cb.coldheart canyon-第37部分

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perfume；　its　source　the　candles　which　were　set　in　a　little　cluster　at　the　far　end　of　the　cage。　There　was　a　small　cot　set　against　the　wall　to　her　right；　somewhat　incongruously　made　up　with　two　oversized　red　silk　pillows　and　a　dirty　yellow　forter。　There　was　a　chair　and　a　tiny　table　on　the　other　side　of　the　cage；　and　on　the　table　paper　and　pen。　Beside　the　cot　there　was　an　upended　wooden　box；　which　also　functioned　as　a　table。　Books　were　piled　high　upon　it。　But　her　attention　didn't　linger　on　the　books。　It　was　drawn　to　the　cluster　of　candles　at　the　far　end　of　the　cage。　There　was　a　kind　of　altar　there；　roughly　made；　set　on　a　few　pieces　of　wood　raised　up　on　rocks。　In　the　middle　of　the　altar　was　what　Tammy　first　thought　was　a　piece　of　sculpture；　representing　the　face　of　a　beautiful　young　woman。　When　she　got　closer　to　it；　however；　she　saw　that　it　was　a　life…mask。　The　mouth　carried　an　oh…so…subtle　smile；　and　there　was　a　slight　frown　on　the　subject's　otherwise　perfect　brow。　Such　beauty！　Whoever　this　woman　was…or　had　been…it　was　easy　to　understand　why　she'd　been　elected　for　this　place　of　honor　in　the　candlelight。　It　was　the　kind　of　face　that　made　you　gape　at　its　perfection。　The　kind　the　camera　loved。
　 Ah　now；　the　mysteries　of　this　house　and　place　began　to　seem　more　soluble。　Was　this　beauty　the　owner　of　this　once…great　house；　remembered　here　by　some　obsessive　fan？　Was　this　shrine　made　out　of　devotion　for　a　woman　who'd　walked　in　these　gardens；　once　upon　a　time？
　 Tammy　took　another　step　towards　the　altar；　and　saw　that　besides　the　life…mask　there　were　a　number　of　other；　smaller　items　set　there。　A　scrap　of　red　silk；　one　edge　of　it　hemmed；　a　cameo　brooch；　with　the　same　woman's　face　carved　in　creamy　stone；　a　little　wooden　box；　scarcely　larger　than　a　matchbox；　which　presumably　held　some　other　treasure；　and　lying　flat　beneath　all　of　these　a　cut…out　paper　doll；　about　twelve　inches　tall　of　a　woman　dressed　in　the　frilly　underwear　of　a　bygone　era。　The　paper　from　which　the　doll　was　made　had　yellowed；　the　colors　of　the　printing　faded。　It　was　something　from　the　twenties；　Tammy　guessed。　Her　knowledge　of　that　era　of　cinema　was　sketchy；　but　the　three　faces；　one　of　cardboard；　one　of　plaster；　one　of　stone；　teased　her：　she　knew　the　woman　whose　image　was　thricefold　copied　here。　She'd　seen　her　flickering　black　and　white　picture　on　some　late…night　movie　channel。　She　tried　to　put　a　name　to　the　face；　but　nothing　came。
　 Despairing　of　the　puzzle；　she　took　a　step　back　from　the　altar；　and　as　she　did　so　she　felt　a　rush　of　cool　air　against　the　back　of　her　neck。　She　turned；　pletely　unprepared　for　what　met　her　gaze。　A　man　had　e　into　the　cage　behind　her；　entering　so　silently　he　was　literally　a　foot　from　her　and　she　hadn't　heard　his　approach。　There　were　places　in　the　leafed　and　barred　roof　where　the　sun　broke　through；　and　it　fell　in　bright　patches　upon　him。　One　of　them　fell　irregularly　upon　his　face；　catching　both　his　eyes；　and　part　of　his　nose；　and　the　corner　of　his　mouth。　She　saw　immediately　that　it　wasn't　Caputo。　It　was　a　much　older　man；　his　eyes；　despite　the　sun　that　illuminated　them；　gray；　cold　and　weary；　his　hair；　what　was　left　of　it；　grown　out　to　shoulder　length　and　quite　white。　He　was　gaunt；　but　the　lack　of　flesh　on　his　skull　flattered　him；　he　looked；　she　thought；　like　a　saint　in　her　grandmother's　old　Bible；　which　had　been　illustrated　with　pictures　by　the　Old　Masters。　This　was　a　man　capable　of　devotion；　indeed　addicted　to　it。
　 He　raised　his　hand　and　put　a　homemade　cigarette　to　his　lips。　Then；　with　a　kind　of　old…fashioned　style；　he　flicked　open　his　lighter；　lit　the　cigarette　and　drew　deeply　on　it。
　 〃And　who　might　you　be？〃　he　said。　His　voice　was　the　color　of　his　eyes。
　 〃I'm　sorry；〃　Tammy　said。　〃I　shouldn't　be　here。〃
　 〃Please；〃　he　said　gently；　〃Let　me　be　the　judge　of　that。〃　He　drew　on　the　cigarette　again。　The　tobacco　smelled　more　pungent　than　any　cigarette　she'd　ever　inhaled。　〃I'd　still　like　your　name。〃
　 〃Tammy　Lauper。　Like　I　said…〃
　 〃You're　sorry。〃
　 〃Yes。〃
　 〃You　don't　mean　to　be　here。〃
　 〃No。〃
