cb.imajica1-第16章

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　upon　him　and　he　could　exchange　such　items　for　artifacts　from　the　Imajica；　Peccable's　business　would　flourish。　It　was　a　trade　in　talismans；　and　neither　man　was　likely　to　tire　of　it　soon。
　Nor　did　Godolphin　tire　of　being　an　Englishman　in　that　most　un…English　of　cities。　He　was　instantly　recognizable　in　the　small　but　influential　circle　he　kept。　A　large　man　in　every　way；　he　was　tall　and　big…bellied：　bellicose　when　fondest；　hearty　when　not。　At　fifty…two　he　had　long　ago　found　his　style　and　was　more　than　fortable　with　it。　True；　he　concealed　his　second　and　third　chins　beneath　a　gray…brown　beard　that　only　got　an　efficient　trimming　at　the　hands　of　Peccable's　eldest　daughter；　Hoi…Polloi。　True；　he　attempted　to　look　a　little　more　learned　by　wearing　silver…rimmed　spectacles　that　were　dwarfed　by　his　large　face　but　were；　he　thought；　all　the　more　pedagoguish　because　they　didn't　flatter。　But　these　were　little　deceits。　They　helped　to　make　him　unmistakable；　which　he　liked。　He　wore　his　thinning　hair　short　and　his　collars　long；　preferring　for　dress　a　clash　of　tweeds　and　a　striped　shirt；　always　a　tie；　invariably　a　waistcoat。　All　in　all；　a　difficult　sight　to　ignore；　which　suited　him　fine。　Nothing　was　more　likely　to　bring　a　smile　to　his　face　than　being　told　he　was　talked　about。　It　was　usually　with　affection。
　There　was　no　smile　on　his　face　now；　however；　as　he　stepped　out　of　the　site　of　the　Reconciliation…known　euphemistically　as　the　Retreat…to　find　Dowd　sitting　perched　on　a　shooting　stick　a　few　yards　from　the　door。　It　was　early　afternoon　but　the　sun　was　already　low。in　the　sky；　the　air　as　chilly　as　Dowd's　wele。　It　was　almost　enough　to　make　him　turn　around　and　go　back　to　Yzordderrex；　revolution　or　no。
　〃Why　do　I　think　you　haven't　e　here　with　sparkling　news？〃　he　said。
　Dowd　rose　with　his　usual　theatricality。　〃I'm　afraid　you're　absolutely　correct；〃　he　said。
　〃Let　me　guess：　the　government　fell！　The　house　burned　down。〃　His　face　dropped。　〃Not　my　brother？〃　he　said。　〃Not　Charlie？〃　He　tried　to　read　Dowd's　face。　〃What：　dead？　A　massive　coronary。　When　was　the　funeral？〃
　〃No；　he's　alive。　But　the　problem　lies　with　him。〃
　〃Always　has。　Always　has。　Will　you　fetch　my　goods　and　chattels　out　of　the　folly？　We'll　talk　as　we　walk。　Go　on　in；　will　you？　There's　nothing　there　that's　going　to　bite。〃
　Dowd　had　stayed　out　of　the　Retreat　all　the　time　he'd　waited　for　Godolphin　（a　wearisome　three　days）；　even　though　it　would　have　given　him　some　measure　of　protection　against　the　bitter　cold。　Not　that　his　system　was　susceptible　to　such　disforts；　but　he　fancied　himself　an　empathic　soul；　and　his　time　on　Earth　had　taught　him　to　feel　cold　as　an　intellectual　concept；　if　not　a　physical　one；　and　he　might　have　wished　to　take　shelter。　Anywhere　other　than　the　Retreat。　Not　only　had　many　esoterics　died　there　（and　he　didn't　enjoy　the　proximity　of　death　unless　he'd　been　its　bringer）；　but　the　Retreat　was　a　passing　place　between　the　Fifth　Dominion　and　the　other　four；　including；　of　course；　the　home　from　which　he　was　in　permanent　exile。　To　be　so　close　to　the　door　through　which　his　home　lay；　and　be　prevented　by　the　conjurations　of　his　first　keeper；　Joshua　Godolphin；　from　opening　that　door；　was　painful。　The　cold　was　preferable。
