cb.imajica1-第62部分

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；　it　had　succeeded。　They　traveled　half　a　day　without　exchanging　a　single　word。
　In　the　heat　of　the　afternoon；　the　train　stopped　at　a　small　town　and　lingered　there　while　the　flock　from　Mai…ke　disembarked。　No　less　than　four　suppliers　of　refreshments　came　through　the　train　while　it　waited；　one　exclusively　carrying　pastries　and　candies；　among　which　Gentle　found　a　variation　on　the　honey　and　seed　cake　that　had　almost　kept　him　in　Attaboy。　He　bought　three　slices；　and　then　two　cups　of　well…sweetened　coffee　from　another　merchant；　the　bination　of　which　soon　enlivened　his　torpid　system。　For　its　part；　the　mystif　bought　and　ate　dried　fish；　the　smell　of　which　drove　Gentle　even　farther　from　its　side。
　As　the　shout　came　announcing　their　imminent　departure；　Pie　suddenly　sprang　up　and　darted　to　the　door。　The　thought　went　through　Gentle's　head　that　the　mystif　intended　to　desert　him；　but　it　had　spotted　newspapers　for　sale　on　the　platform　and；　having　made　a　hurried　purchase；　clambered　aboard　again　as　the　train　began　to　move　off。　Then　it　sat　down　beside　the　remains　of　its　fish　dinner　and　had　no　sooner　unfolded　the　paper　than　it　let　out　a　low　whistle。
　〃Gentle。　You'd　better　look　at　this。〃
　It　passed　the　newspaper　across　the　aisle。　The　banner　headline　was　in　a　language　Gentle　neither　understood　nor　even　recognized；　but　that　scarcely　mattered。　The　photographs　below　were　plain　enough。　Here　was　a　gallows；　with　six　bodies　hanging　from　it；　and；　inset；　the　death　portraits　of　the　executed　individuals：　among　them；　Hammeryock　and　Pontiff　Farrow；　the　lawgivers　of　Vanaeph。　Below　this　rogues'　gallery　a　finely　rendered　etching　of　Tick　Raw；　the　crazy　evocator；
　〃So；〃　Gentle　said；　〃they　got　their　euppance。　It's　the　best　news　I've　had　in　days。〃
　〃No；　it's　not；〃　Pie　replied。
　〃They　tried　to　kill　us；　remember？〃　Gentle　said　reasonably；　determined　not　to　be　infuriated　by　Pie's　contentiousness。　〃If　they　got　hanged　I'm　not　going　to　mourn　'em！　What　did　they　do；　try　and　steal　the　Merrow　Ti'　Ti'？〃
　〃The　MerrowTi'　Ti'　doesn't　exist。〃
　〃That　was　a　joke；　Pie；〃　Gentle　said；　dead　pan。
　〃I　missed　the　humor　of　it；　I'm　sorry；〃　the　mystif　said；　unsmiling。　〃Their　crime…〃　It　stopped　and　crossed　the　aisle　to　sit　opposite　Gentle；　claiming　the　paper　from　his　hands　before　continuing。　〃Their　crime　is　far　more　significant；〃　it　went　on；　its　voice　lowered。　It　began　to　read　in　the　same　whisper；　precising　the　text　of　the　paper。　〃They　were　executed　a　week　ago　for　making　an　attempt　on　the　Autarch's　life　while　he　and　his　entourage　were　on　their　peace　mission　in　Vanaeph…〃
　〃Are　you　kidding？〃
　〃No　joke。　That's　what　it　says。〃
　〃Did　they　succeed？〃
　〃Of　course　not。〃　The　mystif　fell　silent　while　it　scanned　the　columns。　〃It　says　they　killed　three　of　his　advisers　with　a　bomb　and　injured　eleven　soldiers。　The　device　was　。　。　。　wait；　my　Omootajivac　is　rusty　。　。　。　the　device　was　smuggled　into　his　presence　by　Pontiff　Farrow。　They　were　all　caught　alive；　it　says；　but　hanged　dead；　which　means　they　died　under　torture　but　the　Autarch　made　a　show　of　the　execution　anyway。〃
　〃That's　fucking　barbaric。〃
　〃It's　very　mon；　particularly　in　political　trials。〃
　〃What　about　Tick　Raw？　Why's　his　picture　in　there？〃
　〃He　was　named　as　a　co…conspirator；　but　apparently　he　escaped。　The　damn　fool！〃
　〃Why'd　you　call　him　that？〃
　〃Getting　involved　in　politics　when　there's　so　much　more　at　stake。　It's　not　the　first　time；　of　course；　and　won't　be　the　last…〃