　 〃You　got　lost；　I　daresay。　It's　so　easy；　in　the　garden。〃
　 〃I　was　looking　for　Todd。〃
　 〃Ah；〃　the　stranger　said；　glancing　away　at　the　roof　for　a　moment。　The　cigarette　smoke　was　blue　as　it　rose　through　the　slivers　of　sun。　〃So　you're　with　Mr。　Pickett's　entourage。〃
　 〃Well　no。　Not　exactly。〃
　 〃Meaning？〃
　 〃I　just。。。well；　he　knows　me。。。〃
　 〃But　he　doesn't　know　you're　here。〃
　 〃That's　right。〃
　 The　man's　gaze　returned　to　Tammy；　and　he　assessed　her；　his　gaze；　though　insistent；　oddly　polite。　〃What　are　you　to　our　Mr。　Pickett？〃　he　said。　〃A　mistress　of　his；　once？〃
　 Tammy　couldn't　help　but　smile　at　this。　First；　the　very　thought　of　it；　then；　the　word　itself。　Mistress。　Like　the　flick　of　his　lighter；　it　was　pleasantly　old…fashioned。　And　rather　flattering。
　 〃I　don't　think　Todd　Pickett　would　look　twice　at　me；〃　she　said；　feeling　the　need　to　be　honest　with　this　sad；　grey　man。
　 〃Then　that　would　be　his　loss；〃　the　man　replied；　the　pliment　offered　so　lightly　that　even　if　it　wasn't　meant　it　was　still　beguiling。　Out　of　nowhere　she　remembered　a　phrase　her　mother　had　used；　to　describe　Jimmy　MacKintosh；　the　man　she'd　eventually　divorced　Tammy's　father　to　pursue。　〃He　could　charm　the　birds　of　the　trees；　that　one。〃　She'd　never　met　a　man　with　that　kind　of　charisma　before；　in　the　flesh。　But　this　man　had　it。　Though　their　exchange　so　far　had　been　brief　and　shallow；　she　knew　a　bird…charmer　when　she　met　one。
　 〃May　I　ask。。。〃
　 〃Ask　away。〃
　 〃。。。who　are　you？〃
　 〃By　all　means。　One　name　deserves　another。　I'm　Willem　Zeffer。〃
　 〃I'm　pleased　to　meet　you；〃　Tammy　said。　〃Again；　I'm　sorry。〃　She　made　a　half…hearted　glance　over　her　shoulder　at　the　altar。　〃I　shouldn't　have　e　in　here。〃
　 〃You　weren't　to　know。　It's　easy　to　get　lost　in　this。。。jungle。　We　should　have　it　all　cut　back。〃　He　smiled　thinly。　〃You　just　can't　get　the　staff　these　days。〃
　 〃That　woman；〃　Tammy　said。　〃The　one　in　the　mask？〃
　 〃In　the　mask？〃　Zeffer　said；　〃Oh。　I　see。　Yes。　In　the　mask。〃
　 〃Who　is　she？〃
　 He　stepped　to　the　side；　in　order　to　have　a　dear　view　of　the　altar　and　what　was　upon　it。　〃She　was　an　actress；〃　he　explained；　〃many；　many　moons　ago。〃
　 〃I　thought　I　recognized　her。〃
　 〃Her　name's　Katya　Lupi。〃
　 〃Yes？〃　The　name　rang　a　bell；　but　Tammy　still　couldn't　name　any　of　the　movies　this　woman　had　been　in。
　 〃Was　she　very　famous？〃
　 〃Very。　She's　up　there　with　Pickford　and　Swanson　and　Theda　Bara。　Or　she　was。〃
　 〃She's　dead？〃
　 〃No；　no。　Just　forgotten。　At　least　that's　my　impression。　I　don't　get　out　into　the　world　any　more；　but　I　sense　that　the　name　Katya　Lupi　doesn't　mean　very　much。〃
　 〃You'd　be　right。〃
　 〃Well；　she's　lucky。　She　still　has　her　little　dominion　here　in　Coldheart　Canyon。〃
　 〃Coldheart？〃
　 〃That's　what　they　called　the　place。　She　was　such　a　heart…breaker；　you　see。　She　took　so　many　lovers…especially　in　the　early　years…and　when　she　was　done　with　them；　she　just　threw　them　aside。〃
　 〃Were　you　one　of　them？〃
　 Zeffer　smiled。　〃I　shared　her　bed；　a　little；　when　I　first　brought　her　to　America。　But　she　got　tired　of　me　very　quickly。〃
　 〃What　then？〃
　 〃I　had　other　uses；　so　she　kept　me　around。　But　a　lot　of　the　men　who　loved　her　took　her　rejection　badly。　Three　mitted　suicide　with　bullets。　A　number　of　others　with　alcohol。　Some　of　them　stayed　here；　where　they　could　be　close　to　her。　Including　me。　It's　foolish　really；　because　there's　no　way　back　into　her　affection。〃
　 〃Why　would　you　want　to　be。。。back；　I　mean？〃　Tammy　said。　〃She　must　be　very　old　by　now。〃
　 〃Oh　time　hasn't　staled　her　infinite　variety；　as　the　Bard　has　it。　She's　still　beautiful。〃
　 Tammy　didn't　want　to　challenge　the　man；　given　that　he　was　plainly　besotted　with　this　Lupi　woman；　but　the　idol　of　his　heart　must　be　approaching　a　hundred　years　of　age　by　now。　It　was　hard　to　imagine　how　any　of　her　beauty　remained。
　 〃Well；　I　guess　I　should　be　getting　along。〃　Tammy　said。
　 She　gently　pressed　past　Zeffer；　who　put　up　no　resistance；　and　stepped　out　of　the　cage　onto　the　walkway。　It　was　so　quiet　she　could　hear　her　stomach　rumble。　Her　Westwood　breakfast　seemed　very　remote　now；　as　did　the　little　diner　where　she'd　eaten　it。
　 Zeffer　came　after　her；　out　into　the　open　air；　and　she　saw　him　clearly　for　the　first　time。