thillerman.theblessingway-第31部分

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social　stigma。　It　was　unnatural；　and　therefore　suspicious。　From　far　behind　him　on　the　mesa　came　the　voice　of　the　owl。　Ta…whoo；　it　said。　Whoo。
　Where；　then；　was　the　motive？　There　was　something　about　all　this　that　seemed　strangely　un…Navajo。　But　the　big　man　who　drove　the　Land…Rover　was　one　of　The　People。　Leaphorn　was　sure　of　that；　remembering　the　face　in　Shoemaker's。　There　had　been　times　at　first　at　Arizona　State　when　Leaphorn　had　trouble　with　the　faces　of　white　men。　He　had　noticed　only　the　roundness　of　their　eyes　and　their　paleness　and　all　Belacani　had　looked　alike　to　him。　But　he　had　no　trouble　with　the　faces　of　the　Dinee。　The　Big　Man　had　the　face　and　the　frame　of　a　Tuba　City　Navajo…heavy…boned　without　the　delicacy　and　softness　added　by　the　Pueblo　blood　mixture。　And　he　wore　braids。　The　trademark　of　the　man　who　held　to　the　Navajo　Way。　But　why　were　the　braids　so　short？
　Leaphorn　thought　about　that　for　a　moment。　And　abruptly　he　again　had　an　answer。　Not　all　of　it。　But　enough　to　make　him　urge　the　horse　down　the　ridgeline　much　faster　than　the　tired　animal　wanted　to　move。　Enough　to　tell　him　that　Billy　Nez；　hunting　his　witch　in　the　Lukachukai　canyons；　might　actually　find　one　to　his　mortal　danger。　Enough　to　tell　him　that　he　must　be　at　the　hogan　of　Charley　Nez　at　dawn。　There　he　would　pick　up　the　boy's　trail。　The　unshod　horse　should　be　easy　to　follow。
　Mars　rose　over　the　black　outline　of　Toh…Chin…Lini　Butte　as　he　loped　across　the　Chinle　breaks；　his　mood　matching　the　gathering　darkness。　He　was　remembering　his　words　to　the　Big　Navajo　at　Shoemaker's…the　casual　words　which　he　now　was　sure　had　caused　Luis　Horseman　to　die。
　
　Chapter　16
　
　Bergen　McKee　had　been　dreaming。　He　stood　detached　from　himself；　watching　his　figure　moving　slowly　across　a　frozen　lake；　knowing　with　the　dreamer's　omniscience　that　there　was　no　water　under　the　ice…only　emptiness…and　dreading　the　nightmare　plunge　which　would　inevitably　e。　And　then　the　raucous　cawing　of　the　ravens　mixed　with　the　dream　and　broke　it　and　suddenly　he　was　awake。
　He　sat　motionless　for　a　second；　perplexed　by　the　dim　light　and　the　blank　wall　before　him。　Then　full　consciousness　flooded　back　and　with　it　the　awareness　that　he　was　sitting；　cold　and　stiff；　on　the　dusty　floor　of　a　room　in　the　Anasazi　cliff　dwelling。
　McKee　pushed　his　back　up　against　the　wall　and　looked　at　Ellen　Leon；　lying　limply　opposite　him；　face　to　the　wall；　breathing　evenly　in　her　sleep。　He　looked　at　his　watch。　It　was　almost　five；　which　meant　he　had　slept　about　six　hours　and　that　it　would　soon　be　full　dawn　on　the　mesa　above　the　canyon。　With　that　thought　came　a　quick　sense　of　urgency。
　He　looked　at　his　hand；　tightly　wrapped　now　in　bandage；　and　then　glanced　quickly　around　the　room。　The　enclosure　was　much　too　large　for　living　quarters。　It　had　been　built　either　as　a　munal　meeting　place　for　one　of　the　pueblo's　warrior　secret　societies　or　as　a　storeroom　for　grain…three　stone　walls　built　out　from　the　face　of　the　cliff　and；　like　the　cliff；　sloping　slightly　inward　at　the　top。。　The　only　way　out　was　the　way　they　had　e　in…through　a　crawl　hole　in　the　roof　where　the　wall　joined　the　cliff。　And　there　was　no　way　to　reach　the　hole　without　the　ladder…the　ladder　which　the　Big　Navajo　had　carefully　withdrawn　after　leaving　them　here。
　Outside；　a　raven　cawed　again　and　then　there　was　silence。　McKee　leaned　against　the　wall　and　tried　to　sort　it　out。
　Whatever　was　happening　here　was　the　product　of　meticulous　planning。　That　was　clear。　Behind　the　brush　at　the　foot　of　the　cliff　there　had　been　four　sections　of　aluminum…alloy　ladder。　The　man　called　Eddie　had　fit　them　quickly　together；　fastened　them　with　bolts　and　wing　nuts；　and　they　reached　exactly　from　a　massive　sandstone　block　at　the　top　of　the　talus　slope　to　this　shelf。　If　the　ladder　was　not　custom…built　for　the　purpose；　at　least　the　bolt　holes　had　been　drilled　with　this　cliff　dwelling　in　mind。
