preston&child.thecabinetofcuriosities-第11节

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t　receives　millions　in　tax　dollars　from　the　citizens　of　New　York。　Far　from　providing　public　service；　you　have　now　closed　your　library　to　all　but　Ph。D。's；　you　have　closed　your　collections　to　everyone　except　so…called　accredited　academics；　and　you　charge　fees　for　everything；　all　in　the　name　of　intellectual　property　rights。　You　have　even　begun　suggesting　an　admission　fee；　despite　the　fact　that　this　is　clearly　barred　by　your　charter。　It　says　right　here：　。　。　。　for　the　Creation　of　a　Museum　of　Natural　History　for　the　City　of　New　York；　to　be　Open　and　Free　to　all　Members　of　the　Public；　without　Restriction　。　。　。〃
　〃Let　me　see　that。〃
　Brisbane　read　it；　his　smooth　brow　contracting　into　the　faintest　wrinkle。
　〃Old　documents　can　be　so　inconvenient；　don't　you　think；　Mr。　Brisbane？　Like　the　Constitution。　Always　there　when　you　least　want　it。〃
　Brisbane　let　it　drop　to　the　desk；　his　face　reddening　for　a　moment　before　returning　to　its　usual　healthy　pink。　〃I'll　have　to　take　this　up　with　the　board。〃
　Pendergast　smiled　slightly。　〃An　excellent　start。　I　think　perhaps　the　Museum　can　be　left　to　work　this　little　problem　out　on　its　own…what　do　you　think；　Mr。　Brisbane？…provided　I　am　given　what　little　help　I　need　from　Dr。　Kelly。〃
　There　was　a　silence。　Then　Brisbane　looked　up；　a　new　look　in　his　eyes。　〃I　see。〃
　〃And　I　assure　you　I　will　not　take　up　an　undue　amount　of　Dr。　Kelly's　time。〃
　〃Of　course　you　won't；〃　said　Brisbane。
　〃Most　of　the　work　will　be　archival　in　nature。　She'll　be　on　the　premises　and　available；　should　you　need　her。〃
　Brisbane　nodded。
　〃We　will　do　all　we　can　to　avoid　unpleasant　publicity。　Naturally；　all　this　would　be　kept　confidential。〃
　〃Naturally。　It　is　always　best　that　way。〃
　〃I　just　want　to　add　that　Dr。　Kelly　did　not　seek　me　out。　I　have　imposed　this　duty　on　her。　She　has　already　informed　me　she　would　rather　be　working　on　her　potsherds。〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　An　opaque　veil　had　dropped　over　Brisbane's　face。　It　was　hard　for　Nora　to　tell　what　he　was　thinking。　She　wondered　if　this　little　hardball　play　of　Pendergast's　was　going　to　damage　her　prospects　at　the　Museum。　It　probably　would。　She　darted　a　reproachful　glance　toward　Pendergast。
　〃Where　did　you　say　you　were　from？〃　Brisbane　asked。
　〃I　didn't。　New　Orleans。〃
　Brisbane　immediately　pushed　himself　back　in　his　chair；　and　with　a　smile　said：　〃New　Orleans。　Of　course。　I　should　have　known　from　the　accent。　You're　a　rather　long　way　from　home；　Mr。　Pendergast。〃
　Pendergast　bowed；　holding　the　door　open　for　Nora。　She　stepped　through　it；　feeling　shocked。　Down　the　hall；　she　halted　and　spoke　to　Pendergast。　〃You　totally　blindsided　me　back　there。　I　had　no　idea　what　you　were　up　to　until　we　were　in　Brisbane's　office。　I　don't　appreciate　it。〃
　Pendergast　turned　his　pale　eyes　on　her。　〃My　methods　are　unorthodox；　but　they　have　one　advantage。〃
　〃And　what　is　that？〃
　〃They　work。〃
　〃Yeah；　but　what　about　my　career？〃
　Pendergast　smiled。　〃May　I　offer　a　prediction？〃
　〃For　what　it's　worth；　why　not？〃
　〃When　this　is　over；　you　will　have　been　promoted。〃
