wt.theyearofthequietsun-第10部分

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　　Chaney　said：　〃Is　this　another　of　Seabrooke's　idiotic　ideas？〃
　　〃The　matter　is　germane；　Mr。　Chaney。〃
　　〃That　matter　is　not　germane；　Miss　van　Hise。　This　has　absolutely　nothing　to　do　with　the　Indic　report；　with　the　statistical　tables；　with　the　future　surveys…nothing！〃
　　〃Mr。　Seabrooke　thinks　otherwise。〃
　　Angrily：　〃Gilbert　Seabrooke　has　holes　in　his　head；　his　Bureau　has　holes　in　its　measuring　jars。　Please　tell　him　I　said　so。　He　should　know　better　than　to…〃　Chaney　came　to　a　full　stop　and　glared　at　the　young　woman。　〃Is　this　another　reason　why　I　was　chosen　for　the　survey　team？〃
　　〃Yes；　sir。　You　are　the　only　authority。〃
　　Chaney　repeated　the　Aramaic　word；　and　Saltus　laughed　despite　himself。
　　She　said：　〃Sir；　Mr。　Seabrooke　believes　it　may　have　some　slight　bearing　on　the　future　survey；　and　we　should　be　familiar　with　it。　We　should　be　familiar　with　every　facet　of　the　future　that　es　to　our　attention。〃
　　〃But　this　has　nothing　to　do　with　a　future　Chicago！〃
　　〃It　may；　sir。〃
　　〃It　may　not！　This　is　a　fantasy；　a　fairy　tale。　It　was　written　by　a　dreamer　and　told　to　his　students…or　to　the　peasants。〃　Chaney　sat　down；　containing　his　anger。　〃Katrina：　this　is　a　waste　of　time。〃
　　Saltus　broke　in。　〃More　midrash；　mister？〃
　　〃Midrash；〃　Chaney　agreed。　He　looked　at　the　Major。　〃It　has　no　biblical　connection；　Major。　None　whatever。　This　is　a　minor　piece　of　prophecy　fitted　into　a　fantasy；　it's　the　story　of　a　man　who　lived　twice…or　of　twins；　the　text　isn't　clear…who　swept　dragons　from　the　sky。　If　the　Brothers　Grimm　had　…discovered　it　first；　they　would　have　published　it。〃
　　Katrina　said　stubbornly：　〃We　are　to　study　it。〃
　　Chaney　was　equally　stubborn。　〃The　turn　of　the　century　is　only　twenty…two　years　away　but　this　document　is　addressed　to　the　far　future；　to　the　end　of　the　world。　It　depicts　the　end…the　last　days。　I　called　it　Eschatos；　meaning　'The　End　of　Things。'　Does　Seabrooke　really　think　the　end　of　the　world　is　only　twenty…two　years　away？
　　〃No；　sir；　I'm　sure　he　doesn't　believe　that；　but　he　has　instructed　us　to　study　it　thoroughly　in　preparation　for　the　probe。　There　may　be　a　tenuous　connection。〃
　　〃What　tenuous　connection？　Where？〃
　　〃Those　references　to　the　blinding　yellow　light　filling　the　sky；　for　one。　That　may　be　an　allusion　to　the　war　in　Southeast　Asia。　And　there　were　other　references　to　a　cooling　climate；　and　a　series　of　plagues。　The　dragons　may　have　a　military　connotation。　Mr。　Seabrooke　mentioned　specifically　your　point　on　Armageddon；　in　relation　to　the　Arab…Israeli　war。　There　are　a　number　of　incidents；　sir。〃
　　Chaney　permitted　himself　an　audible　groan。
　　Saltus　said：　〃Hoist　by　your　own　pctard；　mister。　I　feel　for　you。
　　Chaney　knew　his　meaning。　The　reviewers　and　the　Morcsbys　of　the　world　didn't　want　to　believe　his　English　translation　of　the　Revelations　scroll；　but　it　appeared　to　be　authentic。　Now；　Seabrooke　was　making　noises　like　he　wanted　to　believe　Eschatos；　or　was　willing　to　believe　it。
　　Impatiently：　〃The　blinding　yellow　light　in　the　sky　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　Asian　war。　In　Hebrew　fiction　it　was　a　romantic　promise　of　health；　wealth；　of　peace　and　prosperity　for　all。　The　yellow　light　is　a　benign　sun；　spilling　contentment　on　the　earth。　The　old　prophet　was　saying　simply　that　at　last　the　earth　belonged　to　men；　to　all　men；　and　eternal　peace　was　at　hand。　Utopia。　No　more　than　that。
