同章对照

Mars and Venus’ home embodied everything wrong about their organization: rot festering beneath a nice veneer.

Oh, at first glance their manor looked like the height of casual opulence. Venus had tastefully decorated her home with luxuries such as English furniture, hardwood cabinets from Spain, Turkish carpets and Tunisian tapestries. The manor also housed billiard tables, private poker rooms, and even a Roman-themed art gallery. Ryan guessed they couldn’t help but pucker up to Lightning Butt’s obsessions.

But everything came from the pre-war era. The chairs were old, the rugs were worn flat, the stone foyers wrinkled. Even the main room’s TV was outdated. And while the staff had numerous employees, they were nowhere near enough to take good care of the estate. Most rooms felt empty and lifeless.

This place reeked of past obsessions and lost glory.

“Ugh, I can smell the dust,” Ryan said as he visited an empty ballroom, Livia holding his arm. “Wait, is that asbestos?”

“All the non-Genomes in the staff will get illnesses,” Livia confirmed with a sigh. “I warned Fortuna’s parents, but they wouldn’t listen.”

Huh, not only did the Verans deal in drugs and prostitutes, but they also knowingly gave their staff lung disease. They were truly irredeemable. Most worryingly, Ryan noticed Cancel and Mortimer shadowing him and Livia. While it was ostensibly to ‘protect’ the couple, when the courier tested his time-stop, it didn’t activate.

This immediately put him on high alert. Something was up.

“Can I shout, ‘it’s a trap?’” Ryan candidly asked his girlfriend, whispering in her ear.

“Maybe later,” she replied in the same hushed tone, resting her head against his shoulders while he put his arm around her shoulders. To outsiders, they looked like they were about to kiss. “Do you have weapons on yourself?”

“Yes, but not my best ones.” Though he came dressed casually, he always kept hidden knives beneath his clothes. “I can always drop my pants; that should blind them.”

Livia gave him a dirty look. “It didn’t blind me when I looked closely.”

“Because I put the safety on.”

“Keep your pants up, and your other weapons closer,” she replied, careful that Cancel and Mortimer couldn’t hear them. Thankfully, while they remained at close distance, the two hitmen gave the couple enough space for privacy. “And have Len be ready to evacuate you. You might need to go to Antarctica quicker than expected.”

“So this is a trap?”

“Yes,” Livia admitted with a dark look. “But not for us.”

“You could have warned me beforehand.” Then again, Ryan did interfere with her power. She probably had a hard time adjusting to his actions. “I like surprises, but not when our favorite power-canceler is nearby.”

The threat of dying permanently or worse still frightened the courier.

“I wasn’t sure until we entered the building,” Livia admitted, as they left the ballroom for a mirrored hallway. It reminded Ryan of the ruins of Versailles, which he had visited in a previous loop. There wasn’t a Genome assassin hidden in his reflection this time around though, much to his disappointment. “I foresaw some worrying possibilities, and Greta’s presence only confirms my worries.”

“Doesn’t our cheery sociopath prevent you from seeing anything in her vicinity?” Ryan asked, taking his cellphone and sending a text message to Len, the Panda, Shroud, and everyone else who would listen.

“She does, which is why Father sent her,” Livia replied darkly as her boyfriend put his phone back in his pocket, “but I saw all the ways this dinner could end before coming here. Except those where you interfere, of course.”

“Do some end with explosions?” Ryan asked hopefully, “because I can help with those.”

“I know you can,” Livia replied mirthfully, as they reached the dining room’s entrance. “But please don’t burn the carpets. I like some of those.”

A single guard stood watch over the doors, a man in an all-black bodysuit covering his entire body. Ryan wondered how he could see without holes in his mask. The guard flinched upon seeing the couple, while the time-traveler gave him a sadistic smile worthy of Jack Nicholson.

“Ryan, this is Night Terror of the Killer Seven,” Livia introduced them to each other. “Night Terror, this is Ryan Romano, my boyfriend.”

“We met,” the man said, spitting each word. “With all due respect, Lady Livia, your companion is a home-breaking asshole.”

“Wait, this is the guy who punched you in the face for no reason?” Mortimer asked from behind the group, suddenly interested. “Oh, that’s awkward.”

“For no reason at all!” Night Terror complained while raising an accusing finger at Ryan’s face. “I don’t even know him!”

“I’m sure my companion had his reasons,” Livia said, before glancing at her boyfriend. “Right, Ryan?”

The courier didn’t answer. Instead, he kept staring at Night Terror, the way a mongoose glared at a snake. He didn’t say a word. He just waited.

“Maybe he punches everyone?” Mortimer asked, trying to fill the silence while Livia raised an eyebrow.

“He didn’t punch me,” Cancel said. “I would have killed him if he had tried, sure, but he didn’t.” She sounded a little disappointed about that.

“Did you use your powers on my boyfriend?” Livia asked Night Terror with a falsely innocent smile.

The Darkling impersonator crossed his arms. He was trying to look strong, but Ryan could tell that the silent glare was slowly startling to unsettle him. “Maybe? I don’t keep track.”

