第二章：龍王 6park.com
千里瓊雲繞，風光一觸貞女堡。殘垣台閣溯前朝，干戈聖人料。
車馬漫道五花飄，
靈光笑，鐵車越飛橋。
無處荒寂寥，威爾河畔 (Wear River) 怒驚濤。
鐵齒鋼牙把魂銷，荊棘甲士討。
海內承平何來妖？人心造，龍王浮出巢。 6park.com
紐克所市政廳，眾人會聚於堂內，列袁，顧二人屍首於前。二屍通體殘破，血冰混雜，如結異花。英人驗屍官有報，二人皆中十數刀，有槍傷，是被虐殺，又被炸殘。鄧世昌虎眉緊鎖，逼問鐘十七：“汝是何人，隨艦隊至此作甚？”一旁池仲佑亦言：“鐘兄，定要從實道來，吾等險些喪命。”獨林泰曾一言不發，抓腮撫頷，正思量對策。鐘十七環視堂內，除此三者皆為英人。便招道：“吾事于李中堂，為門下雜客。中堂大人有聞朝中阻礙取艦，此行必有禍，令我前來相助。”而後由懷中掏出一掌大銀牌，上刻八字：身懷利器，殺心自起。鄧，鐘二人頓時止語。林凱仕思緒片刻，言道：“丁督操尚在倫敦 (London), 此事不可驚動大人。”又言英語于英人官紳。此間，鄧正卿勸於十七：“賢弟，我等不宜干涉此事，你行事定要謹慎。有何難處，吾當盡力相助。”凱仕囑道：“聽聞汝亦通英文。吾等須速速歸艦安撫，汝留下善後罷。”臨走，十七見池滋鏗面容苦澀，似怨似怒，問道：“池弟為何少言寡語，有何怒氣，盡泄於吾便可。大丈夫豈能生悶氣？”滋鏗整理面容，相握其手，有告是：“英人醫生診斷，吾無大礙，止暈眩耳鳴，噁心幹嘔而已。鐘兄此番再中一箭，舊傷新創並身。雖是要務在身，必要保重性命，愚弟先行告退。”言罷便去，十七呆立愁容，冷暖相雜，喊道：“吾久曆戰陣近十載，從未因小傷歇息。”見滋鏗未曾回頭，便又問鄧，林二人：“袁，顧後事何如？”正卿吞吐道：“近日觀其操練，有遺英人炸食於旁。”又看向林泰曾，其斷：“水土不服而亡。”又言：“此事由吾二人料理，汝執分內之任即可。”而後二人相拜離去，鐘十七悲然心上。 6park.com
堂內英人聚向鐘十七，領頭之人為紐克所市長安雄拿 (Jonathan Angus), 及郡長吉陀沙 (Thomas G. Gibson)。安雄拿言道: “I hope you recover soon,
we have lots of work to do.” 吉陀沙呈上文獻, 解到: “We didn’t
find out the Chinese gang involved in this explosion. But we do trace the Irish
criminal among them.” 其指向影相，此人正是所遇九尺巨漢。“This is Fergal
McClusky, he is a member of the Irish Brotherhood and joined the explosion of
Seaham Colliery last year. We tried our best to apprehend him, but unfortunately, we have still been dealing with
the press and the public ever since, and there are no available officers we can
assign to assist you right now.” 而後安雄拿遞出一信: “We believe
the Irish are hiding in Durham. This is a recommendation letter for you to the
High Sherrif of Durham, Absalom Kean. If you need any help, take a trip to
Durham. Dr. Kean is staying in Durham now. It would be helpful if you visit him
to discuss a plan. Wish you good luck.” 二人行握手禮後相慰: “Take care.” 鐘回道: “Yeah, thanks.” 6park.com
鐘十七歸艦後，眾水兵遇之躲閃，不與相交。尋訪江永，其告之：“又系汝鐘十七，盡求我醫不能醫之症。”鐘狡黠問道：“先生可曾發過希波克拉底之誓。” 江永長歎數聲後，方才為其診斷傷勢，曰：“雖是皮肉之傷，仍需百日療愈。”鐘又問：“先生習醫何處？可是西醫中用？”江永摘下眼鏡揉眼，歎曰：“依西醫之理，勤洗創口，精食療養，以汝體格，再十餘日便可初愈。”十七拜謝，離前江永相勸：“莫要再牽及無辜。”而後數日，十七不曾出操，亦未有官弁尋事，僅鄧世昌躬自照料，送湯食，清創傷。 6park.com
