cb.imajica1-第25节

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very　significant　esoteric　and　thaumatur…gist。　Now　it　would　happen　again。
　〃Is　the　business　of　the　day　concluded？〃　Oscar　asked。　〃Only　Mass　calls　me。〃
　〃What's　to　be　done　with　the　body？〃　Alice　Tyrwhitt　asked。
　Godolphin　had　his　answer　ready　and　waiting。　〃It's　my　mess　and　I'll　clear　it　up；〃　he　said；　with　due　humility。　〃I　can　arrange　to　have　it　buried　in　a　motorway　tonight；　unless　anybody　has　a　better　idea？〃
　There　were　no　objections。
　〃Just　as　long　as　it's　out　of　here；〃　Alice　said。
　〃I'll　need　some　help　to　wrap　it　up　and　get　it　down　to　the　car。　Bloxham；　would　you　oblige？〃
　Reluctant　to　refuse；　Bloxham　went　in　search　of　something　to　contain　the　carcass。
　〃I　see　no　reason　for　us　to　sit　and　watch；〃　Charlotte　said；　rising　from　her　seat。　〃If　that's　the　night's　business；　I'm　going　home。〃
　As　she　headed　to　the　door；　Oscar　took　his　cue　to　sow　one　last　triumphant　mischief。
　〃I　suppose　we'll　be　all　thinking　the　same　thing　tonight；〃　he　said。
　〃What's　that？〃　Lionel　asked。
　〃Oh；　just　that　if　these　things　are　as　good　at　imitation　as　they　appear　to　be；　then　we　can't　entirely　trust　each　other　from　now　on。　I'm　assuming　we're　all　still　human　at　the　moment；　but　who　knows　what　Christmas　will　bring？〃
　Half　an　hour　later；　Oscar　was　ready　to　depart　for　Mass。　For　all　his　earlier　squeamishness；　Bloxham　had　done　well；　returning　Dowd's　guts　into　the　bowl　of　the　carcass　and　mummifying　the　whole　sorry　slab　in　plastic　and　tape。　He　and　Oscar　had　then　lugged　the　corpse　to　the　lift　and；　at　the　bottom；　out　of　the　tower　to　the　car。　It　was　a　fine　night；　the　moon　a　virtuous　sliver　in　a　sky　rife　with　stars。　As　ever；　Oscar　took　beauty　where　he　could　find　it　and；　before　setting　off；　halted　to　admire　the　spectacle。
　〃Isn't　it　stupendous；　Giles？〃
　〃It　is　indeed！〃　Bloxham　replied。　〃It　makes　my　head　spin。〃
　〃All　those　worlds。〃
　〃Don't　worry；〃　Bloxham　replied。　〃We'll　make　sure　it　never　happens。〃
　Confounded　by　this　reply；　Oscar　looked　across　at　the　other　man；　to　see　that　he　wasn't　looking　at　the　stars　at　all　but　was　still　busying　himself　with　the　body。　It　was　the　thought　of　the　ing　purge　he　found　stupendous；
　〃That　should　do　it；〃　Bloxham　said；　slamming　the　trunk　and　offering　his　hand　for　shaking。
　Glad　that　he　had　the　shadows　to　conceal　his　distaste；　Oscar　shook　it；　and　bid　the　boor　good　night。　Very　soon；　he　knew；　he　would　have　to　choose　sides；　and　despite　the　success　of　tonight's　endeavor；　and　the　security　he'd　won　with　it；　he　was　by　no　means　sure　that　he　belonged　among　the　ranks　of　the　purgers；　even　though　they　were　certain　to　carry　the　day。　But　then　if　his　place　was　not　there；　where　was　his　place？　This　was　a　puzzlement；　and　he　was　glad　he　had　the　soothing　spectacle　of　Midnight　Mass　to　distract　him　from　it。
