cb.imajica1-第46部分

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　〃Nothing's　happened　yet。〃
　〃But　it　will；　it　will！　She'll　wind　him　around　her　little　finger；　and　he'll　tell　her　everything。〃
　〃What　do　you　want　to　do　about　it？〃
　Oscar　went　to　hush　the　parrots。　〃Ideally？〃　he　said；　as　he　smoothed　their　ruffled　wings。　〃Ideally　I'd　have　Charlie　vanish　off　the　face　of　the　earth。〃
　〃He　had　much　the　same　ambition　for　her；〃　Dowd　observed。
　〃Meaning　what？〃
　〃Just　that　you're　both　quite　capable　of　murder。〃
　Oscar　made　a　contemptuous　grunt。　〃Charlie　was　only　playing　at　it；〃　he　said。　〃He's　got　no　balls！　He's　got　no　vision！〃　He　returned　to　his　high…backed　chair；　his　expression　sullen。　〃It's　not　going　to　hold；　damn　it；〃　he　said。　〃I　can　feel　it　in　my　gut。　We've　kept　things　neat　and　tidy　so　far；　but　it's　not　going　to　hold。　Charlie　has　to　be　taken　out　of　the　equation。〃
　〃He's　your　brother。〃
　〃He's　a　burden。〃
　〃What　I　mean　is：　he's　your　brother。　You　should　be　the　one　to　dispatch　him。〃
　Oscar's　eyes　widened。　〃Oh；　my　Lord；〃　he　said。
　〃Think　what　they'd　say　in　Yzordderrex；　if　you　were　to　tell　them。〃
　〃What？　That　I　killed　my　own　brother？　I　don't　see　much　charm　in　that。〃
　〃But　that　you　did　what　you　had　to　do；　however　unpalatable；　to　keep　the　secret　safe。〃　Dowd　paused　to　let　the　idea　blossom。　〃That　sounds　heroic　to　me。　Think　what　they'll　say。〃
　〃I'm　thinking。〃
　〃It's　your　reputation　in　Yzordderrex　you　care　about；　isn't　it；　not　what　happens　in　the　Fifth？　You've　said　before　that　this　world's　getting　duller　all　the　time。〃
　Oscar　pondered　this　for　a　while。　〃Maybe　I　should　slip　away。　Kill　them　both　to　make　sure　nobody　ever　knows　where　I've　gone…〃
　〃Where　we've　gone。〃
　〃…then　slip　away　and　pass　into　legend。　Oscar　Godolphin；　who　left　his　crazy　brother　dead　beside　his　wife　and　disappeared。　Oh；　yes。　That'd　make　quite　a　headline　in　Patashoqua。〃　He　mused　a　few　moments　more。　〃What's　the　classic　sibling　murder　weapon？〃　he　finally　asked。
　〃The　jawbone　of　an　ass。〃
　〃Ridiculous。〃
　〃You'll　think　of　something　better。！'
　〃So　I　will。　Make　me　a　drink；　Dowdie。　And　have　one　yourself。　We'll　drink　to　escape。〃
　〃Doesn't　everybody？〃　Dowd　replied；　but　the　remark　was　lost　on　Godolphin；　who　was　already　plunged　deep　into　murderous　thought。
　
　
　20
　
　Gentle　and　Pie　were　six　days　on　the　Patashoquan　Highway；　days　measured　not　by　the　watch　on　Pie's　wrist　but　by　the　brightening　and　darkening　of　the　peacock　sky。　On　the　fifth　day　the　watch　gave　up　the　ghost　anyway；　maddened；　Pie　supposed；　by　the　magnetic　field　surrounding　a　city　of　pyramids　they　passed。　Thereafter；　even　though　Gentle　wanted　to　preserve　some　sense　of　how　time　was　proceeding　in　the　Dominion　they'd　left；　it　was　virtually　impossible。　Within　a　few　days　their　bodies　were　acmodating　the　rhythm　of　their　new　world；　and　he　let　his　curiosity　feast　on　more　pertinent　matters：　chiefly；　the　landscape　through　which　they　were　traveling。
