cb.imajica1-第65部分

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　23
　
　Gentle　dreamed　that　the　wind　grew　harsher　and　brought　snow　down　off　the　peaks；　fresh　minted。　He　nevertheless　rose　from　the　relative　fort　of　his　place　beside　the　ashes；　and　took　off　his　coat　and　shirt；　took　off　his　boots　and　socks；　took　off　his　trousers　and　underwear；　and　naked　walked　down　the　narrow　corridor　of　rock；　past　the　sleeping　doeki；　to　face　the　blast。　Even　in　dreams；　the　wind　threatened　to　freeze　his　marrow；　but　he　had　his　sights　set　on　the　glacier；　and　he　had　to　go　to　it　in　all　humility；　bare…loined；　barebacked；　to　show　due　respect　for　those　souls　who　suffered　there。　They　had　endured　centuries　of　pain；　the　crime　against　them　unrevenged。　Beside　theirs；　his　suffering　was　a　minor　thing。
　There　was　sufficient　light　in　the　wide　sky　to　show　him　his　way；　but　the　wastes　seemed　endless；　and　the　gusts　worsened　as　he　went；　several　times　throwing　him　over　into　the　snow。　His　muscles　cramped　and　his　breath　shortened；　ing　from　between　his　numbed　lips　in　hard；　small　clouds。　He　wanted　to　weep　for　the　pain　of　it；　but　the　tears　crystallized　on　the　ledge　of　his　eye　and　would　not　fall。
　Twice　he　stopped；　because　he　sensed　that　there　was　something　more　than　snow　on　the　storm's　back。　He　remembered　Pie's　talk　of　agents　left　in　this　wilderness　to　guard　the　murder　site　and；　though　he　was　only　dreaming　and　knew　it；　he　was　still　afraid。　If　these　entities　were　charged　to　keep　witnesses　from　the　glacier；　they　would　not　simply　drive　the　wakeful　off　but　the　sleeping　too；　and　those　who　came　as　he　came；　in　reverence；　would　earn　their　special　ire。　He　studied　the　spattered　air；　looking　for　some　sign　of　them；　and　once　thought　he　glimpsed　a　form　overhead　that　would　have　been　invisible　but　that　it　displaced　the　snow：　an　eel's　body　with　a　tiny　ball　of　a　head。　But　it　was　e　and　gone　loo　quickly　for　him　to　be　certain　he'd　even　seen　it。
　The　glacier　was　in　sight；　however；　and　his　will　drove　his　limbs　to　motion；　until　he　was　standing　at　its　edge。　He　raised　his　hands　to　his　face　and　wiped　the　snow　from　his　cheeks　and　forehead；　then　stepped　onto　the　ice。　The　women　gazed　up　at　him　as　they　had　when　he'd　stood　here　with　Pie　'oh'　pah；　but　now；　through　the　dust　of　snow　blowing　across　the　ice；　they　saw　him　naked；　his　manhood　shrunk；　his　body　trembling；　on　his　face　and　lips　a　question　he　had　half　an　answer　to。　Why；　if　this　was　indeed　the　work　of　Hapexamen…dios；　had　the　Unbeheld；　with　all　His　powers　of　destruction；　not　obliterated　every　last　sign　of　His　victims？　Was　it　because　they　were　women　or；　more　particularly；　women　of　power？　Had　He　brought　them　to　ruin　as　best　He　could…　overturning　their　altars　and　unseating　their　temples…but　at　the　last　been　unable　to　wipe　them　away？　And　if　so；　was　this　ice　a　grave　or　merely　a　prison？
　He　dropped　to　his　knees　and　laid　his　palms　on　the　glacier。　This　time　he　definitely　heard　a　sound　in　the　wind；　a　raw　howl　somewhere　overhead。　The　invisibles　had　entertained　his　dreaming　presence　long　enough。　They　saw　his　purpose　and　were　circling　in　preparation　for　descent。　He　blew　against　his　palm　and　made　a　fist　before　the　breath　could　slip；　then　raised　his　arm　and　slammed　his　hand
　against　the　ice；　opening　it　as　he　did　so。
　The　pneuma　went　off　like　a　thunderclap。　Before　the
　tremors　had　died　he　snatched　a　second　breath　and　broke　it
　gainst　the　ice；　then　a　third　and　fourth　in　quick　succession；
　striking　the　steely　surface　so　hard　that　had　the　pneuma　not
　cushioned　the　blow　he'd　have　broken　every　bone　from
　wrist　to　fingertip。　But　his　efforts　had　effect。　There　were
　hairline　cracks　spreading　from　the　point　of　impact。
　Encouraged；　he　began　a　second　round　of　blows；　but　he'd　delivered　only　three　when　he　felt　something　take　hold　of　his　hair；　wrenching　his　head　back。　A　second　grip　instantly　seized　his　raised　arm。　He　had　time　to　feel　the　ice　splintering　beneath　his　legs；　then　he　was　hauled　up　off　the　glacier　by　wrist　and　hair。　He　struggled　against　the　claim；　knowing　that　if　his　assaulters　carried　him　too　high　death　was　assured；　they'd　either　tear　him　apart　in　the　clouds　or　simply　drop　him。　The　hold　on　his　head　was　the　less　secure　of　the　two；　and　his　gyrations　were　sufficient　to　slip　it；　though　blood　ran
