cb.imajica1-第33章
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asked how long it would be until the Autarch turned his unforgiving eyes on the hive of hives。 Then their faces drained of color； and people talked in whispers of how they planned to escape or defend themselves if that day ever came； and they looked around at their exquisite city； built to stand until Doomsday； and wondered just how near that day was。
Though Pie 'oh' pah had briefly described the forces that haunted the In Ovo； Gentle had only the vaguest impression of the dark protean state between the Dominions； occupied as he was by a spectacle much closer to his heart； that of the change that overtook both travelers as their bodies were translated into the mon currency of passage。
Dizzied by lack of oxygen； he wasn't certain whether these were real phenomena or not。 Could bodies open like flowers； and the seeds of an essential self fly from them the way his mind told him they did？ And could those same bodies be remade at the other end of the journey； arriving whole despite the trauma they'd undergone？ So it seemed。 The world Pie had called the Fifth folded up before the travelers' eyes； and they went like transported dreams into another place entirely。 As soon as he saw the light； Gentle fell to his knees on the hard rock； drinking the air of this Dominion with gratitude。
〃Not bad at all；〃 he heard Pie say。 〃We did it； Gentle。 I didn't think we were going to make it for a moment； but we did it！〃
Gentle raised his head； as Pie pulled him to his feet by the strap that joined them。
〃Up！ Up！〃 the mystif said。 〃It's not good to start a journey on your knees。〃
It was a bright day here； Gentle saw； the sky above his head cloudless； and brilliant as the green…gold sheen of a peacock's tail。 There was neither sun nor moon in it； but the very air seemed lucid； and by it Gentle had his first true sight of Pie since they'd met in the fire。 Perhaps out of remembrance for those it had lost； the mystif was still wearing the clothes it had worn that night； scorched and bloodied though they were。 But it had washed the dirt from its face； and its skin gleamed in the clear light。
〃Good to see you；〃 Gentle said。
〃You too。〃
Pie started to untie the belt that bound them； while Gentle turned his gaze on the Dominion。 They were standing close to the summit of a hill； a quarter of a mile from the perimeters of a sprawling shantytown； from which a din of activity rose。 It spread beyond the foot of the hill and halfway across a flat and treeless plain of ocher earth； crossed by a thronged highway that led his eye to the domes and spires of a glittering city。
〃Patashoqua？〃 he said。
〃Where else？〃
〃You were accurate； then。〃
〃More than I dared hope。 The hill we're standing on is supposed to be the place where Hapexamendios first rested when He came through from the Fifth。 It's called the Mount of Upper Bayak。 Don't ask me why。〃
〃Is the city under siege？〃 Gentle said。
〃I don't think so。 The gates look open to me。〃
Gentle scanned the distant walls； and indeed the gates were open wide。 〃So who are all these people？ Refugees？〃
〃We'll ask in a while；〃 Pie said。
The knot had e undone。 Gentle rubbed his wrist； which was indented by the belt； staring down the hill as he did so。 Moving between the makeshift dwellings below he glimpsed forms of being that didn't much resemble humanity。 And； mingling freely with them； many who did。 It wouldn't be difficult to pass as a local； at least。
〃You're going to have to teach me； Pie；〃 he said。 〃I need to know who's who and what's what。 Do they speak English here？〃
〃It used to be quite a popular language；〃 Pie replied。 〃I can't believe it's fallen out of fashion。 But before we go any farther； I think you should know what you're traveling with。 The way people respond to me may confound you otherwise。〃
〃Tell me as we go；〃 Gentle said； eager to see the strangers below up close。
〃As you wish。〃 They began to descend。 〃I'm a mystif； my name's Pie 'oh' pah。 That much you know。 My gender you don't。〃
〃I've made a guess；〃 Gentle said。
〃Oh？〃 said Pie； smiling。 〃And what's your guess？〃
〃You're an androgyne。 Am I right？〃
〃That's part of it； certainly。〃
〃But you've got a talent for illusion。 I saw that in New York。〃
〃I don't like the word illusion。 It makes me a guiser； and I'm not that〃
〃What then？〃
〃In New York you wanted Judith； and that's what you saw。 It was your invention； not mine。〃
〃But you played along。〃
〃Because I wanted to be with you。〃
〃And are you playing along now？〃
〃I'm not deceiving you； if that's what you mean。 What you see is what I am； to you。〃
〃But to other people？〃
〃I may be something different。 A man sometimes。 A woman others。〃
〃Could you be white？〃
〃I might manage it for a moment or two。 But if I'd tried to e to your bed in daylight； you'd have known I wasn't Judith。 Or if you'd been in love with an eight…year…old； or a dog。 I couldn't have acmodated that； except。。；〃…the creature glanced around at him…〃。 。 。 under very particular circumstances。〃
Gentle wrestled with this notion； questions biological； philosophical； and libidinous filling his head。 He stopped walking for a moment and turned to Pie。
〃Let me tell you what I see；〃 he said。 〃Just so you know。〃
〃Good。〃
〃If I passed you on the street I believe I'd think you were a woman〃…he cocked his head…〃though maybe not。 I suppose it'd depend on the light； and how fast you were walking。〃 He laughed。 〃Oh； shit；〃 he said。 〃The more I look at you the more I see； and the more I see…〃
〃The less you know。〃