“That’s why poor ol’ Mortimer kills his victims,” the wall-phasing hitman said. “When they come back to haunt him, at least he knows why.”

Ryan said nothing, causing Night Terror to start losing his nerve. “Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?”

The courier said nothing. Instead, he kept staring at the man’s mask, until Night Terrorized started looking away. But he couldn’t escape Ryan’s stare inside a mirror gallery. “Stop doing that,” the hitman asked, unsettled. “You think you can make me lose my nerve? You think you can get under my skin? I’m fear itself!”

The silence stretched on, more and more uncomfortably.

Cancel and Mortimer probably exchanged glances behind Ryan, and Livia clearly struggled not to laugh, but he only had eyes for the gaping darkness in front of him.

“Lady Livia, can you ask this man to stop, please?” Night Terrorized tried to look down, but Augustus’ daughter said nothing. “Stop it.”

Ryan gently put a hand below his prey’s chin, and forced him to look up.

There was no escape.

Eventually, Night Terror crumbled. “Okay, okay, I get it,” he said, walking away from the doors. “Vamp will take my shift.”

“Sparrow won’t like it,” Cancel said, while Mortimer chuckled like a hyena.

“Whatever,” Night Terrorized complained, before realizing that Ryan’s gaze followed him. His pace accelerated greatly afterward, until he exited the gallery.

When he was gone, Livia couldn’t hold her laughter anymore. “You’re horrible, Ryan.”

Ryan looked silently at his girlfriend... but she was better at this game than he was, and he submitted.

The dining room turned out to be a large banquet hall on the first floor, with a sprawling table capable of housing two dozen persons. An unused fireplace faced three windows giving an impeccable view of the gardens outside, with Cancel positioning herself to look through the central one while Mortimer protected the entrance. Adorable, they expected an attack from the outside, but not from within.

Mars had taken over the table’s head, one daughter sitting on each side. Jamie and Ki-jung had taken the seats closest to Narcinia, while Mathias ‘Shroudy’ Martel stayed at his girlfriend’s side, having traded his transparent costume for tasteful blue jeans and a shirt. Considering how close he sat to his lucky charm, Ryan guessed they had patched up somehow.

“Livy!” Fortuna grinned ear to ear upon seeing her best friend, while Mathias gave Ryan a sharp nod. He looked secretly relieved to see a friendly face, especially when he noticed Cancel and Mortimer. “Come, sit with us!”

“Sorry to have kept you waiting,” Livia said, the very picture of courtesy. “Mercury, Chitter, I am so glad you could come.”

“I can’t get used to that name,” Jamie replied. Ryan hadn’t seen this caring bear of a man much lately, but he had made some effort to dress well for this dinner, wearing a suit and a tie. His Korean girlfriend Ki-jung fidgeted in her seat, clearly uncomfortable with either the situation or her sleeveless black dress. She had given up her glasses for contact lenses, but would rather stare at the table than at the other guests. The pressure weighed on her. “I don’t think I ever will.”

“It will come with time,” Mars reassured him. The older man shared his junior’s paternal aura, and Ryan had the feeling the two men were the same, a generation apart. But when the courier examined them both, he noticed a predatory glint in Mars’ gaze that wasn’t present in Jamie’s. “Though it’s a shame you took the job on the day we lost our Bliss production center. Darn ill omen.”

The drug’s mention made Ki-jung raise her head, like a dreamer waking up from a long nap. “Oh?” her boyfriend said, holding her hand to comfort her. “Oh, yes, that’s true.”

Jamie tried not to look pleased, but he was a terrible liar and Ryan could see his true feelings in his eyes. Ischia Island’s destruction clearly came as an enormous relief to him.

“I can’t believe they killed Geist,” Narcinia complained, arms crossed. “I know he wanted to die, but…”

“Wasn’t he already dead?” Ki-jung finally found the courage to speak up. “How can you slay a ghost?”

“One attempt at once,” Ryan said from experience. “Hopefully, eventually it will stick.”

Narcinia’s mood worsened further. “It won’t feel the same without him, even if we rebuild the place. He was funny and kind, and always there.”

“The loss of Ischia island weighs heavily on all of our minds,” Livia said as she sat between Fortuna and Ryan himself. The courier’s chair let out a worrying sound, as if it threatened to crumble beneath him. “But this should be a joyful reunion, not an occasion to open old wounds.”

“I couldn’t agree more!” Fortuna said with a bright smile. “We should savor the champagne! Jamie, Ki-jung, tell them the news!”

The two exchanged a sheepish glance. “We’re getting married soon,” Jamie announced.

“Jamie proposed,” Ki-jung said, blushing.

“Congratulations!” Ryan said with genuine joy, though he already learned the news in a previous loop. “When is the baby?”

This made Jamie laugh. “We’ll wait a few years.”

“At this rate, we will only have married couples around this table,” Mars said while glancing at Mathias. “When will you propose?”

It sounded innocent, but the man’s eyes didn’t smile when his mouth did. Unlike Jamie’s, his easy-going friendliness was all a sham. A mask that hid something darker and calculating.

