Chapter 31 The eighth part AD 4000000000 years.brave new world

The Ghost of Cape Town leaves the pier and heads out to sea.At that time, I was standing on the deck. When the oil tank exploded and caught fire, about a dozen cargo ships fled the port of Drupayu, scrambling to seize the mouth of the harbor.Most of these ships were small merchant ships of unknown nationality, probably going to Port Magellan.However, the shipping manifest on the ship is very clear: during the random inspection, the ship may be thoroughly checked, and the owner or captain will suffer heavy losses. Jara was standing next to me.We leaned against the railing and watched a rusty offshore freighter.The freighter turned from the smoky, incendiary embankment and nearly crashed into the stern of the Cape Town Ghost.Sirens blared from both ships, and the Cape Ghost's deck crew looked worriedly aft.Fortunately, the offshore freighter scrambled before hitting it.

So, we broke away from the embrace of the harbor and sailed to the vast and turbulent sea.Then, I went down to the crew lounge at the bottom.Ina, Diane, and the other immigrants were there.Ian sat in front of a trestle table, where Ibina and Ian's parents sat.The four of them seemed uncomfortable.Diane enjoyed a little privilege because of her injuries.The chair she sat in was the only upholstered chair in the entire lounge.However, her wound was no longer bleeding.She has managed to change into a clean set of clothes. An hour later, Jara walked into the lounge.He yelled for everyone to listen to him, and then began to talk.Ina translated for me.He was boasting and complacent over there again.That aside, Jarrah said he had been on the bridge and talked to the captain.He said the fire on deck had been completely extinguished and we were on our way safely.The captain apologizes to everyone, the sea is too rough.According to the weather forecast, this weather will end at midnight tonight or tomorrow morning.However, in the next few hours

Speaking of this, Yi An, who was sitting next to Yi Na, suddenly turned his head and vomited on Yi Na's lap, which just made a conclusion for Yi Na's words. ☆ Two nights later, I went out on deck to watch the stars with Diane. After dark, the main deck is much quieter than at any other time of the day.There are many forty-foot containers stacked on the deck.We found a place between the back of the container and the aft upper deck where we could speak without being overheard.The sea is calm and the gentle breeze is refreshing.Looking up, the Cape Ghost's funnel and radar antenna stand tall, and the sky is so densely packed with stars that at first glance they appear to be wrapped around the mast's rigging.

Are you still writing memos?Diane has seen my luggage.There are all kinds of memory cards in it, as well as the Martian medical digital files and medicines we brought out from Montreal, Canada.In addition, there are various notebooks, scattered papers, and scrawled notes. I said: I don't write often.It seems that there is no such urgency. Don't rush to write them all down. In other words, you are not afraid of forgetting. The same can be said. She smiled and asked me: Do you think there is something different about yourself? I just transitioned into my fourth year, and Diane is already a senior.At present, her wound has healed, leaving only a small curved scar on her buttocks.Her body's ability to heal itself has always amazed me and found it incredible, even though I should have it myself.

She asked me such a question, it was a bit deliberate.I have asked Diane several times, does she feel different about herself after transitioning to the fourth year?Actually, what I really want to ask is, has she become different in my eyes? It is difficult to have a clear answer to such a question.Since she was near death in the big house and then miraculously brought back to life, she has clearly become a very different person and who wouldn't?She lost her husband and her faith, and when she woke up, the world she faced might be as wise as a Buddha and Monk Zhang Er could not figure it out.

She said: Transformation is nothing more than a door that leads to a room.You've never been in this room, except that you've occasionally glimpsed it inadvertently.Now, you have lived in this room.This is your own room, completely yours.Some things you can't change, for example, you can't make a room bigger or smaller.However, how you want to decorate it is up to you. I said: Your answer like this is equivalent to no answer. Anyone can say this kind of thing. Sorry, I can't tell you why.She looked up at the stars.Look, Tyler, you can see the arches. We call it the Arch because humans are short-sighted.The Great Arch is actually a ring, a ring about 1,600 kilometers in diameter, half of which is exposed above the water.The other half is underwater, or buried in the earth's crust.Some suspect that the Arch uses magma from the ocean floor as a source of energy.From our relatively antsy point of view, however, the Gateway is really an arch, the top of which reaches out into the immensity of sky beyond the atmosphere.

However, even the half exposed on the surface must be seen in its entirety through photography from outer space.However, those photos usually also focus on local details.If you have the opportunity to cut that ring and look at its cross-sectional structure, you will see a rectangle about one and a half kilometers long and half a kilometer wide, with countless metal wires in the middle.The entire arch is a ring surrounded by metal wires.The size of the arch is huge, but it actually occupies a very small space, so it is not easy to see from a distance. The Cape Ghost is taking us south of the ring.The course of the ship is parallel to the axial plane of the ring, almost directly below the top of the ring.The sun was shining above the top of the ring.At this time, in the northern sky, the shape of the arch looks less like the English letter U or J, and more like the sun frowning.Diane joked that it looked a bit like the cat in Alice in Wonderland frowning.The stars that surround the sky cross the arch, as if the plankton on the surface of the sea are divided by the bow of the advancing ship.

Diane's head rests on my shoulder.I wish Jason could see this. I believe he saw it, just not from our perspective. ☆ Immediately after Jason's death, the big house faced three big problems. The most pressing question is Diane.Since I injected Diane with the Martian medicine, Diane's poor physical condition has not improved for several days.She was comatose and had intermittent fevers.The pulse in her throat was beating so violently that it was almost as if a worm was flapping its wings in her throat.We were running low on medical supplies, so I had to coax her into giving her a drop or two of water now and then.The only thing that has improved significantly is the sound of her breathing.It sounds like she is breathing more easily and has less phlegm.At least her lungs are slowly healing.

The second problem is hard, yet too many families in this country face the same problem.That is, someone in the family has passed away and must be buried. In the past few days, a huge wave of death has swept the world.Accidental death, suicide death, murdered death.Countries all over the world are caught off guard by this problem, and the only possible solutions are rough, even the United States is no exception.Local broadcasts have begun at stations announcing mass burials of corpses.The government conscripted refrigerated trucks from meatpacking companies.The call was made, so they released a phone number as well.Carol, however, didn't even want to hear it.Whenever I talk about it, she takes on a sacrosanct air.She said: Taylor, I wouldn't do this kind of thing.I will never allow them to treat Jason like a medieval pauper and throw him into that hole casually.

