cb.booksofblood-第32章

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　Rehearsal　he　was　going　to　have　to　convince　her　otherwise。　She　was　wearing　no　make…up；　and　her　ash…blonde　hair　needed　a　wash。
　　〃What　are　you　doing　here？〃　he　asked；　as　she　closed　the　door　behind　her。
　　〃Unfinished　business；〃　she　said。
　　〃Listen。。　。　I've　got　something　to　tell　you。　。
　　God；　this　was　going　to　be　messy。　〃We've　found　a　replacement；　in　the　show。〃　She　looked　at　him　blankly。　He　hurried　on；　tripping　over　his　own　words；　〃We　thought　you　were　out　of　mission；　I　mean；　not　permanently；　but；　you　know；　for　the　opening　at　least。　。　。〃
　　〃Don't　worry；〃　she　said。　His　jaw　dropped　a　little。　〃Don't　worry？〃　〃What's　it　to　me？〃
　　〃You　said　you　came　back　to　finish…；　He　stopped。　She　was　unbuttoning　the　top　of　her　dress。
　　She's　not　serious；　he　thought；　she　can't　be　serious。　Sex？　Now？
　　〃I've　done　a　lot　of　thinking　in　the　last　few　hours；〃　she　said　as　she　shimmied　the　crumpled　dress　over　her　hips；　let　it　fall；　and　stepped　out　of　it。　She　was　wearing　a　white　bra；　which　she　tried；　unsuccessfully；　to　unhook。　〃I've　decided　I　don't　care　about　the　theatre。　Help　me；　will　you？〃　She　turned　round　and　presented　her　back　to　him。　Automatically　he　unhooked　the　bra；　not　really　analysing　whether　he　wanted　this　or　not。　It　seemed　to　be　a　fait　acpli。　She'd　e　back　to　finish　what　they'd　been　interrupted　doing；　simple　as　that。　And　despite　the　bizarre　noises　she　was　making　in　the　back　of　her　throat；　and　the　glassy　look　in　her　eyes；　she　was　still　an　attractive　woman。　She　turned　again；　and　Galloway　stared　at　the　fullness　of　her　breasts；　paler　than　he'd　remembered　them；　but　lovely。　His　trousers　were　being　unfortably　tight；　and　her　performance　was　only　worsening　his　situation；　the　way　she　was　grinding　her　hips　like　the　rawest　of　Soho　strippers；　running　her　hands　between　her　legs。
　　〃Don't　worry　about　me；〃　she　said。　〃I've　made　up　my　mind。　All　I　really　want。　。　。〃　She　put　her　hands；　so　recently　at　her　groin；　on　his　face。　They　were　icy　cold。
　　〃All　I　really　want　is　you。　I　can't　have　sex　and　the　stage　There　es　a　time　in　everyone's　life　when　decisions　have　to　be　made。〃　She　licked　her　lips。　There　was　no　film　of　moisture　left　on　her　mouth　when　her　tongue　had　passed　over　it。
　　〃The　accident　made　me　think；　made　me　analyse　what　it　is　I　really　care　about。　And　frankly…〃　She　was　unbuckling　his　belt。　〃…I　don't　give　a　shit…〃　Now　the　zip。
　　〃…about　this；　or　any　other　fucking　play。〃　His　trousers　fell　down。
　　〃…I'll　show　you　what　I　care　about。〃　She　reached　into　his　briefs；　and　clasped　him。　Her　cold　hand　somehow　made　the　touch　sexier。　He　laughed；　closing　his　eyes　as　she　pulled　his　briefs　down　to　the　middle　of　his　thigh　and　knelt　at　his　feet。
　　She　was　as　expert　as　ever；　her　throat　open　like　a　drain。　Her　mouth　was　somewhat　drier　than　usual；　her　tongue　scouring　him；　but　the　sensations　drove　him　wild。　It　was　so　good；　he　scarcely　noticed　the　ease　with　which　she　devoured　him；　taking　him　deeper　than　she'd　ever　managed　previously；　using　every　trick　she　knew　to　goad　him　higher　and　higher。　Slow　and　deep；　then　picking　up　speed　until　he　almost　came；　then　slowing　again　until　the　need　passed。　He　was　pletely　at　her　mercy。
　　He　opened　his　eyes　to　watch　her　at　work。　She　was　skewering　herself　upon　him；　face　in　rapture。
　　〃God；〃　he　gasped；　〃that　is　so　good。　Oh　yes；　oh　yes。〃　Her　face　didn't　even　flicker　in　response　to　his　words；　she　just　continued　to　work　at　him　soundlessly。　She　wasn't　making　her　usual　noises；　the　small　grunts　of　satisfaction；　the　heavy　breathing　through　the　nose。　She　just　ate　his　flesh　in　absolute　silence。
　　He　held　his　breath　a　moment；　while　an　idea　was　born　in　his　belly。　The　bobbing　head　bobbed　on；　eyes　closed；　lips　clamped　around　his　member；　utterly　engrossed。　Half　a　minute　passed；　a　minute；　a　minute　and　a　half。　And　now　his　belly　was　full　of　terrors。
　　She　wasn't　breathing。　She　was　giving　this　matchless　blow…job　because　she　wasn't　stopping；　even　for　a　moment；　to　inhale　or　exhale。
　　Calloway　felt　his　body　go　rigid；　while　his　erection　wilted　in　her　throat。　She　didn't　falter　in　her　labour；　the　relentless　pumping　continued　at　his　groin　even　as　his　mind　formed　the　unthinkable　thought：　She's　dead。
