第五十五章 续火
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纹路已经爬到指节——像这段路,替他把火往骨里又喂了一程。
“碎骸三重。“杜心瑶收剑,声音里带着不易察觉的颤,“你刚才那一下,是在用命换境。“
“嗯。“陈默拣起锁,收刀回鞘,看了那纹路一眼,“路还长。走吧,天亮前赶到断角集。“
第三天晌午,路到了头。
路的尽头是洼地,洼地里蹲着一片灰瓦房——百来间屋挤成一团,只留一条窄巷,巷口一盏灯,大白天也点着。最中间那座屋的檐下钉着块木牌,刻着两个字,油还没干:
断角。
陈默站在巷口,怀里的锁烫了一下。两粒暗金光在锁孔里轻轻一跳,像在应门首那盏灯。
“慢着。“杜心瑶按住他的肩,“巷口扫过三次——有人知道我们要来,来得比我们早。“
陈默低头看,巷口的土扫得干干净净,一片落叶都没有。断角集的规矩他不知道,可这种“有人等“的感觉,让他心里那根弦一紧。
(本章未完,请点击下一页继续阅读)第五十五章续火(第2/2页)
巷里传来一声咳嗽,一个佝偻老妪拄着枣木拐走出来,拐头铜钱叮当作响。她到巷口,先看那把锁,看了很久,才哑着嗓子开口:“三十一年没人带锁来过了。上一次来的是姓白的;他走时断了一角在我这儿,说锁完门就来取——他没来。“她抬起眼,“换了你来取?“
“晚辈不替他取角。“陈默说,“只想问一件事——他三十年前来断角集,是来做什么的?“
老妪看着他,忽然笑了,笑得没声,像一扇年久失修的门:“来续火。“
“续火?“
“火种跟灯一个道理——烧久了会瘦,瘦了就要添油。第七层那炉火三十年一续,管三十年。三十年前白先生来续过一回,说锁完门就回来再续——他没回来。“老妪用拐点了点地面,“断角集,就是替那炉火看添油的地方。你来,是带着火来的,还是带着麻烦来的?“
陈默看着那盏白天点着的灯,忽然明白了那句口信——“熔骨为魂,百年不过一炉火“。白前辈让他转的话,都是这炉火的账。
“晚辈带了一把锁来。“他说,“锁里有两粒火,是刚从三十一年前挖回来的。晚辈想知道——它们算是‘火‘,还是算‘麻烦‘?“
老妪的目光落在他怀里那把锁上,落了很久,转身往屋里走,声音从背上传回来:“进来说。火不进灶膛,在外面站着,一会儿就不是火,是火了——老身这把骨头,可不想被烧了。“
陈默跟进去,屋里黑,一盏油灯。老妪在桌后坐下,推过来一卷纸:“三十年前白先生来续火,留了张字条。他说,若有人带信来断角集,就把字条给他。“她看着陈默,“信呢?“
陈默从怀里摸出那封信。信封皮已经泛黄,封口处压着一枚火漆印,印纹是一个“炼“字。他按柳逐风的叮嘱一直没有拆。
老妪接过信,却没有急着看,先就着灯把信皮翻过来,凑近看了很久,眉头拧起来。
“这封信,被人拆过。“
陈默的手,微微一僵:“先生说什么?“
“火漆是新的,印子却旧了。“老妪把信举到灯下,“你看这道边——手指翻过封口的褶子,压了又压,是拆完再封的。封痕是三十一年前执事殿文吏的封缄法。“她放下信,浑浊的眼里浮起些说不清的东西,“会这手法的文吏,断角集只见过一个,姓白。他拆信的手艺,不是死人的,是活人的。“
陈默站在灯下,忽然觉得那盏油灯的光冷得厉害。会封缄法的姓白文吏——白先生兄长,死在备役房,宗门记的是“急病“。可这封痕是拆完再封,用的是他的手法。拆信的人,要么是他本人,要么是另一个人。
“先生的意思,“陈默的声音压得很低,“信的内容,三十一年前就有人读过了?“
“封口拆得干净,拆的人读没读,老身不知道。“老妪说,“可老身知道——白先生留的字条上说,这封信是留给‘锁完门的人‘的。锁完门的人会带信来断角集,让老身把字条给他。三十一年前锁完门的是白先生本人。他没来,来的是你——你说,这信里写的,是锁门人要知道的事,还是开门人要知道的事?“
陈默没有答。他盯着那封信,忽然想起石室里那具白骨——兄长死前带着断角集的骨片,白先生锁门后把自己锁在井里三十年,柳逐风让他“别拆别丢“……这封信穿过三十一年,横在三人间。拆过它的人可能还活着。
“晚辈可以把信拆开吗?“他问。
“老身不管。“老妪把那卷字条推到他面前,“字条在这儿,你自己看。看完,拆不拆信,是你自己的账。“
陈默展开那卷纸。纸脆了,裂开一道缝,墨迹却还清楚。白先生的字,一笔一划,像凿在石头上:
“信到断角,火到炉膛。拆信即续火,续火即开
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