But Carol, we can't She said: Don't talk anymore.I still have some old acquaintances I can contact.I'll call. She had been a highly respected medical specialist before the Time Whirl, and must have been well connected.However, for more than 30 years, she has been isolated from the world and soaked in alcohol all day long. Who else will remember her?Anyway, she spent the morning on the phone.Some people's phone numbers have been changed, but she persevered in tracking down, trying to wake up the other person's memory, constantly explaining, saying good things, and begging hard.It sounds like there's nothing left to hope for.Unexpectedly, more than six hours later, a funeral home's hearse parked in the driveway of the big house, and two professional funeral directors stepped out of the car.They were clearly exhausted, but showed no slack in their compassion.They put Jason's body on a stretcher with wheels and carried it out of the big house and into the car.Since then, Jason has left the big house forever.

All day after Jason was gone, Carol hid upstairs, holding Diane's hand and singing to her, even though Diane probably couldn't hear her.She had her first glass of wine that night.Since the day when the big red sun appeared, she hadn't drank any more until that night.She said: "Have a drink to keep your strength up. The third big problem is Edward.Lawton. ☆ Someone had to go and tell Edward that his son was dead.Carol had to muster up the courage to take on the task.She told me that she hadn't spoken to Edward in several years, and the communication between the two parties was through lawyers.Besides, she had always been afraid of Edward, at least when she was sober.Edward was tall, aggressive, and intimidating, while Carol was frail, evasive, and shy, like a child.The mother's grief, however, subtly reverses this imbalance. It took Carol several hours to get in touch with Edward.Others are in Washington and can be reached by car.She told him about Jason.When it came to Jason's death, she was deliberately vague.She told him that when Jason came home, he looked very much like pneumonia, and then the power went out, and his condition suddenly deteriorated.The phone didn't work, there was no way to call an ambulance, and there was no way out. I asked her how Edward reacted. She shrugged.He didn't say a word at first.Edward was silent when he was sad.Taylor, his son died.Given the chaos of those days, perhaps he wouldn't be surprised.Still, he was sad.I think the sadness in his heart is indescribable. Did you tell him Diane was here? I thought it best not to let him know.She looks at me.I didn't tell him you were here either.I knew something wasn't right between Jason and Edward.Jason ran home, as if he was hiding from something, as if something had happened in the Foundation, which made him very scared.I'm guessing, maybe that has something to do with Martian medicine.No, Tyler, you don't have to explain to me that I don't want to hear it, and probably don't understand it.I thought it best not to have Edward come home in a huff.He will try to control the situation. Didn't he even ask about Diane? No, he didn't ask about Diane.It's kind of weird.He told me to save Jason, uh, Jason's body.He kept asking me what to do with Jason's body.I told him, I've made arrangements, I'm helping Jason with a funeral, and I'll let him know when the time comes.However, he still refused to let it go.He said he was going to do an autopsy.However, I said nothing.She looked at me coldly.Taylor, why would he want an autopsy? I said: I don't know. However, I decided to get this straight.I ran to Jason's room.The sheets had been removed.I opened the window and sat in a chair next to the dresser to examine what Jason had left behind. Before he died, Jason already knew the truth about the hypothetical intelligent creatures and the future they arranged for the earth.He asked me to record what he said, and make several more copies, and put one copy in each of the dozen or so stuffed brown paper bags.Those brown paper bags have already been stamped, and they will be sent out when the post office resumes business.Apparently, when he first returned to the big house in the days before the time gyration disappeared, he had no intention of recording this tape.There were other crises that cornered him.The confession before he died was a temporary idea of ​​his. I took those brown paper bags and looked through them.It had the names of recipients in Jason's own handwriting, all of whom I didn't know.No, not completely unknown.One of the paper bags had my name on it. That's for me. □□□ Dear Taylor: I know that for a long time, I have caused you a lot of trouble without knowing it.However, I'm afraid I have to trouble you again, and this time it will be even more troublesome. I'll explain it to you later.Maybe you will feel very sudden, I'm sorry, but I don't have much