that their plane will arrive at 7 o'clock tonight. According to relevant sources of the foundation, they will announce the most sought-after The news seems to be a major scientific discovery, but the "Star" is not very interested in the news of science and technology, and I am responsible for two news, one for Colonel Walwin, and the other for Dr. Lomerk Monrick." Babi suddenly thought of a beautiful woman in mythology, that beautiful woman is quite mysterious, she can turn men she doesn't like into ugly monsters, what's her name?Oh Seth. His thoughts were fast, and he was secretly glad that he didn't say the name "Seth" in front of Ai Pulu.However, Ai Pulu's bright red lips squirmed slightly, all of which hinted to Babi that she heard what he just said, and Babi really couldn't explain it clearly. Yes, what a strange thing. Babi felt uncomfortable for a while, trying to avoid the female reporter in front of him.He has read a little about Monique and Freud, and also knows a little about archaeologist Fraser's "Golden Vase". The symbolic meaning of those myths shows some fears and hopes of early humans, The reason why he had such thoughts came out was the expression of his subconscious mind, but he didn't want to delve into what kind of subconscious mind it was. He smiled awkwardly and said, "Well, I'll tell you what I can, and it'd be best if that dude in Princeton Twee doesn't get on me, especially if he sees my piece in the Bugle. Article, that's bad. Do you want me to write it for you?" "Thanks. My shorthand is not bad, though." "Okay then. Ten years ago, Dr. Monrik was a well-known archaeologist when he was teaching at Clarendon University. Later, he resigned his post at the university and formed the Archaeological Foundation. However, if you Dr. Xiangba thought he was a simple archaeologist, and he was very wrong. He is a rare all-rounder in the world today, with biology, psychology, archaeology, sociology, ethnology—all related He is very proficient in the subjects related to his lovely subject, and his assistants know this. Dr. Monrik is the pillar of the foundation, and most of the funds he raises are used for the projects he has been working on. Before the war, he took people to the Gobi three times, and just after the war, he went out again to start excavation work in the Gobi in the southwest of Alashan, which is the driest, most barren, and hottest desert area.” "What happened later?" the female reporter asked, still keeping her hand in the posture of taking notes, "Don't you know what they are looking for?" "Let's go here, we know as much, equal opportunity, fair competition. He cracked the last smile again, "The doctor has spent twenty years of hard work on this, no matter what it is, he established the Archaeological Foundation for this purpose, and devoted all his life to it, it is always a very important research project." There was a commotion on the other side of the barbed wire fence, a little boy excitedly waved his hands towards the gray dusk, and there was the rumbling sound of motors in the wet and cold wind.Babi looked at his watch and said, "At 4:50, the dispatcher said the plane would arrive at 6:00, it must be that Dr. Monrique's plane arrived earlier." "That's it?" She looked as excited as the little boy, but her eyes were not looking at the sky, but at