Every thug in the room eyed the reward mentioned on the poster. All heads turned in Flynn’s direction with a keen interest.
“It’s him, all right,” one thug said. “Greno, go find some guards.”
“That reward’s gonna buy me a new hook,” a one-armed thug said, licking his chops.
The bartender grabbed Flynn. “I could use the money,” he said.
“What about me?” another thug interrupted. “I’m broke.”
A brawl quickly ensued, with bottles crashing and chairs flying. Everyone was pulling at Flynn. Pascal and Rapunzel ducked and cringed, terrified.
“Please!” Flynn squealed from under the pile of filthy men. “We can work this out!” But the only replies were grunts, shouts, and growls.
Rapunzel tried to help. She raised her frying pan and spoke up. “Um, excuse me? Ruffians?” she said.
“Gentlemen! Please!” Flynn cried as one of his arms was twisted behind his back and his knee was jammed into a table.
“Is it possible to just get my guide back?” Rapunzel shouted. She poked one of the thugs with her pan. “Just stop. Stop!” Nothing happened.
Rapunzel looked around. She saw a large table and jumped on top of it. It was time to take action! She whacked her pan against a giant pot hanging from the ceiling. CLANG! Then, with all her might, she yelled, “PUT HIM DOWN!”
For a moment, there was absolute silence. Every thug in the tavern stopped what he was doing and stared at the young woman.
Rapunzel took a breath. “Okay,” she said to the rabid mob, “I don’t know where I am, and I need him to take me to see the lanterns because I’ve been dreaming about them my entire life! Find your humanity!” she pleaded. “Haven’t you ever had a dream?”
Flynn cringed. A dream? Did she really want to talk about dreams with this crowd? His heart sank. He was definitely going to end up with a broken nose.
Then the thug with a hook for a hand moved toward Rapunzel with a menacing look. Rapunzel froze.
“I had a dream once,” the brute said softly. He tossed aside his axe and told Rapunzel that he’d dreamed of being a pianist. Finding a small piano, he began to play.
A burly thug covered in bumps and bruises took the opportunity to tell Rapunzel about his dream. He handed her a flower. He wanted to fall in love! Rapunzel patted his hand.
Flynn was becoming more and more interested. What was up with this young woman, anyway? He watched as the tavern thugs turned to mush, weeping and sweetly telling Rapunzel about their dreams. They confessed to wanting to become everything from florists to ballet dancers. And all the while, her faithful chameleon, Pascal, sat on her shoulder, protectively looking out for her. Everyone seemed to adore her!
Unfortunately, something terribly serious was happening outside.
Mother Gothel had tracked Rapunzel and Flynn to the Snuggly Duckling. When she looked through the window, she was stunned. Rapunzel was happily mingling with those thugs! Mother Gothel felt her world crumbling around her. Without Rapunzel locked away in that tower — without the girl’s magical hair — Mother Gothel’s life would come to an abrupt end as she quickly aged. She had to do something to stop the naive girl!
Inside, the crowd finally turned to Flynn Rider. “What about you?” the man with the hook for a hand asked. “What’s your dream?”
Desperately hoping his answer would be enough, Flynn told them about his dream of living on his own island. The thugs roared their approval and tossed Flynn in the air.
“I have one, too!” Rapunzel shouted. She knew she could trust these men with her dream. “I want to see the floating lanterns more than anything in the world!” She described how wonderful it felt — to her surprise — to be outside the tower. She was learning more and more with each passing minute, and she loved the sights she was seeing, the sounds she was hearing, and the people she was meeting.
The thugs cheered.
Outside, spying through the window, Mother Gothel controlled herself. She had to focus her energies on formulating a plan to get Rapunzel back to the tower.
Hearing a noise behind her, she swiftly ducked into the shadows. A group of angry palace guards raced past her and burst into the Snuggly Duckling.
屋子里的每個惡棍都盯著通緝令上的懸賞。所有人都興趣盎然地把腦袋轉向費林的方向。
“就是他,沒錯,”一個惡棍說,“葛雷諾,找些衛(wèi)兵來?!?
