jefflong.yearzero-第59部分

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by　its　enzyme　departments。　Skin　sabotaged　Brain　last　week。　Hippocampus　is　arguing　with　Neocortex。　It's　a　farce；〃　she　said。　〃The　corpus　is　devouring　itself。〃
　Nathan　Lee　emerged　from　his　thoughts。　〃I　know；〃　he　said。　〃I　see　it。　I　hear　it。　I　was　standing　in　line　the　other　day。　Two　guys　behind　me。　And　they　were　admiring　the　virus。　One　of　them　wondered　why　it　chose　such　a　flimsy　thing　as　man。　They've　fallen　in　love　with　it；　you　know。〃
　〃What　was　that？〃
　〃The　virus；〃　he　repeated。　〃People　love　it。　Not　like；〃　he　wagged　his　finger　back　and　forth　from　her　to　him；　〃between　people。　It's　more　like　reverence。　They've　subordinated　themselves　to　it。　The　virus　is　like　a　deity。　No　one　talks　about　it　as　an　invader。〃　He　took　a　big　pinch　of　the　Parmesan　cheese　from　under　her　grater　and　sprinkled　it　across　the　omelette。
　〃That's。。。wrong；〃　she　said。　It　was　an　awful　notion。　Grotesque。　〃We　haven't　even　seen　the　thing　yet。　It's　an　idea。　Well；　an　expression。　We　see　its　signature。〃
　But　he　was　right。　She　saw　it　in　an　instant。They　loved　the　thing　that　was　killing　them。
　He　didn't　argue。　〃That's　probably　enough　cheese；〃　he　mented。
　Miranda　looked　down；　and　she　had　furiously　grated　another　small　pile。　She　lay　the　grater　aside；　and　went　around　to　her　stool　and　glass　of　wine。
　〃No　one　has　seen　what　you've　seen；〃　she　said。　〃The　plague　is　still　unbelievable　to　us。〃
　〃I　haven't　seen　it　either；〃　he　reminded　her。　〃Only　the　shockwaves。〃
　〃After　you　got　here；〃　she　said；　〃I　pulled　up　some　of　the　satellite　feeds。　I　wanted　to　see　what　you　came　through。　From　space；　the　continents　are　dark。　The　lights　are　turned　off。　It　looks　like　we　lost。〃
　〃Don't　say　that。〃
　〃Tell　me　about　America。〃　Ever　since　his　appearance　out　of　nowhere；　Miranda　had　wanted　to　ask　him　about　the　day…after　world。　The　question　had　seemed　too　personal；　but　now　she　realized　it　was　only　too　personal　to　her。　She　didn't　want　to　know　what　it　was　like　in　her　own　country。　But　part　of　her　did。　The　nation　still　teemed　with　people；　and　though　it　was　no　longer　really　a　nation；　it　was　still　America。　Surely；　she　thought。
　〃I've　been　here　a　month；〃　he　said。　〃It's　changed　even　more；　I'm　sure。〃
　〃You　don't　have　to　talk　about　it。〃
　He　looked　at　her　eyes。　He　decided。　Very　softly　he　said；　〃So　green。〃
　It　hung　a　moment。Her　eyes？　She　looked　away。　She　reached　for　the　bottle。
　He　went　on。　〃I　don't　know　what　I　expected。　A　world　of　ash？　But　it　was　summer　down　there。　The　daisies　and　bluebonnets　were　in　bloom。　I　drove　through　hundreds　of　miles　of　them　growing　out　of　cracks　in　the　highway。〃
　He　wiggled　the　frying　pan。　〃One　morning；　I　woke　up　and　there　must　have　been　a　hundred　big　hot　air　balloons　riding　overhead；　people　in　wicker　baskets。　Every　color　and　pattern。　They　shouted　good　morning　to　me。　They　waved　at　me。　They　were　happy。〃
　〃They　were　riding　balloons？〃
　〃It　was　pure　whimsy。　It　was　like　a　picnic　in　the　air。　I　don't　know　where　they　think　they　were　going。　I　don't　think　they　knew。　The　wind　just　took　them。〃　He　shook　his　head；　still　astonished。
　〃What　about　the　fires？〃　she　asked。　〃What　about　the　cities？　Is　it　true　about　the　Great　Lakes　war？〃　Toronto　and　Buffalo　were　said　to　be　in　an　uneasy　alliance　against　Montreal。　Quebec　had　blockaded　the　St。　Lawrence。　Detroit　had　launched　its　own　fleet　of　privateers。　The　nation　had　given　way　to　city…states；　to　cabals　of　generals　and　senators。
　〃I　was　warned　to　get　around　them；〃　he　said。　〃You　could　see　some　of　it　from　a　distance；　especially　at　night。　It　must　be　over　by　now。〃
　〃What　could　you　see　at　night？〃　she　pressed。　He　was　trying　to　keep　this　pleasant。　Now　that　she'd　opened　it　up；　she　wanted　to　know　the　reality。
　〃The　prairie　fires　were　awesome；〃　he　offered。　〃They　made　it　hard　to　sleep　some　nights；　even　with　them　fifty　miles　off。　They　turned　the　whole　horizon　orange。　You　could　hear　them　far　off。　They　sounded　like　freight　trains。〃
　〃The　cities；〃　she　said。
　〃The　cities　were　bonfires。　I　stayed　far　away　from　them。　I　took　the　back　roads。　I　went　slow。　There　were　snipers。　And　nail　boards　to　punch　your　tires。　And　piano　wire。〃
　〃What　for？〃
