同章对照

Monaco’s shores came into sight on the third day of travel.

Sitting on a deckchair atop the submarine’s tower, Ryan observed the scenery with a phone in hand. The forbidden land hadn’t changed in the years since the courier last visited it. The city was all pristine and colorful, a nice cover for the horrors inside. Even after facing more than a dozen apocalypses, superpowered tyrants, and other horrors, this place still unsettled Ryan on a bone-deep level.

Thankfully though, it seemed Simon had followed through with his promise. Fences and spiked ditches walled up the city, preventing anyone from moving in from the land. A fireball patrolled the coast kilometers away from their location, looking for the submarine.

“We’re almost to France, darling,” Ryan spoke on the phone, scratching Eugène-Henry’s back as the feline rested on his lap. The Plushie played dead next to the courier’s deckchair, the switch on its back turned off. “Do you want me to conquer it for you while I’m at it?”

“I would rather that we do it together,” Livia replied on the other end of the line. It had been three days since the chase in New Rome, and she hadn’t managed to contact Ryan since then. The courier had felt immense relief at hearing her voice again. “But you can send me pictures of your trip.”

“I can take a suggestive pose next to the Eiffel Tower, to start with.”

Ryan’s phone bleeped, as Livia sent him a rather… scandalous photo of herself. “My Felix is clearly too young to see this,” the courier said. “That’s eighteen plus material here.”

“It’s something to look forward to when we meet again.” His girlfriend used a burner phone to contact him, ironically purchased from Dynamis. Thankfully, their mobile system covered most of southern Europe. Livia had taken great pains so that nobody could track down the communication. “Thanks, Ryan.”

“It’s nothing. I’ve saved more stray cats than men at this point.” His girlfriend chuckled. Though she had moved on from Felix, Ryan could tell she still cared for him almost like a brother. “But from what you say, you won’t join us in Antarctica.”

“No, I won’t,” she replied with a sigh. “Dad had me grounded after my current boyfriend fled the city with my ex.”

“Now, you’re making us sound like Thelma and Louise.”

Ryan could almost see Livia squinting on the other end of the line. “Did you and Felix… you know, in a past loop…”

“No, but I wouldn’t have minded.” A short silence followed. “Are you imagining us—”

“No,” she lied before changing the subject. “I’m… I miss you, Ryan. Things will be stressful in the following days, and I would rather have you by my side.”

“I will return,” Ryan reassured her. “You’re my First Lady, I’m sticking to you through thick and thin.”

“I know you will,” she replied warmly. “But things don’t look good on my end. The firefight with Dynamis put everyone on edge. Mars and Venus won’t accuse me openly of treachery, but they strongly suspect it. My father blames them for failing to catch Felix, and even if he remains cautious, Hector Manada is considering calling back his son Alphonse from Sicily. From Dynamis’ point of view, our family is on the verge of a civil war and with the loss of the Bliss Factory, this could be a golden opportunity to decisively end us. Tensions are at an all-time high.”

“Enough for the two organizations to go to war?”

“I will try to prevent a confrontation.” The keyword being try. “But you should send me the updated mind scans as soon as you can.”

He would. The duo had wisely made a brainmap of Livia before the Augusti dinner, so something could be salvaged in case the loop went wrong. “What about Lucky Girl and her younger sister?” Ryan asked.

Livia let out a sigh. “Dad has Fortuna and Narcinia under close surveillance, but they will get off lightly. They… they are shaken, obviously.”

No kidding. Felix himself had spent the whole trip brooding in his cabin, still trying to process the fact that his own parents had tried to murder him. “That was your plan?” Ryan asked. “That they see their own parents try to murder Felix, and that we carry this awful memory through time?”

“I cannot make plans around you, Ryan, which is part of your charm.” Livia chuckled to herself, but there was no joy in it, only sadness. “I can make previsions and try to adapt to your actions. I wanted to save Felix’s life first and foremost. Everything else...”

Livia took a deep breath before continuing. “It’s… it’s hard, Ryan. Children don’t often see their parents’ dark side. Or rather, we don’t want to see them, until we have no choice. It took me time to understand what my father was. Narcinia and Fortuna… they needed to see it too. For us to achieve a perfect ending.”

“Yeah, I think so too.” Ryan chuckled. “I suppose Shroudy can expect a surprise wedding when he meets his lucky charm again?“

Livia chuckled on the other end of the line. “After he helped save her brother, it’s almost a certainty.”

The courier wondered how Mathias would feel about this, but something else occupied his mind. “What about Jamie? Ki-jung?”

Livia’s heavy silence was an answer in itself.

Ryan’s hand tensed on Eugène-Henry’s back, as the awful truth dawned on him. “They’re dead.”