　Twenty…five　minutes　later；　as　he　climbed　the　steps　of　St。　Martin…in…the…Fields；　he　found　himself　offering　up　a　little　prayer；　its　sentiments　not　so　very　different　from　those　of　the　carols　this　congregation　would　presently　be　singing。　He　prayed　that　hope　was　somewhere　out　there　in　the　city　tonight；　and　that　it　might　e　into　his　heart　and　scour　him　of　his　doubts　and　confusions；　a　light　that　would　not　only　burn　in　him　but　would　spread　throughout　the　Dominions　and　illuminate　the　Imajica　from　one　end　to　the　other。　But　if　such　a　divinity　was　near；　he　prayed　that　the　songs　had　it　wrong；　because　sweet　as　tales　of　Nativity　were；　time　was　short；　and　if　hope　was　only　a　babe　tonight　then　by　the　time　it　had　reached　redeeming　age　the　worlds　it　had　e　to　save　would　be　dead。
　
　
　12
　
　TAYLOR　BRIGGS　HAD　once　told　Judith　that　he　measured　out　his　life　in　summers。　When　his　span　came　to　an　end；　he　said；　it　would　be　the　summers　he　remembered　and；　counting　them；　count　himself　blessed　among　them。　From　the　romances　of　his　youth　to　the　days　of　the　last　great　orgies　in　the　back　rooms　and　bathhouses　of　New　York　and　San　Francisco；　he　could　recall　his　career　in　love　by　sniffing　the　sweat　from　his　armpits。　Judith　had　envied　him　at　the　time。　Like　Gentle；　she　had　difficulty　remembering　more　than　ten　years　of　her　past。　She　had　no　recollection　of　her　adolescence　whatsoever；　nor　her　childhood；　could　not　picture　her　parents　or　even　name　them。　This　inability　to　hold　on　to　history　didn't　much　concern　her　（she　knew　no　other）；　until　she　encountered　somebody　like　Taylor；　who　took　such　satisfaction　from　memory。　She　hoped　he　still　did；　it　was　one　of　the　few　pleasures　left　to　him。
　She'd　first　heard　news　of　his　sickness　the　previous　July；　from　his　lover；　Clem。　Despite　the　fact　that　he　and　Taylor　had　lived　the　same　high　life　together；　the　plague　had　passed　Clem　by；　and　Jude　had　spent　several　nights　with　him；　talking　through　the　guilt　he　felt　at　what　he　saw　as　an　undeserved　escape。　Their　paths　had　diverged　through　the　autumn　months；　however；　and　she　was　surprised　to　find　an　invitation　to　their　Christmas　party　awaiting　her　when　she　got　back　from　New　York。　Still　feeling　delicate　after　all　that　had　happened；　she'd　rung　up　to　decline；　only　to　have　Clem　quietly　tell　her　that　Taylor　was　not　expected　to　see　another　spring；　never　mind　another　summer。　Would　she　not　e；　for　his　sake？　She　of　course　accepted。　If　any　of　her　circle　could　make　good　times　of　bad　it　was　Taylor　and　Clem；　and　she　owed　them　both　her　best　efforts　in　that　endeavor。　Was　it　perhaps　because　she'd　had　so　many　difficulties　with　the　heterosexual　males　in　her　life　that　she　relaxed　in　the　pany　of　men　for　whom　her　sex　were　not　contested　terrain？
　At　a　little　after　eight　in　the　evening　of　Christmas　Day；　Clem　opened　the　door　and　ushered　her　in；　claiming　a　kiss　beneath　the　sprig　of　mistletoe　in　the　hallway　before；　as　he　put　it；　the　barbarians　were　upon　her。　The　house　had　been　decorated　as　it　might　have　been　a　century　earlier；　tinsel；　fake　snow；　and　fairy　lights　forsaken　in　favor　of　evergreen；　hung　in　such　abundance　around　the　walls　and　mantelpieces　that　the　rooms　were　half　forested。　Clem；　whose　youth　had　outrun　the　toll　of　years　for　so　long；　was　not　such　a　healthy　sight。　Five　months　before　he'd　looked　a　fleshy　thirty　in　a　flattering　light。　Now　he　looked　ten　years　older　at　least；　his　bright　wele　and　flattery　unable　to　conceal　his　fatigue。
