"Theysayhe’sbeenintherainandwindallnight,sometimesmutteringunderhisbreath,sometimesshoutingatthetopofhisvoicelikeamadman.”Wheothefrontofthecrowd，Dimitrisawamansittingoonebenfrontofthefastfoodrestaurant．Itoleon，theowheradio,themanwhohadsharedthebusstopshelterwithhimthenightbefore．Hewasabouttocallouttohim．"HeyNapoleon,whatareyoudoinghere?"whenhewasstoppedbyanauthoritativevoicesaying，
"Don’ttouchhim．He’sdead.”DimitrilookedcarefullyatNapoleon．Hisopeneyesweregzed,butstillshowedhisbitternessandanimosity．Raindropsglistenedonhisshesandthesunshinewasstillcastinghisshadowontheground．Butquicklytheshadoearedforeverfromthefaceoftheearthashisfleshbodywascarriedintotheambunce．
WhenNapoleonboltedoutofthebusstopshelterihenightbefore，hedashedheadlongintotherainwithinationinmind．Rainandwindpoundeddownonhim，soakinghimtotheskin．Heshiveredandmarveledhowsomuchwatercouldpourdownfromtheheavens．Rainwassuoneverydayphehatuntilnowhehoughtofthemajesticmarvelofit．Napoleonwalkedonthinking，
"Thisfleshbodywillsoonnolongerbelongtome．Whenitisdestroyed,wherewillIbe?WillIbedestroyedalongwithit，orwillIexistindepeofit?OnlyGodknowstheanswer.IsthereaGod?WhoknowsifHeexistsornot.Idon’tbelieveinHim.Iamfoolishindeed．ButifhedoesandIdobelieveinHim，Iwouldbemorefoolishstill．IfHedoesandIdon’tbelieveinHim，Iamawiseman．IfHedoesexistandIdobelieveinHim，Iwouldbethewisestmanofall．Butnow，wiseorfoolish，itisirrelevanttomebecausemyfleshbodywillsooroyedandImaybedestroyedalongwithit.”Ashewalkedonhesawunknownflowerstinuingtobloominthecoldandtherain．
"Whokeepthemfrombeingborntothisearth?Godotdetermihofalifebyhisloveorhate．IswearbythunderandlighteningthatonedayIwillbebackagainonthisearth!"
Dimitriwalkedinadazeonthequiet，sunny，solitarystreet．Hisshadowcastonthegroundbythesunlightfolloweditsmaserassiduouslystepbystep．Fromtimetotime，Dimitrilookeddownontheshadowbyhisside，asifonlybydoingso，couldheassurehimselfitwasstillthere．Hethought，
"Myshadowhasfollowedmeallitslife．Heismymostdevotedservantneveraskinganythingofme,butfollowihfullythoughIamonlyapabond.Buthowlongitholdout?Oneday，itwilldisappearfromthisearthjustasNapoleon’sshadowdid．Ahyes!Allfleshbodieswillourntoashes．Theendoflifeisextiniernaldarkness．WherehasNapoleoonow?Isthelifeatinuationofthisone?I’dratherbelieveience,forotherwisewhatisthemeaningofourlifehereoh?Butroveit?Wouldn’titbetoofoolishifIpinallmyhopesolifeandoverlookthepleasuresofthefleshbodyinthisworld?Butroveitdoesexist?"Dimitrishookhisheademphatically，"Whytroublemyselfwiththisenigmatidunsolvablequestion?Thesunshineissht．Thoughitiswinter，flowersarestillbloomingandmybodytemperatureisstillwarm.Thinknomoreofsuchtroublesomeproblems．PerhapsonlyaftermydeathwillIknowtheaowhetherthelifeexists．Solet’sleavetheheavyloadtoJehovah．Hisretionshipwithhumansisassimpleandintimateasthatoftheshadowandthefleshbody.”
Inthequietofearlydawnthekewascalm，withonlyasuggestionofripplestomarthesmooth，mirror-likesurfatheterofthekecouldbeseentherefleofasolitarycloud,onwhichperchedageousnymphptingherownrefleoer，fulloffidence,seeminglysatisfiedwithherbeauty．Herfigureonthecloudandherrefleoerplementedeachotherlikeapairofbeautifultwinsisters．Herappearanceaddedaglowtothegray，foggym，likeabrightnterncheeringthegloomofdusk．Themonotonyoflifeinheaven,withitslimitlessskiesandaseaofrollingclouds，wasbrokenonlybythestatuaryrotationofthesun,themoonaars．Outsideofthattherewasoernalsilence．Shesighed，frustratedthatherbeautywasdoomedtoexistunappreciated．Perhapsthatpropelledhertorunawayfromherpavelopedbyrainbowandcloudsinthefarawayseventhheavenandcamedowhilytoldenauroralrayscamethroughthecloudsandthenymph’sgazerovedtowardstheshoreandfoundafamiliarfigureinabrownthreequartercoatandolivesafarihat.Sheseemedtofeespeciatattratowardsthatmediocre-lookingvagabond，whohelessemanatedanauraofamiablesuavity．Herheartrateacceleratedwiththefirstheadytasteofsweet，earthly，forbiddenlove．Shekhatthoughhewassufferingfromahugephysidmentalpain,hewasabletosublimateittoereasurestobestoredihofhisheart．TherehestructedforhimselfamysteriousKingdom,withnumerousbeautiesforpanions.Heseemedtoappreciatethem,reallygivethemtrue,tenderlove．Hehadanenormouscapacityforsweetearthlylovewhichmadehimaguardianandcustodianofthefairsex,agardenercultivatiicflowers，enabliobloomonforever．Herultimatedesire,whetherinheavehorinherfodreamswastobeabletoliveforeverwithamanlikeDimitri.Butas,asaspiritpossessingonlyanillusionaryimageandnofleshandbloodbody,suchearthlyblisswasbeyondherreach．Shecouldonlyhidebehindcloudsandlooklonginglydownatthehumansbelow．
Dimitrisatonthebenderthesunlight，lookingatNapoleon’sradio，thinkingabouttakingitapartandfixingithimself．Hehadbeenappreoariwhenhewasaboyandhadlearnttherudimentsofrepairiricappliances．
"Yes”hethought，"I’lldoitmyself．ThisradiobelongstoNapoleon．Heisnolongerhere,butImustdomybesttopreservehisproperty.I’tjustthrowitaway．It’sbroken，butit’sstillrepairable．I’mbrokentoo．IfIdidn’ttakeyself，I’dhavebeengonelongago.”Takingthebrokenradio，hebeganslowlytotakeitapart．Soontheradiowasbeingdismemberedanditspartsspreadovertheentirebenotasintricatebutsimirtothehumanbodyopenedupbythesurgeonontheoperationtable,theonlydifferehehumanbodyneededahesiawhenbeiedonandmaesdidn’t．Dimitriwasatalossastorongwiththeradio,forlikemedicalsce,modernteologyhadprogressedbyleapsandboundsandhefoundithardtoputitbacktogetheragain．
内容未完，下一页继续阅读