In the early morning, Lird opened his eyes from his bed, he had not slept at all the previous night, but even so, his spirit remained in an excellent state of fullness, and his eyes were bright.

The faint morning light shone through the cracks in the tent, causing a few faint lights to shine in the pitch-black tent.

At this moment, there was a sound of footsteps outside the tent, and someone was approaching Lird's place, and Lird didn't need to see this person to hear the owner of the footsteps, which was Jim.

Soon, Jim's voice whispering his name could be heard outside the door, and after Lird beckoned him to enter, Jim pushed the door open and walked in.

The dark tent was much brighter because Jim walked in, and Jim didn't close the door when he entered, allowing the light and cold air to pour into the tent.

"Are you here to pick me up?" asked Lird.

Jim's voice was very deep and said, "You were brought by me, and I naturally have the responsibility to send you back." ”

Lird smiled and sat up from the bed, then said to Jim, "Come, sit down for a while." ”

Jim remained standing, and did not sit down, and Lird said, "Even if you are in a hurry to leave, it will not be a moment or a half." Jim thought for a moment, then sat down on one of the wooden chairs closest to the door.

Lird reached for the side of the bed and flipped it, grabbed a cowhide water bag, unplugged it and brought it to his mouth, took a few sips of the liquid inside, then stuffed the bag and threw it at Jim.

Jim reached out and caught it, the cowhide water bag he knew all too well, for it had been given to Lird by him, and it contained the fruit wine made by his wife, Trista.

Looking at the wine bag in his hand, Jim's eyes couldn't help but redden, and he wanted to put it aside, but he heard Lird say, "To Trista!"

Jim hesitated for a moment, then uncorked the bag.

"Tresta," Jim groaned, and took a large sip of his drink.

The gentle wine slid down Jim's esophagus, and the usual thousand cups of undrunk wine were now churning Jim's guts like a knife.

After drinking, Lird and Jim fell silent.

"It was your sacrifice that made you send me back to America?" asked Lird as he broke the silence and asked Jim, who in the darkness saw Jim nodding silently.

"Hehe, it seems that your boss really doesn't pay much attention to humanitarianism and labor law. Lird said jokingly, though his joke was not appropriate.

Jim said, "There is no way to do it, I am the most suitable person in the entire tribe, and I am the only one who is most familiar with you." After a pause, Jim continued, "And the sacrifice she also intended to let me get out of here for a while. ”

I don't know how long Jim means for the time being, and it will take more than two months to send Lird back to the United States in the shortest, and who knows what it will look like here in two months.

"Do you want me to go?" asked Lird.

Jim shook his head and said, "It's not a question of whether you want to or not, it's a question of whether you should or not, you should get out of here, it will do you no harm." ”

Lird smiled: "It seems that your sacrifice has handed over all the official words to you." Jim shook his head and said, "It's all true." ”

"But I don't remember telling her last night that I would leave here," said Lird. ”

Jim said calmly, "If you don't want to leave, we have a way to get you to leave." ”

"Banish me?" laughed Lird, to which Jim didn't say anything, but the answer was self-explanatory.

Lird sighed and said, "Sure enough, she is a woman who is not emotional." Then he stood up and said to Jim, "In that case, let's go." ”

Jim was a little surprised to see Lird react in this way, and when Lird walked to the door nonchalantly, Jim stopped his way.

"What? changed your mind?" said Lird to Jim.

Jim shook his head, then said, "You forgot to take your luggage." ”

Lird smiled lightly at Jim, "No. Ignoring Jim's inhibitions, he walked out, and Jim thought about it and followed behind Lird.

After some time of life, Lird had become familiar with the place, and walked directly to the dock where he had landed, without anyone leading the way, Jim following behind, and the two completely reversed their original positions.

When Lird walked into the woods and finally reached the docks, a boatman was already waiting, but it was not Raqqa.

Jim stayed behind Lird, observing all of his movements. After spending a long time together, Jim got to know Lird, and Jim knew that Lird was not a person who would give up easily, especially in this situation, it was not easy to get Lird to leave here easily, and Jim had prepared for the worst.

However, Lird's extremely obedient reaction surprised Jim, he felt that all this in front of him was so unreal, as if illusory, especially Lird's performance made Jim feel that there was some "conspiracy" hidden in it, but Jim couldn't say anything about it.

After the two men boarded the boat one after another, the boatman swung the oars, and the narrow boat sailed down the narrow river with ice ballast.

Perhaps unable to suppress his curiosity, Jim finally spoke, "There is no turning back, and now we will never turn around and go back to the tribe, whether you are going to collect our luggage or say a final goodbye to Mr. Pym!"

Lird had a calm attitude towards this, as if he didn't care about what Jim had just said, as if all the actions that followed would be expected by him, and that he would go back to his tent tonight and lie down to sleep.

Lird looked at Jim and smiled, "Do you think it's someone who can use such clumsy reasons?"

Jim said meaningfully, "I know you're a smart person, so I want you to be able to make smart choices now." ”

Lird looked at the muddy bottom of the river in the early morning and said: "There are two different things between smart people and smart choices, your Atlantean clan can be said to be the earliest intelligent life on this planet, and it can be said that its diligence and wisdom can be said to be unparalleled in its diligence and wisdom for more than 10,000 years, but you have not made a 'smart' choice for a long time." ”

The muscles in Jim's face twitched a few times and fell silent.

