cb.imajica1-第70部分

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　were　to　spread　the　rumor　that　everyone　in　Paris　is　cutting　off　their　right　arms　these　days；　we'd　be　tripping　over　hacked…off　limbs　all　the　way　to　Scopique's　house。〃
　〃It　wasn't　like　this　when　you　were　here？〃
　〃Not　in　L'Himby。　As　I　said；　it　was　a　place　of　meditation。　But　in　Patashoqua；　yes；　always；　because　it's　so　close　to　the　Fifth；　so　the　influence　is　very　strong。　And　there's　always　been　a　few　minor　Maestros；　you　know；　traveling　back　and　forth；　bringing　styles；　bringing　ideas。　A　few　of　them　made　a　kind　of　business　of　it；　crossing　the　In　Ovo　every　few　months　to　get　news　of　the　Fifth　and　selling　it　to　the　fashion　houses；　the　architects；　and　so　on。　So　damn　decadent。　It　revolts　me。〃
　〃But　you　did　the　same　thing；　didn't　you？　You　became　part　of　the　Fifth　Dominion。〃
　〃Never　here；〃　the　mystif　said；　its　fist　to　its　chest。　〃Never　in　my　heart。　My　mistake　was　getting　lost　in　the　In　Ovo　and　letting　myself　be　summoned　to　earth。　When　I　was　there　I　played　the　human　game；　but　only　as　much　as　I　had　to。〃
　Despite　their　baggy　and　by　now　well…crumpled　clothes；　both　Pie　and　Gentle　were　bare…headed　and　smooth…skulled；　so　they　attracted　a　good　deal　of　attention　from　envious　poseurs　parading　on　the　pavement。　It　was　far　from　wele；　of　course。　If　Pie's　theory　was　correct　and　Ham…meryock　or　Pontiff　Farrow　had　described　them　to　the　Autarch's　torturers；　their　likenesses　might　very　well　have　appeared　in　the　broadsheets　of　L'Himby。　If　so；　an　envious　dandy　might　have　them　removed　from　the　petition　with　a　few　words　in　a　soldier's　ear。　Would　it　not　be　wiser；　Gentle　suggested；　if　they　hailed　a　taxi；　and　traveled　a　little　more　discreetly？　The　mystif　was　reluctant　to　do　so；　explaining　that　it　could　not　remember　Scopique's　address；　and　their　only　hope　of　finding　it　was　to　go　on　foot；　while　Pie　followed　its　nose。　They　made　a　point　of　avoiding　the　busier　parts　of　the　street；　however；　where　cafe　customers　were　outside　enjoying　the　evening　air　or；　less　frequently；　where　soldiers　gathered。　Though　they　continued　to　attract　interest　and　admiration；　nobody　challenged　them；　and　after　twenty　minutes　they　turned　off　the　main　thoroughfare；　the　well…tended　buildings　giving　way　within　a　couple　of　blocks　to　grimier　structures；　the　fops　to　grimmer　souls。
　〃This　feels　safer；〃　Gentle　said；　a　paradoxical　remark　given　that　the　streets　they　were　wandering　through　now　were　the　kind　they　would　have　instinctively　avoided　in　any　city　of　the　Fifth：　ill…lit　backwaters；　where　many　of　the　houses　had　fallen　into　severe　disrepair。　Lamps　burned　in　even　the　most　dilapidated；　however；　and　children　played　in　the　gloomy　streets　despite　the　lateness　of　the　hour。　Their　games　were　those　of　earth；　give　or　take　a　detail…not　filched；　but　invented　by　young　minds　from　the　same　basic　materials：　a　ball　and　a　bat；　some　chalk　and　a　pavement；　a　rope　and　a　rhyme。　Gentle　found　it　reassuring　to　walk　among　them　and　hear　their　laughter；　which　was　indistinguishable　from　that　of　human　children。
