p&c.brimstone-第33部分

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n。　The　next　date　in　the　series　is　2004A。D。　；　which　also　happens　to　be　the　exact　number　of　years　separating　the　earlier　disasters。　Coincidence？〃　
　Harriman　stared　at　the　paper。　Is　he　saying　what　I　think　he's　saying？　It　seemed　unbelievable；　crazy。　And　yet　the　quiet　eyes　that　looked　back　at　him　with　something　like　resignation　did　not　look　in　the　least　bit　crazy。　
　〃I　searched　for　years；　Mr。　Harriman；　for　proof　that　I　was　wrong。　I　thought　perhaps　the　dates　were　incorrect；　or　that　the　evidence　was　flawed。　But　every　discovery　I　made　simply　gave　more　credence　to　the　theory。〃　He　walked　to　another　cabinet　and　pulled　out　a　sheet　of　white　cardboard。　On　it；　a　large　spiral…like　that　of　the　shell　of　a　chambered　nautilus…had　been　drawn。　At　its　outermost　point；　it　was　labeled　in　red　pencil：3243B。C。…Santorini/Atlantis　。　One…third　of　the　way　along　its　curve　was　another　red　marking：1239B。C。…Sodom/Gomorrah。　At　other　spots　along　the　spiral；　smaller　tickmarks　in　black　listed　dozens　of　other　dates　and　places：　
　　　
　79　A。D　。…Eruption　of　Vesuvius　destroys　Pompeii/Herculaneum　
　426　A。D。　…Fall　of　Rome；　sacked　and　destroyed　by　barbarians　
　1348　A。D。　…Plague　strikes　Venice；　two…thirds　of　the　population　die　
　1666　A。D。　…The　Great　Fire　of　London　
　　　
　And　at　its　very　center；　where　the　spiral　closed　in　on　itself　and　ended　in　a　large　spot　of　black；　was　a　third　red　label：　
　　　
　2004　A。D。　…？？？　
　　　
　He　balanced　the　chart　on　his　desk。　〃As　you　can　see；　I've　charted　many　other　disasters。　They　all　fallprecisely　along　the　natural　logarithmic　spiral；　all　perfectly　aligned　in　golden　ratios。　No　matter　how　I　cut　the　data；　the　last　date　in　the　sequence　is　always　2004A。D。Always。　And　what　do　these　natural　disasters　have　in　mon？　They　have　always　struck　an　important　world　city；　a　city　notable　for　its　wealth；　power；　technology…and　neglect　of　the　spiritual。〃　
　He　reached　across　his　desk；　picked　a　red　pencil　from　a　pewter　cup。　〃I'd　hoped　I　was　wrong；　hoped　it　was　a　mere　coincidence。　I　waited　for　the　arrival　of　the　year　2004；　expecting　to　be　proved　wrong。　But　I　no　longer　think　nature　believes　in　coincidence。　There　is　an　order　to　all　things；　Mr。　Harriman。　We　have　a　moral　niche　on　this　earth；　just　as　we　have　an　ecological　niche。　When　species　exhaust　their　ecological　niche；　there　is　a　correction；　a　purification。　Sometimes　even　anextinction　。　It's　the　way　of　nature。　But　what　happens　when　a　species　exhausts　its　moral　niche？〃　
　He　turned　the　pencil　around；　moved　it　to　the　center　of　the　diagram；　and　erased　the　question　marks：　
　　　
　2004　A。D　。…　
　　　
　〃In　every　instance　there　were　harbingers。　Small　events；　of　seemingly　limited　significance。　Many　of　these　events　have　involved　the　death　of　morally　dubious　persons　by　the　same　means　as　the　uping　disaster。　This　happened　in　Pompeii　before　the　eruption　of　Vesuvius；　in　London　before　the　Great　Fire；　in　Venice　before　the　plague。　So　now　perhaps　you　see；　Mr。　Harriman；　why　I　say　that　Jeremy　Grove　and　Nigel　Cutforth　are　in　themselves　meaningless。　Oh；　to　be　sure；　both　men　are　remarkable　for　their　hatred　of　religion　and　morals；　their　repudiation　of　decency；　their　outrageous　excess。　As　such；　they　are　role　models　for　the　greed；　concupiscence；　materialism；　cruelty　of　our　times…and　particularly　of　this　place；　New　York。　But　they　are　still　merely　harbingers…the　first；　I　fear；　of　many。〃　
　Von　Menck　let　the　chart　fall　gently　to　the　desk。　〃Are　you　a　reader　of　poetry；　Mr。　Harriman？〃　
