pdouglas.thecodex-第55部分

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　Tom　said；　〃Unfortunately；　it's　not　going　to　be　that　simple。〃
　〃How　so？〃
　Tom　glanced　at　his　brothers。　〃We've　got　a　problem；　and　his　name　is　Hauser。〃
　〃Hauser！〃　Broadbent　was　astonished。
　Tom　nodded　and　told　their　father　all　the　details　of　their　respective　journeys。
　〃Hauser！〃　Broadbent　repeated；　looking　at　Philip。　〃You　teamed　up　with　that　bastard？〃
　〃I'm　sorry；〃　said　Philip。　〃I　figured　。。。〃
　〃You　figured　he'd　know　where　I　went。　My　fault：　I　should　have　seen　that　was　a　possibility。　Hauser's　a　ruthless　sadist；　almost　killed　a　girl　once。　The　biggest　mistake　in　my　life　was　partnering　with　him。〃　Broadbent　eased　himself　down　on　a　shelf　of　rock　and　shook　his　shaggy　head。　〃I　can't　believe　the　risks　you　took　getting　here。　God；　what　a　mistake　I　made。　The　last　one　of　many；　in　fact。〃
　〃You　our　father；〃　said　Borabay。
　Broadbent　snorted。　〃Some　father。　Putting　you　to　a　ridiculous　test　like　this。　It　seemed　like　a　good　idea　at　the　time。　I　can't　understand　what　got　into　me。　What　a　damn　stupid；　foolish　old　bastard　I've　been。〃
　〃We　haven't　exactly　been　My　Three　Sons；〃　said　Philip。
　〃Four　sons；〃　said　Borabay。
　〃Or　。。。　perhaps　there　are　more？〃　Vernon　asked；　raising　one　eyebrow。
　Broadbent　shook　his　head。　〃Not　that　I　know　of。　Four　fine　sons　if　only　I'd　had　the　brains　to　realize　it。〃　He　fixed　his　blue　eyes　on　Vernon。　〃Except　for　that　beard；　Vernon。　Good　Christ；　when　are　you　going　to　trim　that　hairy　appendage？　You　look　like　a　mullah。〃
　Vernon　said；　〃You　don't　look　too　clean…cut　yourself。〃
　Broadbent　waved　his　hand　and　laughed。　〃Forget　I　said　that。　Old　habits　die　hard。　Keep　your　damn　beard。〃
　There　was　an　awkward　silence。　The　sun　was　rising　higher　above　the　mountains；　and　the　light　was　turning　from　gold　to　white。　A　flock　of　chattering　birds　flew　past；　dipping　and　rising　and　swerving　in　unison。
　Tom　turned　to　Borabay。　〃We　need　to　think　of　our　plan　of　escape。〃
　〃Yes；　brother。　I　think　of　this　already。　We　wait　here　until　dark。　Then　we　go　back。〃　He　glanced　up　at　the　clear　sky。　〃It　rain　tonight；　give　us　cover。〃
　〃What　about　Hauser？〃　Broadbent　asked。
　〃He　search　for　tomb　in　White　City。　He　not　yet　think　of　looking　in　cliffs。　I　think　we　get　by　him。　He　not　know　we　here。〃
　Broadbent　looked　around。　〃You　didn't　bring　any　food　with　you；　by　any　chance？　That　stuff　they　left　me　in　the　tomb　wasn't　fit　for　an　in…flight　meal。〃
　Borabay　unpacked　food　from　his　palm…leaf　backpack　and　began　setting　it　out。　Broadbent　shuffled　over　a　little　unsteadily。　〃Fresh　fruit。　My　God。〃　He　picked　up　a　mango　and　bit　into　it；　the　juice　running　out　of　his　mouth　and　dripping　onto　his　shirt。　〃This　is　heaven。〃　He　crammed　the　mango　into　his　mouth；　ate　a　second　one；　and　then　polished　off　a　couple　of　curwa　fruits　and　some　smoked　lizard　fillets。
　〃Borabay；　you　could　open　a　restaurant。〃
　Tom　watched　his　father　eat。　He　could　hardly　believe　that　the　old　man　was　still　alive。　There　was　something　unreal　about　it。　Everything；　and　nothing；　had　changed。
　Broadbent　finished　his　meal　and　leaned　back　against　the　stone　wall；　gazing　out　over　the　mountains。
　〃Father；〃　Philip　asked；　〃if　you　don't　mind　telling　us；　what　happened　to　you　in　that　tomb？〃
　〃Philip；　I'll　tell　you　how　it　was。　We　had　a　big　funeral…no　doubt　Borabay　told　you　all　about　it。　I　drank　Cah's　infernal　drink。　The　next　thing　I　knew；　I　was　waking　up。　It　was　pitch…black。　As　a　good　atheist　I'd　always　believed　death　was　the　end　of　consciousness。　That　was　it。　But　here　I　was；　still　conscious；　even　though　I　was　sure　I　was　dead。　I've　never　been　so　frightened　in　my　life。　And　then；　as　I　fumbled　around　in　the　darkness　in　a　total　panic；　I　had　a　sudden　thought：　Not　only　am　I　dead；　but　I've　gone　to　hell！〃
