cb.torturedsouls-第7部分

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　　She　carefully　parted　the　foliage；　to　see　if　she　could　discover　what　it　was　up　to。　There　was　some　sound　from　the　direction　in　which　she'd　e；　and　then　an　audible　moan　from　Kreiger。
　　Oh　God；　no；　she　thought。　Don't　let　the　trespasser　be　smart　enough　to　use　Kreiger　as　bait。。。
　　Her　fears　were　realized　a　moment　later；　as　the　creature　reappeared　between　the　thorn　bushes；　dragging　a　heavy　burden　behind　him。　It　was　Kreiger；　of　course。　This　lover　of　hers；　who　was　now　reduced　to　little　more　than　a　sack；　hauled　behind　the　nameless　fiend；　had　been　a　terror　in　his　own　right　not　so　long　ago。　As　the　assassin　Zarles　Kreiger　he'd　once　haunted　the　city　of　Primordium　from　the　shanties　to　the　chateaus。　Then；　after　the　transformation　worked　upon　him　by　Agonistes；　as　the　Scythe…Meister；　he'd　wiped　out　the　ruling　class　of　the　city　in　one　scarlet　night。
　　But　now　look　at　him！　His　face　was　torn　open；　as　though　the　fiend　had　simply　put　his　fingers　into　Kreiger's　mouth　（whose　lips　Lucidique　had　kissed　an　hour　before）　and　ripped　it　apart　like　a　paper　bag。　The　rest　of　his　body　had　been　just　as　cruelly　treated；　the　flesh　torn　away　from　its　seating；　exposing　the　breastbone　and　the　ribs　and　the　long　bone　of　his　thigh。　The　loss　of　blood　from　these　wounds　was　traumatic。　It　was　a　wonder　Kreiger　was　still　alive。　But　plainly…having　been　surprised　in　the　garden　while　peacefully　flower…picking…he'd　fought　back　until　he　had　no　strength　to　fight　with；　at　which　point　his　attacker　had　simply　waited　in　the　garden　while　one　of　its　two　victims　slowly　bled　to　death；　knowing　the　other　would　appear　given　time。
　　And　so　she　had。　No　doubt　the　creature　had　expected　to　dispatch　her　in　a　heartbeat；　now　it　was　obliged　to　coax　her　out　of　her　hiding　place　with　this　bloody　hostage。　It　grabbed　Kreiger's　neck　and　lifted　him　up　by　one　hand；　thrusting　his　broken　face　towards　the　tree。　Kreiger's　head　lolled　on　his　neck；　his　eyes　rolled　back　into　their　sockets。　He　was　as　close　to　dead　as　made　no　difference。
　　Then　his　killer　lifted　its　other　hand　and　beckoned　to　the　woman　in　the　tree。　As　it　did　so　it　twitched　Kreiger's　head　back　and　forth；　like　that　of　a　doll。　For　Lucidique　it　was　agonizing　beyond　words　to　see　her　lover；　a　man　who　had　brought　down　a　dynasty；　bobbing　around　like　a　ventriloquist's　doll。　It　made　her　lose　all　reason。　Though　she　knew　the　trespasser　below　had　the　physical　power　to　kill　her；　she　could　not　watch　Kreiger's　last　moments　played　out　as　a　humiliating　puppet…show。
　　She　leapt　from　the　tree　with　a　shriek　of　rage；　and　before　the　creature　could　bring　down　its　visor　of　flesh；　she　had　slit　both　of　its　eyes　with　her　weapon；　blinding　it。
　　It　dropped　Kreiger；　and　let　out　a　roar　that　sounded　pleasingly　like　panic。　She　ducked　under　its　flailing　arms　and　went　to　Kreiger。
　　He　was　dead。
　　She　glanced　back　at　his　killer；　who　was　indeed　in　a　state　of　child…like　terror。　His　roar　had　turned　into　howls　that　were　close　to　descending　into　whimpers。
　　She　could　have　wounded　it　again　easily　enough；　and　perhaps；　after　a　dozen　woundings；　or　two　dozen；　she　might　have　claimed　its　life。　But　she　didn't　have　any　time　to　waste　with　the　blinded　thing。　She　needed　to　take　Kreiger　somewhere　he　had　a　hope　of　resurrection。
　　Out　into　the　desert。　Out　to　find　Agonistes。
