cb.imajica1-第70部分

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　when　the　woman　spoke　again。　〃Don't　you　know　they'll　hurt　you？〃　〃Who　will？1'she　said。
　〃The　people　in　the　tower。　The　Tabula　Rasa。　What　were　you　looking　for？〃　〃Nothing。〃
　〃You　were　looking　very　hard　for　nothing。〃
　〃Are　you　spying　for　them？〃
　The　woman　made　an　ugly　sound　that　Judith　took　to　be　a　laugh。　〃They　don't　even　know　I'm　alive；〃　she　said。　Then；　for　the　third　time；　〃Who　are　you？〃　〃My　name's　Judith。〃
　〃I'm　Clara　Leash；〃　the　woman　said。　She　cast　a　glance　back　in　the　direction　of　the　tower。　〃Walk　on；〃　she　said。　〃There's　a　church　halfway　up　the　hill。　I'll　meet　you　there。〃　〃What　is　all　this　about？〃　〃At　the　church；　not　here。〃
　So　saying；　she　turned　her　back　on　Judith　and　walked　off；　her　agitation　enough　to　dissuade　Judith　from　following。　Two　words　in　their　short　exchange　convinced　her　she　should　wait　at　the　church　and　find　out　what　Clara　Leash　had　to　say；　however。　Those　words　were　Tabula　Rasa。　She　hadn't　heard　them　spoken　since　her　conversation　with　Charlie　at　the　estate；　when　he'd　told　her　how　he'd　been　passed　over　for　membership　in　favor　of　Oscar。　He'd　made　light　of　it　at　the　time；　and　much　of　what　he'd　said　had　been　blotted　from　her　mind　by　the　violence　and　the　revelations　that　followed。　Now　she　found　herself　digging　for　recollections　of　what　he'd　said　about　the　organization。　Something　about　the　tainted　soil　of　England；　and　her　saying　tainted　by　what？；　and　Charlie　making　some　ical　reply。　Now　she　knew　what　that　taint　was：　magic。　In　that　bland　tower　the　lives　of　the　men　and　women　whose　bodies　had　been　found　in　shallow　graves　or　scraped　from　the　rails　of　the　Piccadilly　Line　had　been　judged　and　found　corrupt。　No　wonder　Oscar　was　losing　weight　and　sobbing　in　his　sleep。　He　was　a　member　of　a　Society　formed　for　the　express　purpose　of　eradicating　a　second；　and　diminishing；　society；　to　which　he　also　belonged。　For　all　his　self…possession　he　was　the　servant　at　two　masters：　magic　and　its　despoiler。　It　fell　to　her　to　help　him　by　whatever　means　she　could。　She　was　his　lover；　an　without　her　aid　he　would　eventually　be　crushed　between　contrary　imperatives。　And　he　in　his　turn　was　her　ticket　to　Yzordderrex；　without　whom　she　would　never　see　the　glories　of　the　Imajica。　They　needed　each　other；　alive　and　sane。
　She　waited　at　the　church　for　half　an　hour　before　Clara　Leash　appeared；　looking　fretful。
　〃Out　here's　no　good；〃　she　said。　〃Inside。〃
　They　stepped　into　the　gloomy　building　and　sat　close　to　the　altar　so　as　not　to　be　overheard　by　the　three　noontime；　supplicants　who　were　at　their　prayers　towards　the　back。　It　was　not　an　ideal　place　in　which　to　have　a　whispered　conversation；　their　sibilance　carried　even　if　the　sense　did　not；　its　echoes　corning　back　to　meet　them　off　the　bare　walls。　Nor　was　there　much　trust　between　them　to　begin　with。　To　defend　herself　from　Clara's　glare；　Judith　spent　the　early　part　of　their　exchange　with　her　back　half　turned　to　the　woman；；　only　facing　her　fully　when　they'd　disposed　of　the　circumlfr…cutions　and　she　felt　confident　enough　to　ask　the　question　most　on　her　mind。
　〃What　do　you　know　about　the　Tabula　Rasa？〃
　〃Everything　there　is　to　know；〃　Clara　replied。　〃I　was　a
　member　of　the　Society　for　many　years。〃
　〃But　they　think　you're　dead？〃
　〃They're　not　far　wrong。　I　haven't　got　more　than　a　few　months　left；　which　is　why　it's　important　I　pass　along　what　I　know。〃
　〃To　me？〃
