preston&child.thecabinetofcuriosities-第41节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


sting；　dark　even　in　the　light　of　the　gas　lamp。　This　was　the　former　Old　Brewery；　at　one　time　the　worst　of　all　the　Five　Points　tenements。　Children　who　had　the　misfortune　to　be　born　within　were　known　to　pass　months　or　even　years　without　tasting　the　outside　air。　Now；　thanks　to　the　efforts　of　a　charitable　group；　it　had　been　rebuilt　as　the　Five　Points　Mission。　An　early　urban　renewal　project　for　which；　in　1880；　the　good　Dr。　Enoch　Leng　had　volunteered　his　medical　services；　pro　bono。　He　had　continued　to　work　there　into　the　early　'90s；　when　the　historical　record　on　Leng　vanished　abruptly。
　Pendergast　walked　slowly　toward　the　building。　An　ancient　sign　for　the　Old　Brewery　remained　painted　along　its　upper　story；　dominating　the　far　newer　and　cleaner　Five　Points　Mission　sign　beneath。　He　considered　entering　the　building；　then　decided　against　it。　There　was　another　visit　he　had　to　make　first。
　Behind　the　Five　Points　Mission；　a　tiny　alley　ran　north　into　a　dark　cul…de…sac。　Moist；　fetid　air　seeped　out　from　the　darkness。　Many　years　before；　when　the　Points　region　had　been　a　marshy　pond　known　as　the　Collect；　Aaron　Burr　had　installed　a　large　subterranean　pump　for　the　natural　springs　at　this　spot；　founding　the　New　Amsterdam　Water　pany。　The　pond　grew　increasingly　foul；　however；　and　eventually　had　been　filled　in　to　make　way　for　tenements。
　Pendergast　paused　thoughtfully。　Later；　this　alleyway　had　been　known　as　Cow　Bay；　the　most　dangerous　street　in　the　Five　Points。　It　had　been　crowded　with　tall　wooden　tenements　with　names　like　〃Brickbat　Mansion〃　and　〃The　Gates　of　Hell；〃　tenanted　by　violent　alcoholics　who　would　stab　a　man　for　the　clothes　on　his　back。　Like　many　structures　in　the　Five　Points；　these　were　warrens　of　vile…smelling　chambers；　honeybed　with　secret　panels　and　doors　that　connected　to　other　houses　on　adjoining　streets　by　networks　of　underground　passageways；　allowing　criminals　easy　escape　from　pursuing　law　enforcement。　In　the　mid…nineteenth　century；　the　street　had　averaged　a　murder　a　night。　Now　it　was　home　to　an　ice　delivery　pany；　a　slaughterhouse；　and　an　abandoned　substation　of　the　city's　waterworks；　shut　down　in　1879　when　the　uptown　reservoir　rendered　it　obsolete。
　Pendergast　moved　on　another　block；　then　turned　left　onto　Little　Water　Street。　At　the　far　corner　was　the　Five　Points　House　of　Industry；　the　other　orphanage　graced　with　the　medical　attention　of　Enoch　Leng。　It　was　a　tall　Beaux　Arts　building；　punctuated　along　its　north　end　by　a　tower。　A　small　rectangular　widow's　walk；　buttressed　by　iron　fencing；　sat　atop　its　mansard　roof。　The　building　looked　woefully　out　of　place　among　the　shabby　wooden　houses　and　ramshackle　squatteries。
　He　stared　up　at　the　heavy…browed　windows。　Why　had　Leng　chosen　to　lend　his　services　to　these　two　missions；　one　after　the　other；　in　1880…the　year　before　Shottum's　Cabinet　burned？　If　he　was　looking　for　an　endless　source　of　impoverished　victims　whose　absence　would　cause　no　alarm；　the　cabinet　was　a　better　choice　than　a　workhouse。　After　all；　one　could　have　only　so　many　mysterious　disappearances　before　someone　grew　suspicious。　And　why　had　Leng　chosen　these　missions　in　particular？　There　were　countless　others　in　lower　Manhattan。　Why　had　Leng　decided　to　work…and；　presumably；　draw　his　pool　of　victims…from　this　spot？
