preston&child.thecabinetofcuriosities-第78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！


　〃He　believed　he　was　going　to　bring　her　back　to　life。　There　was　the　question　of　whether　she　had　put　him　up　to　it　before　she　died；　charged　him　with　some　kind　of　dreadful　after…death　assignment。　The　missing　pieces　of　flesh　were　never　found；　not　a　one。　No；　that's　not　quite　right。　I　believe　they　found　an　ear　in　the　belly　of　an　alligator　caught　a　week　later　out　of　the　swamp。　The　earring　gave　it　away；　of　course。〃　Her　voice　trailed　off。　She　turned　to　one　of　the　attendants；　and　spoke　in　a　tone　of　cold　mand。　〃My　hair　needs　attention。〃
　One　of　the　attendants…the　one　wearing　surgical　gloves…came　over　and　gingerly　patted　the　woman's　hair　back　into　place；　keeping　a　wary　distance。
　She　turned　back　to　Pendergast。
　〃She　had　a　kind　of　sexual　hold　over　him；　as　dreadful　as　that　sounds；　considering　the　sixty…year　difference　in　their　ages。〃　The　old　lady　shuddered；　half　in　disgust；　half　in　pleasure。　〃Clearly；　she　encouraged　his　interest　in　reincarnation；　miracle　cures；　silly　things　like　that。〃
　〃What　did　you　hear　about　his　disappearance？〃
　〃It　happened　at　the　age　of　twenty…one；　when　he　came　into　his　fortune。　But　'disappearance'　really　isn't　quite　the　word；　you　know：　he　was　asked　to　leave　the　house。　At　least；　so　I've　been　told。　He'd　begun　to　talk　about　saving；　healing　the　world…making　up　for　what　his　father　had　done；　I　suppose…but　that　cut　no　mustard　with　the　rest　of　the　family。　Years　later；　when　his　cousins　tried　to　track　down　the　money　he'd　inherited　and　taken　with　him；　he　seemed　to　have　vanished　into　thin　air。　They　were　terribly　disappointed。　It　was　so　very　much　money；　you　see。〃
　Pendergast　nodded。　There　was　a　long　silence。
　〃I　have　one　final　question　for　you；　Aunt　Cornelia。〃
　〃What　is　it？〃
　〃It　is　a　moral　question。〃
　〃A　moral　question。　How　curious。　Is　this　connected　by　any　chance　with　Great…Uncle　Antoine？〃
　Pendergast　did　not　answer　directly。　〃For　the　past　month；　I　have　been　searching　for　a　man。　This　man　is　in　possession　of　a　secret。　I　am　very　close　to　discovering　his　whereabouts；　and　it　is　only　a　matter　of　time　until　I　confront　him。〃
　The　old　woman　said　nothing。
　〃If　I　win　the　confrontation…which　is　by　no　means　certain…I　may　be　faced　with　the　question　of　what　to　do　with　his　secret。　I　may　be　called　upon　to　make　a　decision　that　will　have；　possibly；　a　profound　effect　on　the　future　of　the　human　race。〃
　〃And　what　is　this　secret？〃
　Pendergast　lowered　his　voice　to　the　merest　ghost　of　a　whisper。
　〃I　believe　it　is　a　medical　formula　that　will　allow　anyone；　by　following　a　certain　regimen；　to　extend　his　life　by　at　least　a　century；　perhaps　more。　It　will　not　vanquish　death；　but　it　will　significantly　postpone　it。〃
　There　was　a　silence。　The　old　lady's　eyes　gleamed　anew。　〃Tell　me；　how　much　will　this　treatment　cost？　Will　it　be　cheap；　or　dear？〃
　〃I　don't　know。〃
　〃And　how　many　others　will　have　access　to　this　formula　besides　yourself？〃
　〃I'll　be　the　only　one。　I'll　have　very　little　time；　maybe　only　seconds　after　it　es　into　my　hands；　to　decide　what　to　do　with　it。〃
　The　silence　stretched　on　into　minutes。　〃And　how　was　this　formula　developed？〃
　〃Suffice　to　say；　it　cost　the　lives　of　many　innocent　people。　In　a　singularly　cruel　fashion。〃
　〃That　adds　a　further　dimension　to　the　problem。　However；　the　answer　is　quite　clear。　When　this　formula　es　into　your　possession；　you　must　destroy　it　immediately。〃
　Pendergast　looked　at　her　curiously。　〃Are　you　quite　sure？　It's　what　medical　science　has　most　desired　since　the　beginning。〃
　〃There　is　an　old　French　curse：　may　your　fondest　wish　e　true。　If　this　treatment　is　cheap　and　available　to　everyone；　it　will　destroy　the　earth　through　overpopulation。　If　it　is　dear　and　available　only　to　the　very　rich；　it　will　cause　riots；　wars；　a　breakdown　of　the　social　contract。　Either　way；　it　will　lead　directly　to　human　misery。　What　is　the　value　of　a　long　life；　when　it　is　lived　in　squalor　and　unhappiness？〃
　〃What　about　the　immeasurable　increase　in　wisdom　that　this　discovery　will　bring；　when　you　consider　the　one；　maybe　two　hundred　years；　of　additional　learning　and　study　it　will　afford　the　brilliant　mind？　Think；　Aunt　Cornelia；　of　what　someone　like　Goethe　or　Copernicus　or　Einstein　could　have　done　for　humanity　with　a　two…hundred…year　life　span。〃
