iancaldwell&dustinthomason.theruleoffour-第29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！


ntris　diametrum　instead　of　just　venter；　and　the　extra　'D'　at　the　beginning　of　diametrum　changes　everything。〃
　He　flipped　to　another　page；　talking　faster。　〃I　made　mistakes；　of　course。　Luckily；　they　weren't　so　big　that　I　couldn't　still　piece　together　the　Latin。　I　took　me　three　weeks；　right　up　to　the　day　before　you　guys　came　back　to　campus。　But　I　finally　figured　it　out。　You　know　what　it　says？〃　He　scratched　nervously　at　something　on　his　face。　〃It　says：　Who　cuckolded　Moses？〃
　He　gave　a　hollow　laugh。　〃I　swear　to　God；　I　can　hear　Francesco　laughing　at　me。　I　feel　like　the　whole　book　just　boiled　down　to　one　big　joke　at　my　expense。　I　mean；　seriously。　Who　cuckolded　Moses？〃
　〃I　don't　get　it。〃
　〃In　other　words；　who　cheated　on　Moses？〃
　〃I　know　what　a　cuckold　is。〃
　〃Actually；　it　doesn't　literally　say　cuckold。　It　says；　'Who　gave　Moses　the　horns？'　Horns；　as　early　as　Artemidorus；　are　used　to　suggest　cuckoldry。　It　es　from…〃
　〃But　what　does　that　have　to　do　with　the　Hypnerotomachia？〃
　I　waited　for　him　to　explain；　or　to　say　that　he'd　read　the　riddle　wrong。　But　when　Paul　got　up　and　started　pacing；　I　could　tell　this　was　more　plicated。
　〃I　don't　know。　I　can't　figure　out　how　it　fits　with　the　rest　of　the　book。　But　here's　the　strange　thing。　I　think　I　may　have　solved　the　riddle。〃
　〃Someone　cuckolded　Moses？〃
　〃Well；　sort　of。　At　first；　I　thought　it　had　to　be　a　mistake。　Moses　is　too　major　a　figure　in　the　Old　Testament　to　be　associated　with　infidelity。　As　far　as　I　knew；　he　had　a　wife…a　Midianite　woman　named　Zipporah…but　she　barely　appeared　in　Exodus；　and　I　couldn't　find　any　reference　to　her　cheating　on　him。
　〃Then　in　Numbers　12：1；　something　unusual　happens。　Moses'　brother　and　sister　speak　against　him　because　he　marries　a　Cushite　woman。　The　details　are　never　explained；　but　some　scholars　argue　that　because　Cush　and　Midian　are　pletely　different　geographical　areas；　Moses　must've　had　two　wives。　The　name　of　the　Cushite　wife　never　appears　in　the　Bible；　but　a　first…century　historian；　Flavius　Josephus；　writes　his　own　account　of　Moses'　life；　and　claims　that　the　name　of　the　Cushite；　or　Ethiopian；　woman　he　married　was　Tharbis。〃
　The　details　were　beginning　to　overwhelm　me。　〃So　she　cheated　on　him？〃
　Paul　shook　his　head。　〃No。　By　taking　a　second　wife；　Moses　cheated　on　her；　or　on　Zipporah；　whichever　one　he　married　first。　The　chronology　is　hard　to　figure　out；　but　in　some　usages；　cuckold's　horns　appear　on　the　head　of　the　cheater；　not　just　the　cheater's　spouse。　That　must　be　what　the　riddle's　getting　at。　The　answer　is　Zipporah　or　Tharbis。〃
　〃So　what　do　you　do　with　that？〃
　His　excitement　seemed　to　dissipate。　〃That's　where　I've　hit　a　wall。　I　tried　to　use　Zipporah　and　Tharbis　as　solutions　every　way　I　could　think　of；　applying　them　as　ciphers　to　help　crack　the　rest　of　the　book。　But　nothing　works。〃
　He　waited；　as　if　expecting　me　to　contribute　something。
　〃What　does　Taft　think　about　it？〃　was　all　I　could　think　to　ask。