“When you escaped on the open sea, my aunt…” Livia’s voice broke. “Zanbato and Chitter tried to flee the city alongside Sphere, but my aunt already had them marked. Since you and Felix had escaped into the open sea beyond her power’s reach, she went after them instead. They… they tried to fight back, but…”

But it wasn’t enough. Not against Pluto. Unless one was a Yellow Genome or wielded an ability that violated causality like Ryan’s, her power killed with certainty.

Jamie and Ki-jung had betrayed the Augusti. Though he would bring them back with the next loop, the news filled Ryan with sadness. These two knew their lives were forfeit the moment they helped Felix, but they still put friendship and conscience over their organization.

“Don’t tell Felix,” Livia pleaded. “It will destroy him.”

“He will have to know.” Ryan owed Jamie and Ki-jung that much.

“Yes,” she replied, “but not now. Please.”

“No, not now,” Ryan agreed. “Livia, about your aunt, what are we going to do about her? She has almost as much blood on her hands as your Dad.”

Hell, Elixirs give people their dearest wish, and Pluto got the power to control death. That spoke volumes about her murderous tendencies.

“I know,” his girlfriend replied. “My aunt is my father’s sister, and she will always push for violent solutions. I don’t want her to die, Ryan, but I wouldn’t mind seeing her imprisoned or neutralized.”

Same deal as with Lightning Butt then. Ryan had the gut feeling he would have to jail half his girlfriend’s family by the end of his time in New Rome. “Should we expect another battle? Because your uncle Neptune is the only member of your family that I haven’t fought yet, beside you.”

“Really?” his girlfriend asked, though she didn’t sound surprised. “I guess it makes sense. Uncle Silvio wants to go legit and isn’t looking to cause trouble. Dad sent him to destroy Len’s underwater facility, but he found nothing.”

As Shortie had said she would, she had the habitats disconnect and follow the submarine like a school of fish. She kept them buried deep below the waves though, to prevent the Psychos imprisoned within attempting a jailbreak.

The progress they had made on curing the Psycho condition had pacified most of them though. Ryan had expected Sarin to throw a fit about the lack of cure, but seeing Mosquito turned back into a human had given her something stronger than doubt: hope. She finally saw that the courier would be true to his promise, unlike Adam.

Ryan sincerely hoped that whatever they found in Antarctica would help her recover her memories. He missed his old vice-president.

“In any case, to find you so far from New Rome, Dad would need either my help or Vulcan’s, and he doesn’t trust either of us anymore. Not fully.” Livia sighed. “I give Vulcan a fifty-fifty percent chance of running away. After her failure to protect the Bliss Factory and her obvious favoritism towards you, she knows Dad might have her killed too.”

“Does she get away if your Daddy makes a shocking move?” Ryan asked, worried for his ex’s safety.

Livia waited a few seconds before answering. “Yes, she should.”

Ryan didn’t miss the slight inflection in her tone. “Are you jealous, Miss Augusti?” he teased her.

“A bit,” she admitted. “I have seen the way the two of you interact. Don’t get me wrong, I know you will not cheat on me or anything, but… you and Vulcan have an easy sort of chemistry. I can tell you still care a lot about her.”

“Even when you end a relationship, something always remains.” For better or worse. “You have the same thing with Felix.”

“I suppose so.” A short pause followed, as Livia tried to find her words. “Don’t get killed in Antarctica, Ryan. I can’t see what awaits you there, and that makes me worry for you.”

“You shouldn’t,” Ryan replied with a smile. “I won’t let you forget me.”

“I don’t want to,” she replied, which warmed his heart. “When you come back from your trip, I will tell you something. Something really important that I haven’t told anyone else.”

Oh? “Can’t you tell it over the phone?”

“No, which should motivate you to come back,” the mafia princess replied coyly. “I have to go now. Cancel will check up on me soon.”

“Will you have an opening to call me again?” Because like all good things, that moment would end too soon.

“Not before a long while,” Livia replied sadly.

“Are you sure everything will be alright on your end?”

“No, but I will manage.” Livia’s voice turned warm and loving. “Come back soon, Ryan. I want you at my side. I need you at my side.”

These words were music to Ryan’s ears, and made him all the more determined to go back to her. “Me too, Livia,” he said. “See you soon, my princess.”

“See you soon, my prince charming.”

The call ended, leaving Ryan alone with his thoughts, a cat, and an invisible peep. “You are courting death, Translucent,” the courier said, as the submarine finally found a stone beach close to the fence keeping Monaco walled up.

“Sorry, old habits die hard,” Shroud replied before dropping his invisibility. “Still, if you don’t want your conversations eavesdropped, don’t have them in a public space.”

“If I spend too much time trapped in a room, I start seeing clowns in the corners.” The submarine’s cabins were comfortable, but Ryan needed fresh air to function.

“I suppose you don't get excellent phone reception in a cabin twenty leagues under the sea.” Shroud crossed his arms. “Don’t let her go, Ryan. She is a good woman.”

Ryan looked up at the vigilante with astonished eyes. “Impostor! Impostor!” He pointed an accusing finger at the transparent hero, while Eugène-Henry hissed. “What have you done to the real Mathias?”

