第28章 罗生门3（第1页）

第28章罗生门（3）

Asthehaircameout，fearfadedfromhisheart，andhishatredtowardtheoldwomagrewbeyondhatred，beingaingantipathyagaihisinstantifanyhtupthethequestioherhewouldstarvetodeathorbeeathief—thequestionwhichhadoalittlewhileago—hewouldedtochoosedeath。Hishatredtowardevilflareduplikethepieewoodwhianhadstuthefloor。

&knowwhyshepulledoutthehairofthedead。Agly，hedidnotkherhercaseutdownasgoodorbad。Butinhiseyes，pullingoutthehairofthedeadintheRashomononthissthtardonablecrime。Ofcourseiteredhismindthatalittlewhileagohehadthoughtofbeingathief。

Then，summthintohislegs，herosefromthestairsandstrode，handhtinfrontoftheoldcreature。Thehagturerrorinhereyes，andsprangupfromthefl。Forasmallmomentshepaused，poisedthere，thehestairswithashriek。

"Wretch!Whereareyougoing?"heshthewayhagwhotriedtoscurrypasthim。Stillsheattemptedtoclaushedherbacktopreveheystruggled，fellamongthecorpses，aheissuewasneverindoubt。Ihehadherbythearm，twistedit，andforcedherdowntothefloor。Herarmswereallskiherewasnomorefleshohanontheshanksofaosoonerwassheohanhedrewhisswordandthrustthesilver-whitebladebeforeherverynose。Shewassilerembledasifinafit，andhereyeswereopeheywerealmostoutoftheirsodherbreatheihelifeofthiswretchwashisnow。Thisthoughtcooledhisboilingangerandbroughtacalmprideandsatisfa。Helookeddownather，andsaidicalmervoice:

"Lookhere，I'mnotaheHighPoliissioner。I'mastrangereopassbythisgate。Iwon'tbindyouordoanythingagainstyou，butyoumusttellmewhatyuphere。"

&heoldeillwider，ahisfatlywiththesharpredeyesofabirdofprey。Shemovedherlips，rioherhoughshewereethiingsouhegofaefromherthroat:

"Ipullthehair…Ipulloutthehair…tomakeawig。"

Heranswerbanishedallunknownfromtheirendbroughtdisappoi。Suddenlyshewasoldwomahisfeet。Aghoulnolonger:onlyahagwhomakeswigsfromthehairofthedead—tosell，forscrapsoffood。Aptseizedhim。Fearlefthisheart，andhisformerhatredehesefeelingsmusthavebeeheother。Theoldcreature，stillgthehairshehadpulledoffthebledoutthesewordsinherharshbrokenvoice:

"Indeed，makingwigsoutofthehairofthedeadmayseemagreateviltoyou，butthesethatareheredeservehiswomaifulblackhairIulliosellddriedsheguardbarragthatitwasdriedfish。Ifshehadn'tdiedoftheplague，she'dbesellingitnow。Theguardslikedtobuyfromher，aosayherfishwastasty。Whatshedid'tbewrong，becauseifshehadn't，shewouldhavestarvedtodeath。Therewasnootherchoice。Ifshekodothisiolive，sheprobablywouldn'tcare。"

&hedhissword，and，withhislefthandonitshilt，helisteively。Hisrighthahebigpimpleonhischeek。Ashelisteaincewasbornihecewhichhehaduealittlewhileagepowerwasdrivinghimiedireofthecewhichhehadhadwheheoldwoman。Nolongerdidhewoherheshouldstarvetodeathorbeeathief。Starvationwassofarfromhismindthatitwasthelastthingthatwouldhavee。

"Areyousure?"heaskedinamoe，whenshefialkihthandfromhispimple，and，bendingforward，seizedherbythenedsaidsharply:

"Thenit&#htifIrobyou。I'dstarveifIdidn't。"

&oreherherbodyandkickedherroughlydownonthecorpsesasshestruggledachhisleg。Fivesteps，ahetopofthestairs。Theyellowclotheshehadwrestedoffwereunderhisarm，andinatwinklinghehadrusheddowairsintotheabyssofhunderofhisdesgstepspouhehollowtower，awasquiet。

Shortlyafterthatthehagraisedupherbodyfrrumblingandgroaning，shecrawledtothetopstairbythestillfligtht，andthroughthegrayhairwhigoverherface，shepeereddowairiht。

&hiswasonlydarkness…unknowingandunknown。