cb.imajica2-第94部分

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　He　tossed　the　stone　he　had　in　hand　out　into　the　middle　of　the　teeming　lake。
　〃Before　you　ask；〃　he　said。　〃That　was　Jude。〃
　There　were　no　diversions　after　that；　nor　any　need　to　pursue　rumors　of　women　hither　and　thither。　They　knew　where　Jude　and　Hoi…Polloi　had　gone。　Having　left　the　lake；　they　were　on　the　Lenten　Way　within　a　matter　of　hours。　Unlike　so　much　else；　the　Way　hadn't　changed。　It　was　as　busy　and　as　wide　as　ever：　an　arrow；　driving　its　straight　way　into　the　hot　heart　of　Yzordderrex。
　
　
　26
　
　In　the　Fifth；　winter　came：　not　suddenly　but　certainly。　Hallowe'en　was　the　last　time　people　chanced　the　night　air　without　coats；　hats；　and　gloves；　and　it　saw　the　first　substantial　visitation　of　Londoners　to　Gamut　Street…revelers　who'd　taken　the　spirit　of　All　Hallow's　Eve　to　heart　and　e　to　see　if　there　was　any　truth　in　the　bizarre　rumors　they'd　heard　about　the　neighborhood。　Some　retreated　after　a　very　short　time；　but　the　braver　among　them　stayed　to　explore；　a　few　lingering　outside　number　28；　where　they　puzzled　over　the　designs　on　the　door　and　peered　up　at　the　carbonized　tree　that　shaded　the　house　from　the　stars。
　After　that　evening　the　cold's　nip　became　a　bite；　and　the　bite　a　gnaw；　until　by　late　November　the　temperatures　were　low　enough　to　keep　even　the　most　ardent　tomcat　at　the　fire。　But　the　flow　of　visitors…in　both　directions…didn't　cease。　Night　after　night　ordinary　citizens　appeared　in　Gamut　Street　to　brush　shoulders　with　the　excursionists　who　were　corning　in　the　opposite　direction。　Some　of　the　former　became　such　regular　visitors　that　Clem　began　to　recognize　them　and　was　able　to　watch　their　investigations　grow　less　tentative　as　they　realized　that　the　sensations　they　felt　were　not　the　first　signs　of　lunacy。　There　were　wonders　to　be　found　here；　and　one　by　one　these　men　and　women　must　have　discovered　the　source；　because　they　invariably　disappeared。　Others；　perhaps　too　afraid　to　venture　into　the　passing　places　alone；　came　with　trusted　friends；　showing　them　the　street　as　though　it　were　a　secret　vice；　talking　in　whispers；　then　laughing　out　loud　when　they　found　their　loved　ones　could　see　the　apparitions　too。
　Word　was　spreading。　But　that　fact　was　the　only　pleasure　those　bitter　days　and　nights　provided。　Though　Tick　Raw　spent　more　and　more　time　in　the　house　and　was　lively　pany；　Clem　missed　Gentle　badly。　He　hadn't　been　altogether　surprised　at　his　abrupt　departure　（he'd　known；　even　if　Gentle　hadn't；　that　sooner　or　later　the　Maestro　would　leave　the　Dominion）；　but　now　his　truest　pany　was　the　man　with　whom　he　shared　his　skull；　and　as　the　first　anniversary　of　Tay's　death　approached　the　mood　of　both　grew　steadily　darker。　The　presence　of　so　many　living　souls　on　the　street　only　served　to　make　the　revenants　who'd　occupied　it　through　the　summer　months　feel　further　disenfranchised；　and　their　distress　was　contagious。　Though　Tay　had　been　happy　to　stay　with　Clem　through　the　preparations　for　the　Great　Work；　their　time　as　angels　was　over；　and　Tay　felt　the　same　need　as　those　ghosts　who　roamed　outside　the　house：　to　be　gone。
　As　December　came；　Clem　began　to　wonder　how　many　more　weeks　he　could　keep　his　post；　when　it　seemed　every　hour　the　despair　of　the　ghost　in　him　grew。　After　much　debate　with　himself　he　decided　that　Christmas　would　mark　the　last　day　of　his　service　in　Gamut　Street。　After　that　he'd　leave　number　28　to　be　tramped　around　by　Tick's　excursionists　and　go　back　to　the　house　where　a　year　before　he　and　Tay　had　celebrated　the　Return　of　the　Unvanquished　Sun。
