p&c.thunderhead-第40章

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n　stone。　
　〃Get　the　hell　up！　Keep　moving！〃　she　heard　faintly　from　above。　She　rose　shakily　to　her　feet　and　started　forward；　as　if　in　a　dream；　driving　the　remnant　of　the　remuda　up　the　trail。　
　She　did　not　remember　the　rest　of　the　journey。　The　next　clear　memory　was　of　lying　facedown；　hugging　the　warm；　dusty　rock　of　the　ridge　summit；　then　a　pair　of　hands　were　gently　turning　her　over；　and　Aragon's　calm；　steady　face　stared　down　into　her　own。　Beside　him　were　Smithback　and　Holroyd；　gazing　at　her　with　intense　concern。　Holroyd's　face　in　particular　was　a　mask　of　agonizing　worry。　
　Aragon　helped　Nora　to　a　nearby　rock。　〃The　horses…〃　Nora　began。　
　〃There　was　no　other　way；〃　Aragon　interrupted　quietly；　taking　her　hands。　〃You're　hurt。〃　
　Nora　looked　down。　Her　hands　were　covered　with　blood　from　her　ruined　fingernails。　Aragon　opened　his　medical　kit。　〃When　you　swung　out　over　that　cliff；〃　he　said；　〃I　thought　you　were　done　for。〃　He　dabbed　at　the　fingertips；　removing　a　few　pieces　of　grit　and　fingernail　with　tweezers。　He　worked　swiftly；　expertly；　smearing　on　topical　antibiotic　and　placing　butterfly　bandages　over　the　ends　of　her　fingertips。　〃Wear　your　gloves　for　a　few　days；〃　he　said。　〃You'll　be　unfortable　for　a　while；　but　the　injuries　are　superficial。〃　
　Nora　glanced　at　the　group。　They　were　looking　back　at　her；　motionless；　shocked　to　silence　by　what　had　happened。　〃Where's　Roscoe？〃　she　managed　to　ask。　
　〃Back　down　the　trail；〃　Sloane　replied。　
　Nora　dropped　her　head　into　her　hands。　And　then；　as　if　in　answer；　three　well…spaced　gunshots　sounded　below；　echoing　crazily　among　the　canyons　before　dying　away　into　distant　thunder。　
　〃God；〃　Nora　groaned。　Fiddlehead；　her　own　horse。　Beetlebum；　Smithback's　nemesis。　Hurricane　Deck。　Gone。　She　could　still　see　the　wide　pleading　eyes　of　Hurricane；　the　teeth；　so　strangely　long　and　narrow；　exposed　in　a　final　grin　of　terror。　
　Ten　minutes　later　Swire　appeared；　breathing　heavily。　He　passed　Nora　and　went　toward　the　horses；　redividing　and　repacking　the　loads　in　silence。　Holroyd　came　over　to　her　and　gently　took　her　hand。　〃I　got　a　decent　reading；〃　he　whispered。　
　Nora　glanced　up　at　him；　hardly　caring。　
　〃We're　right　smack　on　the　trail；〃　he　said；　smiling。　
　Nora　could　only　shake　her　head。　
　*　*　*
　pared　to　the　nightmarish　ascent；　the　trail　down　into　the　valley　beyond　the　hogback　ridge　offered　few　difficulties。　The　horses；　smelling　water；　charged　ahead。　Tired　as　they　were；　the　group　began　to　jog；　and　Nora　found　the　events　of　the　last　hours　temporarily　receding　in　her　devouring　thirst。　They　splashed　into　the　water　upstream　from　the　horses　and　Nora　fell　to　her　stomach；　burying　her　face　in　the　water。　It　was　the　most　exquisite　sensation　she　had　ever　felt；　and　she　drank　deeply；　pausing　only　to　gasp　for　air；　until　a　sudden　spasm　of　nausea　contracted　her　stomach。　She　backed　away；　retiring　to　a　spot　beneath　the　rustling　cottonwoods；　breathing　hard　and　feeling　the　sting　of　evaporation　on　her　wet　clothes。　Gradually　the　waves　of　nausea　passed。　She　saw　Black　bent　double　in　the　trees；　vomiting　up　water；　joined　shortly　by　Holroyd。　Smithback　was　kneeling　in　the　stream；　oblivious；　bathing　his　head　with　cupped　hands。　Sloane　staggered　over；　sopping　wet；　and　knelt　beside　Nora。　
　〃Swire　needs　our　help　with　the　horses；〃　she　said。　
　They　went　downstream　and　helped　Swire　drag　the　horses　out　of　the　water；　to　prevent　any　possibility　of　fatal　overdrinking。　As　they　worked；　Swire　refused　to　meet　Nora's　eyes。　
　After　a　rest；　the　group　remounted　and　continued　downstream　into　the　new　world　of　the　valley。　The　water　ran　over　a　cobbled　bed；　filling　the　air　with　tranquil　noise。　The　sounds　of　life　rose　about　them：　trilling　cicadas；　humming　dragonflies；　even　the　occasional　eructation　of　a　frog。　As　Nora's　thirst　abated；　the　sickening　horror　of　the　accident　returned　with　fresh　force。　She　was　riding　a　new　horse　now；　Arbuckles；　and　every　jarring　movement　seemed　a　reproachful　memory　of　Fiddlehead。　She　thought　of　Swire's　poem　to　Hurricane　Deck；　almost　a　love　ballad　to　the　horse。　She　wondered　how　she　was　ever　going　to　work　things　out　with　him。　
