preston&child.thecabinetofcuriosities-第88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！


on。　And；　after　all；　it　was　never　too　early　to　hope。
　
　SEVEN
　　
　AGAIN；　NORA　LOOKED　at　Pendergast。　And　again　she　was　unnerved　by　the　depth　of　his　shock。　His　eyes　seemed　glued　to　the　face　of　the　corpse：　the　parchment　skin；　the　delicate；　aristocratic　features；　the　hair　so　blond　it　could　have　been　white。
　〃The　face。　It　looks　just　like…〃　Nora　struggled　to　understand；　to　articulate　her　thoughts。
　Pendergast　did　not　respond。
　〃It　looks　just　like　you；〃　Nora　finally　managed。
　〃Yes；〃　came　the　whispered　response。　〃Very　much　like　me。〃
　〃But　who　is　it…？〃
　〃Enoch　Leng。〃
　Something　in　the　way　he　said　this　caused　Nora's　skin　to　crawl。
　〃Leng？　But　how　can　that　be？　I　thought　you　said　he　was　alive。〃
　With　a　visible　effort　Pendergast　wrenched　his　eyes　from　the　glass　case　and　turned　them　on　her。　In　them；　she　read　many　things：　horror；　pain；　dread。　His　face　remained　colorless　in　the　dim　light。
　〃He　was。　Until　recently。　Someone　appears　to　have　killed　Leng。　Tortured　him　to　death。　And　put　him　in　that　case。　It　seems　we　are　now　dealing　with　that　other　someone。〃
　〃I　still　don't…〃
　Pendergast　held　up　one　hand。　〃I　cannot　speak　of　it　now；〃　was　all　he　said。
　He　turned　from　the　figure；　slowly；　almost　painfully；　his　light　stabbing　farther　into　the　gloom。
　Nora　inhaled　the　antique；　dust…laden　air。　Everything　was　so　strange；　so　terrible　and　unexpected；　the　kind　of　weirdness　that　happened　only　in　a　nightmare。　She　tried　to　calm　her　pounding　heart。
　〃Now　he　is　unconscious；　being　dragged；〃　whispered　Pendergast。　His　eyes　were　once　again　on　the　floor；　but　his　voice　and　manner　remained　dreadfully　changed。
　With　the　flashlight　as　a　guide；　they　followed　the　marks　across　the　reception　hall　to　a　set　of　closed　doors。　Pendergast　opened　them　to　reveal　a　carpeted；　well…appointed　space：　a　two…story　library；　filled　with　leather…bound　books。　The　beam　probed　farther；　slicing　through　drifting　clouds　of　dust。　In　addition　to　books；　Nora　saw　that；　again；　many　of　the　shelves　were　lined　with　specimens；　all　carefully　labeled。　There　were　also　numerous　freestanding　specimens　in　the　room；　draped　in　rotting　duck　canvas。　A　variety　of　wing　chairs　and　sofas　were　positioned　around　the　library；　the　leather　dry　and　split；　the　stuffing　unraveling。
　The　beam　of　the　flashlight　licked　over　the　walls。　A　salver　sat　on　a　nearby　table；　holding　a　crystal　decanter　of　what　had　once　been　port　or　sherry：　a　brown　crust　lined　its　bottom。　Next　to　the　tray　sat　a　small；　empty　glass。　An　unsmoked　cigar；　shriveled　and　furred　with　mold；　lay　alongside　it。　A　fireplace　carved　of　gray　marble　was　set　into　one　of　the　walls；　a　fire　laid　but　not　lit。　Before　it　was　a　tattered　zebra　skin；　well　chewed　by　mice。　A　sideboard　nearby　held　more　crystal　decanters；　each　with　a　brown　or　black　substance　dried　within。　A　hominid　skull…Nora　recognized　it　as　Australopithecine…sat　on　a　side　table　with　a　candle　set　into　it。　An　open　book　lay　nearby。
　Pendergast's　light　lingered　on　the　open　book。　Nora　could　see　it　was　an　ancient　medical　treatise；　written　in　Latin。　The　page　showed　engravings　of　a　cadaver　in　various　stages　of　dissection。　Of　all　the　objects　in　the　library；　only　this　looked　fresh；　as　if　it　had　been　handled　recently。　Everything　else　was　layered　with　dust。
　Once　again；　Pendergast　turned　his　attention　to　the　floor；　where　Nora　could　clearly　see　marks　in　the　moth…eaten；　rotting　carpet。　The　marks　appeared　to　end　at　a　wall　of　books。
　Now；　Pendergast　approached　the　wall。　He　ran　his　light　over　their　spines；　peering　intently　at　the　titles。　Every　few　moments　he　would　stop；　remove　a　book；　glance　at　it；　shove　it　back。　Suddenly…as　Pendergast　removed　a　particularly　massive　tome　from　a　shelf…Nora　heard　a　loud　metallic　click。　Two　large　rows　of　adjoining　bookshelves　sprang　open。　Pendergast　drew　them　carefully　back；　exposing　a　folding　brass　gate。　Behind　the　closed　gate　lay　a　door　of　solid　maple。　It　took　Nora　a　moment　to　realize　what　it　was。
　〃An　old　elevator；〃　she　whispered。
　Pendergast　nodded。　〃Yes。　The　old　service　elevator　to　the　basement。　There　was　something　exactly　like　this　in…〃
