cb.coldheart canyon-第74节

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rion　cows　and　wild　dogs。
　 She　wanted　to　show　this　glorious　spectacle　to　Todd；　wanted　to　wade　into　the　living　mass　of　baby　eels　and　feel　them　against　her　naked　flesh。
　 On　another　day　they　might　to　a　place　she　knew　where　there　was　a　beast　that　spoke　prophetic　riddles；　which　had　twice　engaged　her　in　conversation　which　she　knew　would　make　sense　if　she　had　the　education　to　decode　its　strange　poetry。　It　had　the　body　of　a　huge　bird；　this　tiddler；　with　a　man's　head；　and　it　sat；　close　to　the　ground；　with　a　vast　array　of　glittering　gifts　around　the　base　of　its　tree；　offered　for　its　prophecies。　She'd　e　to　it　a　year　ago；　with　some　jewelry　she　had　worn　in　Nefertiti。
　 〃Is　it　real；　the　gift　you　give　me？〃　the　creature；　whose　name　was　Yiacaxis；　had　asked　her。
　 〃No；〃　she　had　admitted。　〃I　am　an　actress。　These　baubles　are　what　I　wore　when　I　was　an　actress。〃
　 〃Then　make　them　real　for　me；〃　Yiacaxis　had　said；　clicking　his　old　grey　tongue　against　his　cracked　beak。　〃Play　me　the　scene　in　which　you　wore　them。〃
　 〃It　was　silent；〃　she　said。
　 〃That's　good；〃　he　replied。　〃For　I　am　very　deaf　in　my　old　age。〃
　 She　shed　most　of　her　clothes；　and　put　on　the　jewelry。　Then　she　played　the　scene　from　Nefertiti　in　which　she　discovers　that　her　lover　is　dead　by　the　order　of　the　envious　Queen；　and　she　kills　herself　out　of　tragic　longing　for　him。
　 The　old　bird…man　wept　freely　at　her　performance。
　 〃I'm　pleased　it　moved　you　so　much；〃　Katya　had　said　when　she　was　done。
　 〃I　accept　your　offering；〃　the　creature　had　replied；　〃and　I　will　give　you　your　answer。〃
　 〃But　you　don't　even　know　my　question　yet。〃
　 Yiacaxis　clicked　and　cocked　his　head。　〃I　know　you　wonder　if　there　will　ever　be　a　love　worth　dying　for　in　your　life？　Is　that　your　question？〃
　 〃Yes；〃　she　said。　She　would　perhaps　not　have　asked　it　that　way；　but　the　prophet　was　notoriously　short…tempered　with　those　who　attempted　to　press　him。
　 〃There　are　two　multitudes；〃　he　said。　〃One　within　you。　One　without。　Should　he　love　you　enough　to　name　one　of　these　legions；　then　you　will　live　in　bliss　with　the　other。〃
　 Of　course　she　desperately　wanted　to　ask　him　what　this　meant；　but　the　audience　was　apparently　already　over；　for　Yiacaxis　was　raising　his　black　wings；　which　were　lined　with　little　knots　of　human　hair；　tied　up　in　ribbons　that　had　long…ago　lost　their　colour。　Thousands　of　locks　of　hair；　in　wings　that　spread　perhaps　twenty　feet　from　tip　to　tip。　Without　further　word；　he　closed　them　over　his　melancholy　face；　and　the　shadows　of　the　tree　seemed　to　close　around　him　a　second　time；　so　that　he　was　invisible。
　 Perhaps；　if　she　had　the　courage；　she　would　go　back　to　Yiacaxis；　with　Todd；　and　ask　him　another　question。　Or　this　time　Todd　should　do　the　asking。
　 And　when　they　had　questioned　the　Prophet　Bird；　and　seen　half　a　hundred　other　wonders　in　the　Devil's　Country；　Katya　would　take　Todd　to　a　certain　ship　with　which　she　was　familiar；　which　had　surely　been　made　for　a　king；　it　was　so　finely　wrought。
