cb.imajica1-第77部分

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　〃You've　e　and　gone　often　enough　in　the　past；〃　she
　pointed　out。　〃So　have　hundreds　of　others；　haven't　they？
　You're　not　the　only　one。　That's　what　magic　is　for：　passing
　between　Dominions。〃
　He　didn't　reply。
　〃I　want　to　see　Yzordderrex；　Oscar；〃　she　said；　〃and　if　you　won't　take　me　I'll　find　a　magician　who　will。〃
　〃Don't　even　joke　about　it。〃L
　〃I　mean　it；〃　she　said　fiercely。　〃You　can't　be　the　only　one
　who　knows　the　way。〃
　〃Near　enough。〃
　〃There　are　others。　Til　find　them　if　I　have　to。〃
　〃They're　all　crazy；〃　he　told　her。　〃Or　dead。〃
　〃Murdered？〃　she　said；　the　word　out　of　her　mouth　before　she'd　fully　grasped　its　implication。
　The　look　on　his　face；　however　（or　rather　its　absence：　the　willed　blankness）；　was　enough　to　confirm　her　suspicion。　The　bodies　she'd　seen　on　the　news　being　carted　away　from　their　games　were　not　those　of　burned…out　hippies　and　sex…　？　crazed　satanists。　They　were　possessors　of　true　power；　men　and　women　who'd　maybe　walked　where　she　longed　to　walk：　in　the　Imajica。
　〃Who's　doing　it；　Oscar？　It's　somebody　you　know；　isn't　it？〃
　He　got　up　and　crossed　to　where　she　sat；　his　motion　so　：　swift　she　thought　for　an　instant　he　meant　to　strike　her。　But　instead　he　dropped　to　his　knees　in　front　of　her；　holding　her　hands　tight　and　staring　up　at　her　with　almost　hypnotic　intensity。
　〃Listen　to　me　carefully；〃　he　said。　〃I　have　certain　familial　duties；　which　I　wish　to　God　I　didn't　have。　They　make　demands　upon　me　I'd　willingly　shrug　off　if　I　could…〃
　〃This　is　all　to　do　with　the　tower；　isn't　it？〃
　〃I'd　prefer　not　to　discuss　that。〃
　〃We　are　discussing　it；　Oscar。〃
　〃It's　a　very　private　and　a　very　delicate　business。　I'm　dealing　with　individuals　quite　without　any　sense　of　morality。　If　they　were　to　know　that　I've　said　even　this　much　to　you；　both　our　lives　would　be　in　the　direst　jeopardy。　I　beg　you；　never　utter　another　word　about　this　to　anyone。　I
　should　never　have　taken　you　up　to　the　tower。〃
　If　its　occupants　were　half　as　murderous　as　he　was　suggesting；　she　thought；　how　much　more　lethal　would　they　be　；　if　they　knew　how　many　of　the　tower's　secrets　she'd　seen？　〃Promise　me　you'll　let　this　subject　alone；〃　he　went　on。
　〃I　want　to　see　Yzordderrex；　Oscar。〃
　〃Promise　me。　No　more　talk　about　the　tower；　in　this　house　or　out　of　it。　Say　it；　Judith。〃
　〃All　right。　I　won't　talk　about　the　tower。〃
　〃In　this　house…〃
　〃…or　out　of　it。　But　Oscar…〃
　〃What；　sweet？〃
　〃I　still　want　to　see　Yzordderrex。〃
　
　The　morning　after　this　exchange　she　went　up　to　Highgate。　It　was　another　rainy　day；　and　failing　to　find　an　unoccupied　cab　she　braved　the　Underground。　It　was　a　mistake。　She'd　never　liked　traveling　by　tube　at　the　best　of　times…it　brought　out　her　latent　claustrophobia…but　she　recalled　as　she　rode　that　two　of　those　murdered　in　the　spate　of　killings　had　died　in　these　tunnels：　one　pushed　in　front　of　a　crowded　train　as　it　drew　into　Piccadilly　station；　the　other　stabbed　to　death　at　midnight；　somewhere　on　the　Jubilee　Line。　This　was　not　a　safe　way　to　travel　for　someone　who　had　even　the　slightest　inkling　of　the　prodigies　half　hidden　in　the　world；　and　she　was　one　of　those　few。　So　it　was　with　no　little　relief　she　stepped　out　into　the　open　air　at　Archway　station　（the　clouds　had　cleared）　and　started　up　Highgate　Hill　on　foot。　Shie　had　no　difficulty　finding　the　tower　itself；　though　the　banality　of　its　design；　together　with　the　shield　of　trees　in　full　leaf　in　front　of　it；　meant　few　eyes　were　likely　to　look　its
