jefflong.yearzero-第83部分

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　crippled。　Ochs　appeared　pleased；　even　inspired。
　〃Talitha；　cuma；〃Ochs　said。　That　seemed　to　be　the　extent　of　his　Aramaic。　Nathan　Lee　recognized　it；　straight　from　scripture。　He　knew　the　place；　he　knew　the　miracle。　It　meantLittle　girl；　arise。　Ochs　was　tossing　it　out　there　to　see　if　he　got　a　bite。
　Eesho　looked　at　him　with　increasing　ascendancy。〃I　spoke　those　words；〃　he　said；〃and　the　child　woke　up。〃
　〃And　Lazarus？〃said　Ochs。
　Eesho　gave　a　spare　rendition　of　raising　that　corpse；　too。
　Nathan　Lee　knew　where　Ochs　was　heading。　The　context　was　all　important。　Chronologically；　just　a　day　earlier　in　Denver；　Nathan　Lee　had　refused　to　dig　up　Lydia　and　Grace。　Now　Ochs　was　about　to　ask　the　clone　to　do　the　job　Nathan　Lee　wouldn't。
　〃You　claim　to　be　able　to　raise　the　dead；〃Ochs　reiterated。
　A　minute　later；　Izzy　gave　the　response。〃He　wants　to　know　if　you're　asking　him　for　a　miracle。〃
　Ochs　said　yes。
　Izzy　protested。〃This　is　getting　out　of　hand。〃
　〃Does　he　have　the　power　to　raise　the　dead？　Ask　him；〃said　Ochs。
　Izzy　grudgingly　asked；　and　gave　the　reply。〃If　anyone　tells　you；　'Look　here　is　Christ！'　don't　believe　it。　Because　false　christs　and　false　prophets　will　rise　and　show　signs　and　miracles　to　deceive　you。〃　Mark　was　it；　or　Luke？　Nathan　Lee　couldn't　remember　anymore。
　Ochs　grew　very　still。　His　eyes　grew　brighter。　Nathan　Lee　was　confused。　Eesho　was；　of　course；　refusing　to　perform　a　miracle。。。because　he　couldn't。　But　Ochs　looked　thrilled　to　be　denied。
　〃What　about　the　plague？〃asked　Ochs。〃Ask　him　if　he　can　lift　its　curse　from　us。〃
　〃You　ask　me　to　undo　God's　judgment；〃Eesho　responded。〃If　I　say　no；　then　what？　Will　you　condemn　God　so　that　you　can　be　justified？〃
　〃What　about　mercy？〃Ochs　asked。
　〃God　causes　everything　on　the　face　of　the　whole　earth　to　happen；〃said　Eesho。〃Do　you　understand？　You　must　prepare　yourself　like　a　man。　Repent　in　dust　and　ashes。〃　Back　to　the　Old　Testament。　Job。　The　man　was　like　a　grasshopper；　bounding　from　one　text　to　another。
　No　sooner　had　Izzy　finished　translating　than　Ochs　leapt　to　his　feet。　His　round　face　took　on　a　fixed；　eerie　look。
　〃Now　here　it　es；〃　Izzy　muttered　to　Nathan　Lee。
　Ochs　walked　around　the　table。　The　clone　got　up　from　his　chair　and　backed　against　the　wall。　Ochs　towered　above　him；　a　good　foot　taller　and　twice　his　weight。　〃Scared　him　silly；〃　remarked　Izzy。　〃Eesho　thought　he　was　about　to　get　the　royal　thrashing。　Thought　he'd　stiffed　the　wrong　man。〃
　For　a　moment；　Nathan　Lee　thought　the　same　thing。　Eesho　had　just　given　Ochs　the　high　hat。〃Back　off；　there；〃　Izzy　told　Ochs。
　Instead；　abruptly；　Ochs　dropped　to　his　knees　at　the　clone's　feet。　His　jowls　shook。　His　tree　trunk　arms　raised　up。
　〃What　are　you　doing？〃Izzy　objected　on　tape。〃Get　to　your　feet；　man。　You'll　twist　him。〃
　〃It　was　like　he'd　been　waiting　to　kneel　all　his　life；〃　Izzy　mented　to　Nathan　Lee。
　〃Forgive　us；〃said　Ochs。
　Eesho　looked　down　at　Ochs。　It　was　hard　to　tell　who　was　converting　who。　In　the　span　of　an　instant；　Eesho's　alarm　changed　to　disbelief。　He　looked　like　a　man　who'd　just　won　the　New　Jersey　lotto。
　〃I　hear　your　words；〃Eesho　replied；〃but　not　your　heart。〃
　With　that　the　clone　placed　his　hand　on　Ochs's　bald　head；　then　shoved　him　away。　Ochs　fell　to　one　side。　He　began　to　weep　with　joy；　or　release。
　It　was；　Nathan　Lee　realized；　a　moment　of　perfect　unison。　It　was　like　watching　the　virus　find　its　host。　Which　was　the　virus；　and　which　was　the　host；　Nathan　Lee　couldn't　say。
　　
　HALLOWEEN　CAME。　The　streets　filled　with　monsters　who　were　hideous　and　princesses　who　were　beautiful。　The　pumpkins　were　fat　and　orange。　The　moon　was　striped　with　clouds。
　Tara　went　as　Madeline　dressed　in　blue；　her　bangs　cut　square；　her　muscled　frame　square；　too。　Nathan　Lee　and　Miranda　trailed　her　in　the　dusk；　holding　hands。　Tara　didn't　seem　to　notice　that　she　was　trick…or…treating　by　herself。　If　she　heard　the　distant　children　whispering　about　her；　she　didn't　pay　attention。　She　was　too　busy　counting　her　harvest；　flashing　her　light　in　the　bag　after　each　house。　Back　at　the　Captain's　house；　while　they　drank　hot　cider　and　ate　pumpkin　pie；　she　counted　every　piece　of　candy；　then　started　over　again　at　one　hundred。
