p&c.brimstone-第37节

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n　which　university　scholars　belittle　spirituality；　scorn　religion；　and　bow　deeply　to　the　altar　of　science。　We　live　in　a　time　when　so　many　spurn　the　church　and　the　synagogue；　where　radio　mentators　are　shock　jocks　spewing　hatred　and　vulgarity；　where　televised　entertainment　consists　of　Real　Sex　and　Celebrity　Fear　Factor。　We　live　in　a　time　of　suicide　bombing；　terrorism　run　amok；　and　nuclear　blackmail。〃　
　The　room　fell　silent；　save　for　the　faint　beep　of　the　recorder。　At　last；　Von　Menck　stirred；　spoke　again。　
　〃The　ancients　believed　nature　to　be　prised　of　four　elements：　earth；　air；　fire；　and　water。　Some　talked　of　floods；　others　of　earthquakes　or　mighty　winds；　others　of　the　devil。　When　Atlantis　had　betrayed　its　niche　in　the　moral　order　of　nature；　it　was　consumed　by　water。　The　destruction　of　Sodom　and　Gomorrah　came　by　fire。　The　plague　that　struck　Venice　came　by　air。　Like　the　golden　ratio；　it　follows　a　cyclical　pattern。　I've　charted　it　here。〃　
　He　took　out　another　diagram；　very　plex；　covered　with　lines；　charts；　and　numbers。　All　the　lines　seemed　to　converge　on　a　central　pentagram　in　which　was　written：　
　　　
　2004　A。D　。…New　York　City…Fire　
　　　
　〃So　you　think　New　York　City　will　burn？〃　
　〃Not　in　any　normal　way。　It　will　be　consumed　by　a　firewithin　；　like　Grove　and　Cutforth。〃　
　〃You　think　this　can　be　avoided　if　people　turn　back　to　God？〃　
　Von　Menck　shook　his　head。　〃It's　too　late　for　that。　And　please　note；　Mr。　Harriman；　I　have　not　used　the　wordGod　。　What　I'm　talking　about　here　is　not　necessarily　God　but　a　force　of　nature：　a　moral　law　of　the　universe　as　fixed　as　any　physical　law。　We've　created　an　imbalance　that　needs　to　be　corrected。　The　year　2004。〃　He　tapped　the　pile　of　charts。　〃It's　the　big　one。　It's　the　one　Nostradamus　predicted；　Edgar　Cayce　predicted；　Revelation　predicted。〃　
　Harriman　nodded。　He　felt　a　crawling　sensation　along　his　spine。　This　was　powerful　stuff。　But　was　it　all　claptrap？　〃Dr。　Von　Menck；　you've　devoted　a　great　deal　of　time　and　research　on　this。〃　
　〃It　has　been　my　overwhelming　obsession。　For　over　fifteen　years；　I've　known　the　significance　of　the　year　2004。　I've　beenwaiting　。〃　
　〃Are　you　really　convinced；　or　is　this　just　a　theory？〃　
　〃I　will　answer　by　telling　you　this：　I　am　leaving　New　York　tomorrow。〃　
　〃Leaving？〃　
　〃For　the　Galápagos　Islands。〃　
　〃Why　the　Galápagos？〃　
　〃As　Darwin　could　tell　you；　they　arefamous　for　their　isolation。〃　Von　Menck　gestured　at　the　recorder。　〃This　time　there　will　be　no　documentary。　The　story　is　all　yours；　Mr。　Harriman。〃　
　〃No　documentary？〃　Harriman　repeated；　stupefied。　
　〃If　I'm　the　least　bit　right　in　my　suspicions；　Mr。　Harriman；　when　this　is　over；　there　won't　be　much　of　an　audience　for　a　documentary…will　there？〃　And；　for　the　first　time　since　Harriman　had　entered　the　room；　Dr。　Von　Menck　smiled…a　small；　sad　smile　utterly　devoid　of　humor。　
　　　
