p&c.brimstone-第83部分
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Dazed； Hayward looked at Buck。 He dabbed at her wound with a snowy handkerchief。 〃Suffer ye thus far；〃 he murmured。 His face was radiant； suffused with light。
Of course；she thought。Even this is part of the script。
There was more confusion。 Someone embraced Buck…the shill at last…she heard Buck saying； 〃Judas； betrayest thou me with a kiss？〃…and then the cops were all around； and he was pulled away from her。 The cut on her head was bleeding freely； and she felt woozy。
〃Captain Hayward？〃 she heard somebody call out。 〃Captain Hayward's been hurt！〃
〃Officer down！ We need a medic！〃
〃Captain Hayward； you all right？ Did he assault you？〃
〃I'm all right；〃 she said； shaking away the wooziness as cops crowded around her； everyone trying to help。 〃It's nothing； just a scratch。 It wasn't Buck。〃
〃She's bleeding！〃
〃Forget it； it's nothing。 Let me go。〃 They released her reluctantly。
〃Who was it？ Who assaulted you？〃
Todd was staring； humanity shocked back into him； horrified at what he'd done。
Hayward looked away。 Another arrest right now could be disastrous。 〃Don't know。 Came out of nowhere。 It doesn't matter。〃
〃Let's get you to an ambulance。〃
〃I'll walk by myself；〃 she said； brushing off yet another proffered arm。 She felt embarrassed。 Itwas nothing： scalp wounds always bled a great deal。 She looked around； blinking her eyes。 An immense silence seemed to have settled on the crowd。 The police had the cuffs on Buck and had formed a semicircle around him； already moving him out。 The crowd looked on； stunned； while Buck exhorted them to remain calm； be peaceful； hurt no one。
〃Forgive them；〃 he said。
All the momentum was gone。 Buck had ordered them to stand down； and they had obeyed。
It was over。
79
Immediately； D'Agosta pulled out his service piece and drewdown on the count。 〃No fucking way；〃 he said。
The count stared at the gun； sighing condescendingly。 〃Put away that gun； you fool。 Pinketts？〃
The manservant； who had left the room； now returned； carrying a large pumpkin in both arms。 He set it down on the hearth before the fireplace。
〃It is true； Sergeant D'Agosta； you would have been a much more effective demonstration。 But it would have caused such amess。 〃 Fosco went back to assembling the device。
D'Agosta moved slowly backward； slipping his gun back into his holster as he did so。 Somehow； the act of drawing his weapon brought fresh resolve。 He and Pendergast were both armed。 At the first indication of trouble； he would have no hesitation about taking out both the count and Pinketts。 Except for some kitchen help； there didn't seem to be any other servants around…but he knew that； with the count； appearances were deceptive。
〃There we go。〃 Fosco hefted the assembled machine； which looked something like a large rifle； made primarily of stainless steel； with a bulbous dish at one end and a barrel sporting half a dozen buttons and dials at the other。 〃As I said； I knew I had to kill Grove and Cutforth in such a way that the police would be utterly baffled。 It had to be done with heat； of course。 But how？ Burning； arson； boiling…much too mon。 It had to be mysterious； unexplainable。 That was when I recalled the phenomenon known as spontaneous human bustion。 You know the first documented case of it was here in Italy？〃
Pendergast nodded。 〃The countess Cornelia。〃
〃Countess Cornelia Zangari de' Bandi di Cesena。 Most dramatic。 How； I wondered； could a similarly devilish effect be duplicated？ Then I thought ofmicrowaves 。〃
〃Microwaves？〃 D'Agosta repeated。
The count smiled patronizingly at him。 〃Yes； Sergeant。 Just like your own microwave oven。 They seemed perfect for my needs。 Microwaves heat from the inside out。 They can be focused； just like light； to…say…burn a body while leaving the rest of the environment intact。 Microwaves heat water far more selectively than dry materials； fats； or oils； so they would burn a wet body before heating the rugs or furnishings。 And they have an ionizing and heating effect on metals with a certain number of valence electrons。〃
Fosco ran a hand over his device； then laid it on the table next to him。 〃As you know； Mr。 Pendergast； I'm a tinkerer。 I love a challenge。 It's quite simple to build a microwave transmitter that would deliver the necessary wattage。 The problem was the power supply。 But I。 G。 Farben； a German pany which my family was connected with during the War； makes a marvelous bination of capacitor and battery capable of delivering the requisite charge。〃
D'Agosta glanced at the microwave device。 It looked almost silly； like a cheap prop to an old science fiction movie。
