p&c.thunderhead-第80章

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　were　actually　trying　to　protect　it？〃　
　〃I　don't…〃　Smithback　began。　
　〃Just　a　minute；〃　Nora　broke　in。　She　was　thinking　quickly。　
　〃How　else　could　they　have　traced　us　here　so　quickly？〃　Aragon　asked。　〃And；　if　indeed　they　killed　Holroyd　with　corpse　powder；　where　else　could　they　have　gotten　it；　except　from　this　place？〃　
　〃So　they　weren't　after　the　letter　to　learn　Quivira's　location；〃　Nora　murmured。　〃They　wanted　to　destroy　the　letter。　To　keep　us　from　ing　here。〃　
　〃Nothing　else　makes　sense　to　me；〃　Aragon　replied。　〃Once；　I　believed　that　Quivira　was　a　city　of　priests。　Now；　I　believe　it　was　a　city　of　witches。〃　
　They　sat　a　moment　longer；　three　figures　ranged　around　the　still　form　of　Holroyd。　Then　a　sudden　breeze；　chill　with　moisture；　stirred　the　hair　on　Nora's　forehead。　
　〃We'd　better　get　going；〃　she　said；　rising。　〃Let's　get　Peter's　body　out　of　the　canyon。〃　
　Silently；　they　began　rewrapping　the　body　in　the　ripped　drysack。　
　
　
48
　
　AS　JOHN　BEIYOODZIN　URGED　HIS　HORSE　down　the　trail　into　the　valley　of　Chilbah；　his　heart　quickly　sank。　From　the　first　switchback；　he　could　make　out　the　expedition's　horses；　the　remuda　was　watering　at　the　stream。　The　tiny　creek　meandered　down　the　center　of　a　great　flood…plain；　torn　and　guttered；　scattered　with　boulders　and　tree　trunks。　He　glanced　upward　anxiously；　but　the　thunderhead　was　now　out　of　sight；　hidden　behind　the　fin　of　rock。　
　He　knew　only　too　well　that　this　valley　was　a　bottleneck　for　the　vast　watershed　of　the　Kaiparowits。　The　flood；　ing　down　the　miles　off　the　Kaiparowits　Plateau；　would　gradually　coalesce　as　the　canyons　came　together　in　the　upper　reaches　of　the　Chilbah　Valley。　It　was　all　uninhabited；　from　the　Kaiparowits　to　the　Colorado　River…except　for　the　archaeologists　in　the　valley　beyond；　which　lay　directly　in　the　path　of　the　water。　
　He　looked　to　his　right；　where　the　valley　broke　up　into　a　series　of　canyons　and　dry　washes。　The　water　ing　off　the　Kaiparowits　Plateau　would　enter　the　Chilbah　Valley　through　these　circuitous；　twisting　canyons。　It　would　then　race　through　the　lower　valley　in　one　overwhelming　mass。　It　would　be　colossal；　covering　the　entire　floodplain　and　probably　tearing　into　the　banks。　If　the　horses　weren't　moved　well　out　of　the　plain　and　up　into　the　high　benchlands　on　either　side　of　the　valley；　they　would　be　swept　away。　Many　of　his　people's　horses　had　died　in　flash　floods。　It　was　a　terrible　thing。　And　if　there　were　people　on　the　floodplain　of　the　valley　beyond…or；　even　worse；　in　the　slot　canyon　that　connected　the　two　valleys　。　。　。　
　He　urged　his　horse　into　a　plunging　lope　down　the　rubbled　trail。　He　just　might　have　time　to　reach　the　horses　and　scare　them　up　to　higher　ground。　
　Within　five　minutes　he　had　reached　the　bottom；　his　horse　heaving　and　slick。　He　let　the　animal　drink　at　the　creek；　all　the　while　listening　up　the　valley　with　a　keen　ear　for　the　sound　he　knew　only　too　well：　the　peculiar　vibration　that　signaled　a　flash　flood。　
　Out　of　sight　of　the　thunderhead；　the　horse　was　calmer；　and　he　drank　deeply。　When　he　had　slaked　his　thirst；　Beiyoodzin　steered　the　animal　across　the　floodplain；　then　urged　him　up　the　steep　banks。　Once　up　in　the　rocky　benchlands　well　away　from　the　stream；　he　kicked　the　buckskin　into　a　lope；　then　a　hand　gallop。　As　long　as　they　stayed　on　the　high　ground；　they　would　be　safe。　
　As　he　galloped；　winding　among　huge　boulders　and　outcrops　of　rock；　Beiyoodzin's　thoughts　returned　to　the　people　in　the　second；　smaller　valley　beyond。　He　wondered　if　they　would　hear　the　flood　ing。　He　knew　there　was　some　benchland　on　either　side　of　the　creek；　and　he　hoped　the　people　had　known　enough　to　pitch　their　camp　up　there。　The　woman；　Nora；　had　seemed　to　know　a　little　about　the　ways　of　the　desert。　They　could　survive　if　they　were　smart…and　if　they　heeded　the　warnings。　
　Suddenly；　he　reined　his　horse　to　a　violent　stop。　As　the　flurry　of　sand　subsided　around　them；　Beiyoodzin　remained　still；　listening　intently。　
　It　was　ing。　So　far；　it　was　only　a　vibration　in　the　ground；　an　unsettling　tingle　in　his　bones。　But　it　was　unmistakable。　
