cb.imajica2-第86章

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arvels　she　had　no　knowledge　of…as　though　the　questioners　were　willing　her　to　invent　prodigies　rather　than　disappoint　them…she　told　Hoi…Polloi　she'd　not　be　drawn　into　any　further　debates　on　the　subject。　But　her　imagination　refused　to　ignore　the　tales　it　heard；　however　preposterous；　and　with　every　mile　they　traveled　along　the　Lenten　Way；　the　idea　of　the　city　awaiting　them　at　the　end　of　their　journey　grew　more　intimidating。　She　fretted　that　perhaps　the　blessings　bestowed　on　her　there　would　be　valueless　after　all　the　time　she'd　spent　away　from　the　place。　Or　that　the　Goddesses　knew　that　she'd　told　Sartori…in　all　truth…that　she　loved　him；　and　that　Jokalaylau's　condemnation　of　her　would　carry　the　day　if　she　ever　went　back　into　their　temple。
　Once　they　were　on　the　Lenten　Way；　however；　such　fears　became　academic。　They　were　not　going　to　turn　back　now；　especially　as　both　of　them　were　being　steadily　more　exhausted。　The　city　called　them　out　of　the　fogs　that　lay　between　Dominions；　and　they　would　go　into　it　together　and　face　whatever　judgments；　prodigies；　and　deep…sea　fish　were　waiting　there。
　Oh；　but　it　was　changed。　A　warmer　season　was　on　the　Second　than　when　Jude　had　last　been　here；　and　with　so　much　water　running　in　the　streets　the　air　was　tropical。　But　more　breathtaking　than　the　humidity　was　the　growth　it　had　engendered。　Seeds　and　spores　had　been　carried　up　from　the　seams　and　caverns　beneath　the　city　in　vast　numbers；　and　under　the　influence　of　the　Goddesses　feits　had　matured　with　preternatural　speed。　Ancient　forms　of　vegetation；　most　long　believed　extinct；　had　greened　the　rubble；　turning　the　Kesparates　into　luxuriant　jungle。　In　the　space　of　half　a　year　Yzordderrex　had　e　to　resemble　a　lost　city；　sacred　to　women　and　children；　its　desolation　salved　by　flora。　The　smell　of　ripeness　was　everywhere；　its　source　the　fruits　that　glistened　on　vine　and　bough　and　bush；　the　abundance　of　which　had　in　turn　attracted　animals　that　would　never　have　dared　Yzordderrex　under　its　previous　regime。　And　running　through　this　cornucopia；　feeding　the　seeds　it　had　raised　from　the　underworld；　the　eternal　waters；　still　flowing　up　the　hillsides　in　their　riotous　way　but　no　longer　carrying　their　fleets　of　prayers。　Either　the　requests　of　those　who　lived　here　had　been　answered；　or　else　their　baptisms　had　made　them　their　own　healers　and　restorers。
　Jude　and　Hoi…Polloi　didn't　go　up　to　the　palace　the　day　they　arrived。　Nor　the　day　after；　nor　the　day　after　that。　Instead；　they　searched　for　the　Peccable　house　and　there　made　themselves　fortable；　though　the　tulips　on　the　dining　room　table　had　been　replaced　by　a　throng　of　blossoms　that　had　erupted　through　the　floor；　and　the　roof　had　bee　an　aviary。　After　so　long　a　journey；　in　which　they'd　not　known　from　night　to　night　where　they　were　going　to　lay　their　heads；　these　were　minor　inconveniences；　and　they　were　grateful　to　be　at　rest；　lulled　to　sleep　by　cooings　and　chatterings　in　beds　that　were　more　like　bowers。　When　they　woke；　there　was　plenty　to　eat：　fruit　that　could　be　picked　off　the　trees；　water　that　ran　clear　and　cold　in　the　street　outside；　and；　in　some　of　the　larger　streams；　fish；　which　formed　the　staple　diet　of　the　clans　that　lived　in　the　vicinity。
　There　were　men　as　well　as　women　among　these　extended　families；　some　of　whom　must　have　been　members　of　the　mobs　and　armies　that　had　run　so　brutally　riot　on　the　night　the　Autarch　fell。　But　either　gratitude　at　having　survived　the　revolution　or　the　calming　influence　of　the　growth　and　plenitude　around　them　had　persuaded　them　to　better　purpose。　Hands　that　had　maimed　and　murdered　were　now　employed　rebuilding　a　few　of　the　houses；　raising　their　walls　not　in　defiance　of　the　jungle；　or　the　waters　that　fed　it；　but　in　league　with　both。　This　time；　the　architects　were　women；　who'd　e　down　from　their　baptisms　inspired　to　use　the　wreckage　of　the　old　city　to　create　a　new　one；　and　everywhere　Jude　saw　echoes　of　the　serene　and　elegant　aesthetic　that　marked　the　Goddesses'　handiwork。
