p&c.thunderhead-第49章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


idian；　agate；　salt；　and　pottery。〃　
　〃What　are　you　getting　at？〃　Nora　asked。　
　〃Simply　that　with　all　this　trade　going　on；　it's　not　entirely　unreasonable　to　think　the　Anasazi　obtained　gold。〃　
　Nora　opened　her　mouth；　then　shut　it　again；　surprised　at　hearing　this　from　Black。　Holroyd；　Swire；　and　even　Sloane　were　listening　intently。　
　〃If　they　did　have　gold；〃　Nora　began；　trying　to　keep　patient；　〃then；　in　the　tens　of　thousands　of　Anasazi　sites　excavated　over　the　last　hundred　and　fifty　years；　we'd　have　found　some。　But　not　one　excavation　has　ever　turned　up　even　the　tiniest　speck　of　gold。　The　bottom　line　is；　if　the　Anasazi　had　gold；　then　where　is　it　all？〃　
　〃Maybe　right　here；〃　said　Smithback　quietly。　
　Nora　stared　at　him。　Then　she　began　to　laugh。　〃Bill；　put　a　cold　press　on　that　fevered　imagination　of　yours。　I　just　saw　a　dozen　rooms　full　of　incredible　stuff　today；　but　not　a　single　glimmer　of　gold。　If　we　do　find　gold　in　Quivira；　I'll　eat　that　ridiculous　hat　of　yours。　Okay？　Now　let's　get　down　and　see　what　miracle　Chef　Bonarotti　has　prepared　for　dinner。〃　
　
　
27
　
　NORA　GAZED　ANXIOUSLY　UP　AT　THE　FIGURE　rapelling　down　the　rock　wall　four　hundred　feet　above　her　head；　a　brightly　colored　bug　against　the　sandstone。　Beside　Nora；　Black　and　Holroyd　gaped　upward；　motionless。　Nearby；　Smithback　stood；　notebook　at　the　ready；　as　if　waiting　for　some　disaster　to　happen。　A　sharp　clang　rang　out　as　Sloane　drove　an　angle　into　the　deep　red　rock　with　her　wall　hammer。　As　Nora　watched；　Sloane　affixed　the　next　portion　of　the　rope　ladder　to　the　cliff　face；　then　slid　easily　another　ten　feet　down　the　rockface　to　drive　in　the　next　piece　of　gear。　
　In　order　for　the　weather　receiver　and　munications　gear　to　operate；　it　was　necessary　to　place　them　atop　the　rim　of　the　canyon；　far　above　Quivira。　Two　hours　earlier；　Nora　and　Sloane　had　determined　the　best　place　to　set　up　the　gear；　basing　their　estimates　on　a　bination　of　the　easiest　climb　and　lowest　clifftop。　The　site　turned　out　to　be　just　beyond　the　far　end　of　the　city；　overlooking　the　valley　floor　by　the　entrance　to　the　slot　canyon　through　which　they　had　entered。　
　Easiest　climb；　perhaps；　but　still　frightful。　Nora's　eyes　had　traveled　up　the　wall；　stopping　at　the　last　pitch。　It　was　obviously　the　most　difficult；　a　beetling　brow　of　rock　that　hung　out　into　space。　But　Sloane　had　just　smiled。　〃Grade　1；　5。10；　A…two；〃　she'd　murmured；　visually　rating　the　difficulty　of　the　climb。　〃Look　at　that　secure　crack　system；　goes　almost　all　the　way　to　the　top。　No　problem。〃　And；　in　a　spectacular　feat　of　bravura　climbing；　she　proved　herself　correct。　An　hour　later；　as　they　waited　nervously　below；　slings　and　a　haul　bag　tumbled　down　from　above；　indicating　that　Sloane　had　reached　the　top　and　was　ready　to　hoist　up　the　radio　gear。　
　And　now　Sloane　was　making　her　way　back　down　to　the　bench　that　held　Quivira；　placing　the　ladder　as　she　went。　Another　ten　minutes；　and　she　dropped　nimbly　into　the　group　to　a　round　of　applause。　
　〃That　was　fantastic；〃　Nora　said。　
　Sloane　shrugged　and　smiled；　obviously　pleased。　〃Another　ten　feet　and　we'd　have　run　out　of　ladder。　Is　everybody　ready？〃　
　Holroyd　looked　up；　swallowing。　〃I　guess　so。〃　
　〃I　have　important　work　to　do；〃　Black　said。　〃Can　someone　remind　me　again　why　I　have　to　risk　life　and　limb　on　this　little　climbing　expedition？〃　
　〃You　won't　risk　anything；〃　Sloane　laughed　in　her　deep　contralto。　〃Those　placements　of　mine　are　bombproof。〃　
　〃And　it's　your　misfortune；〃　Nora　said；　〃that　you've　been　on　a　lot　of　digs　and　know　how　to　use　the　radio　equipment。　We　need　a　backup　for　Holroyd。〃　
　〃Yeah；　but　why　me？〃　Black　asked。　〃Why　not　Aragon？　He's　got　more　field　experience　than　all　of　us　put　together。〃　
　〃He's　also　got　twenty　years　on　the　rest　of　us；〃　Nora　replied。　〃You're　much　better　suited　to　a　physical　challenge　like　this。〃　The　buttering…up　seemed　to　have　its　intended　effect：　Black　pulled　in　his　chest　and　looked　sternly　up　the　cliff。　
　〃Let's　get　started；　then。〃　Sloane　turned　briefly　toward　Smithback。　〃You　ing？〃　
　Smithback　looked　speculatively　upward。　〃I'd　better　not；〃　he　said。　〃Somebody　has　to　stay　behind　to　catch　the　ones　that　fall。〃　
