cb.imajica1-第49部分

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；　she　had　bee　a　conspirator。　There　was　no　way　back　after　this；　to　the　pany　she'd　kept　and　the　life　she'd　known；　she　belonged　to　the　secret；　every　bit　as　much　as　the　secret　belonged　to　her。
　That　of　itself　would　be　no　great　loss　if　Godolphin　returned。　He　would　help　her　find　her　way　through　the　mysteries。　If　he　didn't　return；　the　consequences　were　less　palatable。　To　be　obliged　to　keep　Dowd's　pany；　simply　because　they　were　fellow　marginals；　would　be　unbearable。　She　would　surely　wither　and　die。　But　then　if　Godolphin　was　not　in　her　life；　what　could　that　matter？　From　ecstasy　to　despair　in　the　space　of　an　hour。　Was　it　too　much　to　hope　the　pendulum　would　swing　back　the　other　way　before　the　day　was　out？
　The　chill　was　adding　to　her　misery；　and…having　no　other　source　of　warmth…she　went　over　to　the　pyre；　preparing　to　retreat　if　the　scent　or　the　sight　was　too　offensive。　But　the　smoke；　which　she'd　expected　to　smell　of　burning　meat；　was　almost　aromatic；　and　the　forms　in　the　fire　unrecognizable。　Dowd　offered　her　a　cigarette；　which　she　accepted；　lighting　it　from　a　branch　plucked　from　the　edge　of　the　fire。
　〃What　were　they？〃　she　asked　him；　eyeing　the　remains。
　〃You've　never　heard　of　voiders？〃　he　said。　〃They're　the　lowest　of　the　low。　I　brought　them　through　from　the　In　Ovo　myself；　and　I'm　no　Maestro；　so　that…gives　an　idea　of　how　gullible　they　are。〃
　〃When　it　smelled　the　wind…〃
　〃Yes；　that　was　rather　touching；　wasn't　it？〃　Dowd　said。　〃It　smelled　Yzordderrex。〃
　〃Maybe　it　was　born　there。〃
　〃Very　possibly。　I've　heard　it　said　they're　made　of　collective　desire；　but　that's　not　true。　They're　revenge　children。　Got　on　women　who　were　working　the　Way　for　themselves。〃
　〃Working　the　Way　isn't　good？〃
　〃Not　for　your　sex；　it　isn't。　It's　strictly　forbidden。〃
　〃So　somebody　who　breaks　the　law's　made　pregnant　as　revenge？〃
　〃Exactly。　You　can't　abort　voiders；　you　see。　They're　stupid；　but　they　fight；　even　in　the　womb。　And　killing　something　you　gave　birth　to　is　strictly　against　the　women's　codes。　So　they　pay　to　have　the　voiders　thrown　into　the　In　Ovo。　They　can　survive　there　longer　than　just　about　anything。　They　feed　on　whatever　they　can　find；　including　each　other。　And　eventually；　if　they're　lucky；　they　get　summoned　by　someone　in　this　Dominion。〃
　So　much　to　learn；　she　thought。　Perhaps　she　should　cultivate　Dowd's　friendship；　however　charmless　he　was。　He　seemed　to　enjoy　parading　his　knowledge；　and　the　more　she　knew　the　better　prepared　she'd　be　when　she　finally　stepped　through　the　door　into　Yzordderrex。　She　was　about　to　ask　him　something　more　about　the　city　when　a　gust　of　wind；　blowing　from　out　of　the　chapel；　threw　a　flurry　of　sparks　up　between　them。
　〃They're　ing　back；〃　she　said；　and　started　towards　the　building。
　〃Be　careful；〃　Dowd　said。　〃You　don't　know　it's　them。〃
　His　warning　went　unheeded。　She　went　to　the　door　at　a　run；　and　reached　it　as　the　spicy　summer　wind　died　away。　The　interior　of　the　chapel　was　gloomy；　but　she　could　see　a　single　figure　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　mosaic。　It　staggered　towards　her；　its　breathing　ragged。　The　light　from　the　fire　caught　it　as　it　came　within　two　yards　of　her。　Jt　was　Oscar　Godolphin；　his　hand　up　to　his　bleeding　nose。　〃That　bastard；〃　he　said。　〃Where　is　he？〃
　〃Dead；〃　he　said　plainly。　〃I　had　to　do　it；　Judith。　He　was　crazy。　God　alone　knows　what　he　might　have　said　or　done。　。　。。〃　He　put　his　arm　towards　her；　〃Will　you　help　me？　He　damn　near　broke　my　nose。〃
