cb.imajica1-第86节

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　〃I　had　all　other　copies　destroyed　as　soon　as　I　read　it。　I　believe　only　the　interrogating　officers；　their　mander；　and　myself　have　been　party　to　this　information。〃
　〃I　want　every　one　of　the　survivors　from　the　garrison　silenced。　Court…martial　them　all　and　throw　away　the　key。　The　officers　and　the　mander　must　be　instructed　that　they　will　be　held　accountable　for　any　leakage　of　this　information；　from　any　source。　Such　leakage　to　be　punishable　by　death。〃　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃As　for　the　mystif　and　the　stranger；　we　must　assume　they're　making　way　to　the　Second　Dominion。　First　Beatrix；　now　the　Cradle。　Their　destination　must　be　Yzordderrex。　How　many　days　since　this　uprising？〃
　〃Eleven；　sir。〃
　〃Then　they'll　be　in　Yzordderrex　in　a　matter　of　days；　even　if　they're　traveling　on　foot。　Track　them。　I'd　like　to　know　as　much　about　them　as　I　can。〃
　He　looked　out　the　window　at　the　wastes　of　the　Kwem。
　〃They　probably　took　the　Lenten　Way。　Probably　passed　within　a　few　miles　of　here。〃　There　was　a　subtle　agitation　in　his　voice。　〃That's　twice　now　our　paths　have　e　close　to　crossing。　And　now　the　witnesses；　describing　him　so　well。　What　does　it　mean；　Rosengarten？　What　does　it　mean？〃
　When　the　mander　had　no　answers；　as　now；　he　kept　his　silence：　an　admirable　trait。
　〃I　don't　know　either；〃　the　Autarch　said。　〃Perhaps　I　should　go　out　and　take　the　air。　I　feel　old　today。〃
　The　hole　from　which　the　Pivot　had　been　uprooted　was　still　visible；　though　the　driving　winds　of　the　region　had　almost　healed　the　scar。　Standing　on　the　lips　of　the　hole　was　a　fine　place　to　meditate　on　absence；　the　Autarch　had　discovered。　He　tried　to　do　so　now；　his　face　swathed　in　silk　to　keep　the　stinging　gust　from　his　mouth　and　nostrils；　his　long　fur　coat　closely　buttoned；　and　his　gloved　hands　driven　into　his　pockets。　But　the　calm　he'd　always　derived　from　such　meditations　escaped　him　now。　Absence　was　a　fine　discipline　for　the　spirit　when　the　world's　bounty　was　a　step　away；　and　boundless。　Not　so　now。　Now　it　reminded　him　of　an　emptiness　that　he　both　feared　and　feared　to　be　filled；　like　the　haunted　place　at　the　shoulder　of　a　twin　who'd　lost　its　other　in　the　womb。　However　high　he　built　his　fortress　walls；　however　tightly　he　sealed　his　soul；　there　was　one　who　would　always　have　access；　and　that　thought　brought　palpitations。　This　other　knew　him　as　well　as　he　knew　himself：　his　frailties；　his　desires；　his　highest　ambition。　Their　business　together…most　of　it　bloody…had　remained　unrevealed　and　unrevenged　for　two　centuries；　but　he　had　never　persuaded　himself　that　it　would　remain　so　forever。　It　would　be　finished　at　last；　and　soon。
　Though　the　cold　could　not　reach　his　flesh　through　his　coat；　the　Autarch　shuddered　at　the　prospect。　He　had　lived　for　so　long　like　a　man　who　walks　perpetually　in　the　noonday　sun；　his　shadow　falling　neither　in　front　of　him　nor　behind。　Prophets　could　not　predict　him；　nor　accusers　catch　his　crimes。　He　was　inviolate。　But　that　would　change　now。　When　he　and　his　shadow　met…as　they　inevitably　would…　the　weight　of　a　thousand　prophecies　and　accusations　would　fall　upon　them　both。
