p&c.thunderhead-第58章

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　〃It　seemed　like　an　offering；〃　Nora　heard　herself　say。　
　〃Yes；〃　said　Aragon。　〃But　even　more　than　that；　it　was　a　sacrifice。　From　the　marks　on　the　skeletons；　it　seems　the　two　individuals　had　been　dismembered…butchered…and　the　cuts　boiled　or　roasted。　The　cooked　meats　were　probably　arranged　in　those　two　bowls　you　found。　There　were　bits　of　a　brown；　dusty　substance　lying　with　the　bones：　no　doubt　those　were　the　mummified　pieces　of　meat　that　had　retracted　and　fallen　off　the　bone。〃　
　〃How　revolting；〃　Smithback　said；　writing　eagerly。　
　〃The　individuals　were　also　scalped；　and　their　brains　extracted　and　made　into　a　kind　of…how　does　one　say　it？…a　pote；　a　mousse；　spiced　with　chiles。　I　found　the　。　。　。　the　substance　placed　inside　each　of　the　skulls。〃　
　As　if　on　a　macabre　cue；　the　cook　emerged　from　his　tent；　fastidiously　zipped　up　the　flap；　then　approached　the　fire。　
　Black　shifted　restlessly。　〃Enrique；　you're　the　last　person　I　would　have　suspected　of　jumping　to　sensational　conclusions。　There　are　dozens　of　ways　bones　could　be　scratched　and　polished　other　than　cannibalism。〃　
　〃It　is　you　who　use　the　term　'cannibalism；'〃　Aragon　said。　〃I'll　keep　my　conclusions　to　myself　for　the　moment。　I　am　merely　reporting　what　I've　seen。〃　
　〃Everything　you've　said　has　hinted　at　that　conclusion；〃　Black　bellowed。　〃This　is　irresponsible。　The　Anasazi　were　a　peaceful；　agrarian　people。　There's　never　been　any　evidence　of　cannibalism。〃　
　〃That's　not　true；〃　Sloane　said　in　a　low　voice；　leaning　suddenly　forward。　〃Several　archaeologists　have　theorized　about　cannibalistic　practices　among　ancient　Native　Americans。　And　not　only　among　the　Anasazi。　For　example；　how　do　you　explain　Awatovi？〃　
　〃Awatovi？〃　Black　repeated。　〃The　Hopi　village　destroyed　in　1700？〃　
　Sloane　nodded。　〃After　the　villagers　of　Awatovi　were　converted　to　Christianity　by　the　Spanish；　the　surrounding　Indian　towns　massacred　them。　Their　bones　were　found　thirty　years　ago；　and　they　bear　the　same　kind　of　marks　Aragon　found　here。〃　
　〃They　may　have　been　facing　a　period　of　starvation；〃　said　Nora。　〃There　are　plenty　of　examples　of　starvation　cannibalism　in　our　own　culture。　And　anyway；　this　is　far　from　Awatovi；　and　these　people　are　not　related　to　the　Hopi。　If　this　was　cannibalism；　it　was　ritualized　cannibalism　on　a　grand　scale。　Institutionalized；　almost。　A　lot　like…〃　She　stopped　and　glanced　at　Aragon。　
　〃A　lot　like　the　Aztecs；〃　he　said；　finishing　the　sentence。　〃Dr。　Black；　you　said　Anasazi　cannibalism　is　impossible。　But　not　Aztec　cannibalism。　Cannibalism　not　for　food；　but　as　a　tool　of　social　control　and　terror。〃　
　〃What's　your　point？〃　Black　said。　〃This　is　America；　not　Mexico。　We're　digging　an　Anasazi　site。〃　
　〃An　Anasazi　site　with　a　ruling　class？　An　Anasazi　site　protected　by　a　god　with　a　name　like　Xochitl？　An　Anasazi　site　that　features　royal　burial　chambers；　filled　with　flowers？　An　Anasazi　site　that　may　or　may　not　display　signs　of　ritual　cannibalism？〃　Aragon　shook　his　head。　〃I　also　did　a　number　of　forensic　tests　on　skulls　from　both　the　upper　and　lower　set　of　bones　in　the　Crawlspace。　Differences　in　cranial　features；　variations　in　incisor　shoveling；　point　to　the　two　groups　of　skeletons　as　being　from　entirely　different　populations。　Anasazi　slaves　beneath；　Aztec　rulers　above。　All　the　evidence　I've　found　at　Quivira　demonstrates　one　thing：　a　group　of　Aztecs；　or　rather　their　Toltec　predecessors；　invaded　the　Anasazi　civilization　around　A。D。　950　and　established　themselves　here　as　a　priestly　nobility。　Perhaps　they　were　even　responsible　for　the　great　building　projects　at　Chaco　and　elsewhere。〃　
　〃I've　never　heard　anything　so　ridiculous；〃　Black　said。　〃There's　never　been　any　sign　of　Aztec　influence　on　the　Anasazi；　let　alone　enslavement。　It　goes　against　a　hundred　years　of　scholarship。〃　
　〃Wait；〃　Nora　said。　〃Let's　not　be　too　hasty　to　dismiss　it。　Nobody's　ever　found　a　city　like　this　before。　And　that　theory　would　explain　a　lot　of　things。　The　city's　strange　location；　for　one　thing。　The　annual　pilgrimages　you　discovered。〃　
