cb.coldheart canyon-第5章

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　 Sandru　put　on　a　smile；　but　it　wasn't　convincing。　〃It　isn't　much；〃　he　said。
　 〃Oh　sometimes　you　find　beauty　in　the　strangest　places；〃　Zeffer　said；　and　as　he　spoke　the　little　face　of　Katya　Lupescu　came　into　his　mind's　eye；　pale　in　a　blue　twilight。
　
　
　TWO
　 Sandru　led　the　way　down　the　passageway　to　another　door；　this　one　rather　smaller　than　the　oak　door　they'd　e　through　to　get　to　this　level。　Out　came　his　keys。　He　unlocked　the　door；　and　to　Zeffer's　surprise　he　and　the　priest　were　presented　with　another　flight　of　steps；　taking　them　yet　deeper　into　the　Fortress。
　 〃Are　you　ready？〃　the　Father　asked。
　 〃Absolutely；〃　Zeffer　said。
　 Down　they　went。　The　stairs　were　steep；　the　air　being　noticeably　more　frigid　as　they　descended。　Father　Sandru　said　nothing　as　they　went；　he　glanced　back　over　his　shoulder　two　or　three　times；　to　be　sure　that　he　still　had　Zeffer　on　his　heels；　but　the　expression　on　his　face　was　far　from　happy；　as　though　he　rather　regretted　making　the　decision　to　bring　Zeffer　here；　and　would　have　turned　on　his　heel　and　headed　back　up　to　the　relative　fort　of　the　floor　above　at　the　least　invitation。
　 At　the　bottom　of　the　stairs　he　stopped；　and　rubbed　his　hands　together　vigorously。
　 〃I　think　before　we　proceed　any　further　we　should　take　a　glass　of　something　to　warm　us；〃　he　said。　〃What　do　you　say？〃
　 〃I　wouldn't　say　no；〃　Zeffer　said。
　 The　Father　went　to　a　small　cubby…hole　in　the　wall　a　few　yards　from　the　bottom　of　the　stairs；　from　which　he　brought　a　bottle　of　spirits　and　two　glasses。　Zeffer　didn't　remark　on　the　liquor's　proximity；　nor　could　he　blame　the　brothers　for　needing　a　glass　of　brandy　to　fortify　them　when　they　came　down　here。　Though　the　lower　level　was　supplied　with　electricity　（there　were　19　lengths　of　electric　lamps　looped　along　the　walls　of　the　corridor）　the　light　did　nothing　to　warm　the　air　nor　fort　the　spirit。
　 Father　Sandru　handed　Zeffer　a　glass；　and　took　the　cork　out　of　the　bottle。　The　pop　echoed　off　the　naked　stone　of　walls　and　floor。　He　poured　Zeffer　a　healthy　measure　of　the　liquor；　and　then　an　even　healthier　measure　for　himself；　which　he　had　downed　before　Zeffer　had　got　his　own　glass　to　his　lips。
　 〃When　I　first　came　here；〃　the　Father　said；　refilling　his　glass；　〃we　used　to　brew　our　own　brandy；　from　plums　we　grew　on　our　own　trees。〃
　 〃But　not　now？〃
　 〃No；〃　the　Father　said；　plainly　saddened　at　the　fact　that　they　were　no　longer　producers　of　liquor。　〃The　earth　is　not　good　any　longer；　so　the　plums　never　ripen　properly。　They　remain　small　and　sour。　The　brandy　made　from　such　fruit　is　bitter；　and　nobody　wants　to　drink　it。　Even　I　will　not　drink　it；　so　you　can　judge　for　yourself　how　bad　it　must　be！〃　He　laughed　at　his　self…deprecation；　and　used　the　laughter　as　a　cue　to　fill　his　glass　up　again。　〃Drink；〃　he　said　to　Zeffer；　tapping　his　glass　against　Zeffer's　glass　as　though　this　was　the　first　he'd　had。
　 Zeffer　drank。　The　brandy　was　stronger　than　the　stuff　he'd　had　at　the　hotel　in　Brascov。　It　went　down　smoothly；　warming　his　belly　when　it　arrived。
　 〃Good；　yes？〃　the　Father　said；　having　downed　his　second　glass。
　 〃Very。〃
　 〃You　should　have　another　before　we　go　on。〃　And　he　filled　Zeffer's　glass　without　waiting　for　a　reply。　〃We're　a　long　way　below　ground　here；　and　it　gets　hellishly　cold。。。〃　Glasses　were　filled；　and　emptied。　The　Father's　mood　was　noticeably　better　now；　and　his　tone　chattier。　He　put　the　glasses　and　the　bottle　back　in　the　hole　in　the　wall；　and　then　led　the　way　down　the　narrow　corridor；　talking　as　he　went。　〃When　the　Order　first　came　to　the　Fortress；　there　were　plans　to　found　a　hospital　here。　You　see；　there　are　no　hospitals　within　a　hundred　and　twenty　miles　of　here。　It　would　be　very　practical。　But　this　is　not　a　place　for　the　sick。　And　certainly　not　the　dying。〃
　 〃So；　no　hospital？〃
　 〃Well；　we　made　preparations。　You　saw　yesterday　one　of　the　wards…〃　Zeffer　remembered。　He'd　glanced　through　an　open　door　and　there'd　been　two　rows　of　iron　beds；　with　bare　mattresses。　〃I　thought　it　was　a　dormitory　for　the　brothers。〃　〃No。　We　each　have　our　own　cells。　There　are　only　eleven　of　us；　so　we　can　each　have　a　place　in　which　to　meditate　and　pray。。。〃　He　offered　Zeffer　a　glance；　acpanied　by　a　small　smile。　〃And　drink。〃
