Author: George Raymond Richard Martin (George Raymond Richard Martin) Translation: provided by Zhang Xiguo: Goblin.
"The Death of the Sea" was published by Taiwan Province Pure Literature Publishing House 1978 (this book is already out of print).
Once there was a girl who traveled around the world.
Her face is pale, her eyes are gray, her black hair is reddish brown like a waterfall, and there is a smooth iron ring on her forehead, like a dark black crown. Her name is Sarah.
We don't know where the story begins or which world she comes from. What about the ending of the story? The end is not yet here.
I'm afraid we won't know the story at the end.
We only know the middle part of the story, it should be said that it is a small part of the middle part, the smallest plot in the whole story. Our story is about a world Sarah experienced and her brief meeting with the singer Rylan Doyle.
A moment ago, there was only a quiet valley at dusk. The purple sun hovers over the ridge, and the afterglow shines on the black trunk of the dense forest and the strange and ghostly transparent leaves. Only the moan of wild pigeons and the murmur of streams broke the silence of the night.
Then, through an invisible obstacle, Sarah fell into the world of singer Leland Doyle. She was exhausted, her white robe was covered with sweat and blood, her leather cloak was half broken, and there were three deep wounds on her bare left arm, and blood was constantly oozing out. She walked to the stream, looked around warily, trembling, and then knelt down. Although the stream is very urgent, the water is dark green, and it is not clear whether it is clean or not. But Sarah was so thirsty that she drank desperately, washed the wound with the stream, tore her clothes and wrapped them carefully. The purple sun gradually set behind the ridge. She managed to climb to a hidden place under the tree and fell asleep exhausted.
She woke up suddenly. Strong arms picked her up and took her somewhere. She struggled desperately, but the other party held her tighter, making the ground unable to move. "It doesn't matter. A gentle voice said that in the night fog, she seemed to see the long, thin and gentle faces of men. " You are weak. Night is coming. We must get to the house before dark. 」
She stopped struggling. Although she knew she should resist, she was too tired. She still asked him. "What are you going to do? Where are you taking me? 」
"Go to a safe place. 」
"Go to your house?" She felt sleepy.
"Not my home." He answered softly, and she could hardly hear his voice. "It will never be my home. But at least you can have a rest. " She heard the sound of water, as if he had taken her across a stream. On the ridge ahead, she caught a glimpse of the shadow of an old castle at sunset, with three towering towers. Strangely, there seems to be no such castle.
She fell asleep.
When she woke up, he looked at her nearby. She was lying on an old-fashioned wire bed with a cover, covered with a thick and warm blanket. The host who entertained her sat in a wide chair at the other end of the room, with candlelight in his eyes and chin in his hands. "Is it better?" He asked. The body did not move.
She sat up and found herself naked. In doubt, she quickly reached out and touched the hoop on her head. Fortunately, the iron ring is still there. She breathed a sigh of relief, leaned back on the pillow and pulled up the blanket to cover her body. "Much better." She said that at this moment she suddenly found that the wound on her arm had healed.
The man smiled at her with a hint of sadness in his smile. His face is chiseled, his brown hair is slightly curly, and his dark eyes look a little far away. Although sitting in a chair, he still looks tall and thin. He wore a gray shawl and casual clothes, and looked very melancholy.
"It's paw prints." He guessed and smiled. "The wound on your arm is a claw mark, and your clothes have been torn to pieces. Someone doesn't like you. 」
"It's a monster, guarding the gate." Sarah sighed. "Every pass must be guarded. The Seven Emperors don't like us who come and go between the two worlds. What they hate most is me. 」
He pulled his hand out from under his chin, stroked the carved armrest of the wooden chair and nodded, still with a floating smile on his face. "You know seven emperors, and you know the gates and guards." His eyes touched the iron crown on her forehead. "Your iron crown. I see. I should have guessed. 」
She grinned at him. "You guessed it. Who are you? What kind of world is this? 」
"This is my world." His voice is very flat. "I have given it many names, but none of them are suitable. I once thought of a good name, but unfortunately I have long forgotten it. My name is ryland. Or should I say, I have used this name before. It's a little funny here. But I haven't forgotten. 」
"Your world." Sarah said, "Are you the king here? Or the god here? 」
"all right." Lai Lunduo chuckled. "More than that. I am what I want to be. No one will protest. 」
"How did you hurt me? 」
"I cured your injury." He shrugged his shoulders apologetically. "This is my world. I still have a little magic, not as much as I want, but a little more. 」
"Really?" Sarah doesn't believe it.
