preston&child.thecabinetofcuriosities-第4部分

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Investigation。〃
　Nora's　heart　sank。　Was　this　more　spillover　from　the　trouble…plagued　Utah　expedition？　Just　what　she　needed。　〃Do　you　have　a　badge？〃　she　asked　wearily。　〃Some　kind　of　ID？〃
　The　man　smiled　indulgently；　and　slipped　a　wallet　out　of　his　suit　pocket；　allowing　it　to　fall　open。　Nora　bent　down　to　scrutinize　the　badge。　It　certainly　looked　real…and　she　had　seen　enough　of　them　over　the　last　eighteen　months。
　〃All　right；　all　right；　I　believe　you。　Special　Agent…〃　She　hesitated。　What　the　hell　was　his　name？　She　glanced　down　but　the　shield　was　already　on　its　way　back　into　the　folds　of　his　suit。
　〃Pendergast；〃　he　finished　for　her。　Then　he　added；　almost　as　if　he　had　read　her　thoughts：　〃This　has　nothing　to　do　with　what　happened　in　Utah；　by　the　way。　This　is　an　entirely　different　case。〃
　She　looked　at　him　again。　This　dapper　study　in　black　and　white　hardly　looked　like　the　G…men　she　had　met　out　west。　He　seemed　unusual；　even　eccentric。　There　was　something　almost　appealing　in　the　impassive　face。　Then　she　glanced　back　down　at　the　skull。　〃I'm　not　a　physical　anthropologist；〃　she　said　quickly。　〃Bones　aren't　my　field。〃
　Pendergast's　only　reply　was　to　offer　her　the　skull。
　She　reached　for　it；　curious　despite　herself；　turning　it　over　carefully　in　her　hands。
　〃Surely　the　FBI　has　forensic　experts　to　help　them　with　this　sort　of　thing？〃
　The　FBI　agent　merely　smiled　and　walked　to　the　door；　closing　and　locking　it。　Gliding　toward　her　desk；　he　plucked　the　phone　from　its　cradle　and　laid　it　gently　to　one　side。　〃May　we　speak　undisturbed？〃
　〃Sure。　Whatever。〃　Nora　knew　she　must　sound　flustered；　and　was　angry　at　herself　for　it。　She　had　never　met　someone　quite　so　self…assured。
　The　man　settled　himself　into　a　wooden　chair　opposite　her　desk；　throwing　one　slender　leg　over　the　other。　〃Regardless　of　your　discipline；　I'd　like　to　hear　your　thoughts　on　this　skull。〃
　She　sighed。　Should　she　be　talking　to　this　man？　What　would　the　Museum　think？　Surely　they　would　be　pleased　that　one　of　their　own　had　been　consulted　by　the　FBI。　Maybe　this　was　just　the　kind　of　〃publicity〃　Brisbane　wanted。
　She　examined　the　skull　once　again。　〃Well；　to　start　with；　I'd　say　this　child　had　a　pretty　sad　life。〃
　Pendergast　made　a　tent　of　his　fingers；　raising　one　eyebrow　in　mute　query。
　〃The　lack　of　sutural　closing　indicates　a　young　teenager。　The　second　molar　is　only　just　erupted。　That　would　put　him　or　her　at　around　thirteen；　give　or　take　a　few　years。　I　would　guess　female；　by　the　gracile　brow　ridges。　Very　bad　teeth；　by　the　way；　with　no　orthodontry。　That　suggests　neglect；　at　least。　And　these　two　rings　in　the　enamel　indicate　arrested　growth；　probably　caused　by　two　episodes　of　starvation　or　serious　illness。　The　skull　is　clearly　old；　although　the　condition　of　the　teeth　suggests　a　historic；　as　opposed　to　prehistoric；　dating。　You　wouldn't　see　this　kind　of　tooth　decay　in　a　prehistoric　specimen；　and　anyway　it　looks　Caucasoid；　not　Native　American。　I　would　say　it's　at　least　seventy…five　to　a　hundred　years　old。　Of　course；　this　is　all　speculation。　Everything　depends　on　where　it　was　found；　and　under　what　conditions。　A　carbon…14　date　might　be　worth　considering。〃　At　this　unpleasant　reminder　of　her　recent　meeting；　she　paused　involuntarily。
　Pendergast　waited。　Nora　had　the　distinct　feeling　that　he　expected　more。　Feeling　her　annoyance　returning；　she　moved　toward　the　window　to　examine　the　skull　in　the　bright　morning　light。　And　then；　as　she　stared；　she　felt　a　sudden　sick　feeling　wash　over　her。
　〃What　is　it？〃　Pendergast　asked　sharply；　instantly　aware　of　the　change；　his　wiry　frame　rising　from　the　chair　with　the　intensity　of　a　spring。
　〃These　faint　scratches　at　the　very　base　of　the　occipital　bone　。　。　。〃　She　reached　for　the　loup　that　always　hung　around　her　neck　and　fitted　it　to　her　eye。　Turning　the　skull　upside　down；　she　examined　it　more　closely。
　〃Go　on。〃
　〃They　were　made　by　a　knife。　It's　as　if　someone　were　removing　tissue。〃
　〃What　kind　of　tissue？〃
　She　felt　a　flood　of　relief　as　she　realized　what　it　was。