　　She　has　me　in　her　mouth；　in　her　cold　mouth；　and　she's　dead。　That's　why　she'd　e　back；　got　up　off　her　mortuary　slab　and　e　back。　She　was　eager　to　finish　what　she'd　started；　no　longer　caring　about　the　play；　or　her　usurper。　It　was　this　act　she　valued；　this　act　alone。　She'd　chosen　to　perform　it　for　eternity。
　　Galloway　could　do　nothing　with　the　realization　but　stare　down　like　a　damn　fool　while　this　corpse　gave　him　head。
　　Then　it　seemed　she　sensed　his　horror。　She　opened　her　eyes　and　looked　up　at　him。　How　could　he　ever　have　mistaken　that　dead　stare　for　life？　Gently；　she　withdrew　his　shrunken　manhood　from　between　her　lips。
　　〃What　is　it？〃　she　asked；　her　fluting　voice　still　affecting　life。
　　〃You。　。　。　you're　not。　。　。　breathing。〃　Her　face　fell。　She　let　him　go。
　　〃Oh　darling；〃　she　said；　letting　all　pretence　to　life　disappear；　〃I'm　not　so　good　at　playing　the　part；　am　I？〃　Her　voice　was　a　ghost's　voice：　thin；　forlorn。　Her　skin；　which　he　had　thought　so　flatteringly　pale　was；　on　second　view；　a　waxen　white。
　　〃You　are　dead？〃　he　said。
　　〃I'm　afraid　so。　Two　hours　ago：　in　my　sleep。　But　I　had　to　e；　Terry；　so　much　unfinished　business。　I　made　my　choice。　You　should　be　flattered。　You　are　flattered；　aren't　you？〃　She　stood　up　and　reached　into　her　handbag；　which　she'd　left　beside　the　mirror。　Galloway　looked　at　the　door；　trying　to　make　his　limbs　work；　but　they　were　inert。　Besides；　he　had　his　trousers　round　his　ankles。　Two　steps　and　he'd　fall　flat　on　his　face。
　　She　turned　back　on　him；　with　something　silver　and　sharp　in　her　hand。　Try　as　he　might；　he　couldn't　get　a　focus　on　it。　But　whatever　it　was；　she　meant　it　for　him。
　　
　　Since　the　building　of　the　new　Crematorium　in　1934；　one　humiliation　had　e　after　another　for　the　cemetery。　The　tombs　had　been　raided　for　lead　coffin…linings；　the　stones　overturned　and　smashed；　it　was　fouled　by　dogs　and　graffiti。　Very　few　mourners　now　came　to　tend　the　graves。　The　generations　had　dwindled；　and　the　small　number　of　people　who　might　still　have　had　a　loved　one　buried　there　were　too　infirm　to　risk　the　throttled　walkways；　or　too　tender　to　bear　looking　at　such　vandalism。
　　It　had　not　always　been　so。　There　were　illustrious　and　influential　families　interred　behind　the　marble　fa？ades　of　the　Victorian　mausoleums。　Founder　fathers；　local　industrialists　and　dignitaries；　any　and　all　who　had　done　the　town　proud　by　their　efforts。　The　body　of　the　actress　Constantia　Lichfield　had　been　buried　here　（'Until　the　Day　Break　and　the　Shadows　Flee　Away'）；　though　her　grave　was　almost　unique　in　the　attention　some　secret　admirer　still　paid　to　it。
　　
　　Nobody　was　watching　that　night；　it　was　too　bitter　for　lovers。　Nobody　saw　Charlotte　Hancock　open　the　door　of　her　sepulchre；　with　the　beating　wings　of　pigeons　applauding　her　vigour　as　she　shambled　out　to　meet　the　moon。　Her　husband　Gerard　was　with　her；　he　less　fresh　than　she；　having　been　dead　thirteen　years　longer。　Joseph　Jardine；　en　famille；　was　not　far　behind　the　Hancocks；　as　was　Marriott　Fletcher；　and　Anne　Snell；　and　the　Peacock　Brothers；　the　list　went　on　and　on。　In　one　corner；　Alfred　Crawshaw　（Captain　in　the　17th　Lancers）；　was　helping　his　lovely　wife　Emma　from　the　rot　of　their　bed。　Everywhere　faces　pressed　at　the　cracks　of　the　tomb　lids…was　that　not　Kezia　Reynolds　with　her　child；　who'd　lived　just　a　day；　in　her　arms？　and　Martin　van　de　Linde　（the　Memory　of　the　Just　is　Blessed）　whose　wife　had　never　been　found；　Rosa　and　Selina　Goldfinch：　upstanding　women　both；　and　Thomas　Jerrey；　and…Too　many　names　to　mention。　Too　many　states　of　decay　to　describe。　Sufficient　to　say　they　rose：　their　burial　finery　fly　born；　their　faces　stripped　of　all　but　the　foundation　of　beauty。　Still　they　came；　swinging　open　the　back　gate　of　the　cemetery　and　threading　their　way　across　the　wasteland　towards　the　Elysium。　In　the　distance；　the　sound　of　traffic。　Above；　a　jet　roared　in　to　land。　One　of　the　Peacock　brothers；　staring　up　at　the　winking　giant　as　it　passed　over；　missed　his　footing　and　fell　on　his　face；　shattering　his　jaw。　They　picked　him　up　fondly；　and　escorted　him　on　his　way。　There　was　no　harm　done；　and　what　would　a　R