　There　was　no　great　sense　of　urgency　attending　these　constructions；　nor；　she　thought；　any　sign　of　a　grand　design　being　adhered　to。　The　age　of　empire　was　over；　and　all　dogmas；　edicts；　and　conformities　had　gone　with　it。　People　solved　the　problems　of　putting　a　roof　over　their　heads　in　their　own　way；　knowing　that　the　trees　were　both　shady　and　bountiful　in　the　meantime；　the　houses　that　resulted　were　as　different　as　the　faces　of　the　women　who　supervised　their　construction。　The　Sartori　she'd　met　in　Gamut　Street　would　have　approved；　Jude　thought。　Hadn't　he　touched　her　cheek　during　their　penultimate　encounter　and　told　her　he'd　dreamed　of　a　city　built　in　her　image？　If　that　image　was　woman　then　here　was　that　city；　rising　from　the　ruins。
　So　by　day　they　had　the　murmuring　canopy；　the　bubbling　rivers；　the　heat；　the　laughter。　And　by　night；　slumbers　beneath　a　feathered　roof　and　dreams　that　were　kind　and　uninterrupted。　Such　was　the　case；　at　least；　for　a　week。　But　on　the　eighth　night；　Jude　was　woken　by　Hoi…Polloi；　who　called　her　to　the　window。
　〃Look。〃
　She　looked。　The　stars　were　bright　above　the　city　and　ran　silver　in　the　river　below。　But　there　were　other　forms　in　the　water；　she　realized：　more　solid　but　no　less　silver。　The　talk　they'd　heard　on　the　road　was　true。　Climbing　the　river　were　creatures　that　no　fishing　boat；　however　deep　it　trawled；　would　ever　have　found　in　its　nets。　Some　had　a　trace　of　dolphin　in　them；　or　squid；　or　manta　ray；　but　their　mon　trait　was　a　hint　of　humanity；　buried　as　deep　in　their　past　（or　future）　as　their　homes　were　in　ocean。　There　were　limbs　on　some　of　them；　and　these　few　seemed　to　leap　the　slope　rather　than　swim　it。　Others　were　as　sinuous　as　eels　but　had　heads　that　carried　a　mammalian　cast；　their　eyes　luminous；　their　mouths　fine　enough　to　make　words。
　The　sight　of　their　ascent　was　exhilarating；　and　Jude　stayed　at　the　window　until　the　entire　shoal　had　disappeared　up　the　street。　She　had　no　doubt　of　their　destination；　nor　indeed　of　her　own；　after　this。
　〃We're　as　rested　as　we're　ever　going　to　be；〃　she　said　to　Hoi…Polloi。
　〃So　it's　time　to　go　up　the　hill？〃
　〃Yes。　I　think　it　is。〃
　They　left　the　Peccable　house　at　dawn　in　order　to　make　much　of　the　ascent　before　the　et　climbed　too　high　and　the　humidity　sapped　their　strength。　It　had　never　been　an　easy　journey；　but　even　in　the　cool　early　morning　it　became　a　backbreaking　trudge；　especially　for　Jude；　who　felt　as　though　she　were　carrying　a　lead　weight　in　her　womb　rather　than　a　living　soul。　She　had　to　call　a　halt　to　the　climb　several　times　and　sit　in　the　shade　to　catch　her　breath；　but　on　the　fourth　such　occasion　she　rose　to　find　her　gasps　being　steadily　shallower　and　a　pain　in　her　belly　so　acute　she　could　barely　hold　on　to　consciousness。　Her　agitation…and　Hoi…Polloi's　yelps…drew　helping　hands；　and　she　was　being　lowered　onto　a　knoll　of　flowering　grasses　when　her　waters　broke。
　A　little　less　than　an　hour　later；　not　more　than　half　a　mile　from　where　the　gate　of　the　twin　saints　Creaze　and　Evendown　had　stood；　in　a　grove　busy　with　tiny　turquoise　birds；　she　gave　birth　to　the　Autarch　Sartori's　first　and　only　child。
　
