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第28章 罗生门3（第1页）

hehaircameout，fearfadedfromhisheart，andhishatredtowardtheoldwomanmounted。Itgrewbeyondhatred，becomingaconsumingantiathyagainstallevil。Atthisinstantifanyonehadbroughtuthethequestionofwhetherhewouldstarvetodeathorbecomeathief—thequestionwhichhadoccurredtohimalittlewhileago—hewouldnothavehesitatedtochoosedeath。Hishatredtowardevilflareduliketheieceofinewoodwhichtheoldwomanhadstuckinthefloor。

Hedidnotknowwhysheulledoutthehairofthedead。Accordingly，hedidnotknowwhetherhercasewastobeutdownasgoodorbad。Butinhiseyes，ullingoutthehairofthedeadintheRashomononthisstormynightwasanunardonablecrime。Ofcourseitneverenteredhismindthatalittlewhileagohehadthoughtofbecomingathief。

Then，summoningstrengthintohislegs，herosefromthestairsandstrode，handonsword，rightinfrontoftheoldcreature。Thehagturned，terrorinhereyes，andsrangufromthefloor，trembling。Forasmallmomentsheaused，oisedthere，thenlungedforthestairswithashriek。

"Wretch!Whereareyougoing?

"heshouted，barringthewayofthetremblinghagwhotriedtoscurryasthim。Stillsheattemtedtoclawherwayby。Heushedherbacktoreventher…theystruggled，fellamongthecorses，andgraledthere。Theissuewasneverindoubt。Inamomenthehadherbythearm，twistedit，andforcedherdowntothefloor。Herarmswereallskinandbones，andtherewasnomorefleshonthemthanontheshanksofachicken。Nosoonerwassheonthefloorthanhedrewhisswordandthrustthesilver-whitebladebeforeherverynose。Shewassilent。Shetrembledasifinafit，andhereyeswereoensowidethattheywerealmostoutoftheirsockets，andherbreathcomeinhoarsegass。Thelifeofthiswretchwashisnow。Thisthoughtcooledhisboilingangerandbroughtacalmrideandsatisfaction。Helookeddownather，andsaidinasomewhatcalmervoice:

"Lookhere，ImnotanofficeroftheHighPoliceCommissioner。Imastrangerwhohaenedtoassbythisgate。Iwontbindyouordoanythingagainstyou，butyoumusttellmewhatyouredoinguhere。

"

Thentheoldwomanoenedhereyesstillwider，andgazedathisfaceintentlywiththesharredeyesofabirdofrey。Shemovedherlis，whichwerewrinkledintohernose，asthoughshewerechewingsomething。Thenaantingsoundlikethecawingofacrowcamefromherthroat:

"Iullthehair…Iulloutthehair…tomakeawig。

"

Heranswerbanishedallunknownfromtheirencounterandbroughtdisaointment。Suddenlyshewasonlyatremblingoldwomanthereathisfeet。Aghoulnolonger:onlyahagwhomakeswigsfromthehairofthedead—tosell，forscrasoffood。Acoldcontemtseizedhim。Fearlefthisheart，andhisformerhatredentered。Thesefeelingsmusthavebeensensedbytheother。Theoldcreature，stillclutchingthehairshehadulledoffthecorse，mumbledoutthesewordsinherharshbrokenvoice:

"Indeed，makingwigsoutofthehairofthedeadmayseemagreateviltoyou，butthesethatareheredeservenobetter。Thiswoman，whosebeautifulblackhairIwasulling，usedtosellcutanddriedsnakefleshattheguardbarracks，sayingthatitwasdriedfish。Ifshehadntdiedofthelague，shedbesellingitnow。Theguardslikedtobuyfromher，andusedtosayherfishwastasty。Whatshedidcouldntbewrong，becauseifshehadnt，shewouldhavestarvedtodeath。Therewasnootherchoice。IfsheknewIhadtodothisinordertolive，sherobablywouldntcare。

"

Hesheathedhissword，and，withhislefthandonitshilt，helistenedtohermeditatively。Hisrighthandtouchedthebigimleonhischeek。Ashelistened，acertaincouragewasborninhisheart—thecouragewhichhehadnotwhenhesatunderthegatealittlewhileago。Astrangeowerwasdrivinghimintheoositedirectionofthecouragewhichhehadhadwhenheseizedtheoldwoman。Nolongerdidhewonderwhetherheshouldstarvetodeathorbecomeathief。Starvationwassofarfromhismindthatitwasthelastthingthatwouldhaveenteredit。

"Areyousure?

"heaskedinamockingtone，whenshefinishedtalking。Hetookhisrighthandfromhisimle，and，bendingforward，seizedherbytheneckandsaidsharly:

"ThenitsrightifIrobyou。IdstarveifIdidnt。

"

Hetoreherclothesfromherbodyandkickedherroughlydownonthecorsesasshestruggledandtriedtoclutchhisleg。Fivestes，andhewasatthetoofthestairs。Theyellowclotheshehadwrestedoffwereunderhisarm，andinatwinklinghehadrusheddownthesteestairsintotheabyssofnight。Thethunderofhisdescendingstesoundedinthehollowtower，andthenitwasquiet。

Shortlyafterthatthehagraiseduherbodyfromthecorses。Grumblingandgroaning，shecrawledtothetostairbythestillflickeringtorchlight，andthroughthegrayhairwhichhungoverherface，sheeereddowntothelaststairinthetorchlight。

Beyondthiswasonlydarkness…unknowingandunknown。