cb.coldheart canyon-第53章

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　 〃I　don't　believe　in　Thou　Shall　Not。　That's　for　people　who　are　afraid　to　follow　their　own　instincts。　Of　course　when　you're　out　there　in　the　world　you've　got　to　play　by　the　rules；　or　you'll　spend　your　life　behind　bars。　They'd　lock　you　up　and　throw　away　the　key。　But　this　isn't　the　world。　This　is　my　Canyon。　They　called　it　Coldheart　Canyon；　because　they　said　I　have　a　soul　like　ice。　But　why　should　I　care　what　people　say？　Let　them　say　whatever　they　want　to　say；　as　long　as　their　money　pays　for　the　little　luxuries　in　life。　I　want　my　Kingdom　to　be　a　place　where　people　could　take　their　pleasures　freely；　without　judgment　or　punishment。
　 〃This　is　Eden；　you　see？　Only　there's　no　snake。　No　angel　to　drive　you　out　either；　because　you　did　a　bad　thing。　Why？　Because　there　were　no　bad　things。〃
　 〃Literally　none？〃
　 She　looked　at　him；　her　stare　luminous。　〃Oh　you　mean　murder；　perhaps？　We　had　one　or　two　murderers　here。　And　we　had　sisters　who'd　fucked　their　brothers；　and　sons　who　fucked　their　mothers；　and　a　man　who　liked　having　children　suck　him　off。〃
　 〃What？〃
　 〃Ha！　Now　you're　shocked。　His　name　was　Laurence　Skimpell；　and　he　was　as　handsome　a　man　as　I've　ever　met。　He　had　a　contract　at　Warner　Brothers；　and　they　were　going　to　make　him　a　star。　A　big　star。　Then　this　woman　turns　up　at　the　studios　with　a　child；　who　she　said　was　Skimpell's。　Warner　Brothers　have　always　been　very　loyal。　They　offered　the　woman　money；　said　they'd　put　the　child　up　for　adoption。　But　as　she　got　up　and　left　she　said：　you　don't　understand；　this　isn't　his　offspring。　This　is　his　lover。〃
　 〃Oh　Jesus　Christ。〃
　 〃That　was　the　last　we　ever　heard　of　Laurence　Skimpell。〃
　 〃That's　a　ridiculous　story。　I　don't　believe　a　word　of　it。〃
　 She　laughed；　as　though　perhaps　this　time　she　was　inventing　a　little。　〃You're　in　here；〃　he　said；　ing　to　some　mentions　of　Katya　Lupi。　〃And　there's　a　long　list　of　Men。。。〃
　 〃Oh　that　was　a　petition　we　had。〃
　 〃You　had　all　these　men？〃
　 〃It　was　my　canyon。　It　still　is。　I　can　do　what　I　like　here。〃
　 〃So　you　let　people　do　what　they　wanted？〃
　 〃More　or　less。〃　She　returned　to　the　book。　〃You　see　the　symbols　beside　the　names？〃
　 Todd　nodded；　somewhat　tentatively。　The　conversation　had　taken　a　turn　he　was　by　no　means　certain　he　liked。　It　was　one　thing　to　talk　about　freedom　in　Coldheart　Canyon；　it　was　another　to　have　her　boasting　about　babies　sucking　dicks。　〃All　the　symbols　mean　something　different；〃　she　said。　〃Look　here。　That　squiggle　there；　that　means　snakes。　That　knotted　rope？　That　means　being　bound　up。　The　more　knots　in　the　rope　the　more　bound　the　person　likes　to　be。　So。。。here。。。Barrymore。。。his　rope　has　six　knots　in　it。　So　he　liked　to　be　very　well　tied　up。　And　then　there's　a　little　flame　beside　him。　That　means…〃
　
　 〃He　liked　to　be　burned？〃
　 〃When　he　was　sober。　In　the　end；　I　stopped　inviting　him　because　he　got　so　drunk　and　so　abusive　he　wasn't　any　fun。〃
　 〃Ah！　So　you　did　make　a　judgment。〃
　 She　considered　this　for　a　moment。　〃Yes。　I　suppose　I　did。〃
　 〃Did　he　spoil　the　secret？　Once　you　didn't　invite　him　anymore。　Did　he　start　telling　everyone　about　what　it　was　like　up　here？〃
　 〃Of　course　not。　What　was　he　going　to　say？　Even　he　had　a　reputation　to　keep。　Besides；　half　of　Hollywood　swam　in　that　pool　at　one　time　or　another。　And　the　other　half　wished　they　could。　Nobody　said　anything　but　everybody　knew。〃
　 〃What。。。exactly。　That　there　were　orgies　here。　That　women　got　fucked　with　snakes？〃
　 〃All　of　that　yes。　But　mostly　that　people　came　back　from　Coldheart　Canyon　spiritually　changed。〃
　 〃You　mean　that？　Spiritually。〃
　 〃Yes。　Spiritually。　Don't　look　so　surprised。　The　flesh　and　the　soul　are　tied　together。〃
　 Todd　looked　confused。
　 〃Louise　Brooks　said　to　me　once：　there's　nothing　they　can　give　that　would　be　worth　my　freedom。　She　parried　with　the　rest　of　us；　but　in　the　end　she　gave　it　all　up；　and　moved　away。　She　said　they　were　trying　to　take　her　soul　by　boring　her　to　death。〃
　 〃So　she　gave　up　making　movies？〃
