cb.torturedsouls-第7部分

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r　the　noise　of　pleasure　out　of　the　lamp…lit　home。　No；　not　just　to　hear。　There　was　a　feeling　about　the　place；　which　got　under　people's　skin。　The　energy　seeping　out　from　open　windows；　was　enough　to　make　the　fireflies　assemble　in　their　many　tens　of　thousands　each　dusk　and　describe　elaborate　arabesques　in　their　pursuit　of　one　another；　the　air　so　thick　with　their　passion；　and　their　light　so　insistent；　that　the　house　was　festooned　with　their　flight　paths；　which　lingered　long　after　the　deed　was　done　and　the　insects　lay　exhausted　and　extinguished　in　the　long　grass。
　　Sometimes　the　human　voyeurs；　who　lingered　in　the　shadows　of　the　nearby　houses；　hoping　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　the　lovers；　were　granted　what　they　were　here　to　see。　As　the　strange　force　of　the　lover's　din　suggested；　they　were　not　natural　creatures；　not　by　any　means。　They　seemed　to　be　hybrids；　one　third　human；　one　third　metallic；　one　third　the　no　man's　land　between　flesh　and　devices　made　to　strip　it　and　slash　it　and　scour　it。　They　bled　as　they　rose　from　their　nuptial　sheets；　but　smiled；　kissing　one　another's　wounds　as　though　they　were　inconsequential；　as　though　these　flaps　and　sores　and　gougings　were　proof　of　devotion。
　　Word　got　round；　quickly　enough。　It　didn't　take　long　for　the　General　Montefalco　to　hear　about　the　house　on　Diamanda　Street；　and　the　reputation　it　had　got　for　itself。　He　went　to　the　location；　late　one　night。　Things　were　in　full　swing：　the　air　filled　with　weaving　lights；　the　houses　moaning　and　shaking。　Then　shrieks　of　terrible　joy　out　of　the　fire…lit　interior；　and　shadows　on　the　blinds；　moving　from　room　to　room　as　the　momentum　of　the　lovers'　passion　carried　them　around　the　house。
　　Montefalco　had　never　seen；　heard　or　felt　anything　like　it　before。　A　wave　of　something　like　superstition　passed　through　his　body；　weakening　his　bowels　and　making　his　hair；　which　was　a　quarter　inch　from　widow's　peak　to　nape；　stand　on　end。
　　He　started　to　retreat　from　the　house；　clammy…palmed。　As　he　did　so　he　heard　a　voice　behind　him。　He　turned。　It　was　Urbano。　He　looked　like　a　man　who　had　just　discovered　some　truly　terrible　thing　about　himself；　or　God；　or　both。
　　〃These　we　kill；〃　Montefalco　said；　very　calmly。
　　General　Urbano　began　to　nod；　but　the　motion　was　too　much　for　his　sickened　system。　He　puked　a　yellowish　puke；　which　spattered　his　immaculately　polished　boots。　He　took　out　a　handkerchief　and　wiped　his　mouth；　then　he　said：
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃Yes？〃
　　〃Yes。　These　we　kill。〃
　　Later　that　night；　Montefalco　went　back　to　see　Talisac。　He　went　alone；　which　turned　out　to　be　a　wise　move。　Neither　Urbano　nor　Bogoto　had　the　guts　for　what　awaited　him　there。
　　The　place　had　deteriorated　considerably　in　the　forty…eight　hours　since　he'd　last　stepped　over　the　threshold；　the　bodies　were　still　everywhere；　but　they　were　in　a　new　condition。　It　looked　as　though　all　the　moisture；　all　the　energy；　had　been　sucked　out　of　them；　leaving　them　withered。　The　eyes　had　gone　from　the　sockets　and　the　lips　had　been　drawn　back　from　the　teeth；　giving　them　all　the　look　of　blind；　squealing　monkeys。
　　The　flesh　on　their　torsos　had　withered　to　bones；　as　had　the　meat　on　their　arms　and　legs。　The　skin　itself　was　now　like　a　thin　layer　of　dried　tissue；　covering　the　structure　of　the　bone。　When　the　dwarf　Camille　appeared　to　greet　Montefalco；　and　kicked　a　couple　of　the　corpses　aside；　they　rolled　away　from　her　kick　like　so　many　paper　mannequins。
　　〃Is　it　done？〃　Montefalco　asked　her。
　　〃Oh　yes；　it's　done；〃　Camille　said　with　a　twinkling　smile；　〃and　I　think　you're　going　to　be　very　pleased。〃
　　A　voice　emerged　from　the　shadows；　speaking　words　Montefalco　could　not　prehend。
　　〃He's　asking　me　to　unveil　it；〃　Camille　said。
　　The　General　scanned　the　dirt…walled　room；　looking　for　what　'it'　might　be；　and　there　at　the　end　of　the　chamber　he　saw　a　monumental　form；　covered　with　a　threadbare　tapestry　obviously　brought　down　from　the　floor　above。
　　〃That？〃　he　said；　not　waiting　for　confirmation　before　approaching　it。　As　he　strode　through　the　bodies；　they　cracked　beneath　his　heels；　erupting　into　dust　and　fragments。　Soon　the　room　was　filled　with　spiralling　bits　of　pale　human　stuff。
