《天堂旅館》長篇奇幻愛情小說

【三十一】林曉陽與坦雅的面談

侍衛蕭伯納帶來林曉陽夫妻，在塔樓裡坦雅接見林曉陽夫妻。
胡賽爾訝異問：「轉世的大衛，怎會是個黃皮膚的東方人？」
林曉陽夫妻走到坦雅面前，坦雅仔細端詳著林曉陽和黃敏華。
林曉陽拱手說「坦雅，我是大衛，她是愛琳。」
坦雅臉上堆出燦爛的笑容：「你是大衛，妳是愛琳姐姐。」
這時黃敏華也認出坦雅：「黃敏華：妳是坦雅！」
胡賽爾認不出眼前這兩人，他看不見大衛和愛琳的原靈。
坦雅說：「是我堂姐瑪莉亞，派妳們來這裡找我？」
林曉陽說：「是的。
坦雅訝異問：「大衛，你怎麼沒娶我堂姐？」
「瑪莉亞和魯夫在一起。」
「魯夫？堂姐怎麼跟那個壞蛋在一起？她心裡究竟在想些什麼啊？」
林曉陽臉上閃過一抹苦笑：「這是瑪莉亞自己的決定，我能說什麼呢？」
「你心裡，難道不怨恨魯夫嗎？」
「怨恨魯夫？的確有一些，可這是瑪莉亞自己的選擇。」
坦雅嘆口氣說：「唉！邱比特(Cupido)真會亂開玩笑！堂姐要你來找我，取回那根太陽法杖？」
「是的，公主交代給我這項任務。」
坦雅幽幽說：「大衛，你呀，笨蛋一個！上輩子為堂姐當了無頭鬼，這輩子又還是當她的馬前卒，被她使喚著。你這樣糊裡糊塗的人生，值得嗎？」
林曉陽苦笑說：「只要公主能得到幸福，我願意祝福她和魯夫。」
「那根太陽法杖，我可以讓你帶回去，但是我必須給你良心的忠告，不要再聽信我堂姐的話，幫她解開法杖上的封印，你應該聽說過：絕對的權利，總是招來絕對的腐敗，這句話嗎？」
林曉陽感到震撼，一剎那間，林曉陽被坦雅的這句警語點醒：「坦雅，妳的意思是…。」
「這法杖的封印一旦解開，瑪莉亞不僅能完全支配暗黑世界，還能掌控人類世界，如此至高無上的權力，很可能帶來無窮後患！你要冷靜想清楚…。」
坦雅的這席話，令林曉陽信心開始動搖起來。
黃敏華說：「可是，老公，瑪莉亞等著我們完成任務啊！」
黃敏華見曉陽信心動搖，忍不住提醒他。
坦雅語出驚人說：「這根法杖我保管它三百多年，為了將它封印起來，我跟撒旦交易，條件是終身得不到你的愛情……。」
林曉陽表情動容說：「坦雅，妳…，妳這是何苦呢？」
林曉陽凝望著坦雅，震驚之餘，心裡一時五味雜陳。
「法杖只要不解開封印，它就只是一根尋常的信物，讓它繼續留在幽冥山谷，這世間除了大衛你，沒有任何人有本事能從我手中搶去，即使搶去了，這法杖沒有你解開封印，還是沒有實際作用。這其中的利害關係，你必須想清楚。」
林曉陽沉思了一會兒說：「坦雅，如果妳能保證，這支法杖不會落入其他人手裡，我願意回去說服瑪莉亞。」
坦雅臉上綻開笑容：「我向你保證，在你有生之年，我會以我的生命守護這枝法杖！」
林曉陽毅然做出決定，點頭說：「那，就依妳吧！」
黃敏華焦急問：「老公，可我們怎麼回去跟公主交代呢」
林曉陽按住敏華雙肩，眼神懇切：「敏華，請妳面對現實，這一生妳是黃敏華，妳不需要為愛琳而活著，我們都不該是瑪莉亞公主手裡，任由她擺佈的棋子。」
黃敏華眼裡泛著淚光說：「老公，不如我們回去台灣吧？」
林曉陽說：「該是我們遠離是非之地的時候了。」
「兩位稍等，我讓我手下去把妖怪首領找來，他倆會帶你們平安離開妖怪森林。」坦雅說完，向蕭伯納招手，蕭伯納趨前接受指令：「你去把亞米和柯林找來，讓他倆帶著訪客離開妖怪森林。」
蕭伯納拱手說：「是，公主。」
蕭伯納轉身離開，騎上飛龍淩空而起。

