p&c.thunderhead-第61部分

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nyon　until　we　get　the　weather　report。〃　
　She　looked　at　Sloane；　but　the　woman　hardly　registered　that　she　had　heard。　
　〃If　it's　clear；〃　Nora　continued；　〃we'll　make　the　final　preparations　to　leave。　Aaron；　after　you　get　the　weather　report；　I　want　you　to　seal　the　entrance　to　the　Sun　Kiva。　You　broke　into　it…you　leave　it　just　as　you　found　it。　Sloane；　you　and　Smithback　will　take　the　last　of　the　drysacks　up　to　the　caching　spot。　As　soon　as　Aaron　gets　the　weather　report；　I'll　take　a　load　out　through　the　canyon；　then　make　sure　the　site　is　secure。〃　
　She　looked　around。　〃Is　everyone　clear　on　their　duties？　I　want　us　out　of　here　in　two　hours。〃　
　Everyone　nodded　but　Sloane；　who　sat　with　a　dark；　unresponsive　look　on　her　face。　Nora　wondered　what　would　happen　if；　at　the　last　minute；　she　refused　to　go。　Nora　felt　sure　that　Black　wouldn't　stay　behind…deep　down；　he　was　too　much　of　a　coward…but　Sloane　was　another　matter。　We'll　cross　that　bridge　when　we　e　to　it；　Nora　thought。　
　Just　as　she　was　rising；　a　flash　of　color　caught　her　eye：　Swire；　emerging　from　the　mouth　of　the　slot　canyon　and　ing　down　the　valley。　Something　about　the　way　he　was　moving　toward　them　filled　her　with　dread。　Not　more　horses；　please。　
　Swire　sprinted　across　the　creek　and　into　camp。　〃Someone　got　Holroyd's　body；〃　he　said；　fighting　to　catch　his　breath。　
　〃Someone？〃　Aragon　asked　sharply。　〃Are　you　sure　it　wasn't　animals？〃　
　〃Unless　an　animal　can　scalp　a　man；　cut　off　his　toes　and　fingers；　and　drill　out　a　piece　of　his　skull。　He's　lying　up　there　in　the　creek；　not　far　from　where　we　put　him。〃　
　The　group　looked　at　one　another　in　horror。　Nora　glanced　at　Smithback　and　could　tell　from　his　expression　that　he；　too；　remembered　what　Beiyoodzin　had　said。　
　〃Peter　。　。　。〃　Nora's　voice　faltered。　She　swallowed。　〃Did　you　go　on　to　check　the　horses？〃　she　heard　herself　ask。　
　〃Horses　are　fine；〃　said　Swire。　
　〃Are　they　ready　to　take　us　out？〃　
　〃Yes；〃　he　said。　
　〃Then　we　have　no　more　time　to　waste；〃　Nora　continued；　standing　up　and　placing　her　cup　on　the　serving　table。　〃I'll　take　that　load　out　through　the　slot　canyon；　and　pick　up　Peter's　body　on　the　way。　We're　just　going　to　have　to　pack　it　out　on　one　of　the　horses。　I'll　need　someone　to　give　me　a　hand。〃　
　〃I'll　help；〃　said　Smithback　quickly。　
　Nora　nodded　her　thanks。　
　〃I　will　go；　too；〃　said　Aragon。　〃I　would　like　to　examine　the　corpse。〃　
　Nora　glanced　at　him。　〃There　are　things　here　that　you　need　to　do…〃　The　sentence　went　unfinished　as　she　saw　the　significant　look　on　his　face。　She　turned　away。　〃Very　well。　We　could　use　a　third　hand　with　the　body。　And　listen；　all　of　you：　stay　in　pairs。　I　don't　want　anyone　going　anywhere　alone。　Sloane；　you'd　better　go　with　Aaron。〃　
　Nobody　moved；　and　she　glanced　around　at　the　faces。　The　tension　that　had　drawn　her　nerves　tight　as　a　bowstring…the　fear　and　revulsion　she　felt　at　the　thought　of　Peter's　body；　broken　and　violated　in　death…suddenly　coalesced　into　exasperation。　
　〃Damn　it！〃　she　cried　out。　〃What　the　hell　are　you　waiting　for？　Let's　move！〃　
　
　
45
　
　SILENTLY；　AARON　BLACK　FOLLOWED　SLOANE　toward　the　rope　ladder。　Their　private　discussion　the　night　before　had　resolved　nothing。　At　the　last　minute；　Sloane　would　refuse　to　leave；　Black　felt　certain　she　would。　But　when　he　questioned　her；　she　had　been　impatient　and　evasive。　Though　he　would　never　admit　it　to　her；　Black's　own　intense　desire　to　stay　had　been　slightly　tempered　by　fear：　fear　of　what　killed　Holroyd；　and；　worse；　of　what　had　attacked　their　horses　and　equipment；　and　now；　added　to　that；　fear　of　what　had　mutilated　Holroyd's　body。　