　　She　lifted　her　lover's　body　up　over　her　shoulders　（he　was　lighter　than　she'd　expected；　troublingly　so；　as　though　the　mass　of　his　life　had　gone　from　him　and　would　never　be　returned；　even　by　a　miracle）。　She　would　not　let　such　pessimism　linger　in　her　mind　however。　Leaving　the　blind　trespasser　to　rage　amongst　the　roses；　she　headed　to　the　forecourt　of　the　house。　She　gently　laid　the　corpse　in　the　back　of　the　car；　and　then　drove　out　of　the　city；　in　search　of　a　sandstorm。
　　
　　　III
　　Talisac　looked　down　at　the　creature　that　had　spilled　from　his　body：　his　Mongroid。　He'd　seen　prettier　things；　but　then　he'd　seen　uglier　too。　It　had　more　self…reliance　than　any　creature　five　minutes　old　should　reasonably　have；　it　walked；　crab…like；　on　four　hands；　it　made　rudimentary　attempts　to　express　itself。
　　He　called　it　to　him；　as　he　might　a　dog；　but　it　wouldn't　e。　It　was　too　interested　in　the　bodies　that　lay　everywhere　about　the　chamber；　examining　them　with　its　inverted　head；　sniffing　at　the　ranker　examples。　It　seemed　to　have　a　well…formed　head；　as　far　as　Talisac　could　make　out。　There　was　some　family　resemblance　there；　he　thought。
　　He　had　given　up　trying　to　draw　its　attention；　but　now…paradoxically…its　eyes　came　to　rest　on　him；　and　with　its　ungainly；　sideways　gait　it　approached　him。　It　cast　a　glance　around　the　charnel　house　as　it　did　so；　and　its　thought　processes　were　perfectly　clear。　It　was　making　the　first　distinction　of　its　young　life：　between　the　living　and　the　dead。
　　〃That's　right。。。〃　Talisac　said；　attempting　an　encouraging　tone；　〃。。。they're　dead。　They're　no　use　to　you。　I'm　the　one　you　have　to　help。　I'm　your　father。〃
　　How　much　of　this…if　any…the　Mongroid　understood；　Talisac　had　no　idea。　Very　little；　he　guessed。　But　they　had　to　begin　somewhere。　It　would　be　a　long；　weary　business；　rearing　this　thing。　He　had　hoped　to　give　birth　to　something　more　praiseworthy；　something　he　could　show　Montefalco；　and　thus　be　funded　for　further；　more　ambitious　researches。
　　Now；　he　would　have　to　do　some　fast…talking　to　get　the　General　to　see　his　vision　of　things。　The　crab　homunculus　produced　from　his　sac　of　semen　and　sea…water　was　very　far　from　the　perfect；　vicious　child　he'd　hoped　to　produce：　a　hymn　to　the　glories　of　testosterone。
　　But　never　mind；　there　would　be　others。　In　time　he'd　subdue　this　one；　and　vivisect　it　to　see　if　he　could　work　out　where　the　errors　lay。　Then　he'd　try　again。
　　The　creature　had　e　to　a　halt　a　few　yards　away　from　him；　and　was　studying　the　sac　from　in　which　it　had　been　contained　for　seventeen　weeks。　Blood　still　dripped　from　it；　onto　the　dirt　floor。　It　scuttled　over　and　put　its　tongue　to　the　pool；　tasting　the　fluid。
　　〃No；〃　Talisac　said；　faintly　revolted　by　its　display。　〃Don't　do　that。〃
　　He　didn't　want　it　getting　some　unnatural　appetite；　for　blood；　or　flesh；　or　whatever　other　juices　ran　from　him　freely　as　he　hung　there。　He　was　altogether　too　vulnerable　in　his　present　state。
　　〃Bad。〃　he　said；　effecting　a　tone　of　disgust。　〃Bad。〃
　　But　the　creature　wasn't　interested　in　being　forbidden　anything。　It　was　a　creature　of　instinct；　and　its　instinct　told　it　that　there　was　a　meal　to　be　had　here。　It　traced　the　source　of　the　pool　to　the　hanging　corpse　of　flesh　that　had　been　its　makeshift　womb。
　　He　didn't　like　the　look　in　the　creature's　eyes　at　all。　Nor　did　he　like　the　way　its　belly　was　distending；　as　though　its　aroused　appetite　was　awaking　a　change　in　its　anatomy。
　　The　Mongroid　was　pulling　on　the　loose　bloody　tatters　of　his　flesh　now；　its　belly　skin　still　swelling　obscenely。
