cb.torturedsouls-第5部分

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op　of　their　belligerent　trade　by　showing　the　greatest　propensity　for　cruelty　and　control。
　　But　beneath　the　institutionalized　sadism　and　their　manic　capacity　for　violence；　two　qualities　long　hidden　in　the　hearts　of　the　three　Generals；　there　also　lay　qualities　that　they　would　have　been　ashamed　to　confess　they　possessed。　One；　a　sickly　sentimentality　（focused　upon　their　mothers　in　the　cases　of　Generals　Bogoto　and　Urbano；　and　upon　girls　of　six　or　seven　in　the　case　of　Montefalco）。　Second；　a　startling　capacity　for　superstition。
　　It　went　undiscussed；　but　they　each　knew　the　other　was　touched　by　a　profound　fear　of　the　uncanny。　And　there　was　no　city　presently　more　inundated　in　unholy　matters　than　Primordium。　Rumour　was　rife　here；　and　its　subject　was　seldom　rational。　The　stories　that　were　passed　around　the　soldiers'　campfires　（and　sooner　or　later　reached　the　Generals'　ears）　were　of　unnatural　horrors：　things　that　defied　reason。　Tales　of　monsters　that　had　been　bred　from　the　loins　of　the　Scythe…Meister；　of　the　vengeful　ghosts　of　children；　of　succubi；　their　sexual　attributes　discussed　in　clammy；　but　arousing　detail。
　　
　　One　night；　after　some　very　heavy　drinking；　the　three　men　vented　their　fears。
　　〃It　is　my　belief；〃　Urbano　said；　〃that　this　damned　city　is　haunted。〃
　　The　other　two　men　nodded　grimly。
　　〃What　do　you　suggest　we　do　about　it？〃　Bogoto　asked。
　　It　was　Montefalco　who　replied。　〃Well；　for　a　start。。。if　I　had　my　druthers　I'd　burn　the　illegal　immigrant　quarter　to　the　ground。　It's　they　who　engage　in　most　of　these　unholy　goings…on。〃
　　〃But　the　work…force。。。〃　Bogoto　said。　〃Who'd　empty　our　shit　cans？　Who'd　bury　the　lepers？〃
　　Montefalco　had　to　concede　the　point。　〃At　least　we　could　target　any　element　we　suspect　of　intercourse　with　demonic　forces。〃
　　〃Good。　Good。〃　said　Urbano。　〃Vigilance。〃
　　〃And　punishment；〃　Montefalco　went　on。　〃Swift；　draconian　measures…〃
　　〃Public　executions。〃
　　〃Yes！〃
　　〃Burnings？〃
　　〃No；　too　theatrical。　Shootings　are　clean　and　fast。　And　they　don't　smell。〃
　　〃That　bothers　you？〃　said　Bogoto。
　　Montefalco　shuddered。　〃I　loathe　the　smell　of　burning　bodies；〃　he　said。
　　
　　　II
　　While　the　Generals　debated　the　relative　merits　of　this　kind　of　execution　or　that；　Lucidique　was　sleeping…or　attempting　to　sleep…in　the　house　which　her　father　had　built　many　years　ago　for　her　mother。　Her　slumbers　were　uneasy。　So　many　memories。　So　many　regrets。
　　Often　in　earlier；　simpler　times；　when　sleep　eluded　her；　she　would　go　out　walking。　Now；　of　course；　she　could　not　go　by　day。　The　transformation　of　her　body　that　had　been　wrought　by　Agonistes　had　resulted　in　a　physique　which　was　strong；　supple　and　powerful；　but　which　terrified　many　who　laid　eyes　on　her。　When　she　did　go　out…even　in　the　blackest　night…she　did　her　best　to　keep　to　the　quiet　back…alleys　of　Primordium　where　she　would　not　be　seen。
　　
　　Tonight；　having　given　up　on　sleep；　she　went　wandering　in　these　alleys；　and　became　aware　that　she　was　being　followed。
　　After　a　little　distance　she　sensed　the　rhythm　of　the　step；　and　realized　that　she　knew　who　her　pursuer　was。　It　was　Zarles　Kreiger；　the　assassin　turned　Scythe…Meister。
　　She　stopped；　and　turned。
　　The　Scythe…Meister　was　standing　a　little　distance　from　her。　His　flesh　had　the　same　sickly　luminescence　that　hers　did；　a　bacterial　brightness　that　was　part　of　Agonistes'　handiwork。　The　rawer　the　wounds　（and　there　were　parts　of　both　their　transformed　bodies　that　were　designed　to　never　heal）　the　brighter　the　luminescence　with　which　they　burned。
　　〃I　thought　you'd　left　the　city；〃　she　said　to　him。
　　〃I　did。　For　a　while。　I　went　out　into　the　desert。　Meditated　on　my　changed　state。〃
　　〃And　did　you　learn　anything　from　your　meditations？〃
　　Kreiger　shook　his　head。
　　〃So　you　came　back？〃
　　〃So　I　came　back。〃
　　
　　　III
　　A　few　days　after　the　three　Generals　had　exchanged　their　fears　about　the　presence　of　unsacred　powers　in　Primordium；　Montefalco　brought　them　together　again　for　a　midnight　journey。
　　〃Where　are　we　going？〃
　　〃There's　a　man　called　Doctor　TALISAC　who　has　been　conducting　experiments　on　my　behalf　for　several　years　now。〃
