p&c.brimstone-第95章

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：　something　far；　far　worse　than　the　act　of　dying　itself。　In　those　last　moments；　as　the　soul　begins　to　separate　from　the　body；　the　fabric　of　everyday　reality　is　ripped　asunder。　And　suddenly　they　can　see　into　the　void　beyond。　Then　es　a　terrible　oppression；　overwhelming　fear；　rising　heat。　They　cannot　scream；　they　cannot　flee。　This　is　no　panic　attack　that　will　pass；　this　is　merely　the　foretaste　of　what　is　to　e。　This　is　a　step　onto　the　first　tread　of　the　long　stairway　down　into　hell。　
　〃And　what　is　hell　itself　like？　Our　ancestors　were　told　it　was　a　burning　lake　of　fire；　of　sulfur　and　brimstone；　in　which　one　was　eternally　submerged。　A　terrible　furnace　whose　flames　bring　no　light；　but　merely　darkness　made　visible。　And　in　a　simpler　time；　such　a　depiction　was　enough。〃　
　He　stopped　again　to　look　around；　fixing　first　one；　then　another；　with　his　eyes。　
　〃Mind　you；　I　do　believe　this　is　hell　for　some。　But　it　is　not　the　only　hell。　There　are　countless　hells；　my　brothers　and　sisters。　There　is　a　hell　foreach　of　us。　Lucifer　may　be　no　match　for　our　God。　Yet　he　was　a　very　mighty　angel　indeed；　and　as　such；　has　powers　far　beyond　our　poor　prehension。　
　〃You　must　remember　something；　and　remember　it　always：　Lucifer；　the　devil；　was　cast　out　of　heaven　because　of　his　overmastering　envy　and　evil。　In　his　implacable　jealousy；　his　unquenchable　thirst　for　revenge；　he　now　uses　us　as　his　pawns。　Just　as　the　rejected　child　hates　a　favored　rival；　he　hates　us　for　what　we　are：　beloved　children　of　God。　And　which　of　us　can　hope　to　prehend　the　depths　of　his　bottomless　rage？　Each　human　he　corrupts；　each　soul　he　takes；　is　for　him　a　victory：　a　fist　shaken　up　at　God。　
　〃He　knows　our　individual　weaknesses；　our　petty　desires；　he　knows　what　triggers　our　vanity　or　our　greed　or　our　lust　or　our　cruelty。　We　have　no　secrets　from　him。　He　has　handcrafted　temptations　for　each　one　of　us；　he　has　strewn　our　path　with　a　thousand　ways　to　veer　into　darkness。　And　once　he　has　successfully　lured　a　soul　into　his　kingdom…once　he　has　won；　yet　again…do　you　think　Satan　will　be　content　to　leave　that　soul　in　ageneric　hell？　Think　again；　my　friends：　think　again。　He　who　knows　all　our　weaknesses　also　knows　all　our　fears。　Even　those　we　may　not　know　ourselves。　And　to　plete　his　victory；　to　make　his　victim's　sufferingsupreme　；　he　will　fashion　each　individual　hell　to　be　the　most　unendurable　for　its　particular　inhabitant。　And　worst　of　all；　it　will　be　a　hell　that　lasts　forever。　And　ever。And　ever。　For　some；　that　may　well　mean　a　burning　lake　of　fire。　For　others；　it　may　mean　an　eternity　nailed　up　in　a　black　coffin；　motionless；　lightless；　speechless；　as　insanity　doubles　and　redoubles　over　long　eons。　For　others；　it　might　mean；　say；　eternal　suffocation。　Imagine　that　for　a　moment；　my　friends。　Imagine　that　you've　held　your　breath　for　two　minutes；　maybe　three。　Imagine　the　desperate　need　for　oxygen；　the　exquisite　torture。　And　yet　in　hell；　there　is　no　release　of　breath；　no　drawing　in　of　good　sweet　air。　Nor　is　there　the　blankness　of　oblivion。　There　is　simply　that　moment　of　maximal　agony；　prolonged　forever。〃　
　Maximal　agony；　prolonged　forever。Despite　himself；　Harriman　shivered　in　the　warm　night。　
　〃Other　hells　might　be　more　subtle。　Imagine　the　man　who　always　feared　going　crazy；　doing　so　over　decades　or　even　slow　centuries。　And　then　beginning　the　process　over。　And　over。　Or　imagine　the　doting　mother；　forced　to　watch…again　and　again　and　again…how　after　her　own　passing　her　children　slide　into　poverty　and　neglect；　drug　addiction；　depression；　maltreatment；　and　death。〃　
　Here　he　stopped；　and　stepped　up　to　the　very　edge　of　the　rock。　
　〃Take　a　moment　to　think　of　the　very　worst　hell　you　could　imagine　for　yourself。　And　then　realize　that　Satan；　who　knows　you　even　better　than　you　know　yourself；　could　fashion　one　far　worse。　And　he　will。He　already　has。　In　anticipation。　Because　he　has　only　one　salve　for　his　bitter　pain：　the　despair；　the　desperate　pleadings；　the　cries　and　sufferings　of　his　victims。〃　
　Buck　paused　again。　He　took　a　deep　breath；　then　another。　Then；　in　an　even　lower　voice；　he　went　on。　
