《沉睡魔咒》第9章

While it would have been nice to keep Diaval as a raven for a long period of time, Maleficent knew she needed him to inform her of goings-on in the kingdom. In the wake of her christening present to Aurora, Maleficent was eager to hear what Stefan would do to protect his infant daughter. So she continued to send Diaval on his reconnaissance missions and transform him when he returned.　

She didn't have to wait long for news.　

A few days after Aurora's celebration, Diaval flew back to the Faerie Mound. He landed in front of Maleficent's throne and hopped around, flapping his wings furiously until she transformed him. When he was human once more, he quickly filled in his mistress on what he had witnessed.

Stefan, it seemed, was not taking Maleficent's "gift" lightly. He'd ordered his men to gather all the spinning wheels in the kingdom and lock them in the dungeons. While the queen was not pleased, the king also had ordered the three pixies to whisk Aurora away from the kingdom. His hope was to keep her hidden and safe, protected by faerie magic and a lack of spinning wheels. Stefan thought no one but his closest advisors knew his plan. But of course, he was wrong. For Diaval had seen Knotgrass, Thistlewit, and Flittle on their way out of the kingdom. He had seen them use their magic to make themselves grow to the size of regular humans, and he had followed them while they made their way to a small cottage in the middle of the woods that surrounded the castle. Then, he told Maleficent.

When Diaval finally stopped talking, Maleficent shook her head. "Idiots," she said. Diaval nodded in agreement and then paused. He wasn't sure who she meant—the king and queen or the pixies themselves."Those three raising a baby? What a disaster! I must see this for myself."　

Maleficent stood, grabbing her staff, and began walking. Raising a hand, She turned Diaval back into a raven so he could keep up, and quickly made her way to the Thorn Wall at the edge of the Moors.Maleficent was capable of parting the thorny branches to allow herself passage between the human and faerie worlds. While she didn't like to leave the Moors, she had found herself beyond their borders too often of late. I don't want to make a habit of this, she thought as she walked through the Wall and let it close behind her. I'll just take a quick look at the baby and that will be all. Then I will be done. I'll let the curse play out and that will be that.

Following Diaval, who flew above and ahead of Maleficent, she made her way deeper and deeper into the human forest. After a while, the pair arrived at a clearing. In the middle stood a small cottage with a thatched roof and white sides crisscrossed with brown beams. It was clear that the cottage had been abandoned for quite some time. Upon closer inspection Maleficent could make out holes in the thatch, and weeds grew tall among what once had been an herb garden. Hidden in the shadows of the trees that surrounded the clearing, Maleficent watched as the pixies, now big and awkward in their new bodies, stumbled about, trying to spruce upthe place and quickly make it homey and inviting.

Maleficent peered through the window and saw baby Aurora tucked in her bassinet, sleeping peacefully. Her lip curled back as she gazed at the baby's soft, rosy cheeks. She looked a bit bigger than when she'd last seen her, a bit plumper, maybe, but just as beautiful. "I could almost feel sorry for it." Beside her, Diaval nodded his raven head.

Suddenly, Aurora opened her eyes and looked directly at Maleficent. In response, Maleficent made a mean face at the baby. Aurora smiled. Maleficent made an even meaner face. Aurora laughed and began to clap her hands.

"I hate you," Maleficent said.

She was about to try to make the scariest face she could when she heard the loud bustle of the three pixies approaching. Quickly, she backed away from the window.

The three pixies entered Aurora's room and made their way to the bassinet. Immediately, the baby began to cry. Maleficent listened as the pixies argued among themselves about what they should do before finally deciding Aurora was hungry. They then proceeded to plop a whole banana, apple, and orange in with the baby before walking out of the room. Aurora's screams grew louder.

"It's going to starve with those three looking after it," Maleficent muttered. But that's not my problem, she added silently. She turned and walked away, her shoulders tense until the sound of Aurora's cries finally faded.

For the next few weeks, Aurora was the least of Maleficent's concerns, though she knew Diaval visited the baby every day. What he did while he was there, she didn't know. But it felt a bit like a betrayal, in any event.　

Nevertheless, Maleficent's focus was on King Stefan and his castle. On a daily basis she heard reports from Diaval that Stefan was said to be going mad in the wake of her curse. He was paranoid. Convinced that Maleficent would come back any day to wreak further damage and destruction, he had all his soldiers at the ready. He sent them to the Thorn Wall over and over again, hoping they could chop it down. Once, the soldiers had even catapulted large fireballs, trying to burn it down. But the Wall remained impenetrable, just as Maleficent had planned, and the thorny vines stopped the greedy humans in their tracks.