　〃Vincent　doesn't　know。　He　thinks　I'm　wasting　my　time。　As　soon　as　he　decided　Gelbman's　techniques　weren't　yielding　breakthroughs；　he　told　me　I　should　go　back　to　following　his　lead。　More　focus　on　the　primary　Venetian　sources。〃
　〃You're　not　going　to　tell　him　about　this？〃
　Paul　looked　at　me　as　if　I　misunderstood。
　〃I'm　telling　you；〃　he　said。
　〃I　have　no　idea。〃
　〃Tom；　it　can't　be　an　accident。　Not　something　this　big。　This　is　what　your　father　was　looking　for。　All　we　have　to　do　is　figure　it　out。　I　want　your　help。〃
　〃Why？〃
　Now　a　curious　certainty　entered　his　voice；　as　if　he　understood　something　about　the　Hypnerotomachia　that　he'd　overlooked　before。　〃The　book　rewards　different　kinds　of　thought。　Sometimes　patience　works；　attention　to　detail。　But　other　times　it　takes　instinct　and　inventiveness。　I've　read　some　of　your　conclusions　on　Frankenstein。　They're　good。　They're　original。　And　you　didn't　even　break　a　sweat。　Just　think　about　it。　Think　about　the　riddle。　Maybe　you'll　e　up　with　something　else。　That's　all　I'm　asking。〃
　　
　There　was　a　simple　reason　why　I　rejected　Paul's　offer　that　night。　In　the　landscape　of　my　childhood；　Colonna's　book　was　a　deserted　mansion　on　a　hill；　a　foreboding　shadow　over　any　nearby　thought。　Every　unpleasant　mystery　of　my　youth　seemed　to　trace　its　origins　to　those　same　unreadable　pages：　the　unaccountable　absence　of　my　father　from　our　dinner　table　so　many　nights　as　he　labored　at　his　desk；　the　old　arguments　he　and　my　mother　lapsed　into；　like　saints　falling　into　sin；　even　the　inhospitable　oddness　of　Richard　Curry；　who　fell　for　Colonna's　book　worse　than　any　man；　and　never　seemed　to　recover。　I　couldn't　understand　the　power　the　Hypnerotomachia　exerted　over　everyone　who　read　it；　but　in　my　experience　that　power　always　seemed　to　play　out　for　the　worse。　Watching　Paul　struggle　for　three　years；　even　if　it　culminated　in　this　breakthrough；　had　only　helped　me　keep　my　distance。
　If　it　seems　surprising；　then；　that　I　changed　my　mind　the　next　morning；　and　joined　Paul　in　his　work；　chalk　it　up　to　a　dream　I　had　the　night　after　he　told　me　about　the　riddle。　There　is　a　woodcut　in　the　Hypnerotomachia　that　will　always　stay　in　the　stowage　of　my　early　childhood；　a　print　that　I　bumped　into　many　times　after　sneaking　into　my　father's　office　to　investigate　what　he　was　studying。　It's　not　every　day　that　a　boy　sees　a　naked　woman　reclining　under　a　tree；　looking　up　at　him　as　he　returns　the　favor。　And　I　imagine　no　one；　outside　the　circle　of　Hypnerotomachia　scholars；　can　say　he　has　ever　seen　a　naked　satyr　standing　at　the　feet　of　such　a　woman；　with　a　horn　of　a　penis　extended　like　a　pass　needle　in　her　direction。　I　was　twelve　when　I　saw　that　picture　for　the　first　time；　all　alone　in　my　father's　office；　and　I　could　suddenly　imagine　why　he　sometimes　came　to　dinner　late。　Whatever　this　was；　strange　and　wonderful；　beef　potluck　had　nothing　on　it。
　
　It　returned　to　me　that　night；　the　woodcut　of　my　childhood…woman　lounging；　satyr　stalking；　member　rampant…and　I　must　have　done　a　lot　of　turning　in　my　bunk；　because　Paul　looked　down　from　his　and　asked；　〃You　okay；　Tom？〃
　ing　to；　I　rose　and　shot　through　the　books　on　his　desk。　That　penis；　that　misplaced　horn；　reminded　me　of　something。　There　was　a　connection　to　be　made。　Colonna　knew　what　he　was　talking　about。　Someone　had　given　Moses　horns。