　He　pulled　the　silk　from　his　face　and　let　the　eroding　wind　assault　him。　There　was　no　purpose　in　staying　here　any　longer。　By　the　time　the　wind　had　remade　his　features　he　would　have　lost　Yzordderrex；　and　even　though　that　seemed　like　a　small　forfeit　now；　in　the　space　of　hours　it　might　be　the　only　prize　he'd　be　able　to　preserve　from　destruction。
　
　If　the　divine　engineers　who　had　raised　the　Jokalaylau　had　one　night　set　their　most　ambitious　peak　between　a　desert　and　an　ocean；　and　returned　the　next　night　and　for　a　century　of　nights　thereafter　to　carve　its　steeps　and　sheers　from　foothills　to　clouded　heights　with　lowly　habitations　and　magnificent　plazas；　with　streets；　bastions；　and　pavilions…and　if；　having　carved；　they　had　set　in　the　core　of　that　mountain　a　fire　that　smoldered　but　never　burned…then　their　handiwork；　when　filled　to　overflowing　with　every　manner　of　life；　might　have　deserved　parison　with　Yzordderrex。　But　given　that　no　such　masterwork　had　ever　been　devised；　the　city　stood　without　parallel　throughout　the　Imajica。
　The　travelers'　first　sight　of　it　came　as　they　crossed　the　causeway　that　skipped　like　a　well…aimed　stone　across　the　delta　of　the　River　Noy；　rushing　in　twelve　white　torrents　to　meet　the　sea。　It　was　early　morning　when　they　arrived；　the　fog　off　the　river　conspiring　with　the　uneasy　light　of　dawn　to　keep　the　city　from　sight　until　they　were　so　close　to　it　that　when　the　fog　was　snatched　the　sky　was　barely　visible；　the　desert　and　the　sea　no　more　than　marginal；　and　all　the　world　was　suddenly　Yzordderrex。
　As　they'd　walked　the　Lenten　Way；　passing　from　the　Third　Dominion　into　the　Second；　Huzzah　had　recited　all　she'd　read　about　the　city　from　her　father's　books。　One　of　the　writers　had　described　Yzordderrex　as　a　god；　she　reported；　a　notion　Gentle　had　thought　ludicrous　until　he　set　eyes　upon　it。　Then　he　understood　what　the　urban　theologian　had　been　about；　deifying　this　termite　hill。　Yzordderrex　was　worthy　of　worship；　and　millions　were　daily　performing　the　ultimate　act　of　veneration；　living　on　or　within　the　body　of　their　Lord。　Their　dwellings　clung　like　a　million　panicked　climbers　to　the　cliffs　above　the　harbor　and　teetered　on　the　plateaus　that　rose；　tier　on　tier；　towards　the　summit；　many　so　crammed　with　houses　that　those　closest　to　the　edge　had　to　be　buttressed　from　below；　the　buttresses　in　turn　encrusted　with　nests　of　life；　winged；　perhaps；　or　else　suicidal。　Everywhere；　the　mountain　teemed；　its　streets　of　steps；　le…thafly　precipitous；　leading　the　eye　from　one　brimming　shelf　to　another：　from　leafless　boulevards　lined　with　fine　mansions　to　gates　that　let　onto　shadowy　arcades；　then　up　to　the　city's　six　summits；　on　the　highest　of　which　stood　the　palace　of　the　Autarch　of　the　Imajica。　There　was　an　abundance　of　a　different　order　here；　for　the　palace　had　more　domes　and　towers　than　Rome；　their　obsessive　elaboration　visible　even　at　this　distance。　Rising　above　them　all　was　the　Pivot　Tower；　as　plain　as　its　fellows　were　baroque。　And　high　above　that　again；　hanging　in　the　white　sky　above　the　city；　the　et　that　brought　the　Dominion's　long　days　and　languid　dusks：　Yzordderrex's　star；　called　Giess；　the　Witherer。
