cb.imajica2-第90章

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s　five　days　since　he'd　heard　his　lover　whisper　his　name。
　〃Clem　。。。　I　have　to　go。〃
　〃Go？〃　he'd　replied。　〃Where　to？〃
　〃Somebody　opened　the　door；〃　came　Tay's　reply。　〃The　dead　are　being　called　home。　I　have　to　go。〃
　They　wept　together　for　a　while；　tears　pouring　from
　Clem's　eyes　while　the　sound　of　Tay's　anguish　racked　him　from　within。　But　there　was　no　help　for　it。　The　call　had　e；　and　though　Tay　was　grief…stricken　at　the　thought　of　parting　from　Clem；　his　existence　between　conditions　had　bee　unbearable；　and　beneath　the　sorrow　of　parting　was　the　joyful　knowledge　of　imminent　release。　Their　strange　union　was　over。　It　was　time　for　the　living　and　the　dead　to　part。
　Clem　hadn't　known　what　loss　really　was　until　Tay　left。　The　pain　of　losing　his　lover's　physical　body　had　been　acute　enough；　but　losing　the　spirit　that　had　so　miraculously　returned　to　him　was　immeasurably　worse。　It　was　not　possible；　he　thought；　to　be　emptier　than　this　and　still　be　a　living　being。　Several　times　during　those　dark　days　he'd　wondered　if　he　should　simply　kill　himself　and　hope　he　would　be　able　to　follow　his　lover　through　whatever　door　now　stood　open。　That　he　didn't　was　more　a　consequence　of　the　responsibility　he　felt　than　from　lack　of　courage。　He　was　the　only　witness　to　the　miracles　of　Gamut　Street　left　in　this　Dominion。　If　he　departed；　who　would　there　be　to　tell　the　tale？
　But　such　imperatives　seemed　frail　things　at　an　hour　like　this；　and　as　he　rose　from　the　fire　and　crossed　to　the　front　door；　he　allowed　himself　the　thought　that　if　these　midnight　callers　came　with　death　in　their　hands　perhaps　he　would　not　refuse　it。　Without　asking　who　was　on　the　other　side；　he　slid　back　the　bolts　and　opened　the　door。　To　his　surprise　he　discovered　Monday　standing　in　the　driving　sleet。　Beside　him　stood　a　shivering　stranger；　his　thinning　curls　flattened　to　his　skull。
　〃This　is　Chicka　Jackeen；〃　Monday　said　as　he　hauled　his　sodden　guest　over　the　threshold。　〃Jackie；　this　is　Clem；　eighth　wonder　of　the　world。　Well；　am　I　too　wet　to　get　a　hug？〃
　Clem　opened　his　arms　to　Monday；　who　embraced　him　with　fervor。
　〃I　thought　you　and　Gentle　had　gone　forever；〃　Clem　said。
　〃Well；　one　of　us　has；〃　came　the　reply。
　〃I　guessed　as　much；〃　Clem　said。　〃Tay　went　after　him。　And　the　revenants　too。〃
　〃When　was　this？〃
　〃Christmas　Day。〃
　Jackeen's　teeth　were　chattering；　and　Clem　ushered　him　through　to　the　fire；　which　he　had　been　fueling　with　sticks　of　furniture。　He　threw　on　a　couple　of　chair　legs　and　invited　Jackeen　to　sit　by　the　blaze　to　thaw　out。　The　man　thanked　him　and　did　so。　Monday；　however；　was　made　of　sterner　stuff。　Availing　himself　of　the　whisky　that　sat　beside　the　hearth；　he　put　several　mouthfuls　into　his　system；　then　set　about　clearing　the　room；　explaining　as　he　dragged　the　table　into　the　corner　that　they　needed　some　working　space。　With　the　floor　cleared；　he　opened　his　jacket　and　pulled　Gentle's　gazetteer　from　beneath　his　arm；　dropping　it　in　front　of　Clem。
