p&c.thunderhead-第15部分

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　Jones；　but　I've　met　plenty　who　couldn't　ride　to　save　their　lives；　or　who'd　never　ventured　beyond　the　classroom　and　lab。　It　all　depends　on　what　kind　of　work　they've　done。　I　bet　there'll　be　a　couple　of　sore　butts　by　the　end　of　the　first　day。〃　She　thought　about　Sloane　Goddard；　the　sorority　girl；　and　wondered　how　she；　Holroyd；　and　the　rest　were　going　to　fare　on　horseback。　
　〃Good；〃　said　Swire。　〃If　they　ain't　sore；　they　ain't　having　fun。〃　He　pushed　another　gingersnap　into　his　mouth；　then　pointed。　〃It's　up　that　way。〃　
　The　fire　circle　lay　north　of　the　corrals；　hidden　in　a　stand　of　scrub　juniper　and　pi？on。　Nora　followed　the　trail；　quickly　spotting　the　flickering　fire　through　the　trees。　Huge　ponderosa　logs　were　arranged　in　broad　rings；　three　deep。　The　circle　lay　at　the　base　of　a　tall　bluff；　which　was　pockmarked　here　and　there　by　caves；　a　pendulous　overhang　across　its　top。　Light　from　the　fire　leaped　and　flickered；　painting　the　sandstone　bluff　lurid　colors　against　the　dark。　A　fire　circle　before　a　long　journey　was　an　old　Pueblo　custom；　Nora　knew；　and　after　witnessing　the　incident　with　the　Mimbres　pots；　she　wasn't　particularly　surprised　Goddard　had　suggested　it。　It　was　another　indication　of　his　respect　for　Indian　culture。　
　She　stepped　into　the　firelight。　Several　figures　were　seated　on　the　ponderosa　logs；　murmuring　quietly。　They　turned　at　her　approach。　She　immediately　recognized　Aaron　Black；　the　imposing　geochronologist　from　the　University　of　Pennsylvania：　six…foot…five…inches　tall　or　more；　with　a　massive　head　and　hands。　He　held　his　head　erect；　chin　jutting　forward；　which　both　added　to　his　stature　and　gave　him　a　slightly　pompous　air。　
　But　the　look　belied　Black's　towering　reputation。　She　had　seen　him　at　numerous　archaeological　meetings；　where　he　always　seemed　to　be　giving　a　paper　debunking　some　other　archaeologist's　shaky　but　hopeful　dating　of　a　site；　a　man　of　intellectual　rigor　who　clearly　enjoyed　his　role　as　spoiler　of　his　colleagues'　theories。　But　he　was　the　acknowledged　master　of　archaeological　dating；　at　once　feared　and　sought　after。　It　was　said　that　he　had　never　been　proved　wrong；　and　his　arrogant　face　looked　it。　
　〃Dr。　Black；〃　Nora　said；　stepping　forward。　〃I'm　Nora　Kelly。〃　
　〃Oh；〃　Black　said；　standing　up　and　shaking　hands。　〃Pleased　to　meet　you。〃　He　looked　a　little　nonplussed。　Probably　doesn't　like　the　idea　of　having　a　young　woman　for　a　boss；　she　thought。　Gone　were　the　trademark　bow　tie　and　seersucker　jacket　of　his　archaeological　conferences；　replaced　by　a　brand…new　desert　outfit　that　looked　as　if　it　had　been　lifted　straight　out　of　the　pages　of　Abercrombie　&　Fitch。　He's　going　to　be　one　of　the　sore　ones；　Nora　thought。　If　he　doesn't　get　his　ass　killed　first。　
　Holroyd　came　over　and　shook　her　hand；　gave　her　a　quick　awkward　hug；　and　then；　embarrassed；　stepped　back　in　confusion。　He　had　the　luminous　face　of　a　Boy　Scout　setting　out　on　his　first　camping　trip；　his　green　eyes　shining　hopefully。　