　He　went　abruptly　silent。　As　the　sound　of　his　voice　faded　away；　Nora　heard　what　she　thought　was　a　noise　ing　from　within　the　closed　elevator。　A　shallow　breath；　perhaps；　hardly　more　than　a　moan。
　Suddenly；　a　terrible　thought　burst　over　Nora。　At　the　same　time；　Pendergast　stiffened　visibly。
　She　let　out　an　involuntary　gasp。　〃That's　not…〃　She　couldn't　bring　herself　to　say　Smithback's　name。
　〃We　must　hurry。〃
　Pendergast　carefully　examined　the　brass　gate　with　the　beam。　He　reached　forward；　gingerly　tried　the　handle。　It　did　not　move。　He　knelt　before　the　door　and；　with　his　head　close　to　the　latching　mechanism；　examined　it。　Nora　saw　him　remove　a　flat；　flexible　piece　of　metal　from　his　suit　and　slide　it　into　the　mechanism。　There　was　a　faint　click。　He　worked　the　shim　back　and　forth；　teasing　and　probing　at　the　latch；　until　there　was　a　second　click。　Then　he　stood　up　and；　with　infinite　caution；　drew　back　the　brass　gate。　It　folded　to　one　side　easily；　almost　noiselessly。　Again；　Pendergast　approached；　crouching　before　the　handle　of　the　maple　door；　regarding　it　intently。
　There　was　another　sound：　again　a　faint；　agonized　attempt　to　breathe。　Her　heart　filled　with　dread。
　A　sudden　rasping　noise　filled　the　study。　Pendergast　jumped　back　abruptly　as　the　door　shot　open　of　its　own　accord。
　Nora　stood　transfixed　with　horror。　A　figure　appeared　in　the　back　of　the　small　partment。　For　a　moment；　it　remained　motionless。　And　then；　with　the　sound　of　rotten　fabric　tearing　away；　it　slowly　came　toppling　out　toward　them。　For　a　terrible　moment；　Nora　thought　it　would　fall　upon　Pendergast。　But　then　the　figure　jerked　abruptly　to　a　stop；　held　by　a　rope　around　its　neck；　leaning　toward　them　at　a　grotesque　angle；　arms　swinging。
　〃It's　O'Shaughnessy；〃　said　Pendergast。
　〃O'Shaughnessy！〃
　〃Yes。　And　he's　still　alive。〃　He　took　a　step　forward　and　grabbed　the　body；　wrestling　it　upright；　freeing　the　neck　from　the　rope。　Nora　came　quickly　to　his　side　and　helped　him　lower　the　sergeant　to　the　floor。　As　she　did　so；　she　saw　a　huge；　gaping　hole　in　the　man's　back。　O'Shaughnessy　coughed　once；　head　lolling。
　There　was　a　sudden　jolt；　a　protesting　squeal　of　gears　and　machinery；　and　then；　abruptly；　the　bottom　dropped　out　of　their　world。
　
　EIGHT
　　
　CUSTER　LED　THE　makeshift　procession　down　the　long　echoing　halls；　toward　the　Great　Rotunda　and　the　front　steps　of　the　Museum　that　lay　beyond。　He'd　allowed　Noyes　a　good　half　hour　to　give　the　press　a　heads…up；　and　while　he　was　waiting　he'd　worked　out　the　precedence　down　to　the　last　detail。　He　came　first；　of　course；　followed　by　two　uniformed　cops　with　the　perp　between　them；　and　then　a　phalanx　of　some　twenty　lieutenants　and　detectives。　Trailing　them；　in　turn；　was　a　ragged；　dismayed；　disorganized　knot　of　museum　staffers。　This　included　the　head　of　public　relations；　Manetti　the　security　director；　a　gaggle　of　aides。　They　were　all　in　a　frenzy；　clearly　out　of　their　depth。　If　they'd　been　smart；　if　they'd　assisted　rather　than　tried　to　impede　good　police　work　and　due　process；　maybe　this　circus　could　have　been　avoided。　But　now；　he　was　going　to　make　it　hard　on　them。　He　was　going　to　hold　the　press　conference　in　their　own　front　yard；　right　on　those　nice　wide　steps；　with　the　vast　spooky　facade　of　the　Museum　as　backdrop…perfect　for　the　early　morning　news。　The　cameras　would　eat　it　up。　And　now；　as　the　group　crossed　the　Rotunda；　the　echoes　of　their　footsteps　mingling　with　the　murmuring　of　voices；　Custer　held　his　head　erect；　sucked　in　his　gut。　He　wanted　to　make　sure　the　moment　would　be　well　recorded　for　posterity。
　The　Museum's　grand　bronze　doors　opened；　and　beyond　lay　Museum　Drive　and　a　seething　mass　of　press。　Despite　the　advance　groundwork；　he　was　still　amazed　by　how　many　had　gathered；　like　flies　to　shit。　Immediately；　a　barrage　of　flashes　went　off；　followed　by　the　sharp；　steady　brilliance　of　the　television　camera　lights。　A　wave　of　shouted　questions　broke　over　him；　individual　voices　indistinguishable　in　the　general　roar。　The　steps　themselves　had　been　cordoned　off　by　police　ropes；　but　as　Custer　emerged　with　the　perp　in　tow　the　waiting　crowd　surged　forward　as　one。　There　was　a　moment　of　intense　excitement；　frantic　shouting　and　shoving；　before　the