anner.bloodandgold(v2)-第28节

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　　　He　stepped　up；　bent　over　the　Queen　lovingly　and　daringly　and　bent　to　drink　from　her　throat。
　　　It　seemed　nothing　would　happen。　She　would　allow　it。　Her　glassy　eyes　stared　forward　as　if　it　were　of　no　import。　Her　hands　remained　on　her　thighs。
　　　But　all　of　sudden；　with　monstrous　speed；　the　heavy　boned　Enkil　turned　sideways；　as　if　he　were　a　wooden　machine　worked　by　wheels　and　cogs；　and　he　reached　out　with　his　right　hand。
　　　I　sprang　forward；　threw　my　arms　around　Mael　and　drew　him　backwards　just　under　the　descending　arm　and　all　the　way　to　the　wall。　I　flung　him　into　the　corner。
　　　〃Stay　there！〃　I　whispered。
　　　I　stood　up。　Enkil　remained　turned；　his　eyes　empty；　as　if　he　could　not　find　the　object　of　his　rage；　his　hand　still　poised　in　the　air。　How　many　times；　when　I'd　dressed　them　or　cleaned　them；　had　I　seen　them　in　the　same　attitude　of　sluggish　inattention？
　　　Swallowing　my　terror；　I　mounted　the　dais。　I　spoke　to　Enkil　coaxingly。
　
　　　〃My　King；　please；　it's　finished；〃　I　said。　I　put　my　trembling　hands　on　his　arm；　and　I　gently　returned　him　to　his　proper　place。　His　face　was　hideously　blank。　Then　I　put　my　hands　on　his　shoulders　and　I　turned　him　until　he　was　staring　forward　as　before。　Gently　I　attended　to　his　heavy　golden　necklace。　I　arranged　his　fingers　carefully。　I　smoothed　his　heavy　kilt。
　　　As　for　the　Queen　she　remained　undisturbed。　It　was　as　if　none　of　it　had　ever　taken　place；　or　so　I　thought；　until　I　saw　the　droplets　of　blood　on　the　shoulder　of　her　linen　gown。　I　should　have　to　change　it　when　I　could。
　　　But　this　was　evidence　that　she　had　allowed　the　kiss；　and　he　had　forbidden　it。　Well；　this　was　most　interesting；　for　I　knew　now　that　when　I　had　last　drunk　from　her；　it　was　Enkil　who　had　thrown　me　back　on　the　chapel　floor。
　　　There　was　no　time　to　ponder　it。　I　had　to　get　Avicus　and　Mael　away　from　the　shrine。
　　　Only　when　we　were　back　within　the　confines　of　my　brightly　lighted　study　did　I　turn　my　fury　on　Mael。
　　　〃Two　times　I've　saved　your　miserable　life；〃　I　said。　〃And　I　will　suffer　for　it；　I'm　sure　of　that。　For　by　all　rights；　I　should　have　let　you　die　the　night　Avicus　sought　my　help　for　you；　and　I　should　have　let　the　King　crush　you　as　he　would　have　done　tonight。　I　despise　you；　understand　it。　No　end　of　time　will　change　it。　You　are　rash；　willful　and　crazed　with　your　own　desires。〃
　　　Avicus　sat　with　his　head　down　nodding　as　if　to　say　he　agreed。
　　　As　for　Mael　he　stood　in　the　corner；　his　hand　on　his　dagger；　regarding　me　with　begrudging　silence。
　　　
　　　〃Get　out　of　my　house；〃　I　said　finally。　〃And　if　you　want　to　end　your　life；　then　break　the　peace　of　the　Mother　and　the　Father。　For　ancient　as　they　are　and　silent　as　they　are；　they　will　crush　you　as　you　have　seen　for　yourself。　You　know　the　location　of　the　shrine。〃
　　　〃You　don't　even　know　the　measure　of　your　crime；〃　Mael　answered。　〃To　keep　such　a　secret。　How　could　you　dare！〃
　　　〃Silence；　please；〃　said　Avicus。
　　　〃No；　I　won't　keep　silent；〃　said　Mael。　〃You；　Marius；　you　steal　the　Queen　of　Heaven　and　you　keep　her　as　if　she　were　your　own？　You　lock　her　up　in　a　painted　chapel　as　if　she　were　a　Roman　goddess　made　of　wood？　How　dare　you　do　such　a　thing？〃