Rylendorf waved.
"You don't believe it. Yes, you still have your iron crown. This is only half right. As long as you wear an iron crown, I can't hurt you. But I can always help you. " He smiled again with a dreamy look in his eyes. "It doesn't matter.
Even if I could hurt you, I wouldn't do it. Sarah, you have to trust me. I have been waiting for you long. 」
Sarah was taken aback. "Do you know my name? Who told you that? 」
He stood up with a smile, came and sat on the edge of the bed beside her, picked up her hand and stroked it gently. "Yes, I know your name. You are Sarah, and you have traveled all over the world. A long time ago, when the mountains and rivers were still different and the sun was still red, they came to tell me that you would come. I hate them. I hate the seven emperors, but I'm glad to hear that you will come that night. They only told me your name and said that you would come to my world. They told me another thing. A new beginning, at least a change. Any change is good. I have been alone in this world for many years, and there is nothing new. 」
She frowned and shook her long black hair. In the faint flickering candlelight, she asked, "Did they come so long before me? Can they really predict the future? She looked at him and said, "One more thing. What is this? 」
He squeezed her hand gently. "They also said that I would fall in love with you. But this is not a great prediction. I can also make such a prediction. A long time ago-I remember when the sun was still yellow-I knew I would love any sound except my echo. 」
When Sarah woke up the next morning, purple sunlight shone through the curved French window-this didn't exist last night. The clothes for her have been laid out on the bed-a large yellow robe, a crimson dress with jewels, and a lake green casual dress. She chose one, put it on quickly and went to the window.
She is above the tall tower, outside which are crumbling battlements and triangular dusty patios. The other two vertices of the triangle are the other two minarets, and the conical tops of the towers soar into the sky. The strong wind made a row of grey flags stuck on the wall splutter. In addition, there is no other movement.
Outside the castle, there is no valley. The castle is located on the top of the mountain, and towering mountains can be seen in the distance. Black stone houses, jagged ridges and icicles shining with purple light are all in front of us. Although the curved window is tightly sealed, the whistling wind outside the window still looks very cold.
The door was unlocked, and Sarah quickly went down the spiral stone steps, across the patio and into the building in the center of the castle. She passed many rooms, some dusty and some beautifully decorated. Finally, she walked into a room, where Rirendor was sitting having breakfast. There is an empty chair next to him, and the table is full of food and drinks. Sarah sat down, picked up a hot biscuit and couldn't help laughing. Rylendorf smiled back.
"I have to go today. She ate and said, "I'm sorry, Ryan, I have to find the exit." " 」
He still maintained a melancholy expression. "You said it last night." He sighed. "I seem to have waited for so many years in vain. 」
There are bacon and some biscuits, fruit, cheese and fresh milk on the table. Sarah filled a plate full, felt a little ashamed and avoided his eyes. "I'm really sorry." She repeated.
"Stay for a few days. He said, "I don't think staying a little longer will do you much harm." "Let me show you my world, song for you. 」
She hesitated. "But ... I have to spend time looking for a pass. I can only stay a few days. But you must understand that I will leave sooner or later. 」
He smiled and shrugged helplessly. "Of course. I know where the pass is, which will save you time in finding it. You stay here for a month and I'll take you to the pass. " He stared at her. "Sarah, you have been wandering for a long time, maybe you need to have a rest. 」
She chewed a piece of fruit slowly, thought for a long time, and finally said, "I really should have a rest." And there are always guards at the pass, so you can help me break through. A month ..... not too long. In other worlds, sometimes I stay longer. "She nodded and said," well, I'll stay for another month. 」
He touched her hand gently. After breakfast, he showed her around the world they gave him.