“Dad!” Fortuna protested. “That’s not something you ask at dinner!”

“It won't be for tomorrow,” Mathias replied dryly.

“My daughter told me you were a videogame designer?” Mars continued to fish for information. “Is that working out well for you?”

“I’m still looking for sponsors,” Mathias replied.

“Have you tried GoatVPN?” Ryan asked mirthfully.

His co-conspirator raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “GoatVPN?”

“In this information age, it is key to protect your data from Dynamis and other heartless Dynanet providers,” Ryan said with a telemarketer’s voice. Which was to say, like someone who sold his soul for money. “With more than ten billion users, GoatVPN creates a wall of goats to shield your emails from unwanted ads, except their own.”

“I remember an ad like this one on the Dynanet,” Ki-jung said with amusement. “Alongside one for Wyvern League Legend, I believe?”

“I’m sure their marketing budget is bigger than most third-world countries,” Ryan said. “Which, to be fair, isn’t saying much nowadays.”

“We could help with that sponsor issue,” Mars told his future-in-law.

Thankfully, the Carnival infiltrator’s soul wasn’t for sale. “I would prefer to stand on my own feet, sir.”

“Yes, Dad, my Mathias has something better than money,” Fortuna said. “He has me!”

“You should have dumped him,” Narcinia said, pouting. Clearly, she didn’t like Mathias any more than in the previous loops; she probably sensed he wasn’t as transparent as he let it look.

“I almost did, but then I asked Livy to tell me my future,” her sister admitted with an uneasy smile, while Mathias’ eyes wandered from Narcinia to her adoptive father. “Then I decided to give him another chance. I knew things would turn out alright, of course, since they always do, but it was nice to have an outside confirmation.”

“Come to think of it, you could make a killing from palm-reading,” Ryan told his girlfriend.

“I work better with crystal balls,” Livia replied with a giggle, “or when I open sheep entrails to interpret the content.”

Narcinia gasped. “You’re kidding right?”

“Of course,” Livia reassured the young teen. “It was a joke.”

“But just in case, keep your sheep safely penned in at night,” Ryan said with a knowing grin.

Narcinia childishly stuck out her tongue at the courier, much to his amusement, while Jamie started asking Mathias and Fortuna about how they met. With the guests distracted and the Killer Seven focused on the windows and doors, Ryan started whispering into his girlfriend’s ear. “I thought you hated our translucent friend?”

“I still think Fortuna is too good for him,” Livia replied with a shrug, speaking low enough that others wouldn’t hear. “But he makes her happy in most futures where they end up together. Or at least, the possibilities where I can reform my father’s organization and avoid a war. I simply told her as much.”

Ryan raised an eyebrow. “There are futures where things go well?”

“Yes, Ryan, there are,” Livia chuckled while rolling her eyes. “They’re rare, but if Dad fully retires and Enrique Manada takes over Dynamis, I get to reform my organization peacefully. No more drugs, forced prostitution, intimidation, or money laundering. My family goes legit. I funnel our war chest towards renovating Rust Town, creating jobs. We help Europe rebuild into something we can be proud of.”

“I hope to see that one day.”

“You will, if I have my way.”

But to Ryan’s surprise, instead of saying this with a smile, Livia glanced at the fireplace anxiously. The courier followed her gaze, noticing nothing extraordinary.

“Livia?”

“You said you trusted me,” she whispered back, so low he could hardly understand her words.

Okay, something was definitely wrong here. “Livia, what’s happening?”

“I hope I’m wrong.” Thankfully, the others were making enough noise for the two of them to whisper close to each other. “But, I have seen how this dinner could go, and… it seems like this possibility might come to pass. If it does… if it does, someone will fall down the chimney’s shaft. Mars will make a call to my father, and when the call finishes, that person will die. Unless you intervene.”

“Someone?” How could someone slip past the guards, climb over the roof, and move into the chimney unseen?

Someone who lived here for years.

A chill went down Ryan’s spine, and he realized he had already lived through these events. “Your father would order a hit on him?”

His eyes wandered around the room, and he noticed Mortimer had vanished. Did he move to another part of the manor, or was he hiding in the walls in ambush?

“Dad already did, though he thinks I don’t know yet,” Livia said darkly, her eyes turning to Mars. “His parents tried to invite him officially, but he smelled the trap.”

“Why would he even come?”

“For Narcinia. He will want to talk her into leaving the family behind now that the factory is destroyed, and he knows my family wiretaps her phone.” Livia shook her head sadly. “He will think my father wants to capture him, not kill him.”

Ryan tensed. “That’s why Cancel has her power active in your vicinity? So you wouldn’t see it coming and stop it?”

Livia nodded sadly.

But why? Ryan tried to figure it out, before realizing his mistake. “I mentioned Dynamis while fighting Geist.”

“My father is convinced the Bliss Factory assault was an inside job, rightfully so.” Of course Lightning Butt would get paranoid and grasp at straws. “I will distract Cancel, but Mars and some of the other Killer Seven will probably give pursuit.”

“What about Jamie and Ki-jung?” Ryan asked, glancing at the couple. The courier knew they were good people, but would they make the right choice?