　　〃That　utopia　was　to　e　after　the　end　of　things；　after　the　last　days；　when　a　brand　new　world　under　a　golden　sun　would　be　given　to　the　peoples　of　Israel。　It　is　a　prophecy　as　old　as　time。　It　has　nothing　to　do　with　our　war　in　Asia；　or　the　color　of　any　soldier's　skin。〃　Chaney　pointed　to　the　door。　〃How　cold　is　it　out　there　now？　This　is　swimming　weather。　And　where　are　the　plagues？　Have　you　ever　seen　a　dragon？〃
　　Saltus：　〃And　where　is　Armageddon？〃
　　〃The　proper　name　is　Har…Magcdon。　It's　a　mountain　in　Israel；　mander；　the　mountain　of　Megiddo　rising　above　the　Plain　of　Esdraelon。　And　the　prophecies　are　a　little　too　late…all　the　prophecies。　Any　number　of　decisive　battles　have　already　happened　there　and　vanished　into　history。　It　was　a　favorite　locale　for　the　old　fictioneers；　it　had　such　a　bloody　history　it　was　firmly　fixed　in　the　native　mind；　it　was　a　good　site　for　still　another　story。〃
　　〃Mister；　you　sure　know　how　to　throw　cold　water。〃
　　〃mander；　I　believe　in　being　realistic；　I　believe　in　facts；　not　fantasy。　I　believe　in　statistics　and　firmly　rooted　continuities；　not　prophecies　and　dreams。〃　Chaney　stabbed　the　copied　document　with　his　finger。　〃The　man　who　wrote　this　was　a　dreamer；　and　something　of　a　plagiarist。　Several　passages　were　lifted　from　Daniel；　and　there　is　a　hint　of　Micah。〃
　　〃Do　you　think　it's　a　fake？〃
　　〃No；　definitely　not。　I　had　to　make　sure　of　that　at　the　beginning。　The　scroll　was　found　in　the　usual　way：　by　university　students　searching　old　jars；　in　cave　Q12。　It　was　wrapped　in　the　usual　rotting　linen　of　a　type　woven　at　Qumran；　and　that　linen　was　submitted　to　the　carbon…14　dating　process…the　tests　were　made　at　the　Libby　Institute　in　Chicago。　Repeated　tests　established　an　age　of　nineteen　hundred　years；　plus　or　minus　seventy；　for　the　linen。
　　〃But　we　don't　accept　that　as　proof　that　the　scroll　inside　the　linen　is　of　the　same　age。　There　are　other　methods　of　dating　a　manuscript。〃　He　bent　over　the　copies　and　placed　a　finger　on　the　opening　line。　〃This　text　is　written　with　square　letters　and　contains　no　vowels…none　at　all。　It　reads　from　right　to　left　down　the　page；　right　to　left　across　the　scroll。　Square　lettering　came　into　use　about　the　third　century　before　Christ；　before　that　a　more　flowing　script　was　used　but　afterwards　a　square　was　mon。
　　Chaney　caught　a　movement　from　the　corner　of　his　eye。　Major　Moresby　unbent；　to　peer　closely　at　the　copies。
　　〃The　Hebrew　language　used　at　that　time　had　only　twenty…two　letters；　and　they　were　all　consonants。　Vowels　hadn't　been　invented；　and　wouldn't　be　for　another　six　or　seven　hundred　years。　This　text　contains　the　twenty　two　standard　consonants　but　nowhere　on　the　scroll…above　or　below　the　lines；　or　within　the　words；　or　the　margins…　is　there　a　sign　to　indicate　where　a　consonant　bees　a　vowel。　That　was　significant。〃　He　glanced　at　Moresby　and　discovered　he　had　the　man's　close　attention。　〃But　there　were　other　clues　to　work　with。　This　scribe　was　familiar　with　the　writings　of　Daniel；　and　of　Micah。　The　text　is　not　pure　Hebrew；　several　Aramaic　touches　have　slipped　in…a　word　or　a　phrase　having　more　impact　than　a　Hebrew　equivalent。　The　old　Greek　word　eschatos　doesn't　appear；　but　it　should　have。　I　was　surprised　to　find　it　missing；　for　the　scribe　had　a　knowledge　of　Greek　drama；　or　melodrama。〃　Chaney　made　a　gesture。　〃The　earliest　date　was　about　100　B。C。　It　was　not　written　before　that。