　〃I'll　take　him；〃　Dowd　said　possessively。　He　stepped　past　her；　fetching　a　handkerchief　from　his　pocket　to　put　to　Oscar's　nose。　It　was　waved　away。
　〃I'll　survive；〃　Oscar　said。　〃Let's　just　get　home。〃　They　were　out　of　the　chapel　now；　and　Oscar　was　eyeing　the　fire。　〃The　voiders；〃　Dowd　explained。　Oscar　threw　a　glance　at　Judith；　〃He　made　you　pyre…watch　with　him？〃　he　said。　〃I'm　so　sorry。〃　He　looked　back　at　Dowd；　pained。　'That's　no　way　to　treat　a　lady；〃　he　said。　〃We're　going　to　have　to　do　better　in　future。〃　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃She's　ing　to　live　with　us。　Aren't　you；　Judith？〃　She　hesitated　a　shamelessly　short　time；　then　she　said；　〃Yes；　I　am。〃
　Satisfied；　he　went　over　to　look　at　the　pyre。
　〃e　back　tomorrow；〃　she　heard　him　tell　Dowd。　〃Scatter　the　ashes　and　bury　the　bones。　I've　got　a　little　prayer　book　Peccable　gave　me。　We'll　find　something　appropriate　in　there。〃
　While　he　spoke　she　stared　into　the　murk　of　the　chapel；　trying　to　imagine　the　journey　that　had　been　taken　from　here；　and　the　city　at　the　other　end　from　which　that　tantalizing　wind　had　blown。　She　would　be　there　one　day。　She'd　lost　a　husband　in　pursuit　of　passage；　but　from　her　present　perspective　that　seemed　like　a　negligible　loss。　There　was　a　new　order　of　feeling　in　her；　founded　at　the　sight　of　Oscar　Godolphin。　She　didn't　yet　know　what　he　would　e　to　mean　to　her；　but　perhaps　she　could　persuade　him　to　take　her　away　with　him；　someday　soon。
　Eager　as　she　was　to　create　in　her　mind's　eye　the　mysteries　that　lay　beyond　the　veil　of　the　Fifth；　Jude's　imagination；　for　all　its　fever；　could　never　have　conjured　the　reality　of　that　journey。　Inspired　by　a　few　clues　from　Dowd；　she　had　imagined　the　In　Ovo　as　a　kind　of　wasteland；　where　voiders　hung　like　drowned　men　in　deep…sea　trenches；　and　creatures　the　sun　would　never　see　crawled　towards　her；　their　paths　lit　by　their　own　sickly　luminescence。　But　the　inhabitants　of　the　In　Ovo　beggared　the　bizarreness　of　any　ocean　floor。　They　had　forms　and　appetites　that　no　book　had　ever　set　down。　They　had　rages　and　frustrations　that　were　centuries　old。
　And　the　scenes　she'd　imagined　awaiting　her　on　the　other　side　of　that　prison　were　also　very　different　from　those　she'd　created。　If　she'd　traveled　on　the　Yzordderrexian　Express　she'd　would　not　have　been　delivered　into　the　middle　of　a　summer　city　but　into　a　dampish　cellar；　lined　with　the　merchant　Peccable's　forbidden　cache　of　charms　and　petrifi…cations。　In　order　to　reach　the　open　air；　she　would　have　had　to　climb　the　stairs　and　pass　through　the　house　itself。　Once　she'd　reached　the　street；　she'd　have　found　some　of　her　expectations　satisfied　at　least。　The　air　was　warm　and　spicy　there；　and　the　sky　was　bright。　But　it　was　not　a　sun　that　blazed　overhead；　it　was　a　et；　trailing　its　glory　across　the　Second　Dominion。　And　if　she　stared　at　it　a　moment；　then　looked　down　at　the　street；　she'd　have　found　its　reflection　glittering　in　a　pool　of　blood。　Here　was　the　spot　where　the　brawl　between　Oscar　and　Charlie　had　ended；　and　where　the　defeated　brother　had　been　left。
