p&c.brimstone-第17节

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　Fosco's　shoulder；　then　to　his　ear；　and…leaning　forward　with　a　whirring　of　gears…plucked　the　seed　from　the　projecting　lips；　cracked　it　with　its　mechanical　bill；　and　made　every　appearance　of　eating　it。　
　〃Ah！　My　pretty；　playtime　is　over！〃　cooed　the　count。　〃Back　to　your　perch。〃　He　gave　his　gloved　hand　a　little　wave。　The　cockatoo　gave　a　screech　of　displeasure　and　flared　his　mechanical　crest；　but　made　no　further　movement。　
　〃Ah；　stubborn　today；　I　see。〃　The　count　spoke　louder；　more　firmly。　〃Back　to　your　perch；　my　pretty；　or　you　will　be　eating　millet　instead　of　nuts　the　rest　of　the　day。〃　
　With　another　screech；　the　cockatoo　hopped　off　his　shoulder　onto　the　table；　waddled　over　to　the　stand；　climbed　it　with　metal　claws；　and　resumed　its　place；　casting　its　beady　LED　eyes　on　Pendergast。　
　And　now　at　last；　the　count　turned　with　a　smile　and　bow；　offering　Pendergast　his　hand。　〃I　am　so　sorry　to　keep　you　waiting。　My　friend…as　you　see…requires　his　exercise。〃　
　〃Most　interesting；〃　said　Pendergast　dryly。　
　〃No　doubt　it　is！　It　is　true；　I　cut　a　ridiculous　figure　with　my　pets。〃　
　〃Pets？〃　
　〃Yes。　And　you　see　how　they　love　me！　My　cockatoo　and…〃　He　inclined　his　suety　head　toward　the　other　side　of　the　room；　where　what　looked　like　a　pack　of　mice　were　disporting　themselves　within　an　elaborate　wire　pagoda　with　various　clicks　and　whirs　and　digital　squeaks。　〃And　my　dear　little　white　mice！　But；　of　course；　of　all　my　pretties；　Bucephalus　here　is　my　pride　and　joy。〃　And　Fosco　turned　toward　the　cockatoo。　〃Are　you　not；　my　pretty？〃　
　The　bird's　only　response　was　to　bury　its　massive　black　bill　within　a　fluff　of　fake　beak　feathers；　as　if　rendered　timid　by　the　pliment。　
　〃You　must　forgive　Bucephalus！〃　Fosco　said；　tut…tutting。　〃He　is　not　partial　to　strangers。　He　is　slow　to　make　friends　and　screams　when　displeased…ah；　my　friend；　such　screams　as　you　would　not　believe！　I　have　been　forced　to　take　the　two　apartments　adjoining　this　and　keep　them　unoccupied；　at　great　personal　expense。　Mere　walls；　you　see；　are　no　defense　against　the　lungs　of　this　magnificent　creature！〃　
　The　robotic　cockatoo　gave　no　acknowledgment　of　this　panegyric；　continuing　to　eye　Pendergast　motionlessly。　
　〃But　they　are　all　quite　fond　of　opera。　As　Congreve　said；　music　hath　charms　et　cetera。　Perhaps　you　heard　my　poor　singing。　Did　you　recognize　the　piece？〃　
　Pendergast　nodded。　〃Pollione's　aria　fromNorma　；　'Abbandonarmi　così　potresti。'〃　
　〃Ah！　Then　you　liked　it。〃　
　〃I　said　I　recognized　it。　Tell　me；　Count；　did　you　build　these　robots　yourself？〃　
　〃Yes。　I　am　a　lover　of　animals　and　gadgets。　Would　you　like　to　see　my　canaries？　The　real　ones；　I　mean：　I　rarely　distinguish　between　my　own　children　and　those　of　nature。〃　
　〃Thank　you；　no。〃　
　〃I　should　have　been　born　an　American；　a　Thomas　Edison；　where　my　inventiveness　would　have　been　encouraged。　But　instead　I　was　born　into　the　stifling；　decaying　Florentine　aristocracy；　where　skills　such　as　mine　are　useless。　Where　I　e　from；　counts　are　supposed　to　keep　both　feet　firmly　in　the　eighteenth　century；　if　not　earlier。〃　
