cb.damnationgame-第66部分

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　　〃Away。〃　Carys　whispered　the　imperative　with　his　voice：　〃Quickly。　Away。〃　He　belly…crawled　across　the　frozen　stone　as　the　factions　fought　above　his　head；　scarcely　able　to　believe　that　he'd　been　spared。　Nobody　gave　him　a　second　glance。　Unarmed　and　skeletal…thin；　he　was　no　danger　to　anyone。　Once　out　of　the　square；　and　into　the　backwaters　of　the　monastery；　he　took　a　breath。　Smoke　had　started　to　drift　along　the　icy　corridors。　Inevitably；　the　place　was　being　put　to　the　torch　by　one　side　or　the　other：　perhaps　both。　They　were　all　imbeciles：　he　loved　none　of　them。　He　began　his　way　through　the　maze　of　the　building；　hoping　to　find　his　way　out　without　encountering　any　stray　fusiliers。
　　In　a　passageway　far　from　the　skirmishes　he　heard　footsteps…sandaled；　not　booted…ing　after　him。　He　turned　to　face　his　pursuer。　It　was　a　monk；　his　scrawny　features　every　inch　the　ascetic's。　He　arrested　the　sergeant　by　the　tattered　collar　of　his　shirt。
　　〃You're　God…given；〃　he　said。　He　was　breathless；　but　his　grip　was　fierce。
　　〃Let　me　alone。　I　want　to　get　out。〃　〃The　fighting's　spreading　through　the　building；　it's　not　safe　anywhere。〃　〃I'll　take　the　risk。〃　The　sergeant　grinned。
　　〃You　were　chosen；　soldier；〃　the　monk　replied；　still　holding　on。　〃Chance　stepped　in　on　your　behalf。　The　innocent　boy　at　your　side　died；　but　you　survived。　Don't　you　see？　Ask　yourself　why。〃　He　tried　to　push　the　shaveling　away；　the　mixture　of　incense　and　stale　sweat　was　vile。　But　the　man　held　fast；　speaking　hurriedly：　〃There　are　secret　tunnels　beneath　the　cells。　We　can　slip　away　without　being　slaughtered。〃　Yes？〃　〃Certainly。　If　you'll　help　me。〃　〃How？〃　〃I've　got　writings　to　salvage；　a　life's　work。　I　need　your　muscle；　soldier。　Don't　fret　yourself；　you'll　get　something　in　return。〃　〃What　have　you　got　that　I'd　want？〃　the　sergeant　said。　What　could　this　wild…eyed　flagellant　possibly　possess？
　　〃I　need　an　acolyte；〃　the　monk　said。　〃Someone　to　give　my　learning　to。〃　〃Spare　me　your　spiritual　guidance。〃　〃I　can　teach　you　so　much。　How　to　live　forever；　if　that's　what　you　want。〃　Mamoulian　had　started　to　laugh；　but　the　monk　went　on　with　his　dreamtalk。　〃How　to　take　life　from　other　people；　and　have　it　for　yourself。　Or　if　you　like；　give　it　to　the　dead　to　resurrect　them。〃　〃Never。　〃　〃It's　old　wisdom；〃　the　monk　said。　〃But　I've　found　it　again；　written　out　in　plain　Greek。　Secrets　that　were　ancient　when　the　hills　were　young。　Such　secrets。〃　〃If　you　can　do　all　that；　why　aren't　you　tsar　of　all　the　Russians？〃　Mamoulian　replied。
　　The　monk　let　go　of　his　shirt；　and　looked　at　the　soldier　with　contempt　freshly　squeezed　from　his　eyes。　〃What　man；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃what　man　with　true　ambition　in　his　soul　would　want　to　be　merely　tsar？〃　The　reply　wiped　the　soldier's　smile　away。　Strange　words；　whose　significance…had　he　been　asked…he　would　have　had　difficulty　explaining。　But　there　was　a　promise　in　them　that　his　confusion　couldn't　rob　them　of。　Well；　he　thought；　maybe　this　is　the　way　wisdom　es；　and　the　sword　didn't　fall　on　me；　did　it？
　　〃Show　me　the　way；〃　he　said。
　　
　　Carys　smiled：　a　small　but　radiant　smile。　In　the　space　of　a　wing…beat　winter　melted　away。　Spring　blossomed；　the　ground　was　green　everywhere；　especially　over　the　burial　pits。