　〃I'm　not　following。〃
　〃People　get　frustrated　with　waiting　and　they　end　up　stooping　to　politics。　But　it's　so　shortsighted。　Stupid　sod。〃
　〃How　well　do　you　know　him？〃
　〃Who？　Tick　Raw？〃　The　placid　features　were　momentarily　confounded。　Then　Pie　said；　〃He　has。　。　。　a　certain　reputation；　shall　we　say？　They'll　find　him　for　certain。　There　isn't　a　sewer　in　the　Dominions　he'll　be　able　to　hide　his　head　in。〃
　〃Why　should　you　care？〃
　〃Keep　your　voice　down。〃
　〃Answer　the　question；〃　Gentle　replied；　dropping　his　volume　as　he　spoke。
　〃He　was　a　Maestro；　Gentle。　He　called　himself　an　evocator；　but　it　amounts　to　the　same　thing：　he　had　power。〃
　〃Then　why　was　he　living　in　the　middle　of　a　shithole　like　Vanaeph？〃
　〃Not　everybody　cares　about　wealth　and　women；　Gentle。　Some　souls　have　higher　ambition。〃
　〃Such　as？〃
　〃Wisdom。　Remember　why　we　came　on　this　journey？　To　understand。　That's　a　fine　ambition。〃　Pie　looked　at　Gentle；　making　eye…to…eye　contact　for　the　first　time　since　the　episode　on　the　platform。　〃Your　ambition；　my　friend。　You　and　Tick　Raw　had　a　lot　in　mon。〃
　〃And　he　knew　it？〃
　〃Oh；　yes。　。　。。〃
　〃Is　that　why　he　was　so　riled　when　I　wouldn't　sit　down　and　talk　with　him？〃
　〃I'd　say　so。〃
　〃Shit！〃　〃Hammeryock　and　Farrow　must　have　taken　us　for　spies；　e　to　wheedle　out　plots　laid　against　the　Autarch。〃
　〃But　Tick　Raw　saw　the　truth。〃
　〃He　did。　He　was　once　a　great　man；　Gentle。　At　least。　。　。　that　was　the　rumor。　Now　I　suppose　he's　dead　or　being　tortured。　Which　is　grim　news　for　us。〃
　〃You　think　he'll　name　us？〃
　〃Who　knows？　Maestros　have　ways　of　protecting　themselves　from　torture；　but　even　the　strongest　man　can　break　under　the　right　kind　of　pressure。〃
　〃Are　you　saying　we've　got　the　Autarch　on　our　tails？〃
　〃I　think　we'd　know　it　if　we　had。　We've　e　a　long　way　from　Vanaeph。　The　trail's　probably　cold　by　now。〃
　〃And　maybe　they　didn't　arrest　Tick；　eh？　Maybe　he　escaped。〃
　〃They　still　caught　Hammeryock　and　the　Pontiff。　I　think　we　can　assume　they've　got　a　hair…by…hair　description　of　us。〃
　Gentle　laid　his　head　back　against　the　seat。　〃Shit；〃　he　said。　〃We're　not　making　many　friends；　are　we？〃
　〃All　the　more　reason　that　we　don't　lose　each　other；〃　the　mystif　replied。　The　shadows　of　passing　bamboo　flickered　on　its　face；　but　it　looked　at　him　unblinking。　〃Whatever　harm　you　believe　I　may　have　done　you；　now　or　in　the　past；　I　apologize　for　it。　I'd　never　wish　you　any　hurt；　Gentle。　Please　believe　that。　Not　the　slightest。〃
　〃I　know；〃　Gentle　murmured；　〃and　I'm　sorry　too；　truly。〃
　〃Shall　we　agree　to　postpone　our　argument　until　the　only　opponents　we've　got　left　in　the　Imajica　are　each　other？〃
　〃That　may　be　a　very　long　time。〃
　〃AH　the　better。〃
　Gentle　laughed。　〃Agreed；〃　he　said；　leaning　forward　and　taking　the　mystif　s　hand。　〃We've　seen　some　amazing　sights　together；　haven't　we？〃
　〃Indeed　we　have。〃
　〃Back　there　in　Mai…ke　I　was　losing　my　sense　of　how　marvelous　all　this　is。〃
　〃We've　got　a　lot　more　wonders　to　see。〃
　〃Just　promise　me　one　thing？〃　〃Ask　it。〃
　〃Don't　eat　raw　fish　in　eyeshot　of　me　again。　It's　more　than　a　man　can　take。〃
　