　〃These　are　the　kind　of　marks　you　would　expect　to　see　caused　by　a　scalpel；　during　a　postmortem。　This　child　was　autopsied。　The　marks　were　made　while　exposing　the　upper　part　of　the　spinal　cord；　or　perhaps　the　medulla　oblongata。〃
　She　placed　the　skull　on　the　table。　〃But　I'm　an　archaeologist；　Mr。　Pendergast。　You'd　do　better　to　use　the　expertise　of　someone　else。　We　have　a　physical　anthropologist　on　staff；　Dr。　Weidenreich。〃
　Pendergast　picked　the　skull　up；　sealing　it　in　a　Ziploc　bag。　It　disappeared　into　the　folds　of　his　suit　without　a　trace；　like　a　magician's　trick。　〃It　is　precisely　your　archaeological　expertise　I　need。　And　now；〃　he　continued　briskly；　replacing　the　telephone　and　unlocking　the　door　in　swift　economical　movements；　〃I　need　you　to　acpany　me　downtown。〃
　〃Downtown？　You　mean；　like　headquarters？〃
　Pendergast　shook　his　head。
　Nora　hesitated。　〃I　can't　just　leave　the　Museum。　I've　got　work　to　do。〃
　〃We　won't　be　long；　Dr。　Kelly。　Time　is　of　the　essence。〃
　〃What's　this　all　about？〃
　But　he　was　already　out　of　her　office；　striding　on　swift　silent　feet　down　the　long　corridor。　She　followed；　unable　to　think　of　what　else　to　do；　as　the　agent　led　the　tortuous　back　way　down　a　series　of　staircases；　through　Birds　of　the　World；　Africa；　and　Pleistocene　Mammals；　arriving　at　last　in　the　echoing　Great　Rotunda。
　〃You　know　the　Museum　pretty　well；〃　she　said　as　she　struggled　to　keep　up。
　〃Yes。〃
　Then　they　were　out　the　bronze　doors　and　descending　the　vast　sweep　of　marble　stairs　to　Museum　Drive。　Agent　Pendergast　stopped　at　the　base　and　turned　in　the　bright　fall　light。　His　eyes　were　now　white；　with　only　a　hint　of　color。　As　he　moved；　she　suddenly　had　the　impression　of　great　physical　power　beneath　the　narrow　suit。　〃Are　you　familiar　with　the　New　York　Archaeological　and　Historic　Preservation　Act？〃　he　asked。
　〃Of　course。〃　It　was　the　law　that　stopped　digging　or　construction　in　the　city　if　anything　of　archaeological　value　was　uncovered；　until　it　could　be　excavated　and　documented。
　〃A　rather　interesting　site　was　uncovered　in　lower　Manhattan。　You'll　be　the　supervising　archaeologist。〃
　〃Me？　I　don't　have　the　experience　or　authority…〃
　〃Fear　not；　Dr。　Kelly。　I'm　afraid　we'll　find　your　tenure　all　too　brief。〃
　She　shook　her　head。　〃But　why　me？〃
　〃You've　had　some　experience　in　this；　ah；　particular　kind　of　site。〃
　〃And　just　what　kind　of　site　is　that？〃
　〃A　charnel。〃
　She　stared。
　〃And　now；〃　he　said；　gesturing　toward　a　'59　Silver　Wraith　idling　at　the　curb；　〃we　must　be　on　our　way。　After　you；　please。〃
　
　FOUR
　　
　NORA　STEPPED　OUT　of　the　Rolls…Royce；　feeling　unfortably　conspicuous。　Pendergast　closed　the　door　behind　her；　looking　serenely　indifferent　to　the　incongruity　of　the　elegant　vehicle　parked　amid　the　dust　and　noise　of　a　large　construction　site。
　They　crossed　the　street；　pausing　at　a　high　chain…link　fence。　Beyond；　the　rich　afternoon　light　illuminated　the　skeletal　foundations　of　a　row　of　old　buildings。　Several　large　Dumpsters　full　of　bricks　lined　the　perimeter。　Two　police　cars　were　parked　along　the　curb　and　Nora　could　see　uniformed　cops　standing　before　a　hole　in　a　brick　retaining　wall。　Nearby　stood　a　knot　of　businessmen　in　suits。　The　construction　site　was　framed　by　forlorn　tenements　that　winked　back　at　them　through　empty　windows。
　〃The　Moegen…Fairhaven　Group　are　building　a　sixty…five…story　residential　tower　on　this　site；〃　said　Pendergast。　〃Yesterday；　about　four　o'clock；　they　broke　through　that　brick　wall；　there。　A　worker　found　the　skull　I　showed　you　in　a　barrow　inside。　Along　with　many；　many　more　bones。〃
　Nora　glanced　in　the　indicated　direction。　〃What　was　on　the　site　before？〃
　〃A　block　of　tenements　built　in　the　late　1890s。　The　tunnel；　however；　appears　to　predate　them。〃
　Nora　could　see　that　the　excavator　had　exposed　a　clear　profile。　The　old　retaining　wall　lay　beneath　the　nineteenth…century　footings；　and　the　hole　near　its　base　was　clearly　part　of　an　earlier　structure。　Some　ancient　timbers；　burned　and　rotten；　had　been　piled　to　one　side。
　As　they　walked　along　the　fence；　Pendergast　leaned　toward　her。　〃I'm　afraid　our　visit　may　be　problematic；　and　we　have　very　little　time。　The　site　has　changed　alarmingly　in　just　the　last　few　hours。　Moegen…Fairhaven　is　one　of　the　most　energetic　dev