　He　clicked　his　tongue　and　urged　the　horse　forward。　At　a　dead　run；　the　buckskin　flashed　across　the　sandy　ground；　leaping　rocks　and　bushes；　dodging　cottonwoods；　racing　toward　the　grazing　horses。　Now；　he　could　hear　the　ugly　sound　rising　up　in　the　valley；　even　over　the　noise　of　his　own　galloping　horse。　It　was　a　sound　without　direction；　ing　from　everywhere　and　nowhere　at　once；　climbing　quickly　in　pitch　from　the　subsonic　to　a　shriek。　Along　with　it　came　a　wind　that　started　as　a　gentle　breeze　and　quickly　gained　strength；　shivering　the　leaves　of　the　cottonwoods。　
　Again　in　his　mind's　eye　he　saw　a　world　out　of　balance。　Sixteen　years　ago；　it　had　seemed　a　small；　harmless　thing　indeed。　Ignore　it；　everyone　had　said。　If　these　were　to　be　the　consequence　of　that　action；　they　were　terrible　consequences　indeed。　
　He　reached　the　edge　of　the　benchland。　Below；　in　the　floodplain；　he　could　see　the　expedition's　horses。　They　had　stopped　grazing　now　and　were　standing　alert；　their　ears　pricked　up；　staring　upstream。　But　it　was　already　too　late　to　save　them。　To　ride　down　into　the　floodplain　now　would　be　suicide。　He　shouted　and　waved　his　hat；　but　his　voice　did　not　carry　above　the　growing　roar；　and　the　herd's　attention　was　elsewhere。　
　The　ground　trembled。　As　the　noise　continued　to　intensify；　Beiyoodzin　became　unable　to　separate　the　terrified　whinnies　of　his　own　horse　from　the　scream　of　the　ing　water。　He　looked　upstream；　into　the　maw　of　an　even　stronger　wind　that　thrashed　at　the　salt　cedars　and　pressed　the　willows　almost　horizontal　to　the　ground。　
　Then　he　saw　it　e　around　the　bend：　a　vertical　wall　twenty　feet　high；　moving　with　the　speed　of　a　freight　train；　driving　the　howling　wind　before　it。　
　But　it　was　not　a　wall　of　water。　Instead；　Beiyoodzin　beheld　a　seething　rampart　of　tree　trunks；　roots；　boulders；　and　boiling　dirt；　a　huge　churning　mass；　pushed　ahead　by　the　flood　at　eighty　miles　an　hour。　He　struggled　to　control　his　horse。　
　The　horses　below　wheeled　in　hopeless　fright　and　ran。　As　Beiyoodzin　watched…in　a　mixture　of　amazement；　horror；　and　fearful　reverence…the　monstrous　wall　bore　down　on　them　relentlessly。　In　rapid　succession　the　animals　were　struck　and　blown　apart；　turned　inside　out　like　the　abrupt　blossoming　of　a　rose；　the　ropy　eruptions　of　scarlet；　chunks　of　meat；　and　shattered　legs　disappearing　into　the　roiling　mass　of　logs　and　boulders。　
　Piled　behind　the　murderous　wall　of　debris　came　the　great　engine　of　its　momentum：　a　tidal　wave　of　chocolate…colored　water　two　hundred　yards　wide；　boiling　from　benchland　to　benchland　in　a　flow　that　for　the　moment　was　greater　than　the　Colorado　River　itself。　It　blasted　a　path　through　the　valley；　leaping　into　haystacks　of　water　and　standing　waves　ten　feet　high。　The　flood　ripped　at　the　edges　of　the　plain　like　a　chainsaw；　tearing　out　hundred…ton　chunks　of　earth　and　sucking　away　cottonwood　trees。　At　the　same　time；　Beiyoodzin　felt　a　wave　of　intense　humidity　pass　over　him。　The　air　grew　suddenly　pregnant　with　the　rich　scent　of　wet　earth　and　lacerated　vegetation。　Despite　his　distance；　he　instinctively　backed　up　his　horse　as　the　walls　of　the　benchland　began　caving　in　before　him。　
　From　still　higher　ground；　he　stared　down　at　the　humped　and　gnarled　backside　of　the　tidal　wave　as　it　thundered　down　the　valley　toward　the　dark　slot　canyon　in　the　far　rock　face。　As　the　flood　struck　the　opening　of　the　slot；　he　felt　the　brutal　crash　ripple　beneath　his　feet。　An　enormous　shockwave　shuddered　backward　through　the　torrent；　momentarily　stopping　the　forward　motion　of　the　flood；　atomizing　the　water。　A　vast　curtain　of　brown　spume　erupted　along　the　rock　face；　rising　several　hundred　feet　up　the　cliffs　with　terrifying　speed　before　gradually　falling　back。　
　Now　the　torrent　settled　into　a　new　pattern。　The　floodwaters　continued　to　pile　up　against　the　slot　canyon；　forcing　their　way　in；　creating　an　instant　lake：　a　huge；　angry　maelstrom　of　water　boiling　at　the　canyon's　mouth。　Man…sized　splinters　of　wood　were　thrown　from　the　water　as　the　swirling　trees　were　torn　apart　by　the　violent　pressure。　
　Another　huge　piece　of　benchland　caved　in　before　him。　Shaking；　Beiyoodzin　turned　his　horse　from　the　appalling　scene　and　headed　in　the　direction　of　the　o