rstacy.doomsdaywarrior-第10章

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ated　blast　melted　the　sand　into　that　shiny　surface。　Not　a　thing　grows　there　to　this　day。　You　notice　that　there　is　no　snow　on　that　mile…wide　plain　either。　There　is　still　some　heat　from　radioactive　elements　in　that　surface　…　hence　the　clicking　you　hear　on　the　Geiger　attached　to　the　front　of　my　sled。　Let's　give　it　some　room。〃
　〃I　remember　this　place；〃　Danik　said；　〃the　President's　Museum　is　about　a　mile　away　from　here　…　just　beyond　those　boulders　shaped　like　a　pile　of　kid's　blocks。〃
　They　quickly　made　for　the　boulderfield　Danik　had　indicated。　Rockson　hoped　that　any　roving　scavengers　attracted　by　the　body　of　Run　Dutil　would　not　have　eaten　his　notebook　as　well　…　some　species　of　high…plains　bobcat　ate　even　metal　cans！
　The　building　was　a　two…story　affair　nestled　in　the　midst　of　a　flat　area　covered　with　snow　…　a　parking　lot　of　old。　The　big　rocks　had　shielded　it　from　the　blast　effects　…　everything　else　in　these　parts　was　flattened。　It　was　partly　collapsed。　Danik　was　besides　himself　with　feelings；　and　his　voice　was　choked　up　when　he　said；　〃Through　that　second　door　…　that's　where　my　best　friend　and　I　stumbled　frozen　and　hungry　into　the　building。〃
　Rockson　and　his　Freefighters　pulled　up　their　sleds　in　front　of　the　blackened　crumbling　structure　and　gingerly　stepped　into　the　ruin。　It　was　dark　inside；　they　lit　a　flashlight。　Rockson　gasped　as　his　beam　hit　a　human　face。　McCaughlin　shouted；　〃Watch　out　…〃　and　drew　his　shotpistol；　before　he　realized　the　face　was　familiar。
　〃Well。　I'll　be　a　monkey's　uncle。　Lincoln　…　Abraham　Lincoln　…　a　plastic　figure。〃
　〃His　top　hat　don't　look　too　good。〃　Rona　said。　Indeed　it　didn't。　There　was　a　pack　rat　sticking　its　nose　out　of　the　decayed　fabric。
　〃Let's　move　on；〃　Rockson　said。
　Danik　took　the　lead；　and　they　passed　a　lifelike　statue　of　Teddy　Roosevelt　riding　a　horse　in　the　Battle　of　Bull　Run；　and　then　a　replica　of　President　Bush　signing　the　Martial　Law　decree　in　the　Oval　Office。　They　finally　came　to　the　Rotunda　Room。　Light　spilled　in　from　above　through　a　hole　in　the　ceiling。　The　snow　flurries　drifted　in　on　the　figure　of　John　F。　Kennedy　sitting　in　his　rocking　chair。　He　was　staring　forever　at　the　three　astronauts　in　spacesuits　that　had　returned　from　the　moon　and　were　ing　in　to　receive　his　accolades。　A　tattered　and　mouse…eaten　American　flag　hung　disintegrating　on　a　pole　nearby。　JFK　was　up　to　his　knees　in　snow。
　〃It　wasn't　like　that　when　I　was　here　two　weeks　ago；〃　Danik　gasped。　〃There　was　no　hole　in　the　roof。〃
　〃Do　you　think　someone's　been　here？〃　McCaughlin　said。
　〃No；〃　Rock　replied；　〃The　weight　of　the　snow　finally　got　to　the　roof。　Nothing　lasts　forever；　not　even　the　Hall　of　Presidents。　Where　is　Run　Dutil's　body？〃
　〃It　should　be　over　there　…　in　the　shadows　…　propped　up　against　the　wall。　We　found　a　steel　box　in　here；　all　rusted　and　jammed　closed。　Some　other　hapless　wanderers　must　have　brought　it　here　…　we　found　disintegrating　skeletons　on　the　second　floor；　next　to　charred　wood　on　a　sheet…metal　plate。　When　Run　and　I　broke　open　the　box；　we　found　some　canned　goods　inside。　Must　have　been　decades　old；　but　we　cut　them　open　and　ate　the　stuff。　It　tasted　flat；　but　it　wasn't　spoiled。　Canned　Soviet…label　meat。　It　gave　me　the　strength　to　go　on；　but　Run　was　sickening　from　a　snake　bite　he　got　the　sixth　day　out　of　Eden。　He　threw　up　the　food　and　convulsed　and　died。　I　was　…　was　too　weak；　delirious；　frightened。　I　left　him　…　and　his　notebook　of　our　travels　…　right　where　he　died。〃　Danik's　voice　trailed　off。　He　looked　down。
　Rockson　shone　the　beam　of　his　light　over　in　the　direction　Danik　indicated。　The　body　was　there；　stiff　and　frozen；　its　eyes　wide　and　mouth　gaping；　the　lips　blue。　Run　Dutil　looked　a　lot　like　Danik。　The　body　appeared　to　be　untouched；　the　cold　had　kept　it　from　rotting。　Perhaps　the　animals　had　tried　to　taste　the　plastic　statues　over　the　centuries　and　found　them　unpalatable。　And　so　they　had　desisted　from　tasting　this　real　human。　Rockson　fumbled　through　the　dead　man's　clothing　until　he　found　the　small　steno　pad　with　pencil　notes　inside　an　inner　pocket　of　his　frost…covered　tunic。
