4 breaking dawn破晓- 第48部分

〃That　sucks；　you　know。〃　

〃Yeah。〃　She　sighed。　〃Sorry。〃　

〃Why；　though？　You　didn't　answer　that。〃　

Edward　was　looking　away　again；　like　he　was　staring　out　the　windows。　His　face　was　blank　in　the　
reflection。　

〃It　feels。。。　plete　when　you're　here；　Jacob。　Like　all　my　family　is　together。　I　mean；　I　guess　that's　what　
it's　

like—I've　never　had　a　big　family　before　now。　It's　nice。〃　She　smiled　for　half　a　second。　〃But　it's　just　not　
whole　unless　you're　here。〃　

〃I'll　never　be　part　of　your　family；　Bella。〃　



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I　could　have　been。　I　would　have　been　good　there。　But　that　was　just　a　distant　future　that　died　long　before　
it　had　a　chance　to　live。　

〃You've　always　been　a　part　of　my　family；〃　she　disagreed。　

My　teeth　made　a　grinding　sound。　'That's　a　crap　answer。〃　

〃What's　a　good　one？〃　

〃How　about；　'Jacob；　I　get　a　kick　out　of　your　pain。'〃　

I　felt　her　flinch。　

〃You'd　like　that　better？〃　she　whispered。　

〃It's　easier；　at　least。　I　could　wrap　my　head　around　it。　I　could　deal　with　it。〃　

I　looked　back　down　at　her　face　then；　so　close　to　mine。　Her　eyes　were　shut　and　she　was　frowning。　〃We　
got　off　track；　Jake。　Out　of　balance。　You're　supposed　to　be　part　of　my　life—I　can　feel　that；　and　so　can　
you。〃　She　paused　for　a　second　without　opening　her　eyes—like　she　was　waiting　for　me　to　deny　it。　When　I　
didn't　say　anything；　she　went　on。　〃But　not　like　this。　We　did　something　wrong。　No。　I　did。　I　did　something　
wrong；　and　we　got　off　track___〃　

Her　voice　trailed　off；　and　the　frown　on　her　face　relaxed　until　it　was　just　a　little　pucker　at　the　corner　of　her　
lips。　I　waited　for　her　to　pour　some　more　lemon　juice　into　my　paper　cuts；　but　then　a　soft　snore　came　from　
the　back　of　her　throat。　

〃She's　exhausted；〃　Edward　murmured。　〃It's　been　a　long　day。　A　hard　day。　I　think　she　would　have　gone　to　
sleep　earlier；　but　she　was　waiting　for　you。〃　

I　didn't　look　at　him。　

〃Seth　said　it　broke　another　of　her　ribs。〃　

〃Yes。　It's　making　it　hard　for　her　to　breathe。〃　

〃Great。〃　

〃Let　me　know　when　she　gets　hot　again。〃　

〃Yeah。〃　

She　still　had　goose　bumps　on　the　arm　that　wasn't　touching　mine。　I'd　barely　raised　my　head　to　look　for　a　
blanket　when　Edward　snagged　one　draped　over　the　arm　of　the　sofa　and　flung　it　out　so　that　it　settled　over　
her。　

Occasionally；　the　mindreading　thing　saved　time。　For　example；　maybe　I　wouldn't　have　to　make　a　big　
production　out　of　the　accusation　about　what　was　going　on　with　Charlie。　That　mess。　Edward　would　just　
hear　exactly　how　furious—　




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〃Yes；〃　he　agreed。　〃It's　not　a　good　idea。〃　

〃Then　why？〃　Why　was　Bella　telling　her　father　she　was　on　the　mend　when　it　would　only　make　him　more　
miserable？　

〃She　can't　bear　his　anxiety。〃　

〃So　it's　better—〃　

〃No。　It's　not　better。　But　I'm　not　going　to　force　her　to　do　anything　that　makes　her　unhappy　now。　
Whatever　happens；　this　makes　her　feel　better。　I'll　deal　with　the　rest　afterward。〃　

