cb.imajica2-第55部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃Clem　told　you　I　was　hanging　around；　I　presume。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　Clem　said。
　〃Strange　times；　eh？　I　used　to　say　I'd　been　born　into　the　wrong　age。　But　it　looks　as　though　I　died　into　the　right　one。　So　much　to　gain。　So　much　to　lose。〃
　〃Where　do　I　begin？〃　Gentle　said。
　〃You're　the　Maestro；　Gentle；　not　me。〃
　〃Maestro；　am　I？〃
　〃He's　still　remembering；　Tay；〃　Clem　explained。
　〃Well；　he　should　be　quick　about　it；〃　Taylor　said。　〃You've　had　your　holiday；　Gentle。　Now　you've　got　some　healing　to　do。　There's　a　hell　of　a　void　waiting　to　take　us　all　if　you　fuck　up。　And　if　it　es〃…the　smile　went　from　Monday's　face…〃if　it　es　there　won't　be　any　more　spirits　in　the　light；　because　there　won't　be　any　light。　Where's　your　familiar；　by　the　way？〃
　〃Who？〃
　〃The　mystif。〃
　Gentle's　breath　quickened。
　〃You　lost　it　once；　and　I　went　looking　for　it。　I　found　it　too；　mourning　its　children。　Don't　you　remember？〃　'　〃Who　was　this？〃　Clem　asked。
　〃You　never　met　it；〃　Taylor　said。　〃If　you　had；　you'd　remember。〃
　〃I　don't　think　Gentle　does；〃　Clem　said；　looking　at　the　Maestro's　troubled　face。
　〃Oh；　the　mystifs　in　there　somewhere；〃　Taylor　said。　〃Once　seen；　never　forgotten。　Go　on；　Gentle。　Name　it　for　me。　It's　on　the　tip　of　your　tongue。〃
　Gentle's　expression　became　pained。
　〃It's　the　love　of　your　life；　Gentle；〃　Taylor　said；　coaxing　Gentle　on。　〃Name　it。　I　dare　you。　Name　it。〃
　Gentle　frowned　and　mouthed　silence。　But　finally　his　throat　gave　up　its　hostage。　〃Pie　。。。〃　he　murmured。
　Taylor　smiled　through　Monday's　face。　〃Yes。。。　？〃
　〃Pie　'oh'　pah。〃
　〃What　did　I　tell　you？　Once　seen；　never　forgotten。〃
　Gentle　said　the　name　again　and　again；　breathing　it　as　though　the　syllables　were　an　incantation。　Then　he　turned　to　Clem。
　〃That　lesson　I　never　learned；〃　he　said。　〃It　came　from　Pie。〃
　〃Where's　the　mystif　now？〃　Taylor　asked。　〃Do　you　have　any　idea？〃
　Gentle　went　down　on　his　haunches　beside　Tay's　sleeping　host。　〃Gone；〃　he　said；　closing　his　hands　around　the　sunlight。
　〃Don't　do　that；〃　Taylor　said　softly。　〃You　only　catch　the　dark　that　way。〃　Gentle　opened　his　hand　again　and　let　the　light　lie　on　his　palm。　〃You　say　the　mystifs　gone？〃　Tay　went　on。　〃Where；　for　God's　sake？　How　can　you　lose　it　twice？〃
　〃It　went　into　the　First　Dominion；〃　Gentle　replied。　〃It　died　and　went　where　I　couldn't　follow。〃
　〃I'm　sorry　to　hear　that。〃
　〃But　I'll　see　it　again；　when　I've　done　my　work；〃　Gentle　said。
　〃Finally；　we　get　to　it；〃　Tay　said。
　〃I'm　the　Reconciler；〃　Gentle　said。　〃I've　e　to　open　the　Dominions　。。。〃
　〃So　you　have；　Maestro；〃　Tay　said。
　〃。。。　on　Midsummer　Night。〃
　〃You're　cutting　it　fine；〃　Clem　said。　〃That's　tomorrow。〃
　〃It　can　be　done；〃　Gentle　said；　standing　up　again。　〃I　know　who　I　am　now。　He　can't　hurt　me　any　more。〃
　〃Who　can't？〃　Clem　asked。
　〃My　enemy；〃　Gentle　replied；　turning　his　face　into　the　sunlight。　〃Myself。〃
　
