p&c.icelimit-第50部分

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　covertly　at　Puppup。　The　only　person　on　board　who　could　shed　light　on　Vallenar　was　the　one　he　understood　least。　He　had　found　himself　unable　to　predict　or　control　Puppup's　actions。　And　the　man　dogged　him　like　a　shadow。　It　had　proved　surprisingly　unsettling。
　〃Got　a　cigarette？〃　Puppup　asked。
　Glinn　slid　a　new　pack　out　of　his　pocket　…　Marlboros；　worth　their　weight　in　gold　…　and　handed　it　to　Puppup。　The　man　tore　it　open　and　tapped　out　a　cigarette。　〃Match？〃
　Glinn　lit　his　cigarette　with　a　lighter。
　〃Thanks；　guv。〃　Puppup　took　a　deep　drag　on　the　cigarette。　〃Bit　parky　out　today；　eh？〃
　〃Yes　it　is。〃　There　was　a　pause。　〃Where　did　you　learn　your　English；　Mr。　Puppup？〃
　〃From　the　missionaries；　didn't　I？　The　only　bit　of　schooling　I　had　was　from　them。〃
　〃Did　one　of　them　e　from　London；　by　chance？〃
　〃Both　of　them　as　did；　sir。〃
　Glinn　waited　a　moment　while　Puppup　smoked。　Even　considering　the　cultural　differences；　the　man　was　remarkably　difficult　to　read。　In　fact；　Glinn　had　never　met　such　an　opaque　individual。
　He　began　slowly。　〃That's　a　nice　ring；〃　he　said；　pointing　offhandedly　at　a　little　gold　ring　on　the　mestizo's　pinkie。
　Puppup　held　it　up　with　a　grin。　〃That　it　is。　Pure　gold；　a　pearl；　two　rubies；　and　all。〃
　〃A　gift　from　Queen　Adelaide；　I　presume？〃
　Puppup　started；　the　cigarette　jiggling　in　his　mouth。　But　he　recovered　quickly。　〃Right　you　are。〃
　〃And　what　happened　to　the　queen's　bonnet？〃
　Puppup　looked　at　him　curiously。　〃Buried　with　the　missus。　Looked　a　fair　old　treat　in　it；　too。〃
　〃Was　Fuegia　Basket　your　great…great…great…grandmother；　then？〃
　〃In　a　manner　of　speaking。〃　Puppup's　eyes　remained　veiled。
　〃You　e　from　a　distinguished　family。〃　As　Glinn　spoke；　he　looked　very　closely　at　Puppup's　eyes。　When　they　flicked　away；　he　knew　the　ment　had　had　its　intended　effect。　Still；　it　was　essential　that　this　be　handled　with　the　greatest　finesse。　He　would　have　only　one　chance　to　unlock　John　Puppup。
　〃Your　wife　must　have　died　a　long　time　ago。〃
　Puppup　still　didn't　answer。
　〃Smallpox？〃
　Puppup　shook　his　head。　〃Measles。〃
　〃Ah；〃　Glinn　said。　〃My　grandfather　died　of　measles；　also。〃　This　was；　in　fact；　true。
　Puppup　nodded。
　〃We　have　something　else　in　mon；〃　said　Glinn。
　Puppup　looked　at　him　sideways。
　〃My　great…great…great…grandfather　was　Captain　Fitzroy。〃　Glinn　spoke　the　lie　very　carefully；　keeping　his　eyes　unmoving。
　Puppup's　own　eyes　slid　back　out　to　sea；　but　Glinn　could　see　the　uncertainty　in　them。　The　eyes　betrayed；　every　time。　Unless；　of　course；　you　trained　them。
　〃Strange　how　history　repeats　itself；〃　he　went　on。　〃I　have　an　engraving　of　your　great…great…great…grandmother；　when　she　was　a　little　girl；　meeting　the　queen。　It　hangs　in　my　parlor。〃　For　the　Yaghan；　establishing　the　family　connection　was　everything；　if　Glinn's　reading　of　the　ethnographic　literature　was　correct。
　As　he　listened；　Puppup　grew　tense。
　〃John；　may　I　see　the　ring　again？〃
　Without　looking　at　him；　Puppup　raised　his　brown　hand　Glinn　took　it　gently　in　his　own；　applying　a　warm　pressure　to　the　palm。　He　had　noticed　the　ring　the　first　time　he　had　seen　him；　drunk　in　the　snug　in　Puerto　Williams。　It　had　taken　his　people　back　in　New　York　a　few　days　to　determine　what　it　was；　and　where　it　had　e　from。
　〃Fate　is　a　strange　thing；　John。　My　great…great…greatgrandfather；　Captain　Fitzroy；　of　the　HMS　Beagle；　kidnapped　your　great…great…great…grandmother；　Fuegia　Basket；　and　took　her　to　England　to　meet　the　queen。　And　now　I　have　kidnapped　you；〃　he　added　with　a　smile。　〃Ironic；　isn't　it？　Except　that　I　won't　be　taking　you　to　England。　Soon；　you'll　be　home　again。〃　It　was　popular　in　those　days　to　bring　〃primitives〃　back　from　the　farthest　reaches　of　the　earth　to　display　at　court。　Fuegia　Basket　had　gone　back　to　Tierra　del　Fuego　on　the　Beagle　several　years　later；　with　the　bonnet　and　ring　given　her　by　the　queen。　Another　passenger　on　that　voyage　had　been　Mr。　Charles　Darwin。
　Although　Puppup　did　not　look　at　him；　the　opacity　seemed　to　be　fading　from　his　eyes。
　〃What　will　happen　to　the　ring？〃　Glinn　asked。
　〃It'll　stay　with　me　into　the　grave。〃
