bl.necroscope2-第50章

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　I　was　made　mad！　Dragosani　howled。　By　a　filthy；　lying；　loathsome　leech　of　a　thing　in　the　ground！　Do　you　know　what　he　did　to　me；　Harry　Keogh？
　〃I　know　of　several　things　he　did　to　you；〃　Harry　answered。　〃Mental　and　physical　torture　seems　an　unending　activity　for　creatures　of　your　sort；　alive　or　dead。　Or　undead！〃
　You　are　right；　Harry！　A　third　voice　from　beyond　the　grave　now　spoke　up。　It　was　a　soft；　whispering　voice；　but　not　without　a　certain　sinister　inflection。　They　are　cruel　beyond　words；　and　none　of　them　is　to　be　trusted！　I　assisted　Dragosani；　I　was　his　friend；　it　was　my　finger　which　triggered　the　bolt　that　struck　Thibor　through　the　heart　and　pinned　him　there；　half…in；　half…out　of　his　grave。　Why；　I　was　the　one　who　handed　Dragosani　the　scythe　to　cut　off　the　monster's　head！　And　how　did　he　pay　me；　eh？　Ah；　Dragosani！　How　can　you　talk　of　lies　and　treachery　and　loathsomeness；　when　you　yourself…You…were…a…monster！　Dragosani　silenced　Max　Batu's　accusations　with　one　of　his　own。　My　excuse　is　simple：　I　had　Thibor's　vampire　seed　in　me。　But　what　of　you；　Max？　What？　A　man　so　evil　he　could　kill　with　a　glance？
　Batu；　a　Mongol　esper　who　in　life　had　held　the　secret　of　the　Evil　Eye；　was　outraged。　Now　hear　this　great　liar；　this　thief。〃　he　hissed　sibilantly。　He　slit　my　throat；　drained　my　blood；　despoiled　my　corpse　and　tore　from　it　my　secret。　He　took　my　power　for　his　own；　to　kill　as　I　killed。　Hah！　Little　good　it　did　him。　Now　we　share　the　same　gloomy　hillside。　Aye；　Thibor；　Dragosani；　and　myself；　and　all　three　of　us　shunned　by　the　teeming　dead。
　〃Listen　to　me；　all　of　you；〃　said　Harry；　before　they　could　start　again。　〃So　you've　all　suffered　injustices；　eh？　Well；　maybe　you　have；　but　none　so　great　as　those　you've　worked。　How　many　men　did　you　kill　with　your　Evil　Eye；　Max；　stopping　them　dead　in　their　tracks　and　crumpling　their　hearts　like　paper？　And　were　they　all　bad　men？　Did　they　deserve　to　die？　As　horribly　as　that？　No；　for　one　at　least　was　my　friend；　as　good　a　man　as　you　could　ever　wish　to　meet。〃
　The　head　of　your　British　E…Branch？　Batu　was　quick　off　the　mark。　But　Dragosani　ordered　me　to　kill　him！
　It　was　our　mission！　Dragosani　railed。　Don't　play　the　innocent　here；　Mongol。　You'd　killed　others　before　him。
　He　also　ordered　Ladislau　Giresci　killed；　said　Batu。　One　of　his　own　countrymen；　and　entirely　innocent！　Ah；　but　Giresci　knew　Dragosani's　secret…that　he　was　a　vampire！
　He　was　a　danger　to。。。　to　the　State！　Dragosani　blustered。　I　worked　only　for　Mother　Russia；　and　…〃You　worked　only　for　yourself！〃　Harry　stopped　him。
　〃The　truth　is；　you　desired　to　be　a　power　in　the　land。　No；　in　the　whole　world！　Lie　if　you　must；　Dragosani；　for　it's　a　trait　of　vampires；　after　all；　but　not　to　yourself。　I've　spoken　to　Gregor　Borowitz；　remember？　And　did　he　too　die　for　Mother　Russia？　The　head　of　your　own　E…Branch？〃
　There　you　have　it；　Dragosani；　said　Thibor；　his　voice　a　dark　chuckle。　Caught　on　your　own　barbs！
　〃Don't　crow；　Thibor；〃　Harry's　voice　was　lower　still。　〃You　were　as　bad　and　probably　worse　than　both　of　them。〃
　I？　Why；　I　have…or　I　had…lain　here　in　the　earth　for　five　hundred　years！　What　harm　can　a　poor　thing　in　the　ground　do；　alone　with　the　worms　in　the　cold　hard　earth？
　〃And　what　of　the　five　hundred　years　before　that？〃　said　Harry。　〃You　know　as　well　as　I　that　Wallachia　trembled　to　your　tread　for　centuries！　The　earth　itself　is　soaked　black　with　the　blood　you　spilled。　And　don't　lay　it　all　at　Faethor　Ferenczy's　feet。　He's　not　entirely　to　blame。　He　knew　what　you　were；　else　he　wouldn't　have　chosen　you。　。
　And　is　that　why　you've　e？　Thibor　asked　after　a　moment。　To　harangue　and　accuse　and　denounce？
　〃No；　I　came　to　learn；〃　said　Harry。　〃Now　look；　I　can't　lie　as　well　as　you　do。　I　was　never　much　of　a　liar　at　the　best　of　times。　So　I'm　sure　you'd　see　through　me　if　I　tried　any　sort　of　subterfuge。　That's　why　I'll　e　straight　out　with　it　。　。
　Well　then？　said　Dragosani。　Out　with　it；　if　you　will。
　Harry　ignored　him；　was　silent　for　a　few　seconds。　〃Thibor；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃a　moment　ago　you　asked　what　harm　you'd　done；　buried　here　these　last　five　hundred　years。〃