Bobby, "Do you know what happened to the other people that the doctor brought?" " Baru's flood of memories prevented him from answering her question right away. Three faces that were once very familiar appeared in his mind, and the whispers of the crowd over there seemed to have become friends who were once very familiar. During the conversation, his thoughts suddenly returned to the past. He said softly, "I know." "Then, just tell me." Ai Pulu's crisp voice broke his memory, and she waited quietly, still holding the pen in her hand.He knew he shouldn't tell all about himself to the Bugle's rivals, but look at his fiery red hair and those big long eyes, he couldn't say no. "The three men who went to Mongolia with the Doctor in 1945 were Sam Quake, Nick Spinwick, and Lex Sturt. They were all my oldest friends. We went to college together when Monrick The doctor is still teaching at the university, and Sam and I have been boarding together at Dr. Monrick's house for more than two years. Later, we moved to the student dormitory called Troy Building, and the four of us lived together in a house. We all repaired Monrick's class, and—" Babi stopped suddenly, hesitating, and didn't want to say any more, the old scar was aching, and her throat was choked. "What happened later?" Ai Pulu whispered, her flashing smile was full of sympathy, and Babi continued to recall. "Monrique has been recruiting people under his command for a long time, and you can tell. He must have had the idea of ​​​​forming this inspection team earlier, although his formation work did not start until after I graduated. I Guess he’s been trying to find the right people for this prospecting and digging in the Gobi eventually, and then training them, whatever kind of survey it’s going to be, what it’s going to dig.” He couldn't help swallowing his saliva. "Anyway, we all took his class, his Lectures in the Humanities. We adored him and respected him. He got us scholarships, helped us as much as he could, and took us to Central America and Peru for summer vacations. practice." The girl's eyes were unusually aggressive. "Somehow I got laid off," he says awkwardly. "I don't even know why—it's always been a bummer. I love all the projects I'm in, and I get better grades than Sam's, If I had been allowed to go to the Gobi with them from the beginning, I would have abandoned everything else." "What's wrong with that?" the girl asked stubbornly, not quite sure if Babi was embarrassed. "He won't talk." Babi's rapid voice was full of unhealed pain, "Of course, he could also see how sad I was, but he just didn't explain anything. Mentioned it, and if he brought it up again, he seemed to have a hard time, and he just said that he would promise to help me find a job I wanted. Since then, I have worked at "The Star" .” "And all your friends have gone to Mongolia?" "That was the summer," Barbie said, "they all went out with the Foundation on their first scouting trip." "But the four of you are still friends, right?" He nodded, but he did hesitate. "Still friends. However, I'm still a little bit annoyed with the old professor because he just doesn't say why. I've never had a fight with Nick or Lex. Same. At the time of posting, we were doing summer internships, driving mules, carrying equipment, and traveled a lot in Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru. Sam