cb.imajica2-第11部分

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　〃She　won't　be　ing；　Floccus；〃　Gentle　said。
　〃Why　in　the　Hyo　not？〃
　〃I'm　afraid　she's　dead。〃
　Dado's　nervous　tics　and　blinks　ceased　on　the　instant。　He　stared　at　Gentle　with　a　tiny　smile　on　his　face；　as　if　he　was　used　to　being　the　butt　of　jokes　and　wanted　to　believe　that　this　was　one。　〃No；〃　he　said。
　〃I'm　afraid　so；〃　Gentle　replied。　〃She　was　killed　in　the　palace。〃
　Floccus　took　off　his　glasses　again　and　ran　his　thumb　and　middle　finger　from　the　bridge　of　his　nose　along　his　lower　lids。　〃That's　grim；〃　he　said。
　〃She　was　a　very　brave　woman。〃
　〃She　was　that。〃
　〃And　she　put　up　a　very　spirited　defense。　But　we　were　outnumbered。〃
　〃How　did　you　escape？〃　Floccus　asked；　the　inquiry　innocent　of　accusation。
　〃That's　a　very　long　story；〃　Gentle　said；　〃and　I　don't　think　I'm　quite　ready　to　tell　it　yet。〃
　〃Which　way　are　you　heading？〃　Dado　said。
　〃Nikaetomaas　told　me　you　Dearthers　have　an　encampment　of　some　kind；　at　the　margin　of　the　First。　Is　that　right？〃
　〃Indeed　we　do。〃
　〃Then　that's　where　I'm　going。　She　said　a　man　I　knewdo　you　know　Estabrook？　…　was　healed　there。　I　want　to　heal　Pie。〃
　〃Then　we'd　best　go　together；〃　Floccus　said。　〃It's　no　use　my　waiting　here　any　longer。　Nikae's　spirit　will　have　passed　by　a　long　time　ago。〃
　〃Do　you　have　any　kind　of　transport？〃
　〃Indeed　I　do；〃　he　said；　brightening。　〃A　very　fine　car　I　found　in　the　Caramess。　It's　parked　over　there。〃　He　pointed　through　the　crush。
　〃If　it's　still　there；〃　Gentle　remarked。
　〃It's　guarded；〃　Dado　said；　with　a　grin。　〃May　I　help　you　with　the　mystif？〃
　He　put　his　arm　beneath　Pie；　who　had　now　lost　consciousness　pletely；　then　they　started　to　make　their　way　through　the　crowd；　Dado　shouting　to　clear　the　route　ahead。　His　demands　were　almost　entirely　ignored　until　he　started　shouting　〃Ruukassh！　Ruukassh！〃　which　had　the　desired　effect　of　dividing　the　throng。
　〃What's　Ruukassh？〃　Gentle　asked　him。
　〃Contagious；〃　Dado　replied。　〃Not　far　now。〃
　A　few　paces　on；　and　the　vehicle　came　into　view。　Dado　had　good　taste　in　loot。　Not　since　that　first　glorious　trip　along　the　Patashoqua　Highway　had　Gentle　set　eyes　on　a　vehicle　so　sleek；　so　polished…or　so　wholly　inappropriate　for　desert　travel。　It　was　powder…blue　with　silver　trim；　its　tires　white；　its　interior　fur　lined。　Sitting　on　the　hood；　its　leash　tied　to　one　of　the　wing　mirrors；　was　its　guard　and　antithesis：　an　animal　related　to　the　ragemy…via　the　hyena…and　boasting　the　least　pleasant　attributes　of　both。　It　was　as　round　and　lardy　as　a　pig；　but　its　back　and　flanks　were　covered　with　a　coat　of　mottled　fur。　Its　head　was　short…snouted　but　heavily　whiskered。　Its　ears　pricked　like　a　dog's　at　the　sight　of　Dado；　and　it　set　up　a　round　of　barks　and　squeals　so　high　they　made　Dado　sound　basso　profundo　by　contrast。
　〃Good　girl！　Good　girl！〃　he　said。
　The　creature　was　up　on　its　stubby　legs；　shaking　its　rear　in　delight　at　its　master's　return。　Its　belly　was　laden　with　teats；　which　shook　to　the　rhythm　of　its　wele。
　Dado　opened　the　door；　and　there　on　the　passenger　seat　was　the　reason　the　creature　was　so　defensive　of　the　vehicle：　a　litter　of　five　yapping　offspring；　perfect　miniatures　of　their　mother。　Dado　suggested　Gentle　and　Pie　take　the　back　seat；　while　Mama　Sighshy；　as　he　called　her；　sat　with　her　children。　The　interior　stank　of　the　animals；　but　the　previous　owner　had　been　fond　of　fort；　and　there　were　cushions　to　support　the　mystifs　head　and　neck。　When　Sighshy　herself　was　invited　back　into　the　vehicle　the　stench　increased　tenfold；　and　she　growled　at　Gentle　in　a　less　than　friendly　manner；　but　Dado　placated　her　with　baby　talk；　and　she　was　soon　curled　up　on　the　seat　beside　him；　suckling　her　fat　babes。　With　the　travelers　assembled；　they　headed　off　towards　the　mountains。
