jefflong.yearzero-第12部分

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　ledge；　white　and　black　among　the　white　and　black　rocks；　hidden　in　plain　sight。　There　was　little　to　see　but　patches　where　the　skin…or　bone…stood　exposed。　The　face　had　not　moved。　It　was　still　aimed　at　Nathan　Lee　on　his　cold　rock。　Through　the　telephoto；　he　carefully　memorized　the　shelves　and　ramp　leading　upward。
　He　stood　and　began　packing　his　things；　nestling　his　camera　beside　the　body　bag。　It　was　one　of　those　same　bags　they'd　used　to　trick　the　Year　Zero　bones　out　of　Jerusalem。　Four　years　had　passed　since　then；　but　it　was　like　time　had　stood　still。　He　was　still　slouching　circles　around　the　ivory　tower；　basically　faking　it。　He　had　no　title；　no　position；　no　presence　in　the　world。　About　all　he　did　have　was　a　reputation　for　looting；　and　visitation　rights　with　Grace；　which　Lydia　and　her　divorce　sharks　were　tearing　to　bits　while　he　dragged　her　brother　through　the　Himalayas。
　He　strapped　on　his　scratched　red　helmet　and　started　up。　Faraway；　rocks　hissed　down　from　the　heights。　Avalanches　flowered　in　utter　silence。　There　was　no　need　for　a　helmet　here。　The　climbing　was　scarcely　a　scramble。　But　he　was　taking　no　chances。　Nathan　Lee　loved　the　high　mountains；　but　had　e　to　hate　the　dangers。　Fatherhood　had　made　him　a　chicken。
　He　picked　his　way　across　the　scree　field。　The　slope　steepened。　Scree　gave　way　to　shelves　shingly　with　the　fossils　of　small　sea　animals。　The　Chago　Glacier　gaped　two　thousand　feet　below。
　As　conceived　by　an　ambitious　curator　at　the　Smithsonian's　National　Museum　of　Man；　their　plan　involved　locating　the　body；　if　it　truly　existed；　then　carrying　it　several　miles　to　the　south；　well　into　Nepal；　safely　away　from　the　border　and　any　claims　by　the　People's　Republic　of　China。　Everyone　in　the　museum　business　recalled　the　pitched　battle　between　Italy　and　Austria　over　the　Iceman　found　on　their　alpine　border。　The　Smithsonian　wanted　no　such　plexities。
　Two　days　downvalley；　Nathan　Lee　had　found　a　cave　used　by　Buddhist　hermits　over　the　centuries。　It　was　empty　now。　They'd　cached　all　their　supplies　there　for　the　trek　out　and　agreed　it　would　be　the　perfect　spot　to　replant　their　own　iceman；　then　〃discover〃　him。　Besides　averting　an　international　tug　of　war；　it　would　allow　the　Smithsonian　to　negotiate　with　Nepalese　ministers　who　were　even　more　corrupt　than　the　karaoke　mies；　as　Ochs　called　the　Chinese　generals　controlling　Tibet。　Ochs　was　going　to　use　his　part　of　the　take　to　purchase　a　Hockney　painting。　Nathan　Lee's　part　was　going　to　go　to　Lydia　and　lawyers。All　in　the　family；　he　thought。
　After　a　half　hour；　Nathan　Lee　started　a　handline　for　Ochs　and　the　Khampa。　It　would　help　get　Ochs　up。　More　importantly；　it　would　help　get　the　body　down。　He　unknotted　his　coil　of　hot…pink　perlon；　tied　one　end　to　a　rock；　and　the　other　to　his　waist。　The　rope　was　light　and　thin；　only　seven　millimeters；　but　very　strong　and　almost　five　hundred　feet　in　length。
　He　lost　sight　of　the　ledge　with　the　body；　but　followed　his　landmarks。　There　was　the　snapped　pinnacle；　here　the　dark　streak。　Rounding　a　bend；　he　mantled　up　onto　a　flat　ledge。　And　there　it　was。
　For　some　reason；　he　had　expected　a　male。　Certainly　the　jaw　was　massive　enough；　and　the　enormous　hands　and　feet。　But　there　was　no　questioning　the　exposed　breast；　even　shriveled　to　an　empty　pale　pouch。　She　didn't　belong　here。　No　one　did　really；　but　especially　not　her；　and　not　because　she　was　a　woman。　When　the　rumor　of　a　body　had　first　arrived；　the　Smithsonian　thought　this　would　be　just　another　quick…frozen　neolithic　stray。　She　was　different。
