cb.imajica1-第98部分

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rowly　escaped　death　at　the　hands　of　a　mob　that　had　already　taken　over　three　of　the　Kesparates　and　declared　them　independent　city…states；　thereby　issuing　a　challenge　to　the　Autarch。　So　far；　he　said；　the　palace　had　done　little。　Small　contingents　of　troops　had　been　dispatched　to　the　Caramess；　to　the　Oke　T'Noon；　and　the　seven　Kesparates　on　the　other　side　of　the　hill；　to　suppress　any　sign　of　uprisings　there。　But　no　offensive　had　been　launched　against　the　insurgents　who　had　taken　the　harbor。
　〃They're　nothing　more　than　rabble；〃　the　merchant　said。　〃They've　no　care　for　property　or　person。　Indiscriminate　destruction；　that's　all　they're　good　for！　I'm　no　great　lover　of　the　Autarch；　but　he's　got　to　be　the　voice　of　decent　people　like　me　in　times　like　this！　I　should　have　sold　my　business　a　year　ago。　I　talked　with　Oscar　about　it。　We　planned　to　move　away　from　this　wretched　city。　But　I　hung　on　and　hung　on；　because　I　believe　in　people。　That's　my　mistake；〃　he　said；　throwing　his　eyes　up　to　the　ceiling　like　a　man　martyred　by　his　own　decency。　〃I　have　too　much　faith。〃　He　looked　at　Hoi…Polloi。　〃Don't　I？〃
　〃You　do；　Papa；　you　do。〃
　〃Well；　not　any　more。　You　go　and　pack　our　belongings；　sweet。　We're　getting　out　tonight。〃
　〃What　about　the　house？〃　Dowd　said。　〃And　all　the　collectibles　downstairs？〃
　Peccable　cast　a　glance　at　Hoi…Polloi。　〃Why　don't　you　start　packing　now？〃　he　said；　clearly　unfortable　with　the　idea　of　debating　his　black　market　activities　in　front　of　his　daughter。
　He　cast　a　similar　glance　at　Jude；　but　she　pretended　not　to　prehend　its　significance　and　remained　seated。　He　began　to　talk　anyway。
　〃When　we　leave　this　house　we　leave　it　forever；〃　he　said。　〃There'll　be　nothing　left　to　e　back　to；　I'm　convinced　of　that。〃　The　outraged　bourgeois　of　minutes　before；　appealing　for　civil　stability；　was　now　replaced　by　an　apocalyptic。　〃It　was　bound　to　happen　sooner　or　later。　They　couldn't　control　the　cults　in　perpetuity。〃　〃They？〃　said　Jude。　〃The　Autarch。　And　Quaisoir。〃
　The　sound　of　the　name　was　like　a　blow　to　her　heart。　〃Quaisoir？〃　she　said。
　〃His　wife。　The　consort。　Our　lady　of　Yzordderrex：　Ma'am　Quaisoir。　She's　been　his　undoing；　if　you　ask　me。　He　always　kept　himself　hidden　away；　which　was　wise；　nobody　thought　about　him　much　as　long　as　trade　was　good　and　the　streets　were　lit。　The　taxes；　of　course：　the　taxes　have　been　a　burden　upon　us　all；　especially　family　men　like　myself；　but　let　me　teU　you　we're　better　off　here　than　they　are　in　Pata…shoqua　or　lahmandhas。　No；　I　don't　think　he's　done　badly　by　us。　The　stories　you　hear　about　the　state　of　things　when　he　first　took　over：　Chaos！　Half　the　Kesparates　at　war　with　the　other　half。　He　brought　stability。　People　prospered。　No；　it's　not　his　policies；　it's　her：　she's　his　undoing。　Things　were　fine　until　she　started　to　interfere。　I　suppose　she　thinks　she's　doing　us　a　favor；　deigning　to　appear　in　public。〃
　〃Have　you　。　。　。　seen　her　then？〃　Jude　asked。
