p&c.brimstone-第94部分

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　Pendergast　started；　looked　over。　〃Quite　all　right；　thanks。〃　
　The　island　had　finally　disappeared。　As　if　on　cue；　the　low　outline　of　the　Tuscan　mainland　began　to　materialize　on　the　eastern　horizon。　
　〃What　now？〃　
　〃I　accept　Fosco's　invitation。　It's　one　thing　to　know；　quite　another　to　have　proof。　If　we　want　to　get　Fosco；　we　have　to　get　whatever　machine　he　used　to　mit　these　murders。〃　
　〃So　why　did　Fosco　give　you　an　invitation？〃　
　〃He　wants　to　kill　me。〃　
　〃Great。　And　you　plan　on　accepting？〃　
　Pendergast　turned　away　and　gazed　back　out　to　sea；　his　eyes　almost　white　in　the　brilliant　light。　〃Fosco　knows　I'll　accept；　because　it's　the　only　chance　to　gather　the　evidence　we　need　to　put　him　behind　bars。　If　we　don't　do　it　now；　he　will　be　back　to　haunt　us　next　month；　perhaps；　or　a　year　from　now；　or　ten　years　。　。　。〃　He　paused。　〃And　what's　more；　he'll　always　be　a　danger　to　Viola…Lady　Maskelene…for　what　she　knows。〃　
　〃I　get　it。〃　
　But　Pendergast　was　still　looking　out　to　sea。　When　he　spoke　again；　his　voice　was　very　low。　〃It　ends　tomorrow；　in　the　Castel　Fosco。〃　
　　　
　73　
　
　Bryce　Harriman　sat　at　the　old　table；　taking　notes　in　the　harshlight　of　a　Coleman　lantern；　the　Reverend　Buck　across　from　him。　It　was　almost　midnight；　but　he　wasn't　the　least　bit　sleepy。　The　day　before；　he　had　filed　a　crackerjack　story；　about　the　failed　attempt　to　arrest　Buck。　He　had　pieced　it　together　from　a　half　dozen　witnesses；　and　it　was　juicy：　the　swaggering　police　captain　ing　in　to　arrest　Buck；　how　he'd　panicked　and　run；　leaving　it　to　the　other　captain…a　woman…to　straighten　things　out。　Great　copy。　In　the　long　run；　it　might　turn　out　to　be　more　than　just　great　copy：　he'd　begun　putting　out　feelers　at　theTimes　；　and　they　seemed　receptive　to　a　job　interview。　This　new　article　would　be　gravy。　And　thanks　to　Buck；　he　was　now　the　only　journalist　allowed　in　the　tent　city。　With　this　second　piece　appearing　hot　on　the　heels　of　the　first；　he　was　going　to　score　a　double　whammy。　And　he　would　be　there　tomorrow；　too；　just　in　case　there　was　a　showdown　with　New　York's　finest。　
　Judging　from　the　mood　in　the　camp；　it　was　going　to　be　a　mess。　Since　the　botched　arrest；　the　whole　place　had　been　on　edge；　restless；　belligerent；　like　a　powder　keg　ready　to　go。　Even　at　midnight；　more　than　a　day　after　the　would…be　raid；　everyone　was　still　awake；　the　prayers　and　camp　meetings　sounding　shrilly　through　the　darkness。　A　lot　of　the　kids　he'd　noticed　on　his　first　visit　to　the　tent　city　were　gone…a　night　or　two　of　sleeping　on　the　hard　ground；　without　an　Internet　connection　or　cable　TV；　had　sent　them　scurrying　home　to　their　fy　suburbs。　What　remained　was　the　hard…core　element；　the　real　zealots。　And　there　was　no　shortage　of　those：　there　had　to　be　at　least　three　hundred　tents　here。　
　Buck　himself　was　different。　Gone　was　the　flicker　of　uncertainty；　the　faint　aura　of　surprise　and　wonder　that　he　had　possessed　before。　Now　he　seemed　almost　transcendentally　calm　and　assured。　When　he　looked　at　Harriman；　it　was　as　if　he　was　looking　right　through　him　to　another　world。　
　〃Well；　Mr。　Harriman；〃　he　was　saying；　〃have　you　gotten　what　you　came　for？　It's　almost　midnight；　and　I　usually　deliver　a　message　to　the　people　before　retiring。〃　
　〃Just　one　other　question。　What　do　you　think's　going　to　happen？　The　NYPD　aren't　just　going　to　walk　away；　you　realize。〃　
　He　had　half　expected　the　question　to　shake　Buck　up　a　bit；　but　instead；　the　man　seemed　to　settle　even　deeper　into　something　like　serenity。　〃What　will　happen　will　happen。〃　
　〃It　may　not　be　pretty。　Are　you　ready？〃　
　〃No；　it　won't　be　pretty；　and　yes；　I　am　ready。〃　
　〃You　say　that　almost　as　if　you　know　what's　going　to　happen。〃　
　Buck　smiled　knowingly　but　said　nothing。　
　〃Aren't　you　concerned？〃　Harriman　asked　more　insistently。　
　Again　that　enigmatic　smile。Damn；　you　can't　quote　a　smile。　〃We're　talking　tear　gas　maybe；　cops　swinging　billy　clubs。　No　more　fun　and　games。〃　
　〃I　put　my　trust　in　God；　Mr。　Harriman。　Who　do　you　trust？〃　
　Time　to　wrap　this　up。〃Thank　you；　Reverend；　you've　been　very　helpful。〃　Harriman　rose。　
