cb.imajica2-第3章

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　〃There　are　。。。　powers　。。。　hidden　among　them。〃
　At　this；　Jude　attended　more　closely　than　ever。
　〃What　kind　of　powers？〃　Dowd　said；　voicing　the　question　she　was　silently　asking。
　〃I　did　nothing　unholy；〃　Quaisoir　protested。　〃I　just　wanted　to　be　cleansed。　The　Pivot　was　in　my　dreams。　Every　night；　its　shadow　on　me；　breaking　my　back。　I　only　wanted　to　be　cleansed　of　it。〃
　〃And　were　you？〃　Dowd　asked　her。　Again　she　didn't　answer　at　first；　until　he　pressed　her；　almost　harshly。　〃Were　you？〃
　〃I　wasn't　cleansed；　I　was　changed；〃　she　said。　〃The　women　polluted　me。　I　have　a　taint　in　my　flesh　and　I　wish　it　were　out　of　me。〃　She　began　to　tear　at　her　clothes；　till　her　fingers　found　her　belly　and　breasts。　〃I　want　it　driven　out！〃　she　said。　〃It　gave　me　new　dreams；　worse　than　before。〃
　〃Calm　yourself；〃　Dowd　said。
　〃But　I　want　it　out！　I　want　it　out！〃　A　kind　of　fit　had　suddenly　taken　her；　and　she　flailed　so　violently　in　his　arms　she　fell　from　them。　〃I　can　feel　it　in　me　now；〃　she　said；　her　nails　raking　her　breasts。
　Jude　looked　at　Dowd；　willing　him　to　intervene；　but　he　simply　stood　up；　staring　at　the　woman's　distress；　plainly　taking　pleasure　in　it。　Quaisoir's　self…assault　was　not　theatrics。　She　was　drawing　blood　from　her　skin；　still　yelling　that　she　wanted　the　taint　out　of　her。　In　her　agony；　a　subtle　change　was　ing　over　her　flesh；　as　though　she　was　sweating　out　the　taint　she'd　spoken　of。　Her　pores　were　oozing　a　sheen　of　iridescence；　and　the　cells　of　her　skin　were　subtly　changing　color。　Jude　knew　the　blue　she　saw　spreading　from　her　sister's　neck；　down　over　her　body　and　up　towards　her　contorted　face。　It　was　the　blue　of　the　stone　eye；　the　blue　of　the　Goddess。
　〃What　is　this？〃　Dowd　demanded　of　his　confessee。
　〃Out　of　me！　Out　of　me！〃
　〃Is　this　the　taint？〃　He　went　down　on　his　haunches　beside　her。　〃Is　it？〃
　〃Drive　it　out　of　me！〃　Quaisoir　sobbed；　and　began　assaulting　her　poor　body　afresh。
　Jude　could　endure　it　no　longer。　Allowing　her　sister　to　die　blissfully　in　the　arms　of　a　surrogate　divinity　was　one　thing。　This　self…mutilation　was　quite　another。　She　broke　her　vow　of　silence。
　〃Stop　her；〃　she　said。
　Dowd　looked　up　from　his　study；　drawing　his　thumb　across　his　throat　to　hush　her。　But　it　was　too　late。　Despite　her　own　motion；　Quaisoir　had　heard　her　sister　speak。　Her　thrashings　slowed；　and　her　blind　head　turned　in　Jude's　direction。
　〃Who's　there？〃　she　demanded。
　There　was　naked　fury　on　Dowd's　face；　but　he　hushed　her　softly。　She　would　not　be　placated；　however。
　〃Who's　with　you；　Lord？〃　she　asked　him。
　With　his　reply　he　made　an　error　that　unknitted　the　whole　fiction。　He　lied　to　her。
　〃There's　nobody；〃　he　said。
　〃I　heard　a　woman's　voice。　Who's　there？〃
　〃I　told　you；〃　Dowd　insisted。　〃Nobody。〃　He　put　his　hand　upon　her　face。　〃Now　calm　yourself。　We're　alone。〃
　〃No；　we're　not。〃
　〃Do　you　doubt　me；　child？〃　Dowd　replied；　his　voice；　after　the　harshness　of　his　last　interrogations；　modulating　with　this　question；　so　that　he　sounded　almost　wounded　by　her　lack　of　faith。　Quaisoir's　reply　was　to　silently　take　his　hand　from　her　face；　seizing　it　tightly　in　her　blue；　blood…speckled　fingers。
　〃That's　better；〃　he　said。
　Quaisoir　ran　her　fingers　over　his　palm。　Then　she　said；　〃No　scars。〃
　〃There'll　always　be　scars；〃　Dowd　said；　lavishing　his　best　pontifical　manner　upon　her。　But　he'd　missed　the　point　of　her　remark。
　〃There　are　no　scars　on　your　hand；〃　she　said。
　He　retrieved　it　from　her　grasp。　〃Believe　in　me；〃　he　said。
　〃No；〃　she　replied。　〃You're　not　the　Man　of　Sorrows。〃　The　joy　had　gone　from　her　voice。　It　was　thick；　almost　threatening。　〃You　can't　save　me；〃　she　said；　suddenly　flailing　wildly　to　drive　the　pretender　from　her。　〃Where's　my　Savior？　I　want　my　Savior！〃
　〃He　isn't　here；〃　Jude　told　her。　〃He　never　was。〃
　Quaisoir　turned　in　Jude's　direction。　〃Who　are　you？〃　she　said。　〃I　know　your　voice　from　somewhere。〃
　〃Keep　your　mouth　shut；〃　Dowd　said；　stabbing　his　finger　in　Jude's　direction。　〃Or　so　help　me　you'll　taste　the　mites…〃
　〃Don't　be　afraid　of　him；〃　Quaisoir　said。
　〃She　knows　better　than　that；〃　Dowd　replied。　〃She's　seen　what　I　can　do。〃
