9 Tracking Tarantulas

Chapter 9 Tracking Tarantulas By the time Dante made it down the stairs, the spiders had gotten away. He rushed to a broken window. There was no sign of his cousin outside. Dante's reflection showed his hair was a mess. He didn't care anymore. His vanity was dangerous. "Where's Ivan?" Malia asked behind him. "A spider wrapped him up in a cocoon," Dante said, his throat tight. "Then it took him away." The calaca family emerged from their hiding places. Malia looked them up and down. "Okay, y'all said the spiders work for the Queen of Bones. Where is she?" The mother said, "She lives in the Red Tower beside the Lake at the End of the Street. Her spiders patrol our neighborhoods, keeping an eye out for

第九章 追踪狼蛛 但丁走下楼的时候，蜘蛛们已经跑没影了。 他冲到一扇破窗户前。 外面根本看不到他表哥的影子。 但丁的倒影里，他的头发乱成了一团。 他现在可不在乎这些了。 他的虚荣心太害人了。 “伊万在哪儿？” 玛利亚在他身后问道。 “一只蜘蛛把他裹进茧里了，”但丁喉咙发紧，开口说道。 “然后它把他带走了。” 骷髅一家人从他们躲藏的地方走了出来。 玛利亚上下打量了他们一番。 “好吧，你们之前说蜘蛛是为骨头女王干活的。 她住在哪儿？ 骷髅妈妈回答：“她住在街尽头湖边的红塔里。 她的蜘蛛在我们的街区巡逻，专门留意

troublemakers." "Like you fleshies," the father snarled. "You're not like us normal dead folk." "I saw the queen's spiders carrying two cocoons about a week ago," Alba interrupted. "The size of human kids." That had to be their classmates Santiago and Rafaela.

惹麻烦的人。” “就像你们这些活人一样，”骷髅爸爸怒吼道。 “你们和我们这些正常的死者可不一样。” “我一周前见过女王的蜘蛛扛着两个茧，”阿尔芭插嘴说道。 “和人类小孩的个头差不多大。” 那肯定是他们的同学圣地亚哥和拉斐埃拉。

Dante pointed at the broken window. "Do they

但丁指着那扇破窗户。 “它们

have a lair or something nearby?" "A little ways up the street," Alba said. "Can't you show us where it is?" Malia begged. Alba stepped forward. "Okay. I'll take you."

在这附近有巢穴之类的地方吗？” “沿着这条街走一小段就到了，”阿尔芭说。 “你能带我们过去吗？” 玛利亚恳求道。 阿尔芭往前迈了一步。 “好啊。 我带你们去。”

"No! It's not safe," said Cano. "Papi, please. If I don't help, the queen's spiders will come back for them," Alba explained. "Then we'll be at risk. I promise I'll just show them the building and then hurry back." Alba's mother sighed with pride. "You're so brave, m'ija." Cano smiled, too. "Okay, just make it quick." Alba and the cousins left the house and walked for a couple of blocks. Soon a building made of moldy bricks and boarded-up windows came into view. A faded flag hung limp from a rusted flagpole. It was a school. "This is their lair," Alba said.

“不行！ 那太危险了，”卡诺说。 “爸爸，求你了。 如果我不帮忙，女王的蜘蛛还会回来抓他们的，”阿尔芭解释道。 “到时候我们也会有危险的。 我保证我就指给他们看那栋楼是哪个，然后马上就回来。” 阿尔芭的妈妈骄傲地叹了口气。 “我的姑娘，你可真勇敢。” 卡诺也笑了。 “好吧，快去快回。” 阿尔芭和两兄妹走出房子，走了几个街区。 很快，一栋用发霉砖块砌成、窗户都被木板钉死的建筑出现在了他们眼前。 一面褪色的旗子蔫蔫地挂在生锈的旗杆上。 那是一所学校。 “这就是它们的巢穴，”阿尔芭说。

"Stinky bullies trap kids inside a school." Dante sighed. "How basic can you get?" Just then, a one-armed zombie stepped out into the street, holding a stop sign. "Oh no," Alba muttered. "It's the crossing guard. He's pretty mean."

“臭烘烘的坏蛋把孩子们困在学校里。” 但丁叹了口气。 “能不能有点新意啊？” 就在这时，一个独臂僵尸走到了街上，手里举着个停车标志。 “哦糟了，”阿尔芭小声嘟囔。 “是交通协管员。 他脾气可坏了。”