　〃Not　personally；　no。　She　stays　out　of　sight；　even　when　she　attends　executions。　Though　I　heard　that　she　showed　herself　today；　out　in　the　open。　Somebody　said　they'd　actually　seen　her　face。　Ugly；　they　said。　Brutish。　I'm　not　surprised。　All　these　executions　were　her　idea。　She　enjoys　them；　apparently。　Well；　people　don't　like　that。　Taxes；　yes。　An　occasional　purge；　some　political　trials…well；　yes；　those　too；　we　can　accept　those。　But　you　can't　make　the　law　into　a　public　spectacle。　That's　a　mockery；　and　we've　never　mocked　the　law　in　Yzordderrex。〃
　He　went　on　in　much　the　same　vein；　but　Jude　wasn't　listening。　She　was　attempting　to　conceal　the　heady　mixture　of　feelings　that　was　coursing　through　her。　Quaisoir；　the　woman　with　her　face；　was　not　some　minor　player　in　the　life　of　Yzordderrex　but　one　of　its　two　potentates；　by　extension；　therefore；　one　of　the　great　rulers　of　the　Imajica。　Could　she　now　doubt　that　there　was　purpose　in　her　ing　to　this　city？　She　had　a　face　which　owned　power。　A　face　that　went　in　secret　from　the　world；　but　that　behind　its　veils　had　made　the　Autarch　of　Yzordderrex　pliant。　The　question　was：　What　did　that　mean？　After　so　unremarkable　a　life　on　earth；　had　she　been　called　into　this　Dominion　to　taste　a　little　of　the　power　that　her　other　took　for　granted？　Or　was　she　here　as　a　diversion；　called　to　suffer　in　place　of　Quaisoir　for　the　crimes　she'd　supposedly　mitted？　And　if　so；　who　was　the　summoner？　Clearly　it　had　to　be　a　Maestro　with　ready　access　to　the　Fifth　Dominion　and　agents　there　to　conspire　with。　Was　Godolpnin　some　part　of　this　plot？　Or　Dowd；　perhaps？　That　seemed　more　likely。　And　what　about　Quaisoir？　Was　she　in　ignorance　of　the　plans　being　laid　on　her　behalf　or　a　fellow　plotter？
　Tonight　would　tell；　Jude　promised　herself。　Tonight　she'd　find　some　way　to　intercept　Quaisoir　as　she　went　to　meet　her　angel…dispatching　lover；　and　before　another　day　had　gone　by　Jude　would　know　whether　she'd　been　brought　from　the　Fifth　to　be　a　sister　or　a　scapegoat。
　
　
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　GENTLE　DID　AS　HE'D　PROMISED　PIE；　and　stayed　with　Huzzah　at　the　cafe　where　they'd　breakfasted　until　the　et's　arc　took　it　behind　the　mountain　and　the　light　of　day　gave　way　to　twilight。　Doing　so　tried　not　only　his　patience　but　his　nerve；　because　as　the　afternoon　wore　on　the　unrest　from　the　lower　Kesparates　spread　up　through　the　streets；　and　it　became　increasingly　apparent　that　the　establishment　would　stand　in　the　middle　of　a　battlefield　by　evening。　Party　by　party；　the　customers　vacated　their　tables　as　the　sound　of　rioting　and　gunfire　crept　closer。　A　slow　rain　of　smuts　began　to　fall；　spiraling　from　a　sky　which　was　intermittently　darkened　now　by　smoke　rising　from　the　burning　Kesparates。
　As　the　first　wounded　began　to　be　carried　up　the　street；　indicating　that　the　field　of　action　was　now　very　near；　the　owners　of　several　nearby　shops　gathered　in　the　cafe　for　a　short　council；　debating；　presumably；　the　best　way　to　defend　their　property。　It　ended　in　accusation；　the　insults　an　education　to　both　Gentle　and　Huzzah。　Two　of　the　owners　returned　with　weapons　a　few　minutes　later；　at　which　point　the　manager；　who　introduced　himself　as　Bunyan　Blew；　asked　Gentle　if　he　and　his　daughter　didn't　have　a　home　to　go　to。　Gentle　replied　that　they　had　promised　to　meet　somebody　here　earlier　in　the　day；　and　they　would　be　most　obliged　if　they　could　remain　until　their　friend　arrived。