　　〃Where　are　you　going？〃　Marty　asked　her。　It　was　clear　from　her　delighted　expression　that　circumstances　had　changed。　For　several　minutes　she　had　spat　out　clues　to　the　life　she　was　sharing　in　the　European's　head。　Marty　had　barely　grasped　the　gist　of　what　was　going　on。　He　hoped　she　would　be　able　to　furnish　the　details　later。　What　country　this　was；　what　war。
　　Suddenly；　she　said：　〃I'm　finished。〃　Her　voice　was　light；　almost　playful。
　　〃Carys？〃　〃Who's　Carys？　Never　heard　of　him。　Probably　dead。　They're　all　dead　but　me。〃　〃What　have　you　finished？〃　〃Learning；　of　course。　All　he　can　teach　me。　And　it　was　true。　Everything　he　promised：　all　true。　Old　wisdom。〃　〃What　have　you　learned？〃　She　raised　her　hand；　the　burned　one；　and　spread　it。　〃I　can　steal　life；〃　she　said。　〃Easily。　Just　find　the　place；　and　drink。　Easy　to　take；　easy　to　give。〃　〃Give？〃　〃For　a　while。　As　long　as　it　suits　me。〃　She　extended　a　finger：　God　to　Adam。　〃Let　there　be　life。〃　He　began　to　laugh　in　her　again。
　　〃And　the　monk？〃　〃What　about　him？〃　〃Is　he　still　with　you？〃　The　sergeant　shook　Carys〃　head。
　　〃I　killed　him；　when　he'd　taught　me　everything　he　could。〃　Her　hands　reached　out　and　strangled　the　air。　〃I　just　throttled　him　one　night；　when　he　was　sleeping。　Of　course　he　woke　when　he　felt　my　grip　around　his　throat。　But　he　didn't　struggle；　he　didn't　make　the　slightest　attempt　to　save　himself。〃　The　sergeant　was　leering　as　he　described　the　act。　〃He　just　let　me　murder　him。　I　could　scarcely　believe　my　luck；　I'd　been　planning　the　thing　for　weeks；　terrified　that　he'd　read　my　thoughts。　When　he　went　so　easily；　I　was　ecstatic…〃　The　leer　suddenly　vanished。　〃Stupid；〃　he　murmured　in　her　throat。　〃So；　so　stupid。〃　〃Why？〃　〃I　didn't　see　the　trap　he'd　set。　Didn't　see　how　he'd　planned　it　all　along；　nurtured　me　like　a　son　knowing　that　I'd　be　his　executioner　when　the　time　came。　I　never　realized…not　once…that　I　was　just　his　tool。　He　wanted　to　die。　He　wanted　to　pass　his　wisdom〃…the　word　was　pronounced　derisively…〃along　to　me；　and　then　have　me　put　an　end　to　him。〃　〃Why　did　he　want　to　die？〃　〃Don't　you　see　how　terrible　it　is　to　live　when　everything　around　you　perishes？　And　the　more　the　years　pass　the　more　the。　thought　of　death　freezes　your　bowels；　because　the　longer　you　avoid　it　the　worse　you　imagine　it　must　be？　And　you　start　to　long…oh；　how　you　long…for　someone　to　take　pity　on　you；　someone　to　embrace　you　and　share　your　terrors。　And；　at　the　end；　someone　to　go　into　the　dark　with　you。〃　〃And　you　chose　Whitehead；〃　Marty　said；　almost　beneath　his　breath；　〃the　way　you　were　chosen；　by　chance。〃　〃Everything　is　chance；　and　so　nothing　is；〃　the　sleeping　man　pronounced；　then　laughed　again；　at　his　own　expense；　bitterly。　〃Yes；　I　chose　him；　with　a　game　of　cards。　And　then　I　made　a　bargain　with　him。〃　〃But　he　cheated　you。〃　Carys　nodded　her　head；　very　slowly；　her　hand　inscribing　a　circle　on　the　air。
　　〃Round　and　round；〃　she　said。　〃Round　and　round。〃　〃What　will　you　do　now？〃　〃Find　the　pilgrim。　Wherever　he　is；　find　him！　Take　him　with　me。　I　swear　won't　let　him　escape　me。　I'll　take　him；　and　show　him。〃　〃Show　him　what？〃　No　answer　came。　In　its　place；　she　sighed；　stretching　a　little；　and　moving　her　head　from　left　to　right　and　back　again。　With　a　shock　of　recognition　Marty　realized　that　he　was　still　watching　her　repeat　Mamoulian's　movements：　that　ail　the　time　the　European　had　been　asleep；　and　now；　his　energies　repleted；　he　was　preparing　to　wake。　He　snapped　his　previous　question　out　again；　determined　to　have　an　answer　to　his　last；　vital　inquiry。
