cb.imajica2-第64章

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！


　spurted　in　the　child's　face；　which　brought　a　further　round　of　merriment。　Jude　didn't　ask　how　Paramarola　came　to　be　so　nourishing　when　she　was　neither　the　mother　of　the　child　nor；　presumably；　pregnant。　It　was　just　one　of　the　many　enigmas　this　journey　showed　her：　like　the　pool　that　clung　to　one　of　the　walls；　filled　to　brimming　with　luminous　fish；　or　the　waters　that　imitated　fire；　from　which　some　of　the　women　had　made　crowns；　or　the　immensely　long　eel　she　saw　carried　past；　its　gaping　head　on　a　child's　shoulder；　its　body　looped　between　half　a　dozen　women；　back　and　forth　across　their　shoulders　ten　times　or　more。　If　she'd　requested　an　explanation　for　any　one　of　these　sights　she'd　have　been　obliged　to　inquire　about　them　all；　and　they'd　never　have　got　more　than　a　few　yards　down　the　corridor。
　The　journey　brought　them；　at　last；　to　a　place　where　the　waters　had　carved　out　a　shallow　pool　at　the　edge　of　the　main　basin；　served　by　several　rivulets　that　climbed　through　rubble　to　fill　it　to　brimming；　its　overflow　running　into　the　basin　itself。　In　it　and　around　it　were　perhaps　thirty　women　and　children；　some　playing；　some　talking；　but　most；　their　clothes　shed；　waiting　silently　in　the　pool；　gazing　out　across　the　turbulent　waters　of　the　basin　to　Uma　Umagammagi's　island。　Even　as　Jude　and　her　guides　approached　the　place；　a　wave　broke　against　the　lip　of　the　pool　and　two　women；　standing　there　hand　in　hand；　went　with　it　as　it　withdrew　and　were　carried　away　towards　the　island。　There　was　an　eroticism　about　the　scene　which　in　other　circumstances　Jude　would　certainly　have　denied　she　felt。　But　here；　such　priggishness　seemed　redundant；　even　ludicrous。　She　allowed　her　imagination　to　wonder　what　it　would　be　like　to　sink　into　the　midst　of　this　nakedness；　where　the　only　scrap　of　masculinity　was　between　the　legs　of　a　suckling　infant；　to　brush　breast　to　breast；　and　let　her　fingers　be　kissed　and　her　neck　be　caressed；　and　kiss　and　caress　in　her　turn。
　〃The　water　in　the　basin's　very　deep；〃　Lotti　said　at　her　side。　〃It　goes　all　the　way　down　into　the　mountain。〃
　What　had　happened　to　the　dead；　Jude　wondered；　whose　pany　Dowd　had　found　so　educative？　Had　the　waters　sluiced　them　away；　along　with　the　invocations　and　entreaties　that　had　dropped　into　that　same　darkness　from　beneath　the　Pivot　Tower？　Or　had　they　been　dissolved　into　a　single　soup；　the　sex　of　dead　men　forgiven；　the　pain　of　dead　women　healed；　and…all　mingled　with　the　prayers…bee　part　of　this　indefatigable　flood？　She　hoped　so。　If　the　powers　here　were　to　have　authority　against　the　Unbeheld；　they　would　have　to　reclaim　every　forsaken　strength　they　could。　The　walls　between　Kesparates　had　already　been　dragged　down；　and　the　plashing　streams　were　making　a　continuum　of　city　and　palace。　But　the　past　had　to　be　reclaimed　as　well；　and　whatever　miracles　it　had　boasted…surely　there'd　been　some；　even　here…preserved。　This　was　more　than　an　abstract　desire　on　Jude's　part。　She　was；　after　all；　one　of　those　miracles；　made　in　the　image　of　the　woman　who'd　ruled　here　with　as　much　ferocity　as　her　husband。
　〃Is　this　the　only　way　of　getting　to　the　island？〃　she　asked　Lotti。
　〃There　aren't　ferries；　if　that's　what　you　mean。〃
　〃I'd　better　start　swimming；　then；〃　Jude　said。
　Her　clothes　were　an　encumbrance；　but　she　wasn't　yet　so　easy　with　herself　that　she　could　strip　off　on　the　rocks　and　go　into　the　waters　naked；　so　with　a　brief　thanks　to　Lotti　and　Paramarola　she　started　to　climb　down　the　tumble　of　blocks　that　surrounded　the　pool。
　〃I　hope　you're　wrong；　Judith；〃　Lotti　called　after　her。
　〃So　do　I；〃　Jude　replied。　〃Believe　me；　so　do　I。〃