　 It　had　foundered　on　some　rocks　along　the　shore；　and　there　it　had　been　left；　high　and　dry；　many　years　ago。　For　some　reason　no　looter　had　ever　attempted　to　despoil　this　sublime　vessel；　perhaps　because　they　feared　some　royal　revenge。　The　only　damage　done　to　the　vessel　was　the　breaking　of　its　hull　by　the　rocks；　and　the　inevitable　deterioration　of　its　exterior　paintwork　by　wind　and　rain。　Inside；　it　remained　a　place　of　inparable　luxury；　its　beautiful　carved　bed　heaped　with　white　furs；　the　wine　still　sweet　in　its　flagons；　the　tinder　in　its　fireplace　still　awaiting　a　flame。　She　had　often　fantasized　about　taking　a　lover　to　the　ship；　making　love　to　him　on　the　furs。　If　they　were　lucky；　the　wind　would　get　up　when　they　were　cradled　in　the　fort　of　one　another's　arms。　The　wind　would　whistle　in　the　ropes　and　the　scarlet　sails　would　billow；　and　they　would　imagine；　as　they　made　love；　that　they　were　on　a　voyage　to　the　edge　of　the　world。
　 It　would　be　naive　to　speak　lovingly　of　the　Devil's　Country　without　allowing　that　it　had　its　share　of　horrors。
　 There　were　species　in　the　forests；　and　the　ravines　and　the　black　silent　pools　between　the　rocks；　that　had　been　invented　by　some　benighted　mind。　There　were　terrible　arenas；　where　monsters　were　goaded　to　perform　acts　of　horrible　violation　upon　women；　and　sometimes　upon　men　and　even　children。　But　having　viewed　several　of　these　spectacles　herself；　she　could　not　deny　that　they　were　perversely　arousing。　Some　had　the　rigor　of　ceremonies；　others　seemed　to　be　simple　arenas　of　cruelty；　where　anything　might　be　viewed　if　it　was　paid　for。
　 The　point　was　that　she'd　seen　so　little；　and　that　there　was　so　much　for　her　to　see；　a　private　wonderland　where　she　and　Todd　could　go　adventuring　whenever　they　tired　of　the　Canyon。　They　could　explore　it　to　its　very　limits；　and　when　they　were　weary　and　needed　to　sleep；　they　could　simply　step　through　the　door　and　lock　it；　and　retire　to　bed　like　any　loving　pair；　and　sleep　peacefully　in　one　another's　arms。
　 But　first　she　had　to　find　him；　and　to　find　him　she　needed　a　chauffeur。　Only　one　man　fitted　that　bill：　Jerry　Brahms。　They　had　known　one　another　for　so　many　years。　That　was　why　she'd　sent　out　the　dream…summons　to　him。　He　was　loyal；　he　would　e　without　fail。　It　was　only　a　matter　of　time　before　he　turned　up　at　the　house；　ready　to　do　her　bidding。　He　was　probably　on　his　way　up；　even　now。
　
　 It　didn't　take　her　long　to　dress。　She　had　wardrobes　full　of　gowns　designed　by　some　of　the　greatest　names　in　Hollywood　history；　but　they　were　all　too　showy　for　this　modest　adventure。　So　she　chose　conservatively：　an　immaculately…tailored　black　dress。　She　kept　her　hair　simple　and　her　makeup　discreet。
　 She　was　all　dressed　and　ready　to　go；　but　there　was　still　no　sign　of　Jerry。　Thinking　that　perhaps　he'd　mistakenly　assume　she　would　wait　for　him　in　the　big　house；　she　decided　to　wander　down　through　the　twilight　to　look　for　him。　If　he　hadn't　arrived　then　she'd　wait　for　him　at　the　front　gate；　so　that　there'd　be　no　chance　of　their　missing　one　another。
　 It　was　a　walk　she'd　taken　countless　times；　of　course；　though　the　pathway　rose　and　dipped；　she　could　have　done　it　in　safety　blind…folded。