　　〃Show　him　what？〃　〃Hell；〃　Mamoulian　said。　〃He　cheated　me！　He　squandered　all　my　teachings；　all　my　knowledge；　threw　it　away　for　greed's　sake；　for　power's　sake；　for　the　life　of　the　body。　Appetite！　All　gone　for　appetite。　All　my　precious　love；　wasted！〃　Marty　could　hear；　in　his　litany；　the　voice　of　the　puritan…monk's　voice；　perhaps？…the　rage　of　a　creature　who　wanted　the　world　purer　than　it　was　and　lived　in　torment　because　it　saw　only　filth　and　flesh　sweating　to　make　more　flesh；　more　filth。　What　hope　of　sanity　in　such　a　place？　Except　to　find　a　soul　to　share　the　torment；　a　lover　to　hate　the　world　with。　Whitehead　had　been　such　a　partner。　And　now　Mamoulian　was　being　true　to　his　lover's　soul：　wanting；　at　the　end；　to　g0　into　death　with　the　only　other　creature　he　had　ever　trusted。　〃We'll　go　to　nothing　。　。　。〃　he　breathed；　and　the　breath　was　a　promise。　〃All　of　us；　go　to　nothing。　Down！　Down！〃　He　was　waking。　There　was　no　time　left　for　further　questions；　however　curious　Marty　was。
　　〃Carys。〃　〃Down！　Down！〃　〃Carys！　Can　you　hear　me？　e　out　of　him！　Quickly！〃　Her　head　rolled　on　her　neck。
　　〃Carys！〃　She　grunted。
　　〃Quickly！〃　In　Mamoulian's　head　the　patterns　had　begun　again；　as　enchanting　as　ever。　Spurts　of　light　that　would　bee　pictures　in　a　while；　she　knew。　What　would　they　be　this　time？　Birds；　flowers；　trees　in　blossom。　What　a　wonderland　it　was。
　　〃Carys。〃　The　voice　of　someone　she　had　once　known　was　calling　her　from　some　very　distant　place。　But　so　were　the　lights。　They　were　resolving　themselves　even　now。　She　waited；　expectantly；　but　this　time　they　weren't　memories　that　burst　into　view…〃Carys！　Quickly！〃　…they　were　the　real　world；　appearing　as　the　European　opened　his　lids。　Her　body　tensed。　Marty　reached　for　her　hand；　and　seized　it。　She　exhaled；　slowly；　the　breath　ing　out　as　a　thin　whine　between　her　teeth；　and　suddenly　she　was　awake　to　her　imminent　danger。　She　flung　her　thought　out　of　the　European's　head　and　back　across　the　miles　to　Kilburn。　For　an　agonized　instant　she　felt　her　will　falter；　and　she　was　falling　backward；　back　into　his　waiting　head。　Terrified；　she　gasped　like　a　stranded　fish　while　her　mind　fought　for　propulsion。
　　Marty　dragged　her　to　a　standing　position；　but　her　legs　buckled。　He　held　her　up　with　his　arms　wrapped　around　her。
　　〃Don't　leave　me；〃　he　whispered　into　her　hair。　〃Gentle　God；　don't　leave　me。〃　Suddenly；　her　eyes　flickered　open。
　　〃Marty；〃　she　mumbled。　〃Marty。〃　It　was　her：　he　knew　her　look　too　well　for　the　European　to　deceive　him。
　　〃You　came　back；〃　he　said。
　　
　　They　didn't　speak　for　several　minutes；　simply　held　on　to　each　other。　When　they　did　talk；　she　had　no　taste　for　retelling　what　she'd　experienced。　Marty　held　his　curiosity　in　check。　It　was　enough　to　know　they　had　no　Devil　on　their　backs。
　　Just　old　humanity；　cheated　of　love；　and　ready　to　pull　down　the　world　on　its　head。
　　
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　　So　perhaps　they　had　a　chance　of　life　after　all。　Mamoulian　was　a　man；　for　all　his　unnatural　faculties。　He　was　two　hundred　years　old；　perhaps；　but　what　were　a　few　years　between　friends？
　　The　priority　now　was　to　find　Papa　and　warn　him　of　what　Mamoulian　intended；　then　plan　as　best　they　could　against　the　European's　offensive。　If　Whitehead　wouldn't　help；　that　was　his　prerogative。　At　least　Marty　would　have　tried；　for　old　times〃　sake。　And　in　the　light　of　the　murder　of　Charmaine　and　Flynn；　Whitehead's　crimes　against　Marty　diminished　to　sins　of　discourtesy。　He　was　easily　the　lesser　of　two　evils。
　　As　to　the　how　of　finding　Whitehead；　the　only　lead　Marty　had　was　the　strawberries。　It　had　been　Pearl　who'd　told　him　that　Old　Man　Whitehe