cb.coldheart canyon-第7部分

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　 〃A　little　further；〃　Sandru　replied；　uncorking　the　brandy　and　shamelessly　taking　a　swig　from　the　bottle。
　 〃I　need　some　more　light　back　here；〃　Zeffer　said。
　 Reluctantly；　Sandru　went　to　pick　up　the　lamp。　It　was　hot　now。　He　rummaged　in　one　of　the　nearby　boxes　to　find　something　to　protect　his　palm；　found　a　length　of　cloth　and　wrapped　it　around　the　base　of　the　lamp。　Then　he　tugged　on　the　light…cord；　to　give　himself　some　more　play；　and　made　his　way　through　the　confusion　of　stuff　in　the　room；　to　where　Zeffer　was　standing。
　 The　closer　Sandru　came　with　the　light　the　more　Zeffer　could　make　out　of　the　painting　on　the　tiles。　There　was　a　vast　panorama　spread　to　left　and　right　of　him；　and　up　above　his　head；　and　down　to　the　ground；　spreading　beneath　his　feet。　Though　the　walls　were　so　filthy　that　in　places　the　design　was　entirely　obliterated；　and　in　other　places　there　were　large　cracks　in　the　tiles；　the　image　had　an　extraordinary　reality　all　of　its　own。
　 〃Closer；〃　Zeffer　said　to　Sandru；　sacrificing　the　arm　of　his　fur　coat　to　clean　a　great　portion　of　tiled　wall　in　front　of　him。　Each　tile　was　about　six　inches　square；　perhaps　a　little　smaller；　and　set　close　to　one　another　with　a　minimum　of　grouting；　so　as　to　preserve　the　continuity　of　the　picture。　Despite　the　sickly　right　off　the　bulb；　its　luminescence　still　showed　that　the　color　of　the　image　had　not　been　diminished　by　time。　The　beauty　of　the　renderings　was　perfectly　evident。　There　were　a　dozen　kinds　of　green　in　the　trees；　and　more；　sweeter　hues　in　the　growth　between　them。　Beneath　the　canopy　there　were　burnt　umbers　and　siennas　and　sepias　in　the　trunks　and　branches；　skillfully　highlighted　to　lend　the　impression　that　light　was　falling　through　the　foliage　and　catching　the　bark。　Not　all　the　tiles　were　rendered　with　the　same　expertise；　he　saw。
　 Some　of　the　tiles　were　the　work　of　highly　sophisticated　artists；　some　the　work　of　journeyman；　some…especially　those　that　were　devoted　to　areas　of　pure　foliage…the　handiwork　of　apprentices；　working　on　their　craft　by　filling　in　areas　that　their　masters　neither　had　the　time　nor　perhaps　the　interest　to　address。
　 But　none　of　this　spoiled　the　power　of　the　overall　vision。　In　fact　the　discontinuity　of　styles　created　a　splendid　energy　in　the　piece。　Portions　of　the　world　were　in　focus；　other　parts　were　barely　coherent；　the　abstract　and　the　representational　sitting　side　by　side　on　the　wall；　all　part　of　one　enormous　story。
　 And　what　was　that　story？　Plainly；　given　the　kind　of　quarry　Sandru　had　listed；　this　was　more　than　simply　a　hunt：　it　smacked　of　something　far　more　ambitious。　But　what？　He　peered　at　the　tiles；　his　nose　a　few　inches　from　the　wall；　trying　to　make　sense　of　what　he　was　seeing。
　 〃I　looked　at　the　whole　room；　before　we　put　all　the　furniture　in　here；〃　Sandru　said。　〃It's　a　view；　from　the　Fortress　Tower。〃
　 〃But　not　realistic？〃
　 〃It　depends　what　you　mean　by　realistic；〃　Sandru　said。　〃If　you　look　over　the　other　side…〃　he　pointed　across　the　room　〃…you　can　see　the　delta　of　the　Danube。〃　Zeffer　could　just　make　out　the　body　of　water；　glittering　in　the　gloom：　and　closer　by　a　mass　of　swampy　land；　with　dozens　of　inlets　winding　through　it；　on　their　way　to　the　sea。　〃And　there！〃　Sandru　went　on；　〃to　the　left…〃　again；　Zeffer　followed　Sandru's　finger　〃…at　the　corner　of　the　room；　that　rock…〃
　 〃I　see　it。〃
　 The　rock　was　tall；　rising　out　of　the　ocean　of　trees　like　a　tower；　shrubs　springing　from　its　flank。
　 〃That's　called　the　May　Rock；〃　Sandru　said。　〃The　villagers　dance　there；　on　the　first　six　nights　of　May。　Couples　would　stay　there　overnight；　and　try　to　make　children。　It's　said　the　women　always　became　pregnant　if　they　stayed　with　their　men　on　May　Rock。〃
　 〃So　it　exists？　In　the　world；　I　mean。　Out　there。〃
　 〃Yes；　it's　right　outside　the　Fortress。〃
　 〃And　so　all　those　other　details？　The　delta…〃
　 〃Is　nine　miles　away；　in　that　direction。〃　Sandru　pointed　at　the　wall　upon　which　the　Danube's　delta　was　painted。
　 Zeffer　smiled　as　he　grasped　what　the　artists　had　achieved　here。　Down　in　the　depths　of　the　Fortress；　at　its　lowest　point；　they　had　recreated　in　tile　and　paint　what　could　be　seen　from　its　pinnacle。
