2157年9月9日,早上八點,商業中心B區706Please respect copyright.PENANAeW1l5xXVAd
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嘴巴咬著厚厚的三明治,葛蕾絲踩著輕盈的步伐、走在熱鬧的大街,途中撞到好幾名路人,也有人對她罵髒話,但葛蕾絲頭都沒回,一邊哼歌,一邊往仙境大樓的方向走去。706Please respect copyright.PENANAEEe3w5dtTU
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尼可拉斯到底在隱瞞什麼?706Please respect copyright.PENANAU05Yay2fvV
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盯著空中的一個點,葛蕾絲回想兒子剛剛的反應。706Please respect copyright.PENANA65p9tCP7eI
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尼可拉斯不是冷靜的人,葛蕾絲太了解兒子,尼可拉斯只有忍耐時才會故作鎮定,而剛剛的尼可拉斯從頭到尾都非常冷靜,這百分之百有問題,只是葛蕾絲不想和兒子起衝突,才沒打破砂鍋問到底。706Please respect copyright.PENANAeg0NZkKf6b
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而且,葛蕾絲不是沒有方法,她的天賦是「香菇」,身體會噴出肉眼無法看見的孢子,孢子不只能用來復活,還有其它意想不到的功能。706Please respect copyright.PENANAzJQg9nhp6b
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「啊,回來了。」706Please respect copyright.PENANA9T46paVF8Q
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一般人看不見,但她知道一粒粒的黑色孢子正向自己飄來。剛才在咆哮飯店,葛蕾絲留下了大量孢子、用來蒐集情報,當這些孢子回到自己身體的瞬間,葛蕾絲會看見孢子帶回的片段訊息,就像一張張快閃相片。她看見尼可拉斯坐在沙發上,旁邊坐著的人──706Please respect copyright.PENANA4Ojf0DRdzI
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「……!?」706Please respect copyright.PENANAURx9SBLDC7
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孢子無法傳遞聲音,葛蕾絲只能看到畫面,但光派翠克的外表就夠她震驚了。706Please respect copyright.PENANAuzyAxF3SfZ
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紅鶴?706Please respect copyright.PENANAnZTYn84pjk
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不,那個髮色是……雷蒙?706Please respect copyright.PENANA5zLaWlouFN
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雷蒙為什麼有和紅鶴如此神似的人?706Please respect copyright.PENANAsr0vN027bt
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尼可拉斯為什麼和他在一起?706Please respect copyright.PENANAC9cvBYiR9j
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停下腳步的葛蕾絲站在一間電影院前,像在思考要看哪部電影,其實她的思緒非常雜亂。葛蕾絲原本要聯絡里奧,卻在最後一刻陷入猶豫。706Please respect copyright.PENANAOvWhraWrhy
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「……。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAQqddmglF9w
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她的手指定格在螢幕前,腦中浮現尼可拉斯小時候的臉,最後,她返回通訊錄、找到名為「凱薩」的號碼,按下撥號鍵。706Please respect copyright.PENANAYuaa7DieWu
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2157年9月9日,早上八點半,商業中心B區,咆哮飯店706Please respect copyright.PENANADWon7nCqdU
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「以水來比喻吧。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAZGYy5Qh7LF
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派翠克拿了個裝滿水的茶壺,及幾個空茶杯擺在桌上,告訴尼可拉斯:706Please respect copyright.PENANAhUi0fSEK0n
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「水果塔就像水,擁有越多水的人越強。第一代水果塔的人都是茶壺,是一群遙不可及的存在。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAtD5xLaErCw
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派翠克將茶壺的水倒入其中一個杯子。706Please respect copyright.PENANAS3IfGpokgA
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「他們大部分都死了,水果塔也隨著基因傳給第二代、第三代,就像這些茶杯,他們只繼承一部分水果塔,能發揮的空間有限。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAqoAO6b3AK9
