p&c.thunderhead-第103部分

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　I　have　just　one　request　to　make　each　of　you。　Skip；　please　don't　drink。　It　runs　in　the　family；　and；　I　promise　you；　you　won't　be　able　to　handle　it。　I　could　not。　And；　Nora；　please　forgive　your　mother。　I　know　that　in　my　absence；　she　may　blame　me　for　what　has　happened。　When　you　are　grown；　forgiveness　will　be　difficult　for　you。　But　remember　that；　in　a　way；　she　was　right　to　blame　me。　And…in　her　own　way…she　has　always　loved　you　deeply。　
　This　is　a　beautiful　place　to　die；　children。　The　night　sky　is　filled　with　stars；　the　stream　splashes　below；　a　coyote　is　sounding　in　a　distant　canyon。　I　came　here　for　riches；　but　the　sight　of　Quivira　changed　my　mind。　In　fact；　I　left　no　mark　of　my　passage　there。　And　I　have　taken　one　thing　only　from　it；　and　that　was　meant　for　you；　Nora；　as　proof　your　father　really　found　the　fabled　city。　For　it　was　there　that　I　learned；　for　the　first　time；　that　I　had　left　my　real；　my　true　successes…the　two　of　you…far　behind　in　Santa　Fe。　
　I　know　I　have　not　been　a　great　father；　or　even　a　good　father；　and　for　that　I　am　truly　sorry。　There　is　so　much　I　could　have　done　as　a　father　that　I　didn't。　So　let　my　last　act　as　a　father　be　to　tell　you　this：　I　love　you　both。　And　I　will　love　you　always；　forever　and　ever；　from　eternity　to　eternity。　My　love　for　you　burns　brighter　than　all　the　thousands　of　stars　that　carpet　the　sky　above　my　head。　I　may　die；　but　my　love　for　you　never　will。　
　　
　Dad　
　Nora　fell　silent　and　closed　her　eyes。　For　a　moment；　the　entire　canyon　seemed　to　drop　into　reverential　silence。　Then　she　looked　up；　shut　the　notebook；　and　carefully　placed　it　on　the　ground　beside　her　father。　She　turned　and　gave　Smithback　a　tearful　smile。　
　Then　the　four　of　them　made　their　way　down　the　faint　path；　to　the　waiting　horses　and　home。　
　
　Authors'　Note　
　The　archaeology　of　this　story　is　speculative　in　places。　However；　it　is　grounded　in　fact。　The　history　of　the　Anasazi；　the　mystery　of　the　Chaco　collapse　and　the　abandonment　of　the　Colorado　Plateau；　the　long…sought　evidence　of　a　Mesoamerican　connection；　the　use　of　radar　to　locate　prehistoric　roads…as　well　as　the　cannibalistic　and　witchcraft　practices　described　herein…are　based　on　actual　research　findings。　In　addition；　one　of　the　authors；　Douglas　Preston；　has　traveled　and　lived　among　southwestern　Indian　peoples；　as　recounted　in　his　nonfiction　work　Talking　to　the　Ground。　
　The　authors　made　use　of　information　from　a　number　of　other　publications；　the　most　important　of　which　include：　Clyde　Kluckhohn；　Navaho　Witchcraft；　Blackburn　and　Williamson；　Cowboys　and　Cave　Dwellers；　Basketmaker　Archaeology　in　Utah's　Grand　Gulch；　Crown　and　Judge；　eds。；　Chaco　and　Hohokam：　Prehistoric　Regional　Sytems　in　the　American　Southwest；　Kathryn　Gabriel；　Roads　to　Center　Place：　A　Cultural　Atlas　of　Chaco　Canyon　and　the　Anasazi；　James　McNeley；　Holy　Wind　in　Navajo　Philosophy；　David　Roberts；　In　Search　of　the　Old　Ones；　George　Pepper；　Pueblo　Bonito；　Hester；　Shafer；　and　Feder；　Field　Methods　in　Archaeology；　Lynne　Sebastian；　The　Chaco　Anasazi；　Levy；　Neutra；　and　Parker；　Hand　Trembling；　Frenzy　Witchcraft；　and　Moth　Madness；　Mauch　Messenger；　ed。；　The　Ethics　of　Collecting　Cultural　Property；　Chris　Kincaid；　ed。；　Chaco　Roads　Project；　Phase　I：　A　Reappraisal　of　Prehistoric　Roads　in　the　San　Juan　Basin；　Tim　D。　White；　Prehistoric　Cannibalism　at　Mancos；　Christy　Turner；　Man　Corn：　Cannibalism　and　Violence　in　the　Prehistoric　American　Southwest；　and　Farouk　El…Baz；　〃Space　Age　Archaeology；〃　Scientific　American；　August　1997。　
　It　should　be　noted　that　the　Nankoweap　tribe　is　wholly　fictitious；　as　is　the　Santa　Fe　Archaeological　Institute。　The　witchcraft　practices　and　beliefs　described　herein　are　not　intended　to　negatively　depict　or　portray　the　beliefs　of　any　existing　culture。　All　the　characters；　events；　and　most　of　the　places　portrayed　in　this　novel　are　also　entirely　fictitious　products　of　the　authors'　imaginations。　
　
　



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