　From　the　yearning　way　that　Hairstone　Banty　had　described　L'Himby；　Gentle　had　been　expecting　some　kind　of　Khat…mandu…a　city　of　temples；　pilgrims；　and　free　dope。　Perhaps　it　had　been　that　way　once；　in　Banty's　long…lost　youth。　But　when；　a　few　minutes　after　night　had　fallen；　Gentle　and　Pie　stepped　off　the　train；　it　was　not　into　an　atmosphere　of　spiritual　calm。　There　were　soldiers　at　the　station　gates；　most　of　them　standing　idle；　smoking　and　talking；　but　a　few　casting　their　eyes　over　the　disembarking　passengers。　As　luck　had　it；　however；　another　train　had　arrived　at　an　adjacent　platform　minutes　before；　and　the　gateway　was　choked　with　passengers；　many　hugging　their　life's　belongings。　It　wasn't　difficult　for　Pie　and　Gentle　to　dig　their　way　through　to　the　densest　part　of　the　crowd　and　pass　unnoticed　through　the　turnstiles　and　out　of　the　station。
　There　were　many　more　troops　in　the　wide　lamplit　streets；　their　presence　no　less　disturbing　for　the　air　of　lassitude　that　hung　about　them。　The　unmissioned　ranks　wore　a　drab　gray；　but　the　officers　wore　white；　which　suited　the　subtropical　night。　All　were　conspicuously　armed。　Gentle　made　certain　not　to　study　either　men　or　weaponry　too　closely　for　fear　of　attracting　unwele　attention；　but　it　was　clear　from　even　a　furtive　glance　that　both　the　armaments　and　the　vehicles　parked　in　every　other　alleyway　were　of　the　same　elaborately　intimidating　design　as　he'd　seen　in　Beatrix。　The　warlords　of　Yzordderrex　were　clearly　past　masters　in　the　crafts　of　death；　their　technology　several　generations　beyond　that　of　the　lootive　that　had　brought　the　travelers　here。
　To　Gentle's　eye　the　most　fascinating　sight　was　not　the　tanks　or　the　machine　guns；　however；　it　was　the　presence　among　these　troops　of　a　subspecies　he'd　not　encountered　hitherto。　Oethacs；　Pie　called　them。　They　stood　no　taller　than　their　fellows；　but　their　heads　made　up　a　third　or　more　of　that　height；　their　squat　bodies　grotesquely　broad　to　bear　the　weight　of　such　a　massive　load　of　bone。　Easy　targets；　Gentle　remarked；　but　Pie　whispered　that　their　brains　were　small；　their　skulls　thick；　and　their　tolerance　for　pain　heroic；　the　latter　evidenced　by　the　extraordinary　array　of　livid　scars　and　disfigurements　they　all　bore　on　skin　that　was　as　white　as　the　bone　it　concealed。
　It　seemed　this　substantial　military　presence　had　been　in　place　for　some　time；　because　the　populace　went　about　their　evening　business　as　if　these　men　and　their　killing　machines　were　pletely　monplace。　There　was　little　sign　of　fraternization；　but　there　was　no　harassment　either。
　〃Where　do　we　go　from　here？〃　Gentle　asked　Pie　once　they　were　clear　of　the　crowds　around　the　station。
　〃Scopique　lives　in　the　northeast　part　of　the　city；　close　to　the　temples。　He's　a　doctor。　Very　well　respected；〃
　〃You　think　he　may　be　still　practicing？〃
　〃He　doesn't　mend　bones；　Gentle。　He's　a　doctor　of　theology。　He　used　to　like　the　city　because　it　was　so　sleepy。〃
　〃It's　changed；　then。〃
　〃It　certainly　has。　It　looks　as　though　it's　got　rich。〃
　There　was　evidence　of　L'Himby's　newfound　wealth　everywhere：　in　the　gleaming　buildings；　many　of　them　looking　as　though　the　paint　on　their　doors　was　barely　dry；　in　the　proliferation　of　styles　among　the　pedestrians　and　in　the　number　of　elegant　automobiles　on　the　street。　There　were　a　few　signs　still　remaining　of　the　culture　that　had　existed　here　before　the　city's　fortunes　had　boomed：　beasts　of　burden　still　wove　among　the　traffic；　honked　at　and　cursed；　a　smattering　of　facades　had　been　preserved　from　older　buildings　and　incorporated…usually　crudely…into　the　designs　of　the　newer。　And　then　there　were　the　living　facades；　the　faces　of　the　people　Gentle　and　Pie　were　mingling　with。　The　natives　had　a　physical　peculiarity　unique　to　the　region：　clusters　of　small　crystalline　growths；　yellow　and　purp