cb.imajica1-第18部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃I　protest；〃　said　Dowd。　〃What　else　was　I　supposed　to　do？　You　knew　he　wanted　the　woman　dead；　and　you　washed　your　hands　of　it。〃
　〃All　true；〃　said　Godolphin。　〃She　is　dead；　I　assume？〃
　〃I　don't　think　so。　I've　been　scouring　the　papers；　and　there's　no　mention。〃
　〃So　why　did　you　have　Chant　killed？〃
　Here　Dowd　was　more　cautious　in　his　account。　If　he　said　too　little；　Godolphin　would　suspect　him　of　concealment。　Too　much；　and　the　larger　picture　might　bee　apparent。　The　longer　his　employer　stayed　in　ignorance　of　the　scale　of　the　stakes；　the　better。　He　proffered　two　explanations；　both　ready　and　waiting。
　〃For　one　thing；　the　man　was　more　unreliable　than　I'd　thought。　Drunk　and　maudlin　half　the　time。　And　I　think　he　knew　more　than　was　good　for　either　you　or　your　brother。　He　might　have　ended　up　finding　out　about　your　travels。〃
　〃Instead　it's　the　Society　that's　suspicious。〃
　〃It's　unfortunate　the　way　these　things　turn　out。〃
　〃Unfortunate；　my　arse。　A　total　balls…up　is　what　it　is。〃
　〃I'm　very　sorry。〃
　〃I　know　you　are；　Dowdy；〃　Oscar　said。　〃The　point　is；　where　do　we　find　a　scapegoat？〃
　〃Your　brother？〃
　〃Perhaps；〃　Godolphin　replied；　cannily　concealing　the　degree　to　which　this　suggestion　found　favor。
　〃When　should　I　tell　them　you've　e　back？〃　Dowd　asked。
　〃When　I've　made　up　a　lie　I　can　believe　in；〃　came　the　reply。
　Back　in　the　house　in　Regent's　Park　Road；　Oscar　took　some　time　to　study　the　newspaper　reports　of　Chant's　death　before　retiring　to　his　treasure　house　on　the　third　floor　with　both　his　new　artifacts　and　a　good　deal　to　think　about。　A　sizable　part　of　him　wanted　to　exit　this　Dominion　once　and　for　all。　Take　himself　off　to　Yzordderrex　and　set　up　business　with　Peccable；　marry　Hoi…Polloi　despite　her　crossed　eyes；　have　a　litter　of　kids　and　retire　to　the　Hills　of　the　Conscious　Cloud；　in　the　Third；　and　raise　parrots。　But　he　knew　he'd　yearn　for　England　sooner　or　later；　and　a　yearning　man　could　be　cruel。　He'd　end　up　beating　his　wife；　bullying　his　kids；　and　eating　the　parrots。　So；　given　that　he'd　always　have　to　keep　a　foot　in　England；　if　only　during　the　cricket　season；　and　given　that　as　long　as　he　kept　a　presence　here　he　would　be　answerable　to　the　Society；　he　had　to　face　them。
　He　locked　the　door　of　his　treasure　room；　sat　down　amid　his　collection；　and　waited　for　inspiration。　The　shelves　around　him；　which　were　built　to　the　ceiling；　were　bowed　beneath　the　weight　of　his　trove。　Here　were　items　gathered　from　the　edge　of　the　Second　Dominion　to　the　limits　of　the　Fourth。　He　had　only　to　pick　one　of　them　up　to　be　transported　back　to　the　time　and　place　of　its　acquisition。　The　statue　of　the　Etook　Ha'chiit；　he'd　bartered　for　in　a　little　town　called　Slew；　which　was　now；　regrettably；　a　blasted　spot；　its　citizens　the　victims　of　a　purge　visited　upon　them　for　the　crime　of　a　song；　written　in　the　dialect　of　their　munity；　suggesting　that　the　Autarch　of　Yzordderrex　lacked　testicles。
　Another　of　his　treasures；　the　seventh　volume　of　Gaud　Maybellome's　Encyclopedia　of　Heavenly　Signs；　originally　written　in　the　language　of　Third　Dominion　academics　but　widely　translated　for　the　delectation　of　the　proletariat；　he'd　bought　from　a　woman　in　the　city　of　Jassick；　who'd　approached　him　in　a　gaming　room；　where　he　was　attempting　to　explain　cricket　to　a　group　of　the　locals；　and　said　she　recognized　him　from　stories　her　husband　（who　was　in　the　Autarch's　army　in　Yzordderrex）　had　told。
