cb.imajica1-第36部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

able；　playing　with　a　piece　of　rock。
　〃How　is　he？〃　she　wanted　to　know。
　〃Not　good；〃　Gentle　said。　〃Clem's　gone　in　to　look　after　him。〃
　〃Do　you　want　some　tea？〃
　〃No；　thanks。　What　I　really　need's　some　fresh　air。　I　think　I'll　take　a　walk　around　the　block。〃
　There　was　a　fine　drizzle　falling　when　he　stepped　outside；　which　was　wele　after　the　suffocating　heat　of　the　sickroom。　He　knew　the　neighborhood　scarcely　at　all；　so　he　decided　to　stay　close　to　the　house；　but　his　distraction　soon　got　the　better　of　that　plan　and　he　wandered　aimlessly；　lost　in　thought　and　the　maze　of　streets。　There　was　a　freshness　in　the　wind　that　made　him　sigh　for　escape。　This　was　no　place　to　solve　mysteries。　After　the　turn　of　the　year　everybody　would　be　stepping　up　to　a　new　round　of　resolutions　and　ambitions；　plotting　their　futures　like　well…oiled　farces。　He　wanted　none　of　it。
　As　he　began　the　trek　back　to　the　house　he　remembered　that　Jude　had　asked　him　to　pick　up　milk　and　cigarettes　on　his　journey；　and　that　he　was　returning　empty…handed。　He　turned　and　went　in　search　of　both；　which　took　him　longer　than　he　expected。　When　he　finally　rounded　the　corner；　goods　in　hand；　there　was　an　ambulance　outside　the　house。　The　front　door　was　open。　Jude　stood　on　the　step；　watching　the　drizzle。　She　had　tears　on　her　face。
　〃He's　dead；〃　she　said。
　He　stood　rooted　to　the　spot　a　yard　from　her。　〃When？〃　he　said；　as　if　it　mattered。
　〃Just　after　you　left。〃
　He　didn't　want　to　weep；　not　with　her　watching。　There　was　too　much　else　he　didn't　want　to　stumble　over　in　her　presence。　Stony；　he　said；　〃Where's　Clem？〃
　〃With　him　upstairs。　Don't　go　up。　There's　already　too　many　people。〃　She　spied　the　cigarettes　in　his　hand　and　reached　for　them。　As　her　hand　grazed　his；　their　grief　ran　between　them。　Despite　his　intent；　tears　sprang　to　his　eyes；　and　he　went　into　her　embrace；　both　of　them　sobbing　freely；　like　enemies　joined　by　a　mon　loss　or　lovers　about　to　be　parted。　Or　else　souls　who　could　not　remember　whether　they　were　lovers　or　enemies　and　were　weeping　at　their　own　confusion。
　
　
　16
　
　Since　the　meeting　at　which　the　subject　of　the　Tabula　Rasa's　library　had　first　been　raised；　Bloxham　had　several　times　planned　to　perform　the　duty　he'd　volunteered　himself　for　and　go　into　the　bowels　of　the　tower　to　check　on　the　security　of　the　collection。　But　he'd　twice　put　off　the　task；　telling　himself　that　there　were　more　urgent　claims　on　his　time：　specifically；　the　organization　of　the　Society's　Great　Purge。　He　might　have　postponed　a　third　time　had　the　matter　not　been　raised　again；　this　in　a　casual　aside　from　Charlotte　Feaver；　who'd　been　equally　vociferous　about　the　safety　of　the　books　at　that　first　gathering　and　now　offered　to　acpany　him　on　the　investigation。　Women　baffled　Bloxham；　and　the　attraction　they　exercised　over　him　had　always　to　be　set　beside　the　disfort　he　felt　in　their　pany；　but　in　recent　days　he'd　felt　an　intensity　of　sexual　need　he'd　seldom；　if　ever；　experienced　before。　Not　even　in　the　privacy　of　his　own　prayers　did　he　dare　confess　the　reason。　The　Purge　excited　him…it　roused　his　blood　and　his　manhood…and　he　had　no　doubt　that　Charlotte　had　responded　to　this　heat；　even　though　he'd　made　no　outward　show　of　it。　He　promptly　accepted　her　offer；　and　at　her　suggestion　they　agreed　to　meet　at　the　tower　on　the　last　evening　of　the　old　year。　He　brought　a　bottle　of　champagne。
