cb.imajica1-第42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！


ation　of　travelers'　tales　had　all　but　exhausted　the　lexicon　of　discovery。　But　it　nevertheless　irritated　Gentle　to　hear　himself　responding　in　cliches。　The　traveler　moved　by　unspoilt　beauty　or　appalled　by　native　barbarism。　The　traveler　touched　by　primitive　wisdom　or　caught　breathless　by　undreamt…of　modernities。　The　traveler　condescending；　the　traveler　humbled；　the　traveler　hungry　for　the　next　horizon　or　pining　miserably　for　home。　Of　all　these；　perhaps　only　the　last　response　never　passed　Gentle's　lips。　He　thought　of　the　Fifth　only　when　it　came　up　in　conversation　between　himself　and　Pie；　and　that　happened　less　and　less　as　the　practicalities　of　the　moment　pressed　more　heavily　upon　them。　Food　and　sleeping　quarters　were　easily　e　by　at　first；　as　was　fuel　for　the　car。　There　were　small　villages　and　hostelries　along　the　highway；　where　Pie；　despite　an　absence　of　hard　cash；　always　managed　to　secure　them　sustenance　and　beds　to　sleep　in。　The　mystif　had　a　host　of　minor　feits　at　its　disposal；　Gentle　realized：　ways　to　use　its　powers　of　seduction　to　make　even　the　most　rapacious　hosteller　pliant。　But　once　they　got　beyond　the　forest；　matters　became　more　problematical。　The　bulk　of　the　vehicles　had　turned　off　at　the　intersections；　and　the　highway　had　degenerated　from　a　well…serviced　thoroughfare　to　a　two…lane　road；　with　more　potholes　than　traffic。　The　vehicle　Pie　had　stolen　had　not　been　designed　for　the　rigors　of　long…distance　travel。　It　started　to　show　signs　of　fatigue；　and　with　the　mountains　looming　ahead　it　was　decided　they　should　stop　at　the　next　village　and　attempt　to　trade　it　in　for　a　more　reliable　。model。
　〃Perhaps　something　with　breath　in　its　body；〃　Pie　suggested。
　〃Speaking　of　which；〃　Gentle　said；　〃you　never　asked　me　about　the　Nullianac。〃
　〃What　was　there　to　ask？〃
　〃How　I　killed　it。〃
　〃I　presumed　you　used　a　pneuma。〃
　〃You　don't　sound　very　surprised。〃
　〃How　else　would　you　have　done　it？〃　Pie　said；　quite　reasonably。　〃You　had　the　will；　and　you　had　the　power。〃
　〃But　where　did　I　get　it　from？〃　Gentle　said。
　〃You've　always　had　it；〃　Pie　replied；　which　left　Gentle　nursing　as　many　questions；　or　more；　as　he'd　begun　with。　He　started　to　formulate　one；　but　something　in　the　motion　of　the　car　began　to　nauseate　him　as　he　did　so。　〃I　think　we'd　better　stop　for　a　few　minutes；〃　he　said。　〃I　think　I'm　going　to　puke。〃
　Pie　brought　the　vehicle　to　a　halt；　and　Gentle　stepped　out。　The　sky　was　darkening；　and　some　night…blooming　flower　spiced　the　cooling　air。　On　the　slopes　above　them　herds　of　pale…flanked　beasts；　relations　of　the　yak　but　here　called　doekt；　moved　down　through　the　twilight　to　their　dormitory　pastures；　lowing　as　they　came。　The　dangers　of　Vanaeph　and　the　thronged　highway　outside　Patashoqua　seemed　very　remote。　Gentle　breathed　deeply；　and　the　nausea；　like　his　questions；　no　longer　vexed　him。　He　looked　up　at　the　first　stars。　Some　were　red　here；　like　Mars；　others　gold：　fragments　of　the　noonday　sky　that　refused　to　be　extinguished。
　〃Is　this　Dominion　another　planet？〃　he　asked　Pie。　〃Are　we　in　some　other　galaxy？〃
　〃No。　It's　not　space　that　separates　the　Fifth　from　the　rest　of　the　Dominions；　it's　the　In　Ovo。〃
　〃So；　is　the　whole　of　planet　Earth　the　Fifth　Dominion；　or　just　part　of　it？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　Pie　said。　〃All；　I　assume。　But　everyone　has　a　different　theory。〃
　〃What's　yours？〃
