cb.imajica1-第75部分

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would　surely　be　the　first　to　sense　any　disturbance　in　the　rails；　going　about　their　nest　building　unperturbed。　He　wearied　of　watching　them　very　quickly　and　turned　his　attention　to　Pie's　scrawlings。
　〃What　are　you　doing？〃
　〃I'm　trying　to　work　out　how　long　we've　been　here。〃
　〃Two　days　in　Mai…ke；　a　day　and　a　half　on　the　road　from　Attaboy…〃
　〃No；　no；〃　said　the　mystif；　〃I'm　trying　to　work　it　out　in　Earth　days。　Right　from　first　arriving　in　the　Dominions。〃
　〃We　tried　that　in　the　mountains；　and　we　didn't　get　anywhere。〃
　〃That's　because　our　brains　were　frozen　stiff。〃
　〃So　have　you　done　it？〃
　〃Give　me　a　little　time。〃
　〃Time；　we've　got；〃　Gentle　said；　returning　his　gaze　to　the　antics　of　graveolents。　〃These　little　buggers'll　have　grandchildren　by　the　time　the　damn　train　arrives。〃
　The　mystif　went　on　with　its　calculations；　leaving　Gentle　to　wander　back　into　the　parative　fort　of　the　waiting　room；　which；　to　judge　by　the　sheep　droppings　on　the　floor；　had　been　used　to　pen　entire　flocks　in　the　recent　past。　The　zarzi　followed　him；　buzzing　around　his　brow。　He　pulled　from　his　ill…fitting　jacket　（bought　with　money　he　and　Pie　had　won　gambling　in　Attaboy）　a　dog…eared　copy　of　Fanny　Hill…the　only　volume　in　English；　besides　Pilgrim's　Progress；　which　he'd　been　able　to　purchase…and　used　it　to　flail　at　the　insects；　then　gave　up。　They'd　tire　of　him　eventually；　or　else　he'd　bee　immune　to　their　attacks。　Whichever；　he　didn't　care。
　He　leaned　against　the　graffiti…covered　wall　and　yawned。　He　was　bored。　Of　all　things；　bored！　If；　when　they'd　first　arrived　in　Vanaeph；　Pie　had　suggested　that　a　few　weeks　later　the　wonders　of　the　Reconciled　Dominions　would　have　bee　tedious；　Gentle　would　have　laughed　the　thought　off　as　nonsense。　With　a　gold…green　sky　above　and　the　spires　of　Patashoqua　gleaming　in　the　distance；　the　scope　for　adventure　had　seemed　endless。　But　by　the　time　he'd　reached　Beatrix…the　fond　memories　of　which　had　not　been　entirely　erased　by　images　of　its　ruin…he　was　traveling　like　any　man　in　a　foreign　land；　prepared　for　occasional　revelations　but　persuaded　that　the　nature　of　conscious；　curious　bipeds　was　a　constant　under　any　heaven。　They'd　seen　a　great　deal　in　the　last　few　days；　to　be　sure；　but　nothing　he　might　not　have　imagined　had　he　not　stayed　at　home　and　got　seriously　drunk。
　Yes；　there　had　been　glorious　sights。　But　there　had　also　been　hours　of　disfort；　boredom；　and　banality。　On　their　way　to　Mai…ke；　for　instance；　they'd　been　exhorted　to　stay　in　some　nameless　hamlet　to　witness　the　munity's　festival：　the　annual　donkey　drowning。　The　origins　of　this　ritual　were；　they　were　told；　shrouded　in　fabulous　mystery。　They　declined；　Gentle　remarking　that　this　surely　marked　the　nadir　of　their　journey；　and　traveled　on　in　the　back　of　a　wagon　whose　driver　informed　them　that　the　vehicle　had　served　his　family　for　six　generations　as　a　dung　carrier。　He　then　proceeded　to　explain　at　great　length　the　life　cycle　of　his　family's　ancient　foe；　the　pensanu；　or　shite　rooster；　a　beast　that　with　one　turd　could　render　an　entire　wagonload　of　dung　inedible。　They　didn't　press　the　man　as　to　who　in　the　region　dined　thusly；　but　they　peered　closely　at　their　plates　for　many　days　following。
　As　he　sat　rolling　the　hard　pellets　of　sheep　dung　under　his　heel；　Gentle　turned　his　thoughts　to　the　one　high　point　in　their　journey　across　the　Third。　That　was　the　town　of　Ef…fatoi；　which　Gentle　had　rechristened　Attaboy。　It　wasn't　that　large…the　size　of　Amsterdam；　perhaps；　and　with　that　city's　charm…but　it　was　a　gambler's　paradise；　drawing　souls　addicted　to　chance　from　across　the　Dominion。　Here　every　game　in　the　Imajica　could　be　played。　If　your　credit　wasn't　good　in　the　casinos　or　the　cock　pits；　you　could　always　find　a　desperate　man　somewhere　who'd　bet　on　the　color　of　your　next　piss　if　it　was　the　only　game　on　offer。　Working　together　with　what　was　surely　telepathic　efficiency；　Gentle　and　the　mystif　had　made　a　small　fortune　in　the　city…in　eight　currencies；　no　less…enough　to　keep　them　in　clothes；　food；　and　train　tickets　until　they　reached　Yzord…derrex。　It　wasn't　profit　that　had　almost　seduced　Gentle　into　setting　up　house　there；　however。　It　was　a　local　delicacy：　a　cake　of　strudel　pastry　and　the　honey…softened　seeds　of　a　marriage　between　peach　and　pomegranate；　which　he　ate　before　they　gambled　to　give　him　vim；　then　while　they　gambled　to　calm　las　nerves；　and　then　again　in　celebration　when　they'd　won。　It　was　only　when　Pie　assured　him　that　the　confection　would　be　available　elsewhere　（and　if　it　wasn't　they　now　had　sufficient　funds　to　hire　their　own　pastry　chef　to　make　it）　that　Gentle　was　persuaded　to　depart。　L'Himby　called。