　〃You　didn't　really　believe　that；〃　said　Philip。
　He　shook　his　head。　〃I　did。　You　have　no　idea　how　terrified　I　was。　I　wailed　and　howled　like　a　lost　soul。　I　begged　God；　I　prayed　on　my　knees；　I　repented；　I　swore　I'd　be　good　if　only　he'd　give　me　one　more　chance。　I　felt　like　one　of　those　poor　sods　in　Michelangelo's　Last　Judgment　crying　out　for　forgiveness　while　being　dragged　down　by　demons　into　a　lake　of　fire。
　〃And　then；　when　I　was　all　tired　out　with　wailing　and　self…pity；　I　began　to　recover　a　bit　of　my　sanity。　That's　when　I　crawled　around　and　realized　I　was　in　the　tomb…and　it　dawned　on　me　that　I　wasn't　dead　after　all；　that　Cah　had　buried　me　alive。　He'd　never　forgiven　me　for　what　I'd　done　to　his　father。　I　should　have　known　it；　Cah　always　struck　me　as　a　shifty　old　fox。　When　I　found　the　food　and　water　I　knew　I　was　in　for　a　long　ordeal。　I　had　planned　this　whole　thing　to　be　a　lighthearted　challenge　for　the　three　of　you。　And　then　suddenly　my　life　depended　on　your　success。〃
　〃A　lighthearted　challenge？〃　Philip　repeated　skeptically。
　〃I　wanted　to　shock　you　into　doing　something　more　important　with　your　lives。　What　I　didn't　realize　is　that　each　of　you　is　doing　something　important…that　is；　living　the　life　that　you　want　to　live。　Who　am　I　to　judge？〃　He　paused；　cleared　his　throat；　shook　his　head。　〃Here　I　was　locked　up　with　what　I　thought　was　my　treasure；　my　life's　work…and　it　was　crap。　It　was　useless。　Suddenly　it　meant　nothing。　In　the　dark　I　couldn't　even　look　at　it。　Being　entombed　alive　shook　me　to　the　core。　I　found　myself　looking　back　on　my　whole　life　with　a　kind　of　loathing。　I　had　been　a　bad　father　to　you；　a　bad　husband；　greedy；　selfish…and　then　I　found　myself　praying。〃
　〃No；〃　said　Philip。
　Broadbent　nodded。　〃What　else　was　there　to　do？　And　then　I　heard　voices；　a　bang；　then　a　rumbling　sound；　and　the　light　came　in；　and　there　you　all　were！　My　prayers　had　been　answered。〃
　〃You　mean；〃　Philip　asked；　〃you　found　religion？　You're　a　believer？〃
　〃You're　goddamn　right　I　found　religion！〃　He　lapsed　into　silence；　looking　out　over　the　vast　landscape　stretching　below；　the　endless　mountains　and　jungles。　He　shifted；　coughed。　〃Funny；　I　feel　like　I've　died　and　been　reborn。〃
　
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　From　his　hiding　place；　Hauser　could　hear　the　murmur　of　their　voices　carried　up　on　the　wind。　He　couldn't　make　out　individual　words；　but　he　had　no　doubt　what　was　going　on：　They　were　having　a　grand　old　time　looting　their　father's　tomb。　No　doubt　they　were　planning　to　take　out　the　smaller　stuff…including　the　Codex。　The　woman；　Colorado；　knew　what　it　was　worth。　That　would　be　the　first　thing　they　would　take。
　In　his　mind；　Hauser　ran　through　the　list　of　other　treasures　in　the　tomb。　A　great　deal　of　Maxwell　Broadbent's　collection　would　be　portable；　including　some　of　the　most　valuable　items。　There　were　some　rare　carved　gemstones　from　the　Indian　subcontinent。　There　was　a　large　collection　of　Inca　and　Aztec　gold　artifacts；　most　of　which　were　small；　as　were　the　ancient　Greek　gold　coins。　There　were　two　extremely　valuable　Etruscan　bronze　figurines；　each　about　ten　inches　high；　that　weighed　less　than　twenty　pounds　apiece。　All　these　things　could　be　carried　on　the　back　of　a　single　man。　Value：　between　ten　and　twenty　million。
