cb.imajica1-第93部分

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s　going　to　change　my　mind。　You　two　go　in　to　the　Kesparate。　Wait　for　me。　I'll…〃
　Before　he　could　finish　his　instructions；　the　holler　that　had　first　announced　Quaisoir's　descent　from　the　heights　of　the　city　was　raised　again；　this　time　at　a　higher　pitch；　to　be　drowned　out　almost　instantly　by　a　surge　of　celebratory　cheering。
　〃That　sounds　like　a　retreat　to　me；〃　Pie　said；　and　was　proved　right　twenty　seconds　later　with　the　reappearance　of　Quaisoir's　vehicle；　surrounded　by　the　tattered　remnants　of　her　retinue。
　The　trio　had　plenty　of　time　to　step　out　of　the　path　of　wheels　and　boots　as　they　thundered　up　the　slope；　for　the　pace　of　the　retreat　was　not　as　swift　as　that　of　the　advance。　Not　only　was　the　ascent　steep　but　many　of　the　elite　had　sustained　wounds　in　defending　the　vehicle　from　assault　and　trailed　blood　as　they　ran。
　〃There's　going　to　be　such　reprisals　now；〃　Pie　said。
　Gentle　murmured　his　agreement　as　he　stared　up　the　slope　where　the　vehicle　had　gone。　〃I　have　to　see　her　again；〃　he　said。
　〃That's　going　to　be　difficult；〃　Pie　replied。
　〃She'll　see　me；〃　Gentle　said。　〃If　I　know　who　she　is；　then　she's　going　to　know　who　I　am。　I'll　lay　money　on　it。〃
　The　mystif　didn't　take　up　the　bet。　It　simply　said；　〃What
　now？〃
　〃We　go　to　your　Kesparate；　and　we　send　out　a　search　party　to　look　for　Huzzah's　folks。　Then　we　go　up〃…he　nodded　towards　the　palace…〃and　get　a　closer　look　at　Quai…soir。　I've　got　some　questions　to　ask　her。　Whoever　she　is；〃
　
　The　wind　veered　as　the　trio　retraced　their　steps；　the　relatively　clear　ocean　breeze　giving　sudden　way　to　a　blister…ingly　hot　assault　off　the　desert。　The　citizens　were　well　prepared　for　such　climatic　changes；　and　at　the　first　hint　of　a　shift　in　the　wind；　scenes　of　almost　mechanical；　and　therefore　ical；　efficiency　were　to　be　seen　high　and　low。　Washing　and　potted　plants　were　gathered　from　window…sills；　ragemy　and　cats　gave　up　their　sun　traps　and　headed　inside；　awnings　were　rolled　up　and　windows　shuttered。　In　a　matter　of　minutes　the　street　was　emptied。
　〃I've　been　in　these　damn　storms；〃　the　mystif　said。　〃I　don't　think　we　want　to　be　walking　about　in　one。〃
　Gentle　told　it　not　to　fret；　and　hoisting　Huzzah　onto　his　shoulders；　he　set　the　pace　as　the　storm　scourged　the　streets。　They'd　asked　for　fresh　directions　a　few　minutes　before　the　wind　veered；　and　the　shopkeeper　who'd　supplied　them　had　known　his　geography。　The　directions　were　good　even　if　walking　conditions　were　not。　The　wind　smelt　like　flatulence　and　carried　a　blinding　freight　of　sand；　along　with　ferocious　heat。　But　they　at　least　had　the　freedom　of　the　streets。　The　only　individuals　they　glimpsed　were　either　felonious；　crazy；　or　homeless；　into　all　three　of　which　categories　they　themselves　fell。
　They　reached　the　Viaticum　without　error　or　incident；　and　from　there　the　mystif　knew　its　way。　Two　hours　or　more　after　they'd　left　the　siege　at　the　harbor　they　reached　the　Eurhetemec　Kesparate；　The　storm　was　showing　signs　of　fatigue；　as　were　they；　but　Pie's　voice　fairly　sang　when　it　announced；　〃This　is　it。　This　is　the　place　where　I　was　born。〃