　　〃Setting　a　closing　date　isn't　nearly　as　difficult；　because　the　scribe　betrays　the　limit　of　his　knowledge。　He　was　not　alive　and　writing　in　70　A。D。　The　text　contains　three　direct　references　to　a　Temple；　a　great　white　Temple　which　appears　to　be　the　center　of　all　important　activity。　There　were　many　temples　in　Palestine　and　in　the　surrounding　lands；　but　onIy　one　Temple：　the　holiest　of　holy　places；　the　Temple　of　Jerusalem。　In　this　story　the　Temple　is　still　standing；　still　in　existence；　and　is　the　center　of　all　activity。　But　in　history　that　Temple　stopped。　The　Roman　armies　invaded　Judaea　and　destroyed　it　utterly　in　70　A。D。　In　the　course　of　putting　down　a　Hebrew　revolt　they　tore　it　apart　to　the　last　stone；　and　the　Temple　was　no　more。〃
　　Major　Moresby　said：　〃That　was　foretold。〃
　　Chaney　ignored　him。　〃So　the　date　of　position　was　pinned　down：　not　earlier　than　100　B。C。　and　not　later　than　70　A。D。　A　satisfactory　agreement　with　the　radiocarbon　tests。　I'm　satisfied　the　scroll　is　authentic；　but　the　tale　it　tells　is　not…the　story　is　pure　fiction；　built　on　symbols　and　myths　known　to　the　ancient　Hebrews。〃
　　Arthur　Saltus　eyed　the　copies　and　then　the　woman。　〃Do　we　have　to　read　all　this；　Katrina？〃
　　〃Yes；　sir。　Mr。　Seabrooke　has　requested　it。〃
　　Chaney　said：　〃A　waste　of　time；　mander。〃
　　Saltus　grinned　at　him。　〃The　Great　White　Chief　has　spoken；　mister。　I　don't　want　to　go　back　to　that　bucket　in　the　South　China　Sea。〃
　　〃Indic　won't　have　me　back…they　sold　me　to　the　Great　White　Chief。〃　Brian　Chaney　pushed　the　photo…copied　papers　aside　and　reached　for　the　hefty　Indic　report。　He　opened　a　page　at　random　and　found　himself　reading　figures　pertaining　to　a　West　German　election　three　years　earlier。
　　He　remembered　that　election；　people　in　his　section　had　followed　it　with　interest　and　had　tried　to　place　bets　on　it；　without　takers。　Just　before　the　report　was　closed　and　submitted　to　the　Bureau；　the　National　Democratic　party　had　captured　four　point　three　percent　of　the　popular　vote…only　seven…tenths　of　one　percent　short　of　the　minimum　needed　to　gain　entrance　to　the　Bundestag。　The　party　had　been　accused　of　Neo…Nazism；　and　Chaney　wondered　if　it　had　managed　to　overe　the　Hitler　image　and　win　the　necessary　five　percent　in　the　last　few　years。　In　peacetime；　Israeli　papers　would　have　carried　the　news；　he　would　have　noticed　it。　Perhaps　they　had　published　subsequent　election　news；　despite　their　paper　shortages　and　their　domestic　troubles…perhaps　he　had　missed　it。　His　nose　had　been　buried　in　the　translations　for　a　long　time。　As　the　noses　of　Saltus　and　Moresby　were　buried　in　Eschatos　now。　。　。　。
　　Chaney　had　often　wondered　about　the　anonymous　scribe　who　had　concocted　that　story。　The　long　work　on　the　scroll　had　imparted　the　feeling　of　almost　knowing　the　man；　of　almost　reading　his　mind。　He　sometimes　thought　the　man　had　been　a　novice　practicing　his　art…a　probationer　not　yet　tamped　into　the　mold；　or　perhaps　he　was　a　def　rocked　priest　who　had　lost　his　office　because　of　his　nonconformity。　The　man　had　never　hesitated　to　employ　Aramaic　vernacular；　where　Aramaic　was　more　colorful　than　his　native　Hebrew；　and　he　told　his　story　with　zest；　with　poetic　freedom。
　　
　　
　　Eschatos：
　　The　sky　was　blue；　new；　and　clear　of　dragons　（winged　serpents）　when　the　man　who　was　two　men　（twins？）　lived　on　（under？）　the　earth。　The　man　who　was　two　men　was　at　peace　with　the　sun　and　his　children　multiplied　（the　tribes　or　families　about　him　grew　in　size　with　the　passage　of　time）。　He　was　known　and…　weled　in　the　white　Temple；　and　may　have　dwelt　there。　H