第十三回：曉鏡但愁雲鬢改

Chapter 13

“Dreading each morning’s reflection will betray a trace of age”

兩位尊者離去後，不一會喇嘛送上素餐，三人進食完畢。又一位喇嘛進來，在後邊分設了三間臥室，向三人道了晚安，說：「三位施主若有雅興，九時半在後殿有晚課，師父特別交待，歡迎施主們前往結緣。只是因為明天的盛會，執事人等俱已外出，無人招待，尚請原諒。」

After the two sages left, it wasn’t long before a lama brought in some vegetarian food for them. After the 3 of them had finished eating, another lama came in and made up 3 bedrooms in the back of the room. He bade them good night and said, “If you’re interested, at 9:30 there’ll be an evening session in the rear hall. The master made a point of saying you’re welcome to come. But because of the grand celebration tomorrow, the staff has already left so there won’t anybody to look after you. Please forgive us.”

文祥等道了謝，喇嘛便離去。

Wen Xiang and others thanked him and the lama left.

胡妁對李不俗本來極為不滿，見他將功贖罪，也頗感欣慰，說道：「不俗，也難為你了！如果你信得過我，早該告訴我才是！」

Hu Shuo had been very unhappy with Li Busu. Now that he’d made up for his mistakes, she was pleased. She said, “Busu, you’ve gone through so much pain! If you’d had faith in me, you should have told me about it early on!”

李不俗唉聲長歎，說：「這種事我怎能告訴妳？」

Li Busu gave a long sigh and said, “How could I tell you about such a thing?”

胡妁捱近他，溫柔地拉起他的手，說：「你怕連累我？」

Hu Shuo drew closer to him and affectionately took his hand in hers. “You were afraid to get me involved?”

李不俗忍不住淚珠滾滾而下：「妳不知道，我心裡好痛苦。他們把我的靈魂拘禁了，要脅我，逼著我給他們賣命。這陣子妳看我瘋瘋癲癲的，其實都是裝的。」

Li Busu could no longer keep the tears back and they streamed down. “You didn’t know how I’ve suffered. They hold my soul in fee and pressure me to risk my life for them. You must have noticed lately that I was acting crazy. Actually, I was only pretending.”

「那你為什麼不告訴尊者？」胡妁大驚。

“Why didn’t you tell the sage?” Hu Shuo was surprised.

「現在已經沒事了，一定是尊者幫我化解了。」

“I’m alright now. The sage must have taken care of my problem.”

胡妁更是憐惜不已，說：「為了追求真理，再辛苦也是值得的。現在好了，正如昨晚我們討論的，真理就在我們身邊，找到了吧！」

Hu Shuo felt even more loving towards him, and said, “In order to pursue the truth, no matter how hard it is, it’s worth it. It’s o.k. now. Just like we talked about last night. Truth is right next to us. Now you’ve found it!”

「是的，妁妹！」

“You're right, Shuo!”

文祥也過來，熱情地向他握手致意，沒想到，李不俗竟然也用千奇所教的手語，向文祥做了個暗號。文祥自學了手語以後，從未使用過，對李不俗打的暗號並未在意。李不俗卻握著文祥的手，不斷地又擠又捏，文祥被他捏得痛了，這才想起，面露驚訝，說：「怎麼？你也是特遣隊的人？」

Wen Xiang came over and shook hands with him with great enthusiasm. Unexpectedly Li Busu made a code sign to Wen Xiang with his hand. It was the same one Creepy had taught Wen Xiang. Since learning the sign Wen Xiang had never had occasion to use it, so he didn’t give it much heed. But Li Busu held Wen Xiang’s hand, and continued to pinch and squeeze. It was not until Wen Xiang’s hand began to hurt that it dawned on him. Wen Xiang was surprised and said, “What? You’re one of the SWAT team?”

「我不知道什麼隊，總之，我們是自己人！」李不俗笑著說。

Li Busu laughed and said, “I don’t know what team. Anyway, we’re on the same side!”

「可是你怎麼知道我是呢？」文祥有點懷疑，這事只有千奇和百怪知道呀！如果是他們說的，那李不俗應該知道特遣隊才是呀！

“But how did you know I’m one of them?” Wen Xiang was slightly suspicious. Only Creepy and Weirdo knew about this! If they’d mentioned it to other people, then Li Busu ought to know about the SWAT team!

「我當然知道，我只怕你不知道。」李不俗擠擠眼睛，說。

Li Busu winked at him and said, “Of course I know. I was just afraid you didn’t.”

「你們打什麼啞謎？」胡妁問道。

“What kind of nonsense is this?” Hu Shuo asked.

「這種事，你們女人還是少知道好一點！」李不俗嬉皮笑臉地說。

“It's better that you women don’t know about these matters!” Li Busu’s said mischievously.

「什麼？你那種大臭男人主義還在？」胡妁有點不高興。

“What? You still hold to that obnoxious concept of male chauvinism?” Hu Shuo was mildly annoyed

「不！我們是死男人主義，因為我們談的是怎樣送死！」

“Nope! Ours is the ideology of the dead male, because we’re talking about getting killed!”

「別給我談送死了！先前在那個洞坑，只有你怕死！」

“Don’t talk about dying! Earlier in that pit you were the only one that was afraid to die!”

「好漢不提當年勇！當時，我想到在席克的慘況，一下子轉不過來。」

“Real men don’t discuss former deeds of bravery! At that time I was thinking how miserable I had been with the Seeks, and I couldn’t get it out of my mind.”