time.why?I'll tell you later. Recently, there have been some abnormalities in the sky, which the media called flares.The incident aroused suspicion in the Lomez government.In fact, there are other things that few outsiders know.Let me give you an example. After Van Noven was killed, the government collected some tissue samples from his organs and sent them to the Animal Disease Control Center on Plum Island for testing.When he first arrived on Earth, he was also quarantined there.Although the biotechnology of the Martians is mysterious and profound, modern forensic science has a way to get to the bottom of it.Recently, they found that Vanovan's physiology was completely reworked, especially the nervous system.The extent of the modification far exceeds the standard fourth-year processing procedures recorded in the database.Because of this discovery, among other reasons, Lomes and his men began to sense that something was wrong.They brought back Edward, who was forced to retire.Edward once questioned Van Noven's motives back then, but now, they began to think that Edward was right.Of course Edward was glad to have this opportunity to come back and revive the Foundation and restore his own reputation.He quickly grasped the psychology of the people in the White House. What is the top government plan to do?They decided to act recklessly.Ramesh and his henchmen hatch a plan.They went to the Foundation for a surprise inspection, searched for existing site equipment, and took away the only Vanovan relics and data files we had, as well as our research records and work notes. Is there any connection between my multiple sclerosis recovery and Vanovan's drug?Maybe Edward hasn't figured this out yet.Perhaps, though, he had figured it out and decided to keep the secret a secret.I'd rather believe that he was trying to hide it, because if I were to fall into the hands of those people from the intelligence service, the first thing they would do would be to test my blood, and then immediately lock me up for scientific experiments.Maybe he'll be locked up on Plum Island, in the same cell that Van Noven used to live in.I don't believe that Edward really wants to see this kind of scene.Although he hates me for stealing the Foundation from him, and for colluding with Wanowen, he is still my father after all. You don't have to worry, though.Even if Edward has returned to the power core of Romes in the White House, I still have my own contacts.I've been cultivating my network.In general, they are not that powerful people, however, some people still have a certain unique influence.Both were intelligent and upstanding men who chose to see the fate of humanity through a far-sighted lens.Thanks to them, I was able to know in advance that the White House was going to come to the Foundation for a surprise inspection.I escaped just in time.Now I'm a fugitive. As for you, Tyler, they only suspect you of aiding my crime.However, they may still come to you in the end. sorry.I know that I am quite responsible for getting you into this situation.One day, I will apologize to you in person.However, at this moment I can only give you some advice. When you left the Foundation, I gave you some digital files.Those files are the top secret version of the Vanovan Martian database.I think you may have burned those files, or buried them, or dumped them in the Pacific Ocean.It doesn't matter.I've been designing spaceships for years.Years of experience have taught me that being prepared is a virtue.I divided the information hidden by Wan Nuowen into several parts and handed it over to a dozen people.These people are spread across the country and across the globe.Those files have not yet been posted online.They will not be so irresponsible.Those files are out there somewhere, though.There is no doubt that this is almost an act of treason, and certainly a serious crime.If I was arrested, they would charge me with treason.However, right now I want to put that data to good use. Most importantly, this knowledge covers procedures for modifying humans, capable of treating serious diseases.I know this best.While I know that spreading such knowledge can cause many problems, I don't think it should be appropriated for the good of the country. However, Romes and those MPs who share his nostrils think otherwise.So, now I'm going to scatter the last remaining part of the database so they can't find me.I'm going to hide.Maybe you'll want to go and hide.In fact, I'm afraid you really have to go and hide.Everyone who used to be in the Foundation, anyone who was close to me, sooner or later fell into the hands of those in the intelligence services. However, maybe you will do the opposite, maybe you will think of the nearby FBI office and hand them the contents of this paper bag.If you think it's best, you can do it according to your own judgment, and I don't blame you.However, I dare not say