　He　had　not　remained　there　for　very　long。　News　of　a　man　dressed　in　foreign　garb　and　dumped　in　the　gutter　had　soon　spread；　and　before　the　last　of　his　blood　had　drained　from　his　body　three　individuals　never　before　seen　in　this　Kespa…rate　had　e　to　claim　him。　They　were　Dearthers；　to　judge　by　their　tattoos；　and　had　Jude　been　standing　on　Peccable's　step　watching　the　scene；　she　would　have　been　touched　to　see　how　reverently　they　treated　their　burden　as　they　spirited　it　away。　How　they　smiled　down　at　that　bruised　and　lolling　face。　How　one　of　them　wept。　She　might　also　have　noticed…though　in　the　flurry　of　the　street　this　detail　might　have　escaped　her　eye…that　though　the　defeated　man　lay　quite　still　in　the　cradle　his　bearers　made　of　their　limbs；　his　eyes　closed；　his　arms　trailing　until　they　were　folded　across　his　chest；　said　chest　was　not　entirely　motionless。
　Charles　Estabrook；　abandoned　for　dead　in　the　filth　of　Yzordderrex；　left　its　streets　with　enough　health　in　his　body　to　be　dubbed　a　loser；　not　a　corpse。
　
　
　22
　
　The　days　following　Pie　and　Gentle's　second　departure　from　Beatrix　seemed　to　shorten　as　they　climbed；　supporting　the　suspicion　that　the　nights　in　the　Jokalaylau　were　longer　than　those　in　the　lowlands。　It　was　impossible　to　confirm　that　this　was　so；　because　their　two　timekeepers…Gentle's　beard　and　Pie's　bowels…became　increasingly　unreliable　as　they　climbed；　the　former　because　Gentle　ceased　to　shave；　the　latter　because　the　travelers'　desire　to　eat；　and　thus　their　need　to　defecate；　dwindled　the　higher　they　went。　Far　from　inspiring　appetite；　the　rarefied　air　became　a　feast　in　itself；　and　they　traveled　for　hour　upon　hour　without　their　thoughts　once　turning　to　physical　need。　They　had　each　other's　pany；　of　course；　to　keep　them　from　pletely　forgetting　their　bodies　and　their　purpose；　but　more　reliable　still　were　the　beasts　on　whose　shaggy　backs　they　rode。　When　the　doeki　grew　hungry　they　simply　stopped；　and　would　not　be　bullied　or　coaxed　into　moving　from　whatever　bush　or　piece　of　pasture　they'd　found　until　they　were　sated。　At　first；　this　was　an　irritation；　and　the　riders　cursed　as　they　slipped　from　their　saddles　on　such　occasions；　knowing　they　had　an　idling　hour　ahead　while　the　animals　grazed。　But　as　the　days　passed　and　the　air　grew　thinner；　they　came　to　depend　upon　the　rhythm　of　the　doekis'　digestive　tracts　and　made　such　stopping　places　mealtimes　for　themselves。
　It　soon　became　apparent　that　Pie's　calculations　as　to　the　length　of　this　journey　had　been　hopelessly　optimistic。　The　only　part　of　the　mystif's　predictions　that　experience　was　confirming　was　the　hardship。　Even　before　they　reached　the　snow　line；　both　riders　and　mounts　were　showing　signs　of　fatigue；　and　the　track　they　were　following　became　less　visible　by　the　mile　as　the　soft　earth　chilled　and　froze；　refusing　the　traces　of　those　who　had　preceded　them。　With　the　prospect　of　snowfields　and　glaciers　ahead；　they　rested　the　doeki　for　a　day　and　encouraged　the　beasts　to　gorge　themselves　on　what　would　be　the　last　available　pasture　until　they　reached　the　other　side　of　the　range。
　Gentle　had　called　his　mount　Chester；　after　dear　old　Klein；　with　whom　it　shared　a　certain　ruminative　charm。　Pie　declined　to　name　the　other　beast；　however；　claiming　it　was　bad　luck　to　eat　anything　you　knew　by　name；　and　circumstances　might　very　well　oblige　them　to　dine　on　doeki　meat　before　they　reached　the　borders　of　the　Third　Dominion。　That　small　disagreement　aside；　they　kept　their　exchanges　frictionless　when　they　set　off　again；　both　consciously　skirting　any　discussion　of　the　events　in　Beatrix　or　their　significance。　The　cold　soon　became　aggressive；　the　coats　they'd　been　given　barely　adequate　defense　against　the　assault　of　winds　that　blew　up　walls　of　dusty　snow　so　dense　they　often　obliterated　the　way　ahead。　When　that　happened　Pie　pulled　out　the　pass…the　face　of　which　looked　more