胡妁覺得自己太殘忍了，溫和地問：「什麼席克不席克的，是一種宗教嗎？」

Hu Shuo felt she was being cruel so she gently asked, “What’s this about the Seeks? Is it some kind of religion?”

「是的，也是一種人種。」

“Yes . It’s also a race.”

「你說說看，好像他們很有力量似的。」

“Tell us about it. They seem very powerful.”

李不俗心有餘悸，一邊回想當時的景況，一邊還要顧到胡妁的心情，他無可奈何的說：「唉！我發覺人生就是各種觀念的舞台，一旦看多了，真的不知道該相信什麼，不該相信什麼。只有那種生活單純的人，他們一生下來，就被灌輸一種唯一的觀念，久而久之，就成了他們的真理。席克人就是這樣，他們只相信他們的神，生是為了膜拜神，死也是為了伺候神。總之，他們的生活，從生到死只是為了神。」

Li Busu still feared them. When he thought about what he had gone through, he had to take into account Hu Shuo’s feelings. Dejectedly he said, “Ai! I found that life is just a theatrical stage for various ideas. Once you’ve seen a great number, you no longer know what to believe or what not to believe. But for those who’ve led a simple life and from birth have only been exposed to a single concept, over a long period of time, that concept becomes their truth. The Seeks are like that. They only believe in their god. They are born to worship their god, and they die in the service of their god. In other words, all their lives, from time of birth to the end of their days, they only live for their god.”

「是哪個神呢？上帝？」

“Which god? The God?”

「妳最好不要問，知道多了沒有好處。他們有一種獵殺令，儘管電腦當局嚴禁殺人，可是卻禁不住席克人。他們會前仆後繼，雖然不能把人殺死，可是那種日以繼夜的騷擾，誰都消受不了。」

“You’d better not ask. It’ll do you no good to know too much. They have a ‘hunt and kill’ order. Although the Computer Authority Bureau forbids killing, it doesn’t stop the Seeks. They come in waves. Though they’re not permitted to kill, no one can stand their day and night harassment.”

「天下哪有這樣不講理的人？」

“Can there be people that unreasonable?”

「妳錯了，他們絕對講理，只是講的方法和我們不一樣！」

“You’re wrong. They are absolutely reasonable. It just that their reasoning is different from ours!”

「講理還有不一樣的方法？」

“You mean to say there are different ways of reasoning?”

「是的，他們要在神前講理，由神來決定誰有理！」

“Yes. They want to reason before their god. The god decides!”

「神在哪裡呢？誰又能看到神呢？」

“Where is god? And who can see him?”

「所以他們有『代神』，由代神來代替神。」

“That’s why they have ‘substitute gods’. ‘Substitute gods’ can act on behalf of the god.”

「那代神一定是人囉，就和西方古代的祭司一樣吧！」

“So the ‘substitute gods’ must be people. They are something like priests in ancient Western culture!”

「沒錯，問題也就出在這裡，由於代神的權力太大，當一位代神決定消除異己時，他手下的信徒就像瘋了一樣，全力為神效命，直到對方屈服或者把對方殺光為止。」

“That’s correct. But this is where the problem lies. Because the power of ‘substitute gods’ is so great, whenever a ‘substitute god’ wants to eliminate his opponents, his followers seem to go mad. They will serve the god with total devotion until the other party either surrenders or they’ve all been killed.”

「如果不肯屈服呢？」

“And if they don’t surrender?”

「那就造成分裂了，反正他們生活在沙漠中，不滿意，拔營就走！因此，席克人雖然有數十萬人，但是沒有一個團體能凝聚上千人。」李不俗停了一會，又說：「這也不見得是壞事，就好像生物界獵食者與被獵食者的均衡法則一樣，不這樣，他們不能維持強悍的意志。再說，他們若真能團結，那種力量簡直令人不敢想像。」

“Then they split up. Anyway, they live in the desert. If some people are not satisfied, they just pull out! So, though there are hundreds of thousands of Seeks, none of the groups numbers more than 1,000 people.” Li Busu paused for a moment before continuing, “This is not necessarily a bad thing, either. It’s like the law of balance between predators and prey in the natural world. If this weren’t the case, they wouldn’t be able to maintain their fierce will. But if they were to unite, their power would be beyond imagination.”

「奇怪！我是學歷史的，怎麼不知道這種事？」

“That’s odd! I was a history major. How come I don’t know anything about this?”

「妳不是不知道，是我故意略去了幾個關鍵點。上個世紀末，他們曾是一個國家，後來酋長被族人罷黜了。二○二五年春天，酋長的大兒子崛起復仇，他認為電腦干預太多，脫離了當局，回到原野，自稱為席克。自後，他們招兵買馬，宣稱獲得真主阿拉的召喚，要在地球上建立一個天堂樂土。我就是在那段時期受到蠱惑，才投效他們的。」

“It’s not that you don’t know about it. I left out some key points on purpose. At the end of last century, there was a nation whose chieftain was deposed by his people. In the spring of 2025, the chieftain’s eldest son became powerful and began to take vengeance. He felt that the computer was interfering too much so he broke off from the Bureau and returned to the wild. He called himself a Seek. From then on they began to recruit widely, claiming they were answering the call from Allah. They wanted to build a heaven on Earth. It was during that time that I yielded to their blandishments and began to serve them.”

「你怎麼會這麼輕信呢？追求真理也不能盲目地賣身投靠！」

“How could you be so trusting? Just because you were searching for the Truth doesn’t mean you can blindly ally yourself with them!”