　〃You　wore　green；〃　he　said　as　he　escorted　her　in　to　the　lounge。　〃I　told　Taylor　you'd　do　that。　Green　eyes；　green　dress。〃
　〃Do　you　approve？〃
　〃Of　course！　We're　having　a　pagan　Christmas　this　year。　Dies　natalis　soils　invictus。〃
　〃What's　that？〃
　〃The　Birth　of　the　Unconquered　Sun；〃　he　said。　〃The　Light　of　the　World。　We　need　a　little　of　that　right　now。〃
　〃Do　I　know　many　people　here？〃　she　said；　before　they　stepped　into　the　hub　of　the　party。
　〃Everybody　knows　you；　darling；〃　he　said　fondly。　〃Even　the　people　who've　never　met　you。〃
　There　were　many　faces　she　knew　awaiting　them；　and　it　took　her　five　minutes　to　get　across　to　where　Taylor　was　sitting；　lord　of　all　he　surveyed；　in　a　well…cushioned　chair　close　to　the　roaring　fire。　She　tried　not　to　register　the　shock　she　felt　at　the　sight　of　him。　He'd　lost　almost　all　of　what　had　once　been　a　leonine　head　of　hair；　and　every　spare　ounce　of　substance　from　the　face　beneath。　His　eyes；　which　had　always　been　his　most　penetrating　feature　（one　of　the　many　things　they'd　had　in　mon）；　seemed　enormous　now；　as　though　to　devour　in　the　time　he　had　left　the　sights　his　demise　would　deny　him。　He　opened　his　arms　to　her。
　〃Oh；　my　sweet；〃　he　said。　〃Give　me　a　hug。　Excuse　me　if　I　don't　get　up。〃
　She　bent　and　hugged　him。　He　was　skin　and　bone；　and　cold；　despite　the　fire　close　by。
　〃Has　Clem　got　you　some　punch？〃
　〃I'm　on　my　way；〃　Clem　said。
　〃Get　me　another　vodka　while　you're　at　it〃　Taylor　said；　imperious　as　ever。
　〃I　thought　we'd　agreed…〃　Clem　said。
　〃I　know　it's　bad　for　me。　But　staying　sober's　worse。〃
　〃It's　your　funeral；〃　Clem　said；　with　a　bluntness　Jude　found　shocking。　But　he　and　Taylo*　eyed　each　other　with　a　kind　of　adoring　ferocity；　and　she　saw　in　the　look　how　Clem's　cruelty　was　part　of　their　mechanism　for　dealing　with　this　tragedy。
　〃You　wish；〃　Taylor　said。　〃I'll　have　an　orange　juice。　No；　make　that　a　Virgin　Mary。　Let's　be　seasonal　about　it。〃
　〃1　thought　you　were　having　a　pagan　celebration；〃　Jude　said　as　Clem　headed　away　to　fetch　the　drinks。
　〃I　don't　see　why　the　Christians　should　have　the　Holy　Mother；〃　Taylor　said。　〃They　don't　know　what　to　do　with　her　when　they've　got　her。　Pull　up　a　chair；　sweetie。　I　heard　a　rumor　you　were　in　foreign　climes。〃
　〃I　was。　But　I　came　back　at　the　last　minute。　I　had　some　problems　in　New　York。〃
　〃Whose　heart　did　you　break　this　time？〃
　〃It　wasn't　that　kind　of　problem。〃
　〃Well？〃　he　said。　〃Be　a　telltale。　Tell　Taylor。〃
　This　was　a　bad　joke　from　way　back；　and　it　brought　a　smile　to　Judith's　lips。　It　also　brought　the　story；　which　she'd　e　here　swearing　she'd　keep　to　herself。
　〃Somebody　tried　to　murder　me；〃　she　said。
　〃You're　jesting；〃　he　replied。
　〃I　wish　I　was。〃
　〃What　happened？〃　he　said。　〃Spill　the　beans。　I　like　hearing　other　people's　bad　news　just　at　the　moment。　The　worse；　the　better。〃
　She　slid　her　palm　over　Taylor's　bony　hand。　〃Tell　me　how　you　are　first。〃
　〃Grotesque；〃　he　said。　〃Clem's　wonderful；　of　course；　but　all　the　tender　loving　care　in　the　world　won't　make　me　healthy。　I　have　bad　days　and　good　days。　Mostly　bad　lately。　I　am；　as　my　ma　used　to　say；　not　long　for　this　world。〃　He　glanced　up。　〃Look　ou