cb.imajica2-第101章

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　〃Let　Clem　go；〃　she　said。　〃Will　you　e　to　me　if　I　do？〃
　She　left　a　decent　pause　before　replying；　so　as　not　to　seem　too　eager。　〃Yes；〃　she　said。　〃I'll　e。〃　〃No；　Judy！〃　Clem　said。　〃Don't。　He's　not　alone。〃　She　could　see　that　now；　as　her　eyes　became　more　accustomed　to　the　darkness。　Sleek；　ugly　beasts　prowled　back　and　forth。　One　was　up　on　its　back　legs；　sharpening　its　claws　on　the　tree。　Another　was　in　the　gutter；　close　enough　for　her　to　see　its　innards　through　its　translucent　skin。　Their　ugliness　didn't　distress　her。　Around　the　fringes　of　any　drama　such　detritus　was　bound　to　accrue：　scraps　of　discarded　characters；　soiled　costumes；　cracked　masks。　They　were　irrelevancies；　and　her　lover　had　taken　them　for　pany　because　he　felt　a　kinship　with　them。　She　pitied　them。　But　him；　who'd　been　most　high；　she　pitied　more。
　〃I　want　to　see　Clem　here　on　the　step　before　I　make　a　move；〃　she　said。
　There　was　a　pause；　then　Sartori　said；　〃I'm　going　to　trust　you。〃
　His　words　were　followed　by　further　sounds　from　the　Oviates　that　paced　in　the　murk；　and　Jude　saw　two　of　them　slope　out　of　the　shadows；　with　Clem　between　them；　his　arms　in　their　throats。　They　came　close　enough　to　the　pavement　for　her　to　see　the　foam　of　appetite　that　rose　from　their　lips；　then　they　literally　spat　their　prisoner　free。　Clem　fell　face　down　on　the　road；　his　hands　and　arms　covered　in　their　muck。　She　wanted　to　go　to　his　aid　there　and　then；　but　though　the　captors　had　retreated；　the　tree　gouger　had　turned　and　lowered　its　shovel　head；　its　eyes；　black　as　a　shark's；　flickering　back　and　forth　in　their　bulbous　sockets；　hungry　to　have　the　frail　meat　on　the　road。　If　she　moved　she　feared　it　would　pounce；　so　she　kept　her　place　on　the　step　while　Clem　hauled　himself　to　his　feet。　His　arms　were　blistered　by　the　Oviate's　spittle；　but　he　was　otherwise　intact。
　〃I'm　all　right；　Judy；〃　he　murmured。　〃Go　back　inside。〃
　She　stayed　put；　however；　waiting　until　he　was　up　and　staggering　across　the　pavement　before　she　started　down　the　steps。
　〃Go　back！〃　he　told　her　again。
　She　put　her　arms　around　him　and　whispered。　〃Clem。　I　don't　want　you　to　argue　with　this。　Go　into　the　house　and　lock　the　door。　I'm　not　ing　with　you。〃
　He　started　to　speak；　but　she　hushed　him。
　〃No　argument；　I　said。　I　want　to　see　him；　Clem。　I　want　to　。。。　be　with　him。　Now；　please；　if　you　love　me；　go　inside　and　close　the　door。〃
　She　felt　reluctance　in　his　every　sinew；　but　he　knew　too　much　about　the　business　of　love；　especially　love　that　defied　orthodoxy；　to　attempt　to　reason　with　her。
　〃Just　remember　what　he's　done；〃　he　said；　as　he　let　her　go。
　〃That's　all　part　of　it；　Clem；〃　she　said；　and　slipped　past　him。
　It　was　easy　to　leave　the　light　behind。　The　ache　which　the　currents　had　woken　in　her　marrow　diminished　with　every　yard　she　put　between　herself　and　the　house；　and　the　thought　of　the　embrace　ahead　quickened　her　step。　This　was　what　she　wanted；　and　what　he　wanted　too。　Though　the　first　causes　of　this　passion　were　gone…one　to　dust；　one　to　divinity…she　and　the　man　in　the　darkness　were　its　embodiments　and　could　not　be　denied　each　other。
　She　glanced　back　towards　the　house　once　only；　to　see　that　Clem　was　lingering　on　the　step。　She　didn't　waste　time　trying　to　persuade　him　to　go　inside；　but　simply　turned　back　to　the　shadows。
　〃Where　are　you？〃　she　said。
　〃Here；〃　her　lover　replied；　and　stepped　from　the　folds　of　his　legion。
　A　single　strand　of　luminescent　matter　came　with　him；　fine　enough　to　have　been　woven　by　Oviate　spiders；　but　clotted　here　and　there　with　beads　like　pearls；　which　swelled　and　dropped　from　the　filaments；　running　down　his　arms　and　face　and　mottling　the　ground　where　he　walked。　The　light　flattered　him；　but　she　was　too　hungry　for　the　truth　of　his　face　to　be　deceived；　and　piercing　the　glamour　with　her　stare　found　him　much　reduced。　The　shining　dandy　she'd　first　met　in　Klein's　plastic　garden　had　gone。　Now　his　eyes　were　heavy　with　despair；　his　mouth　drawn　down　at　the　corners；　his　hair　awry。　Perhaps　he'd　always　looked　like　this；　and　he'd　simply　used　some　piffling　sway　to　mask　the　fact；　but　she　doubted　it。　He　was　changed　on　the　outside　because　something　had　changed　within。