　The　Kesparate　in　front　of　them　was　walled；　but　the　gates　were　open；　swinging　in　the　wind。
　〃Lead　on；〃　Gentle　said；　setting　Huzzah　down。
　The　mystif　pushed　the　gate　wide　and　led　the　way　into　streets　the　wind　was　unveiling　before　them　as　it　fell；　dropping　sand　underfoot。　The　streets　rose　towards　the　palace；　as　did　almost　every　street　in　Yzordderrex；　but　the　dwellings　built　upon　it　were　very　different　from　those　elsewhere　in　the　city。　They　stood　discreet　from　one　another；　tall　and　burnished；　each　possessed　of　a　single　window　that　ran　from　above　the　door　to　the　eaves；　where　the　structure　branched　into　four　overhanging　roofs；　lending　the　buildings；　when　side　by　side；　the　look　of　a　stand　of　petrified　trees。　In　the　street　in　front　of　the　houses　were　the　real　thing：　trees　whose　branches　still　swayed　in　the　dying　gusts　like　kelp　in　a　tidal　pool；　their　boughs　so　supple　and　their　tight　white　blossoms　so　hardy　the　storm　had　done　them　no　harm。
　It　wasn't　until　he　caught　the　tremulous　look　on　Pie's　face　that　Gentle　realized　what　a　burden　of　feeling　the　mystif　bore；　stepping　back　into　its　birthplace　after　the　passage　of　so　many　years。　Having　such　a　short　memory；　he'd　never　carried　such　luggage　himself。　There　were　no　cherished　recollections　of　childhood　rites；　no　Christmas　scenes　or　lullabies。　His　grasp　of　what　Pie　might　be　feeling　had　to　be　an　intellectual　construct　and　fell…he　was　sure…well　shy　of　the　real　thing。
　〃My　parents'　home；〃　the　mystif　said；　〃used　to　be　between　the　chianculi〃…it　pointed　off　to　its　right；　where　the　last　remnants　of　sand…laden　gusts　still　shrouded　the　distance…〃and　the　hospice。〃　It　pointed　to　its　left；　a　white…walled　building。
　〃So　somewhere　near；〃　Gentle　said。
　〃I　think　so；〃　Pie　said；　clearly　pained　by　the　tricks　memory　was　playing。
　〃Why　don't　we　ask　somebody？〃　Huzzah　suggested。
　Pie　acted　upon　the　suggestion　instantly；　walking　over　to　the　nearest　house　and　rapping　on　the　door。　There　was　no　reply。　It　moved　next　door　and　tried　again。　This　house　was　also　vacated。　Sensing　Pie's　unease；　Gentle　took　Huzzah　to　join　the　mystif　on　the　third　step。　The　response　was　the　same　here；　a　silence　made　more　palpable　by　the　drop　in　the　wind。
　〃There's　nobody　here；〃　Pie　said；　remarking；　Gentle　knew；　not　simply　on　the　empty　houses　but　on　the　whole
　hushed　vista。
　The　storm　was　pletely　exhausted　now。　People　should　have　been　appearing　in　their　doorsteps　to　brush　off　the　sand　and　peer　at　their　roofs　to　see　they　were　still　secure。　But　there　was　nobody。　The　elegant　streets；　laid　with　such　precision；　were　deserted　from　end　to　end。
　〃Maybe　they've　all　gathered　in…one　place；〃　Gentle　suggested。　〃Is　there　some　kind　of　assembly　place？　A　church　or
　a　senate？〃
　〃The　chianculi's　the　nearest　thing；〃　Pie　said；　pointing　towards　a　quartet　of　pale　yellow　domes　set　amid　trees　shaped　like　cypresses　but　bearing　Prussian　blue　foliage。　Birds　were　rising　from　them　into　the　clearing　sky；　their　shadows　the　only　motion　on　the　streets　below。
　〃What　happens　at　the　chianculi？〃　Gentle　said　as　they　started　towards　the　domes。