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派翠克把另外兩個杯子,用杯墊蓋起來。706Please respect copyright.PENANAqxtqFBL4rE
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「問題來了,並不是每個後代都能裝水。以李門為例,代號『紅心傑克』的第一代水果塔──李仲翔,只有二兒子李康繼承了紅心傑克。不是每個後代都能繼承,這是機率的問題。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAiRcxnVpHXV
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尼可拉斯記得李博洋說的故事,「可是李康後來瘋了。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAZW7xhHwpAN
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派翠克嘆氣,「不過,李康也完成了他的使命。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAsrtZQJeuaL
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尼可拉斯明白派翠克的意思。李康早逝,成功傳承紅心傑克,留下兩個繼承水果塔的兒子──李博洋與李晴煬。706Please respect copyright.PENANAu1Mgd4oxy3
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「前情提要完畢,接下來是我奶奶。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAUpAXoQYWHD
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派翠克將裝有水的杯子放到一邊,留下兩個蓋著杯墊的杯子。706Please respect copyright.PENANAxOtJS8dgWN
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「我奶奶──薇奧拉.雷蒙,第一代水果塔『公爵夫人』,生的兩個孩子都沒有繼承到水果塔。她把希望放到孫子輩,希望出現隔代遺傳的奇蹟。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAFnypAPfnAR
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派翠克再拿了五個杯子,全部蓋上杯墊。706Please respect copyright.PENANAnpWvBZ6i4Q
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「結果五個孫子──包括我──全都沒有繼承到。我奶奶這下急了,她擔心『公爵夫人』失傳;要是她有什麼萬一,雷蒙一家會步入史密斯馬戲團的後塵,成為可有可無、被滅亡也無所謂的存在。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAiQcLJCaGWQ
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尼可拉斯沒有回話,畢竟,他參與了殲滅史密斯的行動。706Please respect copyright.PENANAJjRx7K6oAZ
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「所以,我奶奶向她的老朋友求救,就是白絃姊。」派翠克說:「她把我奶奶的水果塔拿出來、放到我的身體裡。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAG6nqI3KHZd
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尼可拉斯喊停,「『拿出來』是什麼意思?」706Please respect copyright.PENANAwhkCfyR0qs
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「字面上的意思。她先將水果塔拿到自己體內,再放進我的身體。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAdS4MtIBOsZ
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派翠克的答案簡單到無法相信。尼可拉斯停頓,「所以,獅鷲可以把別人的水果塔拿走,再決定交給誰?」706Please respect copyright.PENANAIdptjMht46
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「或者,都留在自己身上。以這次來說,白絃姊拿走我奶奶的水果塔後,用另一個名叫『克隆』的水果塔、變換我的性別與外表,再把公爵夫人放到我體內。」派翠克結論:「『克隆』似乎是能形塑人類外表的水果塔,目前貯存在白絃姊體內。除了她本身的『距離』,白絃姊體內還有其它水果塔,至少兩種以上。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAffkneNWiRA
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尼可拉斯明白了。怪不得白絃被稱為最強,被里奧他們忌憚。706Please respect copyright.PENANAjunD0vBvst
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「聽起來,獅鷲比艾莉絲更強。」尼可拉斯說:「隨意拿走別人的水果塔……簡直像神明一樣。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAKX4s0gHoMj
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「不過,所有水果塔都對艾莉絲都無效。白絃姊真正面對艾莉絲時,恐怕也無計可施。」706Please respect copyright.PENANATr5DIFPbYc
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派翠克告訴尼可拉斯:「不過,以前的夏悠不是這樣。因為夏悠犯了無法挽回的錯,白絃姊才把她變成『所有水果塔均無效』的體質,限制她也保護她。」706Please respect copyright.PENANA3cn58tvEQ1
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「犯了無法挽回的錯」?尼可拉斯追問,派翠克只說:「這我絕對不能說。如果說了,你也會變成高宇維的追殺對象。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAnHGcO3X0ul
