cspector.worldwithoutend- 第23节

　
　〃Be　so　kind　as　to　bring　my　friend　here　the　same；〃　I　said。　The　waiter　nodded　and　went　away。
　〃What's　that？〃　Black　T…shirt　asked。
　〃Vichyssoise；〃　I　replied。
　He　looked　blank。
　〃Cold　potato　soup；〃　I　said。
　He　wrinkled　his　nose。
　〃Beggars　can't　be　choosers　and　neither　can　you。〃　I　leaned　back　and　studied　him。　This　seemed　to　make　him　preening　and　nervous　at　the　same　time。　〃What's　your　name？〃
　〃John　Mortimer。〃
　〃And　what　precisely　is　it　you　want　of　me；　Mr。　Mortimer？〃
　
　He　leaned　forward；　I　resisted　the　urge　to　do　so　also。　Habits　die　hard。
　
　〃I　want　to　know　the　secret；〃　he　said。　〃I　want　to　know　how　to　be　immortal。〃
　〃What　on　earth　makes　you　think　I'm　immortal？〃。　I　asked。　J
　
　He　got　a　big　grin。　It　was　toothy　and　surprisingly　1｜　sweet。　I　almost　liked　him　for　that　smile。　
　
　〃It　started　out　by　accident　about　four　years　ago；〃　he　began。　〃I　was　doing　some　research　after　reading＇　an　article　in　the　newspaper。〃　He　pulled　a　small；　yellowed　newspaper　clipping　from　his　pocket。　The　headline　read：　Mystery　Buyer　Purchases　Earldom　for　700；000。　I　glanced　over　the　article。　It　pretty　much　gave　the　dry　facts　of　my　acquisition　of　the　Earldom　of　Arran。　Everything　except　my　identity；　which　I'd　had　them　keep　quiet。
　
　〃What　has　this　to　do　with　me？〃　I　asked；　handin　the　clipping　back。
　〃You　bought　it；〃　he　said。
　〃And　what　makes　you　think　that？〃
　
　〃I　like　puters；〃　he　said。　〃I'm　quite　good　wit　them。　Every　aspect。　Programming；　hardware…yc　name　it。　It's　just　this　knack　I　have。　Well；　for　son　reason　this　article　caught　my　attention。　So　I　got　c　the　Web　and　started　trying　to　find　out　what　I　couM　about　this　mystery　buyer。　But　pretty　much　every…1　thing　after　you　bought　the　place　was　under　deep｜　wraps。　Oh；　I　know　all　about　the　history　of　the　place。　That　earldom　was　created　in　1503　by　King　James　IV。
　The　title　is　linked　to　the　land　instead　of　by　blood。　All　that　stuff。　History　is　easy　enough　to　find　out。
　
　〃But　about　the　new　buyer…bloody　nothing。　That　got　me　curious。　Who　would　want　so　much　privacy　and　why？　So　I　started　contacting　other　Net　surfers　in　Scotland　and　eventually　I　came　up　with　a　few　who　knew　all　about　the　island。　They　were　day　workers　hired　to　refurbish　the　house　the　new　owner　would　be　occupying。
　〃That's　when　I　found　out　about　you。　It　was　quite　a　stir　you　being；　well；　not　white。　I　even　got　along　so　well　with　my　Scottish　connection　that　they　invited　me　for　a　visit。　You　were　off　on　one　of　your　mysterious　trips。　Everyone　who　worked　for　you　always　talked　about　your　trips。
　〃So　I　went　to　visit　my　friends；　and　they　showed　me　around　the　castle　and　the　grounds。　You've　done　a　wonderful　job　keeping　up　the　place。　By　the　way。〃
　
　I　snorted　and　went　back　to　eating　my　soup。　The　waiter　came　and　placed　a　bowl　in　front　of　him。　He　frowned　slightly　at　it；　then　took　up　his　spoon　and　gave　the　soup　a　small　taste。　Apparently　it　was　to　his　liking；　for　I　got　no　more　of　his　tale　until　he　had　finished　the　whole　bowl。
　
　〃I　never　would　have　thought　cold　potato　soup　could　taste　so　good；〃　he　said　as　he　wiped　his　mouth。
　〃The　things　you　leam　every　day；〃　I　murmured。
　〃So；　as　my　hosts　were　showing　me　around；　I　began　to　notice　a　couple　of　things。　There　was　all　this　°ld　stuff　around；　but　not　all　of　it　seemed　to　belong　Asre；　if　you　know　what　I　mean。　Not　the　usual　rich　collections　of　plates；　clocks；　and　the　like。　No；　your　choices　were　so　much　more…peculiar。
　
　〃But　the　thing　that　got　me　most　excited　was　this　picture　of　you。　A　painting；　I　mean。　Paul…that's　the　friend　who　I　was　staying　with…had　gone　off　to　the　bathroom　and　he　left　me　alone　in　your　study。　There　was　a　photo　of　you　and　some　guy　on　your　desk。　Then　noticed　a　stack　of　paintings　against　one　wall。　I　flipped　through　them　and　came　across　this　portrait。
　
　〃It　was　you。　But　it　wasn't。　I　mean　you　looked　just　like　you　do　now；　only　you　were　wearing　some　weird　costume。　Later；　I　learned　it　probably　came　from　the　Renaissance。　I　heard　my　friend　in　the　hall　and　put　the　painting　back。　But；　you　know；　that　painting　stayed　with　me。〃
　
　〃People　have　portraits　done　everyday；〃　I　said。
