cb.imajica1-第82部分

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　was　strong。
　〃I'm　hungry；〃　she　murmured　in　his　ear。
　〃Then　we'll　find　somewhere　to　eat；〃　he　replied。　〃We　can't　have　our　angel　going　hungry。〃
　They　walked　up　through　the　steep　streets　of　the　Oke　T'Noon　until　they　were　clear　of　the　throng　of　itinerants　ing　off　the　causeway。　Here　there　were　any　number　of　…establishments　offering　breakfast；　from　stalls　selling　barbecued　fish　to　cafes　that　might　have　been　transported　from　the　streets　of　Paris；　but　that　the　customers　sipping　coffee　were　more　extraordinary　than　even　that　city　of　exotics　could　boast。　Many　were　species　whose　peculiarities　he　now　took　for　granted：　Oethacs　and　Heratea；　distant　relatives　of　Mother　Splendid　and　Hammeryock；　even　a　few　who　resembled　the　one…eyed　croupier　from　Attaboy。　But　for　every　member　of　a　tribe　whose　features　he　recognized；　there　were　two　or　three　he　did　not。　As　in　Vanaeph；　Pie　had　warned　him　that　staring　too　hard　would　not　be　in　their　best　interests；　and　he　did　his　best　not　to　enjoy　too　plainly　the　array　of　courtesies；　humors；　lunacies；　gaits；　skins；　and　cries　that　filled　the　streets。　But　it　was　difficult。　After　a　time　they　found　a　small　caf6　from　which　the　smell　of　food　was　particularly　tempting；　and　Gentle　sat　down　beside　one　of　the　windows；　from　which　he　could　watch　the　parade　without　drawing　too　much　attention。
　〃I　had　a　friend　called　Klein；〃　he　said　as　they　ate；　〃back　in　the　Fifth　Dominion。　He　liked　to　ask　people　what　they'd　do　if　they　knew　they　only　had　three　days　to　live。〃　〃Why　three？〃　Huzzah　asked。
　〃I　don't　know。　Why　three　anything？　It's　one　of　those　numbers。〃
　〃　'In　any　fiction　there's　only　ever　room　for　three　players；'　〃　the　mystif　remarked。　〃　The　rest　must　be　。。　。'　〃…its　flow　faltered　in　mid…quotation…〃　'agents；'　something；　and　something　else。　That's　a　line　from　Pluthero　Quexos。〃　〃Who's　he？〃　〃Nevermind。〃　〃Where　was　I？〃　〃Klein；〃　said　Huzzah。
　〃When　he　got　around　to　asking　me　this　question；　I　told　him；　If　I　had　three　days　left　I'd　go　to　New　York；　because　you've　got　more　chance　of　living　out　your　wildest　dreams　there　than　anywhere。　But　now　I've　seen　Yzordderrex…〃　〃Not　much　of　it；〃　Huzzah　pointed　out。　〃It's　enough；　angel。　If　he　asks　me　again　I'm　going　to　tell　？　him　I'd　like　to　die　in　Yzordderrex。〃
　〃Eating　breakfast　with　Pie　and　Huzzah；〃　she　said。　〃Perfect。〃
　〃Perfect；〃　she　replied；　echoing　his　intonation　precisely。　〃Is　there　anything　I　couldn't　find　here　if　I　looked　hard　enough？〃
　〃Some　peace　and　quiet；〃　Pie　remarked。　The　hubbub　from　outside　was　certainly　loud；　even　in　the　cafe。
　〃I'm　sure　we'll　find　some　little　courtyards　up　in　the　palace；〃　Gentle　said。
　〃Is　that　where　we're　going？〃　Huzzah　asked。　〃Now　listen；〃　said　Pie。　〃For　one　thing；　Mr。　Zacharias　'。'？　doesn't　know　what　the　hell　he's　talking　about…〃　；；。。　〃Language；　Pie；〃　Gentle　put　in。
　〃And　for　another；　we　brought　you　here　to　find　your　pandparents；　and　that's　our　first　priority。　Right；　Mr。　Zacharias？〃　。　〃What　if　you　can't　find　them？〃　Huzzah　said。
　〃We　will；〃　Pie　replied。　〃My　people　know　this　city　from
　top　to　bottom。〃
　〃Is　that　possible？〃　Gentle　said。　〃I　somehow　doubt　it。〃　〃When　you've　finished　your　coffee；〃　Pie　said；　〃I'll　allow
　them　to　prove　you　wrong。〃
