cb.imajica1-第107节

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tself；　he　thought　of　the　man　again；　lying　on　his　final　pillow；　talking　about　floating　and　charging　Gentle　to　solve　mysteries　that　he'd　not　had　time　to　solve　himself。
　〃I　had　a　friend　in　the　Fifth　who　would　have　loved　this　place；〃　Gentle　said。　〃He　loved　desolation。〃
　It　was　here；　in　every　courtyard。　Gardens　had　been　planted　in　many　of　them　and　left　to　riot。　But　riot　took　energy；　and　nature　was　weary　here；　the　plants　throttling　themselves　after　a　few　spurts　and　withering　back　into　earth　the　color　of　ash。　The　scene　was　not　so　different　once　they　got　inside；　wandering　mapless　down　galleries　where　the　dust　was　as　thick　as　the　soil　in　the　dead　gardens；　into　forsaken　annexes　and　chambers　laid　out　for　guests　who　had　breathed　their　last　decades　before。　Most　of　the　walls；　whether　of　chambers　or　galleries；　were　decorated：　some　with　tapestries；　many　others　with　immense　frescoes；　and　while　there　were　scenes　Gentle　recognized　from　his　travels…Patashoqua　under　a　green…gold　sky；　with　a　flight　of　air　balloons　rising　from　the　plain　outside　its　walls；　a　festival　at　the　L'Himby　temples…the　suspicion　grew　on　him　that　the　finest　of　these　images　were　of　earth；　or；　more　particularly；　of　England。　Doubtless　the　pastoral　was　a　universal　mode；　and　shepherds　wooed　nymphs　in　the　Reconciled　Dominions　just　as　sonnets　described　them　doing　in　the　Fifth；　but　there　were　details　of　these　scenes　that　were　indisputably　English：　swallows　swooping　in　mild　summer　skies；　cattle　drinking　in　water　meadows　while　their　herders　slept；　the　Salisbury　spire　rising　from　a　bank　of　oaks；　the　distant　towers　and　domes　of　London；　glimpsed　from　a　slope　on　which　maids　and　swains　made　dalliance；　even　Stonehenge；　relocated　for　drama's　sake　to　a　hill　and　set　against　thunder…heads。
　〃England；〃　Gentle　said　as　they　went。　〃Somebody　here　remembers　England。〃
　Though　they　passed　by　these　works　too　fast　for　him　to　scrutinize　them　carefully；　he　saw　no　signature　on　any。　The　artists　who'd　sketched　England；　and　returned　to　depict　it　so　lovingly；　were　apparently　content　to　remain　anonymous。
　〃I　think　we　should　start　climbing；〃　Nikaetomaas　suggested　when　by　chance　their　wanderings　brought　them　to　the　foot　of　a　monumental　staircase。　〃The　higher　we　are　the　more　chance　we'll　have　of　grasping　the　geography。〃
　The　ascent　was　five　flights　long…more　deserted　galleries　presenting　themselves　on　every　floor…but　it　finally　delivered　them　onto　a　roof　from　which　they　were　able　to　glimpse　the　scale　of　the　labyrinth　they　were　lost　in。　Towers　twice　and　three　times　the　height　of　the　one　they'd　climbed　loomed　above　them　while；　below；　the　courtyards　were　laid　out　in　all　directions；　some　crossed　by　battalions　but　most　as　deserted　as　every　other　corridor　and　chamber。　Beyond　them　lay　the　palace　walls；　and　beyond　the　walls　themselves　the　smoke…shrouded　city；　the　sound　of　its　convulsions　dim　at　such　a　distance。
　Lulled　by　the　remoteness　of　this　aerie；　both　Gentle　and　Nikaetomaas　were　startled　by　a　motion　that　erupted　much　closer　by。　Almost　grateful　for　signs　of　life　in　this　mausoleum；　even　if　it　was　the　enemy；　they　headed　in　pursuit　of　the　din　makers；　back　down　a　flight　of　stairs　and　across　an　enclosed　bridge　between　towers。
