cb.torturedsouls-第2部分

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　　At　the　age　of　fourteen　he　became　a　runner　for　a　gangster　in　the　East　City　called　Duraf　Cascarellian；　and　quickly　elevated　himself　in　the　criminal's　employ；　simply　because　he　was　willing　to　do　anything　requested　of　him。　In　return；　Cascarellian　treated　Keiger　like　a　son；　protecting　him　from　capture　by　sending　men　out　after　Kreiger　to　clean　up　after　one　of　his　murders。　Kreiger　was　a　messy　killer。　Not　for　him　the　simple　slit　across　the　throat。　He　liked　to　use　scythes；　first　disembowelling　his　victims　then　strangling　them　with　their　own　entrails。
　　
　　Now　such　behaviour　does　not　go　unnoticed　for　long；　even　in　a　city　as　filled　with　excesses　as　Primordium。　And　Kreigcr's　reputation　was　increased　considerably　by　the　fact　that　the　hits　Cascarellian　was　having　him　make　were　often　political。　Judges；　congressmen；　journalists　who　were　critical　of　the　Emperor：　these　were　often　Kreiger's　victims。　Personally；　he　cared　not　at　all　about　the　affiliation　of　his　victims。　Blood　was　blood　as　far　as　Kreiger　was　concerned；　and　he　took　the　same　pleasure　in　it　whether　it　poured　from　the　flesh　of　a　Republican　or　a　Royalist。
　　Then　he　met　a　woman　called　Lucidique；　and　all　that　changed。
　　
　　　III
　　Lucidique　was　the　daughter　of　a　Senator　who　had　been　lately　plaining　in　open　forum　about　the　fact　that　the　city　was　running　into　a　state　of　decadence。　The　Perfetto　Dynasty　was　using　the　people's　taxes　to　fund　its　own　pleasures；　the　Senator　argued：　it　had　to　stop。
　　The　order　quickly　came　down　from　the　Emperor：　rid　me　of　this　Senator。　Cascarcllian；　not　giving　a　damn　about　the　philosophical　issues；　but　happy　to　oblige　his　Emperor；　sent　Kreiger　out　to　kill　the　political　troublemaker。
　　Kreiger　went　to　the　Senator's　estate；　caught　him　in　the　garden　amongst　his　roses；　gutted　him　and　carried　him　inside。　He　was　in　the　act　of　arranging　the　Senator's　body　on　the　dinner　table；　when　Lucidique　entered。　She　was　naked；　having　just　e　from　bathing。　But　she　was　also　prepared　for　the　intruder。　She　carried　two　knives。
　　She　circled　Kreiger；　an　he　stood　amongst　the　blood　and　the　innards　of　her　father。
　　〃If　you　move　I'll　kill　you；〃　she　said。
　　〃With　two　table　knives？〃　Kreiger　said；　slicing　the　air　with　his　scythes。　〃Go　back　to　your　bath　and　forget　I　was　here。〃
　　〃This　was　my　father　you　just　murdered！〃
　　〃Yes。　I　see　the　resemblance。〃
　　〃I　would　have　thought　a　man　like　you　would　have　thought　twice　about　taking　a　knife　to　my　father's　throat。　He　wanted　to　overthrow　the　Empire　so　that　you　and　your　like　would　not　be　exploited。〃
　　〃Me　and　my　like？　You　don't　know　anything　about　me。〃
　　〃I　can　guess；〃　Lucidique　said。　〃You　were　born　in　filth；　and　you've　lived　in　filth　so　long　you　don't　even　see　what's　going　on　right　in　front　of　you。〃
　　Kreiger's　expression　changed。　〃So　perhaps　you　do　know　a　little；〃　he　said　his　voice　uneasy。　The　woman's　confidence　unnerved　him。　〃I　will　leave　you　to　mourn　your　father；〃　he　said；　retreating　from　the　table。
　　〃Wait！〃　the　woman　said。　〃Not　so　quickly。〃
　　〃What　do　you　mean：　wait？　I　could　kill　you　in　a　heartbeat　if　I　wanted　to。〃
　　〃But　you　don't　want　to；　or　you　would　have　done　it。〃
　　〃What's　your　name？〃
　　〃Lucidique。〃
　　〃So　then；　what　do　you　want　from　me？〃
　　〃I　want　you　to　e　with　me；　into　the　filthiest　streets　of　Primordium。〃
　　〃Believe　me；　I've　seen　them。〃
　　〃Then　you　show　me。〃
　　
　　　IV
　　It　was　the　strangest　walk　a　man　and　a　woman　ever　took　together。　Though　Kreiger　had　washed　the　Senator's　blood　from　his　face；　hands　and　arms　he　still　stank　of　murder。　And　here　he　was；　walking　beside　the　daughter　of　the　man　he'd　just　murdered；　wrapped　in　dark　linen。
　　Together；　they　saw　the　worst　of　Primordium：　the　disease；　the　violence；　and　the　grinding；　unrelieved　poverty。　And　every　now　and　then　Lucidique　would　point　to　the　walls　and　the　towers　of　the　Emperor's　Winter　Palace；　any　one　room　of　which　contained　sufficient　wealth　to　clear　the　slums　of　the　city；　and　feed　every　starving　child。