　　〃Camille！〃　Talisac　yelled；　forgetting　in　his　fear　that　the　dwarf　had　left　in　the　pany　of　General　Montefalco。　He　was　alone。
　　And　now；　as　he　swung　there；　helpless；　the　belly　of　his　offspring　split　open；　revealing　a　vast　mouth；　pletely　arrayed　with　glistening　teeth。
　　〃Jesus！　Oh　Jesus！〃
　　They　were　the　last　words　Talisac　uttered。
　　Using　it's　four　hands　to　spring　up　towards　the　womb　from　which　he　had　so　recently　been　delivered；　the　thing　closed　its　gaping　jaws　on　the　groin　of　its　parent；　its　teeth　digging　deep　into　Talisac's　flesh。　The　cries　to　Jesus　became　a　solid　shriek。　The　Mongroid　took　a　healthy　mouthful　of　gut　and　manhood　and　womb；　and　dropped　down　to　the　ground　again　to　devour　what　it　had　bitten　off。
　　Talisac's　innards；　with　their　lower　half　removed；　simply　fell　out　of　his　body：　uncoiling　innards　followed　by　liver　and　kidneys　and　spleen。
　　The　genius　of　the　Hospice　of　the　Sacred　Heart　stopped　screaming。
　　
　　　IV
　　Thus　in　one　night　Primordium　lost　two　of　the　monsters　that　had　haunted　its　streets；　and　gained　two　new　ones。
　　Venal　Anatomica…or　The　Blind　One；　as　he　became　known；　was；　in　truth；　something　of　a　joke。　Despite　his　bulk；　and　his　phenomenal　strength；　he　never　developed　the　pensating　skills　that　often　e　after　a　blinding。　He　lived　always　as　though　he　had　just　been　blinded。　Always　flailing；　always　raging；　always　violent。
　　Montefalco　took　care　of　him；　however；　out　of　a　bizarre　sense　of　loyalty。　He　ordered　that　anyone　found　taunting　the　once　mighty　Venal　Anatomica　be　summarily　shot。　After　a　dozen　such　casual　executions；　the　message　made　it　out　to　those　who　liked　to　torment　the　creature。　The　Blind　One　was　left　alone　to　haunt　the　city's　graveyards；　often　digging　up　and　eating　the　recently　dead。
　　
　　　V
　　Lucidique　never　found　Agonistes。　Though　she　drove　for　several　days；　looking　for　the　sandstorms　where　he　hid　himself；　the　desert　was　preternaturally　still。　Not　a　breeze　to　move　so　much　as　a　grain　of　sand；　much　less　a　storm。
　　After　a　week；　when　The　Scythe…Meister's　body　was　beginning　to　smell；　she　dug　a　hole　with　her　bare　hands；　and　put　him　in　it。　Even　as　she　sat　there　beside　the　mound；　keening；　she　thought　she　heard　Agonistes　calling　her　name；　and　got　up；　ready　at　a　moment's　notice　to　reclaim　Kreiger　from　his　dry　bed；　and　let　the　genius　of　Eden　work　his　Lazarene　magic　on　her　lover。
　　But　it　was　not　the　Resurrection　she　had　heard。　It　was　just　a　trick　of　the　wind。　Indeed；　not　once　in　the　next　forty…one　years；　during　which　time　Lucidique　seldom　strayed　more　than　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　place　where　Zarles　Kreiger　was　laid；　did　Agonistes　appear。
　　
　　　VI
　　Then　one　day；　waking　to　the　same　bright　sky　she'd　woken　to　for　over　four　decades…she　was　seized　by　a　desire　to　see　Primordium。
　　The　house　her　father　had　built　was　still　standing；　she　was　surprised　to　find；　left　by　authorities　too　superstitious　to　knock　it　down。　She　occupied　it　again；　and　after　a　few　nights　of　sleeping　on　the　bare　boards　overcame　her　fear　of　memories　that　would　unknit　her　sanity；　and　moved　up　into　the　stained；　ancient　bed　where　she　and　Kreiger　had　made　love　all　those　years　before。
　　There　were　no　nightmares。　He　was　with　her；　here；　more　than　he'd　ever　been　in　the　desert。　He　held　her；　in　her　dreams；　and　he　whispered　mischiefs　to　her；　that　sometimes　she　acted　upon；　for　old　time's　sake。　Blood　she　let　freely；　when　it　pleased　her　to　do　so。　Nobody　was　safe　from　her。　She　would　have　happily　murder