cb.imajica2-第97节

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　Here　was　that　theory　proved。　The　knowledge　didn't　strengthen　him　but；　instead；　fueled　the　dread　he　felt；　thinking　of　his　Father's　immensity。　He'd　crossed　a　continent　and　more　to　get　here；　and　there'd　been　no　part　of　it　that　was　not　made　as　these　streets　were　made；　his　Father's　substance　replicated　in　unimaginable　quantities　to　bee　the　raw　materials　for　the　masons　and　carpenters　and　hod　carriers　of　His　will。　And　yet；　for　all　its　magnitude；　what　was　His　city？　A　trap　of　corporeality；　and　its　architect　its　prisoner。
　〃Oh；　Father；〃　he　said；　and　perhaps　because　the　formality　had　gone　from　his　voice；　and　there　was　sorrow　in　it；　he　was　finally　granted　a　reply。
　〃You've　done　well　for　me；〃　the　voice　said。
　Gentle　remembered　its　monotony　well。　Here　was　the　same　barely　discernible　modulation　he'd　first　heard　as　he'd　stood　in　the　shadow　of　the　Pivot。
　〃You　've　succeeded　where　all　the　others　failed；〃　Hapexa…　mendios　said。　〃They　went　astray　or　let　themselves　be　crucified。　But　you；　Reconciler；　you　held　to　your　course。　〃
　〃For　your　sake；　Father。〃
　〃And　that　service　has　earned　you　a　place　here；〃　the　God　said。　〃In　my　city。　In　my　heart。〃
　〃Thank　you；〃　Gentle　replied；　fearful　that　this　gift　was　going　to　mark　the　end　of　the　exchange。
　If　so；　he'd　have　failed　as　his　mother's　agent。　Tell　Him　you　want　to　see　His　face；　she'd　said。　Distract　Him。　Flatter　Him。　Ah；　yes；　flattery！
　〃I　want　to　learn　from　You　now；　Father；〃　he　said。　〃I　want　to　be　able　to　carry　Your　wisdom　back　into　the　Fifth　with　me。〃
　〃You've　done　all　you　need　to　do；　Reconciler；〃　Hapexamendios　said。　〃You　won't　need　to　go　back　into　the　Fifth；　for　your　sake　or　mine。　You　'II　stay　with　me　and　watch　my　work。〃
　〃What　work　is　that？〃
　〃You　know　what　work；〃　came　the　God's　reply。　〃I　heard　you　speak　with　the　Nullianac；　Why　are　you　pretending　ignorance？〃
　The　inflexions　in　His　voice　were　too　subtle　to　be　interpreted。　Was　there　genuine　inquiry　in　the　question；　or　a　fury　at　His　son's　deceit？
　〃I　didn't　wish　to　presume；　Father；〃　Gentle　said；　cursing　himself　for　this　gaffe。　〃I　thought　You'd　want　to　tell　me
　Yourself。〃
　''Why　would　I　tell　you　what　you　already　know？〃　the　God　said；　unwilling　to　be　persuaded　from　this　argument　until　He　had　a　convincing　answer。　〃You　already　have　every　knowledge　you　need…〃
　〃Not　every　one；〃　Gentle　said；　seeing　now　how　he　might　。　divert　the　flow。
　〃What　do　you　lack？　〃　Hapexamendios　said。　〃I'll　tell　you　everything。〃
　〃Your　face；　Father。〃
　〃My　face？　What　about　my　face？〃
　〃That's　what　I　lack。　The　sight　of　Your　face。〃
　〃You've　seen　my　city；〃　the　Unbeheld　replied。　〃That's　my　face。〃…〃There's　no　other？　Really；　Father？　None？〃
　〃Aren't　you　content　with　that？〃　Hapexamendios　said。　〃Isn't　it　perfect　enough？　Doesn't　it　shine？〃
　〃Too　much；　Father。　It's　too　glorious。〃
　〃How　can　a　thing　be　too　glorious？〃
　〃Part　of　me's　human；　Father；　and　that　part's　weak。　I　look　at　this　city；　and　I'm　agog。　It's　a　masterwork…〃
　〃Yes；　it　is。〃
　〃Genius。〃
　〃Yes；　it　is。〃；
　〃But　Father；　grant　me　a　simpler　sight。　Show　a　glimpse　of　the　face　that　made　my　face；　so　that　I　can　know　the　part　of　me　that's　You。〃