　〃And　the　concentration　of　wealth；〃　Sloane　added；　in　a　low；　thoughtful　voice。　〃Maybe　trade　with　the　Aztecs　has　been　the　wrong　word　all　along。　These　were　foreign　invaders；　establishing　an　oligarchy；　maintaining　power　through　religious　ritual　and　sacrificial　cannibalism。〃　
　As　Smithback　began　to　ask　a　question；　Nora　heard　a　distant　shout。　In　unison；　the　group　turned　toward　the　sound。　Roscoe　Swire　was　running　down　the　canyon；　bashing　and　stomping　crazily　through　the　brush　as　he　approached　camp。　
　He　came　to　a　frantic　stop　before　them；　still　dripping　wet　from　the　slot　canyon；　breathing　raggedly。　Nora　stared　at　him　in　horror。　Bloody　water　dripped　from　his　hair；　and　his　shirt　was　stained　pink。　
　〃What　is　it？〃　she　asked　sharply。　
　〃Our　horses；〃　Swire　said；　gasping　for　air。　〃They've　been　gutted。〃　
　
　
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　NORA　RAISED　HER　HANDS　TO　SILENCE　THE　immediate　explosion　of　talk。　〃Roscoe；〃　she　said；　〃I　want　you　to　tell　us　exactly　what　happened。〃　
　Swire　sat　down　near　the　fire；　still　heaving　from　his　scramble　through　the　slot　canyon；　oblivious　to　a　nasty　gash　on　his　arm　that　was　bleeding　freely。　〃I　got　up　around　three　this　morning；　just　as　usual。　Reached　the　horses　about　four。　The　cavvy　had　drifted　over　to　the　northern　end　of　the　valley…looking　for　grass；　I　figured…but　when　I　reached　them；　I　found　they　were　all　lathered　up。〃　He　stopped　a　moment。　〃I　thought　maybe　a　mountain　lion　had　been　after　them。　A　couple　were　missing。　Then　I　saw　them　。　。　。　what　was　left　of　them；　anyway。　Hoosegow　and　Crow　Bait；　gutted　like　。　。　。〃　His　face　darkened。　〃When　I　catch　the　sons…a…bitches　that　did　this；　I'll…〃　
　〃What　makes　you　think　humans　did　it？〃　Aragon　asked。　
　Swire　shook　his　head。　〃It　was　done　all　scientific。　They　slit　open　the　bellies；　pulled　out　the　guts；　and…〃　He　faltered。　
　〃And？〃　
　〃Sort　of　made　them　into　a　display。〃　
　〃What？〃　Nora　asked　sharply。　
　〃They　unwound　the　guts　and　laid　them　out　in　a　spiral。　There　were　sticks　with　feathers；　shoved　into　the　eyes。〃　He　paused。　〃Other　stuff；　too。〃　
　〃Any　tracks？〃　
　〃No　footprints　that　I　could　see。　Must've　all　been　done　from　the　backs　of　horses。〃　
　At　the　mention　of　the　spirals；　the　feathers　shoved　into　the　eyes；　Nora　had　gone　cold。　〃e　on；〃　she　heard　Smithback　say。　〃Nobody　could　do　all　that　from　the　back　of　a　horse。〃　
　〃There　ain't　no　other　explanation；〃　Swire　snapped。　〃I　told　you；　I　saw　no　footprints。　But　。　。　。〃　He　paused　again。　〃Yesterday　evening；　when　I　was　about　to　leave　the　horses　for　the　night；　I　thought　I　saw　a　rider　atop　the　hogback　ridge。　Man　on　a　horse；　just　standing　there；　looking　down　at　me。〃　
　〃Why　didn't　you　mention　this　before？〃　Nora　asked。　
　〃I　thought　it　was　my　imagination；　a　trick　of　the　setting　sun。　Can't　say　I　expected　to　see　another　horse　atop　that　goddamned　ridge。　Who'd　be　way　the　hell　out　here？〃　
　Who　indeed？　Nora　thought；　desperation　rising　within　her。　Over　the　past　several　days；　she'd　grown　certain　she　had　left　the　strange　apparitions　from　the　ranch　house　far　behind。　Now　that　certainty　was　fading。　Perhaps　they'd　been　followed；　after　all。　But　who　could　have　had　the　skill；　or　the　desperate　resolve；　to　track　them　across　such　a　harsh　and　barren　landscape？　
　〃That's　dry　sandy　country；〃　Swire　was　saying；　the　dark　uncertain　look　replaced　with　a　new　resolve。　〃They　can't　hide　a　track　in　it　forever。　I　just　came　in　here　to　tell　you　I'm　going　after　them。〃　He　stood　up　abruptly　and　went　into　his　tent。　
　In　the　ensuing　silence；　Nora　could　hear　the　rattle　of　metal；　the　sound　of　bullets　being　pushed　into　chambers。　A　moment　later　he　reemerged；　rifle　slung　behind　his　back；　revolver　buckled　around　his　waist。　
　〃Wait　a　minute；　Roscoe；〃　Nora　said。　
　〃Don't　try　to　stop　me；〃　Swire　said。　
　〃You　can't　just　rush　off；〃　she　replied　sharply。　〃Let's　talk　about　this。〃　
　〃Talking　to　you　only　causes　trouble。〃　
　Bonarotti　walked　wordlessly　to　his　cabinet　and　began　loading　a　small　sack　with　food。　
　〃Roscoe；〃　Sloane　said；　〃Nora's　absolutely　right。　You　can't　just　head　off　like…〃　
　〃You　shut　your　mouth。　I'm　not　going　to　have　a　bunch　of　goddamn　women　telling　me　what　to　do　with　my　own　horses。〃　
　〃Well；　how　about　a　goddamn　man；　then；〃　said　Black。　〃This　is　foolhardy。　You　could　get　hurt；　or　worse。〃　
　〃I'm　done　with　discussion；〃　Swire　said；　acc