　Reaching　the　base　of　the　ladder；　Sloane　pulled　up　onto　the　first　rung　and　began　to　climb。　Black；　irritated　when　she　did　not　wait　to　see　him　safely　into　the　harness；　pulled　the　reinforced　loops　into　place　around　his　waist　and　crotch；　tested　the　ropes；　and　started　up。　He　hated　this　climb；　harness　or　no　harness；　it　terrified　him　to　be　swaying　five　hundred　feet　up　on　a　cliff；　hanging　on　to　nothing　but　a　flimsy　nylon　rope。　
　But　as　he　mounted　the　ladder；　slowly；　one　painful　rung　at　a　time；　the　terror　began　to　abate。　A　phrase　began　running　through　his　mind；　a　phrase　that　had　never　been　far　from　him　since　he　first　discovered　the　Sun　Kiva；　stuck　in　his　head　like　a　singsong　melody。　As　he　climbed；　he　recited　the　entire　passage；　first　silently；　then　under　his　breath。　〃And　then；　widening　the　hole　a　little；　I　inserted　the　candle　and　peered　in。　As　my　eyes　grew　accustomed　to　the　light；　details　of　the　room　emerged　slowly　from　the　mist；　strange　animals；　statues；　and　gold…everywhere　the　glint　of　gold。〃　
　Everywhere　the　glint　of　gold。　It　was　that　final　phrase；　more　than　anything　else；　that　kept　repeating　itself　in　his　mind　like　a　mantra。　
　He　thought　back　to　his　childhood；　to　when　he　was　twelve　years　old　and　had　first　read　Howard　Carter's　account　of　discovering　the　tomb　of　Tutankhamen。　He　remembered　that　moment　as　well　as　he　remembered　the　passage　itself：　it　was　the　very　moment　when　he　decided　to　bee　an　archaeologist。　Of　course；　college　and　graduate　school　quickly　dispelled　any　notion　that　he　would　find　another　tomb　like　King　Tut's。　And　he　had　found　rich　professional　rewards　in　the　mere　dirt…very　rich　rewards　indeed。　He　had　never　felt　the　slightest　dissatisfaction　with　his　career。　
　Until　now。　He　climbed　hand　over　hand；　moving　up　the　ladder；　stopping　occasionally　to　check　his　harness。　Now；　dirt　seemed　a　poor　substitute　for　gold。　He　thought　about　all　the　gold　that　Cortéz　had　melted　down　into　bars　and　sent　back　to　Spain；　all　the　splendid　works　of　art　turned　into　bullion；　lost　to　the　world。　Its　twin　treasure　sat　in　that　kiva。　
　The　fever　he　had　felt　as　a　twelve…year…old；　first　reading　that　account；　now　burned　in　him　again。　But　again　he　was　torn：　there　was　danger　here；　he　knew。　And　yet；　leaving　the　valley　without　seeing　the　inside　of　the　Sun　Kiva　seemed　almost　unimaginable　to　him。　
　〃Sloane；　talk　to　me；〃　he　called。　〃Are　you　going　to　leave　the　kiva　behind；　just　like　that？〃　
　Sloane　didn't　answer。　
　He　heaved　up　the　ladder；　sweating　and　grunting。　Above；　he　saw　Sloane　preparing　to　make　the　final　climb　around　the　terrifying　brow　of　rock　below　the　summit。　Here；　the　sandstone　was　still　streaked　with　moisture　from　the　rain；　and　it　glowed　a　blood…drenched　crimson。　
　〃Sloane；　say　something；　please；〃　he　gasped。　
　〃There's　nothing　to　say；〃　came　the　clipped　response。　
　Black　shook　his　head。　〃How　could　your　father　have　made　a　mistake　like　putting　her　in　charge？　If　it　were　you；　we'd　be　making　history　right　now。〃　
　Sloane's　only　response　was　to　disappear　around　the　brow　of　rock。　Taking　a　deep　breath；　Black　followed　her　up　the　last　pitch。　Two　minutes　later；　he　struggled　up　over　the　rim　and　threw　himself　into　the　sand；　exhausted；　angry；　utterly　despondent。　He　sucked　the　air　deep　into　his　lungs；　trying　to　catch　his　breath。　The　air　was　a　lot　cooler　up　here；　and　a　stiff　breeze　was　blowing；　smelling　of　pine　and　juniper。　He　sat　up；　pulling　off　the　annoying　harness。　〃All　this　way；〃　he　said。　〃All　this　work。　Just　to　be　cheated　out　of　the　greatest　discovery　at　the　last　minute。〃　
