cb.imajica1-第84节
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The exchange between Pie and Scopique…with its intimation of a shared agenda hitherto kept secret…had not gone unnoted by Gentle； nor would it go unquestioned。 But this was not the time。 They had at least half a dozen miles to travel before they reached the peninsula； and there was already a swell of noise from behind them； signaling pursuit。 Torch beams raked the shore as the first of N'a…shap's troops emerged to give chase； and from within the walls of the asylum rose the din of the prisoners； finally giving voice to their rage。 That； like the murk； might confound the hounds； but not for long。
The torches had found Scopique； and the beams now scanned the shore he'd been ascending from； each sweep wider than the one that preceded it。 Aping was carrying Huzzah； which speeded their progress somewhat； and Gentle was just beginning to think that they might stand a chance of survival when one of the torches caught them。 It was weak at such a distance； but strong enough that its light picked them out。 Gunfire followed immediately。 They were difficult targets； however； and the bullets went well wide。
〃They'll catch us now；〃 Aping gasped。 〃We should surrender。〃 He set his daughter down and threw his gun to the ground； turning to spit his accusations in Gentle's face。 〃Why did I ever listen to you？ I was crazy；〃
〃If we stay here they'll shoot us on the spot；〃 Gentle replied。 〃Huzzah as well。 Do you want that？〃
〃They won't shoot us；〃 he said； taking hold of Huzzah with one hand and raising the other to catch the beams。 〃Don't shoot！〃 he yelled。 〃Don't shoot！ Captain？ Captain！ Sir！ We surrender！〃
〃Fuck this；〃 Gentle said； and reached to haul Huzzah from her father's grip。
She went into Gentle's arms readily； but Aping wasn't about to relinquish her so easily。 He turned to snatch her back； and as he did so a bullet struck the ice at their feet。 He let Huzzah go and turned to attempt a second appeal。 Two shots cut him short； the first striking his leg； the second his chest。 Huzzah let out a shriek and wrenched herself from Gentle's hold； dropping to the ground at her father's
head。
The seconds they'd lost in Aping's surrender and death were the difference between the slimmest hope of escape and none。 Any one of the twenty or so troops advancing upon them now could pick them off at this distance。 Even N'ashap； who was leading the group； his walk still unsteady； could scarcely have failed to bring them down。 〃What now？〃 said Pie；
〃We have to stand our ground；〃 Gentle replied。 〃We've got no choice。〃
That very ground； however； was no steadier than N'a…shap's walk。 Though this Dominion's suns were in another hemisphere and there was only midnight from horizon to horizon； a tremor was moving through the frozen sea that both Pie and Gentle recognized from almost fatal experience。 Huzzah felt it too。 She raised her head； her sobs quieting。
〃The Lady；〃 she murmured。 〃What about her？〃 said Gentle。 〃She's near us。〃
Gentle put out his hand； and Huzzah took it。 As she got up she scanned the ground。 So did he。 His heart had started to pound furiously； as the memories of the Cradle's liquifi…cation flooded back。
〃Can you stop her？〃 he murmured to Huzzah。 〃She's not e for us；〃 the girl said； and her gaze went from the still solid ground beneath their feet to the group that N'ashap was still leading in their direction。 〃Oh； Goddess 。 。 。〃 Gentle said。
A cry of alarm was rising from the middle of the approaching pack。 One of the torch beams went wild； then another； and another； as one by one the soldiers realized their jeopardy。 N'ashap let out a shout himself： a demand for order among his troops that went unobeyed。 It was difficult to see precisely what was going on； but Gentle could imagine it well enough。 The ground was softening； and the Cradle's silver waters were bubbling up around their feet。 One of the men fired into the air as the sea's shell broke beneath him； another two or three started back towards the island； only to find their panic excited a quicker dissolution。 They went down as if snatched by sharks； silver spume fountaining where they'd stood。 N'ashap was still attempting to preserve some measure of mand； but it was a lost cause。 Realizing this； he began to fire towards the trio； but with the ground rocking beneath him； and the beams no longer trained on his targets； he was virtually shooting blind。
〃We should get out of here；〃 Gentle said； but Huzzah had better advice。
