Whispering Verse

Chapter 2988 Overlapping time and space

The black-haired lady walked under the black umbrella held by Shade in the sound of rain. This umbrella was certainly not prepared for two people, so the distance between them was very close now.

Even the moist smell of the forest in the rain couldn't cover up the smell of her perfume. Shade was in a good mood at the moment:

"I would like to ask you to go to the city with me to find someone. No matter whether there is any result or not, I want to talk to you about Miss Daniste. Don't worry, I am not trying to persuade you to see her."

"Then let's go."

The black-haired lady then held Shade's right hand holding the umbrella handle with her left hand, and the two walked into the rain together.

In reverse, I visited No. 8, Herb Garden Alley again after thirty years. This low-rise building, which is a standard slum in today's era, actually looks more shabby in the gray sky than it did thirty years ago.

But at least today's alleys and neighborhoods are full of life. Today, as the city of Vista is still expanding, every house in the Herb Garden alley is full of people. Even on a rainy day, you can still see the smoke coming out of the chimney, hear the couple quarreling on a rainy day, and smell the dirty smell of decayed domestic garbage.

The two were no longer holding the same umbrella at this time. According to the memory of the old lady of the landlady, Shade asked Ms. Carter to knock on the door. After the door opened, the "old lady" who looked like a middle-aged woman appeared behind the door.

She used almost the same posture as thirty years later, blocking the door with her body and resting her right hand on the door frame. Just because his body was now plumper than in old age, the door opened wider than Shade remembered.

On the way, Shade had already explained the cause and effect of the matter to Ms. Carter, so the sorceress, who was also very friendly, asked Shade's question, that is, the whereabouts of the tenants who had rented here in the winter of 1819.

Same shirk, same coin bribe, and then the same "eureka moment," except now that prices were lower than thirty years later, so the number of coins paid was smaller. Thirty years really can't change many things. At a certain moment, Shade even felt that the rainy evening in 1821 and the early winter afternoon in 1854 really overlapped.

"He was wanted by the police. Although the dead man was a habitual criminal, killing someone was a bit too much. I really don't know where he went after he disappeared, but there was something unusual about him before he disappeared.

At night, he talked in his sleep again and shouted, "I don't want to turn into a bug," which scared me. Another time, he nervously asked me if there was any transfer station in the city. He couldn't even tell me what he wanted. I don't know how to answer him.

Oh, I remembered that before he disappeared, he said he was going to visit a local scholar to inquire about something, and he even left a special note that day so that I didn’t have to prepare dinner for him. "

The middle-aged woman once again showed a philistine expression, so the black-haired sorceress gave her another 1 ohr coin. She and Shade wouldn't be angry because they did learn what they wanted to know:

"He went to the folklorist at Carson-Ricke Forestry College, but I don't know which one. You can go to that college and give the doorman some coins and they'll be happy to open the door like I did. Bar."

Anthony Winslet chose to travel through time permanently, so after leaving the time transfer station, most of his memories of it should have disappeared. Judging from the landlord's description of him, it is obvious that the man whose rescue plan failed regretted his decision and even realized his fate, so he wanted to return to the time transfer station.

When encountering something related to mysticism, it is indeed a good idea for ordinary people to consult a local folklore professor.

As for "Carson Ridge Forestry College," the name had long since ceased to exist when the outsiders arrived in the fall of 1854. It was called "Vestal City University" in 1854, and its reputation was far inferior to that of the "Creekwood Conservatory of Music", which was also located locally.

By coincidence, Professor Uk Wood, who had provided Shad with a lot of help, happened to be working in that college, and Shad had a hunch that Flora's uncle had gone to find him.

It is not difficult to find Professor Euke Wood. This does not require Shade and the black-haired sorceress to fight the monsters that suddenly ran out, nor does it require them to help others deliver letters or mediate family conflicts. Problems, and they don’t need to go deep into ancient ruins that are isolated from the world.

Professor Ueke Wood was in his office, as if waiting for the visit of the two of them.

When Shade and Ms. Helena Carter entered the small office one after another, the first thing Shade noticed was not the rainy scene outside the window, nor the piles of documents in the gas-lit room. material.

