63 The Heir and the Pencil

Chapter 63 The Heir and the Pencil Nerys was several metres above them, climbing the ladder housed inside the framework of the mooring mast. She was holding something large and black. It looked like a slightly wonky drawing of a jetpack. "What's she doing?" asked Rockwell. "I'm guessing she tried to draw a jetpack, like the ones I drew for us on top of the Empire State Building in New York, said Peanut. "But it looks like she couldn't quite get it right. "Ha!" laughed Rockwell. "Typical. All the gear, no idea! Just cos you have the world's best pencil, it doesn't mean that you know how to use it!"

第63章 继承人和铅笔 内里斯在他们上方数米处，正攀爬系留桅杆支架内的梯子 她手里拿着一个大大的黑色物体 它看上去就像是一幅画得有点歪歪扭扭的喷气背包图 "她在干什么？"罗克韦尔问道 "我猜她是想画喷气背包，就像我之前在纽约帝国大厦楼顶给咱们画的那种，"皮纳特说道 "不过看样子她没能画对" "哈！"罗克韦尔笑了起来 "果然如此" 装备带全，脑子没带！ 就算你拿到了全世界最好的铅笔，也不代表你就会用它啊！

Little-Bit and Peanut giggled too, and the children's laughter drifted up to Nerys's ears. "That's utter rubbish!" she shouted from high above them. She was almost at the top of the ladder now, just below the tip of the mast. "If you must know, I, er, decided that drawing a door would be a much easier way for me to get out of here! And, as we all know, I am great at drawing doors! Nerys leaned back against the framework and dropped her useless jetpack illustration. They all watched as it caught the breeze and tumbled down through the sky, disappearing into the thin clouds that surrounded the Spire. Mum let out a little squeal. Peanut gulped. They were all suddenly very aware of the fact that they were really high up! While most of the group was distracted by the falling jetpack, Nerys pulled Little Tail from her pocket and started to draw. Dad, however, was keeping a close eye on her and immediately leapt into action, determined to grab the pencil. He scrambled up the steps that led to the mast and began to climb the ladder as fast as he could. Peanut followed close behind, despite Mum's loud protests. Nerys looked down at the two Joneses as they climbed up towards her, and she began to draw in super-speed mode. The doorframe... the door...

小比特和皮纳特也笑了，孩子们的笑声飘到了内里斯的耳朵里 "这完全是胡说八道！" 她在高处冲他们喊道 她现在快爬到梯子顶端了，就在桅杆尖的正下方 "既然你们想知道，我，呃，我觉得画一扇门才是我离开这儿更简单的办法！" "而且咱们都知道，我最擅长画门了！" 内里斯往后靠在支架上，把没用的喷气背包画扔了下去 所有人看着它被风吹着，翻滚着从天而降，消失在尖塔周围的薄云里 妈妈轻轻尖叫了一声 皮纳特倒吸了一口凉气 他们突然都反应过来，自己现在站得实在太高了！ 趁着大伙都盯着掉落的喷气背包分心时，内里斯从口袋掏出小尾巴铅笔，开始画画 但爸爸一直紧盯着她，见状立刻冲了上去，下定决心要抢走那支铅笔 他爬上通往桅杆的台阶，以最快的速度往梯子上爬 不管妈妈大声反对，皮纳特还是紧跟在爸爸身后爬了上去 内里斯看着朝自己爬来的琼斯父子，开启超速模式飞快地画了起来 门框……门……

But Dad was gaining fast. It made Nerys nervous. Conté's heir was getting far too close to the pencil for her liking. The bottom hinge... the top hinge... Nerys whipped Little Tail through the air as quickly as she could. "And now the final part she said out loud. But just as she was finishing off the door handle, Dad grabbed Nerys's ankle and pulled. She jerked backwards, completely shocked, and slipped down several rungs of the ladder. "Well, well, well," she said in a mocking tone while finding her footing

可爸爸越来越近，爬得飞快 这让内里斯十分紧张 孔特的继承人离那支铅笔太近了，这让她无法忍受 下铰链……上铰链…… 内里斯拼尽全力，飞快地挥舞着小尾巴铅笔 "现在就差最后一步了，"她大声说道 可就在她快要画完门把手的时候，爸爸一把抓住内里斯的脚踝，猛地一拽 她吓了一跳，身子往后一缩，从梯子上往下滑了好几阶 "啧啧啧，"她站稳脚跟，用嘲弄的语气说道

again. "I didn't know you had it in you, Gary!" Then she kicked out at Dad, hitting him just below the ribcage. He let out a sharp cry of pain. "Dad!" screamed Peanut. Are you OK?" She knew how ruthless Nerys, or Mr White, could be, and that she wouldn't hesitate to push Dad from the building. Peanut was terrified of losing him again, having only just got him back. "Don't worry about me," he wheezed, before managing to reach up and grab Nerys's other ankle. He pulled and, again, she slipped. But somehow she managed to keep drawing. That said, the desperation on her face was clear for all to see. "Now you're just being annoying," Nerys said. She only needed to complete the bottom part of the door handle, then she'd be able to open the door and dive through it. Dad still had hold of her ankle, but if she had to take him with her, she would—a fact that was not lost on a nervous Peanut. Dad knew that time was running out, and that this was his last chance to get the pencil. Summoning all his strength, he let go of Nerys, placed his hands on either side of the ladder, and propelled himself rapidly upwards. The top of his head hit Nerys's right elbow hard, forcing her hand to open. Little Tail flew straight up into the air. Nerys snatched at it but missed completely. Dad, on the

重新站稳后 "我真没想到你还有这本事，加里！" 接着她抬脚踹向爸爸，正好踢在他肋骨下方 爸爸疼得猛地叫了一声 "爸爸！"皮纳特尖叫道 你没事吧？" 她知道内里斯也就是怀特先生有多残忍，她绝对敢把爸爸从塔上推下去 皮纳特刚刚才找回爸爸，非常害怕再次失去他 "别担心我，"他喘着气说道，随后抬手抓住了内里斯的另一只脚踝 他一拽，内里斯又一次打滑了 可她居然还能一边打滑一边继续画画 即便如此，所有人都能清楚看到她脸上的绝望 "你现在可真够烦人的，"内里斯说道 她只需要画完门把手的下半部分，就能开门逃出去了 爸爸还抓着她的脚踝，但就算要带着爸爸一起走，她也不在乎——紧张的皮纳特清楚这一点 爸爸知道时间不多了，这是他抢回铅笔的最后机会 他攒起全身力气，松开内里斯，双手撑住梯子两侧，猛地向上冲去 他的头顶狠狠撞到内里斯的右肘，逼得她松开了手 小尾巴铅笔径直飞到了半空中 内里斯伸手去抓，却完全扑空了 至于爸爸，此刻正

other hand, maintained a laser focus. As the spinning pencil fell back down through the air, he reached out. And then, for the very first time, Gary Jones's fingers closed around Pencil Number One.

另一边，始终全神贯注，死死盯住目标 当那支旋转的铅笔从空中落下来时，他伸出了手 就这样，加里·琼斯的手指第一次紧紧握住了一号铅笔