Silas lay prone1 on the canvas mat in his room, allowing the lash2 wounds on his back to clot3 in theair. Tonight's second session with the Discipline had left him dizzy and weak. He had yet toremove the cilice belt, and he could feel the blood trickling4 down his inner thigh5. Still, he could notjustify removing the strap6.
I have failed the Church.
Far worse, I have failed the bishop7.
Tonight was supposed to be Bishop Aringarosa's salvation8. Five months ago, the bishop hadreturned from a meeting at the Vatican Observatory9, where he had learned something that left himdeeply changed. Depressed10 for weeks, Aringarosa had finally shared the news with Silas.
"But this is impossible!" Silas had cried out. "I cannot accept it!""It is true," Aringarosa said. "Unthinkable, but true. In only six months."The bishop's words terrified Silas. He prayed for deliverance, and even in those dark days, his trustin God and The Way never wavered. It was only a month later that the clouds parted miraculouslyand the light of possibility shone through.
Divine intervention12, Aringarosa had called it.
The bishop had seemed hopeful for the first time. "Silas," he whispered, "God has bestowed13 uponus an opportunity to protect The Way. Our battle, like all battles, will take sacrifice. Will you be asoldier of God?"Silas fell to his knees before Bishop Aringarosa—the man who had given him a new life—and hesaid, "I am a lamb of God. Shepherd me as your heart commands."When Aringarosa described the opportunity that had presented itself, Silas knew it could only bethe hand of God at work. Miraculous11 fate! Aringarosa put Silas in contact with the man who hadproposed the plan—a man who called himself the Teacher. Although the Teacher and Silas nevermet face-to-face, each time they spoke14 by phone, Silas was awed15, both by the profundity16 of theTeacher's faith and by the scope of his power. The Teacher seemed to be a man who knew all, aman with eyes and ears in all places. How the Teacher gathered his information, Silas did notknow, but Aringarosa had placed enormous trust in the Teacher, and he had told Silas to do thesame. "Do as the Teacher commands you," the bishop told Silas. "And we will be victorious17."Victorious. Silas now gazed at the bare floor and feared victory had eluded18 them. The Teacher hadbeen tricked. The keystone was a devious19 dead end. And with the deception20, all hope had vanished.
Silas wished he could call Bishop Aringarosa and warn him, but the Teacher had removed all theirlines of direct communication tonight. For our safety.
Finally, overcoming enormous trepidation21, Silas crawled to his feet and found his robe, which layon the floor. He dug his cell phone from the pocket. Hanging his head in shame, he dialed.
"Teacher," he whispered, "all is lost." Silas truthfully told the man how he had been tricked.
"You lose your faith too quickly," the Teacher replied. "I have just received news. Mostunexpected and welcome. The secret lives. Jacques Saunière transferred information before hedied. I will call you soon. Our work tonight is not yet done."
塞拉斯趴在屋内的帆布毯子上,好让鞭打的伤口凝结。今晚第二次接受戒律的鞭策让他感到眩晕,浑身无力。他必须把粗布腰带解开,他能感觉到血从大腿内侧汩汩地流下来。可他却始终无法解开腰带。
我辜负了教会。
我更辜负了主教。
今晚理应是阿林加洛沙主教的拯救日。五个月之前,主教去梵蒂冈天文台开会,得到了一个令他震惊的消息。压抑了几个礼拜之后,他最终还是告诉了塞拉斯。
"不可能!"塞拉斯大叫道。"我决不能接受!"
"是真的。"阿林加洛沙说道。"意想不到,但却是真的。在短短的6 个月里。"
主教的话让塞拉斯惊恐不已。他祈祷能够得到解脱。即便在那些黑暗日子里,他对上帝和教会的信仰也从未动摇过。但是,仅仅一个月之后,乌云奇迹般地散去,希望的光芒呈现在眼前。
神的力量,阿林加洛沙这样解释道。
主教第一次看到了希望。"塞拉斯。"他轻声说道。"上帝给了我们一次千载难逢的机会去捍卫我们的信仰。像所有战争一样,我们的战争也会有牺牲。你愿做上帝的士兵吗?"
塞拉斯跪倒在赋予他新生的阿林加洛沙主教的面前,说道:"我是上帝的羔羊。按照上帝旨意指引我前进吧。"阿林加洛沙向他讲述了那个摆在眼前的机会,塞拉斯明白了这只能是上帝的旨意。神奇的命运!阿林加洛沙让塞拉斯跟提出这个计划的人联系--那人自称"导师"。虽然塞拉斯和"导师"素未谋面,但每次通电话时,塞拉斯都对"导师"虔诚的信仰和广大的神通表示深深的敬畏。"导师"好像知道所有的事情,在每个地方都有眼线。塞拉斯不知道"导师"是怎样收集信息的,但是阿林加洛沙非常信任"导师",并且要塞拉斯也这么做。他对塞拉斯说:"按照"导师"的命令做,我们就能胜利。"
胜利。塞拉斯看着光光的地板,害怕胜利就将离他们而去。导师上当了。寻找楔石之路根本就走不通。这个骗局将所有的希望都打破了。
塞拉斯真希望他能给阿林加洛沙主教打电话,发出警报。可是今晚导师已经切断了他们直接联系的途径。为了我们的安全。
最终,塞拉斯止住了颤抖,慢慢地站了起来,拿起地板上的长袍。他从口袋里摸出手机,羞愧地拨打着号码。
"导师。"他低声说道。"一切都完了。"塞拉斯原原本本地叙述了自己受骗的经过。
"你怎么能这么快就丧失信心呢。"导师答道。"我刚得到一些出乎意料,但令人欣慰的消息。神秘的命运。雅克。索尼埃临死之前留下了信息。我等会儿再打给你。今晚的工作还没结束。"
1 prone | |
adj.(to)易于…的,很可能…的;俯卧的 | |
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2 lash | |
v.系牢;鞭打;猛烈抨击;n.鞭打;眼睫毛 | |
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3 clot | |
n.凝块;v.使凝成块 | |
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4 trickling | |
n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 );淌;使)慢慢走;缓慢移动 | |
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5 thigh | |
n.大腿;股骨 | |
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6 strap | |
n.皮带,带子;v.用带扣住,束牢;用绷带包扎 | |
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7 bishop | |
n.主教,(国际象棋)象 | |
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8 salvation | |
n.(尤指基督)救世,超度,拯救,解困 | |
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9 observatory | |
n.天文台,气象台,瞭望台,观测台 | |
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10 depressed | |
adj.沮丧的,抑郁的,不景气的,萧条的 | |
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11 miraculous | |
adj.像奇迹一样的,不可思议的 | |
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12 intervention | |
n.介入,干涉,干预 | |
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13 bestowed | |
赠给,授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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15 awed | |
adj.充满敬畏的,表示敬畏的v.使敬畏,使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16 profundity | |
n.渊博;深奥,深刻 | |
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17 victorious | |
adj.胜利的,得胜的 | |
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18 eluded | |
v.(尤指机敏地)避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 );逃避;躲避;使达不到 | |
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19 devious | |
adj.不坦率的,狡猾的;迂回的,曲折的 | |
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20 deception | |
n.欺骗,欺诈;骗局,诡计 | |
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21 trepidation | |
n.惊恐,惶恐 | |
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