　 〃Indeed　she　did。　But　Louise　was　a　rare　example。　You　know　what　usually　happens：　you　get　addicted。　And　the　studio　knows　you're　addicted。　You　need　your　hit　of　fame　every　couple　of　years　or　you　start　to　feel　worthless。　Isn't　that　right？　So　as　long　as　they　can　keep　giving　you　a　little　time　in　the　spotlight；　they've　got　you　in　their　pocket。〃
　 Todd　continued　to　flip　through　the　book　as　Katya　spoke；　as　much　because　he　didn't　want　to　meet　her　gaze　as　because　he　was　interested　in　the　pages。　All　that　she　said　was　true；　and　it　hurt　to　hear　it：　especially　when　he　had　done　himself　so　much　harm　because　of　his　appetite　for　the　spotlight。
　 A　sound；　behind　him。　He　looked　up　at　the　mirror　behind　the　bar。　It　wasn't　his　wounded　face　that　caught　his　eye；　however；　it　was　a　motion　of　something；　or　somebody；　passing　by　the　door。
　 〃I　think　there's　somebody　out　there；〃　he　whispered。
　 Katya　looked　unsurprised。　〃Of　course。　They　know　we're　here。〃　She　took　the　book　from　his　hand　and　closed　it　for　him。　〃Let　me　introduce　you　to　them；〃　she　said。
　 〃Wait。〃　He　reached　for　the　photographs　that　Katya　had　also　brought　out　of　the　safe。　They　still　lay　where　she　had　put　them；　on　the　top　of　the　bar。
　 〃You　don't　need　to　look　at　those　now；〃　Katya　said。
　 〃I　just　want　to　take　a　peek。〃
　 He　began　to　flick　through　the　sheaf　of　photographs。　There　were　probably　forty　or　so；　most　in　worse　condition　than　the　book；　the　prints　made　hastily；　and　poorly　fixed；　so　that　large　parts　of　the　image　had　faded　to　speckled　sepia　or　to　black。　But　there　were　still　sizeable　portions　of　many　of　the　photographs　visible；　and　the　scenes　they　depicted　confirmed　every　obscene　or　outlandish　detail　she'd　offered。　They　weren't　simply　images　of　men　and　women　coupling；　but　pictures　of　the　most　extreme　forms　of　sexual　gratification。　In　one；　a　naked　man　was　bound　to　a　metal　chain；　the　cords　that　held　him　biting　deep　into　his　flesh。　A　woman　wearing　just　a　black　brassiere　was　flogging　his　chest　and　his　groin。　Assuming　this　wasn't　a　set…up　（and　something　about　the　quality　of　all　the　photographs　suggested　that　all　of　these　were　the　real　thing）；　then　the　woman　was　doing　her　victim　some　serious　hurt。　There　was　blood　running　down　his　chest　and　stomach　from　blows　she'd　delivered　there；　and　there　appeared　to　be　welts　on　his　thighs　and　his　dick；　which　stood　testament　to　the　pleasure　he　was　taking　in　this。　In　another　picture；　some　way　down　the　pile；　the　same　man　（his　face　seemed　vaguely　familiar　to　Todd；　though　he　couldn't　put　a　name　to　it）　had　been　redeemed　from　his　bondage　and　lay　on　the　paving　stone　beside　the　pool　while　another　woman　（this　second　pletely　naked）　squatted　over　him　and　loosed　a　stream　of　urine　on　his　wounds。　To　judge　by　the　expression　on　the　masochist's　face；　this　hurt　more　than　the　whipping。　His　teeth　were　gritted；　his　body　locked；　as　though　he　were　only　just　holding　back　an　unmanly　scream。
　
　 〃Wait。　I　know　who　that　is。〃　Todd　said；　〃That's…Christ！　It　can't　be。〃
　 〃It　is。〃
　 〃He　was　always　the　Good　Guy。〃
　 〃Well；　sometimes　Good　Guys　like　getting　pissed　on。〃
　 〃And　her？　She　was　always　so　sweet　in　her　movies。　What's　her　name？　Always　the　victim。〃
　
　 〃Well；　that　was　part　of　the　game　you　got　to　play　in　the　Canyon。　Up　here　you　do　the　things　the　studios　wouldn't　let　you　do。　Rub　your　face　in　the　dirt　for　a　while。　And　then　on　Monday　morning　you　could　brush　your　teeth　and　smile　and　pretend　you　were　all…American　again。　That's　all　people　want。　An　illusion。　You　can　do　what　the　hell　you　like　out　of　sight。　Just　don't　spoil　their　dreams。　They　want　to　believe　you're　perfect。　And　it's　hard　to　put　on　a　perfect　face　every　day　without　going　crazy。　Up　here；　nobody　was　perfect；　and　nobody　cared。〃
　 〃Jesus；〃　Todd　said；　ing　across　a　picture　of　scatology。　〃Who's　the　pooper？〃　Katya　turned　the　picture　round　to　get　a　dearer　view　of　the　woman's　face。　〃That　was　Edith　Vine。　At　least　that　was　her　real　name。　I　can't　remember　what　they　called　her。　She　had　a　seven　year　contract　with　RKO；　but　they　never　made　a　star　out　of　her。〃
　 〃Maybe　they　were　afraid　one　of　these　would　leak　out　and　they'd　lose　their　investment。〃
　 〃No；　she　just　kept　getting　pregnant。　She　was　one　of　those　women　who　just　had　to　look　at　a　man　and　bam；　she　was　eating　anchovies　and　ice　cream。　So　she　kept　getting　abortions。　Two；　th