cb.imajica1-第55节

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ed　overhead；　it　was　a　et；　trailing　its　glory　across　the　Second　Dominion。　And　if　she　stared　at　it　a　moment；　then　looked　down　at　the　street；　she'd　have　found　its　reflection　glittering　in　a　pool　of　blood。　Here　was　the　spot　where　the　brawl　between　Oscar　and　Charlie　had　ended；　and　where　the　defeated　brother　had　been　left。
　He　had　not　remained　there　for　very　long。　News　of　a　man　dressed　in　foreign　garb　and　dumped　in　the　gutter　had　soon　spread；　and　before　the　last　of　his　blood　had　drained　from　his　body　three　individuals　never　before　seen　in　this　Kespa…rate　had　e　to　claim　him。　They　were　Dearthers；　to　judge　by　their　tattoos；　and　had　Jude　been　standing　on　Peccable's　step　watching　the　scene；　she　would　have　been　touched　to　see　how　reverently　they　treated　their　burden　as　they　spirited　it　away。　How　they　smiled　down　at　that　bruised　and　lolling　face。　How　one　of　them　wept。　She　might　also　have　noticed…though　in　the　flurry　of　the　street　this　detail　might　have　escaped　her　eye…that　though　the　defeated　man　lay　quite　still　in　the　cradle　his　bearers　made　of　their　limbs；　his　eyes　closed；　his　arms　trailing　until　they　were　folded　across　his　chest；　said　chest　was　not　entirely　motionless。
　Charles　Estabrook；　abandoned　for　dead　in　the　filth　of　Yzordderrex；　left　its　streets　with　enough　health　in　his　body　to　be　dubbed　a　loser；　not　a　corpse。
　
　
　22
　
　The　days　following　Pie　and　Gentle's　second　departure　from　Beatrix　seemed　to　shorten　as　they　climbed；　supporting　the　suspicion　that　the　nights　in　the　Jokalaylau　were　longer　than　those　in　the　lowlands。　It　was　impossible　to　confirm　that　this　was　so；　because　their　two　timekeepers…Gentle's　beard　and　Pie's　bowels…became　increasingly　unreliable　as　they　climbed；　the　former　because　Gentle　ceased　to　shave；　the　latter　because　the　travelers'　desire　to　eat；　and　thus　their　need　to　defecate；　dwindled　the　higher　they　went。　Far　from　inspiring　appetite；　the　rarefied　air　became　a　feast　in　itself；　and　they　traveled　for　hour　upon　hour　without　their　thoughts　once　turning　to　physical　need。　They　had　each　other's　pany；　of　course；　to　keep　them　from　pletely　forgetting　their　bodies　and　their　purpose；　but　more　reliable　still　were　the　beasts　on　whose　shaggy　backs　they　rode。　When　the　doeki　grew　hungry　they　simply　stopped；　and　would　not　be　bullied　or　coaxed　into　moving　from　whatever　bush　or　piece　of　pasture　they'd　found　until　they　were　sated。　At　first；　this　was　an　irritation；　and　the　riders　cursed　as　they　slipped　from　their　saddles　on　such　occasions；　knowing　they　had　an　idling　hour　ahead　while　the　animals　grazed。　But　as　the　days　passed　and　the　air　grew　thinner；　they　came　to　depend　upon　the　rhythm　of　the　doekis'　digestive　tracts　and　made　such　stopping　places　mealtimes　for　themselves。