　Pendergast　stepped　back　onto　the　cobbles；　glancing　up　and　down　the　lane；　thinking。　Of　all　the　streets　he　had　traveled；　Little　Water　Street　was　the　only　one　no　longer　extant　in　the　twentieth　century。　It　had　been　paved　over；　built　upon；　forgotten。　He　had　seen　old　maps　that　showed　it；　naturally；　but　no　map　ever　drawn　had　superimposed　its　course　onto　present…day　Manhattan　。　。　。
　An　incredibly　shabby　man　with　a　horse　and　cart　came　down　the　street；　ringing　a　bell；　collecting　garbage　for　tips；　a　brace　of　tame　hogs　following　behind。　Pendergast　did　not　heed　him。　Instead；　he　glided　back　down　the　narrow　road；　pausing　at　the　entrance　to　Cow　Bay。　Although　with　the　disappearance　of　Little　Water　Street　it　was　difficult　to　tell　on　modern　maps；　Pendergast　now　saw　that　the　two　missions　would　both　have　backed　onto　these　terrible　old　tenements。　Those　dwellings　were　gone；　but　the　warren　of　tunnels　that　once　served　their　criminal　residents　would　have　remained。
　He　glanced　down　both　sides　of　the　alley。　Slaughterhouse；　ice　factory；　abandoned　waterworks　。　。　。　It　suddenly　made　perfect　sense。
　More　slowly　now；　Pendergast　walked　away；　headed　for　Baxter　Street　and　points　north。　He　could；　of　course；　have　ended　his　journey　at　this　point…have　opened　his　eyes　to　the　present…day　books　and　tubes　and　monitor　screens…but　he　preferred　to　continue　the　discipline　of　this　mental　exercise；　to　take　the　long　way　back　to　Lenox　Hill　Hospital。　He　was　curious　to　see　if　the　fire　at　Shottum's　Cabinet　had　been　brought　under　control。　Perhaps　he　would　hire　a　carriage　uptown。　Or　better　yet；　walk　up　past　the　Madison　Square　Garden　circus；　past　Delmonico's；　past　the　palaces　of　Fifth　Avenue。　There　was　much　to　think　about；　much　more　than　he　had　previously　imagined…and　1881　was　as　good　a　place　as　any　to　do　it　in。
　
　FOURTEEN
　　
　NORA　STOPPED　AT　the　nurses'　station　to　ask　directions　to　Pendergast's　new　room。　A　sea　of　hostile　faces　greeted　the　question。　Clearly；　Nora　thought；　Pendergast　was　as　popular　at　Lenox　as　he　had　been　at　St。　Luke's…Roosevelt。
　She　found　him　lying　up　in　bed；　the　blinds　shut　tight　against　the　sun。　He　looked　very　tired；　his　face　gray。　His　blond…white　hair　hung　limply　over　his　high　forehead；　and　his　eyes　were　closed。　As　she　entered；　they　slowly　opened。
　〃I'm　sorry；〃　Nora　said。　〃This　is　a　bad　time。〃
　〃Not　at　all。　I　did　ask　you　to　see　me。　Please　clear　off　that　chair　and　sit　down。〃
　Nora　moved　the　stack　of　books　and　papers　from　the　chair　to　the　floor；　wondering　again　what　this　was　about。　She'd　already　given　him　her　report　about　her　visit　with　the　old　lady　and　told　him　it　would　be　her　last　assignment　for　him。　He　had　to　understand　that　it　was　time　for　her　to　get　back　to　her　own　career。　As　intriguing　as　it　was；　she　was　not　about　to　mit　professional　hara　kiri　over　this　business。
　Pendergast's　eyes　had　drooped　until　they　were　almost　closed；　but　she　could　still　see　the　pale　irises　behind　the　slitted　lids。
