bl.necroscope2-第60章

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session　in　life　must　certainly　have　continued　afterwards。
　Harry　could　no　longer　make　any　headway　with　Thibor；　and　Thibor　would　not　let　him　get　through　to　Dragosani。　His　next　best　bet　had　to　be　Ladislau　Giresci。　How　to　reach　him；　however；　was　a　different　matter。　Harry　had　never　met　the　Romanian　in　life；　he　did　not　know　the　ground　where　Giresci's　spirit　lay；　he　must　rely　on　the　dead　to　supply　him　with　directions；　see　him　on　his　way。
　Across　the　road　from　Brenda's　flat…once　Harry　and　Brenda's　flat…there　sprawled　a　graveyard　hundreds　of　years　old；　containing　a　large　number　of　Harry's　friends。　He　knew　most　of　them　personally　from　previous　conversations。　Now　he　drifted　towards　the　lines　of　markers　and　occasionally　leaning　tombstones；　his　mind　drawn　by　the　minds　of　the　dead　where　they　lay　in　their　graves　muning。　They　sensed　him　at　once；　knew　that　it　was　him。　Who　else　could　it　be？
　Harry！　said　their　spokesman；　an　ex…railway　engineer　who'd　lived　all　his　life　in　Stockton；　until　he　died　in　1938。　It's　good　to　talk　to　you　again。　Nice　to　know　you　haven't　forgotten　us。
　〃How　are　things　with　you？〃　Harry　inquired。　〃Still　designing　your　trains？〃
　The　other　came　aglow　in　a　moment。　I　have　designed　the　train！　he　answered。　Do　you　want　to　hear　about　it？
　〃Unfortunately　I　can't。〃　Harry　was　genuinely　sorry。　〃My　visit　is　purely　business；　I'm　afraid。〃
　Well；　spit　it　out；　Harry！　someone　else　exclaimed；　an　ex…bobby　of　Harry's　acquaintance；　late　of　Sir　Robert　Peel's　time。　How　can　we　help　you；　sir？
　〃There　are　some　hundreds　of　you　here；〃　Harry　answered。　〃But　is　there　anyone　from　Romania？　I　want　to　go　there；　and　I　need　directions　and　an　introduction。　The　only　people　I　know　there　are。。。　bad　people。〃
　
　Voices　rose　in　something　of　a　babble；　but　one　of　them　cut　through；　speaking　directly　to　Harry。　It　was　a　girl's　voice；　sweet　and　small。　I　know　Romania；　it　said。　Something　of　it；　anyway。　I　came　here　from　Romania　after　the　war。　There　were　troubles　and　oppressions；　and　so　my　elder　brothers　sent　me　away　to　an　aunt　who　lived　here。　Strange；　but　I　came　all　this　way；　then　caught　a　cold　and　died！　I　was　very　young。
　〃And　do　you　know　someone　I　can　seek　out；　who　can　perhaps　help　me　on　my　way？〃　Harry　didn't　like　to　seem　too　eager　to　be　off；　but　he　really　couldn't　help　himself。　〃It's　very　important；　I　assure　you。〃
　But　my　brothers　will　be　delighted　to　guide　you；　Harry！　she　said　at　once。　It's　only　since　you　came　that　we've　all　been　able　to。。。　well；　get　together　again。　We　all　owe　you　so　much。
　〃If　I　may；〃　Harry　answered；　〃I'll　e　back　and　talk　to　you　again　some　time。　Meanwhile；　I'm　afraid　I've　no　time　to　spare。　What　are　your　brothers　called？〃
　They　are　Jahn　and　Dmitri　Syzestu；　she　said。　Wait　and　I'll　call　them　for　you。　She　called；　and　in　a　moment　her　brothers　answered。　They　were　very　faint；　like　voices　on　a　telephone　from　the　other　side　of　the　world。　Harry　was　introduced。
　〃Just　keep　talking　to　me；〃　he　told　the　brothers；　〃and　I'll　find　my　way　to　you。〃
　He　excused　himself　from　the　pany　of　his　friends　in　the　Hartlepool　cemetery；　found　a　space…time　door　and　passed　through　it　into　the　Mobius　continuum。　〃Jahn；　Dmitri？　Are　you　still　there？〃
　We're　here；　Harry；　and　we're　honoured　to　be　able　to　help　you　like　this。
　He　homed　in　on　them；　emerged　through　another　door　into　the　grey　Romanian　dawn。　He　found　himself　in　a　field　of　grass　beside　a　pock…marked　wall　fast　crumbling　into　ruins。　There　were　ponies　in　the　field　but　of　course　they　couldn't　see　him；　they　just　stood　still；　shivering　a　little；　their　coats　shining　with　drops　of　dew。　Plumes　of　warm　air　came　snorting　from　their　nostrils　like　smoke。　In　the　distance；　the　last　lights　of　a　town　were　blinking　out　as　the　sun　rose　on　the　eastern　horizon。
　〃Where　is　this　place？〃　Harry　asked　the　brothers　Syzestu。　The　town　is　Cluj；　said　Jahn；　who　was　the　oldest。　This　place　is　just　a　field。　We　were　in　prison…political　prisoners　…and　we　ran　away。　They　came　after　us　with　guns　and　caught　us　here；　trying　to　climb　this　wall。　Now　tell　us；　Harry　Keogh；　how　we　can　help　you？
