九
宣仪安、刘三喜让路德和马丁，陪他们去湖心岛的时候，马丁的脸部露出了明显的犹豫，甚至有一些恐惧，似乎对去湖心岛十分不情愿。
“Why go to that place? The island is a frightening place. You didn't know there were demons on the island, killing children.（为什么要去那个地方？这个小岛是叫人害怕的地方。你们不知道小岛有恶魔，专门杀害孩子。）”
“What's going on? Isn't it a beautiful place? I see there are boats on the shore. Didn't you see the huts on the island?（怎么回事？那不是一个很美丽的地方吗？我看见岸边还备有小船，应该经常有人上去吧？你们不是看见岛上很有棚子吗？）”宣仪安故意说。
“Martin, you're a coward, not as good as a girl. Jenna and I were on the island more than once. What's the devil?（马丁，你是胆小鬼，不如女孩子。我和杰娜不止一次上岛了，哪里有什么恶魔？）”
路德斥责他，并对宣仪安说，“The hut was built by fishermen who went fishing on the island in the middle of the lake, where they used to fish at night. It is said that near the island in the middle of the lake, there are fat fish, because the fish on the shore, were all caught by the town. You don't need to pay any attention to Martin. If he won't go, I can take you alone. But the tip is the same, three pence a person. It's a rule laid down outside.（那个小棚子是去湖心岛打渔的人造的，他们常常会晚上在哪里打渔。据说湖心岛附近，才有肥大的鱼，因为靠岸边的鱼，都被镇上的人钓光了。你不需要理会马丁的话，如果他不肯去，我可以一个人带你们去。不过小费是一样的，一个人也要三个便士。这是我们定下的规矩。）”
宣仪安好奇地问，“How do? Small town kids escort tourists to collect tips, and there are rules? Who made the rules?（怎么？小镇上的孩子陪同游客收小费，居然还是有规矩的吗？谁定的规矩？）”
马丁萎缩着说，“Who else? Jenna, of course.（还有谁？当然是杰娜。）”
宣仪安看了刘三喜一眼，两个人交换了一个眼神，看起来，这个杰娜的确不简单。
刘三喜温和地问马丁，“Did you never go to the island because of what happened there? What did you say about demons hurting kids?（你没有上过岛，是因为岛上发生过什么吗？你刚才说有恶魔伤害孩子，是怎么回事？）”
路德瞥了马丁一眼，“He is a coward. Yeah, a couple of kids died in our town, and Leon was the first one found. He was the ricks' youngest son, found dead in his shed by fishermen on the island six months ago. There were sharp scratches on his chest, but he was actually strangled with claws. That's what the police thought, so some people say there's a demon on the island.（他就是个胆小鬼。是的，我们小镇死了几个孩子，其中第一个被发现的孩子是利昂。他是里克斯家的小儿子，半年前被上岛打渔的人发现，死在棚子里。他的胸口有锋利的抓痕，不过其实是被利爪掐死的。这是当初警察的判断，所以有人说，小岛上出现了恶魔。）”
“The case didn't end up solved?（案子最后没有破？）”宣仪安问道。
“No. About two months later, a second child was killed in the town. His name was George, he was eight years old, and he was strangled with a claw. So it's not that the island has demons, it's that we, in Scottwood, have killer demons. What does this have to do with an island in the middle of a lake? Are we still going, guys? It's getting late.（没有。大约两个月以后，小镇又有第二个孩子遇害了。他叫乔治已经5岁了，居然也背利爪掐死了。所以并不是小岛有恶魔，而是我们斯哥特伍德小镇，出现了杀人恶魔。这和湖心岛有什么关系？两位我们还去吗，时间不早了。）路德显然十分老练，说到这些，脸上并没有恐惧的表情。”