They stood side by side on the highest arcade. Sarah is wearing a green skirt, and Rirendor is wearing a gray cloak. Rylendorf let the castle fly in the air and fly over the rough sea. A snake monster with a long neck appeared in the sea and watched them fly by. He let the castle fly to the huge underground cave, the stalactites dripped with water and gave off strange green light, and the blind Aries wailed outside the battlements. He smiled and clapped his hands, and a dense jungle appeared in front of him, with all kinds of huge flowers and fangs chirping in the treetops. He clapped his hands again, and the land in the yard suddenly became a beach. They are beside the desolate gray ocean, and a huge bird with transparent blue wings is hovering in the sky. He took her to many places again. Night finally came and the castle flew back to the ridge beside the valley. Sarah saw the black forest at the bottom of the valley, where he found her last night, and heard the plaintive cries of wild pigeons.
"The world is not too bad." She said to him.
"Not bad. He replied, putting his hand on the railing of the arcade and looking at the bottom of the valley. " It's not too bad. Once upon a time, I went hiking and explored everywhere with a long sword. He chuckled. "But that was a long time ago. Now I know every valley and river in the world like the back of my hand, and there is nothing new. 」
He stared at her and shrugged his shoulders habitually. "There may be worse hell, at least this is my world. 」
"Come with me." She said, "Let's go to the pass and get through it together. There are many other worlds that are not as strange and beautiful as this one, but at least you don't have to be alone. 」
He shrugged again and said indifferently, "That's easy for you to say. I have found the target. The guards won't stop me.
I tried to enter other worlds, but in a blink of an eye I returned to this castle. No, I can't leave. 」
She took his hand. "It's really sad. You must be strong after being alone for so long. If it were me, I would have been crazy. 」
He smiled with bitterness in his laughter. "Sarah, I have been crazy for more than ten million times. They cured me every time, every time. " Shrugging his shoulders again, he put his arm around her shoulder. "Go in, it's getting dark. 」
They went to her dormitory, and Lirendale brought food-hot bread, barbecue and wine. They sat by the bed, eating and talking about the day.
"Why did you come here?" She asked him, "How did you offend them? Who were you before? 」
"I can hardly remember. Only in dreams can I vaguely recall the past. But I can't tell which ones are true and which ones are my fantasies. " He sighed. "Sometimes I dream that I am the majestic king of another world.
My sin is that I have governed the country too well. My people were so happy that they forgot to worship the seven emperors, and their temples collapsed. One morning I woke up in my castle and found me here. Servants, people ... My world is gone, including my wife.
"But this is not the only dream. Sometimes I vaguely remember that I almost became a god. I have a lot of power, almost more than the seven emperors. Alone, no one is my opponent. Afraid that I was stronger than them, they joined forces to attack and banished me here, leaving me only a little magic. When I was a god, I always taught people to love each other and cooperate with each other. Seven emperors deliberately took all these away, leaving me alone forever.
"This is not the worst. Sometimes I feel like I'm here all the time. I was born here tens of thousands of years ago. All the dreams they gave me were false memories, deliberately arousing my pain. 」
When he spoke, he didn't look at her, but looked at the distance. He speaks slowly and has a dreamy voice.
Say that finish, he woke up from the memory and turned around.
"Sarah, you should be careful. If they really want to deal with you, even your iron crown can't protect you. They will tear you apart and make your body and soul miserable. 」
Sarah couldn't help shivering. She suddenly found that the candle had burned out. She wants to know how long he has been talking.
"Wait a minute." Lai Lunduo went out, and the window by the door turned into a gray stone wall without a trace. Soon Rylendorf came back with an ancient piano in his hand. Sarah has never seen such an clavichord. It has sixteen strings of different colors, and the joints of the piano emit all kinds of light. Lai Lunduo put the guqin on the ground, with the handle resting on his chest. He plucked the strings gently, and the guqin made all kinds of lights and sounds.
"My only companion." He said with a smile and plucked the strings. The sound of the piano quickly appeared and disappeared, and its voice was very sad. He plucked the strings and all kinds of lights appeared in the room.
He began to sing softly.
..... I am the king of loneliness, and emptiness is my field ... His voice is soft and deep, and the piano sounds through Sarah's hair. Touch her gently and then disappear. The ever-changing light in the room, coupled with flickering candlelight and psychedelic piano sound, seems to have thousands of stories told at the end, interwoven into his dreams.
Then she saw the image he gave herself in his dream, a tall and proud king with black hair and bright eyes like hers, wearing a shiny white robe and a wide cloak, a silver crown and a sword beside him. In the dream, the young king had no worries. His world is full of laughter, soft ivory towers and lazy blue canals, surrounded by friends and his beloved wife. Then suddenly everything went dark and he came here.