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以前有張迷因圖叫「你知道的太多了」,派翠克現在就是這樣。白絃就像開啟真相的鑰匙,一旦了解她的強大,那些被掩蓋的歷史就會點點浮現。派翠克親眼見證過白絃的能力,所以高宇維不會放過他。706Please respect copyright.PENANA2KjrQy53XP
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可是有但書。尼可拉斯問派翠克:「你之前說,只要薇奧拉.雷蒙死,宇維少爺就不會殺你,又是什麼意思?」706Please respect copyright.PENANAo7PcDS88Oh
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派翠克苦笑,「尼可,你知道為什麼高宇維拚了命,也要把你們收為神與畜嗎?」706Please respect copyright.PENANAncyzp5prsq
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「我們是第一代水果塔的後裔。」尼可拉斯說。706Please respect copyright.PENANAOS8LoqCDVP
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「答對一半,正確來說,高宇維不能讓任何一個水果塔失傳,他必須確保水果塔被一代代傳承,這是艾莉絲體系的共識。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAVKm6Syaq7u
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尼可拉斯聽懂了,他看向桌上的茶壺和茶杯,得出結論:「只要薇奧拉.雷蒙死,這世上的公爵夫人,就剩你一個。」706Please respect copyright.PENANArqw7oeeGzp
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「沒錯,比起『他知道獅鷲的真面目』,高宇維更在乎『世上只剩一個公爵夫人』。」派翠克低頭,「我奶奶太了解高宇維。為了讓我活命,她甘願放棄自己的永生、步入死亡……雖然她叫我躲在咆哮飯店,但她的時間已經不多,我想把握最後這幾天,見她最後一面。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAz6xW4rh79R
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派翠克沒有說出全部,但對目前的尼可拉斯已經足夠,而且,現在不是說長故事的時機,派翠克得趕回薇奧拉‧雷蒙身邊,尼可拉斯也不放心葛蕾絲,盡快離開咆哮飯店才是上策。706Please respect copyright.PENANAMQESER8I3E
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「我還有很多事想問,邊走邊講吧。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAwNfgpKLBum
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尼可拉斯起身,將一袋東西扔到派翠克身上。706Please respect copyright.PENANA1q4L1lLkf8
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「你那張臉太危險,我們時間已經夠少,我不希望有突發狀況。」尼可拉斯說。706Please respect copyright.PENANAQ7dH8PJ0vC
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袋子裡是一疊黑色口罩,派翠克皺眉,「我不要,戴口罩很悶……唔!」706Please respect copyright.PENANAG5rCRuiZcC
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頭被狠狠敲一下,派翠克哭著抱頭、模樣楚楚可憐,但尼可拉斯不吃這套。706Please respect copyright.PENANAKHcptWKqxx
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「戴、上!」尼可拉斯恐嚇:「要是那張臉引來麻煩,我就打爛你的嘴!」706Please respect copyright.PENANABU3J3ahkzo
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派翠克嚇得趕緊戴上,漂亮的眼睛和藍色頭髮還是很吸睛,不過,搭配尼可拉斯那張生人勿近的臉,就萬無一失了。706Please respect copyright.PENANAduCf00uS0Q
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「尼可。」706Please respect copyright.PENANApqmxVgeKJC
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在玄關穿鞋時,派翠克突然問尼可拉斯:「李門的小少爺,也是神與畜嗎?」706Please respect copyright.PENANAWO9RxV10Hm
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從派翠克口中聽到李晴煬,尼可拉斯有點訝異,但他不能隨意公布成員身分,「我不能告訴你,你自己知道答案。」706Please respect copyright.PENANApB9liJCONe
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「……。」706Please respect copyright.PENANAmV6BNNrtcA
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「你認識他?」706Please respect copyright.PENANARSPTZz5MFU
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「嗯……」派翠克微笑,「沒事,我想他也不記得我了,當我沒問吧。」706Please respect copyright.PENANACBGIlPTNxe
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走出房間、搭上電梯,派翠克陷入長長的沉默。尼可拉斯想問他和李晴煬的事,但氣氛不對,尼可拉斯只好把問題吞回喉嚨,繼續趕路。