p&c.thunderhead-第57部分

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hat　does　it　mean？　What　could　the　ceremony　have　possibly　been？〃　
　Sloane　put　down　her　coffee　and　looked　searchingly　at　Nora。　〃But　don't　you　see；〃　she　said　in　a　low　voice；　〃we　are　getting　the　answers。　It's　just　that　they　aren't　the　ones　we　expected。　Scientific　discovery　is　always　like　that。〃　
　〃I　hope　you're　right；〃　Nora　replied。　〃I've　discovered　things　before。　And　they　never　felt　like　this。　Something　in　my　gut　just　doesn't　feel　right。　And　it　hasn't　felt　right　since　I　first　laid　eyes　on　Aragon's　Crawlspace；　littered　with　those　countless　bones；　thrown　about　like　so　much　trash。〃　
　She　fell　silent　as　dark　shapes　bundled　out　of　the　dark。　Smithback　and　Holroyd　came　over　and　joined　them　at　the　fire。　Black　soon　appeared　out　of　the　twilight　and　hunkered　down　beside　them。　The　dark　branches　of　the　cottonwoods　were　just　beginning　to　separate　themselves　from　the　night。　
　〃It's　as　cold　as　Lenin's　balls　around　here　in　the　mornings；〃　Smithback　said。　〃And　on　top　of　that；　my　valet　neglected　to　polish　my　boots；　although　I　specifically　left　them　outside　my　door。〃　
　〃It's　so　hard　to　find　good　help　these　days；〃　said　Black；　in　a　whiny　imitation　of　Smithback's　voice；　and　poured　himself　a　cup。　He　held　it　to　his　nose。　〃What　a　barbarous　way　to　make　coffee；〃　he　said；　setting　the　cup　down。　〃And　when　are　we　going　to　eat？　Why　can't　that　Italian　fellow　get　himself　out　of　bed　a　little　earlier？　What　kind　of　camp　cook　is　this　who　won't　get　up　until　the　crack　of　noon？〃　
　〃He's　the　only　cook　I　know　who　can　make　pommes　Anna　as　well　as　the　best　chefs　of　Paris；　but　with　a　twentieth　of　the　equipment；〃　said　Smithback。　〃Anyway；　forget　breakfast。　Only　savages　and　children　eat　breakfast。〃　
　They　sat　around　the　fire；　all　but　Sloane　grumpy　in　the　predawn　air；　nursing　their　coffee　and　speaking　little。　Nora　wondered　if　the　discoveries　in　the　city　and　the　Great　Kiva　were　casting　a　pall　over　them；　as　well。　Gradually　the　rising　sun　poured　more　color　into　the　landscape；　transforming　it　from　gray　to　rich　reds；　yellows；　purples；　and　greens。　
　Smithback　saw　Nora's　eyes　traveling　around　the　cliffs；　and　he　said；　〃Paint　by　the　numbers；　right？〃　
　〃What　a　poetic　thought；〃　said　Nora。　
　〃Hey；　poetic　thinking　is　my　business。〃　Smithback　chuckled　and　fished　some　grounds　out　of　his　coffee　with　a　spoon；　flicking　them　into　the　bushes　behind　him。　
　Nora　heard　the　whisper　of　footfalls　on　sand　and　looked　up　to　see　Aragon；　bundled　against　the　chill。　He　sat　down　and　wordlessly　poured　himself　a　cup　of　coffee。　He　drank　it　off　with　extreme　rapidity　and　refilled　the　cup；　hands　unsteady。　
　〃Burning　the　midnight　oil　again；　Enrique？〃　Nora　asked。　
　It　was　as　if　Aragon　hadn't　heard。　He　continued　drinking　his　coffee　and　staring　into　the　fire。　At　last；　he　turned　his　dark　eyes　to　Nora。　〃Yes；　I　was　up　quite　late。　I　hope　I　did　not　disturb　anyone。〃　
　〃No；　not　at　all；〃　Nora　replied　quickly。　
　〃Still　working　on　those　bones　of　yours；　I　suppose？〃　asked　Black。　
　Aragon　took　a　final　swig　of　his　coffee　and　refilled　the　cup　a　third　time。　〃Yes。〃　
　〃So　much　for　ZST。　Find　anything？〃　
　There　was　a　long　pause。　〃Yes；〃　Aragon　repeated。　
　There　was　something　in　his　tone　that　silenced　the　pany。　
　〃Share　with　us；　brother；〃　intoned　the　oblivious　Smithback。　
　Aragon　set　his　cup　down　and　began　slowly；　deliberately；　almost　as　if　he　had　prepared　his　words　ahead　of　time。　〃As　I　told　Nora　when　I　first　discovered　it；　the　placement　of　the　bones　in　the　Crawlspace　is　exceedingly　odd。〃　There　was　a　pause　while　he　carefully　removed　from　his　coat　a　small　plastic　container。　He　placed　it　on　the　ground　and　gently　unbuckled　the　lid。　Inside　were　three　fragmentary　bones　and　a　portion　of　a　cranium。　
　〃Lying　sprawled　on　top　are　perhaps　fifty　or　sixty　articulated　skeletons；〃　he　continued。　〃Some　still　have　the　remains　of　clothing；　rich　jewelry；　and　personal　adornment。　They　were　well…fed；　healthy　individuals；　most　in　the　prime　of　their　lives。　They　all　seemed　to　have　died　at　the　same　time；　yet　there　is　no　sign　of　violence　on　the　bones。〃　
　〃So　what's　the　explanation？〃　Nora　asked。　