“It can go either way,” Livia said. “It depends on who they are deep down.”

Ryan frowned. “You knew this could happen. You could have stopped it.”

“I could have,” she admitted, her face undecipherable. “I know my father gave the order in a previous loop, but… I hoped those were exceptional circumstances. This possibility is unlikely, Ryan. Maybe it won’t come to pass.”

But she could have guaranteed it wouldn’t happen by making the right phone calls. ”Why did you make it possible at all?”

“Because Narcinia needs to see it, as my previous self did,” Livia said with a sigh. “Or else she will never open her eyes to what her parents are, and the happy future I have seen will never come to pass. And…”

She shyly joined her hands and looked up at her boyfriend.

“I did it because I trust you, Ryan,” the Augusti princess said softly. “Because I know you can make it work. That you can change things.”

Ryan looked into her eyes, and realized that she had put all her hopes on him.

He didn’t even consider refusing.

The courier had fought all the Killer Seven before, except Fortuna—who would certainly help. He could beat them. As for Mars, Ryan had seen him in action before. He could teleport objects around.

“What’s his range?” Ryan asked Livia while looking at the Olympian. Mars chuckled at something Mathias said, but his fingers brushed against the table, like a cat itching to show his claws.

“Ten meters,” Livia said, her fingers brushing against his. “If something happens, I will move to Sorrento. We will meet again there, after you are done with your business in Antarctica.”

“And if nothing happens?”

Livia smiled. “Then we will have a very boring dinner on our hands.”

Uh, this made Ryan wish for more action. “I’ll find a way,” he whispered.

“I know,” Livia replied, before rising from her seat. “Cancel, can you escort me to the bathroom?”

“Oh, sure!” the guard said, clearly eager to follow; too eager. Ryan watched his girlfriend and her bodyguard exit through the door, his eyes wandering to the fireplace next.

“It’s been a while,” Narcinia complained to her adoptive father. “When is Mom coming?”

Mars shrugged. “She is in the kitchen, supervising the staff.” Or more likely, preparing an ambush. “You know your mother, she’s obsessed with everything being perfect. It’s almost compulsive.”

“You're telling me,” Fortuna said with a displeased face. A perfect face created by her mother’s power.

“Your mom is dealing with anxiety in her own way,” her father said. “The Carnival is in town, and they killed many of our own. She will feel safer with you and your sister at home.”

“But not Atom Kitty?” Ryan asked the hard question. He noticed soot falling down the fireplace, almost imperceptibly so.

A few chuckled at the nickname, but Mars wasn’t among them. “We invited him,” he said. “But my son is stubborn.”

“He didn’t even answer my messages,” Fortuna said angrily, “I swear, when I see him again, I will punch him in the arm so hard, it will never work again!”

If only she knew he was hiding in the room, waiting for the dinner to end and the guests to go to sleep. Dynamis’ inactivity must have frustrated him a great deal to even consider something this reckless. Did he think he could convince his sister to leave, and then sneak them out? What kind of foolish, idealistic boy would think this was ever a good idea?

The same bold boy who accepted a Carnival invitation knowing it was a death sentence.

But for all his strength of character, he tripped down the chimney shaft and crashed into the fireplace.

The other guests glanced at the chimney, as a shape loudly fell on the ground and blew a small cloud of soot in the room. Ryan wondered if Santa Claus had taken on an intern, for the young man that emerged from the fireplace was fifty years too young to be Father Christmas.

“Uh...” Atom Cat scoffed as he rose from the fireplace, his hero costume tainted black and grey by ashes and soot. “Hi.”

玛尔斯和维纳斯的家，将他们组织的毛病体现得淋漓尽致：光鲜的外表之下，腐败正在滋生溃烂。

哦，乍看之下，这座庄园确实将随性而奢华的格调做到了极致。维纳斯用英国家具、西班牙硬木柜、土耳其地毯和突尼斯挂毯等奢侈品，把家里布置得颇有品位。庄园里还有台球桌、私人扑克室，甚至一座罗马主题的艺术画廊。瑞恩猜，他们终究还是忍不住要迎合一下闪电屁股的癖好。

可这一切都是战前留下的。椅子老旧，地毯磨秃，石砌门厅的表面也坑洼不平。连主厅里的电视都过时了。这里雇的人虽多，却远远不足以把整座庄园照料妥当。大多数房间都显得空空荡荡，毫无生气。

这里满是对往昔的执迷，以及荣光不再的气息。

“呃，我都闻见灰尘味了。”瑞恩走进一间空荡荡的舞厅，莉维娅挽着他的胳膊。“等等，那是石棉？”

“员工里所有不是基因者的人都会得病。”莉维娅叹了口气，证实了他的猜测。“我提醒过福尔图娜的父母，可他们不听。”

呵，韦兰夫妇不光经营毒品和卖淫生意，还明知故犯，让员工染上肺病。真是无可救药。最让瑞恩担忧的是，他注意到消除者和莫蒂默一直跟在自己与莉维娅身后。名义上是为了“保护”这对情侣，可快递员试着暂停时间时，能力却没有发动。