　〃You're　the　English　male；〃　she'd　said；　which　didn't　seem　worth　denying。
　Then　she'd　shown　him　the　book：　a　very　rare　volume　indeed。　He'd　never　ceased　to　find　fascination　within　its　pages；　for　it　was　Maybellome's　intention　to　make　an　encyclopedia　listing　all　the　flora；　fauna；　languages；　sciences；　ideas；　moral　perspectives…in　short；　anything　that　occurred　to　her…that　had　found　their　way　from　the　Fifth　Dominion；　the　Place　of　the　Succulent　Rock；　through　to　the　other　worlds。　It　was　a　herculean　task；　and　she'd　died　just　as　she　was　beginning　the　nineteenth　volume；　with　no　end　in　sight；　but　even　the　one　book　in　Godolphin's　possession　was　enough　to　guarantee　that　he　would　search　for　the　others　until　his　dying　day。　It　was　a　bizarre；　almost　surreal　volume。　Even　if　only　half　the　entries　were　true；　or　nearly　true；　Earth　had　influenced　just　about　every　aspect　of　the　worlds　from　which　it　was　divided。　Fauna；　for　instance。　There　were　countless　animals　listed　in　the　volume…which　MaybeUome　claimed　to　be　invaders　from　the　other　world。　Some　clearly　were：　the　zebra；　the　crocodile；　the　dog。　Others　were　a　mixture　of　genetic　strands；　part　terrestrial；　part　not。　But　many　of　these　species　（pictured　in　the　book　like　fugitives　from　a　medieval　bestiary）　were　so　outlandish　he　doubted　their　very　existence。　Here；　for　instance；　were　hand…sized　wolves　with　the　wings　of　canaries。　Here　was　an　elephant　that　lived　in　an　enormous　conch。　Here　was　a　literate　worm　that　wrote　omens　with　its　thread…fine　half…mile　body。　Wonderment　upon　wonderment。　Godolphin　only　had　to　pick　up　the　encyclopedia　and　he　was　ready　to　put　on　his　boots　and　set　off　for　the　Dominions　again。
　What　was　self…evident　from　even　a　casual　perusal　of　the　book　was　how　extensively　the　unreconciled　Dominion　had　influenced　the　others。　The　languages　of　earth…English；　Italian；　Hindustani；　and　Chinese　particularly…were　known　in　some　variation　everywhere；　though　it　seemed　the　Autarch…who　had　e　to　power　in　the　confusion　following　the　failed　Reconciliation…favored　English；　which　was　now　the　preferred　linguistic　currency　almost　everywhere。　To　name　a　child　with　an　English　word　was　thought　particularly　propitious；　though　there　was　little　or　no　consideration　given　to　what　the　word　actually　meant。　Hence　Hoi…Polloi；　for　instance；　this　one　of　the　less　strange　namings　among　the　thousands　Godolphin　had　encountered。
　He　flattered　himself　that　he　was　in　some　small　part　responsible　for　such　blissful　bizarrities；　given　that　over　the　years　he'd　brought　all　manner　of　influences　through　from　the　Succulent　Rock。　There　was　always　a　hunger　for　newspapers　and　magazines　（usually　preferred　to　books）；　and　he'd　beard　of　baptizers　in　Patashoqua　who　named　children　by　stabbing　a　copy　of　the　London　Times　with　a　pin　and　bequeathing　the　first　three　words　they　pricked　upon　the　infant；　however　unmusical　the　bination。　But　he　was　not　the　only　influence。　He　hadn't　brought　the　crocodile　or　the　zebra　or　the　dog　（though　he　would　lay　claim　to　the　parrot）。　No；　there　had　always　been　routes　through　from　Earth　into　the　Dominions；　other　than　that　at　the　Retreat。　Some；　no　doubt；　had　been　opened　by　Maestros　and　esoterics；　in　all　manner　of　cultures；　for　the　express　purpose　of　their　passing　to　and　fro　between　worlds。　Others　were　conceivably　opened　by　accident；　and　perhaps　remained　open；　marking　the　sites　as　haunted　or　sacred；　shunned　or　obsessively　protected。　Yet　others；　these　in　the　smallest　number；　had　been　created　by　the　sciences　of　the　other　Dominions；　as　a　means　of　gaining　access　to　the　heaven　of　the　Succulent　Rock。