　Pendergast　stirred。　〃May　I　trouble　you　with　some　questions；　Count　Fosco？〃　
　The　count　waved　his　hand。　〃Let　us　do　away　with　this　'Count'　business。　We　are　in　America；　and　here　I　am　Isidor。　May　I　call　you　Aloysius？〃　
　There　was　a　short　silence　before　Pendergast　spoke　again；　voice　cool。　〃If　it's　all　the　same　to　you；　Count；　I　would　prefer　to　keep　this　interview　on　a　formal　level。〃　
　〃As　you　like。　I　see　the　good　Pinketts　supplied　you　with　refreshment。　He's　a　treasure；　don't　you　think？　The　English　lorded　it　over　the　Italians　for　so　many　centuries　that　it　gives　me　pleasure　to　have　at　least　one　Englishman　under　my　thumb。　You're　not　English；　are　you？〃　
　〃No。〃　
　〃Well　then；　we　can　speak　freely　of　the　English。　Bah！　Imagine；　the　only　poser　of　note　they　ever　produced　was　a　man　named　Byrd。〃　The　count　settled　himself　into　a　wing　chair　opposite；　and　as　he　did　so；　Pendergast　noted　again　how　lightly　and　easily　the　enormous　man　seemed　to　move；　how　delicately　he　seated　himself。　
　〃My　first　question；　Count　Fosco；　involves　the　dinner　party。　When　did　you　arrive？〃　
　The　count　placed　his　white　hands　together　reverently；　as　if　about　to　pray；　and　sighed。　〃Grove　wanted　us　at　seven。　And　on　a　Monday　night；　too…very　unlike　him。　We　came　straggling　in；　fashionably　late；　between　seven…thirty　and　eight。　I　was　the　first　to　arrive。〃　
　〃What　was　Grove's　mental　state？〃　
　〃Very　poor；　I　should　say。　As　I　told　you；　he　seemed　nervous；　high…strung。　No　so　much　that　he　couldn't　entertain。　He　had　a　cook；　but　he　prepared　the　main　dishes　himself。　He　was　quite　a　good　chef。　He　prepared　an　exquisite　sole；　lightly　grilled　over　the　fire；　with　lemon。　Nothing　more；　nothing　less。　Perfection。　Then　he　followed　with…〃　
　〃I　already　have　the　menu；　thank　you。　Did　he　give　any　indication　why　he　was　nervous？〃　
　〃No。　In　fact；　he　seemed　to　be　at　great　pains　to　hide　it。　His　eyes　darted　everywhere。　He　locked　the　door　after　each　guest　was　let　in。　He　hardly　drank；　which　was　quite　out　of　character。　He　was　a　man　who　normally　liked　a　good　claret；　and　even　on　this　occasion；　he　served　some　excellent　wines；　starting　with　Tocai　from　Friuli　and　then　a　'90　Petrus；　truly　magnificent。〃　
　Chateau　Petrus　1990；　considered　the　best　since　the　fabled　'61；　was　one　of　Pendergast's　own　most　prized　wines；　he　had　a　dozen　bottles　of　the　2；000　Pomerol　laid　down　in　his　cellar　in　the　Dakota。　He　chose　not　to　mention　this　fact。　
　The　count　continued　his　description　with　great　good　humor　and　volubility。　〃Grove　also　opened；　quite　spontaneously；　a　wine　from　the　Castello　di　Verrazzano；　their　so…calledbottiglia　particolare　；　the　one　with　the　silk　label。　Exceptional。〃　
　〃Did　you　know　the　other　guests？〃　
　The　count　smiled。　〃Lady　Milbanke　I　know　quite　well。　Vilnius　I'd　met　a　few　times。　Jonathan　Frederick　I　knew　only　from　his　writings。〃　
　〃What　did　you　talk　about　at　dinner？〃　
　The　smile　widened。　〃It　was　most　peculiar。〃　
　〃Yes？〃　
　〃The　first　part　of　the　dinner　was　taken　up　with　a　conversation　about　the　Georges　de　la　Tour　painting　you　saw　in　my　sitting　room。　What　do　you　think　of　it；　Agent　Pendergast？〃　
　〃Shall　we　stay　on　the　subject；　Count　Fosco？〃　
