幻象师

文/刘宇昆　译/戴一　绘/马豆子

幻象师

文/刘宇昆译/戴一绘/马豆子

I test the heft of the small leather purse: light， much lighter than my hope.

"This is all the gold dust left in Four Willows，" Elder Anselm says. "We've already hired a party of knights， a trio①trio 英 ［'triːəʊ］ 美 ［'trio］ n. 三重唱；三件一套；三个一组of wizards，even a band of monks. None could rid us of the grendel. Please， you're our last hope."

And the cheapest， I add silently.

But beggars can't be choosers. King Rémy，a Puritan， has banned shadow plays and shuttered the theatres. I and my apprentice②apprentice 英 ［ə'prentɪs］ 美 ［ə'prɛntɪs］ n. 学徒；生手 vt. 使……当学徒 vi. 当学徒élise watched our savings dwindle③dwindle 英 ［'dwɪnd（ə）l］ 美 ［'dwɪndl］ vi. 减少；变小 vt. 使缩小，使减少until I had no choice but to swallow my pride and turn to bounty-hunting.

It's difficult enough to kill monsters， doubly so when you're only an illusionist.

"Tell me everything about the grendel，" I say. "An illusionist does his best work when he knows his audience."

The grendel is as tall as three men stacked④stack 英 ［stæk］ 美 ［stæk］ n. 堆；堆叠 vt. 使堆叠；把……堆积起来 vi. 堆积，堆叠foot to shoulder.

We're trudging through the dark woods. I turn over Anselm's words in my mind，preparing for the task ahead.

"Master， how can we defeat the monster with illusions？" élise asks， fear and doubt making her beautiful voice， the voice that can imitate the roar of a lion as well as the song of a nightingale⑤nightingale 英 ［'naɪtɪŋ，ɡeɪl］ 美 ［'naɪtn，ɡel］ n. 夜莺， tremble. "I've only ever learned to make sounds that delight."

It's the issue of the Devil， conceived in horror and sorrow. Its head is misshapen，its spine crooked， its teeth as foul as rusty⑥rusty 英 ［'rʌstɪ］ 美 ［'rʌsti］ adj. 生锈的，腐蚀的；铁锈色的，锈色的；迟钝的daggers， its three arms all of differing lengths. It comes at night to snatch our children， and it leaves behind nightmares.

"Swords and fiery magic missiles are not the only things that can kill，" I tell her. "Men and monsters also die when the darkest fears in their hearts are made real."

She nods， her jaw taut. At thirteen， no longer a child， she can tell when my words are meant to comfort her and my heart isn't in them.

I point to the side of the path， where a cottage suddenly appears. The window glows warmly， and against the fogged up pane you can see the silhouettes of a couple cooingover their baby. We stand still to gaze， silent before the perfect sight.

I am， after all， the world's greatest illusionist.

"Thank you， Master，" she says after a while. I wave my hand and the cottage disappears.

"Hold onto your dreams， which never die，" I tell her. "Now let's move on."

Years ago， the piercing cries of a baby pulled me out of an ale⑦ale 英 ［eɪl］ 美 ［el］ n. 麦芽酒-haze in a warm tavern. Following that powerful voice， I found élise wrapped in a blanket abandoned on the steps of a church. I knew then that she was special， had a gift.

I'm glad that I can still impress her， even if I'm no longer omnipotent⑧omnipotent 英 ［ɒm'nɪpət（ə）nt］ 美 ［ɑm'nɪpətənt］ adj. 无所不能的；全能的；有无限权力的in her eyes. Someday， she may exceed my skill， but today she is still just my student.

God will forgive me for my vanity. It's all I have left.

我掂量了一下小钱袋，比我预想的要轻得多。

“这是四柳会剩下的所有金粉了。”埃尔德•安塞姆说，“我们已经雇用了一群骑士，三个术士，还有一队僧侣。他们都不能让我们摆脱格伦德尔。求求您了，您是我们最后的希望。”

而且是最便宜的，我心里嘀咕。

但是谁叫我缺钱呢。国王雷米是个清教徒，下令禁止了影子戏，关闭了剧院。我和我的学徒爱丽丝眼瞅着米缸见底，我别无选择只能放下清高来做赏金猎人。

杀死怪兽是件困难的事，当你仅仅是个幻象师时更是难上加难。

“告诉我一切有关格伦德尔的事。”我说，“知己知彼百战不殆。”

格伦德尔有三个无头人那么高。

我们在黑暗森林里跋涉寻找，我心里在思考着安塞姆告诉我的事，考虑着这项任务怎么完成。

“师父，我们用幻象怎么打败怪兽？”爱丽丝问道，她那迷人的声音带着一丝害怕和迷惑，谁会知道这声音既能模仿狮子的怒吼也能模仿夜莺的悲歌呢。“我只学过用声音表演逗乐啊。”

格伦德尔是让人感到邪恶害怕的撒旦之子，畸形的头颅，佝偻的脊椎，牙齿好像生锈的匕首，三条胳膊还不是一样长短。它深夜出没，掳走孩童，给人留下无尽的梦魇。

“剑和火焰球并不是制胜法宝。”我告诉她，“怪兽和人类一样，内心深处充满了恐惧时会不战自溃。”

她点点头，下巴绷得很紧。她才13岁，不过是个孩子，却可以分辨我言语中哪些是真正能带给她安全感的，哪些是心不在焉的。

我指向小道一侧，那儿突然出现了一幢农舍。窗子反射的阳光很柔和，透过朦胧的窗子可以看到一对夫妇正在逗他们牙牙学语的孩子。我们就这样在这幅温馨的场景前一动不动地安静看着。

不管怎么说，我可是世界上最伟大的幻象师呢。

“谢谢你，师父。”过了一会儿她说。我挥挥手，农舍消失了。

“牢牢记住你永不破灭的梦想，”我告诉她，“现在是实现它的时候了。”

数年之前，我在温暖的酒吧里喝着麦芽酒，一个婴儿的哭叫声使得我出去一探究竟，循着哭声，我在教堂台阶上找到了包裹在毯子里的弃婴——爱丽丝。我很快就知道她很特殊，天赋异常。

我很高兴她仍将我铭记在心，尽管在她眼里我已经不再是万能的了。终有一天她的技术可能会超过我，但是今天她仍只是我的学生。

上帝也会原谅我的虚荣吧，那是我唯一剩下的东西了。

The Illusionist