“When the facts prove me wrong, I change my mind,” he replied with a shrug. “She is not her father’s daughter, and when you speak to her, your smiles turn genuine. It gets me thinking.”

“Have you changed your mind about another girl too?” Ryan asked coyly.

Shroud looked at the fireball above Monaco. “Fortuna is a better person than I thought,” he admitted. Watching her stand up to Mars to save her brother seemed to have the same effect on Mathias as it did on Ryan. “Even if I do not keep my memories, make sure I understand that by the time I settle things.”

That was the plan.

In truth, the disaster with Felix had taught Ryan something very important; namely, that Lightning Butt would jump at any excuse to have Felix executed. For the courier to minimize casualties, he needed to take down the superpowered mob boss’ factory and organization in quick succession.

Ryan had the gut feeling his Perfect Run would be a speedy one.

In any case, they had reached their current destination. The submarine ‘docked’ along a pier of rock, and its presence quickly caught the locals’ attention. A military jeep drove on the stone beach from the hills near Monaco, driven by a familiar face.

Simon had gained a few years since Ryan last saw him, but he remained a colossus built like Mr. Universe. While forced to use scavenged American football pads in Monaco, the soldier had upgraded his equipment to a pre-Last Easter military suit, including a reinforced vest, night goggles, a helmet, and a host of pistols, grenades, and other weapons. He still kept his trusty old shotgun, and pointed it at the submarine’s crew before recognizing Ryan.

“P’tit Rital!” Simon said while stepping down from his car. “Nom de Dieu, what are you doing here?”

“I’ve come to conquer France!” Ryan replied as he rose from his seat, carrying Eugène-Henry in his arms. “Where is your white flag?”

Simon responded by opening fire, the bullet moving within an inch of Ryan’s face. A decade of practice on clowns had made the old man a terrifying shot. He could have blown the courier’s skull if he had wanted to.

“You were saying?” the old soldier asked. “You aren’t messing with any France here, P’tit Rital. You’re messing with the Sixth Republic’s France!”

“Careful Ryan, I have French ancestry too,” Shroud said with a joking tone.

“That would explain your propensity for turning invisible in the thick of battle,” Ryan replied, though he knew France had won twice as many battles as it had lost. The courier leapt from the submarine’s tower to land on the shore, Simon still pointing his gun at him. “Will you accept a Jean-Paul Sartre book as an apology?”

“Mayhaps, I have half his stuff already,” Simon replied, before lowering his weapon. Instead of slaying Ryan where he stood, he kindly patted him on the back. “Good to see you again, friend. Time flies by.”

If only he knew. From his point of view, they hadn’t met in around three years, but Ryan had seen centuries pass. Yet Monaco had a special place in his heart. For all its horrors, the place and the people the courier met within made him the man he was today.

“Who is this, some kind of windshield ad?” Simon asked, as Shroud landed on the shore.

Mathias let out a sigh, removing his helmet to reveal the man underneath. “Never heard that one before. My name is Mathias, Mathias Martel.”

“Oh, a fellow Frenchman?” Simon’s voice softened up, clearly happy to meet with a lost countryman. “You’re welcome to settle here, if you wish. We need people to man my fence and keep people out. Got some help from a fiery Genome, but he will move out soon.”

Ryan’s eyes wandered to the fence outside Monaco, and at the fiery figure overseeing the area from above. He wouldn’t risk anything as long as he didn’t touch the ground, but... “Any clowns wandered out?” the courier asked.

“No, but some idiots always try to climb up the fence.” Simon snickered. “Nobody succeeded on my watch, but I’m tempted to let them. I mean, if they still insist on going to that cursed place after all the warnings, then it’s just natural selection at work.”

“We,” Shroud said, while Len and Little Sarah climbed out of the submarine behind them. “You said we needed people to help with the fence.”

“Yeah, we’ve got a network of communities springing up around the coast. We’re trying to recreate a new French government by linking settlements, starting with the coast.” Simon glanced at Ryan. “Martine is in the running for the role of president. Never thought I would see that day coming.”

“She would be perfect for the job,” Ryan said. That woman, though lacking powers, had managed to keep the Suitestown community functioning while they were trapped in Monaco. If anyone could rebuild France, it was her.

The courier waved a hand at Len and Sarah. “Simon, this is Commissar Len and the Communist Youth. Len, Sarah, this is Sheriff Simon.”

“Len? The girl you were looking for?” Simon nodded at Len, who shyly smiled. “Yeah, she looks like a leftie alright. I like to read Engels though.”

“I have all his texts,” Len said while nodding. “I’m… I’m happy to make your acquaintance, Mr. Simon.”

“You’re old,” Little Sarah said, whistling at Simon. “I’ve never met someone that old.”