That　didn't　sound　right。　Bella　wouldn't　just　shuffle　Charlie's　pain　off　to　some　later　date；　for　someone　else　
to　face。　Even　dying。　That　wasn't　her。　If　I　knew　Bella；　she　had　to　have　some　other　plan。　

〃She's　very　sure　she's　going　to　live；〃　Edward　said。　

〃But　not　human；〃　I　protested。　

〃No；　not　human。　But　she　hopes　to　see　Charlie　again；　anyway。〃　

Oh；　this　just　got　better　and　better。　

〃See。　Charlie。〃　I　finally　looked　at　him；　my　eyes　bugging。　〃Afterwards。　See　Charlie　when　she's　all　sparkly　
white　with　the　bright　red　eyes。　I'm　not　a　bloodsucker；　so　maybe　I'm　missing　something；　but　Charlie　
seems　like　kind　of　a　strange　choice　for　her　first　meal。〃　

Edward　sighed。　〃She　knows　she　won't　be　able　to　be　near　him　for　at　least　a　year。　She　thinks　she　can　stall。　
Tell　Charlie　she　has　to　go　to　a　special　hospital　on　the　other　side　of　the　world。　Keep　in　contact　through　
phone　calls___〃　

〃That's　insane。〃　

〃Yes。〃　

〃Charlie's　not　stupid。　Even　if　she　doesn't　kill　him；　he's　going　to　notice　a　difference。〃　

〃She's　sort　of　banking　on　that。〃　

I　continued　to　stare；　waiting　for　him　to　explain。　

〃She　wouldn't　be　aging；　of　course；　so　that　would　set　a　time　limit；　even　if　Charlie　accepted　whatever　
excuse　she　es　up　with　for　the　changes。〃　He　smiled　faintly。　〃Do　you　remember　when　you　tried　to　tell　
her　about　your　transformation？　How　you　made　her　guess？〃　

My　free　hand　flexed　into　a　fist。　〃She　told　you　about　that？〃　

〃Yes。　She　was　explaining　her。。。　idea。　You　see；　she's　not　allowed　totell　Charlie　the　truth—it　would　be　
very　dangerous　for　him。　But　he's　a　smart；　practical　man。　She　thinks　he'll　e　up　with　his　own　
explanation。　She　assumes　he'll　get　it　wrong。〃　Edward　snorted。　〃After　all；　we　hardly　adhere　to　vampire　
canon。　He'll　make　some　wrong　assumption　about　us；　like　she　did　in　the　beginning；　and　we'll　go　along　with　



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it。　She　thinks　she'll　be　able　to　see　him。。。　from　time　to　time。〃　

〃Insane；〃　I　repeated。　

〃Yes；〃　he　agreed　again。　

It　was　weak　of　him　to　let　her　get　her　way　on　this；　just　to　keep　her　happy　now。　It　wouldn't　turn　out　well。　

Which　made　me　think　that　he　probably　wasn't　expecting　her　to　live　to　try　out　her　crazy　plan。　Placating　
her；　so　that　she　could　be　happy　for　a　little　while　longer。　

Like　four　more　days。　

〃I'll　deal　with　whatever　es；〃　he　whispered；　and　he　turned　his　face　down　and　away　so　that　I　couldn't　
even　read　his　reflection。　〃I　won't　cause　her　pain　now。〃　

〃Four　days？〃I　asked。　

He　didn't　look　up。　〃Approximately。〃　

〃Then　what？〃　

〃What　do　you　mean；　exactly？〃　

I　thought　about　what　Bella　had　said。　About　the　thing　being　wrapped　up　nice　and　tight　in　something　
strong；　something　like　vampire　skin。　So　how　did　that　work？　How　did　it　get　out？　

〃From　what　little　research　we've　been　able　to　do；　it　would　appear　the　creatures　use　their　own　teeth　to　
escape　the　womb；〃　he　whispered。　