The piano became sad and the light faded. She saw him wake up and turn around. The castle was empty. He looked everywhere. Day after day, year after year, centuries. He is so tired that he is almost crazy, but he will never get old. The sun changed from red to orange to yellow, and finally to strange purple. His world is becoming more and more monotonous. He sang the endless days of emptiness. Only music and memory kept him from going completely crazy.
When he finished singing, the piano and his soft voice slowly disappeared. Rirendo stopped and smiled at her. Sarah felt herself shaking.
"Thank you." He said softly and shrugged again, then he picked up the piano and left her room.
The next day it was cold and cloudy, but Rylendorf took her to the forest to hunt. Their prey is a thin, half-cat, half-antelope, fast-running monster with sharp teeth. They are hard to catch up with, but Sarah doesn't care. Hunting itself is more interesting than killing prey. They walked in the dark forest, with bows and arrows in their hands, all wrapped in leather, and the transparent leaves on their feet were as fragile as glass and crunchy when they stepped on them. They chased their prey all day and found nothing. They returned to the castle wearily. Rylendorf prepared a big meal. They sat at both ends of a long table and smiled at each other. Sarah saw dark clouds rolling outside the curved window. When it gets dark, the window becomes a slate wall again, and the candles inserted in the wall automatically ignite with a scream, making the room warm and bright.
"Why?" She asked, "Why do you never go out at night? 」
he gave a shrug of the shoulders. "I have my reasons. The night here is, er, not very good. " He sipped hot wine from a large glass full of jewels. "Your world-the world where you first set out-tell me, Sarah, are there stars in the sky there? 」
She nodded. "Of course. That was a long time ago. But I still remember that the night is always dark, the stars shine like small diamonds, and sometimes I can see patterns. When I was young, people in my world would give all kinds of nice names to the patterns made up of stars and weave many stories. 」
"I think I will like your world." Rylendorf said, "My world is a bit like this. But the stars in our world have thousands of colors, all of which move in the night sky like small lanterns. Sometimes the stars are hidden behind the clouds, and the night is as beautiful as a veil, covering thousands of small colorful lights. On starry nights, I often take her boating, which is a good time to sing. " His voice became sad again.
"We are the same. At night, we like to lie under the stars together, Kaida and me. " She hesitated and looked at him.
He cast an inquiring look. "Al Qaeda? 」
"You will like him, Ryan, and I think he will like you, too. He is tall, red-haired and angry. Kaida, like me, has spells, but once they stopped him and didn't kill him, he became stronger and stronger. They took him away from me and my world. Since then, I have been looking for his whereabouts. I know how to find the entrance between two worlds. With the protection of this iron crown, they can't stop me easily. 」
Rylendorf finished the residual wine in the glass, looked at the candlelight reflected in the glass and said, "Sarah, there are countless worlds in the universe." 」
"I have plenty of time. I will never get old, just like you. I will find him. 」
"Do you really love him so much? 」
Sarah tried to smile, but she could not.
"yes." Now it's her turn to lose her voice. "I love him very much and he will make me happy. Our time together is very short, but he really makes me very happy, and the seven emperors can't take it away. I like watching him, watching him smile and letting him hug me. 」
"Oh," he said, with a sense of frustration in his voice. There was a long silence, and finally Sarah said to him:
"We have all come a long way. You haven't told me why the windows of the castle automatically close at night? 」
"You have walked through many worlds. Sarah, have you ever seen a world without stars at night? 」
"Of course, there are many times. I have been to a corner of the universe, only a lonely sun has not burned out. There was not a star in the sky that night. I have also been to the world of frowning and jesting, where there is no sky at all, and the rustling sunshine burns on the seabed. I have been to the wasteland of Kaledin, where magicians lit up the rainbow in the sky and lit up the world without the sun. 」
"There are no stars in this world." Lai Lunduo said.
"Are you afraid to watch the starry night, so you dare not go out? 」
"That's not the reason. Although there are no stars, there are other things. do you want to see it ? 」
She nodded.
When he waved his hand, the candles suddenly went out together, and the room was dark. Sarah is sitting next to Lai Lehndorff. Rylendorf did not move, but the stone wall of the window in front of him was separated and a beam of light came in.
