cb.imajica1-第84章

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d　he　let　it　suffer。　Though　it　had　felt　huge　when　inside　。him；　it　was　no　bigger　than　his　hand：　a　formless　scrap　of　milky　flesh　and　silver　vein　with　limbs　no　thicker　than　string　but　fully　twenty　in　number。　It　made　no　sound；　except　for　the　slap　its　spasms　made　in　the　bilious　mess　on　the　cell　floor。
　Too　weak　to　move；　Gentle　was　still　slumped　against　the　bed　when；　some　minutes　later；　Scopique　came　back　to　look　for　Pie。　Scopique's　astonishment　knew　no　bounds。　He　called　for　help；　then　hoisted　Gentle　back　onto　the　bed；　question　following　question　so　fast　Gentle　barely　had　breath　or　energy　to　answer。　But　sufficient　was　municated　for　Scopique　to　berate　himself　for　not　grasping　the　problem　earlier。
　〃I　thought　it　was　in　your　head；　Zacharias；　and　all　the　time…all　the　time　it　was　in　your　belly。　This　bastard　thing！〃
　Aping　arrived；　and　there　was　a　new　round　of　questions；　answered　this　time　by　Scopique；　who　then　went　off　in　search　of　Pie；　leaving　the　guard　to　arrange　for　the　filth　on　the　floor　to　be　cleaned　up　and　the　patient　brought　fresh　water　and　clean　clothes。
　〃Is　there　anything　else　you　need？〃　Aping　wanted　to　know。
　〃Food；〃　Gentle　said。　His　belly　had　never　felt　emptier。
　〃It'll　be　arranged。　It's　strange　to　hear　your　voice　and　see　you　move。　I　got　used　to　you　the　other　way。〃　He　smiled。　〃When　you're　feeling　stronger；〃　he　said；　〃we　must　find　some　time　to　talk。　I　hear　from　the　mystif　you're　a　painter。〃
　〃I　was；　yes；〃　said　Gentle；　adding　an　innocent　inquiry。　〃Why？　Are　you？〃
　Aping　beamed。　〃I　am；〃　he　said。
　〃Then　we　must　talk；〃　Gentle　said。　〃What　do　you　paint？〃
　〃Landscapes。　Some　figures。〃
　〃Nudes？　Portraits？〃　〃Children。〃
　〃Ah；　children　。　。　。　do　you　have　any　yourself？〃
　A　trace　of　anxiety　crossed　Aping's　face。　〃Later；〃　he　said；　glancing　out　towards　the　corridor；　then　back　at　Gentle。　〃In　private。〃
　〃I'm　at　your　disposal；〃　Gentle　replied。
　There　were　voices　outside　the　room。　Scopique　returning　with　N'ashap；　who　glanced　down　into　the　bucket　containing　the　parasite　as　he　entered。　There　were　more　questions；　or　rather　the　same　rephrased；　and　answered　on　this　third　occasion　by　both　Scopique　and　Aping；　N'ashap　listened　with　only　half　an　ear；　studying　Gentle　as　the　drama　was　recounted；　then　congratulating　him　with　a　curious　formality。　Gentle　noted　with　satisfaction　the　plugs　of　dried　blood　in　his　nose。
　〃We　must　make　a　full　account　of　this　incident　to　Yzord…derrex；〃　N'ashap　said。　〃I'm　sure　it　will　intrigue　them　as　much　as　it　does　me。〃
　So　saying；　he　left；　with　an　order　to　Aping　that　he　follow　immediately。
　〃Our　mander　looked　less　than　well；〃　Scopique　observed。　〃I　wonder　why。〃
　Gentle　allowed　himself　a　smile；　but　it　went　from　his　face　at　the　sight　of　his　final　visitor。　Pie　'oh'　pah　had　appeared　in　the　door。
　〃Ah；　well！〃　said　Scopique。　〃Here　you　are。　I'll　leave　you　two　alone。〃
　He　withdrew；　closing　the　door　behind　him。　The　mystif　didn't　move　to　embrace　Gentle；　or　even　take　his　hand。　Instead　it　went　to　the　window　and　gazed　out　over　the　sea；　upon　which　the　suns　were　still　shining。
　〃Now　we　know　why　they　call　this　the　Cradle；〃　it　said。
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃Where　else　could　a　man　give　birth？〃
　〃That　wasn't　birth；〃　Gentle　said。　〃Don't　flatter　it。〃
　〃Maybe　not　to　us；〃　Pie　said。　〃But　who　knows　how　children　were　made　here　in　ancient　times？　Maybe　the　men　immersed　themselves；　drank　the　water；　let　it　grow…〃
　〃I　saw　you；〃　Gentle　said。
　〃I　know；〃　Pie　replied；　not　turning　from　the　window。　〃And　you　almost　lost　us　both　an　ally。〃
　〃N'ashap？　An　ally？〃
　〃He's　the　power　here。〃
　〃He's　an　Oethac。　And　he's　scum。　And　I'm　going　to　have　the　satisfaction　of　killing　him。〃
　〃Are　you　my　champion　now？〃　Pie　said；　finally　looking　back　at　Gentle。
　〃I　saw　what　he　was　doing　to　you；〃
　〃That　was　nothing；〃　Pie　replied。　〃I　knew　what　I　was　doing。　Why　do　you　think　we've　had　the　treatment　we've　had？　I've　been　allowed　to　see　Scopique　whenever　I　want；　You've　been　fed　and　watered。　And　N'ashap　was　asking　no　questions；　about　either　of　us。　Now　he　will。　Now　he'll　be　suspicious。　We'll　have　to　move　quickly　before　he　gets　his　questions　answered。〃