亞米和柯林兩隻妖怪頭子陪著林曉陽夫妻回到妖怪森林邊緣，跟陳約翰一行人會合。大夥兒直盯著那兩隻外表猙獰的妖怪，朗恩和阿多諾等人心裡有疑問卻又不好當面提出來問曉陽。
林曉陽說：「他們兩位首領，將帶我們平安離開妖怪森林。」
朗恩似乎想通了其中的疑點：「原來，這些妖怪和大蟲都聽命於幽冥山谷主人。」
陳約翰和史特龍師兄弟、魯夫三人，沒看見曉陽手裡提著法杖，正覺得納悶。
「約翰神父，借一步說話。」曉陽把陳約翰拉到一旁去：「法杖還是留在幽冥山谷，給坦雅保管，這其中的關鍵，等會兒在回程的路上， 我以傳音入密跟你說。」
陳約翰見曉陽似乎有隱情，點頭同意：「好吧！路上我聽你說。」
兩人走回來，陳約翰對著一行人說話：「各位夥伴，此行任務完成，我們回去吧。」
眾人聽陳約翰口令，成兩列縱隊開拔。
此行任務功敗垂成，魯夫其實早有預感：「即使我們三人進到幽冥山谷，坦雅若執意阻攔，我們也不見得有任何勝算，何況雙方若兵戎相見，必然犧牲慘重。如今林曉陽沒把法杖給帶回來，又和陳約翰在隊伍後方說著悄悄話，肯定是林曉陽已經被坦雅給說服了…。」
陳約翰和林曉陽走在隊伍後頭，曉陽把一隻手搭在陳約翰手腕上，以傳音入密將他和坦雅見面後的交涉過程和其間的利害關係，擇要地說了。陳約翰當然懂得這其中的利害關鍵，他同意曉陽的作法，但他主要的顧慮卻是：「不放心瑪莉亞身邊的魯夫。」
「神父，離開地獄穀後，我們就此分手，請幫我轉達一句話給公主。」
「你說吧！我會幫你把話帶到。」
「請你告訴公主：請她高抬貴手，這一輩子，放我和敏華自由。」
「唉！你去吧，帶著敏華離開，回去台灣。」陳約翰同意曉陽的做法。

Chapter Thirty-One: Lin Xiaoyang’s Meeting with Tanya

Guard Xia Bo brought Lin Xiaoyang and his wife to the tower, where Tanya received them.

Hussell asked in astonishment, “How could David, who was reincarnated, have become an Oriental man with yellow skin?”

The husband and wife walked up to Tanya, who carefully examined Lin Xiaoyang and Huang Minhua.

Lin Xiaoyang clasped his hands and said, “Tanya, I am David, and she is Aileen.”

A radiant smile spread across Tanya’s face. “You are David, and you are Sister Aileen.”

At this moment, Huang Minhua also recognized Tanya. “You’re Tanya!”

Hussell could not recognize the two people standing before him because he could not see the primordial spirits of David and Aileen.

Tanya said, “Was it my cousin Maria who sent you here to find me?”

Lin Xiaoyang said, “Yes.”

Tanya asked in astonishment, “David, why didn’t you marry my cousin?”

“Maria is with Ruf.”

“Ruf? How could my cousin be with that villain? What on earth is she thinking?”

A bitter smile flashed across Lin Xiaoyang’s face. “That was Maria’s own decision. What can I say?”

“Don’t you hate Ruf in your heart?”

“Hate Ruf? I do, to some extent, but this was Maria’s own choice.”

Tanya sighed and said, “Sigh! Cupid really does play cruel jokes! My cousin wants you to come and find me and retrieve the Sun Staff?”

“Yes. The Princess assigned this mission to me.”

Tanya said sadly, “David, you really are a fool! In your previous life, you became a headless ghost for my cousin, and in this life, you are still her pawn, letting her order you around. Is a life as confused as yours really worth it?”

Lin Xiaoyang said with a bitter smile, “As long as the Princess can be happy, I am willing to wish her and Ruf happiness.”

“I can let you take the Sun Staff back with you, but I must give you some honest advice. Do not listen to my cousin again and help her remove the seal on the staff. You must have heard the saying: ‘Absolute power always brings absolute corruption,’ haven’t you?”

Lin Xiaoyang was deeply shaken. In an instant, Tanya’s warning awakened him.

“Tanya, what do you mean...?”

“Once the seal on this staff is removed, Maria will not only be able to completely control the Dark World, but also control the human world. Such supreme power could very likely bring endless trouble in the future! You need to calm down and think this through carefully.”

Tanya’s words began to shake Lin Xiaoyang’s confidence.