　After　only　a　few　days　in　this　city　that　enemy；　the　sometime　Autarch　Sartori；　had　begun　yearning　for　the　languid　dawns　and　elegaic　dusks　of　the　Dominion　he'd　left。　The　day　came　altogether　too　quickly　here　and　was　snuffed　out　with；　the　same　alacrity。　That　would　have　to　change。　Among　his　plans　for　the　New　Yzordderrex　would　be　a　palace　made　of　mirrors；　and　of　glass　made　possessive　by　feits；　that　would　hold　the　glory　of　these　inkling　dawns　and　protract　them；　so　that　they　met　the　glow　of　dusk　ing　in　other　directions。　Then　he　might　be　happy　here。
　There　would　be；　he　knew；　little　in　the　way　of　resistance　to　his　taking　of　the　Fifth；　to　judge　by　the　ease　with　which　the　members　of　the　Tabula　Rasa　had　succumbed　to　him。　All　but　one　of　them　was　now　dead；　cornered　in　their　burrows　like　rabid　vermin。　Not　one　had　detained　him　more　than　minutes；　they　had　given　up　their　lives　quickly；　with　few　sobs　and　still　fewer　prayers。　He　wasn't　surprised。　Their　ancestors　had　been　strong…willed　men；　but　even　the　most　pungent　blood　thinned　over　generations；　and　the　children　of　their　children　of　their　children　（and　so　on）　were　faithless　cowards。
　The　only　surprise　he'd　had　in　this　Dominion；　and　it　was　a　sweet　one；　was　the　woman　whose　bed　he　was　returning　to：　the　peerless　and　eternal　Judith。　His　first　taste　of　her　had　been　in　Quaisoir's　chambers　when；　mistaking　her　for　the　woman　he'd　married；　he'd　made　love　to　her　on　the　bed　of　veils。　Only　later；　as　he'd　prepared　to　quit　Yzordderrex；　had　Rosengarten　informed　him　of　Quaisoir's　maiming　and　gone　on　to　report　the　presence　of　a　doppelgSnger　in　the　corridors　of　the　palace。　That　report　had　been　Rosengarten's　last　as　a　loyal　mander。　When；　a　few　minutes　later；　he'd　been　ordered　to　join　his　Autarch　on　the　journey　to　the　Fifth；　he'd　unconditionally　refused。　The　Second　was　his　home；　he　said；　and　Yzordderrex　his　pride；　and　if　he　was　to　die　then　he　wanted　it　to　be　in　sight　of　the　et。　Tempted　as　he　was　to　punish　the　man　for　this　dereliction　of　duty；　Sartori　had　no　desire　to　enter　his　new　world　with　blood　on　his　hands。　He'd　let　the　man　go　and　departed　for　the　Fifth；　believing　the　woman　he'd　made　love　to　on　Quaisoir's　bed　was　somewhere　in　the　city　behind　him。　But　no　sooner　had　he　taken　up　the　mask　of　his　brother's　life　than　he'd　met　her　again；　in　Klein's　garden　of　scentless　flowers。
　He　never　ignored　omens；　good　or　bad。　Judith's　reappearance　in　his　life　was　a　sign　that　they　belonged　together；　and　it　seemed　that　she；　all　unknowing；　felt　the　same。　Here　was　the　woman　for　the　love　of　whom　this　whole　sorry　catalogue　of　death　and　desolation　had　been　started；　and　in　her　pany　he　felt　himself　renewed；　as　though　the　sight　of　her　reminded　his　cells　of　the　self　he'd　been　before　his　fall。　He　was　being　offered　a　second　chance：　an　opportunity　to　start　again　with　the　creature　he'd　loved　and　make　an　empire　that　would　erase　all　memory　of　his　previous　failure。　He'd　had　proof　of　their　patibility　when　they'd　made　love。　A　more　perfect　welding　of　erotic　impulses　he　could　scarcely　have　imagined。　After　it；　he'd　gone　out　into　the　city　about　the　business　of　murder　with　more　vigor　than　ever。
