cb.imajica1-第115章

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　〃Sometimes；〃　Pie　replied。
　〃And　yet　when　the　Reconciliation　failed　you　didn't　forsake　his　pany　and　return　to　this　Dominion？〃
　〃He'd　summoned　me　out　of　the　In　Ovo。　He'd　bound　me　to　him。　I　had　no　jurisdiction。〃
　〃Unlikely；〃　Thes　'reh'　ot　remarked。　〃Are　you　asking　us　to　believe…〃
　〃Did　I　hear　you　ask　permission　to　question　the　accused　again？〃　Culus　snapped。
　〃No；　ma'am。〃
　〃Do　you　request　such　permission？〃
　〃Yes；　ma'am。〃
　〃Denied；〃　Culus　replied　and　turned　her　eye　back　upon　Pie。　〃I　think　you　learned　a　great　deal　in　the　Fifth　Dominion；　mystif；〃　she　said。　〃And　you're　the　worse　for　it。　You're　arrogant。　You're　sly。　And　you're　probably　just　as　cruet　as　your　Maestro。　But　I　don't　believe　you're　a　spy。　You're　something　worse　than　that。　You're　a　fool。　You　turned　your　back　on　people　who　loved　you　and　let　yourself　be　enslaved　by　a　man　responsible　for　the　deaths　of　a　great　many　fine　souls　across　the　Imajica。　I　can　tell　you've　got　something　to　say；　Thes　'reh1　ot。　Spit　it　out；　before　I　give　judgment。〃
　〃Only　that　the　mystif　isn't　here　simply　charged　with　spying；　ma'am。　In　denying　its　people　the　benefits　of　its　birthright；　it　mitted　a　grievous　crime　against　us。〃
　〃I　don't　doubt　that；〃　Culus　said。　〃And　it　frankly　sickens　me　to　look　on　something　so　tainted　that　once　had　perfectibility　within　its　grasp。　But；　may　I　remind　you；　Thes　'reh'　ot；　how　few　we　are？　The　tribe　is　diminished　to　almost　nothing。　And　this　mystif；　whose　breed　was　always　rare；　is　the　last　of　its　line。〃
　〃The　last？〃　said　Pie。
　〃Yes；　the　last！〃　Culus　replied；　her　voice　trembling　as　it　rose。　〃While　you　were　at　play　in　the　Fifth　Dominion　our　people　have　been　systematically　decimated。　There　are　now　fewer　than　fifty　souls　here　in　the　city。　The　rest　are　either　dead　or　scattered。　Your　own　line　is　destroyed；　Pie　'oh'　pah。　Every　last　one　of　your　clan　is　murdered　or　dead　of　grief。〃
　The　mystif　covered　its　face　with　its　hands；　but　Culus　didn't　spare　it　the　rest　of　her　report。
　〃Two　other　mystifs　survived　the　purges；〃　she　went　on；　〃until　just　a　year　ago。　One　was　murdered　here　in　the　chian…cula；　while　it　was　healing　a　child。　The　other　went　into　the　desert…the　Dearth　are　there；　at　the　edge　of　the　First；　and　the　Autarch's　troops　don't　like　to　go　so　near　to　the　Erasure…but　they　caught　up　with　it　before　it　reached　the　tents。　They　brought　its　body　back　and　hung　it　on　the　gates。〃
　She　stepped　down　from　her　chair　and　approached　Pie；　who　was　sobbing　now。
　〃So　you　see；　it　may　be　that　you　did　the　right　thing　for　the　wrong　reasons。　If　you'd　stayed　you'd　be　dead　by　now。〃　〃Ma'am；　I　protest；〃　Thes　'reh'　ot　said。　〃What　would　you　prefer　1　did？〃　Culus　said。　〃Add　this　foolish　creature's　blood　to　the　sea　already　spilt？　No。　Better　we　try　and　turn　its　taint　to　our　advantage。〃　Pie　looked　up；　puzzled。
　〃Perhaps　we've　been　too　pure。　Too　predictable。　Our　stratagems　foreseen；　our　plots　easily　uncovered。　But　you're　from　another　world；　mystif；　and　maybe　that　makes　you　potent。'1　She　paused　for　breath。　Then　she　said；　〃This　is　my　judgment。　Take　whomsoever　you　can　find　among　our　number　and　use　your　tainted　ways　to　murder　our　enemy。　If　none　will　go　with　you；　go　alone。　But　don't　return　here；　mystif；　while　the　Autarch　is　still　breathing。〃
　Thes　'reh'　ot　let　out　a　laugh　that　rang　around　the　chamber。　〃Perfect！〃　he　said。　〃Perfect！〃
　〃I'm　glad　my　judgment　amuses　you；〃　Culus　replied。　〃Remove　yourself；　Thes　'reh'　ot。〃　He　made　to　protest　but　she　brought　forth　such　a　shout　he　flinched　as　if　struck。　〃I　said；　remove　yourself！〃
　The　laughter　fell　from　his　face。　He　made　a　small　formal　bow；　murmuring　some　chilly　words　of　parting　as　he　did　so；　and　left　the　chamber。　She　watched　him　go。
　〃We　have　all　bee　cruel；〃　she　said。　〃You　in　your　way。　Us　in　ours。〃　She　looked　back　at　Pie　'oh*　pah。　〃Do　you　know　why　he　laughed；　mystif？〃
　〃Because　he　thinks　your　judgment　is　execution　by　another　name？〃
　〃Yes；　that's　precisely　what　he　thinks。　And；　who　knows；　perhaps　that's　what　it　is。　But　this　may　be　the　last　night　of　the　Dominion；　and　last　things　have　power　tonight　they　never　had　before。〃
　〃And　I'm　a　last　thing。〃
　〃Yes；　you　are。〃
