pdouglas.thecodex-第15部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


fell　to　the　ground；　writhing　and　stinging　itself　in　agony。　A　polished　shoe　was　extended　from　under　the　desk　and　ended　its　life　with　a　little　crunch。
　〃Manuel！　Get　Ramón。〃　He　turned　to　the　Teacher。　〃We　can　outfit　you　here；　se？or；　with　everything　you　need。　Tents；　sleeping　bags；　mosquito　netting；　gas；　food；　GPS；　hunting　gear…everything。　We　can　put　it　all　on　credit　card。〃　He　laid　his　hand　reverently　on　a　brand…new　credit…card　machine　connected　to　a　shiny　jack　in　the　wall。　〃You　do　not　worry　about　anything　because　we　take　care　of　it　all。　We　are　a　modern　operation。〃　He　smiled。　〃We　give　you　adventure；　but　not　too　much　adventure。〃
　
　12
　
　The　car　hummed　northward　through　the　San　Juan　Basin　Desert　toward　the　Utah　border；　along　a　vast　and　lonely　highway　between　endless　prairies　of　sagebrush　and　chamisa。　Shiprock　towered　in　the　distance；　a　dark　thrust　of　stone　into　blue　sky。　Tom；　driving；　felt　a　great　relief　that　it　was　over。　He　had　done　what　he　promised；　he　had　helped　Sally　find　out　where　his　father　had　gone。　What　she　did　next　was　up　to　her。　She　could　either　wait　until　his　brothers　came　out　of　the　jungle　with　the　Codex…provided　they　found　the　tomb…or　she　could　try　to　catch　up　to　them　herself。　He；　at　least；　was　now　out　of　it。　He　could　get　back　to　his　life　of　peace　and　simplicity　in　the　desert。
　He　cast　a　surreptitious　glance　at　her　sitting　in　the　passenger　seat。　She　had　been　silent　for　the　past　hour。　She　hadn't　said　what　her　plans　were；　and　Tom　wasn't　sure　he　wanted　to　know。　All　he　wanted　to　do　was　get　back　to　his　horses；　to　the　routine　of　the　clinic；　to　his　cool　adobe　house　shaded　by　cottonwoods。　He　had　worked　hard　at　creating　the　undemanding　life　he　wanted；　and　he　was　more　determined　than　ever　not　to　let　his　father　and　his　crazy　schemes　overturn　it。　Let　his　brothers　have　the　adventure　and；　if　they　wanted；　let　them　even　keep　the　inheritance。　He　had　nothing　to　prove。　After　Sarah；　he　wasn't　about　to　jump　into　deep　water　again。
　〃So　he　went　to　Honduras；〃　Sally　said。　〃You　still　have　no　idea；　no　guess；　as　to　where？〃
　〃I've　told　you　all　I　know；　Sally。　Forty　years　ago　he　spent　some　time　in　Honduras　with　his　old　partner；　Marcus　Hauser；　looking　for　tombs　and　picking　bananas　to　earn　money。　They　got　swindled；　so　I　heard；　buying　a　fake　treasure　map　of　some　kind；　and　they　spent　a　few　months　tramping　through　the　jungle　and　nearly　died。　They　had　some　kind　of　falling…out；　and　that　was　that。〃
　〃And　you're　sure　he　didn't　find　anything？〃
　〃That's　what　he　always　said。　The　mountains　of　southern　Honduras　were　uninhabited。〃
　She　nodded；　her　eyes　looking　ahead　at　the　empty　desert。
　〃So　what　are　you　going　to　do？〃　Tom　finally　asked。
　〃I'm　going　to　Honduras。〃
　〃All　by　yourself？〃
　〃Why　not？〃
　Tom　said　nothing。　What　she　did　was　her　business。
　〃Did　your　father　ever　get　in　trouble　for　looting　tombs？〃
　〃The　FBI　investigated　him　on　and　off　over　the　years。　Nothing　stuck。　Father　was　too　smart。　I　remember　once　when　the　agents　raided　our　house　and　seized　some　jade　figurines　my　father　had　just　brought　back　from　Mexico。　I　was　ten　at　the　time；　and　it　scared　the　hell　out　of　me；　the　agents　pounding　on　the　door　before　dawn。　But　they　couldn't　prove　anything　and　had　to　return　all　the　stuff。〃
　Sally　shook　her　head。　〃People　like　your　father　are　a　menace　to　archaeology。〃
　〃I'm　not　sure　I　see　a　big　difference　between　what　my　father　did　and　what　archaeologists　do。〃
　〃There's　a　big　difference；〃　said　Sally。　〃Looters　wreck　a　site。　They　remove　things　from　their　context。　A　dear　friend　of　Professor　Clyve　was　beaten　in　Mexico　while　trying　to　stop　some　local　villagers　from　looting　a　temple。〃
　〃I'm　sorry　to　hear　that；　but　you　can't　blame　starving　people　for　trying　to　feed　their　children…and　taking　exception　to　some　norteamericano　ing　down　and　telling　them　what　to　do。〃
　Sally　set　her　lip；　and　Tom　could　see　she　was　angry。　The　car　hummed　along　the　shimmering　asphalt。　Tom　cranked　up　the　A/C。　He　would　be　glad　when　this　was　over。　He　didn't　need　a　plication　like　Sally　Colorado　in　his　life。