　〃It　seems　to　me　that　whatever　happened；　it　happened　so　suddenly　that　there　wasn't　time　to　give　the　bodies　a　proper　burial；〃　Aragon　replied。　〃My　analysis　turned　up　no　clear　disease　process；　but　many　diseases　leave　no　osteological　traces。　Apparently；　the　bodies　were　simply　dragged；　intact；　into　the　back　and　thrown　on　top　of　a　huge　existing　pile　of　bones。〃　His　expression　changed。　〃Those　bones　underneath　tell　a　very　different　story。　They　are　the　broken；　disarticulated　remains　of　hundreds；　even　thousands；　of　individuals；　accumulated　over　years。　Unlike　the　skeletons　on　top；　these　bones　e　from　individuals　who　clearly　died　of　violence。　Extreme　violence。〃　
　He　passed　his　dark　eyes　around　the　group。　Nora　felt　her　unease　grow。　
　〃The　bones　from　the　bottom　layer　display　several　unusual　characteristics；〃　Aragon　said；　wiping　his　face　with　a　soiled　bandanna。　He　pointed　with　a　pair　of　rubber…tipped　forceps　at　a　broken　bone　in　the　tray。　〃The　first　is　that　many　of　the　long　bones　have　been　broken；　perimortem；　in　a　special　way；　like　this　bone　here。〃　
　〃Perimortem？〃　asked　Smithback。　
　〃Yes。　Broken　not　before　death；　and　not　long　afterward；　but　about　the　time　of　death。〃　
　〃What　do　you　mean；　broken　in　a　special　way？〃　Black　asked。　
　〃It's　the　same　way　the　Anasazi　broke　deer　and　elk　bones。　In　order　to　extract　the　marrow。〃　He　pointed。　〃And　here；　in　the　cancellous　tissue　of　the　humerus；　they　actually　reamed　out　the　center　of　the　bone　to　get　at　the　marrow　inside。〃　
　〃Wait；〃　said　Smithback。　〃Hold　on。　You　mean　to　extract　the　marrow　for…？〃　
　〃Let　me　finish。　Second；　there　are　small　marks　on　the　bone。　I　have　examined　these　marks　under　the　microscope　and　they　are　consistent　with　the　marks　made　by　stone　tools　when　a　carcass　is　dismembered。　Butchered　and　defleshed；　if　you　will。　Third；　I　found　dozens　of　fractured　skulls　among　the　litter　of　bones；　mostly　of　children。　There　were　cut　marks　on　the　calvaria　that　are　made　only　by　scalping：　just　like　the　skull　we　found　at　Pete's　Ruin。　Furthermore；　the　children's　skulls　in　particular　showed　'anvil　abrasions。'　When　I　reexamined　the　Pete's　Ruin　skull；　I　found　anvil　abrasions　on　it；　as　well。　I　also　found　that　many　of　the　skulls　had　been　drilled；　and　a　circular　piece　of　bone　removed。〃　
　〃What　are　anvil　abrasions？〃　Nora　asked。　
　〃A　very　specific　kind　of　parallel　scratch　mark；　made　when　the　head　is　laid　on　a　flat　rock　and　another　rock　is　brought　down　on　it　to　break　open　the　brainpan。　You　normally　see　it　on　animal　skulls　whose　brains　have　been　extracted　for　food。〃　
　From　the　corner　of　her　eye；　Nora　saw　that　Smithback　was　furiously　taking　notes。　
　〃There's　more；〃　Aragon　said。　〃Many　of　the　bones　show　this。〃　He　picked　up　a　smaller　bone　with　the　forceps　and　turned　it　to　the　light。　〃Take　a　look　at　the　broken　ends　with　this　loup。〃　
　Nora　examined　it　under　magnification。　〃I　can't　see　anything　unusual；　except　maybe　for　this　faint　sheen　on　the　broken　ends；　as　if　they　used　the　bone　for　scraping　hides。〃　
　〃Not　scraping　hides。　That　sheen　has　been　called　'pot　polish。'〃　
　〃Pot　polish？〃　Nora　whispered；　the　coil　of　fear　growing　tighter　within　her。　
　〃It　only　occurs　to　bones　that　have　been　boiled　and　stirred　in　a　rough　ceramic　pot　for　a　long　time；　turned　around　and　around。〃　And　then　he　added；　unnecessarily：　〃It's　how　you　make　soup。〃　
　Aragon　reached　again　for　the　coffee　pot　and　found　it　empty。　
　〃Are　you　saying　they　were　cooking　and　eating　people？〃　Holroyd　asked。　
　〃Of　course　that's　what　he's　saying；〃　Black　snapped。　〃But　I've　found　no　evidence　of　human　bones　in　the　trash　mound。　Though　it　was　filled　with　animal　bones　that　had　clearly　been　consumed　for　food。〃　
　Aragon　did　not　respond。　
　Nora　looked　away　from　him；　turning　her　gaze　out　over　the　canyon。　The　sun　was　rising　above　the　rimrock；　gilding　the　clifftops　while　leaving　the　valley　below　in　Magritte…like　shadow。　But　the　beautiful　canyon　now　filled　her　with　apprehension。　
　〃There's　something　else　I　should　mention；〃　Aragon　said　in　a　low　voice。　
　Nora　looked　back。　〃More？〃　
　Aragon　nodded　to　Sloane。　〃I　don't　believe　the　tomb　you　found　was　a　burial　at　all。〃　
　〃It　seemed　like　an　offering；〃　Nora　heard　herself　say。　
　〃Yes；〃　said　Aragon。　〃But　even　more　than　that；　it　was