　He　stepped　inside　now；　however；　having　no　choice　in　the　matter。　The　Retreat　had　been　built　in　neoclassical　style：　twelve　marble　pillars　rising　to　support　a　dome　that　called　for　decoration　but　had　none。　The　plainness　of　the　whole　lent　it　gravity　and　a　certain　functionalism　which　was　not　inappropriate。　It　was；　after　all；　no　more　than　a　station；　built　to　serve　countless　passengers　and　now　used　by　only　one。　On　the　floor；　set　in　the　middle　of　the　elaborate　mosaic　that　appeared　to　be　the　building's　sole　concession　to　prettifica…tion　but　was　in　fact　the　evidence　of　its　true　purpose；　were　the　bundles　of　artifacts　Godolphin　brought　back　from　his　travels；　neatly　tied　up　by　Hoi…Polloi　Nuits…St。…Georges；　the　knots　encrusted　with　scarlet　sealing　wax。　It　was　her　present　delight；　this　business　with　the　wax；　and　Dowd　cursed　it；　given　that　it　fell　to　him　to　unpack　these　treasures。　He　crossed　to　the　center　of　the　mosaic；　light　on　his　heels。　This　was　tremulous　terrain；　and　he　didn't　trust　it。　But　moments　later　he　emerged　with　his　freight；　to　find　that　Godolphin　was　already　marching　out　of　the　copse　that　screened　the　Retreat　from　both　the　house　（empty；　of　course；　in　ruins）　and　any　casual　spy　who　peered　over　the　wall。　He　took　a　deep　breath　and　went　after　his　master；　knowing　the　explanation　ahead　would　not　be　easy。
　
　〃So　they've　summoned　me；　have　they？〃　Oscar　said；　as　they　drove　back　into　London；　the　traffic　thickening　with　the　dusk。　〃Well；　let　them　wait。〃
　〃You're　not　going　to　tell　them　you're　here？〃
　〃In　my　time；　not　in　theirs。　This　is　a　mess；　Dowdy。　A　wretched　mess。〃
　〃You　told　me　to　help　Estabrook　if　he　needed　it。〃
　〃Helping　him　hire　an　assassin　isn't　what　I　had　in　mind。〃
　〃Chant　was　very　discreet。〃
　〃Death　makes　you　that　way；　I　find。　You　really　have　made　a　pig's　ear　of　the　whole　thing。〃
　〃I　protest；〃　said　Dowd。　〃What　else　was　I　supposed　to　do？　You　knew　he　wanted　the　woman　dead；　and　you　washed　your　hands　of　it。〃
　〃All　true；〃　said　Godolphin。　〃She　is　dead；　I　assume？〃
　〃I　don't　think　so。　I've　been　scouring　the　papers；　and　there's　no　mention。〃
　〃So　why　did　you　have　Chant　killed？〃
　Here　Dowd　was　more　cautious　in　his　account。　If　he　said　too　little；　Godolphin　would　suspect　him　of　concealment。　Too　much；　and　the　larger　picture　might　bee　apparent。　The　longer　his　employer　stayed　in　ignorance　of　the　scale　of　the　stakes；　the　better。　He　proffered　two　explanations；　both　ready　and　waiting。
　〃For　one　thing；　the　man　was　more　unreliable　than　I'd　thought。　Drunk　and　maudlin　half　the　time。　And　I　think　he　knew　more　than　was　good　for　either　you　or　your　brother。　He　might　have　ended　up　finding　out　about　your　travels。〃
　〃Instead　it's　the　Society　that's　suspicious。〃
　〃It's　unfortunate　the　way　these　things　turn　out。〃
　〃Unfortunate；　my　arse。　A　total　balls…up　is　what　it　is。〃
　〃I'm　very　sorry。〃
　〃I　know　you　are；　Dowdy；〃　Oscar　said。　〃The　point　is；　where　do　we　find　a　scapegoat？〃
　〃Your　brother？〃
　〃Perhaps；〃　Godolphin　replied；　cannily　concealing　the　degree　to　which　this　suggestion　found　favor。
　〃When　should　I　tell　them　you've　e　back？〃　Dowd　asked。
　〃When　I've　made　up　a　lie　I　can　believe　in；〃　came　the　reply。
　Back　in　the　house　in　Regent's　Park　Road；　Oscar　took　some　time　to　study　the　newspaper　reports　of　Chant's　death　before　retiring　to　his　treasure　house　on　the　third　floor　with　both　his　new　artifacts　and　a　good　deal　to　think　about。　A　sizable　part　of　him　wanted　to　exit　this　Dominion　once　and　for　all。　Take　himself　off　to　Yzordderrex　and　set　up　business　with　Peccable；　marry　Hoi…Polloi　despite　her　crossed　eyes；　have　a　litter　of　kids　and　retire　to　the　Hills　of　the　Conscious　Cloud；　in　the　Third；　and　raise　parrots。　But　he　knew　he'd　yearn　for　England　sooner　or　later；　and　a　yearning　man　could　be　cruel。　He'd　end　up　beating　his　wife；　bullying　his　kids；　and　eating　the　parrots。　So；　given　that　he'd　always　have　to　keep　a　foot　in　England；　if　only　during　the　cricket　season；　and　given　that　as　long　as　he　kept　a　presence　here　he　would　be　answerable　to　the　Society；　he　had　to　face　them。