　It　was　diverse。　In　that　first　week　they　passed　out　of　the　plain　into　a　region　of　lagoons…the　Cosacosa…which　took　two　days　to　cross；　and　thence　into　tracts　of　ancient　conifers　so　tall　that　clouds　hung　in　their　topmost　branches　like　the　nests　of　ethereal　birds。　On　the　other　side　of　this　stupendous　forest；　the　mountains　Gentle　had　glimpsed　days　before　came　plainly　into　view。　The　range　was　called　the　Jokalay…lau；　Pie　informed　him；　and　legend　had　it　that　after　the　Mount　of　Lipper　Bayak　these　heights　had　been　Hapexa…mendios'　next　resting　place　as　He'd　crossed　through　the　Dominions。　It　was　no　accident；　it　seemed；　that　the　landscapes　they　passed　through　recalled　those　of　the　Fifth；　they　had　been　chosen　for　that　similarity。　The　Unbeheld　had　strode　the　Imajica　dropping　seeds　of　humanity　as　He　went…even　to　the　very　edge　of　His　sanctum…in　order　to　give　the　species　He　favored　new　challenges；　and　like　any　good　gardener　He'd　dispersed　them　where　they　had　the　best　hope　of　prospering。　Where　the　native　crop　could　be　conquered　or　acmodated；　where　the　living　was　hard　enough　to　make　sure　only　the　most　resilient　survived；　but　the　land　fertile　enough　to　feed　their　children；　where　rain　came；　where　light　came；　where　all　the　vicissitudes　that　strengthened　a　species　by　occasional　calamity…tempest；　earthquake；　flood…were　to　hand。
　But　while　there　was　much　that　any　terrestrial　traveler　would　have　recognized；　nothing；　not　the　smallest　pebble　underfoot；　was　quite　like　its　counterpart　in　the　Fifth。　Some　of　these　disparities　were　too　vast　to　be　missed：　the　green…gold　of　the　heavens；　for　instance；　or　the　elephantine　snails　that　grazed　beneath　the　cloud…nested　trees。　Others　were　smaller　but　equally　bizarre；　like　the　wild　dogs　that　ran　along　the　highway　now　and　then；　hairless　and　shiny　as　patent　leather；　or　grotesque；　like　the　horned　kites　that　swooped　on　any　animal　dead　or　near…dead　on　the　road　and　only　rose　from　their　meals；　purple　wings　opening　like　cloaks；　when　the　vehicle　was　almost　upon　them；　or　absurd；　like　the　bone…white　lizards　that　congregated　in　their　thousands　along　the　edge　of　the　lagoons；　the　urge　to　turn　somersaults　passing　through　their　colonies　in　waves。
　Perhaps　finding　some　new　response　to　these　experiences　was　out　of　the　question　when　the　sheer　proliferation　of　travelers'　tales　had　all　but　exhausted　the　lexicon　of　discovery。　But　it　nevertheless　irritated　Gentle　to　hear　himself　responding　in　cliches。　The　traveler　moved　by　unspoilt　beauty　or　appalled　by　native　barbarism。　The　traveler　touched　by　primitive　wisdom　or　caught　breathless　by　undreamt…of　modernities。　The　traveler　condescending；　the　traveler　humbled；　the　traveler　hungry　for　the　next　horizon　or　pining　miserably　for　home。　Of　all　these；　perhaps　only　the　last　response　never　passed　Gentle's　lips。　He　thought　of　the　Fifth　only　when　it　came　up　in　conversation　between　himself　and　Pie；　and　that　happened　less　and　less　as　the　practicalities　of　the　moment　pressed　more　heavily　upon　them。　Food　and　sleeping　quarters　were　easily　e　by　at　first；　as　was　fuel　for　the　car。　There　were　small　villages　and　hostelries　along　the　highway；　where　Pie；　despite　an　absence　of　hard　cash；　always　managed　to　secure　them　sustenance　and　beds　to　sleep　in。　The　mystif　had　a　host　of　minor　feits　at　its　disposal；　Gentle　realized：　ways　to　use　its　powers　of　seduction　to　make　even　the　most　rapacious　hosteller　pliant。　