cb.imajica2-第70部分

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　〃Where　are　the　Goddesses　now？〃　Jude　asked　Lotti。
　〃On　the　island。　We'll　all　be　allowed　into　their　presence　in　time；　and　we'll　be　blessed　by　them。　But　it'll　take　days。〃
　〃I　don't　have　days；〃　Jude　said。　〃How　do　I　get　to　the　island？〃
　〃You'll　be　called　when　your　time　es。〃
　〃That　has　to　be　now；11　Jude　said；　〃or　it'll　be　never。〃　She　looked　left　and　right　along　the　passageway。　〃Thank　you　for　the　education；〃　she　said。　〃Maybe　I'll　see　you　again。〃
　Choosing　right　over　left　she　made　to　leave；　but　Lotti　took　hold　of　her　sleeve。
　〃You　don't　understand；　Judith；〃　she　said。　〃The　Goddesses　have　e　to　make　us　safe。　Nothing　can　harm　us　here。　Not　even　the　Unbeheld。〃
〃I　hope　that's　true；〃　Jude　said。　〃To　the　bottom　of　my　heart；　I　hope　that's　true。　But　I　have　to　warn　them；　in　case　it　isn't。〃
　〃Then　we'd　better　e　with　you；〃　Lotti　said；　〃You'll　never　find　your　way　otherwise。〃
　〃Wait；〃　Paramarola　said。　〃Should　we　be　doing　this？　She　may　be　dangerous。〃
　〃Aren't　we　all？〃　Lotti　replied。　〃That's　why　they　locked　us　away　in　the　first　place；　remember？〃
　
　If　the　atmosphere　of　the　streets　outside　the　palace　had　suggested　some　post…apocalyptic　carnival…the　waters　dancing；　the　children　laughing；　the　air　pavonine…then　that　sense　was　a　hundred　times　stronger　in　the　passageways　around　the　rim　of　the　flood…scoured　basin。　There　were　children　here　too；　their　laughter　more　musical　than　ever。　None　was　over　five　or　so；　but　there　were　both　boys　and　girls　in　the　throng。　They　turned　the　corridors　into　playgrounds；　their　din　echoing　off　walls　that　had　not　heard　such　joy　since　they'd　been　raised。　There　was　also　water；　of　course。　Every　inch　of　ground　was　blessed　by　a　puddle；　a　rivulet；　or　a　stream；　every　arch　had　a　liquid　curtain　cascading　from　its　keystone；　every　chamber　was　refreshed　by　burbling　springs　and　roof…grazing　fountains。　And　in　every　tinkling　trickle　there　was　the　same　sentience　that　Jude　had　felt　in　the　tide　that　had　brought　her　up　here：　water　as　life；　filled　to　the　last　drop　with　the　purpose　of　the　Goddesses。　Overhead；　the　et　was　at　its　height　and　sent　its　straight　white　beams　through　any　chink　it　could　find；　turning　the　humblest　puddle　into　an　oracular　pool　and　plaiting　its　light　into　the　gush　of　every　spout。
　The　women　in　these　glittering　corridors　came　in　all　shapes　and　sizes。　Many；　Lotti　explained；　were　like　themselves；　former　prisoners　of　the　Bastion　or　its　dreaded　Annex；　others　had　simply　found　their　way　up　the　hill　following　their　instincts　and　the　streams；　leaving　their　husbands；　dead　or　alive；　below。
　〃Are　there　no　men　here　at　all？〃
　〃Only　the　little　ones；〃　said　Lotti。
　〃They're　all　little　ones；〃　Paramarola　observed。
　〃There　was　a　captain　at　the　Annex　who　was　a　brute；〃　Lotti　said；　〃and　when　the　waters　came　he　must　have　been　emptying　his　bladder；　because　his　body　floated　by　our　cell　with　his　trousers　unbuttoned。〃
　〃And　you　know；　he　was　still　holding　on　to　his　manhood；〃　Paramarola　said。　〃He　had　the　choice　between　that　and　swimming…〃
　〃…and　instead　of　letting　go；　he　drowned；〃　Lotti　said。