　With　their　bellies　filled；　they　headed　on　through　the　streets；　following　the　route　they'd　had　laid　out　for　them：　from　the　Oke　T'Noon　to　the　Caramess；　following　the　wall　until　they　reached　Smooke　Street。　In　fact　the　directions　were　not　entirely　reliable。　Smooke　Street；　which　was　a　narrow　thoroughfare；　and　far　emptier　than　those　they'd　left；　did　not　lead　them　onto　the　Viaticum　as　they'd　been　told　it　would；　but　rather　into　a　maze　of　buildings　as　plain　as　barracks。　There　were　children　playing　in　the　dirt；　and　among　them　wild　ragemy；　an　unfortunate　cross　between　porcine　and　canine　strains　that　Gentle　had　seen　spitted　and　served　in　Mai…ke　but　which　here　seemed　to　be　treated　as　pets。　Either　the　mud；　the　children；　or　the　ragemy　stank；　and　their　smell　had　attracted　zarzi　in　large　numbers。
　〃We　must　have　missed　a　turning；〃　the　mystif　said。　〃We'd　be　best　to…〃
　It　stopped　in　mid…sentence　as　the　sound　of　shouting　rose　from　nearby；　bringing　the　children　up　out　of　the　mud　and　sending　them　off　in　pursuit　of　its　source。　There　was　a　high　unmusical　holler　in　the　midst　of　the　din；　rising　and　falling　like　a　warrior　cry。　Before　either　Pie　or　Gentle　could　remark　on　this；　Huzzah　was　following　the　rest　of　the　children；　darting　between　the　puddles　and　the　rooting　ragemy　to　do　so。　Gentle　looked　at　Pie；　who　shrugged；　then　they　both　headed　after　Huzzah；　the　trail　leading　them　down　an　alleyway　into　a　broad　and　busy　street；　which　was　emptying　at　an　astonishing　rate　as　pedestrians　and　drivers　alike　sought　cover　from　whatever　was　racing　down　the　hill　in　their　direction。
　The　hollerer　came　first：　an　armored　man　of　fully　twice　Gentle's　height；　carrying　in　each　fist　scarlet　flags　that　snaked　behind　him　as　he　ran；　the　pitch　and　volume　of　his　cry　undimmed　by　the　speed　at　which　he　moved。　On　his　heels　came　a　battalion　of　similarly　armored　soldiers…　none；　even　in　the　troop；　under　eight　feet　tall…and　behind　them　again　a　vehicle　which　had　clearly　been　designed　to　mount　and　descent　the　ferocious　slopes　of　the　city　with　minimum　disfort　to　its　passengers。　The　wheels　were　the　height　of　the　hollerer；　the　carriage　itself　low…slung　between　them；　its　bodywork　sleek　and　dark；　its　windows　darker　still。　A　gull　had　bee　caught　between　the　spokes　of　the　wheels　on　the　way　down　the　hill；　and　it　flapped　and　bled　there　as　the　wheels　turned；　its　screeches　a　wretched　but　perfect　plement　to　the　cacophony　of　wheels；　engine；　and　hollerer。
　Gentle　took　hold　of　Huzzah　as　the　vehicle　raced　past；　though　she　was　in　no　danger　of　being　struck。　She　looked　around　at　him；　wearing　a　wide　grin。
　〃Who　was　that？〃　she　said。
　〃I　don't　know。〃
　A　woman　sheltering　in　the　doorway　beside　them　furnished　the　answer。　〃Quaisoir；〃　she　said。　〃The　Autarch's　woman。　There's　arrests　being　made　down　in　the　Scoriae。　More　Dearthers。〃
　She　made　a　small　gesture　with　her　fingers；　moving　them　across　her　face　from　eye　to　eye；　then　down　to　her　mouth；　pressing　the　knuckles　of　first　and　third　fingers　against　her　nostrils　while　the　middle　digit　tugged　at　her　lower　lip；　all　this　with　the　speed　of　one　who　made　the　sign　countless　times　in　a　day。　Then　she　turned　off　down　the　street；　keeping　close　to　the　wall　as　she　went。
　〃Athanasius　was　a　Dearther；　wasn't　he？〃　Gentle　said。　〃We　should　go　down　and　see　what's　happening。〃
　〃It's　a　little　too　public；〃　Pie　said。
　〃We'll　stay　to　the　back　of　the　crowd；〃　Gentle　said。　〃I　want　to　see　how　the　enemy　works。〃