这立刻让他高度警觉起来。有情况。

“我能不能大喊一声‘这是个陷阱’？”瑞恩凑到女友耳边，小声而直率地问道。

“待会儿也许可以。”她同样压低声音回答，把头靠在他肩上；他则伸出胳膊，揽住她的肩。外人看起来，他们像是正要接吻。“你身上带武器了吗？”

“带了，但不是最好的那些。”尽管穿着便装，他衣服下面总会藏着几把刀。“实在不行，我还能脱裤子，应该能闪瞎他们的眼。”

莉维娅没好气地看了他一眼。“我凑近看的时候，也没被闪瞎啊。”

“因为我上了保险。”

“裤子穿好，其他武器放在随手能拿到的地方。”她答道，小心不让消除者和莫蒂默听见。幸好那两个杀手虽然跟得近，还是给这对情侣留出了足够的私密空间。“还有，通知蕾恩，做好接应你撤离的准备。你可能得比预想的更早去南极。”

“所以这确实是个陷阱？”

“是的。”莉维娅神色阴沉地承认。“但不是冲我们来的。”

“你本可以提前提醒我。”不过话说回来，瑞恩的确会干扰她的能力。要适应他的行动，她大概也很吃力。“我喜欢惊喜，但咱们最爱的能力消除者在附近时，我就不喜欢了。”

彻底死去，或遭遇比那更糟的下场——这种威胁依然令快递员恐惧。

“进了这栋楼，我才确定下来。”莉维娅承认道。两人离开舞厅，走进一条镜廊。这让瑞恩想起了凡尔赛宫的废墟，他曾在以前的一轮循环里去过。可惜，这次他的镜中倒影里没藏着基因者刺客，着实让他失望。“我预见了一些令人担忧的可能，而格蕾塔在场，只是印证了我的担忧。”

“咱们这位乐呵呵的反社会人格，不是会让你看不到她周围的任何事吗？”瑞恩问道，同时掏出手机，给蕾恩、熊猫、裹尸布，以及其他所有愿意搭理他的人发了条短信。

“是的，所以父亲才派她来。”莉维娅阴沉地回答。男友把手机放回了口袋。“但来这里之前，我已经看过这场晚宴所有可能的结局。当然，你插手的那些不算。”

“有以爆炸收场的吗？”瑞恩满怀期待地问，“这个我能帮忙。”

“我知道你能。”两人来到餐厅入口，莉维娅忍俊不禁地答道。“不过请别烧地毯。其中几张我挺喜欢的。”

门口只站着一个守卫，是个穿着纯黑紧身衣、全身上下都包裹得严严实实的男人。瑞恩很想知道，面罩上连个洞都没有，他是怎么看得见的。守卫一见这对情侣就缩了一下，而时间旅行者回敬了他一个施虐狂般的笑容，堪比杰克·尼科尔森。

“瑞恩，这位是杀手七人组的夜魇。”莉维娅为两人作了介绍。“夜魇，这位是瑞恩·罗马诺，我的男朋友。”

“我们见过。”那男人 一字一顿地挤出话来。“恕我直言，莉维娅小姐，你这位男伴是个强闯别人家的混蛋。”

“等等，就是这家伙无缘无故往你脸上揍了一拳？”众人身后的莫蒂默问道，突然来了兴致。“哦，那可真尴尬。”

“完全无缘无故！”夜魇抱怨着，抬手指向瑞恩的脸，满是控诉。“我根本就不认识他！”

“我相信我的男伴肯定有他的理由。”莉维娅说着，瞥了男友一眼。“对吧，瑞恩？”

快递员没有回答。他只是继续盯着夜魇，像獴盯着蛇那样。他一言不发，只是等着。

“也许他见谁都揍？”莫蒂默试图打破沉默，莉维娅则挑起了一边眉毛。

“他没揍我。”消除者说。“当然，他要是敢动手，我就会杀了他，不过他没动手。”听起来，她对此还有点失望。

“你对我男朋友用过能力吗？”莉维娅挂着故作天真的微笑，问夜魇。

这个冒牌暗灵抱起双臂。他试图表现得强硬些，但瑞恩看得出来，那无声的凝视正逐渐让他不安。“也许吧？我又不会挨个记下来。”

“所以可怜的老莫蒂默才会把受害者杀掉。”能穿墙的杀手说。“等他们回来缠着他，至少他知道是为什么。”

瑞恩一声不吭，夜魇开始沉不住气了。“你就没什么要为自己辩解的吗？”

快递员依然不说话。他继续盯着那人的面罩，直到被吓破胆的夜魇开始移开视线。可在这条镜廊里，他躲不开瑞恩的目光。“别这样了。”杀手心神不宁地要求道。“你以为这样就能让我乱了阵脚？以为这样就能搅得我心神不宁？我就是恐惧本身！”

沉默仍在延续，越来越令人难受。

消除者和莫蒂默多半在瑞恩身后交换着眼色，莉维娅显然也快憋不住笑了，可他眼里只有面前那团深不见底的漆黑。

“莉维娅小姐，能不能请你让这个人停下来？”被吓破胆的夜魇试图低下头，可奥古斯都的女儿什么也没说。“别这样了。”