　
　Jude　and　Hoi…Polloi　had　taken　their　time　crossing　the　Dominions；　but　with　so　many　roads　to　choose　between；　and　so　many　incidental　joys　along　the　way；　going　quickly　seemed　almost　criminal。　They　had　no　reason　to　hurry。　There　was　nothing　behind　them　to　drive　them　on；　and　nothing　in　front　summoning　them。　At　least；　so　Jude　pretended。　Time　and　time　again；　when　the　issue　of　their　ultimate　destination　cropped　up　in　conversation；　she　avoided　talking　about　the　place　she　knew　in　her　heart　of　hearts　they　would　eventually　reach。　But　if　the　name　of　that　city　wasn't　on　her　lips；　it　was　on　the　lips　of　almost　every　other　woman　they　met；　and　when　Hoi…Polloi　mentioned　that　it　was　her。birthplace　questions　from　fellow　travelers　would　invariably　flow　thick　and　fast。　Was　it　true　that　the　harbor　was　now　filled　at　every　tide　with　fish　that　had　swum　up　from　the　depths　of　the　ocean；　ancient　creatures　that　knew　the　secret　of　the　origins　of　women　and　swam　up　the　rivered　streets　at　night　to　worship　the　Goddesses　on　the　hill？　Was　it　true　that　the　women　there　could　have　children　without　any　need　of　men　whatsoever；　and　that　some　could　even　dream　babies　into　being？　And　were　there　fountains　in　that　city　that　made　the　old　young；　and　trees　on　which　every　fruit　was　new　to　the　world？　And　so　on；　and　so　forth。
　Though　Jude　was　willing；　if　pressed；　to　supply　descriptions　of　what　she'd　seen　in　Yzordderrex；　her　accounts　of　how　the　palace　had　been　refashioned　by　water；　and　of　streams　that　defied　gravity；　were　not　particularly　remarkable　in　the　face　of　what　rumor　was　claiming　about　Yzordderrex。　After　a　few　conversations　in　which　she　was　urged　to　describe　marvels　she　had　no　knowledge　of…as　though　the　questioners　were　willing　her　to　invent　prodigies　rather　than　disappoint　them…she　told　Hoi…Polloi　she'd　not　be　drawn　into　any　further　debates　on　the　subject。　But　her　imagination　refused　to　ignore　the　tales　it　heard；　however　preposterous；　and　with　every　mile　they　traveled　along　the　Lenten　Way；　the　idea　of　the　city　awaiting　them　at　the　end　of　their　journey　grew　more　intimidating。　She　fretted　that　perhaps　the　blessings　bestowed　on　her　there　would　be　valueless　after　all　the　time　she'd　spent　away　from　the　place。　Or　that　the　Goddesses　knew　that　she'd　told　Sartori…in　all　truth…that　she　loved　him；　and　that　Jokalaylau's　condemnation　of　her　would　carry　the　day　if　she　ever　went　back　into　their　temple。
　Once　they　were　on　the　Lenten　Way；　however；　such　fears　became　academic。　They　were　not　going　to　turn　back　now；　especially　as　both　of　them　were　being　steadily　more　exhausted。　The　city　called　them　out　of　the　fogs　that　lay　between　Dominions；　and　they　would　go　into　it　together　and　face　whatever　judgments；　prodigies；　and　deep…sea　fish　were　waiting　there。
　Oh；　but　it　was　changed。　A　warmer　season　was　on　the　Second　than　when　Jude　had　last　been　here；　and　with　so　much　water　running　in　the　streets　the　air　was　tropical。　But　more　breathtaking　than　the　humidity　was　the　growth　it　had　engendered。　Seeds　and　spores　had　been　carried　up　from　the　seams　and　caverns　beneath　the　city　in　vast　numbers；　and　under　the　influence　of　the　Goddesses　feits　had　matured　with　preternatural　speed。　Ancient　forms　of　vegetation；　most　long　believed　extinct；　had　greened　the　rubble；　turning　the　Kesparates　into　luxuriant　jungle。　In　the　space　of　half　a　year　Yzordderrex　had　e　to　resemble　a　lost　city；　sacred　to　women　and　children；　its　desolation　salved　by　flora。　