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　D'Agosta　gazed　at　the　miserable…looking　thing　on　his　plate…long；　thin；　unidentifiable；　swimming　in　a　puddle　of　sauce。　It　smelled　vaguely　like　fish。　At　least；　he　thought；　it　would　help　his　diet。　It　had　been　ten　days　since　Grove's　death；　and　he'd　lost　five　pounds　already；　what　with　the　new　weight　routine　and　jogging　regimens　he'd　instituted；　not　to　mention　the　hours　he'd　put　in　at　the　shooting　range；　which　were　adding　bulk　and　steadiness　to　his　forearms　and　shoulders。　Another　two　months；　and　he'd　be　back　to　his　old　NYPD　condition。　
　Proctor　flitted　about　in　the　background；　presenting　and　whisking　away　plates　with　the　least　amount　of　warning　gentility　would　allow。　Pendergast　sat　at　the　head　of　the　table；　Constance　to　his　left。　She　looked　a　little　less　pale　than　before：　some　sun；　perhaps；　from　yesterday's　outing。　But　the　dining　room　of　the　ancient　Riverside　Drive　mansion　remained　a　dreary　place；　with　its　dark　green　wallpaper　and　equally　dark　oil　paintings。　The　windows　that　once　must　have　looked　out　over　the　Hudson　had　been　boarded　up　a　long　time　ago；　and　it　appeared　Pendergast　was　going　to　leave　them　that　way。　No　wonder　the　guy　was　so　white；　living　in　the　dark　like　some　cave　creature。　D'Agosta　decided　he'd　trade　the　whole　dinner；　and　its　procession　of　mysterious　dishes；　for　barbecued　ribs　and　a　cooler　full　of　frosties　in　his　sunny　Suffolk　County　backyard。　Even　Fosco's　exotic　picnic　basket　of　the　day　before　had　been　preferable。　He　gave　the　dish　an　exploratory　poke。　
　〃Don't　you　like　the　cod　roe？〃　Pendergast　asked　him。　〃It's　an　old　Italian　recipe。〃　
　〃My　grandmother　was　from　Naples；　and　she　never　cooked　anything　like　this　in　her　life。〃　
　〃I　believe　this　dish　es　from　Liguria。　But　never　mind：　cod　roe　is　not　to　everyone's　taste。〃　He　signaled　to　Proctor；　who　whisked　the　plate　away　and；　a　few　moments　later；　returned　with　a　steak　and　a　small　silver　beaker　brimming　with　wonderful…smelling　sauce。　In　his　other　hand　was　a　can　of　Budweiser；　still　dripping　chips　of　ice。　
　D'Agosta　tucked　in；　then　glanced　up　to　see　Pendergast　smiling　with　amusement。　〃Constance　cooks　a　sublimetournedos　bordelaise　。　I　had　it　waiting　in　the　wings；　just　in　case。　Along　with　the；　ah；　iced　beer。〃　
　〃That　was　decent　of　you。〃　
　〃Is　the　steak　to　your　liking？〃　Constance　asked　from　across　the　table。　〃I　prepared　itsaignant　；　as　the　French　prefer。〃　
　〃I　don't　know　aboutsaignant；　but　it's　rare；　just　the　way　I　like　it。〃　
　Constance　smiled；　pleased。　
　D'Agosta　speared　another　forkful；　washed　it　down　with　a　swig。　〃So　what's　next？〃　he　asked　Pendergast。　
　〃After　dinner；　Constance　will　indulge　us　by　playing　a　few　of　Bach's　partitas。　She　is　a　rather　acplished　violinist；　though　I　fear　I'm　a　poor　judge　of　such　things。　And　I　think　you'll　find　the　violin　she　plays　interesting。　It　was　part　of　my　great…uncle's　collections；　an　old　Amati；　in　fairly　decent　shape；　though　its　tone　has　gone　off　somewhat。〃　
　〃Sounds　great。〃　D'Agosta　coughed　delicately。　〃But　what　I　meant　was；　what's　next　for　the　investigation？〃　
　〃Ah！　I　see。　Our　next　move；　actually；　has　two　fronts。　We　track　down　this　Ranier　Beckmann；　and　we　do　more　background　research　on　the　strange　nature　of　our　two　deaths。　I　have　somebody　already　at　work　on　the　former。　And　Constance　is　about　to　fill　us　in　on　the　latter。〃　
