anner.bloodandgold(v2)-第32节

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　otherwise；　for　they　couldn't　see　the　coast　or　the　rocky　islands　they　might　encounter；　and　even　though　they　might　have　good　maps　and　skilled　navigators；　there　was　still　the　danger　of　a　dreadful　accident　occurring　in　the　dark。
　　　We　reversed　this　age…old　wisdom；　and　by　day；　our　ship　was　in　port　so　that　those　who　served　us　might　enjoy　what　the　local　town　had　to　offer；　and　our　slaves　and　soldiers　were　made　all　the　more　happy　by　this；　and　all　the　more　devoted；　while　the　captain　kept　a　firm　grip　by　allowing　only　some　to　go　ashore　at　certain　times；　and　insisting　that　some　remain　and　keep　watch　or　sleep。
　　　Always　we　woke　and　emerged　from　our　cabin　to　find　our　servants　in　high　good　humor；　musicians　playing　under　the　moon　for　the　soldiers；　and　Clement；　the　captain；　delightfully　drunk。　There　was　no　suspicion　among　them　that　we　were　other　than　three　extremely　bizarre　human　beings　of　immense　wealth。　Indeed；　sometimes　I　eavesdropped　on　their　theories　about　us…that　we　were　Magi　from　the　Far　East　like　unto　the　Three　Kings　who　had　e　to　lay　gifts　before　the　Christ　Child*　and　I　was　most　amused。
　　　Our　only　real　problem　was　an　absurd　one。　We　had　to　ask　for　meals　to　be　brought　to　us；　and　then　to　dispense　with　the　food　through　the　windows　of　our　cabin；　directly　into　the　sea。
　　　It　sent　us　into　peals　of　laughter；　yet　I　found　it　undignified。
　　　We　did　periodically　spend　a　night　on　shore　so　that　we　might　feed。　Our　years　had　given　us　great　skill　in　this　matter。　And　we　might　even　have　starved　for　the　entire　journey；　but　this　we　chose　not　to　do。
　　　As　for　our　camaraderie　aboard　the　ship；　it　was　most　interesting　to　me。
　　　I　was　living　more　closely　with　mortals　than　ever　before。　I　talked　with　our　captain　and　our　soldiers　by　the　hour。　And　I　found　I　enjoyed　it　tremendously；　and　I　was　very　much　relieved　that；　in　spite　of　my　very　pale　skin；　it　was　so　easy　to　do。
　　　I　found　myself　passionately　attracted　to　our　Captain　Clement。　I　enjoyed　the　tales　of　his　youth　spent　on　merchant　ships　throughout　the　Mediterranean；　and　he　amused　me　with　descriptions　of　the　ports　he'd　visited；　some　of　which　I　had　known　hundreds　of　years　before；　and　some　of　which　were　wholly　new。
　　　My　sadness　was　lifted　as　I　listened　to　Clement。　I　saw　the　world　through　his　eyes；　and　knew　his　hope。　I　looked　forward　to　a　lively　household　in　Constantinople　where　he　could　call　upon　me　as　his　friend。
　　　Another　great　change　had　taken　place。　I　was　now　definitely　an　intimate　panion　to　both　Avicus　and　Mael。
　　　Many　a　night　we　spent　alone　in　the　cabin；　with　the　full　wine　cups　before　us；　talking　about　all　that　had　occurred　in　Italy　and　other　things　as　well。
　　　Avicus　was　of　a　keen　mind　as　I　had　always　imagined　him　to　be；　eager　for　learning　and　reading；　and　had　over　the　centuries　taught　himself　both　Latin　and　Greek。　But　there　was　much　he　didn't　understand　about　my　world　and　its　old　piety。
　　　He　had　with　him　histories　by　Tacitus；　and　Livy；　and　also　the　True　Tales　of　Lucian；　and　the　biographies　written　in　Greek　by　Plutarch；　but　he　was　not　able　to　understand　this　work。