　Both　this　exchange　and　her　ungainly　descent　drew　the　puzzled　gaze　of　several　of　the　bathers；　but　none　made　any　objection　to　her　appearing　in　their　midst。　The　closer　she　got　to　the　waters　of　the　basin；　the　more　anxious　she　became　about　the　crossing；　however。　It　was　several　years　since　she'd　swum　any　distance；　and　she　doubted　she'd　have　the　strength　to　resist　the　currents　and　eddies　if　they　chose　to　keep　her　from　her　destination。　But　they　wouldn't　drown　her；　surely。　They'd　borne　her　all　the　way　up　here；　after　all；　sweeping　her　through　the　palace　unharmed。　The　only　difference　between　this　journey　and　that　（though　it　was　a　profound　one；　to　be　sure）　was　the　depth　of　the　water。
　Another　wave　was　approaching　the　lip　of　the　pool；　and　there　was　a　woman　and　child　floating　forward　to　take　it。　Before　they　could　do　so；　she　took　a　running　jump　off　the　boulder　she　was　perched　on；　clearing　the　heads　of　the　bathers　below　by　a　hair's　breadth　and　plunging　into　the　tide。　It　wasn't　so　much　a　dive　as　a　plummet；　and　it　took　her　deep。　She　flailed　wildly　to　right　herself；　opening　her　eyes　but　unable　to　decide　which　way　was　up。　The　waters　knew。　They　lifted　her　out　of　their　depths　like　a　cork　and　threw　her　up　into　the　spume。　She　was　already　twenty　yards　or　more　from　the　rocks　and　being　carried　away　at　speed。　She　had　time　to　glimpse　Lotti　searching　for　her　in　the　surf；　then　the　eddies　turned　her　around；　and　around　again；　until　she　no　longer　knew　the　direction　in　which　the　pool　lay。　Instead；　she　fixed　her　eyes　on　the　island　and　began　to　swim　as　best　she　could　towards　it。　The　waters　seemed　content　to　supplement　her　efforts　with　energies　of　their　own；　though　they　were　describing　a　spiral　around　the　island；　and　as　they　carried　her　closer　to　its　shore　they　also　swept　her　in　a　counterclockwise　motion　around　it。
　The　et's　light　fell　on　the　waves　all　around　her；　and　its　glitter　kept　the　depths　from　sight；　which　she　was　glad　of。　Buoyed　up　though　she　was；　she　didn't　want　to　be　reminded　of　the　pit　beneath　her。　She　put　all　her　will　into　the　business　of　swimming；　not　even　allowing　herself　to　enjoy　the　roiling　of　the　waters　against　her　body。　Such　luxury；　like　the　questions　she'd　wanted　to　ask　as　she'd　walked　with　Lotti　and　Paramarola；　was　for　another　day。
　The　shore　was　within　fifty　yards　of　her　now；　but　her　strokes　became　increasingly　irrelevant　the　closer　to　the　island　she　came。　As　the　spiral　tightened；　the　tide　became　more　authoritative；　and　she　finally　gave　up　any　attempt　at　self…propulsion　and　surrendered　herself　utterly　to　the　hold　of　the　waters。　They　carried　her　around　the　island　twice　before　she　felt　her　feet　scraping　the　steeply　inclined　rocks　beneath　the　surge；　presenting　her　with　a　fine；　if　giddying；　view　of　Uma　Umagammagi's　temple。　Not　surprisingly；　the　waters　had　been　more　inspired　here　than　in　any　other　spot　she'd　seen。　They'd　worked　at　the　blocks　of　which　the　tower　was　built；　monumental　though　they　were；　eroding　the　mortar　between　them；　then　eating　at　them　top　and　bottom；　replacing　their　severity　with　a　mathematics　of　undulation。　Slabs　of　stone　the　height　of　the　masons　who'd　first　carved　them　were　no　longer　locked　together　but　balanced　like　acrobats；　one　corner　laid　against　another；　while　radiant　water　ran　through　the　cavities　and　carried　on　its　work　of　turning　the　once…impregnable　tower　into　a　wedded　column　of　water；　stone；　and　light。　The　eroded　motes　had　run　off　in　the　rivulets　and　been　deposited　on　the　shore　as　a　fine；　soft　sand；　in　which　Jude　lay　when　she　emerged　from　the　basin；　given　a　giggling　wele　by　a　quartet　of　children　playing　nearby。