　Eager　for　some　excuse　to　speak；　so　that　Quaisoir　could　hear　more　of　the　voice　she　knew　but　couldn't　yet　name；　Jude　spoke　up　in　support　of　Dowd's　conceit。
　〃What　he　says　is　right；〃　she　told　Quaisoir。　〃He　can　hurt　us　both；　badly。　He's　not　the　Man　of　Sorrows；　sister。〃
　Whether　it　was　the　repetition　of　words　Quaisoir　had　herself　used　several　times…Man　of　Sorrows…or　the　fact　that　Jude　had　called　her　sister；　or　both；　the　woman's　sightless　face　slackened；　the　bafflement　going　out　of　it。　She　lifted　herself　from　the　ground。
　〃What's　your　name？〃　she　murmured。　〃Tell　me　your　name。〃
　〃She's　nothing；〃　Dowd　said；　echoing　Quaisoir's　own　description　of　herself　minutes　earlier。　〃She's　a　dead　woman。〃　He　made　a　move　in　Jude's　direction。　〃You　understand　so　little；〃　he　said。　〃And　I've　forgiven　you　a　lot　for　that。　But　I　can't　indulge　you　any　longer。　You've　spoiled　a　fine　game。　I　don't　want　you　spoiling　any　more。〃
　He　put　his　left　hand；　its　forefinger　extended；　to　his　lips。
　〃I　don't　have　many　mites　left；〃　he　said；　〃so　one　will　have　to　do。　A　slow　unraveling。　But　even　a　shadow　like　you　can　be　undone。〃
　〃I'm　a　shadow　now；　am　I？〃　Jude　said　to　him。　〃I　thought　we　were　the　same；　you　and　I？　Remember　that　speech？〃
　〃That　was　in　another　life；　lovey；〃　Dowd　said。　〃It's　different　here。　You　could　do　me　harm　here。　So　I'm　afraid　it's　going　to　have　to　be　thank　you　and　good　night。〃
　She　started　to　back　away　from　him；　wondering　as　she　did　so　how　much　distance　she　would　have　to　put　between　them　to　be　out　of　range　of　his　wretched　mites。　He　watched　her　retreat　with　pity　on　his　face。
　〃No　good；　lovey；〃　he　said。　〃I　know　these　streets　like　the　back　of　my　hand。〃
　She　ignored　his　condescension　and　took　another　backward　step；　her　eye　fixed　on　his　mouth　where　the　mites　nested；　but　aware　that　Quaisoir　had　risen　and　was　standing　no　more　than　a　yard　from　her　defender。
　〃Sister？〃　the　woman　said。
　Dowd　glanced　around；　distracted　from　Jude　long　enough　for　her　to　take　to　her　heels。　He　let　out　a　shout　as　she　fled；　and　the　blind　woman　lunged　towards　the　sound；　grabbing　his　arm　and　neck　and　dragging　him　towards　her。　The　noise　she　made　as　she　did　so　was　like　nothing　Jude　had　heard　from　human　lips；　and　she　envied　it：　a　cry　to　shatter　bones　like　glass　and　shake　color　from　the　air。　She　was　glad　not　to　be　closer；　or　it　might　have　brought　her　to　her　knees。
　She　looked　back　once；　in　time　to　see　Dowd　spit　the　lethal　mite　at　Quaisoir's　empty　sockets；　and　prayed　her　sister　had　better　defenses　against　its　harm　than　the　man　who'd　emptied　them。　Whether　or　no；　she　could　do　little　to　help。　Better　to　run　while　she　had　the　chance；　so　that　at　least　one　of　them　survived　the　cataclysm。
　She　turned　the　first　corner　she　came　to；　and　kept　turning　corners　thereafter；　to　put　as　many　decisions　between　herself　and　her　pursuer。　No　doubt　Dowd's　boast　was　true；　he　did　indeed　know　these　streets；　where　he　claimed　he'd　once　triumphed；　like　his　own　hand。　It　followed　that　the　sooner　she　was　out　of　them；　and　into　terrain　unfamiliar　to　them　both；　the　more　chance　she　had　of　losing　him。　Until　then；　she　had　to　be　swift　and　as　nearly　invisible　as　she　could　make　herself。　Like　the　shadow　Dowd　had　dubbed　her：　darkness　in　a　deeper　dark；　flitting　and　fleeting；　seen　and　gone。
　But　her　body　didn't　want　to　oblige。　It　was　weary；　beset　with　aches　and　shudders。　Twin　fires　had　been　set　in　her　chest；　one　in　each　lung。　Invisible　hounds　ripped　her　heels　bloody。　She　didn't　allow　herself　to　slow　her　pace；　however；　until　she'd　left　the　streets　of　playhouses　and　brothels　behind　her　and　was　delivered　into　a　place　that　might　have　stood　as　a　set　for　a　Pluthero　Quexos　tragedy：　a　circle　a　hundred　yards　wide；　bounded　by　a　high　wall　of　sleek；　black　stone。　The　fires　that　burned　here　didn't　rage　uncontrolled；　as　they　did　in　so　many　other　parts　of　the　city；　but　flickered　from　the　tops　of　the　walls　in　their　dozens；　tiny　white　flames；　like　night…lights；　illuminating　the　inclined　pavement　that　led　down　to　an　opening　in　the　center　of　the　circle。　She　could　only　guess　at　its　function。　An　entrance　into　the　city's　secret　underworld；　perhaps；　or　a　well？　There　were　flowers　everywhere；　most　of　the　petals　shed　a