　No　one　could　have　predicted　the　body　would　turn　out　to　be　a　Neandertal　woman　thirty　or　fifty　millenia　old。
　Homo　neandertalishad　never　been　found　in　this　part　of　the　world。　A　plete　specimen　had　never　been　found　anywhere　in　the　world。　Nathan　Lee　stood　very　still；　as　if　she　might　flee。　Perfectly　mummified；　she　sat　slumped　against　the　wall；　facing　Makalu。
　Strangely；　the　goraks…ravens　with　huge　black　wings　for　the　thin　air…had　not　taken　her　eyes。　They　were　milky　and　mineralized　beneath　half…closed　lids　with　long　sun…bleached　lashes。　Her　lips　had　stretched　back　to　the　gum。　She　was　intact　except　for　the　windward　side　where　some　of　the　scalp　and　one　cheek　had　been　polished　away。　A　breeze　sifted　through　her　long　black　hair。
　Nathan　Lee　remembered　the　rope　at　his　waist。　He　untied　himself　and　anchored　the　handline　with　a　figure…eight　loop　over　an　outcrop。　He　faced　the　body　again；　almost　shy　with　awe。　The　find　was　incredible。　The　flesh　was　still　on　the　bones！
　Dazed　by　the　enormity　of　the　event；　the　archaeologist　in　him　stirred。　A　thousand　questions　flooded　in。　What　on　earth　had　a　Neandertal　been　doing　in　the　high　Himalayas？　Exploring？　Migrating？　Searching　for　gods？　He　couldn't　get　over　it。　Her　remains　implied　that　an　isolated　pocket　had　survived　in　some　mountain　sanctuary；　a　lost　race　in　Shangri…la。
　Besides　her　total　displacement　in　time；　something　was　strange　here。　Her　presence　in　this　place　didn't　make　sense。　It　was　too　damn　hard　to　get　here。　He'd　seen　and　read　about　ice　men　and　maidens　found　in　the　Andes；　and　she　didn't　fit。　For　one　thing　there　were　no　outward　signs　of　violence；　no　strangulation　cords　around　the　neck；　nothing　to　suggest　ritual　murder。　Gently；　as　if　pressing　eggshells；　he　palpated　her　skull。　There　were　no　depressions；　no　evidence　of　an　accidental　fall　or　some　shaman's　ax　or　club。　If　this　were　a　burial　they　would　have　laid　her　flat；　or　folded　or　bound　her　limbs。
　He　stood　back　and　took　it　in。　To　all　appearances；　she　had　been　alive　when　she　came　to　this　ledge。　You　could　tell　by　the　way　she　was　seated；　in　a　cup　of　stone；　and　protected　from　the　wind。　She　had　made　herself　fortable。　It　struck　him　that　she　might　have　have　chosen　this　place　herself；　then　waited　to　die。　But　why　here；　why　would　she　do　such　a　thing？　Was　she　a　suicide？　Had　she　sacrificed　herself　to　some　god？　He　felt　mystery；　then　pleasure；　then　strangely　hope。
　Far　to　the　south；　white　monsoon　clouds　were　rising　like　smoke　over　the　Indian　plains。　Another　half　hour　went　by。　Nearly　noon。　Still　no　Ochs　or　Rinchen。
　Ever　since　Jerusalem；　he'd　been　searching　for　a　way　out；　or　a　way　back　in。　He'd　e　to　see　a　quest　as　nothing　more　than　burglary。　Ochs　had　done　that　to　him。　He'd　done　it　to　himself。　But　he　could　undo　it。　Why　not？　He　could　do　it　right。　He　could　go　legitimate。　In　one　fell　swoop；　he　could　restore　his　reputation。　He　could　do　real　science；　write　her　up；　get　his　doctorate；　e　out　of　the　shadows。　The　possibilities　grew。
　His　training　took　over；　he　let　it　return　to　him；　he　invited　it。　The　site　was　everything。　He　began　to　treat　the　ledge　like　a　crime　scene；　backing　off；　getting　his　camera　from　the　pack。　He　changed　the　lens　and　shot　two　rolls　of　Fuji　from　every　direction。　Only　then　did　he　allow　himself　to　approach。
