cb.imajica1-第51部分
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t brother Oscar。 She tried by the most direct route first： the telephone directory。 He wasn't listed。 She then tried via Lewis Leader； but he claimed to have no knowledge of the man's whereabouts or fortunes； telling her that the affairs of the two brothers were quite separate； and he had never been called to deal with any matter involving Oscar Godolphin。
〃For all I know；〃 he said； 〃the man could be dead。〃 Having drawn a blank with the direct routes； she was thrown back upon the indirect。 She returned to Esta…brook's house and scoured it thoroughly； looking for Oscar's address or telephone number。 She found neither； but she did turn up a photograph album Charlie had never shown to her； in which pictures of what she took to be the two brothers appeared。 It wasn't difficult to distinguish one from the other。 Even in those early pictures Charlie had the troubled look the camera always found in him； whereas Oscar； younger by a few years； was nevertheless the more confident of the pair： a little overweight； but carrying it easily； smiling an easy smile as he hooked his arm around his brother's shoulders。 She removed the most recent of the photographs from the album which pictured Charles at puberty or thereabouts； and kept it。 Repetition； she found； made theft easier。 But it was the only information about Oscar she took away with her。 If she was to get to the traveler and find out in what world he'd bought his souvenirs； she'd have to work on Estabrook to do so。 It would take time； and her impatience grew with every short and rainy day。 Even though she had the freedom to buy a ticket anywhere on the planet； a kind of claustrophobia was upon her。 There was another world to which she wanted access。 Until she got it； Earth itself would be a prison。
Leader called Oscar on the morning of January seventeenth with the news that his brother's estranged wife was asking for information on his whereabouts。
〃Did she say why？〃
〃No； not precisely。 But she's very clearly sniffing after something。 She's apparently seen Estabrook three times in the last week。〃
〃Thank you； Lewis。 I appreciate this。〃
〃Appreciate it in hard cash； Oscar；〃 Leader replied。 〃I've had a very expensive Christmas。〃
〃When have you ever gone empty…handed？〃 Oscar said。 〃Keep me posted。〃
The lawyer promised to do so； but Oscar doubted he'd provide much more by way of useful information。 Only truly despairing souls confided in lawyers； and he doubted Judith was the despairing type。 He'd never met her… Charlie had seen to that…but if she'd survived his pany for any time at all she had to have a will of iron。 Which begged the question： Why would a woman who knew （presuming she did） that her husband had conspired to kill her； seek out his pany； unless she had an ulterior motive？ And was it conceivable that said motive was finding brother Oscar？ If so； such curiosity had to be nipped in the bud。 There were already enough variables at play； what with the Society's purge now under way； and the inevitable police investigation on its heels； not to mention his new majordomo Augustine （ne Dowd）； who was behaving in altogether too snotty a fashion。 And of course； most volatile of these variables； sitting in his asylum beside the heath； Charlie himself； probably crazy； certainly unpredictable； with all manner of tidbits in his head which could do Oscar a lot of harm。 It could be only a matter of time before he started to bee talkative； and when he did； what better ear to drop his discretions into than that of his inquiring wife？
That evening he sent Dowd （he couldn't get used to that saintly Augustine） up to the clinic； with a basket of fruit for his brother。
〃Find a friend there； if you can；〃 he told Dowd。 〃I need to know what Charlie babbles about when he's being bathed。〃
〃Why don't you ask him directly？〃
〃He hates me； that's why。 He thinks I stole his mess of pottage when Papa introduced me into the Tabula Rasa instead of Charlie。〃
〃Why did your father do that？〃
〃Because he knew Charlie was unstable； and he'd do the Society more harm than good。 I've had him under control until now。 He's had his little gifts from the Dominions。 He's had you fawn upon him when he needed something out of the ordinary； like his assassin。 This all started with that fucking assassin！ Why couldn't you have just killed the woman yourself？〃
〃What do you take me for？〃 Dowd said with distaste。 〃I couldn't lay hands on a woman。 Especially not a beauty。〃
〃How do you know she's a beauty？〃
〃I've heard her talked about。〃
〃Well； I don't care what she looks like。 I don't want her meddling in my business。 Find out what she's up to。 Then we'll work out our response。〃
Dowd came back a few hours later； with alarming news。 〃Apparently she's persuaded him to take her to the estate。〃
〃What？ What？〃 Oscar bounded from his chair。 The parrots rose up squawking in sympathy。 〃She knows more than she should。 Shit！ All that heartache to keep the Society out of our hair； and now this bitch conies along and we're in worse trouble than ever。〃
〃Nothing's happened yet。〃
〃But it will； it will！ She'll wind him around her little finger； and he'll tell her everything。〃
〃What do you want to do about it？〃
Oscar went to hush the parrots。 〃Ideally？〃 he said； as he smoothed their ruffled wings。 〃Ideally I'd have Charlie vanish off the face of the earth。〃
〃He had much the same ambition for her；〃 Dowd observed。
〃Meaning what？〃
〃Just that you're both quite capable of murder。〃
Oscar made a contemptuous grunt。 〃Charlie was only playing at it；〃 he said。 〃He's got no balls！ He's got no vision！〃 He returned to his high…backed chair； his expression sullen。 〃It's not going to hold； damn it；〃 he said。 〃I can feel it in my gut。 We've kept things neat and tidy so far； but it's not going to hold。 Charlie has to be taken out of the equation。〃
〃He's your brother。〃
〃He's a burden。〃
〃What I mean is： he's your brother。 You should be the one to dispatch him。〃
Oscar's eyes widened。 〃Oh； my Lord；〃 he said。
〃Think what they'd say in Yzordderrex； if you were to tell them。〃
〃What？ That I killed my own brother？ I don't see much charm in that。〃
〃But that you did what you had to do； however unpalatable； to keep the secret safe。〃 Dowd paused to let the idea blossom。 〃That sounds heroic to me。 Think what they'll say。〃
〃I'm thinking。〃
〃It's your reputation in Yzordderrex you care about； isn't it； not what happens in the Fifth？ You've said before that this world's getting duller all the time。〃
Oscar pondered this for a while。 〃Maybe I should slip away。 Kill them both to make sure nobody ever knows where I've gone…〃
〃Where we've gone。〃
〃…then slip away and pass into legend。 Oscar Godolphin； who left his crazy brother dead beside his wife and disappeared。 Oh； yes。 That'd make quite a headline in Patashoqua。〃 He mused a few moments more。 〃What's the classic sibling murder weapon？〃 he finally asked。
〃The jawbone of an ass。〃
〃Ridiculous。〃
〃You'll think of something better。！'
〃So I will。 Make me a drink； Dowdie。 And have one yourself。 We'll drink to escape。〃
〃Doesn't everybody？〃 Dowd replied； but the remark was lost on Godolphin； who was already plunged deep into murderous thought。
20
Gentle and Pie were six days on the Patashoquan Highway； days measured not by the watch on Pie's wrist but by the brightening and darkening of the peacock sky。 On the fifth day the watch gave up the ghost anyway； maddened； Pie supposed； by the magnetic field surrounding a city of pyramids they passed。 Thereafter； even though Gentle wanted to preserve some sense of how time was proceeding in the Dominion they'd left； it was virtually impossible。 Within a few days their bodies were acmodating the rhythm of their new world； and he let his curiosity feast on more pertinent matters： chiefly； the landscape through which they were traveling。
It was diverse。 In that first week they passed out of the plain into a region of lagoons…the Cosacosa…which took two days to cross； and thence into tracts of ancient conifers so tall that clouds hung in their topmost branches like the nests of ethereal birds。 On the other side of this stupendous forest； the mountains Gentle had gli