〃She won't hurt us if we're not afraid；〃 she said。 Gentle was half tempted to reply that he was indeed afraid； but he kept his silence and his place； despite the fact that the evidence of his eyes suggested the Goddess had no patience with dividing the bad from the misguided or the unrepentant from the prayerful。 All but four of their pursuers…N'ashap numbered among them…had already been claimed by the sea； some gone beneath the tide entirely； others still struggling to reach some solid place。 Gentle saw one man scrambling up out of the water； only to have the ground he was crawling upon liquify beneath him with such speed the Cradle had closed over him before he had time to scream。 Another went down shouting at the water that was bubbling up around him； the last sight of him his gun； held high and still firing。
AH the torch carriers had succumbed now； and the only illumination was from the cliff top； where soldiers who'd had the luck to be left behind were training their beams on the massacre； throwing into silhouette the figures of N'ashap and the other three survivors； one of whom was making an attempt to race towards the solid ground where Gentle； Pie； and Huzzah stood。 His panic undid him。 He'd only run five strides when silvery foam bubbled up in front of him。 He turned to retrace his steps； but the route had already gone to seething silver。 In desperation he flung away his weapons and attempted to leap to safety； but fell short and went from sight in an instant。
One of the remaining trio； an Oethac； had fallen to his knees to pray； which merely brought him closer to his executioner； who drew him down in the throes of his imprecation； giving him time only to snatch at his rade's leg and pull him down at the same time。 The place where they'd vanished did not cease to seethe but redoubled its fury now。 N'ashap； the last alive； turned to face it； and as he did so the sea rose up like a fountain； until it was half his height again。
〃Lady；〃 Huzzah said。
It was。 Carved in water； a breasted body； and a face dancing with glints and glimmers： the Goddess； or her image； made of her native stuff； then gone the same instant as it broke and dropped upon N'ashap。 He was borne down so quickly； and the Cradle left rocking so placidly the instant after； it was as though his mother had never made him。
Slowly； Huzzah turned to Gentle。 Though her father was dead at her feet； she was smiling in the gloom； the first open smile Gentle had seen on her face。
〃The Cradle Lady came；〃 she said。
They waited awhile； but there were no further visitations。 What the Goddess had done…whether it was to save the child； as Huzzah would always believe； or because circumstance had put within her reach the forces that had tainted Her Cradle with their cruelty…She had done with an economy She wasn't about to spoil with gloating or sentiment。 She closed the sea with the same efficiency She'd employed to open it； leaving the place unmarked。
There was no further attempt at pursuit from the guards left on the cliff； though they kept their places； torches piercing the murk。
〃We've got a lot of sea to cross before dawn；〃 Pie said。
〃We don't want the suns ing up before we reach the peninsula。〃
Huzzah took Gentle's hand。 〃Did Papa ever tell you where we're going in Yzordderrex？〃
〃No；〃 he said。 〃But we'll find the house。〃 She didn't look back at her father's body； but fixed her eyes on the gray bulk of the distant headland and went without plaint； sometimes smiling to herself； as she remembered that the night had brought her a glimpse of a parent that would never again desert her。
29
The territory that lay between the shores of the Cradle and the limits of the Third Dominion had been； until the Autarch's intervention； the site of a natural wonder universally held to mark the center of the Imajica： a column of perfectly hewn and polished rock to which as many names and powers had been ascribed as there were shamans； poets； and storytellers to be moved by it。 There was no munity within the Reconciled Dominions that had not enshrined it in their mythology and found an epithet to mark it as their own。 But its truest name was also perhaps its plainest： the Pivot。 Controversy had raged for centuries about whether the Unbeheld had set it down in the smoky wastes of the Kwem to mark the midpoint between the perimeters of the Imajica； or whether a forest of such columns had once stood in the area； and some later hand （moved； perhaps； by Hapexamendios' wisdom） had leveled all but this one。
Whatever the arguments about its origins； however； nobody had ever contested the power that it had accrued standing at the center of the Dominions。 Lines of thought had passed across the Kwem for centuries； carrying a freight of force which the P