　〃Hoods！〃　Nikaetomaas　said；　tucking　her　ponytail　back　into　her　shirt　and　pulling　the　crude　cowl　over　her　head。　Gentle　did　the　same；　though　he　doubted　such　a　disguise　would　offer　them　much　protection　if　they　were　discovered。
　Orders　were　being　given　in　the　gallery　ahead；　and　Gentle　drew　Nikaetomaas　into　hiding　to　listen。　The　officer　had　words　of　inspiration　for　his　squad；　promising　every　man　who　brought　a　Eurhetemec　down　a　month's　paid　leave。　Somebody　asked　him　how　many　there　were；　and　he　replied　that　he'd　heard　six；　but　he　didn't　believe　it　because　they'd　slaughtered　ten　times　that　number。　However　many　there　are；　he　said…six；　sixty；　six　hundred…they're　outnumbered　and　trapped。　They　won't　get　out　alive。　So　saying；　he　divided　his　contingent　and　told　them　to　shoot　on　sight。
　Three　soldiers　were　dispatched　in　the　direction　of　Nika…etomaas　and　Gentle's　hiding　place。　They　had　no　sooner　passed　than　she　stepped　out　of　the　shadows　and　brought　two　of　the　three　down　with　single　blows。　The　third　turned　to　defend　himself；　but　Gentle…lacking　the　mass　or　muscle　power　that　made　Nikaetomaas　so　effective…used　momentum　instead；　flinging　himself　against　the　man　with　such　force　he　threw　both　of　them　to　the　ground。　The　soldier　raised　his　gun　towards　Gentle's　skull；　but　Nikaetomaas　took　hold　of　both　weapon　and　hand；　hauling　the　man　up　by　his　arm　until　he　was　head　to　head　with　her；　the　gun　pointing　at　the　roof；　the　fingers　around　it　too　crushed　to　fire。　Then　she　pulled　his　helmet　off　with　her　free　hand　and　peered　at
　him。
　〃Whereas　the　Autarch？〃
　The　man　was　too　pained　and　too　terrified　to　claim　ignorance。　〃The　Pivot　Tower；〃　he　said。
　〃Which　is　where？〃
　〃It's　the　tallest　tower；〃　he　sobbed；　scrabbling　at　the　arm　he　was　dangling　by；　down　which　blood　was　running。
　〃Take　us　there；〃　Nikaetomaas　said。　〃Please；〃
　Teeth　gritted；　the　man　nodded　his　head；　and　she　let　him　go。　The　gun　went　from　his　pulverized　fingers　as　he　struck　the　ground。　She　invited　him　to　stand　with　a　hooked　finger。
　〃What's　your　name？〃　she　asked　him。
　〃Yark　Lazarevich；〃　he　told　her；　nursing　his　hand　in　the　crook　of　his　arm。
　〃Well；　Yark　Lazarevich；　if　you　make　any　attempt…or　I　choose　to　interpret　any　act　of　yours　as　an　attempt…to　alert　help；　I　will　swat　the　brains　from　your　pan　so　fast　they'll　be　in　Patashoqua　before　your　pants　fill。　Is　that　plain？〃
　〃That's　plain。〃
　〃Do　you　have　children？〃
　〃Yes。　I've　got　two。〃
　〃Think　of　them　fatherless　and　take　care。　You　have　a　question？〃
　〃No；　I　just　wanted　to　explain　that　the　tower's　quite　a　way　from　here。　I　don't　want　you　thinking　I'm　leading　you　astray。〃
　〃Be　fast；　then；〃　she　said；　and　Lazarevich　took　her　at　her　word；　leading　them　back　across　the　bridge　towards　the　stairs；　explaining　as　he　went　that　the　quickest　route　to　the　tower　was　through　the　Cesscordium；　and　that　was　two　floors　down。