“A steady diet of shrimp sharpens the body and mind,” Simon replied with a shrug. If Monaco couldn’t kill him, nothing would... except smoke and alcoholism. “I had a granddaughter your age once. That takes me back.”

“Do you like kids?” Ryan asked mirthfully. “Orphaned kids?”

“Do I look like a priest to you?” Simon deadpanned, causing Mathias to snort.

“Well, the only one I’ve met in Italy yet is dealing drugs,” Ryan said with a shrug. “We’re going to a dangerous place and we’re looking for someone to keep the kids while we’re away.”

Simon snickered. “A place more dangerous than this one?”

“We planned to make a stop at the Canaries and get some sunburns, but we didn’t have the budget for a full holiday,” Ryan explained. Even if he could turn back time, the possibility of a war between Dynamis and the Augusti threatened to destroy New Rome and key resources. “So we settled for a winter vacation in Antarctica.”

“I would have chosen the Canaries.” Simon crossed his arms. “Where in Antarctica?”

“Station Orpheon,” Len replied. As Ryan expected, his old friend didn’t look surprised. “You know about it, Mr. Simon?”

“I worked for the French Direction du Renseignement Militaire, back when we had a bureaucracy,” Simon replied. “I heard the story. I thought it was abandoned after the head scientist went mad?”

“Apparently not,” Mathias replied. “We believe the Alchemist turned it into a base.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me. Fools and monsters flock to cursed places. I speak from experience.” Simon looked down on Sarah. “Do you know how to fight, little girl?”

Little Sarah responded by bringing a gun from beneath her skirt and pointing it at the older man. “Wanna try me?” she asked.

“Sarah!” Len forced the unruly child to lower her weapon. “How many times will I have to tell you?! Don’t point a weapon at strangers!”

This only amused Simon. “Your posture isn’t right, little girl, and you should aim for the stomach. Never seen anyone survive with a hole there.” The soldier turned at Ryan. “I’ll run your daycare, yeah. And teach that kid how to aim right too. I’ve got bigger guns at home.”

“You do?” Sarah asked, suddenly excited.

“Yeah, military stuff.” Simon smiled at Ryan. “Glad to see you’ve made friends, P’tit Rital. Last time I saw you, you were driving into the sunset all sad and lonely, searching for that girlfriend of yours. Now you look halfway happy.”

Len bit her lower lip in embarrassment, while Ryan looked at the skies above them. “Things change,” he replied. “I still have the Thus Spoke Zarathustra book you gave me.”

“Did it help?” Simon asked with a hint of concern. “I thought it was appropriate in your case. Eternal Recurrence and all.”

“It helped, though it took me a while to understand and learn the lessons within,” Ryan admitted, Eugène-Henry meowing in his arms. "You knew, didn’t you?”

Simon responded with a shrug. “All I know is that I know nothing.”

He had figured it out before anyone else, and he wasn’t even a gamer.

“Know what?” Little Sarah asked, frowning at the older people around her. “I want to know!”

“Maybe one day, sweetie,” Len replied kindly.

“Anyway, I’ve taken residence in a ghost town nearby,” Simon said. “I’ve got a wine cellar and non-alcoholic beverages for the little spitfire. Want to get a drink before you go skiing? My treat.”

“Depends.” Ryan turned to Shroud. “How far is the sun from setting?”

“Look up and see for yourself,” he replied.

Ryan did so, and noticed a bright point crossing the skies. The light point that oversaw Monaco descended on the beach, a fiery figure of light and goodness.

Little Sarah looked up in astonishment. “Is that an angel?”

Something like that, Ryan thought, as the fiery being landed on the ground and melted stone beneath his feet.

“Shroud,” Leo 'Sunshine' Hargraves said. “You called for reinforcements?”

When you go to the coldest place on Earth, you better bring the sun.

航行的第三天，摩纳哥的海岸出现在视野中。

瑞恩坐在潜艇指挥塔顶的躺椅上，手里拿着电话，打量着眼前的景色。距离他上次造访已经过去好几年，这片禁地却毫无变化。整座城市依旧整洁如新，色彩鲜艳，给其中的恐怖披上了一层漂亮的外衣。即使经历过十几场末日，见识过超能力暴君和种种骇人之物，这地方仍让瑞恩感到一种深入骨髓的不安。

不过谢天谢地，西蒙似乎兑现了承诺。围栏和插满尖桩的壕沟将城市团团封住，阻止任何人从陆地进入。几公里外，一颗火球正在沿海巡逻，寻找潜艇的踪迹。

“我们快到法国了，亲爱的。”瑞恩对着电话说，顺手挠了挠趴在他膝头的欧仁-亨利的后背。毛绒玩偶在躺椅旁装死，背上的开关处于关闭状态。“要不要我顺便替你征服它？”

“我更想和你一起征服它。”莉维娅在电话那头回答。新罗马的追逐战已经过去了三天，直到现在她才终于联系上瑞恩。再次听见她的声音，信使心里的一块大石头总算落了地。“不过，你可以发些旅行照片给我。”