once called us the four "Mule Drivers". Rick told them why they kicked me out, and that was that they kept it a secret from me." Bobby looked genuinely sentimental, looking away from the girl's red hair to the chill gray sky.At this time, the roar of the aircraft motor came from the dark sky. "They haven't changed much," he said, "but they've grown less familiar. Monrique has trained them to be experts in every field of anthropology, and they're already quite accomplished people, for the one in Alashan." What, they don't have much time for me." Babi took a deep breath. Suddenly, he changed the subject and asked abruptly, "Miss Bell, how do you know my name?" Her eyes twinkled, and she said jokingly, "Maybe just rely on a little intuition." Babi couldn't help shivering again, he knew for a long time that he had some so-called "news sense", that is, a kind of intuition, which can tell people's certain motives, or the time when such motives will be triggered, It's not a big deal to make a certain judgment, and you can't trust or rely too much on it. Most journalists have a bit of this ability. Of course, people tend to be more skeptical of any philosophical point of view other than mechanical materialism. , to consider the problem with a sensible attitude. Her intuition, or the so-called sixth sense as people often say, does have a lot to do with it.Before Monrique asked him to leave the archaeological team, it was his intuition. He had helped them successfully find many prehistoric human sites many times, as if he knew where the hunters in the barbaric period would gather and where Set up camp, or where to bury your comrades. But in general, his sixth sense brought him more disasters.He seemed to know how prehistoric humans thought and acted, and it had always given him an uneasy vigilance that was only dispelled when he was drunk.He did often drink a little too much, the way most journalists drink.But he knew that much of his drunkenness was due to this restless vigilance. Possibly the same alertness that had made him shudder when he first saw Aprile Bell—her long, soft eyes and fiery red hair, it seemed, had nothing to make him shudder or shudder. She was at a loss, and her intuition about the name Babi was not a big surprise, of course, it was just a little weird. It's kind of weird. Babi smiled at her, trying to ease the panic caused by his hypervigilance.Surely, her editor must have told her what kind of news to catch and how to catch it.Perhaps, she is using her seemingly innocent, coupled with deep-seated scheming, this unique and irresistible unique charm of women to disturb the fragility of us male reporters.The most absurd words also have the most rational explanations, the key lies in how to find the mystery. "Hey, Baby, who are those people?" She nodded towards the small group of people over there. The people who had picked up the plane at the beginning were now filing out of the waiting hall and walking to the open space outside the railway station.A thin man excitedly pointed his finger at the gray sky, and a child yelled that he couldn't see.So her mother quickly picked her up.A tall blind lady behind, led by a tall German Shepherd, also stood in the crowd. "If you really have an intuition, why do you still ask me?" Babi asked rhetorically. The