cb.imajica1-第13节

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　〃Some　problem　with　Mr。　Godolphin？〃　Dowd　ventured。
　〃He's　not　here；〃　said　one　of　the　women　to　Dowd's　right；　her　face　emaciated　beneath　a　confection　of　dyed　black　hair。　Alice　Tyrwhitt；　Dowd　guessed。　〃That's　the　problem。〃
　〃So　I　see；〃　Dowd　said。
　〃Where　the　hell　is　he？〃　Bloxham　demanded。
　〃He's　traveling；〃　Dowd　replied。　〃I　don't　think　he　anticipated　a　meeting。〃
　〃Neither　did　we；〃　said　Lionel　Wakeman；　flushed　with　the　Scotch　he'd　imbibed；　the　bottle　lying　in　the　crook　of　his　arm。
　〃Where's　he　traveling？〃　Tyrwhitt　asked。　〃It's　imperative　we　find　him。〃
　〃I'm　afraid　I　don't　know；〃　Dowd　said。　〃His　business　takes　him　all　over　the　world。〃
　〃Anything　respectable？〃　Wakeman　slurred。
　〃He's　got　a　number　of　investments　in　Singapore；〃　Dowd　replied。　〃And　in　India。　Would　you　like　me　to　prepare　a　dossier？　I'm　sure　he'd　be…〃
　〃Bugger　the　dossier！〃　Bloxham　said。　〃We　want　him　here！　Now！〃
　〃I'm　afraid　I　don't　know　his　precise　whereabouts。　Somewhere　in　the　Far　East。〃
　The　severe　but　not　unalluring　woman　to　Wakeman's　left　now　entered　the　exchange；　stabbing　her　cigarette　in　the　ashtray　as　she　spoke。　This　could　only　be　Charlotte　Feaver：　Charlotte　the　Scarlet；　as　Oscar　called　her。　She　was　the　last　of　the　Roxborough　line；　he'd　said；　unless　she　found　a　way　to　fertilize　one　of　her　girlfriends。
　〃This　isn't　some　damn　club　he　can　visit　when　it　fucking　well　suits　him；〃　she　said。
　〃That's　right；〃　Wakeman　put　in。　〃It's　a　damn　poor　show。〃
　Shales　picked　up　one　of　the　newspapers　in　front　of　him　and　pitched　it　down　the　table　in　Dowd's　direction。
　〃I　presume　you've　read　about　this　body　they　found　in　Clerkenwell？〃　he　said。
　〃Yes。　I　believe　so。〃
　Shales　paused　for　several　seconds；　his　sparrow　eyes　going　from　one　member　to　another。　Whatever　he　was　about　to　say；　its　broaching　had　been　debated　before　Dowd　entered。
　〃We　have　reason　to　believe　that　this　man　Chant　did　not　originate　in　this　Dominion。〃
　〃I'm　sorry？〃　Dowd　said；　feigning　confusion。　〃1　don't　follow。　Dominion？〃
　〃Spare　us　your　discretion；〃　Charlotte　Feaver　said；　〃You　know　what　we're　talking　about。　Oscar　hasn't　employed　you　for　twenty…five　years　and　kept　his　counsel。〃
　〃I　know　very　little；〃　Dowd　protested。
　〃But　enough　to　know　there's　an　anniversary　imminent；〃　Shales　said。
　My；　my；　Dowd　thought；　they're　not　as　stupid　as　they　look。
　〃You　mean　the　Reconciliation？〃　he　said。
　〃That's　exactly　what　I　mean。　This　ing　midsummer…〃
　〃Do　we　have　to　spell　it　out？〃　Bloxham　said。　〃He　already　knows　more　than　he　should。〃
　Shales　ignored　the　interruption　and　was　beginning　again　when　a　voice　so　far　unheard；　emanating　from　a　bulky　figure　sitting　beyond　the　reach　of　the　light；　broke　in。　Dowd　had　been　waiting　for　this　man；　Matthias　McGann；　to　say　his　piece。　If　the　Tabula　Rasa　had　a　leader；　this　was　he。
　〃Hubert？〃　he　said。　〃May　I？〃
　Shales　murmured；　〃Of　course。〃
