cb.torturedsouls-第8部分

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　　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　was　a　gentle；　balmy　breeze　tonight：　it　made　the　bushes　and　trees　churn。　The　garden　was　large；　and　its　layout　plex；　but　she'd　been　playing　here　since　she　was　a　child。　She　could　have　found　her　way　down　its　narrow；　labyrinthine　paths　and　around　its　rose　patches　and　secret　groves　with　her　eyes　closed。
　　She　went　directly　to　the　place　where　she　thought　she'd　seen　the　man　when　she'd　been　up　at　the　bedroom　window。　Despite　the　sweetness　of　honeysuckle　and　the　night…blooming　jasmine；　her　nostrils　caught　the　scent　of　something　else；　somebody　else；　in　the　vicinity。　There　was　a　stink　that　was　not　the　bitter　smell　of　her　own　body；　or　that　of　Kreiger。　This　was　something　else。　Something　that　made　her　think　of　disease；　of　corruption；　of　death。
　　She　stood　very　still。　Something　moved　through　the　bushes　close　by。　She　saw　its　form；　silhouetted　against　the　starless　sky：　a　vast　misshapen　head；　armoured　shoulders；　the　chest　of　an　ox。　Whatever　it　was；　it　walked　with　a　pronounced　limp；　dragging　its　left　leg。　The　closer　it　came　to　her　the　stronger　the　smell　of　corruption　became。　This　trespasser　was　the　source；　no　doubt　of　that。
　　Then；　from　the　darkness　close　by；　the　sound　of　her　lover's　voice：
　　〃Lucidique！　Get　away　from　here！　Quickly！〃
　　There　was　something　broken　in　his　voice。
　　〃What's　happened　to　you？〃　she　said；　afraid　of　the　answer。
　　Hearing　her　voice；　the　trespasser　looked　in　her　direction。　A　hood　of　flesh　slid　slickly　back　from　the　upper　half　of　its　face。　revealing　its　skeletal　features。　This　was…like　them…a　monster。　And　yet　it　was　not　like　them。　Not　Agonistes'　handiwork；　at　least。　Not　the　product　of　the　unsung　architect　of　Eden。
　　This　trespasser　was　a　charnel…house　child　if　ever　there　was　one。　It　was　made　of　parcels　of　rotten　flesh　and　nerve　and　bone；　all　nailed　together　and　given　foetid　breath。
　　She　retreated　as　it　strode　towards　her。　She　knew　how　to　kill；　that　was　not　in　doubt。　But　the　creature　still　made　her　afraid。　It　was　a　powerhouse；　and　indifferent；　she　guessed；　to　any　pain　she　might　be　able　to　cause　it。
　　〃Go！〃　she　heard　Kreiger　yelling　to　her。
　　Her　eyes　flittered　in　his　direction；　and　by　the　light　shed　from　the　bedroom　window　she　saw　him；　on　the　ground；　blood　pouring　out　of　him。
　　〃Christ！〃
　　She　started　towards　him；　but　the　trespasser　moved　to　intercept　her；　its　vast　hands　eager　to　tear　out　her　throat。
　　But　she　wasn't　going　to　flee　the　garden；　not　with　her　lover　lying　there　in　the　dirt；　bleeding　from　a　hundred　places。　Instead　she　turned　and　led　the　limping　slaughterer　away　from　Kreiger；　dodging　through　the　darkened　garden；　using　her　knowledge　of　its　layout　to　double　the　distance　between　them。
　　Still　it　came　after　her；　throwing　its　weight　through　the　tangle　of　thorny　bushes；　emitting　a　guttural　din　as　it　did　so；　like　the　noise　of　some　immense　mechanism　that　imperfectly　copied　the　sound　of　a　tormented　animal；　a　bull；　perhaps；　beneath　the　slaughterer's　hammer。　It　was　horrible　to　hear。
　　She　had　e　to　the　place　where　she　hoped　to　outwit　her　pursuer：　a　tree　which　she　had　climbed　a　thousand　times　as　a　child；　and　now　climbed　again；　so　quickly　that　by　the　time　the　trespasser　came　in　sight　of　it　she　was　already　concealed　in　its　verdant　canopy。
　　Now；　she　thought；　if　the　beast　would　only　wander　beneath　the　tree；　she　could　perhaps　kill　it。　Drop　out　of　the　branches　and　cut　open　its　throat。　Even　if　it　was　something　that　was　made　from　mortuary　slops；　it　drew　breath；　and　if　she　could　open　its　throat　from　ear　to　ear；　it　would　be　dead　as　any　other　slitted　thing。
　　But　about　six　feet　from　the　tree　the　creature　stopped；　and　sniffed　the　air；　looking　around　suspiciously。　Did　it　sense　that　there　was　a　trap　laid　for　it　here？　She　couldn't　believe　it　had　the　wit　to　be　so　cautious。　And　yet　it　had　halted；　hadn't　it？　And　now　it　retreated　from　the　tree；　loosing　a　low；　barely　audible　noise　in　its　throat；　limping　off　into　the　darkness。