「問題是，不入虎穴，焉得虎子？我那時以為，要離開還不容易嗎？沒想到還真不容易！那位代神用咒語控制我，整整給他做了十年奴隸！」

“Here’s the problem: if you don’t enter the tiger’s den, how can you catch a tiger cub? At the time I thought, what would be so hard about leaving? To my surprise it turned out to be really difficult! A ‘substitute god’ was using spells to control me. I was his slave for 10 whole years!”

「你剛才不是說逃了很多次嗎？」

“Didn’t you just say you ran away many times?”

「啊！就算逃，也逃不掉呀！」

“Ah! Even when I ran away, I could never get away!”

「剛才你也沒說做了奴隸！」

“Just now you didn’t say you were a slave!”

李不俗聳聳肩，說：「又沒有人問我，何必說出來丟人現眼？」

Li Busu shrugged and said, “Nobody asked me. Why would I want to bring it up to embarrass myself?”

文祥也興味盎然地問：「真有下咒這回事嗎？」

Wen Xiang had grown very interested and asked, “Is there really such a thing as spell casting?”

李不俗點點頭說：「有的，至少，每一個席克人都在代神，也就是『法王』的掌控之中。原則上團體越大，代神的權力也就越大，權力大，施咒能力就特別強。在席克人沒有脫離當局之前，據說電腦為了配合各民族及宗教的傳統，還特別設計了一套咒語程式，由施咒者通知電腦代為執行。但是代神不滿意，他們認為咒語應該是神力，不應借助電腦。他們脫離了電腦控制後，確實證明了咒語是真的，不是程式指令。」

Li Busu nodded and said, “Yes. At the very least, every Seek is controlled by one of the ‘substitute gods’, also known as ‘Lords’. In principal, the bigger the group the more powerful their ‘substitute god’ is. Great power means the spells they cast are especially powerful. Before the Seeks broke away from the Bureau, it is said that in order to work in concert with different tribal and religious traditions, the computer designed a special set of spell programs. Anyone who intended to cast a spell would first notify the computer and the computer would perform the spell for them. But the ‘substitute gods’ were not satisfied. They regarded spells as power from god and shouldn’t be assisted by the computer. After they broke away from computer control they proved that spells are indeed genuine, and not programmed commands.”

「怎麼真法？你親眼見到了嗎？」

“What did you mean by ‘genuine’? Have you seen it with your own eyes?”

「就是因為親眼看到，我才相信，那是在四大法王受禮的盛會上發生的。我們那一族原來只有三百多人，後來不斷兼併其他部落，成為一個四千人的大組織。那次在原野的大會，是在晚上舉行的，每個人騎著駿馬，舉著火把高呼。那些火把個個都有一斤多重，是在石油罐子裡插木棉棒的！四千支！乖乖！那種場面，包你們見了一輩子都忘不了！」

“I believe it because I saw it with my own eyes. It happened at the grand meeting when the Four Lords were being worshiped. Initially, the number of our tribesmen was just over 300. Later we gradually annexed other tribes and became an organization numbering 4,000 men. The grand meeting was held out on the plains at night. Everybody was riding a noble steed, holding a torch and cheering. Every torch weighed over 2 lbs. They were made from wooden sticks covered with cotton cloth and mounted in an oilcan! 4,000 of them! My goodness! It was a scene you’d never forget as long as you live!”

李不俗顯然又回到了當年，一副欣羨滿足的神情，隨著眸子流向遠方。

Obviously Li Busu had returned to that. A look of adoration and fulfillment accompanied his gaze into the distance.

「然後呢？」文祥等得不耐煩了。

“And then?” Wen Xiang was getting impatient.

正在此時，突然從遠處傳來一道尖銳的嘯聲，雖然很輕微，卻非常清晰。

At this moment, a shrill cry was suddenly heard from afar. Though it was a thin sound, it was very clear.

「然後……」李不俗聞聲停頓了下來，臉上肌肉一陣抽搐，好像見到鬼一般：「然後……我見到大法王下咒，他說：『凡是心中不服的人，當場烈火燒身！』」

“Then…” Li Busu stopped when he heard the cry. A muscle on his face twitched, as if he had seen a ghost. “Then I…saw the First Lord cast a spell. He said, ‘Anyone who can’t accept this will be consumed by fire here and now!’”

李不俗東張西顧，神色驚懼，彷彿著了魔般，一下子用手遮住眼睛，一下子又倉惶地向後閃避。最後他慘叫一聲，抱著頭，蹲了下去：「神呀！我相信你！我相信你！」

Li Busu looked around him with a terrified expression. It was as if he’d drawn the forces of evil down upon him. One moment he shielded his eyes with his hands, and the next he recoiled with alarm. Finally he gave a pathetic cry, and holding his head, squatted down: “O God! I believe in you! I believe in you!”

胡妁連忙把李不俗攬在懷中，不住地撫慰他，安慰道：「別怕，別怕，一切都過去了！沒事了！」

Hu Shuo quickly took Li Busu in her arms and comforted him, saying reassuringly, “Don’t be afraid. Everything is over! You’re fine now!”

李不俗幾乎是哭著說：「妳不知道，還沒有過去！」

Li Busu, almost in tears, whimpered, “You don’t understand. It’s not over yet!”

胡妁說：「這都是心理問題，不要想它就好！」

Hu Shuo said, “It’s all in your mind. Just don’t think about it!”

李不俗歇斯底里的喊道：「我信神！我相信咒語的神力！」

Li Busu shouted hysterically, “I believe in God! I believe the magic power of the spell!”