　〃Mr。　Dowd；〃　said　McGann；　〃I　don't　doubt　that　Oscar　has　been　indiscreet。　We　all　have　our　weaknesses。　You　must　be　his。　Nobody　here　blames　you　for　listening。　But　this　Society　was　created　for　a　very　specific　purpose　and　on　occasion　has　been　obliged　to　act　with　extreme　severity　in　the　pursuit　of　that　purpose。　I　won't　go　into　details。　As　Giles　says；　you're　already　wiser　than　any　of　us　would　like。　But　believe　me；　we　will　silence　any　and　all　who　put　this　Dominion　at　risk。〃
　He　leaned　forward。　His　face　announced　a　man　of　good　humor；　presently　unhappy　with　his　lot。
　〃Hubert　mentioned　that　an　anniversary　is　imminent。　So　it　is。　And　forces　with　an　interest　in　subverting　the　sanity　of　this　Dominion　may　be　readying　themselves　to　celebrate　that　anniversary。　So　far；　this〃…he　pointed　to　the　newspaper…〃is　the　only　evidence　we'd　found　of　such　preparations；　but　if　there　are　others　they　will　be　swiftly　terminated　by　this　Society　and　its　agents。　Do　you　understand？〃
　He　didn't　wait　for　an　answer。
　〃This　sort　of　thing　is　very　dangerous；〃　he　went　on。　〃People　start　to　investigate。　Academics。　Esoterics。　They　start　to　question；　and　they　start　to　dream。〃
　〃I　could　see　how　that　would　be　dangerous；〃　Dowd　said。
　〃Don't　smarm；　you　smug　little　bastard；〃　Bloxham　burst　out。　〃We　all　know　what　you　and　Godolphin　have　been　doing。　Tell　him；　Hubert！〃
　〃I've　traced　some　artifacts　of　。　。　。　nonterrestrial　origin　。　。　。　that　came　my　way。　The　trail；　as　it　were；　leads　back　to　Oscar　Godolphin。〃
　〃We　don't　know　that；〃　Lionel　put　in。　〃These　buggers　lie。〃
　〃I'm　satisfied　Godolphin's　guilty；〃　Alice　Tyrwhitt　said。　〃And　this　one　with　him。〃
　〃I　protest；〃　Dowd　said。
　〃You've　been　dealing　in　magic；〃　Bloxham　hollered。　〃Admit　it！〃　He　rose　and　slammed　the　table。　〃Admit　it！〃
　〃Sit　down；　Giles；〃　McGann　said。
　〃Look　at　him；〃　Bloxham　went　on；　jabbing　his　thumb　in　Dowd's　direction。　〃He's　guilty　as　hell。〃
　〃I　said　sit　down；〃　McGann　replied；　raising　his　voice　ever　so　slightly。　Cowed；　Bloxham　sat。　〃You're　not　on　trial　here；〃　McGann　said　to　Dowd。　〃It's　Godolphin　we　want。〃
　〃So　find　him；〃　Feaver　said。
　〃And　when　you　do；〃　Shales　said；　〃tell　him　I've　got　a　few　items　he　may　recognize。〃
　The　table　fell　silent。　Several　heads　turned　in　Matthias　McGann's　direction。　〃I　think　that's　it；〃　he　said。　〃Unless　you　have　any　remarks　to　make？〃
　〃I　don't　believe　so；〃　Dowd　replied。
　〃Then　you　may　go。〃
　Dowd　took　his　leave　without　further　exchange；　escorted　as　far　as　the　lift　by　Charlotte　Feaver　and　left　to　make　the　descent　alone。　They　were　better　informed　than　he'd　imagined；　but　they　were　some　way　from　guessing　the　truth。　He　turned　over　passages　of　the　interview　as　he　drove　back　to　Regent's　Park　Road；　mitting　them　to　memory　for　later　recitation。　Wakeman's　drunken　irrelevancies；　Shales's　indiscretion；　McGann；　smooth　as　a　velvet　scabbard。　He'd　repeat　it　all　for　Godolphin's　edification；　especially　the　cross…questioning　about　the　absentee's　whereabouts。
　Somewhere　in　the　East；　Dowd　had　said。　East　Yzordder…rex；　maybe；　in　the　Kesparates　built　close　to　the　harbor　where　Oscar　liked　to　bargain　for　contraband　brought　back　from　Hakaridek　or　the　islands。　Whether　he　was　there　or　some　other　place；　Dowd　had　no　way　of　fetching　him　back。　He　would　e　when　he　would　e；　and　the　Tabula　Rasa　would　have　to　bide　its　time；　though　the　longer　he　was　away　the　more　the　likelihood　grew　of　one　of　their　number　voicing　the　suspicion　some　of　them　surely　nurtured：　that　Godolphin's　dealings　in　talismans　and　wantons　were　only　the　tip　of　the　iceberg。　Perhaps　they　even　suspected　he　took　trips。