　down　his　brow。
　Freed；　he　looked　up　at　the　entities。　There　were　two；　six　feet　long；　their　bodies　scantily；　fleshed　spines　sprouting　innumerable　ribs；　their　limbs　twelvefold　and　bereft　of　bone；　their　heads　vestigial。　Only　their　motion　had　beauty：　a　sinuous　knotting　and　unknotting。　He　reached　up　and　snatched　at　the　closer　of　the　two　heads。　Though　it　had　no　discernible　features；　it　looked　tender；　and　his　hand　had　sufficient　echo　of　the　pneumas　it　had　discharged　to　do　harm。　He　dug　his　fingers　into　the　flesh　of　the　thing；　and　it　instantly　began　to　writhe；　coiling　its　length　around　its　panion　for　support；　its　limbs　flailing　wildly。　He　twisted　his　body　to　the　left　and　right；　the　motion　violent　enough　to　wrench　him　free。　Then　he　fell；　a　mere　six　feet　but　hard；　onto　slivered　ice。　The　breath　went　from　him　as　the　pain　came。　He　had　time　to　see　the　agents　descending　upon　him；　but　none　in　which　to　escape。　Waking　or　sleeping；　this　was　the　end　of　him；　he　knew；　death　by　these　limbs　had　jurisdiction　in　both　states。
　But　before　they　could　find　his　flesh；　and　blind　him；　and　unman　him；　he　felt　the　shattered　glacier　beneath　him　shudder；　and　with　a　roar　it　rose；　throwing　him　off　its　back　into　the　snow。　Shards　pelted　down　upon　him；　but　he　peered　up　through　their　hail　to　see　that　the　women　were　emerging　from　their　graves；　clothed　in　ice。　He　hauled　himself　to　his　feet　as　the　tremors　increased；　the　din　of　this　unshackling　echoing　off　the　mountains。　Then　he　turned　and　ran。
　The　storm　was　discreet　and　quickly　drew　its　veil　over　the　resurrection；　so　that　he　fled　not　knowing　how　the　events　he'd　begun　had　finished。　Certainly　the　agents　of　Hapexa…mendios　made　no　pursuit；　or；　if　they　did；　they　failed　to　find　him。　Their　absence　forted　him　only　a　little。　His　adventures　had　done　him　harm；　and　the　distance　he　had　to　cover　to　get　back　to　the　camp　was　substantial。　His　run　soon　deteriorated　into　stumbling　and　staggering；　blood　marking　his　route。　It　was　time　to　be　done　with　this　dream　of　endurance；　he　thought；　and　open　his　eyes；　to　roll　over　and　put　his　arms　around　Pie　'oh'　pah；　to　kiss　the　mystif's　cheek　and　share　this　vision　with　it。　But　his　thoughts　were　too　confounded　to　take　hold　of　wakefulness　long　enough　for　him　to　rouse　himself；　and　he　dared　not　He　down　in　the　snow　in　case　a　dreamed　death　came　to　him　before　morning　woke　him。　All　he　could　do　was　push　himself　on；　weaker　by　the　step；　putting　out　of　his　head　the　possibility　that　he'd　lost　his　way　and　that　the　camp　didn't　lie　ahead　but　off　in　another　direction　entirely。
　He　was　looking　down　at　his　feet　when　he　heard　the　shout；　and　his　first　instinct　was　to　peer　up　into　the　snow　above　him；　expecting　one　of　the　Unbeheld's　creatures。　But　before　his　eyes　reached　his　zenith　they　found　the　shape　approaching　him　from　his　left。　He　stopped　and　studied　the　figure。　It　was　shaggy　and　hooded；　but　its　arms　were　outspread　in　invitation。　He　didn't　waste　what　little　energy　he　had　calling　Pie's　name。　He　simply　changed　his　direction　and　headed　towards　the　mystif　as　it　came　to　meet　him。　It　was　the　faster　of　the　two；　and　as　it　came　it　shrugged　off　its　coat　and　held　it　open；　so　that　he　fell　into　its　luxury。　He　couldn't　feel　it；　indeed　he　could　feel　little；　except　relief。　Borne　up　by　the　mystif　he　let　all　conscious　thought　go；　the　rest　of　the　journey　being　a　blur　of　snow　and　snow；　and　Pie's　voice　sometimes；　at　his　side；　telling　him　that　it　would
　be　over　soon。
　〃Am　I　awake？〃　He　opened　his　eyes　and　sat　up；　grasping　hold　of　Pie's　coat　to　do　so。　〃Am　I　awake？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Thank　God！　Thank　God！　I　thought　I　was　going　to
　freeze　to　death。〃
　He　let　his　head　sink　back。　The　fire　was　burning；　fed　with　fur；　and　he　could　feel　its　warmth　on　his　face　and　body。　It　took　a　few　seconds　to　realize　the　significance　of　this。　Then　he　sat　up　again　and　realized　he　was　naked；　naked　and　covered　with　cuts。
　〃I'm　not　awake；〃　he　said。　〃Shit！　I'm　not　awake！〃
　Pie　took　the　pot　of　herders'　brew　from　the　fire；　and
　poured　a　cup。
　〃You　didn't　dream　it；〃　the　mystif　said。　It　handed　the　cup　over　to　Gentle。　〃You　went　to　the　glacier；　and　yo