cb.imajica2-第23章
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With his eyes fixed on the tear； he vacated the chamber and headed towards the Erasure。 The route between was the storm's highway。 It carried the detritus of its deeds back and forth； returning to places it had already destroyed in its first assault to pick up the survivors and pitch them into the air like sacks of bloody down； tearing them open up above。 There was a red rain in the gusts； which spattered Gentle as he went； yet the same authority that was condemning men and women all around left him untouched。 It could not so much as knock him off his feet。 The reason？ His breath； which Pie had once called the source of all magic。 Its cloak clung to him as it had before； apparently protecting him from the tumult； and； though it didn't impede his steps； it lent him a mass beyond that of flesh and bone。
With half the distance covered； he glanced back to see if there was any sign of life among the Madonnas。 The place was easy to find； even amid this carnage； the fire burned with a wind…fed fervor； and through air thickened by blood and shards Gentle saw that several of the statues had been raised from their stony beds and now formed a circle in which Athanasius and several of his followers were taking shelter。 They'd offer little defense against this havoc； he thought； but several other survivors could be seen crawling towards the place； eyes fixed on the Holy Mothers。
Gentle turned his back on the sight and strode on towards the Erasure； catching sight … of another soul here weighty enough to resist the assault： a man in robes the color of the shredded tents； sitting cross…legged on the ground no more than twenty yards from the fury's source。 His head was hooded； his face turned towards the maelstrom。 Was this monkish creature the force he'd summoned？ Gentle wondered。 If not； how was this fellow surviving so close to the engine of destruction？
He started to yell to the man as he approached； by no means certain that his voice would carry in the din of wind and screams。 But the monk heard。 He looked round at Gentle； the hood half eclipsing his face。 There was nothing untoward about his placid features。 His face was in need of a shave； his nose； which had been broken at some time； in need of resetting； his eyes in need of nothing。 They had all they wanted； it seemed； seeing the Maestro approach。 A broad grin broke over the monk's face； and he instantly rose to his feet； bowing his head。
〃Maestro；〃 he said。 〃You do me honor。〃 His voice wasn't raised； but it carried through the motion。 〃Have you seen the mystif yet？〃
〃The mystif s gone；〃 Gentle said。 He didn't need to yell； he realized。 His voice； like his limbs； carried an unnatural weight here。
〃Yes； I saw it go；〃 the monk replied； 〃But it's e back； Maestro。 It broke through the Erasure； and the storm came after it。〃
〃Where？ Where？〃 Gentle said； turning full circle。 〃I don't see it！〃 He looked accusingly at the man。 〃It would have found me if it was here；〃 he said。
〃Trust me； it's trying；〃 the man replied。 He pulled back his hood。 His gingery curls were thinning； but there was the vestige of a chorister's charm there。 〃It's very close； Maestro。〃
Now it was he who stared into the storm： not to left and right； however； but up into the labyrinthine air。 Gentle followed his gaze。 There were swaths of tattered canvas on the wind high above them； rising and falling like vast wounded birds。 There were pieces of furniture； shredded clothes； and fragments of flesh。 And in among these clouds of dross； a darting form darker than either sky or storm； descending even as he set his eyes upon it。 The monk drew closer to Gentle。
〃That's the mystif；〃 he said。 〃May I protect you； Maestro？〃
〃It's my friend；〃 Gentle said。 〃I don't need protecting。〃 〃I think you do；〃 the other replied； and raised his arms above his head； palms out as if to deflect the approaching spirit。
It slowed at the sight of this gesture； and Gentle had time to see the form above him plainly。 It was indeed the mystif； or its remains。 Either by stealth or sheer force of will it had breached the Erasure。 But its escape had brought it no fort whatsoever。 The uredo burned more venomously than ever； almost entirely consuming the shadow body it had fixed upon and poisoned； and from the sufferer's mouth； a howl that could not have been more pained had its guts been drawn out of its belly in front of its eyes。
It had e to a plete halt now and hovered above the two men like a diver arrested in mid…descent； arms outstretched； head； or its traces； thrown back。 〃Pie？〃 Gentle said。 〃Have you done this？〃 The howl went on。 If there were words in its anguish； Gentle couldn't make them out。
〃I have to speak to it；〃 Gentle said to his protector。 〃If you're causing it pain； for God's sake stop。〃
〃It came out of the margin howling like this；〃 the man said。
〃At least drop your defenses。〃 〃It'll attack us。〃 〃I'll take that risk；〃 he replied。
The man let his shunning hands fall to his side。 The form above them twisted and turned but did not descend。 Another force had a claim upon it； Gentle realized。 It was thrashing to resist a summons from the Erasure； which was calling it back into the place from which it had escaped。
〃Can you hear me； Pie？〃 Gentle asked it。
The howl went on； unabated。
〃If you can speak； do it！〃
〃It's already speaking；〃 the monk said。
〃I only hear howls；〃 Gentle said。
〃Past the howls；〃 came the reply； 〃there are words。〃
Drops of fluid fell from the mystif s wounds as its struggles to resist the Erasure's power intensified。 They stank of putrescence and burned Gentle's upturned face； but their sting brought prehension of the words encoded in Pie's screeches。
〃Undone；〃 the mystif was saying。 〃We're。。。 undone。。。。〃
〃Why did you do this？〃 Gentle asked。
〃It wasn't。。。 me。 The storm was sent to claim me back。〃
〃Out of the First？〃
〃It's。。。 His will；〃 Pie said。 〃His。。。 will。。。。〃
Though the tortured form above him resembled the creature he'd loved and wed scarcely at all； Gentle could still hear fragments of Pie 'oh' pah in these replies and； hearing them； wanted to raise his own voice in anguish at the thought of Pie's pain。 The mystif had gone into the First to end its suffering； but here it was； suffering still； and he was powerless to help it or heal it。 All he could do by way of fort was tell it that he understood； which he did。 Its message was perfectly clear。 In the trauma of their parting Pie had sensed some equivocation in him。 But there was none； and he said so。
〃I know what I have to do；〃 he told the sufferer。 〃Trust me； Pie。 I understand。 I'm the Reconciler。 I'm not going to run from that。〃
At this； the mystif writhed like a fish on a hook； no longer able to keep itself from being hauled in by the fisherman in the First。 It started to scrabble at the air； as if it might gain another moment in this Dominion by catching hold of a mote。 But the power that had sent such furies in pursuit of it had too strong a hold； and the spirit was drawn back towards the Erasure。 Instinctively Gentle reached up towards it； hearing and ignoring a cry of alarm from the man at his side。 The mystif reached for his hand； extending its shadowy substance to do so； and curling grotesquely long fingers around Gentle's。 The contact sent such a convulsion through his system he would have been thrown to the ground but that his protector took hold of him。 As it was his marrow seemed to burn in his bones； and he smelled the stench of rot off his skin； as though death were ing upon him inside and out。 It was hard； in that agony； to hold on to the mystif； much less to the words it was trying to say。 But he fought the urge to let go； struggling for the sense of the few syllables he was able to grasp。 Three of them were his name。
〃Sartori。。。〃
〃I'm here； Pie；〃 Gentle said； thinking perhaps the thing was blinded now。 〃I'm still here。〃
But the mystif wasn't naming its Maestro。 〃The other；〃 it said。 〃The other。。。〃 〃What about him？〃
〃He knows；〃 Pie murmured。 〃Find him； Gentle。 He knows。〃
With this mand； their fingers separated。 The mystif reached to take hold of Gentle again； but with its frail hold lost it was prey to the Erasure and was instantly snatched towards the
