cspector.worldwithoutend-第23部分
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〃Be so kind as to bring my friend here the same；〃 I said。 The waiter nodded and went away。
〃What's that？〃 Black T…shirt asked。
〃Vichyssoise；〃 I replied。
He looked blank。
〃Cold potato soup；〃 I said。
He wrinkled his nose。
〃Beggars can't be choosers and neither can you。〃 I leaned back and studied him。 This seemed to make him preening and nervous at the same time。 〃What's your name？〃
〃John Mortimer。〃
〃And what precisely is it you want of me； Mr。 Mortimer？〃
He leaned forward； I resisted the urge to do so also。 Habits die hard。
〃I want to know the secret；〃 he said。 〃I want to know how to be immortal。〃
〃What on earth makes you think I'm immortal？〃。 I asked。 J
He got a big grin。 It was toothy and surprisingly 1｜ sweet。 I almost liked him for that smile。
〃It started out by accident about four years ago；〃 he began。 〃I was doing some research after reading＇ an article in the newspaper。〃 He pulled a small； yellowed newspaper clipping from his pocket。 The headline read： Mystery Buyer Purchases Earldom for 700；000。 I glanced over the article。 It pretty much gave the dry facts of my acquisition of the Earldom of Arran。 Everything except my identity； which I'd had them keep quiet。
〃What has this to do with me？〃 I asked； handin the clipping back。
〃You bought it；〃 he said。
〃And what makes you think that？〃
〃I like puters；〃 he said。 〃I'm quite good wit them。 Every aspect。 Programming； hardware…yc name it。 It's just this knack I have。 Well； for son reason this article caught my attention。 So I got c the Web and started trying to find out what I couM about this mystery buyer。 But pretty much every…1 thing after you bought the place was under deep｜ wraps。 Oh； I know all about the history of the place。 That earldom was created in 1503 by King James IV。
The title is linked to the land instead of by blood。 All that stuff。 History is easy enough to find out。
〃But about the new buyer…bloody nothing。 That got me curious。 Who would want so much privacy and why？ So I started contacting other Net surfers in Scotland and eventually I came up with a few who knew all about the island。 They were day workers hired to refurbish the house the new owner would be occupying。
〃That's when I found out about you。 It was quite a stir you being； well； not white。 I even got along so well with my Scottish connection that they invited me for a visit。 You were off on one of your mysterious trips。 Everyone who worked for you always talked about your trips。
〃So I went to visit my friends； and they showed me around the castle and the grounds。 You've done a wonderful job keeping up the place。 By the way。〃
I snorted and went back to eating my soup。 The waiter came and placed a bowl in front of him。 He frowned slightly at it； then took up his spoon and gave the soup a small taste。 Apparently it was to his liking； for I got no more of his tale until he had finished the whole bowl。
〃I never would have thought cold potato soup could taste so good；〃 he said as he wiped his mouth。
〃The things you leam every day；〃 I murmured。
〃So； as my hosts were showing me around； I began to notice a couple of things。 There was all this °ld stuff around； but not all of it seemed to belong Asre； if you know what I mean。 Not the usual rich collections of plates； clocks； and the like。 No； your choices were so much more…peculiar。
〃But the thing that got me most excited was this picture of you。 A painting； I mean。 Paul…that's the friend who I was staying with…had gone off to the bathroom and he left me alone in your study。 There was a photo of you and some guy on your desk。 Then noticed a stack of paintings against one wall。 I flipped through them and came across this portrait。
〃It was you。 But it wasn't。 I mean you looked just like you do now； only you were wearing some weird costume。 Later； I learned it probably came from the Renaissance。 I heard my friend in the hall and put the painting back。 But； you know； that painting stayed with me。〃
〃People have portraits done everyday；〃 I said。
〃But this one looked like hundreds of years old。 The paint was dried and cracked。 It felt old。〃
I rolled my eyes。 〃Oh； I didn't realize that among your many talents you are also an art historian。 Let me see； you're a crack puter wiz； a clever defrauder of people's trust； and now you're an expert in dating paintings。 What other talents do you have up your sleeve？〃 I asked。
His face flushed red； but he didn't answer me。 The waiter came and took our dishes； then presented us with the pate。 I broke off a bit of the French bread on the table and proceeded to smear a generous amount of my pate on it。 I gestured to him to do likewise。
〃Really；〃 I said。 〃You must try your pate。 It's marvelous。〃
〃What is it？〃 he asked。
〃Goose liver； butter； cognac； pepper； and cream； most likely；〃 I said。 〃Do go on with your tale。 It's so unusual to have such a fascinating dinner story。〃
He poked at the pate as if it would leap off the plate and attack him。 Then he put the knife down。 No guts； no glory。
〃But see； the painting reminded me of another one I'd seen； in some class I'd had in school。 So after I went to the library and started looking through books of artists。。。〃
〃Was this while you were still in Scotland？〃 I asked。
〃Yes；〃 he replied。 〃I was staying for a couple of weeks。 Paul was glad to get me out of the house every now and again so he could have his girlfriend over。 They were wanting to。。。 well； you know。〃
〃How touching。〃
〃Anyway； I found the book I was looking for。 It was on Rembrandt。 It had all his paintings in it with little descriptions of what they were about and who owned them。 But most of them are in museums。 Except the one you have。
〃But you obviously had all this money so I fig…urea you could buy a Rembrandt if you wanted； but you couldn't have a portrait of yourself by him unless you'd'been there。〃
〃I hate to interrupt your psychotic ramblings；〃 I said。 〃But haven't you ever heard of copycat painters？〃
〃Yeah； I heard about them when I was doing my research on you； but from what I came up with； that wasn't your style。 You go for top…notch stuff if you bother with it at all。〃
〃How flattering。〃
〃Look； just stop trying to play like you don't know what I'm talking about。 I've done research on you for the last four years。 I know you've taken the identities of a number of other people。 Graves are full of。 the babies whose names you've used。 You've passed yourself off as your own granddaughter； as missing cousins。 You're very good； I'll grant you that。 But I have the documentation to back up everything I've found。〃
He pulled an envelope from his inside pocket and dropped it on the table。 A sick feeling nestled in my stomach。
〃Go ahead；〃 he said。 〃Look inside。〃
Slowly； I wiped my fingers on my napkin。 Moving slowly seemed to be a very good idea at the moment。 I pulled the envelope to me and slid the contents out。 There were letters from registry offices in several countries； copies of birth and death certis…icates； copies of land purchases in the names of some of the pseudonyms I've used。 There was even a photo of the Rembrandt。
〃How did you get this？〃 I asked holding up the photo。 I was getting angry； but I didn't let him know。 This was too terrible to let a foolish burst of temper out。
〃Paul had to go back to your house for some repairs while I was there on my visit。 I came along and snuck up to your study to make some shots。〃
〃What do you want？〃 I asked。 I felt sick。 〃Money？〃
He shook his head furiously。 〃No；〃 he said。 〃That's not it at all。 I want what you have。 I want to be immortal。〃
〃And what makes you think I can make you so？〃
〃Because that's how it works；〃 he said。 〃Like vampires； only I don't think you're a vampire。 At least not the blood…sucking kind。 You've got something and I want it。 Why shouldn't I be like you？ I figured out that you were immortal。 I mean； shouldn't there be some kind of reward for that？〃
I closed my eyes。 Mortals。 Humans。 There were times when I thought Alachia's attitude toward them was dead on。
〃And you think your reward should be that I ma