“這筆賞錢夠我買個新鉤子了?!币粋€獨臂惡棍舔著嘴說。
酒保一把抓住費林?!拔乙惨@筆錢?!彼f。
“那么我呢?”另一個惡棍打斷了他,“我身無分文?!?
他們很快起了爭執(zhí),瓶子破碎,椅子亂飛。每個人都來抓費林。帕斯考和樂佩嚇壞了,他們東躲西藏,瑟瑟發(fā)抖。
“求求你們!”費林在一堆骯臟的男人底下尖叫。“我們可以解決這個問題!”但是回答他的只有咕噥、咆哮和喊叫。
樂佩想去幫忙。她舉起平底鍋,大膽開口?!班?,不好意思? 惡棍們?”她說。
“先生們!求求你們!”費林大叫,他的一條手臂被扭到了背后,一只膝蓋被擠進一張桌子里。
“能不能把我的向導還給我?”樂佩大叫。她用平底鍋捅了捅一個惡棍?!白∈?,住手!”沒人理她。
樂佩四下看了看。她看到一張大桌子,于是跳到上面。是時候采取行動了!她用力把平底鍋往天花板上掛著的一只大鍋上撞去。哐當!然后,她使出渾身力氣,高聲喊道:“把他 放下!”
好一會兒,一片沉寂。酒館里的所有惡棍都停下手來,盯著這個年輕的姑娘。
樂佩吸了口氣?!昂昧?,”她對著瘋狂的暴徒說,“我不知道我在哪兒,但我需要他帶我去看天燈,因為這是我一生的夢想!你們有點人性吧!”她懇求道:“你們就沒有過夢想嗎?”
費林渾身發(fā)抖。夢想?她真想和這群暴徒談論夢想?他的心一沉。他最終肯定要被打歪鼻子。
鉤子手惡棍氣勢洶洶地走向樂佩。樂佩整個人僵住了。
“我也有過夢想。”這個惡棍柔聲說道。他把斧子扔到一邊,對樂佩說他的夢想是當一名鋼琴演奏家。他找到一架小鋼琴,彈奏起來。
一個鼻青臉腫、渾身烏青的惡棍趁這個機會向樂佩訴說了他的夢想。他遞給她一朵花。他想談一場戀愛!樂佩輕輕地拍了拍他的手。
費林越來越感興趣。這個年輕的姑娘究竟是怎么回事?他看著酒館里的惡棍變得多愁善感,流著眼淚溫柔地告訴樂佩他們的夢想。他們吐露心聲,他們的夢想從成為花匠到芭蕾舞演員,無所不有。在這期間,她忠誠的變色龍帕斯考坐在她的肩頭,為保護她而留心周圍??瓷先ト巳硕己芟矚g她!
不幸的是,這個時候,外面正發(fā)生著非??膳碌氖隆?
高瑟媽媽追蹤樂佩和費林來到了舒適的小鴨酒館。當她從窗口向里面看的時候,她驚呆了。樂佩和那些惡棍快樂地打成了一片!高瑟媽媽覺得整個世界崩塌了。樂佩不被關在塔里的話——沒有了她的魔法頭發(fā)——高瑟媽媽會因迅速衰老而終結生命。她得做點什么來阻止這個天真的女孩!
店里,這群人終于轉向費林·雷德。“那么你呢?”鉤子手男人問道,“你的夢想是什么?”
費林非常希望自己的答案讓人足夠滿意,就告訴他們他的夢想是住在自己的小島上。這幫惡棍大聲表示贊許,把費林拋到了空中。
“我也有一個夢想!”樂佩喊道。她知道她可以放心地把自己的夢想告訴他們,“世上再也沒有比看飄浮的天燈更讓我向往的了!”她描述著高塔外的世界是多么美妙,這很令她驚訝。每一分鐘,她都學到更多。她喜歡見到的景色,聽到的聲音,遇到的人。
惡棍們大聲歡呼。
店外,透過窗口偷偷窺視的高瑟媽媽極力保持冷靜。她集中精力,計劃著把樂佩重新弄回高塔。
她聽到身后有聲音,便迅速躲進了陰影處。一隊憤怒的宮廷衛(wèi)兵飛快地跑過她的身邊,闖入舒適的小鴨酒館。