anner.bloodandgold(v2)-第29节

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　　　For　a　long　time　I　stood　with　my　paintbrush　in　hand；　staring；　thinking；
　　　　Should　I　do　this；　and　then　finally；　I　confessed　that　I　could　not。　〃Don't　ask　it　of　me；〃　I　said　to　Avicus。　〃Lure　the　being　yourselves。
　　　
　　　
　　　And　when　he　es　here；　let　me　know　of　it；　and　then　I　promise　I　will　e。〃
　　　The　following　night；　Avicus　returned　to　me。
　　　〃They　are　such　children；　these　Satanic　creatures；〃　he　said；　〃they　spoke　of　their　leader　so　willingly；　admitting　that　he　resides　in　a　desert　place　in　the　North　of　Egypt。　He　was　burnt　in　the　Terrible　Fire；　no　doubt　of　it；　and　has　taught　them　all　about　the　Great　Mother。　It　will　be　sad　to　destroy　them；　but　they　rampage　about　the　city；　seeking　the　sweetest　mortals　for　their　victims；　and　it　cannot　be　borne。〃
　　　〃I　know；〃　I　said　quietly。　I　felt　ashamed　that　I　had　always　allowed　Mael　and　Avicus　to　drive　these　creatures　from　Rome　on　their　own。　〃But　have　you　managed　to　lure　the　leader　out　of　his　hiding　place？　How　could　such　a　thing　be　done？〃
　　　〃We　have　given　them　abundant　riches；〃　said　Avicus；　〃so　that　they　may　bring　their　leader　here。　We　have　promised　him　our　strong　blood　in　return　for　his　ing；　and　that　he　sorely　needs　to　make　more　priests　and　priestesses　of　his　Satanic　cause。〃
　　　〃Ah；　your　strong　blood；　of　course；〃　I　said。　〃Why　did　I　not　think　of　it？　I　think　of　it　in　regard　to　the　Mother　and　Father；　but　I　did　not　think　of　it　in　relation　to　us。〃
　　　〃I　cannot　claim　to　have　thought　of　it　myself；〃　said　Avicus。　〃It　was　one　of　the　Satanic　children　who　suggested　it　for　the　leader　is　so　weak　that　he　can　never　rise　from　his　bed；　and　survives　only　to　receive　victims　and　to　make　followers。　Of　course　Mael　and　I　immediately　promised。　For　what　are　we　to　these　children　with　our　hundreds　of　years？　〃
　　　I　heard　nothing　further　of　the　matter　for　the　next　several　months；　except　I　knew　through　the　Mind　Gift　that　Avicus　had　slain　several　of　the　Satan　worshipers　for　their　public　crimes　which　he　considered　to　be　so　dangerous；　and　on　one　mild　summer　night；　when　I　stood　in　my　garden　looking　down　over　the　city；　I　heard　Mael　rather　distantly　arguing　with　Avicus　as　to　whether　they　should　slay　all　the　rest。
　　　At　last　the　band　was　slain；　and　the　catab　was　empty；　and　drenched　in　blood；　and　Mael　and　Avicus　appeared　at　my　house　and　begged　me　to　e　to　it　for　those　returning　from　Egypt　were　expected　within　the　hour　and　we　must　strike　fast。
　　　I　left　my　warm　happy　room；　carrying　my　finest　weapons；　and　went　with　them　as　I　had　promised。
　　　The　catab　was　so　small　and　tight；　I　could　scarce　stand　up　in　it。　And　I　knew　it　at　once　to　be　the　burial　place　of　mortal　Christians　and　a　place　where　they　had　sometimes　gathered　in　the　very　first　years　of　the　sect。
　　　We　traveled　through　it　some　eighty　or　ninety　feet　before　we　came　into　an　underground　place；　and　there　found　the　old　Egyptian　blood　drinker　on　his　bier；　glaring　at　us；　his　youthful　attendants　horrified　to　find　their　abode　empty　and　full　of　ashes　of　their　dead。