　It　soon　became　apparent　that　Pie's　calculations　as　to　the　length　of　this　journey　had　been　hopelessly　optimistic。　The　only　part　of　the　mystif's　predictions　that　experience　was　confirming　was　the　hardship。　Even　before　they　reached　the　snow　line；　both　riders　and　mounts　were　showing　signs　of　fatigue；　and　the　track　they　were　following　became　less　visible　by　the　mile　as　the　soft　earth　chilled　and　froze；　refusing　the　traces　of　those　who　had　preceded　them。　With　the　prospect　of　snowfields　and　glaciers　ahead；　they　rested　the　doeki　for　a　day　and　encouraged　the　beasts　to　gorge　themselves　on　what　would　be　the　last　available　pasture　until　they　reached　the　other　side　of　the　range。
　Gentle　had　called　his　mount　Chester；　after　dear　old　Klein；　with　whom　it　shared　a　certain　ruminative　charm。　Pie　declined　to　name　the　other　beast；　however；　claiming　it　was　bad　luck　to　eat　anything　you　knew　by　name；　and　circumstances　might　very　well　oblige　them　to　dine　on　doeki　meat　before　they　reached　the　borders　of　the　Third　Dominion。　That　small　disagreement　aside；　they　kept　their　exchanges　frictionless　when　they　set　off　again；　both　consciously　skirting　any　discussion　of　the　events　in　Beatrix　or　their　significance。　The　cold　soon　became　aggressive；　the　coats　they'd　been　given　barely　adequate　defense　against　the　assault　of　winds　that　blew　up　walls　of　dusty　snow　so　dense　they　often　obliterated　the　way　ahead。　When　that　happened　Pie　pulled　out　the　pass…the　face　of　which　looked　more　like　a　star　map　to　Gentle's　untutored　eye…and　assessed　their　direction　from　that。　Only　once　did　Gentle　remark　that　he　hoped　the　mystif　knew　what　it　was　doing；　earning　such　a　withering　glance　for　his　troubles　it　silenced　him　utterly　on　the　matter　thereafter。
　Despite　weather　that　was　worsening　by　the　day…making　Gentle　think　wistfully　of　an　English　January…good　fortune　did　not　entirely　desert　them。　On　the　fifth　day　beyond　the　snow　line；　in　a　lull　between　gusts；　Gentle　heard　bells　ringing；　and　following　the　sound　they　discovered　a　group　of　half　a　dozen　mountain　men；　tending　to　a　flock　of　a　hundred　or　more　cousins　to　the　terrestrial　goat；　these　shaggier　by　far　and　purple　as　crocuses。　The　herders　spoke　no　English；　and　only　one　of　them；　whose　name　was　Kuthuss　and　who　boasted　a　beard　as　shaggy　and　as　purple　as　his　beasts　（leading　Gentle　to　wonder　what　marriages　of　convenience　had　occurred　in　these　lonely　uplands）；　had　any　words　in　his　vocabulary　that　Pie　could　prehend。　What　he　told　was　grim。　The　herders　were　bringing　their　herds　down　from　the　High　Pass　early　because　the　snow　had　covered　ground　the　beasts　would　have　grazed　for　another　twenty　days　in　a　normal　season。　This　was　not；　he　repeated　several　times；　a　normal　season。　He　had　never　known　the　snow　to　e　so　early　or　fall　so　copiously；　never　known　the　winds　to　be　so　bitter。　In　essence；　he　advised　them　not　to　attempt　the　route　ahead。　It　would　be　tantamount　to　suicide。　Pie　and　Gentle　talked　this　advice　over。　The　journey　was　already　taking　far　longer　than　they'd　anticipated。　If　they　went　back　down　below　the　snow　line；　tempting　as　the　prospect　of　relative　warmth　and　fresh　food　was；　they　were　wasting　yet　more　time。　Days　when　all　manner　of　horrors　could　be　unfolding：　a　hundred　villages　like　Beatrix　destroyed；　and　countless　lives　lost。
　〃Remember　what　I　said　when　we　left　Beatrix？〃　Gentle　said。
　〃No；　to　be　honest；　I　don't。〃
　〃I　said　we　wouldn't　die；　and　I　meant　it。　We'll　find　a　way　through。〃
