cb.imajica2-第30部分

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　〃Yes。。。〃　McGann　said；　the　word　ing　long　and　loud　from　between　teeth　clenched　in　a　tigerish　smile。
　〃Magic's　our　means　to　that　Revelation；〃　the　Maestro　said；　〃while　we're　still　in　our　flesh。〃
　〃And　is　it　your　opinion　tnat　we　are　given　that　Revelation？〃　Roxborough　replied。　〃Or　are　we　stealing　it？〃
　〃We　were　born　to　know　as　much　as　we　can　know。〃
　〃We　were　born　to　suffer　in　our　flesh；〃　Roxborough　said。
　〃You　may　suffer；　I　don't。〃
　The　reply　won　a　guffaw　from　McGann。
　〃The　flesh　isn't　punishment；〃　the　Maestro　said；　〃it's　there　for　joy。　But　it　also　marks　the　place　where　we　end　and　the　rest　of　Creation　begins。　Or　so　we　believe。　It's　an　illusion；　of　course。〃
　〃Good；〃　said　Godolphin。　〃I　like　that。〃
　〃So　are　we　about　God's　business　or　not？〃　Roxborough　wanted　to　know。
　〃Are　you　having　second　thoughts？〃
　〃Third　and　fourth；　more　like；〃　McGann　said。
　Roxborough　gave　the　man　at　his　side　a　sour　glance。　〃Did　we　swear　an　oath　not　to　doubt？〃　he　said。　〃I　don't　think　so。　Why　should　I　be　castigated　because　I　ask　a　simple　question？〃
　〃I　apologize；〃　McGann　said。　〃Tell　the　man；　Maestro。　We're　doing　God's　work；　aren't　we？〃
　〃Does　God　want　us　to　be　more　than　we　are？〃　Gentle　said。　〃Of　course。　Does　God　want　us　to　love；　which　is　the　desire　to　be　joined　and　made　whole？　Of　course。　Does　It　want　us　in　Its　glory；　forever　and　ever？　Yes；　It　does。〃
　〃You　always　say　It；〃　McGann　observed。　〃Why's　that？〃
　〃Creation　and　its　maker　are　one　and　the　same。　True　or　false？〃
　〃True。〃
　〃And　Creation's　as　full　of　women　as　it　is　of　men。　True　or　false？〃
　〃Oh；　true；　true。〃
　〃Indeed；　I　give　thanks　for　the　fact　night　and　day；〃　Gentle　said；　glancing　at　Godolphin　as　he　spoke。　〃Beside　my　bed　and　in　it。〃
　Joshua　laughed　his　Devil's　laugh。
　〃So　the　Godhead　is　both　male　and　female。　For　convenience；　an　It。〃
　〃Bravely　said！〃　Joshua　announced。　〃I　never　tire　of　hearing　you　speak；　Sartori。　My　thoughts　get　muddy；　but　after　I've　listened　to　you　awhile　they're　like　spring　water；　straight　from　the　rock！〃
　〃Not　too　clean；　I　hope；〃　the　Maestro　said。　〃We　don't　want　any　Puritan　souls　spoiling　the　Reconciliation。〃
　〃You　know　me　better　than　that；〃　Joshua　said；　catching　Gentle's　eye。
　Even　as　he　did　so；　Gentle　had　proof　of　his　suspicion　that　these　encounters；　though　remembered　in　one　continuous　stream；　had　not　occurred　sequentially　but　were　fragments　his　mind　was　knitting　together　as　the　rooms　he　was　walking　through　evoked　them。　McGann　and　Roxborough　faded　from　the　table；　as　did　most　of　the　candlelight　and　the　litter　of　carafes；　glasses；　and　food　it　had　illuminated。　Now　there　was　only　Joshua　and　himself；　and　the　house　was　stilt　above　and　below。　Everyone　asleep；　but　for　these　conspirators。
　〃I　want　to　be　with　you　when　you　perform　the　working；〃　Josbua　was　saying。　There　was　no　hint　of　laughter　now。　He　looked　harassed　and　nervous。　〃She's　very　precious　to　me；　Sartori。　If　anything　were　to　happen　to　her　I'd　lose　my　mind。〃
　〃She'll　be　perfectly　safe；〃　the　Maestro　said；　sitting　down　at　the　table。
　There　was　a　map　of　the　Imajica　laid　out　in　front　of　him；　with　the　names　of　the　Maestros　and　their　assistants　in　eacS　Dominion　marked　beside　their　places　of　conjuration。　He　scanned　them　and　found　he　knew　one　or　two。　Tick　Raw　was　there；　as　the　deputy　to　Uter　Musky；　Scopique　was　there　too；　marked　as　an　assistant　to　an　assistant　to　Heratae　Hammeryock；　the　latter　a　distant　relation；　perhaps；　of　the　Hammeryock　whom　Gentle　and　Pie　had　encountered　in　Vanaeph。　Names　from　two　pasts；　intersecting　here　on　the　map。