　This　entertained　Paramarola　no　end；　and　she　laughed　so　hard　the　baby's　mouth　was　dislodged　from　her　teat。　Milk　spurted　in　the　child's　face；　which　brought　a　further　round　of　merriment。　Jude　didn't　ask　how　Paramarola　came　to　be　so　nourishing　when　she　was　neither　the　mother　of　the　child　nor；　presumably；　pregnant。　It　was　just　one　of　the　many　enigmas　this　journey　showed　her：　like　the　pool　that　clung　to　one　of　the　walls；　filled　to　brimming　with　luminous　fish；　or　the　waters　that　imitated　fire；　from　which　some　of　the　women　had　made　crowns；　or　the　immensely　long　eel　she　saw　carried　past；　its　gaping　head　on　a　child's　shoulder；　its　body　looped　between　half　a　dozen　women；　back　and　forth　across　their　shoulders　ten　times　or　more。　If　she'd　requested　an　explanation　for　any　one　of　these　sights　she'd　have　been　obliged　to　inquire　about　them　all；　and　they'd　never　have　got　more　than　a　few　yards　down　the　corridor。
　The　journey　brought　them；　at　last；　to　a　place　where　the　waters　had　carved　out　a　shallow　pool　at　the　edge　of　the　main　basin；　served　by　several　rivulets　that　climbed　through　rubble　to　fill　it　to　brimming；　its　overflow　running　into　the　basin　itself。　In　it　and　around　it　were　perhaps　thirty　women　and　children；　some　playing；　some　talking；　but　most；　their　clothes　shed；　waiting　silently　in　the　pool；　gazing　out　across　the　turbulent　waters　of　the　basin　to　Uma　Umagammagi's　island。　Even　as　Jude　and　her　guides　approached　the　place；　a　wave　broke　against　the　lip　of　the　pool　and　two　women；　standing　there　hand　in　hand；　went　with　it　as　it　withdrew　and　were　carried　away　towards　the　island。　There　was　an　eroticism　about　the　scene　which　in　other　circumstances　Jude　would　certainly　have　denied　she　felt。　But　here；　such　priggishness　seemed　redundant；　even　ludicrous。　She　allowed　her　imagination　to　wonder　what　it　would　be　like　to　sink　into　the　midst　of　this　nakedness；　where　the　only　scrap　of　masculinity　was　between　the　legs　of　a　suckling　infant；　to　brush　breast　to　breast；　and　let　her　fingers　be　kissed　and　her　neck　be　caressed；　and　kiss　and　caress　in　her　turn。
　〃The　water　in　the　basin's　very　deep；〃　Lotti　said　at　her　side。　〃It　goes　all　the　way　down　into　the　mountain。〃
　What　had　happened　to　the　dead；　Jude　wondered；　whose　pany　Dowd　had　found　so　educative？　Had　the　waters　sluiced　them　away；　along　with　the　invocations　and　entreaties　that　had　dropped　into　that　same　darkness　from　beneath　the　Pivot　Tower？　Or　had　they　been　dissolved　into　a　single　soup；　the　sex　of　dead　men　forgiven；　the　pain　of　dead　women　healed；　and…all　mingled　with　the　prayers…bee　part　of　this　indefatigable　flood？　She　hoped　so。　If　the　powers　here　were　to　have　authority　against　the　Unbeheld；　they　would　have　to　reclaim　every　forsaken　strength　they　could。　The　walls　between　Kesparates　had　already　been　dragged　down；　and　the　plashing　streams　were　making　a　continuum　of　city　and　palace。　But　the　past　had　to　be　reclaimed　as　well；　and　whatever　miracles　it　had　boasted…surely　there'd　been　some；　even　here…preserved。　This　was　more　than　an　abstract　desire　on　Jude's　part。　She　was；　after　all；　one　of　those　miracles；　made　in　the　image　of　the　woman　who'd　ruled　here　with　as　much　ferocity　as　her　husband。
　〃Is　this　the　only　way　of　getting　to　the　island？〃　she　asked　Lotti。
　〃There　aren't　ferries；　if　that's　what　you　mean。〃
　〃I'd　better　start　swimming；　then；〃　Jude　said。
　Her　clothes　were　an　encumbrance；　but　she　wasn't　yet　so　easy　with　herself　that　she　could　strip　off　on　the　rocks　and　go　into　the　waters　naked；　so　with　a　brief　thanks　to　Lotti　and　Paramarola　she　started　to　climb　down　the　tumble　of　blocks　that　surrounded　the　pool。
　〃I　hope　you're　wrong；　Judith；〃　Lotti　called　after　her。
　〃So　do　I；〃　Jude　replied。　〃Believe　me；　so　do　I。〃