　They　had　descended　perhaps　a　dozen　steps　when　shots　were　fired　behind　them；　and　one　of　Lazarevich's　two　rades　staggered　into　view；　adding　shouts　to　his　gunfire　to　raise　the　alarm。　Had　he　not　been　groggy　he　might　have　put　a　bullet　in　Nikaetomaas　or　Gentle；　but　they　were　away　down　the　stairs　before　he'd　even　reached　the　top；　Lazarevich　protesting　as　he　went　that　none　of　this　was　his　doing；　and　he　loved　his　children　and　all　he　wanted　to　do　was　see　them　again。
　There　was　the　sound　of　running　in　the　lower　gallery；　and　shouts　answering　those　of　the　alarm　raiser　above。　Nikaetomaas　unleashed　a　series　of　expletives　which　could　not　have　been　fouler　had　Gentle　understood　them；　and　reached　for　Lazarevich；　who　hared　off　down　the　stairs　before　she　could　snatch　hold　of　him；　meeting　a　squad　of　his　rades　at　the　bottom。　Nikaetomaas'　pursuit　had　taken　her　past　Gentle；　directly　into　their　line　of　fire。　They　didn't　hesitate。　Four　muzzles　flared；　four　bullets　found　their　mark。　Her　physique　availed　her　nothing。　She　dropped　where　she　stood；　her　body　tumbling　down　the　stairs　and　ing　to　a　halt　a　few　steps　from　the　bottom。　Watching　her　fall；　three　thoughts　went　through　Gentle's　head。　One；　that　he'd　have　these　bastards　for　this。　Two；　that　stealth　was　irrelevant　now。　And　three；　that　if　he　brought　the　roof　down　on　their　murderous　heads；　and　word　spread　that　there　was　another　power　in　the　palace　besides　the　Autarch；　that　would　be　no　bad　thing。　He'd　regretted　the　deaths　he'd　caused　in　Lickerish　Street；　but　he　would　not　regret　these。　All　he　had　to　do　was　get　his　hand　to　his　face　to　tear　away　the　cloth　before　the　bullets　flew。　There　were　more　soldiers　converging　on　the　spot　from　several　directions。　e　on；　he　thought；　raising　his　hands　in　feigned　surrender　as　the　others　approached：　e　on；　join　the　jubilee。
　One　of　the　gathering　number　was　clearly　a　man　of　authority。　Heels　clicked　together　as　he　appeared；　salutes　were　exchanged。　He　looked　up　the　staircase　towards　his　hooded　prisoner。
　〃General　Racidio；〃　one　of　the　captains　said。　〃We　have
　two　of　the　rebels　here。〃
　〃These　aren't　Eurhetemecs。〃　His　gaze　went　from　Gentle　to　the　body　of　Nikaetomaas；　then　back　up　to　Gentle　again。　〃I　think　we　have　two　Dearthers　here。〃
　He　started　up　the　stairs　towards　Gentle；　who　was　surreptitiously　drawing　breath　through　the　open　weave　of　the　cloth　around　his　face　in　preparation　for　his　unveiling。　He　would　have　two　or　three　seconds　at　best。　Time　perhaps　to　seize　Racidio　and　use　him　as　a　hostage　if　the　pneuma　failed　to　kill　every　one　of　the　gunmen。
　〃Let's　see　what　you　look　like；〃　the　mander　said；　and　tore　the　cloth　from　Gentle's　face。
　The　instant　that　should　have　seen　the　pneuma　loosed　instead　saw　Racidio　drop　back　in　stupefaction　from　the　features　he'd　uncovered。　Whatever　he　saw　was　missed　by　the　soldiers　below；　who　kept　their　guns　trained　on　Gentle　until　Racidio　spat　an　order　that　they　be　lowered。　Gentle　was　as　confounded　as　they；　but　he　wasn't　about　to　question　the　reprieve。　He　dropped　his　hands　and；　stepping　over　the　body　of　Nikaetomaas；　came　to　the　bottom　of　the　stairs。　Racidio　retreated　further；　shaking　his　head　as　he　did　so；　and　wetting　his　lips；　but　apparently　unable　to　find　the　words　to　express　himself。　He　looked　as　though　he　was　expe