I　had　to　pause　to　swallow　back　the　bile。　

〃Research？〃　I　asked　weakly。　

〃That's　why　you　haven't　seen　Jasper　and　Emmett　around。　That's　what　Carlisle　is　doing　now。　Trying　to　
decipher　ancient　stories　and　myths；　as　much　as　we　can　with　what　we　have　to　work　with　here；　looking　for　
anything　that　might　help　us　predict　the　creature's　behavior。〃　

Stories？　If　there　were　myths；　then。。。　

〃Then　is　this　thing　not　the　first　of　its　kind？〃　Edward　asked；　anticipating　my　question。　〃Maybe。　It's　all　very　
sketchy。　The　myths　could　easily　be　the　products　of　fear　and　imagination。　Though　。。　。〃—he　
hesitated—〃your　myths　are　true；　are　they　not？　Perhaps　these　are；　too。　They　do　seem　to　be　localized；　
linked___〃　

〃How　did　you　find。。。　？〃　

〃There　was　a　woman　we　encountered　in　South　America。　She'd　been　raised　in　the　traditions　of　her　
people。　She'd　heard　warnings　about　such　creatures；　old　stories　that　had　been　passed　down。〃　

〃What　were　the　warnings？〃　I　whispered。　



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〃That　the　creature　must　be　killed　immediately。　Before　it　could　gain　too　much　strength。〃　

Just　like　Sam　thought。　Was　he　right？　

〃Of　course；　their　legends　say　the　same　of　us。　That　we　must　be　destroyed。　That　we　are　soulless　
murderers。〃　

Two　for　two。　

Edward　laughed　one　hard　chuckle。　

〃What　did　their　stories　say　about　the。。。　mothers？〃　

Agony　ripped　across　his　face；　and；　as　I　flinched　away　from　his　pain；　I　knew　he　wasn't　going　to　give　me　
an　answer。　I　doubted　he　could　talk。　

tt　was　Rosalie—who'd　been　so　still　and　quiet　since　Bella'd　fallen　asleep　that　I'd　nearly　forgotten　
her—who　answered。　

She　made　a　scornful　noise　in　the　back　of　her　throat。　〃Of　course　there　were　no　survivors；〃　she　said。　No　
survivors；　blunt　and　uncaring。　〃Giving　birth　in　the　middle　of　a　diseaseinfested　swamp　with　a　medicine　
man　smearing　

sloth　spit　across　your　face　to　drive　out　the　evil　spirits　was　never　the　safest　method。　Even　the　normal　
births　went　badly　half　the　time。　None　of　them　had　what　this　baby　has—caregivers　with　an　idea　of　what　
the　baby　needs；　who　try　to　meet　those　needs。　A　doctor　with　a　totally　unique　knowledge　of　vampire　
nature。　A　plan　in　place　to　deliver　the　baby　as　safely　as　possible。　Venom　that　will　repair　anything　that　goes　
wrong。　The　baby　will　be　fine。　And　those　other　mothers　would　probably　have　survived　if　they'd　had　
that—if　they　even　existed　in　the　first　place。　Something　I　am　not　convinced　of。〃　She　sniffed　disdainfully。　

The　baby；　the　baby。　Like　that　was　all　that　mattered。　Bella's　life　was　a　minor　detail　to　her—easy　to　blow　
off。　

Edward's　face　went　white　as　snow。　His　hands　curved　into　claws。　Totally　egotistical　and　indifferent；　
Rosalie　twisted　in　her　chair　so　that　her　back　was　to　him。　He　leaned　forward；　shifting　into　a　crouch。　

Allow　me；I　suggested。　

He　paused；　raising　one　eyebrow。　

Silently；　I　lifted　my　doggy　bowl　off　the　floor。　Then；　with　a　quick；　powerful　flip　of　my　wrist；　I　threw　it　into　
the　back　of　Blondie's　head　so　hard　that—with　an　earsplitting　bang　—it　smashed　flat　before　it　ricocheted　
across　the　room　and　snapped　the　round　top　piece　off　the　thick　newel