cb.imajica1-第80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！

　Their　gazes　met；　the　eye's　light　gleaming　between　them　like　the　glance　of　a　third　conspirator；　a　woman　wiser　than　them　both；　whose　presence…despite　the　dull　murmur　of　traffic；　and　jets　droning　through　the　clouds　above…exalted　the　moment。　Jude　found　herself　wondering　how　many　women　had　gathered　in　the　glow　of　this　light　or　its　like　down　the　ages：　gathered；　to　pray；　or　make　sacrifice；　or　shelter　from　the　destroyer。　Countless　numbers；　no　doubt；　dead　and　forgotten　but；　in　this　brief　time　out　of　time；　reclaimed　from　anonymity；　not　named；　but　at　least　acknowledged　by　these　new　acolytes。　She　looked　away　from　Clara；　towards　the　eye。　The　solid　world　around　her　suddenly　seemed　irrelevant…at　best　a　game　of　veils；　at　worst　a　trap　in　which　the　spirit　struggled　and；　struggling；　gave　credence　to　the　lie。　There　was　no　need　to　be　bound　by　its　rules。　She　could　fly　beyond　it　with　a　thought。　She　looked　up　again　to　confirm　that　Clara　was　also　ready　to　move；　but　her　panion　was　glancing　out　of　the　circle；　towards　the　corner　of　the　tower。
　〃What　is　it？〃　Jude　said；　following　the　direction　of　Clara's　gaze。　Somebody　was　approaching　them　through　the　darkness；　in　the　walk　a　nonchalance　she　could　name　in　a　syllable：　〃Dowd。〃
　〃You　know　him？〃　Clara　said。
　〃A　little；〃　Dowd　said；　his　voice　as　casual　as　his　gait。　〃But　really；　there's　so　much　she　doesn't　know。〃
　Clara's　hands　dropped　from　Jude's；　breaking　the　charm　of　three。
　〃Don't　e　any　closer；〃　Clara　said。
　Surprisingly；　Dowd　stopped　dead　in　his　tracks；　a　few　yards　from　the　women。　There　was　sufficient　light　from　the　eye　for　Jude　to　pick　out　his　face。　Something；　or　things；　seemed　to　be　crawling　around　his　mouth；　as　though　he'd　just　eaten　a　handful　of　ants　and　a　few　had　escaped　from　between　his　lips。
　〃I　would　so　love　to　kill　you　both；〃　he　said；　and　with　the　words　further　mites　escaped　and　ran　over　his　cheeks　and　chin。　〃But　your　time　will　e；　Judith。　Very　soon。　For　now；　it's　just　Clara。　。　。。　It　is　Clara；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Go　to　hell；　Dowd；〃　Jude　said。
　〃Step　away　from　the　old　woman；〃　Dowd　replied。
　Jude's　response　was　to　take　hold　of　Clara's　arm。　〃You're　not　going　to　hurt　anybody；　you　little　shit；〃　she　said。
　There　was　a　fury　rising　in　her　the　like　of　which　she'd　not
　felt　in　months。　The　eye　was　heavy　in　her　hand；　she　was
　ready　to　brain　the　bastard　with　it　if　he　took　a　step　towards
　them。
　〃Did　you　not　understand　me；　whore？〃　he　said；　moving　；
　towards　her　as　he　did　so。　〃I　told　you：　Step　away！〃
　In　her　rage　she　went　to　meet　his　approach；　raising　her　weighted　hand　as　she　did　so；　but　in　the　instant　that　she　let　go　of　Clara　he　sidestepped　her；　and　she　lost　sight　of　him。　Realizing　that　she'd　done　exactly　as　he'd　planned；　she　reeled　around；　intending　to　take　hold　of　Clara　again。　But　he　was　there　before　her。　She　heard　a　shout　of　horror　and　saw　Clara　staggering　away　from　her　attacker。　The　mites　were　at　her　face　already；　blinding　her。　Jude　ran　to　catch　hold　of　her　before　she　fell；　but　this　time　Dowd　moved　to…wards　her；　not　away；　and　with　a　single　blow　struck　the　；　stone　from　Jude's　hand。　She　didn't　turn　to　reclaim　it　but　went　to　Clara's　aid。　The　woman's　moans　were　terrible；　so　were　the　tremors　in　her　body。
