cb.coldheart canyon-第68章

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　 〃It　was　decorated　with　tiles…thousands　of　tiles…and　they　were　all　painted；　so　when　you　walked　into　the　room　it　was　almost　as　though…no；　it　was　as　though　you　were　walking　into　another　world。〃　He　paused；　contemplating　the　memory　of　this；　awed　by　it　still；　after　all　these　years。
　 〃What　kind　of　a　world？〃　Tammy　asked　him。
　 〃A　world　that　was　both　very　real　and　pletely　invented。　It　had　space　for　sky　and　sea　and　birds　and　rabbits。　But　it　also　had　a　little　pinch　of　Hell　in　the　mix；　just　to　make　things　more　interesting　for　the　men　who　lived　in　that　world。〃
　 〃What　men？〃
　 〃Well；　one　man　in　particular。　His　name　was　Duke　Goga。　And　he　was　there　in　the　walls；　on　a　hunt　that　would　last　until　the　end　of　time。〃
　
　 〃The　man　on　the　horse；〃　Katya　said；　〃was　the　Duke。〃
　 〃I　got　that；〃　Todd　said。
　 〃He　lived　a　long　time　ago。　I'm　not　sure　of　exactly　when。　When　you're　a　little　child　you　don't　listen　to　those　kind　of　details。　It's　the　story　you　remember。　And　the　story　was　this：〃
　 〃One　day　in　autumn　the　Duke　went　out　hunting；　which　he　did　all　the　time…it　was　his　favorite　thing　to　do…and　he　saw　what　he　thought　was　a　goat；　trapped　in　a　briar…thicket。　So　he　got　off　his　horse；　telling　his　men　that　he　wanted　to　kill　this　animal　himself。　He　hated　goats；　having　been　attacked　by　one　and　badly　hurt　as　a　baby　He　still　had　scars　on　his　face　from　that　attack；　and　they　ached　in　the　cold　weather；　all　of　which　served　to　keep　his　hatred　of　goats　alive。　Perhaps　it　was　a　petty　thing；　this　hatred；　but　sometimes　little　things　can　be　the　unmaking　of　us。　There's　no　doubt　that　Goga　would　not　have　pursued　his　goat　as　far　as　he　did　had　he　not　been　injured　as　a　child。　And　then…to　make　matters　worse…as　he　approached　the　animal　history　virtually　repeated　itself。　The　animal　reared　up；　striking　the　Duke　with　its　blackhoof　and　cracking　his　nose。　The　goat　then　ran　off。〃
　 〃Goga　was　furious；　beside　himself　with　fury！　To　have　been　mistreated　by　a　goat　twice！　He　got　straight　back　on　his　horse；　blood　pouring　from　his　broken　nose；　and　went　after　the　animal；　riding　hard　through　the　forest　to　catch　up　with　it。　His　entourage　went　with　him；　because　they　were　bound　to　follow　the　Duke　wherever　he　went。　But　they　were　beginning　to　suspect　that　there　was　something　strange　about　where　they　were　headed　and　that　it　would　be　better　for　them　all　if　they　just　turned　round　and　rode　back　to　the　Fortress。〃
　 〃But　Goga　wouldn't　do　that？〃
　 〃Of　course　not。　He　was　determined　to　chase　down　the　animal　that　had　struck　him。　He　wanted　revenge　on　the　thing。　He　wanted　to　stick　his　sword　through　it；　and　cut　out　its　heart　and　eat　it　raw。　That　was　the　kind　of　rage　he　was　in。
　 〃So　he　kept　riding。　And　his　men；　out　of　loyalty；　kept　following；　further　and　further　from　the　Fortress　and　the　paths　they　knew；　into　the　depths　of　the　forest。　Steadily　even　the　Duke　began　to　realize　that　what　his　men　were　whispering　was　right：　there　were　creatures　here；　lurking　about；　the　likes　of　which　God　had　not　made。　He　could　see　things　between　the　trees　that　didn't　belong　in　any　of　the　bestiaries　he　had　in　the　Fortress。　Strange；　ungodly　creatures。〃
　 As　Katya　told　her　story；　Todd　glanced　at　the　dark　mass　of　trees　into　which　Goga　and　his　men　had　just　ridden。　Was　that　the　Deep　Wood　she　had　just　described？　Surely　it　was。　The　same　horsemen。　The　same　trees。　In　other　words；　he　was　standing　in　the　middle　of　Katya's　story。
　 〃So。。。the　Duke　kept　riding；　and　riding；　driving　his　poor　horse　as　he　followed　the　leaping　goat　deeper　and　deeper　into　the　forest；　until　they　were　in　a　place　where　there　were　certain　no　human　being　had　ever　ventured　before。　By　now；　all　the　men；　even　the　most　loyal；　the　bravest　of　them；　were　begging　the　Duke　to　let　them　turn　back。　The　air　was　bitter　and　sulfurous；　and　in　the　ground　beneath　the　horses'　hooves　the　men　could　hear　the　sound　of　people　sobbing；　as　though　living　souls　had　been　buried　alive　in　the　black；　smoking　dirt。
　 〃But　the　Duke　would　not　be　moved　from　his　ambition。　'What　kind　of　hunters　do　you　call　yourselves？'　he　said　to　his　men；　'If　you　won't　go　after　a　goat？　Where's　your　faith　in　God？　There's　no　danger　to　us　here；　if　our　hearts　are　pure。'〃
