jefflong.yearzero-第5部分

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　〃We　can't　stay　here；〃　said　Ochs。　〃If　the　aftershocks　don't　kill　us；　the　animals　or　soldiers　will。　You're　not　going　to　find　your　conscience　in　the　dirt；　you　know。〃
　Faraway；　a　man　shrieked。　Grieving　or　gut　shot　or　mad。　It　stopped　suddenly。
　〃Go；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　〃There's　your　church。　I'll　be　here。　I　won't　leave　without　you。〃
　〃I　need　you　down　there；〃　said　Ochs。　〃The　trench　is　deep。〃
　What　trench？wondered　Nathan　Lee。　Ochs　had　offered　no　clues　to　his　prey；　other　than　the　name　of　the　Church　itself。　〃Help　me　then；〃　he　repeated。　He　strained　at　another　stone。
　〃All　right；〃　Ochs　said。　〃But　first　you　help　me。　We　go　into　the　church。　Get　what　we　came　for。　It　will　take　half　an　hour。　After　that　you　can　e　back　here　and　dig　to　your　heart's　content。〃　His　teeth　glittered　red　and　green。
　Nathan　Lee　balked。　〃And　you'll　help　me。〃
　〃I'll　help。　If　anyone　asks　what　we　have　in　the　body　bag；　we'll　tell　the　truth。　Human　remains。〃
　Another　clue；　thought　Nathan　Lee。　He　marked　the　edge　of　the　depression　with　a　mountaineer's　cairn；　rocks　stacked　on　rocks。　Then　he　led　Ochs　down　the　rubble　to　the　flat　stone　courtyard。
　One　of　the　great　wooden　doors　had　buckled　open。　They　stepped　inside　from　ruin　into　relative　serenity。　Tiles　had　buckled　here　and　there。　Colored　glass　crunched　underfoot。　Candles　lay　toppled　and　bent。　Otherwise　the　interior　appeared　to　be　unscathed。
　It　was　like　walking　through　a　dream　among　the　altars　and　dark　icons　lining　the　walls。　The　rotunda　area　was　larger　than　he　remembered；　but　that　was　because　the　crowds　of　pilgrims　were　absent。　Pillars　and　arches　surrounded　them。　Flare　light　illuminated　the　surviving　stained　glass　art。　Not　a　soul　occupied　this　safe　haven。
　〃What　did　I　tell　you；〃　said　Ochs。　〃All　ours。〃　The　quiet　interior　put　him　at　ease。　〃The　Tomb　of　Jesus；〃　he　announced；　walking　to　a　boxy　shape　at　the　center　of　the　rotunda。
　The　marble　was　polished　from　centuries　of　fingertips　and　reverent　kisses。　Inside　the　small　edifice；　Nathan　Lee　knew；　was　a　tiny　gate　with　a　poor　view　of　a　rock。　As　he　recalled；　the　fragment　was　covered　with　white　and　pink　wax　drippings。　Was　that　Ochs's　souvenir？　It　would　explain　the　geologist's　hammer　and　stone　chisels。　But　not　the　〃human　remains。〃
　〃What　are　we　after？〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　He　felt　disoriented　in　this　place。　Stone　staircases　led　up　here；　down　there。　In　the　beam　of　his　flashlight；　metal　chandeliers　swayed　slightly　on　heavy　chains。　The　earth　was　still　settling。
　Ochs　took　his　time。　He　crossed　to　a　separate　area；　and　Nathan　Lee　followed。　A　horizontal　window　looked　down　upon　a　misshapen　boulder。
　〃The　Rock　of　Calvary；〃　Ochs　entoned。　〃Golgotha；　in　the　Aramaic。　The　cave　of　Adam's　skull；　they　say。　The　hill　of　Christ's　death。〃
　〃I've　had　the　tour；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　The　rock　was　roughly　forty　feet　high；　made　of　cream…colored　limestone　known　asmizzi　hilu；　or　sweet　stone；　a　favorite　of　Iron　Age　quarriers。　This　particular　blob　of　stone　had　been　left　in　place　because　it　was　flawed；　with　a　crack　through　the　top　that　predated　the　Christian　era　by　eons。　Was　this　Ochs's　memento；　a　chunk　of　Christ's　rock？　But　what　museum　would　buy　such　a　thing？
　〃Look　how　small　the　summit　is；〃　Ochs　drily　observed。　〃No　room　for　two　more　crosses　of　the　thieves；　would　you　say？　And　steep。　Have　you　seen　the　section　drawing　by　Gibson　and　Taylor？　It's　overhanging　on　the　back　side。　Maybe　a　climber　like　you　could　get　up　the　sides　with　a　cross　on　your　back。　But　a　man　who's　just　been　whipped　half　to　death？　They　say　a　fully　assembled　cross　would　have　weighed　200　pounds。　Even　if　it　was　only　the　crosspiece　Jesus　was　carrying；　it　still　would　have　meant　a　good　fifty　pounds　or　more。〃
　Ochs　went　on。　〃The　Gospels　said　nothing　about　Jesus　being　crucified　on　a　hill；　only　at　atopos　or　place。　According　to　Jerome；golgotha　was　a　mon　term　for　crucifixion　sites。　The　skull　referred　to　the　unburied　remains。　It's　no　wonder　scholars　have　e　to　dismiss　the　site。　I　did；　too。〃
　〃We　don't　have　time　for　this；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　He　looked　around　for　something　portable　and　precious；　but　it　was　all　knickknacks　to　his　eye。　He　couldn't　imagine　what　Ochs　wanted　here。
