cb.imajica1-第78部分

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　〃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　would　outlive　him　by　centuries；　and　I　suppose　he　also　knew　that　sooner　or　later　somebody　would　find　her。　So　the　confession　was　also　a　warning　to　whatever　poor；　victimized　man　came　along；　telling　him　that　she　was　not　to　be　touched。　Bury　her　again；　he　said；　I　remember　that　very　clearly。　Bury　her　again；　in　the　deepest　abyss　your　wits　may　devise…〃
　〃Where　did　you　find　this　confession？〃
　〃In　the　wall；　that　night　when　I　was　alone。　I　believe　Celestine　led　me　to　it；　by　plucking　thoughts　out　of　my　head　And　putting　new　ones　in。　But　she　plucked　too　hard。　My　mind　gave　up。　I　had　a　stroke　down　there。　I　wasn't　found　for　three　days。〃　〃That's　horrible…〃
　〃My　suffering's　nothing　pared　to　hers。　Roxborough　had　found　this　woman　in　London；　or　his　spies　had；　and　he　knew　she　was　a　creature　of　immense　power。　He　probably　realized　it　more　clearly　than　she　did；　in　fact；　because　he　says　in　the　confession　she　was　a　stranger　to　herself。　But　she'd　seen　sights　no　other　human　being　had　ever　witnessed。　She'd　been　snatched　from　the　Fifth　Dominion；　escorted　across　the　Imajica；　and　taken　into　the　presence　of　Hapexa…mendios。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃It　gets　stranger。　When　he　interrogated　her；　she　told　him　she'd　been　brought　back　into　the　Fifth　Dominion　preg…nant。〃
　〃She　was　having　God's　child？〃
　〃That's　what　she　told　Roxborough。〃
　'She　could　have　been　inventing　it　all；　just　to　keep　him　from　hurting　her。〃
　〃I　don't　think　he'd　have　done　that。　In　fact　I　think　he　was　half　in　love　with　her。　He　said　in　the　confession　he　felt　like　his　friend　Godolphin。　I'm　broken　by　a　woman's　eye；　he　wrote。〃
　〃That's　an　odd　phrase；〃　Jude　thought；　thinking　of　the　stone　as　she　did　so：　its　stare；　its　authority。
　〃Well；　Godolphin　died　obsessing　on　some　mistress　he'd　loved　and　lost；　claiming　he'd　been　destroyed　by　her。　The　men　were　always　the　innocents；　you　see。　Victims　of　female　eonnivings。　I　daresay　Roxborough'd　persuaded　himself　that　walling　Celestine　up　was　an　act　of　love。　Keeping　her　under　his　thumb　forever。〃
　〃What　happened　to　the