　 The　night　wasn't　as　clear　as　it　had　been　when　she　and　Todd　had　e　out　walking；　there　were　rainclouds　banked　in　from　the　north；　and　the　air　was　sultry。　It　was　going　to　be　one　of　those　nights　when　you　longed　for　a　heaven…and…earth…shaking　thunderstorm；　the　kind　she　remembered　from　her　childhood。　But　such　events　were　rare　in　Los　Angeles。　All　the　great　storms　she'd　seen　here　had　been　cooked　up　by　lighting　men　and　rain…machines；　pure　artifice。
　 She　knew　she　was　being　watched　as　she　walked。　There　wasn't　a　movement　she　made　in　the　open　air　that　the　ghosts　or　their　half…breed　children　did　not　observe。　They　had　even　made　spy…holes　in　the　walls　of　her　little　house；　she　knew。　They　watched　her　at　her　toilette；　they　watched　her　as　she　read　and　day…dreamed；　they　watched　her　as　she　slept。
　 She'd　several　times　attempted　to　stop　them　and　punish　their　voyeurism；　but　every　time　Zeffer　plugged　up　the　holes　more　appeared；　and　finally　she'd　given　up　the　game　as　fruitless。　If　they　wanted　to　watch　her　while　she　slept；　then　let　them　go　ahead。　Indeed　until　Todd　had　e　into　her　life　the　idea　of　having　somebody　to　watch　over　her…even　if　their　motives　were　as　hard　to　calculate　as　those　of　her　voyeurs…was　close　to　forting。
　 Needless　to　say　there　was　also　a　measure　of　danger　in　the　proximity　of　these　revenants。　Katya　didn't　doubt　that　there　was　amongst　their　number　some　who　would　gladly　have　seen　her　dead；　blaming　her　for　the　fact　that　their　afterlife　in　was　a　pitiful　thing。　Of　course　she　didn't　blame　herself。　If　her　guests　hadn't　been　so　hungry　to　taste　the　pleasures　of　the　Devil's　Country　then　they　wouldn't　be　so　obsessively　drawn　to　it。　But　as　long　as　they　kept　a　respectful　distance　（why　would　they　not；　when　she　controlled　the　very　thing　they　wanted　for　themselves？）　then　she　would　not　persecute　them。
　 They　had　their　journey；　she　had　hers。
　 She　had　reached　the　unkempt　lawn；　and　paused　there　to　take　in　the　spectacle　of　the　house。　The　wind…chimes　rang　on　four　or　five　balconies；　lending　their　beauty　to　the　grand　facade。　As　she　listened　to　their　music　she　heard　sounds　from　the　thicket　on　the　other　side　of　the　lawn。
　 She　glanced　back。　There　was　still　sufficient　light　in　the　evening　sky　to　see　the　motion　in　the　blossom…laden　branches。　There　were　several　creatures　following　her；　she　guessed。
　 She　watched　the　bushes　for　half　a　minute；　until　the　motion　died　down。　It　wasn't　unusual　for　creatures　to　follow　her　when　she　went　out　walking；　but　there　was　something　different　about　this。　Or　was　it　that　she　was　different？　That　tonight　she　was　alive　as　she'd　not　been　alive　in　many　years；　her　heart　quickened　by　love；　and　that　they　sensed　a　new　vulnerability　in　her？
　 She　didn't　like　that。　The　last　thing　she　wanted　was　for　them　to　imagine　they　could　intimidate　her；　or　somehow　wrest　a　little　power　from　her。　Love　might　have　made　her　step　a　little　lighter；　but　she　was　still　the　Queen　of　Coldheart　Canyon；　and　if　they　pushed　her　she　would　respond　with　her　old　severity。
　 As　she　watched　the　thicket；　the　last　of　the　light　went　from　the　sky；　and　the　darkness　revealed　several　bright　points　of　light　in　the　bushes；　where　the　reve