fs.thesecondbookofswords-第24部分
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
erior was a single vast； low room。 Scantily clad girls and young women； with a few boys and young men mixed among them； sat round the edges of the room。 These were slaves of the Temple； waiting for the personal attentions of some customer。 Some couples were dancing； and in the center of the large floor a professional group performed； dancers and musicians mingling。
Doon moved at first as if to cross the floor directly； then evidently thought better of interfering with the dance； and led his men around the edge。 Now； in the distant corners of the hall； Mark could recognize the traditional four Red Temple statues： Aphrodite； Bacchus； Dionysus； Eros。 Here at one side was a broad stairway； going up； probably municating on an upper level with the House of Joy next door。 A painted young man was just ascending； giggling； supported on either side by two customers； man and woman。 Meanwhile on the far side of the dance floor； four men were just emerging from some back room。 They were all uniformed in blue and gold； and though they paid attention to the dancers as they strolled； Mark thought that probably they were here on business rather than on pleasure only。 It was no secret that connections existed between the Blue Temple and the Red； particularly on the upper levels of organization。
In the corner of the dancehall farthest from the entrance； broad open steps led down。 As Doon led them down the steps； following the discreet guidance of the Sword； Mark began to realize that some large part of the whole Red Temple plex was probably underground。 Different musicians were playing down here； from somewhere out of view； and the sound they made was different； having a disconnected anguish in it。 The air was thicker too； with more torch…smoke in it； as well as heavier fumes of incense and of drugs。
For a few moments Doon and his followers tramped an empty corridor in silence。 Suddenly Mark thought that he knew where the Sword was taking them。 It was a part of the usual； Red Temple installation that he'd heard about； but had never seen on the few occasions when he'd visited other branches of the Temple as a customer。
The corridor branched。 And still the Sword of Wisdom led the way unhesitatingly。
〃Are we going to the worm…pit？〃 Hubert grumbled quietly。 〃What's in there； or who； that we could need？〃
No one had an answer for him。 Soon the Sword would tell。
Still the path chosen by Wayfinder led through the public precincts of the Temple； and they were not challenged。 It guided them at last through a heavily curtained doorway； into another large； low room； this one much darker and worse…smelling than the dance…hall above。
Here only a few candles were burning； to illuminate what looked at first glance like some barracks or dormitory。 Or perhaps a ward in some hospital…dungeon； if such a bination could be imagined。 The place was almost too long to be called a room； too wide for a corridor。 It was lined on both sides with bunks and couches； about half of which were occupied。 A few bent figures； those of male and female attendants； were moving about in the gloom。 As one of these passed before a candle； Mark could see that she was carrying a small saucer…shaped tray of earth； and tools that looked like a pair of tweezers and a large； fine…toothed b。
The light was a little better near the curtained doorway where Doon and his men had entered。 Here some of the customers were conversing from couch to couch； and sipping at winecups。 Men and women alike could be seen to be for the most part naked under their beds' sheets。 One or two were currently in the phase of ecstasy that the pleasure…worms induced。 These sobbed or groaned on their cots； executing jerky motions； kicking aside coverings； scratching at their skin with bs； now slowly and now in rapid frenzy。
As Doon； still trying to hold his sheathed Sword unobtrusively； led the way slowly forward between rows of beds； Mark saw the attendant with the tray of earth stop at the side of a recumbent customer。 From the saucer of earth the attendant lifted； in the tweezers； a tiny pale gray worm … weight for weight； Mark knew； worth more than gold。 The creature was inconspicuous； and would have been unnoticeable except for the attention that was focused on it。 The client； a stoutish woman with an obviously well cared for body； turned beneath her sheet； exposing her wide back in the candle's light。 The attendant applied the tweezers near the customer's shoulder with one hand； and quickly brought a candle closer with the other。 The small worm； released by the tweezers； promptly disappeared。 Mark knew； though he had not seen； that it was gone into the skin； driven by its burrowing instincts and the painful light。 Worm…pits were always underground； because the creatures had to be cultivated away from daylight。
An attendant approached Doon as he led the way forward； but the Baron shook his head in silence and pressed on； his men following him closely。 The attendant appeared momentarily puzzled； Mark thought； but then went on about his tasks。 Like the others working here he looked thin and vaguely unhealthy。
Here was another client； a man； recently infected with one worm； or several； and now crying out with the full sensation。 His trembling hands went scratching back and forth； all ten fingernails working on the skin over his left ribs。 The worms followed the paths of nerve…tissue in their hosts； inducing pleasure in exchange for food and shelter inside a mammalian body。 Sometimes the pleasure shaded into unendurable tickling； hence the work for fingernails and bs。 Mark had even heard once that the worms were used in Red Temple dungeons as tools of torture； with the victims simply infected and kept from scratching。
On succeeding couches； people tossed and scratched and moaned。 Attendants were at work on some of them with bs。 As he got farther toward the rear of the room； Mark decided that it was probably arranged by classes of addicts； with beginners or occasional users near the front； those more enslaved by the habit near the middle。 In the dimmer reaches of the rear； where Mark and his panions now walked among them； were people who by appearances never left their cots at all。 The bodies back here tended to look starved and wasted； marked with old scars and not…so…old dried blood。 Here attendants gave less attention。 Sometimes … inevitably； Mark had heard … the worms turned inward from the skin toward the spinal column and the brain。
In the room's farthest recess was an inconspicuous door。 It would be the way out； thought Mark； for customers who could either not continue paying or not walk。 The Sword led Doon directly to this door。 It was not locked； and swung open at a touch； revealing a dim passage。 In a side room off this passage； another attendant moving amid trays and racks of earth looked up in dim candlelight as six armed men came tramping through。 But he made no protest or even ment。
The service corridor soon branched。 Wayfinder chose the left…hand way； which quickly ran into a strong grill…work door； tightly closed and probably locked。 Beyond the door； a red…helmeted soldier was on guard； and beyond the guard Mark could see what looked like the doors of individual cells lining the corridor。
〃Open up；〃 manded Doon； rattling briskly at the grill。
But the soldier was not in a mood to be intimidated。 〃No passage through here without a written order。 What do you want in here； anyway？ You field troops think you can e in here and have fun any time； without any。。。〃
Wayfinder； still sheathed and belted； hit the floor stones with a muffled thud。 It had been replaced in Doon's right hand with a dagger； handier tool for such close work。 Meanwhile Doon's thin left arm had snaked through the grill to seize the guard by the front of his garments and snatch him sharply forward。 Instantly the Baron's right hand shoved the dagger home； up beneath the breastbone。 The soldier's eyes bulged； then glazed。 If he made a sound at all； it was too faint to be heard over the now…distant music。
〃Keys；〃 said Doon laconically； supporting his victim against the grill。 The man was wearing a ring of them on his belt。
�
