Going anywhere else was pure torture. The uglies in herown dorm treated her like a walking disease, and anyoneelse who recognized her sooner or later asked, “Why aren’tyou pretty yet?”
It was strange. She’d been an ugly for four years, but afew extra days had brought home to her exactly what theword really meant. Tally1 peered into her mirror all day, notingevery flaw, every deformity. Her thin lips pursed withunhappiness. Her hair grew even frizzier because she keptrunning her hands through it in frustration2. A trio of zitsexploded across her forehead, as if marking the days sinceher sixteenth birthday. Her watery3, too-small eyes glaredback at her, full of anger.
Only at night could she escape from the tiny room, thenervous stares, her own ugly face.
She fooled the minders and climbed out as usual, butshe didn’t feel much like any real tricks. There was no oneto visit, no one to play a prank4 on, and the idea of crossingthe river was too painful to consider. She had gotten a newhoverboard, and tricked it up like Shay had taught her, soat least she could fly at night.
But flying didn’t feel the same. She was alone, it wasgetting cold at night, and no matter how fast she flew, Tallywas trapped, and she knew it.
The fourth night in ugly exile she took her board up intothe greenbelt, staying at the edge of town. She whipped itback and forth5 past the dark columns of tree trunks, shootingthrough them at top speed, so fast that her hands and facecollected dozens of scratches from the branches blurring6 by.
After a few hours’ flying had worn away some of heranguish, Tally had a happy realization8: This was the bestshe’d ever ridden; she was almost as good as Shay now. Neveronce did the board dump her for getting too close to a tree,and her shoes held on to its grippy surface like they wereglued there. She worked up a sweat even in the autumn chill,riding until her legs were tired, her ankles aching, her armssore from being spread out like wings guiding her throughthe dark forest. If she rode this hard all night, Tally thought,maybe tomorrow she could sleep the hideous9 daylight away.
She flew until exhaustion10 forced her home.
When she crawled back into her room at dawn, someonewas waiting there.
“Peris!”
His features burst into a radiant smile, big eyes flashingUGLIES 121beautifully in the early light. But when he looked closer, hisexpression changed. “What happened to your face, Squint11?”
Tally blinked. “Haven’t you heard? They didn’t do the—”
“Not that.” Peris reached up and touched her cheek,which smarted under his fingertips. “You look like you’vebeen juggling12 cats all night.”
“Oh, yeah.” Tally ran her fingers through her hair, andrummaged through a drawer. She pulled a medspray out,closed her eyes, and squirted herself in the face.
“Ow!” she yelped13 in the few seconds before the anesthetickicked in. She sprayed her scratched hands as well.
“Just a little midnight hoverboarding.”
“A little past midnight, don’t you think?”
Out the window, the sun was just beginning to turn thetowers of New Pretty Town pink. Cat-vomit pink. She lookedat Peris, exhausted14 and confused. “How long have you beenhere?”
He shifted uncomfortably in her window chair. “Longenough.”
“Sorry. I didn’t know you were coming.”
He raised his eyebrows15 in beautiful anguish7. “Of courseI came. The moment I figured out where you were, I came.”
Tally turned away, unlacing her grippy shoes as she collectedherself. She’d felt so abandoned since her birthday, ithad never occurred to her that Peris would want to see her,especially not here in Uglyville. But here he was, worried,anxious, lovely.
122 Scott Westerfeld“It’s good to see you,” she said, feeling tears come intoher eyes. They were red and puffy most of the time thesedays.
He beamed up at her. “You too.”
The thought of what she must look like was too much.
Tally collapsed16 onto the bed, covering her face with herhands and sobbing17. Peris sat next to her and held her for awhile as she cried, then wiped her nose and sat her up.
“Look at you, Tally Youngblood.”
She shook her head. “Please don’t.”
“You’re an absolute mess.”
Peris found a brush and ran it through her hair. Shecouldn’t meet his eyes, and stared at the floor.
“So, do you always go hoverboarding in a blender?”
She shook her head, lightly touching18 the scratches onher face. “Just tree branches. At high speed.”
“Oh, so getting yourself killed is your next brillianttrick. I guess that would just about top your current one.”
“My current what?”
Peris rolled his eyes. “This whole trick where youhaven’t turned pretty yet. Very mysterious.”
“Yeah. Some trick.”
“When did you get modest, Squint? All my friends arefascinated.”
She turned her puffy eyes to her friend, trying to figureout if he was kidding.
“I mean, I already told everyone about you after thatUGLIES 123fire alarm thing, but they’re really dying to meet you now,”
he continued. “There’s even a rumor19 that Special Circumstancesis involved.”
Tally blinked. Peris was serious.
“Well, that’s true,” she said. “They’re the reason I’m stillugly.”
Peris’s big eyes widened even more. “Really? That is sobubbly!”
She sat up and frowned. “Did everyone know aboutthem but me?”
“Well, I had no idea what anyone was talking about.
Apparently20, Specials are like gremlins; you blame themwhen anything weird21 happens. Some people think they’retotally bogus, and no one I know has actually seen aSpecial.”
Tally sighed. “Just my luck, I guess.”
“So they’re real?” Peris lowered his voice to a whisper.
“Do they really look different? You know, not pretty.”
“It’s not that they’re not pretty, Peris. But they’rereally . . .” Tally looked at him, gorgeous and hanging onevery word. It felt so perfect to be sitting next to him, talkingand touching, as if they’d never been apart. She smiled.
“They’re just not as pretty as you.”
He laughed. “You’ll have to tell me all about it. Butdon’t you dare tell anyone else. Not yet. Everyone’s going tobe so intrigued22. We can throw a big party when you getyourself prettied up.”
