pdouglas.thecodex-第69部分

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　〃And　then；　when　I　was　all　tired　out　with　wailing　and　self…pity；　I　began　to　recover　a　bit　of　my　sanity。　That's　when　I　crawled　around　and　realized　I　was　in　the　tomb…and　it　dawned　on　me　that　I　wasn't　dead　after　all；　that　Cah　had　buried　me　alive。　He'd　never　forgiven　me　for　what　I'd　done　to　his　father。　I　should　have　known　it；　Cah　always　struck　me　as　a　shifty　old　fox。　When　I　found　the　food　and　water　I　knew　I　was　in　for　a　long　ordeal。　I　had　planned　this　whole　thing　to　be　a　lighthearted　challenge　for　the　three　of　you。　And　then　suddenly　my　life　depended　on　your　success。〃
　〃A　lighthearted　challenge？〃　Philip　repeated　skeptically。
　〃I　wanted　to　shock　you　into　doing　something　more　important　with　your　lives。　What　I　didn't　realize　is　that　each　of　you　is　doing　something　important…that　is；　living　the　life　that　you　want　to　live。　Who　am　I　to　judge？〃　He　paused；　cleared　his　throat；　shook　his　head。　〃Here　I　was　locked　up　with　what　I　thought　was　my　treasure；　my　life's　work…and　it　was　crap。　It　was　useless。　Suddenly　it　meant　nothing。　In　the　dark　I　couldn't　even　look　at　it。　Being　entombed　alive　shook　me　to　the　core。　I　found　myself　looking　back　on　my　whole　life　with　a　kind　of　loathing。　I　had　been　a　bad　father　to　you；　a　bad　husband；　greedy；　selfish…and　then　I　found　myself　praying。〃
　〃No；〃　said　Philip。
　Broadbent　nodded。　〃What　else　was　there　to　do？　And　then　I　heard　voices；　a　bang；　then　a　rumbling　sound；　and　the　light　came　in；　and　there　you　all　were！　My　prayers　had　been　answered。〃
　〃You　mean；〃　Philip　asked；　〃you　found　religion？　You're　a　believer？〃
　〃You're　goddamn　right　I　found　religion！〃　He　lapsed　into　silence；　looking　out　over　the　vast　landscape　stretching　below；　the　endless　mountains　and　jungles。　He　shifted；　coughed。　〃Funny；　I　feel　like　I've　died　and　been　reborn。〃
　
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　From　his　hiding　place；　Hauser　could　hear　the　murmur　of　their　voices　carried　up　on　the　wind。　He　couldn't　make　out　individual　words；　but　he　had　no　doubt　what　was　going　on：　They　were　having　a　grand　old　time　looting　their　father's　tomb。　No　doubt　they　were　planning　to　take　out　the　smaller　stuff…including　the　Codex。　The　woman；　Colorado；　knew　what　it　was　worth。　That　would　be　the　first　thing　they　would　take。
　In　his　mind；　Hauser　ran　through　the　list　of　other　treasures　in　the　tomb。　A　great　deal　of　Maxwell　Broadbent's　collection　would　be　portable；　including　some　of　the　most　valuable　items。　There　were　some　rare　carved　gemstones　from　the　Indian　subcontinent。　There　was　a　large　collection　of　Inca　and　Aztec　gold　artifacts；　most　of　which　were　small；　as　were　the　ancient　Greek　gold　coins。　There　were　two　extremely　valuable　Etruscan　bronze　figurines；　each　about　ten　inches　high；　that　weighed　less　than　twenty　pounds　apiece。　All　these　things　could　be　carried　on　the　back　of　a　single　man。　Value：　between　ten　and　twenty　million。
　They　would　be　able　to　carry　out　the　Lippi　and　the　Monet。　These　two　paintings　were　relatively　small…the　Lippi　was　twenty…eight　by　eighteen　inches；　the　Monet　thirty…six　by　twenty…six。　Both　had　been　packed　unframed。　The　Lippi；　painted　on　gessoed　wood；　weighed　ten　pounds　and　the　Monet　eight　pounds。　The　two　boxes　that　held　them　weighed　no　more　than　thirty　pounds　apiece。　Both　boxes　could　be　tied　together；　strapped　on　a　pack　frame；　and　carried　out　on　one　person's　back。　Value：　upward　of　one　hundred　million。
　There　were；　of　course；　many　treasures　they　could　not　take。　The　Pontormo；　worth　perhaps　thirty　or　forty　million；　was　too　large。　So　was　the　Bronzino　portrait。　The　Mayan　stelae　and　the　Soderini　bronzes　were　too　heavy。　But　the　two　Braques　were　portable。　The　smaller　of　the　two　was　one　of　Braque's　earliest　cubist　masterpieces；　which　might　fetch　five　or　ten　million。　There　was　a　late　Imperial　Roman　bronze　statue　of　a　boy；　half　life…size；　that　weighed　a　hundred　pounds…probably　too　much　to　carry　out。　There　were　Cambodian　temple　figurines　in　stone；　a　couple　of　early　Chinese　bronze　urns；　some　Mayan　inlaid　turquoise　plaques　。。。　Max　had　had　a　good　eye；　and　he　had　gone　for　quality；　not　quantity。　Over　the　years；　a　lot　of　art　had　passed　through　his　hands；　and　he　had　shortstopped　only　the　very　best　for　himself。
