p&c.thunderhead-第30部分

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among　other　things。　We'll　know　a　lot　more　when　the　autopsy　is　pleted　this　afternoon。　Meantime；　please　do　three　things　for　me。　Keep　this　to　yourself。　Don't　go　near　the　farmhouse。　And　most　important　of　all：　stay　where　we　can　find　you。〃　
　He　ushered　Skip　out　of　the　room　and　down　the　hall　without　another　word。　
　
　
22
　
　AT　BREAKFAST　THE　NEXT　MORNING；　THE　expedition　was　uncharacteristically　silent。　Nora　felt　a　mood　of　doubt。　All　too　clearly；　Black's　ments　from　the　night　before　had　made　their　mark。　
　They　proceeded　northwest；　up　a　harsh；　brutal　canyon　destitute　of　vegetation。　Even　at　the　early　hour；　heat　was　rising　from　the　split　rocks；　making　them　look　airy　and　insubstantial。　The　unwatered　horses　were　irritable　and　difficult　to　control。　
　As　they　continued；　the　canyon　system　grew　increasingly　plex；　branching　and　rebranching　into　a　twisted　maze。　It　continued　to　be　impossible　to　get　a　GPS　reading　from　the　canyon　floor；　and　the　cliffs　were　so　sheer　that　Sloane　could　not　have　climbed　to　the　top　to　take　a　reading　without　putting　herself　in　danger。　Nora　found　she　was　spending　as　much　time　consulting　the　map　as　traveling。　Several　times　they　were　forced　to　backtrack　out　of　a　blind　canyon；　other　times；　the　expedition　had　to　wait　while　Nora　and　Sloane　scouted　ahead　to　find　a　route。　Black　was　uncharacteristically　silent；　his　face　sick　with　a　bination　of　fear　and　anger。　
　Nora　struggled　with　her　own　doubts。　Had　her　father　really　gone　this　far？　Had　they　taken　a　wrong　turn　somewhere？　A　few　swales　and　scatterings　of　charcoal　were　visible　here　and　there；　but　so　faint　and　infrequent　as　to　be　background　noise；　they　could　easily　be　the　result　of　wildfires。　There　was　a　new　thought　now　she　barely　dared　to　consider：　what　if　her　father　had　been　delirious　when　he　wrote　the　letter？　It　seemed　impossible　for　anyone　to　have　successfully　navigated　this　labyrinth。　
　At　other　times；　she　thought　about　the　broken　skull　and　dried　blood；　and　what　it　could　possibly　mean。　In　her　mind；　Pete's　Ruin　had　changed　from　an　unremarkable　set　of　roomblocks　to　a　dark；　unnerving　little　mystery。　
　By　midmorning；　the　canyon　had　ended　in　a　sudden　puzzle　of　hoodoo　rocks。　They　squeezed　through　an　opening　and　topped　out　in　a　broken　valley；　peppered　with　scrub　junipers。　As　she　went　over　the　rise；　Nora　glanced　to　the　right。　She　could　see　the　Kaiparowits　Plateau　as　a　high；　dark　line　against　the　horizon。　
　Then　she　faced　forward；　and　the　vista　she　saw　both　horrified　and　elated　her。　
　On　the　far　side　of　the　valley；　raked　by　the　morning　sun；　rose　what　could　only　be　the　Devil's　Backbone：　the　hogback　ridge　she　had　been　anticipating　and　dreading　since　they　first　set　out。　It　was　a　giant；　irregular　fin　of　sandstone　at　least　a　thousand　feet　high　and　many　miles　long；　pocked　with　vesicles　and　windblown　holes；　riven　with　vertical　fractures　and　slots。　The　top　was　notched　like　a　dinosaur's　back。　It　was　hideous　in　its　beauty。　
　Nora　led　the　group　over　to　the　shade　of　a　large　rock；　where　they　dismounted。　She　stepped　aside　with　Swire。　
　〃Let's　see　if　we　can　scout　a　trail　up　it　first；〃　Nora　said。　〃It　looks　pretty　tough。〃　
　For　a　moment；　Swire　didn't　answer。　〃From　here；　I　wouldn't　exactly　call　it　tough；〃　he　said。　〃I'd　call　it　impossible。〃　
　〃My　father　made　it　over　with　his　two　horses。〃　
　〃So　you　said。〃　Swire　spat　a　thin　stream　of　tobacco　juice。　〃Then　again；　this　ain't　the　only　ridge　around　here。〃　