　〃I've　said　there　was　a　hell　for　each　of　us。　That　hell　is　there；　waiting　for　each　one　of　you。　Satan　has　made　your　hell　so　very　easy　to　find；　with　a　wide　and　fortable　road　leading　straight　to　it。　It　is　far；　far　easier　for　us　to　go　with　the　flow；　to　stroll　unthinking　down　that　broad　pleasant　avenue；　far　easier　than　to　search　for　the　rough；　hidden　turnoff　that　leads　to　heaven。　We　must　fight　against　the　lure　of　the　easy　road。　It　is　a　fight；　my　friends；　a　fight　to　the　death。　Because　that　is　the　only　way…the　only　way…we　are　going　to　discover　that　difficult　trail　to　heaven。　I　ask　you　to　remember　this　in　the　trials　we　are　about　to　face。〃　
　And　then　he　turned　and　stepped　down　out　of　sight。　
　　　
　74　
　
　When　D'Agosta　entered　Pendergast's　hotel　suite；　he　found　theagent　at　breakfast。　The　table　was　set　with　assorted　fruits；　breakfast　rolls；　and　the　inescapable　and　inevitable　tiny　espresso。　Pendergast　was　nibbling　daintily　at　poached　eggs　and　reading　what　looked　like　a　set　of　faxed　documents。　For　a　brief　moment；　D'Agosta　thought　of　the　earlier　meal　they'd　shared；　back　in　Southampton；　when　this　case　was　still　brand…new。　It　seemed　a　distant　memory　indeed。　
　〃Ah；　Vincent；〃　Pendergast　said。　〃e　in。　Would　you　care　to　order　something？〃　
　〃No；　thanks。〃　Although　it　was　a　beautiful　morning　and　sunlight　gilded　the　rooms；　D'Agosta　felt　as　if　a　threatening　cloud　was　hanging　over　them　both。　〃I'm　surprised　you've　got　an　appetite。〃　
　〃It's　important　I　take　some　refreshment　now。　I'm　not　sure　how　long　it　will　be　until　my　next　meal。　But　that　shouldn't　stop　you：　e；　have　a　croissant。　These　Alsatian　plum　preserves　from　Fauchon　are　delightful。〃　He　put　the　faxes　aside　and　picked　upLa　Nazione　。　
　〃What's　that　you　were　reading？〃　
　〃Some　faxes　from　Constance。　I'll　need　all　the；　ah；　ammunition　I　can　gather　for　what's　to　e。　She　has　proven　most　helpful。〃　
　D'Agosta　stepped　forward。　〃I'm　ing　with　you；〃　he　said　grimly。　〃I　want　to　get　that　straight　here　and　now　so　there　won't　be　any　questions　later。〃　
　Pendergast　lowered　the　paper。　〃I　assumed　you'd　make　such　a　demand。　Let　me　remind　you　the　invitation　was　for　me　alone。〃　
　〃I　doubt　that　fat…assed　count　would　have　any　objections。〃　
　〃You're　probably　right。〃　
　〃I've　e　all　this　way。　I've　been　shot　at　more　than　once；　lost　the　end　of　a　finger；　almost　been　pushed　off　a　cliff；　almost　beendriven　off　a　cliff。〃　
　〃Right　again。〃　
　〃So　don't　expect　me　to　spend　the　evening　relaxing　by　the　pool　with　a　few　cold　ones　while　you're　in　Fosco's　lair。〃　
　Pendergast　smiled　faintly。　〃I　have　one　more　errand　to　run　before　leaving　Florence。　Let's　discuss　it　then。〃　
　And　he　raised　the　paper　once　again。　
　Two　hours　later；　their　car　stopped　on　a　narrow　street　in　Florence；　outside　a　vast；　austere　building　of　rough　stone。　
　〃The　Palazzo　Maffei；〃　Pendergast　said　from　behind　the　wheel。　〃If　you　wouldn't　mind　waiting　here　a　moment？　I　won't　be　long。〃　He　got　out　of　the　car；　approached　a　brass　plaque　of　door　buzzers　set　into　the　facade；　scanned　the　names；　and　pressed　one。　A　moment　later；　a　muffled　voice　rasped　over　the　inter。　Pendergast　answered。　Then　the　great　door　buzzed　open　and　he　vanished　inside。　
　D'Agosta　watched；　curious。　He'd　picked　up　enough　Italian　to　know　that　what　Pendergast　said　into　the　inter　hadn't　sounded　right。　It　sounded　more　like　Latin；　to　tell　the　truth。　
　Getting　out　of　the　car；　he　crossed　the　narrow　street　and　examined　the　buzzers。　The　one　Pendergast　pressed　was　labeled　simplyCorso　Maffei　。　This　told　D'Agosta　nothing；　and　he　returned　to　their　rental　car。　
　Within　ten　minutes；　Pendergast　emerged　from　the　building　and　got　back　into　the　driver's　seat。　
　〃What　was　that　all　about？〃　D'Agosta　asked。　
　〃Insurance；〃　Pendergast　replied。　Then　he　turned　to　look　intently　at　D'Agosta。　〃The　chances　of　success　in　this　venture　are　not　much　better　than　fifty…fifty。　I　have　to　do　this。　You　do　not。　I　would　personally　prefer　it　if　you　didn't　e。〃　
　〃No　way。　We're　in　this　together。〃　
　〃I　see　you　are　determined。　But　let　me　just　remind　you；　Vincent；　that　you　have　a　son　and　what　appear　to　be　excellent　prospects　for　advancement；　promotion；　and　a　happy　life　ahead　of　you。〃　
　〃Isaid　；　we're　in　this　together。〃　
　Pende