cp.reddice-第15部分

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uisitors　I　killed…a　small　detail　that　I　forgot　to　mention　in　my　confession　to　him。
　　I　remember　well　how　gently　Arturo　spoke　to　the　child　to　get　him　to　relax　on　the　copper　sheet。　Normally　the　boy　was　filthy；　but　I　had　given　him　a　bath　before　the　beginning　of　the　experiment。　He　was　naturally　distrustful　of　others；　having　been　abused　so　many　times　during　his　life。　But　he　liked　us…I　had　been　feeding　him　off　and　on　and　Arturo　had　a　way　with　children。　Soon　enough；　he　was　lying　on　the　copper　and　breathing　fortably。　The　reflected　moonlight；　peering　through　the　dark　vial　of　my　blood；　cast　a　haunting　red　hue　over　the　room。　It　reminded　me　of　the　end　of　twilight；　of　the　time　just　before　night　falls。
　　〃Something　is　happening；〃　Arturo　whispered　as　we　watched　the　boy's　breathing　accelerate。　For　twenty　minutes　the　child　was　in　a　state　of　hyperventilation；　twitching　and　shaking。　We　would　have　stopped　the　process　if　the　boy's　face　hadn't　looked　calm。　Plus；　we　were　watching　history　being　made；　maybe　a　miracle。
　　Finally　the　boy　lay　still。　Arturo　diverted　the　reflected　moonlight　and　helped　the　boy　to　sit　up。　There　was　a　new　strangeness　to　his　eyes…they　were　bright。　He　hugged　me。
　　〃Ti　amo　anch'io；　Sita；〃　he　said。　〃I　love　you；　Sita。〃
　　　〃I　had　never　heard　him　say　a　whole　sentence　before。　I　was　so　overjoyed　that　I　didn't　stop　to　think　I　had　never　told　him　my　real　name。　In　all　of　Italy；　only　Arturo　and　Ralphe　knew　it。　We　were　both　happy　for　the　child；　that　his　brain　seemed　to　be　functioning　normally。　It　was　one　of　the　few　times　in　my　life　I　cried；　tears　of　water；　not　tears　of　blood。
　　The　red　tears　would　e　later。
　　This　first　successful　experiment　gave　Arturo　tremendous　confidence　and　weakened　his　caution。　He　had　seen　a　mental　change；　he　wanted　to　see　a　physical　one。　He　went　looking　for　a　leper；　and　brought　back　a　woman　in　her　sixties　whose　toes　and　fingers　had　been　eaten　away　by　the　dread　disease。　Over　the　centuries　I　had　found　it　particularly　painful　to　look　upon　lepers。　In　the　second　century；　in　Rome；　I　had　a　beautiful　lover　who　developed　leprosy。　Toward　the　latter　stages　of　his　disease；　he　begged　me　to　kill　him；　and　I　did；　crushing　his　skull；　with　my　eyes　tightly　clenched。　Of　course；　now　there　is　AIDS。　Mother　Nature　gives　each　age　its　own　special　horror。　She　is　like　Lord　Krishna；　full　of　wicked　surprises。
　　The　woman　was　almost　too　far　gone　to　notice　what　we　were　doing　to　her。　But　Arturo　was　able　to　get　her　breathing　deeply；　and　soon　the　magic　was　happening　again。　She　began　to　hyperventilate；　twitching　worse　than　the　boy　had。　Yet　her　eyes　and　face　remained　calm。　I　was　not　sure　what　she　felt；　it　was　not　as　if　she　suddenly　sprouted　toes　and　fingers。　When　she　was　through；　Arturo　led　her　upstairs　and　had　her　lie　down　on　a　bed。　But　from　the　start　she　did　seem　stronger；　more　alert。
　　A　few　days　later　she　began　to　grow　toes　and　fingers。
　　Two　weeks　later　there　was　no　sign　of　her　leprosy。
　　Arturo　was　ecstatic；　but　I　was　worried。　We　told　the　woman　not　to　tell　anyone　what　we　had　done　for　her。　Of　course　she　told　everyone。　The　rumors　started　to　fly。　Wisely；　Arturo　passed　her　cure　off　to　the　grace　of　God。　Yet；　during　these　days　of　the　Inquisition；　it　was　more　dangerous　to　be　a　saint　than　a　sinner。　A　sinner；　as　long　as　he　or　she　was　not　a　heretic；　could　repent　and　escape　with　a　flogging。　A　saint　might　be　a　witch。　Better　to　burn　a　possible　saint；　the　Church　thought；　than　let　a　genuine　witch　escape。　They　had　a　weird　sense　of　justice。
　　Arturo　was　not　a　plete　fool；　however。　He　did　not　heal　more　lepers；　even　though　dozens　came　to　his　door　seeking　relief。　Yet　he　continued　to　experiment　on　a　few　deaf　and　dumb　people；　a　few　who　were　actually　retarded。　Oh；　but　it　was　hard　to　turn　away　the　lepers。　The　lone　woman　had　given　them　such　hope。　Modern…day　pundits　often　talk　of　the　virtue　of　hope。　To　me；　hope　brings　grief。　The　most　content　people　are　those　who　expect　nothing；　who　have　ceased　to　dream。