　They　stood　for　only　a　minute　or　so　to　admire　the　sight。　The　daily　traffic　of　workers　who；　having　found　no　place　of　residence　on　the　back　or　in　the　bowels　of　the　city；　muted　in　and　out　daily；　had　begun；　and　by　the　time　the　newers　reached　the　other　end　of　the　causeway　they　were　lost　in　a　dusty　throng　of　vehicles；　bicycles；　rickshaws；　and　pedestrians　all　making　their　way　into　Yzordderrex。　Three　among　tens　of　thousands：　a　scrawny　young　girl　wearing　a　wide　smile；　a　white　man；　perhaps　once　handsome　but　sickly　now；　his　pale　face　half　lost　behind　a　ragged　brown　beard；　and　a　Eurhetemec　mystif；　its　eyes；　like　so　many　of　its　breed；　barely　concealing　a　private　grief。　The　crowd　bore　them　forward；　and　they　went　unresisting　where　countless　multitudes　had　gone　before：　into　the　belly　of　the　city…god　Yzordderrex。
　
　
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　When　Dowd　brought　Judith　back　to　Godolphin's　house　after　the　murder　of　Clara　Leash；　it　was　not　as　a　free　agent　but　as　a　prisoner。　She　was　confined　to　the　bedroom　she'd　first　occupied；　and　there　she　waited　for　Oscar's　return。　When　he　came　in　to　see　her　it　was　after　a　half…hour　conversation　with　Dowd　（she　heard　the　murmur　of　their　exchange；　but　not　its　substance）；　and　he　told　her　as　soon　as　he　appeared　that　he　had　no　wish　to　debate　what　had　happened。　She'd　acted　against　his　best　interests；　which　were　finally…did　she　not　realize　this　yet？…against　her　own　too；　and　he　would　need　time　to　think　about　the　consequences　for　them　both。
　〃I　trusted　you；〃　he　said；　〃more　than　I've　ever　trusted　any　woman　in　my　life。　You　betrayed　me；　exactly　the　way　Dowd　predicted　you　would。　I　feel　foolish；　and　I　feel　hurt。〃
　〃Let　me　explain；〃　she　said。
　He　raised　his　hands　to　hush　her。　〃I　don't　want　to　hear；〃　he　said。　〃Maybe　in　a　few　days　we'll　talk；　but　not　now。〃
　Her　sense　of　loss　at　his　retreat　was　almost　overwhelmed　by　the　anger　she　felt　at　his　dismissal　of　her。　Did　he　believe　her　feelings　for　him　were　so　trivial　she'd　not　concerned　herself　with　the　consequences　of　her　actions　on　them　both？　Or　worse：　had　Dowd　convinced　him　that　she'd　been　planning　to　betray　him　from　the　outset；　and　she'd　calculated　everything…the　seduction；　the　confessions　of　devotion…in　order　to　weaken　him？　This　latter　scenario　was　the　likelier　of　the　two；　but　it　didn't　clear　Oscar　of　guilt。　He　had　still　failed　to　give　her　a　chance　to　justify　herself。
　She　didn't　see　him　for　three　days。　Her　food　was　served　in　her　room　by　Dowd；　and　there　she　waited；　hearing　Oscar　e　and　go；　and　on　occasion　hints　of　conversation　on　the　stairs；　enough　to　gather　the　impression　that　the　Tabula　Rasa's　purge　was　reaching　a　critical　point。　More　than　once　she　contemplated　the　possibility　that　what　she'd　been　up　to　with　Clara　Leash　made　her　a　potential　victim；　and　that　day　by　day　Dowd　was　eroding　Oscar's　reluctance　to　dispatch　her。　Paranoia；　perhaps；　but　if　he　had　any　scrap　of　feeling　for　her　why　didn't　he　e　and　see　her？　Didn't　he　pine；　the　way　she　did？　Didn't　he　want　her　in　his　bed；　for　the　animal　fort　of　it　if　nothing　else？　Several　times　she　asked　Dowd　to　tell　Oscar　she　needed　to　speak