　Yes；　Hauser　thought；　if　it　weren't　for　him　the　four　of　them　below　could　remove　on　their　backs　artworks　amounting　to　perhaps　two　hundred　million　dollars。　Almost　half　the　value　of　the　entire　collection。
　He　shifted；　stretching　his　cramped　legs。　The　sun　was　bright　and　hot。　He　glanced　at　his　watch。　Five　to　ten。　He　had　decided　to　move　out　at　ten　o'clock。　Time　had　little　meaning　out　here；　but　the　habits　of　discipline　gave　him　pleasure。　It　was；　he　thought；　more　a　philosophy　of　life　than　anything　else。　He　stood　up；　stretched　his　arms；　and　took　a　few　deep　breaths。　He　did　a　rapid　check　of　his　Steyr　AUG。　It　was；　as　usual；　in　perfect　working　order。　He　smoothed　his　hair　again；　then　examined　his　cuticles　and　nails。　There　was　a　rim　of　dirt　under　one　of　them；　he　scraped　it　out　with　the　end　of　his　nail　file　and　flicked　it　away。　Then　he　examined　the　backs　of　his　hands；　which　were　smooth；　hairless；　and　white　and　showed　only　the　faintest　trace　of　veins；　they　were　the　hands　of　a　thirty…year…old；　not　a　man　of　sixty。　He　had　always　taken　good　care　of　his　hands。　The　sun　glistened　off　the　array　of　heavy　gold　and　diamond　rings　on　his　fingers。　He　flexed　his　hands　five　times；　balling　and　opening　them；　and　then　shook　out　the　creases　in　his　khaki　pants；　rotated　his　ankles；　rolled　his　head　around　on　his　neck　five　times；　opened　his　arms　wide；　and　inhaled　again。　Exhaled。　Inhaled。　He　examined　his　crisp　white　shirt。　He　would　consider　this　op　successful　if；　at　the　end；　his　shirt　was　free　of　spots。　It　was　such　a　trial　keeping　one's　clothes　clean　in　the　jungle。
　Hauser　eased　the　Steyr　AUG　back　on　his　shoulder　and　headed　down　the　trail。
　
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　The　four　brothers　and　their　father　rested　in　the　shade　along　a　shelf　of　rock　to　the　side　of　the　tomb　door。　They　had　eaten　most　of　their　food；　and　Tom　passed　around　a　canteen　of　water。　There　was　so　much　Tom　had　wanted　to　say　to　his　father；　and　he　had　no　doubt　his　brothers　felt　the　same　way…and　yet；　after　the　initial　outburst　of　talk；　they　had　fallen　silent。　Somehow　it　was　enough　to　be　together。　The　canteen　made　the　rounds；　with　a　gurgle　as　each　one　drank；　and　ended　up　back　with　Tom。　He　screwed　the　top　on　and　shoved　it　back　in　his　small　rucksack。
　Finally　Maxwell　Broadbent　spoke。　〃So　Marcus　Hauser　is　out　there；　looking　to　rob　my　tomb。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃What　a　world。〃
　〃I'm　sorry；〃　said　Philip　again。
　〃It　was　my　fault；〃　said　Broadbent。　〃No　more　apologies。　Everything　is　my　fault。〃
　This　was　something　new；　Tom　thought：　Maxwell　Broadbent　admitting　he　was　wrong。　He　seemed　to　be　the　same　gruff　old　man；　but　he　had　changed。　Definitely；　he　had　changed。
　〃There's　only　one　thing　I　want　right　now；　and　that's　for　my　four　sons　to　get　out　of　here　alive。　I'm　going　to　be　a　drag　on　you。　You　leave　me　here　and　I'll　take　care　of　myself。　I'll　greet　that　man　Hauser　in　a　way　that　he'll　remember。〃
　〃What！〃　Philip　exclaimed。　〃After　all　we　did　to　rescue　you？〃　He　was　genuinely　outraged。
　〃e　now。　I'm　going　to　be　dead　in　a　month　or　two　anyway。　Leave　me　to　deal　with　Hauser　while　you　escape。〃
　Philip　rose　up；　furious。　〃Father；　we　didn't　e　all　this　way　to　abandon　you　to　Hauser。〃
　〃I'm　a　sorry　reason　to　risk　your　lives。〃
　〃Without　you；　we　no　go；〃　Borabay　said。　〃Wind　e　from　east；　bring　storm　tonight。　We　wait　here　till　dark；　then　go。　Get　across　bridge　during　storm。〃
　Broadbent　exhaled　and　wiped　his　face。
　Philip　cleared　his　throat。　〃Father？〃
　〃Yes；　son？〃
　〃I　don't　mean　to　bring　up　an　unwele　subject；　but　what　are　we　going　to　do　about　the　stuff　in　your　tomb？〃
　Tom　immediately　thought　of　the　Codex。　He　had　to　bring　it　out；　too…not　only　for　himself；　but　for　Sally　and　for　the　world。
　Broadbent　gazed　at　the　ground　for　a　moment　before　speaking。　〃I　hadn't　thought　about　that。　It　just　doesn't　seem　important　to　me　anymore。　But　I'm　glad　you　brought　it　up；　Philip。　I　suppose　we　should　take　the　Lippi　and　anything　else　that's　easy　to　carry。　At　least　we　can　keep　a　few　things　out　of　that　greedy　bastard's　hands。　It　kills　me　to　think　he's　going　to　get　most　of　the　stuff；　but　I　guess　it　can't　be　helped。〃
　〃When　we　get　out；　we'll　report　it　to　the　FBI；　Interpol…〃
　〃Hauser's　going　to　get　a