“But, honey, Maria is waiting for us to complete the mission!”

Seeing Xiaoyang’s wavering confidence, Huang Minhua could not help reminding him.

Tanya made a startling revelation.

“I have kept this staff for more than three hundred years. In order to seal it, I made a deal with Satan. The condition was that I would never receive your love in my lifetime...”

Lin Xiaoyang was visibly moved. “Tanya, you... why did you have to do this?”

Lin Xiaoyang gazed at Tanya. Along with his shock, his heart was filled with mixed emotions for a moment.

“As long as the seal on the staff remains intact, it is merely an ordinary token of remembrance. Let it remain here in Netherworld Valley. In this world, other than you, David, no one has the ability to take it from me by force. Even if someone did manage to take it, the staff would still have no practical use without you to remove its seal. You must think carefully about the consequences and what is at stake.”

Lin Xiaoyang pondered for a while and said, “Tanya, if you can guarantee that this staff will not fall into anyone else’s hands, I am willing to go back and persuade Maria.”

A smile blossomed across Tanya’s face. “I promise you that for as long as you live, I will protect this staff with my life!”

Lin Xiaoyang made his decision resolutely and nodded. “Then, I’ll do as you say!”

Huang Minhua asked anxiously, “Honey, but how are we going to explain this to the Princess when we get back?”

Lin Xiaoyang placed his hands on Minhua’s shoulders and looked at her earnestly.

“Minhua, please face reality. In this life, you are Huang Minhua. You do not need to live for Aileen. None of us should be pawns in Princess Maria’s hands, to be manipulated however she wishes.”

Tears glimmered in Huang Minhua’s eyes. “Honey, why don’t we go back to Taiwan?”

Lin Xiaoyang said, “It’s time for us to leave this place of trouble behind.”

“Please wait a moment. I’ll have my men find the monster leaders. They will escort you safely out of the Monster Forest.”

After Tanya finished speaking, she waved to Xia Bo. Xia Bo hurried forward to receive his orders.

“Go find Yami and Colin and have them escort our guests safely out of the Monster Forest.”

Xia Bo clasped his hands and said, “Yes, Princess.”

Xia Bo turned and left, mounted a flying dragon, and soared into the sky.

The two monster leaders, Yami and Colin, accompanied Lin Xiaoyang and his wife back to the edge of the Monster Forest, where they rejoined Father John Chen and the others.

Everyone stared at the two ferocious-looking monsters. Lang En, Adorno, and the others had questions in their minds, but they did not feel comfortable asking Xiaoyang about them directly.

Lin Xiaoyang said, “These two leaders will escort us safely out of the Monster Forest.”

Lang En seemed to have figured out the mystery. “So that’s it. These monsters and giant insects all take orders from the master of Netherworld Valley.”

Father John Chen, Father Stylon, his senior brother, and Ruf noticed that Xiaoyang was not carrying the staff and were puzzled.

“Father John, may I speak with you privately?”

Xiaoyang pulled Father John Chen aside.

“The staff will remain in Netherworld Valley and be kept by Tanya. I’ll tell you the key reasons through secret voice transmission later, on the way back.”

Father John Chen sensed that Xiaoyang was concealing something and nodded in agreement.

“All right. I’ll listen to what you have to say on the way.”

The two men returned, and Father John Chen addressed the group.

“Everyone, we have completed our mission. Let’s go back.”

Following Father John Chen’s command, everyone formed two single-file columns and set off.

Ruf had already had a premonition that this mission would end in failure.

“Even if the three of us had entered Netherworld Valley, if Tanya insisted on stopping us, we might not have had any chance of winning. What’s more, if the two sides had gone to war, the casualties would inevitably have been enormous. Now Lin Xiaoyang has not brought the staff back, and he is whispering with Father John Chen at the rear of the group. He must have been persuaded by Tanya...”

Father John Chen and Lin Xiaoyang walked at the rear of the group. Xiaoyang placed one hand on Father John Chen’s wrist and used secret voice transmission to tell him the key points of the negotiations with Tanya and the consequences and interests involved.

Father John Chen naturally understood what was at stake and agreed with Xiaoyang’s decision. However, his main concern was that he did not trust Ruf, who was beside Maria.

“Father, once we leave Hell Valley, let’s go our separate ways. Please convey a message to the Princess for me.”

“Go ahead. I’ll make sure she gets your message.”

“Please tell the Princess: Please be gracious and, for the rest of this lifetime, set Minhua and me free.”

“Sigh! Go, then. Take Minhua and leave. Go back to Taiwan.”

Father John Chen agreed with Xiaoyang’s decision.