　They　would　be　able　to　carry　out　the　Lippi　and　the　Monet。　These　two　paintings　were　relatively　small…the　Lippi　was　twenty…eight　by　eighteen　inches；　the　Monet　thirty…six　by　twenty…six。　Both　had　been　packed　unframed。　The　Lippi；　painted　on　gessoed　wood；　weighed　ten　pounds　and　the　Monet　eight　pounds。　The　two　boxes　that　held　them　weighed　no　more　than　thirty　pounds　apiece。　Both　boxes　could　be　tied　together；　strapped　on　a　pack　frame；　and　carried　out　on　one　person's　back。　Value：　upward　of　one　hundred　million。
　There　were；　of　course；　many　treasures　they　could　not　take。　The　Pontormo；　worth　perhaps　thirty　or　forty　million；　was　too　large。　So　was　the　Bronzino　portrait。　The　Mayan　stelae　and　the　Soderini　bronzes　were　too　heavy。　But　the　two　Braques　were　portable。　The　smaller　of　the　two　was　one　of　Braque's　earliest　cubist　masterpieces；　which　might　fetch　five　or　ten　million。　There　was　a　late　Imperial　Roman　bronze　statue　of　a　boy；　half　life…size；　that　weighed　a　hundred　pounds…probably　too　much　to　carry　out。　There　were　Cambodian　temple　figurines　in　stone；　a　couple　of　early　Chinese　bronze　urns；　some　Mayan　inlaid　turquoise　plaques　。。。　Max　had　had　a　good　eye；　and　he　had　gone　for　quality；　not　quantity。　Over　the　years；　a　lot　of　art　had　passed　through　his　hands；　and　he　had　shortstopped　only　the　very　best　for　himself。
　Yes；　Hauser　thought；　if　it　weren't　for　him　the　four　of　them　below　could　remove　on　their　backs　artworks　amounting　to　perhaps　two　hundred　million　dollars。　Almost　half　the　value　of　the　entire　collection。
　He　shifted；　stretching　his　cramped　legs。　The　sun　was　bright　and　hot。　He　glanced　at　his　watch。　Five　to　ten。　He　had　decided　to　move　out　at　ten　o'clock。　Time　had　little　meaning　out　here；　but　the　habits　of　discipline　gave　him　pleasure。　It　was；　he　thought；　more　a　philosophy　of　life　than　anything　else。　He　stood　up；　stretched　his　arms；　and　took　a　few　deep　breaths。　He　did　a　rapid　check　of　his　Steyr　AUG。　It　was；　as　usual；　in　perfect　working　order。　He　smoothed　his　hair　again；　then　examined　his　cuticles　and　nails。　There　was　a　rim　of　dirt　under　one　of　them；　he　scraped　it　out　with　the　end　of　his　nail　file　and　flicked　it　away。　Then　he　examined　the　backs　of　his　hands；　which　were　smooth；　hairless；　and　white　and　showed　only　the　faintest　trace　of　veins；　they　were　the　hands　of　a　thirty…year…old；　not　a　man　of　sixty。　He　had　always　taken　good　care　of　his　hands。　The　sun　glistened　off　the　array　of　heavy　gold　and　diamond　rings　on　his　fingers。　He　flexed　his　hands　five　times；　balling　and　opening　them；　and　then　shook　out　the　creases　in　his　khaki　pants；　rotated　his　ankles；　rolled　his　head　around　on　his　neck　five　times；　opened　his　arms　wide；　and　inhaled　again。　Exhaled。　Inhaled。　He　examined　his　crisp　white　shirt。　He　would　consider　this　op　successful　if；　at　the　end；　his　shirt　was　free　of　spots。　It　was　such　a　trial　keeping　one's　clothes　clean　in　the　jungle。
　Hauser　eased　the　Steyr　AUG　back　on　his　shoulder　and　headed　down　the　trail。
　
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　The　four　brothers　and　their　father　rested　in　the　shade　along　a　shelf　of　rock　to　the　side　of　the　tomb　door。　They　had　eaten　most　of　their　food；　and　Tom　passed　around　a　canteen　of　water。　There　was　so　much　Tom　had　wanted　to　say　to　his　father；　and　he　had　no　doubt　his　brothers　felt　the　same　way…and　yet；　after　the　initial　outburst　of　talk；　they　had　fallen　silent。　Somehow　it　was　enough　to　be　together。　The　canteen　made　the　rounds；　with　a　gurgle　as　each　one　dran