瑞恩轻轻把手托在猎物的下巴底下，强迫他抬起头。

无处可逃。

夜魇终于崩溃了。“好，好，我懂了。”他说着，离开门口。“让妖姬来替我的班。”

“麻雀会不高兴的。”消除者说。莫蒂默在一旁笑得像只鬣狗。

“随便吧。”被吓破胆的夜魇嘟囔了一句，随即意识到瑞恩的目光还在跟着他。他立刻大幅加快脚步，直到走出了镜廊。

等他一走，莉维娅再也忍不住笑了。“你太坏了，瑞恩。”

瑞恩默默看向女友……可她玩这一套比他还在行，他只好认输。

所谓的餐厅，原来是一楼的一间宽敞宴会厅，里面摆着一张能坐下二十四人的长餐桌。一座闲置的壁炉正对着三扇窗，窗外花园的景色一览无余。消除者站到了中央那扇窗前，向外观察，莫蒂默则守住了入口。真可爱，他们防着来自外面的袭击，却没防着内部。

玛尔斯占了餐桌的主位，两个女儿分坐他两边。杰米和基贞坐在离纳尔西妮娅最近的位置，马蒂亚斯·“裹裹”·马特尔则守在女友身边，脱下了那身透明战衣，换上搭配得体的蓝色牛仔裤和衬衫。看他和自己的幸运符坐得那么近，瑞恩猜他们不知怎么又和好了。

“莉薇！”福尔图娜一见到最好的朋友，就笑得合不拢嘴。马蒂亚斯则向瑞恩利落地点了下头。看见一个自己人，他似乎暗自松了口气，尤其是在注意到消除者和莫蒂默之后。“来，跟我们坐！”

“抱歉，让各位久等了。”莉维娅礼数周全，无可挑剔。“墨丘利，吱喳，真高兴你们能来。”

“我实在习惯不了这个名字。”杰米答道。最近，瑞恩没怎么见到这个体格像熊、又温柔体贴的男人，不过为了这次晚宴，他倒是用心打扮了一番，穿着西装，还打了领带。他的韩国女友基贞在座位上坐立不安，显然对眼下的场面或者身上的无袖黑裙很不自在。她把框架眼镜换成了隐形眼镜，却宁愿盯着桌面，也不肯看其他客人。压力让她很不好受。“我觉得这辈子都习惯不了。”

“时间久了就好了。”玛尔斯安慰他。这个年长的男人和他的后辈一样，都有股慈父般的气质，瑞恩感觉这两个人简直如出一辙，只是差了一代。可仔细打量两人时，快递员在玛尔斯眼里发现了一丝掠食者般的光芒，杰米眼里却没有。“不过可惜，你接手工作的这天，恰好也是我们失去极乐生产中心的日子。真不是个好兆头。”

一提到那种毒品，基贞便抬起了头，像一个睡了许久、刚从梦中醒来的人。“哦？”她的男友握住她的手安抚着她，开口说道。“哦，是啊，确实。”

杰米努力不让自己显得高兴，可他实在不会撒谎，瑞恩从他的眼睛里就能看出真实心情。伊斯基亚岛被毁，显然让他大大松了口气。

“真不敢相信他们杀了幽魂。”纳尔西妮娅抱着胳膊埋怨道。“我知道他想死，可是……”

“他不是已经死了吗？”基贞终于鼓起勇气开口。“怎么才能杀死一个鬼魂？”

“一次次地试。”瑞恩凭经验答道。“运气好的话，最后总能让他死透。”

纳尔西妮娅的心情更糟了。“没有他，就算把那里重建起来，感觉也不一样了。他又有趣又善良，而且一直都在。”

“失去伊斯基亚岛，我们大家心里都不好受。”莉维娅说着，在福尔图娜和瑞恩之间坐下。快递员的椅子发出一声令人担忧的响动，仿佛随时会在他身下散架。“但这应该是一次愉快的团聚，不是揭开旧伤疤的场合。”

“说得太对了！”福尔图娜笑容灿烂。“我们该好好品尝香槟！杰米，基贞，把那个好消息告诉他们！”

两人有些腼腆地交换了一下眼神。“我们很快就要结婚了。”杰米宣布道。

“杰米求婚了。”基贞红着脸说。

“恭喜！”尽管在以前的一轮循环里就听过这个消息，瑞恩依然真心为他们高兴。“孩子什么时候生？”

这话把杰米逗笑了。“我们打算等几年再说。”

“照这个势头下去，这张桌上很快就只剩已婚夫妇了。”玛尔斯说着，瞥向马蒂亚斯。“你什么时候求婚？”

这问题听起来无伤大雅，可男人嘴上在笑，眼里却没有笑意。和杰米不同，他随和友善的样子全是装的。那是一张面具，掩盖着更阴暗、更工于算计的东西。

“爸！”福尔图娜抗议道。“哪有吃饭的时候问这种事的！”

