thillerman.theblessingway-第15部分

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　at　the　Stick　Carrier's　camp。　The　plump　young　man　with　the　horn…rimmed　glasses　had　told　him　that。　And　Horn　Rims　had　been　out　looking　for　a　stray　mule　and　had　seen　Horseman　walking　along　a　sheep　trail　back　toward　the　Lukachukais。　Horseman　was　his　second　cousin　and　he　had　stopped　to　talk　and　had　given　Horseman　some　tobacco。
　〃I　think　his　wife　had　gone　off　with　somebody　and　he　was　ing　back　to　his　mother's　family；〃　Horn　Rims　had　said。　He　then　explained　that　Luis　was　a　〃worthless　son　of　a　bitch。〃　In　Navajo；　the　insult　came　out　literally　to　the　effect　that　Horn　Rims'　second　cousin　was　a　stunted　male　member　of　a　litter　produced　by　a　collie　bitch。　Navajo　is　a　very　precise　and　unambiguous　language　and　the　statement　left　no　question　that　Horn　Rims　strongly　disapproved　of　his　second　cousin。　But　almost　two　weeks　had　passed　since　Horn　Rims　had　seen　Horseman　and　he　had　no　other　information　to　offer；　except　that　Billy　Nez　was　with　the　Stick　Carrier。
　The　long　afternoon　of　chatting　on　the　subject　of　the　witch　had　been　even　less　productive。　Leaphorn　felt　he　had　fairly　well　confirmed　what　Sandoval　had　implied…that　the　identity　of　the　witch　was　not　exactly　known。　Not　known；　at　least；　by　name；　and　family；　and　clan。　Leaphorn's　instinct　told　him　that　several　of　the　Red　Forehead　clan　he　had　talked　to；　mostly　kinsmen　of　Tsosies；　or　members　of　their　extended　〃outfit；〃　thought　of　this　witch　as　a　specific　person；　with　a　specific　face；　and　shape；　and　habits。　It　was　nothing　he　could　confirm。　Leaphorn　was　a　stranger　to　this　clan　and　he　faced　the　traditional　caution　of　The　People　where　witchcraft　was　concerned。　He　had　noticed　one　man　slip　his　hand　into　his　overalls　to　finger　a　sacred　shape　in　the　medicine　bag　tied　to　his　loin　cloth。　The　gesture　was　typical　of　what　he　knew　others　had　felt。　How　did　they　know　that　Leaphorn　himself　was　not　a　witch？　And　perhaps　seeking　those　who　knew　of　him　to　make　them　his　future　victims？　And　yet　among　the　garrulous　ones；　the　gossips；　there　had　been　some　specific　details。　Several　had　said　the　witch　was　a　man；　had　indicated　he　was　a　tall　man；　all　references　to　him　were　on　foot；　none　had　him　riding　a　horse。　The　accounts　Leaphorn　had　collected　of　the　witching　incidents　were　conflicting　and　overlapping　and　some　were　obviously　wildly　imaginative。　But　he　concluded　there　probably　had　been　at　least　two　or　three　persons　bothered　in　addition　to　Tsosie。　He　had　jotted　some　names　in　his　notebook；　but　even　as　he　did　it　he　wondered　why。　The　laws　he　enforced　had　been　taken　by　the　Tribal　Council　from　the　white　man's　laws　and　the　white　man　did　not　recognize　witchcraft　as　an　offense。
　It　would　bee　an　offense　only　if　some　specified　crime　was　involved。　There　had　been　a　case　of　extortion　once；　nothing　they　had　ever　proved；　but　enough　circumstantial　evidence　to　indicate　a　conspiracy　between　a　Star　Gazer　and　a　Singer　to　diagnose　witchings　and　split　fees　for　the　curing　ceremonial。
　Agnes　Tsosie　came　out　of　the　ceremonial　hogan　now　and　went　to　the　brush　shelter　with　a　crowd　of　women　relatives　and　the　Singer　from　the　Stick　Carrier's　camp。　Leaphorn　saw　that　one　of　the　women　was　rubbing　tallow　on　her　chin　and　juniper　sap　on　her　forehead。　Inside　the　hogan　the　same　thing　would　be　happening　to　Tsosie　and　the　other　male　kinfolks　who　would　be　taking　part　in　the　attack　on　the　scalp。　They　would　be　blackened　more　thoroughly　with　the　ceremonial　ashes；　as　Monster　Slayer　had　been　to　make　himself　invisible　before　his　attack　on　the　Ye…i。　If　Leaphorn's　memory　of　the　ceremonial　was　correct；　Agnes　Tsosie　would　only　watch　the　attack；　with　a　male　relative　serving　as　her　stand…in　during　the　ritual。　The　Singer　wasn't　needed　during　the　blackening　and　Leaphorn　saw　Old　Man　Sandoval　talking　to　the　Scalp　Shooter；　who　had　been　sitting　all　afternoon　beside　the　hogan　entrance；　guarding　a　pile　of　ashes。