　〃Are　you　listening　to　me？〃　Joshua　said。
　〃I　told　you　she'd　be　perfectly　safe；〃　came　the　Maestro's　reply。　〃The　workings　are　delicate；　but　they're　not　dangerous。〃
　〃Then　let　me　be　there；〃　Godolphin　said；　wringing　his　hands。　〃I'll　be　your　assistant　instead　of　that　wretched　mystif。〃
　〃I　haven't　even　told　Pie　'oh'　pah　what　we're　up　to。　This　is　our　business　and　only　ours。　You　just　bring　Judith　here　tomorrow　evening；　and　I'll　see　to　the　rest。〃
　〃She's　so　vulnerable。〃
　〃She　seems　very　self…possessed　to　me；〃　the　Maestro　observed。　〃Very　heated。〃
　Godolphin's　fretful　expression　soured　into　ice。　〃Don't　parade　it；　Sartori；〃　he　said。　〃It's　not　enough　that　I've　got　Roxborough　at　my　ear　all　yesterday；　telling　me　he　doesn't　trust　you；　I　have　to　bear　you　parading　your　arrogance。〃
　〃Roxborough　understands　nothing。〃
　〃He　says　you're　obsessed　with　women；　so　he　understands　that；　at　least。　You　watch　some　girl　across　the　street；　he　says…〃
　〃What　if　I　do？〃
　〃How　can　you　give　yourself　to　the　Reconciliation　if　you're　so　distracted？〃
　〃Are　you　trying　to　talk　me　out　of　wanting　Judith？〃
　〃I　thought　magic　was　a　religion　to　you。〃
　〃So's　she。〃
　〃A　discipline；　a　sacred　mystery。〃
　〃Again；　so's　she。〃　He　laughed。　〃When　I　first　saw　her；　it　was　like　my　first　glimpse　of　another　world。　I　knew　I'd　risk　my　life　to　be　inside　her　skin。　When　I'm　with　her；　I　feel　like　an　adept　again；　creeping　towards　a　miracle；　step　by　step。　Tentative；　excited…〃
　〃Enough！〃
　〃Really？　You　don't　want　to　know　why　I　need　to　be　inside　her　so　badly？〃
　Godolphin　eyed　him　ruefully。　〃Not　really；〃　he　said。　〃But　if　you　don't　tell　me；　I'll　only　wonder。〃
　〃Because　for　a　little　time；　I'll　forget　who　I　am。　Everything　petty　and　particular　will　go　out　of　me。　My　ambition。　My　history。　Everything。　I'll　be　unmade。　And　that's　when　I'm　closest　to　divinity。〃
　〃Somehow　you　always　manage　to　bring　everything　back　to　that。　Even　your　lust。〃
　〃It's　all　One。〃
　〃I　don't　like　your　talk　of　the　One；〃　Godolphin　said。
　〃You　sound　like　Roxborough　with　his　die　turns！　Simplicity　is　strength　and　all　the　rest。〃
　〃That's　not　what　I　mean　and　you　know　it。　It's　just　that　women　are　where　everything　begins；　and　I　like…how　shall　I　put　it？　…　to　touch　the　source　as　often　as　possible。〃
　〃You　think　you're　perfect；　don't　you？〃　Godolphin　said。
　〃Why　so　sour？　A　week　ago　you　were　doting　on　my　every　word。〃
　〃I　don't　like　what　we're　doing；〃　Godolphin　replied。　〃I　want　Judith　for　myself。〃
　〃You'll　have　her。　And　so　will　I。　That's　the　glory　of　this。〃
　〃There'll　be　no　difference　between　them？〃
　〃None。　They'll　be　identical。　To　the　pucker。　To　the　lash。〃
　〃So　why　must　I　have　the　copy？〃
　〃You　know　the　answer　to　that。　Because　the　original　loves　me；　not　you。〃
　〃I　should　never　have　let　you　set　eyes　on　her。〃
　〃You　couldn't　have　kept　us　apart。　Don't　look　so　forlorn。　I'm　going　to　make　you　a　Judith　that'll　dote　on　you　and　your　sons；　and　your　son's　sons；　until　the　name　Godolphin　disappears　off　the　face　of　the　earth。　Now　where's　the　harm　in　that？〃