　Eventually　the　tenanted　houses　gave　way　to　total　dereliction；　and　it　was　clear　from　the　mystif　s　disgruntlement　that　it　was　no　longer　sure　of　its　whereabouts。　Then；　a　little　noise　of　pleasure；　as　it　caught　sight　of　a　distant　structure。
　〃That's　the　temple。〃　Pie　pointed　to　a　monolith　some　miles　from　where　they　stood。　It　was　unlit　and　seemed　forsaken；　the　ground　in　its　vicinity　leveled。　〃Scopique　had　that　view　from　his　toilet　window；　I　remember。　On　fine　days　he　said　he　used　to　throw　open　the　window　and　contemplate　and　defecate　simultaneously。〃
　Smiling　at　the　memory；　the　mystif　turned　its　back　on　the　sight。
　〃The　bathroom　faced　the　temple；　and　there　were　no　more　streets　between　the　house　and　the　temple。　It　was　mon　land；　for　the　pilgrims　to　pitch　their　tents。〃
　〃So　we're　walking　in　the　right　direction；〃　Gentle　said。　〃We　just　need　the　last　street　on　our　right。〃
　〃That　seems　logical；〃　Pie　said。　〃I　was　beginning　to　doubt　my　memory。〃
　They　didn't　have　much　farther　to　look。　Two　more　blocks；　and　the　rubble…strewn　streets　came　to　an　abrupt　end。
　〃This　is　it。〃
　There　was　no　triumph　in　Pie's　voice；　which　was　not　surprising；　given　the　scene　of　devastation　before　them。　While　it　was　time　that　had　undone　the　splendor　of　the　streets　they'd　passed　through；　this　last　had　been　prey　to　more　systematic　assault。　Fires　had　been　set　in　several　of　the　houses。　Others　looked　as　though　they'd　been　used　for　target　practice　by　a　Panzer　division。
　〃Somebody　got　here　before　us；〃　Gentle　said。
　〃So　it　seems；〃　Pie　replied。　〃I　must　say　I'm　not　altogether　surprised。〃
　〃So　why　the　hell　did　you　bring　us　here？〃
　〃I　had　to　see　for　myself；〃　Pie　said。　〃Don't　worry；　the　trail　doesn't　end　here。　He'll　have　left　a　message。〃
　Gentle　didn't　remark　on　how　unlikely　he　thought　this；　but　followed　the　mystif　along　the　street　until　it　stopped　in　front　of　a　building　that；　while　not　reduced　to　a　heap　of　blackened　stones；　looked　ready　to　succumb。　Fire　had　eaten　out　its　eyes；　and　the　once…fine　door　had　been　replaced　with　partially　rotted　timbers；　all　this　illuminated　not　by　lamplight　（the　street　had　none）　but　by　a　scattering　of　stars。
　〃Better　you　stay　out　here；〃　Pie　'oh'　pah　said。　〃Scopique　may　have　left　defenses。〃
　〃Like　what？〃
　〃The　Unbeheld　isn't　the　only　one　who　can　conjure　guardians；〃　Pie　replied。　〃Please；　Gentle　。　。　。　I'd　prefer　to　do　this　alone。〃
　Gentle　shrugged。　〃Do　as　you　wish；〃　he　said。　Then；　as　an　afterthought；　〃You　usually　do。〃
　He　watched　Pie　climb　the　debris…covered　steps；　pull　several　of　the　timbers　off　the　door；　and　slip　out　of　sight。　Rather　than　wait　at　the　threshold；　Gentle　wandered　farther　along　the　row　to　get　another　view　of　the　temple；　musing　as　he　went　that　this　Dominion；　like　the　Fourth；　had　confounded　not　only　his　expectations　but　those　of　Pie　as　well。　The　safe　haven　of　Vanaeph　had　almost　seen　their　execution；　while　the　murderous　wastes　of　the　mountains　had　offered　resurrections。　And　now　L'Himby；　a　sometime　city　of　meditation；　reduced　to　gaud　and　rubble。　What　next？　He　wondered。　Would　they　arrive　in　Yzordderrex　only　to　find　it　had　spurned　its　reputation　as　the　Babylon　of　the　Dominions　and　bee　a　New　Jerusalem？