　〃It's　a　fault…block　cuesta；〃　said　Black；　who　had　been　listening。　〃It　outcrops　for　at　least　a　hundred　miles。　Your　father's　so…called　ridge　could　be　anywhere　along　there。〃　
　〃This　is　the　right　one；〃　Nora　said　a　little　more　slowly；　trying　to　keep　the　tone　of　doubt　out　of　her　voice。　
　Swire　shook　his　head　and　began　to　roll　a　smoke。　〃I'll　tell　you　one　thing。　I　want　to　see　the　trail　with　my　own　eyes　before　I　take　any　horses　up　it。〃　
　〃Fair　enough；〃　Nora　replied。　〃Let's　go　find　it。　Sloane；　keep　an　eye　on　things　until　we　get　back。〃　
　〃Sure　thing；〃　came　the　contralto　drawl。　
　The　two　hiked　north　along　the　base　of　the　ridge；　looking　for　a　notch　or　break　in　the　smooth　rock　that　might　signal　the　beginnings　of　a　trail。　After　half　a　mile；　they　came　across　some　shallow　caves。　Nora　noticed　that　several　had　ancient　smudges　of　black　smoke　on　their　ceilings。　
　〃Anasazi　lived　here；〃　she　said。　
　〃Pretty　miserable　little　caves。〃　
　〃These　were　probably　temporary　dwellings；〃　Nora　replied。　〃Perhaps　they　farmed　these　canyon　bottoms。〃　
　〃Must've　been　farming　cholla；〃　Swire　muttered　laconically。　
　As　they　continued　northward；　the　dry　creek　split　into　several　tributaries；　separated　by　jumbled　piles　of　stone　and　small　outcrops。　It　was　a　weird　landscape；　unfinished；　as　if　God　had　simply　given　up　trying　to　impose　order　on　the　unruly　rocks。　
　Suddenly；　Nora　parted　some　salt　cedars　and　stopped　dead。　Swire　came　up；　breathing　hard。　
　〃Look　at　this；〃　she　breathed。　
　A　series　of　petroglyphs　had　been　pecked　through　the　desert　varnish　that　streaked　the　cliff　face；　exposing　lighter　rock　underneath。　Nora　knelt；　examining　the　drawings　more　closely。　They　were　plex　and　beautiful：　a　mountain　lion；　a　curious　pattern　of　dots　with　a　small　foot；　a　star　inside　the　moon　inside　the　sun；　and　a　detailed　image　of　Kokopelli；　the　humpbacked　flute　player；　believed　to　be　the　god　of　fertility。　As　usual；　Kokopelli　sported　an　enormous　erection。　The　panel　ended　with　another　plicated　grid　of　dots　overlain　by　a　huge　spiral；　which　Nora　noted　was　also　reversed；　like　the　ones　Sloane　had　seen　at　Pete's　Ruin。　
　Swire　grunted。　〃Wish　I　had　his　problem；〃　he　said；　nodding　at　Kokopelli。　
　〃No　you　don't；〃　Nora　replied。　〃One　Pueblo　Indian　story　claims　it　was　fifty　feet　long。〃　
　They　pushed　a　little　farther　through　the　cedars　and　stumbled　on　a　well…hidden　ravine：　a　crevasse　filled　with　loose　rock　that　slanted　diagonally　across　the　sandstone　monolith。　It　was　steep　and　narrow；　and　it　rose　up　the　dizzying　face　and　disappeared。　The　trail　had　a　raised　lip　of　rock　along　its　outer　edge　that　had　the　uncanny　effect　of　causing　most　of　it　to　disappear　into　the　smooth　sandstone　from　only　several　paces　off。　
　〃I've　never　seen　anything　so　well　hidden；〃　Nora　said。　〃This　has　to　be　our　trail。〃　
　〃Hope　not。〃　
　She　started　up　the　narrow　crevasse；　Swire　behind　her；　scrambling　over　the　rocks　that　filled　its　bottom。　About　halfway　up　it　ended　in　a　badly　eroded　path　cut　diagonally　into　the　naked　sandstone。　It　was　less　than　three　feet　wide；　one　side　a　sheer　face　of　rock；　the　other　dropping　off　into　terrifying　blue　space。　As　Nora　stepped　near　the　edge；　some　pebbles　dislodged　by　her　foot　rolled　down　the　rock　and　off　the　edge；　sailing　down；　Nora　listened　but　could　not　hear　their　eventual　landing。　She　knelt。　〃This　is　definitely　an　ancient　trail；〃　she　said；　as　she　examined　eroded　cut　marks　made　by　prehistoric　quartzite　tools。　
　〃It　sure　wasn't　built　for　horses；〃　Swire　said。　