　〃Dr。　Kelly？〃　came　a　voice　from　the　darkness。　Another　figure　stepped　into　the　light　toward　her；　a　small；　dark　man　in　his　middle　fifties　who　radiated　an　unsettling；　even　caustic　intensity。　He　had　a　striking　face：　dark　olive　skin；　black　hair　bed　back；　veiled　eyes；　a　long；　hooked　nose。　〃I'm　Enrique　Aragon。〃　He　briefly　took　her　hand；　his　fingers　were　long；　sensitive；　almost　feminine。　He　spoke　with　a　precise；　dignified　voice；　in　the　faintest　of　Mexican　accents。　She　had　also　seen　him　many　times　at　conferences；　a　remote　and　private　figure。　He　was　widely　considered　to　be　the　country's　finest　physical　anthropologist；　winner　of　the　Hrdlicka　Medal；　but　he　was　also　a　medical　doctor…a　highly　convenient　bination；　which　had　undoubtedly　figured　in　Goddard's　choice。　It　amazed　her　again　that　Goddard　could　have　gotten　professionals　of　the　stature　of　Black　and　Aragon　at　such　short　notice。　And　it　struck　her　even　more　forcefully　that　she　would　be　directing　these　two　men；　very　much　her　superior　in　both　age　and　reputation。　Nora　shook　off　the　sudden　surge　of　doubt：　if　she　was　going　to　lead　this　expedition；　she　knew；　she　had　better　start　thinking　and　acting　like　a　leader；　not　an　assistant　professor　always　deferring　to　her　senior　colleagues。　
　〃We've　been　making　introductions；〃　Aragon　said　with　a　brief　smile。　〃This　is　Luigi　Bonarotti；　camp　manager　and　cook。〃　He　stepped　aside　and　indicated　another　figure　who　had　e　up　behind　him　to　meet　Nora。　
　A　man　with　dark　Sicilian　eyes　leaned　over　and　took　her　hand。　He　was　impeccably　dressed　in　pressed　khakis；　beautifully　groomed；　and　Nora　caught　the　faint　whiff　of　an　expensive　aftershave。　He　took　her　hand　and　half…bowed　with　a　kind　of　European　restraint。　
　〃Are　we　really　going　to　have　to　ride　horses　all　the　way　to　the　site？〃　Black　asked。　
　〃No；〃　Nora　said。　〃You'll　get　to　walk　some；　too。〃　
　Black's　face　tightened　with　displeasure。　〃I　should　have　thought　helicopters　would　make　more　sense。　I've　always　found　them　sufficient　for　my　work。〃　
　〃Not　in　this　country；〃　Nora　said。　
　〃And　where's　the　journalist　who's　going　to　be　documenting　all　this　for　posterity？　Shouldn't　he　be　here？　I've　been　looking　forward　to　meeting　him。〃　
　〃He's　joining　us　at　Wahweap　Marina；　along　with　Dr。　Goddard's　daughter。〃　
　The　others　began　to　range　themselves　around　the　fire　and　Nora　settled　down　on　a　log；　enjoying　the　warmth；　inhaling　the　scent　of　cedar　smoke；　listening　to　the　hiss　and　crackle　taunt　the　surrounding　darkness。　As　if　from　far　away；　she　heard　Black　still　muttering　about　having　to　ride　a　horse。　The　flames　capered　against　the　sandstone　bluff；　highlighting　the　black；　ragged　mouths　of　caves。　She　thought　she　saw　a　brief　glow　of　light　inside　one　of　the　caves；　but　it　vanished　as　quickly　as　it　had　e。　Some　trick　of　the　eye；　perhaps。　For　some　reason；　she　found　herself　thinking　of　Plato's　parable　of　the　cave。　And　what　would　we　look　like；　she　thought；　to　those　dwellers　deep　inside；　gazing　at　shadows　on　the　wall？　
　She　realized　that　the　murmur　of　conversation　around　her　had　died　away。　Everyone　was　staring　at　the　fire；　absorbed　in　their　own　thoughts。　Nora　glanced　at　the　excited　Holroyd；　pleased　that　the　remote…sensing　specialist　wasn't　having　second　thoughts。　But　Holroyd　was　no　longer　staring　at　the　fire：　he　was　staring　beyond　it；　into　the　darkness　of　the　cliff　face。　
　Nora　noticed　Aragon　look　up；　then　Black。　Following　their　gaze；　she　again　saw　a　flash　of　light　inside　one　of　the　caves　beyond　the　fire；　fitful　but　unmistakable。　There　was　a　faint　clicking　noise；　and　more　yellow　flashes。　Then　a　lone　figure　resolved　itself；　gray　on　black；　against　the　darkness　of　the　cave。　As　it　stepped　forward　out　of　the　shadow　of　the　sandstone　bluff；　Nora　recognized　the　gaunt　features　of　Ernest　Goddard。　He　came　silently　toward　the　group；　his　white　hair　painted　crimson　by　the　fire；　staring　at　them　through　the　flames　and　smoke。　He　moved　something　within　his　hand；　and　the　flashes　returned　yet　again；　flickering　through　his　narrow　fingers。　