that you will be fine if you do this.In fact, from my experience with the Lomez administration, even if you tell the truth, they still won't let you go. No matter what you decide to do, I will regret putting you in this situation.This is very unfair to you.It's too much to ask your friends to do this kind of thing.It has always been an honor to be your friend. Maybe Edward was right, our generation has struggled for thirty years just to get back what we lost, what the time spin took from us that October night.But we can't.In this ever-evolving universe, we can't keep anything, and no matter how hard we try, we can't get anything.If there's one thing I've learned since my transformation into fourth year, it's that our short life is like a drop of rain.We drift downward, but we all find our home somewhere. Float free, Tyler.The documents in the paper bag are there for you to use if you need them.These things are not cheap, but they are absolutely reliable.It's nice to have high-level friends. ☆ The documents in the paper bag are, most importantly, a full set of backup documents, including passports, ID cards from the Department of Homeland Security, driver's licenses, birth certificates, social security numbers, and even medical school diplomas.These documents have my photo or description on them, but the name is not mine. ☆ Diane's body continued to recover.Although she still had a fever, her pulse strengthened and her lungs returned to function.The Martian Drug was at work, completely remodeling her body, reorganizing and modifying her DNA in a subtle way. Her body gradually recovered, so she also began to ask some sensitive questions.She asked about the sun, about Pastor Dan, about how we got back from Arizona to the big house.It comes and goes because of the fever; she sometimes forgets what I've said.She asked me several times how Simon was doing.When she was lucid, I told her about the red heifer, and the stars appeared again.When she was out of her wits, I told her that Simon had gone elsewhere, and that I wished I could take care of her a little longer.Some of what I told her was true, and some were half-truths, but she seemed satisfied with none of them. On some days, she seemed listless, barely propping up her body to sit up, facing the window and door, and staring blankly at the sunlight moving slowly on the uneven sheets and quilts.In other cases, her high fever persisted.One afternoon, she asked me to bring her a pen and paper.After I showed it to her, she kept repeating the same sentence: Am I not my brother's patron saint?She wrote over and over again, and kept writing until her fingers cramped. I showed Carol what she had written, and Carol said: I've told her that Jason is dead. Do you really think this is okay? She will know sooner or later.She'll get through it, Tyler, don't worry about her, she'll be fine.She has always been strong. ☆ The morning of Jason's funeral, I prepared the brown paper bags he had left behind, put a copy of the recording in each bag, and stamped it.Then, Carol and I went to the chapel she had reserved in advance.On the way, I randomly found a few mailboxes and dropped the paper bags into them respectively.It may be a few days before the mail is picked up because the post office has not yet reopened.Still, I thought to myself, at least it would be safer in the mailbox than in the big house. The chapel was actually a non-religious funeral home on a suburban high street.Due to the current traffic control, there are a lot of cars on the street.Jason is a rationalist. He has always been against extravagant funerals, but Carol has a strong sense of self-esteem. She insists on organizing a funeral for Jason.She managed to find some people, mostly old neighbors.They watched Jason grow up, and occasionally saw Jason appear on TV, and read reports about Jason in the newspapers.Today's Jason is no longer as powerful as before. I took the stage to say a brief tribute.It's a pity that Diane was too weak to come, otherwise she would have spoken more touchingly.I said that Xiaojie devoted his whole life to the pursuit of knowledge.But his heart is full of piety and humility, and he will never be arrogant.He understands that knowledge is not created by him, but discovered by him, and no one can keep it for himself.This knowledge must be shared with the whole world, passed on from generation to generation.Jason dedicated his life to the world and will live in the hearts of the world forever.He has become part of that body of knowledge. I was still standing in the pulpit when Edward walked in. He came down the aisle, and halfway there he recognized me from the pulpit.He looked at me for a long time, then sat down on a bench next to me. He looked more haggard than I remembered.He has a short cropped head, and the few remaining white hairs are almost invisible.Still, he projected an air of power.His hand-cut