胡妁認為李不俗神智沒有恢復，還是一個迷途的孩子，她不斷地親著他，說：「你不是剛剛才說過嗎？人生是各種觀念的舞台，演戲嘛，散場了！」

Hu Shuo felt Li Busu’s mental clarity hadn’t yet returned. He still seemed like a lost child. She continued to kiss him, as she said, “Didn’t you just now say that life was a theatrical stage for various ideas? It was a drama, and now it’s over!”

過了許久，李不俗才漸漸回復正常。他睜眼一看，自己竟然倒在胡妁的懷中，一時面紅過耳，連忙扎掙著說：「我怎麼啦？」

After a long while Li Busu was gradually able to again think clearly. He opened his eyes and found he was in the arms of Hu Shuo. He blushed, and hurriedly struggled up, saying, “What happened to me?”

文祥說：「你提到一些過去的事。」

Wen Xiang said, “You talked a bit about the past.”

李不俗想了一下，難過地說：「我親眼見到，好幾個曾經表示不滿的人，當場活活地在我眼前燒死。那一次，聽說總共燒死了好幾百人！」

Li Busu thought for a while, then, speaking sorrowfully, he said, “I saw it with my own eyes. Several people who had evinced dissatisfaction were burned to death right before my eyes. I heard that altogether several hundred people were burned to death.”

誰也不想說話了，為什麼有這麼殘酷的人呢？以電腦那樣強大的力量，能移山倒海，遠征星際，依舊改變不了人性。

Nobody wanted to speak up. Why were there such cruel people? The power of the computer was strong enough to move mountains, roil the oceans, or to invade distant stars, but it was still unable to change human nature.

三人正沉浸在自我的思緒中，忽然間「咻」的一聲，一個尖利的嘯聲劃過長空，好像就在門外。三個人不禁毛骨悚然，李不俗更是惶恐，滿臉驚悸，他一個箭步，衝到東側窗前，向外仔細張望。

Just as the 3 of them were sunk in their own thoughts, a shrill cry suddenly split the air. It seemed to come from right outside their door. The three of them felt their flesh creep. Li Busu was even more frightened and his face became tense with fear. Like an arrow shot out from a bow, he rushed over to the east window and carefully studied the outside.

「大概是風吹吧！」文祥說。

“Maybe it was the wind!” Wen Xiang said.

「不可能，在電離罩下，就算最嚴重的塵暴來襲，也沒有這種風聲。」胡妁說。

Hu Shuo said, “Impossible. Under the ion shield, even the most severe sandstorm wouldn’t make such sound when it strikes.”

李不俗沒有說話，機警得像隻受傷的兔子，用心聽著窗外的動靜。

Li Busu didn’t say anything. Terrified as an injured rabbit, he concentrated on listening for movement outside.

過了幾分鐘，文祥正要開口，卻聽到外面有輕巧的腳步聲。有人在外躡手躡腳的行走，好像怕被人發現。在這個寺廟裡，怎麼會有不能見人的事呢？

A few minutes later, just as Wen Xiang was about to speak, they heard a light step outside. It seemed as though someone was trying to be stealthy and didn’t want to be discovered. What secret was this monastery hiding?

文祥望了胡妁及李不俗一眼，二人正傾耳而聽。不一會，腳步聲由遠而近，逐漸清晰了。文祥伸出兩個手指，又指指門口，胡妁點點頭，表示會意。果然那二人在門前停了一會兒，又繼續前行。

Wen Xiang gave Hu Shuo and Li Busu a look. They were listening attentively. The sound of footsteps drew near, slowly growing more and more distinct. Extending two fingers, Wen Xiang pointed to the door. Hu Shuo nodded to show she understood. Just as expected, two people stopped for a moment outside the door and then moved on.

待腳步聲遠了，胡妁悄悄地問文祥：「你想是賊嗎？」

As the sound of footsteps grew distant, Hu Shuo quietly said to Wen Xiang, “Do you think they are thieves?”

文祥說：「不管是不是，我們都沒法管，還是通知電腦吧！」

Wen Xiang said, “Whatever they are, we can’t do anything about it. Let’s notify the computer!”

胡妁說：「尊者說過電腦不能用了。」

Hu Shuo said, “The sage said the computer won’t function here.”

「那怎麼辦？不管怎樣，還是問問看。」文祥便對電腦說：「文娃，妳想是不是有小偷？」

“What shall we do then? Anyway, let me try it.” Addressing his computer, Wen Xiang said, “Wen Wa, do you think they are thieves?”

文娃說：「根據協定，金頂寺中的一切，我們都不能過問。」

Wen Wa said, “According to the agreement, we’re unable to meddle in the affairs of the Golden Roof Monastery.”

李不俗一直注意著外頭的動靜，這時突然說：「我出去看看吧！」

Li Busu had been watching for any sign of activity outside. Now he abruptly said, “Let me go out and take a look!”

胡妁說：「尊者不是說可以用佛珠嗎？」

Hu Shuo said, “Didn’t the sage say you can use the prayer beads?”

文祥說：「既然可用，相信寺方此刻已經知道了。」

Wen Xiang said, “Since they can be used, I think the monastery must know about it by now.”

李不俗說：「尊者好意留我們在這裡，寺裡出了事，我們怎能袖手旁觀？」

Li Busu said, “It was kind of the sage to let us stay in the monastery. But if something happens, how could we just stand by and watch?”

文祥說：「這不是袖手旁觀，我們什麼都不知道，你怎麼能確定是賊？」

Wen Xiang said, “I don't think we’re mere by-standers. It's just that we don’t know what’s going on. How can you be so sure they’re thieves?”

「當然是賊！」李不俗肯定地說。

“Of course they are!” Li Busu said with conviction.