　Nathan　Lee　ran　his　fingertips　across　the　deep　aboriginal　furrows　on　her　forehead。　None　of　her　teeth　were　missing　or　decayed　or　worn。　She　seemed　healthy；　no　outward　signs　of　injury　or　disease。　This　was　no　old　woman　abandoned　by　her　tribe。　She　was　a　sturdy　young　woman　in　her　prime。
　Ochs　would　never　need　to　know。　It　was　simple　enough。　Before　Ochs　and　Rinchen　got　any　closer；　Nathan　Lee　could　bury　her　under　rocks　and　beat　a　retreat。　He　would　remove　his　rope。　Erase　his　tracks。　Halt　the　search。　In　three　months；　he　could　return。。。free　of　the　Ochs　〃franchise。〃
　Nathan　Lee　scrambled　to　his　knees。　Not　in　years　had　he　felt　this　absolutely　clear。　His　gangster　days　were　over。　He　began　carefully　stacking　rocks　over　her　legs。　He　worked　quickly；　piling　them　haphazardly。　Another　few　minutes；　that's　all　he　needed。
　〃Good　lord。〃
　Nathan　Lee　lowered　his　rock。
　Ochs's　massive　head　and　shoulders　were　perched　at　the　edge　of　the　ledge。　He　was　a　mess；　his　beard　and　chest　ribboned　with　snot　and　drool。　Bound　to　the　back　of　his　pack；　the　point　of　his　ice　axe　stuck　above　his　head　like　an　exclamation　point。
　〃We　were　wrong；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　〃It's　just　another　body。　Some　poor　refugee。〃
　〃The　hell；〃　Ochs　croaked。　Even　in　his　hypoxic　state；　sucking　for　air　like　a　beached　fish；　he　recognized　what　this　was。　Instantly　the　spirit　of　the　place　felt　fouled。
　〃We　have　to　go　down；〃　Nathan　Lee　tried。　〃There's　a　storm　ing　in。〃
　The　rope　tugged。　Rinchen　arrived；　quiet　as　a　whisper。　Eyes　masked　by　ancient　steel…rimmed　glacier　glasses；　his　mouth　a　round　O；　he　looked　like　a　deep…sea　diver　from　Jules　Verne。　A　goiter　bulged　at　his　throat。　Long　scars　striped　one　cheek。
　Rinchen　took　one　look　at　the　dead　woman　and　went　very　still。　He　looked　stricken。　Then　his　big；　gnarled　peasant　hands　came　together；　and　he　began　to　pray。　Nathan　Lee　realized　he　wasn't　praying　for　the　Neandertal　woman。　He　was　praying　to　her。
　〃What　a　glorious　bitch；〃　Ochs　crowed。　〃The　Ice　Queen。　That's　got　a　ring　to　it。　Goddess　of　the　Death　Zone。〃　He　patted　her　head。
　〃Unh；〃　Rinchen　grunted　at　the　irreverent　pat。
　Ochs　was　oblivious。　He　started　pitching　the　heaped　stones　from　the　ledge；　palming　boulders　that　had　taken　Nathan　Lee　two　hands　to　move。　The　rocks　ricocheted　downhill　and　disappeared　into　the　glacier。
　A　gust　of　wind　licked　across　the　mountain。　The　woman's　black　hair　suddenly　came　alive；　lifting　off　her　shoulders。　The　long　ends　were　braided。
　〃Leave　her；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。
　〃What？〃
　〃For　another　day。〃
　Ochs　snorted。　He　was　sick　of　the　wilds；　sick　of　the　thin　air；　sick　of　camp　life。　All　he　talked　about　was　getting　back　to　his　beamer　and　art　works　and　DuPont　Circle　condo。　For　an　answer；　he　seized　the　woman's　arm　and　gave　a　yank。　The　arm　didn't　move。　She　was　anchored　in　place；　her　back　fused　to　the　ledge。　Ochs　tried　again。　But　she　had　bee　part　of　the　mountain。
　Nathan　Lee　took　the　chance。　He　revealed　his　dream。　〃We　can　e　back。　Start　over。〃
　〃Go　straight？〃
　〃Something　like　that。〃
　Ochs　looked　at　him。　〃That　simple？〃　he　said。　He　emptied　Nathan　Lee's　pack　on　the　ledge　and　picked　up　the　body　bag。
　〃You're　not　listening；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　He　grabbed　at　the　folded　packet。　Ochs　fumbled　it。　The　packet　went　sailing　over　the　edge。　They　watched　it　fall。
　A　corner　caught　on　a　rock；　tearing　the　plastic；　and　the　body　bag　suddenly　ballooned　open。　It　drafted　downwards；　a　white　gossamer　tube。　The　sight　encouraged　him。　That　was　the　last　of　their　beginning。　〃It's　over；〃　he　said　firmly。
　Ochs　shook　his　head。　〃You　crossed　the　line。　There's　no　going