One morning, as Maleficent sat on her throne, contemplating how much things had changed since that long-ago day when she had met Stefan at the jewel pool, Diaval landed on the Mound. Transforming him back into a man, Maleficent waited for his daily report.

"You saw nothing?" she asked when he finished his report.

Diaval shook his head. "No, mistress," he said softly, aware that this would not make Maleficent happy. "The castle is locked up tight. I couldn't see inside." He went on to explain that in fear of another visit from Maleficent, Stefan had ordered windows to be boarded up, the drawbridge to be raised, and all entrances to be guarded by double the men. He was not taking any chances.

Maleficent's fist clenched tightly around the top of her staff. She despised Stefan. Pure and simple. "He's hiding from me," she said, sneering. "He always was a coward. Fine. Let him rot in there. His child is doomed and there's nothing he can do about it."

Standing beside her, Diaval kept quiet, waiting for Maleficent to do what she always inevitably did—turn him into a raven so he wouldn't ask questions or bother her. Maleficent felt his gaze on her but ignored it. Lately, she hadn't wanted to transform him. She knew that he would go and visit Aurora as soon as he had wings. And for some reason, that irked Maleficent.　

Growing impatient, Diaval tapped Maleficent on the shoulder to get her attention. Turning, she looked down at the spot where his fingers had brushed her shoulder, an unreadable expression on her face. "What is it?" she asked.　

"Aren't you going to change me?" he retorted.

"Why?" Maleficent queried, curious if he would tell her the real reason.　

But instead of saying he wanted to see Aurora, he replied, "I prefer my own form."　

Shrugging, Maleficent waved her hand and transformed Diaval back into a raven. With a caw, he rose into the air and began to fly away. But Maleficent's voice stopped him. "Diaval," she called. Veering, he flew back. When he was once more in front of her, she added, "Are you going to stay close or do I have to put you in a cage?"　

His feathers ruffled, Diaval flew over and landed on top of Maleficent's staff. It seemed his trip to the cottage would have to wait.

虽然玛琳菲森觉得让迪艾瓦的乌鸦嘴闭得久一点比较好，但她还是需要他继续带回人类王国的事态进展。给爱洛的洗礼送去礼物之后，她已经迫不及待地想要知道斯戴芬会怎样保护他那幼小的女儿。所以她继续派迪艾瓦前往城堡侦察，回来后再将他变为人形。

她不用等太久，就能得到消息了。

在爱洛的庆典结束几天后，迪艾瓦飞回了精灵丘。他停在玛琳菲森的王座前，不停地跳来跳去，猛烈地扑打着双翅，直到玛琳菲森让他变身。一变成人形，他便立刻向女主人汇报他所看到的一切。

看起来，斯戴芬对玛琳菲森的这个“礼物”大为紧张。他命令手下搜集国内所有的纺车，然后锁进地牢。国王还命令三个魔法仙子将爱洛带离王宫，尽管这让皇后很不开心。他希望将女儿藏到安全的地方，远离纺车，还要用仙子的魔法保护她周全。斯戴芬自以为除了他最贴身的心腹，没有人知晓他的计划。显然，他错了。因为红叶、蓝果和绿蕨仙子们离开王国的时候，被迪艾瓦看见了。他看见她们用魔法将自己变成正常人类大小，他又跟着她们来到了一间小屋，就在城堡周围的树林中间。然后，他告诉了玛琳菲森。

迪艾瓦说完以后，玛琳菲森摇了摇头，说道：“一群白痴。”迪艾瓦点头表示赞同，接着又停住了。他不确定她是在说谁白痴—国王、皇后，还是魔法仙子。“让那三个养一个婴儿？真是一塌糊涂！我得亲自去看看。”

玛琳菲森站起身，抓过魔杖走下王座。她一抬手，将迪艾瓦变回乌鸦，好让他能跟上，然后快速向着摩尔森林边界的荆棘墙走去。玛琳菲森自是能够顺利通过两国之间的荆棘墙的。尽管她不喜欢离开摩尔森林，但近来她发现自己往来边界太频繁了。她穿过高墙关闭身后的通道时心想，我不想把这变成一种习惯。我只是想看一眼那个孩子，没有别的。然后我就完成任务了。我将让魔咒继续上演，就是这样。

跟着飞在前方的迪艾瓦，她慢慢走进了人类森林的深处。不久之后，两人来到了一块空地上，一间小屋立在中间。小屋有着茅草屋顶，白色的墙边，棕色的顶梁纵横交错。很显然，这屋子被遗弃很久了。玛琳菲森仔细地视察了一番，她发现屋顶上有些漏洞，原来的香草园成了杂草丛生的庭院。她藏身在空地旁的树林里，看着三个魔法仙子磕磕碰碰地用她们现在那又大又笨拙的身子收拾房间，好让屋子尽快变得舒适怡人。