　He　heard　something　very　like　a　sigh　in　the　air　around　him。
　〃It　may　seem　ridiculous　to　you；〃　Gentle　said；　〃but　I've　followed　this　course　because　I　wanted　to　see　one　face。　One　loving　face。〃　There　was　enough　truth　in　this　to　lend　his　words　real　passion。　There　was　indeed　a　face　he'd　hoped　to　find　at　the　end　of　his　journey。　〃Is　it　too　much　to　ask？〃　he　said。
　There　was　a　flutter　of　movement　in　the　dingy　arena　ahead；　and　Gentle　stared　into　the　murk；　in　the　expectation　of　some　colossal　door　opening。　But　instead　Hapexamendios　said；　〃Turn　your　back；　Reconciler。〃
　〃You　want　me　to　leave？〃
　〃No。　Only　avert　your　eyes。〃
　Here　was　a　paradox：　to　be　told　to　look　away　when　sight　was　requested。　But　there　was　something　other　than　an　unveiling　afoot。　For　the　first　time　since　entering　the　Dominion；　he　heard　sounds　other　than　a　voice：　a　delicate　rustling；　a　muted　patter；　creaks　and　whirrings　stealing　on　his　ear。　And　all　around　him；　tiny　motions　in　the　solid　street；　as　the　monoliths　softened　and　inclined　towards　the　mystery　he'd　turned　his　back　upon。　A　step　gaped　and　oozed　marrow。　A　wall　opened　where　stone　met　stone；　and　a　scarlet　deeper　than　any　he'd　seen；　a　scarlet　turned　almost　black；　ran　in　rills　as　the　slabs　yielded　up　their　geometry；　lending　themselves　to　the　Unbeheld's　purpose。　Teeth　came　down　from　an　unknitted　balcony　above；　and　loops　of　gut　unraveled　from　the　sills；　dragging　down　curtains　of　tissue　as　they　came。
　As　the　deconstruction　escalated；　he　dared　the　look　he'd　been　forbidden；　glancing　back　to　see　the　entire　street　in　ross　or　petty　motion：　forms　fracturing；　forms　congealing；　forms　drooping　and　rising。　There　was　nothing　recognizable　in　the　turmoil；　and　Gentle　was　about　to　turn　away　when　one　of　the　pliant　walls　tumbled　in　the　flux　and　for　a　heartbeat；　no　more；　he　glimpsed　a　figure　behind　it。　The　moment　was　long　enough　to　know　the　face　he　saw　and　have　it　in　his　mind's　eye　when　he　looked　away。　There　was　no　face　its　equal　in　the　Imajica。　For　all　the　sorrow　on　it；　for　all　its　wounds；　it　was　exquisite。
　Pie　was　alive　and　waiting　there；　in　his　Father's　midst；　a　prisoner　of　the　prisoner。　It　was　all　Gentle　could　do　not　to　turn　there　and　then　and　pitch　his　spirit　into　the　tumult；　demanding　that　his　Father　give　the　mystif　up。　This　was　his　teacher；　he'd　say；　his　renewer；　his　perfect　friend。　But　he　fought　the　desire；　knowing　such　an　attempt　would　end　in　calamity；　and　instead　turned　away　again；　doting　on　the　glimpse　he'd　had　while　the　street　behind　him　continued　to　convulse。　Though　the　mystif　s　body　had　been　marked　by　the　hurts　it　had　suffered；　it　was　more　whole　than　Gentle　had　dared　hope。　Perhaps　it　had　drawn　strength　from　the　land　on　which　Hapexamendios'　city　was　built；　the　Dominion　its　people　had　worked　their　feits　upon；　before　God　had　e　to　raise　this　metropolis。
　But　how　should　he　persuade　his　Father　to　give　the　mystif　up？　With　pleas？　With　further　flattery？　As　he　chewed　on　the　problem；　the　ructions　around　him　began　to　subside；　and　he　heard　Hapexamendios　speak　behind　him。
　〃Reconciler？　〃
　〃Yes；　Father？〃