胡妁說：「可是這裡有什麼好偷的？再說現在什麼時代了，怎麼可能有賊？」

Hu Shuo said, “But what’s there to steal? Moreover, in this day and age, how could there possibly be any thieves?”

「如果不是賊，哪有這種走路法？」李不俗說。

Li Busu said, “If they weren’t thieves, why would they walking around like that?”

文祥說：「有可能是機器人，也可能是信徒膜拜的一種方式。」

Wen Xiang said, “They could be robots. Or it could be one form of worship for devotees.”

李不俗已經走到門口，他回頭說：「這有什麼好猜的？我去看看不就得了？」

Li Busu was now at the door. He turned to them and said, “What’s the use of guessing? I’ll just go and take a look.”

胡妁只好說：「好吧，你去看看也好！」

Hu Shuo could only say, “All right. It won’t hurt to take a look!”

李不俗開了門，也躡手躡腳地去了。

Li Busu opened the door and sneaked out.

文祥說：「我覺得他有點奇怪。」

Wen Xiang said, “I think he’s kind of weird.”

胡妁歎道：「唉！想想他的遭遇，心理反常是必然的，他可能想報答尊者對他的寬宏大量吧！」

“Ai,” Hu Shuo sighed, “think about what has happened to him. Of course he’s going to be a little unusual. Maybe he wants to repay the great kindness showed to him by the sage!”

「我不是指這個，我是說，他既然那麼怕大法王，又相信咒語，怎麼可能這麼輕易地就坦白認罪了？」

“That’s not what I meant. I mean, since he’s so afraid of the Lords, and believes in spells, how could he possibly confess so readily?”

「我猜是在電腦測謊下，無法再狡賴。」

“My guess is that faced with the power of the computer’s lie detector, he could no longer dissemble.”

「可能吧！」文祥責備自己，連尊者都相信了，自己怎麼還心存偏見？

“Maybe!” Wen Xiang blamed himself. Even the sage had believed him. Why was he still prejudiced against him?

就在此時，兩人突然聞到一股檀香，接著，阿孟旺尊者現身了，對二人說：「好戲登場了，你們來看吧！」

At this time, both of them smelled the scent of sandalwood. Next, the sage Amengwang appeared and said to them, “It’s show time. Come and watch!”

說畢，阿孟旺手一揚，一道圓光浮在空中。圓光內是一條長廊，外側懸掛數盞昏黃的油燈，正好照在李不俗身上。在他前面，有兩個全身黑色勁裝瘦小的人影，好像還戴著夜視鏡。兩個人往前疾走，每遇到有門，就停下來，用手掌在門上照了照，又繼續前進。

When he was finished, Amengwang waved. A circle of light floated in the air. Inside the circle was a long corridor. Several dim oil lamps were hanging from the eaves and their light happened to fall on Li Busu. Before him were two small, slender men dressed entirely in black. They seemed to be wearing night vision goggles. The two of them moved forward swiftly. Whenever they saw a door, they stopped and flashed their palms toward the door panels, and then moved on.

這金頂寺是模仿西藏桑耶寺的格局，表現了佛教徒想像中的世界結構。中央主殿為大經堂，以金瓦為頂，故以之為名。主殿有樓閣三層，高約二十多公尺，佔地近一千九百平方公尺，面寬十間、進深九間。此樓象徵須彌山，能納三千大千世界，是以其內部裝潢，自下而上，分別是傳統的東方式、近代西方式以及當前最先進的形式，象徵著人類文明的進程。

The layout of the Golden Roof Monastery was a facsimile of the Samye Monastery in Tibet. It showed the world structure as envisioned by the Buddhists. The main hall in the center was the Great Sutra Hall. It was roofed by golden tiles, which accounts for the monastery’s name. There were 3 levels in the main tower which was a little over 20 meters high. It covered an area of close to 1,900 square meters and was 10 bays wide and 9 bays deep. This tower symbolized Mt. Sumeru, which contains the 3,000 worlds. Therefore, the interior design of the tower was divided into three parts. Beginning from the bottom there was the traditional Eastern style, followed by modern Western style, and then the most advanced style of the present era, symbolizing the progress of civilization.

寺中四方各有一大殿，分別代表四大部州：東勝神州、南贍部州、西牛賀州與北俱盧州。四大殿之間夾有八小殿，代表八小洲，各殿依據十二時辰命名。其中子、卯、午、酉四大殿，又各有別名北、東、南、西殿。另外還有日月二塔，代表太陽月亮，然後外邊築以牆垣，代表鐵圍山。

Large halls were located at each of the 4 corners of the monastery, and symbolized the 4 major continents. The Prvavidehua continent was located in the east, Jambudvipa in the south, Aparagodaniya in the west, and Uttarakuru in the north. 8 smaller halls were interspersed among them. These symbolized the 8 minor continents. Each hall was named after the 12 two-hour periods (Note 1). The 4 grand halls were named Zi, Mao, Wu, and Yo, also known as the North, East, South, and West Halls. In addition, there were towers representing the Sun and Moon. The entire compound was enclosed by a wall which symbolized the Cakravada-parvata.

文祥和胡妁所在的小屋，位於東南方的「辰殿」，一共有大小二十多個房間，出了辰殿後，沿著迴廊，左達「月塔」，右進「東殿」。那二人彷彿駕輕就熟，沿著辰殿一間一間往前查尋。

The room where Wen Xiang and Hu Shuo were situated formed part of the “Chen Hall”, located in the southeast. It contained over 20 rooms, both large and small. When one went out of the Chen Hall and proceeded forward by the corridor, one could either reach the “Moon Tower” to the left or the “East Hall” to the right. Those two men seemed well acquainted with the area and went through the Chen Hall, checking each room, one by one.

