《4 breaking dawn破晓》第146章

other　two；　but　she　had　a　gift　for　knowing　when　she　was　being　lied　to；　and　her　verdicts　were　never　
contested。　Maggie　declared　that　Edward　spoke　the　truth；　and　so　Siobhan　and　Liam　accepted　our　story　
absolutely　before　even　touching　Renesmee。　
Amun　and　the　other　Egyptian　vampires　were　another　story。　Even　after　two　younger　members　of　his　
coven；　Benjamin　and　Tia；　had　been　convinced　by　Renesmee"s　explanation；　Amun　refused　to　touch　her　
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and　ordered　his　coven　to　leave。　Benjamin—an　oddly　cheerful　vampire　who　looked　barely　older　than　a　
boy　and　seemed　both　utterly　confident　and　utterly　careless　at　the　same　time—persuaded　Amun　to　stay　
with　a　few　subtle　threats　about　disbanding　their　alliance。　Amun　stayed；　but　continued　to　refuse　to　touch　
Renesmee；　and　would　not　allow　his　mate；　Kebi；　to　touch　her；　either。　It　seemed　an　unlikely　
grouping—though　the　Egyptians　all　looked　so　alike；　with　their　midnight　hair　and　olivetoned　pallor；　that　
they　easily　could　have　passed　for　a　biological　family。　Amun　was　the　senior　member　and　the　outspoken　
leader。　Kebi　never　strayed　farther　away　from　Amun　than　his　shadow；　and　I　never　heard　her　speak　a　
single　word。　Tia；　Benjamin"s　mate；　was　a　quiet　woman　as　well；　though　when　she　did　speak　there　was　
great　insight　and　gravity　to　everything　she　said。　Still；　it　was　Benjamin　whom　they　all　seemed　to　revolve　
around；　as　if　he　had　some　invisible　magism　the　others　depended　upon　for　their　balance。　I　saw　Eleazar　
staring　at　the　boy　with　wide　eyes　and　assumed　Benjamin　had　a　talent　that　drew　the　others　to　him。　
〃It"s　not　that；〃　Edward　told　me　when　we　were　alone　that　night。　〃His　gift　is　so　singular　that　Amun　is　
terrified　of　losing　him。　Much　like　we　had　planned　to　keep　Renesmee　from　Aro"s　knowledge〃—he　
sighed—〃Amun　has　been　keeping　Benjamin　from　Aro"s　attention。　Amun　created　Benjamin；　knowing　he　
would　be　special。〃　
〃What　can　he　do？〃　
〃Something　Eleazar"s　never　seen　before。　Something　I"ve　never　heard　of。　Something　that　even　your　shield　
would　do　nothing　against。〃　He　grinned　his　crooked　smile　at　me。　〃He　can　actually　influence　the　elements　
—earth；　wind；　water；　and　fire。　True　physical　manipulation；　no　illusion　of　the　mind。　Benjamin"s　still　
experimenting　with　it；　and　Amun　tries　to　mold　him　into　a　weapon。　But　you　see　how　independent　
Benjamin　is。　He　won"t　be　used。〃　
〃You　like　him；〃　I　surmised　from　the　tone　of　his　voice。　
〃He　has　a　very　clear　sense　of　right　and　wrong。　I　like　his　attitude。〃　
Amun"s　attitude　was　something　else；　and　he　and　Kebi　kept　to　themselves；　though　Benjamin　and　Tia　were　
well　on　their　way　to　being　fast　friends　with　both　the　Denali　and　the　Irish　covens。　We　hoped　that　Carlisle"s　
return　would　ease　the　remaining　tension　with　Amun。　
Emmett　and　Rose　sent　individuals—any　nomad　friends　of　Carlisle"s　that　they　could　track　down。　
Garrett　came　first—a　tall；　rangy　vampire　with　eager　ruby　eyes　and　long　sandy　hair　he　kept　tied　back　
with　a　leather　thong—and　it　was　apparent　immediately　that　he　was　an　adventurer。　I　imagined　that　we　