girl smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, Bobby. To tell the truth, I've really only just been to Clarendon, and I don't have any old friends. The editor told me that you worked under Dr. Poon Monred. These people must Waiting for the plane to meet the Doctor? Maybe we can talk to them?" "Whatever you want," Babi said without hesitating to refuse her, "then go this way." She put her arm out and put it around Babi's.The fur of the white fur coat she was wearing touched his wrist, making him feel like an electric shock.Babi thinks that he is insulated from women, but this girl is indeed extraordinary. His gentle allure reveals a strange sense of commotion, which deeply shakes Babi's innermost being. see through. He took her to the airport hall, and stopped at the desk of the dispatcher, who was busy in front of the fax machine that was answering. "Is Dr. Monrik's plane here?" "Still on standby over the airport, Babe." The dispatcher nodded, frowning at the weather vane, "waiting for orders to land." They couldn't see the plane, and they walked towards the runway, and the roar of the motor grew louder. "Well, Baby," she nodded again to the crowd, "who are they?" Babi's voice was a little hesitant, but he still said, "Oh, that tall lady with the dog, standing alone on the side, wearing sunglasses, the one with a lonely face, is Monrique's wife, she is a lovely And the well-bred lady, blind but an artist, has been my friend for many years, and we have lived in her house for more than two years since Sam and I boarded at her house. Come, let me introduce you. " "Oh, so she is Rowena Monrique?" Her voice was a little uneasy, with excessive tension, "Her jewelry is very strange." Babi glanced again at Dr. Monrick's blind wife suspiciously. She stood straight in place, looking serene, lonely and detached. The clothes she always liked were still pure black without any modification.Babi looked carefully for a while before he noticed that Rowena's jewelry was indeed made of silver, but he hadn't noticed it before, probably because he was too familiar with Rowena and everything about her.He smiled, turned to Ai Pulu and said, "You mean the silver jewelry she wears?" The girl nodded her head, but her eyes were fixed on Rowena's jewelry all the time—an ancient silver hair comb was pinned to her thick white hair, and a silver brooch was worn at the neckline of her black dress. , a large silver bracelet, and a silver ring that has been worn for a long time. Her hands look delicate, white and tender, very young.Even her dog wore a thick silver collar. "Maybe it's a bit weird, but I never felt anything wrong. Rowena likes silver jewelry. She said she likes the cool feeling of silver jewelry. Touch is very important to her. You said yes Isn't it?" Seeing the girl's sullen face and the boss's displeasure, he asked, "Why, you don't like silver jewelry?" She shook her head gently, her fiery red hair fluttering in the wind. "I don't like it," she said softly, sternly, "I don't like silver things at all." After she finished speaking, she smiled at Babi, as if expressing apology for staring so hard at him just now , "I'm sorry, Babi. I've heard of Rowena Monrique, can you tell me more about her? " "I remember she was a physical therapy nurse when she met Dr. Monrique," Barbie said. "That was