　way。
　Despite　the　dire　warnings　issued　by　Oscar　it　was　difficult　to　find　much　intimidating　about　the　place；　with　the　spring　sunshine　warm　enough　to　make　her　slip　off　her　jacket；　and　the　grass　busy　with　sparrows　quarreling　over　worms　raised　by　the　rain。　She　scanned　the　windows；　looking　for　some　sign　of　occupation；　but　saw　none。　Avoiding　the　front　door；　with　its　camera　trained　on　the　step；　she　headed　down　the　side　of　the　building；　her　progress　unimpeded　by　walls　or　barbed　wire。　The　owners　had　clearly　decided　the　tower's　best　defense　lay　in　its　utter　lack　of　character；　and　the　less　they　did　to　keep　trespassers　out　the　fewer　would　be　attracted　in　the　first　place。　There　was　even　less　to　see　from　the　back　than　the　front。　There　were　blinds　down　over　most　of　the　windows；　and　those　few　that　were　not　covered　let　onto　empty　rooms。　She　made　a　plete　circuit　of　the　tower；　looking　for　some　other　way　into　it；　but　there　was　none。
　As　she　returned　to　the　front　of　the　building　she　tried　to　imagine　the　passageways　buried　beneath　her　feet…the　books　piled　in　the　darkness；　and　the　imprisoned　soul　lying　in　a　deeper　darkness　still…hoping　her　mind　might　be　able　to　go　where　her　body　could　not。　But　that　exercise　proved　as　fruitless　as　her　window…watching。　The　real　world　was　implacable；　it　wouldn't　shift　a　particle　of　soil　to　let　her　through。　Discouraged；　she　made　one　final　circuit　of　the　tower；　then　decided　to　give　up。　Maybe　she'd　e　back　here　at　night；　she　thought；　when　solid　reality　didn't　insist　on　her　senses　so　brutally。　Or　maybe　seek　another　journey　under　the　influence　of　the　blue　eye；　though　this　option　made　her　nervous。　She　had　no　real　grasp　of　the　mechanism　by　which　the　eye　induced　such　flights；　and　she　feared　giving　it　power　over　her。　Oscar　already　had　enough　of　that。
　She　put　her　jacket　back　on　and　headed　away　from　the　tower。　To　judge　by　the　absence　of　traffic　on　Hornsey　Lane；　the　hill…which　had　been　clogged　with　traffic…was　still　blocked；　preventing　drivers　from　making　their　way　in　this　direction。　The　gulf　usually　filled　with　the　din　of　vehicles　was　not　empty；　however。　There　were　footsteps　close　behind　her；　and　a　voice。
　〃Who　are　you？〃
　She　glanced　around；　not　assuming　the　question　was　directed　at　her；　but　finding　that　she　and　the　questioner…a　woman　in　her　sixties；　shabbily　dressed　and　sickly…were　the　only　people　in　sight。　Moreover；　the　woman's　stare　was　fixed　upon　her　with　a　near　manic　intensity。　Again；　the　question；　ing　from　a　mouth　that　had　about　it　a　spittle…flecked　asymmetry　that　suggested　the　speaker　had　suffered　a　stroke　in　the　past。
　〃Who　are　you？〃
　Already　irritated　by　her　failure　at　the　tower；　Judith　was　in　no　mood　to　humor　what　was　plainly　the　local　schizophrenic　and　was　turning　on　her　heel　to　walk　away　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