　〃No。　Not　since　college；　anyway。〃　
　〃Perhaps　you　remember　W。　B。　Yeats's　poem　'The　Second　ing'？　
　　　
　〃　Mere　anarchy　is　loosed　upon　the　world　。　。　。　
　The　best　lack　all　conviction；　while　the　worst　
　Are　full　of　passionate　intensity。〃　
　　　
　Von　Menck　leaned　closer。　〃We　live　in　a　time　of　moral　nihilism　and　a　blind　worship　of　technology；　bined　with　a　rejection　of　the　spiritual　dimension　of　life。　Television；　movies；　puters；　video　games；　the　Internet；　artificial　intelligence。　These　are　the　gods　of　our　times。　Our　leaders　are　morally　bankrupt；　shameless　hypocrites；　feigning　piety　but　devoid　of　real　spirituality。　We　live　in　a　time　in　which　university　scholars　belittle　spirituality；　scorn　religion；　and　bow　deeply　to　the　altar　of　science。　We　live　in　a　time　when　so　many　spurn　the　church　and　the　synagogue；　where　radio　mentators　are　shock　jocks　spewing　hatred　and　vulgarity；　where　televised　entertainment　consists　of　Real　Sex　and　Celebrity　Fear　Factor。　We　live　in　a　time　of　suicide　bombing；　terrorism　run　amok；　and　nuclear　blackmail。〃　
　The　room　fell　silent；　save　for　the　faint　beep　of　the　recorder。　At　last；　Von　Menck　stirred；　spoke　again。　
　〃The　ancients　believed　nature　to　be　prised　of　four　elements：　earth；　air；　fire；　and　water。　Some　talked　of　floods；　others　of　earthquakes　or　mighty　winds；　others　of　the　devil。　When　Atlantis　had　betrayed　its　niche　in　the　moral　order　of　nature；　it　was　consumed　by　water。　The　destruction　of　Sodom　and　Gomorrah　came　by　fire。　The　plague　that　struck　Venice　came　by　air。　Like　the　golden　ratio；　it　follows　a　cyclical　pattern。　I've　charted　it　here。〃　
　He　took　out　another　diagram；　very　plex；　covered　with　lines；　charts；　and　numbers。　All　the　lines　seemed　to　converge　on　a　central　pentagram　in　which　was　written：　
　　　
　2004　A。D　。…New　York　City…Fire　
　　　
　〃So　you　think　New　York　City　will　burn？〃　
　〃Not　in　any　normal　way。　It　will　be　consumed　by　a　firewithin　；　like　Grove　and　Cutforth。〃　
　〃You　think　this　can　be　avoided　if　people　turn　back　to　God？〃　
　Von　Menck　shook　his　head。　〃It's　too　late　for　that。　And　please　note；　Mr。　Harriman；　I　have　not　used　the　wordGod　。　What　I'm　talking　about　here　is　not　necessarily　God　but　a　force　of　nature：　a　moral　law　of　the　universe　as　fixed　as　any　physical　law。　We've　created　an　imbalance　that　needs　to　be　corrected。　The　year　2004。〃　He　tapped　the　pile　of　charts。　〃It's　the　big　one。　It's　the　one　Nostradamus　predicted；　Edgar　Cayce　predicted；　Revelation　predicted。〃　
　Harriman　nodded。　He　felt　a　crawling　sensation　along　his　spine。　This　was　powerful　stuff。　But　was　it　all　claptrap？　〃Dr。　Von　Menck；　you've　devoted　a　great　deal　of　time　and　research　on　this。〃　
　〃It　has　been　my　overwhelming　obsession。　For　over　fifteen　years；　I've　known　the　significance　of　the　year　2004。　I've　beenwaiting　。〃　
　〃Are　you　really　convinced；　or　is　this　just　a　theory？〃　
　〃I　will　answer　by　telling　you　this：　I　am　leaving　New　York　tomorrow。〃　
　〃Leaving？〃　
　〃For　the　Galápagos　Islands。〃　
　〃Why　the　Galápagos？〃　
　〃As　Darwin　could　tell　you；　they　arefamous　for　their　isolation。〃　Von　Menck　gestured　at　the　recorder。　〃This　time　there　will　be　no　documentary。　The　story　is　all　yours；　Mr。　Harriman。〃　
　〃No　documentary？〃　Harriman　repeated；　stupefied。　
　〃If　I'm　the　least　bit　right　in　my　suspicions；　Mr。　Harriman；　when　this　is　over；　there　won't　be　much　of　an　audience　for　a　documentary…will　there？〃　And；　for　the　first　time　since　Harriman　had　entered　the　room；　Dr。　Von　Menck　smiled…a　small；　sad　smile　utterly　devoid　of　humor。　