　〃Ah！　In　my　youth；〃　the　mystif　said；　attempting　a　lightness　of　tone　it　clearly　didn't　feel；　〃in　my　youth　it　was　where　we　had　the　circuses。〃
　〃I　didn't　know　you　came　from　circus　stock。〃　〃They　weren't　like　any　Fifth　Dominion　circus；〃　Pie　replied。　〃They　were　ways　we　remembered　the　Dominion　we'd　been　exiled　from。〃
　〃No　clowns　and　ponies？〃　Gentle　said。　〃No　clowns　and　ponies；〃　Pie　replied；　and　would　not　be　drawn　on　the　subject　any　further。
　Now　that　they　were　close　to　the　chianculi；　its　scale…and　that　of　the　trees　surrounding　it…became　apparent。　It　was　fully　five　stories　high　from　the　ground　to　the　apex　of　its　largest　dome。　The　birds；　having　made　one　celebratory　circuit　of　the　Kesparate；　were　now　settling　in　the　trees　again；　chattering　like　myna　birds　that　had　been　taught　Japanese。
　Gentle's　attention　was　briefly　claimed　by　the　spectacle；　only　to　be　grounded　again　when　he　heard　Pie　say；　〃They're　not　all　dead。〃
　Emerging　from　between　the　Prussian　blue　trees　were　four　of　the　mystif　s　tribe；　negroes　wrapped　in　undyed　robes　like　desert　nomads；　some　folds　of　which　they　held　between　their　teeth；　covering　their　lower　faces。　Nothing　about　their　gait　or　garments　offered　any　clue　to　their　sex；　but　they　were　evidently　prepared　to　oust　trespassers；　for　they　came　armed　with　fine　silver　rods；　three　feet　or　so　in　length　and　held　across　their　hips。
　〃On　no　account　move　or　even　speak；〃　the　mystif　said　to　Gentle　as　the　quartet　came　within　ten　yards　of　where　they　stood。
　〃Why　not？〃
　〃This　isn't　a　weling　party。〃
　〃What　is　it　then？〃
　〃An　execution　squad。〃
　So　saying；　the　mystif　raised　its　hands　in　front　of　its　chest；　palms　out；　then…breaking　its　own　edict…it　stepped　forward；　addressing　the　squad　as　it　did　so。　The　language　it　spoke　was　not　English　but　had　about　it　the　same　oriental　lilt　Gentle　had　heard　from　the　beaks　of　the　settling　birds。　Perhaps　they'd　indeed　been　speaking　in　their　owners'　tongue。
　One　of　the　quartet　now　let　the　bitten　veil　drop；　revealing　a　woman　in　early　middle　age；　her　expression　more　puzzled　than　aggressive。　Having　listened　to　Pie　for　a　time；　she　murmured　something　to　the　individual　at　her　right；　winning　only　a　shaken　head　by　way　of　response。　The　squad　had　continued　to　approach　Pie　as　it　talked；　their　stride　steady；　but　now；　as　Gentle　heard　the　syllables　Pie　'oh'　pah　appear　in　the　mystif　s　monologue；　the　woman　called　a　halt。　Two　more　of　the　veils　were　dropped；　revealing　men　as　finely　boned　as　their　leader。　One　was　lightly　mustached；　but　the　seeds　of　sexual　ambiguity　that　blossomed　so　exquisitely　in　Pie　were　visible　here。　Without　further　word　from　the　woman；　her　panion　went　on　to　reveal　a　second　ambiguity；　altogether　less　attractive。　He　let　one　hand　drop　from　the　silver　rod　he　carried　and　the　wind　caught　it；　a　ripple　passing　through　its　length　as　though　it　were　made　not　of　steel　but　of　silk。　He　lifted　it　to　his　mouth　and　draped　it　over　his　tongue。　It　fell　in　soft　loops　from　his　lips　and　fingers；　still　glinting　like　a　blade　even　though　it　folded　and　fluttered。
　Whether　this　gesture　was　a　threat　or　not　Gentle　couldn't　know；　but　in　response　to　it　the　mystif　dropped　to　its　knees　and　indica