jefflong.yearzero-第58部分

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bels；　and　the　superstitious。　Just　because　they　were　devoted　to　rational　science　didn't　guarantee　against　an　irrational　twitch　now　and　then。　Especially　in　these　terrible　times；　a　hysterical　outburst　was　to　be　expected。　But　there　was　nothing　hysterical　about　the　crowd。
　It　was　very　early　morning；　black　and　cold。　The　sun　wouldn't　e　up　for　hours。　People　wore　parkas　and　sweaters。　There　were　a　few　East　European　matrons　in　scarves；　the　sort　one　might　expect　for　a　Jesus　sighting。　One　toted　a　smoky　Russian　icon　over　her　chest；　which　was　almost　too　pat。　Otherwise　the　crowd　was　mostly　lab　workers　and　night　owls；　and　that　was　sobering。
　〃Hey；　Miranda；　Nathan　Lee；〃　a　young　man　called　to　them。　He　was　a　microbiologist　from　the　office　next　door。　He　liked　to　play　frisbee　at　lunch。
　〃What　are　you　doing　here？〃　Miranda　asked　him。　It　was　a　question　for　all　of　them。
　〃We　heard　the　news。〃　The　man　was　excited。
　〃You　should　be　in　bed；〃　she　told　them。　〃Or　working。〃
　〃When　do　we　get　to　see　him？〃
　Miranda　gaped　at　him。　〃Are　you　crazy？〃　she　said。
　His　face　fell。　He　backed　into　the　crowd。
　Nathan　Lee　took　her　arm　and　continued　inside。　〃Did　you　hear　that？〃　she　plained。　〃Look　at　them。　Don't　they　know　it's　a　hoax？〃
　〃One　thing　at　a　time；〃　he　said。　〃Let's　find　out　what　happened。　There's　an　explanation；　I'm　sure。〃
　The　Captain　was　waiting　for　them　in　his　office。　It　overlooked　the　front　lot　where　the　crowd　was　gathering。　Two　of　his　guards　were　sitting　side　by　side；　a　big　Tejano　and　a　slight　man；　Ross。　Nathan　Lee　knew　them　both。　He'd　never　seen　Ross　so　pale。
　〃Tell　them；〃　said　the　Captain。　He　was　not　pleased。　A　black　Bible　sat　on　his　desk　with　a　yellow　pencil　for　a　bookmark。
　〃We　were　sitting　in　the　monitor　room；〃　Ross　started。　He　glanced　at　his　partner；　who　clearly　wanted　nothing　to　do　with　this。　〃I　heard　one　of　the　inmates　call　out。　The　incident　occured　at　0225　hours。〃
　〃What　incident？〃　said　Miranda。
　〃He　saidEl…ee；　El…ee。。。。〃　Ross　paused　and　looked　at　Nathan　Lee　self…consciously。　〃And　I　can't　pronounce　the　rest。　I　may　not　speak　the　lingo；　but　I　do　know　my　Bible。　It's　right　there。　I　looked　it　up。　He　spoke　it　just　like　it's　written。〃
　〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃　Miranda　said。
　〃Laa…ma　sabok…tamee；〃quoted　Nathan　Lee。
　〃That's　it；〃　said　Ross。　〃Just　like　that。〃
　Nathan　Lee　picked　up　the　Bible　and　flipped　it　open　to　the　pencil；　and　there　was　the　passage。　He　handed　it　to　Miranda。　〃Christ's　question　from　the　cross；〃　he　said。　〃My　God；　my　God；　why　have　you　forsaken　me？〃
　Miranda　glanced　at　the　book。　〃So？〃　she　said。
　〃He　spoke　it；〃　said　Ross。　〃He　spoke　the　words。〃
　〃That's　convenient；〃　she　said；　flipping　through　another　few　pages。　〃It's　the　one　part　I　see　that's　in　Aramaic。〃　She　lowered　the　book。　〃You　read　it　to　him。〃
　Ross　looked　horrified。　〃No；　Dr。　Abbot；　I　swear。〃　He　leaned　forward　to　put　his　hand　on　the　open　book。
　〃Sit　back；〃　growled　the　Captain。
　Ross　pointed　at　his　partner。　〃Ask　Joe。　He　heard　it；　too。〃
　Joe　looked　off　at　the　corner。　But　he　didn't　deny　it。
　〃Again；〃　she　said；　〃so　what？〃
　〃Well；〃　said　Ross；　〃how'd　he　know　those　words？〃
　〃Because　he　heard　them；〃　she　said。
　〃Not　from　us；　he　didn't。〃
　〃Then　from　the　other　clones；〃　said　Miranda。　〃They're　out　there　in　the　yard；　day　in；　day　out；　polluting　each　other　with　ideas。　Praying　and　sacrificing　and　preaching　to　each　other。　One　of　them　quoted　from　the　Bible；　that's　all。〃