　I　found　the　answer　in　Hartt's　History　of　Renaissance　Art。　I'd　seen　the　picture　before；　but　never　made　anything　of　it。
　〃What　are　these？〃　I　asked　Paul；　tossing　the　book　up　to　his　bunk；　pointing　at　the　page。
　He　squinted。　〃Michelangelo's　statue　of　Moses；〃　he　said；　staring　at　me　as　if　I'd　lost　my　mind。　〃What's　wrong；　Tom？〃
　Then；　before　I　even　had　to　explain；　he　stopped　short　and　turned　on　his　bedside　light。
　〃Of　course　。　。　。〃　he　whispered。　〃Oh　my　God；　of　course。〃
　Sure　enough；　in　the　photo　I'd　shown　him；　two　little　nubs　stuck　out　the　top　of　the　statue's　head；　like　goatish　satyr　horns。
　Paul　jumped　down　from　the　bunk；　loudly　enough　that　I　waited　for　Gil　and　Charlie　to　appear。　〃You　did　it；〃　he　said；　eyes　wide。　〃This　must　be　it。〃
　He　continued　like　that　for　a　while；　until　I　started　to　feel　an　unfortable　sense　of　dislocation；　wondering　how　Colonna　could've　put　the　answer　to　his　riddle　on　a　Michelangelo　sculpture。
　〃So　why　are　they　there？〃　I　asked　finally。
　But　Paul　was　already　far　ahead。　He　yanked　the　book　off　his　bunk　and　showed　me　the　explanation　in　the　text。　〃The　horns　have　nothing　to　do　with　being　a　cuckold。　The　riddle　was　literal：　who　gave　Moses　horns？　It's　from　a　mistranslation　of　the　Bible。　When　Moses　es　down　from　Mount　Sinai；　Exodus　says；　his　face　glows　with　rays　of　light。　But　the　Hebrew　word　for　'rays'　can　also　be　translated　as　'horns'…karan　versus　keren。　When　Saint　Jerome　translated　the　Old　Testament　into　Latin；　he　thought　no　one　but　Christ　should　glow　with　rays　of　light…so　he　advanced　the　secondary　translation。　And　that's　how　Michelangelo　carved　his　Moses。　With　horns。〃
　In　all　the　excitement；　I　don't　think　I　even　sensed　what　was　happening。　The　Hypnerotomachia　had　slunk　back　into　my　life；　ferrying　me　across　a　river　I　never　intended　to　cross。　All　that　stood　in　our　way　was　figuring　out　the　significance　of　Saint　Jerome；　who　had　applied　the　Latin　word　cornuta　to　Moses；　thus　giving　him　horns。　But　for　the　following　week；　that　was　a　burden　Paul　happily　took　upon　himself。　Beginning　that　night；　and　continuing　for　some　time；　I　was　only　a　hired　gun；　his　last　resort　against　the　Hypnerotomachia。　I　thought　it　was　a　position　I　could　keep；　a　distance　I　could　maintain　from　the　book；　letting　Paul　play　the　middleman。　And　so；　as　he　returned　to　Firestone；　white…hot　with　the　possibilities　of　what　we'd　found；　I　went　off　and　made　another　discovery　of　my　own。　Still　strutting　after　my　encounter　with　Francesco　Colonna；　I　can　only　imagine　the　impression　I　made　on　her。
　　
　We　met　where　neither　of　us　belonged；　but　where　both　of　us　felt　at　home：　Ivy。　For　my　part；　I'd　spent　as　many　weekends　there　as　I　had　at　my　own　club。　For　hers；　she　was　already　one　of　Gil's　favorites；　months　before　bicker　for　her　sophomore　class　began；　and　it　was　his　first　thought　to　introduce　us。
　〃Katie；〃　he　said；　after　getting　both　of　us　to　the　club　on　the　same　Saturday　night；　〃this　is　my　roommate；　Tom。〃
　I　gave　a　lazy　smile；　thinking　I　didn't　have　to　flex　much　muscle　to　charm　a　sophomore。
　Then　she　spoke。　And　l