　〃They　string　the　wire　at　throat　level　to　get　the　bicycle　riders。　It's　almost　impossible　to　see；　especially　if　you're　going　fast。　There's　a　lot　of　bicycles　out。　A　land　of　bikes。〃　Her　shock　at　the　piano　wire　must　have　showed。　〃One　night；　I　slept　in　a　cornfield。　Young　corn。　I　never　knew　this；　but　you　can　hear　it　growing。〃　He　was　trying　to　distract　her。　It　was　working。
　〃You　mean　the　stalks　rustling　in　the　breeze；〃　she　said。
　〃No；〃　he　said。　〃No　breeze。　Totally　still。　The　ears　getting　bigger。　The　leaves　unfolding。　It　makes　a　sound。〃
　She　had　never　thought　about　that。　Then　she　returned　to　chasing　the　reality。　〃These　bad　people；　you're　talking　about。　The　snipers。。。。〃
　〃Taking　care　of　their　own；〃　he　said。　〃There　is　no　good　or　bad。〃
　〃Shooting　innocent　people？〃
　〃Providing　for　their　families。　Or　clans。　Whatever's　left。〃
　〃I　thought　there　was　martial　law。〃
　〃There　was。　They　say　the　Army　kept　I…70　open　all　the　way　through　spring。　They　escorted　the　convoys；　hunted　the　highway　robbers；　protected　the　blood　stations。　They　did　what　they　could；　but　it　got　out　of　hand。　I　passed。。。so　many。。。executions。　Bodies　hanging　from　high…voltage　towers。　Or　tied　up　to　fence　posts。　Or　just　shot　in　the　ditches。　It　was　like　something　out　of　the　dark　ages。　You　could　tell　the　Army's　work。　They　made　a　public　display　of　it　along　the　roadsides。〃
　〃That's　going　on？〃
　〃Not　anymore。　Not　the　Army。　There's　only　so　long　a　soldier　will　go　without　pay。　And　most　of　them　had　families。　I…70　was　the　last　sea…to…sea　corridor。　It　was　closed　by　the　time　I　wanted　to　use　it。〃
　The　Army　was　falling　apart。〃The　generals　have　told　told　us　nothing　like　that；〃　she　said。
　〃Have　you　ever　read　about　the　conquistadores？〃　he　said。　〃First　thing　they　did　when　they　landed　in　the　New　World　was　to　cut　ties　with　the　monarchy。　This　was　back　when　kings　got　their　authority　straight　from　God；　same　as　the　pope。　All　of　a　sudden；　the　conquistadores　found　themselves　in　a　world　without　a　god。〃
　〃You're　paring　the　generals　to　warlords？〃
　〃I　don't　see　anybody　in　charge　of　them。〃
　My　father；she　didn't　say。　And　the　President　and　Joint　Chiefs；　bunkered　in　NORAD　in　Cheyenne　Mountain。　And　two　hundred　years　of　democracy。　She　did　not　consider　herself　a　patriot。　But　democracy　was　their　god。　He　was　scaring　her。　〃They　get　their　authority　from　the　people；〃　she　insisted。
　〃Miranda。〃　He　murmured　the　chastisement。
　She　tipped　the　bottle。　It　was　empty。　Not　good。　Too　fast。　〃I　know　it's　grim；〃　she　stated。
　〃It's　different；　is　what　I'm　saying。　It's　not　the　way　it　was；〃　he　said；　〃but　also　it's　just　the　way　it　was。　I　came　to　some　of　these　little　towns；　and　it　was　surreal。　Like　the　clock　had　stopped　fifty　years　ago。　They　were　untouched。　Not　a　worry。　Men　cutting　their　lawns　with　hand　mowers。　Lemonade　for　a　nickel。　Boys　painting　white　fences。　You'd　think　they'd　never　heard　of　the　plague。〃
　〃Out　of　sight；　out　of　mind？〃
　〃A　little　bit　of　that；　I'm　sure；〃　he　said。　〃But　also　no　one　thinks　they're　next。　It's　not　denial。　It's　belief。　They　all　think　they're　destined　to　survive。　I　must　have　heard　a　hundred　reasons　why　the　plague　is　going　to　pass　them　over。　Their　family's　genes　are　strong；　or　they　lived　more　decently；　or　their　food　is　healthier；　or　the　jogging　they　do；　or　the　praying。〃
　〃But　that's　so　deluded。　What　about　the　blackout？　The　end　of　oil？　The　food　riots？〃
　〃Distant　thunder；〃　he　answered。　〃Until　it's　right　on　you。。。。〃
　〃It　is　right　on　them。〃
　〃But　they're　Americans；〃　he　said。　〃In　their　hearts　and　minds　they're　ready　for　anything。　You　wouldn't　believe　how　ready。　They're　prepared。　It's　second　nature　to　them。　They've　been　taking　cover　ever　since　Sputnik。　And　there's　nothing　the　plague　can　throw　at　them　that　Hollywood　hasn't　already　e　up　with。　Hell；　they've　survived　the　plague　a　dozen　times。　Think　Stephen　King。The　Andromeda　Strain。　Camus。The　Decameron。　Thucydides。　Life　is　just　imitating　art。　Catastrophes　are　renewal。　Out　there；　people　still　talk　about　the　gas　rationing　in　the　seventies；　and　Mount　St。　Helens　and　the　Yellowstone　fire　and　Hurricane　Mitch。　The　big　power　blackouts；　the　blizzard　years；　Waco；　Oklahoma　City；　the　World　Trade　Center；　floods；　the　Depression；　Vietnam。　All