　〃How　are　you？〃　Courtesy　required　she　ask　that　question；　but　there　wouldn't　be　any　others。　She'd　listen　to　what　he　had　to　say；　then　leave。
　〃Leng　acquired　his　victims　from　the　cabinet　itself；〃　Pendergast　said。
　〃How　do　you　know？〃
　〃He　captured　them　at　the　back　of　one　of　the　halls；　most　likely　a　small　cul…de…sac　housing　a　particularly　gruesome　exhibit。　He　would　lie　in　wait　until　a　visitor　was　alone；　then　he'd　snatch　his　victim；　take　the　unfortunate　through　a　door　at　the　rear　of　the　exhibit；　which　led　down　the　back　stairs　to　the　coal　cellar。　It　was　a　perfect　setup。　Street　people　vanished　all　the　time　in　that　neighborhood。　Undoubtably；　Leng　selected　victims　that　would　not　be　missed：　street　urchins；　workhouse　boys　and　girls。〃
　He　spoke　in　a　monotone；　as　if　reviewing　his　findings　within　his　own　mind　instead　of　explaining　them　to　her。
　〃From　1872　to　1881　he　used　the　cabinet　for　this　purpose。　Nine　years。　Thirty…six　victims　that　we　know　of；　perhaps　many　more　Leng　disposed　of　in　some　other　way。　As　you　know；　there　had　in　fact　been　rumors　of　people　vanishing　in　the　cabinet。　These　no　doubt　served　to　increase　its　popularity。〃
　Nora　shuddered。
　〃Then　in　1881　he　killed　Shottum　and　burned　the　cabinet。　We　of　course　know　why：　Shottum　found　out　what　he　was　up　to。　He　said　as　much　in　his　letter　to　McFadden。　But　that　letter　has；　in　its　own　way；　been　misleading　me　all　this　time。　Leng　would　have　killed　Shottum　anyway。〃　Pendergast　paused　to　take　a　few　breaths。　〃The　confrontation　with　Shottum　merely　gave　him　the　excuse　he　needed　to　burn　the　cabinet。　You　see；　phase　one　of　his　work　was　plete。〃
　〃Phase　one？〃
　〃He　had　achieved　what　he　set　out　to　do。　He　perfected　his　formula。〃
　〃You　don't　seriously　mean　Leng　was　able　to　prolong　his　own　life？〃
　〃He　clearly　believed　he　could。　In　his　mind；　the　experimentation　phase　could　cease。　Production　could　begin。　Victims　would　still　be　required；　but　many　fewer　than　before。　The　cabinet；　with　its　high　volume　of　foot　traffic；　was　no　longer　necessary。　In　fact；　it　had　bee　a　liability。　It　was　imperative　for　Leng　to　cover　his　tracks　and　start　afresh。〃
　There　was　a　silence。　Then　Pendergast　resumed。
　〃A　year　before　the　cabinet　burned；　Leng　offered　his　services　to　two　workhouses　in　the　vicinity…the　Five　Points　House　of　Industry　and　the　Five　Points　Mission。　The　two　were　connected　by　the　warren　of　old　underground　tunnels　that　riddled　the　entire　Five　Points　area　in　the　nineteenth　century。　In　Leng's　day；　a　foul　alley　known　as　Cow　Bay　lay　between　the　workhouses。　Along　with　the　sordid　tenements　you'd　expect；　Cow　Bay　was　home　to　an　ancient　subterranean　pumping　station　dating　back　to　the　days　of　the　Collect　Pond。　The　waterworks　were　shut　down　and　sealed　for　good　about　a　month　before　Leng　allied　himself　with　the　workhouses。　That　is　no　mere　coincidence　of　dates。〃
　〃What　are　you　saying？〃
　〃The　abandoned　waterworks　was　the　site　of　Leng's　production　laboratory。　The　place　he　went　after　burning　Shottum's　Cabinet。　It　was　secure；　and　better　still　it　provided　easy　underground　access　to　both　workhouses。　An　ideal　place　to　begin　production　of