He found that the Professor Uke Wood sitting on the narrow chair behind the desk at this time was exactly the same as the one he remembered. Wearing reading glasses, wearing formal clothes that are outdated but not outdated now, with gray hair and a beard covering his chin, even the serial sorcerer level is the same.

After being slightly surprised, the visiting foreigner introduced himself in the same way as he did many years later:

"John Watson, this is my female assistant. I am a private detective, and I came to visit this time to investigate a missing gentleman. More than a year ago, a week before the New Year's Day in 1819 , has this person come to see you?”

He handed over the photo. The old professor who put down his pen at the desk took the photo and looked at it carefully:

"A detective? Let me see. Yes, I still remember this person. He first asked me about the local legend of time travel, and then asked me about the forest curse and other things."

"How did you answer him?"

The old professor took off his reading glasses and put them on the table. Of course, he would not ask Shade for compensation:

"I told him that I couldn't give him an answer about time travel. But according to legend, there is indeed an area in this forest that can deal with curses. That is a story recorded in the book "Riverwood Town and the World Tree", which is considered one of the local bad habits in ancient times."

"We haven't heard of this book. What is the specific content?"

The sorceress who was recording in the notebook asked, and Professor Yuk Wood glanced at her and introduced:

"Superstitious people living in woodland villages and towns will knock out those who they think are cursed by the forest, and then After being abandoned in the forest, they become part of the forest. But according to my research, the so-called "cursed by the forest" actually refers to the elderly who are unwilling to die at an old age. People in the village think that this is against the laws of nature. Since the big trees have lost the ability to reproduce and grow, they should be cut down so that nutrients and sunlight can be given to new seedlings. "

"Did all those abandoned old people die in the forest in the end?"

"It's not said in the story, but no one should be able to walk out of the forest."

The old professor said, and found a folded map of Vista Woodland from the pile of books, unfolded it on the table, and circled it with a pencil:

"This location in the west of the city is the place where people abandoned the elderly in ancient times. I pointed this place out to the young man more than a year ago, and he never came to me again. If you want to find him, you might as well go here and take a look. "

Shad took a look at the location marked on the map and found that it was a place he had been to. But he was sure that there was absolutely no trace of Anthony Winslet in that area in 1854.

"Thank you very much for your help."

He thanked him softly, but after getting the next clue, he did not leave:

"There are some other things. Do you mind if I bother you for a while?"

Professor Wood nodded:

"Of course I don't mind. It's raining outside and I have no plans to go out. Today seems to be just for your arrival. Sit down and talk, but I don't have extra teacups here, so I can't serve you tea."

The documents in the room were piled up like a mountain, but two chairs could still be found. Shade sat down at the desk, and the black-haired lady sat behind him on the left.

She didn't know what Shade was going to ask. After all, Shade had found the next clue and should go deeper into the woods now.

"I want to ask some questions about trees."

Shade sorted out his thoughts.

"The topic of the world tree? I have a lot of information here."

The old professor asked with a smile, but he guessed wrong this time.

"It's not the World Tree, it's another tree."

Shade's eyes were bright:

"I know you specialize in the folklore of Ximu Town, but the tree I want to ask about is not planted in Ximu Town. The appearance of that tree is actually closely related to Ximu Town, so I would like to ask if you can tell me something."

Professor Yuk Wood touched his beard and hesitated for a moment before answering:

"Young man, I admit that this is the first time I failed to guess your thoughts. This makes me very embarrassed. I originally only planned to answer questions about Ximu Town. I roughly know what tree you want to ask about. Well, since you put The question was brought up, and then asked. If I didn't say anything, it would be a bit too unkind.

What do you want to know specifically? "

"Is that tree alive?"

Shad asked immediately, but Professor Wood shook his head:

"It depends on what your definition of 'alive' is. That tree can absorb nutrients and change with the seasons. That's all I can say."

"Does that tree have a soul inside?"

Shad asked again, and the sorceress behind him felt more and more strange. Shad and the professor should have met for the first time in the timeline, but the conversation just now clearly showed that they had met many times.

Professor Wood also gave an answer to this key question:

"Tree spirit, at least the people in Ximu Town firmly believe that every tree has its own soul. That is the blessing given by the forest and time, so I think the tree you are asking about also has a soul. "