　〃I　remember　you；〃　Blew　replied。　〃You　came　in　this　morning；　didn't　you；　with　a　woman？〃　〃That's　who　we're　waiting　for。〃　〃She　put　me　in　mind　of　somebody　I　used　to　know；〃　Blew　said。　〃I　hope　she's　safe　out　there。〃　〃So　do　we；〃　Gentle　replied。
　〃You'd　better　stay　then。　But　you'll　have　to　lend　me　a　hand　barricading　the　place。〃
　Bunyan　explained　that　he'd　known　this　was　going　to　happen　sooner　or　later　and　was　prepared　for　the　eventuality。　There　were　timbers　to　nail　over　the　windows；　and　a　supply　of　small　arms　should　the　mob　try　to　loot　his　shelves。
　In　fact；　his　precautions　proved　unnecessary。　The　street　became　a　conduit　for　ferrying　the　wounded　army　from　the　bat　zone；　which　was　moving　up　the　hill　one　street　east　of　the　cafe。　There　were　two　nerve…racking　hours；　however；　when　the　din　of　shouting　and　gunfire　was　ing　from　all　pass　points；　and　the　bottles　on　Slew's　shelves　tinkled　every　time　the　ground　shook；　which　was　often。　One　of　the　shopkeepers　who'd　left　in　high　dudgeon　earlier　came　beating　at　the　door　during　this　siege；　and　stumbled　over　the　threshold　with　blood　streaming　from　his　head　and　tales　of　destruction　from　his　mouth。　The　army　had　called　up　heavy　artillery　in　the　last　hour；　he　reported；　and　it　had　practically　leveled　the　harbor　and　rendered　the　causeway　impassable；　thereby　effectively　sealing　the　city。　This　was　all　part　of　the　Autarch's　plan；　he　said。　Why　else　were　whole　neighborhoods　being　allowed　to　burn　unchecked？　The　Autarch　was　leaving　the　city　to　consume　its　own　citizens；　knowing　the　conflagration　would　not　be　able　to　break　the　palace　walls。
　〃He's　going　to　let　the　mob　destroy　the　city；〃　the　man　went　on；　〃and　he　doesn't　care　what　happens　to　us　in　the　meantime。　Selfish　bastard！　We're　all　going　to　burn；　and　he's　not　going　to　lift　a　finger　to　help　us！〃
　This　scenario　certainly　fitted　the　facts。　When；　at　Gentle's　suggestion；　they　went　up　onto　the　roof　to　get　a　better　view　of　the　situation；　it　seemed　to　be　exactly　as　described。　The　ocean　was　obliterated　by　a　wall　of　smoke　climbing　from　the　embers　of　the　harbor；　further　flame…shot　columns　rose　from　two　dozen　neighborhoods；　near　and　far；　and　through　the　dirty　heat　ing　off　the　Oke　T'Noon's　pyre　the　causeway　was　just　visible；　its　rubble　damming　the　delta。　Clogged　by　smoke；　the　et　shed　a　diminished　light　on　the　city；　and　even　that　was　fading　as　the　long　twilight　deepened。
　〃It's　time　to　leave；〃　Gentle　told　Huzzah。
　〃Where　are　we　going　to　go？〃
　〃Back　to　find　Pie　'oh'　pah；〃　he　replied。　〃While　we　still　can。〃
　
　It　had　been　apparent　from　the　roof　that　there　was　no　safe　route　back　to　the　mystifs　Kesparate。　The　various　factions　warring　in　the　streets　were　moving　unpredictably。　A　street　that　was　empty　one　moment　might　be　thronged　the　next；　and　rubble　the　moment　after　that。　They　would　have　to　go　on　instinct　and　a　prayer；　taking　as　direct　a　path　back　to　where　they'd　left　Pie　'oh'　pah　as　circumstance　allowed。　Dusk　in　this　Dominion　usually　lasted　the　length　of　an　English　midwinter　day…five　or　six　hours…the