李不俗小心翼翼地，始終與那兩人保持約二十公尺的距離。他們似乎太過專注，根本沒有想到後面有人跟蹤。

Li Busu was being very careful. He always stayed 20 meters behind them. They appeared to be so absorbed they didn’t notice someone was following them.

待二人查遍了這二十幾間房門，已經走到辰殿的盡頭了。前面是丁字形的迴廊，只見兩人比劃了一陣，便走過迴廊，進入月塔。這時一人留在原處，開始查找。另一人先穿過大殿，走到中央佛像面前，恭恭敬敬地行了三跪九叩之禮。然後起身，從最左側的菩薩塑像開始查找。

By the time they finished checking the more than 20 odd rooms, they had reached the end of the Chen Hall. Ahead of them was a T-shaped corridor. There they signaled one another and then proceeded along the corridor to the Moon Tower. Once there, one of them stayed at that spot and began searching. The other one passed through the grand hall and walked up to the Buddha statue situated in the middle. He reverently knelt three times, each time performing three kowtows. Then he rose and began his search, starting from the Bodhisattva statue on the far left.

金頂寺的三大鎮寺工藝，一是「酥油」，一是「法水」，另一項就是「倣木」工藝。酥油是藏密非常重要的一種法物，在法會上，酥油花代表了佛喜，雕塑成各種飾物，如佛教人物、花竹草木、鳥類昆蟲、樓閣台榭等等，往往是一場儀式中的焦點所在。此地的酥油花雕塑，直可媲美青海塔爾寺的上花院與下花院。

Golden Roof Monastery had 3 major skills. One was the making of “butter”, one was “holy water”, and the other was “facsimile wood”. Butter is an extremely important sacred substance in Tibetan Buddhism. “Butter sculptures” are offerings made to Buddha during the religious gathering. Various elements of Buddhist iconography; flowers, bamboo, grass, trees, birds, insects, towers, and buildings; are sculpted. These designs are always the center of attention during a ceremony. The butter sculptures here compared favorably with those in the Butter Sculpture house of Taer Monastery in Qinghai.

酥油花的製作有四個工序，首先是「紮骨架」，即根據對象，用木頭、草枝或繩索紮出骨架。其次是以酥油花「做初胚」，再把初胚貼在骨架裡面。接著是「敷塑」，也就是上顏色，最後是「上盤」，把各個完成的部件固定在適當的位置。

There are 4 steps to making butter sculpture. The first is “frame making”. Depending on the motif of choice, wooden branches or ropes are used to fashion a basic framework. Next, the butter is molded to make an ‘initial sculpture’ and attached to the frame, after which the sculpture is colored. And finally, each section of the sculpture is secured at the appropriate place on the support.

在製作酥油時，必須先行醱酵，由於火星上濕度不夠，酵母菌不足，醱酵甚為困難。經過多次實驗，喇嘛發現如果在奶中加上一種火星特有的硅長石，以之做為觸媒，奶油便能凝固成不軟不硬，可塑性極強的胚料，藏語稱為「加莫勒」。

When making the butter, the milk must first be fermented. Because of the humidity on Mars is so low, there isn’t sufficient bacteria for fermentation. After many experiments, lamas found that if a felsite, unique to Mars, was added to the milk as a catalyst, the milk would solidify into a butter, which was neither soft nor hard, and very easy to mold. The Tibetan name for this is “Jia-mo-le”.

本寺的法水更是遠近馳名，「法水」是特配的水，用以浴佛。紅教最慎重的儀式，便是在盛會中浴佛，以象徵自我身心的純淨。這種法水有特殊的配方，經過法水澆淋，能使人身心平靜，心生法喜。

The holy water of this monastery was known far and wide. The “holy water” was a special water remedy used for bathing the Buddha. The most scrupulously observed ritual in the Nyingmapa sect was bathing the Buddha during the religious gatherings. It symbolized the purification of one’s body and mind. This holy water possessed unique medicinal qualities. To be sprinkled with it calmed both body and mind while the heart surged with rapture.

金頂寺中諸殿的棟樑椽柱皆是倣木結構，由於當初火星上還沒有木材，所有建築原料都採用土石。這座喇嘛廟因為是信徒精神凝聚的中心，一柱一樑都要講究。為此，喇嘛特別精心研究，「倣木工藝」便成為著名的鎮寺工藝之一。這種倣木工藝難度很高，為了使質地、結構、紋理與木材毫無二致，除了應用分子工程外，還結合了虛擬實境的功能，在高電壓之下，先使分子離子化，然後一一重組。

The beams and pillars used for all the halls in the Golden Roof Monastery were facsimile wood. Initially there was no timber on Mars. All construction materials consisted of earth and stone. Because this lama monastery was the spiritual center for its followers, every pillar and beam had to be carefully selected. For this reason, the lamas had therefore carefully researched “the art of facsimile wood”, which subsequently became a famous and important craft in the monastery. The skill demanded for facsimile woods was very challenging. In order to make facsimile wood identical to real wood in texture, structure, and grain, molecular engineering was applied in conjunction with virtual reality. The molecules were ionized and then reassembled by means of high voltage.