　〃What's　this？〃
　〃It's　a　map　of　the　Imajica；〃　Monday　said。
　〃Gentle's　work？〃
　〃Yep。〃
　Monday　went　down　on　his　haunches　and　flipped　the　album　open；　taking　out　the　loose　leaves　and　handing　the　cover　back　up　to　Clem。
　〃He　wrote　a　message　in　it；〃　Monday　said。
　While　Clem　read　the　few　words　Gentle　had　scribbled　on　the　cover；　Monday　began　to　arrange　the　sheets　side　by　side　on　the　floor；　carefully　aligning　them　so　that　the　maps　became　an　unbroken　flow。　As　he　worked；　he　talked；　his　enthusiasm　as　unalloyed　as　ever。
　〃You　know　what　he　wants　us　to　do；　don't　you？　He　wants　us　to　draw　this　map　on　every　fuekin'　wall　we　can　find！　On　the　pavements！　On　our　foreheads！　Anywhere　and　everywhere。〃
　〃That's　quite　a　task；〃　said　Clem。
　〃I'm　here　to　help　you；〃　Chicka　Jackeen　said。　〃In　whatever　capacity　I　can。〃
　He　got　up　from　the　fire　and　came　to　stand　beside　Clem；　where　he　could　admire　the　pattern　that　was　emerging　on　the　floor　in　front　of　them。
　〃That's　not　the　only　thing　you've　e　to　do；　is　it？〃　Monday　said。　〃Be　honest。〃
　〃Well；　no；〃　said　Jackeen。　〃I'd　also　like　to　find　myself　a　wife。　But　that　will　have　to　wait。〃
　〃Damn　right！〃　said　Monday。　〃This　is　our　business　now。〃
　He　stood　up　and　stepped　out　of　the　circle　which　the　pages　of　Gentle's　album　had　formed。　Here　was　the　Imajica；　or　rather　the　tiny　part　of　it　which　the　Reconciler　had　seen：　Patashoqua　and　Vanaeph；　Beatrix　and　the　mountains　of　the　Jokalaylau；　Maike；　the　Cradle；　L'Himby；　and　the　Kwem；　the　Lenten　Way；　the　delta；　and　Yzordderrex。　And　then　the　crossroads　outside　the　city；　and　the　desert　beyond；　with　a　single　track　leading　to　the　borders　of　the　Second　Dominion。　On　the　other　side　of　that　border；　the　pages　were　practically　empty。　The　wanderer　had　sketched　the　peninsula　he'd　sat　on；　but　beyond　it　he'd　simply　written：　'This　is　a　new　world。
　〃And　this；〃　said　Jackeen；　stooping　to　indicate　the　cross　at　the　end　of　the　promontory；　〃is　where　the　Maestro's　pilgrimage　ended。〃
　〃Is　that　where　he's　buried？〃　Clem　said。
　〃Oh；　no；〃　Jackeen　said。　〃He's　gone　to　places　that'll　make　this　life　seem　like　a　dream。　He's　left　the　circle；　you　see。〃
　〃No；　I　don't；〃　said　Clem。　〃If　he's　left　the　circle；　then　where's　he　gone？　Where　have　they　all　gone？〃
　〃Into　it；〃　Jackeen　said。
　Clem　began　to　smile。
　〃May　I？〃　said　Jackeen；　rising　and　claiming　from　Clem's　fingers　the　sheet　which　carried　Gentle's　last　message。
　My　friends；　he'd　written；　Pie　is　here。　I　am　found。　Will　you　show　these　pages　to　the　world；　so　that　every　wanderer　may　find　their　way　home？
　〃I　think　our　duty　is　plain；　gentlemen；〃　Jackeen　said。　He　stooped　again　to　lay　the　final　page　in　the　middle　of　the　circle；　marking　the　place　of　spirits　to　which　the　Reconciler　had　gone。　〃And　when　we've　done　that　duty；　we　have　here　the　map　that　will　show　us　where　we　must　go。　We'll　follow　him。　There's　nothing　more　certain。　We'll　all　of　us　follow　him；　by　and　by。〃
　







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