　Sloane　raised　one　eyebrow；　with　a　look　that　said　she'd　thought　as　much。　〃All　right。　Aaron；　why　don't　you　lead；　and　I'll　follow。　Peter；　you　e　third；　and　Nora；　please　bring　up　the　rear。〃　
　Nora　noticed　that　Sloane　had　staggered　the　inexperienced　climbers　with　the　more　experienced　ones。　〃Why　do　I　have　to　go　first？〃　Black　asked。　
　〃Believe　me；　it's　easier　when　nobody's　ahead　of　you。　Less　chance　of　eating　a　boot　that　way。〃　
　Black　looked　unconvinced；　but　grasped　the　base　of　the　rope　ladder　and　began　hoisting　himself　up。　
　〃It's　just　like　climbing　the　ladder　to　Quivira；　only　longer；〃　Sloane　said。　〃Keep　your　body　hugged　to　the　rock；　and　your　feet　apart。　Take　a　rest　at　each　bench。　The　longest　pitch　is　the　last　one；　maybe　two　hundred　feet。〃　
　But　Black；　scrabbling　at　the　second　step；　suddenly　lost　his　footing。　Sloane　moved　with　the　swiftness　of　a　cat　as　Black　came　lurching　downward。　She　half　caught；　half　tackled　him；　and　they　ended　up　sprawled　in　a　soft　drift　of　sand　at　the　base　of　the　cliff；　Black　atop　Sloane。　They　lay　still；　and　Nora　came　running　over。　She　could　see　that　Sloane　was　shaking　and　making　a　choking　sound；　but　as　she　bent　down　in　a　panic　she　realized　the　woman　was　laughing　hysterically。　Black　seemed　frozen　in　either　fear　or　surprise。　His　face　was　buried　between　Sloane's　breasts。　
　〃Death；　where　is　thy　sting？〃　Smithback　intoned。　
　Sloane　continued　to　gasp　with　laughter。　〃Aaron；　you're　supposed　to　be　climbing　up；　not　down！〃　She　made　no　move　to　push　Black　away；　and　after　a　few　moments　the　scientist　sat　up；　hair　askew。　He　backed　away；　looking　from　Sloane　to　the　rope　ladder　and　back　to　Sloane　again。　
　Sloane　sat　up；　still　giggling；　and　dusted　herself　off。　〃You're　letting　yourself　get　psyched　out；〃　she　said。　〃It's　just　a　ladder。　But　if　it's　falling　you're　afraid　of；　I've　got　a　wall　harness　you　can　use　instead。〃　She　stood　up　and　walked　over　to　her　equipment　duffel。　〃It's　for　emergencies；　really；　but　you　can　use　it　to　get　familiar　with　the　climb。〃　She　pulled　out　a　small　harness　constructed　of　nylon　webbing　and　fastened　it　around　Black。　〃You　are　just　going　to　jumar　your　way　up　the　rope。　That　way；　you　can't　fall。〃　
　Black；　strangely　quiet；　simply　looked　at　Sloane　and　nodded。　This　time；　with　the　mental　security　of　the　harness　and　Sloane's　encouragement；　he　got　the　hang　of　using　the　jumar　and　was　soon　moving　confidently　up　the　cliff。　Sloane　followed；　then　Holroyd　reached　hold　of　the　lowest　rung。　
　Nora　had　noticed　that；　in　the　sudden　scramble；　Sloane　hadn't　bothered　to　check　on　the　image　specialist's　state　of　mind。　〃You　up　to　this；　Peter？〃　she　asked。　
　Holroyd　looked　at　her　and　smiled　bashfully。　〃Hey；　it's　just　a　ladder；　like　she　said。　Anyway；　I'm　going　to　have　to　climb　this　thing　once　a　day。　I'd　better　get　used　to　it。〃　
　He　took　a　deep　breath；　then　began　to　climb。　Nora　followed　carefully。　She　tested　one　or　two　of　Sloane's　placements　and　found　them　to　be　as　tight　and　secure　as　the　woman　had　said。　She'd　learned　from　experience　it　was　best　not　to　look　down　on　a　long　climb；　and　she　kept　her　eyes　on　the　three　figures　ranged　up　the　face　above　her。　There　were　long　minutes　of　almost　vertical　climbing。　They　caught　their　breaths　at　each　ledge。　The　final　pitch　ended　with　a　brief；　frightening　moment　of　hanging　backward　as　she　worked　around　the　protruding　rimrock。　For　an　instant；　Nora　was　reminded　of　the　Devil's　Backbone：　the　scrabbling　at　the　slickrock；　the　frightened　screaming　of　the　horses　as　they　hurtled　to　their　deaths　below　her　feet。　Then　she　took　another　determined　step　upward；　hoisted　herself　onto　the　top　of　the　cliff；　and　collapsed；　gasping；　to　her　knees。　Nearby　sat　Holroyd；　sides　heaving；　head　resting　on　crossed　arms。　Beside　him　was　Black；　trembling　with　exhaustion　and　stress。　
　Sloane；　alone；　seemed　unaffected　by　the　climb。　She　began　moving　the　small　array　of　equipment　a　safe　distance　from　the　edge　of　the　cliff：　Holroyd's　satellite　positioning　unit；　now　sporting　a　long　UHF　whip　antenna；　the　microwave　horn；　the　solar　panel　and　deep…cycle　battery；　rack…mounted　receivers　and　transmitters。　Beside　them；　winking　in　the　morning　light；　the　satellit