“可以先在埃菲尔铁塔旁边摆个惹人遐想的姿势。”

瑞恩的手机响了一声，莉维娅给他发来了一张自己的照片，相当……有伤风化。“我家菲利克斯显然还没到能看这个的年纪。”信使说，“这可是十八禁内容。”

“这样，你就有个盼头，等着我们重逢了。”女友用的是一部用完即弃的手机，讽刺的是，手机还是从迪纳米斯买的。幸好，他们的移动通信网络覆盖了南欧的大部分地区。莉维娅费了很大工夫，确保没人能追踪这通电话。“谢谢你，瑞恩。”

“小事一桩。到现在为止，我救的流浪猫比男人还多。”女友轻笑了一声。虽然莉维娅已经放下了对菲利克斯的旧情，但瑞恩看得出来，她仍然在乎他，几乎把他当成了兄弟。“不过听你的意思，你没法来南极和我们会合了。”

“嗯，去不了了。”她叹了口气。“我的现任男友带着前任男友逃出城之后，爸爸就把我禁足了。”

“你这么一说，倒把我们说成塞尔玛和路易丝了。”

瑞恩几乎能看见电话那头莉维娅眯起眼睛的模样。“你和菲利克斯有没有……你知道的，在以前的某个循环里……”

“没有，不过我倒不介意。”短暂的沉默。“你是不是在想象我们——”

“没有。”她撒了个谎，随即换了话题。“我……我想你了，瑞恩。接下来这几天会很难熬，我更希望你能陪在我身边。”

“我会回来的。”瑞恩安慰她，“你是我的第一夫人，风风雨雨，我都陪着你。”

“我知道你会。”她温柔地说。“可我这边的情况不太好。和迪纳米斯的交火让所有人的神经都绷紧了。玛尔斯和维纳斯不会公开指控我背叛，但他们已经非常怀疑我了。我父亲怪他们没能抓住菲利克斯。埃克托·马纳达虽然仍很谨慎，也已经在考虑把儿子阿尔方斯从西西里召回来。在迪纳米斯看来，我们家族已经处在内战边缘，再加上极乐工厂被毁，这可能是个彻底消灭我们的绝佳机会。局势从未这么紧张过。”

“紧张到两个组织会开战？”

“我会尽力避免冲突。”关键词是尽力。“不过，你得尽快把更新后的心智扫描发给我。”

他会的。两人在奥古斯蒂的晚宴前，明智地制作了莉维娅的脑图谱。这样一来，万一这一轮出了岔子，至少还能挽回点什么。“幸运女孩和她妹妹呢？”瑞恩问。

莉维娅叹了口气。“爸爸派人严密监视着福尔图娜和纳尔西妮娅，不过不会重罚她们。她们……她们显然受了很大的打击。”

那还用说。菲利克斯自己一路都闷在舱房里，仍在努力消化自己的父母竟然想杀了他的事实。“这就是你的计划？”瑞恩问，“让她们亲眼看着自己的父母试图杀死菲利克斯，再由我们带着这段可怕的记忆穿越时间？”

“我没法围绕你制订计划，瑞恩。这也是你的魅力之一。”莉维娅轻笑了一声，笑声里却没有喜悦，只有悲伤。“我只能预判，再试着根据你的行动调整。救下菲利克斯的命，是我最优先的目标。至于其他的……”

莉维娅深吸一口气，才继续说下去。“这……这很难，瑞恩。孩子往往看不见父母的阴暗面。或者说，在别无选择之前，我们都不愿意去看。我花了很长时间，才明白我父亲究竟是个怎样的人。纳尔西妮娅和福尔图娜……她们也需要看清这些。这样，我们才能迎来一个完美结局。”

“嗯，我也这么想。”瑞恩轻笑道，“这么说，裹裹再见到他的幸运符时，等着他的说不定就是一场惊喜婚礼了？”

莉维娅在电话那头也笑了。“他帮忙救了菲利克斯，这事几乎是板上钉钉了。”

信使不知道马蒂亚斯会作何感想，不过眼下他还惦记着另一件事。“杰米呢？基贞呢？”

莉维娅沉重的沉默，本身就是答案。

可怕的事实涌上心头，瑞恩放在欧仁-亨利背上的手绷紧了。“他们死了。”

“你们逃到外海后，我姑姑……”莉维娅的声音哽住了。“斩马刀和吱喳想跟球体一起逃出城，但我姑姑早就给他们做了标记。你和菲利克斯已经逃进外海，超出了她能力所及的范围，所以她转头去追他们。他们……他们试着反抗了，可是……”

可那还不够。对上普鲁托，远远不够。除非是黄系基因者，或者像瑞恩一样，拥有违背因果的能力，否则她的力量一出，便是必死无疑。

杰米和基贞背叛了奥古斯蒂。虽然下一轮就能让他们回来，瑞恩听到这个消息，仍然满心悲伤。这两个人在出手帮助菲利克斯的那一刻，就知道自己活不成了，但他们仍将友谊与良知置于组织之上。

