preston&child.thecabinetofcuriosities-第16节

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　〃Yes；　indeed；〃　said　Puck。　〃One　of　the　finest　rooms　in　the　Museum。　Historical　research　used　to　be　very　important。〃　He　sighed。　〃Times　have　changed。　O　tempo；　O　mores；　and　all　that。　Please　remove　all　writing　instruments　from　your　pockets；　and　put　on　those　linen　gloves　before　handling　any　of　the　objects。　I　will　need　to　take　your　briefcase；　Doctor。〃　He　glanced　disapprovingly　at　the　gun　and　handcuffs　dangling　from　O'Shaughnessy's　service　belt；　but　said　nothing。
　They　laid　their　pens　and　pencils　into　a　proffered　tray。　Nora　and　the　others　slid　on　pairs　of　spotless　gloves。
　〃I　will　withdraw。　When　you　are　ready　to　leave；　call　me　on　that　telephone。　Extension　4240。　If　you　want　photocopies　of　anything；　fill　out　one　of　these　sheets。〃
　The　door　eased　shut。　There　was　the　sound　of　a　key　turning　in　a　lock。
　〃Did　he　just　lock　us　in？〃　O'Shaughnessy　asked。
　Pendergast　nodded。　〃Standard　procedure。〃
　O'Shaughnessy　stepped　back　into　the　gloom。　He　was　an　odd　man；　Nora　thought；　quiet；　inscrutable；　handsome　in　a　Black　Irish　kind　of　way。　Pendergast　seemed　to　like　him。　O'Shaughnessy；　on　the　other　hand；　looked　as　if　he　didn't　like　anybody。
　The　agent　clasped　his　hands　behind　his　back　and　made　a　slow　circuit　of　the　first　table；　peering　at　each　object　in　turn。　He　did　the　same　with　the　second　table；　then　moved　to　the　third　table；　laden　with　its　assorted　papers。
　〃Let's　see　this　inventory　you　mentioned；〃　he　said　to　Nora。
　Nora　pointed　out　the　promissory　note　with　the　inventory　she　had　found　the　day　before。　Pendergast　looked　it　over；　and　then；　paper　in　hand；　made　another　circuit。　He　nodded　at　a　stuffed　okapi。　〃That　came　from　Shottum's；〃　he　said。　〃And　that。〃　He　nodded　to　the　elephant's…foot　box。　〃Those　three　penis　sheaths　and　the　right　whale　baculum。　The　Jivaro　shrunken　head。　All　from　Shottum's；　payment　to　McFadden　for　his　work。〃　He　bent　down　to　examine　the　shrunken　head。　〃A　fraud。　Monkey；　not　human。〃　He　glanced　up　at　her。　〃Dr。　Kelly；　would　you　mind　looking　through　the　papers　while　I　examine　these　objects？〃
　Nora　sat　down　at　the　third　table。　There　was　the　small　box　of　Shottum's　correspondence；　along　with　another；　much　larger；　box　and　two　binders…McFadden's　papers；　apparently。　Nora　opened　the　Shottum　box　first。　As　Puck　had　noted；　the　contents　were　in　a　remarkable　state　of　disarray。　What　few　letters　were　here　were　all　in　the　same　vein：　questions　about　classifications　and　identifications；　tiffs　with　other　scientists　over　various　arcane　subjects。　It　illuminated　a　curious　corner　of　nineteenth…century　natural　history；　but　shed　no　light　on　a　heinous　nineteenth…century　crime。　As　she　read　through　the　brief　correspondence；　a　picture　of　J。　C。　Shottum　began　to　form　in　her　mind。　It　was　not　the　image　of　a　serial　killer。　He　seemed　a　harmless　enough　man；　fussy；　narrow；　a　little　querulous　perhaps；　bristling　with　academic　rivalries。　The　man's　interests　seemed　exclusively　related　to　natural　history。　Of　course；　you　can　never　tell；　she　thought；　turning　over　the　musty　pages。