　Nora　snorted。　〃Right。　After　you　blackmailed　and　humiliated　my　boss；　he's　going　to　promote　me。〃
　〃I'm　afraid　I　don't　suffer　petty　bureaucrats　gladly。　A　very　bad　habit；　but　one　I　find　hard　to　break。　Nevertheless；　you　will　find；　Dr。　Kelly；　that　humiliation　and　blackmail；　when　used　judiciously；　can　be　marvelously　effective。〃
　At　the　stairwell；　Nora　paused　once　again。
　〃You　never　answered　my　question。　Why　is　the　FBI　concerned　with　killings　that　are　over　a　century　old？〃
　〃All　in　good　time；　Dr。　Kelly。　For　now；　let　it　suffice　to　say　that；　on　a　purely　personal　level；　I　find　these　killings　rather…ah…interesting。〃
　Something　in　the　way　Pendergast　said　〃interesting〃　sent　the　faintest　of　shudders　through　Nora。
　
　Men　of　Science
　
　ONE
　　
　THE　MUSEUM'S　VAST　Central　Archives　lay　deep　in　the　basement；　reachable　only　through　several　sets　of　elevators；　winding　corridors；　stairs；　and　passageways。　Nora　had　never　been　to　the　Archives　before…she　did　not；　in　fact；　know　anybody　who　ever　had…and　as　she　descended　deeper　and　deeper　into　the　bowels　of　the　Museum；　she　wondered　if　perhaps　she　had　made　a　wrong　turn　somewhere。
　Before　accepting　the　job　at　the　Museum；　she　had　taken　one　of　the　tours　that　threaded　their　way　through　its　endless　galleries。　She　had　heard　all　the　statistics：　it　was　physically　the　largest　museum　in　the　world；　consisting　of　two　dozen　interconnected　buildings　built　in　the　nineteenth　century；　forming　a　bizarre　maze　of　more　than　three　thousand　rooms　and　almost　two　hundred　miles　of　passageways。　But　mere　numbers　could　not　capture　the　claustrophobic　feeling　of　the　endless；　deserted　corridors。　It　was　enough；　she　thought；　to　give　the　Minotaur　a　nervous　breakdown。
　She　stopped；　consulted　her　map；　and　sighed。　A　long　brick　passageway　ran　straight　ahead；　illuminated　by　a　string　of　light　bulbs　in　cages；　another　ran　off　from　it　at　right　angles。　Everything　smelled　of　dust。　She　needed　a　landmark；　a　fixed　point　to　get　her　bearings。　She　looked　around。　A　padlocked　metal　door　nearby　had　a　weathered　sign：　Titanotheres。　A　door　across　the　hall　from　it　read：　Chalicotheres　and　Tapiroids。　She　checked　the　oversized　map；　finally　locating　her　position　with　difficulty。　She　wasn't　lost；　after　all：　it　was　just　ahead　and　around　the　corner。　Famous　last　words；　she　thought；　walking　forward；　hearing　the　echoing　rap　of　her　heels　against　the　concrete　floor。
　She　stopped　at　a　massive　set　of　oaken　doors；　ancient　and　scarred；　marked　Central　Archives。　She　knocked；　listening　to　the　rap　resound　cavernously　on　the　far　side。　There　came　a　sudden　rattle　of　papers；　the　sound　of　a　dropped　book；　a　great　clearing　of　phlegm。　A　high…pitched　voice　called　out；　〃Just　a　moment；　please！〃
　There　was　a　slow　shuffling；　then　the　sound　of　numerous　locks　being　unfastened。　The　door　opened；　revealing　a　short；　round；　elderly　man。　He　had　a　vastly　hooked　red　nose；　and　a　fringe　of　long　white　hair　descended　from　the　gleaming　dome　above　it。　As　he　looked　up　at　her；　a　smile　of　greeting　broke　out；　dispelling　the　air　of　melancholy　on　his　veined　face。
　〃Ah；　e　in；　do　e　in；〃　he　said。　〃Don't　let　all　these　locks　frighten　you。　I'm　an　old　man；　but　I　don't　bite。　Fortunate　senex！〃
