jefflong.yearzero-第74部分

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s　were　perfectly　ferocious　now。　He'd　made　his　move；　no　going　back。
　〃What　do　you　know　about　him？〃　Nathan　Lee　asked　Izzy。
　〃Bit　of　a　prig；　you　ask　me。　Keeps　his　own　pany。　Put　me　off　the　few　times　I　tried　to　chat　him　up。〃　Izzy　summarized。　〃Don't　know　a　thing　about　him。〃
　〃Let's　play　back　the　tape；〃　Nathan　Lee　said　to　Joe。　〃I　want　to　hear　that　'string　of　stuff'　Ross　mentioned。〃
　They　watched　the　replay。　There　was　Ross；　opening　the　door。　He　entered　the　cell　timidly；　and　crossed　himself。　〃Perfect；〃　said　Izzy。　The　clone　stood　watching　him。　Studying　him。　He　didn't　appear　distressed　or　anguished；　though　only　a　minute　earlier　he'd　groaned　about　God　forsaking　him。Are　you　Jesus？　Ross　asked　in　English。　Very　clearly；　the　clone　answeredJesus　Christ。
　Ross　was　right　about　the　string　of　stuff。　It　was　delivered　so　rapidly　in　Aramaic　that　Nathan　Lee　didn't　catch　a　word　of　it。　Then　Joe　appeared　at　the　edge　of　the　frame；　in　the　open　doorway；　and　Ross　was　yanked　from　the　cell。　The　door　slammed　shut。
　〃Again；〃　said　Izzy。　After　the　second　replay；　he　said；　〃Oh；　you'll　love　this。　Straight　from　Revelation。I　am　the　alpha　and　the　omega；　the　beginning　and　the　end；　who　is　and　who　was　and　who　is　to　e。　Then　he　goes　on　with　something　about　suffering　and　repentance。〃
　Nathan　Lee　tried　to　remember　the　history　of　the　New　Testament。　〃Revelation；〃　he　said。　〃But　that　wasn't　written　until　near　the　second　century。　This　guy's　all　over　the　place。　Egypt。　Revelation。　Old　Testament。　New。〃
　〃Doesn't　look　like　a　Jesus　to　me　anyhow；〃　said　Izzy。
　Nathan　Lee　knew　what　he　meant。　Jesus　was　an　idol；　a　Shroud　negative；　a　movie　star。。。not　a　man。　He　had　long　blond　tresses　with　a　faint　goatee；　or　dark　curlicue　forelocks　and　a　ZZ　Top　beard。　He　came　with　blue　eyes　or　black　ones；　with　a　straight　nose　and　a　crown　of　thorns。　He　belonged　in　Christmas　mangers　and　Byzantine　mosaics　and　on　Mexican　prayer　cards；　in　stained　glass；　in　marble　statues。　He　was　a　figment　of　art；　a　creature　of　monks　and　Michelangelo　and　Mapplethorpe。　Intellectually　Nathan　Lee　knew　this　could　not　be　the　Christian　godhead。　But　a　deep；　prehistoric　part　of　him　could　not　shake　the　outside　chance　of　it。What　if　this　was　God　in　a　burr　cut？
　〃Fishing　for　attention；〃　said　Izzy。　〃A　stunt。〃
　Nathan　Lee　agreed。　〃But　why　now？〃
　〃That　crucifix　in　the　tree；　I'd　say。　Nothing　to　lose？〃
　Nathan　Lee　frowned。　〃Looking　back；　that　crucifix　in　the　tree　seems　almost　like　a　signal。　Like　a　green　light　to　go　into　action。〃
　〃Well；　he's　e　out　of　the　closet　now；〃　said　Izzy。
　〃Let's　finish　him　off；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　〃This　won't　take　long。　Then　everybody　can　go　back　to　bed　again。〃
　They　entered　the　cell。　The　clone　remained　sitting。〃Shlaa…ma　umook；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。Peace　be　with　you。
　The　clone　was　not　friendly。　〃Ishmael　and　Nathaniel。　Why　do　they　send　you？〃　he　demanded。　They：　their　captors　and　keepers。
　〃They　sent　us。〃　Nathan　Lee　kept　it　blunt。
　〃Who　are　you？〃　the　clone　demanded。　That　was　supposed　to　be　their　question。　〃You're　not　who　you　seem　to　be。〃
　Too　true；　thought　Nathan　Lee。　They　were　a　roomful　of　fakes。
　〃Tell　us　your　name；〃　said　Izzy。
　〃You're　one　of　them；〃　the　clone　realized。
　〃Name；〃　repeated　Izzy。
　〃Eesho；〃　the　clone　said。　〃Yeshua；　they　call　me。　Jesus；　you　say。　Themeshiah。〃
　〃Christ？〃　said　Izzy。
　〃That；　too。〃
　〃There　are　many　people　named　Jesus；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　〃Are　you　the　one　they　call　Jesus　Barabbas？〃
　It　was　a　trick　question。　If　this　Eesho　was　simply　repeating　whatever　was　given　to　him；　he　would　agree　to　being　the　wrong　Jesus；　the　one　who　wasn't　crucified。　The　hoax　could　end　right　here。
　Eesho　was　contemptuous。　〃Would　you　be　honoring　me　if　I　were　alestai？〃
　〃Honoring　him！〃　Izzy　barked　in　English。　〃Is　that　what　he　thinks？〃
　〃What's　alestai？〃　said　Nathan　Lee。
　Izzy　frowned。　〃Never　heard　the　word。〃
　〃Let's　start　there　then；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　〃Pick　him　to　pieces。　Use　his　own　words。〃
　Izzy　fired　off　a　burst　of　Aramaic。　They　spoke　for　a　minute。　〃It's　something　like　an　assassin；〃　Izzy　said。　〃A　political　terrorist。〃　He　listened　as　the　clone　went　on　talking。　〃That's　it。Sicarri；　another　term。　Like　Judas　Iscariot。　Judas　the　Sicarri。　A　Zealot。〃