　But　Sloane　didn't　answer。　He　was　aware　of　her　presence　standing　to　one　side；　silent　and　unmoving。　Everywhere　the　glint　of　gold。　。　。　。　Remotely；　he　was　curious　why　Sloane　was　just　standing　there；　making　no　move　to　get　started。　With　a　muttered　curse；　he　stood　up　and　glanced　at　her。　
　Sloane's　expression　was　so　unfamiliar；　so　unexpectedly　dramatic；　that　he　simply　stared。　Her　face　had　lost　all　its　color。　She　remained　where　she　was；　unmoving；　staring　out　over　the　trees；　her　lips　slightly　drawn　back　from　her　teeth。　In　a　strange　trick　of　the　light　he　saw　her　amber　eyes　deepen　to　mahogany；　as　if　a　sudden　shadow　had　been　cast　upon　them。　At　last；　unlocking　his　eyes　from　her　face；　he　slowly　turned　to　follow　her　gaze。　
　A　dark　mass　rose　above　and　far　beyond　the　ridge；　so　enormous　and　fearsome　it　took　Black　a　moment　to　prehend　its　true　nature。　Above　the　lofty　prow　of　the　Kaiparowits　Plateau　rose　a　thunderhead　the　likes　of　which　he　had　never　seen。　It　looked；　he　thought　distantly；　more　like　an　atomic　explosion　than　a　storm。　Its　moiled　foot　ran　at　least　thirty　miles　along　the　spine　of　the　plateau；　turning　the　ridge　into　a　zone　of　dead　black；　from　this　base　rose　the　body　of　the　storm；　surging　and　billowing　upward　to　perhaps　forty　thousand　feet。　It　flattened　itself　against　the　tropopause　and　sheared　off　into　an　anvil…shaped　head　at　least　fifty　miles　across。　A　heavy；　tenebrous　curtain　of　rain　dropped　from　its　base；　as　opaque　as　steel；　obscuring　all　but　the　very　point　of　the　distant　plateau　in　a　veil　of　water。　There　was　a　monstrous　play　of　lightning　inside　the　great　thunderhead；　vast　flickerings　and　dartings；　ominously　silent　in　the　distance。　As　he　watched；　mesmerized　and　terrified　at　once；　the　thunderhead　continued　to　spread；　its　dirty　tentacles　creeping　across　the　blue　sky。　Even　the　air　on　the　canyon　rim　seemed　to　grow　charged　with　electricity；　the　scent　of　violence　drifting　through　the　pi？ons　as　if　from　a　faraway　battleground。　
　Black　remained　motionless；　transfixed　by　the　awful　sight；　as　Sloane　moved　slowly；　like　a　sleepwalker；　toward　the　stunted　tree　that　held　the　weather　receiver。　There　was　a　snap　of　a　switch；　then　a　low　wash　of　static。　As　the　unit　locked　onto　the　preset　wavelength；　the　static　gave　way　to　the　monotonous；　nasal　voice　of　a　weather　announcer　in　Page；　Arizona；　giving　a　litany　of　details；　statistics；　and　numbers。　Then　Black　heard；　with　superhuman　clarity；　the　forecast：　〃Clear　skies　and　warmer　temperatures　for　the　rest　of　the　day；　with　less　than　five　percent　chance　of　precipitation。〃　
　Black　swivelled　his　eyes　from　the　thunderhead　to　the　sky　directly　above　them：　bright；　flawless　blue。　He　looked　down　into　the　valley　of　Quivira；　peaceful　and　quiet；　the　camp　awash　in　morning　sunlight。　The　dichotomy　was　so　extreme　that；　for　a　moment；　he　could　not　prehend　it。　
　He　stared　back　at　Sloane。　Her　lips；　still　withdrawn　from　her　teeth；　looked　somehow　feral。　Her　whole　being　was　tense　with　an　internal　epiphany。　Black　waited；　suddenly　breathless；　as　she　snapped　off　the　instrument。　
　〃What…？〃　Black　began　to　ask；　but　the　look　on　Sloane's　face　silenced　him。　
　〃You　heard　Nora's　orders。　Let's　get　this　disassembled　and　down　into　camp。〃　Sloane's　voice　was　brisk；　businesslike；