　She　allowed　herself　only　a　minute　to　catch　her　breath；　then　she　got　to　her　feet　and　started　up　the　beach　towards　the　temple。　Its　doorway　was　as　elaborately　eroded　as　the　blocks；　a　veil　of　bright　water　concealing　the　interior　from　those　waiting　nearby。　There　were　perhaps　a　dozen　women　at　the　threshold。　One；　a　girl　barely　past　pubescence；　was　walking　on　her　hands；　somebody　else　seemed　to　be　singing；　but　the　music　was　so　close　to　the　sound　of　running　water　that　Jude　couldn't　decide　whether　a　voice　was　flowing　or　some　stream　was　aspiring　to　melody。　As　at　the　pool；　nobody　objected　to　her　sudden　appearance；　nor　remarked　on　the　fact　that　she　was　weighed　down　by　waterlogged　clothes　while　they　were　in　various　states　of　undress。　A　benign　languor　was　on　them　all；　and　had　it　not　been　for　Jude's　willpower　she　might　have　let　it　claim　her　too。　She　didn't　hesitate；　however；　but　stepped　through　the　water　door　without　so　much　as　a　murmur　to　those　waiting　at　the　threshold。
　Inside；　there　was　no　solid　sight　to　greet　her。　Instead；　the　air　was　filled　with　forms　of　light；　folding　and　unfolding　as　though　invisible　hands　were　performing　a　lucid　origami。　They　weren't　working　towards　petty　resemblance；　but　transforming　their　radiant　stuff　over　and　over；　each　new　shape　on　its　way　to　being　another　before　it　was　fixed。　She　looked　down　at　her　arms。　They　were　still　visible；　but　not　as　flesh　and　blood。　They'd　learned　the　trick　of　the　light　already　and　were　blossoming　into　a　multiplicity　of　forms　in　order　to　join　the　play。　She　reached　out　to　touch　one　of　her　fellow　visitors　with　her　burgeoning　fingers　and；　brushing　her；　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　woman　from　whom　this　origami　had　emerged。　She　appeared　the　way　a　body　might　if　a　damp　sheet　billowed　against　it；　momentarily　clinging　to　the　shape　of　her　hip；　her　cheek；　her　breast；　then　billowing　again　and　snatching　the　glimpse　away。　But　there'd　been　a　smile　there；　she　was　certain　of　that。
　Reassured　that　she　was　neither　alone　nor　unwele　here；　she　began　to　advance　into　the　temple。　The　promise　of　eroticism　she'd　first　felt　as　she　gazed　into　the　pool　was　now　realized。　She　felt　the　forms　of　her　own　body　spreading　like　milk　dropped　into　the　fluid　air　and　grazing　the　bodies　of　those　she　was　passing　between。　Musings；　most　no　more　than　half　formed；　mingled　with　the　sensation。　Perhaps　she　would　dissolve　here　and　flow　out　through　the　walls　to　join　the　waters　around　the　islands；　or　perhaps　she　was　already　in　that　sea；　and　the　flesh　and　blood　she　thought　she'd　owned　was　just　a　figment　of　those　waters；　conjured　to　fort　the　lonely　land。　Or　perhaps。。。　or　perhaps。。。　or　perhaps。　These　speculations　were　not　divorced　from　the　brushing　of　form　against　form　but　were　part　of　the　pleasure；　her　nerves　bearing　these　fruits；　which　in　turn　made　her　more　tender　to　the　touches　of　her　panions。
　They　were　falling　away　as　she　advanced；　she　realized。　Her　progress　was　taking　her　up　into　the　heights　of　the　temple。　If　there　had　been　solid　ground　beneath　her　feet；　she'd　lost　all　sense　of　it　as　she　crossed　the　threshold　and　rose　without　effort；　her　stuff　possessed　of　the　same　law…defying　genius　as　had　been　the　waters　below。　There　was　another　motion　ahead　and　above　her；　more　sinuous　than　the　forms　she'd　met　at　the　door；　and　she　rose　towards　it　as　if　summoned；　praying　that　when　the　moment　came　she'd　have　the　words　and　lips　to　shape　the　thoughts　in　her　head。　The　motion　was　getting　clearer　and　if　she'd　had　any　doubt　below　as　to　whether　these　sights　were　imagined　or　seen；　she　now　had　such　dichotomies　swept　away。
　She　was　both　seeing　with　her　imagination　and　imagining　she　saw　the　glyph　that　hung　in　the　air　in　front　of　her：　a　Mobius　strip　of　light…haunted　water；　a　steady　rhythm　passing　through　its　seamless　loop　and　throwing　off　waves　of　brilliant　color；　which　shed　bright　rains　around　her。　Here　was　the　raiser　of　springs；　here　was　the　summoner　of　rivers；　here　was　the　sublime　presence　whose　strength　had　brought　the　palace　to　rubble　and　made　a　home　for　oceans　and　children　where　there'd　only　been　terror　before。　Here　was　Uma　Umagammagi。
　Though　she　studied　the　Goddess's　glyph；　Jude　could　see　no　hint　of　anything　that　breathed；