124 Scott WesterfeldShe tried to smile. “Peris . . .”
“I know, you’re probably not supposed to talk about it.
But once you’re across the river, just drop a few hints aboutSpecial-you-know-what and you’ll get invited to all the parties!
Just make sure you take me with you.” He leanedcloser. “There’s even a rumor that all the bubbly jobs go topeople who had tricky23 records as kids. But that’s years fromnow. The main thing is to get you pretty already.”
“But, Peris,” she said, her stomach starting to hurt. “Idon’t think I’ll . . .”
“You’ll love it, Tally. Being pretty’s the best thing ever.
And I’ll enjoy it about a million times more once you’rethere with me.”
“I can’t.”
He frowned. “Can’t what?”
Tally looked up at Peris, clutching his hand. “You see,they want me to tattle on a friend of mine. Someone I gotto know really well. After you left.”
“Tattle? Don’t tell me this is all about some ugly-trick.”
“Sort of.”
“So, tattle away. How big a deal can it be?”
Tally turned away. “It’s important, Peris. It’s more thana trick. I made my friend a promise that I’d keep a secretfor her.”
His eyes narrowed, and for a moment he looked likethe old Peris: serious, thoughtful, even a little bit unhappy.
“Tally, you made me a promise too.”
UGLIES 125She swallowed and stared back at him. His eyes shonewith tears.
“You promised you wouldn’t do anything stupid, Tally.
That you’d be with me soon. That we’d be pretty together.”
She touched the scar on her palm, still there, eventhough Peris’s had been rubbed away. He reached over andheld her hand. “Best friends forever, Tally.”
She knew that if she looked into his eyes again, itwould be all over. One glance, and her resistance wouldevaporate. “Best friends forever?” she said.
“Forever.”
She took a deep breath and let herself stare into hiseyes. He looked so sad, so vulnerable and wounded. Soperfect. Tally imagined herself by his side, just as beautiful,spending every day doing nothing but talking and laughingand having fun.
“You’ll keep your promise, Tally?”
A shudder24 of exhaustion and relief went through her.
She had it now, an excuse to break her vow25. She’d made thatpromise to Peris, just as real, before she’d ever met Shay.
She had known him for years, and Shay for only a fewmonths.
And Peris was right here, not out in some strangewilderness, and was looking at her with those eyes . . .
“Of course.”
“Really?” He smiled, and it was as bright as the daybreakoutside.
126 Scott Westerfeld“Yeah.” The words came out so easily. “I’ll be there assoon as I can. I promise.”
He sighed and hugged her tight, rocking her softly.
Tears rose up in her again.
Peris finally released her, and looked out at the sunny day.
“I should go.” He waved at the door. “You know, beforethe . . . thingies . . . all wake up.”
“Of course.”
“It’s almost past my bedtime, and you’ve got a big dayahead of you.”
Tally nodded. She’d never felt so exhausted. Her musclesached, and her face and hands had started stinging again. Butshe was overwhelmed with relief. This nightmare had begunthree months ago, when Peris went across the river. Andsoon it would end.
“Okay, Peris. I’ll see you soon. As soon as possible.”
He hugged her again, kissed her salty, scratched cheeks,and whispered, “Maybe in just a couple of days. I’m soexcited!”
He said good-bye and left, checking both ways down thecorridor before departing. Tally looked out the window foranother glance at Peris, and realized that a hovercar was waitingfor him below. Pretties really did get whatever they wanted.
Tally wanted nothing more than to fall asleep, but actingon her decision couldn’t wait. She knew that with Perisgone, the doubts would come back again and haunt her.
She couldn’t stand another day like this, not knowing if herUGLIES 127ugly purgatory26 would ever end. And she’d promised Perisshe’d be with him as soon as possible.
“I’m sorry, Shay,” Tally said quietly.
Then she picked up her interface27 ring from where ithad lain on the bedside table all night, and slipped it on.
“Message to Dr. Cable, or whomever,” she said to it. “I’ll dowhat you want. Just let me sleep for a while. Message over.”
Tally sighed, and let herself fall back onto the bed. Sheknew she should spray her scratches again before passingout, but the thought of moving made her whole body ache.
A few dozen scratches wouldn’t keep her from sleepingtoday. Nothing would.
Seconds later, the room spoke28. “Reply from Dr. Cable:
A car will be sent for you, arriving in twenty minutes.”
“No,” she mumbled29, but realized that it would be uselessto argue. Special Circumstances would come, theywould wake her up, they would take her.
Tally decided30 to try for a few minutes of sleep. It wouldbe better than nothing.
But for the next twenty minutes, she never once shuther eyes.
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收听单词发音
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1
tally
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| n.计数器，记分，一致，测量；vt.计算，记录，使一致；vi.计算，记分，一致 | |
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frustration
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| n.挫折，失败，失效，落空 | |
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watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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prank
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| n.开玩笑，恶作剧；v.装饰；打扮；炫耀自己 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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blurring
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| n.模糊，斑点甚多，（图像的）混乱v.（使）变模糊( blur的现在分词 )；（使）难以区分 | |
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7
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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11
squint
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| v. 使变斜视眼, 斜视, 眯眼看, 偏移, 窥视; n. 斜视, 斜孔小窗; adj. 斜视的, 斜的 | |
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12
juggling
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| n. 欺骗, 杂耍(=jugglery) adj. 欺骗的, 欺诈的 动词juggle的现在分词 | |
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13
yelped
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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intrigued
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| adj.好奇的，被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式)；激起…的兴趣或好奇心；“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词 | |
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tricky
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| adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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purgatory
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| n.炼狱；苦难；adj.净化的，清洗的 | |
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interface
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| n.接合部位，分界面；v.(使)互相联系 | |
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spoke
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| 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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mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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