　〃We　may　as　well　enjoy　ourselves；〃　he　said；　as　they　headed　down　through　the　remains　of　Roxborough's　original　house；　a　floor　of　which　had　been　preserved　and　concealed　within　the　plainer　walls　of　the　tower。
　Neither　of　them　had　ventured　into　this　underworld　for　many　years。　It　was　more　primitive　than　either　of　them　remembered。　Electric　Hght　had　been　crudely　installed…cables　from　which　bare　bulbs　hung　looped　along　the　passages…but　otherwise　the　place　was　just　as　it　had　been　in　the　first　years　of　the　Tabula　Rasa。　The　cellars　had　been　built　for　the　express　purpose　of　housing　the　Society's　collection；　thus　for　the　millennium。　A　fan　of　identical　corridors　spread　from　the　bottom　stairs；　lined　on　both　sides　with　shelves　that　rose　up　the　brick　walls　to　the　curve　of　the　ceilings。　The　intersections　were　elaborately　vaulted；　but　otherwise　there　was　no　decoration。
　〃Shall　we　break　open　the　bottle　before　we　start？〃　Bloxham　suggested。
　〃Why　not？　What　are　we　drinking　from？〃
　His　reply　was　to　bring　two　fluted　glasses　from　his　pocket。　She　claimed　them　from　him　while　he　opened　the　bottle；　its　cork　ing　with　no　more　than　a　decorous　sigh；　the　sound　of　which　carried　away　through　the　labyrinth　and　failed　to　return。　Glasses　filled；　they　drank　to　the　Purge。
　〃Now　we're　here；〃　Charlotte　said；　pulling　her　furs　up　around　her；　〃what　are　we　looking　for？〃
　〃Any　sign　of　tampering　or　theft；〃　Bloxham　said。　〃Shall　we　split　up　or　go　together？〃
　〃Oh；　together；〃　she　replied。
　It　had　been　Roxborough's　claim　that　these　shelves　carried　every　single　volume　of　any　significance　in　the　hemisphere；　and　as　they　wandered　together；　surveying　the　tens　of　thousands　of　manuscripts　and　books；　it　was　easy　to　believe　the　boast。
　〃How　in　hell's　name　do　you　suppose　they　gathered　all　this　stuff　up？〃　Charlotte　wondered　as　they　walked。
　〃I　daresay　the　world　was　smaller　then；〃　Bloxham　remarked。　〃They　all　knew　each　other；　didn't　they？　Casanova；　Sartori；　the　te　de　Saint…Germain。　All　fakes　and　buggers　together。〃
　〃Fakes？　Do　you　really　think　so？〃
　〃Most　of　them；〃　Bloxham　said；　wallowing　in　the　ill…deserved　role　of　expert。　〃There　may　have　been　one　or　two；　I　suppose；　who　knew　what　they　were　doing。〃
　〃Have　you　ever　been　tempted？〃　Charlotte　asked　him；　slipping　her　arm　through　the　crook　of　his　as　they　went。
　〃To　do　what？〃
　〃To　see　if　any　of　it's　worth　a　damn。　To　try　raising　a　familiar　or　crossing　into　the　Dominions。〃
　He　looked　at　her　with　genuine　astonishment。　〃That's　against　every　precept　of　the　Society；〃　he　said。
　〃That's　not　what　I　asked〃　she　replied；　almost　curtly。　〃I　said；　Have　you　ever　been　tempted？〃
　〃My　father　taught　me　that　any　dealings　with　the　Imajica　would　put　my　soul　in　jeopardy。〃
　〃Mine　said　the　same。　But　I　think　he　regretted　not　finding　out　for　himself　at　the　end。　I　mean；　if　there's　no　truth　in　it；　then　there's　no　harm。〃