“反正不会是明天。”马蒂亚斯冷淡地回答。

“我女儿说，你是个电子游戏设计师？”玛尔斯继续套话。“工作还顺利吗？”

“我还在找赞助商。”马蒂亚斯答道。

“试过山羊VPN吗？”瑞恩笑着问。

他的同谋怀疑地挑起一边眉毛。“山羊VPN？”

“在这个信息时代，保护你的数据免遭迪纳米斯以及其他无良迪纳网服务商的侵害，至关重要。”瑞恩拿出了电话推销员的腔调。也就是说，听起来像个为了钱出卖灵魂的人。“山羊VPN拥有超过一百亿用户，为你筑起一道山羊之墙，让你的邮箱免受垃圾广告骚扰——当然，他们自家的广告除外。”

“我记得在迪纳网上看过差不多的广告。”基贞觉得有趣。“好像旁边还有一则《双足飞龙联盟传奇》的广告？”

“我敢说，他们的营销预算比大多数第三世界国家的预算还多。”瑞恩说。“不过公平地讲，放在今天，这也说明不了什么。”

“找赞助的事，我们可以帮忙。”玛尔斯对未来的女婿说道。

幸好，这位嘉年华潜入者的灵魂并不出售。“我更愿意靠自己，先生。”

“是啊，爸，我的马蒂亚斯有比钱更好的东西。”福尔图娜说。“他有我！”

“你就该甩了他。”纳尔西妮娅噘着嘴说。显然，她对马蒂亚斯的反感一点也不比前几轮少；她大概感觉得到，他这个人并不像表现出来的那么透明。

“差一点就甩了，不过后来我请莉薇告诉我，我的未来会怎么样。”她姐姐带着一丝不安的微笑承认道。马蒂亚斯的目光则从纳尔西妮娅移向她的养父。“所以我决定再给他一次机会。当然，我本来就知道事情最后会顺利的，毕竟向来如此，但能从别人那里得到证实，还是挺好的。”

“说起来，你靠看手相都能发大财。”瑞恩对女友说。

“我还是用水晶球比较灵。”莉维娅轻笑着答道，“或者剖开羊肠，解读里面的东西。”

纳尔西妮娅倒吸了一口气。“你是在开玩笑吧？”

“当然了。”莉维娅安抚这个小姑娘。“只是个玩笑。”

“不过以防万一，晚上还是把你的羊好好关在圈里吧。”瑞恩露出一个意味深长的笑容。

纳尔西妮娅孩子气地朝快递员吐了吐舌头，逗得他很开心。杰米则开始询问马蒂亚斯和福尔图娜是怎么认识的。趁客人们的注意力都被吸引过去，杀手七人组的人也盯着门窗，瑞恩凑到女友耳边低声问道：“我还以为你讨厌咱们那位半透明的朋友呢？”

“我依然觉得他配不上福尔图娜。”莉维娅耸了耸肩，声音压得很低，确保别人听不见。“但在他们最终走到一起的大多数未来里，他都能让她幸福。至少在那些我成功改革父亲的组织、避免战争的可能性里是这样。我只是如实告诉了她。”

瑞恩挑起一边眉毛。“还真有一切顺利的未来？”

“是的，瑞恩，真的有。”莉维娅翻了个白眼，轻笑道。“这样的未来很少，但如果爸爸彻底退休，恩里克·马纳达接管迪纳米斯，我就能和平地改革我的组织。不再有毒品、强迫卖淫、恐吓或者洗钱。我的家族转做合法生意。我会把我们备战的钱投入锈镇改造，创造就业机会。我们会帮助欧洲重建，让它成为值得我们骄傲的地方。”

“希望有一天，我能亲眼看见。”

“如果能如我所愿，你会看见的。”

可出乎瑞恩意料的是，莉维娅说这话时并没有微笑，而是不安地瞥了一眼壁炉。快递员顺着她的目光望去，没发现什么异常。

“莉维娅？”

“你说过，你信任我。”她低声回应，轻得让他几乎听不清。

好吧，这里绝对有问题。“莉维娅，到底怎么了？”

“我希望是我错了。”幸好其他人聊得足够热闹，让他们得以凑在一起低语。“但我见过这场晚宴可能会如何发展，而……看来这一种可能，也许会成为现实。如果真是这样……如果真是这样，会有个人从烟囱里掉下来。玛尔斯会给我父亲打电话，等电话一挂，那个人就会死。除非你出手。”

“有个人？”什么人能躲过守卫，爬上屋顶，再神不知鬼不觉地钻进烟囱？

一个曾在这里住过多年的人。

瑞恩背脊一凉，意识到自己已经经历过这些事了。“你父亲会下令杀他？”

他扫视了一圈房间，发现莫蒂默不见了。是去了庄园的其他地方，还是藏在墙里准备伏击？

“爸爸已经下令了，只是他以为我还不知道。”莉维娅阴沉地说着，目光转向玛尔斯。“他父母本来想正式邀请他来，但他嗅出了陷阱。”

“那他为什么还要来？”