　〃And　thank　you；　Mr。　Harriman。　Won't　you　stay　a　few　minutes　to　hear　my　message　to　the　people？　As　you　say；　something　is　about　to　happen。　And　as　a　result；　my　sermon　this　evening　will　be　somewhat　different。〃　
　The　reporter　hesitated。　He　had　to　be　up　at　five；　ready　to　go。　He　was　pretty　sure　the　cops　were　going　to　do　their　thing　tomorrow；　and　it　might　begin　early。　〃What's　it　on？〃　
　〃Hell。〃　
　〃In　that　case；　I'll　stay。〃　
　Buck　rose　and　signaled　one　of　his　men；　who　came　over；　helped　him　don　a　simple　vestment；　and　then　acpanied　him　out　of　the　tent。　Harriman　followed　in　their　wake；　pulling　his　recorder　out　of　one　pocket；　trying　to　ignore　the　heavy　reek　of　the　encampment。　They　were　headed；　he　knew；　to　a　huge　glacial　erratic　that　reared　out　of　the　earth　to　the　west　of　the　tent　city　and　which　was　now　universally　called　the　〃preaching　rock。〃　
　The　bustle　of　the　camp　died　away　as　Buck　went　out　of　sight　behind　the　massive　boulder；　climbed　the　grassy　hummock　to　the　rear；　then　reappeared　on　its　lofty　crag。　He　raised　his　hands　slowly。　Watching　from　below；　Harriman　found　hundreds　of　people　drifting　in　out　of　the　darkness　to　surround　him。　
　〃My　friends；〃　he　began。　〃Good　evening。　Once　again　I　thank　you　for　joining　me　on　this　spiritual　quest。　It's　been　my　custom；　in　these　evening　talks；　to　speak　to　you　of　this　quest：　to　explain　why　we　are　here　and　what　it　is　we　must　do。　But　tonight　my　subject　will　be　different。　
　〃Brothers　and　sisters；　you　will　soon　face　a　trial。　A　great　trial。　We　won　a　mighty　victory　here　yesterday；　thanks　be　to　God。　But　the　agents　of　darkness　are　not　easily　turned　back。　Therefore；　you　must　be　strong。　Be　strong；　and　acceptthe　will　of　God　。〃　
　Harriman；　listening　with　recorder　raised；　was　surprised　by　Buck's　tone　and　manner。　His　voice　was　quiet；　but　it　rang　with　an　iron　conviction　he'd　never　heard　before；　even　in　the　very　first　sermon　delivered　outside　Cutforth's　building。　There　was　a　strange　look　in　Buck's　bright　eyes：　a　look　of　anticipation　mingled　with　an　almost　stoic　resignation。　
　〃I　have　spoken　to　you　many　times　about　what　we　have　e　here　to　achieve。　Now；　on　the　eve　of　your　trial　to　end　all　trials；　I　must　take　a　moment　to　remind　you　of　what　we　are　up　against　and　who　your　enemy　is。　Remember　my　words　even　when　I　am　no　longer　among　you。〃　
　The　eve　ofyourtrial。　Who　yourenemy　is。　No　longer　among　you。　Since　his　last　meeting　in　Buck's　tent；　Harriman　had　begun　reading　the　Bible…just　a　little；　here　and　there…and　the　words　of　Jesus　came　back　to　him　now：Whither　I　go；　thou　canst　not　follow　me　now；　but　thou　shalt　follow　me　afterwards。　
　〃Why；　my　friends　and　my　brothers；　were　our　medieval　ancestors…unsophisticated　and　unlettered　in　other　ways…so　much　more　God…fearing　than　people　today？　But　I　speak　the　answer　even　as　I　ask　the　question。　Because　they　had　thefear　of　God。　They　knew　what　rewards　awaited　the　chosen　few　in　heaven。　And　they　also　knew　what　awaited　the　sinful；　the　wicked；　the　lazy　and　unbelieving。　
　〃The　fault　lies　not　just　with　the　people。　Today's　clergy　are　even　more　at　fault。　They　sugarcoat　the　word　of　God；　make　light　of　his　warnings；　tell　their　flocks　that　hell　is　merely　a　metaphor　or　an　antique　concept　with　no　actual　reality。　God's　love　is　expansive　and　forgiving；　they　tell　us。　They　lull　their　flocks　into　a　false　sense　of　entitlement。　As　if　a　baptism　here；　a　few　good　deeds　there；　a　munion　or　two；　is　a　ticket　to　heaven。　My　friends；　this　is　a　tragic　mistake。〃　
　Buck　paused　to　glance　around　at　the　hushed　multitude。　
　〃God's　love　is　a　tough　love。　In　this　city；　as　in　all　great　cities；　people　die　every　day。　They　die　by　the　hundreds。　At　what　point　do　you　suppose　all　those　poor　souls　begin　to　realize　thereal　fate　that　lies　in　store　for　them？　At　what　point　do　the　scales　fall　from　their　eyes　and　they　learn　their　entire　life　has　been　a　lie…that　they've　spent　it　running　from　the　light　ever　deeper　into　the　darkness…and　that　they　now　have　nothing　but　unimaginable　torment　to　look　forward　to？　There　is　no　way　to　know　for　sure。　But　I　believe　at　least　some　peoplehave　a　glimpse　of　it　in　their　last　moments。　I　believe　that；　for　these　people；　there　is　a　creeping　sense　that　something　is　terribly　wrong：　something　far；　far　worse　than　the　ac