　〃Well；　when　we　move　between　the　Reconciled　Dominions；　you'll　see　it's　very　easy。　There　are　countless　passing　places　between　the　Fourth　and　the　Third；　the　Third　and　the　Second。　We'll　walk　into　a　mist；　and　we'll　e　out　into　another　world。　Simple。　But　I　don't　think　the　borders　are　fixed。　I　think　they　move　over　the　centuries；　and　the　shapes　of　the　Dominions　change。　So　maybe　it'll　be　the　same　with　the　Fifth。　If　it's　reconciled；　the　borders　will　spread；　until　the　whole　planet　has　access　to　the　rest　of　the　Dominions。　The　truth　is；　nobody　really　knows　what　the　Imajica　looks　like；　because　nobody's　ever　made　a　map。〃
　〃Somebody　should　try。〃
　〃Maybe　you're　the　man　to　do　it；〃　Pie　said。　〃You　were　an　artist　before　you　were　a　traveler。〃
　〃I　was　a　faker；　not　an　artist。〃
　〃But　your　hands　are　clever；〃　Pie　replied。
　〃Clever；〃　Gentle　said　softly；　〃but　never　inspired。〃
　This　melancholy　thought　took　him　back；　momentarily；　to　Klein；　and　to　the　rest　of　the　circle　he'd　left　in　the　Fifth：　to　Jude；　Clem；　Estabrook；　Vanessa；　and　the　rest。　What　were　they　doing　this　fine　night？　Had　they　even　noticed　his　departure？　He　doubted　it。
　〃Are　you　feeling　any　better？〃　Pie　inquired。　〃I　see　some　lights　down　the　road　a　little　way。　It　may　be　the　last　outpost　before　the　mountains。〃
　〃I'm　in　good　shape；〃　Gentle　said；　climbing　back　into　the　car。
　They'd　proceeded　perhaps　a　quarter　of　a　mile；　and　were　in　sight　of　the　village；　when　their　progress　was　brought　to　a　halt　by　a　young　girl　who　appeared　from　the　dusk　to　herd　her　doeki　across　the　road。　She　was　in　every　way　a　normal　thirteen…year…old　child　but　for　one：　her　face；　and　those　parts　of　her　body　revealed　by　her　simple　dress；　were　sleek　with　fawny　down。　It　was　plaited　where　it　grew　long　at　her　elbows；　and　her　temples；　and　tied　in　a　row　of　ribbons　at　her　nape。
　〃What　village　is　this？〃　Pie　asked；　as　the　last　of　the　doeki　lingered　in　the　road。
　〃Beatrix；〃　she　said；　and　without　prompting　added；　〃There　is　no　better　place　in　any　heaven。〃　Then；　。shooing　the　last　beast　on　its　way；　she　vanished　into　the　twilight。
　The　streets　of　Beatrix　weren't　as　narrow　as　those　of　Vana…eph；　nor　were　they　designed　for　motor　vehicles。　Pie　parked　the　car　close　to　the　outskirts；　and　the　two　of　them　ambled　into　the　village　from　there。　The　houses　were　unpretentious　affairs；　raised　of　an　ocher　stone　and　surrounded　by　stands　of　vegetation　that　were　a　cross　between　silver　birch　and　bamboo。　The　lights　Pie　had　spotted　from　a　distance　weren't　those　that　burned　in　the　windows；　but　lanterns　that　hung　in　these　trees；　throwing　their　mellow　light　across　the　streets。　Just　about　every　copse　boasted　its　lantern　trimmers…shaggy…faced　children　like　the　herder…some　squatting　beneath　the　trees；　others　perched　precariously　in　their　branches。　The　doors　of　almost　all　the　houses　stood　open；　and　music　drifted　from　several；　tunes　caught　by　the　lantern　trimmers　and　danced　to　in　the　dapple。　Asked　to　guess；　Gentle　would　have　said　life　was　good　here。　Slow；　perhaps；　but　good。
　〃We　can't　cheat　these　people；〃　Gentle　said。　〃It　wouldn't　be　honorable。〃
　〃Agreed；〃　Pie　replied。
　〃So　what　do　we　do　for　money？〃
　〃Maybe　they'll　agree　to　cannibalize　the　vehicle　for　a　good　meal　and　a　horse　or　two。〃
　〃I　don't　see　any　horses。〃
　〃A　doeki　would　be　fine。〃
　〃They　look　slow。〃
　Pie　directed　Gentle's　gaze　up　the　heights　of　the　Jokalay…lau。　The　last　traces　of　day　still　lingered　on　the　snowfields；　but　for　all　their　beauty　the　mountains　were　vast　and　uninviting。