　And；　when　they　had　reached　the　top；　Eddie　had　pulled　up　the　ladder；　and　laid　it　carefully　out　of　sight。　The　action　obviously　had　long　since　bee　habit。　It　would　leave　anyone　passing　below　no　hint　that　this　cleft　was　occupied。　It　was　equally　obvious　that　the　peculiar　hide…out　had　been　occupied　for　weeks。　Behind　a　screen　of　bushes　which　grew　back　from　the　ledge　under　the　overhanging　cliff　there　was　all　the　equipment　for　a　permanent　camp…a　two…burner　kerosene　stove；　a　half…dozen　five…gallon　cans　and　a　tarp　stretched　low　to　the　ground　protecting　cartons　and　boxes。　And　there　had　been　two　bedrolls。　Whoever　else　was　involved　must　sleep　somewhere　else；　perhaps　directing　this　operation　from　somewhere　outside。　From　what　Eddie　had　said；　others　would　tell　them　when　they　could　leave。
　And　whoever　they　were；　they　had　a　radio　transmitter。　After　Eddie　had　fished　cans　of　meat　and　beans　from　under　the　tarp　and　fed　them　and　started　him　soaking　his　hand　in　a　pot　of　steaming　water；　the　Big　Navajo　had　climbed　back　down　the　ladder。　He　had　sat　for　a　long　time　in　the　Land…Rover　and　when　he　returned　he　had　news。
　McKee　rubbed　his　knuckles　across　his　forehead；　remembering　exactly。　The　big　man　had　been　grinning　when　he　walked　up　to　where　Eddie　was　sitting…grinning　broadly。
　〃Girlie　says　maybe　tomorrow　afternoon　will　do　it；〃　the　Navajo　had　said。　Eddie　had　looked　pleased；　but　he　had　said　something　nonmittal。　Something　like　Girlie's　been　wrong　before。　No。　It　was　Girlie's　been　wrong　three　times；　because　the　Indian　had　laughed　then　and　said；　〃Fourth　time's　the　charm　for　us。　It　had　occurred　to　McKee　then　that　if　these　men　were　leaving　tomorrow　they　would　no　longer　need　a　letter　written　by　him：　Once　they　had　finished　what　they　had　e　to　do　and　had　left　this　canyon　why　would　it　matter　if　someone　came　looking　for　Canfield　and　Miss　Leon　and　himself？　It　would　only　matter　that　no　one　be　left　alive　to　describe　them。　Thinking　that；　he　had　decided　to　throw　the　water　pot　at　the　Big　Navajo　and　jump　Eddie；　trying　for　Eddie's　pistol。　He　hadn't　thought　he　would　get　the　pistol；　but　there　would　be　nothing　to　lose　in　trying。　And　then　the　Navajo　had　baffled　him　again。
　〃Dr。　McKee；〃　he　had　said；　〃I　think　we'd　better　try　to　get　that　knuckle　of　yours　back　into　joint；　and　tie　it　up　with　a　splint。　I'm　going　to　be　busy　tomorrow；　but　by　tomorrow　night　I'll　want　to　get　that　writing　done。〃
　Thinking　about　it　now；　McKee　was　still　puzzled。　Eddie　had　carried　a　section　of　the　ladder　to　the　cliff　ruin　and　they　had　climbed　against　the　overhang　to　the　top　of　this　wall。。。　and　then　down　into　the　pitch　darkness　of　this　room。　The　Navajo　had　told　him　to　sit　on　the　floor　and　hold　out　his　hand。　He　had　argued　with　the　Indian　that　the　joint　was　broken；　not　just　dislocated。
　The　Navajo　had　laughed。　〃They　feel　like　that　when　they're　pulled　out；　but　we　can　get　it　back　in　the　socket。〃
　The　big　man　had　squatted　beside　him；　with　Eddie　holding　the　flashlight　from　above；　and　had　taken　McKee's　swollen　right　hand　in　both　of　his　own；　and　suddenly　there　had　been　pain　beyond　endurance。　When　he　had　returned　to　awareness；　Miss　Leon　was　holding　his　head　and　his　hand　was　tightly　wrapped。　He　had　been　sick　then；　violently　sick；　and　then　they　had　talked。
　〃Where　did　they　go？〃　McKee　had　asked。　It　was　almost　totally　dark　in　the　windowless　room；　with　only　a　small　spot　of　moonlight　reflecting　through　the　roof　hole　relieving　the　blackness。
　〃I　heard　them　a　little　while　ago；〃　Miss　Leon　had　said。　〃I　think　they　were　both　out　there　where　their　sleeping　rolls　are。　And　then　I　heard　what　sounded　like　the　ladder　being　moved。〃
　〃I　guess　they　climbed　down；〃　McKee　said。
　There　was　a　long　silence。　McKee　felt　her　shoe　against　his　leg。　The　touch　seemed　somehow　personal；　and　intimate；　and　forting。
　〃Dr。　McKee。〃　Her　voice　was　very　small。　〃I　didn't　hear　all　of　what　you　and　that　Navajo　said　when　we　were　at　Dr。　Canfield's　camper。　Dr。　Canfield's　body　was　in　there；　wasn't　it？　He　killed　Dr。　Canfield？〃
　〃Yes；〃　McKee　said。　There　was　no　use　trying　to　lie　to　her。　〃I　guess　he　did。〃
　〃Then　he'll　kill　us；　too；〃　she　said。
　〃No；〃　McKee　said。　〃We'll　find　a　way　out。〃　He　could　think　of　no　possible　way。
　〃There　isn't　any　way　out；〃　Miss　Leon　said。　〃It　would　take　a　magician　to　get　out　of　this。〃
　McKee　was　glad　it　was　dark。　Judging　from　the　sound　of　her　voice；　she　was　on　the　ragged　edge　of　tears。
　〃I　didn't　hav