　　　I　spent　many　happy　hours　reading　aloud　to　him　as　he　followed　along　with　me；　explaining　to　him　how　the　text　could　be　interpreted。　And　I　saw　in　him　a　great　absorption　of　information。　He　wanted　to　know　the　world。
　　　Mael　did　not　share　this　spirit；　but　he　was　no　longer　against　it　as　he　had　been　a　very　long　time　ago。　He　listened　to　all　we　discussed；　and　perhaps　he　profited　somewhat　from　it。　It　was　plain　to　me　that　the　two…　Avicus　and　Mael…survived　as　blood　drinkers　because　of　each　other。　But　Mael　no　longer　regarded　me　with　fear。
　　　As　for　me；　I　rather　enjoyed　the　role　of　teacher；　and　it　gave　me　new　pleasure　to　argue　with　Plutarch　as　if　he　were　in　the　room　with　me；　and　to　ment　on　Tacitus　as　if　he　were　there　as　well。
　　　Both　Avicus　and　Mael　had　grown　paler　and　stronger　with　time。　Each　had；　he　confessed；　at　some　moment　or　other　felt　the　threat　of　despair。
　　　〃It　was　the　sight　of　you；　asleep　in　the　shrine；〃　Mael　said　without　enmity；　〃that　kept　me　from　going　down　into　some　cellar　and　resigning　myself　to　the　same　slumber。　I　felt　I　should　never　awake　from　it；　and　Avicus；　my　panion　Avicus；　would　not　allow　me　to　go。〃
　　　When　Avicus　had　felt　weary　of　the　world　and　unable　to　continue；　it　had　been　Mael　who　kept　him　from　the　fatal　sleep。
　　　Both　had　suffered　extreme　anguish　over　my　condition；　and　during　the　long　decades　when　I　lay　unresponsive　to　their　pleas；　they　had　been　too　afraid　of　the　Noble　Parents　to　lay　before　them　flowers；　or　to　burn　incense　or　to　do　anything　to　tend　the　shrine。
　　　〃We　feared　they　would　strike　out　at　us；〃　said　Avicus。　〃Even　to　look　at　their　faces　filled　us　with　dread。〃
　　　I　nodded　to　all　this。
　　　〃The　Divine　Parents；〃　I　said；　〃have　never　showed　a　need　of　those　things。　I　am　the　author　of　such　devotions。　Darkness　may　please　them　as　well　as　burning　lamps。　Look　how　they　slumber　now　in　their　wrappings　and　in　their　coffins；　side　by　side　beneath　the　deck。〃
　　　I　felt　emboldened　by　the　visions　I　had　had　to　say　these　things；　though　I　never　spoke　of　those　visions　or　bragged　that　I　had　drunk　the　Sacred　Blood。
　　　
　　　All　the　while　we　sailed　there　was　the　prospect　of　one　great　horror　which　hung　over　the　three　of　us…that　our　ship　might　be　attacked　either　by　day　or　night；　and　that　the　Divine　Parents　might　be　sunk　into　the　sea。　It　was　far　too　awful　for　us　to　talk　of　it；　and　that；　perhaps；　is　why　we　did　not。　And　whenever　I　brooded　over　this；　I　realized　that　we　should　have　taken　the　safer　route　over　land。
　　　Then　in　the　small　hours　a　terrible　truth　became　known　to　me…that　if　we　did　meet　disaster；　I　might　rise　from　the　sea；　and　Those　Who　Must　Be　Kept　might　not。　In　the　mysterious　bottom　of　the　great　ocean　what　would　bee　of　these　Parents？　My　agony　of　mind　grew　too　great。
　　　I　put　aside　my　anguish。　I　continued　the　pleasant　talk　with　my　panions。　I　went　out　on　deck　and　looked　upon　the　silvery　sea　and　sent　my　love　to　Pandora。
　　　Meantime　I　did　not　share　the　enthusiasm　of　Mael　and　Avicus　for　Byzantium。　I　had　lived　in　Antioch　a　long　time　ago；　and　Antioch　was　an　Eastern　city　but　with　great　Western　influence；　and　I　had　left　it　to　return　to　Rome；　for　I　was　a　child　of　the　West。