thirty years ago. She was a very fine girl then, and must have been pretty, I thought. But she got into an unhappy love affair, and the presence of Monrik got her out of it, And gradually became familiar with and participated in Monrik's research work. However, I never knew the details about that unpleasant past." Ai Pulu couldn't help but glanced at Rowena, still listening quietly. "In the beginning, she first listened to the doctor's class. Later, she herself became an excellent ethnologist. She followed the doctor on expeditions until an accident caused blindness in both eyes. Since then, her main She spends most of her time alone in Clarendon, leading a peaceful life. She has her favorite music. She has some good friends. However, she never went out with the doctor again. Most people think she is a bit incomprehensible, I Thinking, that accident must have been a very scary, very unpleasant experience." "Tell me what's going on?" the girl asked. "It happened during an expedition to Africa," Babi recalled slowly, his thoughts drifting into that period of the past.They followed the doctor to investigate everywhere, looking for fragments of ancient history, trying to unravel the mysteries that plagued them. "I think the purpose of the doctor's investigation at that time was to try to confirm the concept that modern humans originated in Africa. You know, that was long before he discovered the sites in Alashan. Rowena used the opportunity of the investigation to collect some Ethnographic data, which are legends about local tribes of humanoid crocodiles and humanoid cheetahs. "Human-shaped cheetah?" The girl's green eyes narrowed into a slit, and the previous bright green became much darker. "Who are they?" "It's just a group of secret cannibal believers. It is said They can transform into cheetahs." Seeing her tense expression, Babi smiled slightly to relieve her tension, and said, "You see, Rowena was preparing a thesis at that time on lycanthropy, which is a primitive phenomenon in the local area. A common belief among tribal peoples that certain individuals can transform themselves into carnivorous animals." "Really?" The girl breathed heavily and said in a low voice, "Tell me quickly." "The animals these people can turn into are usually the most dangerous and ferocious species in the local area," Babi hurried on, eager to catch the girl's interest.He was secretly happy. Unexpectedly, the boring content of ethnography that he learned back then has come in handy now. "Bears in the north, jaguars in the Amazon Basin, wolves in Europe. It is said that medieval French farmers lived in fear of werewolf legends. Where in Africa and Asia are cheetahs and tigers. I really don't know How did these primitive beliefs spread so widely?" "It's quite interesting." The girl was a little evasive, with an unreasonable sense of satisfaction in her smile, "Then, how did Rowena lose her eyesight?" "She never mentioned this." Babi lowered his voice consciously, as if he was afraid that Rowena would hear, "However, once we were talking in the study, Monrique told me what happened, oh, of course it was him Before I was kicked out of the research group." "What did he say?" "Their research camp was set up in the primeval forest of Nigeria," Babi said. "I realized that Rowena was collecting information to find