　〃We　have　to　move　on；〃　the　mystif　had　said。　〃Scopique　will　be　waiting。〃
　〃You　make　it　sound　like　he's　expecting　us。〃
　〃I'm　always　expected；〃　Pie　said。
　〃How　long　since　you　were　in　L'Himby？〃
　〃At　least。　。　。　two　hundred　and　thirty　years。〃
　〃Then　he'll　be　dead。〃
　〃Not　Scopique；〃　Pie　said。　〃It's　important　you　see　him；　Gentle。　Especially　now；　with　so　many　changes　in　the　air。〃
　〃If　that's　what　you　want　to　do；　then　we'll　do　it；〃　Gentle　had　replied；　〃How　far　is　L'Himby？〃
　〃A　day's　journey；　if　we　take　the　train。〃
　That　had　been　the　first　mention　Gentle　had　heard　of　the　iron　road　that　joined　the　city　of　lahmandhas　and　L'Himby：　the　city　of　furnaces　and　the　city　of　temples。
　〃You'll　like　L'Himby；〃　Pie　had　said。　〃It's　a　place　of　meditation。〃
　Rested　and　funded；　they'd　left　Attaboy　the　following　morning；　traveling　along　the　River　Fefer　for　a　day；　then；　via　Happi　and　Omootajive；　into　the　province　called　the　Ched　Lo　Ched；　the　Flowering　Place　（now　bloomless）；　and　finally　to　Mai…ke；　caught　in　the　twin　pincers　of　poverty　and　puritanism。
　On　the　platform　outside；　Gentle　heard　Pie　say；　〃Good。〃
　He　raised　himself　from　the　fort　of　the　wall　and　stepped　out　into　the　sunshine　again。　〃The　train？〃　he　said。
　〃No。　The　calculations。　I've　finished　them。〃　The　mystif　stared　down　at　the　marks　on　the　platform　at　its　feet。　〃This　is　only　an　approximation；　of　course；　but　I　think　it's　sound　within　a　day　or　two。　Three　at　the　most。〃
　〃So　what　day　is　it？〃
　〃Take　a　guess。〃
　〃March。　。　。　the　tenth。〃
　〃Way　off；〃　said　Pie。　〃By　these　calculations；　and　remember　this　is　only　an　approximation；　it's　the　seventeenth　of　May。〃
　〃Impossible。〃
　〃It's　true。〃
　〃Spring's　almost　over。〃
　〃Are　you　wishing　you　were　back　there？〃　Pie　asked。
　Gentle　chewed　on　this　for　a　while；　then　said；　〃Not　particularly。　I　just　wish　the　fucking　trains　ran　on　time。〃
　He　wandered　to　the　edge　of　the　platform　and　stared　down　the　line。
　〃There's　no　sign；〃　Pie　said。　〃We'd　be　quicker　going　by　doeki。〃
　〃You　keep　doing　that…〃
　〃Doing　what？〃
　〃Saying　what's　on　the　tip　of　my　tongue。　Are　you　reading　my　mind？〃
　〃No；〃　said　the　mystif；　rubbing　out　its　calculation　with　its　sole。
　〃So　how　did　we　win　all　that　in　Attaboy？〃
　〃You　don't　need　teaching；〃　Pie　replied。
　〃Don't　tell　me　it　es　naturally；〃　Gentle　said。　〃I've　got　through　my　entire　life　without　winning　a　thing；　and　suddenly；　when　you're　with　me；　I　can　do　no　wrong。　That's　no　coincidence。　Tell　me　the　truth。〃
　〃That　is　the　truth。　You　don't　need　teaching。　Reminding；　maybe。　。　。。〃　Pie　gave　a　little　smile。
　〃And　that's　another　thing；〃　Gentle　said；　snatching　at　one　of　the　zarzi　as　he　spoke。
　Much　to　his　surprise；　he　actually　caught　it。　He　opened　his　palm。　He'd　cracked　its　casing；　and　the　blue　mush　of　its　innards　was　oozing　out；　but　it　was　still　alive。　Disgusted；　he　flicked　his　wrist；　depositing　the　body　on　the　platform　at　his　feet。　He　didn't　scrutinize　the　remains；　but　pulled　up　a　fistful　of　the　sickly　grass　that　sprouted　between　the　slabs　of　the　platform　and　set　about　scrubbing　his　palm　with　it。
　〃What　were　we　talking　about？〃　he　said。　Pie　didn't　reply。　〃Oh；　yes　。　。　。　things　I'd　forgotten。〃　He　looked　down　at　his　clean　hand。　〃Pneuma；〃　he　said。　〃Why　would　I　ever　forget　having　a　power　like　the　pneuma？〃
　〃Either　because　it　wasn't　important　to　you　any　longer…〃
　〃Which　is　doubtful。〃
　〃…or　you　forgot　because　you　wanted　to　forget。〃
　There　was　an　oddness　in　the　way　the　mystif　pronounced　its　reply　which　grated　on　Gentle's　ear；　but　he　pursued　the　argument　anyway。
　〃Why　would　I　want　to　forget？〃　he　said。
　Pie　looked　back　along　the　line。　The　distance　was　obscured　by　dust；