木結構其實非常適合火星建築，因為火星重力約為地球的三分之一，木結構的張力恰能發揮到極致。木結構還有一個好處，就是能吸收信徒所薰燒的香煙，因之香火越盛，寺內的香氣就越陳。這種陳香能引發思古的幽情，更增信徒的信念。

Wooden structures are actually very suitable for Mars. Because the gravitation on Mars is only 1/3 of that on Earth, wooden structure expansion is maximized. Another advantage of the wooden structure is they can absorb the aroma from incense burned by devotees. In this fashion, the more incense burned, the heavier the aroma within the monastery. A heavy aroma of this sort has the ability to stir a deep affection for the past in the minds of disciples, intensifying their faith to an even greater degree.

這時大殿上雖然只燃了一盤長生香，但那股氤蘊連綿的氣息，仍令人神清氣爽。左側那個黑衣人停頓了半晌，顯然已經神馳天外了。過了一會，遠遠傳來一聲清脆的磬音，接著梵唱悠揚，那人好像被驚醒了，這才繼續往前查看。直到佛座前的酥油燈旁，正好與另一人相會合。

Now, though only a single coil of Longevity Incense was lit, the cloudy, enduring fragrance continued to make one feel refreshed. The man in black on the left stopped for some moments. It was apparent his thoughts were wandering. After a while, a crisp chime was heard in the distance, followed by the chanting of sutras. The man seemed to wake from his reverie. He continued to search until he came to the butter lamp in front of the Buddha statue, where he met up with the other person.

兩人仔細地查看酥油燈，下部燈座為一個蓮台，雕工極為精細，其上的蓮葉蓮莖，蓮花蓮萼，無不光滑圓潤、油亮如玉。酥油的材質光色，在青蔥中略帶紅暈，更襯托得蓮子盎然欲出。萼心有一點燈蕊，輕吐明輝，溶化的酥油集聚成池，宛然小千世界。

The two of them closely inspected the butter lamp. The lotus base of the lamp was exquisitely carved. The lotus leaves, stem, flower, and calyx on top of the base were all smooth, glossy, and lustrous as jade. The texture and color of the butter lamp was reddish green, giving emphasis to the vigor of the lotus seeds. In the middle of the calyx, a burning oil wick emitted a soft light. The melted butter had formed a pool exactly like some tiny cosmos.

兩人一再用手相測，好像都沒有得到預期的反應。這時，梵唱之聲突然大作，間雜著低沉的號角聲，聲聲敲入人心。兩人猶豫了片刻，轉身便向迴廊走去。

The two men repeatedly examined the lamp with their hands but didn’t seem to find what they’d expected. At this moment, the sound of sutras, loudly chanted, suddenly burst out, punctuated by the deep sound of horns. Each beat penetrated into the heart. The two of them hesitated for a moment, then turned around and headed for the corridor.

這時，有兩位喇嘛由東殿走來，那二人連忙閃身躲在柱後。李不俗尚在迴廊偷窺，見狀也忙不迭躲到一旁。

At this moment, two lamas approached from the East Hall. The two men quickly hid themselves behind a pillar. When Li Busu, who was still watching them from the corridor, saw this development, he hastily hid to one side.

等兩個喇嘛過去了，那二人快步走進東殿，李不俗亦步亦趨地也跟了過去。

After the two lamas had passed, the two men quickly walked into the East Hall. Li Busu followed them every step of the way.

這裡胡妁與文祥見了李不俗的舉動，疑心大起，如果他是去捉賊，見有喇嘛在前，何以反倒躲了起來？尊者見二人互望了一眼，便說：「李施主居心叵測，剛才所言，真假各半。正好藉這個機會，看看他究欲如何？」

When Hu Shuo and Wen Xiang saw what Li Busu was doing, they became very suspicious. If he was after the thieves, why did he hide himself when he saw the lamas? The sage saw the two of them exchange looks and he said, “Mr. Li’s intentions are not easy to fathom. What he said just now was half-true, half-false. Now is a good chance to see what he really wants.”

文祥問：「前面那兩個黑衣人呢？」

Wen Xiang asked, “How about those two people in black?”

尊者說：「他們已來過一次，好像是要偷什麼，又好像在找人。反正無害，只要沒犯大惡，寺廟本為眾生所設，一切也就隨他們了。」

The sage said, “They’ve been here once. And they seemed to be after something, or someone. Anyway, they’re harmless. This monastery was built for all living souls. Just so they don’t do anything evil, they’re free to do as they please.”

此時那兩個黑衣人已進入東殿的羅漢堂，二人在大堂中看了看，又退向一旁的廂房，開始一一細查。其中一個停了下來，伸出手來探查，慢慢走到一個大缸前，另外一個人也發覺了，兩個人同時伸手，在缸上探了又探，最後，兩個人跳了起來，合擊一掌。

By this time, the two individuals in black had entered the Lohan Chamber in the East Hall. They looked around the chamber and then went back to search the rooms on one side. One of them stopped and, reaching his hand out to check, slowly approached a large cauldron. The other person had noticed it, too, and together they extended their hands to inspect it. Finally, they both jumped up and did a high five.

就在此時，一個身材高大、全身密裹的黑衣人，由牆頭躍下，對二人喝道：「謝了！快給我滾開！」

At this time, a tall and burly man garbed in black jumped down from on top of the wall and shouted at them: “Thanks! Now get out of here!”

那二人見情勢不妙，立刻返身就逃。那黑衣人也不理會，逕自走到缸前。見缸上有一石蓋，他用力將石蓋一提，再往缸裡一探頭。突然間，他將石蓋往地上重重一擲，「咚」地一聲，石蓋應聲跌成兩半。他四週探望，好像又在找尋那兩個黑衣人，但遍尋未得。最後，他翻上院牆，跳牆而去。

When the two of them saw things weren’t right, they turned and ran. The man in black ignored them and went over to the cauldron. Perceiving it was covered with a stone lid, he struggled to lift it up and look inside the cauldron. Suddenly he hurled the stone lid to the ground with great force. With a loud crash the stone lid split in two. He looked about as if looking for the other two in black. However, after looking everywhere to no avail, he sprang up to the top of the wall and jumped out.