could　have　presented　
him　with　any　challenge　and　he　would　have　accepted；　just　to　test　himself。　He　fell　in　quickly　with　the　Denali　
sisters；　asking　endless　questions　about　their　unusual　lifestyle。　I　wondered　if　vegetarianism　was　another　
challenge　he　would　try；　just　to　see　if　he　could　do　it。　
Mary　and　Randall　also　came—friends　already；　though　they　did　not　travel　together。　They　listened　to　
Renesmee"s　story　and　stayed　to　witness　like　the　others。　Like　the　Denalis；　they　considered　what　they　
would　do　if　the　Volturi　did　not　pause　for　explanations。　All　three　of　the　nomads　toyed　with　the　idea　of　
standing　with　us。　
Of　course；　Jacob　got　more　surly　with　each　new　addition。　He　kept　his　distance　when　he　could；　and　when　
he　couldn"t　he　grumbled　to　Renesmee　that　someone　was　going　to　have　to　provide　an　index　if　anyone　
expected　him　to　keep　all　the　new　bloodsuckers1names　straight。*　
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Carlisle　and　Esme　returned　a　week　after　they　had　gone；　Emmett　and　Rosalie　just　a　few　days　later；　and　
all　of　us　felt　better　when　they　were　home。　Carlisle　brought　one　more　friend　home　with　him；　though　friend　
might　have　been　the　wrong　term。　Alistair　was　a　misanthropic　English　vampire　who　counted　Carlisle　as　his　
closest　acquaintance；　though　he　could　hardly　stand　a　visit　more　than　once　a　century。　Alistair　very　much　
preferred　to　wander　alone；　and　Carlisle　had　called　in　a　lot　of　favors　to　get　him　here。　He　shunned　all　
pany；　and　it　was　clear　he　didn"t　have　any　admirers　in　the　gathered　covens。　
The　brooding　darkhaired　vampire　took　Carlisle　at　his　word　about　Renesmee"s　origins；　refusing；　like　
Amun；　to　touch　her。　Edward　told　Carlisle；　Esme；　and　me　that　Alistair　was　afraid　to　be　here；　but　more　
afraid　of　not　knowing　the　oute。　He　was　deeply　suspicious　of　all　authority；　and　therefore　naturally　
suspicious　of　the　Volturi。　What　was　happening　now　seemed　to　confirm　all　his　fears。　
〃Of　course；　now　they"ll　know　i　was　here；〃　we　heard　him　grumble　to　himself　in　the　attic—his　preferred　
spot　to　sulk。　〃No　way　to　keep　it　from　Aro　at　this　point。　Centuries　on　the　run；　that"s　what　this　will　mean。　
Everyone　Carlisle"s　talked　to　in　the　last　decade　will　be　on　their　list。　I　can"t　believe　I　got　myself　sucked　into　
this　mess。　What　a　fine　way　to　treat　your　friends。〃　
But　if　he　was　right　about　having　to　run　from　the　Volturi；　at　least　he　had　more　hope　of　doing　that　than　the　
rest　of　us。　Alistair　was　a　tracker；　though　not　nearly　as　precise　and　efficient　as　Demetri。　Alistair　just　felt　an　
elusive　pull　toward　whatever　he　was　seeking。　But　that　pull　would　be　enough　to　tell　him　which　direction　to　
run—the　opposite　direction　from　Demetri。　
And　then　another　pair　of　unexpected　friends　arrived—unexpected；　because　neither　Carlisle　nor　Rosalie　
had　been　able　to　contact　the　Amazons。　
〃Carlisle；〃　the　taller　of　the　two　very　tall　feline　women　greeted　him　when　they　arrived。　Both　of　them　
seemed　as　if　they"d　been　stretched—long　arms　and　legs；　long　fingers；　long　black　braids；　and　lon