The sky is dark, but she can still see the scene around her clearly, because something is moving and shining in the dark sky. The mud in the yard, the stones in the battlements, and the flags planted on the walls are all clearly illuminated. Sarah felt very strange and looked at the sky.
Something peeped at them from the sky. Higher than the mountain, accounting for half the sky. Although it looks glowing, Sarah knows it is darker than night. It is slightly humanoid, and seems to be wearing a shawl and a monk's costume, but the part of its face is darker and more terrible than other parts. It was quiet all around, only the breathing of Lai Lunduo, her own heartbeat and the wailing of wild pigeons in the distance. But in her mind, Sarah clearly heard the devil's laughter.
The figure in the sky looked down at her and saw through her. She felt dark and cold in her soul. She can't move, her eyes are glued to that thing. But the human figure moved, turned around, raised a hand, and held a small human figure in the palm of his hand, burning with anger, writhing and calling for help.
Sarah screamed and covered her face with her hands. When she looked up again, the window was gone. Under the protection of the stone wall, the candle was burning brightly, and Lirendale's strong arms surrounded her. "This is just an illusion." He stroked her long hair and said. "I used to test my endurance at night. Half of him said to himself, "but now I don't need to do this." The seven of them took turns guarding me, emitting black light in the dark sky and catching the person I love. Now I don't look at them anymore. I stayed in the house and sang. My window is made of night stone, so I can't see anything. 」
"I ... I feel sick." She said, still trembling.
"Come on. He said, "There is a hot tub upstairs. You can take a hot bath to get rid of the chill. Then I'll sing to you.
"He took her by the hand and took her upstairs. She took a hot bath and then went back to the dormitory. Rylendorf tuned his harp. She sat by the bed, wiped her head with a towel and listened to him sing.
Rylendorf showed her another vision. This time he sang his second dream. He is a god and the sworn enemy of the Seven Emperors. The beat of the piano is rapid, the light from the piano body blends into a bloody battlefield, and the snow-white Lai Lunduo struggles with ghostly shadows. Seven of them surrounded him and stabbed him with concealed spears, and he also responded with fire and storm. But in the end they won. The light dimmed again, the song became soft and sad, and the illusion gradually disappeared, replaced by endless lonely years.
As soon as this song was finished, Lirendale began to sing another song. He is obviously not familiar with this new song. His slender fingers touched the strings tentatively, and his voice trembled because he was singing and writing lyrics at the same time. Sarah knows why. This time, he sang about her, how she found her lover, crossed one world after another, wore an iron crown and fought with the gatekeeper. He remembered everything she said and embellished them in the lyrics. In her bedroom, the light weaves into a strange world, the blazing sun burns on the seabed, the boiling seawater emits bursts of steam, and the old magician lights up the rainbow with magic to drive away the boundless darkness of his world. He also sang about the love between Kaida and Sarah. He sang sincerely, reminding Sarah how much she loved Keida. But the song finally stopped in the middle, as if a question mark had been formed, and the echo disappeared for a long time. They are all waiting for the following, but they also know that this is the end.
Sarah shouted softly. "Thank you, bring it back to me. 」
"It's just a song. He shrugged and said, "I haven't sung any new songs for a long time." 」
He left her again and touched her cheek when he left. Sarah lay in bed for a long time before she gradually fell asleep. When she woke up, it was still dark. She opened her eyes. The room seems to be empty. But she felt a little strange. She looked carefully and found him sitting in a big chair at the other end of the room, with his chin in his hands, just like the first night. He sat quietly, staring at her on the bed. "Ryan?" She called to him softly.
"It's me," he didn't move. "I sat here looking at you last night. I've been alone for too long, and I'll be alone again soon. Even if you are asleep, your existence is still a beautiful thing. 」
"Oh, Ryan," she said. They were silent for a while, as if talking to each other silently. Then she stretched out her arms and he walked towards her.
They all went through a long time. A month or a moment makes no difference to them.
After that, they slept together every night, and Rirendell sang to her every night. During the day, they go swimming in crystal water and fall in love on the beach. They often talk about love, but nothing has changed. Finally, a month passed. At the last dusk, they walked hand in hand into the dense forest where he first found her. Go to the bottom of the stream, lai Rendola helped her to sit down. This month, Rylendorf has another happy face. They took off their shoes and dipped their feet in the stream. It was a warm night with a slight wind, but the wild pigeons had begun to cry.