　〃What　have　you　done　to　her？〃　she　yelled　at　Dowd。　〃Undone；　lovely；　undone。　Let　her　be。　You　can't　help　her　now。〃
　Clara's　body　was　light；　but　when　her　legs　buckled　she　carried　Jude　down　with　her。　Her　moans　had　bee　howls　now；　as　she　reached　up　to　her　face　as　if　to　scratch　out　her　eyes；　for　there　the　mites　were　at　some　agonizing　work。　In　…desperation　Jude　tried　to　feel　for　the　creatures　in　the　darkness；　but　either　they　were　too　fast　for　her　fingers　or　they'd　gone　where　fingers　couldn't　follow。　All　she　could　do　was　beg　for　a　reprieve。
　〃Make　them　stop；〃　she　said　to　Dowd。　〃Whatever　you　want；　I'll　do；　butplease　make　them　stop。〃
　〃They're　voracious　little　sods；　aren't　they？〃　he　said。　He　was　crouching　in　front　of　the　eye；　the　blue　light　illuminating　his　face；　which　wore　a　mask　of　chilling　serenity。　As　she　watched　he　picked　mites　from　around　his　mouth　and　let　them　drop　to　the　ground。
　〃I'm　afraid　they've　got　no　ears；　so　I　can't　call　them　back；〃　he　said。　〃They　only　know　how　to　unmake。　And　they'll　unmake　anything　but　their　maker。　In　this　case；　that's　me。　So　I'd　leave　her　alone；　if　I　were　you。　They're　indiscriminate。〃
　She　turned　her　attention　back　to　the　woman　in　her　arms。　Clara　had　given　up　scratching　at　her　eyes；　and　the　tremors　in　her　body　were　rapidly　diminishing。
　〃Speak　to　me；〃　Jude　said。　She　reached　for　Clara's　face；　a　little　ashamed　of　how　tentative　Dowd's　warning　had　made　her。
　There　was　no　answer　from　the　body；　unless　there　were　words　in　Clara's　dying　moans。　Jude　listened；　hoping　to　find　some　vestigial　sense　there；　but　there　was　none。　She　felt　a　single　spasm　pass　down　Clara's　spine；　as　though　something　in　her　head　had　snapped；　and　then　the　whole　system　stopped　dead。　From　the　moment　when　Dowd　had　first　appeared；　perhaps　ninety　seconds　had　passed。　In　that　time　every　hope　that　had　gathered　here　had　been　undone。　She　wondered　if　Celestine　had　heard　this　tragedy　unfold；　another's　suffering　adding　to　her　own　sum。
　〃Dead；　then；　lovey；〃　Dowd　said。
　Jude　let　Clara's　body　slip　from　her　arms　into　the　grass。
　〃We　should　be　going；〃　he　went　on；　his　tone　so　bland　they　might　have　been　forsaking　a　picnic　instead　of　a　corpse。　〃Don't　worry　about　Clara。　I'll　fetch　what's　left　of　her　later。〃
　She　heard　the　sound　of　his　feet　behind　her　and　stood　up；　rather　than　be　touched　by　him。　Overhead；　another　jet　was　roaring　in　the　clouds。　She　looked　towards　the　eye；　but　it　too　had　been　unmade。
　〃Destroyer；〃　she　said。
　
　
　28
　
　Gentle　had　forgotten　his　short　exchange　with　Aping　about　their　shared　enthusiasm　for　painting；　but　Aping　had　not。　The　morning　after　the　wedding　in　Athanasius'　cell；　the　sergeant　came　to　fetch　Gentle　and　escorted　him　to　a　room　at　the　other　end　of　the　building；　which　he　had　turned　into　a　studio。　It　had　plenty　of　windows；　so　the　light　was　as　good　as　this　region　was　ever　likely　to　supply；　and　he　had　gathered　over　the　months　of　his　posting　here　an　enviable　selection　of　materials。　