“别告诉菲利克斯。”莉维娅恳求道。“他会崩溃的。”

“他必须知道。”这是瑞恩至少应该为杰米和基贞做的事。

“是的，”她说，“但不是现在。求你了。”

“嗯，不是现在。”瑞恩同意了。“莉维娅，你姑姑那边，我们打算怎么办？她手上的血几乎和你爸爸一样多。”

妈的，灵药会满足人最深切的愿望，而普鲁托得到的，是掌控死亡的力量。这已经足够说明她有多嗜杀了。

“我知道。”女友回答。“我姑姑和我父亲是亲手足，她永远都主张用暴力解决问题。我不想让她死，瑞恩，但如果她被关起来，或者被剥夺了作恶的能力，我不介意。”

那就是和闪电屁股一样处理了。瑞恩有种预感，等他在新罗马的事办完，女友的一半家人恐怕都得被他送进牢里。“我们是不是还得再打一场？因为你们家除了你，就只剩你叔叔尼普顿还没跟我交过手了。”

“真的？”女友问，听起来却并不意外。“倒也说得通。西尔维奥叔叔想转做正当生意，不愿惹事。爸爸派他去摧毁蕾恩的水下设施，可他什么也没找到。”

小矮个说到做到，让各个居住舱彼此脱离，像鱼群一样跟在潜艇后面。不过，她一直让它们留在海面下很深的地方，免得关在里面的疯魔企图越狱。

不过，他们在治疗疯魔症上取得的进展，已经安抚了其中的大多数人。瑞恩本以为，沙林会因迟迟没有治愈办法而大发脾气，但看见蚊子重新变回人类后，她得到了一样比怀疑更有力的东西：希望。她终于看见，这位信使会兑现承诺，和亚当不一样。

瑞恩衷心希望，他们能在南极找到帮助她恢复记忆的东西。他想念他的老副总统了。

“总之，你们离新罗马那么远，爸爸要找到你们，就得靠我或者伏尔甘帮忙，而他现在已经不再信任我们两个了。至少不再完全信任。”莉维娅叹了口气。“我估计伏尔甘有一半的可能会逃走。她没能保住极乐工厂，又明显偏袒你，她知道爸爸也可能下令杀她。”

“你老爸要是使出雷霆手段，她能脱身吗？”瑞恩问，担心起前女友的安危。

莉维娅过了几秒才回答。“能，应该能。”

瑞恩没有漏掉她语气里那一点微妙的变化。“你吃醋了吗，奥古斯蒂小姐？”他打趣道。

“有一点。”她承认。“我见过你们俩相处的样子。别误会，我知道你不会背着我出轨什么的，可是……你和伏尔甘之间，有种自然而然的默契。我看得出来，你还是很在乎她。”

“一段感情就算结束了，也总会留下一些什么。”无论好坏。“你和菲利克斯也一样。”

“我想也是。”短暂的停顿，莉维娅斟酌着措辞。“别死在南极，瑞恩。我看不见那里有什么在等着你，这让我很担心。”

“不用担心。”瑞恩笑着回答，“我不会让你忘记我的。”

“我也不想忘记。”她的回答让他心里一暖。“等你旅行回来，我有件事要告诉你。一件非常重要、我还从没对任何人说过的事。”

哦？“不能在电话里说吗？”

“不能，这样你才有动力回来。”黑手党公主卖了个关子。“我得挂了。消除者很快就会来查看我的情况。”

“还会有机会给我打电话吗？”和所有美好的事物一样，这段时光也结束得太快了。

“恐怕得过很久。”莉维娅难过地回答。

“你确定你那边不会有事吗？”

“不确定，不过我能应付。”莉维娅的声音变得温柔，满含爱意。“快点回来，瑞恩。我想要你在我身边。我需要你在我身边。”

这些话对瑞恩而言宛如天籁，让他更加下定决心，要回到她身边。“我也是，莉维娅。”他说，“很快再见，我的公主。”

“很快再见，我的白马王子。”

通话结束了，留下瑞恩和他自己的思绪、一只猫，以及一个隐形的偷窥狂。潜艇终于找到了一片石滩，靠近封锁摩纳哥的围栏。“你这是找死啊，透明人。”信使说。

“抱歉，老习惯难改。”裹尸布说着，解除了隐形。“不过，你要是不想让人偷听，就别在公共场合打电话。”

“我在房间里关得太久，就会开始在角落里看见小丑。”潜艇的舱房很舒适，但瑞恩需要新鲜空气才能正常运转。

“我想，在海底二十里格的舱房里，手机信号也好不到哪儿去。”裹尸布抱起双臂。“别放开她，瑞恩。她是个好女人。”