　He　wasn't　the　only　Fifther　who'd　jaunte4　between　Dominions；　of　course。　There　were　many　routes　from　Earth　to　the　Reconciled　Dominions；　some　safer　than　others　but　all　used　at　one　time　or　another；　and　not　always　by　magicians。　Poets　had　found　their　way　over　（and　sometimes　back；　to　tell　the　tale）；　so　had　a　good　number　of　priests　over　the　centuries；　and　hermits；　meditating　on　their　essence　so　hard　the　In　Ovo　enveloped　them　and　spat　them　into　another　world。　Any　soul　despairing　or　inspired　enough　could　get　access。　But　few　in　Dowd's　experience　had　made　such　a　monplace　of　it　as　Godolphin。
　These　were　dangerous　times　for　such　jaunts；　both　here　and　there。　The　Reconciled　Dominions　had　been　under　the　control　of　Yzordderrex's　Autarch　for　over　a　century；　and　every　time　Godolphin　returned　from　a　trip　he　had　new　signs　of　unrest　to　report。　From　the　margins　of　the　First　Dominion　to　Patashoqua　and　its　satellite　cities　in　the　Fourth；　voices　were　raised　to　stir　rebellion。　There　was　as　yet　no　consensus　on　how　best　to　overe　the　Autarch's　tyranny；　only　a　simmering　unrest　which　regularly　erupted　in　riots　or　strikes；　the　leaders　of　such　mutinies　invariably　found　and　executed。　In　fact；　on　occasion　the　Autarch's　suppressions　had　been　more　Draconian　still。　Entire　munities　had　been　destroyed　in　the　name　of　the　Yzordderrexian　Empire：　tribes　and　small　nations　deprived　of　their　gods；　their　lands；　and　their　right　to　procreate；　others；　simply　eradicated　by　pogroms　the　Autarch　personally　supervised。　But　none　of　these　horrors　had　dissuaded　Godolphin　from　traveling　in　the　Reconciled　Dominions。　Perhaps　tonight's　events　would；　however；　at　least　until　the　Society's　suspicions　had　been　allayed。
　Tiresome　as　it　was；　Dowd　knew　he　had　no　choice　as　to　where　he　went　tonight：　to　the　Godolphin　estate　and　the　folly　in　its　deserted　grounds　which　was　Oscar's　departure　place。　There　he　would　wait；　like　a　dog　grown　lonely　at　its　master's　absence；　until　Godolphin's　return。　Oscar　was　not　the　only　one　who　would　have　to　muster　some　excuses　in　the　near　future；　so　would　he。　Killing　Chant　had　seemed　like　a　wise　maneuver　at　the　time…and；　of　course；　an　agreeable　diversion　on　a　night　without　a　show　to　go　to…but　Dowd　hadn't　predicted　the　furor　it　would　cause。　With　hindsight；　that　had　been　naive。　England　loved　murder；　preferably　with　diagrams。　And　he'd　been　unlucky；　what　with　the　ubiquitous　Mr。　Burke　of　the　Somme　and　a　low　quota　of　political　scandals　conspiring　to　make　Chant　posthumously　famous。　He　would　have　to　be　prepared　for　Godolphin's　wrath。　But　hopefully　it　would　be　subsumed　in　the　larger　anxiety　of　the　Society's　suspicions。　Godolphin　would　need　Dowd　to　help　him　calm　these　suspicions；　and　a　man　who　needed　his　dog　knew　not　to　kick　it　too　hard。
　
　
　7
　
　Gentle　called　Klein　from　the　airport；　minutes　before　he　caught　his　flight。　He　presented　Chester　with　a　severely　edited　ver