　　　〃Fool；〃　I　said；　〃what　would　you　have　me　do　with　her！　You　spit　lies　at　me。　What　you　wanted　is　what　they　all　want。　You　wanted　her　blood。　And　what　would　you　do　now　that　you　know　where　she　is？　Do　you　mean　to　set　her　free　and　for　whom　and　how　and　when？〃
　　　〃Quiet；　please；〃　said　Avicus　again。　〃Mael；　I　beg　you；　let　us　leave　Marius。〃
　　　〃And　the　snake　worshipers　who　have　heard　whispers　of　me　and　my　secret；　what　would　they　do？〃　I　demanded；　now　quite　lost　in　my　fury。　〃What　if　they　were　to　gain　possession　of　her　and　take　the　blood　from　her；　and　make　themselves　an　army　stronger　than　us？　How　then　would　the　human　race　rise　up　against　our　kind　with　laws　and　hunts　to　abolish　us？　Oh；　you　cannot　begin　to　conceive　of　all　the　ills　that　would　be　loosed　upon　this　world　were　she　known　to　all　our　kind；　you　foolish；　mad；　self…important　dreamer！〃
　　　Avicus　stood　before　me；　imploring　me　with　his　upraised　hands；　his　face　so　sad。
　　　I　wouldn't　be　stopped。　I　stepped　aside　and　faced　the　furious　Mael。
　　　〃Imagine　the　one　who　would　put　them　both　in　the　sun　again；〃　I　declared；　〃bringing　fire　on　us　like　the　fire　which　Avicus　suffered　before！　Would　you　end　your　life's　journey　in　such　agony　and　by　another's　hands？〃
　　　〃Please；　Marius；〃　said　Avicus。　〃Let　me　take　him　away　with　me。　We　will　go　now。　I　promise　you；　no　more　trouble　from　us。〃
　　　I　turned　my　back　on　them。　I　could　hear　Mael　leaving；　but　Avicus　lingered。　And　suddenly　I　felt　his　arm　enclose　me　and　his　lips　on　my　cheek。
　　　〃Go；〃　I　said　softly；　〃before　your　impetuous　friend　tries　to　stab　me　in　base　jealousy。〃
　　　
　　　The　garden；　and　so　the　house　seemed　mad　with　all　its　lamps　and　the　master　filling　walls　with　his　illusions；　and　the　guests　laughing　at　him　and　raising　their　cups　to　him；　and　the　music　strumming　on　unto　the　dawn。
　　　At　first　I　thought　it　would　be　a　distraction　to　have　Avicus　spying　upon　me；　but　I　grew　used　to　hearing　him　slip　over　the　wall　and　e　into　the　garden。　I　grew　used　to　the　nearness　of　someone　who　shared　these　moments　as　only　he　could。
　　　I　continued　to　paint　my　goddesses…Venus；　Ariadne；　Hera…and　gradually　I　grew　resigned　that　the　figment　of　Pandora　would　dominate　everything　I　did　in　that　particular；　but　I　worked　on　the　gods　as　well。　Apollo；　above　all；　fascinated　me。　But　then　I　had　time　to　paint　other　figures　of　myth；　such　as　Theseus；　Aeneas；　and　Hercules；　and　sometimes　I　turned　to　reading　Ovid　or　Homer　or　Lucretius　directly　for　inspiration。　Other　times；　I　made　up　my　own　themes。
　　　But　always　the　painted　gardens　were　my　fort　for　I　felt　I　was　living　in　them　in　my　heart。
　　　Over　and　over　again　I　covered　all　the　rooms　of　my　house；　and　as　it　was　built　as　a　villa；　not　an　enclosed　house　with　an　atrium；　Avicus　could　wander　the　garden　all　around　it；　seeing　all　that　I　did；　and　I　couldn't　help　but　wonder　if　my　work　was　changed　by　what　he　saw。
　　　What　moved　me　more　than　anything　perhaps　was　that　he　lingered　so　faithfully。　And　that　he　was　silent　with　so　much　respect。　Seldom　did　a　week　pass　that　he　did　not　e　and　stay　almost　the　entire　night。　Often　he　was　there　for　four　or　five　nights　in　a　row。　And　sometimes　even　longer　than　that。