　He　stood　for　a　long　moment；　holding　each　person　in　turn　in　his　gaze。　Then　he　slipped　whatever　was　in　his　hand　into　a　leather　bag　and　tossed　it　over　the　flames　to　Aragon；　closest　on　the　circle。　〃Rub　them　together；〃　he　said；　his　whispery　voice　barely　audible　above　the　crackle　of　the　campfire。　〃Then　pass　them　around。〃　
　When　Aragon　handed　her　the　bag；　Nora　reached　inside　and　felt　two　smooth；　hard　stones。　She　drew　them　out　and　held　them　to　the　firelight：　beautiful　specimens　of　quartz；　river…tumbled　by　the　look　of　them；　carved　with　the　ritual　spiral　design　that　signified　the　sipapu；　the　Anasazi　entrance　to　the　underworld。　
　In　that　instant；　she　recognized　them　for　what　they　were。　Pulling　them　out　of　the　glare　of　the　fire；　she　rubbed　them　together；　watching　the　miraculous　internal　sparks　light　up　the　hearts　of　the　stones；　flickering　fiercely　in　the　dark。　Watching　her；　Goddard　nodded。　
　〃Anasazi　lightning　stones；〃　he　said　in　his　quiet　voice。　
　〃Are　they　real？〃　asked　Holroyd；　taking　them　from　Nora　and　holding　them　to　the　firelight。　
　〃Of　course；〃　said　Goddard。　〃They　e　from　a　medicine　cache　found　in　the　great　kiva　at　Keet　Seel。　We　used　to　believe　the　Anasazi　used　them　in　rain　ceremonies　to　symbolize　the　generation　of　lightning。　But　we　aren't　sure　anymore。　The　carved　spiral　represents　the　sipapu。　But　then　again；　it　might　represent　a　water　spring。　Again；　nobody　knows　for　sure。〃　
　He　coughed　lightly。　〃And　that's　what　I'm　here　to　say　to　you。　Back　in　the　sixties；　we　thought　we　knew　everything　about　the　Anasazi。　I　remember　when　the　great　southwestern　archaeologist　Henry　Ash　urged　his　students　to　seek　other　venues。　'It's　a　sucked　orange；'　he　said。　
　〃But　now；　after　three　decades　of　mysterious　and　inexplicable　discoveries；　we　realize　that　we　know　next　to　nothing　about　the　Anasazi。　We　don't　understand　their　culture；　we　don't　understand　their　religion。　We　cannot　read　their　petroglyphs　and　pictographs。　We　do　not　know　what　languages　they　might　have　spoken。　We　do　not　know　why　they　covered　the　Southwest　with　lighthouses；　shrines；　roads；　and　signaling　stations。　We　do　not　know　why；　in　1150；　they　suddenly　abandoned　Chaco　Canyon；　burned　the　roads；　and　retreated　to　the　most　remote；　inaccessible　canyons　in　the　Southwest；　building　mighty　fortresses　in　the　cliff　faces。　What　had　happened？　Who　were　they　afraid　of？　A　century　later；　they　abandoned　even　those；　leaving　the　entire　Colorado　Plateau　and　San　Juan　Basin；　some　fifty　thousand　square　miles；　uninhabited。　Why？　The　fact　is；　the　more　we　discover；　the　more　intractable　these　questions　bee。　Some　archaeologists　now　believe　we　will　never　know　the　answers。〃　
　His　voice　had　dropped　even　further。　Despite　the　warmth　of　the　fire；　Nora　couldn't　help　shivering。　
　〃But　I　have　a　feeling；〃　he　whispered；　his　voice　weaker；　hoarser。　〃I　have　a　conviction　that　Quivira　will　contain　answers　to　these　mysteries。〃　
　He　glanced　at　each　of　them　again；　in　turn。　〃All　of　you　are　about　to　embark　on　the　adventure　of　a　lifetime。　You're　headed　for　a　site　that　may　prove　to　be　the　biggest　archaeological　discovery　of　the　decade；　perhaps　even　the　century。　But　let's　not　fool　ourselves。　Quivira　will　be　a　place　of　mystery　as　well　as　revelation。　It　may　well　pose　as　many　questions　as　it　answers。　And　it　will　challenge　you；　physically　and　mentally；　in　ways　you　cannot　yet　imagine。　There　will　be　moments　of　triumph；　moments　of　despair。　But　you　mu