　 〃So　on　they　went；　the　men　quietly　offering　up　prayers　for　the　safety　of　their　souls　as　they　rode。
　 〃And　eventually；　after　a　long　chase；　their　quarry　came　in　sight　again。　The　goat　was　standing　in　a　grove　of　trees　so　old　they　had　been　planted　before　the　Flood；　in　the　tangled　roots　of　which　grew　mushrooms　that　gave　off　the　smell　of　dead　flesh。　The　Duke　got　off　his　horse；　drew　his　sword　and　approached　the　goat。
　 〃'Whatever　thing　you　are；'　he　said　to　the　animal；　'breathe　your　last。'〃
　 〃Nice　line；〃　Todd　remarked。
　 〃The　animal　reared　up；　as　though　it　was　going　to　strike　the　Duke　with　its　hoof　a　third　time；　but　Goga　didn't　give　it　the　opportunity。　He　quickly　drove　his　sword　up　into　the　belly　of　the　animal。〃
　 〃As　soon　as　it　felt　the　sword　entering　its　flesh　the　goat　opened　its　mouth　and　let　out　a　pitiful　wail。。。〃
　 Katya　paused　here；　watching　Todd；　waiting　for　him　to　put　the　pieces　together。
　 〃Oh　Christ；〃　he　said。　〃Like　a　baby？〃
　
　 〃Exactly　like　a　baby。　And　hearing　this　pitiful　human　sound　escaping　the　animal；　Goga　pulled　his　sword　from　the　goat's　body；　because　he　knew　something　unholy　was　in　the　air。　Have　you　ever　seen　an　animal　slaughtered？〃
　 〃No。〃
　 〃Well　there's　a　lot　of　blood。　A　lot　more　than　you　think　there's　going　to　be。〃
　 〃It　was　like　that　now？〃
　 〃Yes。　The　goat　was　thrashing　around　in　a　pool　of　red；　its　back　legs　kicking　up　the　wet　dirt；　so　that　it　spattered　Goga　and　his　men。　And　as　it　did　so；　it　started　to　change。〃
　 〃Into　what？〃
　 Katya　smiled　the　smile　of　a　storyteller　who　had　her　audience　hooked　by　some　unexpected　change　of　direction。
　 〃Into　a　little　child；〃　she　said。　〃A　boy；　a　naked　little　boy；　with　a　nub　of　a　tail　and　yellow　eyes　and　goat's　ears。　So　now　the　Duke　is　looking　down　at　this　goat…boy；　twitching　in　the　mud　made　of　dirt　and　blood；　and　the　superstitious　terror　which　his　men　had　felt　finally　seizes　hold　of　him　too。　He　starts　to　speak　a　prayer。
　 〃T？tal　Nostru　care　ne　e？ti　in　Ceruri；　sfin_easca…se　numele　T？u。　Fie　Imp？r？tia　Ta；　fac？…se　voia　Ta；　precum　？n　cer　a？a　si　pe　p？m？nt。〃
　 Todd　listened　to　the　unfamiliar　words；　knowing　in　the　cadence　that　what　Katya　was　reciting　was　not　just　any　prayer；　it　was　the　Lord's　Prayer。
　 〃Painea　noastr？　cea　de　toate　zilele　d？ne…o　nou？　azi　si　ne　iart？　nou？　greselile　noa？tre。〃
　 He　scanned　the　landscape　as　he　heard　the　prayer　repeated；　nothing　had　changed　since　he'd　first　set　eyes　on　the　place。　The　light　of　the　eclipse　held　everything　in　suspension：　the　trees；　the　ships；　the　lynchers　at　their　tree。
　 The　rush　of　pleasure　he'd　experienced　when　he　first　arrived　had　diminished　somewhere　in　the　midst　of　Katya's　tale…telling。　In　its　place　there　was　now　a　profound　unease。　He　wanted　to　stop　her　telling　her　story；　but　what　reason　could　he　give　that　didn't　sound　cowardly？
　 So　she　continued。
　 〃The　Duke　retreated；　leaving　his　sword　stuck　deep　in　the　body　of　the　goat…boy。　He　intended　to　climb　back　onto　his　horse　and　ride　away；　but　his　steed　had　already　bolted　in　terror。　He　called　to　one　of　his　men　to　dismount；　so　that　he　might　have　the　man's　horse；　but　before　the　fellow　could　obey　the　rock　beneath　their　feet　began　to　shake　violently；　and　a　great　chasm　opened　up　in　the　ground　in　front　of　them。〃
　 〃The　men　knew　what　they　were　witnessing。　This　was　the　very　mouth　of　Hell；　gaping　in　the　earth　beneath　their　feet。　It　was　thirty；　forty　feet　wide；　and　the　roots　of　those　ancient　trees　lined　it　like　the　veins　of　a　skinned　body。　Smoke　rose　up　out　of　the　maw；　stinking　of　every　foul　thing　imaginable；　and　a　good　deal　that　was　not。　It　was　such　a　bitter　stench　that　the　Duke　and　his　men　began　to　weep　like　children。〃
　 〃Half…blinded　by　his　own　tears；　and　without　a　horse；　Goga　had　no　choice　but　to　stay　where　he　was；　on　the　lip　of　the　Hell's　Mouth；　close　to　where　his　victim　lay。　He　tore　his　gloves　from　his　hands　and　did　his　best　to　clear　the　tears　from　his　eyes。〃
　 〃As　he　did　so　he　saw　somebody　ing　up　out　of　the　earth。　It　was　a　woman；　he　saw；　with　hair　so　long　it　trailed　the　ground　fully　six　feet　behind　her。　She　was　naked；　except　for　a　necklace　of　white　fleas　with　eyes　th