玛琳菲森透过窗户向内看去，小爱洛正在摇篮里静静地睡着。看到孩子那柔软、红润的脸颊，玛琳菲森抿了抿嘴唇。和上次见面的时候相比，她长大了一些，可能也胖了一些，不过依旧那样美丽。“我几乎都有点后悔了。”迪艾瓦在她身旁，点了点乌鸦头。

突然，爱洛睁开了眼睛，直视着玛琳菲森。玛琳菲森做了个丑陋的鬼脸回应她，爱洛笑了。玛琳菲森扮了个更加丑陋的鬼脸，爱洛大笑起来，还拍起了手。

玛琳菲森说：“我讨厌你。”

她本来要做个最恐怖的鬼脸吓唬她，可是她听到三个魔法仙子的喧闹声越来越近，便很快从窗边隐去了身形。

三个魔法仙子来到爱洛的房间，走向摇篮，爱洛立刻哭了起来。玛琳菲森听见仙子们在争论到底该怎么办，最后才觉得孩子应该是饿了。她们取来整只的香蕉、苹果和橘子，一股脑全扔到爱洛身上，然后就离开了房间。爱洛哭得更厉害了。

玛琳菲森嘀咕道：“按她们三个这样照顾下去，迟早会把她饿死。”不过这也跟我没关系，她心想。她转身走开了，一直绷着肩膀，直到爱洛的哭声渐渐消失不见。

接下来的几周，玛琳菲森完全不关心爱洛，不过她知道迪艾瓦每天都会去看那个孩子的。她不知道他在那做了些什么。可是不管怎样，都有种被背叛的感觉。

虽然如此，玛琳菲森的注意力还是放在斯戴芬国王和他的城堡上。她从迪艾瓦的每日汇报中得知，斯戴芬据说已经被她的魔咒折磨疯了，成了偏执的妄想狂。他深信玛琳菲森定会回来复仇，带来更多的伤害和毁灭，所以他让所有的士兵都随时待命。他一次又一次地派兵攻打荆棘墙，希望能砍倒它。有一次，士兵们向荆棘墙射出了许多大火球，企图将其烧毁。但是荆棘墙还是坚不可摧，就像玛琳菲森预计的那样，布满荆棘的枝条成功阻挡了贪婪人类的进攻。

一天早上，玛琳菲森坐在王座上回想着自从很久以前在珍宝湖遇见斯戴芬以来，都发生了哪些变化。迪艾瓦落在了精灵丘上。她将他变为人形，等着他的每日汇报。

当他结束汇报后，她问道：“你什么也没见到？”

迪艾瓦摇了摇头：“没有，夫人。”他轻声回答，知道她听见这些会不高兴，“城堡关得紧紧的，我看不到里面。”他继续解释道，斯戴芬怕玛琳菲森再次到来，下令关闭所有门窗，升起吊桥，将所有出入口的卫兵数量加倍。他不打算冒任何风险。

玛琳菲森紧紧握住魔杖顶端，对斯戴芬满是鄙视：单纯又愚蠢。她轻蔑地说：“他在躲我，他从来就是个懦夫。好吧。就让他烂在里面好了。他孩子的命运已经被注定了，他怎么也改变不了。”

迪艾瓦安静地站在她旁边，等着玛琳菲森的必行之举—将他变回鸟身，这样他就不会问问题来烦她了。玛琳菲森感受到了他的注视，不过她并没有理会。近来，她不大想将他变回去。她知道一旦他有了翅膀，他就会去看爱洛。出于某些原因，这让玛琳菲森很恼火。

迪艾瓦等不及了，他轻拍玛琳菲森的肩膀以吸引她的注意。玛琳菲森转身瞥了一眼肩膀被他指尖扫过的地方，脸上的表情难辨莫测。她问：“怎么了？”

他回嘴道：“你不准备把我变回去吗？”

玛琳菲森反问他：“为什么？”她对他是否会说出真实原因很是好奇。

不过他没说想去看爱洛，而是说：“我更喜欢自己本来的 样子。”

玛琳菲森耸了耸肩，一挥手将他变回了乌鸦。他呱地叫了一声，展翅而起，准备离开，却被玛琳菲森的一声“迪艾瓦”给拦了下来。他又折返飞了回来。当他再次回到她跟前时，她继续说：“你是想和我寸步不离呢，还是想被关进笼子里呢？”

他羽毛直竖，飞了过来停在了玛琳菲森的魔杖上。看起来他去小屋的计划要往后推了。