p&c.brimstone-第79章

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obody　really　knows　why。　It's　quite　humbling；　Vincent；　to　realize　we　can　land　a　spaceship　on　Mars；　we　can　build　a　machine　to　perform　a　trillion　calculations　a　second；　we　can　split　the　nucleus　of　the　atom…but　we　still　cannot　make　a　better　violin　than　could　a　man　puttering　around　in　a　simple　workshop　three　centuries　ago。〃　
　〃Well；　hewas　Italian。〃　
　Pendergast　laughed　quietly。　〃One　of　the　beautiful　things　about　a　Strad　is　that　it　has　to　beplayed　in　order　to　maintain　its　tone。　It's　alive。　If　you　leave　it　in　a　case；　it　loses　its　tone　and　dies。〃　
　〃What　about　these？〃　
　〃They　are　taken　out　and　played　at　least　once　a　week。　Cremona　is　still　the　center　of　violinmaking；　and　there　are　many　eager　volunteers。〃　
　He　clasped　his　hands　behind　his　back；　turned。　〃And　now；　for　thereal　reason　we　came　to　Cremona。　Stick　close　behind　me；　please；　and　don't　get　lost。〃　
　Pendergast　led　the　way　through　a　maze　of　back　passages　and　narrow　staircases　to　a　side　alley　behind　the　palazzo。　There　they　paused　at　least　a　minute　while　Pendergast　made　a　careful　inspection　of　the　alley　and　surrounding　buildings。　Then；　moving　very　quickly；　he　led　D'Agosta　through　a　winding　series　of　ever　more　tortuous　medieval　streets；　the　ancient　brick　and　stone　buildings　crowding　in　above。　Some　of　the　streets　were　so　narrow　they　were　dark　despite　the　midday　sun。　Now　and　then；　Pendergast　would　duck　into　a　doorway　or　side　alley　and　make　another　visual　scan。　
　〃What's　up？〃　D'Agosta　asked　at　one　point。　
　〃Just　caution；　Vincent；　habitual　caution。〃　
　They　finally　arrived　at　a　street　so　narrow　it　could　hardly　admit　a　bicycle。　It　twisted　into　a　dead　end　at　what　appeared　to　be　a　deserted　shopfront；　a　plate…glass　window　rudely　affixed　to　a　medieval　stone　arch。　The　plate　glass　was　cracked　and　taped　and　opaque　with　dirt。　A　metal　grate　had　been　fitted　and　locked　over　the　front；　where　it　seemed　to　have　rusted　in　place。　
　Pendergast　slid　his　hand　through　the　grate　and　pulled　a　string。　There　was　a　small　tinkle　in　the　shop　beyond。　
　〃Would　it　promise　your　investigation　pletely　if　you　told　me　who　we're　visiting　now？〃　
　〃This　is　the　laboratory　and　workshop　ofil　dottor　Luigi　Spezi；　one　of　the　world's　foremost　experts　on　Stradivari　violins。　He　is　a　bit　of　a　Renaissance　man　himself；　being　a　scientist　and　engineer　as　well　as　a　fine　musician。　His　re…creations　of　the　Stradivari　violins　are　among　the　best　in　the　world。　But　I　warn　you：　he　is　known　to　be　a　little　cranky。〃　
　Pendergast　pulled　again；　and　a　voice　rumbled　from　the　back。〃Non　lo　voglio。　Va'　via！〃　
　Pendergast　rang　again；　insistently。　
　A　gray　shape　materialized　behind　the　glass：　an　enormous；　stooped　man　in　a　leather　apron　with　long　gray　hair　and　a　gray　mustache。　He　waved　both　hands　at　Pendergast　in　a　shooing　motion。〃Che　cazz'！　Via；　ho　detto！〃　
　Pendergast　took　out　a　business　card；　wrote　a　single　word　on　the　back；　and　slipped　it　through　the　mail　slot　in　the　door。　It　fluttered　to　the　floor。　The　man　picked　it　up；　read　the　back；　and　went　very　still　for　a　moment。　He　looked　up　at　Pendergast；　looked　down　at　the　card…and　then　began　the　laborious　process　of　unlocking　the　door　and　raising　the　grate。　Within　a　minute；　they　had　stooped　beneath　the　arch　and　were　standing　in　his　shop。　
　D'Agosta　looked　around　curiously。　The　walls　of　the　shop　were　almost　pletely　covered　with　the　hanging　bellies；　backplates；　and　purflings　of　violins　in　various　stages　of　carving。　It　had　a　pleasant　smell　of　wood；　sawdust；　varnish；　oil；　and　glue。　
　The　man　stared　at　Pendergast　as　if　he　were　staring　at　a　ghost。　He　was　wearing　a　dirty　leather　apron；　and　he　removed　a　pair　of　sawdust…covered　glasses　in　order　to　peer　at　the　agent　more　closely。　
　〃So；　Aloysius　Pendergast；　Ph。D。；〃　he　said　in　almost　flawless　English。　〃You　have　gotten　my　attention。　What　is　it　you　want？〃　
　〃Is　there　a　place　where　we　can　talk？〃　
　They　followed　him　through　the　confines　of　the　narrow　shop…perhaps　eight　feet　wide…to　a　much　larger　space　in　the　back。　Spezi　indicated　for　them　to　sit　on　a　long　bench。　He　himself　perched　against　the　corner　of　a　worktable；　folded　his　hands；　and　stared。　