Lird smiled: "It's ironic, isn't it, even if the Atlantean clan suffered a catastrophe more than 10,000 years ago, it is still the most powerful existence in the world, as long as you are the remnants, you can build a new civilization empire, and it is not a fantasy to return to the top, but you have chosen a diametrically opposite path and persevered for such a long time, this perseverance is really shocking." But your persistence has not been rewarded accordingly, on the contrary, you are being forced to perish in this troubled world. ”

"Looking at the present day, what civilized national apparatus does not regard you as ants? In this land, the British, the Japanese, the Indians, and even the Germans can destroy you, but this is not because most of these countries are great powers, and even if you go to my native Poland, even the weakest Europa will dare to shoot you with machine guns. ”

Jim's face grew more and more ugly, and his previously infinitely sad eyes flashed with murderous intent.

"Have you said enough?"

Jim snapped coldly at Lird.

Lird shrugged his shoulders and said, "I didn't say enough to say that there is no conflict with the facts, and you know that what I said is not false. ”

Jim gritted his teeth and tried to calm his voice, "Even so, I ask you to keep your mouth shut. ”

"OK, no problem, listen to it. Lird said lightly.

"I'd do it if shutting up would make you feel better, but you know that that's all, it won't change a little bit of the bad situation you're in..."After a pause, Lird continued: "... It is even less likely that Trista will be resurrected. ”

After hearing Trista's name, the bloodshot of anger instantly filled Jim's eyeballs, and he suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Lird's collar and said viciously: "I don't care what you want to say, but you must not mention Trista's name, never, right, no!"

Lird was picked up by Jim like a chick, and the already small body of the boat shook violently under such great force that it could capsize at any moment, and the boatman at the bow looked frightened, and did his best to keep the ship steady, but he did not dare to say a word of reproach to Jim.

Lird looked at Jim calmly, the corners of his mouth slightly hooked, full of disdainful sarcasm.

"If you have the strength, you should defeat the invading ones with your fists, not in the face of your friends. Lird said indifferently.

The muscles on Jim's face twitched violently, and his clenched fist rattled, only to be released.

Jim slammed Lird on the board, then twisted his head away.

Lird coughed lightly, then straightened the shirt on his chest, and continued to say to Jim, "What?

Jim adjusted his emotions and then said to Lird, "No matter how much you try to provoke me, it is in vain, I will not be able to take you back to the tribe, and even if I cannot take this responsibility, someone will still take you away, and then you will not be as comfortable as you are now." ”

Lird smiled, "Thank you for the reminder." Then he looked back at the somewhat panicked boatman, smiled peacefully, and looked at Jim again.

"I understand your good intentions, and my departure is undoubtedly a great guarantee of security for me, but none of this is my own will. ”

Jim said: "The current situation is not going to change because of your will alone, and to put it mildly, your will does not matter at all!"

In response, Lird shook his head and said, "Maybe I can't change the pattern of the world, but I may change you and save you from the current danger." ”

"Huh, what are you talking about?" said Jim, chuckling, with a look of helplessness and amusement.

This time, however, Lird did not smile, and looked at Jim with great seriousness, and was seriously full of fortitude and determination.

Jim gradually put away his disdain and laughter, but he still didn't believe Lird's words.

"I understand the mood you want to stay, but..."

"I have a way to change this, I have a way to save Atlantis. Lird said resolutely.

Jim scratched his cheek with his fingers and said, "If I'm not mistaken, you studied navigation, and you lived in a small Christian country town before you left for America, what could you do to help us?

Lird said: "Maybe I will lead you to discover and open up a new 'continent' like Columbus." ”

Looking at Lird's solemn expression, Jim's heart was a little different, but he still didn't believe Lird's words.

Lird said: "My father can save you from danger, he is not a warlord rich armor, nor does he have the wisdom to win a thousand miles, but he has done what many people have not done, because he tried." ”

Speaking of this, Liard's emotions couldn't help but become a little excited.

"In the same way, even though I am young, I still have my own ideas and skills, and I am confident that I can do more and better than my father. ”

After a pause, Lird finally said, "And you need to trust your friends. ”

Jim looked at the young man in front of him quietly, he was a little younger than himself, but Jim had never seen him as a child, he had a different idea and courage than his age, and at this moment, the momentum shown in Lird was even stronger, and it was unbelievable.

"You... What the hell are your thoughts?" asked Jim softly.

Lird said: "I'm afraid I have to keep this secret from you for the time being, because my current idea may not be mature, and everything needs to be verified, otherwise I will propose this plan to your sacrifice." ”

Jim looked at Lird with a conflicted complex affection on his face.

"Give me a chance," said Lird, "and if this plan fails, I will leave India with you, so that I will completely sever all ties with the Atlantean remnants, and we will only be passers-by in each other's lives." ”

"But if my plan works, then please give me a chance to save you. ”

Jim looked at Lird quietly, and there was no emotion in his eyes except calm, questioning, curious, wary, moved, disdainful... These emotions are completely absent.

"How do you need to validate your plan?" asked Jim slowly.

Hearing Jim's words, Lird was instantly relieved, and then smiled, and at this moment he finally won his first trusted supporter.

"First of all, we have to get out of here and go to a bigger city. Lird said lightly.

"After a delicious breakfast, I'm going to find a way to make a phone call to the United States. ”