preston&child.thecabinetofcuriosities-第91部分

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ng　the　book　on　one　of　the　shelves　beside　a　long　row　of　similar　books…all　books　of　questions。　Then　he　turned　his　attention　to　the　bookcase　that　had　swung　open。　It　revealed　an　elevator。
　He　stepped　into　the　elevator　at　the　same；　thoughtful　pace；　and　descended。
　The　cellar　of　the　former　monastery　on　Dauphine　Street　was　damp；　the　walls　thick　with　efflorescence。　The　mansion's　cellars　consisted　of　vast　stone　passageways　crusted　with　lime；　verdigris；　and　the　soot　from　tallow　candles。　Pendergast　threaded　his　way　through　the　maze；　arriving　at　last　at　a　cul…de…sac　formed　by　a　small；　vaulted　room。　It　was　empty；　devoid　of　ornament；　save　for　a　single　carving　that　hung　over　a　bricked…up　arch　in　one　of　the　walls。　The　carving　was　of　a　shield；　containing　a　lidless　eye　over　two　moons：　one　crescent；　the　other　full。　Below　was　a　lion；　couchant。　It　was　the　Pendergast　family　crest：　the　same　crest　that　Leng　had　perverted　into　his　own　escutcheon；　carved　onto　the　facade　of　the　mansion　on　Riverside　Drive。
　Pendergast　approached　this　wall；　stood　beneath　the　crest　for　a　moment；　gazing　at　it。　Then；　placing　both　hands　upon　the　cold　stone；　he　applied　a　sharp　forward　pressure。　The　wall　instantly　swung　away；　revealing　a　circular　staircase；　sloping　down　and　away　at　a　sharp　angle　into　the　subbasement。
　Pendergast　stood　at　the　top　of　the　stairs；　feeling　the　steady　stream　of　chill　air　that　wafted　like　a　ghostly　exhalation　from　the　depths　below。　He　remembered　the　day；　many　years　ago；　when　he　had　first　been　inducted　into　the　family　secrets：　the　hidden　panel　in　the　library；　the　stone　chambers　beneath；　the　room　with　the　crest。　And　finally　this；　the　greatest　secret　of　all。
　In　the　real　house　on　Dauphine　Street；　the　stairs　had　been　dark；　approachable　only　with　a　lantern。　But　in　Pendergast's　mind；　a　faint　greenish　light　now　issued　up　from　far　below。　He　began　to　descend。
　The　stairs　led　downward　in　a　spiral。　At　last；　Pendergast　emerged　into　a　short　tunnel　that　opened　into　a　vaulted　space。　The　floor　was　earthen。　Long　ranks　of　carefully　mortised　bricks　rose　to　a　groined　ceiling。　Rows　of　torches　flamed　on　the　walls；　and　chunks　of　frankincense　smoked　in　copper　braziers；　overlaying　a　much　stronger　smell　of　old　earth；　wet　stone；　and　the　dead。
　A　brick　pathway　ran　down　the　center　of　the　room；　flanked　on　both　sides　by　stone　tombs　and　crypts。　Some　were　marble；　others　granite。　A　few　were　heavily　decorated；　carved　into　fantastic　minarets　and　arabesques；　others　were　squat；　black；　monolithic。　Pendergast　started　down　the　path；　glancing　at　the　bronze　doors　set　into　the　facades；　the　familiar　names　graven　onto　the　face　plates　of　tarnished　brass。
　What　the　old　monks　had　used　this　subterranean　vault　for；　Pendergast　never　learned。　But　almost　two　hundred　years　before；　this　place　had　bee　the　Pendergast　family　necropolis。　Here；　over　a　dozen　generations　on　both　sides　of　the　family…the　fallen　line　of　French　aristocrats；　the　mysterious　denizens　of　the　deep　bayou…had　been　buried　or；　more　frequently；　re…buried。　Pendergast　walked　on；　hands　behind　his　back；　staring　at　the　carved　names。　Here　was　Henri　Prendregast　de　Mousqueton；　a　seventeenth…century　mountebank　who　pulled　teeth；　performed　magic　and　edy；　and　practiced　quack　medicine。　And　here；　encased　in　a　mausoleum　bedecked　with　quartz　minarets；　was　Eduard　Pendregast；　a　well…known　Harley　Street　doctor　in　eighteenth…century　London。　And　here；　stock　Pendergast；　famed　mesmerist；　magician；　and　mentor　of　Harry　Houdini。
　Pendergast　strolled　farther；　passing　artists　and　murderers；　vaudeville　performers　and　violin　prodigies。　At　last　he　stopped　beside　a　mausoleum　grander　than　those　around　it：　a　ponderous　conflation　of　white　marble；　carved　into　an　exact　replica　of　the　Pendergast　mansion　itself。　This　was　the　tomb　of　Hezekiah　Pendergast；　his　own　great…great…grandfather。
