p&c.brimstone-第42章

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'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　look　into　historical　precedents　for　SHC。〃　
　〃Spontaneous　human　bustion；〃　said　D'Agosta。　〃As　in　the　Mary　Reeser　case　you　mentioned　to　the　M。E。　at　the　Cutforth　homicide？〃　
　〃Exactly。〃　
　〃You　don't　really　believe　in　that；　do　you？〃　
　〃The　case　of　Mary　Reeser　is　only　the　most　famous　of　many；　and　it　is　well　documented。　Isn't　that　right；　Constance？〃　
　〃Famous；　impeccably　documented；　and　very　curious。〃　She　consulted　some　notes　that　lay　at　her　elbow。　〃On　July　1；　1951；　Mrs。　Reeser；　a　widow；　went　to　sleep　in　an　easy　chair　in　her　apartment　in　St。　Petersburg；　Florida。　She　was　found　the　next　morning　by　a　friend　who　smelled　smoke。　When　they　broke　down　the　door；　they　found　that　the　chair　Mary　Reeser　had　sat　in　was　now　just　a　heap　of　charred　coil　springs。　As　for　Mary　Reeser　herself；　her　one　hundred　and　seventy　pounds　had　been　reduced　to　less　than　ten　pounds　of　ash　and　bone。　Only　her　left　foot　remained　intact；　still　wearing　a　slipper；　burned　off　at　the　ankle　but　otherwise　undamaged。　Also　found　were　her　liver　and　her　skull；　cracked　and　splintered　by　the　intense　heat。　And　yet　the　rest　of　the　apartment　was　intact。　The　only　burning　occurred　in　the　small　circular　area　enpassing　the　remains　of　Mrs。　Reeser；　her　chair；　and　a　plastic　electric　wall　outlet　which　had　melted；　stopping　her　clock　at　4：20A。M。　When　the　clock　was　plugged　into　another　outlet；　it　worked　perfectly。〃　
　〃You　gotta　be　kidding。〃　
　〃The　Bureau　was　called　in　immediately；　and　their　documentation　was　impeccable；〃　said　Pendergast。　〃Photographs；　tests；　analysis…it　ran　to　more　than　a　thousand　pages。　Our　experts　determined　that　a　temperature　of　at　least　three　thousand　degrees　would　be　necessary　to　cremate　a　body　that　thoroughly。　A　cigarette　igniting　her　clothing　would　never　have　produced　that　temperature；　and　besides；　Mary　Reeser　didn't　smoke。　There　were　no　traces　of　gasoline　or　other　accelerants。　No　short　circuit。　Even　lightning　was　ruled　out。　The　case　was　never　officially　closed。〃　
　D'Agosta　shook　his　head　in　disbelief。　
　〃And　it's　not　just　a　recent　phenomenon；〃　Constance　said。　〃Dickens　wrote　an　account　of　spontaneous　bustion　into　his　novelBleak　House　。　He　was　roundly　criticized　by　reviewers　for　it；　so　he　later　defended　himself　by　recounting　a　real　case　of　SHC　in　the　preface　to　the　1853　edition。〃　
　D'Agosta；　who　had　been　about　to　take　another　bite　of　steak；　put　down　his　fork。　
　〃On　the　evening　of　April　4；　1731；　Dickens　tells　us；　the　countess　Cornelia　Zangari　de'　Bandi　of　Cesena；　in　Italy；　plained　of　feeling　'dull　and　heavy。'　A　maid　helped　her　to　bed；　and　they　spent　several　hours　praying　and　talking　together。　The　next　morning；　when　the　countess　did　not　arise　at　her　usual　time；　the　maid　called　at　the　door。　There　was　no　answer…just　a　foul　smell。　