“Yes, why not? You said it had nothing to do with the island. Besides, we are adults, not children, and we are not afraid. Martin, why don't you come to the island with us. Did you see what he was carrying? It's a camera. We can ask him to take pictures. It's a very interesting thing.（去，为什么不去？你说了和湖心岛没有关系。再说，我们是大人，不是小孩子，并不会害怕的。马丁，你还是跟我们一起上岛吧。你看见他背的东西吗？那是相机，我们可以请他拍照，那是一件十分有趣的事。）”宣仪安动员马丁。
“All right, I'll go with you.（好吧，我和你们一起去。）”
好奇心克服了恐惧，马丁还是同意一起上岛。
小船上有两只桨，路德很熟练拿起其中一支，宣仪安拿起了另一支。两个人很快就把小船划到了湖心。拴好船之后，四个人朝岛上的小窝棚走去。
那是用小岛上的树木和茅草搭起来的窝棚。正像路德所说，谁上岛打渔的人修造的，里面很有一起留在岛上的渔具。宣仪安在里面仔细查看了一圈，并没有发现什么有价值的东西。毕竟悲剧发生在半年之前，这里已经有人上来住过。刘三喜很认真在里外都拍了照片，有些东西，要拿回去，让鹿鸣研究。
从窝棚出来，他们朝湖心岛深处的林子走去。路德告诉他们，其实很多小镇居民都喜欢上岛来度假。男人们在湖边钓鱼，女人们去林子里采蘑菇。小岛林子里的蘑菇，很有湖里的鱼，都被小镇附近肥美。只是自从在岛上死了一个孩子，人们就不太喜欢这里，尤其是不希望孩子来岛上。
不过总有例外，还是会有来旅游的人，不太忌讳这些，照样上岛。再就是小镇一些大一点，特别是胆子大的孩子，还是照样会上岛来采蘑菇。他们把这些鲜美的蘑菇，拿到克利夫兰去，可以卖很好的价钱。
路德告诉他们，他在发生了利昂的事之后，就已经上岛两次，都是跟着杰娜来的，还有杰娜的几个女伴。路德、马丁都是杰娜的同班同学。路德还说，杰娜有很多朋友，主要因为她胆子大，主意多，很多高年级的孩子，也会服从她的指挥，包括一些调皮的男孩子。不过她几乎不会和那些15岁以上的孩子打交道，虽然她似乎并不是因为害怕，反而可能事厌恶。
路德很喜欢说话，不像马丁，一直畏手畏脚，也不怎么说话，总在那里东张西望，仿佛在害怕什么。宣仪安在有意无意引导他，叙述小镇上曾经发生的案子。
路德说，本来斯哥特伍德小镇事很安详的，从来没有发生过什么案子，几乎连最普通的盗窃都没有。可不知道怎么，半年前，四岁利昂的被害，好像放出了一只恶魔。这半年来，这个恶魔一直在小镇徘徊，已经有四五个孩子遇害了。这种情况让小镇居民很不安，他们失去了安全感，会把自己的孩子看得很紧。可尽管如此，小贝西还是被杀害了。
宣仪安问了一下，乔治在林子里遇害的情况。
“George was found, I think, the day after his death. That day George's mother and father went to Cleveland with his two sisters. Because his twin sisters, both 14 years old, were taking them to the adult baptism. They left five-year-old George at home with his grandmother to guard him. Later that day, grandma noticed that George was missing and looked for him for a long time. The next day, George's parents came back and set the townspeople on a search. They found George's body in the woods.（我想，乔治被发现的时候，已经事死后的第二天。那天乔治的父亲和母亲，带着他的两个姐姐去了克利夫兰。因为他双胞胎的两个姐姐，都已经满了14岁，他们要带着去接送成人洗礼。他们把5岁的乔治留在家里，让奶奶看守。当天晚些时候，奶奶发现乔治不见了，找了很久。第二天，乔治的父母回来，发动了小镇居民到处寻找，终于在林子里发现了乔治的尸体。）”
最早源自《新约》施洗约翰在约旦河给耶稣洗礼，基督教认为洗礼是耶稣基督亲自规定的重要礼仪。
洗礼分为点水礼和浸水礼。行礼时主礼者口诵经文，用水浸、浇或洒把水滴在受洗人的额上，或将受洗人身体浸在水里，表示赦免入教者的“原罪”和“本罪”，并赋予“恩宠”和“印号”，使其成为教徒。点水礼即施行圣礼的牧师将祝福过的水用手点在受洗者的前额，而浸礼则是在施行圣礼的牧师主持下，将受洗者全身浸入水中。
按照基督教的要求，接受洗礼的人，必须真正悔改，明白基督教信仰的基本道理，一般要参加教会一年以上的礼拜聚会，并接受教会专门针对拟受洗慕道友举办的培训班，通过信德考察，确认合格后，方可参加教会举行的洗礼。洗礼必须由经按立的牧师、或由牧师授权的经按立的长老设身施行。
小镇的风俗，女孩子14岁，要到大教堂接受成人洗礼。
网友评论