jefflong.yearzero-第23部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　In　a　sworn　deposition　delivered　by　diplomatic　pouch；　Professor　David　Ochs　claimed　Nathan　Lee　had　tried　to　throw　him；　too；　off　the　mountainside。　〃Monster；〃　concluded　Nepal's　main　newspaper；The　Rising　Sun。　〃The　yeti　lives。〃　The　court　agreed。　Nathan　Lee　had　grown　used　to　the　pitter…patter　of　prisoners　spitting　on　him　or　flicking　stones　at　his　legs。　What　tore　at　him　was　how　much　Grace　might　be　hearing　of　it。　He　could　only　pray　Lydia　would　spare　her。
　To　his　surprise；　the　lepers　were　good　to　him。　They　doctored　and　fed　him　when　he　developed　a　fever。　They　gave　him　a　straw　mat　and　a　blanket　and　a　mosquito　net　belonging　to　a　dead　man。　Some　mornings　they　would　ask　grave　questions　about　his　dreams。　It　turned　out　he　wept　in　his　sleep　every　night。
　Once　a　day；　they　were　allowed　to　walk　around　the　pound。　It　was　usually　the　hottest　part　of　the　day；　or　the　wettest；　or　the　coldest。　Most　of　the　other　prisoners　retreated　inside　their　own　buildings　while　the　lepers　staggered　and　limped　around　the　walking　circuit　at　the　foot　of　the　walls。　One　day　he　found　tusk　marks　high　upon　the　eastern　wall。　Though　the　gouges　had　been　plastered　over；　they　were　the　ghostly　evidence　of　royal　elephants。　That　was　the　beginning　of　his　book　for　Grace。
　After　that；　he　pursued　an　archaeological　survey　of　the　old　palace。　He　paced　off　measurements；　gained　an　overlook　of　the　grounds　from　the　upper　windows；　collected　oral　histories。　He　came　to　treat　it　as　his　long…lost　dissertation。　His　exploration　quickly　became　magical　for　the　lepers；　too。　They　gave　him　paper　and　ink　for　his　drawings。　He　gave　them　wings。
　He　hired　one　of　the　lepers；　a　cobbler；　to　sew　his　pages　together　into　a　book。　It　was　prised　of　a　hodgepodge　of　paper。　Some　were　pieces　of　rice　paper；　some　linen　or　pulped　wood；　and　some　were　empty　end　pages　recycled　from　other　books。　A　few　were　even　made　of　papyrus　or　soft　vellum。　In　all　there　were　over　three　hundred　pages　bound　together　in　a　cover　taken　from　a　nineteenth…century　botany　pendium　entitledFlora　of　the　Greater　Himalaya；　by　George　Bogle；　a　potato　specialist。　The　book　was　as　beautiful　as　it　was　strange。　It　weighed　five　pounds　in　his　hands。　It　even　smelled　rare　and　enticing。　His　archaeological　notes　and　stories…in…progress　occupied　the　first　183　pages。　The　rest　was　blank；　waiting　for　his　pen　and　paintbrush。　Each　morning；　Nathan　Lee　rose　at　this　same　hour　to　fill　in　a　little　more。
　Now　he　adjusted　the　tin　lantern；　and　by　its　orange　glow　resumed　his　fairytale　of　the　monster　in　the　tower。She　was　so　small　down　there　among　that　crowd。　I　wondered；　Who　could　she　be？　What　did　she　think；　seeing　my　faraway　face？
　He　left　the　rest　of　that　page　blank　for　a　watercolor　portrait　of　a　little　girl。　It　would　consume　him　for　days。　Of　late；　he　found　himself　confusing　Grace　with　images　of　other　girls　and　women。　The　lepers　had　shown　him　antique　studio　pictures　of　their　wives　and　daughters；　and　their　faces　intruded　on　him。　He　had　glued　the　snapshot　of　Grace　to　the　inside　cover；　but　it　was　nearly　ruined　from　water　and　sun　exposure。　Time　was　against　him　and　he　knew　it。　She　was　growing　up。　Her　fifth　birthday　was　ing　soon。
　He'd　sent　dozens　of　letters；　wishfully　picturing　Lydia　reading　them　to　Grace；　and　yet　knowing　better。　Not　so　much　as　a　postcard　came　back。　Maybe　Grace　believed　her　daddy　had　perished　in　the　Himalayas；　a　colorful　excuse　for　her　preschool　friends。　Just　as　likely；　she'd　been　told　he　was　an　animal　rotting　in　a　faraway　cage。
　Nathan　Lee　closed　the　book。　It　was　time　to　start　a　fire　in　the　clay　pit　in　the　floor。　He　tucked　the　book　in　hisjhola；　a　haversack　made　of　coarse　wool。　The　book　fit　perfectly；　leaving　just　enough　space　for　his　pens　and　the　little　watercolor　kit。　Thejhola　never　left　his　side。
　As　he　was　backing　from　the　window；　the　fog　suddenly　parted　and　Nathan　Lee　saw　something　he'd　never　seen。　Thirty　feet　away；　at　his　same　height；　there　was　a　monkey　in　the　guard　tower。　It　was　perched　on　its　haunches。　The　monkey　saw　him　at　the　same　moment。　They　regarded　each　other；　then　the　monkey　resumed　eating　a　piece　of　fruit　from　some　neighborhood　altar。