　〃But　the　Bible　wasn't　written　yet；〃　said　Ross。　〃Not　back　then。〃
　〃It　was　being　written；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　〃There　are　all　kinds　of　sects　in　the　yard。　Christians；　pagans；　Jews。　The　story　was　being　shaped。〃
　Ross's　eyes　went　to　the　Bible。　〃He　spoke　the　words。　At　0225　hours。〃
　Nathan　Lee　glanced　at　the　Captain；　who　seemed　painfully　aware　of　Ross's　limitations。
　〃Which　one　of　the　clones　was　it？〃　Nathan　Lee　asked。　He　already　knew。　It　would　be　Ben。　The　crucifix　had　spooked　them　them　all；　bringing　out　their　ghosts。　And　Izzy　had　all　but　invited　Ben　to　declare　himself　the　messiah　when　they　were　talking　at　the　fire。
　〃He's　one　of　them　that　didn't　have　a　name。〃
　〃Not　Ben？〃
　〃Not　him。〃
　Miranda　cut　in。　〃But　now　he　has　a　name。〃
　〃Yes；　ma'am。　He　told　me。　Jesus　Christ。　He　said　it　to　my　face。〃
　〃To　your　face？　You　spoke　to　him？〃
　Ross　didn't　answer。　Beside　him；　Joe　gave　a　bull　snort。　〃I　couldn't　stop　him　in　time。　Littlependejo。〃
　〃You　went　in　his　cell？〃　Miranda　demanded。
　Ross's　eyes　dodged　away。
　Joe　said；　〃That's　what　he　did。〃
　They　sat　for　a　minute。　Nathan　Lee　looked　out　the　window。　The　crowd　was　swelling　down　there。
　〃So　you　went　into　the　man's　cell；〃　Miranda　said　to　Ross。　〃What　did　you　say？〃
　〃I　asked　him　if　his　name　is　Jesus。〃
　〃You　asked　him？〃　Miranda　closed　the　book。　〃And　what　does　that　tell　you？〃
　Ross's　jaw　set。　〃That　he's　Jesus　Christ。〃
　〃Ipso　facto；〃Miranda　expelled。
　Nathan　Lee　watched　the　fancy　Latin　close　Ross　down；　and　out。　His　awe　was　still　there；　but　it　excluded　them。
　〃You　know　that's　not　possible；〃　Miranda　said　after　a　minute。
　〃But　it's　written；〃　Ross　replied。
　Nathan　Lee　felt　a　tightening　in　his　gut。　He'd　figured　this　was　a　midnight　prank；　but　Ross　was　in　earnest；　and　the　crowd　was　multiplying　beneath　the　parking　lot　lights。
　Miranda　patted　the　Bible。　〃For　a　minute；　let's　forget　what's　written；　okay？　Think　about　it。　These　clones　e　from　a　Roman　landfill。　Even　if　Jesus　ever　existed；　do　you　know　the　odds　against　us　finding　his　remains？〃
　Now　was　Ross's　turn　to　pity　their　limitations。　〃He　existed　all　right。　Because　otherwise　there　wouldn't　be　the　Word。　And　your　odds　don't　matter；　not　if　He　wanted　us　to　find　him。　This　is　how　He　chose　to　e　to　us。　And　I　was　there。〃
　Miranda　said；　〃Then　let's　talk　about　the　remains。　If　Christ　rose　into　heaven；　he　wouldn't　have　left　any　remains。　And　he　did　rise；　right？　It's　written　in　the　Word。〃
　Years　ago；　Nathan　Lee　had　listened　to　Ochs　use　this　very　argument　to　disarm　detractors　of　the　Year　Zero　project。　The　problem　now　was　that　Ross　was　not　a　detractor。　〃He　didn't　leave　bones；〃　Ross　said。　〃Just　blood。　Smeared　all　over。　It's　right　there。　Written　fact。〃
　Miranda　flipped　the　Bible　back　and　forth；　as　if　looking　for　a　hole　in　one　side　or　the　other。　〃I've　only　read　it　once；〃　she　said；　〃but　I　don't　recall　that　version。〃
　〃Not　in　there；〃　said　Ross。　He　pointed　at　the　Captain's　desktop。　〃There。〃
　Nathan　Lee　had　seen　the　manila　folder　when　he　entered。　It　was　his　own　handiwork；　one　of　the　bios　he'd　amassed　on　each　clone。　He　reached　for　the　folder　with　that　rock　in　his　gut。　Ross　was　easy　to　dismiss　as　a　gullible　cracker。　But　he　hadn't　neglected　to　challenge　his　belief。　And　to　buttress　it。　Obviously　he'd　gone　straight　to　the　Necro　Archives　and　rooted　for　some　further　proof。　Nathan　Lee　flipped　the　folder　open；　and　it　was　there　in　black　and　white。