　In　such　a　place；　this　near　the　walls　of　the　lahmandhas　in　the　Third　Dominion；　Godolphin　had　acquired　his　most　sacred　possession：　a　Boston　Bowl；　plete　with　its　forty…one　colored　stones。　Though　he'd　never　used　it；　the　bowl　was　reputedly　the　most　accurate　prophetic　tool　known　in　the　worlds；　and　now…sitting　amid　his　treasures；　with　a　sense　growing　in　him　that　events　on　earth　in　the　last　few　days　were　leading　to　some　matter　of　moment…he　brought　the　bowl　down　from　its　place　on　the　highest　shelf；　unwrapped　it；　and　set　it　on　the　table。　Then　he　took　the　stones　from　their　pouch　and　laid　them　at　the　bottom　of　the　bowl。　Truth　to　tell；　the　arrangement　didn't　look　particularly　promising：　the　bowl　resembled　something　for　kitchen　use；　plain　fired　ceramic；　large　enough　to　whip　eggs　for　a　couple　of　souffles。　The　stones　were　more　colorful；　varying　in　size　and　shape　from　tiny　flat　pebbles　to　perfect　spheres　the　size　of　an　eyeball。
　Having　set　them　out；　Godolphin　had　second　thoughts。　Did　he　even　believe　in　prophecy？　And　if　he　did；　was　it　wise　to　know　the　future？　Probably　not。　Death　was　bound　to　be　in　there　somewhere；　sooner　or　later。　Only　Maestros　and　deities　lived　forever；　and　a　man　might　sour　the　balance　of　his　span　knowing　when　it　was　going　to　end。　But　then；　suppose　he　found　in　this　bowl　some　indication　as　to　how　the　Society　might　be　handled？　That　would　be　no　small　weight　off　his　shoulders。
　〃Be　brave；〃　he　told　himself；　and　laid　the　middle　finger　of　each　hand　upon　the　rim；　as　Peccable；　who'd　once　owned　such　a　bowl　and　had　it　smashed　by　his　wife　in　a　domestic　row；　had　instructed。
　Nothing　happened　at　first；　but　Peccable　had　warned　him　the　bowls　usually　took　some　time　to　start　from　cold。　He　waited　and　waited。　The　first　sight　of　activation　was　a　rattling　from　the　bottom　of　the　bowl　as　the　stones　began　to　move　against　each　other；　the　second　a　distinctly　acidic　odor　rising　to　jab　at　his　sinuses；　the　third；　and　most　startling；　the　sudden　ricocheting　of　one　pebble；　then　two；　then　a　dozen；　across　the　bowl　and　back；　several　skipping　higher　than　the　rim。　Their　ambition　increased　by　the　movement；　until　all　forty…one　were　in　violent　motion；　so　violent　that　the　bowl　began　to　move　across　the　table；　and　Oscar　had　to　take　a　firm　hold　of　it　to　keep　it　from　turning　over。　The　stones　struck　his　fingers　and　knuckles　with　stinging　force；　but　the　pain　was　made　sweeter　by　the　success　that　now　followed；　as　the　speed　and　motion　of　the　multifarious　shapes　and　colors　began　to　describe　images　in　the　air　above　the　bowl。
　Like　all　prophecy；　the　signs　were　in　the　eye　of　the　beholder；　and　perhaps　another　witness　would　have　seen　different　forms　in　the　blur。　But　what　Godolphin　saw　seemed　quite　plain　to　him。　The　Retreat；　for　one；　half　hidden　in　the　copse。　Then　himself；　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　mosaic；　either　ing　back　from　Yzordderrex　or　preparing　to　depart。　The　images　lingered　for　only　a　brief　time　before　changing；　the　Retreat　demolished　in　the　storm　of　stones　and　a　new　structure　raised　in　the　whirl：　the　tower　of　the　Tabula　Rasa。　He　fixed　his　eyes　on　the　prophecy　with　fresh　deliberation；　denying　himself　the　fort　of　blinking　to　be　certain　he　missed　nothing。　The　tower　as　seen　from　the　street　gave　way　to　its　interior。　Here　they　were；　the　wise　ones；　sitting　around　the　table　contemplating　their　divine　duty。　They　were　navel　defluffers　and　snot　rollers　to