　　And　for　the　first　time　in　many；　many　years　Kreiger　felt　some　measure　of　real　emotion；　remembering　circumstances　of　his　own　up…bringing；　left　to　sit　in　the　open　sewers　of　Primordium's　streets　while　his　mother　sold　her　drug…riddled　body　to　one　of　the　guards　of　the　Emperor's　guards。　There　was　anger　in　him　as　he　walked。　And　it　steadily　grew。
　　〃What　do　you　want　me　to　do？〃　he　said；　frustrated　by　what　he　felt；　and　his　own　helplessness。　〃I　could　never　get　to　the　Emperor。〃
　　〃Don't　be　so　sure。〃
　　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　　〃You're　right；　the　Dynasty　is　untouchable　as　long　as　you're　just　a　man；　a　scabby　little　assassin　hired　to　kill　overweight　Senators。　But　suppose　you　could　be　more　than　that？　Then　you　could　bring　the　Dynasty　down。〃
　　〃How？〃
　　Lucidique　gave　Kreiger　a　sideways　glance。　〃It's　nothing　I　can　show　you　here。　Besides；　I　have　a　father　to　bury。　If　you　want　to　know　more；　then　meet　me　tomorrow　night　outside　the　Western　Gates。　e　alone。〃
　　〃If　this　is　some　kind　of　trap。。。〃　Kreiger　said；　〃。。。some　way　to　revenge　your　father。。。then　before　they　take　me　I'll　cut　out　your　eyes。〃
　　Lucidique　smiled。　〃You　make　such　pretty　love…talk；〃　she　said。
　　〃I　mean　it。〃
　　〃I　know。　And　I　wouldn't　be　so　stupid　as　to　conspire　against　you。　Quite　the　reverse。　I　believe　we　were　meant　to　know　one　another。　I　was　meant　to　walk　in　on　your　killing　my　father；　and　you　were　meant　to　hold　your　hand　off　and　not　kill　me。　There's　some　connection　between　us。　You　feel　it；　don't　you？〃
　　Kreiger　looked　at　the　dirty　street　between　them。　The　night　had　been　filled　with　feelings　he　had　not　anticipated　experiencing。　And　now　here　was　another；　admitting　to　the　strange　intimacy　he　felt　for　the　daughter　of　the　man　he'd　murdered。
　　〃Yes；〃　he　said。　〃I　feel　it。〃　Then；　after　a　long　silence：　〃What　time　tomorrow　night？〃
　　〃Sometime　after　one。〃　Lucidique　told　him。　〃I'll　be　there。〃
　　
　　　V
　　The　following　day　the　streets　of　Primordium　were　alive　with　gossip　and　speculation：　the　death　of　the　Senator　had　started　all　kinds　of　rumours。　Was　this　murder　the　first　indication　that　the　Emperor　would　put　up　with　no　more　moves　towards　democracy　in　the　city？　Believing　this　to　be　the　case　many　members　of　the　Senate　left　Primordium　hurriedly；　in　case　they　were　next　on　the　Emperor's　hit　list。　There　was　a　general　sense　of　unrest；　everywhere。
　　And　in　Kreiger；　a　profound　sense　of　anticipation。
　　He　had　barely　slept；　thinking　of　what　had　happened　the　night　before。　No；　not　just　the　night　before。　Thinking　about　his　life：　where　it　had　led　him　so　far；　and　where…if　Lucidique's　promise　were　a　true　one…it　would　go　after　this。
　　Every　now　and　then　he'd　glance　towards　the　walls　of　the　palace　（which　had　twice　as　many　guards　patrolling　them　today　as　yesterday）　and　wonder　to　himself　what　she　had　meant　about　finding　a　way　for　one　man　to　bring　down　a　Dynasty？
　　
　　　VI
　　At　one　o'clock　in　the　morning；　a　mile　outside　the　West　Gate　of　Primordium；　he　sat　on　a　stone　and　he　waited。　At　nine　minutes　past　one；　a　pair　of　horses　approached　（not　from　the　city；　from　which　direction　Kreiger　had　expected　her　to　e；　but　from　the　Desert；　which　lay；　vast　and　largely　uncharted；　out　to　the　West　and　South…West　of　the　city。）
　　They　drew　nearer；　and　dismounted。
　　〃Kreiger。。。〃
　　〃Yes？〃
　　〃I　want　you　to　meet　Agonistes。〃
　　Kreiger　had　heard　rumours　about　this　man　Agonistes。　It　was　the　kind　of　story　that　was　exchanged　between　assassins；　more　of　a　legend　than　a　reality。
　　But　here　he　was。　As　real　as　the　woman　who'd　brought　him。
　　〃I　hear　you　want　to　make　Primordium　a　Republic；〃　Agonistes　said。　〃Single…handed。〃
　　〃She　persuaded　me　it　was　possible；〃　Kreiger　replied。　〃But。。。I　don't　believe　it　is。〃
　　〃You　should　have　more　faith；　Kreiger。　I　can　make　you　the　terror　of　Emperors；　if　you　want　it　badly　enough。　It's　up　to　you。　Make　up　your　mind　quickly；　for　I　have　better　business　elsewhere　tonight　if　you　don't　require　my　services。　I　can　hear　a　hundred　prayers　pouring　out　of　Primordium　at　this　very　moment；　people　wanting　me　to　give　them　the　power　to　change　their　world。〃
　　Lucidique　put　her　hand　up　to　Kreiger's　face。　〃Now　the　moment's　here；　I　see　you　don't　want　it；〃　she　said。　〃You're　afraid。〃
　　〃I'm　not　afraid！〃　Kreiger　said。　He　thought　of　his　mother；　dead　of　th