　〃Better　that　than　you　having　to　service　him。〃
　〃I　told　you；　it　was　nothing。〃
　〃It　was　to　me；〃　Gentle　said；　the　words　scraping　in　his　bruised　throat。
　It　took　some　effort；　but　he　got　to　his　feet　so　as　to　meet　the　mystif；　eye　to　eye。
　〃At　the　beginning；　you　talked　to　me　about　how　you　thought　you'd　hurt　me；　remember？　You　kept　talking　about　the　station　at　Mai…ke；　and　saying　you　wanted　me　to　forgive　you；　and　I　kept　thinking　there　would　never　be　anything　between　us　that　couldn't　be　forgiven　or　forgotten；　and　that　when　I　had　the　words　again　I'd　say　so。　But　now　I　don't　know。　He　saw　you　naked；　Pie。　Why　him　and　not　me？　I　think　that's　maybe　unforgivable；　that　you　granted　him　the　mystery　but　not　me。〃
　〃He　saw　no　mystery；〃　Pie　replied。　〃He　looked　at　me；　and　he　saw　a　woman　he'd　loved　and　lost　in　Yzordderrex。　A　woman　who　looked　like　his　mother；　in　fact。　That's　what　he　was　obsessing　on。　An　echo　of　his　mother's　echo。　And　as　long　as　I　kept　supplying　the　illusion；　discreetly；　he　was　pliant。　That　seemed　more　important　than　my　dignity。〃
　〃Not　any　more；〃　Gentle　said。　〃If　we're　to　go　from　here…together…then　I　want　whatever　you　are　to　be　mine。　I　won't　share　you；　Pie。　Not　for　pliance。　Not　for　life　itself。〃
　〃I　didn't　know　you　felt　like　this。　If　you'd　told　me…〃
　〃I　couldn't。　Even　before　we　came　here；　I　felt　it；　but　I　couldn't　bring　myself　to　say　anything。〃
　〃For　what　it's　worth；　I　apologize。〃
　〃I　don't　want　an　apology。〃
　〃What　then？〃
　〃A　promise。　An　oath。〃　He　paused。　〃A　marriage。〃
　The　mystif　smiled。　〃Really？〃
　〃More　than　anything。　I　asked　you　once；　and　you　accepted。　Do　I　need　to　ask　again？　I　will　if　you　want　me　to。〃
　〃No　need；〃　Pie　said。　〃Nothing　would　honor　me　more。　But　here？　Here；　of　all　places？〃　The　mystif　s　frown　became　a　grin。　〃Scopique　told　me　about　a　Dearther　who's　locked　up　in　the　basement。　He　could　do　the　honors。〃
　〃What's　his　religion？〃
　〃He's　here　because　he　thinks　he's　Jesus　Christ。〃
　〃Then　he　can　prove　it　with　a　miracle。〃
　〃What　miracle's　that？〃
　〃He　can　make　an　honest　man　of　John　Furie　Zacharias。〃
　
　The　marriage　of　the　Eurhetemec　mystif　and　the　fugitive　John　Furie　Zacharias；　called　Gentle；　took　place　that　night　in　the　depths　of　the　asylum。　Happily；　their　priest　was　passing　through　a　period　of　lucidity　and　was　willing　to　be　addressed　by　his　real　name；　Father　Athanasius。　He　bore　the　evidence　of　his　dementia；　however：　scars　on　his　forehead；　where　the　crowns　of　thorns　he　repeatedly　fashioned　and　wore　had　dug　deep；　and　scabs　on　his　hands　where　he'd　driven　nails　into　his　flesh。　He　was　as　fond　of　the　frown　as　Scopique　of　the　grin；　though　the　look　of　a　philosopher　sat　badly　on　a　face　better　suited　to　a　edian：　with　its　blob　nose　that　perpetually　ran；　its　teeth　too　widely　spread；　and　eyebrows；　like　hairy　caterpillars；　that　concertinaed　when　he　furrowed　his　forehead。　He　was　kept；　along　with　twenty　or　so　other　prisoners　judged　exceptionally　seditious；　in　the　deepest　part　of　the　asylum；　his　windowless　cell　guarded　more　vigorously　than　those　of　the　prisoners　on　higher　floors。　It　had　thus　taken　some　fancy　maneuvering　on　Sco…pique's　part　to　get　access　to　him；　and　the　bribed　guard；　an　Oethac；　was　only　willing　to　turn　a　hooded　eye　for　a　few　minutes。　The　ceremony　was　therefore　short；　conducted　in　an　ad　hoc　mixture　of　Latin　and　English；　with　a　few　phrases　pronounced　in　the　language　of　Athanasius'　Second　Dominion　order；　the　Dearthers；　the　music　of　which　more　than　pensated　for　its　unintelligibility。　The　oaths　themselves　were　necessarily　spare；　given　the　constraints　of　time　and　the　redundance　of　most　of　the　conventional　vocabulary。
　〃This　isn't　done　in　the　sight　of　Hapexamendios；〃　Athanasius　said；　〃nor　in　the　sight　of　any　God；　or　the　agent　of　any　God。　We　pray　that　the　presence　of　our　Lady　may　however　touch　this　union　with　Her　infinite　passion；　and　that　you　go　together　into　the　great　union　at　some　higher　time。　Until　then；　I　can　only　be　as　a　glass　held　up　to　your　sacrament；　which　is　performed　in　your　sight　for　your　sake。〃
　The　full　significance　of　these　words　didn't　strike　Gentle　until　later；　when；　with　the　oaths　made　and　the　ceremony　done；　he　lay　down　in　his　cell　beside　his　partner。