　Sally　shook　her　heavy　gold　hair　back　from　her　head；　unleashing　a　faint　scent　of　perfume　and　shampoo。　〃There's　something　still　bothering　me。　I　just　can't　get　it　out　of　my　head。〃
　〃What's　that？〃
　〃Barnaby　and　Fenton。　Doesn't　it　seem　strange　to　you　that　right　after　they　investigate　your　father's　so…called　robbery　they　e　up　dead？　There's　something　about　the　timing　of　their　'accident'　that　I　don't　like。〃
　Tom　shook　his　head。　〃Sally；　it's　just　one　of　those　coincidences。〃
　〃It　doesn't　feel　right　to　me。〃
　〃I　know　the　Ski　Basin　Road；　Sally。　Nun's　Corner　is　a　hellacious　curve。　They　aren't　the　first　ones　to　get　killed　there。〃
　〃What　were　they　doing　on　the　Ski　Basin　Road？　Ski　season's　over。〃
　Tom　sighed。　〃If　you're　so　worried；　why　don't　you　call　that　policeman；　Hernandez；　and　find　out？〃
　〃I　will。〃　Sally　slipped　her　cell　phone　out　of　her　bag　and　dialed。　Tom　listened　while　she　was　transferred　half　a　dozen　times；　from　one　slack　receptionist　to　the　next；　until　she　finally　reached　Hernandez。
　〃This　is　Sally　Colorado；〃　she　said。　〃You　remember　us？〃
　Pause。
　〃I　wanted　to　ask　you　a　question　about　Barnaby　and　Fenton's　death。〃
　Another　pause。
　〃Why　did　they　go　up　there　to　the　ski　basin？〃
　A　very　long　wait。　Tom　found　himself　trying　to　listen；　although　he　felt　it　was　a　waste　of　time。
　〃Yes；　it　was　tragic；〃　Sally　said。　〃And　where　were　they　about　to　go　on　this　fishing　trip？〃
　A　final　silence。
　〃Thanks。〃
　Sally　slowly　shut　the　phone　and　looked　at　Tom。　Tom　felt　a　knot　in　his　stomach；　her　face　had　gone　pale。
　〃They　went　up　to　the　ski　basin　to　check　on　a　report　of　vandalism。　Turned　out　to　be　phony。　Their　brakes　failed　on　the　way　down。　They　tried　to　slow　themselves　down　by　banking　off　the　guard　rails；　but　the　road　was　just　too　steep。　When　they　reached　Nun's　Corner　they　were　going　close　to　ninety。〃
　〃Jesus。〃
　〃There　wasn't　much　left　of　the　car　after　the　four…hundred…foot　drop　and　explosion。　No　foul　play　is　suspected。　It　was　especially　tragic；　ing　as　it　did　the　day　before　Barnaby　and　Fenton　were　about　to　go　on　the　tarpon…fishing　trip　of　a　lifetime。〃
　Tom　swallowed　and　asked　the　question　he　didn't　want　to　ask。　〃Where？〃
　〃Honduras。　A　place　called　Laguna　de　Brus。〃
　Tom　slowed；　checked　his　rearview　mirror；　and　with　a　screech　of　tires；　manipulating　both　the　brakes　and　the　gas；　pulled　a　one…eighty。
　〃Are　you　crazy？　What　are　you　doing？〃
　〃Going　to　the　nearest　airport。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃Because　someone　who　would　kill　police　officers　could　sure　as　hell　kill　my　two　brothers。〃
　〃You　think　someone　found　out　about　the　hidden　inheritance？〃
　〃Absolutely。〃　He　accelerated　toward　the　vanishing　point　on　the　horizon。　〃Looks　like　we're　going　to　Honduras。　Together。〃
　
　13
　
　Philip　Broadbent　shifted　his　position；　trying　to　get　fortable　in　the　bottom　of　the　dugout；　arranging　some　of　the　softer　bundles　of　gear　for　the　fourth　or　fifth　time　to　form　a　chair　of　sorts。　The　boat　slid　upriver　between　two　silent　walls　of　green　vegetation；　the　engine　humming；　the　prow　cutting　the　smooth　black　water。　It　was　like　traveling　through　a　hot　green　cave；　echoing　with　the　unholy　screeches；　hoots；　and　whistles　of　jungle　animals。　The　mosquitoes　formed　a　permanent　whining　cloud　around　their　boat；　trailing　behind。　The　air　was　dense；　muggy；　sticky。　It　was　like　breathing　mosquito　soup。
　Philip　removed　the　pipe　from　his　pocket；　reamed　out　the　dottle；　rapped　it　on　the　side　of　the　boat；　and　refilled　it　from　the　Dunhill　can　he　had　stored　in　one　of　the　pockets　of　his　Barbour　safari　khakis。　He　took　his　time　lighting　it；　then　blew　a　stream　of　smoke　into　the　mosquito　cloud；　watching　it　cut　a　clear　area　in　the　whining　mass；　which　instantly　closed　up　as　the　smoke　drifted　away。　The　Mosquito　Coast　had　lived　up　to　its　name；　and　even　the　deet　that　Philip　slathered　on　his　skin　and　clothes　provided　less　than　adequate　protection。　On　top　of　that　it　was　oily　and　smelled　frightful；　and　it　was　probably　leaching　into　his　bloodstream　and　poisoning　him　to　boot。
　He　muttered　a　curse　and　took　another　hit　off　the　pipe。　Father　and　his　ridiculous　tests。
　He　adjusted　himself；　unable　to　get　fortable。　Hauser；　carrying　a　Discman；　came　back　from　the　prow　of　the　dugout　and　eased　himself　down　next　to　him。　He　smelled　of　colog