　〃Thisis　the　subject。　Bear　with　me。　Do　you　think　it's　a　de　la　Tour？〃　
　〃Yes。〃　
　〃Why？〃　
　〃The　brushwork　on　the　lace　is　very　characteristic；　and　the　glow　of　the　candle　through　the　fingers　is　handled　in　pure　de　la　Tour　fashion。〃　
　The　count　looked　at　Pendergast　curiously；　a　faint　gleam　of　something　indefinable　in　his　eyes。　After　a　long　silence；　he　said　very　quietly　and　seriously；　〃You　surprise　me　very　much；　Pendergast。　I　am　truly　impressed。〃　The　jocular；　familiar　note　had　vanished　from　his　voice。　He　paused；　then　continued。　〃Twenty　years　ago　I　found　myself　in　a　little　financial　embarrassment。　I　put　that　very　painting　up　for　sale　at　Sotheby's。　The　day　before　the　auction；　Grove　wrote　a　little　piece　in　theTimes　calling　it　one　of　the　Delobre　fakes；　done　around　the　turn　of　the　century。　It　was　pulled　from　the　auction；　and　despite　my　having　the　provenance　in　hand；　I　lost　fifteen　million　dollars。〃　
　Pendergast　considered　this。　〃And　that's　what　you　talked　about？　His　branding　your　de　la　Tour　a　forgery？〃　
　〃Yes；　in　the　beginning。　Then　the　conversation　moved　to　Vilnius　and　his　paintings。　Grove　reminded　us　of　Vilnius's　first　big　show；　in　SoHo　in　the　early　eighties。　At　the　time；　Grove　wrote　a　legendarily　scathing　review。　Suffice　to　say；　Vilnius's　career　never　recovered。〃　
　〃An　odd　topic　of　conversation。〃　
　〃Indeed。　And　then　Grove　brought　up　the　subject　of　Lady　Milbanke　and　the　affair　he'd　had　with　her　some　years　back。〃　
　〃I　imagine　this　was　quite　a　lively　dinner　party。〃　
　〃I　have　rarely　seen　its　equal。〃　
　〃And　how　did　Lady　Milbanke　react？〃　
　〃How　would　you　expect　a　lady　to　react？　The　affair　broke　up　her　marriage。　And　then　Grove　treated　her　abominably；　left　her　for　aboy　。〃　
　〃It　sounds　as　if　each　of　you　had　reason　to　be　mortal　enemies　of　Grove。〃　
　Fosco　sighed。　〃We　were。　We　all　hated　him；　including　Frederick。　I　don't　know　the　man　at　all；　but　I　understand　that　some　years　ago；　when　he　was　editor　ofArt　and　Style　；　he　had　the　temerity　to　write　something　nasty　about　Grove。　Grove　had　friends　in　high　places；　and　the　next　thing　Frederick　knew　he'd　been　fired。　The　poor　fellow　couldn't　find　a　job　foryears　。〃　
　〃When　did　the　dinner　party　break　up？〃　
　〃After　midnight。〃　
　〃Who　left　first？〃　
　〃I　was　the　first　to　stand　and　announce　my　departure。　I　have　always　required　a　great　deal　of　sleep。　The　others　rose　at　the　same　time。　Grove　was　most　reluctant　to　see　us　go。　He　kept　pressing　after…dinner　drinks　on　us；　coffee。　He　was　most　anxious　that　we　stay。〃　
　〃Do　you　know　why？〃　
　〃He　seemed　frightened　of　being　alone。〃　
　〃Do　you　recall　his　precise　words？〃　
　〃To　a　certain　extent。〃　Fosco　broke　out　into　a　high…pitched；　upper…class　drawl　that　was　startling　in　its　realism。　〃My　friends！　You're　not　going　already？　Why；　it's　just　midnight！　e；　let's　toast　our　reconciliation　and　bid　good　riddance　to　my　years　of　misguided　pride。　I　have　an　excellent　port　that　you　must　try；　Fosco…and　he　plucked　my　sleeve…a　Graham's　Tawny；　1972　vintage。〃　Fosco　gave　a　sniff。　〃I　was　almost　tempted　to　stay　when　I　heard　that。〃　
　〃Did　you　all　leave　together？〃　
　〃More　or　less。　We　said　our　good…