　Exhaustion　claimed　Gentle　after　a　mile　or　two；　and　he　slept；　his　head　on　Pie's　shoulder。　The　road　steadily　deteriorated　over　the　next　few　hours；　and　the　disfort　of　the　journey　repeatedly　brought　him　up　to　the　surface　of　sleep；　with　scraps　of　dreams　clinging　to　him。　They　were　not　dreams　of　Yzordderrex；　nor　were　they　memories　of　the　adventures　he　and　Pie　had　shared　on　their　travels　across　the　Imajica。　It　was　the　Fifth　his　mind　was　returning　to　in　these　fitful　slumbers；　shunning　the　horrors　and　the　murders　of　the　Reconciled　Dominions　for　safer　territory。
　Except　that　it　wasn't　safe　any　longer；　of　course。　The　man　he'd　been　in　that　Dominion…Klein's　Bastard　Boy；　the　lover　and　the　faker…was　a　fabrication；　and　he　could　never　return　to　that　simple；　sybaritic　life　again。　He'd　lived　a　lie；　the　scale　of　which　even　the　most　suspicious　of　his　mistresses　（Vanessa；　whose　abandoning　of　him　had　begun　this　whole　endeavor）　could　never　have　imagined；　and　from　that　lie；　three　human　spans　of　self…deceit　had　e。　Thinking　of　Vanessa；　he　remembered　the　empty　mews　house　in　London；　and　the　desolation　he'd　felt　wandering　it　with　nothing　to　show　for　his　life　but　a　string　of　broken　romances；　a　few　forged　paintings；　and　the　clothes　he　was　wearing。　It　was　laughable　now；　but　that　day　he'd　thought　he　could　fall　no　further。　Such　naivete！　He'd　learned　lessons　in　despair　since　then　numerous　enough　to　fill　a　book；　the　bitterest　reminder　lying　in　wounded　sleep　beside　him。
　Though　it　was　distressing　to　conceive　of　losing　Pie；　he　refused　himself　the　indulgence　of　denying　the　possibility。　He'd　turned　a　blind　eye　on　the　unpalatable　too　often　in　the　past；　with　catastrophic　results。　Now　the　facts　had　to　be　faced。　The　mystif　was　being　frailer　by　the　hour；　its　skin　icy；　its　breath　so　shallow　that　on　occasion　it　was　barely　discernible。　Even　if　all　that　Nikaetomaas　had　said　about　the　Erasure's　healing　powers　proved　correct；　there　would　be　no　miracle　cure　for　such　a　profound　malady。　Gentle　would　have　to　go　back　to　the　Fifth　alone；　trusting　that　Pie　'oh'　pah　would　be　fit　enough　to　follow　after　a　time。　The　longer　he　delayed　that　return；　the　less　opportunity　he'd　have　to　muster　assistance　in　the　war　against　Sartori。
　That　war　would　e；　he　had　no　doubt　of　it。　The　urge　to　conquer　burned　bright　in　his　other；　as　it　had　perhaps　once　burned　in　him；　until　desire　and　luxury　and　forgetfulness　had　dimmed　it。　But　where　would　he　find　such　allies？　Men　and　women　who　wouldn't　laugh　（the　way　he'd　have　laughed；　six　months　before）　when　he　started　to　talk　about　the　Dominion…hopping　he'd　done　and　the　jeopardy　the　world　was　in　from　a　man　with　his　face？　Certainly　he　wouldn't　find　imaginations　among　his　peer　group　supple　enough　to　embrace　the　vistas　he　was　returning　to　describe。　They　were　fashionably　disdainful　of　belief；　having　had　the　flesh…as…star…stuff　hopes　of　youth　dashed　by　midnight　sweats　and　their　morning　reflection。　The　most　he'd　heard　any　of　them　confess　to　was　a　vague　pantheism；　and　they'd　deny　even　that　when　sober。　Of　them　all　he'd　only　ever　heard　Clem　espouse　any　belief　in　organized　religion；　and　those　dogmas　were　as　antithetical　to　the　message　he　was　bringing　from　the　Dominions　as　the　tenets　of　a　nihilist。　Even　if　Clem　could　be　persuaded　from　the　munion　rail　to　join　Gentle；　they　would　be　an　army　of　two　against　a　Maestro　who　had　honed　his　powers　until　they　could　mand　Dominions。