　〃Oh；　I　believe　there's　truth　in　it；〃　Bloxham　said。
　〃You　believe　there　are　other　Dominions？〃
　〃You　saw　that　damn　creature　Godolphin　cut　up　in　front　of　us。〃
　〃I　saw　a　species　I　hadn't　seen　before；　that's　all。〃　She　stopped　and　arbitrarily　plucked　a　book　from　the　shelves。　〃But　I　wonder　sometimes　if　the　fortress　we're　guarding　isn't　empty。〃　She　opened　the　book；　and　a　lock　of　hair　fell　from　it。　〃Maybe　it's　all　invention；〃　she　said。　〃Drug　dreams　and　fancy。〃　She　put　the　book　back　on　the　shelf　and　turned　to　face　Bloxham。　〃Did　you　really　invite　me　down　here　to　check　the　security？〃　she　murmured。　〃I'm　going　to　be　damn　disappointed　if　you　did。〃
　〃Not　entirely；〃　he　said。
　〃Good；〃　she　replied；　and　wandered　on；　deeper　into　the　maze。
　Though　Jude　had　been　invited　to　a　number　of　New　Year's　Eve　parties；　she'd　made　no　firm　mitment　to　attend　any　of　them；　for　which　fact；　after　the　sorrows　the　day　had　brought；　she　was　thankful。　She'd　offered　to　stay　with　Clem　once　Taylor's　body　had　been　taken　from　the　house；　but　he'd　quietly　declined；　saying　that　he　needed　the　time　alone。　He　was　forted　to　know　she'd　be　at　the　other　end　of　the　telephone　if　he　needed　her；　however；　and　said　he'd　call　if　he　got　too　maudlin。
　One　of　the　parties　she'd　been　invited　to　was　at　the　house　opposite　her　flat；　and　on　the　evidence　of　past　years　it　would　raise　quite　a　din。　She'd　several　times　been　one　of　the　celebrants　there　herself；　but　it　was　no　great　hardship　to　be　alone　tonight。　She　was　in　no　mood　to　trust　the　future；　if　what　the　New　Year　brought　was　more　of　what　the　old　had　offered。
　She　closed　the　curtains　in　the　hope　that　her　presence　would　go　undetected；　lit　some　candles；　put　on　a　flute　concerto；　and　started　to　prepare　something　light　for　supper。　As　she　washed　her　hands；　she　found　that　her　fingers　and　palms　had　taken　on　a　light　dusting　of　color　from　the　stone。　She'd　caught　herself　toying　with　it　several　times　during　the　afternoon；　and　pocketed　it；　only　to　find　minutes　later　that　it　was　once　again　in　her　hands。　Why　the　color　it　had　left　behind　had　escaped　her　until　now；　she　didn't　know。　She　rubbed　her　hands　briskly　beneath　the　tap　to　wash　the　dust　off；　but　when　she　came　to　dry　them　found　the　color　was　actually　brighter。　She　went　into　the　bathroom　to　study　the　phenomenon　under　a　more　intense　light。　It　wasn't；　as　she'd　first　thought；　dust。　The　pigment　seemed　to　be　in　her　skin；　like　a　henna　stain。　Nor　was　it　confined　to　her　palms。　It　had　spread　to　her　wrists；　where　she　was　sure　her　flesh　hadn't　e　in　contact　with　the　stone。　She　took　off　her　blouse　and　to　her　shock　discovered　there　were　irregular　patches　of　color　at　her　elbows　as　well。　She　started　talking　to　herself；　which　she　always　did　when　she　was　confounded　by　something。
　〃What　the　hell　is　this？　I'm　turning　blue？　This　is　ridiculous。〃
　Ridiculous；　maybe；　but　none　too　funny。　There　was　a　crawl　of　panic　in　her　stomach。　Had　she　caught　some　disease　from　the　stone？　Was　that　why　Estabrook　had　wrapped　it　up　so　carefully　and　hidden　it　away？
　She　turned　on　the　shower　and　stripped。　There　were　no　further　stains　on　her　bod