　The　mystif　nodded。　〃I　understand；〃　it　said。　〃And　it　seems　just。〃
　〃Good；〃　she　said。　Though　the　trial　was　over；　neither　moved。　〃You　have　a　question？〃　Culus　asked。
　〃Yes；　I　do。〃
　〃Better　ask　it　now。〃
　〃Do　you　know　if　a　shaman　called　Arae　'ke'　gei　is　still　alive？〃
　Culus　made　a　little　smile。　〃I　wondered　when　you'd　get　to　him；〃　she　said。　〃He　was　one　of　the　survivors　of　the　Reconciliation；　wasn't　he？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃I　didn't　know　him　that　well；　but　I　heard　him　speak　of　you。　He　held　on　to　life　long　after　most　people　would　have　given　up；　because　he　said　you'd　e　back　eventually。　He　didn't　realize　you　were　bound　to　your　Maestro；　of　course。〃
　She　said　all　this　disingenuously；　but　there　was　a　penetrating　look　in　her　rheumy　eyes　throughout。
　〃Why　didn't　you　e　back；　mystif？〃　she　said。　〃And　don't　spin　me　some　story　about　jurisdiction。　You　could　have　slipped　your　bondage　if　you'd　put　your　mind　to　it；　especially　in　the　confusion　after　the　failure　of　the　Reconciliation。　But　you　didn't…　You　chose　to　stay　with　your　wretched　Sartori；　even　though　members　of　your　own　tribe　had　been　victims　of　his　ineptitude。〃
　〃He　was　a　broken　man。　And　I　was　more　than　his　familiar；　I　was　his　friend。　How　could　1　leave　him？〃
　〃That's　not　all；〃　Culus　said。　She'd　been　a　judge　too　long　to　let　such　simplifications　pass　unchallenged。　〃What　else；　mystif？　This　is　the　night　of　last　things；　remember。　Tell　it　now　or　run　the　risk　of　not　telling　it　at　all。〃
　〃Very　well；〃　said　Pie。　〃I　always　nurtured　the　hope　that　there　would　be　another　attempt　at　Reconciliation。　And　I　wasn't　the　only　one　who　nurtured　such　a　hope。〃
　〃Arae　'ke'　gei　indulged　it　too；　huh？〃
　〃Yes；　he　did。〃
　〃So　that's　why　he　kept　your　name　alive。　And　himself　too；　waiting　for　you　to　e　back。〃　She　shook　her　head。　〃Why　do　you　wallow　in　these　fantasies？　There'll　be　no　Reconciliation。　If　anything；　it'll　be　the　other　way　about。　The　Imajica'll　e　apart　at　the　seams；　and　every　Dominion　will　be　sealed　up　in　its　own　little　misery。〃
　〃That's　a　grim　vision。〃
　〃It's　an　honest　one。　And　a　rational　one。〃
　〃There　are　still　people　in　every　Dominion　willing　to　try　again。　They've　waited　two　hundred　years；　and　they're　not　going　to　let　go　of　their　hope　now。〃
　〃Arae　'ke'　gei　let　go；〃　Culus　said。　〃He　died　two　years
　ago。〃
　〃I　was　。　。　。　prepared　for　that　eventuality；〃　Pie　said。　〃He　was　old　when　I　knew　him　last。〃
　〃If　it's　any　fort；　your　name　was　on　his　lips　at　the　very　end。　He　never　gave　up　believing。〃
　〃There　are　others　who　can　perform　the　ceremonies　in
　his　place。〃
　〃I　was　right；〃　Culus　said。　〃You　are　a　fool；　mystif。〃　She　started　towards　the　door。　〃Do　you　do　this　in　memory　of　your　Maestro？〃
　Pie　went　with　her；　opening　the　door　and　stepping　out　into　a　twilight　sharp　with　smoke。　〃Why　would　I　do　that？〃　Pie　said。
　〃Because　you　loved　him；〃　Culus　said；　her　gaze　accusatory。　〃And　that's　the　real　reason　why　you　never　came　back　here。　You　loved　him　more　than　your　own　people。〃
　〃Perhaps　that's　true；〃　Pie　said。　〃But　why　would　1　do　anything　in　memory　of　the　living？〃
　〃The　living？〃
　The　mystif　smiled；　bowing　to　its　judge　as　it　retreated　from　the　light　at　the　door；　fading　into　the　gloom　like　a　phantom。　〃I　told　you　Sartori　was　a　broken　man；　not　a　dead　one；〃　it　said　as　it　went。　〃The　dream　is　still　alive；　Culus　'su'　erai。　And　so　is　my　Maestro。〃
　
　Quaisoir　was　waiting　behind　the　veils　when　Seidux　came　in。　The　windows　were　open；　and　within　the　warm　dusk　came　a　din　aphrodisiacal　to　a　soldier　like　Seidux。　He　peered　at　the　veils；　trying　to　make　out　the　figure　behind　them。　Was　she　naked？　It　seemed　so。
　〃I　have　an　apology　to　make；〃　she　said　to　him。
　〃There's　no　need。〃
　〃There's　every　need。　You　were　doing　your　duty；　watching　me。〃　She　paused。　When　she　spoke　again；　her　voice　was　sinuous。　〃I　like　to　be　watched；　Seidux。　。　。。〃
　He　murmured：　〃You　do？〃
　〃Certainly。　As　long　as　my　audience　is　appreciative。〃
　〃I'm　appreciative；〃　he　said；　surreptitiously　dropping　his　cigarette　and　grinding　it　out　beneath　the　heel　of　his　boot。
　〃Then　why　don't　you　close　the　door？〃　she　said　to　him。　〃In　case　we　get　noisy。　Maybe　you　should　tell　the　guards　to　go　and　get　drunk？〃
　He　did　so。