　Finding　nothing　of　particular　interest；　Nora　turned　to　the　much　larger…and　neater…boxes　of　Tinbury　McFadden's　correspondence。　They　were　mostly　notes　from　the　long…dead　curator　on　various　odd　subjects；　written　in　a　fanatically　small　hand：　lists　of　classifications　of　plants　and　animals；　drawings　of　various　flowers；　some　quite　good。　At　the　bottom　was　a　thick　packet　of　correspondence　to　and　from　various　men　of　science　and　collectors；　held　together　by　an　ancient　string　that　flew　apart　when　she　touched　it。　She　riffled　through　them；　arriving　finally　at　a　packet　of　letters　from　Shottum　to　McFadden。　The　first　began；　〃My　Esteemed　Colleague。〃
　　
　I　herewith　transmit　to　you　a　Curious　Relic　said　to　be　from　the　Isle　of　Kut；　off　the　coast　of　Indochine；　depicting　a　simian　in　coito　with　a　Hindoo　goddess；　carved　from　walrus　ivory。　Would　you　be　so　kind　as　to　identify　the　species　of　simian？
　Your　colleague；　J。　C。　Shottum
　　
　She　slid　out　the　next　letter：
　　
　My　Dear　Colleague；
　At　the　last　meeting　at　the　Lyceum；　Professor　Blackwood　presented　a　fossil　which　he　claimed　was　a　Devonian　Age　crinoid　from　the　Montmorency　Dolomites。　The　Professor　is　sadly　mistaken。　LaFleuve　himself　identified　the　Montmorency　Dolomites　as　Permian；　and　needs　make　a　corrective　note　of　it　in　the　next　Lyceum　Bulletin　。　。　。
　　
　She　flipped　through　the　rest。　There　were　letters　to　others　as　well；　a　small　circle　of　like…minded　scientists；　including　Shottum。　They　were　all　obviously　well　acquainted　with　one　another。　Perhaps　the　killer　might　be　found　in　that　circle。　It　seemed　likely；　since　the　person　must　have　had　easy　access　to　Shottum's　Cabinet…if　it　wasn't　Shottum　himself。
　She　began　to　make　a　list　of　correspondents　and　the　nature　of　their　work。　Of　course；　it　was　always　possible　this　was　a　waste　of　time；　that　the　killer　might　have　been　the　building's　janitor　or　coal　man…but　then　she　remembered　the　crisp；　professional　scalpel　marks　on　the　bones；　the　almost　surgical　dismemberments。　No；　it　was　a　man　of　science…that　was　certain。
　Taking　out　her　notebook；　she　began　jotting　notes。
　　
　Letters　to/from　Tinbury　McFadden：
　　
　CORRESPONDENT　　J。　C。　Shottum
　SUBJECTS　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　Natural　history；　anthropology；　the　Lyceum
　POSITION　　　Owner；　Shottum's　Cabinet　of　Natural　Productions　and　Curiosities　New　York
　DATES　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　1869…1881
　　
　CORRESPONDENT　　Prof。　Albert　Blackwood
　SUBJECTS　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　The　Lyceum；　the　Museum
　POSITION　　　Founder；　New　York　Museum　of　Natural　History
　DATES　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　　1865…1878
　　
　CORRESPONDENT　　Dr。　Asa　Stone　Gilcrease
　SUBJECTS　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　　Birds
　POSITION　　　Ornithologist　New　York
　DATES　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　　　1875…1887
　　
　CORRESPONDENT　　Col。　Sir　Henry　C。　Throckmorton；　Bart。；　F。R。S。
　SUBJECTS　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　African　mammals　（big　game）
　POSITION　　　Collector；　explorer　sportsman　London
　DATES　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　　1879…1891
　　
　CORRESPONDENT　　Prof。　Enoch　Leng
　SUBJECTS　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　Classification
　POSITION　　　Taxonomist；　chemist　New　York
　DATES　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　　1872…1881
　　
　CORRESPONDENT　　Miss　Guenevere　LaRue
　SUBJECTS　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　Christian　missions　for　Borrioboola…Gha；　in　the　African　Congo