　〃The　Anasazi　didn't　have　horses。〃　
　〃We　do；〃　came　the　curt　reply。　
　They　moved　carefully　forward。　In　places；　the　cut　path　had　peeled　away　from　the　sloping　cliff　face；　forcing　them　to　take　a　harrowing　step　across　vacant　space。　At　one　of　these　places　Nora　glanced　down　and　saw　a　tumble　of　rocks　more　than　five　hundred　feet　beneath　her。　She　felt　a　surge　of　vertigo　and　hastily　stepped　across。　
　The　grade　gradually　lessened；　and　in　twenty　minutes　they　were　at　the　top。　A　dead　juniper；　its　branches　scorched　by　lightning；　marked　the　point　where　the　trail　topped　the　ridge。　The　ridge　itself　was　narrow；　perhaps　twenty　feet　across；　and　in　another　moment　Nora　had　walked　to　the　far　edge。　
　She　looked　down　the　other　side　into　a　deep；　lush　riddle　of　canyons　and　washes　that　merged　into　an　open　valley。　The　trail；　much　gentler　here；　switchbacked　down　into　the　gloom　below　them。　
　For　a　moment；　she　could　not　speak。　Slowly；　the　sun　was　invading　the　hidden　recesses　as　it　rose　toward　noon；　penetrating　the　deep　holes；　chasing　the　darkness　from　the　purple　rocks。　
　〃It's　so　green；〃　she　finally　said。　〃All　those　cottonwoods；　and　grass　for　the　horses。　Look；　there's　a　stream！〃　At　this；　she　felt　the　muscles　in　her　throat　constrict　voluntarily。　She'd　almost　forgotten　her　thirst　in　the　excitement。　
　Swire　didn't　reply。　
　From　their　vantage　point；　Nora　took　in　the　lay　of　the　landscape　ahead。　The　Devil's　Backbone　ran　diagonally　to　the　northeast；　disappearing　around　the　Kaiparowits　Plateau。　A　vast　plex　of　canyons　started　on　the　flanks　of　the　Kaiparowits　wilderness　and　spread　out　through　the　slickrock　country；　eventually　coalescing　into　the　valley　that　swept　down　in　front　of　them。　A　peaceful　stream　flowed　down　its　center；　belying　the　great　scarred　plain　to　either　side　that　told　of　innumerable　flash　floods。　Scattered　across　the　floodplain　were　boulders；　some　as　large　as　houses；　which　had　clearly　been　swept　down　from　the　higher　reaches　of　the　watershed。　Beyond；　the　valley　stepped　up　through　several　benchlands；　eventually　ending　in　sheer　redrock　cliffs；　pinnacles；　and　towers。　It　looked　to　Nora　as　if　the　valley　concentrated　the　entire　watershed　of　the　Kaiparowits　Plateau　in　one　hideous　floodplain。　
　At　the　far　end　of　the　green　valley；　at　the　point　where　it　joined　the　sheer　cliffs；　the　stream　passed　through　a　canebreak；　then　disappeared　into　a　narrow　canyon；　riven　through　a　sandstone　plateau。　Such　narrow　canyons…known　as　slot　canyons…were　mon　among　these　southwestern　wastes　but　practically　unheard　of　elsewhere。　They　were　thin　alleys；　sometimes　only　a　few　feet　across；　caused　by　the　action　of　water　against　sandstone　over　countless　years。　Despite　their　narrowness；　they　were　often　several　hundred　feet　deep；　and　could　go　on　for　miles　before　widening　into　more　conventional　canyons。　
　Nora　peered　at　the　entrance　to　this　one：　a　dark　slit；　slicing　into　the　far　end　of　the　great　plateau。　It　was　perhaps　ten　feet　wide　at　the　entrance。　That；　Nora　thought　with　a　rising　feeling　of　excitement；　must　be　the　slot　canyon　my　father　mentioned。　She　pulled　out　her　binoculars　and　looked　slowly　around。　She　could　make　out　many　south…facing　alcoves　among　the　cliffs　across　the　valley；　ideal　for　Anasazi　dwellings；　but　as　she　scanned　them　with　the　glasses　she　could　see　nothing。　They　were　all　empty。　She　examined　the　sheer　cliffs　leading　up　to　the　top　of　the　plateau；　but　if　there　was　a　way　over　and　into　the　hidden　canyon　beyond；　it　was　well　hi