　　Montefalco　grabbed　hold　of　the　tapestry。　As　he　did　so；　Camille　named　the　thing…'VENAL　ANATOMICA。〃
　　The　General　pulled　the　tapestry　off　and　revealed　it。
　　As　might　have　been　guessed　from　its　scale　beneath　the　carpet；　it　was　of　heroic　size；　nine　feet　tall　or　more。　It　had　death's　face；　and　was　equipped　with　a　variety　of　medieval　murder　weapons。　There　were　nails　crudely　hammered　into　its　shoulder　and　leg。　Blood　had　coagulated　around　the　nails；　but　when　Anatomica　began　to　move　（as　now　it　did）　fresh　blood　bubbled　up　from　the　wounds　and　ran　down　his　body。
　　〃Does　it　know　me？〃　the　General　asked。
　　〃Yes；〃　said　Camille；　〃it　is　ready　to　obey　your　instructions。〃　Talisac　spoke；　and　Camille　translated！　〃He　says　he　has　no　loyalty　to　its　Creator；　only　to　you；　General　Montefalco。〃
　　〃That's　good　to　hear。〃
　　Montefalco　beckoned　to　it。
　　〃e　on　then。〃
　　The　creature　made　a　hesitant　step。　Then　another。
　　〃Can　I　e　with　you？〃　Camille　said。
　　Montefalco　looked　down　at　her　nakedness。　〃Only　if　you　cover　yourself　up；〃　he　said。
　　She　smiled；　and　then　went　away　to　fetch　herself　a　flea…bitten　fur　coat。
　　They　went　out　into　the　night　together：　the　three　of　them。　The　General；　the　Dwarf　and　Venal　Anatomica。
　　Daybreak　wasn't　far　off。　Neither　was　the　end　of　certain　things。　Though　Greta　Sabatier　had　been　killed　by　the　bandits　on　the　road　to　Calcyx…a　fate　she　had　not　foreseen…she　had　been　right　about　that　much。　An　age　was　ing　to　an　end：　and　it　was　the　Age　of　Lovers。
　　
　　
　　　Book　Six
　　　The　Second　ing
　　　
　　　I
　　In　his　bunker　of　dirt　and　corpses　Talisac　waited　alone；　while　his　body…which　was　a　thing　without　precedent…twitched　and　jumped　and　spasmed。
　　There　was　a　child　inside　of　him；　the　MONGROID；　the　infant　of　the　Second　ing。　Or　so　he'd　e　to　believe；　after　the　years　he'd　spent　experimenting　upon　others；　and　himself。　It　wasn't　until　he　had　created　an　homunculus　that　would　be　to　all　intents　and　purposes　his　child；　its　flesh　made　up　of　the　same　DNA　as　his；　that　he　had　e　to　believe　there　was　something　holy　in　the　imminent　arrival。　It　was　another　Virgin　Birth。
　　In　only　a　matter　of　hours　now；　the　child　would　be　in　his　arms。
　　He　would　have　no　one　to　share　the　triumph　of　what　he'd　achieved；　but　so　be　it。　He'd　been　alone　all　his　life；　even　in　the　pany　of　his　fellow　human　beings。　Alone　with　his　ambition；　alone　with　his　failures；　alone　with　the　strange　dreams　that　came　to　find　him　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　dreams　of　his　child；　speaking　to　him；　telling　him　that　the　world　was　going　to　end；　but　that　it　wouldn't　matter；　because　they'd　be　together；　Man　and　Child；　to　the　End　of　Time。
　　He　could　feel　the　child　struggling　to　get　out　now。　He　could　hear　its　tiny；　high…pitched　voice　as　it　worked　to　free　itself。
　　The　pain　was　excruciating；　a　vicious　hallucinogen。　He　sobbed　and　he　screamed；　the　Convent　had　never　heard　such　cursings　as　it　heard　now。
　　But　finally　the　womb　tore　as　the　Holy　Child　scrabbled　with　his　little　hands；　his　little　nails；　and　in　a　gush　of　blood…tinged　fluids　the　Mongroid　was　disgorged　onto　the　ground　amongst　the　corpses。
　　
　　　II
　　〃Kreiger？〃
　　Lucidique　went　to　the　window　and　called　down　into　the　garden　around　her　father's　house。　Zarles　Kreiger；　The　Scythe…Meister；　who　had　lately　bee　Lucidique's　lover；　had　gone　out　into　the　garden　to　bring　her　some　perfumed　flowers。　The　bedroom　stank　of　the　pungent　oil　that　their　violently　transfigured　bodies　gave　off。　It　was　a　bitter　and　unpleasant　smell；　not　the　salty　smell　of　natural　sex。
　　But　the　garden　was　full　of　sweet　smelling　flowers　that　would　conceal　the　bitterness；　and　some　of　the　strangest　scents　were　those　of　blossoms　that　opened　after　dark。　It　was　now　almost　two　in　the　morning；　and　the　smells　that　rose　from　the　darkened　garden　were　giddyingly　strong。
　　She　called　Kreiger's　name　again。　Then　she　seemed　to　see　him；　a　dark　presence　moving　through　the　bushes。
　　If　it　was　indeed　Kreiger；　why　didn't　he　answer　her　call？　Perhaps　it　wasn't　him。
　　Keeping　her　silence　now；　she　crept　down　the　stairs　and　went　out　into　the　garden。
　　There　wa