　〃Slow　and　certain　is　safer　up　there；〃　Pie　said。　Gentle　took　Pie's　point。　〃I'm　going　to　see　if　I　can　find　somebody　in　charge；〃　the　mystif　went　on；　and　left　Gentle's　side　to　go　and　question　one　of　the　lantern　trimmers。
　Drawn　by　the　sound　of　raucous　laughter；　Gentle　wandered　on　a　little　farther；　and　turning　a　corner　he　found　two　dozen　of　the　villagers；　mostly　men　and　boys；　standing　in　front　of　a　marionette　theater　that　had　been　set　up　in　the　lee　of　one　of　the　houses。　The　show　they　were　watching　contrasted　violently　with　the　benign　atmosphere　of　the　village。　To　judge　by　the　spires　painted　on　the　backdrop　the　story　was　set　in　Patashoqua；　and　as　Gentle　joined　the　audience　two　characters；　one　a　grossly　fat　woman；　the　other　a　man　with　the　proportions　of　a　fetus　and　the　endowment　of　a　donkey；　were　in　the　middle　of　a　domestic　tiff　so　frenzied　the　spires　were　shaking。　The　puppeteers；　three　slim　young　men　with　identical　mustaches；　were　plainly　visible　above　the　booth　and　provided　both　the　dialogue　and　the　sound　effects；　the　former　larded　with　baroque　obscenities。　Now　another　character　entered…this　a　hunchbacked　sibling　of　Pulcinella…and　summarily　beheaded　Donkey　Dick。　The　head　flew　to　the　ground；　where　the　fat　woman　knelt　to　sob　over　it。　As　she　did　so；　cherubic　wings　unfolded　from　behind　its　ears　and　it　floated　up　into　the　sky；　acpanied　by　a　falsetto　din　from　the　puppeteers。　This　earned　applause　from　the　audience；　during　which　Gentle　caught　sight　of　Pie　in　the　street。　At　the　mystif's　side　was　a　jug…eared　adolescent　with　hair　down　to　the　middle　of　his　back。　Gentle　went　to　join　them。
　〃This　is　Efreet　Splendid；〃　Pie　said。　〃He　tells　me…wait　for　this…he　tells　me　his　mother　has　dreams　about　white　furless　men　and　would　like　to　meet　you。〃
　The　grin　that　broke　through　Efreet's　facial　thatch　was　crooked　but　beguiling。
　〃She'll　like　you；〃　he　announced。
　〃Are　you　sure？〃　Gentle　said。
　〃Certainly！〃
　〃Will　she　feed　us？〃
　〃For　a　furless　whitey；　anything；〃　Efreet　replied。
　Gentle　threw　the　mystif　a　doubtful　glance。　〃I　hope　you　know　what　we're　doing；〃　he　said。
　Efreet　led　the　way；　chattering　as　he　went；　asking　mostly　about　Patashoqua。　It　was；　he　said；　his　ambition　to　see　the　great　city。　Rather　than　disappoint　the　boy　by　admitting　that　he　hadn't　stepped　inside　the　gates；　Gentle　informed　him　that　it　was　a　place　of　untold　magnificence。
　〃Especially　the　Merrow　Ti'　Ti'；〃　he　said。
　The　boy　grinned　and　said　he'd　tell　everybody　he　knew　that　he'd　met　a　hairless　white　man　who'd　seen　the　Merrow　Ti'　Ti'。　From　such　innocent　lies；　Gentle　mused；　legends　came。
　At　the　door　of　the　house；　Efreet　stood　aside；　to　let　Gentle　be　first　over　the　threshold。　He　startled　the　woman　inside　with　his　appearance。　She　dropped　the　cat　she　was　bing　and　instantly　fell　to　her　knees。　Embarrassed；　Gentle　asked　her　to　stand；　but　it　was　only　after　much　persuasion　that　she　did　so；　and　even　then　she　kept　her　head　bewed；　watching　him　furtively　from　the　corners　of　her　small　dark　eyes。　She　was　short…barely　taller　than　her　son；　in　fact…her　face　fine…boned　beneath　its　down。　Her　name　was　Larumday；　she　said；　and　she　would　very　happily　extend　to　Gentle　and　his　lady　（as　she　assumed　Pie　to　be）　the　hospitality　of　her　house。　Her　younger　son；　Emblem；　was　coerced　into　helping　her　prepare　food　while　Efreet　talked　about　where　they　could　find　a　buyer　for　the　car。　Nobody　in　the　village　had　any　use　for　such　a　vehicle；　he　said；　but　in　the　hills　was　a　man　who　might。　His　name　was　Coaxial　Tasko；　and　it　came　as　a　considerable