　In　the　rear　wall；　D'Agosta　could　see　a　stainless…steel　door；　grossly　out　of　place；　with　a　single　small　window。　On　the　far　side　of　the　window　was　a　gleaming　white　laboratory；　racks　of　puter　equipment　and　CRTs　bathed　in　unpleasant　fluorescent　light。　
　〃Thank　you　for　agreeing　to　see　me；　Dottor　Spezi；〃　Pendergast　said。　〃I　know　you　are　a　very　busy　man；　and　I　can　assure　you　we　will　not　waste　your　time。〃　
　The　man　bowed　his　head；　mollified　slightly。　
　〃This　is　my　associate；　Sergeant　Vincent　D'Agosta　of　the　Southampton　Police　Department；　New　York。〃　
　〃Very　pleased。〃　The　man　leaned　forward　and　shook　his　hand。　He　had　a　surprisingly　strong　grip。　Then　he　sat　back　again　and　waited。　
　〃I　propose　an　exchange　of　information；〃　Pendergast　said。　
　〃As　you　wish。〃　
　〃You　tell　me　what　you　know　of　Stradivari's　secret　formulas。　I　will　tell　you　what　I　know　of　the　existence　of　the　violin　mentioned　on　my　card。　Naturally；　I　will　keep　your　information　secret。　I　will　write　nothing　down　and　speak　to　no　one　about　it；　except　to　my　associate；　who　is　a　man　of　plete　discretion。〃　
　D'Agosta　watched　the　man's　deep　pale　eyes　stare　back　at　them。　He　appeared　to　be　thinking　about；　perhaps　even　struggling　with；　the　proposal。　Finally　he　nodded　curtly。　
　〃Very　well；　then；〃　said　Pendergast。　〃I　wonder　if　you　could　answer　some　questions　about　your　work。〃　
　〃Yes；　but　first：　the　violin。　How　in　the　world…？〃　
　〃First　things　first。　Tell　me；　Dottore…since　I　am　a　man　who　knows　nothing　about　violins…tell　me　what　makes　the　sound　of　a　Stradivarius　so　perfect？〃　
　The　man　seemed　to　relax；　evidently　realizing　he　was　not　dealing　with　a　spy　or　petitor。　〃This　is　no　secret。　I　would　characterize　it　as　very　lively。　It　is　aninteresting　sound。　On　top　of　that；　it　has　a　bination　of　darkness　and　brilliance；　a　balance　between　high　and　low　frequencies…a　tone　that　is　rich　but　as　pure　and　sweet　as　honey。　Of　course；　each　Strad　sounds　different…some　have　a　fatter　tone；　others　are　lean；　even　harsh；　some　are　thin　and　quite　disappointing。　Some　have　been　repaired　and　rebuilt　so　many　times　they　can　hardly　be　called　original。　Only　six　Strads；　for　example；　retain　their　original　necks。　When　you　drop　a　violin；　it's　always　the　neck　that　breaks。　But　there　are　about　ten　or　twenty　that　sound　almost　perfect。〃　
　〃Why？〃　
　At　this；　the　man　smiled。　〃That；　of　course；　is　the　question。〃　He　rose；　went　to　the　steel　door；　unlocked　it；　and　swung　it　open；　revealing　two　hard…disk　recording　workstations　and　racks　of　digital　samplers；　pressors；　and　limiters。　The　walls　and　ceiling　were　covered　with　acoustic　foam　paneling。　
　They　followed　him　in；　and　he　shut　and　locked　the　door　behind　them。　Then　he　switched　on　an　amplifier；　pulled　up　the　faders　on　a　nearby　mixing　console。　A　low　hum　began　to　sound　from　the　reference　speakers　set　high　in　the　walls。　
　〃The　first　really　scientific　test　done　on　a　Stradivarius　was　performed　about　fifty　years　ago。　They　hooked　a　sound　generator　to　the　bridge　of　a　violin　and　had　it　vibrate　the　instrument。　Then　they　measured　how　the　violin　vibrated　in　return。　An　absurd　test；　really；　because　it　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　way　a　violin　is　played。　But　even　such　a　crude　test　showed　the　Strad　gave　back　an　extraordinary　response　in　the　two…thousand…to…four…thousand…hertz　range…which；　not　at　all　coincidentally；　happens　to　be　the　range　of　sound　that　the　human　ear　is　most　sensitive　to。　Later；　high…speed　puters　allowed　real…time　processing　of　a　Strad　being　played。　Let　me　give　you　an　example。〃　
　He　turned　to　one　of　the　digital　samplers；　used　an　attached　keyboard　to　select　an　audio　sample；　sent　the　output　to　the　mixer。　The　sweet　sound　of　a　violin　filled　the　room。　
　〃This　is　Jascha　Heifetz　playing　the　cadenza　of　Beethoven's　violin　concerto　on　the　Messiah　Stradivarius。〃　
　A　plex　series　of　dancing　lines　appeared　on　a　monitor　sitting　behind　the　mixer。　Spezi　pointed　at　them。　
　〃That　is　a　frequency　analysis　from　thirty　to　thirty　thousand　hertz。　Look　at　the　richness　of　the　low…frequency　sounds！　They　give　the　violin　its　darkness；　its　sonority。　And　in　the　two　thousand　to　four　thousand　range　I　mentioned；　see　how　lively　and　robust　it　is。This　is　what　fills　the　concert　hall