　　I　had　dreamed　what　it　would　be　like　to　be　Arturo's　lover；　and　now　that　he　was　mine；　he　was　unhappy。　Oh；　he　loved　to　sleep　with　me；　feel　me　close　beside　him。　But　he　believed　he　had　sinned　and　he　couldn't　stop。　The　timing　of　our　affair　was　unfortunate。　He　was　breaking　his　vow　of　celibacy　just　when　he　was　on　the　verge　of　fulfilling　his　destiny。　God　would　not　know　whether　to　curse　or　bless　him。　I　told　him　not　to　worry　about　God。　I　had　met　the　guy。　He　did　what　he　wanted　when　he　wanted；　no　matter　how　hard　you　tried。　I　told　Arturo　many　stories　of　Krishna；　and　he　listened；　fascinated。　Still；　he　would　weep　after　we　had　sex。　I　told　him　to　go　to　confession。　But　he　refused…he　would　only　confess　to　me。　Only　I　could　understand　him；　he　said。
　　But　I　didn't　understand。　Not　what　he　had　planned。
　　He　began　to　have　visions　during　this　period。　He'd　had　them　before…they　didn't　alarm　me；　at　least　not　at　first。　It　was　a　vision　that　had　given　him　the　mechanics　of　his　transformative　technique；　long　before　we　met。　But　now　his　visions　were　peculiar。　He　began　to　build　models。　Only　seven　hundred　years　later　did　I　realize　he　was　building　models　of　DNA…human　DNA；　vampiric；　and　one　other　form。　Yes；　it　is　true；　while　we　watched　the　people　twitch　on　the　floor　under　the　influence　of　my　bloody　aura；　Arturo　saw　more　deeply　than　I　did。　He　actually　understood　the　specific　molecule　whose　code　defined　the　body。　He　saw　the　molecule　in　a　vision；　and　he　watched　it　change　under　the　magnets；　crystals；　copper；　and　blood。　He　saw　the　double　helix　of　normal　DNA。　He　saw　the　twelve　straight　strands　of　my　DNA。　And　he　saw　how　the　two　could　be　conjoined。
　　〃We　need　twelve　helix　strands；〃　he　confided　in　me。　〃Then　we　will　have　our　perfect　being。〃
　　〃But　the　more　people　you　experiment　on；　the　more　attention　you　will　draw　to　yourself；〃　I　protested。　〃Your　Church　will　not　understand。　They　will　kill　you。〃
　　He　nodded　grimly。　〃I　understand。　And　I　cannot　keep　working　on　abnormal　people。　To　make　a　leap　toward　the　perfect　being；　I　must　work　with　a　normal　person。〃
　　I　sensed　what　was　in　his　mind。　〃You　cannot　experiment　on　yourself。〃
　　He　turned　away。　〃What　if　we　try　Ralphe？〃
　　〃No；〃　I　pleaded。　〃We　love　him　the　way　he　is。　Let's　not　change　him。〃
　　He　continued　to　stare　at　the　wall；　his　back　to　me。　〃You　changed　him；　Sita。〃
　　〃That　was　different。　I　knew　what　I　was　doing。　I　had　experience。　I　healed　his　wounds。　I　altered　his　body；　not　his　soul。〃
　　He　turned　to　me。　〃Don't　you　see　it's　because　I　love　Ralphe　as　much　as　you　do　that　I　want　to　give　him　this　chance？　If　we　can　change　him　from　the　inside　out；　transform　his　blood；　he　will　be　like　a　child　of　Christ。〃
　　〃Christ　never　knew　of　vampires；〃　I　warned。　〃You　should　not　mix　the　two　in　your　mind。　It's　blasphemy　…even　to　me。〃
　　Arturo　was　passionate。　〃How　do　you　know　he　didn't？　You　never　met　him。〃
　　I　got　angry。　〃Now　you　speak　like　a　fool。　If　you　want　to　experiment　on　anyone；　use　me。　You　promised　me　you　would　when　we　started　this。〃
　　He　stiffened。　〃I　can't　change　you。　Not　now。〃
　　I　understood　what　he　was　saying。　Suddenly　I　felt　the　weight　of　shattered　dreams。　In　my　mind　I　had　been　playing　with　a　daughter　who　had　never　been　born；　and　who　probably　never　would　be。
　　〃You　need　my　blood　first；〃　I　replied。　〃The　pure　vampire　blood。〃　It　was　true　he　had　to　replenish　the　blood　in　the　crystal　vial；　not　before　each　experiment；　but　often。　Old　blood　did　not　work…it　was　too　dead。　I　continued；　〃But　what　if　your　experiment　does　work　and　you　do　create　a　perfect　being？　I　cannot　give　enough　blood　to　alter　everyone　on　this　planet。〃
　　He　shrugged。　〃Perhaps　those　who　are　altered　can　bee　the　new　donors。〃
　　〃That　is　a　huge　perhaps。　Also；　I　know　people。　This　will　be　an　exclusive　club。　It　doesn't　matter　how　good　your　intentions　are　now。〃　I　turned　away　and　chuckled　bitterly。　〃Who　will　be　given　a　chance　at　perfection？　The　nobility？　The　clergy？　The　most　corrupt　will　feel　they　are　the　most　deserving。　It　is　the　oldest　lesson　of　history。　It　never　changes。〃
　　Arturo　hugged　me。　〃That　will　not　happen；　Sita。　God　has　blessed　this　work。　Only　good　can　e　from　it。〃
　　〃No　one　knows　what　God　has　blessed；〃　I　whispered。　〃And　what　he　has　cursed。〃
　　A　few　days　went　by　during　which　Arturo　and　I　hardly　spoke。　He　would　stay　up　late　making　models　of　molecul