jefflong.yearzero-第45部分

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　〃This　is　wonderful。　It　means　you're　still　searching。　You　must　tell　us　about　your　progress。　We'd　started　to　give　up　hope。〃　Her　hand　was　trembling。
　Obviously　she　had　no　idea　who　he　was。　He'd　given　her　a　bad　scare。　The　poor　woman　was　so　confused；　he　could　have　faded　back　into　the　darkness　and　she　would　forget　him。　But　on　the　spot；　Nathan　Lee　decided　it　was　time　to　end　his　concealment　before　he　gave　one　of　them　a　heart　attack。　He　was　getting　nowhere　by　himself　in　here。
　〃You've　got　me　mixed　up　with　someone　else。〃
　〃Not　at　all；〃　she　insisted。　〃He　told　us　you　were　ing。　But　that　was　last　November。〃
　He　went　along　with　her　delusion。　〃It　took　me　awhile；〃　he　said。
　〃Are　the　planes　running　again？〃　she　asked。
　〃What　planes？〃　The　skies　were　empty。　They　belonged　to　the　birds　and　children's　kites。
　〃He　said　he　had　to　catch　his　plane。〃
　〃Who？〃
　〃A　large　man。　It　was　an　issue　of　national　security；　he　said。　He　kept　us　busy　for　days。　We　put　together　what　artifacts　we　could　on　such　short　notice。　Then　he　dashed　off　to　catch　the　military　plane。　He　left　the　list　for　us　to　plete。　It's　all　ready　for　you。〃
　A　large　man；　copping　artifacts　on　the　edge　of　disaster？It　couldn't　be；　he　decided。　〃Do　you　remember　his　name？〃
　〃He　was　exceptionally　rude；〃　she　recalled。　She　took　his　arm。　〃e　along。　Ellison　will　know。　And　we　need　to　get　you　back　on　the　road。〃
　As　she　led　him　through　the　corridors；　other　curators　appeared　from　the　darkness　like　phantoms　and　joined　the　procession。　Baird　drifted　from　a　room。　〃There　you　are。〃　To　the　others；　he　crowed；　〃The　Swift　boy。　What　did　I　tell　you？〃
　They　reached　Ellison's　place；　a　large　office　beneath　the　Freer　Museum；　and　as　it　turned　out；　theyhad　been　waiting　for　him；　or　someone　like　him。
　Ellison　was　their　acting　deputy　secretary。　He　sat　tall　and　erect　at　his　desk；　which　was　flanked　by　a　lanky；　spear…high　Giaetti　bronze　tastefully　lit　with　flashlights。　He　had　a　Brown　Bess　musket　mounted　on　one　wall；　a　Morris　Rippel　watercolor　of　cottonwoods　on　another。　His　desk　was　spartan；　bare　except　for　a　lantern　and　a　small　statue　of　a　nude　woman　reclining　on　one　elbow；　hip　cocked。　Her　breasts　were　ripe　and　fat　and　arrogant。
　The　curators　crowded　into　the　room　with　excited　babble。　Their　shadows　filled　the　walls。　Baird　was　acting　like　quite　the　hero。　〃Found　him　in　the　rain；　shivering　like　a　kitten。　You　would　not　believe　the　tempest　out　there。〃　Nathan　Lee　didn't　tell　him　the　rain　had　been　a　full　week　ago。
　Ellison　looked　severe。　He　wished　to　bring　them　to　order。　〃Please；〃　he　said　to　the　room。　He　saw　Nathan　Lee's　eyes　on　the　statue；　and　unfolded　his　thin　hands；　and　moved　it　slightly　closer　to　himself。　〃Matisse；〃　he　said　primly。
　〃How　are　the　roads；　son？〃　a　man　called　from　the　back。　〃Is　it　true　the　interstates　are　mined？〃
　〃How　bad's　the　martial　law？〃　asked　another。
　〃You　mean；　how　good？〃　someone　said。
　〃Betrayed　ourselves；　martial　law；〃　the　first　retorted。　It　had　the　sound　of　an　ongoing　debate。　〃Mark　my　words。　If　I'd　known　we　were　going　to　turn　into　the　the　bloody　Third　Reich。。。。〃
　〃Law。　Order。〃
　〃Please；〃　said　Ellison。　〃Please。〃
　Gradually　the　assembly　fell　silent　quiet。
　Ellison　stared　at　Nathan　Lee。　〃We　knew　you　were　here；〃　he　stated。　〃Some　of　the　curators　thought　you　were　an　apparition　haunting　the　premises。　I　was　an　inch　from　calling　the　Marines　to　hunt　you　out。〃
　〃It's　Swift；　you　fool；〃　Baird　said。　〃I　told　you。　We　don't　need　no　stinking　badges。〃　He　cackled。
　〃I　take　it；　you've　finished　your　pilfering？〃　Ellison　said。
　〃I'm　looking　for　information；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　〃A　man　named　David　Ochs。〃
　〃Ochs；〃　said　Ellison。　〃Yes；　the　professor　was　here。　He　told　us　all　about　the　grief　you　brought　him。　Nothing　pared　to　the　grief　you　brought　us。　Do　you　realize　the　scandal　you　wreaked　upon　this　body？　The　Smithsonian！　Body　snatching。　The　FBI。　An　audit。。。by　the　Metropolitan　Museum；　for　god's　sake！　Receipts；　money　paid　to　a　convicted　murderer！　Heads　rolled　because　of　you；　Mr。　Swift。〃
　〃Quit　wasting　time；　Ellison；〃　snapped　Baird。　〃The　boy's　e　a　long　way。　And　that　Ochs　fellow；　an　egg　sucker　if　I　ever　saw　one。　Didn't　believe　a　word。。。。〃