　〃I've　never　seen　a　Halloween　like　this；〃　said　the　Captain。　〃Look　at　all　that　loot。〃
　〃That　means　the　people　loved　Madeline；〃　his　wife　declared。
　Down　on　the　floor　with　her　candy；　Tara　smiled　broadly。
　Ever　since　Tara　had　moved　in　with　them；　the　Captain　and　his　wife　had　grown　younger。　The　framed　pictures　of　their　own　daughter…dressed　for　prom；　on　a　river　rafting　trip；　holding　a　fish；　standing　beside　a　Navy　jet　in　her　flight　suit…had　been　crowded　out　by　Tara's　artwork。　Tara　filled　their　quiet　with　songs。　There　was　life　in　the　house　again。
　〃。。。eight；　nine；　ten。。。。〃　Tara　was　dividing　her　bounty　between　five　dolls；　who　sat　side　by　side　along　the　wall。　She　kept　sneaking　looks　at　Nathan　Lee。　Miranda　nudged　him　with　mock　jealousy。
　Nathan　Lee　was　happy　tonight；　and　also　sad。　He　didn't　say　what　he　was　thinking；　that　Los　Alamos　was　starting　to　face　up　to　its　end。　Thiswas　the　best　Halloween　ever；　but　for　a　reason。　The　great　pretending　had　begun。　He'd　seen　it　last　summer　in　towns　across　America；　the　grownups　beguiling　their　children；　making　believe　the　good　times　had　no　end。
　*　　*　　*
　NOVEMBER　UNFOLDED。　Since　the　halt　to　trucking　in　August；　the　citizens　had　grown　steadily　shabbier；　their　sleeves　and　collars　more　frayed　and　greasy　by　the　day。　Stores　displayed　more　empty　shelves。　European…style　kiosks　sold　oldNewsweek　andThe　Observer　andScientific　American　magazines。　Yellowed　copies　of　theNew　York　Times　dated　back　to　the　1990s。　Used　bookstores　flourished。
　It　was　basketball　season。　Every　Friday　night　the　stands　were　packed　as　Los　Alamos's　two　high　schools　vied　in　lively；　if　redundant；　petition。　The　city　continued　to　swim　in　electricity　thanks　to　their　nuclear　reactor　plant。　Street　and　porch　lights　stayed　on　all　night。
　It　was　as　if　the　city　were　floating　in　air。
　Then　one　morning；　they　woke　to　find　themselves　besieged。
　Overnight；　the　few　hundred　pilgrims　along　the　Rio　Grande　swelled　to　twenty　thousand。　A　day　later；　they　were　thirty　thousand。　The　citizens　of　Los　Alamos　were　appalled。　These　were　plague　victims　at　their　doorstep。　Cavendish　helpfully　declared　this　was　the　beginning　of　the　end。
　Curiously；　the　generals　did　nothing。　Even　more　curiously；　their　restraint　calmed　the　city。　It　seemed　to　enunciate　their　power。　Remembering　that　the　pilgrims　had　been　dispersed　once　before；　people　decided　they　could　be　dispersed　again。　For　now；　so　long　as　the　horde　stayed　on　its　own　side　of　the　river；　they　were　left　alone。
　These　new　pilgrims　coiled　down　through　the　wine　country　by　the　thousands；　through　old　villages　wheresantoses　were　still　carved　from　the　heart　of　cottonwoods　and　the　cemeteries　dated　back　to　Spanish　colonial　times。　They　streamed　in　from　the　deserts　of　Texas　and　Mexico；　and　south　from　mountain　fortresses　bunkered　upon　ski　mountains　and　in　extinct　gold　mines　in　Colorado　and　Utah；　and　out　from　tornado　shelters　and　missile　silos　and　train　tunnels。　Wherever　they　had　been　hiding；　they　emerged。　Slouching　toward　the　city　of　light。
　Remote　surveillance　cameras　watched　them　day　and　night。　It　helped　ease　the　city's　anxiety　that　the　vagabond　camp　resembled　old；　fabled　hippie　munes；　right　down　to　their　guitars；　soup　lines；　andagape。　They　showed　no　inclination　to　violence。　To　the　contrary；　they　signaled　their　desire　for　peace。　They　knew　they　were　being　watched。　Some　had　relatives　within　Los　Alamos。　They　held　up　signs　to　the　cameras　across　the　river　with　people's　names；　or　with　peace　signs；　or　with　references　to　scripture。
　The　Rio　was　their　Jordan。　They　pitched　their　tents　on　soil　painted　orange　with　Vietnam…era　poison。　They　were　explicit　about　their　intent　to　remain　along　the　river　banks。　They　wanted　a　miracle；　not　bloodshed。
　It　was　a　plague　camp　down　there。　Satellite　photos　showed　a　great　red　tumor　along　the　eastern　banks　of　the　river。　The　plasma　rods　for　detecting　deposition　gases　read　off　the　scale。　Downstream；　the　Rio　ran　hot　with　virus。
　By　Thanksgiving；　their　camp　was　two　miles　long　and　growing。　Military　intelligence　estimated　their　numbers　at　nearly　a　hundred　thousand。　In　another　week；　they　would　be　double　t