　Constance　dabbed　primly　at　her　mouth　with　a　napkin。　〃Aloysius　has　asked　me　to　look　into　historical　precedents　for　SHC。〃　
　〃Spontaneous　human　bustion；〃　said　D'Agosta。　〃As　in　the　Mary　Reeser　case　you　mentioned　to　the　M。E。　at　the　Cutforth　homicide？〃　
　〃Exactly。〃　
　〃You　don't　really　believe　in　that；　do　you？〃　
　〃The　case　of　Mary　Reeser　is　only　the　most　famous　of　many；　and　it　is　well　documented。　Isn't　that　right；　Constance？〃　
　〃Famous；　impeccably　documented；　and　very　curious。〃　She　consulted　some　notes　that　lay　at　her　elbow。　〃On　July　1；　1951；　Mrs。　Reeser；　a　widow；　went　to　sleep　in　an　easy　chair　in　her　apartment　in　St。　Petersburg；　Florida。　She　was　found　the　next　morning　by　a　friend　who　smelled　smoke。　When　they　broke　down　the　door；　they　found　that　the　chair　Mary　Reeser　had　sat　in　was　now　just　a　heap　of　charred　coil　springs。　As　for　Mary　Reeser　herself；　her　one　hundred　and　seventy　pounds　had　been　reduced　to　less　than　ten　pounds　of　ash　and　bone。　Only　her　left　foot　remained　intact；　still　wearing　a　slipper；　burned　off　at　the　ankle　but　otherwise　undamaged。　Also　found　were　her　liver　and　her　skull；　cracked　and　splintered　by　the　intense　heat。　And　yet　the　rest　of　the　apartment　was　intact。　The　only　burning　occurred　in　the　small　circular　area　enpassing　the　remains　of　Mrs。　Reeser；　her　chair；　and　a　plastic　electric　wall　outlet　which　had　melted；　stopping　her　clock　at　4：20A。M。　When　the　clock　was　plugged　into　another　outlet；　it　worked　perfectly。〃　
　〃You　gotta　be　kidding。〃　
　〃The　Bureau　was　called　in　immediately；　and　their　documentation　was　impeccable；〃　said　Pendergast。　〃Photographs；　tests；　analysis…it　ran　to　more　than　a　thousand　pages。　Our　experts　determined　that　a　temperature　of　at　least　three　thousand　degrees　would　be　necessary　to　cremate　a　body　that　thoroughly。　A　cigarette　igniting　her　clothing　would　never　have　produced　that　temperature；　and　besides；　Mary　Reeser　didn't　smoke。　There　were　no　traces　of　gasoline　or　other　accelerants。　No　short　circuit。　Even　lightning　was　ruled　out。　The　case　was　never　officially　closed。〃　
　D'Agosta　shook　his　head　in　disbelief。　
　〃And　it's　not　just　a　recent　phenomenon；〃　Constance　said。　〃Dickens　wrote　an　account　of　spontaneous　bustion　into　his　novelBleak　House　。　He　was　roundly　criticized　by　reviewers　for　it；　so　he　later　defended　himself　by　recounting　a　real　case　of　SHC　in　the　preface　to　the　1853　edition。〃　
　D'Agosta；　who　had　been　about　to　take　another　bite　of　steak；　put　down　his　fork。　
　〃On　the　evening　of　April　4；　1731；　Dickens　tells　us；　the　countess　Cornelia　Zangari　de'　Bandi　of　Cesena；　in　Italy；　plained　of　feeling　'dull　and　heavy。'　A　maid　helped　her　to　bed；　and　they　spent　several　hours　praying　and　talking　together。　The　next　morning；　when　the　countess　did　not　arise　at　her　usual　time；　the　maid　called　at　the　door。　There　was　no　answer…just　a　foul　smell。　
　〃The　maid　opened　the　door　to　a　scene　of　horror。　The　air　was　full　of　bits　of　floating　soot。　The　countess；　or　what　remained　of　her；　was　lying　on　the　stone　floor　about　four　feet　from　the　bed。　Her　entire　torso　had　burned　to　ashes；　even　the　bones　reduced　to　crumbled　piles。　Only　her　legs　remained；　from　the　knees　down；　a　fe