　Nora　took　a　step　forward。　Dust　lay　everywhere；　even　on　the　worn　lapels　of　the　man's　jacket。　A　lamp　with　a　green　shade　cast　a　small　pool　of　light　on　the　old　desk；　piled　high　with　papers。　On　one　side　sat　an　elderly　Royal　typewriter；　perhaps　the　only　thing　in　the　room　not　covered　in　dust。　Beyond　the　desk；　Nora　could　see　cast…iron　shelves　laden　with　books　and　boxes　stretching　back　into　a　gloom　as　deep　as　the　ocean。　In　the　dimness；　it　was　impossible　to　judge　how　far　the　room　extended。
　〃Are　you　Reinhart　Puck？〃　Nora　asked。
　The　man　set　up　a　vigorous　nodding；　his　cheeks　and　bow　tie　flapping　in　response。　〃At　your　service。〃　He　bowed；　and　for　an　alarmed　moment　Nora　thought　he　might　reach　out　to　kiss　her　hand。　Instead；　there　was　another　loud　sound　of　phlegm　being　forced　against　its　will　somewhere　within　his　windpipes。
　〃I'm　looking　for　information　on…on　cabinets　of　curiosities；〃　Nora　continued；　wondering　if　that　was　the　correct　pluralization。
　The　man；　busy　re…locking　the　door；　glanced　over；　his　rheumy　eyes　lighting　up。　〃Ah！　You've　e　to　the　right　place。　The　Museum　absorbed　most　of　the　old　cabinets　of　early　New　York。　We　have　all　their　collections；　their　papers。　Where　shall　we　begin？〃　He　slammed　the　last　bolt　home；　then　rubbed　his　hands　together；　smiling；　clearly　happy　to　be　of　service　to　someone。
　〃There　was　a　cabinet　of　curiosities　in　lower　Manhattan　known　as　Shottum's　Cabinet。〃
　He　wrinkled　his　brow。　〃Shottum's　。　。　。　Ah；　yes。　Yes；　indeed。　Quite　popular　these　days；　Shottum's。　But　first　things　first。　Please　sign　the　register；　and　then　we　can　get　started。〃　He　motioned　her　to　follow　him　around　the　desk；　where　he　produced　a　leather…bound　ledger；　so　old　and　rubbed　that　Nora　was　tempted　to　ask　for　a　quill　pen。　She　took　the　proffered　ballpoint；　wrote　in　her　name　and　department。
　〃Why　all　the　locks　and　bolts？〃　she　asked；　handing　back　the　pen。　〃I　thought　all　the　really　valuable　stuff；　the　gold　and　diamonds　and　the　rest；　was　kept　in　the　Secure　Area。〃
　〃It's　the　new　administration。　Added　all　this　red　tape；　after　the　unpleasantness　a　few　years　back。　It's　not　as　if　we're　all　that　busy；　you　know。　Just　researchers　and　doctoral　candidates；　or　the　occasional　wealthy　patron　with　an　interest　in　the　history　of　science。〃　He　returned　the　register；　then　shuffled　over　to　a　huge　bank　of　old　ivory　light　switches；　big　as　clothes　pegs；　and　snapped　a　few　on。　Deep　in　the　vast　space　there　was　a　flicker；　then　another；　and　a　dim　light　appeared。　Puck　set　off　toward　it　at　a　slow　hobble；　his　feet　scraping　on　the　stone　floor。　Nora　followed；　glancing　up　at　the　dark　walls　of　shelving。　She　felt　as　if　she　were　walking　through　a　dark　forest　toward　the　distant　glow　of　a　weling　cottage。
　〃Cabinets　of　curiosities；　one　of　my　favorite　subjects。　As　you　no　doubt　know；　Delacourte's　was　the　first　cabinet；　established　in　1804。〃　Puck's　voice　echoed　back　over　his　stooped　shoulders。　〃It　was　a　marvelous　collection。　A　whale　eyeball　pickled　in　whiskey；　a　set　of　hippo　teeth；　a　mastodon　tusk　found　in　a　bog　in　New　Jersey。　And　of　course　the　last　dodo　egg；　of　a　Rodrigues　Solitaire　to　be