　Scalp　shooting　required　a　professional；　although　his　role　in　the　ceremonial　was　simply　to　shoot　the　scalp　with　an　arrow　and　sprinkle　it　with　symbolic　ashes　to　signify　its　death。　Leaphorn　thought　he　had　seen　this　man　before；　helping　Singers　at　other　ceremonials。　He　wondered　idly　what　Sandoval　was　using　for　the　symbolic　scalp。　Ideally；　it　would　be　something　from　the　witch's　person；　a　clipping　of　hair　if　that　could　be　had；　something　with　his　blood　on　it；　or　some　article　of　clothing　which　had　absorbed　his　sweat。　Since　this　witch　was　unidentified；　the　symbolic　scalp　would　have　to　be　something　else。　Leaphorn　guessed　they　might　use　a　pouch　of　sand　from　a　footprint　or　something　else　they　thought　the　witch　had　touched。
　If　it's　hair；　Leaphorn　thought；　it's　going　to　mean　that　Sandoval　and　some　others　have　been　lying。　If　it　was　hair　or　something　bloody　he　would　have　to　confiscate　it　after　the　ceremonial　ended。　He　would　have　the　lab　check　it　with　Horseman's　and；　if　it　matched；　have　a　messy　murder　investigation　on　his　hands。　But　he　was　fairly　sure　Sandoval　hadn't　been　lying。　Linking　Horseman　to　the　witching　case　had　never　really　made　sense；　never　really　been　more　than　a　faint　possibility　where　no　other　possibilities　were　offered。　As　far　as　Leaphorn　could　pin　down　the　witching　gossip；　Horseman　had　hardly　returned　to　the　Lukachukais　when　the　incidents　started；　and　at　least　one　had　happened　before　the　knifing　in　Gallup。　Besides；　the　types　suspected　of　witchcraft　were　always　older；　usually　with　a　lot　of　material　possessions　and　a　lot　of　enemies。
　There　was　the　sound　of　chanting　from　the　ceremonial　hogan　now；　and　the　thudding　of　the　pot　drum。　Sandoval　came　through　the　curtain；　followed　by　Tsosie；　two　cousins；　and　the　uncle　who　was　representing　Agnes　Tsosie。　Even　their　loin　cloths　had　been　blackened　with　ashes；　and　each　held　in　his　right　hand　a　raven　beak；　secured　to　a　juniper　stick　with　yucca　and　buckskin　thongs。　The　Scalp　Shooter　picked　up　his　basket　of　ashes　and　was　walking　north…northeast。　It　was　the　direction；　Leaphorn　noted；　of　the　higher　central　peaks　of　the　Lukachukais。　Over　the　peaks；　a　tremendous　thunderhead　was　rising；　its　top　boiling　in　relentless　slow　motion　into　the　stratosphere；　its　bottom　black　with　shadow　and　trailing　the　first　thin　curtains　of　rain。
　Sandoval　will　know　his　medicine　is　working；　Leaphorn　thought。　He　has　called　for　Thunder　to　kill　the　Wolf　and　Thunder　has　e　to　the　appointed　place。　It　was　interesting　that　the　Singer　from　the　Stick　Carrier's　camp　had　placed　the　scalp　so　carefully　north…by…northeast　of　the　hogan。　That　meant　they　believed　the　Wolf　was　now　somewhere　in　that　direction。
　Leaphorn　trailed　along　with　the　crowd。　The　Scalp　Shooter　had　stopped　at　a　dead　creosote　bush　about　two　hundred　yards　from　the　hogan　and　was　sprinkling　something　under　the　bush　with　ash。　He　stepped　aside　and　Tsosie　and　his　kinsmen　poked　at　the　object　with　their　raven　bills；　killing　it　with　this　symbol　of　contempt。　Leaphorn　pushed　through　the　crowd。　The　spectators　were　silent　now　and　he　could　hear　the　attackers　muttering；　〃It　is　dead。　It　is　dead；〃　each　time　they　struck　the　symbolic　scalp。
　The　object　the　crowbills　were　striking　was　a　high…crowned　black　hat。
　Instantly；　Leaphorn　correlated　this　new　fact　with　other　information；　with　the　bulky　stranger　trying　on　hats　in　Shoemaker's；　with　the　question　of　why　a　worthless　hat　would　be　stolen　and　a　valuable　silver　concho　band　left　behind。
　The　hat　was　thoroughly　coated　with　ashes　now；　but　there　was　still　a　dark　outline　against　the　faded　felt；　the　outline　of　linked　circles　where　heavy　silver　conchos　had　once　protected　the　dye　from　the　sun。
　When　I　look　in　the　hatband；　Leaphorn　thought；　it　will　be　size　seven　and　three…eighths。　The　Big　Navajo　was　the　Navajo　Wolf。　But　why　was　he　the　witch？　This　was　why　the　Hand　Trembler　and　Sandoval　had　decided　to　prescribe　an　Enemy　Way。　The　Navajo　Wolf　was　a　man　nobody　knew。　A　stranger　to　the　clan　and　to　the　entire　linked…clan　society　of　the　Lukachukai　slopes。　But　what　had　he　done　to　be　singled　out　for　this　terrible　proscription　of　The　People？　Death　within　the　year　by　his　own　witchcraft…turned　against　him　by　the　medicine　of　the　Enemy　Way。　Or；　Leaphorn　thought　grimly；　death　much　sooner　if　the　Tsosies　or　the　Nez　family　happen　to　catch　him。
　The　high　slopes　of　the　Lukachukais　were　obscured　now　by　the　darkness　of　the　cloud。　Light　from　the　setting　sun　glittered　from　the　strata　of　ice　crystals　forming　in　the　t