　As　he　asked　the　question　all　the　candles　but　the　one　he　held　went　out；　and　the　past　was　extinguished　with　them。　He　was　suddenly　back　in　the　empty　house；　a　police　siren　whooping　〃nearby。　He　stepped　back　into　the　hallway　as　the　car　sped　down　Gamut　Street；　its　blue　light　pulsing　through　the　windows。　Seconds　later；　another　came　howling　after。　Though　the　din　of　the　sirens　faded　and　finally　disappeared；　the　flashes　did　not。　They　brightened　from　blue　to　white；　however；　and　lost　their　regularity。　By　their　brilliance　he　saw　the　house　once　more　restored　to　glory。　It　was　no　longer　a　place　of　debate　and　laughter　however。　There　was　sobbing　above　and　below；　and　the　animal　smells　of　fear　in　every　corner。　Thunder　rattled　the　roof；　but　there　was　no　rain　to　soothe　its　choler。
　I　don't　want　to　be　here；　he　thought。　The　other　memories　had　entertained　him。　He'd　liked　his　role　in　the　proceedings。
　But　this　darkness　was　another　matter　entirely。　It　was　full　of　death；　and　he　wanted　to　run　from　it。
　The　lightning　came　again；　horribly　livid。　By　it；　he　saw　Lucius　Cobbitt　standing　halfway　up　the　stairs；　clutching　the　banister　as　though　he'd　fall　if　he　didn't。　He'd　bitten　his　tongue　or　lip；　or　both；　and　blood　dribbled　from　his　mouth　and　chin；　made　stringy　by　the　spit　with　which　it　was　mingled。　When　Gentle　climbed　the　stairs　he　smelt　excrement。　The　boy　had　loosed　his　bowels　in　his　breeches。　Seeing　Gentle；　he　raised　his　eyes。
　〃How　did　it　fail；　Maestro？〃　he　sobbed。　〃How？〃　Gentle　shuddered　as　the　question　brought　images　flooding　into　his　head；　more　horrendous　than　all　the　scenes　he'd　witnessed　at　the　Erasure。　The　failure　of　the　Reconciliation　had　been　sudden；　and　calamitous；　and　had　caught　the　Maestros　representing　the　five　Dominions　at　such　a　delicate　time　in　the　working　that　they'd　been　ill…equipped　to　prevent　it。　The　spirits　of　all　five　had　already　risen　from　their　circles　across　Imajica　and；　carrying　the　analogues　of　their　worlds；　had　converged　on　the　Ana；　the　zone　of　inviolability　that　appeared　every　two　centuries　in　the　heart　of　the　In　Ovo。　There；　for　a　tender　time；　miracles　could　be　worked；　as　the　Maestros；　safe　from　the　In　Ovo's　inhabitants　but　freed　and　empowered　by　their　immaterial　state；　unburdened　themselves　of　their　similitudes　and　allowed　the　genius　of　the　Ana　to　plete　the　fusing　of　the　Dominions。　It　was　a　precarious　time；　but　they'd　been　reaching　its　conclusion　when　the　circle　in　which　the　Maestro　Sartori's　physical　body　sat；　its　stones　protecting　the　outside　world　from　the　flux　which　let　on　to　the　In　Ovo；　broke。　Of　all　the　potential　places　for　failure　in　the　ceremonies；　this　was　the　unlikeliest：　tantamount　to　transubstantiation　failing　for　want　of　salt　in　the　bread。　But　fail　it　did；　and　once　the　breach　was　opened；　there　was　no　way　to　seal　it　until　the　Maestros　had　returned　to　their　bodies　and　mustered　their　feits。　In　that　time　the　hungry　tenants　of　the　In　Ovo　had　free　access　to　the　Fifth。　Not　only　to　the　Fifth；　but　to　the　exulted　flesh　of　the　Maestros　themselves；　who　vacated　the　Ana　in　confusion；　leading　the　hounds　of　the　In　Ovo　back　to　their　flesh。
　Sartori's　life　would　certainly　have　been　forfeited　along　with　all　the　others　had　Pie　'oh'　pah　not　intervened。　When　the　circle　broke；　Pie　was　being　forcibly　removed　from　the　Retreat　on　Godolphin's　order；　for　voicing　a　prophetic　murmur　of　alarm　and　disturbing　the　audience。　The　duty　of　removal　had　fallen　to　Abelove　and　Lucius　Cobbitt；　but　neither　had　possessed　the　strength　to　hold　the　mystif。　It　had　broken　free；　racing　across　the　Retreat　and　plunging　into　the　circle；　where　its　master　was　visible　to　the　assembly　only　as　a　blaze　of　light。　The　mystif　had　learned　well　at　Sartori's　feet。　It　had　defenses　against　the　flux　of　power　that　roared　in　the　circle　and　had　pulled　the