　 〃I　can't　imagine　it's　a　very　satisfying　life；〃　Zeffer　said。
　 〃Satisfying？〃　The　idea　was　obviously　a　little　confounding　to　Sandru。　〃Meaning　what？〃
　 〃Oh；　just　that　you　don't　get　to　work　in　the　munity。　You　can't　help　people。〃
　 They　had　e　to　the　end　of　the　passageway；　and　Sandru　sorted　through　his　collection　of　keys　in　order　to　open　the　third　and　final　door。
　 〃Who　can　truly　be　helped？〃　he　said；　his　face　turned　down　to　the　labor　of　sorting。　〃I　suppose　perhaps　children　can　be　forted；　sometimes；　if　it's　dark　and　they're　afraid。　You　can　tell　them　you're　with　them；　and　that　will　sometimes　stop　them　crying。　But　for　the　rest　of　us？　Are　there　really　any　words　that　help？　I　don't　know　of　any。〃　He　had　found　the　right　key；　and　now　slipped　it　noisily　into　the　antiquated　lock。　As　he　did　so；　he　glanced　up　at　Zeffer。　〃I　think　there's　more　fort　to　be　had　from　seeing　beautiful　women　on　the　cinema　screen　than　in　any　prayer　I　know。　Well；　perhaps　not　fort。　Distraction。〃　He　turned　the　key　in　the　lock。　〃And　if　that　sounds　like　heresy；　well　so　be　it。〃
　
　 Sandru　pushed　the　door　open。　The　room　was　in　darkness；　but　despite　that　fact　there　was　a　warmth　in　the　air；　at　least　in　contrast　to　the　chilly　air　of　the　passageway。　Perhaps　the　difference　was　no　more　than　two　or　three　degrees；　but　it　felt　significant。
　 〃Will　you　wait　here　a　moment？〃　Sandru　said。　〃I'll　just　bring　a　light。〃　Zeffer　stayed　where　he　was；　staring　into　the　darkness；　enjoying　the　slight　rise　in　temperature。　There　was　enough　illumination　spilling　from　the　passageway　behind　him　to　light　the　threshold。　There；　carved　into　stone　beneath　his　feet；　was　a　curious　inscription：
　 Quamquam　in　fundis　inferiorum　sumus；　oculos　angelorum　tenebimus。
　 He　didn't　linger　to　puzzle　over　this　for　more　than　a　few　seconds；　but　instead　let　his　eyes　drift　up　and　into　the　room　itself。　The　chamber　before　him　was　large；　it　seemed；　and　unlike　the　rest　of　the　rooms　and　corridors；　which　were　simply　constructed；　far　more　elaborate。　Could　he　make　out　pillars；　supporting　several　small　vaults？　He　thought　so。　There　were　chairs　and　tables　within　a　few　yards　of　where　he　stood；　and　what　appeared　to　be　lamps　or　the　like　heaped　on　top　of　them。
　 The　confusion　inside　was　explained　a　moment　later；　when　the　Father　returned　with　one　of　the　bare　bulbs；　attached　to　a　length　of　electric　cord。
　 〃We　use　this　as　a　storeroom；〃　he　said。　〃Many　of　the　items　we　found　in　the　Fortress　when　we　arrived　we　put　down　here；　just　to　get　them　out　of　the　way。〃　He　lifted　the　light　to　give　Zeffer　a　better　view。
　 Zeffer's　estimation　of　the　size　of　the　place；　and　of　the　plexity　of　its　construction；　had　been　conservative；　it　now　turned　out。　The　chamber　was　fully　thirty…five　feet　long；　and　almost　as　broad；　the　ceiling　（which　was　indeed　divided　into　eight　elaborately…vaulted　sections；　divided　by　pillars）　higher　than　the　passageway　by　six　feet　or　more。　The　floor　was　littered　with　furniture　and　crates；　the　place　plainly　filled　by　hands　that　had　little　or　no　respect　for　the　objects　they　were　moving；　wishing　only　to　put　them　quickly　out　of　sight。　It　occurred　to　Zeffer　that　if　indeed　there　were　treasures　here　the　chances　of　finding　them…or　indeed　of　their　being　in　reasonable　condition　when　discovered…were　remote。　Still；　the　Father　had　brought　him　this　far　at　no　little　inconvenience　to　himself；　it　would　be　discourteous　to　now　show　no　interest　in　what　the　chamber　contained。
　 〃Did　you　have　a　part　in　moving　all　of　this？〃　he　asked　Sandru；　more　out　of　a　need　to　fill　the　silence　between　them　than　because　he　was　genuinely　curious。
　 〃Yes；　I　did；〃　the　Father　replied。　〃Thirty…two　years　ago。　I　was　a　much　younger　man。　But　it　was　still　a　back…breaking　labor。　They　built　things　big　here。　I　remember　thinking　that　maybe　the　stories　were　right。。。〃
　 〃Stories　about…〃
　 〃Oh。。。nonsenses。　About　this　furniture　having　been　built　for　the　retinue　of　the　Devil's　wife。〃
　 〃The　Devil's　wife。〃
　 〃Lilith；　or　Lilitu。　Sometimes　called　Queen　of　Zemargad。　Don't　ask　me　why。〃
　 〃This　is　the　same　woman　Katya　spoke　about？