〃It would never work as a weapon of war： the top theoretical range is less than twenty feet； and it takes time to do its work。 But it suited my purposes perfectly。 I had quite a time working out the kinks。 Many pumpkins were sacrificed； Sergeant D'Agosta。 At last； I tested it on that old pedophile in Pistoia…the one whose tomb you examined。 There was a bit of a meltdown…the human body takes a lot more heating than a pumpkin。 I rebuilt the device with improvements and used it more successfully on the terrorized Grove。 It wasn't quite enough to set the man on fire； but it did the job。 Then I arranged the scene to my satisfaction； packed up； and left； locking everything and turning the alarm back on。 With Cutforth it was even simpler。 As I said； my man Pinketts had rented the apartment next door and was undertaking 'renovations。' He made a marvelous elderly English gentleman； poor man； all bent over and muffled up against the chill。〃
〃That explains why they couldn't identify a suspect from the security video cams；〃 D'Agosta said。
〃Pinketts used to be in the theater； which frequently es in handy for my purposes。 In any case； the weapon works beautifully through walls made of drywall and wooden studs。 Microwaves； my dear Pendergast； have the marvelous property of penetrating drywall like light through glass； as long as there is no moisture or metal。 There could of course be no metal nails in the wall between the two apartments； because metal absorbs microwaves and would heat up and cause a fire。 So Pinketts opened our side of the wall； removed the nails； and replaced them with wooden dowels。 When it was all over； he put our side of the wall back up。 The whole operation was disguised as part of the remodeling job。 Pinketts himself did the honors on Cutforth while I was at the opera with you。 What better alibi than to contrive to spend the evening of the murder with the detective himself！〃 Fosco heaved in silent mirth。
〃And the smell of sulfur？〃
〃Sulfur burned with phosphorus in a censer； injected through the wall at cracks around the molding。〃
〃How did you burn the images into the wall？〃
〃The hoofprint in Grove's house was done directly； focusing the microwave。 The image in Cutforth's apartment had to be done indirectly…Pinketts couldn't get into the apartment…by focusing the device against a mask。 That was a little trickier； but it worked。 Burned the image right through the wall。 Brilliant； don't you think？〃
〃You're sick；〃 said D'Agosta。
〃I am a tinkerer。 I like nothing more than solving tricky little problems。〃 He grinned horribly and picked up the device。 〃Now please stand back。 I need to adjust the range of the beam。 It wouldn't do to scorch us as well as the pumpkin。〃
Fosco raised the ungainly thing； slid its leather strap over his shoulder； aimed it at the pumpkin； adjusted some knobs。 Then he pressed a rudimentary kind of trigger。 D'Agosta stared in horrified fascination。 There was a humming noise in the capacitor…that was all。
〃Right now the device is working up from its lowest setting。 If that pumpkin were our victim； he would begin to experience a most awful crawling sensation in his guts and over his skin about now。〃
The pumpkin remained unaffected。 Fosco turned a knob； and the humming went up a notch。
〃Now our victim is screaming。 The crawling sensation has gotten unbearable。 I imagine it's like a stomach full of wasps； stinging endlessly。 His skin； too； would start to dry and blister。 The rising heat within his muscles would soon cause the neurons to begin firing； jerking his limbs spasmodically； causing him to fall down and go into convulsions。 His internal temperature is soaring。 Within a few more seconds he'll be thrashing on the ground； biting off or swallowing his tongue。〃
Another tick of the dial。 Now a small blister appeared on the skin of the pumpkin。 It seemed to soften； sag a bit。 A soft pop； and the pumpkin split open from top to bottom； issuing a spurt of steam。
〃Now our victim is unconscious； seconds from death。〃
There was a muffled boiling sound inside the pumpkin； and the fissure widened。 With a sudden wet noise； a jet of orange slime forced itself from the split； oozing over the floor in steaming rivulets。
〃No ment necessary。 By now； our victim is dead。 The interesting part； however； is yet to e。〃
Blisters began swelling all over the surface of the pumpkin； some popping with little puffs of steam； others breaking and weeping orange fluid。
Another tick of the dial。
The pumpkin split afresh； with a second rush of boiling pulp and seeds squeezing out in a hot viscous paste。 The pumpkin sagged further and darkened； the stem blackening and smoking； more fluid and seeds oozed from the cracks along with jets of steam。 And then suddenly； with a sharp popping sound； the seeds began to explode。 The pumpkin seemed to harden； the room filling with the smell of burned pumpkin flesh； then； with a suddenpaff！ ； it burst into flame。
〃Ecco！The deed is done。 Our victim is on fire。 And yet； if you were to place your hand on the stone next to the pumpkin； you would find it barely warm to the touch。〃
Fosco lowered the device。 The pumpkin continued to smolder； a flame licking the stem； sizzling and crackling as it burned； a foul black smoke rising slowly。
〃Pinketts？〃
The servant； without missing a beat； picked up a bottle ofacqua minerale from the dinner table and poured it over the pumpkin。 Then he gave the bubbling remains a deft kick into the fire； heaped on a few more sticks； and retired again to the corner。
〃Marvelous； don't you th