　Eagerly　he　played　the　light　across　its　contents。　〃Direction　readings；〃　Rock　yelled　exhultantly。　〃Run　Dutil　took　bearings　and　direction　readings　with　a　sextant。　And　there　are　some　notes　describing　the　places　they　stopped。〃
　Detroit　rummaged　around　and　found　the　toy　sextant　Run　Dutil　had　used　for　piling　his　meager　notes　in　JFK's　plastic　hands。　It　would　be　useful；　for　if　the　navigation　device　had　some　error　in　it；　they　could　take　that　into　account　in　plotting　their　trek　south。
　〃Good　work；　Detroit；〃　Rockson　said。　〃We　can　try　to　reach　Eden　now！〃
　〃Can　we　bury　him？〃　Danik　asked　somberly。
　Rockson　wondered　how　they　would　spade　the　ground　outside；　seeing　that　it　was　frozen　solid。　Then　he　said。　〃We　can　roll　some　boulders　over　him　…　better　that　way　…　the　animals　can't　get　at　him。〃
　Danik　agreed；　Run　Dutil　was　solemnly　carried　outside；　still　in　his　frozen；　stiff　sitting　position。　As　McCaughlin　rolled　up　good…sized　rocks　to　the　body　and　then　hefted　a　capstone　in　place；　Rockson　said；　〃Ashes　to　ashes；　dust　to　dust。　Heavenly　Father；　we　send　you　our　friend　Run　Dutil；　a　good　and　true　American。　If　you　can　see　to　do　it；　please　wele　him　into　your　arms。　Amen。〃
　They　all　chanted　an　amen　in　unison；　and　then　went　back　and　spread　out　their　maps；　and　pared　them　to　the　notes　from　Run　Dutil's　little　pad。　Rockson　drew　some　pencil　marks　on　the　maps；　using　the　meager　angles　and　sun…elevation　heights　that　Dutil　had　jotted　down。　He　drew　estimated　margin…of…error　lines　too　…　dotted　lines　that　were　as　much　as　ten　miles　to　one　side　or　the　other　of　their　new　route。　Then　they　were　off　on　their　quest　for　Eden。
　The　dogs　were　howling　and　yapping；　apparently　happy　to　be　on　the　trail　again。　They　didn't　like　the　President's　museum　much；　it　seemed。
　Taking　the　bearing　to　the　southeast　that　Dutil's　notes　indicated；　they　moved　their　sleds　along　at　a　good　thirty　miles　per　hour　through　icy　weather　conditions。　Soon　they　were　approaching　the　old　border　of　Colorado　into　Arizona。　But　there　was　no　letup　in　the　cold　temperatures；　or　in　the　golfball…sized　hailstones　pounding　the　hunched…down　travelers。
　
　
　CHAPTER　8
　
　They　headed　southward；　guided　by　Run　Dutil's　notes　in　the　little　pad。　Hopefully；　they　would　find　the　next　landmark　on　the　route　to　Eden；　the　giant　teepee　that　Danik　bad　described。
　Rockson　needed　every　bit　of　his　famed　〃mutant's　luck〃　if　they　were　to　reach　the　obscure　site。　The　bearing　was　vague；　as　Dutil　had　measured　direction　with　a　sextant　that　was　little　more　than　a　toy。
　They　came　upon　an　area　235　miles　south　of　Colorado　Springs　Plain　that　Rockson　himself　had　crossed　years　earlier。　It　was　the　area　around　a　small　hunter…trapper　munity　called　Moosehead。　Moosehead　Township　was　a　set　of　ten　or　twelve　wooden　shacks　and　a　tanning　shed　for　hides。　The　Soviets　usually　ignored　these　primitive　American　munities；　which　served　their　purposes　because　their　manding　officers　did　a　brisk　trade　with　the　mountainmen　who　did　fur　trapping。　Hides　and　furs　were　exchanged　for　rubles。　The　rubles　bought　the　trapper　families　some　precious　supplies　like　salt　in　the　small　free　markets　in　the　shadows　of　the　great　Soviet　forts　further　east。
　But　someone　hadn't　left　Moosehead　alone。　When　the　Freefighters　and　their　Edenite　friend　came　within　sight　of　the　town；　they　started　to　see　signs　of　destruction。　Scattered　along　the　red…stained　snows　were　the　bones　of　several　animals　…　horse　bones；　dog　bones；　and　what　looked　like　a　picked…clean　small　human　arm　bone。
　〃Wolves？〃　Rockson　asked　Detroit；　pointing　to　the　paw　tracks　all　around　the　bones。
　〃The　wolves　ate　the　meat；〃　said　Detroit；　〃but　see　the　bullet　hole　in　this　human　femur？〃
　〃Reds；〃　Rona　said；　and　drew　her　shotpistol。
　Detroit　nodded。　〃Probably。　The　animals　came　later　…　drawn　by　the　blood。〃
　〃Let's　get　up　on　that　hill　and　scan　the　area；〃　Rock　ordered。　〃Keep　your　weapons　at　the　ready。〃
　From　the　rise　Rock　could　see　that　the　shack…town　beyond　was　a　charred　ruin。　There　were　many　bodies；　some　reduced　to　skeletons；　wearing　pieces　of　cloth　the　wolves　didn't　like　the　taste　of。　There　were　crates　also；　some　six　or　seven　feet　wide。　Putting　down　his　binocs；　Rock　said。　〃The　town　was　probably　hit　with　artillery；　and