入炮山腰送故勇，雨霧初散浮朝陽。已近芒種，英地清晨寒意不減，獨是日出朝暉，落得渾身生暖。寅時正，眾人將袁，顧二人棺槨抬入埃蘇逸墓園 (Elswick Cemetery)，艦隊二百餘人多至。兩棺乃是炮車所載，二十人牽繩拉車。墓園少靜，兵弁細瑣繁言，亦非聒噪，海鳥黑烏遍地散走，來去飛回。眾人輪番上前燒紙錢，又倒茶水於棺槨四周。林泰曾獨立墓前致言，鐘十七本既無心細聽。尋得十七，鄧世昌問道：“十七已然痊癒？”二人望墓碑相談。 6park.com
“近日艦上皆傳河中有龍食人。”“此等繆談鄧管帶豈可輕信？”
“本非大事，怎奈已有兩員兵勇失蹤不知去向。”
“可有線索？”
“未有，但聞二人偷往鄰縣達痕 (Durham) 尋歡，至今未歸。”
“吾將往速查，艦上之事還請大人勞心。”
“吾與林管帶將掛牌船前，直至十七查清，英人不得來船，本軍暫不停假。” 6park.com
正卿遂離園歸艦，而十七湊近一夥五名水員，欲與之相問，五人見其來則遠去。鐘喊道：“且住，吾有事相問。”五人止住，皆面露不悅。“龍食人之事且與吾細細道來。”
“此地河裡有個惡龍王，夜半出水吃人肉，倆人已經被吃下肚了。”
“想必汝等與被害二人相識？”
“倆人出自山東萊州府，安徽安慶府，系吾等同鄉，自然相識。”
“他二人可曾言及何處遊玩？”
“不曉得，僅說是去達痕看風光，河邊看洋妹子洗澡，未想會被龍王吃掉。”
鐘沉思片刻，一人又言：“我等近日也要溜去達痕見見世面，整日在船上操練，還不如留在國內。”
十七勸曰：“還請諸位留船上操練，近日艦外險惡，不可再生事端。”
五人未曾理會，轉頭便走。
而聽凱仕尾語：“二位海外殉難，精神永存，諸位更應刻苦操練，保國朝太平。” 6park.com
出墓園，遇池仲佑與一英人相談。見鐘十七，池面容雜陳，半厭半喜。鐘十七先開言：“柯利何在？池弟又有結識新朋？”回道：“他近日縱酒過度，於家中歇息。”滋鏗遂為其與英人互識。此英人姓湯木順，名湯麥士 (Thomas Thompson), 其兄弟簪士 (Tame), 租士 (Jose) 皆曾任天津北洋水師洋管輪，與滋鏗為故交。滋鏗初習英文，未能精通，幸得湯麥士亦略習中文，二人艱難交流。聽聞湯氏今仕於‘蕩荷” (Town Hall)，即英國地方衙門，為市政廳，經理文案各事。又得知今日湯氏邀滋鏗至家中聚談，十七心中大喜，問曰可否同行，湯甚是歡迎，一旁滋鏗臉色難以捉摸。臨去，遇袁培英出園，神情悠然，與眾人談笑風生。十七正欲上前致哀，聞之有言：“回登州後，那袁培福之妻女可都歸我房中了。”十七強抑怒氣，拜道：“族侄之亡，吾行事草率所致，今生無以償還，還請節哀。”未想培英捏拍其面頰，大笑道：“還須多謝你這賤卒，未有你相助，吾何能再取兩房小妾。”見十七身後抽刀，滋鏗急忙摁住其手，耳旁輕語：“莫要忿怒，莫要忿怒。”任由培英揚長而去。 6park.com
英人之俗，亦好品茶，茶葉多出中土及印度。英人好加奶，糖入茶，喜甜口，多佐以甜味小食，如曲奇餅 (Cookie) 及甜面糕 (Cake)。每日午，晚餐間，士紳之家，多進一餐，名“布朗奇”(Brunch), 便為此茶餐。鐘，池二人申時至湯麥士家，談聊之間，進茶餐，忘光陰長短。頃刻，已至黃昏，又與其家人共進晚餐。湯麥士之妻下廚，做濃湯之宴，肉素一鍋，眾人皆言味美，唯鐘十七暗覺寡淡。夫妻膝下二女，一名意膩 (Annie), 一名意媚 (Amy)，時同歸家。二人容貌相似，皆值二九年華，為孿生姐妹，意膩略長。二女皆碧眼高鼻，金髮帶黑。意膩為本地樂師，通數門西洋樂器，沉默寡言。意媚性豁朗，喜與人交，能佐其母理家計。雖是初見，鐘十七一眼便辨出二人之分：意膩發色偏黃，面相冷豔，多男子英氣。意媚發色偏黑，面向柔美，帶女子柔情。餐後，意膩於客房奏琴，英琴名為“皮阿諾”(Piano)，與古箏似，而多機關奇巧。意媚領池仲佑前去觀賞，鐘十七留書房與湯麥士獨聊。 6park.com
“ So, you are the swordsman, the roaming knight.”“ But I am also a soldier.”
“Oh really, which war you fought?”
“ I was in the Tianshan Mountains, against Muslims.”
“Impressive.” “You are the silent one. You seldom talked today.”
“I am more like a listener.” “Do you know the High Sheriff of Durham,