　〃The　maid　opened　the　door　to　a　scene　of　horror。　The　air　was　full　of　bits　of　floating　soot。　The　countess；　or　what　remained　of　her；　was　lying　on　the　stone　floor　about　four　feet　from　the　bed。　Her　entire　torso　had　burned　to　ashes；　even　the　bones　reduced　to　crumbled　piles。　Only　her　legs　remained；　from　the　knees　down；　a　few　fragments　from　her　hands；　and　a　piece　of　forehead　with　a　lock　of　blonde　hair　attached。　The　rest　of　the　body　was　merely　an　outline　in　ash　and　crumbled　bone。　It；　and　other　early　cases　such　as　Madame　Nicole　of　Rheims；　were　invariably　ascribed　to　death　by　the　'visitation　of　God。'〃　
　〃Excellent　research；　Constance；〃　Pendergast　said。　
　She　smiled。　〃There　are　several　volumes　devoted　to　spontaneous　human　bustion　in　the　library　here。　Your　great…uncle　was　fascinated　by　bizarre　forms　of　death…but　of　course；　you　know　that　already。　Unfortunately　there　are　no　books　here　more　recent　than　1954；　but　there　are　still　many　dozens　of　earlier　accounts。　SHC　cases　all　have　several　elements　in　mon。　The　torso　is　pletely　incinerated；　but　the　extremities　are　frequently　left　intact。　The　blood　is；　quite　literally；　vaporized　from　the　body：　normal　fires　do　not　dehydrate　body　tissue　to　such　a　great　degree。　The　inferno　is　extremely　localized：　nearby　furniture　or　other　items；　even　inflammable　ones；　remain　untouched。　Officials　often　speak　of　a　'circle　of　death'：　everything　inside　is　consumed；　while　everything　outside　is　spared。〃　
　Slowly；　D'Agosta　pushed　away　his　half…eaten　steak。　This　all　sounded　pretty　similar　to　what　happened　to　Grove　and　Cutforth；　with　one　crucial　difference：　the　branding　of　the　cloven　hoof　and　face；　and　the　stench　of　brimstone。　
　Just　then　came　a　low；　hollow　knock　at　the　distant　front　door。　
　〃Neighborhood　kids；　I　imagine；〃　said　Pendergast　after　a　moment　of　silence。　
　The　hollow　knock　came　again…deliberate；　insistent；　echoing　through　the　galleries　and　halls　of　the　ancient　mansion。　
　〃That's　not　the　knock　of　a　delinquent；〃　Constance　murmured。　
　Proctor　cast　an　inquiring　glace　at　Pendergast。　〃Shall　I？〃　
　〃With　the　usual　precautions。〃　
　Within　the　space　of　a　minute；　the　servant　had　ushered　a　man　into　the　room：　a　tall　man　with　thin　lips　and　thinner　brown　hair。　He　wore　a　gray　suit；　and　the　knot　of　his　tie　had　been　pulled　down　from　the　collar　of　his　white　shirt。　His　features　were　regular；　his　face　perhaps　lined　more　than　would　be　usual　for　a　man　his　age；　yet　the　lines　spoke　more　of　weariness　than　years。　He　was　neither　handsome　nor　ugly。　In　every　way；　the　man　was　remarkable　for　his　lack　of　expression　and　individuality。　It　seemed　to　D'Agosta　an　almost　studied　anonymity。　
　He　paused　in　the　doorway　and　his　eyes　roamed　over　the　group；　ing　to　rest　on　Pendergast。　
　〃Yes？〃　Pendergast　said。　
　〃e　with　me。〃　
　〃May　I　ask　who　you　are；　and　on　what　errand　you　e？〃　
　〃No。〃　
　A　short　silence　greeted　this。　
　〃How　did　you　know　I　lived　here？〃　
　The　man　continued　gazing　at　Pendergast　with　that　expressionless　face。　It　wasn't　natural。　It　gave　D'Agosta　the　creeps。　
　〃e；　please。　I'd　rather　not　ask　again。〃　
　〃Why　should　I　go　with　you　if　you　refuse　to　divulge　your　name　or　the　nature　of　your　business？〃　
　〃My　name　is　not　important。　I　have　information　for　you。　Information　of　a　sensitive　nature。〃　
　Pendergast　looked　at　the　man　a　moment　longer。　Then　he　casually　removed　his　Les　Baer　。45　from　his　suit　coat；　made　sure　a　round