　　She　carefully　parted　the　foliage；　to　see　if　she　could　discover　what　it　was　up　to。　There　was　some　sound　from　the　direction　in　which　she'd　e；　and　then　an　audible　moan　from　Kreiger。
　　Oh　God；　no；　she　thought。　Don't　let　the　trespasser　be　smart　enough　to　use　Kreiger　as　bait。。。
　　Her　fears　were　realized　a　moment　later；　as　the　creature　reappeared　between　the　thorn　bushes；　dragging　a　heavy　burden　behind　him。　It　was　Kreiger；　of　course。　This　lover　of　hers；　who　was　now　reduced　to　little　more　than　a　sack；　hauled　behind　the　nameless　fiend；　had　been　a　terror　in　his　own　right　not　so　long　ago。　As　the　assassin　Zarles　Kreiger　he'd　once　haunted　the　city　of　Primordium　from　the　shanties　to　the　chateaus。　Then；　after　the　transformation　worked　upon　him　by　Agonistes；　as　the　Scythe…Meister；　he'd　wiped　out　the　ruling　class　of　the　city　in　one　scarlet　night。
　　But　now　look　at　him！　His　face　was　torn　open；　as　though　the　fiend　had　simply　put　his　fingers　into　Kreiger's　mouth　（whose　lips　Lucidique　had　kissed　an　hour　before）　and　ripped　it　apart　like　a　paper　bag。　The　rest　of　his　body　had　been　just　as　cruelly　treated；　the　flesh　torn　away　from　its　seating；　exposing　the　breastbone　and　the　ribs　and　the　long　bone　of　his　thigh。　The　loss　of　blood　from　these　wounds　was　traumatic。　It　was　a　wonder　Kreiger　was　still　alive。　But　plainly…having　been　surprised　in　the　garden　while　peacefully　flower…picking…he'd　fought　back　until　he　had　no　strength　to　fight　with；　at　which　point　his　attacker　had　simply　waited　in　the　garden　while　one　of　its　two　victims　slowly　bled　to　death；　knowing　the　other　would　appear　given　time。
　　And　so　she　had。　No　doubt　the　creature　had　expected　to　dispatch　her　in　a　heartbeat；　now　it　was　obliged　to　coax　her　out　of　her　hiding　place　with　this　bloody　hostage。　It　grabbed　Kreiger's　neck　and　lifted　him　up　by　one　hand；　thrusting　his　broken　face　towards　the　tree。　Kreiger's　head　lolled　on　his　neck；　his　eyes　rolled　back　into　their　sockets。　He　was　as　close　to　dead　as　made　no　difference。
　　Then　his　killer　lifted　its　other　hand　and　beckoned　to　the　woman　in　the　tree。　As　it　did　so　it　twitched　Kreiger's　head　back　and　forth；　like　that　of　a　doll。　For　Lucidique　it　was　agonizing　beyond　words　to　see　her　lover；　a　man　who　had　brought　down　a　dynasty；　bobbing　around　like　a　ventriloquist's　doll。　It　made　her　lose　all　reason。　Though　she　knew　the　trespasser　below　had　the　physical　power　to　kill　her；　she　could　not　watch　Kreiger's　last　moments　played　out　as　a　humiliating　puppet…show。
　　She　leapt　from　the　tree　with　a　shriek　of　rage；　and　before　the　creature　could　bring　down　its　visor　of　flesh；　she　had　slit　both　of　its　eyes　with　her　weapon；　blinding　it。
　　It　dropped　Kreiger；　and　let　out　a　roar　that　sounded　pleasingly　like　panic。　She　ducked　under　its　flailing　arms　and　went　to　Kreiger。
　　He　was　dead。
　　She　glanced　back　at　his　killer；　who　was　indeed　in　a　state　of　child…like　terror。　His　roar　had　turned　into　howls　that　were　close　to　descending　into　whimpers。
　　She　could　have　wounded　it　again　easily　enough；　and　perhaps；　after　a　dozen　woundings；　or　two　dozen；　she　might　have　claimed　its　life。　But　she　didn't　have　any　time　to　waste　with　the　blinded　thing。　She　needed　to　take　Kreiger　somewhere　he　had　a　hope　of　resurrection。
　　Out　into　the　desert。　Out　to　find　Agonistes。
　　She　lifted　her　lover's　body　up　over　her　shoulders　（he　was　lighter　than　she'd　expected；　troublingly　so；　as　though　the　mass　of　his　life　had　gone　from　him　and　would　never　be　returned；　even　by　a　miracle）。　She　would　not　let　such　pessimism　linger　in　her　mind　however。　Leaving　the　blind　trespasser　to　rage　amongst　the　roses；　she　headed　to　the　forecourt　of　the　house。　She　gently　laid　the　corpse　in　the　back　of　the　car；　and　then　drove　out　of　the　city；　in　search　of　a　sandstorm。
　　
　　　III
　　Talisac　looked　down　at　the　creature　that　had　spilled　from　his　body：　his　Mongroid。　He'd　seen　prettier　things；　but　then　he'd　seen　uglier　too。　It　had　more　self…reliance　than　any　creature　five　minutes　old　should　reasonably　have；　it　walked；　crab…like；　on　four　hands；　it　made　rudimentary　attempts　to　express　itself。
　　He　called　it　to　him；　as　he　might　a　dog；　but　it　wouldn't　e。　It　was　too　interested　in