　Though　she　stood　before　him　defenseless；　he　made　no　move　to　touch　her；　but　hung　back　like　a　penitent　in　need　of　invitation　before　he　approached　the　altar。　She　liked　this　new　fastidiousness。
　〃I　didn't　hurt　the　angels；〃　he　said　softly。
　〃You　shouldn't　even　have　touched　them。〃
　〃It　wasn't　supposed　to　happen　like　this；〃　he　said　again。
　〃The　gek…a…gek　were　clumsy。　They　dropped　some　meat　from　the　roof。〃
　〃I　saw。〃
　〃I　was　going　to　wait　until　the　power　subsided　and　e　for　you　in　style。〃　He　paused；　then　asked；　〃Would　you　have　let　me　take　you？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃I　wasn't　certain。　I　was　a　little　afraid　you'd　reject　me；　and　then　I'd　bee　cruel。　You're　my　sanity　now。　I　can't　go　on　without　you；〃
　〃You　went　on　all　those　years　in　Yzordderrex。〃
　〃I　had　you　there；〃　he　said；　〃only　by　a　different　name。〃
　〃And　you　were　still　cruel。〃
　〃Imagine　how　much　cruder　I　would　have　been；〃　he　said；　as　if　amazed　at　the　possibility；　〃if　I　hadn't　had　your　face　to　mellow　me。〃
　〃Is　that　all　I　am　to　you？　A　face？〃
　〃You　know　better　than　that；〃　he　said；　his　voice　dropping　〃　to　a　whisper。
　〃Tell　me；〃　she　said；　inviting　his　affections。
　He　glanced　back　over　his　shoulder；　towards　the　legion。　If　he　spoke　to　them　she　didn't　hear　it。　They　simply　retreated；　cowed　by　his　glance。　When　they　were　gone；　he　put　his　hands　to　her　face；　his　little　fingers　just　beneath　the　line　of　her　jaw；　his　thumbs　laid　lightly　at　the　corners　of　her　mouth。　Despite　the　heat　that　was　still　rising　from　the　cooked　asphalt；　his　skin　was　chilly。
　〃One　way　or　another；〃　he　said；　〃we　don't　have　very　long；　so　I'll　keep　this　simple。　There's　no　future　for　us　now。　Maybe　there　was　yesterday；　but　tonight。。。〃
　〃I　thought　you　were　going　to　build　a　New　Yzordderrex。〃
　〃I　was。　I　have　the　perfect　model　for　it；　here。〃　His　thumbs　went　from　the　corners　of　her　mouth　to　the　middle　of　her　lips　and　stroked　them。　〃A　city　made　in　your　image；　built　in　place　of　these　miserable　streets。〃
　〃But　now？〃
　〃We　don't　have　the　time；　love。　My　brother's　about　his　work　up　there；　and　when　he's　finished〃…he　sighed；　his　voice　dropping　lower　still…〃when　he's　finished…〃
　〃What？〃　she　said。　There　was　something　he　wanted　to　share；　but　he　was　forbidding　himself。
　〃I　hear　you　went　back　to　Yzordderrex；〃　he　said。
　She　wanted　to　press　him　to　plete　his　earlier　explanation；　but　she　knew　better　than　to　push　too　hard；　so　she　answered　him；　knowing　his　earlier　doubts　could　surface　again　if　she　was　patient。　Yes；　she　said；　she　had　indeed　been　to　Yzordderrex；　and　she'd　found　the　palace　much　changed。　This　sparked　his　interest。
　〃Who's　taken　it　over？　Not　Rosengarten？　No。　The　Dearthers。　That　damn　priest　Athanasius…〃
　〃None　of　those。〃
　〃Who　then？〃
　〃Goddesses。〃
　The　web　of　luminescence　fluttered　around　his　head；　shaken　by　his　distress。
　〃They　were　always　there；〃　she　told　him。　〃Or　at　least　one　was；　a　Goddess　called　Uma　Umagammagi。　Have　you　ever　heard　of　Her？〃
　〃Legends…〃
　〃She　was　in　the　Pivot。〃
　〃That's　impossible；〃　he　said。　〃The　Pivot　belongs　to　the　Unbeheld。　The　whole　of　the　Imajica　belongs　to　the　Unbeheld。〃
　She'd　never　heard　of　a　breath　of　subservience　in　him　before；　but　she　heard　it　now。
　〃Does　He　own　us　too？〃　she　asked　him。
　〃We　may　escape　that；〃　he　said。　〃But　it'll　be　hard；　love。　He's　the　Father　of　us　all。　He　expects　to　be　obeyed；　even　to　the　very　end。〃　Again　an　aching　pause；　but　this　time　a　request　on　its　heels。　〃Will　you　embrace　me？〃　he　asked　her。
　She　answered　with　her　arms。　His　hands　slid　from　her　face　and　through　her　hair　to　clasp　behind　her。
　〃I　used　to　think　it　was　a　godlike　thing　to　build　cities；〃　he　murmured。　〃And　if　I　built　one　fine　enough　it　would　stand　forever；　and　so　would　I。　But　everything　passes　away　sooner　or　later；　doesn't　it？〃
　She　heard　in　his　words　a　despair　that　was　the　inverse　of　Gentle's　visionary　zeal；　as　though　in　the　time　she'd　known　them　they'd　exchanged　their　lives。　Gentle　the　faithless　lover　had　bee　a　dealer　in　heavens；　while　Sartori；　the　sometime　maker　of　hells；　was　here　holding　out　love　as　his　last　salvation。
　〃What　is　God's　work；〃　she　asked　him　quietly；　〃if　it's　not　the　building　of　cities？〃