　　〃What　kind　of　experiments？〃　Urbano　wanted　to　know。
　　〃I　hoped　he　would　perfect　me　a　soldier。　Make　a　fighting　machine　that　was　not　susceptible　to　fear。〃
　　〃Has　he　succeeded？〃
　　〃No。　Not　so　far。　Nor　do　I　have　great　hope　for　him　now。　He's　addicted　to　many　of　his　own　medications；　and。。。well；　you'll　see　for　yourself。　But　there　was　one　failure　of　his　which　might　be　useful　to　us　now。〃
　　〃A　useful　failure？〃　Bogoto　said；　somewhat　amused　by　the　paradox。
　　〃We　need　a　creature　that　will　drive　the　unholy　elements　out　of　Primordium。　I　believe　he　has　such　a　creature。〃
　　〃Ah。。。〃　said　Urbano。
　　〃So　will　you　see　this　creature　with　me？〃
　　〃Where　is　he？〃
　　〃I　have　him　hidden　away　in　what　used　to　be　the　Hospice　of　the　Sacred　Heart；　on　Dreyfus　Hill。〃
　　〃I　thought　the　place　was　empty。〃
　　〃That's　the　impression　I　intended　to　give　the　world。　If　anybody　ventures　in　there　I　have　them　killed　and　thrown　in　the　canal。〃
　　〃Is　that　what　happened　to　the　nuns？〃
　　Montefalco　smiled。　〃Nothing　so　humane；　I'm　afraid；〃　he　said。　〃Soldiers　can　be　brutish　if　left　to　their　own　devices。〃
　　The　subject　was　left　there；　and　the　three　headed　up　towards　Dreyfus　Hill。
　　
　　　IV
　　Zarles　Kreiger　stretched　out　naked　on　Lucidique's　bed。　She　looked　at　him　admiringly：　at　the　plethora　of　scars；　at　the　intricate　way　the　machinations　of　his　flesh　had　been　bound　to　Agonistes'　own　creations。　Silver　bonded　with　bone　and　nerve；　gold　and　bronze　the　same。
　　She　climbed　on　top　of　him。　Arcs　of　electricity　leapt　between　them：　nipple　to　nipple；　eye　to　eye。
　　What　a　time　this　was！；　she　thought。　Here　she　was　mating　with　the　man　who　had　taken　her　father's　life。　In　a　sense　there　was　something　even　more　taboo　about　their　intimacy。　They　were　both　the　offspring　of　the　same　father。　Both　Agonistes'　children。
　　〃I　wonder　if　he'd　approve？〃　Lucidique　said。
　　〃You　mean　Agonistes？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　Kreiger　didn't　speak。　It　was　Lucidique　who　realized　what　her　lover's　reference　to　Agonistes　implied。
　　〃You　saw　him　in　the　desert？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃And　he　sent　you　back　here？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃To　find　me？〃
　　〃To　be　with　you。　He　said　you　were　the　only　thing　that　would　make　me　happy。〃
　　
　　　V
　　The　Hospice　of　the　Sacred　Heart　was　an　enormous　edifice；　its　upper　floors　in　darkness。　But　the　Generals　didn't　have　to　wait　long　for　a　guide。　After　a　few　minutes　a　female　dwarf…who　introduced　herself　as　Camille…came　with　candles。　She　escorted　the　uniformed　trio　through　the　echoing　cloisters　（which　were　heaped　with　huge　mounds　of　dirt）　and　down　two　flights　of　steep　stairs　into　Doctor　Talisac's　laboratory。
　　His　workspace　had　been　dug　out　of　the　earth　so　as　to　acmodate　the　scale　of　the　Doctor's　experimentation　and　still　preserve　the　secrecy　of　his　location。　In　place　of　tile　there　was　hard　trodden　earth　beneath　the　Generals'　boots；　and　the　walls　were　beaten　dirt。　The　place　stank　of　cold　earth：　which　served　to　plete　the　scene。　For　if　the　stench　was　that　of　the　grave；　so　were　many　of　the　sights　before　them。　The　dead　were　Talisac's　raw　materials；　and　they　lay　everywhere　around；　in　various　states　of　amputation。　He　was　an　uneconomic　consumer。　In　many　cases　the　corpses　were　lacking　only　a　limb；　or　a　portion　of　a　limb；　an　eye；　in　one　case；　lips　in　another。
　　〃So　where　is　he？〃　Urbano　demanded　to　know。
　　Camille　pointed　the　way　over　a　carpet　of　corpses　to　a　dank　corner　of　the　immense　chamber；　where　Talisac　awaited　them。
　　He　looked；　to　the　Generals'　astonished　eyes；　like　one　of　his　own　victims；　a　terrible；　implausible　experiment　in　the　extremes　to　which　a　human　carcass　might　be　put。
　　He　hung　by　his　mouth　from　a　device　whose　purpose　was　beyond　the　Generals'　prehension；　his　mouth　hooked　up；　as　though　he　were　a　fish。　In　his　perversity；　or　his　genius；　or　both；　he　had　created　some　kind　of　external　womb　for　himself。　A　semi…translucent　bag　hung　from　the　lower　portion　of　his　abdomen；　down　between　his　spidery　legs。　There　was　life　inside。
　　〃A　Mongroid；〃　Camille　whispered。
　　Montefalco　took　his　eyes　off　the　foul　sight　of　the　womb　and　its　twitching　contents；　an