　He　locked　the　door　of　his　treasure　room；　sat　down　amid　his　collection；　and　waited　for　inspiration。　The　shelves　around　him；　which　were　built　to　the　ceiling；　were　bowed　beneath　the　weight　of　his　trove。　Here　were　items　gathered　from　the　edge　of　the　Second　Dominion　to　the　limits　of　the　Fourth。　He　had　only　to　pick　one　of　them　up　to　be　transported　back　to　the　time　and　place　of　its　acquisition。　The　statue　of　the　Etook　Ha'chiit；　he'd　bartered　for　in　a　little　town　called　Slew；　which　was　now；　regrettably；　a　blasted　spot；　its　citizens　the　victims　of　a　purge　visited　upon　them　for　the　crime　of　a　song；　written　in　the　dialect　of　their　munity；　suggesting　that　the　Autarch　of　Yzordderrex　lacked　testicles。
　Another　of　his　treasures；　the　seventh　volume　of　Gaud　Maybellome's　Encyclopedia　of　Heavenly　Signs；　originally　written　in　the　language　of　Third　Dominion　academics　but　widely　translated　for　the　delectation　of　the　proletariat；　he'd　bought　from　a　woman　in　the　city　of　Jassick；　who'd　approached　him　in　a　gaming　room；　where　he　was　attempting　to　explain　cricket　to　a　group　of　the　locals；　and　said　she　recognized　him　from　stories　her　husband　（who　was　in　the　Autarch's　army　in　Yzordderrex）　had　told。
　〃You're　the　English　male；〃　she'd　said；　which　didn't　seem　worth　denying。
　Then　she'd　shown　him　the　book：　a　very　rare　volume　indeed。　He'd　never　ceased　to　find　fascination　within　its　pages；　for　it　was　Maybellome's　intention　to　make　an　encyclopedia　listing　all　the　flora；　fauna；　languages；　sciences；　ideas；　moral　perspectives…in　short；　anything　that　occurred　to　her…that　had　found　their　way　from　the　Fifth　Dominion；　the　Place　of　the　Succulent　Rock；　through　to　the　other　worlds。　It　was　a　herculean　task；　and　she'd　died　just　as　she　was　beginning　the　nineteenth　volume；　with　no　end　in　sight；　but　even　the　one　book　in　Godolphin's　possession　was　enough　to　guarantee　that　he　would　search　for　the　others　until　his　dying　day。　It　was　a　bizarre；　almost　surreal　volume。　Even　if　only　half　the　entries　were　true；　or　nearly　true；　Earth　had　influenced　just　about　every　aspect　of　the　worlds　from　which　it　was　divided。　Fauna；　for　instance。　There　were　countless　animals　listed　in　the　volume…which　MaybeUome　claimed　to　be　invaders　from　the　other　world。　Some　clearly　were：　the　zebra；　the　crocodile；　the　dog。　Others　were　a　mixture　of　genetic　strands；　part　terrestrial；　part　not。　But　many　of　these　species　（pictured　in　the　book　like　fugitives　from　a　medieval　bestiary）　were　so　outlandish　he　doubted　their　very　existence。　Here；　for　instance；　were　hand…sized　wolves　with　the　wings　of　canaries。　Here　was　an　elephant　that　lived　in　an　enormous　conch。　Here　was　a　literate　worm　that　wrote　omens　with　its　thread…fine　half…mile　body。　Wonderment　upon　wonderment。　Godolphin　only　had　to　pick　up　the　encyclopedia　and　he　was　ready　to　put　on　his　boots　and　set　off　for　the　Dominions　again。
　What　was　self…evident　from　even　a　casual　perusal　of　the　book　was　how　extensively　the　unreconciled　Dominion　had　influenced　the　others。　The　languages　of　earth…English；　Italian；　Hindustani；　and　Chinese　particularly…were　known　in　some　variation　everywhere；　though　it　seemed　the　Autarch…who　had　e　to　power　in　the　confusion　following　the　failed　Reconciliation…favored　English；　which　was　now　the　preferred　linguistic　currency　almost　everywhere。　To　name　a　child　with　an　English　word　was　thought　particularly　propitious；　though　there　was　little　or　no　consideration　given　to　what　the　word　actually　meant。　Hence　Hoi…Polloi；　for　instance；　this　one　of　the　less　strange　namings　among　the　thousands　Godolphin　had　encountered。
　He　flattered　himself　that　he　was　in　some　small　part　responsible　for　such　blissful　bizarrities；　given　that　over　the　years　he'd　brought　all　manner　of　influences　through　from　the　Succulent　Rock。　There　was　always　a　hunger　for　newspapers　and　magazines　（usually　preferred　to　books）；　and　he'd　beard　of　baptizers　in　Patashoqua　who　named　children　by　stabbing　a　copy　of　the　London　Times　with　a　pin　and　bequeathing　the　first　three　words　they　pricked　upon　the　infant；　however　unmusical　the　bination。　But　he　was　not　the　only　influence。　He　hadn't　brought　t