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！
o invite in those who'd written them； partly because she was afraid of the depth of addiction she had unleashed in these people； partly because she was anxious that the power of the Devil's Country might not be limitless； and she was not about to be profligate with a power that she needed as much as they。
There might e a time； she supposed； when she would need the healing effects of the house purely for herself； and when that time came she'd be covetous of every wasted jot of it。 This wasn't something she could afford to be generous with； not any longer。 It was her life she was playing with here； her life everlasting。 She needed to preserve the power she had locked away below ground； for fear one day its sum was the difference between life and death。
And then…as though things were not terrible enough…they had suddenly got worse。
It began on Monday； the 23rd of August； 1926； with the sudden death of Rudy Valentino。
Only three weeks before he had managed to get past the guards in Coldheart Canyon （like one of the heroes he'd so often played； scaling walls to get to his beloved） and had pleaded with Katya to let him stay with her。 He didn't feel good； he told her； he needed to stay here in the Canyon； where he'd spent so many happy times； and recuperate。 She told him no。 He became aggressive； told her…half in Italian； half in English…that she was a selfish bitch。 Wasn't it time she remembered where she came from？ he said。 She was just a peasant at heart； like him。 Just because she acted like a queen didn't make her one； to which she'd snappily replied that the same could not be said for him。 He'd slapped her for that remark。 She'd slapped him back； twice as hard。
Always prone to sudden emotional swings； Valentino had promptly started to bawl like a baby； interspersing his sobs with demands that she please God have mercy on him。
〃I'm dying！〃 he said； thumping his gut with his fist。 〃I feel it in here！〃
She let him weep until the carpet was damp。 Then she had had him removed from the house by two of her hired heavies； and tossed into the street。
It had seemed like typical Rudy melodrama at the time： I'm dying； I'm dying。 But this time he'd known his own body better than she'd given him credit for。 He was the first to pay the ultimate price for visiting the Devil's Country。 Three weeks after that tearful conversation he was dead。
The hoopla over Valentino's sudden demise hid from view a series of smaller incidents that were nevertheless all part of the same escalating tragedy。 A minor starlet called Miriam Acker died two days after Rudy； of what was reported to be pneumonia。 She had been a visitor to the Canyon on several occasions； usually in the pany of Ramon Navarro。 Pola Negri…another visitor to the Canyon…fell gravely ill a week later； and for several days hovered on the brink of death。 Her frailty was attributed to grief at the passing of Valentino； with whom she claimed to have had a passionate affair； but the truth was far less glamorous。 She too had fallen under the spell of the Hunt； and now； though she denied it； was sickening。
In fact death took an unmonly large number of Hollywood's luminaries in the next few months。 And for every one who died there were ten or twenty who got sick； and managed to recover； though none were ever possessed of their full strength； or flawless beauty； again。 The 'coincidence' was not lost on either the fans or the journalists。 〃A harvest of death is sweeping Hollywood；〃 Film Photoplay morbidly announced； 〃as star after star follows the greatest star of all； Rudolph Valentino； to the grave。〃
The idea that there was some kind of plague abroad caught the public's imagination and was fed voraciously by those who'd predicted for reasons of their own that judgment would eventually fall on Tinseltown。 Preachers who'd fulminated against the sinners of the New Sodom were now quick to point out the evidence in support of their grim sermons。 And the public； who'd a decade before taken pleasure in crowning actors as the new Royalty of America were now just as entertained by the spectacle of their fall from grace。 They were fakes and foreigners anyway； it was widely opined； no wonder they were falling like flies； they'd e here like plague…rats in the first place。
Hollywood was going to Hell in a hand…cart； and it didn't matter how rich or beautiful you were； there was no escaping the cost of the high life。
Up in the Canyon； Katya dared believe she was safe： she'd added three German Shepherd dogs to the retinue guarding her； and she had men patrolling the ridges and the roads that led to the Canyon night and day。 It was such a strange time。 The whole munity was unsettled。 There was talk of lights being seen in the sky； especially in the vicinity of death…sites。 A number of small cults came into being； all with their own theories of what was happening。 The most extreme interpreted these lights as warnings from God： the end of the world was imminent； their leaders announced； and people should prepare themselves for the Apocalypse。 Others interpreted the lights more benignly。 They were messengers from God； this faction claimed； angels sent to guide the deceased out of the coil of mortal confusions into the next life。 If this was the case then these heavenly presences were not happy that Hell now had a stronghold in the Canyon。 Though the dead came there； the lights did not。 Indeed on several occasions they were seen at the bottom of the hill； three or four of them gathered in a cloud of luminescence； plainly unwilling to venture into the Canyon。
For her part； Katya took such reports as evidence that her defenses were working。 Nobody could get into her precious Canyon。 Or such was her conviction。
In fact her sense of security； like so much else in her increasingly fragile life； was an illusion。
One evening； walking in the garden； the dogs suddenly got crazy； and out of the darkness stepped Rudy Valentino。 He looked entirely unchanged by death： his skin as smooth as ever； his hair as brilliantly coifed； his clothes as flawless。
He bowed deeply to her。
〃My apologies；〃 he said； 〃for ing here。 I know I'm not wele。
But frankly； I didn't know where else to go。〃
There was no hint of manipulation in this； it seemed to be the unvarnished truth。
〃I went home to Falcon Lair；〃 Rudy went on； 〃but it's been trampled over by so many people； it doesn't feel as though it's mine any more。 Please。。。I beg you。。。don't be afraid of me。〃
〃I'm not afraid of you；〃 Katya replied； quite truthfully。 〃There were always ghosts in my village。 We used to see them all the time。 My grandmother used to sing me to sleep； and she'd been dead ten years。 But Rudy； let's be honest。 I know why you're up here。 You want to get in to see the Hunt…〃
〃…just for a little while。〃
〃No。〃
〃Please。〃
〃No！〃 she said； waving him away； 〃I really don't want to hear any more of this。 Why don't you just go back to Sicily？〃
〃Costellaneta。〃
〃Wherever。 I'm sure they'll be pleased to see the ghost of their favorite son。〃
She turned her back on him and walked back towards the house。 She heard him following on after her； his heels light on the gra