humanoid cheetahs in the cannibal tribe and those witch doctors and cheetahs familiar with humanoid cheetahs in Assam, India. connection between the so-called 'wood spirits' of certain American tribes." "Yes." The girl replied cautiously. "In short, Rowena worked hard to establish a trust with the local people and understand their etiquette and customs. Monrik said that she may have asked too many questions, because he found that a migrant worker who was carrying equipment for them became agitated. And reminded her to be careful to guard against leopard people. Rowena didn't care, and continued her collection work. As the investigation deepened, Rowena found some tribal witchcraft items in a canyon. You know, is that canyon a Outsiders were allowed in. Monrik didn't tell me exactly what he found, but he was so intrigued by it that he moved his camp into the canyon. It was also when they moved that the dreaded It happened." "How did it happen?" "That night, they were still on the way to relocate. Suddenly, a black cheetah jumped down from the tree and landed on Rowena's body. Monrick said that it was indeed a cheetah, not the local people dressed in leopard skin. Yes. In my opinion, this sudden attack was enough for those local migrant workers. They turned on all the lighting appliances, and the cheetah threw Rowena to the ground, and Monrique fired. It scared away. Rowena's wound was infected and she was dying when Monrik took her to the hospital." "That was also the last time she went out with the doctor to investigate. After that time, the doctor never went to Africa again. I'm sure the doctor gave up the idea that humans originated in Africa. After such an experience, would you be surprised if Rowena is a little different?" ?The cheetah attack is too tragic for her, isn't it?" Babi looked at Ai Pulu's nervous face, a strange expression surprised him.He saw a tinge of hot, cruel, morbid gloating in her face.Either it is an illusion caused by the dark night sky and the strong and incongruous lighting in the hall.Seeing Babi thoughtfully, she quickly smiled and said, "Life is tricky sometimes," she became serious, "It must have been a terrible blow." "Certainly," Babi said, comforted by her understanding, "but that experience didn't break Rowena, and she was still a very charming lady, with a good sense of humour, never showing self-pity, It doesn't take long to get in touch with her before you forget she's blind." He held her arm, feeling the smooth texture of snow-white fur.The little black cat winked at him with its big blue eyes in its snakeskin handbag. "Go, you'll like Rowena," he urged. "No, Baby!" She resisted in a low voice but stubbornly. "Please do not--" However, Babi has already warmly greeted Rowena. "Rowena! I'm Babi. The newspaper has asked me to come to the airport for a report on your husband's visit. Now, I would like to invite you to meet my newest friend, a beautiful redhead, Miss Aprile Bell. " Dr. Monrik's wife turned her head following the voice.Although she is in her sixties, she still maintains the slender figure of a young man.Her thick curly hair, which Babi remembered, was now completely white, but her cheeks were flushed, perhaps from excitement or the coolness of the air.Babi knew her so well that he didn't even notice if she was wearing the dark glasses that