　　　Of　course　we　never　spoke　to　each　other。　There　was　an　elegance　in　our　silence。　And　though　my　slaves　once　took　notice　of　him　and　annoyed　me　with　their　alarm；　I　soon　put　a　stop　to　that。
　　　On　the　nights　when　I　went　out　to　Those　Who　Must　Be　Kept　Avicus　didn't　follow　me。　And　I　must　confess　that　I　did　feel　a　sort　of　freedom　when　I　painted　alone　in　the　shrine。　But　melancholy　was　also　ing　down　upon　me；　harder　than　ever　in　the　past。
　　　Finding　a　spot　behind　the　dais　and　the　Precious　Pair；　I　often　sat　dejected　in　the　corner；　and　then　slept　the　day　and　even　the　next　night　without　going　out。　My　mind　was　empty。　Consolation　was　unimaginable。　Thoughts　of　the　Empire　and　what　might　happen　to　it　were　unspeakable。
　　　And　then；　I　would　remember　Avicus；　and　I　would　rise；　shaking　off　my　languor　and　go　back　into　the　city　and　begin　painting　the　walls　of　my　rooms　again。
　　　
　　　How　many　years　passed　in　this　way；　I　can't　calculate。
　　　It　is　far　more　important　to　note　that　a　band　of　Satanic　blood　drinkers　again　took　up　their　abode　in　an　abandoned　catab　and　began　to　feast　upon　the　innocent　which　was　their　custom；　being　desperately　careless　so　as　to　scare　humans　and　to　cause　tales　of　terror　to　spread。
　　　I　had　hoped　that　Mael　and　Avicus　would　destroy　this　band；　as　they　were　all　very　weak；　and　blundering；　and　it　wouldn't　have　been　hard　at　all。
　　　But　Avicus　came　to　me　with　the　truth　of　the　matter　which　I　should　have　seen　long　before。
　　　〃Always　these　Satan　worshipers　are　young；〃　he　said　to　me；　〃and　never　is　there　one　who　is　more　than　thirty　or　forty　years　from　his　mortal　life。　Always　from　the　East　they　e；　speaking　of　how　the　Devil　is　their　Ruler　and　how　through　serving　him；　they　serve　Christ。〃
　　　〃I　know　the　old　story；〃　I　said。　I　was　going　about　my　painting；　as　if　Avicus　was　not　standing　there；　not　out　of　rudeness；　but　out　of　weariness　with　the　Satan　worshipers；　who　had　cost　me　Pandora　so　long　ago。
　　　〃But　you　see；　Marius；　someone　very　old　must　surely　be　sending　these　deadly　little　emissaries　to　us；　and　it　is　this　old　one　whom　we　must　destroy。〃
　　　''And　how　will　you　do　that？〃　I　asked。
　　　〃We　mean　to　lure　him　to　Rome；〃　said　Avicus；　〃and　we've　e　to　ask　you　to　join　us。　e　down　into　the　catabs　with　us　tonight　and　tell　these　young　ones　that　you　are　a　friend。〃
　　　〃Ah；　no；　you　are　mad　to　suggest　this！〃　I　said。　〃Don't　you　realize　they　know　about　the　Mother　and　the　Father？　Don't　you　remember　all　I've　told　you？〃
　　　〃We　mean　to　destroy　them　to　a　one；〃　said　Mael　who　stood　behind　me。　〃But　to　make　a　fine　finish　we　must　lure　the　old　one　here　before　the　destruction。〃
　　　〃e；　Marius；〃　said　Avicus；　〃we　need　you　and　your　eloquence。　Convince　them　that　you　are　sympathetic。　That　they　must　bring　their　leader　here；　and　then　and　only　then　will　you　allow　them　to　remain。　Mael　and　I　cannot　so　impress　them　as　you　can。　This　is　no　vain　flattery；　be　assured。〃
　　　For　a　long　time　I　stood　with　my　paintbrush　in　hand；　staring；　thinking；
　　　　Should　I　do　this；　and　then　finally；