　They　traveled　down　the　valley；　which　narrowed　as　it　approached　the　broad　sandstone　plateau；　rising　in　front　of　them　now　less　than　a　mile　away。　Nora　glanced　up　at　the　cliffs　as　they　passed；　noting　again　the　odd　lack　of　ruins。　This　was　an　ideal　valley　for　prehistoric　settlement；　and　yet　there　was　nothing。　If；　after　all　that　had　happened；　this　turned　to　be　the　wrong　canyon　system…she　shut　the　thought　from　her　mind。　
　The　stream　made　another　bend。　The　naked　plateau　loomed　ever　closer；　the　stream　at　last　disappearing　into　the　narrow　slot　canyon　carved　into　its　side。　According　to　the　radar　map；　the　canyon　should　open；　about　a　mile　farther　along；　into　the　small　valley　that…she　hoped…contained　Quivira。　But　the　slot　canyon　itself　that　lay　between　them　and　the　inner　valley　was　clearly　too　narrow　for　horses。　
　As　they　rode　up　to　the　massive　sandstone　wall；　Nora　noticed　a　large　rock　beside　the　stream　with　some　markings　on　its　flanks。　As　she　dismounted　and　came　nearer；　she　could　see　a　small　panel　of　petroglyphs；　similar　to　those　they　had　found　at　the　base　of　the　ridge：　a　series　of　dots　and　a　small　foot；　along　with　another　star　and　a　sun。　She　couldn't　help　but　notice　that　there　was　a　large　reversed　spiral　carved　on　top　of　the　other　images。　
　The　rest　came　up　beside　her。　She　noticed　Aragon　gazing　at　the　glyphs；　an　intent　expression　on　his　face。　
　〃What　do　you　think？〃　she　asked。　
　〃I've　seen　other　examples　of　dot　patterns　like　these　along　the　ancient　approaches　to　Hopi；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃I　believe　they　give　distance　and　direction　information。〃　
　〃Sure；〃　Black　scoffed。　〃And　the　freeway　interchanges　and　the　location　of　the　nearest　Howard　Johnson's；　I'll　bet。　Everyone　knows　Anasazi　petroglyphs　are　indecipherable。〃　
　Aragon　ignored　this。　〃The　footlike　glyph　indicates　walking；　and　the　dots　indicate　distance。　Based　on　other　sites　I've　seen；　each　dot　represents　a　walking　distance　of　about　sixteen　minutes；　or　three　quarters　of　a　mile。〃　
　〃And　the　antelope？〃　Nora　asked。　〃What　does　that　symbolize？〃　
　Aragon　glanced　at　her。　〃An　antelope；〃　he　said。　
　〃So　this　isn't　a　kind　of　writing？〃　
　Aragon　looked　back　at　the　rock。　〃Not　in　the　sense　we're　used　to。　It's　not　phonetic；　syllabic；　or　ideographic。　My　own　view　is　that　it's　an　entirely　different　way　of　using　symbols。　But　that　doesn't　mean　it's　not　writing。〃　
　〃On　the　other　side　of　the　ridge；〃　Nora　said；　〃I　saw　a　star　inside　the　moon；　inside　the　sun。　I'd　never　seen　anything　like　it　before。〃　
　〃Yes。　The　sun　is　the　symbol　for　the　supreme　deity；　the　moon　the　symbol　for　the　future；　and　the　star　a　symbol　of　truth。　I　took　the　whole　thing　to　be　an　indicator　that　an　oracle；　a　kind　of　Anasazi　Delphi；　lay　ahead。〃　
　〃You　mean　Quivira？〃　Nora　asked。　
　Aragon　nodded。　
　〃And　what　does　this　spiral　mean？〃　asked　Holroyd。　
　Aragon　hesitated　a　moment。　〃That　spiral　was　added　later。　It's　reversed；　of　course。〃　His　voice　trailed　off。　〃In　the　context　of　the　other　things　we've　seen；　I'd　call　it　a　warning；　or　omen；　laid　on　top　of　these　earlier　symbols。　A　notice　to　travelers　not　to　proceed；　an　indication　of　evil。〃　
　There　was　a　sudden　silence。　
　〃Lions　and　tigers　and　bears；　oh　my；〃　murmured　Smithback。　
　〃Obviously；　there's　still　a　lot　we　don't　know；〃　Aragon　said；　the　slightest　trace　of　defensiveness　in　his　voice。　〃Perhaps　you；　Mr。　Smithback；　with　your　no　doubt　profound　knowledge　of　Anasazi　witches　and　their　modern…day　descendants；　the　skinwalkers；　can　enlighten　us　further。〃　
　The　writer　rolled　his　tongue　around　his　cheek　and　raised　his　eyebrows；　but　said　nothing。　
　As　they　moved　away；　Holroyd　gave　a　shout。　He　had　walked　around　to　the　side　of　the　rock　nearest　the　entrance　to　the　slot　canyon。　Now　he　pointed　to　a　much　fresher　inscription；　scraped　into　the　rock　with　a　penknife。　As　Nora　stared　at　it；　she　felt　her　cheeks　begin　to　burn。　Still　staring；　she　knelt　beside　the　stone；　fingers　slowly　tracing　the　narrow　grooves　that　spelled　out　P。K。　1983。　
　
　
23
　
　AS　NORA　TOUCHED　HER　FATHER'S　INITIALS　on　the　rock；　something　inside　her　seemed　to　give　way。　A　knot　of　tension；　tightened　over　the　harrowing　days；　loosened　abruptly；　and　she　leaned　against　the　smooth　surface　of　the