　〃Cluj？〃　said　Harry；　a　little　disappointed。　〃I　need　to　be　south；　I　think；　and　east…across　the　mountains。〃
　This　is　easy！　The　younger　brother；　Dmitri；　was　excited。
　
　Our　father　and　mother　lie　side　by　side　in　the　graveyard　in　Pitesti。　Only　a　little　while　ago　we　were　talking　to　them！
　Indeed　they　were；　a　deeper；　sterner　voice　joined　in；　from　some　distance　away。　You're　wele　to　e　and　visit；　Harry；　if　you　can　find　your　way　here。
　Harry　excused　himself…a　little　hastily　but　with　many　apologies…and　re…entered　the　Mobius　continuum。　In　a　little　while　he　was　in　a　misted　graveyard　in　Pitesti。　Who　is　it　you're　seeking？　inquired　Franz　Syzestu。
　〃His　name　is　Ladislau　Giresci；〃　said　Harry。　〃All　I　can　tell　you　is　that　he　died　some　little　time　ago　at　his　home　near　a　town　called　Titu。〃
　Titu？　Anna　Syzestu　repeated。　Why　that's　nought　but　fifty　kilometres　or　so　away！　What's　more；　we've　friends　buried　there！　She　was　plainly　proud　to　be　of　assistance　to　the　Necroscope。　Greta；　can　you　hear？
　Indeed　I　can！　A　new　voice；　sharp　and　shrewish；　answered。　And　I've　the　very　man　right　here。
　There　you　are！　said　Anna　Syzestu；　in　a　told…you…so　tone。　If　you　want　to　meet　someone　in　Titu；　ask　Greta　Mirnosti。　She　knows　everyone！
　Harry　Keogh？　A　male　voice　now　came　to　the　fore。　I'm　Ladislau　Giresci。　Do　you　want　to　e　closer　or　will　this　do？
　〃I'm　on　my　way！〃　said　Harry。　He　thanked　the　Syzestus　and　went　to　Giresci's　plot　in　Titu。　And　finally；　at　last　in　the　presence　of　the　vampire　expert　himself；　he　asked；　〃Sir；　I　believe　you　can　help　me…if　you　will？〃
　Young　man；　said　Giresci；　unless　I'm　very　much　mistaken　I　know　why　you're　here。　Last　time　someone　came　to　me　inquiring　about　vampires；　it　cost　me　my　life！　But　if　there's　any　way　I　can　help　you；　Harry　Keogh；　any　way　at　all；　just　ask　it！
　〃That　was　Boris　Dragosani　who　came　to　see　you；　right？〃　said　Harry。　He　sensed　the　other's　shudder。　Giresci　might　have　no　body；　but　at　the　mention　of　Dragosani's　name　he　shuddered。
　That　one；　yes；　Giresci　answered　at　last。　Dragosani。　When　first　1　met　him　I　didn't　know　it；　but　he　was　already　one　of　them。　Or　as　good　as。　He　didn't　know　it　himself；　not　quite；　but　the　evil　was　in　him。
　〃He　sent　Max　Batu　to　kill　you　with　his　evil　eye。〃
　Yes；　because　by　then　I　knew　what　he　was。　That's　the　thing　a　vampire　fears　most：　that　people　will　discover　what　he　is。　Anyone　who　suspects。。。　he　has　to　die。　So　the　little　Mongol　killed　me；　and　he　stole　my　crossbow。
　〃That　was　for　Dragosani。　He　used　it　to　kill　Thibor　Ferenczy　in　the　cruciform　hills。〃
　Then　at　least　it　was　put　to　good　use！　Ah；　but　when　you　talk　about　Thibor；　you're　talking　about　a　real　vampire！　said　Giresci。　if　Dragosani；　with　all　of　his　potential　for　evil；　had　lived…alive　or　undead…as　long　as　that　one；　then　the　world　would　have　an　incurable　illness！
　〃I'm　sorry；〃　said　Harry；　〃but　I　can　find　nothing　to　admire　in　such　monsters。　And　in　any　case；　there　was　one　greater　than　Thibor；　who　came　before　him；　and　outlasted　him。　His　name　was　Faethor；　and　Thibor　took　his　second　name　from　him。　Rightly　so；　for　it　was　Faethor　who　made　him　a　vampire。　I'm　speaking　of　Faethor　Ferenczy；　of　course。〃
　Ladislau　Giresci's　voice　was　the　merest　whisper　now　as　he　answered：　Indeed；　and　that　was　where　my　interest　in　the　undead　really　began。　For　I　was　with　Faethor　when　he　died。　Imagine　that；　and　him　a　creature　at　least　thirteen　hundred　years　old！
　〃These　are　the　ones　I　want　to　know　about。〃　Harry　was　eager。　〃Thibor　and　Faethor。　In　your　life　you　were　a　vampire　expert；　however　people　might　scorn　your　obsession　or　look　upon　you　as　an　eccentric；　you　studied　the　vampire's　myths；　his　legends；　his　lore。　You　were　still　studying　them　when　you　died；　and　it's　my　guess　that　dying　didn't　stop　you。　So　where's　your　research　led　you　now；　Ladislau　？　How　did　Thibor　end　up　buried　there　on　the　cruciform　hills？　And　what　of　Faethor　between　the　tenth　and　twentieth　centuries？　It's　important　that　I　know　these　things；　for　they　relate　to　what　I'm　doing　now。　And　what　I'm　doing　relates　to　the　safety　and　sanity　of　the　whole　world。〃
　I　understand；　said　Giresci；　soberly。　But　Harry；　don't　you　think　you　should　speak　to　someone　with　even　more　authority？　I　believe　it　can　be　arranged。
　〃What？〃　Harry　was　ta