p&c.thunderhead-第42部分

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　Nora　glanced　at　her　for　a　moment。　Then；　placing　her　arms　together；　she　pushed　through　the　dense　tangle。　
　Although　not　strong；　the　light　of　the　late　afternoon　sun　beyond　seemed　dazzling　after　their　journey　through　the　cramped；　twisting　canyon。　As　her　eyes　adjusted；　Nora　could　see　a　small　valley　open　up　below　them。　The　stream　tumbled　down　a　defile　and　spread　out　into　a　sandy　creek　along　the　valley　floor。　There　was　a　narrow　floodplain；　covered　with　pounded　boulders；　repeatedly　raked　by　flash　floods。　Cottonwoods　lined　the　banks　of　the　floodplain；　their　massive　trunks　scarred　and　hung　with　old　flood　debris。　The　creek　had　cut　down　through　a　layer　of　rock　in　the　center　of　the　valley；　creating　benchlands　on　either　side　that　were　also　dotted　with　cottonwoods；　scrub　oak；　rabbitbrush；　and　wildflowers。　
　The　valley　had　an　intimate　feeling：　it　was　only　about　four　hundred　yards　long　by　two　hundred　yards　wide；　a　jeweled　pocket　in　the　red　sandstone。　The　mellow　sunlight　fell　upon　a　riot　of　color：　blooming　Apache　plumes；　Indian　paintbrush；　scarlet　gilia。　Puffy　cumulus　clouds；　tinged　with　the　afternoon　light；　drifted　across　the　narrow　patch　of　sky　above　the　clifftops。　
　After　the　long　dark　crawl　through　the　slot　canyon；　arriving　at　this　beautiful　valley　was　like　stumbling　upon　a　lost　world。　Everything　about　it…its　intimate　size；　its　high　surrounding　walls；　its　incredible　remoteness；　the　tremendous　difficulties　involved　in　attaining　it…filled　Nora　with　the　sensation　of　discovering　a　hidden　paradise。　As　she　looked　around；　enraptured；　a　breeze　began　to　e　up。　As　the　trees　rustled；　cotton　fell　from　their　catkins　and　drifted　in　the　lazy　air　like　brilliant　motes　of　trapped　light。　
　After　a　moment　Nora　glanced　over　at　Sloane。　The　woman　had　a　look　of　intense；　suppressed　excitement　on　her　face；　the　amber　eyes　seemed　to　blaze　as　they　darted　about；　scanning　first　the　canyon　floor；　then　its　walls。　
　Light　as　a　cat；　Sloane　moved　silently　down　the　shallow　stream　to　the　canyon　floor。　Nora　lagged　behind　for　a　moment。　Mingled　with　her　awe　of　the　beauty　was　a　fresh　certainty：　this　was　the　valley　her　father　had　discovered。　And　with　this　certainty　came　another　thought；　awful　in　its　suddenness。　Was　the　place　terrible　as　well　as　beautiful？　Would　she　find　her　father's　remains　somewhere　down　there　on　the　canyon　floor；　or　hidden　among　the　ledges　above？　
　But　as　quickly　as　it　had　e；　the　feeling　dissipated。　Somebody　had　found　and　mailed　his　letter。　That　in　itself　was　a　mystery；　which　gnawed　at　her　constantly。　But　at　least　it　meant　that；　wherever　her　father's　bones　lay；　they　probably　lay　somewhere　else；　closer　to　civilization。　Still；　it　was　several　moments　before　she　followed　Sloane　to　the　flat　sandy　benchland；　girded　with　rocks；　well　above　the　flash　flood　zone。　A　small　grove　of　cottonwoods　provided　shade。　
　〃How's　this　for　a　campsite？〃　Sloane　asked；　dropping　her　pack。　
　〃Couldn't　be　more　perfect；〃　Nora　replied。　She　unshouldered　her　own　pack；　pulled　out　her　soggy　sleeping　bag；　shook　it　out；　and　draped　it　over　a　bush。　
　Then　her　eyes　turned　ineluctably　back　toward　the　towering　cliffs　that　surrounded　them　on　four　sides。　Pulling　the　waterproof　binoculars　from　her　pack；　she　began　scanning　the　rock　faces。　The　sandstone　cliffs　rose　in　steplike　fashion　from　the　canyon　floor：　sheer　pitches；　interrupted　by　benchlands　of　softer　strata　that　had　eroded　back　to　form　flat　areas。　Near　the　far　end　of　the　valley；　a　large　rockfall　had　dropped　a　pitched　tangle　of　house…sized　boulders　that　lay　in　a　precarious　jumble　against　the　cliff　face。　But　the　rockfall　led　up　to　nothing；　and　there　was　no　sign　in　the　valley　of　a　trail；　a　ruin；　anything。　
　She　shook　off　the　sudden　cold　feeling　in　her　gut；　reminding　herself　that　if　the　ruined　city　was　obvious；　it　would　have　been　found。　Any　caves　or　alcoves　formed　in　those　benches　above　could　not　be　seen　from　below。　It　was　precisely　the　kind　of　spot　favored　by　the　Anasazi。　
　Her　father；　however；　had　seen　a　clear　hand…and…toe　trail。　Her　eyes　again　swept　the　lower　rock　faces；　searching　for　the　telltale　signs　of　a　trail。　She　saw　nothing　but　smooth　faces　of　red　sandstone。　
