cb.imajica1-第110部分
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and the details bee hazy the deeper it sank。
She was in luck。 Hoi…Polloi hurried back down to her father's side； leaving Jude to recite aloud all she'd seen and heard。 Quaisoir and her servant Concupiscentia； Seidux and the plot against him。 And the lover； of course。 She shouldn't forget the lover； who was presumably somewhere in the city even now； pining for his mistress who was locked up in her gilded prison。 With these facts fixed in her head； she ventured first to the bathroom； then down to meet Peccable。
Well dressed and better fed； Peccable had a face upon which his present ire sat badly。 He looked slightly absurd in his fury； his features too round and his mouth too small for the rhetoric they were producing。 Introductions were made； but there was no time for pleasantries。 Peccable's fury needed venting； and he seemed not to care much who his audience was； as long as they sympathized。 He had reason for fury。 His warehouse near the harbor had been burned to the ground； and he himself had only narrowly escaped death at the hands of a mob that had already taken over three of the Kesparates and declared them independent city…states； thereby issuing a challenge to the Autarch。 So far； he said； the palace had done little。 Small contingents of troops had been dispatched to the Caramess； to the Oke T'Noon； and the seven Kesparates on the other side of the hill； to suppress any sign of uprisings there。 But no offensive had been launched against the insurgents who had taken the harbor。
〃They're nothing more than rabble；〃 the merchant said。 〃They've no care for property or person。 Indiscriminate destruction； that's all they're good for！ I'm no great lover of the Autarch； but he's got to be the voice of decent people like me in times like this！ I should have sold my business a year ago。 I talked with Oscar about it。 We planned to move away from this wretched city。 But I hung on and hung on； because I believe in people。 That's my mistake；〃 he said； throwing his eyes up to the ceiling like a man martyred by his own decency。 〃I have too much faith。〃 He looked at Hoi…Polloi。 〃Don't I？〃
〃You do； Papa； you do。〃
〃Well； not any more。 You go and pack our belongings； sweet。 We're getting out tonight。〃
〃What about the house？〃 Dowd said。 〃And all the collectibles downstairs？〃
Peccable cast a glance at Hoi…Polloi。 〃Why don't you start packing now？〃 he said； clearly unfortable with the idea of debating his black market activities in front of his daughter。
He cast a similar glance at Jude； but she pretended not to prehend its significance and remained seated。 He began to talk anyway。
〃When we leave this house we leave it forever；〃 he said。 〃There'll be nothing left to e back to； I'm convinced of that。〃 The outraged bourgeois of minutes before； appealing for civil stability； was now replaced by an apocalyptic。 〃It was bound to happen sooner or later。 They couldn't control the cults in perpetuity。〃 〃They？〃 said Jude。 〃The Autarch。 And Quaisoir。〃
The sound of the name was like a blow to her heart。 〃Quaisoir？〃 she said。
〃His wife。 The consort。 Our lady of Yzordderrex： Ma'am Quaisoir。 She's been his undoing； if you ask me。 He always kept himself hidden away； which was wise； nobody thought about him much as long as trade was good and the streets were lit。 The taxes； of course： the taxes have been a burden upon us all； especially family men like myself； but let me teU you we're better off here than they are in Pata…shoqua or lahmandhas。 No； I don't think he's done badly by us。 The stories you hear about the state of things when he first took over： Chaos！ Half the Kesparates at war with the other half。 He brought stability。 People prospered。 No； it's not his policies； it's her： she's his undoing。 Things were fine until she started to interfere。 I suppose she thinks she's doing us a favor； deigning to appear in public。〃
〃Have you 。 。 。 seen her then？〃 Jude asked。
〃Not personally； no。 She stays out of sight； even when she attends executions。 Though I heard that she showed herself today； out in the open。 Somebody said they'd actually seen her face。 Ugly； they said。 Brutish。 I'm not surprised。 All these executions were her idea。 She enjoys them； apparently。 Well； people don't like that。 Taxes； yes。 An occasional purge； some political trials…well； yes； those too； we can accept those。 But you can't make the law into a public spectacle。 That's a mockery； and we've never mocked the law in Yzordderrex。〃
He went on in much the same vein； but Jude wasn't listening。 She was attempting to conceal the heady mixture of feelings that was coursing through her。 Quaisoir； the woman with her face； was not some minor player in the life of Yzordderrex but one of its two potentates； by extension； therefore； one of the great rulers of the Imajica。 Could she now doubt that there was purpose in her ing to this city？ She had a face which owned power。 A face that went in secret from the world； but that behind its veils had made the Autarch of Yzordderrex pliant。 The question was： What did that mean？ After so unremarkable a life on earth； had she been called into this Dominion to taste a little of the power that her other took for granted？ Or was she here as a diversion； called to suffer in place of Quaisoir for the crimes she'd supposedly mitted？ And if so； who was the summoner？ Clearly it had to be a Maestro with ready access to the Fifth Dominion and agents there to conspire with。 Was Godolpnin some part of this plot？ Or Dowd； perhaps？ That seemed more likely。 And what about Quaisoir？ Was she in ignorance of the plans being laid on her behalf or a fellow plotter？
Tonight would tell； Jude promised herself。 Tonight she'd find some way to intercept Quaisoir as she went to meet her angel…dispatching lover； and before another day had gone by Jude would know whether she'd been brought from the Fifth to be a sister or a scapegoat。
33
GENTLE DID AS HE'D PROMISED PIE； and stayed with Huzzah at the cafe where they'd breakfasted until the et's arc took it behind the mountain and the light of day gave way to twilight。 Doing so tried not only his patience but his nerve； because as the afternoon wore on the unrest from the lower Kesparates spread up through the streets； and it became increasingly apparent that the establishment would stand in the middle of a battlefield by evening。 Party by party； the customers vacated their tables as the sound of rioting and gunfire crept closer。 A slow rain of smuts began to fall； spiraling from a sky which was intermittently darkened now by smoke rising from the burning Kesparates。
As the first wounded began to be carried up the street； indicating that the field of action was now very near； the owners of several nearby shops gathered in the cafe for a short council； debating； presumably； the best way to defend their property。 It ended in accusation； the insults an education to both Gentle and Huzzah。 Two of the owners returned with weapons a few minutes later； at which point the manager； who introduced himself as Bunyan Blew； asked Gentle if he and his daughter didn't have a home to go to。 Gentle replied that they had promised to meet somebody here earlier in the day； and they would be most obliged if they could remain until their friend arrived。
〃I remember you；〃 Blew replied。 〃You came in this morning； didn't you； with a woman？〃 〃That's who we're waiting for。〃 〃She put me in mind of somebody I used to know；〃 Blew said。 〃I hope she's safe out there。〃 〃So do we；〃 Gentle replied。
〃You'd better stay then。 But you'll have to lend me a hand barricading the place。〃
Bunyan explained that he'd known this was going to happen sooner or later and was prepared for the eventuality。 There were timbers to nail over the windows； and a supply of small arms should the mob try to loot his shelves。
In fact； his precautions proved unnecessary。 The street became a conduit for ferrying the wounded army from the bat zone； which was moving up the hill one street east of the cafe。 There were two nerve…racking hours； however； when the din of shouting and gunfire was ing from all pass points； and the bottles on Slew's shelves tinkled every time the ground shook； which was often。 One of the shopkeepers who'd left i