　It　would　take　time；　of　course；　to　persuade　her　that　this　was　a　marriage　decreed　by　fate。　She　believed　him　to　be　his　other　and　would　be　vengeful　when　he　disabused　her　of　this　fiction。　But　he　would　bring　her　around　in　time。　He　had　to。　He　had　intimations；　even　in　this　blithe　city；　of　intolerable　things：　whispers　of　oblivion　that　made　the　foulest　Oviate　he'd　ever　dredged　up　look　alluring。　She　could　save　him　from　that；　lick　off　his　sweats　and　rock　him　to　sleep。　He　had　no　fear　that　she'd　reject　him。　He　had　a　claim　on　her　that　would　make　her　put　aside　all　moral　niceties：　his　child；　planted　in　her　two　nights　before。
　It　was　his　first。　Though　he　and　Quaisoir　had　attempted　to　found　a　dynasty　many　times；　she'd　repeatedly　miscarried；　then　later　corrupted　her　body　with　so　much　kreauchee　it　refused　to　produce　another　egg。　But　this　Judith　was　a　wonder。　Not　only　had　she　made　surpassing　love　with　him；　there　was　fruit　from　that　coupling。　And　when　the　time　came　to　tell　her　（once　the　irksome　Oscar　Godolphin　was　dead；　and　the　line　for　whom　she'd　been　made　stopped）；　then　she　would　see　the　perfection　of　their　union　and　feel　it；　kicking　in　her　womb。
　
　Jude　hadn't　slept；　waiting　for　Gentle　to　return　from　another　night　of　wanderings。　The　summons　she　carried　from　Celes…tine　was　too　heavy　to　sleep　with；　she　wanted　it　said　and　done；　so　she　could　put　her　thoughts　of　the　woman　away。　Nor　did　she　want　to　be　unconscious　when　he　returned。　The　idea　of　his　ing　in　and　watching　her　sleep；　which　would　have　been　forting　two　nights　before；　unsettled　her　now。　He　was　the　egg　licker；　and　its　thief。　When　she　had　her　possession　back　and　he　was　gone　off　to　Highgate；　she'd　rest；　but　not　before。
　The　day　was　creeping　up　when　he　finally　returned；　but　there　was　insufficient　light　for　her　to　read　much　on　his　face　until　he　was　within　a　few　yards　of　her；　by　which　time　he　was　wreathed　in　smiles。　He　chastised　her　fondly　for　waiting　up。　There　was　no　need；　he　said；　he　was　quite　safe。　The　pleasantries　stopped　here；　however。　He　saw　her　unease　and　wanted　to　know　what　was　wrong。
　〃I　went　to　Roxborough's　tower；〃　she　told　him。
　〃Not　on　your　own；　I　hope。　Those　people　can't　be　trusted。〃
　〃I　took　Oscar。〃
　〃And　how's　Oscar？〃
　She　was　in　no　mood　to　prettify。　〃He's　dead；〃　she　said。
　He　looked　genuinely　saddened　at　this。　〃How　did　that　happen？〃　he　asked。
　〃It　doesn't　matter。〃
　〃It　does　to　me；〃　he　insisted。　〃Please。　I　want　to　know。〃
　〃Dowd　was　there。　He　killed　Godolphin。〃
　〃Did　he　hurt　you？〃
　〃No。　He　tried。　But　no。〃
　〃You　shouldn't　have　gone　up　there　without　me。　What　on　earth　possessed　you？〃
　She　told　him；　as　plainly　as　she　knew：　〃Roxborough　had　a　prisoner；〃　she　said。　〃A　woman　he　buried　under　the　tower。〃
　〃He　kept　that　little　kink　to　himself；〃　came　the　reply。　She　thought　there　was　something　almost　admiring　in　his　tone；　but　she　fought　the　temptation　to　accuse　him。　〃So　you　went　to　dig　up　her　bones；　did　you？〃
　〃I　went　to　release　her。〃
　Now　she　had　every　scrap　of　his　attention。　〃I　don't　follow；〃　he　said。
　〃She's　not　dead。〃
　〃So　she's　not　human。〃　He　made　a　curt　little　smile。　〃What　was　Roxborough　doing　up　there？　Raising　wantons？〃
　〃I　don't　know　what　wantons　are。〃
　〃They're　ethereal　whores。〃
　〃That　doesn't　describe　Celestine。〃　She　trailed　the　bait　of　the　name；　but　he　failed　to　bite。　〃She's　human。　Or　a