　Though　Jude　and　Hoi…Polloi's　pursuers　had　left　the　lake　maker　in　the　Kwem　with　clear　directions；　they　still　reached　Yzordderrex　six　weeks　later　than　the　women。　This　was　in　part　because　Monday's　sexual　appetite　was　significantly　depleted　after　his　liaison　in　the　Kwem　Palace；　and　he　set　a　far　less　hectic　pace　than　he　had　hitherto；　but　more　particularly　because　Gentle's　enthusiasm　for　cartography　grew　by　leaps　and　bounds。　Barely　an　hour　would　go　by　without　his　remembering　some　province　he'd　passed　through；　or　some　signpost　he'd　seen；　and　whenever　he　did　so　the　journey　was　interrupted　while　he　brought　out　his　handmade　album　of　charts　and　religiously　set　down　the　details；　rattling　off　the　names　of　uplands；　lowlands；　forests；　plains；　highways；　and　cities　like　a　litany　while　he　worked。　He　wouldn't　be　hurried；　even　if　the　chance　of　a　ride　was　missed；　or　a　good　drenching　gained　in　the　process。　This　was；　he　told　Monday；　the　true　great　work　of　his　life；　and　he　only　regretted　that　he'd　e　to　it　so　late。
　These　interruptions　notwithstanding；　the　city　got　closer　day　by　day；　mile　by　mile；　until　one　morning；　when　they　raised　their　heads　from　their　pillows　beneath　a　hawthorn　bush；　the　mists　cleared　to　show　them　a　vast　green　mountain　in　the　distance。
　〃What　is　that　place？〃　Monday　wondered。
　Astonished；　Gentle　said；　〃Yzordderrex。〃
　〃Where's　the　palace？　Where's　the　streets？　All　I　can　see　is　trees　and　rainbows。〃
　Gentle　was　as　confounded　as　the　boy。　〃It　used　to　be　gray　and　black　and　bloody；〃　he　said。
　〃Well；　it's　fucking　green　now。〃
　It　got　greener　the　closer　they　came；　the　scent　of　its　vegetation　so　sweetening　the　air　that　Monday　soon　lost　his　scowl　of　disappointment　and　remarked　that　perhaps　this　wouldn't　be　so　bad　after　all。　If　Yzordderrex　had　turned　into　a　wild　wood；　then　maybe　all　the　women　had　bee　savages；　dressed　in　berry　juice　and　smiles。　He　could　suffer　that　awhile。
　What　they　found　on　the　lower　slopes；　of　course；　were　scenes　more　extraordinary　than　Monday's　most　heated　imaginings。　So　much　of　what　the　inhabitants　of　the　New　Yzordderrex　took　for　granted…the　anarchic　waters；　the　primeval　trees…left　both　man　and　boy　agog。　They　gave　up　voicing　their　awe　after　a　time　and　simply　climbed　through　the　lavish　thicket；　steadily　sloughing　off　the　weight　of　baggage　they'd　accrued　on　their　journey　and　leaving　it　scattered　in　the　grass。
　Gentle　had　intended　to　go　to　the　Eurhetemec　Kesparate　in　the　hope　of　locating　Athanasius；　but　with　the　city　so　transformed　it　was　a　slow　and　difficult　trek；　so　it　was　more　luck　than　wit　that　brought　them；　after　an　hour　or　more；　to　the　gate。　The　streets　beyond　it　were　as　overgrown　as　those　they'd　e　through；　the　terraces　resembling　some　orchard　that　had　been　left　to　riot；　its　fallen　fruit　the　rubble　that　lay　between　the　trees。
　At　Monday's　suggestion；　they　split　up　to　search　for　the　Maestro；　Gentle　telling　the　boy　that　if　he　saw　Jesus　somewhere　in　the　trees　then　he'd　discovered　Athanasius。　But　they　both　came　back　to　the　gate　having　failed　to　find　him；　obliging　Gentle　to　ask　some　children　who'd　e　to　play　swinging　games　on　the　gate　if　any　of　them　had　seen　the　man　who'd　lived　here。　One　of　the　number；　a　girl　of　six　or　so　with　her　hair　so　plaited　with　vines　she　looked　as　though　she　was　sprouting　them；　had　an　answer。
　〃He　went　away；〃　she　said。
　〃Do　you　know　where？'1
　〃Nope；〃　she　said　again；　speaking　on　behalf　of　her　little　tribe。
　〃Does　anybody　know？〃
　〃Nope。〃
　Which　exchange　brought　the　subject　of　Athanasius　to　a　swift　halt。
　〃Where　now？〃　Monday　asked；　as　the　children　returned　to　their　games。
　〃We　follow　the　water；〃　Gentle　replied。
　They　began　to　ascend　again；　while　the　et；　which　had　long　since　passed　its　zenith；　made　the　contrary　motion。　They　were　both　weary　now；　and　the　temptation　to　lie　down　in　some　tranquil　spot　grew　with　every　stride　they　took。　But　Gentle　insisted　they　go　on；　reminding　Monday　that　Hoi…Polloi's　bosom　would　be　a　far　more　fortable　place　to　lay　his　head　than　any　hummock；　and　her　kisses　more　invigorating　than　a　dip　in　any　pool。　His　talk　was　persuasive；　and　the　boy　found　an　energy　Gentle　envied；　bounding　on　to　clear　the　way　for　the　Maestro；　until　they　reached　the　mounds　of　dark　rubble　that　marked　the　walls　of　the　palace。