"You still have to go." He said, still holding her hand, but not looking at her. His tone is more like a statement than a question.
"Not bad." As she spoke, her mood became heavy.
"I really can't say anything. If I can, I want to sing another song and weave another dream. The empty world is enriched again because of you, me and our children. My world also has beautiful places to go. Although there are evil nights, there are dark nights in other worlds. I will love you and try to make you happy. 」
"Lai Lun ..." She tried to speak, but Lai Lunduo stopped her.
"No, I won't do that. I have no right to do so. I'm not that selfish. Kaida is so happy and energetic, but I am lifeless. I have been lonely for too long, and sadness has become a part of my personality, but ... "
She kissed his hand and rested her head on his shoulder. "Let's go together. Hold my hand when crossing the pass, maybe the iron crown can protect you. 」
"If you want me to try, I will try, but it is impossible to succeed." He sighed. "You have countless worlds waiting for you. I don't know how you ended it. But not here. Maybe it's for the best. I know nothing now, but I vaguely remember what love is. As far as I know, love won't last long. If you stay, we will never change, forever. How can we not get tired of each other? Maybe we will still hate each other? I hope not. " He looked at her again and smiled gloomily. "I think you must know Kaida and love him so soon. Maybe I shouldn't say this, but if you really find Kaida, you may lose him instead. The fire of love will go out one day, and the magic of love will always fade. Maybe you'll think of me then. 」
Sarah began to cry. Lirendale kissed her gently and whispered to her, "It won't be like this." She kissed him back and they snuggled up in silence.
"I must leave. Sarah said, "But I'm really in pain. I hope you believe me. 」
"I believe you. I love you because you are leaving, because you can't forget Kaida, and you will always be loyal to him. You are you, you are Sarah, and you have traveled all over the world. I believe that the Seven Emperors are more afraid of you than any other gods. If you were not you, I wouldn't value you so much. 」
"You said you would like any sound except your own echo. 」
he gave a shrug of the shoulders. "As I always say, it was a long time ago. 」
They went back to the castle, had their last meal and sang their last song. They stayed up all night. Lai Lunduo sang for her until dawn, but it was not a very good song. It told the story of a wandering bard roaming in an indescribable world. Sarah couldn't figure out the meaning of this song, and Rui Lehndorff sang listlessly. This seems to be the strangest farewell.
But they are all very upset. At dawn, he left her and promised to meet in the patio.
She got dressed and went out. She wore a tight leather coat with a dagger pinned between her belts, red-brown black hair hanging down at will, and an iron crown on her head.
"Goodbye, Ryan, I wish I could give you more. 」
"You have given me enough, I will always remember you in the future. One day, when the sun rises and the color turns blue, I will nod and say, yes, this is the first blue day since Sarah came. 」
"I also promise you that one day I will find Al Qaeda. If I can save him, I will come back here. Then the three of us joined hands and played a game with the Seven Emperors. 」
Rylendorf shrugged. "Well, if I'm not here, just leave me a letter." He grinned.
"You promised to tell me where the pass is. Can you talk now? 」
Rylendorf pointed to the shortest steeple. Sarah has never been in this tower. She noticed a wooden door at the bottom of the tower. Rylendorf took out the key.
"Right here?" She's a little confused. "In this castle? 」
"Right here." Lai Lunduo replied. They walked to the wooden door, and Rylendorf inserted the key into the keyhole and tried to open the wooden door.
Sarah looked on and felt very uncomfortable. The other two minarets look desolate and lifeless. The patio is empty.
Behind the snow-covered peaks in the distance is an empty horizon. There was no noise except the sound of Rylendorf opening the lock and the flapping of the flag on the wall. Sarah suddenly felt the loneliness of this place and couldn't help shivering.
Rylendorf opened the door. There is no space inside, only a wall and floating fog.
"This is the mark you are looking for." The singer said.
Sarah studied it for a while. What is the next world? She will never know, but maybe in the next world, she will find Al Qaeda. She thinks Rylendorf's hand is on her shoulder.
"Are you still hesitating?" His tone is very gentle.
Sarah's hand caught the dagger. "Where are the guards?" She suddenly said, "There will always be guards." She quickly looked around the patio. ……