小兄弟來到正在用上等桃木屑燻火腿、香氣馥郁的廚房。兩人爬上粗木長凳,趴在坑坑洞洞的餐桌上靜靜看著最後排班的男僕,在彌散著肉香的煙霧中忙進忙出。一位女傭將長老們用剩的法國麵包收回來,裝在舖著格紋保溫布的藤織籃子裡,一晃眼看見他們,露出混雜著厭惡與憐憫的怪異表情,扭過身去用力一把將籃子放下。388Please respect copyright.PENANAZbWQ6QmwZD
388Please respect copyright.PENANAAUNiIxIGAu
「幹什麼?」男人問她。388Please respect copyright.PENANAR19LPmdRdh
388Please respect copyright.PENANAx0QlpwPBAg
「怪物之家的小鬼頭來了,你拿這些剩麵包餵他們。」女人邊說,邊三腳兩步走開。388Please respect copyright.PENANAujNRzJftWA
388Please respect copyright.PENANAnc4zUEg50b
男僕拋給她「骯髒差事妳偏偏要叫我做就對了」的眼神,知道她沒在看,嘆了口氣。小兄弟口水直流,眼巴巴地看著他。388Please respect copyright.PENANA7IvIDbhZRY
388Please respect copyright.PENANAW2CMoIFBHB
男僕不敢直視他們,喃喃自語:「別詛咒我,我也只是聽你們父親之命行事,要怪就怪你們偏偏生在這個家族。邪惡的怪物就該吃和怪物匹配的東西。」388Please respect copyright.PENANA90jQ5Hotox
388Please respect copyright.PENANApZZVfQgbK1
一會兒工夫,桌面擺上一大一小兩盤圓蓋覆蓋著的銀盤。小雅各布面前放著大主菜盤,基德面前則擺著一落剩下的法國麵包、果醬刮刀、和被略小的圓銀蓋覆住的中型沾醬盤。雅各布迫不及待地揭開他面前的大蓋一看——388Please respect copyright.PENANAvTnWiiLLPZ
388Please respect copyright.PENANANBGfSZDz0e
「嗚……都是乾掉的死老鼠。」388Please respect copyright.PENANAVBD9x2UCRf
388Please respect copyright.PENANANIujfFZFXG
「看樣子弟弟又惹爸爸生氣了。」基德無奈。388Please respect copyright.PENANAFkeD19dueR
388Please respect copyright.PENANA2YBWvzixuY
雅各布頭低低地把那盤臭油黑污的老鼠推遠,靠著哥哥的身體,縮起背來委屈地哭。基德小心地揭開他盤子上的圓銀蓋,從縫隙中覷見他的「沾醬」——頭蓋骨被削掉一半的猴子,一雙猴眼珠被挖出來用竹籤串成雞尾酒櫻桃狀,綴在淋著不明液體的裸露猴腦上面。他立刻反胃地把蓋子蓋回去。388Please respect copyright.PENANAqTbE2s4lQH
388Please respect copyright.PENANAhho04yNiRs
「哥哥,你的晚餐是什麼,我可以看看嗎?」雅各布揉揉哭紅的眼睛。388Please respect copyright.PENANAAjtHYmAVM8
388Please respect copyright.PENANAfvvKXkJhbZ
「沒什麼好看的,我不想吃了。麵包通通給你吃吧,小心點,不要被人發現。」388Please respect copyright.PENANAcB9P1gj5wk
388Please respect copyright.PENANAUj5GYOwh1C
基德小心地把麵包撕成小碎片。哥哥覷著僕人都不想面對他們兄弟,得空閃得一乾二淨,四下無人,將軟的部分餵給幼弟,邊邊硬的地方則用嘴稍微含軟了再餵給他。待雅各布把麵包吃乾淨,小基德才把仍然在喊餓不肯爬樓梯的小弟弟揹回房。388Please respect copyright.PENANA4M8fdiKLKu
388Please respect copyright.PENANA3YIJImlpKO
僕人們怕這兩小傢伙單獨撞見他們母親,只會引發無窮騷亂,便在族長的默許下把兩兄弟趕到舊閣樓去住。閣樓板門發著聒耳的聲音打開,兩人看見花兔早已掙脫紙盒自己跑出來,蹲坐在床上。基德教弟弟拿蔬菜類廚餘桶裡的蘿蔔渣跟粗萵苣餵牠。花毛小兔子遲疑了半天,終於鬍鬚大動,咀嚼起來。388Please respect copyright.PENANAgnM7y94sHN
388Please respect copyright.PENANA2YIKaRzRnD
「真的不能養牠嘛?」雅各布看哥哥拿出一疊舊衣服,幫兔子舖了一張床,道。388Please respect copyright.PENANAVpTJHQRodv
388Please respect copyright.PENANAr8hDRgBySO
「留在這裡牠遲早會變成我的『作業』,我們不能讓牠死掉,明天……」小基德沉吟,「明天一早,趁大家還在睡覺,我們把牠放生到爸爸的酒莊葡萄園裡。我跟家教老師說,我把牠弄丟了就好了。」388Please respect copyright.PENANAFyuoCuJzh8
388Please respect copyright.PENANA1Y0ZQrlwxa
「哥哥會被揍扁的……」小雅各布含著眼淚道。388Please respect copyright.PENANAYPO7L02wc3
388Please respect copyright.PENANA3AI5Hz4iRV
「爸爸的酒莊裡長著一望無際的葡萄,只要沒有工人在那裏,我們可以吃到開心為止。兔子以後也不愁吃了。」388Please respect copyright.PENANAieUInw5Zif
388Please respect copyright.PENANAxH2ZGAPbBg