　Clone　2YZ…87　had　been　born　thirteen　months　ago；　the　second　in　a　batch　of　nine　identical　others。　His　DNA　had　been　processed　from　the　87th　Year　Zero　specimen；　a　sliver　of　wood　impregnated　with　blood。　A　blood　relic；　not　one　of　the　Golgotha　bones。　His　genetic　archaeology　report　was　unexceptional。　There　were　two　methods　for　dating　genetic　samples。　The　most　reliable　method　used　mitochondrial　DNA；　or　mtDNA；　which　was　passed　down　only　through　the　maternal　line。　According　to　that；　the　clone's　mother　had　been　born　fifteen　to　thirty　years　before　the　first　millenium。　That　placed　his　birth；　logically；　around　the　year　zero。　His　blood　phenotype　was　classic　Levantine。　He　had　a　predisposition　to　Tay…Sachs　and　other　genetic　diseases　that　afflicted　Semitic　populations。　None　of　his　nine　brothers　had　survived　the　labs　of　South　Sector。
　〃Miranda；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　He　handed　her　the　folder。　She　barely　glanced　at　it。
　〃That　doesn't　prove　your　claim；〃　Nathan　Lee　said　to　Ross。　Unfortunately；　it　didn't　disprove　it　either；　which　left　Ross　more　latitude　than　them。　〃We've　got　a　man　who　was　born　in　the　first　century；　just　like　three　dozen　other　clones　sitting　down　in　the　basement。　And　none　of　the　others　is　saying　he's　the　son　of　God。〃
　〃That's　exactly　right；〃　said　Ross。
　Izzy　arrived　just　then；　bleary　eyed；　hair　spiky。　〃Sorry。　Got　here　fast　as　I　could。　Looks　like　a　rock　concert　out　there。　What's　up？〃
　When　they　told　him；　Izzy　said；　〃Oh；　that's　rich。〃
　Ross's　jaw　grew　another　inch。
　Nathan　Lee　hitched　up　a　chair　and　got　down　at　eye　level　with　Ross。　The　man　was　a　little　stubborn；　that　was　all。　〃Let's　walk　through　this　again；〃　he　said。　All　they　needed　was　to　have　Ross　impeach　himself；　and　it　would　be　over。　It　would　be　embarrassing　for　the　guard；　but　he'd　brought　it　on　himself。　〃You　asked　the　man　if　his　name　is　Jesus　Christ。〃
　〃No；〃　Ross　was　specific。
　〃But　you　just　told　us　you　did。〃
　〃I　asked　him；　I　said；　Jesus？　That's　all。〃
　〃And　what　did　he　say？〃
　〃JesusChrist。〃
　〃Christ？〃　asked　Izzy　from　the　side。　〃You're　sure　about　that？〃
　〃That's　what　he　said；〃　said　Ross。
　〃Anything　else？〃
　〃A　whole　string　of　stuff。　I　didn't　understand　a　word　of　it。〃
　〃There　it　is　then；〃　Izzy　announced。　〃Stone　soup。〃　He　looked　around　at　them　triumphantly。
　〃Stone　soup；〃　Miranda　slowly　repeated。
　〃You　know　the　old　story。　A　penniless　soldier　goes　into　a　village。　He　promises　everybody　a　feast　with　his　magic　stone。　Puts　a　rock　in　a　kettle　and　gets　every　house　to　add　some　vegetables　and　meat　and　spices。　Before　long；　he's　got　a　feast！〃
　They　stared　at　him；　waiting。
　〃A　little　of　this；　a　little　of　that；〃　Izzy　expanded。　〃Our　clone　hears　some　of　the　Christian　lads　in　the　yard　telling　tales；　puts　it　together；　and　Ross　here　baptizes　him　Jesus　Christ。〃
　〃I　only　said　Jesus；〃　Ross　reminded　them。
　〃Well　somebody　handed　him　the　wordChrist。　Because　it　didn't　exist　back　then。〃
　Ross　narrowed　his　eyes　at　Izzy。
　〃Jesus　was　a　mon　name　back　then；　like　Bob　or　John　today；〃　Izzy　went　on。　〃But　the　honorificChrist　didn't　exist；　see。　It's　an　Old　English　abbreviation　forChristus；　which　is　Latin　forChristos；　which　is　Greek　for　the　Hebrewmeshiah。　The　annointed　one。Christos　wasn't　used　until　the　New　Testament　started　to　be　written。。。decades　after　the　crucifixion。　The　short　formChrist　didn't　arrive　for　centuries。　The　historical　Jesus　would　never　have　had　the　vocabulary　to　call　himself　Christ。　To　say　nothing　of　the　fact　that　there's　no　place　in　the　Bible　where　he　ever　called　himself　Messiah。　Do　you　see？　If　he　calls　himsel