suit still fit perfectly.He folded his arms over his chest and looked around the church with an air of arrogance to see who was there.He saw Carol. After the memorial service was over, the neighbors walked out of the chapel in a row, and went up to pay their respects to Carol one by one. Carol also held back her sadness and stood at the door to thank her.In the past few days, Carol had shed tears every day, but at this moment she was very strong and did not shed tears. That kind of indifference was like a doctor who was about to operate.After the last guest had left, Edward leaned toward her.She straightened suddenly, like a cat sensing the approach of something larger and fiercer. Edward said: Carol.Then he stared at me.Taylor. Carol said: Our son is dead and Jason is gone. That's what I'm here for. I wish you came to mourn your son Of course it's sad. Hope you don't for any other reason.He came back to the big house just to hide from you.You should know that. I know more things than you can imagine.Jason can't figure it out Edward, he may have many questions, but he is not confused at all.I was with him when he died. Yeah?interesting.I am different from you.As long as he was alive, I was always by his side. Carol gasped and turned her head away as if someone had slapped her. Edward said: Come on, Carol.You know very well that I was the one who raised Jason.Maybe you don't like the life I let him live, but at least I gave him a life I gave him a way of life and taught him how to live it. He was born to me. It is easy to have a child, but difficult to raise a child.Everything Jason has, I gave him.Everything Jason knows, I taught him. I really don't know if you love him or hurt him Now, just because I have practical concerns, you're going to blame me What practical concerns? Does that need to be said?Anatomy, of course. Yes, you spoke to me on the phone.It's just that that kind of behavior is very disrespectful to the dead and, to tell you the truth, impossible. I was hoping you would take my words seriously, but you obviously don't.However, I don't need to ask your permission at all.People were already waiting outside the church to receive the body.They can apply for an order under the Emergency Response Act, enforceable. She took a step back.Do you have that much power? You and I have no choice in this matter.Whether you like it or not, you can't stop it.Also, it's just routine and won't do any harm.So do me a favor and let's save some face and respect each other.Give me the body of my son. I have no idea. carol I can't give you the body. You didn't understand me.You have no choice. You are wrong, sorry, you did not understand me.Edward, you hear me clearly, I can't give you his body. He opened his mouth wide, then closed it again.His eyes were wide open. He said: Carol, what have you done? There is no body at all, the body is gone.There was a sly, resentful smile on her lips.However, if you still insist on taking it, the ashes are yours. ☆ I drove Carol back to the big house.During the funeral, her neighbor Emil.Hardy was helping her with Diane.The power had been restored, and his little makeshift newspaper was out of print. Before leaving, Hardy said: Diane and I talked about our community in the past.I used to see them riding their bicycles on that road when they were young.That was a long, long time ago.what about her skin Carol said: Don't worry, it's not contagious. It looks unusual though. Yes, very unusual indeed.Thank you, Emile. Ashley and I are looking forward to having a chance to have dinner at our house someday. That's great, you're going to say thank you to Ashley for me.She closed the door and turned to look at me.I need a drink.However, there are more pressing matters.Edward already knows you're here.You must go, and you must take Diane with you.can you do itIs there any way you can take her to a safe place?A place Edward couldn't find? sure.what do you do then I'll be fine.Edward probably thinks that Jason is hiding some treasure he stole from him here, and maybe he will send someone to search it.Tyler, as long as you're thorough enough, they won't find anything, and there's no way he's going to take the house.Edward had signed the divorce papers with me a long time ago.Little friction between us is no big deal.However, he will be against you.Moreover, he would hurt Diane invisibly, although that was not his intention. I will not let this happen. Then hurry up and organize your things.You are probably running out of time. ☆ That day, the Cape Ghost was preparing to sail through the Gateway Arch.I went out on the deck to watch the sunrise.At this time, the arch is almost invisible, the bases at both ends are hidden in the distant horizon to the east and west, but half an hour before dawn, we can see the top of the arch just above our heads in the sky, as thin as a knife's edge, emitting There is a faint