　　　The　old　creature　had　suffered　much。　Bald；　and　thin；　black　from　the　Great　Fire；　he　had　given　himself　up　utterly　to　the　making　of　his　Satanic　children；　and　so　never　healed　as　another　blood　drinker　might。　And　now　he　knew　himself　to　be　tricked。　Those　he　had　sent　on　to　Rome　were　gone　forever；　and　we　stood　before　him；　looking　down　upon　him　in　judgment；　blood　drinkers　of　unthinkable　power　who　felt　no　pity　for　him　and　his　cause。
　　　Avicus　was　the　first　to　raise　his　sword；　but　he　was　stopped　as　the　old　creature　cried　out；
　　　〃Do　we　not　serve　God？〃
　　　〃You'll　know　sooner　than　I　will；〃　Avicus　answered　him；　and　with　the　blade；　cut　off　his　head。
　　　The　remaining　band　refused　to　run　away　from　us。　They　fell　on　their　knees　and　met　our　heavy　blows　in　silence。
　　　And　so　too　it　was　with　the　fire　that　engulfed　them　all。
　　　The　next　night　and　the　night　after　that　we　went　back；　the　three　of　us；　to　gather　the　remains　and　burn　them　over　again；　until　it　was　finished　and　we　thought　that　had　put　an　end　to　the　Satanic　worshipers　once　and　for　all。
　　　Would　that　it　had　been　so。
　　　I　can't　say　that　this　awful　chapter　of　our　lives　brought　me　together　with　Avicus　and　Mael。　It　was　too　dreadful；　too　against　my　nature；　and　too　bitter　for　me。
　　　I　went　back　to　my　house；　and　gladly　resumed　my　painting。
　　　I　rather　enjoyed　it　that　none　of　my　guests　ever　wondered　as　to　my　true　age；　or　why　I　didn't　grow　old　or　die。　I　think　the　answer　lay　in　the　fact　that　I　had　so　very　much　pany　that　no　one　could　pay　attention　to　any　one　thing　for　very　long。

　　　Whatever　it　was；　after　the　slaughter　of　the　Satanic　children；　I　wanted　more　music　than　before；　and　I　painted　more　relentlessly　and　with　greater　invention　and　design。
　　　Meantime　the　state　of　the　Empire　was　dreadful。　It　was　now　quite　totally　divided　between　East　and　West。　In　the　West；　which　included　Rome；　of　course；　Latin　was　the　language；　while　in　the　East　the　mon　language　was　Greek。　The　Christians　too　felt　this　sharp　division　and　continued　to　quarrel　over　their　beliefs。
　　　Finally　the　situation　of　my　beloved　city　became　intolerable。　The　Visigoth　Ruler　Alaric　had　taken　the　nearby　port　of　Ostia；　and　was　threatening　Rome　itself。　The　Senate　seemed　powerless　to　do　anything　about　the　impending　invasion；　and　there　was　talk　throughout　the　city　that　the　slaves　would　side　with　the　invaders；　thereby　bringing　ruin　on　us　all。
　　　At　last；　at　midnight；　the　Salarian　gate　of　the　city　was　opened。　There　was　heard　the　horrifying　sound　of　a　Gothic　trumpet。　And　in　came　the　rapacious　hordes　of　Goths　and　Scythians　to　sack　Rome　herself。　I　rushed　out　into　the　streets　to　see　the　carnage　all　around　me。　Avicus　was　immediately　at　my　side。
　　　Hurrying　across　the　roofs；　we　saw　everywhere　that　slaves　had　risen　against　their　masters；　houses　were　forced　open；　jewels　and　gold　were　offered　up　by　frantic　victims；　who　were　nevertheless　murdered；　rich　statues　were　heaped　upon　wagons　in　those　streets　large　enough　to　allow　such；　and　bodies　soon　lay　everywhere　as　the　blood　ran　in　the　gutters　and　as　the　inevitable　flames　began　to　consume　all　that　they　could。　The　young　and　the　healthy　were　rounded　up　to　be　sold　into　slavery；　but　the　carnage　was　often　random；　and　I　soon　realized　I　could　do　nothing　to　help　any　mortal　whom　I　saw。