The　products　of　this　workplace　were；　however；　those　of　the　most　uninspired　dilettante。　Designed　without　positional　skill　and　painted　without　sense　of　color；　their　only　real　point　of　interest　lay　in　their　obsessiveness。　There　were；　Aping　proudly　told　Gentle；　one　hundred　and　fifty…three　pictures；　and　their　subject　was　unchanging：　his　child；　Huzzah；　the　merest　mention　of　whom　had　caused　the　loving　portraitist　such　unease。　Now；　in　the　privacy　of　his　place　of　inspiration；　he　explained　why。　His　daughter　was　young；　he　said；　and　her　mother　dead；　he'd　been　obliged　to　bring　her　with　him　when　orders　from　Iahmandhas　moved　him　to　the　Cradle。
　〃I　could　have　left　her　in　L'Himby；〃　he　told　Gentle。　〃But　who　knows　what　kind　of　harm　she'd　have　e　to　if　I'd　done　that？　She's　a　child。〃
　〃So　she's　here　on　the　island？〃
　〃Yes；　she　is。　But　she　won't　step　out　of　her　room　in　the　daytime。　She's　afraid　of　catching　the　madness；　she　says。　I　love　her　very　much。　And　as　you　can　see〃…he　indicated　the　paintings…〃she's　very　beautiful。〃
　Gentle　was　obliged　to　take　the　man's　word　for　it。　〃Where　is　she　now？〃　he　asked。
　〃Where　she　always　is；〃　Aping　said。　〃In　her　room。　She　has　very　strange　dreams。〃
　〃I　know　how　she　feels；〃　Gentle　said。
　〃Do　you？〃　Aping　replied；　with　a　fervor　in　his　voice　that　suggested　that　art　was　not；　after　alt；　the　subject　Gentle　had　been　brought　here　to　debate。　〃You　dream　too；　then？〃
　〃Everybody　does。〃
　〃That's　what　my　wife　used　to　tell　me。〃　He　lowered　his　voice。　〃She　had　prophetic　dreams。　She　knew　when　she　was　going　to　die；　to　the　very　hour。　But　I　donjt　dream　at　all。　So　I　can't　share　what　Huzzah　feels。〃
　〃Are　you　suggesting　that　maybe　I　could？〃
　〃This　is　a　very　delicate　matter；〃　Aping　said。　〃Yzordder…rexian　law　prohibits　all　proprieties。〃
　〃I　didn't　know　that。〃
　〃Especially　women；　of　course；〃　Aping　went　on。　〃That's　the　real　reason　I　keep　her　out　of　sight。　It's　true；　she　fears　the　madness；　but　I'm　afraid　for　what's　inside　her　even　more。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃I'm　afraid　if　she　keeps　pany　with　anyone　but　me　she'll　say　something　out　of　turn；　and　N'ashap　will　realize　she　has　visions　like　her　mother。〃
　〃And　that　would　be…〃
　〃Disastrous！　My　career　would　be　in　tatters。　I　should　never　have　brought　her。〃　He　looked　up　at　Gentle。　〃I'm　only　telling　you　this　because　we're　both　artists；　and　artists　have　to　trust　each　other；　like　brothers；　isn't　that　right？〃
　〃That's　right；〃　said　Gentle。　Aping's　large　hands　were　trembling；　he　saw。　The　man　looked　to　be　on　the　verge　of　collapse。　〃Do　you　want　me　to　speak　to　your　daughter？〃　he　asked。
　〃More　than　that。　。　。〃
　〃Tell　me。〃
　〃I　want　you　to　take　her　with　you；　when　you　and　the　mys…tif　leave。　Take　her　to　Yzordderrex。〃
　〃What　makes　you　think　we're　going　there…or　anywhere；　e　to　that？〃
　〃I　have　my　spies；　and　so　does　N'ashap。　Your　plans　are　better　known　than　you'd　like。　Take　her　with　you；　Mr。　Za…charias。　Her　mother's　parents　are　still　alive。　They'll　look　after　her。〃
　〃It's　a　big　responsibility　to　take　a　child　all　that　way。〃
　Aping　pursed　his　lips。　〃I　would　of　course　be　able　to　ease　your　departure　from　the　island；　if　you　were　to　take　her。〃
　〃Suppose　she　won't　go？〃　Gentl