　Nora　glanced　around　for　Sloane。　The　woman　had　already　abandoned　her　scrutiny　of　the　walls　and　was　walking　along　the　base　of　the　cliffs；　peering　intently　at　the　ground。　Looking　for　potsherds　or　flint　chips；　Nora　thought　approvingly：　always　a　good　way　to　locate　a　hidden　ruin　above。　Every　fifty　feet；　Sloane　would　stop　and　squint　up　the　cliff　faces　at　an　oblique　angle；　looking　for　the　telltale　shallow　notches　that　would　signify　a　trail。　
　Nora　shoved　her　binoculars　into　her　damp　jeans　and　walked　along　the　cutbanks　and　rock　shelves　above　the　stream；　examining　the　soil　profile　for　any　cultural　evidence。　She　knew　they　should　be　using　the　last　of　the　light　to　build　a　fire　and　prepare　dinner。　But；　like　Sloane；　she　felt　pelled　to　keep　searching。　
　It　was　the　work　of　ten　minutes　to　reach　the　opposite　side　of　the　valley。　Here；　the　stream　disappeared　into　another　slot　canyon；　much　narrower　even　than　the　one　they　had　crawled　through。　Narrow　stone　benches　crawled　up　the　red　walls　on　either　side；　and　from　the　gorge　below　came　the　sound　of　falling　water。　Carefully；　she　crept　up　to　its　edge。　Water　fell　from　the　valley　in　a　long　stream。　A　plume　of　mist　rose　from　where　it　struck　the　rocks　below；　filling　the　end　of　the　canyon　with　a　watery　veil　she　could　barely　see　through。　A　small　microclimate　had　developed；　and　the　rocks　were　thickly　covered　with　moss　and　ferns。　She　knew　from　the　maps；　though；　that　the　stream　ran　on　through　a　series　of　descending　waterfalls　and　pools；　each　separated　by　twenty　or　thirty　feet　of　overhanging　rock。　It　would　be　impossible　to　descend　without　a　highly　technical　climb；　and　in　any　case　at　its　bottom　the　slot　seemed　too　narrow　to　admit　a　human　being。　But　there　would　be　no　point　even　in　trying：　as　the　maps　indicated；　the　stream　ran　in　this　impassable　fashion　for　sixteen　miles；　until　it　spilled　off　the　North　Rim　of　Marble　Gorge　and　dropped　a　thousand　feet　to　the　Colorado　River。　Anyone　caught　in　a　flash　flood　and　pushed　into　this　canyon　would　emerge　at　the　Colorado　just　so　much　ground　beef。　
　She　moved　on；　pausing　at　the　large　rockfall。　It　was　cool　in　the　shadow　of　the　cliffs；　and　she　shivered　slightly。　The　rockfall；　with　its　dark　holes　and　hidden　spaces　between　the　huge　boulders；　looked　like　a　lair　of　ghosts。　It　appeared　too　unstable　to　climb。　And；　in　any　case；　the　cliff　face　behind　it　was　sheer　and　unmarked　by　toeholds。　
　She　worked　her　way　back　up　the　other　side　of　the　creek　and　encountered　Sloane；　who　had　finished　her　own　survey。　The　almond　eyes　had　lost　some　of　their　brilliance。　
　〃Any　luck？〃　Nora　asked。　
　Sloane　shook　her　head。　〃I'm　having　trouble　believing　there　was　a　city　here。　I　haven't　found　anything。〃　
　For　once；　the　trademark　smile　was　missing；　and　she　seemed　agitated；　almost　angry。　This　city　is　as　important　to　her　as　it　is　to　me；　Nora　thought。　
　〃The　Anasazi　never　built　a　road　to　nowhere；〃　Nora　replied。　〃There's　got　to　be　something　here。〃　
　〃Perhaps；〃　Sloane　said　slowly；　peering　again　at　the　cliff　faces　surrounding　them。　〃But　if　I　hadn't　seen　those　radar　images　and　the　hogback　ridge；　I'd　have　a　hard　time　believing　we've　been　following　any　sort　of　road　at　all　the　last　two　days。〃　
　The　sun　had　now　dipped　low　enough　to　bring　creeping　shadows　across　the　valley　floor。　〃Look；　Sloane；〃　Nora　said。　〃We　haven't　even　begun　to　examine　this　valley。　We'll　spend　tomorrow　morning　making　a　careful　survey。　And　if　we　still　don't　find　anything；　we'll　bring　the　proton　magnetometer　in　and　scan　for　structures　beneath　the　sand。〃　
　Sloane　was　still　looking　intently　up　at　the　cliffs；　as　if　demanding　they　give　up　their　secrets。　Then　she　looked　at　Nora；　and　gave　a　slow　smile。　〃Maybe　you're　right；〃　she　said。　〃Let's　get　a　fire　going　and　see　if　we　can　dry　out　these　bags。〃　
　After　she　had　scooped　out　a　shallow　firepit　and　built　a　ring　of　stones；　Nora　sat　by　the　fire　and　changed　the　damp　bandages　on　her　fingers。　The　sleeping　bags　began　to　steam　slightly　in　the　heat。　
　〃What　do　you　suppose　Bonarotti　put　in　those　care　packages？〃　Sloane　asked　as　she　piled　more　logs　on　the　fire。　
　〃Let's　find　out。〃　Nora　retrieved　a　pot　from　her　daypack；　then　grabbed　the　small　packet　Bon