　〃Ochs　was　here？〃　said　Nathan　Lee。
　Ellison　opened　a　drawer。　He　found　a　file。　It　contained　a　single　sheet　of　paper　with　a　list。　He　began　sucking　his　teeth；　reviewing　the　line　items　with　a　pencil　point。　〃One　hundred　and　ten　artifacts　listed　here。　The　professor　took　twenty…three　with　him。　Hasty　job。　Nearly　missed　his　flight。　Harrowing　for　him。　I　can　only　sympathize。　Overland　travel　was　getting　too　risky。　That　was　then。　Now？　How　did　you　get　here？〃
　〃He's　got　his　ways。〃　Baird　was　delighted。　〃Maybe　you'll　listen　to　me　now。　He's　a　resourceful　boy。〃
　This　ignited　the　ancient　crowd　all　over　again。　Questions　rained　down。　〃What's　the　news？　What's　it　like　out　there？〃
　〃Are　they　closing　in　on　the　vaccine；　sir？〃　asked　the　petite　cellist。　She　was　still　holding　Nathan　Lee's　arm　as　if　he　were　a　bravo　and　she　were　a　belle。
　Ellison　almost　injured　himself　clearing　his　throat。　〃Professor　Ochs　did　promise　a　messenger　would　be　sent　for　the　other　eighty…seven　artifacts　on　this　list。　But　that　was　supposed　to　be　six　months　ago。〃
　They　kept　thrusting　his　script　at　him。　All　Nathan　Lee　had　to　do　was　play　his　part。　〃It　took　me　longer　than　expected；〃　he　said　without　apology。　〃Like　you　say；　the　road。〃　He　spokethe　road　darkly。
　〃Good　lad；〃　said　Baird。　〃Hell　in　the　wastelands；　do　you　see；〃　he　told　the　others。　They　murmured。　They　saw。
　〃I　am　troubled；〃　continued　Ellison。
　〃By　god；〃　agreed　Baird。
　Ellison　let　his　knuckles　drop　on　the　tidy　desk　top。　〃Why　on　earth　would　they　send　a　thief？〃
　Who　was　thisthey？　Where　had　Ochs　e　from？　Where　had　he　gone？
　〃You　want　the　job　done　or　not；　Ellison？〃　snapped　Baird。　〃These　are　uncivilized　times。　It　takes　a　certain　kind　of　man。　Not　a　journey　for　the　weak。〃
　Ellison　was　annoyed。　〃My　point　is　that　I　know　what　you　are；　Mr。　Swift。　Whatever　it　is　you've　spent　this　week　stealing　from　us；　stays　here。　You　were　sent　for　a　reason。　A　great　deal　is　expected　of　you。〃
　In　fact；　Nathan　Lee　had　been　stealing　things。　Small　things。　Precious　things。　His　gold　had　run　low；　and　he　still　had　a　country　to　explore。　But　he　wasn't　about　to　confess　to　a　bureaucrat　who　was　only　guessing。　〃Do　you　have　my　shipment？〃　he　said。
　〃We　did　our　best；〃　Ellison　sniffed。　〃All　we　could　locate　were　thirteen　more　items。〃
　〃Thirteen。〃　Nathan　Lee　scowled。　〃They　told　me　eighty…seven。　I　came　all　this　way　for　nothing？〃　He　reached　across　and　pulled　the　list　from　Ellison's　hands。
　It　was　an　inventory　printed　on　Los　Alamos　National　Laboratory　letterhead。　Nathan　Lee　recognized　some　of　the　artifacts　from　his　days　on　the　Year　Zero　digs。　The　rest　were　religious　trinkets　from　the　Mideast　and　Europe；　talismans　and　holy　relics。　That　made　no　sense　to　him。　But　there　at　the　bottom　was　a　hastily　written　note　taking　possession　of　the　twenty…three　objects。　Underneath；　larger　than　necessary；　was　Ochs's　signature。Los　Alamos？　thought　Nathan　Lee。
　〃Thirteen　is　hardly　nothing；〃　Ellison　protested。
　〃It's　hardly　eighty…seven；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　His　mind　was　racing。　〃I'll　need　transport；〃　he　said。　〃And　food。　And　letters　of　passage。〃
　Ellison's　eyes　narrowed。　〃That's　a　lot　of　needs；〃　he　said。　〃You　almost　sound　like　a　man　trying　to　make　something　out　of　nothing。〃
　〃He's　the　courier；〃　said　Baird。　〃They　sent　him。〃
　〃I　don't　think　so；〃　said　Ellison。
　〃This　is　government　business；〃　protested　the　cellist。　〃Mr。　Swift　is　a　patriot。　He's　e　to　save　us。〃
　〃You're　jeopardizing　the　cure；〃　an　old　man　said。　〃I　have　children　out　there。〃
　〃Grandchildren；〃　another　said。
　〃Great…grandchildren。〃
　〃Who　do　you　think　you　are；　Ellison？　What　right。。。。〃
　Ellison　tried　to　stand　his　ground。　But　there　were　too　many　of　them。　〃Put　him　on　the　road；　then；〃　he　barked。　〃Give　him　what　he　needs。　Get　him　out　of　here。〃
　The　group　started　to　leave。　But　Nathan　Lee　paused。　He　turned。　Ellison　shifted　unfortably。　〃Now　what？〃　he　said。
　Nathan　Lee　picked　up　the　Matisse　statue　and　hefted　it。　In　front　of　them　all；　he　slid　it　into　his　jacket　pocket。　〃For　good　luck；〃　he　announced。
　His　brazenness　gave　them　heart。　They　followed　him　like　a　great　hero。
　　
　NEXT　MORNING；　on　the　front　lawn　of　the　museum；　Nathan　Lee　kick…started　an