　　　
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　D'Agosta　gazed　at　the　miserable…looking　thing　on　his　plate…long；　thin；　unidentifiable；　swimming　in　a　puddle　of　sauce。　It　smelled　vaguely　like　fish。　At　least；　he　thought；　it　would　help　his　diet。　It　had　been　ten　days　since　Grove's　death；　and　he'd　lost　five　pounds　already；　what　with　the　new　weight　routine　and　jogging　regimens　he'd　instituted；　not　to　mention　the　hours　he'd　put　in　at　the　shooting　range；　which　were　adding　bulk　and　steadiness　to　his　forearms　and　shoulders。　Another　two　months；　and　he'd　be　back　to　his　old　NYPD　condition。　
　Proctor　flitted　about　in　the　background；　presenting　and　whisking　away　plates　with　the　least　amount　of　warning　gentility　would　allow。　Pendergast　sat　at　the　head　of　the　table；　Constance　to　his　left。　She　looked　a　little　less　pale　than　before：　some　sun；　perhaps；　from　yesterday's　outing。　But　the　dining　room　of　the　ancient　Riverside　Drive　mansion　remained　a　dreary　place；　with　its　dark　green　wallpaper　and　equally　dark　oil　paintings。　The　windows　that　once　must　have　looked　out　over　the　Hudson　had　been　boarded　up　a　long　time　ago；　and　it　appeared　Pendergast　was　going　to　leave　them　that　way。　No　wonder　the　guy　was　so　white；　living　in　the　dark　like　some　cave　creature。　D'Agosta　decided　he'd　trade　the　whole　dinner；　and　its　procession　of　mysterious　dishes；　for　barbecued　ribs　and　a　cooler　full　of　frosties　in　his　sunny　Suffolk　County　backyard。　Even　Fosco's　exotic　picnic　basket　of　the　day　before　had　been　preferable。　He　gave　the　dish　an　exploratory　poke。　
　〃Don't　you　like　the　cod　roe？〃　Pendergast　asked　him。　〃It's　an　old　Italian　recipe。〃　
　〃My　grandmother　was　from　Naples；　and　she　never　cooked　anything　like　this　in　her　life。〃　
　〃I　believe　this　dish　es　from　Liguria。　But　never　mind：　cod　roe　is　not　to　everyone's　taste。〃　He　signaled　to　Proctor；　who　whisked　the　plate　away　and；　a　few　moments　later；　returned　with　a　steak　and　a　small　silver　beaker　brimming　with　wonderful…smelling　sauce。　In　his　other　hand　was　a　can　of　Budweiser；　still　dripping　chips　of　ice。　
　D'Agosta　tucked　in；　then　glanced　up　to　see　Pendergast　smiling　with　amusement。　〃Constance　cooks　a　sublimetournedos　bordelaise　。　I　had　it　waiting　in　the　wings；　just　in　case。　Along　with　the；　ah；　iced　beer。〃　
　〃That　was　decent　of　you。〃　
　〃Is　the　steak　to　your　liking？〃　Constance　asked　from　across　the　table。　〃I　prepared　itsaignant　；　as　the　French　prefer。〃　
　〃I　don't　know　aboutsaignant；　but　it's　rare；　just　the　way　I　like　it。〃　
　Constance　smiled；　pleased。　
　D'Agosta　speared　another　forkful；　washed　it　down　with　a　swig。　〃So　what's　next？〃　he　asked　Pendergast。　
　〃After　dinner；　Constance　will　indulge　us　by　playing　a　few　of　Bach's　partitas。　She　is　a　rather　acplished　violinist；　though　I　fear　I'm　a　poor　judge　of　such　things。　And　I　think　you'll　find　the　violin　she　plays　interesting。　It　was　part　of　my　great…uncle's　collections；　an　old　Amati；　in　fairly　decent　shape；　though　its　tone　has　gone　off　somewhat。〃　
　〃Sounds　great。〃　D'Agosta　coughed　delicately。　〃But　what　I　meant　was；　what's　next　for　the　investigation？〃　
　〃Ah！　I　see。　Our　next　move；　actually；　has　two　fronts。　We　track　down　this　Ranier　Beckmann；　and　we　do　more　background　research　on　the　strange　nature　of　our　two　deaths。　I　have　somebody　already　at　work　on　the　former。　And　Constance　is　about　to　fill　us　in　on　the　latter。〃　
　Constance　dabbed　primly　at　her　mouth　with　a　napkin。　〃Aloysius　has　asked　me　to