　〃No　children？〃　Glinn　already　knew　that　Puppup　was　the　last　of　the　Yaghan；　but　he　wanted　to　gauge　the　answer。
　Puppup　shook　his　head。
　Glinn　nodded；　still　holding　the　hand。　〃Are　there　no　others　left　at　all？〃
　〃A　few　mestizos；　but　I'm　the　last　one　to　speak　the　lingo。〃
　〃That　must　make　you　sad。〃
　〃There's　an　ancient　Yaghan　legend；　and　the　older　I　get　the　more　I　think　it　was　meant　for　me。〃
　〃What　is　that？〃
　〃When　the　time　es　for　the　last　Yaghan　to　die；　Hanuxa　himself　will　draw　him　down　into　the　earth。　From　his　bones；　a　new　race　will　grow。〃
　Glinn　let　go　of　Puppup's　hand。　〃And　how　would　Hanuxa　take　the　last　Yaghan？〃
　Puppup　shook　his　head。　〃It's　a　bloody　superstition；　isn't　it　then？　I　don't　remember　the　details。〃
　Glinn　didn't　push。　This　was　the　old　Puppup　talking　again。　He　realized　there　was　no　way　to　know　if　he　had　been　successful　in　reaching　him。　〃John；　I　need　your　help　with　andante　Emiliano　Vallenar。　His　presence　here　is　a　threat　to　our　mission。　What　can　you　tell　me　about　him？〃
　Puppup　shook　another　cigarette　out　of　the　pack。　〃andante　Emiliano　came　down　here　twenty…five　years　ago。　After　the　Pinochet　coup。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃His　father　fell　out　of　a　helicopter　while　being　questioned。　An　Allende　man。　So　was　the　son。　He　was　posted　down　here　to　keep　him　at　arm's　length；　like。〃
　Glinn　nodded。　That　explained　a　great　deal。　Not　only　his　disgrace　in　the　Chilean　navy；　but　his　hatred　of　the　Americans；　possibly　even　his　self…loathing　as　a　Chilean。　〃Why　is　he　still　manding　a　destroyer？〃
　〃He　knows　certain　things　about　certain　people；　don't　he？　He's　a　good　officer。　And　andante　Emiliano　is　very　stubborn。　And　very　careful。〃
　〃I　see；〃　said　Glinn；　noting　the　shrewdness　of　Puppup's　insights。　〃Is　there　anything　else　about　him　that　I　should　know？　Is　he　married？〃
　Puppup　licked　the　end　of　a　new　cigarette　and　placed　it　between　his　lips。　〃The　andante　is　a　double　murderer。〃
　Glinn　stifled　his　surprise　by　lighting　the　cigarette。
　〃He　brought　his　wife　to　Puerto　Williams。　It's　a　bad　place　for　a　woman。　There's　nothing　to　do；　no　dances；　no　fiestas。　During　the　Falklands　War；　the　andante　was　put　on　a　long　tour　of　duty　in　the　Estrecho　de　Magallanes；　keeping　the　Argentinian　fleet　pinned　down　for　the　British。　When　he　came　back；　he　discovered　his　wife　had　taken　a　lover。〃　Puppup　took　a　deep　drag。　〃The　andante　was　clever。　He　waited　until　he　could　walk　in　on　them；　doing　it；　like。　He　cut　her　throat。　As　I　heard　it；　he　did　something　even　worse　to　the　man。　He　bled　to　death　on　the　way　to　the　hospital　in　Punta　Arenas。〃
　〃Why　wasn't　he　put　in　prison？〃
　〃Down　here；　you　don't　just　tell　your　rival　to　sod　off。　Chileans　have　old　notions　of　honor；　don't　they？〃　Puppup　spoke　very　clearly；　very　matter…of…factly。　〃If　he　had　killed　them　outside　the　bedroom；　it　would　have　been　different。　But。。。〃　He　shrugged。　〃Everyone　understood　why　a　man　who　saw　his　wife　like　that　would　do　what　he　did。　And　that's　another　reason　why　the　andante　kept　his　mand　so　long。〃
　〃Why　is　that？〃
　〃He's　a　man　who　might　do　anything。〃
　Glinn　paused　a　moment；　looking　out　across　the　channel　at　the　destroyer。　It　hung　there；　motionless；　dark。　〃There's　something　else　I　must　ask　you；〃　he　said；　his　eyes　still　on　the　warship。　〃That　merchant　in　Punta　Arenas；　the　one　you　sold　the　prospector's　equipment　to。　Would　he　remember　you？　Would　he　be　able　to　identify　you；　if　asked？〃
　Puppup　seemed　to　think　for　a　minute。　〃Can't　say；〃　he　answered　at　last。　〃It　was　a　big　shop。　Then　again；　there　aren't　many　Yaghan　Indians　in　Punta　Arenas。　And　we　had　quite　a　bargaining　session。〃
　〃I　see；〃　said　Glinn。　〃Thank　you；　John。　You've　been　very　helpful。〃
　〃Speak　nothing　of　it；　guv'nor；〃　said　Puppup。　He　looked　sidelong　at　Glinn；　eyes　sparkling　with　shrewdness　and　amusement。
　Glinn　thought　quickly。　Sometimes　it　was　best　to　confess　a　lie　immediately。　If　done　properly；　it　could　breed　a　perverse　kind　of　trust。
　〃I'm　afraid　I　haven't　been　entirely　honest　with　you；〃　he　said。　〃I　know　a　lot　about　Captain　Fitzroy。　But　he　isn't　actually　my　ancestor。〃
　Puppup　cackled　unpleasantly。　〃Of　course　not。　No　more　than　Fuegia　Basket　was　mine。〃
　A　gust　of　bitter　Wind　tore　at　Glinn's　collar。　He　glanced　over　at　Puppup。　〃How