But　once　they　got　beyond　the　forest；　matters　became　more　problematical。　The　bulk　of　the　vehicles　had　turned　off　at　the　intersections；　and　the　highway　had　degenerated　from　a　well…serviced　thoroughfare　to　a　two…lane　road；　with　more　potholes　than　traffic。　The　vehicle　Pie　had　stolen　had　not　been　designed　for　the　rigors　of　long…distance　travel。　It　started　to　show　signs　of　fatigue；　and　with　the　mountains　looming　ahead　it　was　decided　they　should　stop　at　the　next　village　and　attempt　to　trade　it　in　for　a　more　reliable　。model。
　〃Perhaps　something　with　breath　in　its　body；〃　Pie　suggested。
　〃Speaking　of　which；〃　Gentle　said；　〃you　never　asked　me　about　the　Nullianac。〃
　〃What　was　there　to　ask？〃
　〃How　I　killed　it。〃
　〃I　presumed　you　used　a　pneuma。〃
　〃You　don't　sound　very　surprised。〃
　〃How　else　would　you　have　done　it？〃　Pie　said；　quite　reasonably。　〃You　had　the　will；　and　you　had　the　power。〃
　〃But　where　did　I　get　it　from？〃　Gentle　said。
　〃You've　always　had　it；〃　Pie　replied；　which　left　Gentle　nursing　as　many　questions；　or　more；　as　he'd　begun　with。　He　started　to　formulate　one；　but　something　in　the　motion　of　the　car　began　to　nauseate　him　as　he　did　so。　〃I　think　we'd　better　stop　for　a　few　minutes；〃　he　said。　〃I　think　I'm　going　to　puke。〃
　Pie　brought　the　vehicle　to　a　halt；　and　Gentle　stepped　out。　The　sky　was　darkening；　and　some　night…blooming　flower　spiced　the　cooling　air。　On　the　slopes　above　them　herds　of　pale…flanked　beasts；　relations　of　the　yak　but　here　called　doekt；　moved　down　through　the　twilight　to　their　dormitory　pastures；　lowing　as　they　came。　The　dangers　of　Vanaeph　and　the　thronged　highway　outside　Patashoqua　seemed　very　remote。　Gentle　breathed　deeply；　and　the　nausea；　like　his　questions；　no　longer　vexed　him。　He　looked　up　at　the　first　stars。　Some　were　red　here；　like　Mars；　others　gold：　fragments　of　the　noonday　sky　that　refused　to　be　extinguished。
　〃Is　this　Dominion　another　planet？〃　he　asked　Pie。　〃Are　we　in　some　other　galaxy？〃
　〃No。　It's　not　space　that　separates　the　Fifth　from　the　rest　of　the　Dominions；　it's　the　In　Ovo。〃
　〃So；　is　the　whole　of　planet　Earth　the　Fifth　Dominion；　or　just　part　of　it？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　Pie　said。　〃All；　I　assume。　But　everyone　has　a　different　theory。〃
　〃What's　yours？〃
　〃Well；　when　we　move　between　the　Reconciled　Dominions；　you'll　see　it's　very　easy。　There　are　countless　passing　places　between　the　Fourth　and　the　Third；　the　Third　and　the　Second。　We'll　walk　into　a　mist；　and　we'll　e　out　into　another　world。　Simple。　But　I　don't　think　the　borders　are　fixed。　I　think　they　move　over　the　centuries；　and　the　shapes　of　the　Dominions　change。　So　maybe　it'll　be　the　same　with　the　Fifth。　If　it's　reconciled；　the　borders　will　spread；　until　the　whole　planet　has　access　to　the　rest　of　the　Dominions。　The　truth　is；　nobody　really　knows　what　the　Imajica　looks　like；　because　nobody's　ever　made　a　map。〃
　〃Somebody　should　try。〃
　〃Maybe　you're　the　man　to　do　it；〃　Pie　said。　〃You　were　an　artist　before　you　were　a　traveler。〃
　〃I　was　a　faker；　not　an　artist。〃
　〃But　your　hands　are　clever；〃　Pie　replied。
　〃Clever；〃　Gen