jefflong.yearzero-第40部分

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　Thunder　rolled　along　the　Appalachian　furrows。　It　would　rain　again　today。　A　man　appeared　from　the　forest　on　horseback。　He　wore　hunter's　camouflage　and　carried　an　M16　rifle　across　his　saddle。　His　horse　towered　above　its　striped　cousins。　They　didn't　bolt　away；　giggling；　the　way　wild　zebras　should　have。　They　merely　shifted　at　his　approach　and　went　on　foraging。　When　a　foal　strayed；　the　horseman　gently　turned　it　back　into　the　group。
　Nathan　Lee　didn't　volunteer　his　presence。　He　lay　still；　trying　to　wring　some　explanation　from　the　scene。　If　it　was　not　real；　he　didn't　wish　to　be　talking　to　himself。
　The　cave　walls　were　stained　from　old　campfires　and　scratched　with　grafitti。　Over　the　centuries；　it　had　sheltered　many　travelers；　apparently　including　Indians　and　Revolutionary　War　soldiers　and　Confederates　and　lovers。　One　night　Nathan　Lee　had　brought　Lydia　to　a　cave　like　this；　but　she　only　plained　about　the　mosquito　bites。
　A　second　horseman　appeared。　A　sniper's　net　with　foliage　was　draped　across　his　shoulders。　He　looked　like　a　barbarian　in　skins；　or　a　scarecrow　with　vast　shoulders。　It　was　he　who　spied　Nathan　Lee's　footprints　in　the　mud　leading　to　the　cave。　He　said　something　to　his　partner；　who　gently　herded　the　zebras　into　the　deeper　mist。　They　nickered　and　vanished。
　The　scarecrow　man　waited　until　the　zebras　were　gone。　Then　he　dismounted　and；　before　Nathan　Lee's　eyes；　he　disappeared；　too。　He　sank　down　into　the　mountain　laurels　and　mist　and　melted　from　view。　Nathan　Lee　heard　a　rifle　bolt　ratchet。　〃e　out；〃　the　man　called。
　Nathan　Lee　stayed　quiet。　His　hallucination　had　diminished　to　a　voice　in　the　forest。
　〃I　know　you're　in　there。〃
　Maybe　the　apparition　would　go　away。　Then　Nathan　Lee　saw　the　orange　twinkle　of　muzzle　flash；　and　a　bullet　was　suddenly　cutting　against　his　cave　walls。　It　sizzled　and　rang。　The　chipped　stone　had　a　raw；　singed　odor。　Nathan　Lee　curled　into　a　ball。　〃Who　are　you？〃　he　yelled。
　〃e　out。〃
　〃I　don't　want　any　trouble。　I　don't　have　anything。〃
　〃You　want　another？〃
　〃Don't　shoot　me。〃
　〃Stay　in　there；　I　will。〃
　〃I'm　unarmed。〃　Nathan　Lee　crawled　out　of　the　cave。　His　joints　ached　from　the　damp。　He　knew　to　keep　his　arms　up；　hands　open。　He　walked　downhill。
　〃Stop　there；〃　the　voice　said。　Not　ten　feet　further；　a　man's　head　rested　on　the　ground　like　a　pumpkin。　He　rose　up　and　the　ground　seemed　to　rise　on　his　back。　His　face　looked　freshly　unburied；　smeared　with　soil　and　wood　smoke　and　leaves　in　his　beard。　Much　like　Nathan　Lee's　own　face。　He　kept　the　black　dot　of　his　muzzle　trained　on　Nathan　Lee's　eye。
　The　first　horseman　in　hunter's　clothing　returned。　His　horse's　nostrils　smoked　in　the　cold。
　〃I　was　passing　through；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。
　〃You　should　have　kept　passing；〃　the　scarecrow　said。
　〃It　started　to　rain。〃
　〃What　a　coincidence。　Right　among　the　meat。〃
　Meat？They　thought　he　was　a　poacher。　Of　zebras？　Had　people　gotten　so　hungry？　〃I'm　a　physician；〃　he　said。　〃I'm　on　my　way　to　Washington。〃
　〃No　one's　going　to　Washington　these　days；〃　said　the　horseback　man。
　〃I　am。〃
　〃Let's　see　your　blood　book。〃
　Nathan　Lee　lowered　one　arm；　carefully　fetched　the　i。d。　booklet；　and　tossed　it　to　the　scarecrow。　In　lieu　of　latex　gloves；　the　man　used　a　folded　leaf　to　pick　it　up。
　〃Charles　Andrew　Bowen；〃　he　read　aloud。　〃M。D。　Bay　City；　Texas。〃　He　pared　the　photo　to　Nathan　Lee's　face。　Nathan　Lee　had　paid　the　forger　with　Tibetan　gold。　He　looked　old　in　the　picture。　It　was　a　fair　snapshot　of　his　soul。　With　a　twig；　the　scarecrow　opened　the　pages　to　mid…booklet；　and　visibly　relaxed。　〃He　tested　negative　at　the　Hancock　station。　That　was　two　days　ago。〃　He　lowered　his　rifle。
　The　horseback　man　did　not。　〃Now　he　knows　where　the　herd　is。〃
　Who　were　these　guys？
　〃What's　your　business？〃　the　scarecrow　said。
　〃I'm　looking　for　someone。〃　That　annoyed　them。　Everyone　was　looking　for　someone。　The　phone　network　had　crashed　long　ago。　The　information　age　had　gone　the　way　of　the　albatross。　〃It's　the　truth；〃　he　said。　He　stopped。　Everybody　had　a　story；　losses　to　tell；　an　angle；　a　hunger。
　〃I　wouldn't　go　down　there；〃　said　the　scarecrow。　〃The　coasts　are　getting　hot。　You　know　about　Florida。〃