blind people often wear. "Hey, Baby!" Her voice was crisp and sweet, "It's a pleasure to meet your friend." As she spoke, she changed the dog's chain to her left hand, freeing her right hand to reach out to Ai Pulu Bell: "You Well, Miss Aprile Eyre." "Hello, thank you." Ai Pulu's voice was also very pleasant, but it didn't have the enthusiasm of Rowena.She stood where she was, not intending to shake hands with Rowena. Fortunately, Rowena couldn't see, but Babi felt uncomfortable. He deliberately pulled Ai Pulu's sleeve, but she dodged away.He glanced at Ai Pulu, and saw that her face was dark, her lips were tightly closed, her big green eyes were slits, and she was fixed on the silver bracelet on Rowena's wrist.Babi hurried forward to break the deadlock. "Be careful what you say," he said to Rowena, pretending to be relaxed. "Miss Bell is a reporter for the "Clarion". She will take down everything you say." Lovina smiled slightly, as if he didn't feel Ai Pulu's rudeness just now, so Babi breathed a sigh of relief. Rowena turned her head slightly, listened carefully to the voices in the sky, and asked eagerly, "Have they arrived yet?" "Not yet," Babi told her, "but dispatch said they were on standby to land." "They landed safely, so I'm relieved." She said with a worried face, "I've always been worried about Mark. Since he went out this time, I haven't let go. His health is not very good. I really shouldn't Go, but he insists on taking such a big risk." She was very nervous when she spoke, her hands were trembling, and she held the dog's chain tightly. "Some things buried in the ground should be buried there," she said softly. "I once persuaded Mark not to go to Alashan to dig those things. I am worried that she will dig out things that should not be dug up." s things." Ai Pulu listened intently, Babi could hear her rapid panting. "Are you worried?" Ai Pulu also asked in a very soft voice, "What do you think he will find?" "Nothing." Rowena seemed to be alert, "He couldn't find anything, really." "Tell me," Ai Pulu insisted on Rowena to continue, "you can guess it, because I think I can already guess-" Suddenly, Ai Pulu's voice turned into a low whine, and she stumbled back.It turned out that the huge German Shepherd broke free from the chain, and silently and lightning-fastly rushed towards the female reporter who was chasing after her and insisted on asking questions.Babi tried his best, punched and kicked, and resisted desperately, but the dog bypassed him and bared its teeth and claws at the female reporter, showing its fierceness.Babi then turned around quickly and grabbed the dog's leash tightly.Ai Pulu ran with her arms open recklessly, her small snakeskin handbag wrapped around her neck in a hurry, and the dog kept chasing after her. "Turk, Turk, stop!" Rowena yelled. Hearing the owner's shout, the dog obediently returned to Rowena's side, but still did not bark.Bobby put the dog's chain back into Rowena's hands. "Thank you, Willy, I hope your Miss Belle was not hurt by the dog. Please tell her I'm sorry." Rowena said softly to Bobby. Barbie noticed that she didn't scold her dog.那只硕大的黄色牧羊犬，此时已经安安静静地贴着主人的黑色衣裙卧在地上，可眼睛却园瞪着，无声地龇牙咧嘴，向艾溥露显露着胸像。艾溥露早已被这场袭击，吓得脸色煞白，浑身发抖，匆匆跑向候机厅。 “这狗太过分了。”一个瘦小干瘪的女人从前面人群中走过来，用略带责备的口吻说，“现在知道了吧，蒙瑞克夫人，我劝过你，不要戴这狗来。它越来越凶了，说不定什么时候就会咬伤人的。” 蒙瑞克夫人却很镇静，她抚摸着狗的头，默默索索地抓住狗的脖套，然后，又用手指轻轻地抚摸脖套上的银扣链。