Dr. Absalom Kean?”
“Yeah, we worked together, Newcastle and Durham are close, he is a nice
guy.” “You guys would have a lot to talk about, he was in China for war before
as well.”
“That’s great.”
“For the ‘Dragon King’ right? You are a busy man, plenty to worry
about.” “You Chinese believe in too many deities, you believe in everyone that
would bring the ‘interest’, Liyi, for yourself.”
“But I am an ardent
Confucian believer.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Jesus the Christ has twelve apostles, Confucius has three thousand
disciples and seventy-two apostles.
“Interesting.”
“Jesus was crucified to death by his own people. Confucius was revered
by his own people.”
湯麥士臉色驟變。
“If God is benevolent, why did he destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah? If God is merciful, why did he force Abraham to sacrifice his
own son?”
湯威言嘯道: “Because humans have
original sins!” 而後平復，問道: “Confucians are hypocrites, people like you are the root of corruption
in China.”
十七笑曰: “Well, I never receive
bribes from anyone, I am even too poor to get married. Confucius says: ‘君子喻于義小人喻於利。’ The Confucian-modelled gentlemen pursue righteousness, while the evils
were attracted to profits.”
湯亦笑曰: “You are a beautiful man,
pretty hair, baby face. In fact, some Christians are also hypocrites, countless
Roman popes are paedophiles.”
二人相視大笑不止，湯麥士言道: “I saw your eyes during dinner. You can tell the differences between
twins, and I am sure you admire the elder sister.”
十七語塞, 湯又言: “Well, I am an open-minded father, I think my Annie also likes you. I
don’t see her being nervous like this too often.” 鐘舒緩一氣。
而後鐘上樓解手，聽有叩門之聲，開門即見意膩，其言: “Your accent
is so exotic.” 便向其撲來。 6park.com
詩曰：琴身顛倒彈捏拔，金黑絲中雜梨花。      
      巍峰拍浪聲聲喚，周公妒羨定禮法。 6park.com
二人下樓時已近亥初。見十七歸來，滋鏗亦察天色已晚，便依依不捨相告離去。臨別湯木順有邀二人多來拜訪，池言必來相會。鐘未有應和，湯拍其肩曰: “Take care.”

贴主:鄂嫃于2024_02_21 8:00:24编辑
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