　The　plague　had　showed　up　in　Key　West　and　spread　to　Miami。　Taking　no　chances；　the　authorities　had　lopped　the　entire　peninsula　from　the　map。　No　one　entered。　No　one　left。　It　was　not　a　police　action。　There　were　no　polite　checkpoints。　The　curfew　was　absolute。　From　Jacksonville　to　Pensacola；　the　Army　patrols　shot　to　kill。　The　empire's　furthest　outposts　were　being　overrun；　one　by　one。　First　Hawaii；　then　the　Gulf。　Alaska　had　started　to　turn　mean；　too。　He　had　used　every　resource　in　catching　one　of　the　evacuation　flights　down　into　the　lower　forty…eight。
　〃It's　not　too　late；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。
　The　two　men　exchanged　a　look。　The　horseback　man　kept　his　finger　on　the　trigger。　He　continued　scowling。　〃He　knows　about　the　herd。〃　Only　then　did　Nathan　Lee　see　the　string　of　ears　hanging　from　his　pommel。　They　were　coyote　and　dog　ears；　but　one　was　human。　The　horseback　man　grinned。
　〃What　are　those　zebras　doing　here？〃　asked　Nathan　Lee。
　〃You　ever　hear　of　the　National　Zoo？〃
　It　fell　into　place；　or　part　of　it　anyway。　〃You're　rangers？〃
　〃I　was　in　my　third　year　at　veterinary　school；〃　said　the　scarecrow。　〃Then　the　food　riots　hit。　After　that；　we　trucked　all　the　big　mammals　into　the　mountains。　They're　safer　here；　even　with　the　predators　about。　If　they　find　a　cure；　the　animals　can　go　back　to　the　zoo。〃
　〃And　if　they　don't？〃　said　Nathan　Lee。
　〃Nature　won。〃
　While　he　fetched　his　pack　from　the　cave；　the　two　men　rode　off　into　the　mist。　Nevertheless；　Nathan　Lee　felt　watched　all　the　way　out　of　the　forest。
　　
　THE　RANGERSwere　right。　No　one　was　going　into　Washington；　only　trying　to　leave。　On　the　east　side　of　the　Theodore　Roosevelt　Bridge；　he　came　to　a　great　logjam　of　people　waiting　to　be　processed　so　they　could　cross　the　Potomac　and　strike　off　for　the　interior。　He　could　smell　and　hear　the　blood　stations　at　work　on　them。　The　stench　of　Clorox　disinfectant　was　powerful　in　the　noon　heat。　Worse　were　the　shrieking　children；　whose　little　veins　were　hidden　away。
　〃Where　do　I　go　for　my　blood　test？〃　he　asked　a　soldier。
　〃You're　inbound？　No　test。〃
　That　was　ominous。　They　were　giving　up　on　D。C。
　The　Metro　was　closed　until　further　notice。　Thousands　of　homeless　inhabited　it；　a　dark；　tubular　municipality　all　its　own。　Not　wanting　to　chance　the　darker　parts；　he　set　off　along　Lafayette　Boulevard　on　foot。
　Back　the　Attack；said　a　poster　pasted　on　a　wall。　The　Health　Services　had　tried　a　number　of　such　slogans；　some　borrowed　from　WWII；　some　lifted　from　now　outdated　battles　against　diabetes；　breast　cancer；　or　AIDS：We　Can　Beat　It；　Speed　the　Cure；　All　Together；　Our　Blood　Is　One。
　In　the　ancient　tradition；　the　elite　had　fled　before　the　plague　and　left　the　city　to　the　masses。　Far　from　being　lifeless；　the　streets　were　fiery　with　culture。　It　was　cherry　blossom　season。　Pink　petals　surged　on　the　breeze。　Flowers　burst　from　the　earth。　All　the　parks　had　been　uprooted　to　make　vegetable　gardens。　Their　long　rows　were　tended　by　women　and　children；　guarded　by　men　with　pawnshop　guns　or　black　market　automatics。　Some　gardens　belonged　to　church　groups；　others　were　owned　by　gangs。　The　most　beautiful　gardens　he　saw　were　cared　for　by　the　Nation　of　Islam；　whose　women　dressed　in　white　like　black　angels。
　It　was　a　time　of　plenty。　Markets　abounded　with　canned　goods　stolen　from　grocery　chains　and　with　USAID　supplies。　You　could　find　live　chickens　to　eat　or　to　lay　eggs。　Ducks　and　other　water　fowl　hung　plucked　from　the　rafters。　Tables　were　heavy　with　crab；　mackarel；　salmon；　and　squid。　Rich；　spicy　barbeque　smoke　hung　in　the　air。
　After　the　cold；　hunched　malice　of　Alaska；　now　just　an　armed　beachhead　staving　off　foreign　carriers；　Washington　was　bewitching。　Block　after　block；　drummers　hammered　at　their　bongos。　Dancers　twirled；　tangoed；　and　writhed。　A　cappella　reigned：　choirs；　quartets；　brave　soloists。　There　were　fire　eaters；　clowns；　tightrope　walkers；　an　ax　juggler。　Every　street　corner　held　orators　and　soothsayers；　philosophers；　unemployed　teachers　giving　lessons　for　food；　and　doomsayers　ranting。
　At　first　glance；　there　was　nothing　but　abundance。　Food　convoys　trundled　through　like　chains　of　elephants；　disbursin