light. Around nine o'clock in the morning, the top of the arch was obscured by a thin tendril of cloud.Yet, although it can't be seen, we know it's there. Everyone was very nervous when they thought that they were about to teleport through time and space.Not only the passengers are nervous, but even the experienced crew members are also nervous.They continued with their routine duties, keeping the ship on course, adjusting machinery, scraping paint off the upper deck and repainting it.However, the rhythm of their movements seemed to glow with a vitality that was not seen yesterday.Jara dragged a plastic chair out onto the deck and sat next to me.The forty-foot container just blocked the place where we sat, so the wind would not be blown, but the view of the sea was narrowed. Jarrah said: "This is my last trip over there.In warmer weather, he was wearing a loose yellow shirt and jeans.He unbuttoned his shirt, letting the sun shine on his chest.He took a can of beer from the cooler beside the boat and slammed the tab off the can.This series of actions shows that he is a secular person, a businessman, and at the same time shows his contempt for Islamic rules and Minangkabau customs.He said: This time there is no return. If he had been involved in the chaos at the Drupayu Harbor wharf, he would have been ruined.The suspicious thing is that even he was almost caught in the fire, but the explosion of the oil tank provided the best cover for our escape.Jarrah has been running the migrant smuggling business for years.This business makes more money than his formal import and export business.He said that more oil and water can be extracted from people than palm oil.However, later Indians and Vietnamese also came to grab business, and the competition became more and more fierce.On the other hand, the political atmosphere is becoming more and more chill.Go to Port Magellan as early as possible to retire and take care of your life, better than being locked up in the prison of the new Agni Moxi regime for the rest of your life. Have you tried teleportation through time and space? twice. Will it be hard? He shrugged.Don't listen to those people talking nonsense. By noon, many passengers ran to the deck.In addition to the Minangkabau villagers, there were also immigrants from all over the boat, including Sumatran aboriginal Aji people, Malays, and Thais. There were about a hundred people in total.There were too many people to fit in the cabin, so the captain installed ventilation equipment on three aluminum containers in the cargo hold to serve as temporary berths. There used to be a business that smuggled refugees to Europe and North America. The journey was harsh and refugees often died.Compared with that kind of smuggling, the equipment of this ship is much more comfortable.Most of the people who teleported through the Great Arch came from the immigration programs approved by the United Nations, and most of them were very rich.The crew was very kind to us.Most of the crew had spent several months in Port Magellan, and they all knew what temptations and traps there were. One of the deckhands cleared an open space on the main deck and surrounded it with a net to form a football field, and some children were playing football in it.Sometimes the ball would jump out of the net, and usually into Jarrah's lap, setting him a little pissed off.Jara is a little irritable today. I asked him when the ship would go into hyperspace. The captain said that if the speed remained the same, it would take another twelve hours. I said: So, this is our last day on earth. No kidding. I am not kidding. Then keep your voice down, the crew is very superstitious. What are you going to do when you get to Port Magellan? Jara raised an eyebrow.What am I going to do?Of course it's sleeping with a beautiful woman, otherwise what else can I do?However, it is also possible to sleep a few not beautiful ones. The football jumped out of the net again.This time Jarrah caught the ball and held it on his stomach.Fuck, be careful!No more playing! A dozen or so children quickly squeezed into the net and made a lot of noise.However, only Ian mustered up the courage to run over and argue with Jala.Ian was sweating profusely, his ribs heaved and he was panting like a cow.Their team leads by five points.He said: Please, give us the ball back. Jarrah stood up abruptly, the ball in his hand, in an imperious manner, throwing a tantrum for no apparent reason.You want the ball, don't you?Do you want it?Then go pick it up.He kicked the ball hard, and the ball flew high, over the railing beside the boat, and fell into the vast expanse of blue Indian Ocean. Ian was taken aback, and then lost his temper.He muttered a few curse words in Minangkabau. Jarrah blushed with anger.He stretched out his hand and slapped Ian so hard that Ian's big glasses were blown away and fell to the deck several