jefflong.yearzero-第2部分

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！


　〃But　you　mustn't　feel　guilty；〃　the　engineer　said　to　Nathan　Lee。
　〃Guilty？〃
　〃It　is　written　on　your　face。〃
　〃Never　mind　him；〃　Ochs　said　to　the　engineer。
　But　the　engineer　was　a　passionate　soul；　and　now　he　liked　Nathan　Lee。　He　gestured　at　the　other　passengers。　〃Each　of　us　bears　a　special　talent。　Some　go　to　feed　the　people；　some　to　heal；　some　to　handle　the　dead。　I　go　to　plete　the　destruction　with　bulldozers　and　plastique　so　that　the　rebuilding　may　begin。　And　you　are　here　to　find　meaning　in　the　bones。　Be　strong；　young　man。　It　takes　great　love　to　make　sense　of　God's　revenge。〃
　Nathan　Lee　wasn't　sure　how　to　respond。　〃Thank　you；〃　he　said。
　　
　NEARINGISRAEL；　THE　FLYING　CHANGED。　Wild　thermals　prowled　above　the　desert　sands。　The　pilots　tried　in　vain　to　evade　the　worst　of　it。　Their　blades　chopped　at　the　thermals。　The　thermals　chopped　right　back　at　them。　The　helicopter　shuddered　and　bucked；　pitching　savagely。　Far　below；　spontaneous　whirlwinds　leapt　about；　writing　wild；　cryptic　letters　in　the　sand。
　They　dodged　to　the　side；　the　pilots　searching　for　a　slipstream　through　the　thermals。　No　dice。　When　the　thermals　weren't　hurling　them　sunward；　they　were　plunging　into　troughs　and　crawling　for　altitude。　Strapped　tight；　the　passengers　suffered　their　brutal　entry　into　the　Holy　Lands。　Ochs　vomited　on　the　floor。　Nathan　Lee　offered　no　sympathy。　They　didn't　belong　here。　This　was　the　professor's　idea。　Soon　the　floor　was　slick　with　last　suppers。
　Nathan　Lee　pressed　the　wire　rims　onto　the　bridge　of　his　nose　and　closed　his　eyes。　He　thought　of　Grace。　His　seasickness　ebbed。　Who　would　she　take　after？　Honey…haired　Lydia　for　looks；　he　prayed。　He　saw　himself　as　a　plain　man。　His　face　was　thin；　his　eyes　were　narrow。　He　still　could　not　reckon　why　Lydia　had　chosen　his　tent　that　night。　Maybe　it　had　been　the　full　moon；　or　she'd　just　wanted　to　add　a　nomad　to　her　list。　Even　among　the　eccentrics　camped　out　in　the　anthro　department；　Nathan　Lee　was　notorious。　He'd　been　known　to　hunt　and　butcher　game　with　neolithic　flints。
　Nathan　Lee　did　hope　their　daughter　might　acquire　something　from　his　side　of　the　equation；　a　bit　of　pig　iron　to　temper　Lydia's　mercury。　Or　acid；　as　it　were。　The　honeymoon　was　over。　His　hot…blooded　desert　lover　had　turned　cold；　and　modern。　She　required　110　volts　twenty…four　hours　a　day；　it　turned　out；　for　everything　from　her　hair　drier　to　her　cellphone。　Their　wedding　night　had　been　invested　in　a　discussion　about　money。　She　was　going　for　her　MBA。　He　was　going　for。。。Jerusalem。
　At　last　they　topped　the　Golan　Heights　and　left　behind　the　desert　thermals。　But　as　they　entered　the　great；　long　trough　of　the　Dead　Sea　Rift；　Nathan　Lee　saw　the　destruction　was　only　beginning。　By　this　time　every　schoolchild　knew　from　television　that　800；000　megatons　of　energy　had　been　released　by　the　quake；　1；600　times　more　than　all　the　nuclear　explosions　in　war　and　peace　bined。　Tsunamis　had　erased　the　Gaza　Strip。　Like　ancient　Alexandria；　Tel　Aviv　lay　submerged　beneath　the　Mediterranean。　The　Sea　of　Galilee　had　emptied；　flooding　the　Jordan　River。　The　floor　of　the　Dead　Sea　had　dropped　fifty　feet。　Its　waters　reached　halfway　to　the　Gulf　of　Aqaba。
　The　cargo　bay　had　no　air　conditioning。　They　steadily　descended　below　sea　level　between　raw　limestone　walls。　To　their　right　and　left；　roads　and　pathways　terminated　in　midair。　It　was　spring。　The　trees　were　budding　green。　Lambs　bounded　to　their　mothers。　Finally　they　turned　west　and　climbed　out　of　the　depths。
