Chapter 8

chapter eight The skylight erupts in a million tiny shards, glass exploding around us like diamond confetti. The Howler plunges through—and my friends and I follow... My stomach does a roundoff, full-twisting, back- handspring layout that would for sure get me a perfect ten from any judges. But there are no judges—just hundreds of monsters, watching from every level of the mall. All eyes (and other optical orifices) are locked on us, as— SLAM! The Howler hits the floor like a bowling ball dropped onto concrete from a hundred stories up. I hit next—and I get lucky. I land on the one spot on the Howler's body not covered in armored scales: its belly. It's like a trampoline... sorta. Difference is, when you land on a trampoline you don't feel bone or muscle or what might be a spleen underneath. I mean, I'd hope. If you do, you got yourself a creepy-weird trampoline and you should probably see about getting a refund. "HEADS UP!"

第八章天窗迸裂成无数小碎片，玻璃在我们周围爆炸，像钻石五彩纸屑。 吼叫信跳进水里——我和我的朋友们跟在后面…… 我的胃做了一个圆润，完全扭转，后手弹起的布局，这肯定会让我从任何评委那里得到一个完美的10分。 但是这里没有法官——只有几百只怪物，在商场的每一层都在监视着。 所有的眼睛（和其他光学孔）都锁定在我们身上，砰！吼叫信像从一百层楼高的地方掉到水泥地上的保龄球一样落到地上。 我点击下一个，我很幸运。 我落在吼叫兽身上唯一没有被盔甲鳞片覆盖的地方：它的腹部。 就像蹦床一样……有几分。 不同的是，当你在蹦床上落地时，你感觉不到骨头或肌肉，或者下面可能是脾脏的东西。 我是说，我希望。如果你这么做了，你就买了一个诡异的蹦床，你应该考虑一下是否要退款。 “小心!”

I throw myself to the side as Dirk lands next, turning the Howler's bare gut into something like one of those inflatable blob-thingies at summer camp. Y'know, those things where one kid jumps and then the other kid is catapulted into a lake? It's like that... BOINK I'm not dead I get lucky again—launched toward the fountain, landing with a hard SPLASH. But it's not water in the fountain. I'm smacking my lips, trying to pin down the strange flavor when— SLAM! SLAM!

德克下一个降落时，我把自己扔到一边，把咆哮者裸露的内脏变成了夏令营里那些可充气的东西。 你知道，就是那种一个孩子跳下去，然后另一个孩子被弹射到湖里的游戏？ 就像这样……我没死，我又走运了——朝喷泉冲去，重重地扑通一声落地。 但这不是喷泉里的水。 我咂咂嘴唇，试着把那奇怪的味道固定住——砰！大满贯!

June and Quint hit the Howler's belly at the same moment. Then, together, June and Quint and Dirk are launched off the Howler's gut. They're tumbling through the air, then— splash, splash, splash, grape soda. That's what it is. We burst through the surface, and Quint's already pointing, planning. "It's hurt! Look!" A large, open wound is visible on the Howler's side —and the unmistakable stench of evil wafts off it. It stinks like a back-alley dumpster. The Howler lets out a throat-shredding shriek of rage, then rises—jaws snapping, tail swinging, talons digging into the cracked floor.

琼和昆特同时击中了吼叫信的肚子。 然后，琼、昆特和德克一起被扔出了吼叫信的肠子。 它们在空中翻滚，然后——扑通一声，扑通一声，葡萄汽水。 就是这样。我们冲破了水面，昆特已经在指点计划了。 “这是伤害!看!”在吼叫者的一侧，可以看到一个巨大的、开放的伤口——毫无疑问，邪恶的恶臭从伤口中散发出来。 臭气熏天的。 咆哮兽愤怒地发出一声喉咙被撕碎的尖叫，然后站了起来——下巴啪地一声，尾巴摇摆着，爪子伸进裂了缝的地板。

"Bad news, gang," I say. "I think he likes grape soda." "Well, he can have it," June says. We all slip and splash and fumble out of the fountain, just seconds before— KRAKA-SMASH! The Howler explodes through the fountain! Over the sound of bursting concrete and splashing grape soda, I hear a voice—a voice I haven't heard once during this entire attack. Go for the wound. evy yells. "Hey! That's what I was gonna say!" June growls.

“坏消息，伙计们，”我说。“我想他喜欢葡萄汽水。” “好吧，他可以拥有它，”琼说。 我们都滑倒了，溅起水花，从喷泉里摸索出来，就在几秒钟之前——喀啦喀啦！吼叫信炸穿了喷泉！在混凝土爆裂和葡萄苏打水飞溅的声音中，我听到了一个声音——一个在整个袭击过程中我从未听到过的声音。 去找伤口。产品喊道。 “嘿!这就是我要说的！”6月咆哮。

Quint immediately understands what Evie's up to— and he's mad. "Evie's loudly broadcasting combat strategies to make it appear as if she's figuring out how to save everyone. Instead of us!" "ANY MOMENT, THESE INNOCENT MONSTERS WILL BE SLAUGHTERED!" Evie shouts. "PLEASE, JACK, YOU SNIVELING COWARD! STOP BEING A SNIVELING COWARD AND DO AS I SAY! YA COWARD." My jaw cracks in anger. I'd like to climb up to Evie's cozy Food Court fortress and give her a piece of my mind. Not an important piece, like all the stuff you need to do to finally get the Biggoron's Sword in Ocarina of Time. Some piece of my mind I don't use. State birds or something. "Car!" Quint suddenly cries, pointing. "Big car! Big car incoming!" The Howler's ax-tail has just sliced through a fancy velvet-rope barrier and smacked the slick silver convertible behind it. The car's alarm blares as it spins in the air, flipping, sailing straight toward us.

昆特立刻明白了伊维的意图——他很生气。 “Evie大声地广播战斗策略，让它看起来好像她在想办法拯救所有人。 而不是我们！”“这些无辜的怪物随时都会被屠杀！”艾维喊道。 “求你了，杰克，你这个哭哭啼啼的胆小鬼！别哭哭啼啼的胆小鬼，照我说的做！丫懦夫。” 我的下巴气得裂开了。我想爬上伊薇舒适的美食广场堡垒，和她谈谈我的想法。 这并不重要，就像你在《时之笛》中获得Biggoron’s Sword所需要做的所有事情一样。 我脑子里没用的东西。 州鸟什么的。“车!”昆特突然喊道，指着。 “大的车!大车来了！”咆哮者的斧尾刚刚划破了一道华丽的天鹅绒绳屏障，打在后面那辆光滑的银色敞篷车上。 汽车在空中旋转，翻腾着，直朝我们驶来，警报响了起来。

in there Little nemo's mattress dreamland "After you!" I shout, and we all race after Dirk, following him into the matress store. And not a moment too late. The convertible SLAMS into the entrance behind us—and the Howler follows it. We duck down behind a huge bedroom set. Pillows and blankets are piled high everywhere, keeping us hidden—for now—from the stalking, searching, hunting Howler. "Sure could use some help from the locals," Dirk grunts angrily.

在小尼莫的床垫梦里“你先来！”我大喊一声，我们都追上德克，跟着他进了床垫店。 而且为时不晚。 那辆敞篷车猛撞进了我们身后的入口，那辆咆哮车紧随其后。 我们躲到一套巨大的卧室布景后面。 枕头和毯子堆得到处都是，让我们暂时躲起来，不让它跟踪、搜寻和追捕我们。 “当然需要当地人的帮助。”德克生气地嘟囔着。