　〃That　depends；〃　she　said。　〃First　I　want　to　know　what　you　were　doing　at　the　tower。〃　〃I　was　looking　for　a　way　in。〃　〃Have　you　ever　been　inside？〃　〃Yes　and　no。〃
　〃Meaning　what？〃
　〃My　mind's　been　inside　even　though　my　body　hasn't；〃　Judith　said；　fully　expecting　a　repeat　of　Clara's　weird　little　laugh　in　response。
　Instead；　the　woman　said；　〃On　the　night　of　December　the　thirty…first。〃
　〃How　the　hell　did　you　know　that？〃
　Clara　put　her　hand　up　to　Judith's　face。　Her　fingers　were　icy　cold。　〃First；　you　should　know　how　I　departed　the　Tabula　Rasa。〃
　Though　she　told　her　story　without　embellishments；　it　took　some　time；　given　that　so　much　of　what　she　was　explaining　required　footnotes　for　Judith　to　fully　prehend　its　significance。　Clara；　like　Oscar；　was　the　descendant　of　one　of　the　Society's　founding　members　and　had　been　brought　up　to　believe　in　its　basic　principles：　England；　tainted　by　magic…indeed；　almost　destroyed　by　it…had　to　be　protected　from　any　cult　or　individual　who　sought　to　educate　new　generations　in　its　corrupt　practices。　When　Judith　asked　how　this　near　destruction　had　e　about；　Clara's　answer　was　a　story　in　itself。　Two　hundred　years　ago　this　ing　midsummer；　she　explained；　a　ritual　had　been　attempted　that　had　gone　tragically　awry。　Its　purpose　had　been　to　reconcile　the　reality　of　earth　with　those　of　four　other　dimensions。
　〃The　Dominions；〃　Judith　said；　dropping　her　voice；　which　was　already　low；　lower　still。
　〃Say　it　out　loud；〃　Clara　replied。　〃Dominions！　Dominions！〃　She　only　raised　her　voice　to　speaking　volume；　but　after　such　a　time　whispering　it　was　shockingly　loud。　〃It's　been　a　secret　for　too　long；〃　she　said。　〃And　that　gives　the　enemy　power。〃
　〃Who　is　the　enemy？〃
　〃There　are　so　many；〃　she　said。　〃In　this　Dominion；　the　Tabula　Rasa　and　its　servants。　And　it's　got　plenty　of　thos　…believe　me；　in　the　very　highest　places。〃
　〃How？〃
　〃It's　not　difficult；　when　your　members　are　the　descendants　of　kingmakers。　And　if　influence　fails；　you　can　alwa　buy　your　way　past　democracy。　It's　going　on　all　the　time。〃
　〃And　in　the　other　Dominions？〃
　〃Getting　information's　more　difficult；　especially　now；　I　knew　two　women　who　regularly　passed　between　here　an　the　Reconciled　Dominions。　One　of　them　was　found　dead　week　ago；　the　other's　disappeared。　She　may　also　have　been　murdered…〃
　〃By　the　Tabula　Rasa。〃
　〃You　know　a　good　deal；　don't　you？　What's　your　source？〃
　Judith　had　known　Clara　would　ask　that　question　eventu…ally　and　had　been　trying　to　decide　how　she　would　answer　it　Her　belief　in　Clara　Leash's　integrity　grew　apace；　but　wouldn't　it　be　precipitous　to　share　with　a　woman　she'd　taken　for　a　bag　lady　only　two　hours　before　a　secret　that　could　be　Oscar's　death　warrant　if　known　to　the　Tabula　Rasa？
　〃I　can't　tell　you　my　source；〃　she　said。　〃This　person's　ia；　great　danger　as　it　is。〃
　〃And　you　don't　trust　me。〃　She　raised　her　hand　to　ward
　off　any　protest。　〃Don't　sweet…talk　me！〃　she　said。　〃You
　don't　trust　me；　and　why　should　I　blame　you？　But　let　me　ask
　this：　Is　this　source　of　yours　a　man？〃
　〃Yes。　Why？〃
　〃You　asked　me　before　who　the　enemy　was；　and　I　said。　the　Tabula　Rasa。　But　we've　got　a　more　obvious　enemy：　the　opposite　sex。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃Men；　Judith。　The　destroyers。〃
　〃Oh；　now　wait…〃
　〃There　used　to　be　Goddesses　throughout　the　Dominions；　Powers　that　took　our　sex's　part　in　the　cosmic　drama。　They're　all　dead；　Judith。　They　didn't　just　die　of　old　age。　They　were　systematically　eradicated　by　the　enemy。〃
　〃Ordinary　men　don't　kill　Goddesses。〃