　The　wreck　of　Jerusalem　lay　before　them。　Unlike　the　Syrian　cities；　it　was　still　in　its　death　throes。　Inky　smoke　hung　above　the　ruins。　Where　gas　lines　had　ruptured；　columns　of　flame　lanced　the　sky。
　Ochs　thumped　Nathan　Lee's　knee　with　an　immense　bear　paw。　He　was　elated。　Nathan　Lee　was　shocked。
　〃Haram；〃murmured　Nathan　Lee。　The　term　was　universal　in　this　part　of　the　world。　It　meantforbidden　orpity。　More　classically；　it　meant　tomb。
　The　engineer　heard　him。　Their　eyes　met。　For　some　reason　he　gave　him　a　blessing。　〃Keep　your　heart　pure　in　there。〃
　Nathan　Lee　looked　away。
　The　ship　flickered　from　place　to　place　along　the　wracked　perimeter。　White　tents　flashed　beneath　them　bearing　Red　Crosses　and　Red　Crescents。　Roofs　of　baby　blue　U。N。　plastic　fluttered　in　the　rotor　wash。
　Abruptly　the　helicopter　spun　to　earth。　Ochs　clutched　his　arm。　They　touched　down　hard　near　the　south　summit　of　the　Mount　of　Olives。
　No　one　waited　to　greet　them。　The　samaritans　simply　dismounted　into　vast　heat　upon　a　road　that　ran　above　the　city。　You　could　barely　see　Jerusalem　for　the　layer　of　black　petroleum　smoke。　Israeli　mandos　in　desert　camouflage　and　berets　rose　up　from　the　yellow　dust　to　herd　them　to　Camp　23。
　The　cases　of　body　bags　were　off…loaded。　Ochs　opened　one　box　and　took　several　of　the　bags。　He　left　the　rest　in　the　road；　and　led　Nathan　Lee　away　from　their　Trojan　Horse。　The　trick　had　worked。　They　were　in。
　　
　WHILEOCHS　SLEPT　OFF　HIS　JET　LAG；　Nathan　Lee　roamed　the　larger　Camp　23；　orienting　himself；　hunting　down　rumors；　harvesting　information。　Sunset　was　only　hours　away。
　Six　days　ago　there　had　been　no　Camp　23。　Now　it　lay　sprawled　and　shapeless　upon　the　slopes　of　Olivet；　a　Palestinian　collecting　point。　Before　the　quake；　locals　drove　up　the　meandering　road　to　picnic　and　gaze　upon　their　city。　Now　55；000　ghosts　occupied　an　overlook　of　vile　black　smoke。　The　unwashed　survivors　were　coated　white　with　cement　dust。　The　lime　in　the　cement　made　their　eyes　blood　red。　Their　massed　voices　buzzed　like　cicadas　in　the　heat。Allah；　Allah；　Allah；　they　wept。　Women　ululated。
　They　reached　out　with　filthy　hands。　Nathan　Lee　knew　better　than　to　meet　their　eyes。　He　felt　desolate。　He　had　nothing　for　them。　Some　would　be　dead　soon。　The　ground　was　muddy；　not　from　rain；　but　from　their　raw　sewage。　Cholera　was　going　to　rampage　through　them。　All　the　aid　workers　said　so。
　A　team　of　skinny　rescue　rats　from　West　Virginia　loaned　him　two　hardhats。　They　were　gaunt。　One　had　a　broken　arm　in　a　plastic　splint。　They　didn't　mark　their　calendar　in　days；　but　in　hours。　For　them；　time　had　started　the　minute　the　first　quake　hit；　171　hours　ago。　It　was　a　rule　of　thumb　that　after　the　first　48　hours；　the　chances　for　live　rescues　evaporated。　Their　work　was　done。　They　were　heading　home。　Nathan　Lee　asked　for　any　advice。
　〃Don't　go　down　there；〃　one　said。　〃Why　mess　with　the　gods？〃　He　had　a　bat　soldier's　contempt　for　the　civilian。　If　you　don't　belong；　don't　be　there。
　His　partner　said；　〃How　about　the　lions；　you　been　briefed　on　the　lions？〃
　〃Seriously？〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　It　had　to　be　an　urban　legend。Here　be　dragons。
　The　man　spit。　〃From　the　zoo。〃
　The　first　man　said；　〃They　found　a　body　in　the　Armenian　quarter。　Mauled　to　rags。　One　leg　missing。　That　means　they　they've　tasted　us。　They're　maneaters　now。〃
　　
　AT　SUNSETthe　smoke　turned　bronze。