　Nathan　Lee　waited。　There　had　to　be　some　mistake。The　guards　were　gone。
　He　sniffed　for　the　smoke　of　theirbidis。　He　threw　a　pebble　at　the　tower。　The　monkey　bared　its　teeth　and　turned　its　rump　to　him　and　vanished　into　the　fog。　Now　the　guard　tower　stood　pletely　empty。
　What　could　this　mean？he　wondered。　All　winter；　Kathmandu's　power　supply　had　been　slowly　dying。　For　the　last　several　weeks　there　had　been　no　electricity　at　all。　The　prison's　loudspeakers　no　longer　blared　childlike　Hindi　songs。　At　night　the　rusty　lightbulbs　didn't　light。　The　blackout　spawned　all　kinds　of　theories。　Some　claimed　it　was　evidence　of　a　change　in　government。　Others　thought　the　rivers　had　run　low。　The　country　bumpkins　blamed　a　dearth　of　lightning　bolts　the　preceding　summer。
　Nathan　Lee　took　off　his　glasses　and　carefully　wiped　them。　He　was　thorough。　He　rubbed　his　eyes　and　replaced　the　glasses；　and　it　was　the　same。　The　tower　was　empty。
　There　should　have　been　two　or　three　guards　out　there　in　the　tower。　They　had　gotten　used　to　Nathan　Lee　sitting　in　his　window　with　the　orange　candle　flame。　One　fellow　had　made　a　morning　ritual　of　aiming　his　rifle　at　the　American　cannibal。　Nathan　Lee　would　press　his　palms　together　in　greeting；　a　wordlessnamaste。　The　guard　would　smile　behind　his　iron　sights。　Not　this　morning。　All　were　gone。
　Nathan　Lee　swung　his　legs　down　and　stood　on　the　clay　floor。　His　limbs　ached。　He　slung　hisjhola　on　one　shoulder。　He　didn't　wake　the　lepers。　The　fire　could　wait。　Barefoot；　he　stole　down　the　wooden　staircase。
　The　leper　building　had　only　one　entrance。　He　paused　in　the　low　doorway。　Going　out　without　permission　was　forbidden。　But　who　would　see　him　in　this　mist？
　He　took　the　chance　and　stepped　from　the　building。　No　one　cried　out。　He　headed　uphill；　hopping　wide　across　the　ditch　with　grey　water。　Two　posts　marked　the　volleyball　court。　He　limped　across　a　million　footprints　pounded　into　the　dirt。　The　blue　air　smelled　of　ash　and　curry　and　urine。
　A　soft　clapping　noise　came　from　behind。　He　stopped。　It　was　only　a　prisoner　in　the　distance；　the　slap…slap　of　his　thongs　fading　out。　Nathan　Lee　went　on；　heading　straight　for　the　front　gate。　Regular　prisoners　lived　for　the　gate。　It　was　their　eventual　exit。　Through　its　bars；　they　visited　their　lawyers；　business　associates；　and　loved　ones。　None　of　that　applied　to　him；　so　he　had　avoided　it。　Until　now。
　The　mouth　of　a　tunnel　yawned　just　ahead。　Nathan　Lee　tried　to　remember　what　lay　inside。　When　they'd　brought　him　here；　he　was　almost　catatonic　with　despair。　He　remembered　the　clatter　of　chains　being　dropped　and　the　heavy　gate　screeching　on　its　hinges　and　an　interval　of　darkness。　His　heart　was　racing。　He　entered。
　The　tunnel　ran　thirty　feet；　but　seemed　much　longer。　It　was　pitch　black　inside；　the　arched　walls　greasy　with　human　passage。　Nathan　Lee　reached　the　entrance。　The　gate　hung　open。　Its　iron　straps　were　pitted　with　rust。　The　chains　lay　at　his　feet　like　dead　serpents。　He　stopped。
　Just　ahead　lay　the　world。　It　was　almost　too　much　to　believe。　The　fog　was　thinning。　He　could　see　buildings　hanging　in　the　distance。　Little　shapes…people；　dogs；　cows？…roamed　through　the　far　mist。　There　was　not　a　guard　in　sight。
　He　hesitated。　Was　this　a　trap？　A　dream？　It　seemed　so　close　to　one　of　his　fairytales　about　a　city　that　suddenly　evaporated　around　a　lone　traveler。
　Closing　his　eyes；　Nathan　Lee　planted　one　bare　foot　outside　the　walls。　There　was　no　gunfire；　no　alarm。　Mobs　did　not　assemble。　Thunder　did　not　crack　the　sky。　He　let　out　a　breath。　For　months　he　had　contemplated　all　sorts　of　harrowing　escapes。　Now　all　he　had　to　do　was　walk　away？　The　moment　was　surreal。　He　began　walking。
　For　the　first　few　minutes；　he　didn't　dare　look　over　his　shoulder；　afraid　a　single　glance　might　sweep　him　backwards　into　jail。　With　every　step　he　wanted　to　run　through　the　streets；　shout；　throw　his　arms　in　the　air。　He　kept　his　arms　close。　Thejhola　with　his　book　rapped　against　his　hipbone。　He　had　no　other　possession　in　the　world　except　the　rags　on　his　back。
　A　human　figure　surfaced　to　his　left；　giving　him　a　start。　It　was　a　goddess；　her　shrine　built　into　the　red　brick　wall。　Vermilion　and　ghee　smeared　her　face　and　shoulders。　Whil