　〃Watch　it；〃　breathed　Nathan　Lee。　〃Don't　give　him　more　names。　He's　creating　himself　out　of　our　mistakes。〃
　〃I　didn't；〃　said　Izzy。　〃He　came　up　with　the　name　Judas　himself。〃
　The　clone　saw　Nathan　Lee　hesitate。　A　look　of　satisfaction　came　over　his　face。
　〃Oh；　boy；〃　Nathan　Lee　muttered。　Eesho；　if　that　was　his　name；　knew　more　of　the　story　than　he'd　feared。
　For　the　next　two　hours；　they　worked　through　the　logical　questions。　Where　were　you　born？　Who　were　your　family　members？　Name　your　neighbors。　Who　was　the　governor？　Who　were　your　teachers？　Describe　your　travels。　Did　you　ever　visit　Jerusalem？　How　many　times？　Why？
　The　clone　answered　dutifully；　even　mechanically。　He　had　been　born　in　Bethlehem；　he　claimed。　In　a　cave。　His　father　was　a　carpenter；　descended　from　King　David　who　was　descended　from　Abraham。　To　prove　it；　he　delivered　a　long　list　of　names　from　memory；　linking　his　father　generation　by　generation　to　the　great　prophets。　The　names　echoed　off　the　stainless　steel　walls。
　〃Are　you　the　son　of　David；　then；〃　Nathan　Lee　asked；　〃or　the　son　of　God？〃
　〃I　am　the　Nazarene；〃　the　clone　declared　simply。　He　was　perfectly　at　ease。　Any　contradictions　were　his　interrogator's　to　unravel。
　〃But　you　said　you　were　born　in　Bethlehem；〃　he　said。
　Eesho　answered。　〃The　Lord　spoke　through　the　prophet　Hosea。　He　said；'Out　of　Egypt　I　called　my　Son。'〃
　There；thought　Nathan　Lee。　The　Egypt　reference　again。　〃Clever；〃　he　said　to　Izzy。　〃He's　been　setting　us　up　from　the　start。〃
　〃How　do　you　mean？〃　said　Izzy。
　〃He　prophesied　his　own　ing。　He　called　this　place　Egypt　that　first　day　in　the　yard。　The　Son　was　called　from　Egypt。　Therefore；　he's　the　Son。〃
　〃But　who　gave　him　the　Bible　references？〃
　〃Keep　digging；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　〃We'll　catch　him　out。〃
　Eesho　said　he'd　had　four　brothers　named　James；　Joset；　Simon；　and　Jude；　and　three　sisters　whom　he　didn't　bother　naming。　His　teachers　had　included　John　the　Baptist。　He'd　spent　years　wandering　the　banks　of　the　Dead　Sea。　He　once　meditated　in　the　desert。　Yes；　it　was　true；　he　had　attacked　the　merchants　and　money　changers　in　the　Temple。　〃After　that；　I　was　a　marked　man；〃　said　Eesho。　〃They　executed　me。〃
　〃Who　executed　you？〃
　Eesho　recited　the　Passion　Narrative　perfectly。　It　was　identical　to　the　Gospel　accounts；　filled　with　evil　Jews；　treachery；　and　cowardice。　Judas；　the　Zealot；　had　betrayed　him。　He　was　arrested　and　brought　before　the　Temple　intelligentsia；　where　his　captors　spit　on　him　and　slapped　him　and　called　him　a　blasphemer；　then　turned　him　over　to　Pontius　Pilate　who　condemned　him。　Just　like　in　the　Bible；　Pilate　had　washed　his　hands　of　the　verdict。
　With　extraordinary　dispassion；　Eesho　went　on　to　describe　his　whipping；　the　crown　of　thorns；　the　soldiers'　mockery；　and　his　passage　through　the　narrow　streets　and　out　the　west　gate　to　Golgotha。　He　was　nailed　to　the　wood。　His　cross　was　erected　between　two　others。　A　thief　hung　on　either　side　of　him。
　〃And　then　I　died；〃　he　said　without　emotion。
　Nathan　Lee　looked　at　Eesho's　wrist；　and　the　tracery　of　veins　was　blue　under　the　smooth　olive　skin。　A　nail　had　driven　through　that　bone　and　meat。　Yet　he　was　oblivious。　Or　else　a　liar。
　〃You　died；〃　repeated　Nathan　Lee。　〃What　do　you　remember　after　that？〃
　〃Everything　that　there　is　to　remember。〃
　All　in　all；　from　cradle　to　cross；　it　was　a　sterling　performance；　straight　out　of　the　Gospels。　〃Someone　scripted　him；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　They　were　back　to　that　again。
　〃But　who？　Why　bother？〃
　〃Someone　with　lots　of　time。　It　must　have　taken　weeks；　or　months；　to　school　this　guy。　He's　got　the　story　down　cold。　And　all　the　quotes　are　in　Aramaic。　Whoever　it　was　had　a　good　mand　of　Aramaic。　That　rules　out　Ross　and　the　other　guards。　Maybe　it　wasn't　an　insider。　A　visitor；　maybe？　From　the　outside。〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Izzy。　〃Someone　might　be　able　to　override　the　security　system　once　or　twice。　But　not　for　weeks　at　a　time。〃
　〃Maybe　he　wasn't　prepped　here。〃　Nathan　Lee　began　flipping　through　2YZ…87's　file　again。　〃He　was　warehoused　in　South　Sector　for　half　a　year　before　getting　transferred　here。　It's　possible　someone　wired　him　with　this　Chri