　〃One　thing　is　certain；〃　Ochs　rambled　on。　〃Wherever　Golgotha　was；　it　must　have　served　for　thousands　of　other　executions　over　the　years。　Varus　crucified　2000　in　the　year　4B　。C。E。　Florus　crucified　almost　twice　that　many　at　the　start　of　the　First　Jewish　Revolt。　A　few　years　later；　Titus　was　crucifying　500　people　per　day。　It　adds　up。　But　have　you　ever　asked　yourself；　with　all　those　dead　men；　where　are　the　remains？　Wouldn't　some　of　those　skulls　and　bones　have　survived？　In　all　our　excavations　around　Jerusalem；　we've　found　only　one　skeleton　that　had　been　crucified。〃
　Nathan　Lee　knew　the　skeleton。。。by　name。　Yehochanan　had　been　a　male；　five…foot　five…inches　tall；　twenty…five　years　old。　Possibly　he'd　been　a　rebel。　Possibly　his　little　daughter　had　been　killed　before　his　eyes　as　he　hung　on　his　cross。　At　any　rate；　her　bones　had　been　found　mixed　with　his。　A　spike　driven　sideways　through　his　heel　bone　had　stuck；　and　they　had　buried　Yehochanan　with　the　nail　at　a　tomb　just　north　of　the　city。
　For　a　moment；　despite　himself；　Nathan　Lee　felt　pulled　in。　〃The　bones　were　removed　when　the　Old　City　walls　were　expanded；〃　he　said。　〃According　tohalakhic　law；　carcasses；　graves　and　tanneries　couldn't　remain　within　fifty　cubits　of　the　town。〃
　〃That's　conventional　wisdom；〃　said　Ochs。　〃But　the　Jews　weren't　in　charge　of　the　city's　expansion；　remember？　It　was　the　Romans　calling　the　shots。　They　didn't　give　a　damn　about　Hebrew　regulations。〃
　〃Then　the　bones　turned　to　dust。　I　don't　know。　They're　gone。　What　does　it　matter？〃
　〃My　man；〃　tutted　Ochs。
　The　pieces　fell　together。　〃There　are　remains？〃
　〃Under　our　very　feet。〃
　〃But　I　would　have　heard　about　it。〃
　〃They　were　only　discovered　a　month　ago；〃　said　Ochs。　〃A　team　with　the　Studium　Biblicum　Franciscanum。　Vatican　people。　You　know　how　secretive　they　are。〃
　〃How　did　you　find　out　then？〃
　Ochs　rubbed　his　fingers　and　thumb。　〃Filthy　lucre。　I　know　you　think　you're　above　everyone　else；　Nathan　Lee。　But　even　you　have　your　price。〃
　Nathan　Lee　flushed。　Ochs　led　the　way　down　a　set　of　stone　stairs　through　a　chapel　region；　then　further　on　to　a　barred　gate　with　a　U…shaped；　titanium　bike　lock。　〃The　Cave　of　the　Invention　of　the　Cross；〃　he　said；　beaming　his　flashlight　into　the　depths。
　According　to　legend；　the　true　cross　had　been　discovered　here；　in　327　C。E。；　by　the　newly　converted　mother　of　Emperor　Constantine。　In　a　sense；　she'd　been　the　original　archaeologist；　dashing　around；　digging　up　artifacts；　orchestrating　bits　and　pieces　of　the　Passion　Narrative；　the　story　of　Jesus'　death。　It　was　she　who　had　decided　the　Rock　was　Golgotha；　a　tomb　was　the　Tomb；　and　that　Jesus'　cross　had　been　buried　in　this　cave。　The　wooden　cross　was　long　gone。　Twice　it　had　been　lost　to　Moslem　conquerors；　first　the　Persians；　then　the　great　Kurdish　warrior　Saladin。　Each　time　it　had　been　recovered；　only　to　be　nibbled　to　toothpicks　by　faithful　Christians。　If　Christ's　〃tree〃　had　ever　existed　in　the　first　place；　it　was　now　scattered　around　the　world　in　holy　relic　boxes。
　Ochs　gave　the　bars　a　shake；　and　took　off　his　daypack。　He　tried　a　pry　bar；　but　the　bike　lock　defied　him。　He　looked　like　a　giant　rat　gnawing　at　the　door。　〃The　chisel；　e　on；〃　he　said。
　Nathan　Lee　shucked　his　pack。　The　bolts　in　the　hinges　were　negligible。　He　chopped　their　heads　off。　The　gate　opened。
　Even　from　the　top　of　the　stairs；　Nathan　Lee　could　smell　the　fresh　dirt　of　a　dig。　They　descended　into　a　room　with　an　altar　built　against　one　wall。　Next　to　it　yawned　a　narrow　tunnel。　The　floor　of　the　subterranean　chapel　was　piled　with　dirt　on　tarps。　Sieve　trays　were　neatly　nested　by　a　grid　frame；　trowels；　and　other　tools　of　the　trade。　〃After　you；〃　said　Ochs；　shining　his　light　into　the　tunnel。
　Nathan　Lee　turned　on　his　headlamp。　It　was　his　father's　headlamp；　a　taped；　tended　thing。Get　over　it；　he　thought。
　He　had　to　crouch　to　move　inside。　The　Franciscan　team　had　braced　the　sides　and　ceiling　with　scaffolding　and　beams。　Somehow　it　had　stood　up　to　the　tremors。　His　claustrophobia　was　not　helped　by　Ochs　looming　behind　him。
　〃Careful　ahead。　It　goes　back　twelve　meters；　then　turns　right；　and　drops　nine　meters。〃
　〃It　goes　down？　I　thought　th