　　　Returning　to　my　house；　I　discovered　with　horror　that　it　was　already　in　flames。　My　guests　had　either　been　taken　prisoner　or　had　fled。　My　books　were　burning！　All　my　copies　of　Virgil；　Petronius；　Apuleius；　Cicero；　Lucretius；　Homer；　Pliny　were　lying　helpless　amid　the　flames。　My　paintings　were　blackening　and　disintegrating。　Foul　smoke　choked　my　lungs。
　　　I　had　scarce　time　to　grab　a　few　important　scrolls。　Desperately　I　sought　for　Ovid；　whom　Pandora　had　so　loved；　and　for　the　great　tragedians　of　Greece。　Avicus　reached　out　his　arms　to　help　me。　I　took　more；　seeking　to　save　my　own　diaries；　but　in　that　fatal　instant　Goth　soldiers　poured　into　my　garden　with　loud　shouts；　their　weapons　raised。
　　　At　once　I　pulled　my　sword　and　began　with　fierce　speed　to　decapitate　them；　shouting　as　they　shouted；　allowing　my　preternatural　voice　to　deafen　them　and　confuse　them；　as　I　hacked　off　random　limbs。
　　　Avicus　proved　even　more　fierce　than　I　was；　perhaps　being　more　accustomed　to　this　kind　of　battle；　and　soon　the　band　lay　dead　at　our　feet。
　　　
　　　But　by　now　my　house　was　pletely　engulfed　in　flames。　The　few　scrolls　we'd　sought　to　save　were　burning。　There　was　nothing　more　to　be　done。　I　could　only　pray　that　my　slaves　had　sought　some　refuge；　for　if　they　hadn't　they　would　soon　be　taken　for　loot。
　　　〃To　the　chapel　of　Those　Who　Must　Be　Kept；〃　I　said。　〃Where　else　is　there　to　go？〃
　　　Quickly；　we　made　to　the　roofs　again；　darting　in　and　out　of　the　blazes　which　everywhere　lighted　up　the　night　sky。　Rome　was　weeping；　Rome　was　crying　out　for　pity；　Rome　was　dying。　Rome　was　no　more。
　　　We　reached　the　shrine　in　safety；　though　Alaric's　troops　were　pillaging　the　countryside　as　well。
　　　Going　down　into　the　cool　confines　of　the　chapel；　I　lighted　the　lamps　quickly　and　then　I　fell　down　on　my　knees　before　Akasha；　uncaring　of　what　Avicus　might　think　of　such　a　gesture；　and　I　poured　out　for　her　in　whispered　words　the　nature　of　this　tragedy　which　had　struck　my　mortal　home。
　　　〃You　saw　the　death　of　Egypt；〃　I　said　reverently。　〃You　saw　it　bee　a　Roman　province。　Well；　now　Rome　dies　in　its　turn。　Rome　has　lasted　for　eleven　hundred　years　and　now　it's　no　more。　How　will　the　world　survive？　Who　will　tend　the　thousands　of　roads　and　bridges　that　everywhere　bring　men　and　women　together？　Who　will　maintain　the　fabulous　cities　in　which　men　and　women　thrive　in　safe　houses；　educating　their　youth　to　read　and　write　and　worship　their　gods　and　goddesses　with　ceremony？　Who　will　drive　back　these　accursed　creatures　who　cannot　farm　the　land　which　they　have　burnt　and　who　live　only　to　destroy！〃
　　　Of　course　there　was　no　response　from　the　Blessed　Parents。
　　　But　I　fell　forward　and　my　hand　went　out　to　touch　Akasha's　foot。　I　breathed　a　deep　sigh。
　
　　　And　finally；　forgetting　all　formality；　I　crept　into　the　corner　and　sat　rather　like　an　exhausted　boy。
　　　Avicus　came　to　sit　beside　me。　He　clasped　my　hand。

　　　〃And　what　of　Mael？〃　I　asked　softly。
　　　〃Mael　is　clever；〃　said　Avicus。　〃Mael　loves　to　fight。　He　has　destroyed　many　a　blood　drinker。　Mael　will　never