阿孟旺納悶地說：「奇怪，他們到底在找什麼呢？那個石缸是做酥油用的，裡面只剩一些殘渣。怎麼可能同時有幾組人馬，偷偷摸摸的，就為了找這點殘渣？」

Amengwang said in wonder, “That’s strange. What exactly are they looking for? The stone cauldron is used for making butter. Inside there’s nothing except a few remnants. How come several different groups of people sneaked in at the same time to look for these remnants?

文祥說：「可能是看錯了。」

Wen Xiang said, “Maybe they were looking in the wrong place.”

阿孟旺說：「不，他們還戴著手套，對了！有可能是在找硅長石，這種石頭在做酥油時，分子結構會有變化，我們的工作人員平常也是戴手套測試的。」

Amengwang said, “No. They were wearing gloves. That’s right! Maybe they were looking for felsite. When felsite is used to make butter, its molecular structure will undergo some changes. Usually our staff will also wear gloves when testing.”

文祥問道：「尊者說有幾組人馬？眼下只有兩批。」

Wen Xiang asked, “Did you say there were several groups? But there have only been two so far.”

阿孟旺說：「再看下去就知道了。」

Amengwang said, “Keep on watching and you’ll see.”

圓光再向左移動，一會兒，那兩個矮小的黑影又出現了。顯然他們並未死心，等那人離開了，他們一再四處查看，最後又走近石缸。一個人站在缸旁，另一人從身邊取出一個工具，上身彎入缸中，過了一會，取出幾片巴掌大的泥塊。

The circle of light moved to the left. In a moment, the two small black shadows reappeared. Apparently, they weren’t giving up. When the other man had gone, they once again searched in every corner. Finally, they went back to the stone cauldron. As one man stood beside the caldron, the other took out a tool and bent over the mouth of the caldron. A few moments later, he took out several lumps of mud the size of a man’s hand.

兩個人一再驗證，最後將泥塊收入背袋中。正打算離去，院內突然燈火通明，一個喇嘛越眾而出，笑道：

The two of them checked and re-checked. Finally, they put the lumps of mud in their backpacks and prepared to leave. Suddenly, the entire courtyard was brightly lit. A lama stepped forth from the crowd and smilingly said:

「兩位施主辛苦了，早知道只是要這塊缸底，送給施主豈不皆大歡喜嗎？」

“The two of you have had a hard night. If we’d known you wanted these dregs from the cauldron we’d have given them to you. Wouldn’t everyone have been happy then?”

兩個黑衣人一句話也不說，轉身往院牆奔去。早有幾位喇嘛健步追上，一把抓住，將二人押到為首的喇嘛面前來。

The two men in black didn’t utter a single word. They spun about and raced for wall. Several lamas had already rushed up and seized them. The two of them were dragged before the head lama.

喇嘛說：「施主是敬酒不吃吃罰酒！先把東西還給我！」

The lama said, “I offered you peace but you wanted war! First, return that to me!"

那兩人顯然非常倔強，昂首不顧。

Obviously the two individuals were very stubborn. The raised their heads and ignored the lama.

喇嘛口中哼了一聲，下令道：「搜！」

The Lama growled and gave an order: “Search them!”

兩個喇嘛領命，分別走到二人面前，伸手便要往二人身上搜查。

Obeying his command, the lamas walked up the two individuals and reached out to search them.

只聽其中一人突然大叫：「不要臉！大和尚欺負女孩！」

One of them suddenly shouted, “For shame! A big monk like you picking on a young girl!”

這話一出，全場震驚，那搜身的喇嘛嚇得向後跳開一步，呆楞在那裡。

These words startled everyone present. The lama who was about to search the person was so shocked that he stepped backward, dumbfounded.

文祥一聽那聲音，是衣紅！他的心要跳出來了。突然圓光中一陣混亂，一隻響箭由牆外射進來，緊接著一道道火光冒起，四五個人同時由黑暗中躍入院內。寺中喇嘛人人都有一身功夫，平時苦無用武之地，一見有外人來襲，一個個都撩衣奮臂，猱身而上。幾組人馬就在院中，虎虎生風地鬥成一片。

As soon as Wen Xiang heard that voice, he knew it was Yi Hong! His heart almost leaped from his throat. Suddenly there was a commotion in the circle of light. A howling arrow sped in from outside the wall, closely followed by the glitter of fires breaking out as 4 or 5 people simultaneously leaped down from the darkness and into the courtyard. Every lama in the monastery was skilled in the techniques of fighting. During normal times they were unhappy because there was no chance for them to use these skills. As soon as they saw they were being attacked by outsiders, they rolled up their sleeves and closed with the enemy. Several groups of mounted men were fiercely struggling in the courtyard.

趁著兵荒馬亂，衣紅向褲白大叫一聲：「快跑！」兩個人很有默契，一左一右，正要回身。卻有一位喇嘛大步過來，一把抓住衣紅的衣領，喝聲：「看你往哪裡逃！」，順手扯下她的臉罩，又將背袋奪了過去。

Taking advantage of the struggle, Yi Hong shouted to Ku Bai, “Quick, run!” The two of them had a tacit understanding. One would go left and the other to the right, but just as they were about to turn, a lama came over with long strides and grabbed Yi Hong’s collar. “Where do you think you’re going?”, he