　Nathan　Lee　found　Ochs　on　a　cot　in　a　tent；　stripped　to　the　waist。　He'd　seen　pictures　of　the　linebacker　in　his　400…pound　bench…press　days；　an　Adonis　on　steroids。　Nathan　Lee　looked　down　at　the　wreckage　of　beer　fat。　Sweat　glistened　on　his　salt…and…pepper　chest　hair。　〃Wake　up；〃　Nathan　Lee　said。
　Ochs　came　to　with　a　groan。　The　canvas　and　wood　creaked　as　he　pried　himself　from　the　cot。
　〃We　made　a　mistake；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　〃It's　too　dangerous。　There's　a　curfew；　dusk　to　dawn。　Shoot　to　kill。〃
　〃Give　me　a　minute；〃　Ochs　growled。
　〃It's　a　war　zone。　No　one's　in　charge　over　there。　They're　at　each　other's　throats。　Hamas　and　the　Hezbollah　and　the　SLA　and　Israeli　army　and　kibbutz　militias。〃
　Ochs　glared　at　him。　〃Suck　it　up；　Swift。　What　did　you　expect？　Nine…point…one　on　the　Richter　scale。　From　here　to　Istanbul；　it's　scrambled　eggs。〃
　〃I　don't　like　it。〃
　〃What's　to　like？〃　Ochs　tossed　his　head　side　to　side　like　a　boxer　warming　up。　The　vertebrae　crackled。　〃This　time　tomorrow；　we'll　be　on　our　way　home。　Think　of　it　as　starting　the　college　fund。　Grace's；〃　he　added；　〃not　yours。　It's　time　you　moved　beyond　your　academic　ambitions。〃
　The　unborn　child　had　bee　Ochs's　hostage。　Nathan　Lee　didn't　know　how　to　stop　it。　The　conspiracy　between　sister　and　brother　was　beginning　to　scare　him。　〃You　don't　need　me；〃　he　said　pointblank。
　〃But　I　do；〃　said　Ochs。　〃Don't　let　it　go　to　your　head。　You're　younger。　You　have　abilities。　e　on。　We're　on　the　same　team；　slick。〃
　〃This　isn't　a　bowl　game；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　〃We're　trespassing　on　history。　Legends。　Everything　we　do　could　alter　the　record。　It　could　bend　religions。〃
　〃Since　when　did　you　find　God？　Anyway；　you've　got　responsibilities。〃
　〃It　was　you　who　taught　me　about　the　integrity　of　the　site。〃
　〃Those　were　the　days。〃
　〃You　just　want　revenge；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。
　〃I　just　want　money；〃　said　Ochs。　〃What　about　you；　Nathan　Lee？　Don't　you　get　lonely　in　there？〃
　They　went　to　the　mess　tent。　It　was　crowded　with　relief　workers　in　various　states　of　fatigue。　They　spoke　a　babel　of　languages。　They　were　fed　much　better　than　the　survivors。　In　place　of　protein　bars　and　bottles　of　water；　they　got　lamb　stew　and　couscous　and　candies。　Ochs　made　a　beeline　for　the　caffeine。
　Nathan　Lee　went　outside　with　his　paper　plate　and　sat　on　the　ground。　Ochs　found　him。　〃No　more　seesaw。　It's　yes　or　no。〃
　Nathan　Lee　didn't　say　yes。　But　he　didn't　say　no。　That　was　all　Ochs　needed。
　　
　AT　MOONRISE；　they　cast　loose　of　Camp　23。
　They　wore　cotton　masks；　Red　Cross　bibs；　the　borrowed　hardhats；　and　jungle　boots　from　the　Vietnam　era。　The　soles　had　metal　plates　to　protect　against　punji　stakes。　Ochs　had　spotted　them　in　an　Army　surplus　store　outside　of　Georgetown。
　In　theory；　the　camps　were　locked　down　between　dusk　and　dawn。　But　for　all　the　razor　wire　and　sandbags　and　ferocious　Israeli　paratroopers　at　the　entrance；　Nathan　Lee　had　learned　there　was　no　back　wall　to　Camp　23。　The　gate　was　all　show。　Nathan　Lee　and　Ochs　simply　strode　downhill　and　the　camp　dwindled　into　darkness。
　They　left　the　klieg　lights　and　diesel　generators　and　food　lines　behind。　On　the　dark　outskirts；　they　passed　the　mad　and　dying。　Nathan　Lee　imagined　the　final　circle　of　hell　as　something　like　this。
　The　hillside　sloped　gently；　cut　by　terraces。　Nathan　Lee　took　the　lead　downwards。　They　carried　headlamps；　but　did　not　use　them。　He　was　reminded　of　climbing　in　the　Himalayas　and　above　Chamonix　with　his　father。　Mountaineers　called　it　an　alpine　start。　You　kicked　off　at　night　while　the　mountain　is