　〃But　this　one　looked　like　hundreds　of　years　old。　The　paint　was　dried　and　cracked。　It　felt　old。〃
　
　I　rolled　my　eyes。　〃Oh；　I　didn't　realize　that　among　your　many　talents　you　are　also　an　art　historian。　Let　me　see；　you're　a　crack　puter　wiz；　a　clever　defrauder　of　people's　trust；　and　now　you're　an　expert　in　dating　paintings。　What　other　talents　do　you　have　up　your　sleeve？〃　I　asked。
　
　His　face　flushed　red；　but　he　didn't　answer　me。　The　waiter　came　and　took　our　dishes；　then　presented　us　with　the　pate。　I　broke　off　a　bit　of　the　French　bread　on　the　table　and　proceeded　to　smear　a　generous　amount　of　my　pate　on　it。　I　gestured　to　him　to　do　likewise。
　
　〃Really；〃　I　said。　〃You　must　try　your　pate。　It's　marvelous。〃
　〃What　is　it？〃　he　asked。
　〃Goose　liver；　butter；　cognac；　pepper；　and　cream；　most　likely；〃　I　said。　〃Do　go　on　with　your　tale。　It's　so　unusual　to　have　such　a　fascinating　dinner　story。〃
　
　He　poked　at　the　pate　as　if　it　would　leap　off　the　plate　and　attack　him。　Then　he　put　the　knife　down。　No　guts；　no　glory。
　
　〃But　see；　the　painting　reminded　me　of　another　one　I'd　seen；　in　some　class　I'd　had　in　school。　So　after　I　went　to　the　library　and　started　looking　through　books　of　artists。。。〃
　〃Was　this　while　you　were　still　in　Scotland？〃　I　asked。
　〃Yes；〃　he　replied。　〃I　was　staying　for　a　couple　of　weeks。　Paul　was　glad　to　get　me　out　of　the　house　every　now　and　again　so　he　could　have　his　girlfriend　over。　They　were　wanting　to。。。　well；　you　know。〃
　〃How　touching。〃
　〃Anyway；　I　found　the　book　I　was　looking　for。　It　was　on　Rembrandt。　It　had　all　his　paintings　in　it　with　little　descriptions　of　what　they　were　about　and　who　owned　them。　But　most　of　them　are　in　museums。　Except　the　one　you　have。
　〃But　you　obviously　had　all　this　money　so　I　fig…urea　you　could　buy　a　Rembrandt　if　you　wanted；　but　you　couldn't　have　a　portrait　of　yourself　by　him　unless　you'd'been　there。〃
　〃I　hate　to　interrupt　your　psychotic　ramblings；〃　I　said。　〃But　haven't　you　ever　heard　of　copycat　painters？〃
　〃Yeah；　I　heard　about　them　when　I　was　doing　my　research　on　you；　but　from　what　I　came　up　with；　that　wasn't　your　style。　You　go　for　top…notch　stuff　if　you　bother　with　it　at　all。〃
　〃How　flattering。〃
　〃Look；　just　stop　trying　to　play　like　you　don't　know　what　I'm　talking　about。　I've　done　research　on　you　for　the　last　four　years。　I　know　you've　taken　the　identities　of　a　number　of　other　people。　Graves　are　full　of。　the　babies　whose　names　you've　used。　You've　passed　yourself　off　as　your　own　granddaughter；　as　missing　cousins。　You're　very　good；　I'll　grant　you　that。　But　I　have　the　documentation　to　back　up　everything　I've　found。〃
　
　He　pulled　an　envelope　from　his　inside　pocket　and　dropped　it　on　the　table。　A　sick　feeling　nestled　in　my　stomach。
　
　〃Go　ahead；〃　he　said。　〃Look　inside。〃
　
　Slowly；　I　wiped　my　fingers　on　my　napkin。　Moving　slowly　seemed　to　be　a　very　good　idea　at　the　moment。　I　pulled　the　envelope　to　me　and　slid　the　contents　out。　There　were　letters　from　registry　offices　in　several　countries；　copies　of　birth　and　death　certis…icates；　copies　of　land　purchases　in　the　names　of　some　of　the　pseudonyms　I've　used。　There　was　even　a　photo　of　the　Rembrandt。
　
　〃How　did　you　get　this？〃　I　asked　holding　up　the　photo。　I　was　getting　angry；　but　I　didn't　let　him　know。　This　was　too　terrible　to　let　a　foolish　burst　of　temper　out。
　
　〃Paul　had　to　go　back　to　your　house　for　some　repairs　while　I　was　there　on　my　visit。　I　came　along　and　snuck　up　to　your　study　to　make　some　shots。〃　
　〃What　do　you　want？〃　I　asked。　I　felt　sick。　〃Money？〃
　He　shook　his　head　furiously。　〃No；〃　he　said。　〃That's　not　it　at　all。　I　want　what　you　have。　I　want　to　be　immortal。〃
　〃And　what　makes　you　think　I　can　make　you　so？〃
　〃Because　that's　how　it　works；〃　he　said。　〃Like　vampires；　only　I　don't　think　you're　a　vampire。　At　least　not　the　blood…sucking　kind。　You've　got　something　and　I　want　it。　Why　shouldn't　I　be　like　you？　I　figured　out　that　you　were　immortal。　I　mean；　shouldn't　there　be　some　kind　of　reward　for　that？〃
　
　I　closed　my　eyes。　Mortals。　Humans。　There　were　times　when　I　thought　Alachia's　attitude　toward　them　was　dead　on。
　
　〃And　you　think　your　reward　should　be　that　I　ma