瑞恩惊愕地抬头看着这位义警。“冒牌货！冒牌货！”他指着透明的英雄，欧仁-亨利也跟着哈起了气。“你把真正的马蒂亚斯怎么样了？”

“事实证明我错了，我就会改变看法。”他耸了耸肩。“她和她父亲不是一路人。而且，你跟她说话时，脸上的笑容才是真心的。这让我想了很多。”

“你是不是也改变了对另一个姑娘的看法？”瑞恩意味深长地问。

裹尸布望向摩纳哥上空的火球。“福尔图娜比我想的要好。”他承认。亲眼看见她为了救菲利克斯挺身反抗玛尔斯，似乎让马蒂亚斯和瑞恩产生了同样的改观。“就算我没能保留记忆，你也一定要在我了结这一切之前让我明白这一点。”

他正有此意。

事实上，菲利克斯这场灾难让瑞恩明白了一件极其重要的事：闪电屁股会抓住一切借口，处死菲利克斯。想把伤亡降到最低，信使就必须接连出手，在极短的时间内摧毁这位超能力黑帮老大的工厂和组织。

瑞恩有种预感，他的完美通关会是一场速通。

不管怎样，他们已经抵达了眼下的目的地。潜艇沿着一段岩石码头“停靠”下来，很快便引起了当地人的注意。一辆军用吉普从摩纳哥附近的山丘驶向石滩，开车的是一张熟悉的面孔。

自瑞恩上次见过他，西蒙又老了几岁，却仍然是个有着环球健美先生般体格的巨人。在摩纳哥时，这名军人只能拿捡来的美式橄榄球护具凑合，如今已经把装备换成了最后的复活节之前的军用套装，包括一件加固防弹背心、夜视镜、头盔，以及一大堆手枪、手榴弹和其他武器。他仍带着那把可靠的老霰弹枪，先是用枪指着潜艇上的人，随后才认出瑞恩。

“小意大利佬！”西蒙说着，从车上下来。“我的老天，你来这儿干什么？”

“我来征服法国！”瑞恩从躺椅上起身，把欧仁-亨利抱在怀里。“你的白旗呢？”

西蒙的回答是开枪，子弹擦过瑞恩的脸，距离不到一英寸。拿小丑练了十年枪，老头的枪法已经准得吓人。只要他想，完全可以掀掉信使的头盖骨。

“你刚说什么？”老兵问，“你招惹的可不是随便哪个法国，小意大利佬。你招惹的是第六共和国的法国！”

“小心点，瑞恩，我也有法国血统。”裹尸布开玩笑道。

“难怪你喜欢在战斗最激烈的时候隐形。”瑞恩回嘴，尽管他明明知道，法国打赢的仗是打输的两倍。信使从潜艇指挥塔上跃下，落在岸边，西蒙的枪口仍指着他。“拿一本让-保罗·萨特的书赔礼，你接受吗？”

“也许吧，他的作品我已经收了一半了。”西蒙回答，随后放下武器。他没有把瑞恩就地枪决，而是亲切地拍了拍他的后背。“很高兴又见到你，朋友。时间过得真快。”

要是他知道实情就好了。在他看来，两人大约三年没见，可瑞恩眼中已经流逝了几个世纪。然而，摩纳哥在他心里始终占着一个特殊的位置。尽管这里有无穷的恐怖，可正是这个地方，以及信使在这里遇见的人，造就了今天的他。

“这是谁，给挡风玻璃打广告的？”裹尸布落到岸上时，西蒙问道。

马蒂亚斯叹了口气，摘下头盔，露出真容。“这说法倒是头一次听。我的名字是马蒂亚斯，马蒂亚斯·马特尔。”

“哦，法国同胞？”西蒙的声音柔和下来，显然很高兴见到一位流落在外的同乡。“你要是愿意，欢迎留下定居。我们缺人手，需要有人守着我的围栏，别让外人进去。有个浑身冒火的基因者来帮忙，不过他很快就要走了。”

瑞恩的目光扫过摩纳哥外围的围栏，投向那个从空中监视这片区域的火焰身影。只要不接触地面，他就不会有危险，可是……“有小丑跑出来吗？”信使问。

“没有，不过总有些白痴想翻围栏。”西蒙嗤笑了一声。“我盯着的时候，还没人得逞过，不过有时候真想放他们过去。我是说，警告都说成那样了，还非要往那鬼地方钻，那就是自然选择在起作用了。”

“我们。”裹尸布开口时，蕾恩和小莎拉正从他们身后的潜艇里爬出来。“你刚才说，我们需要人手帮忙守围栏。”

“对，沿海已经陆续建起不少社区，彼此都有联系。我们打算把各个聚居点联合起来，重建一个法国政府，先从沿海开始。”西蒙看了瑞恩一眼。“玛蒂娜正在竞选总统。真没想到，我还能看到这一天。”