〃That's right。 You're not a man。 That's plain enough。 But then。 。 。〃 He shook his head。 〃Am I seeing you the way you really are？ I mean； is this the final version？〃
〃Of course not。 There's stranger sights inside us both。 You know that。〃
〃Not until now。〃
〃We can't go too naked in the world。 We'd bum out each other's eyes。〃
〃But this is you。〃
〃For the time being。〃
〃For what it's worth； I like it；〃 Gentle said。 〃I don't know what I'd call you if I saw you in the street； but I'd turn my head。 How's that？〃
〃What more could I ask for？〃
〃Will I meet others like you？〃
〃A few； maybe；〃 Pie said。 〃But mystifs aren't mon。 When one is born； it's an occasion for great celebration among my people。〃
〃Who are your people？〃
〃The Eurhetemec。〃
〃Will they be here？〃 Gentle said； nodding towards the throng below。
〃I doubt it。 But in Yzordderrex； certainly。 They have a Kesparate there。〃
〃What's a Kesparate？〃
〃A district。 My people have a city within the city。 Or at least they had one。 It's two hundred and twenty…one years since I was there。〃
〃My God。 How old are you？〃
〃Half that again。 I know that sounds like an extraordinary span； but time works slowly on flesh touched by feits。〃
〃Feits？〃
〃Magical workings。 Feits； wantons； sways。 They work their miracles even on a whore like me。〃
〃Whoa！〃 said Gentle。
〃Oh； yes。 That's something else you should know about me。 I was told…a long time ago…that I should spend my life as a whore or an assassin； and that's what I've done。〃
〃Until now； maybe。 But that's over。〃
〃What will I be from now on？〃
〃My friend；〃 Gentle said； without hesitation。
The mystif smiled。 〃Thank you for that。〃
The round of questions ended there； and side by side they wandered on down the slope。
〃Don't make your interest too apparent；〃 Pie advised as they approached the edge of this makeshift conurbation。 〃Pretend you see this sort of sight daily。〃
〃That's going to be difficult；〃 Gentle predicted。
So it was。 Walking through the narrow spaces between the shanties was like passing through a country in which the very air had evolutionary ambition； and to breathe was to change。 A hundred kinds of eye gazed out at them from doorways and windows； while a hundred forms of limb got about the business of the day…cooking； nursing； Grafting； conniving； making fires and deals and love…and all glimpsed so briefly that after a few paces Gentle was obliged to look away； to study the muddy gutter they were walking in； lest his mind be overwhelmed by the sheer profusion of sights。 Smells； too： aromatic； sickly； sour and sweet； and sounds that made his skull shake and his gut quiver。
There had been nothing in his life to date； either waking or sleeping； to prepare him for this。 He'd studied the mas…terworks of great imaginers…he'd painted a passable Goya； once； and sold an Ensor for a little fortune…but the difference between paint and reality was vasts a gap whose scale he could not by definition have known until now； when he had around him the other half of the equation。 This wasn't an invented place； its inhabitants variations on experienced phenomena。 It was independent of his terms of reference： a place unto and of itself。
When he looked up again； daring the assault of the strange； he was grateful that he and Pie were now in a quarter occupied by more human entities； though even here there were surprises。 What seemed to be a three…legged child skipped across their path only to look back with a face wizened as a desert corpse； its third leg a tail。 A woman sitting in a doorway； her hair being bed by her consort； drew her robes around her as Gentle looked her way； but not fast enough to conceal the fact that a second consort； with the skin of a herring and an eye that ran all the way around its skull； was kneeling in front of her； inscribing hieroglyphics on her belly with the sharpened heel of its hand。 He heard a range of tongues being spoken； but English seemed to be the monest parlance； albeit heavily accented or corrupted by the labial anatomy of the speaker。 Some seemed to sing their speech； some almost to vomit it up。
But the voice that called to them from one of the crowded alleyways off to their right might have been heard on any street in London： a lisping； pompous holler demanding they halt in their tracks。 They looked in its direction。 The throng had divided to allow the speaker and his party of three easy passage。
〃Play dumb；〃 Pie muttered to Gentle as the lisper； an overfed gargoyle； bald but for an absurd wreath of oiled kiss curls； approached。
He was finely dressed； his high black boots polished and his canary yellow jacket densely embroidered after what Gentle would e to know as the present Patashoquan fashion。 A man much less showily garbed followed； an eye covered by a patch that trailed the tail feathers of a scarlet bird as if echoing the moment of his mutilation。 On his shoulders he carried a woman in black； with silvery scales for skin and a cane in her tiny hands with which she tapped her mount's head to speed him on his way。 Still farther behind came the oddest of the four。
〃A Nullianac；〃 Gentle heard Pie murmur。
He didn't need to ask if this was good news or bad。 The creature was its own best advertisement； and it was selling harm。 Its head resembled nothing so much as praying hands； the thumbs leading and tipped with lobster's eyes； the gap between the palms wide enough for the sky to be seen through it； but flickering； as arcs of energy passed from side to side。 It was without question the ugliest living thing Gentle had ever seen。 If Pie had not suggested they obey the edict and halt； Gentle would have taken to his heels there and then； rather than let the Nu