　Without　giving　Pie　time　to　object；　Gentle　took　Huzzah's　hand　and　headed　after　Quaisoir's　troop。　It　wasn't　a　difficult　trail　to　follow。　Everywhere　along　the　route　faces　were　once　more　appearing　at　windows　and　doors；　like　anemones　showing　themselves　again　after　being　brushed　by　the　underbelly　of　a　shark：　tentative；　ready　to　hide　their　tender　heads　again　at　the　merest　sign　of　a　shadow。　Only　a　couple　of　tots；　not　yet　educated　in　terror；　did　as　the　three　strangers　were　doing　and　took　to　the　middle　of　the　street；　where　the　et's　light　was　brightest。　They　were　quickly　reclaimed　for　the　relative　safety　of　the　doorways　in　which　their　guardians　hovered。
　The　ocean　came　into　view　as　the　trio　descended　the　hill；　and　the　harbor　was　now　visible　between　the　houses；　which　were　considerably　older　in　this　neighborhood　than　in　the　Oke　T'Noon　or　up　by　the　Caramess。　The　air　was　clean　and　quick　here；　it　enlivened　their　step。　After　a　short　while　the　domestic　dwellings　gave　way　to　docklands：　warehouses；　cranes；　and　silos　reared　around　them。　But　the　area　was　by　no　means　deserted。　The　workers　here　were　not　so　easily　cowed　as　the　occupants　of　the　Kesparate　above；　and　many　were　leaving　off　their　labors　to　see　what　this　rumpus　was　all　about。　They　were　a　far　more　homogenized　group　than　Gentle　had　seen　elsewhere；　most　a　cross　between　Oethac　and　Homo　sapiens；　massive；　even　brutish　men　who　in　sufficient　numbers　could　certainly　trounce　Quaisoir's　battalion。　Gentle　hoisted　Huzzah　up　to　ride　on　his　back　as　they　joined　this　congregation；　fearful　she'd　be　trampled　if　he　didn't。　A　few　of　the　dockers　gave　her　a　smile；　and　several　stood　aside　to　let　her　mount　secure　a　better　place　in　the　crowd。　By　the　time　they　came　within　sight　of　the　troops　again　they　were　thoroughly　concealed。
　A　small　contingent　of　the　soldiers　had　been　charged　to　keep　onlookers　from　straying　too　close　to　the　field　of　action；　and　this　they　were　attempting　to　do；　but　they　were　vastly　outnumbered；　and　as　the　crowd　swelled　it　steadily　pushed　the　cordon　towards　the　site　of　the　hostilities；　a　warehouse　some　thirty　yards　down　the　street；　which　had　apparently　been　laid　siege　to。　Its　walls　were　pitted　with　bullet　strikes；　and　its　lower　windows　smoked。　The　besieging　troops…who　were　not　dressed　showily　like　Quaisoir's　battalion；　but　in　the　monochrome　Gentle　had　seen　paraded　in　L'Himby…were　presently　hauling　bodies　out　of　the　building。　Some　were　on　the　second　story；　pitching　dead　men…　and　a　couple　who　still　had　life　in　them…out　of　the　windows　onto　the　bleeding　heap　below。　Gentle　remembered　Beatrix。　Was　this　cairn　building　one　of　the　marks　of　the　Autarch's　hand？
　〃You　shouldn't　be　seeing　this；　angel；〃　Gentle　told　Huz…zah；　and　tried　to　lift　her　off　his　shoulders。　But　she　held　fast；　taking　fistfuls　of　his　hair　as　security。
　〃I　want　to　see；〃　she　said。　〃I've　seen　it　with　Daddy；　lots　of　times。〃
　〃Just　don't　get　sick　on　my　head；〃　Gentle　warned。
　〃I　won't；〃　she　said；　outraged　at　the　suggestion。
　There　were　fresh　brutalities　unfolding　below。　A　survivor　had　been　dragged　from　the　building　and　was　kicked　to　the　ground　a　few　yards　from　Quaisoir's　vehicle；　the　doors　and　windows　of　which　were　still　closed。　Another　was　defending　himself　as　best　he　could　from　bayonet　jabs；　yelling　in　defiance　as　his　tormentors　encircled　him。　But　everything　came　to　a　sudden　halt　with　the　appearance　on　the　warehouse　roof　of　a　man　wearing　little　more　than　ragged　underwear；　who　opened　his　arms　like　a　soul　in　search　of　martyrdom　and　proceeded　to　harangue　the　assembly　below。
　〃That's　Athanasius！〃　Pie　murmured　in　astonishment。
　The　mystif　was　far　sharper　sighted　than　Gentle；　who　had　to　squint　hard　to　confirm　the　identification。　It　was　indeed　Father　Athanasius；　his