　Pendergast　let　his　eye　roam　over　the　familiar　turrets　and　finials；　the　gabled　roof　and　mullioned　windows。　When　Hezekiah　Pendergast　arrived　on　the　scene；　the　Pendergast　family　fortune　was　almost　gone。　Hezekiah　was　released　into　the　world　penniless；　but　with　big　ambitions。　Originally　a　snake…oil　salesman　allied　with　traveling　medicine　shows；　he　soon　became　known　as　a　hippocratic　sage；　a　man　whose　patent　medicine　could　cure　almost　any　disease。　On　the　big　bill；　he　appeared　between　Al…Ghazi；　the　contortionist；　and　Harry　N。　Parr；　Canine　Instructor。　The　medicine　he　peddled　during　these　shows　sold　briskly；　even　at　five　dollars　the　bottle。　Hezekiah　soon　established　his　own　traveling　medicine　show；　and　with　shrewd　marketing；　Hezekiah's　pound　Elixir　and　Glandular　Restorative　quickly　became　the　first　widely　marketed　patent　medicine　in　America。　Hezekiah　Pendergast　grew　rich　beyond　the　fondest　visions　of　avarice。
　Pendergast's　eyes　swept　downward；　to　the　deep　layers　of　shadow　that　surrounded　the　tomb。　Ugly　rumors　began　to　surface　about　Hezekiah's　pound　Elixir　within　a　year　of　its　introduction：　tales　of　madness；　deformed　births；　wasting　deaths。　And　yet　sales　grew。　Doctors　protested　the　elixir；　calling　it　violently　addictive　and　harmful　to　the　brain。　And　still　sales　grew。　Hezekiah　Pendergast　introduced　a　highly　successful　formula　for　babies；　〃Warranted　to　Make　Your　Child　Peaceful。〃　In　the　end；　a　reporter　for　Collier's　magazine；　together　with　a　government　chemist；　finally　exposed　the　elixir　as　an　addictively　lethal　blend　of　chloroform；　cocaine　hydrochloride；　acetanilid；　and　botanicals。　Production　was　forced　to　cease…but　not　before　Hezekiah's　own　wife　had　succumbed　to　the　addiction　and　died。　Constance　Leng　Pendergast。
　Antoine's　mother。
　Pendergast　turned　away　from　the　tomb。　Then　he　stopped；　glancing　back。　A　smaller；　simpler　mausoleum　of　gray　granite　lay　beside　the　greater　one。　The　engraved　plaque　on　its　face　read；　simply；　Constance。
　He　paused；　recalling　the　words　of　his　great…aunt：　And　then　he　began　spending　a　lot　of　time　down　。　。　。　down　there。　Do　you　know　where　I　mean？　Pendergast　had　heard　the　stories　about　how　the　necropolis　became　Antoine's　favorite　place　after　his　mother's　death。　He'd　spent　his　days　here；　year　in　and　year　out；　in　the　shadow　of　her　tomb；　practicing　the　magic　tricks　his　father　and　grandfather　had　taught　him；　performing　experiments　on　small　animals…and　especially　working　with　chemicals；　developing　nostrums　and　poisons。　What　else　was　it　Aunt　Cornelia　had　said？　They　say　he　always　felt　more　fortable　with　the　dead　than　with　the　living。
　Pendergast　had　heard　rumors　even　Aunt　Cornelia　had　been　unwilling　to　hint　at：　rumors　worse　than　the　bad　business　with　Marie　LeClaire；　rumors　of　certain　hideous　things　found　in　the　deep　shadows　of　the　tombs；　rumors　of　the　real　reason　behind　Antoine's　permanent　banishment　from　the　house　on　Dauphine　Street。　But　it　wasn't　just　the　prolongation　of　life　that　had　fixed　Antoine's　attention。　No；　there　had　always　been　something　else；　something　behind　the　prolongation　of　life；　some　project　that　he　had　kept　the　deepest　of　secrets　。　。　。
　Pendergast　stared　at　the　nameplate　as　a　sudden　revelation　swept　over　him。　These　underground　vaults　had　been　Antoine's　workplace　as　a　child。　This　is　where　he　had　played　and　studied；　collected　his　appalling　childhood　trophies。　This　was　where　he　had　experimented　with　his　chemicals；　and　it　was　here；　in　the　cool；　dark　underground；　where　he　had　stored　his　vast　collection　of　pounds；　botanicals；　chemicals；　and　poisons。　Here；　the　temperature　and　humidity　never　changed：　the　conditions　would　be　perfect。
　More　quickly　now；　Pendergast　turned　away；　walking　back　down　the　pathway　and　passing　beneath　the　tunnel；　beginning　the　long　climb　back　toward　consciousness。　For　he　knew；　at　last；　where　in　the　house　on　Riverside　Drive　the　missing　collection　of　Antoine　Pendergast…of　Enoch　Leng…would　be　found。
　
　TWO
　　
　NORA　HEARD　THE　faint　rattle　of　a　chain；　then　a　faint；　whispered　exhalation　of　breath　from　out　of　the　nearby　darkness。　She　licked　dry　lips；　worked　her　mouth　in　an　attempt　to　speak。　〃Pendergast？〃
　〃I'm　here；〃　came　the　weak　voice。
　〃I　thought　you　were　dead！〃　Her　body　spasmed　in　an　involuntary　sob。　〃Are　you　all　right？〃
　〃I'm　sorry　I　had　to　leave　you。　How　much　time　has　passed？〃
　〃My　God；　are　you　deaf？　That　madman's　doing　something　terrible　to　Bill！〃
　〃Dr。　Kelly…〃
　Nora　lunged　against　her　chains。　She　felt　wild　with　terror　a