“她最适合这个职位了。”瑞恩说。那个女人虽然没有超能力，却在众人被困摩纳哥期间，维持住了套房镇社区的运转。如果有谁能重建法国，那一定是她。

信使朝蕾恩和莎拉挥了挥手。“西蒙，这位是蕾恩政委，旁边是共产主义小青年。蕾恩，莎拉，这位是西蒙警长。”

“蕾恩？你一直在找的那个姑娘？”西蒙朝蕾恩点了点头，蕾恩羞涩地笑了笑。“嗯，一看就是个左派。不过我也喜欢读恩格斯。”

“他的著作我全都有。”蕾恩点头说道。“我……很高兴认识您，西蒙先生。”

“你可真老。”小莎拉对着西蒙吹了声口哨。“我还没见过这么老的人呢。”

“坚持吃虾，身体强健，头脑灵光。”西蒙耸了耸肩。连摩纳哥都杀不死他，就没什么能要他的命了……除了烟草和酗酒。“我以前有个孙女，和你一样大。真让人怀念。”

“你喜欢孩子吗？”瑞恩笑眯眯地问，“孤儿呢？”

“你看我像神父吗？”西蒙面无表情地反问，马蒂亚斯忍不住哼笑了一声。

“这个嘛，我在意大利到现在只见过一个神父，那家伙在贩毒。”瑞恩耸耸肩。“我们要去个危险的地方，想找个人在我们离开期间照看孩子们。”

西蒙嗤笑道：“还有比这里更危险的地方？”

“本来打算去加那利群岛停一停，晒到脱皮，可预算不够度个完整的假。”瑞恩解释。即使他能让时间倒流，迪纳米斯与奥古斯蒂之间随时可能爆发的战争，仍有可能毁掉新罗马和一些关键资源。“所以我们退而求其次，去南极过个寒假。”

“换我就选加那利群岛。”西蒙抱起双臂。“南极哪里？”

“奥菲昂站。”蕾恩回答。正如瑞恩所料，他的老朋友看上去毫不惊讶。“您知道那里，西蒙先生？”

“以前还有官僚体系那会儿，我在法国军事情报局工作。”西蒙回答，“我听说过那里的事。我还以为，首席科学家发疯以后，那里就废弃了？”

“看来没有。”马蒂亚斯回答，“我们认为炼金术师把那里改成了一座基地。”

“不奇怪。傻子和怪物都爱往受诅咒的地方扎堆。这是经验之谈。”西蒙低头看着莎拉。“你会打架吗，小姑娘？”

小莎拉的回答，是从裙子底下掏出一把枪，指向老人。“想试试我？”她问。

“莎拉！”蕾恩强行让这个不听话的孩子放下武器。“还要跟你说多少遍？！不许拿枪指着陌生人！”

西蒙却只觉得有趣。“你的姿势不对，小姑娘，而且应该瞄准肚子。我还没见过谁肚子上开个洞还能活。”老兵转向瑞恩。“行，你这托儿所我接了。顺便也教教这孩子怎么瞄准。我家里还有更大的枪。”

“真的？”莎拉问，一下子兴奋起来。

“对，军用的。”西蒙朝瑞恩笑了笑。“很高兴你交到了朋友，小意大利佬。上次见你，你还孤零零地开车奔向夕阳，满脸愁容，去找你那个女朋友。现在总算有几分高兴的样子了。”

蕾恩难为情地咬住下唇，瑞恩则抬头望向天空。“事情总会变的。”他回答，“你给我的那本《查拉图斯特拉如是说》，我还留着。”

“有帮助吗？”西蒙的问话里带着几分关切。“我觉得挺适合你的情况。永恒轮回之类的。”

“有帮助，不过我花了不少时间，才理解书里的道理，从中学到东西。”瑞恩承认，怀里的欧仁-亨利喵了一声。“你早就知道，对吧？”

西蒙耸了耸肩。“我唯一知道的，就是我一无所知。”

他比所有人都更早想明白了，甚至连游戏玩家都不是。

“知道什么？”小莎拉皱着眉，看看身边这些大人。“我也想知道！”

“也许有一天会告诉你，亲爱的。”蕾恩温柔地回答。

“总之，我现在住在附近一座荒镇里。”西蒙说，“有个酒窖，也有给这小炮仗准备的无酒精饮料。去滑雪之前，要不要喝一杯？我请客。”

“看情况。”瑞恩转向裹尸布。“太阳还有多久落山？”

“抬头自己看。”他回答。

瑞恩依言抬头，看见一颗明亮的光点划过天空。那个一直俯瞰摩纳哥的光点落向海滩，化为一个炽烈的身影，满身光明与善意。

小莎拉惊讶地仰起头。“那是天使吗？”

差不多吧。瑞恩心想。那火焰构成的生命落到地面，熔化了脚下的岩石。

“裹尸布，”利奥·“阳光”·哈格雷夫斯说，“你叫了增援？”

要去地球上最冷的地方，最好把太阳带上。