　〃Ordinary　men　serve　extraordinary　men。　Extraordinary　men　get　their　visions　from　the　Gods。　And　Gods　kill　Goddesses。〃
　〃That's　too　simple。　It　sounds　like　a　school　lesson。〃　〃Learn　it；　then。　And　if　you　can；　disprove　it。　I'd　like　that；　truly　I　would。　I'd　like　to　discover　that　the　Goddesses　are　all　in　hiding　somewhere…〃
　〃Like　the　woman　under　the　tower？〃
　For　the　first　time　in　this　dialogue；　Clara　was　lost　for　words。　She　simply　stared；　leaving　Jude　to　fill　the　silence　of　her　astonishment。
　〃When　I　said　I've　been　into　the　tower　in　my　mind；　that　isn't　strictly　true；〃　Jude　said。　〃I've　only　been　under　the　tower。　There's　a　cellar　there；　like　a　maze。　It's　full　of　books。　And　behind　one　of　the　walls　there's　a　woman。　I　thought　she　was　dead　at　first；　but　she　isn't。　She's　maybe　close　to　it；　but　she's　holding　on。〃
　Clara　was　visibly　shaken　by　this　account。　〃I　thought　I　was　the　only　one　who　knew　she　was　there；〃　she　said。
　〃More　to　the　point；　do　you　know　who　she　is？〃
　〃I've　got　a　pretty　good　idea；〃　Clara　said；　and　picked　up　the　story　she'd　been　diverted　from　earlier：　the　tale　of　how　she'd　e　to　leave　the　Tabula　Rasa。
　The　library　beneath　the　tower；　she　explained；　was　the　most　prehensive　collection　of　manuscripts　dealing　with　the　occult　sciences…but　more　particularly　the　legends　and　lore　of　the　Imajica…in　the　world。　It　had　been　gathered　by　the　men　who'd　founded　the　Society；　led　by　Roxborough　and　Godolphin；　to　keep　from　the　hands　and　minds　of　innocent　Englishmen　the　stain　of　things　Imajical；　but　rather　than　cataloguing　the　collection…making　an　index　of　these　forbidden　books…generations　of　the　Tabula　Rasa　had　simply　left　them　to　fester。
　〃I　took　it　upon　myself　to　sort　through　the　collection。　Believe　it　or　not；　I　was　once　a　very　ordered　woman；　I　got　it　from　my　father。　He　was　in　the　military。　At　first　I　was　watched　by　two　other　members　of　the　Society。　That's　the　law。　No　member　of　the　Society　is　allowed　into　the　library　alone；　and　if　any　one　judges　either　of　the　other　two　to　be　in　any　way　unduly　interested　or　influenced　by　the　volum　they　can　be　tried　by　the　Society　and　executed。　I　don't　thin　it's　ever　been　done。　Half　the　books　are　in　Latin；　and　who　reads　Latin？　The　other　half…you've　seen　for　yourself　they're　rotting　on　their　spines；　like　all　of　us。　But　I　wanted　order；　the　way　Daddy　would　have　liked　it。　Everything　neat　and　tidy。
　〃My　panions　soon　got　tired　of　my　obsession　and　left　me　to　it。　And　in　the　middle　of　the　night　I　felt　something　。　。　。　or　somebody。　。　。　pulling　at　my　thoughts；　plucking　them　out　of　my　scalp　one　by　one；　like　hairs。　Of　course　I　thought　it　was　the　books；　at　first。　I　thought　the　words　had　got　some　power　over　me。　I　tried　to　leave；　but　you　know　I　really　didn't　want　to。　I'd　been　Daddy's　repressed　little　daughter　for　fifty　years；　and　I　was　about　ready　to　crack。　Celestine　knew　it　too…〃
　〃Celestine　is　the　woman　in　the　wall？〃
　〃I　believe　it's　her；　yes。〃
　〃But　you　don't　know　who　she　is？〃
　〃I'm　ing　to　that；〃　Clara　said。　〃Roxborough's　house　stood　on　the　land　where　the　tower　now　stands。　The　cellar　is　the　cellar　of　that　house。　Celestine　was…indeed；　still　is…　Roxborough's　prisoner。　He　walled　her　up　because　he　didn't　dare　kill　her。　She'd　seen　the　face　of　Hapexamendios；　the　God　of　Gods。　She　was　insane；　but　she'd　been　touched〃　by　divinity；　and　even　Roxborough　didn't　dare　lay　a　finger　on　her。〃
　〃How　do　you　know　all　this？〃
　〃Roxborough　wrote　a　confession；　a　few　days　before　he　died。　He　knew　the　woman　he'd　walled　up