　I　can　tell　you　what　harm　he　did！　Dragosani　would　not　be　ignored。　Only　look　at　me！　I　was　an　innocent　child　and　he　taught　me　the　arts　of　necromancy。　Later；　as　a　youth；　he　beguiled　me　with　his　hypnotism　and　his　lies。　As　a　man　he　put　his　vampire　egg　in　me；　and　when　it　had　matured；　he　…〃Your　history　concerns　me　not　at　all！〃　Harry　stopped　him。　〃Neither　that　nor　any　calumny　of　charges　you　bring　against　Thibor　or　anyone　else。〃
　Calumny？　Dragosani　was　furious。
　〃Be　quiet！〃　Harry's　patience　had　broken。　〃Be　quiet　now；　or　I　leave　you　at　once；　immediately；　to　wait　out　all　the　ages　in　your　loneliness。　All　three　of　you。〃
　There　was　a　sullen　silence。
　〃Very　well；〃　said　Harry。　〃Now；　as　I　was　saying；　I'm　not　greatly　concerned　with　Thibor's　crimes　or　supposed　crimes　against　you；　Boris　Dragosani。　No；　but　I　am　concerned　to　know　about　what　he　did　to　another。　I　refer　to　a　woman；　Georgina　Bodescu；　who　came　here　with　her　husband　one　winter。　There　was　an　accident　and　the　man　died。　He　died　here；　on　this　very　spot。　She　was　pregnant　and　fainted　at　the　sight　of　his　blood。　And　afterwards。　。
　Ah？　said　Thibor；　his　interest　quickening。　But　I've　already　told　you　that　story。　Are　you　telling　me　now　that　are　you　saying　it　took　effect？
　Beware；　Harry　Keogh！　Dragosani　interrupted。　Tell　him　no　more。　I　heard　the　tale；　too；　when　the　old　liar　told　it　to　you。　If　that　unborn　child　as　was　is　now　a　man；　he'll　be　in　thrall　to　Thibor！　Aye；　even　though　his　master's　dead！　Can't　you　see？　This　devil　would　see　himself　alive　again…in　the　body　and　mind　of　this　new　disciple！
　You。。。　dog！　Thibor　howled。　You　are　Wamphyri！　Does　that　mean　nothing　to　you？　We　may　fight　among　ourselves；　but　we　do　not　divulge　our　secrets　to　others！　You　are　damned　for　all　time；　Dragosani！
　Old　fool；　I'm　that　already！　Dragosani　snarled。
　〃Very　well　then；〃　Harry　sighed。　〃I　can　see　I'm　wasting　precious　time。　That　being　the　case；　I'll　bid　you　…〃
　Wait！　Thibor's　voice　was　all　burning　anguish。　You　can't　tell　me　just　so　much　and　leave　it　at　that。　That's　。　。
　inhuman！
　〃Hah！〃　Harry　snorted。
　
　A　trade；　then。　I　shall　finish　my　story；　and　you　shall　tell　me　if　the　child　was　born　and　lives。　And。。。　how　he　lives。　Agreed？
　Harry　guessed　he'd　said　too　much　already；　which　in　itself　might　be　as　good　a　reason　as　any　for　going　on。　There　were　now　four　principal　things　he　must　try　to　discover。　One：　the　full　range　of　a　vampire's　powers。　Two：　how；　exactly；　Thibor　might　try　to　use　Yulian　Bodescu。　For　Dragosani　seemed　to　think　it　was　possible　for　Thibor　to　resurrect　himself；　in　Bodescu。　Three：　the　rest　of　Thibor's　story　concerning　the　occurrences　a　thousand　years　ago　at　the　castle　of　Faethor　Ferenczy；　so　that　he　might　know　if　anything　of　evil　yet　remained　in　that　place。　And　four：
　how　to　kill　a　vampire；　but　definitely！
　As　to　the　last：　Harry　had　thought　he　knew　that　much　eight　months　ago；　when　he'd　waged　war　on　the　Chateau　Bronnitsy。　But　looking　back　now　he　saw　that　Dragosani's　death　had　only　e　about　through　a　fortunate　bination　of　events。　For　one　thing　Dragosani　had　been　blinded：　his　eyes　had　been　ruined　by　a　reflected　mind…bolt　when　Max　Batu's　stolen　talent　had　rebounded　on　him　from　one　of　Harry's　zombies；　for　of　course　Harry　had　had　his　zombie　Tartars；　his　shock　troops；　for　back…up　in　that　affray。　It　had　been　one　of　them；　called　up　from　the　preserving　peat；　who'd　hacked　Dragosani's　head　from　his　shoulders；　and　another　who'd　pinned　his　parasite　vampire　to　his　chest　with　a　wooden　stake　when　it　deserted　his　shattered　body。　Harry　couldn't　have　done　all　of　these　things；　maybe　not　any　of　them；　on　his　own。　In　fact；　Harry's　only　real　ace　had　been　his　mastery　of　the　M？bius　continuum：　when　he'd　been　very　nearly　cut　in　half　by　machinegun　fire；　he'd　fled　his　dying　body　and　dragged　Dragosani's　mind　in　there　with　him。　In　the　M？bius　continuum　he'd　hurled　Dragosani　through　a　past…time　door；　which　had　led　the　necromancer　back　to　Thibor　in　his　grave。　And　there　an　〃earlier〃　Dragosani　had　lured　up　and　killed　Thibor；　never　dreaming　that　with　the　same　stroke　he　had　also　determined　his　own　fate。　As　for　Harry's　incorporeal　mind：　he'd　gone　forward；　found　his　son's　life…thread　and　joined　with　it；　lay　with　it