times. Jarrah said: Apologize to me. Ian squatted down, kneeling on the ground with one knee, his eyes closed tightly.After sobbing a few times, he finally stood up.He took a few steps on the deck and picked up the glasses.He fumbled for a long time, and finally put the glasses back on.Then he walked back to Jarrah with a sacrosanct look that was astonishing. He whispered: No, it is you who should apologize. Jarrah gasped and cursed.Ian flinched a little.Jara raised her hand again. When his hand was raised in the air, I caught it. Jara looked at me in surprise.what are you doing!let go! He wanted to retract his hand, but I didn't let go.I said: Don't hit him again. I can do whatever I like. I said: No problem, as long as you don't hit him, no one cares what you like to do. You and I have helped you so much, and you still Then, he looked at me again. 我不知道他在我臉上看到了什麼。我不知道那一剎那我心裡究竟有什麼感覺。無論如何，我的樣子顯然令他很困惑。他緊握的拳頭慢慢放鬆了。他的態度軟化了。 他嘴裡喃喃唸著。該死的美國人。我要到餐廳去了。他朝著圍在四周的孩子和甲板水手大喊：那裡的人比較友善，比較客氣。然後他就走開了。 伊安張大嘴巴看著我。 我說：很抱歉。 He nodded. 我說：你的球我拿不回來了。 他摸摸被賈拉打腫的臉頰，細聲細氣地說：沒關係。 再過幾個鐘頭就要進入超時空傳送了。我們在船員餐廳吃晚飯的時候，我告訴黛安剛剛發生了什麼事情。我甚至連想都沒想就動手了。那種感覺好像很明顯，幾乎是一種反射動作。那是第四年期的人的反應嗎？ may be.那是一種保護弱者的本能衝動，特別是保護小孩子。你根本連想都不必想就會立刻採取行動。我自己也有那樣的感覺。我猜，如果火星人真的有本事製造出那種微妙的情緒，那可能是他們在神經再造程序裡所設定的。要是萬諾文也在這裡就好了，我們就可以聽聽他怎麼解釋。或是傑森還在的話，他也可以說出個道理來。你有被迫的感覺嗎？ No 那你會不會覺得自己做錯了，或是不太恰當？ 也不會我就是覺得那樣做是對的。 可是，在你還沒有接受生命延長處理之前，你是不是不太可能會這樣做？ 我可能會，或者說，我會想這樣做。不過，我可能會三心二意，結果就來不及了。 所以說，你並不會覺得不自在。 Won't.這就是奇怪的地方。黛安說，這是我的本性，也是火星生物科技的傑作。我想，大概就是這樣吧然而，我可能還是要花點時間去適應。就像不同人生階段的轉折，從童年到青少年，從青少年到成年，我們都會面對新的責任，新的機會，新的陷阱。我們會對生命產生新的疑惑。 多年來，這是我第一次對自己感到陌生。 ☆ 行李已經差不多快收拾好了，這個時候，卡蘿下樓來了。她有點醉了，走路不太穩。她手上拿著一隻鞋盒，盒子上面寫著紀念品（學校）。 她說：你應該把這個帶走。這是你母親的東西。 卡蘿，如果妳覺得這些東西對妳很重要的話，妳就留著吧。 謝謝你，不過，我已經拿到我要的東西了。 我打開蓋子瞄了一眼。those letters.那些沒有署名的信，收件人寫的是貝琳達．蘇頓，我媽未出嫁前的姓名。 That's right.所以，你也知道有那些信。Have you seen it? 沒有，沒有看完。我只知道那些信是情書。 噢，老天，聽起來好甜蜜，我倒寧願你會覺得那是一種崇拜。如果你仔細看過的話，那些信真的是很純真無邪的。上面沒有署名。你媽收到那些信的時候，我們兩個都還在念大學。當時，她已經和你爸爸在一起了，所以，她不太可能把那些信拿給你爸爸看他自己也寫了很多信給她。所以呢，她就把那些信拿給我看。 她一直都不知道是誰寫的嗎？ 從來不知道。 她一定很好奇。 of course.只不過，當時她已經和馬庫斯訂婚了。她開始和馬庫斯約會的時候，馬庫斯和艾德華正要創業。他們兩個一起研發高空氣球。當年，馬庫斯說浮空器是一種藍天科技，有點瘋狂，有點理想化。貝琳達說，馬庫斯和艾德華是一對齊柏林兄弟。這麼說起來，貝琳達和我大概也可以稱為齊柏林姐妹，因為那個時候，我開始去勾引艾德華。所以，泰勒，從某個角度來看，我結婚的目的只是為了把你母親留在身邊，當做形影不離的好朋友。 那些信 Interesting, right?為什麼這麼多年來她一直留著那些信？後來，我終於忍不住問她為什麼。為什麼不乾脆把那些信丟掉？她說：因為那些信寫得很真誠。無論寫那些信的是誰，她決定用這樣的方式來表示對他的敬意。結婚的一個禮拜前，她收到了最後一封信。從此以後那個人就沒有再寫信給她了。一年後，我也嫁給了艾德華。你媽有沒有告訴你，即使我們兩個人都結婚了，我們還是形影不離？我們一起去度假，一起去看電影。我生下雙胞胎的時候，貝琳達跑到醫院來看我。她第一次抱著你回家的時候，我站在門口等她。然而，當馬庫斯出車禍的時候，這一切都結束了。泰勒，你爸爸是一個很棒的人，很實在，很風趣。只有他有本事逗艾德華笑。他太大意了，才會發生這種不幸。他去世時候，你媽媽幾乎要崩潰了。不光是感情上。馬庫斯已經把他們多年的積蓄都賠光了，你們家在帕沙迪那的那棟房子已經抵押給銀行了，她什麼都沒有了。所以，當我和艾德華搬到東部，買下這棟房子的時候，我理所當然就叫她來跟我們住在一起，住在庭院的小房子裡。 我說：順便幫你們打掃房子。 那是艾德華的意思。我只是希望把貝琳達留在身邊。我的婚姻沒有她從前那麼幸福。事實上，很不幸福。當時，她可以算是我唯一的朋友了。她幾乎可以說是我的女性密友。卡蘿露出神祕的微笑。almost. 所以，這就是為什麼你要留著這些信？因為那是你們往日回憶的一部分？ 她對著我微笑的樣子，好像我是一個反應遲鈍的小孩。錯了，泰勒。我告訴你吧，那些信全是我寫的。她的笑容漸漸消失了。你不要誤會了。你媽跟一般女人一樣正常。愛上她是我的不幸。我愛她愛得太癡迷，只要能夠把她留在身邊，我可以不顧一切。我甚至為了她嫁給了一個一開始看起來就很討厭的男人。泰勒，我這一生一直保持沉默。我從來沒有告訴過她，我有多麼愛她。there has never been.我只能寫信給她，表達我心中的愛意。我很高興她把那些信都留著。然而，那些信總是有一點危險，彷彿把炸藥或是放射性物質放在眾目睽睽的地方。那些信足以證明我有多麼愚蠢。你母親過世的時候，或者說，她過世的那一大，我有點慌了。我想把那個盒子藏起來。我本來想把那些信毀掉，可是我辦不到，我就是辦不到。後來，艾德華跟我離婚了。從此以後，再也不需要躲躲藏藏了，於是，我就把那些信拿走了。因為，你應該明白，那是我的信，永遠都是我的。 I do not know what to say.卡蘿看看我的表情，搖搖頭，有點悲傷。她那纖弱的雙手搭在我肩上。不要不高興。這個世界總是充滿驚奇。人生在世，又有誰真正能夠了解自己，了解別人呢？又有誰真正能夠敞開心胸，面對自己，面對別人？ ☆ 於是，我在佛蒙特州的一家汽車旅館裡住了四個禮拜，照顧黛安，一直等到她完全康復。 也許應該說，她只是身體康復了。康登牧場的遭遇和後來所發生的一切在她心中留下了傷痕。她顯得心力交瘁，變得沉默寡言。彷彿她閉上眼睛的時候，整個世界似乎快要毀滅了，然而，當她再度睜開雙眼的時候，面對世界，卻不知道何去何從。我沒有能力治好她內心的創傷。 所以，當我想幫助她的時候，我必須拿捏好分寸。她需要知道的事情，我才會告訴她。我不要求她做什麼，而且，我也設法讓她明白，我並沒有打算要她回報我。 她開始慢慢留意到整個世界的變化。她問我，為什麼太陽又回復到完美的模式。我把傑森告訴我的話都講給她聽。我告訴她，時間迴旋透析膜凍結時間的功能雖然停止了，但透析膜並沒有消失。它還是像從前一樣在保護地球，過濾致命的輻射線，用假陽光來維持地球的生態體系。 可是，它們為什麼要把透析膜關閉七天？ 它們只是關閉一些功能，並沒有全部關掉。這樣做，是因為有某個東西要穿越透析膜。 就是印度洋上面那個東西嗎？ That's right. 她叫我放傑森臨終的錄音帶給她聽，一邊聽一邊掉眼淚。她問我，傑森的骨灰在哪裡，被艾德華拿走了嗎，還是留在卡蘿那裡？neither.卡蘿把骨灰甕交給了我，叫我把骨灰撒在任何我覺得合適的地方。她說：泰勒，我不得不面對一個很殘酷的事實，那就是，你比我更了解傑森。對我而言，傑森就像一個謎。他只是他爸爸的兒子。而你是他的朋友。 我和黛安一起看著這個世界，看全世界的人重新找到自我。集體埋葬終於結束了。活下來的人失去了親人，心有餘悸，但他們開始明白，這顆星球又重新找到了未來。只不過，那是多麼奇特的未來。對我們這一代而言，這是令人驚訝的扭轉乾坤。我們終於放下心中的石頭，再也不用擔心人類會滅亡。我們該怎麼面對這樣的未來？再也不會有世界末日了，只有平平凡凡的生與死，那麼，我們該怎麼做？ 我們在電視上看到印度洋的畫面，看到那個插在地球表面的巨大結構體。當巨大的柱子接觸到海面的時候，海水沸騰成蒸氣。大家開始稱之為拱門，或是大拱門。為什麼會取這個名字呢？倒不是因為它的形狀，而是因為過往的船隻發現了一些奇異的現象。這些船回到港口之後，船上的人說，當船隻越過大拱門的時候，忽然收不到發射台的導航訊號，天氣變得很怪異，指南針開始繞圈子。然後，他們在海洋上不應該有陸地的地方看到荒涼的海岸線。各國都立刻派遣海軍前往探測。傑森臨終前說的話已經提供了暗示，足以解釋這一切。然而，只有極少數人有機會聽到他的話，也就是我、黛安、還有十幾個收到那些郵件的人。 當天氣變涼了以後，她開始每天做點運動，在汽車旅館後面的泥巴路上慢跑。她每次回來的時候，頭髮上總是飄散著一股落葉和燒木柴的味道。她的胃口愈來愈好，所幸，小吃店裡的菜單也愈來愈豐盛。餐廳又開始提供外送服務，當地的商業活動開始慢慢恢復了生機。 後來我們聽說，火星的時間迴旋也解除了。兩個星球之間開始通訊聯絡。羅麥思總統發表了一次對全國人民的公開談話，他甚至還暗示，政府將會重新規劃載人的太空飛行計畫，為開創兩個星球之間的友好關係跨出第一步。他說，火星和地球是姐妹星。他說話的口氣有點詭異的興奮。 我和黛安聊起過去，聊著未來。 然而，我們就是沒有投入彼此的懷抱。 我們彼此太熟悉了，或者是，我們彼此了解不夠。我們曾經有一段過去，但現在卻有一點陌生。賽門在馬納薩斯城外失蹤，令黛安感到焦慮難受。 我提醒她：他差一點害死妳。 他不是故意的。你也知道他並不是邪惡的人。 那他實在天真得令人害怕。 黛安閉上眼睛，彷彿陷入沉思。然後她說：從前在約旦大禮拜堂的時候，巴伯．柯貝爾牧師喜歡說一句話：他內心呼喊著上帝。如果這句話可以用來形容一個人，那麼，用來形容賽門最貼切了。不過，他內心呼喊這句話也可以套用在我們每一個人身上，包括你、賽門、我、傑森，甚至卡蘿和艾德華。當我們終於知道宇宙有多麼浩瀚，知道人類的生命是多麼地短暫，我們的內心也開始呼喊。