　There　was　one　other　possibility；　and　that　was　Judith。　She　would　certainly　not　mock　his　wanderer's　tales；　but　she'd　been　treated　so　heinously　from　the　start　of　this　tragedy　that　he　dared　not　expect　forgiveness　from　her；　much　less　fellowship。　Besides；　who　knew　where　her　true　sympathies　lay？　Though　she　might　resemble　Quaisoir　to　the　last　hair；　she'd　been　made　in　the　same　bloodless　womb　that　had　produced　the　Autarch。　Was　she　not　therefore　his　spiritual　sister：　not　born；　but　made？　If　she　had　to　choose　between　the　butcher　of　Yzordderrex　and　those　seeking　to　destroy　him；　could　she　be　trusted　to　side　with　the　destroyers；　when　their　victory　would　mean　she'd　lose　the　only　creature　in　the　Imajica　who　shared　her　condition？　Though　she　and　Gentle　had　meant　much　to　each　other　（who　knew　how　many　liaisons　they'd　enjoyed　over　the　centuries；　reigniting　the　desire　which　had　brought　them　together　in　the　first　place；　then　parting　again；　forgetting　they'd　even　met？）　he　had　to　treat　her　with　the　utmost　caution　from　this　point　on。　She'd　been　innocent　in　the　dramas　of　an　earlier　age；　a　toy　in　cruel　and　careless　hands。　But　the　woman　she'd　bee　over　the　decades　was　neither　victim　nor　toy；　and　if　（or　perhaps　when）　she　became　aware　of　her　past　she　was　perfectly　capable　of　revenging　herself　upon　the　man　who'd　made　her；　however　much　she'd　claimed　to　love　him　once。
　Seeing　that　his　passenger　was　now　awake；　Floccus　gave　Gentle　a　progress　report。　They　were　making　good　time；　he　said。　Within　an　hour　they'd　be　in　the　mountains；　on　the　other　side　of　which　the　desert　lay；
　〃How　long　do　you　estimate　to　the　Erasure？〃　Gentle　asked　him。
　''We'll　be　there　before　nightfall；〃　Floccus　promised。　〃How's　the　mystif　faring？〃
　〃Not　well；　I'm　afraid。〃
　〃There'll　be　no　cause　to　mourn；〃　Floccus　said　brightly；　〃I've　known　people　on　death's　door　who　were　healed　at　the　Erasure。　It's　a　place　of　miracles。　But　then　everywhere　is；　if　we　just　knew　how　to　look。　That's　what　Father　Athanasius　taught　me。　You　were　in　prison　with　Athanasius；　weren't　you？〃
　〃I　was　never　exactly　imprisoned。　Not　the　way　he　was。〃
　〃But　you　met　him？〃
　〃Oh；　yes。　He　was　priest　at　our　wedding。〃
　〃You　and　mystif；　you　mean？　You're　married？〃　He　whistled。　〃Now　you；　sir；　are　what　I　call　a　lucky　man。　I've　heard　a　lot　about　these　mystifs；　and　I　never　heard　of　one　getting　married　before。　They're　usually　lovers。　Heartbreakers。〃　He　whistled　again。　〃Well；　that's　wonderful；〃　he　said。　〃We'll　make　sure　she　makes　it；　sir；　don't　you　worry。　Oh；　I'm　sorry。　She's　not　a　she；　is　she？　I've　got　to　get　that　right。　It's　just　that　when　I　look　at　her…I　mean　it…I　see　a　she；　you　know？　I　suppose　that's　the　wonder　of　them。〃
　〃It's　part　of　it。〃
　〃Can　I　ask　you　something？〃
　〃Ask　away。〃
　〃When　you　look　at　her；　what　do　you　see？〃
　〃I've　seen　all　kinds　of　things；〃　Gentle　replied。　〃I've　seen　women。　I've　seen　men。　I've　even　seen　myself。〃
　〃But　at　the　moment；〃　Floccus　said。　〃What　do　you　see　right　now？〃
　Gentle　looked　at　the　mystif。　〃I　see　Pie；〃　he　said。　〃I　see　the　face　I　love。〃
　Floccus　made　no　reply　to　this；　and　after　such　gushing　enthusiasm　Gentle　knew　there　had　to　be　some　significance　in　his　silence。
　〃What　are　you　thinking？〃　he　asked。
　〃Do　you　really　wan