　〃I'm　not　sure　I　like　this　messianic　conviction；〃　Pie　said。　〃People　with　the　best　intentions　die；　Gentle。　e　to　think　of　it；　they're　often　the　first　to　go。〃
　〃What　are　you　saying？　That　you　won't　e　with　me？〃
　〃I　said　I'd　go　wherever　you　go；　and　I　will。　But　good　intentions　won't　impress　the　cold。〃
　〃How　much　money　have　we　got？〃
　〃Not　much。〃
　〃Enough　to　buy　some　goatskins　off　these　men？　And　maybe　some　meat？〃
　A　plex　exchange　ensued　in　three　languages…with　Pie　translating　Gentle's　words　into　the　language　Kuthuss　understood　and　Kuthuss　in　turn　translating　for　his　fellow　herders。　A　deal　was　rapidly　struck；　the　herders　seemed　much　persuaded　by　the　prospect　of　hard　cash。　Rather　than　give　over　their　own　coats；　however；　two　of　them　got　about　the　business　of　slaughtering　and　skinning　four　of　the　animals。　The　meat；　they　cooked　and　shared　among　the　group。　It　was　fatty　and　underdone；　but　neither　Gentle　nor　Pie　declined；　and　it　was　washed　down　。with　a　beverage　they　brewed　from　boiled　snow；　dried　leaves；　and　a　dash　of　liquor　which　Pie　understood　Kuthuss　to　have　called　the　piss　of　the　goat。　They　tasted　it　in　spite　of　this。　It　was　potent；　and　after　a　shot　of　it…downed　like　vodka…Gentle　remarked　that　if　this　made　him　a　piss…drinker；　so　be　it。
　The　neirt　day；　having　been　supplied　with　skins；　meat；　and　the　makings　of　several　pots　of　the　herders'　beverage；　plus　a　pan　and　two　glasses；　they　made　their　inarticulate　farewells　and　parted　pany。　The　weather　closed　in　soon　after；　and　once　again　they　were　lost　in　a　white　wilderness。　But　their　spirits　had　been　buoyed　up　by　the　meeting；　and　they　made　steady　progress　for　the　next　two　and　a　half　days；　until；　as　twilight　approached　on　the　third；　the　animal　Gentle　was　riding　started　to　show　signs　of　exhaustion；　its　head　drooping；　its　hooves　barely　able　to　clear　the　snow　they　were　trudging　through。
　〃I　think　we'd　better　rest　him；〃　Gentle　said。
　They　found　a　niche　between　boulders　so　large　they　were　almost　hills　in　themselves；　and　lit　a　fire　to　brew　up　some　of　the　herders'　liquor。　It；　more　than　the　meat；　was　what　had　sustained　them　through　the　most　demanding　portions　of　the　journey　so　far；　but　try　as　they　might　to　use　it　sparingly；　they　had　almost　consumed　their　modest　supply。　As　they　drank　they　talked　about　what　lay　ahead。　Kuthuss'　predictions　were　proving　correct。　The　weather　was　worsening　all　the　time；　and　the　chances　of　encountering　another　living　soul　up　here　if　they　were　to　get　into　difficulty　were　surely　zero。　Pie　took　a　moment　to　remind　Gentle　of　his　conviction　that　they　weren't　going　to　die；　e　blizzard；　e　hurricane；　e　the　echo　of　Hapexamendios　Himself；　down　from　the　mountain。
　〃And　1　meant　what　I　said；〃　Gentle　replied。　〃But　I　can　still　fret　about　it；　can't　I？〃　He　put　his　hands　closer　to　the　fire。　〃Any　more　in　the　piss　pot？〃
　〃I'm　afraid　not。〃
　〃I　tell　you；　when　we　e　back　this　way〃…Pie　made　a　wry　face…〃we　will；　we　will。　When　we　e　back　this　way　we've　got　to　get　the　recipe。　Then　we　can　brew　it　back　on　earth。〃
　They'd　left　the　doeki　a　little　distance　away　and　heard　now　a　lowing　sound。
　〃Chester！〃　Gentle　said；　and　went　to　the　beasts。
　Chester　was　l