巴毕记起，罗维娜的确一直都很喜爱银制的器皿和各种装饰。 “不，爱尔浮德小姐，特克是训练好来保护我的。”罗维娜耐心地说，“我要它总跟着我。它不会随便伤害任何人的，除非有人想伤害我。”她停下来，仔细听了听，说：“是不是飞机已经着陆了·” 看看艾溥露没有任何反抗的表示，巴毕倒是对罗维娜的言行有些震惊和不解，艾溥露的红头发在风中飘着，似乎招呼着他，于是，他急忙回到艾溥露的身边。 艾溥露站在灯火通明的候机厅里，轻轻抚摩着小黑猫，嘴里喃喃地嘀咕着：“亲爱的，乖点儿，那只大狗真是坏透了，它不喜欢我们，但是，我们用不着怕它。” “是我的错，贝尔小姐。”巴毕很尴尬：“我没想到会发生会发生这样的事情。” “是我的错，巴毕。”她对他笑着，一连的懊悔，“我不该把可怜的小菲菲待到里那只大凶狗那么近的地方。”她绿色的眼睛里闪着光，“是你帮我把狗挡住了，太谢谢你了。” “特克从来没这样过。”他说，“蒙瑞克夫人向你道歉。” “他真这么说了？”艾溥露瞥了一眼蒙瑞克夫人，“让我们忘掉这个不愉快的事吧。”她说得很快，长长的绿眼睛里没有一丝表情，“飞机快来了，我还想要你告诉我在那儿等着接机的其他人呢。” 她急切地朝蒙瑞克夫人前面的人群点点头，人们此时正望眼欲穿地仰望着天空，望着被城市灯光照亮了的半边天，灰蒙蒙的夜空好像开始晴朗了起来。 “好的。”能够摆脱刚才这么一场尴尬和不愉快，巴毕是再高兴不过的了，“你瞧，那个鼻子尖尖的小个子女人，就是刚才过来的那个，她是罗维娜的护士，爱尔浮德小姐。虽说她是专职护士，却常常这儿疼那儿疼的，倒是罗维娜要不时地照顾她。” “别的人呢？” “看见那个点掩总也点不着的老绅士么？那是老爷子本·斯特，莱克斯·斯特的祖父，也是他的唯一亲人，在中心大街有一个报摊，刚好在《星报》的街对面，他一直供莱克斯读书，直到莱克斯从蒙瑞克博士那儿得到奖学金。” “还有其他的人呢？” “旁边拿个小个子男人是尼克·斯宾维克的父亲，那个黑头发，满脸傲气的女人是斯宾维克夫人，他们在布鲁克林开了一家裁缝店，刚好就在布鲁特布什大道上。尼克是他们的独生子。他虽不愿父母亲过多地问他的工作，但心里却是总把老爸老妈放在第一位。他父母对他这次出去一直老大的不满，他们给我写了至少有十几封信，总向我打听尼克的消息。他们是乘早班飞机专程赶来接尼克的。我猜，准是尼克先给他们打了电话。” “其他的大多是朋友或基金会的人了。费舍教授，大学考古系的。博艾特教授，基金会的负责人——” “那个金黄色头发，朝你笑的是谁？”艾溥露打断了巴毕的话。 “诺拉，”巴毕的声音一下子变得很温柔，“山姆·奎恩的妻子。” 他和山姆是同一天认识诺拉的，那是刚到克拉伦登的新生注册周的时候，大家都在一起注册。十四年的时光，却没能改变她眼睛里的那股友善的柔情：巴毕暗自感叹着，如今，笑盈盈迎接夫君的娘子，还是过去的那个苗条姑娘，他为大学里的那一片天地而激动不已。 巴毕同艾溥露一起向她走去，小心翼翼地绕开罗维娜的那只大狗。诺拉牵着女儿帕蒂，激起渴望地又向嗡嗡作响的天空望了望，才转向巴毕他们。 帕翠莎·奎恩刚刚五岁，并为自己有五岁而感到自豪。她长着同诺拉一样的蓝色大眼睛，浅黄色的头发，粉嘟嘟的脸蛋儿，挂着一点儿固执的神情，这倒蛮像山姆的。小姑娘朝后拽着妈妈，扬起小脸，朝天上望着，一副渴望的样子。 “爸爸在高高的天上，冷不冷呀？他还好吧？” “当然很好啦，他们肯定都很好，什么事都不会有的。”可是诺拉的声音听上去却不像她话里说得那么有把握。她忧心忡忡地大声对巴毕说：“我真不该跑到山姆的图书室，察看阿拉山的地图，弄得我连夜失眠，这两年的时间太长乐，不知道帕蒂还记不记得爸爸了呢。” “我当然记得了，妈妈。”孩子的坚定自信，就象山姆的腔调“我当然记得我的爸爸啦。” “来了！”巴毕听到飞机轮子触到跑道的声音。那些一直翘首企盼的人们，听巴毕这么一说，都舒了口气。他们安全降落了，正在慢慢滑向停机坪。 巴毕抓住艾溥露的衣袖，朝罗维娜的大狗瞥了一眼，那狗紧贴着主人站着，一副敌意地盯着艾溥露；和她的蓝眼睛小猫咪。 “诺拉，这是艾溥露·贝尔，《号角报》的女记者，你说的每句话，都可能被写进她的报道。” “真的呀！”艾溥露反抗似的说，路出迷人的微笑。当两个女人的眼光相对时，巴毕感到了一股火花，就像是硬的金属摩擦砂轮时迸发出的那股火花，她俩天使般的向对方微笑，并互相握着手。 “亲爱的，真高兴认识你！” 她们相互憎恨对方，巴毕看得出，她们双方恨极了。 “妈妈！”小帕蒂很渴望地大喊：“我可不可以摸摸这个小猫咪？” “不行，乖乖，不要没！” 诺拉上前一把，想拦住孩子，可是，帕蒂早就把粉红色的小手伸到猫咪面前。小黑猫眨眨眼睛，“噌”地抓了帕蒂一下，一点儿没含糊。帕蒂疼的“哎呀”递叫了一声，马上又忍住了，缩回妈妈的身边。 “糟糕，奎恩夫人，真是对不起。”艾溥露·贝尔讨好似的抱歉道。 “我不喜欢你。”帕蒂满脸郑重地向艾溥露宣布。 “快瞧！”老爷子本·斯特用烟斗指着灰暗的天空，激动地大声喊着，不很灵活地从它们旁边跑过去，“飞机来了，都已经在跑道上去了。” 斯宾维克夫妇紧跟在后面，也急急忙忙地跑着。 “我们的尼克，亲爱的，我们的尼克回来了，他从大沙漠那个鬼地方回来了。” “快点儿，妈妈。”帕蒂着急的拉着诺拉的手，像大人们一样激动。“爸爸会拉了，我知道我的爸爸回来了，我记得爸爸。” 罗维娜·蒙瑞克根在人群后面，骄傲地昂着头，显得很平静。虽然爱尔浮德小姐搀扶着他，大黄犬也不离她的左右，她仍然显得异常孤独，没有人能分担她的焦虑和恐惧。巴毕看在眼里，却爱莫能助。只有他和艾溥露还留在原地。 “菲菲，你真淘气！”艾溥露亲昵地拍着小猫，“你把我们的采访给毁了。” 巴毕突然有一种冲动，想追上诺拉，向她解释，爱溥露·贝尔是刚刚认识。她内心仍对诺拉怀着一份柔情。他有时会不由自主地想象，如果当初新生见面会上，不是山姆，而是他自己和诺拉搭伴儿跳舞的话，生活也许完全会是另一个样子的。这时，艾溥露委婉甜美的声音在耳边响了起来：“我很抱歉，巴毕，真的，很对不起。”她的大眼睛里闪动着微笑。 “没什么。”巴毕说，“这猫是怎么回事儿？” 她的绿眼睛一下变得暗淡下来，似乎有些怪异的紧张，就好像她内心有一种秘密恐惧遮住了眼睛的光亮。巴毕感到她似乎在和大家玩一种复杂而又危险的游戏，他看不懂到底是个什么样子的游戏，当然喽，一个实习记者可能会耍点儿小花招，把第一采访搞得漂亮点儿。可是，艾溥露的表现却是胜过一般的新手，她似乎对刚才的种种尴尬应付自如，巴毕觉得她一点儿不怯场，她又一副决战到底的派头。 巴毕有些拿不准，干脆就不再继续猜想什么了。这时，艾溥露的脸色恢复了原有的神情，重又现出现前的红润，紧张的气氛松弛了，她细心整理着小猫脖子上的缎带，然后，投给巴毕一个热情愉快的微笑。 “菲菲是阿加莎姨妈的，”她开始喁喁细语道：“你知道，我跟她住在一块儿，今天她跟我一起出来，她先开车去买东西了，把猫咪留给我照管，她回来后回到候机厅里来找我的。对不起，我得去看看她是不是回来了，好在这个小东西又闹出什么乱子之前，把它还给姨妈。” 她说着便匆匆地离开，向灯火通明的大厅走去。巴毕看着她的背影消失在玻璃门里，心里一阵迷茫和不安，就连她走路的姿态也让他感到莫名其妙的心动，她真是有点放浪形骸的劲头儿。 巴毕抖抖肩膀，想甩掉对艾溥露的种种及吸引人又令人难以捉摸的矛盾感觉。他跟在诺拉后面，随着人群一块儿看着缓缓停稳的飞机，他觉得很疲倦，可能是喝了太多威士忌吧，他似乎有些情绪亢进，自然会对艾溥露反映强烈，对这样的姑娘，哪个男人不呢？不过，他的言行还是很得体的。 诺拉·奎恩转过头来，许久才问：“那个姑娘对你很重要么？” “才刚认识的，”巴毕有些支支吾吾，猜不透诺拉的意思，“她有点儿……特别。” “别让她占据你过多的精力，”诺拉抢白似的紧接着说，“她是——” 她停下来，想找个合适的字眼，她脸上的微笑不见了，手下意识地紧紧拉了下帕蒂。可是，她没有找到那个合适的字眼。 “总之，巴毕，千万不要。”她的声音很轻很低，“请你一定！” 飞机引擎的轰鸣声吞没了她的声音。