“为了纳尔西妮娅。如今工厂毁了，他会想劝她离开家族，而且他知道我们家在窃听她的电话。”莉维娅难过地摇了摇头。“他会以为，我父亲只是想抓他，不是想杀他。”

瑞恩绷紧了身体。“所以消除者才一直在你身边开着能力？免得你提前预见，出手阻止？”

莉维娅悲伤地点了点头。

可是，为什么？瑞恩努力思索，终于意识到了自己的失误。“我和幽魂交手时，提到了迪纳米斯。”

“我父亲认定，袭击极乐工厂是有人里应外合，而他也确实没猜错。”闪电屁股果然会疑神疑鬼，逮住一点线索不放。“我会设法拖住消除者，但玛尔斯和杀手七人组的其他几个人很可能会追上去。”

“杰米和基贞呢？”瑞恩瞥了那对情侣一眼，问道。快递员知道他们是好人，但他们会做出正确的选择吗？

“两种可能都有。”莉维娅说。“取决于他们骨子里是什么样的人。”

瑞恩皱起眉。“你知道这件事可能会发生。你本来可以阻止的。”

“我可以。”她承认道，脸上的表情难以读懂。“我知道，父亲在以前的一轮循环里下过这个命令，可……我原本希望那只是特殊情况。这种可能性很低，瑞恩。也许它不会发生。”

可只要给该联系的人打几通电话，她就能保证这件事绝不会发生。“为什么还要给它发生的机会？”

“因为纳尔西妮娅需要亲眼看见，就像以前的那个我一样。”莉维娅叹了口气。“不然，她永远不会看清自己的父母是什么样的人，而我见过的那个幸福未来，也就永远不会到来。而且……”

她有些羞怯地把双手合在一起，抬头看着男友。

“我这么做，是因为我信任你，瑞恩。”奥古斯蒂的公主轻声说。“因为我知道，你能办到。你能改变这一切。”

瑞恩望着她的眼睛，意识到她已把全部希望都寄托在了自己身上。

他甚至没想过拒绝。

杀手七人组里，快递员除了福尔图娜，其他人都交过手——而她肯定会帮他。他能打赢他们。至于玛尔斯，瑞恩以前也见过他动手。他能把物体瞬移到别处。

“他的能力范围多大？”瑞恩望着那位奥林匹斯成员，问莉维娅。马蒂亚斯说了句什么，玛尔斯跟着轻笑起来，可手指却擦过桌面，像一只急着亮出爪子的猫。

“十米。”莉维娅说，手指轻轻擦过他的手指。“如果出了事，我会去索伦托。等你办完南极的事，我们再在那里见面。”

“要是什么都没发生呢？”

莉维娅笑了。“那我们就得熬过一顿很无聊的晚餐了。”

呃，这倒让瑞恩盼着来点刺激了。“我会想出办法的。”他低声说。

“我知道。”莉维娅答道，随后从座位上起身。“消除者，你能陪我去趟洗手间吗？”

“哦，当然！”守卫说道，显然巴不得跟上去；热切得过了头。瑞恩看着女友和她的保镖走出门，随后把目光转向壁炉。

“都这么久了。”纳尔西妮娅向养父抱怨。“妈妈什么时候来？”

玛尔斯耸了耸肩。“她在厨房，盯着员工干活呢。”更可能是在准备伏击。“你也知道你妈妈，非要一切都完美无缺才行。简直都快成强迫症了。”

“这还用你说。”福尔图娜一脸不悦。那张完美的脸，正是她母亲的能力塑造出来的。

“你妈妈在用自己的方式缓解焦虑。”她父亲说。“嘉年华来了城里，他们杀了我们很多人。你和妹妹都待在家，她才会觉得安心些。”

“可原子猫咪就不用了？”瑞恩抛出了这个尖锐的问题。他注意到壁炉里有煤灰簌簌落下，细微得几乎难以察觉。

有几个人被这个昵称逗笑了，玛尔斯却不在其中。“我们邀请他了。”他说。“可我儿子很固执。”

“他连我的消息都不回。”福尔图娜气呼呼地说。“我发誓，下次见到他，我非得狠狠揍他胳膊一拳，让他这条胳膊以后都别想动了！”

她要是知道他就藏在这间屋里，等着晚宴结束、宾客就寝，不知会作何感想。迪纳米斯的毫无作为，想必让他沮丧到了极点，才会考虑这么鲁莽的行动。他真以为自己能说服妹妹离开，再带着她偷偷溜出去？得是什么样愚蠢又天真的理想主义男孩，才会觉得这主意好？

正是那个明知等于判自己死刑，却仍然接受了嘉年华邀请的勇敢男孩。

然而，无论他的性格多么坚强，他还是失足跌下了烟囱，砸进壁炉里。

一个人影轰然摔在地上，在房间里扬起一小团煤灰，其他客人纷纷朝烟囱望去。瑞恩怀疑圣诞老人是不是收了个实习生，因为从壁炉里爬出来的年轻人，想当圣诞老人还年轻了五十岁。

“呃……”原子猫从壁炉里站起身，干笑了一声，身上的英雄制服已被灰烬和煤灰染得黑一块灰一块。“嗨。”