　POSITION　　　Philanthropist　New　York
　DATES　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　　1870…1872
　　
　CORRESPONDENT　　Dumont　Burleigh
　SUBJECTS　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　Dinosaur　fossils；　the　Lyceum
　POSITION　　　Oilman；　collector　Cold　Spring；　New　York
　DATES　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　　1875…1881
　　
　CORRESPONDENT　　Dr。　Ferdinand　Huntt
　SUBJECTS　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　Anthropology；　archaeology
　POSITION　　　Surgeon；　collector　Oyster　Bay；　Long　Island
　DATES　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　　1869…1879
　　
　CORRESPONDENT　　Prof。　Hiram　Howlett
　SUBJECTS　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　Reptiles　and　amphibians
　POSITION　　　Herpetologist　Stormhaven；　Maine
　DATES　OF　CORRESPONDENCE　　　1871…1873
　　
　The　penultimate　name　gave　her　pause。　A　surgeon。　Who　was　Dr。　Ferdinand　Huntt？　There　were　quite　a　few　letters　from　him；　written　in　a　large　scrawl　on　heavy　paper　with　a　beautifully　engraved　crest。　She　flipped　through　them。
　　
　My　Dear　Tinbury；
　With　regard　to　the　Odinga　Natives；　the　barbaric　custom　of　Male　Partum　is　still　quite　prevalent。　When　I　was　in　the　Volta　I　had　the　dubious　privilege　of　witnessing　childbirth。　I　was　not　allowed　to　assist；　of　course；　but　I　could　hear　the　shrieks　of　the　husband　quite　clearly　as　the　wife　jerked　on　the　rope　affixed　to　his　genitalia　with　every　contraction　she　experienced。　I　treated　the　poor　man's　injuries…severe　lacerations…following　the　birth　。　。　。
　　
　My　Dear　Tinbury；
　The　Olmec　Jade　phallus　I　herewith　enclose　from　La　Venta；　Mexico；　is　for　the　Museum；　as　I　understand　you　have　nothing　from　that　extremely　curious　Mexican　culture　。　。　。
　　
　She　sorted　through　the　packet　of　correspondence；　but　it　was　again　all　in　the　same　vein：　Dr。　Huntt　describing　various　bizarre　medical　customs　he　had　witnessed　in　his　travels　across　Central　America　and　Africa；　along　with　notes　that　had　apparently　acpanied　artifacts　sent　back　to　the　Museum。　He　seemed　to　have　an　unhealthy　interest　in　native　sexual　practices；　it　made　him　a　prime　candidate　in　Nora's　mind。
　She　felt　a　presence　behind　her　and　turned　abruptly。　Pendergast　stood；　arms　clasped　behind　his　back。　He　was　staring　down　at　her　notes；　and　there　was　a　sudden　look　on　his　face　that　was　so　grim；　so　dark；　that　Nora　felt　her　flesh　crawl。
　〃You're　always　sneaking　up　on　me；〃　she　said　weakly。
　〃Anything　interesting？〃　The　question　seemed　almost　pro　forma。　Nora　felt　sure　he　had　already　discovered　something　important；　something　dreadful；　on　the　list…and　yet　he　did　not　seem　inclined　to　share　it。
　〃Nothing　obvious。　Have　you　ever　heard　of　this　Dr。　Ferdinand　Huntt？〃
　Pendergast　gave　the　name　a　cursory　glance；　without　interest。　Nora　became　aware　of　the　man's　conspicuous　lack　of　any　scent　whatsoever：　no　smell　of　tobacco；　no　smell　of　cologne；　nothing。
　〃Huntt；〃　he　said　finally。　〃Yes。　A　prominent　North　Shore　family。　One　of　the　early　patrons　of　the　Museum。〃　He　straightened　up。　〃I've　examined　everything　save　the　elephant's…foot　box。　Would　you　care　to　assist　me？〃
　She　followed　him　over　to　the　table　laid　out　with　Tinbury　McFadden's　old　collections；　a　decidedly　motley　assortment。　Pendergast's　face　had　once　again　rec