　The　old　woman　scoffed。　〃The　wise　and　good　are　outnumbered　a　thousand　to　one　by　the　brutal　and　stupid。　When　you　give　an　Einstein　two　centuries　to　perfect　his　science；　you　give　a　thousand　others　two　centuries　to　perfect　their　brutality。〃
　This　time；　the　silence　seemed　to　stretch　into　minutes。　By　the　door；　Dr。　Ostrom　stirred　restlessly。
　〃Are　you　all　right；　my　dear？〃　the　old　lady　asked；　looking　intently　at　Pendergast。
　〃Yes。〃
　He　gazed　into　her　dark；　strange　eyes；　so　full　of　wisdom；　insight；　and　the　most　profound　insanity。　〃Thank　you；　Aunt　Cornelia；〃　he　said。
　Then　he　straightened　up。　〃Dr。　Ostrom？〃
　The　doctor　glanced　toward　him。
　〃We're　finished　here。〃
　
　TWO
　　
　CUSTER　STOOD　IN　a　pool　of　light　before　the　Archives　desk。　Clouds　of　dust…by…products　of　the　ongoing　investigation…billowed　out　from　aisles　in　the　dimness　beyond。　The　pompous　ass；　Brisbane；　was　still　protesting　in　the　background；　but　Custer　paid　little　attention。
　The　investigation；　which　had　started　so　strongly；　was　bogging　down。　So　far　his　men　had　found　an　amazing　assortment　of　junk…old　maps；　charts；　snakeskins；　boxes　of　teeth；　disgusting　unidentifiable　organs　pickled　in　centuries…old　alcohol…but　not　one　thing　that　resembled　an　actual　clue。　Custer　had　been　certain　that；　once　in　the　Archives；　the　puzzle　would　immediately　fall　into　place；　that　his　newfound　investigative　skill　would　make　the　critical　connection　everyone　else　had　overlooked。　But　so　far　there　had　been　no　brainstorm；　no　connection。　An　image　of　missioner　Rocker's　face…staring　at　him　through　lowered；　skeptical　brows…hung　before　his　eyes。　A　feeling　of　unease；　imperfectly　suppressed；　began　to　filter　through　his　limbs。　And　the　place　was　huge：　it　would　take　weeks　to　search　at　this　rate。
　The　Museum　lawyer　was　talking　more　loudly　now；　and　Custer　forced　himself　to　listen。
　〃This　is　nothing　but　a　fishing　expedition；〃　Brisbane　was　saying。　〃You　can't　just　e　in　here　and　turn　the　place　upside　down。〃　He　gestured　furiously　at　the　NYPD　evidence　lockers　lying　on　the　floor；　a　riot　of　objects　scattered　within　and　around　them。　〃And　all　that　is　Museum　property！〃
　Absently；　Custer　gestured　toward　the　warrant　that　Noyes　was　holding。　〃You've　seen　the　warrant。〃
　〃Yes；　I　have。　And　it's　not　worth　the　paper　it's　written　on。　I've　never　seen　such　general　language。　I　protest　this　warrant；　and　I　am　stating　for　the　record　that　I　will　not　permit　the　Museum　to　be　further　searched。〃
　〃Let's　have　your　boss；　Dr。　Collopy；　decide　that。　Has　anybody　heard　from　him　yet？〃
　〃As　the　Museum's　legal　counsel；　I'm　authorized　to　speak　for　Dr。　Collopy。〃
　Custer　refolded　his　arms　gloomily。　There　came　another　crash　from　the　recesses　of　the　Archives；　some　shouting；　and　a　ripping　sound。　An　officer　soon　appeared；　carrying　a　stuffed　crocodile；　cotton　pouring　from　a　fresh　slit　in　its　belly。　He　laid　it　in　one　of　the　evidence　lockers。
　〃What　the　hell　are　they　doing　back　there？〃　Brisbane　shouted。　〃Hey；　you！　Yes；　you！　You've　damaged　that　specimen！〃
　The　officer　looked　at　him　with　a　dull　expression；　then　shambled　back　into　the　files。
　Custer　said　nothing。　His　feeling　of　anxiety　increased。　So　far；　the　questioning　of　Museum　staff　hadn't　e　up　with　anything　either…just　the　same　old　stuff　the　earlier　investigation　had　produced。　This　had　been　his　call；　his　operation。　His　and　his　alone。　If　he　was　wrong…it　almost　didn't　bear　thinking；　of　course；　but　if…he'd　be　hung　out　to　dry　like　last　week's　laundry。
　〃I'm　going　to　call　Museum　security　and　have　your　men　escorted　out；〃　Brisbane　fumed。　〃This　is　intolerable。　Where's　Manetti？〃
　〃Manetti　was　the　man　who　let　us　in　here；〃　Custer　said　distractedly。　What　if　he'd　made　a　mistake…a　huge　mistake？
　〃He　shouldn't　have　done　that。　Where　is　he？〃　Brisbane　turned；　found　Oscar　Gibbs；　the　Archives　assistant。　〃Where's　Manetti？〃
　〃He　left；〃　Gibbs　said。
　Custer　watched　absently；　noticing　how　the　young　man's　insolent　tone；　his　dark　look；　conveyed　what　he　thought　of　Brisbane。　Brisbane's　not　popular；　Custer　thought　again。　Got　a　lot　of　enemies。　Puck　su