cb.torturedsouls-第6部分

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　　〃A　Mongroid；〃　Camille　whispered。
　　Montefalco　took　his　eyes　off　the　foul　sight　of　the　womb　and　its　twitching　contents；　and　addressed　its　owner。
　　〃Talisac？〃　he　said。　〃We　need　something　from　you。〃
　　Talisac　turned　his　fluttering　eyes　in　Montefalco's　direction。　When　he　spoke　the　maimed　form　of　his　mouth　meant　that　what　he　said　was　virtually　inprehensible。　It　took　Camille　to　translate　it。
　　〃He　says：　What？　What　do　you　need？〃
　　〃We　need　a　fiend　to　put　fear　into　the　heart　of　the　Devil　himself。〃　Montefalco　said。　〃A　beast　amongst　beasts。　Something　to　scour　the　city　of　its　monsters　by　being　still　more　monstrous。〃
　　Talisac　made　a　strange　sound…which　might　have　been　laughter；　shaking　as　he　hung　from　his　hooks。　The　creature　in　his　womb　responded　to　its　parent's　movement　by　spasming。
　　〃How　the　hell　did　he　e　by　that　thing？〃　Bogoto　murmured　to　Urbano　behind　his　hand。
　　〃Don't　whisper；〃　Camille　snapped。　〃He　hates　it。〃
　　〃He　was　wondering　how　Talisac　got　himself　pregnant？〃　Urbano　said。
　　This　time　Talisac　pressed　his　lips　into　service；　in　order　that　he　answer　for　himself。　The　reply　was　a　single　word：
　　〃Science。〃　he　said。
　　〃Really？〃　Urbano　said；　sufficiently　reassured　to　step　over　some　of　the　mutilated　bodies　to　examine　Talisac　more　closely。　〃Well　I'm　pleased　to　hear　that。　I　would　have　been　distressed　if　there's　been　some　sexual　impropriety　here。〃
　　Again；　Talisac　laughed；　though　none　of　the　Generals　were　in　the　mood　to　see　the　humour　of　the　situation。　His　laughter　spent；　he　spoke　again。　This　time　Camille's　services　as　a　translator　were　required。
　　〃He　has　a　golem　he　thinks　would　suit　your　purposes　very　well；〃　the　dwarf　said。　〃He　only　asks　one　thing　in　return。。。〃
　　〃And　what's　that？〃　Montefalco　said。
　　〃That　you　shouldn't　attempt　to　hurt　any　of　his　children。〃
　　〃Meaning　that？〃　Montefalco　said；　nodding　towards　the　twitching　womb。
　　〃Es。〃　said　Talisac。　〃Is　my　ur　chile。〃
　　〃What　did　he　say？〃　Urbano　said　to　Camille。
　　〃He　said　it　was　his　child；〃　Camille　replied。
　　Montefalco　shrugged。
　　〃No　harm　will　e　of　this　Mongroid；　if　we　are　given　a　fiend　of　our　own。〃　Montefalco　said。　〃I　will　personally　guarantee　that。〃
　　〃Good。〃　said　Camille。　Then；　without　Talisac　speaking　again；　she　added：　〃He　would　prefer　if　you　did　not　e　here　again　together。　Only　General　Montefalco。〃
　　〃You'll　get　no　argument　from　me　on　that　account。〃　Bogoto　said；　waving　the　horror　away　as　he　retreated。　〃If　he　gives　us　our　monster；　then　he　can　give　birth　to　a　thousand　little　brats　as　far　as　I'm　concerned。　Just　keep　them　the　hell　away　from　me。〃
　　
　　　VI
　　Lucidique　lay　on　the　blood　and　sweat　stained　bed　beside　her　lover；　and　watched　the　moon　through　the　window。
　　〃This　can't　last　for　long；　you　know。　This　thing　between　us。〃
　　〃Why　not？〃
　　〃For　two　such　as　us　to　find　some　happiness　together？〃　she　said。　〃It's　against　nature。　You　killed　my　father。　I　should　hate　you。〃
　　〃And　you　put　me　through　hell　at　Agonistes'　hands。　I　should　hate　you。〃
　　〃What　a　pair　we　make。〃
　　〃Maybe　we　should　go　back　out　into　the　desert。〃　Kreiger　said；　〃We'd　be　safer　there。〃
　　Lucidique　laughed。　〃Listen　to　you。　Safer！　Isn't　the　world　supposed　to　be　afraid　of　us？　Not　the　other　way　round。〃
　　〃I　just　want　to　hold　on　to　this。。。hope　that　I　feel。〃
　　Lucidique　reached　across　the　bed　and　ran　her　blade　along　Kreiger's　arm。　〃We　can't　leave　Primordium；〃　she　said。
　　〃Why　not？　It's　going　up　in　flames；　sooner　or　later。　Let　it　burn。〃
　　〃But　love；　we　started　the　fire；　you　and　me。　We　should　stay　and　watch　it　to　the　end。〃
　　Kreiger　nodded。　〃If　that's　what　you　want。〃
　　〃It's　the　way　things　have　to　end。
　　〃End？　Why　do　you　say　that？〃
　　〃Hush；　love。　It'll　be　better　this　way；　you'll　see。〃　She　leaned　over　and　kissed　him。　〃Do　it　for　me。〃
　　〃That's　as　good　a　reason　as　any　I　ever　heard；〃　Kreiger　said。
　　〃So　you'll　stay？〃
　　〃I'll　stay。〃
　　
　　
　　　Book　Five
　　　The　Haunter　of　Primordium
　　　
　　　I
　　Having　made　the　arrangement　with　Talisac　to　provide　them　with　a　creature；　the　three　Generals…Bogoto；　Urbano　and　Montefalio…returned　to　Military　Headquarters　and　waited。　Bogoto　was　the　most　anxious　of　the　three。　He'd　seen　his　share　of　battle　scenes；　bodies　blown　to　pieces；　the　stink　of　burning　hair　and　bone　in　the　air：　but　the　grotesqueries　of　Talisac's　laboratory　had　left　him　sickened　and　nervous。
　　He　decided　to　do　what　he　often　did　when　his　life　became　difficult：　he　drove　across　the　city　in　the　night　to　seek　the　fort　of　a　woman　called　Greta　Sabatier；　a　reader　of　fortunes。　Though　he　would　have　been　appalled　if　he'd　thought　any　of　his　fellow　Generals　knew　it；　Sabatier's　advice　had　been　behind　much　of　what　Bogoto　had　done　over　the　years：　who　he'd　favoured　amongst　his　subordinates；　and　who　he'd　demoted；　even；　on　occasion；　how　he'd　run　some　of　his　military　campaigns。　And　as　events　in　Primordium　had　steadily　bee　more　crazed；　Bogoto　had　e　to　rely　more　and　more　upon　Sabatier's　wisdom。　Her　cards；　he　had　e　to　believe；　carried　vital　clues　to　his　fate。　In　a　world　where　madness　was　constantly　in　the　air；　and　nothing　and　no　one　could　be　trusted；　it　made　a　paradoxical　sense　to　seek　illumination　from　a　woman　who　read　the　future　from　a　pack　of　dirty　cards。
　　〃You've　seen　somebody　powerful；〃　Greta　told　him　that　night；　tapping　one　of　the　cards　she'd　just　turned　over。　〃I　can't　tell　if　it's　a　man。。。or　a　woman。〃
　　Bogoto　pictured　Talisac；　hanging　up　from　his　hooks；　with　that　vile　womb　of　his　hanging　down　between　his　legs。
　　Sabatier　was　studying　his　face。
　　〃You　know　this　person　I'm　talking　about？〃
　　Bogoto　nodded。
　　〃Well　then　you　don't　need　any　warning　from　me。　He；　or　she…which　is　it？〃
　　〃It's　a　man。〃
　　〃Well　he　has　friends。。。allies。。。it's　hard　to　be　sure　exactly　who　or　what　they　are。。。the　cards　are　very　ambiguous。　But　there's　harm　from　this　source；　whatever　it　is。〃
　　〃Harm　to　me？〃
　　〃Harm　to　the　world。〃
　　〃Huh。〃
　　〃That　matters　less　to　you；　yes？〃
　　〃Of　course。　Do　you　think　I　should　consider　leaving　the　city？〃
　　〃Well。。。you're　a　military　man。　It's　not　the　first　time　I've　seen　death　in　your　cards；　General。〃
　　This　was　the　first　time　Greta　had　ever　made　mention　of　the　General's　profession。　Whether　she　knew　it　from　the　cards　or　from　the　broadsheets　in　which　he　was　regularly　eulogized　was　anybody's　guess。
　　〃But　I　don't　think　I　ever　saw　it　so　near　to　you；〃　she　went　on；　looking　at　the　cards。
　　〃I　see。〃
　　〃So　yes；　I　think　you　should　consider　leaving。　At　least　until　this　unsettled　period　is　over　astronomically。〃
　　〃So　it's　not　just　the　cards；　it's　the　stars　too？〃
　　〃They're　all　reflections　of　one　another：　cards；　stars；　palms。　It's　the　same　story　wherever　you　look。
　　She　sorted　through　the　cards　as　she　spoke；　and　now　dropped　one　down　on　the　table　in　front　of　General　Bogoto。　It　was　called　The　Tower；　and　it　represented…in　a　simplified；　even　crude；　form；　a　tower　struck　by　lightning。　Its　upper　half　was　erupting；　raining　down　rubble；　and　bodies；　the　lower　half　was　cracked　and　ready　to　topple。
　　〃This　is　Primordium？〃　Bogoto　said。
　　〃It's　the　city's　future；〃　Greta　replied；　nodding。　〃Or　at　least　one　of　them。〃
　　〃So　will　you　be　leaving　too？〃　Bogoto　said；　thinking　to　catch　the　woman　out。　Greta　was　as　old　as　the　antiquated　table　she　read　her　cards　upon　and　her　legs　were　a　good　deal　less　reliable。　She'd　never　leave　Primordium；　or　so　he　thought。
　　〃Yes；　I'm　leaving。　This　will　be　the　last　time　you　see　me；　General；　unless　you　should　e　to　Calyx。〃
　　〃You're　moving　to　Calyx？〃
　　〃Tomorrow。　Before　things　get　any　worse。〃
　　
　　　II
　　The　house　on　Diamanda　Street；　which　had　once　belonged　to　the　murdered　Senator；　had　gathered　itself　quite　a　reputation　of　late。
　　There　were　lovers　there；　it　was　rumoured；　several　of　them。　Night　and　day；　passers　by　heard　the　sound　of　lovemaking：　the　sighs；　the　sobs；　the　irresistible　demands。
　　The　houses　nearby　were　all　virtually　deserted；　their　owners　having　fled　Primordium　for　safer　cities；　or　better　still；　for　the　country。　Life　on　a　pig…farm　might　be　boring；　but　at　least　it　had　a　chance　of　being　long。　Nevertheless　people　came　to　Diamanda　Street　of　late；　simply　to　hear　the　noise　of　pleasure　out　of　the　lamp…lit　home。　No；　not　just　to　hear。