　Both　this　exchange　and　her　ungainly　descent　drew　the　puzzled　gaze　of　several　of　the　bathers；　but　none　made　any　objection　to　her　appearing　in　their　midst。　The　closer　she　got　to　the　waters　of　the　basin；　the　more　anxious　she　became　about　the　crossing；　however。　It　was　several　years　since　she'd　swum　any　distance；　and　she　doubted　she'd　have　the　strength　to　resist　the　currents　and　eddies　if　they　chose　to　keep　her　from　her　destination。　But　they　wouldn't　drown　her；　surely。　They'd　borne　her　all　the　way　up　here；　after　all；　sweeping　her　through　the　palace　unharmed。　The　only　difference　between　this　journey　and　that　（though　it　was　a　profound　one；　to　be　sure）　was　the　depth　of　the　water。
　Another　wave　was　approaching　the　lip　of　the　pool；　and　there　was　a　woman　and　child　floating　forward　to　take　it。　Before　they　could　do　so；　she　took　a　running　jump　off　the　boulder　she　was　perched　on；　clearing　the　heads　of　the　bathers　below　by　a　hair's　breadth　and　plunging　into　the　tide。　It　wasn't　so　much　a　dive　as　a　plummet；　and　it　took　her　deep。　She　flailed　wildly　to　right　herself；　opening　her　eyes　but　unable　to　decide　which　way　was　up。　The　waters　knew。　They　lifted　her　out　of　their　depths　like　a　cork　and　threw　her　up　into　the　spume。　She　was　already　twenty　yards　or　more　from　the　rocks　and　being　carried　away　at　speed。　She　had　time　to　glimpse　Lotti　searching　for　her　in　the　surf；　then　the　eddies　turned　her　around；　and　around　again；　until　she　no　longer　knew　the　direction　in　which　the　pool　lay。　Instead；　she　fixed　her　eyes　on　the　island　and　began　to　swim　as　best　she　could　towards　it。　The　waters　seemed　content　to　supplement　her　efforts　with　energies　of　their　own；　though　they　were　describing　a　spiral　around　the　island；　and　as　they　carried　her　closer　to　its　shore　they　also　swept　her　in　a　counterclockwise　motion　around　it。
　The　et's　light　fell　on　the　waves　all　around　her；　and　its　glitter　kept　the　depths　from　sight；　which　she　was　glad　of。　Buoyed　up　though　she　was；　she　didn't　want　to　be　reminded　of　the　pit　beneath　her。　She　put　all　her　will　into　the　business　of　swimming；　not　even　allowing　herself　to　enjoy　the　roiling　of　the　waters　against　her　body。　Such　luxury；　like　the　questions　she'd　wanted　to　ask　as　she'd　walked　with　Lotti　and　Paramarola；　was　for　another　day。
　The　shore　was　within　fifty　yards　of　her　now；　but　her　strokes　became　increasingly　irrelevant　the　closer　to　the　island　she　came。　As　the　spiral　tightened；　the　tide　became　more　authoritative；　and　she　finally　gave　up　any　attempt　at　self…propulsion　and　surrendered　herself　utterly　to　the　hold　of　the　waters。　They　carried　her　around　the　island　twice　before　she　felt　her　feet　scraping　the　steeply　inclined　rocks　beneath　the　surge；　presenting　her　with　a　fine；　if　giddying；　view　of　Uma　Umagammagi's　temple。　Not　surprisingly；　the　waters　had　been　more　inspired　here　than　in　any　other　spot　she'd　seen。　They'd　worked　at　the　blocks　of　which　the　tower　was　built；　monumental　though　they　were；　eroding　the　mortar　between　them；　then　eating　at　them　top　and　bottom；　replacing　their　severity　with　a　mathematics　of　undulation。　Slabs　of　stone　the　height　of　the　masons　who'd　first　carved　them　were　no　longer　locked　together　but　balanced　like　acrobats；　one　corner　laid　against　another；　while　radiant　water　ran　through　the　cavities　and　carried　on　its　work　of　turning　the　once…impregnable　tower　into　a　wedded　column　of　water；　stone；　and　light。　The　eroded　motes　had　run　off　in　the　rivulets　and　been　deposited　on　the　shore　as　a　fine；　soft　sand；　in　which　Jude　lay　when　she　emerged　from　the　basin；　given　a　giggling　wele　by　a　quartet　of　children　pla