　〃You　wanted　to　see　my　face。〃
　〃Yes；　Father？〃
　〃Turn　and　look。〃
　He　did　so。　The　street　in　front　of　him　had　not　lost　all　semblance　of　a　thoroughfare。　The　buildings　still　stood；　their　doors　and　windows　visible。　But　their　architect　had　claimed　from　their　substance　sufficient　pieces　of　the　body　he'd　once　owned　to　recreate　it　for　Gentle's　edification。　The　Father　was　human；　of　course；　and　had　perhaps　been　no　larger　than　His　son　in　His　first　incarnation。　But　He'd　remade　Himself　three　times　Gentle's　height　and　more；　a　teetering　giant　that　was　as　much　borne　up　by　the　street　He'd　racked　for　matter　as　of　it。
　For　all　His　scale；　however；　His　form　was　ineptly　made；　as　if　He'd　forgotten　what　it　was　like　to　be　whole。　His　head　was　enormous；　the　shards　of　a　thousand　skulls　claimed　from　the　buildings　to　construct　it；　but　so　mismatched　that　the　mindit　was　meant　to　shield　was　visible　between　the　pieces；　pulsing　and　flickering。　One　of　His　arms　was　vast；　yet　ended　in　a　hand　scarcely　larger　than　Gentle's；　while　the　other　was　wizened；　but　finished　with　fingers　that　had　three　dozen　joints。　His　torso　was　another　mass　of　misalliances；　His　innards　cavorting　in　a　cage　of　half　a　thousand　ribs；　His　huge　heart　beating　against　a　breastbone　too　weak；　to　contain　it　and　already　fractured。　And　below；　at　His　groin；　the　strangest　deformation：　a　sex　He'd　failed　to　conjure　into　a　single　organ；　but　which　hung　in　rags；　raw　and　useless。　〃Now；〃　the　God　said。　〃Do　you　see？〃　The　impassivity　had　gone　from　His　voice；　its　monotony　replaced　by　an　assembly　of　voices；　as　many　larynxes；　none　of　them　whole；　labored　to　produce　each　word。
　〃Do　you　see；〃　He　said　again；　〃the　resemblance？〃
　Gentle　stared　at　the　abomination　before　him　and；　for　all　its　patchworks　and　disunions；　knew　that　he　did。　It　wasn't　in　the　limbs；　this　likeness；　or　in　the　torso；　or　in　the　sex。　But　it　was　there。　When　the　vast　head　was　raised；　he　saw　his　face　in　the　ruin　that　clung　to　his　Father's　skull。　A　reflection　of　a　reflection　of　a　reflection；　perhaps；　and　all　in　cracked　mirrors。　But　oh！　it　was　there。　The　sight　distressed　him　beyond　measure；　not　because　he　saw　the　kinship　but　because　their　roles　seemed　suddenly　reversed。　Despite　its　size；　it　was　a　child　he　saw；　its　head　fetal；　its　limbs　untutored。　It　was　eons　old；　but　unable　to　slough　off　the　fact　of　flesh；　while　he；　for　all　his　naivetes；　had　made　his　peace　with　that　disposal。　
　〃Have　you　seen　enough；　Reconciler？〃　Hapexamendios　said。
　〃Not　quite。〃　〃What　then？〃
　Gentle　knew　he　had　to　speak　now；　before　the　likeness　was　undone　again　and　the　walls　were　resealed。　〃I　want　what's　in　You；　Father。〃　〃In　me？〃
　〃Your　prisoner；　Father。　I　want　Your　prisoner。〃　〃I　have　no　prisoner。〃
　〃I'm　your　son；〃　Gentle　said。　〃The　flesh　of　your　flesh。　Why　do　you　lie　to　me？〃
　The　unwieldy　head　shuddered。　The　heart　beat　hard　against　the　broken　bone。
　〃Is　there　something　you　don't　want　me　to　know？〃　Gentie　said；　starting　towards　the　wretched　body。　〃You　told　me　I　could　know　everything。〃
　The　hands；　great　and　small；　twitched　and　jittered。
　〃Everything；　You　said；　because　I've　done　You　perfect　service。　But　there