聽到兔子不愁吃,雅各布只好作罷。基德掀起被子的一角,要弟弟進來懷裡。小雅各布悶在哥哥胸前,道:「只有哥哥對我好,我以後要跟哥哥結婚。」388Please respect copyright.PENANAYCgxsjhFey
388Please respect copyright.PENANAGlCHnCFHoA
「結婚是什麼意思?」388Please respect copyright.PENANA45s7Ln0Joh
388Please respect copyright.PENANAXqs1ByuEpz
「凡杜恩家族的阿姨們在聊天。她們說結婚就可以親親。」388Please respect copyright.PENANAsgGpJogGlm
388Please respect copyright.PENANAsEJ1rcpglr
「然後呢?」388Please respect copyright.PENANA7jFE6LSQ8m
388Please respect copyright.PENANApmBGTBdF7p
「不知道耶,我問阿姨能不能跟哥哥結婚,她們一直笑、一直笑。」388Please respect copyright.PENANAiVhwKu0cNM
388Please respect copyright.PENANAO0YhYVC1Q5
「那我跟弟弟你結婚,你會不會覺得好點?」小基德道,雅各布用力點點頭。基德對著小雅各布的嘴唇啄了一下。雅各布咂著嘴道:「親親的感覺好奇怪。」388Please respect copyright.PENANAO0hDRPAZPx
388Please respect copyright.PENANAJNj8nL0VCF
「睡吧,明天要早起。我們還要越過廣大的後院,一座小丘,才到得了酒莊。」388Please respect copyright.PENANAlWvnAtvrw8
388Please respect copyright.PENANAlqCnr35OQJ
「哥哥,再親親我一次。」388Please respect copyright.PENANAK1RLz1m6UU
388Please respect copyright.PENANA05VH2s921E
基德又親吻了他弟弟的小嘴,這次比較深一點,比較長一點,便翻身把床頭的小燈扭掉。蹲在一堆舊衣服上的花兔毛嘴微微歙動,珠圓黑眼睛看著這對兄弟。388Please respect copyright.PENANABsOrbQ3v8p
388Please respect copyright.PENANAaxnGmWp3f0
「哥哥,為什麼爸媽要叫傭人大哥大姊們賤民?為什麼大哥大姊說我們是怪物?我覺得我們跟他們沒什麼不一樣啊。」388Please respect copyright.PENANAVnBAWfLq4t
388Please respect copyright.PENANA6dKPIe5t9W
「弟弟咪,我不知道,我真的不知道。」388Please respect copyright.PENANA87bDBjtm31
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***388Please respect copyright.PENANAfGKlDwqlEJ
388Please respect copyright.PENANAmLRzqZLSOv
薄寒的清晨時分,小基德花了好大勁才把賴床的弟弟挖起來。羅斯柴爾德大邸的隔夜燈尚未熄滅,一星一點黃光浮在幽微的深宅霧影裡,昏昏映照蕨葉捲雕堆砌而成的長廊群柱,與蒼白的空間綿延,直到一切消失在晦澀不明的低彩度藍灰之中。388Please respect copyright.PENANA8zl5DB04JO
388Please respect copyright.PENANAL42upp8itg
小哥哥牽著小弟弟的手,走下朝花園扇展開來的磨光大理石階梯,帶他翻出樹籬笆。花兔從盒子縫中擠出毛腦袋,抬起鼻子嗅聞涼空氣,又縮了回去。388Please respect copyright.PENANAZhtdp0zjhL
388Please respect copyright.PENANA9XTcNq6hTA
小雅各布越過羅斯柴爾德私家狩獵場的丘陵,就嚷著腿疼不想走了,小基德只好把他背在身上。弟弟的小手臂環著哥哥的胸口,雙手依然將兔子盒握得牢牢。三不五時鑽出頭的迷你花兔,時不時干擾基德的視線,兩人就這樣每十幾公尺休息一下,最後抵達白霧籠罩的葡萄酒莊。388Please respect copyright.PENANAWXdD0GsxWD
388Please respect copyright.PENANAwpH4JWRC7W
雅各布把花兔放出來,道:「兔兔,快走,快點離開,去一個天天吃得飽的地方吧!」388Please respect copyright.PENANAa8ODaalEmt
388Please respect copyright.PENANAOyr362lEMn
兔子用後腳站立,垂著耳嗅聞周遭,又伏在地上聞聞土壤,遲疑地在泥土地左右轉悠好幾圈,蹦跳地竄入草叢中,消失了。388Please respect copyright.PENANAIV1gwVgVpD
388Please respect copyright.PENANAHHJakxiDUX
「兔子投奔自由,不會死掉了。」基德有點悲哀,若有所思地道。388Please respect copyright.PENANAREu2iETkUN
388Please respect copyright.PENANA0XCTYJNrc3
兄弟二人在成排深紫葡萄藤矮架中間漫無目的地遊蕩,基德沿路摘揀看上去熟軟的釀酒葡萄給雅各布當早餐。周圍的霧氣越來越濃密,彷彿應著誰的召喚,前來蒙蔽上天的眼睛。388Please respect copyright.PENANArvMhAymDTR
388Please respect copyright.PENANA1l7XL0nmEW
待續388Please respect copyright.PENANAN3sOtoJdyE