　　　Now　we　were　heading　to　what　I　thought　to　be　a　purely　Eastern　capital；　and　I　was　afraid　that　in　its　great　vitality　I　would　find　only　what　I　could　not　possibly　embrace。
　　　One　must　understand：　from　the　Roman　point　of　view；　the　East…　that　is；　the　lands　of　Asia　Minor　and　Persia…had　always　been　suspect；　for　their　emphasis　on　luxury　and　their　general　softness。　It　was　believed　by　me　and　by　many　Romans　that　Persia　had　softened　Alexander　the　Great　thereby　softening　Greek　culture。　Then　Greek　culture　with　its　Persian　influence　had　softened　Rome。
　　　Of　course　immense　culture　and　art　had　e　with　this　softening。　Romans　embraced　Greek　knowledge　of　all　sorts。
　　　Nevertheless；　I　felt；　deep　in　my　soul；　this　age…old　suspicion　of　the　East。
　　　Naturally　I　said　nothing　to　Avicus　and　Mael。　Their　enthusiasm　for　this　mighty　seat　of　the　Eastern　Emperor　was　something　not　to　be　spoilt。
　　　At　last　after　our　long　voyage；　we　came　early　one　evening　into　the　shimmering　Sea　of　Marmara　and　beheld　the　high　ramparts　of
　　　　Constantinople　with　their　myriad　torches；　and　for　the　first　time；　I　understood　the　glory　of　the　peninsula　which　Constantine　had　chosen　so　long　ago。
　　　Slowly　our　ship　made　its　way　into　the　magnificent　harbor。　And　I　was　chosen　to　be　the　one　to　use　his　〃magic〃　upon　the　officials　of　the　dock　to　arrange　our　arrival　and　give　us　time　within　the　port　to　find　some　proper　lodgings　before　removing　the　sacred　cargo　which　we　carried；　the　sarcophagi　of　venerable　ancestors　brought　back　to　be　buried　in　their　native　land。　Of　course　we　had　mundane　questions　as　to　where　we　might　find　an　agent　to　help　us　with　our　lodgings；　and　more　than　one　mortal　was　called　to　give　us　advice。
　　　It　was　a　matter　of　gold　and　the　Spell　Gift；　and　I　had　no　difficulty。　And　soon　we　were　onshore　and　ready　to　explore　this　mythic　place　where　God　had　directed　Constantine　to　create　the　greatest　city　in　the　world。
　　　I　cannot　say　I　was　disappointed　that　night。
　　　Our　first　extraordinary　surprise　was　that　the　merchants　of　Constantinople　were　required　to　put　up　torches　outside　their　shops　so　that　the　streets　were　beautifully　illuminated。　And　we　at　once　realized　that　there　was　a　wilderness　of　great　churches　for　us　to　explore。
　　　The　city　held　some　million　inhabitants；　and　I　sensed　at　once　an　immense　vigor　that　had　gone　out　of　Rome。
　　　I　went　immediately…leading　my　two　agreeable　panions　with　me…to　the　great　open　square　called　the　Augusteum；　and　where　I　could　gaze　on　the　facade　of　Hagia　Sophia…the　Church　of　the　Holy　Wisdom…and　upon　other　immense　and　regal　buildings　including　the　splendid　public　baths　of　Zeuxippus；　which　had　been　decorated　with　beautifully　executed　pagan　statues　taken　from　various　cities　of　the　world。
　　　I　wanted　to　go　in　all　directions　at　the　same　time。　For　here　lay　the　great　Hippodrome　in　which　by　day　thousands　witnessed　chariot　races　which　were　the　passion　of　the　populace；　and　there　the　indescribably　huge　and　plex　royal　palace　into　which　we　could　easily　have　crept　without　being　seen。
　　　A　great　street　led　westward　from　this　square；　and　constituted　the　main　thoroughfa