有時候是喜悅的呼喊，就像傑森。我想，這就是我不懂他的地方。那是他的天賦，他永遠對天地萬物懷著敬畏之心。然而，對我們大多數人來說，那是恐懼的呼喊：恐懼人類即將滅亡，害怕一切化為烏有。我們內心呼喊著。也許是在呼喊上帝，也許只是為了打破可怕的寂靜。她伸手把額頭上的頭髮撥到旁邊。這個時候，我看到她的手臂。她的手臂曾經骨瘦如柴，如今又恢復了豐腴，恢復了健康。我一直覺得，發自賽門內心的呼喊是人類最純潔的聲音。只可惜，他不會看人，是的，他太天真了。這也就是為什麼，他的信仰一直在改變從新國度，約旦大禮拜堂，到康登牧場不管是哪一種信仰，只要是直接坦白的，只要能夠滿足他尋求生命意義的渴望，他都會相信。 就算會害死妳，他也相信？ 我並沒有說他聰明，我只是說他心地不壞。 後來，我慢慢了解她為什麼會說出這樣的話。因為，第四年期的人說話都是這樣。不帶任何感情卻又很投入，親密卻又冷靜客觀。不能說我不喜歡這樣，可是，有時候聽她講話，我不免會感到脖子後面汗毛直豎。 ☆ 有一天，我告訴黛安，她的身體已經完全復原了。過了沒多久，她告訴我，她要走了。我問她打算去哪裡。 她說她一定要找到賽門。她說她必須把事情做個了結，總要有個水落石出。畢竟，他們還是有婚姻關係。他究竟是死是活，她不能不管。 我提醒她，她根本沒有錢，也沒有自己的地方可以住。她說總會有辦法的。於是，我拿了一張傑森給我的信用卡給她，不過，我不敢擔保信用卡不會出問題我根本不知道帳單是誰在付的，額度究竟是多少，而且，會不會有人追蹤信用卡找上她。 她問我，要怎麼跟我聯絡。 我說：打電話就找得到我。我給過她一個電話號碼。多年來，我一直在付帳單，保留那個號碼。多年來，我總是把那部手機帶在身上，雖然那部手機幾乎沒有響過。 我開車載她去附近的巴士站。時間迴旋被關閉的時候，許多遊客被困住了。車站裡擠了一堆流落外地的遊客。她很快就消失在人群中。 ☆ 六個月之後，手機響了。當時，報紙上還是持續在報導新世界的消息，電視上一直在播放新世界的影片。那是一片巨石嶙峋的蠻荒海角，越過大拱門之後的另一個世界。 當時，已經有好幾百艘大大小小的船隻越過了大拱門。有些是大型的科學探測船。這些探測船經過國際地理學組織和聯合國的批准，有美國的海軍護航，船上還有大批的媒體記者。另外，有一些特許的私人船隻，一些拖網漁船。那些漁船回到港口的時候，船艙裡滿載著漁獲。如果燈光不夠亮，乍看之下，你可能會誤以為他們捕獲的魚是鱈魚。這種捕撈行為當然是嚴格禁止的，只不過，早在禁令頒布之前，這種大拱門鱈魚早就悄悄滲透到亞洲的各大市場。事實證明，這種魚不但能吃，而且營養豐富。如果傑森還在的話，他可能會說，這是一種線索。有人分析那種魚的ＤＮＡ，發現它們的基因組可以追溯到地球的魚類。新世界的環境不但適合人居住，而且似乎和人類有某種淵源。 黛安說：我找到賽門了。 Then what? 他住在威明頓城外的一個拖車屋區。他到別人家裡修理東西，賺一點錢像是腳踏車，烤麵包機之類的。除此之外，他也在領救濟金，偶爾會去聖靈降臨教派的教會。 見到妳，他開心嗎？ 為了康登牧場的事，他一直跟我說對不起。他說，他希望能夠補償我。他問我，有什麼事情是他能夠幫我做的，讓我日子好過一點。 我不知不覺抓緊電話。那妳跟他說什麼？ 我說我想跟他離婚。He said yes.此外，他還說了一些別的。他說我變了，他說我有某些地方變得不一樣了。他不敢碰我。不過，我不覺得他會喜歡我的改變。 似乎有點火藥味。 黛安問我：泰勒，我真的變了那麼多嗎？ 我說：一切都變了。 ☆ 一年後，她又打電話給我。這次的事情比較重要。我人在加拿大蒙特婁。我能夠順利逃出境，一部分要歸功於傑森給我的那些假證件。我一邊在奧特蒙區的一家診所裡幫忙，一邊等加拿大政府正式批准我的移民身分。 自從一年前黛安打電話給我之後，大拱門功能的奧祕已經被揭開了。如果你以為大拱門只是一具靜態的機器，一扇簡單的門，研究的發現一定會讓你大吃一驚。如果你從傑森的觀點來看，就比較能夠看出它的奧妙。大拱門是一個複雜的、有知覺的物體。它能夠察覺到有效範圍內的一切活動，並且操控這些活動。 大拱門連接了兩個世界。不過，只有載人的船隻從南邊穿越大拱門，才能夠進入另一個世界。 想像一下那代表什麼意義。當一陣風、一道洋流、一隻候鳥穿越大拱門的時候，大拱門只不過是幾支固定在海中的普通柱子，隔開了孟加拉灣和印度洋。風、洋流、候鳥，這一切可以在拱門裡外自由穿梭，暢行無阻，不會產生任何時空的變化。由北往南穿越拱門的船隻也一樣。 然而，當船隻從南邊沿著東經九十度經線穿越赤道線，穿越拱門頂端的正下方，你會發現自己已經到了一片未知的海域，頭頂上是另一片奇異的天空。而你回頭看到的大拱門，已經是距離地球不知道多少光年的另一個大拱門。 在印度的馬德拉斯，有一家野心勃勃卻不太合法的公司提供海上旅遊服務。那家公司的英文廣告海報上面寫著：輕鬆暢遊熱情友善的星球。國際刑警組織查封了那家公司，但那家公司的廣告說對了，想到另外一個星球去真的不難。那一陣子，聯合國還在努力想管制大拱門的船隻通行。但這一切實在太不可思議了，究竟是怎麼辦到的？這恐怕要問假想智慧生物才知道。 黛安告訴我，她的離婚已經辦好了，可是，她沒有工作，覺得未來前途茫茫。我在想，不知道能不能去找你她講起話來扭扭捏捏，不太像是一個第四年期的人。至少在我的想像中，第四年期的人講話不應該是這樣。如果你覺得可以的話。老實說，我需要你幫忙，幫我找個地方住。你知道的嘛，安頓下來。 於是，我在診所裡幫她安排了一份工作，並且幫她申請移民。那年秋天，她到蒙特婁來跟我會合了。 ☆ 微妙的情愫在我們兩個人之間開始萌發，那個過程是很緩慢的，很老式的，或許可以說，半火星式的。那段期間，黛安和我都找到了一種全新的視野，重新認識了對方。時間迴旋再也無法困擾我們了，而我們也不再是當年的小孩子，尋求盲目的慰藉。我們終於相愛了，像心智成熟的人一樣相愛了。 那幾年，全球的人口達到了八十億。人口的成長主要集中在全球的大城市。那些大城市不斷地膨脹，例如：上海、雅加達、馬尼拉、中國沿海城市、拉哥斯、金夏沙、奈洛比、馬布多、加拉卡斯、拉巴斯、德古斯加巴。這些都是全球最耀眼、工業最繁榮、人口最密集的城市。算一算，恐怕需要十幾個大拱門才有辦法紓解這樣驚人的人口增長。人口的膨脹持續引發了一波波的移民潮、難民潮和探險潮。有些人躲在非法船隻的貨艙裡，結果，當船隻抵達麥哲倫港靠岸的時候，大多數人不是已經死了，就是奄奄一息。 麥哲倫港是新世界第一個有名稱的落腳地。目前，新世界大部分地區都已經出現在簡略的地圖中。這些地圖多半是從空中探勘繪製的。麥哲倫港位於一片稱為赤道洲的大陸東邊的尾端。新世界還有另外一片大陸，稱為波利亞洲，地勢比較平坦。波利亞大陸夾住了北極，往南延伸到溫帶。南方的海域遍佈著島嶼和群島。 氣候溫和，空氣清新，地心引力大約是地球的百分之九十五點五。兩塊大陸都是物產豐富、未經開發的處女地。海洋和河流魚蝦密布。非洲杜阿拉和阿富汗喀布爾的貧民窟裡流傳著一些神話，據說，赤道洲長著一些巨大的樹，肚子餓了就可以摘樹上的水果來吃，晚上可以睡在樹根中間遮風避雨。 可惜那只是神話。麥哲倫港是聯合國的管轄地，有重兵守衛。貧民區在麥哲倫港四周逐漸擴張，那裡是無政府地帶，很不平靜。不過，沿岸幾百公裡遍佈著無數繁榮的小漁村，麗奇灣和奧兩港的湖岸正蓋起一間又一間的觀光飯店。沿著白河谷和新伊洛瓦底江河谷深入內陸，到處都是未經開發的肥沃土壤，吸引當地的人逐漸往內陸開拓。 不過，那一年新世界最驚人的消息，是有人發現了第二座大拱門。那座大拱門坐落在星球的另一邊，靠近波利亞大陸的南端。越過那個大拱門又是另一個新世界。不過，根據第一次探勘的報告，那個新世界比較沒那麼吸引人。也許是因為那裡正好是雨季吧。 ☆ 後時間迴旋時期的第五年，有一天黛安對我說：一定還有其他像我一樣的人。我真想見見他們。 我早就把火星資料庫的檔案交給她了，那是幾片第一期翻譯的記憶卡。她已經孜孜不倦地研究過那些檔案，就像當年她孜孜不倦地研究維多利亞時期的詩和新國度運動的宣傳手冊。 如果傑森的計畫成功了，那麼，地球上當然還會有其他第四年期的人。只不過，他們一旦暴露身分，下場就是立刻被關進聯邦監獄。羅麥思政府通過情報人員布下天羅地網，搜捕和火星人有關的一切事物。而羅麥思手下的情報機構已經投入了驚人的警力，處理時間迴旋結束之後的經濟危機。 她有點害羞地問我：你自己有沒有想過？ 她的意思是，我自己有沒有想過轉化到第四期。我們房間的衣櫃裡有一個鐵保險箱，裡面放了幾個小瓶子。也許我也可以從小瓶子裡抽出一定量的藥水，注射到自己的手臂裡。這個我當然想過。這樣可以讓我們更親近。 可是，這真是我想要的嗎？我知道我和她之間有一種無形的距離，那是第四年期的人和普通人之間的鴻溝。然而，我並不在乎這樣的距離。某些夜裡，當我看著她那莊嚴的眼神，我甚至會覺得我珍惜那樣的距離。正因為峽谷的深闊才有了橋樑。我們之間已經搭起了一座橋樑，如此愉悅，如此堅貞。 她輕撫著我的手，光滑的手指頭輕撫著我皮膚上的紋路。皮膚上的皺紋是一種微妙的象徵，意味著時間永不停息。也許有一天，即使我並不特別想，我都必須接受處理。 我說：時候還沒到。 When will we wait? 到我心裡有準備的時候。 ☆ 羅麥思總統卸任之後，換上休斯總統，接著是薩金總統。只不過，他們同樣都是時間迴旋時期的政治人物。他們把火星人的生物科技視為一種新的核子武器，或者說，具有核子武器的潛力。所以，目前他們把這種科技據為己有，當成私有財產。羅麥思發給火星五大共和國的第一份外交公文，就是要求他們過濾傳播電訊，不要再讓地球接收到沒有鎖碼的生物科技資訊。他提出一些幾可亂真的理由，作為這項外交要求的依據。他的說法是，在一個政治分裂的混亂世界裡，這種科技可能會造成什麼樣的影響。他舉萬諾文的死做例子。截至目前，火星人還是配合他。 然而，即使火星與地球之間的資訊交流經過這樣的消毒，也只能平息一部分紛爭。萬諾文讓地球人看到了五大共和國的平等主義經濟模式，如此一來，一波新的全球勞工運動把死去的萬諾文奉為偶像。有時候，我會在新聞上看到一些勞工示威活動，看到亞洲工業區的成衣工人，看到中美洲加工出口區的電腦芯片組裝員，看到他們高舉的牌子上有萬諾文的照片。看到這樣的畫面，總是覺得有點不協調，不過，我猜，他應該不會不高興。 ☆ 那一天，黛安越過邊境去參加艾德華的葬禮。差不多就是十一年前的同一天，我把她從康登牧場救出來。 我們是在報紙上看到他過世的消息。訃聞裡附帶提到，艾德華的前妻卡蘿早在六個月前就已經過世了。這是另一個令人震驚難過的消息。差不多十年前，卡蘿就不接我們的電話了。她說，太危險了，知道我們平安無事就夠了，而且，好像也沒什麼好說的。 黛安到了華盛頓之後，也去探望了她母親的墳墓。她說，最令她感到難過的，是卡蘿這一輩子根本沒有真的活過，彷彿一個句子裡只有動詞沒有主語，彷彿一封匿名的信。只為了渴望在信上簽下自己的名字，卻終其一生飽受誤解。她說：如果她有機會做真正的自己，也許我會更懷念她。 在艾德華的追悼會上，黛安一直小心翼翼地避免洩漏自己的身分。現場有很多艾德華政治圈子裡的同夥，包括檢察總長還有現任的副總統。不過，她注意到來賓席上坐著一位她不認識的女人。她們互相偷偷瞄著對方。黛安說：我知道她是一個第四年期人，雖然我也說不上來為什麼。她的姿態動作，她那種看不出年齡的眼神不過，最重要的是，似乎有一種訊號在我們之間傳遞。追悼會結束之後，黛安走到那個女人前面，問她怎麼會認識艾德華。 那個女人說：我不認識他，不算真的認識。不過，從前在傑森．羅頓的年代，我在基金會裡做過研究。我叫席薇亞．塔克。 黛安告訴我這個名字的時候，我立刻就想起來了。席薇亞．塔克是一個人類學家，當年在佛羅里達的園區裡，她奉派和萬諾文一起工作。和其他徵召到基金會作研究的大部分學者比起來，她表現得親切多了。很可能傑森也把檔案交給她了。