The　smell　of　ripeness　was　everywhere；　its　source　the　fruits　that　glistened　on　vine　and　bough　and　bush；　the　abundance　of　which　had　in　turn　attracted　animals　that　would　never　have　dared　Yzordderrex　under　its　previous　regime。　And　running　through　this　cornucopia；　feeding　the　seeds　it　had　raised　from　the　underworld；　the　eternal　waters；　still　flowing　up　the　hillsides　in　their　riotous　way　but　no　longer　carrying　their　fleets　of　prayers。　Either　the　requests　of　those　who　lived　here　had　been　answered；　or　else　their　baptisms　had　made　them　their　own　healers　and　restorers。
　Jude　and　Hoi…Polloi　didn't　go　up　to　the　palace　the　day　they　arrived。　Nor　the　day　after；　nor　the　day　after　that。　Instead；　they　searched　for　the　Peccable　house　and　there　made　themselves　fortable；　though　the　tulips　on　the　dining　room　table　had　been　replaced　by　a　throng　of　blossoms　that　had　erupted　through　the　floor；　and　the　roof　had　bee　an　aviary。　After　so　long　a　journey；　in　which　they'd　not　known　from　night　to　night　where　they　were　going　to　lay　their　heads；　these　were　minor　inconveniences；　and　they　were　grateful　to　be　at　rest；　lulled　to　sleep　by　cooings　and　chatterings　in　beds　that　were　more　like　bowers。　When　they　woke；　there　was　plenty　to　eat：　fruit　that　could　be　picked　off　the　trees；　water　that　ran　clear　and　cold　in　the　street　outside；　and；　in　some　of　the　larger　streams；　fish；　which　formed　the　staple　diet　of　the　clans　that　lived　in　the　vicinity。
　There　were　men　as　well　as　women　among　these　extended　families；　some　of　whom　must　have　been　members　of　the　mobs　and　armies　that　had　run　so　brutally　riot　on　the　night　the　Autarch　fell。　But　either　gratitude　at　having　survived　the　revolution　or　the　calming　influence　of　the　growth　and　plenitude　around　them　had　persuaded　them　to　better　purpose。　Hands　that　had　maimed　and　murdered　were　now　employed　rebuilding　a　few　of　the　houses；　raising　their　walls　not　in　defiance　of　the　jungle；　or　the　waters　that　fed　it；　but　in　league　with　both。　This　time；　the　architects　were　women；　who'd　e　down　from　their　baptisms　inspired　to　use　the　wreckage　of　the　old　city　to　create　a　new　one；　and　everywhere　Jude　saw　echoes　of　the　serene　and　elegant　aesthetic　that　marked　the　Goddesses'　handiwork。
　There　was　no　great　sense　of　urgency　attending　these　constructions；　nor；　she　thought；　any　sign　of　a　grand　design　being　adhered　to。　The　age　of　empire　was　over；　and　all　dogmas；　edicts；　and　conformities　had　gone　with　it。　People　solved　the　problems　of　putting　a　roof　over　their　heads　in　their　own　way；　knowing　that　the　trees　were　both　shady　and　bountiful　in　the　meantime；　the　houses　that　resulted　were　as　different　as　the　faces　of　the　women　who　supervised　their　construction。　The　Sartori　she'd　met　in　Gamut　Street　would　have　approved；　Jude　thought。　Hadn't　he　touched　her　cheek　during　their　penultimate　encounter　and　told　her　he'd　dreamed　of　a　city　built　in　her　image？　If　that　image　was　woman　then　here　was　that　city；　rising　from　the　ruins。
　So　by　day　they　had　the　murmuring　canopy；　the　bubbling　rivers；　the　heat；　the　laughter。　And　by　night；　slumbers　beneath　a　feathered　roof　and　dreams　that　were　kind　and　uninterrupted。　Such　was　the　case；　at　least；　for　a　week。　But　on　the　eighth　night；　Jude　was　woken　by　Hoi…Polloi；　who　called　her　to　the　window。
　〃Look。〃
　She　looked。　The　stars　were　bright　above　the　city　and　ran　silver　in　the　river　below。　But　there　were　other　forms　in　the　water；　she　realized：　mor