　 And　with　that　realization　came　sense　of　the　inscription　he'd　read　on　the　threshold。
　 Though　we　are　in　the　bowels　of　Hell；　we　shall　have　the　eyes　of　Angels。　This　room　was　the　bowels　of　Hell。　But　the　tile…makers　and　their　artist　masters；　wherever　they'd　been；　had　created　an　experience　that　gave　the　occupants　of　this　dungeon　the　eyes　of　angels。　A　paradoxical　ambition；　when　all　you　had　to　do　was　climb　the　stairs　and　see　all　this　from　the　top　of　the　tower。　But　artists　were　often　driven　by　such　ambition；　a　need　perhaps；　to　prove　that　it　could　even　be　done。
　 〃Somebody　worked　very　hard　to　create　all　this；〃　Zeffer　said。　〃Oh　indeed。　It's　an　impressive　achievement。〃
　 〃But　you　hide　it　away；〃　Zeffer　said；　not　prehending　the　way　the　room　had　been　treated。　〃You　fill　the　place　with　old　furniture　and　let　it　get　filthy。〃
　 〃Who　could　we　show　it　to？〃　the　Father　replied。　〃It's　too　disgusting。。。〃
　 〃I　see　nothing…〃　he　was　about　to　say　disgusting；　when　his　eye　alighted　on　a　part　of　tile…work　that　he'd　cleaned　with　his　arm　but　had　not　closely　studied。　In　a　large　grove　a　round　stadium　had　been　set　up；　with　seating　made　of　wood。　The　perspective　was　off　（and　the　solution　to　the　perspective　changed　subtly　from　tile　to　tile；　as　various　hands　had　contributed　their　piece　of　the　puzzle。　There　were　perhaps　twenty　tiles　that　had　some　portion　of　the　stadium　represented　upon　them；　the　work　of　perhaps　five　artists）。　The　steep　benches　were　filled　with　people；　their　bustle　evoked　with　quick；　contentious　strokes。　Some　people　seemed　to　be　standing；　some　sitting。　Two　more　groups　of　spectators　were　approaching　the　stadium　from　the　outside；　though　there　was　no　room　for　them　inside。
　 But　what　drew　Zeffer's　eye；　and　made　him　realize　that　the　Father　had　been　right　to　wonder　aloud　who　he　might　show　this　master…work　to；　was　the　event　these　spectators　had　assembled　to　witness。　It　was　an　arena　of　sexual　sport。　Several　performances　were　going　on　at　the　same　time；　all　unapologetically　obscene。　In　one　section　of　the　arena　a　naked　woman　was　being　held　down　while　a　creature　twice　her　size；　his　body　bestial；　his　erection　monstrous；　was　being　roped　back　by　four　men　who　appeared　to　be　controlling　his　approach　to　the　woman。　In　another　quarter；　a　man　had　been　stripped　of　his　skin　by　three　naked　women。　A　fourth　straddled　him　as　he　lay　on　the　ground　in　his　own　blood。　The　other　three　wore　pieces　of　his　skin。　One　had　on　his　whole　face　and　shoulders；　her　breasts　sticking　out　from　beneath　the　ragged　hood。　Another　sat　on　the　ground；　wearing　his　arms　and　pulling　on　the　skin　of　his　legs　like　waders。　The　third；　the　queen　of　this　quartet；　was　wearing　what　was　presumably　the　piece　de　resistance；　the　flesh　which　the　unhappy　owner　had　worn　from　mid　breast…bone　to　mid…thigh。　She　was　cavorting　in　this　garish　costume　like　a　dancer　and；　by　some　magic　known　only　to　the　maker　of　the　mystery；　the　usurped　skin　still　boasted　a　full　erection。
　 〃Good　God。。。〃　Zeffer　said。
　 〃I　told　you；〃　Sandru　said；　just　a　little　smugly。　〃And　that's　the　least　of　it；　believe　me。〃
　 〃The　least　of　it？〃
　 〃The　more　you　look；　the　more　you　see。〃
　 〃Anywhere　in　particular？〃
　 〃Go　over　to　the　Wild　Wood。　Look　amongst　the　trees。〃
　 Zeffer　moved　along　the　wall；　studying　the　tiles　as　he　went。　At　first　he　couldn't　make　out　anything　controversial；　but　Sandru　had　some　useful　advice。
　 〃Step　away　a　foot　or　so。〃
　 In　his　fascination　with　the　details　of　the　stadium；　Zeffer　had　e　too　close　to　the　wall　to　see　the　wood　for　the　trees。　Now　he　stepped　back　and　to　his　astonishment　saw　that　the　thicket　around　the　arena　was　alive　with　figures；　all　of　which　were　in　some　form　or　other　monstrous；　and　all　unequivocally　sexual。　Erections　were　thrust　between　the　trees　like　plum…headed　branches；　women　dangled　from　overhead　with　their　legs　spread　（a　flock　of　birds；　thirty　or　more；　swooped　out　of　the　sex　of　one；　another　was　menstruating　light；　which　was　splashing　on　the　ground　below　the　tree。　Snakes　came　out　of　the　scarlet　pool；　in　bright　profusion）。
　 〃Is　it　like　this　all　over？〃　Zeffer　said；　his　astonishment　unfeigned。
　 〃All　over。　There　are　th