　He　stared　across　at　the　shadowy　temple；　his　mind　straying　back　to　a　subject　that　had　occupied　him　several　times　on　their　journey　through　the　Third：　how　best　to　address　the　challenge　of　making　a　map　of　the　Dominions；　so　that　when　they　finally　returned　to　the　Fifth　Dominion　he　could　give　his　friends　some　sense　of　how　the　lands　lay。　They'd　traveled　on　all　kinds　of　roads；　from　the　Patashoquan　Highway　to　the　dirt　tracks　between　Happi　and　Mai…ke；　they'd　wound　through　verdant　valleys　and　scaled　heights　where　even　the　hardiest　moss　would　perish；　they'd　had　the　luxury　of　chariots　and　the　loyalty　of　doeki；　they'd　sweated　and　frozen　and　gone　dreamily；　like　poets　into　some　place　of　fancy；　doubting　their　senses　and　themselves。　All　this　needed　setting　down：　the　routes；　the　cities；　the　ranges；　and　the　plains　all　needed　laying　in　two　dimensions；　to　be　pored　over　at　leisure。　In　time；　he　thought；　putting　the　challenge　off　yet　again；　in　time。
　He　looked　back　towards　Scopique's　house。　There　was　no　sign　of　Pie　emerging；　and　he　began　to　wonder　if　some　harm　had　befallen　the　mystif　inside。　He　walked　back　to　the　steps；　climbed　them；　and…feeling　a　little　guilty…slid　through　the　gap　between　the　timbers。　The　starlight　had　more　difficulty　getting　in　than　he　did；　and　his　blindness　put　a　chill　in　him；　bringing　to　mind　the　measureless　darkness　of　the　ice　cathedral。　On　that　occasion　the　mystif　had　been　behind　him；　this　time；　in　front。　He　waited　a　few　seconds　at　the　door；　until　his　eyes　began　to　make　out　the　interior。　It　was　a　narrow　house；　full　of　narrow　places；　but　there　was　a　voice　in　its　depths；　barely　above　a　whisper；　which　he　pursued；　stumbling　through　the　murk。　After　only　a　few　paces　he　realized　it　was　not　Pie　speaking　but　someone　hoarse　and　panicked。　Scopique；　perhaps；　still　taking　refuge　in　the　ruins？
　A　glimmer　of　light；　no　brighter　than　the　dimmest　star；　led　him　to　a　door　through　which　he　had　sight　of　the　speaker。　Pie　was　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　blackened　room；　turned　from　Gentle。　Over　the　mystif　s　shoulder　Gentle　saw　the　light's　fading　source：　a　shape　hanging　in　the　air；　like　a　web　woven　by　a　spider　that　aspired　to　portraiture；　and　held　aloft　by　the　merest　breeze。　Its　motion　was　not　arbitrary；　however。　The　gossamer　face　opened　its　mouth　and　whispered　its　wisdom。
　〃…no　better　proof　than　in　these　cataclysms。　We　must　hold　to　that；　my　friend；　hold　to　it　and　pray。　。　。　no；　better　not　pray。　。　。　I　doubt　every　God　now；　especially　the　Aboriginal。　If　the　children　are　any　measure　of　the　Father；　then　He's　no　lover　of　justice　or　goodness。〃
　〃Children？〃　said　Gentle。
　The　breath　the　word　came　upon　seemed　to　flutter　in　the　threads。　The　face　grew　long；　the　mouth　tearing。
　The　mystif　glanced　behind　and　shook　its　head　to　silence　the　trespasser。　Scopique…for　this　was　surely　his　message…　was　talking　again。
　〃Believe　me　when　I　say　we　know　only　the　tenth　part　of　a　tenth　part　of　the　plots　laid　in　this。　Long　before　the　Reconciliation；　forces　were　at　work　to　undo　it；　that's　my　firm　belief。　And　it's　reasonable　to　assume　that　those　forces　have　not　perished。　They're　working　in　this　Dominion；　and　the　Dominion　from　which　you've　e。　They　strategize　not