thillerman.theblessingway-第20章

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s　scalp　coup。
　〃I　left　my　horse　hobbled　up　there　on　top；〃　Billy　Nez　said；　〃and　I　hid　out　there　in　the　rocks；　down　near　where　he　was　working。　He　was　rolling　those　rocks　out　of　the　way　and　cutting　brush　to　clear　the　track。　Finally　he　stopped　a　while　and　sat　down　under　a　pi？on　there　and　ate　some　stuff　and　some　canned　peaches　and　threw　away　the　can。　I　thought　maybe　I'd　get　that　can　he'd　ate　out　of　for　the　scalp　but　that　wouldn't　be　very　good　and　so　later　on　I　got　the　hat。〃
　〃Tell　how　you　got　it；〃　the　younger　cousin　urged。
　〃Well；　along　later　in　the　afternoon　the　clouds　built　up　the　way　they　do　and　it　got　shady　and　the　wind　got　up。　He　was　wrestling　with　those　rocks　and　his　hat　kept　blowing　off。　So　the　next　time　he　moved　that　truck　farther　up　the　slope；　he　left　that　hat　there　on　the　seat　of　the　truck。　When　he　was　working　again；　I　slipped　up　there　and　got　it。〃
　〃And　took　off　the　hatband　and　left　it　behind；〃　Leaphorn　said。
　Billy　Nez　looked　surprised。　〃Yeh。　It　was　silver　conchos。〃
　〃There　was　a　rifle　there　in　the　truck；〃　younger　cousin　said。
　〃Think　it　was　a　Remington；〃　Billy　Nez　said。　〃Had　a　long　barrel　and　a　telescopic　sight。　Looked　like　a　。30…06　deer　rifle。〃
　〃Anything　else　in　there？〃　Leaphorn　asked。
　〃There　was　a　map　folded　up　there　over　the　dashboard。　I　think　it　was　a　map。　And　a　paper　sack　on　the　seat。　Maybe　part　of　his　lunch。　And　there　was　a　set　of　pulleys　in　the　back。〃　The　boy　paused；　thinking。
　〃A　block…and…tackle？〃　Leaphorn　suggested。
　〃Yes；〃　Nez　said。
　〃Anything　else？〃
　〃No。　I　didn't　look　much。　Just　got　that　hat　and　then　I　thought　I　didn't　want　to　steal　that　concho　band　so　I　took　it　off。　Tied　a　yucca　thong　to　that　hat　and　tied　it　on　the　scalp　stick　like　my　grandfather　said　to　do　with　the　scalp…that's　so　you　aren't　handling　it　with　your　hands　so　much。　And　then　when　I　got　back　up　on　the　mesa　away　from　there；　I　sang　the　Tracking　Bear　Song　and　used　pollen　and　rode　on　back　to　the　hogan。〃
　Leaphorn　gave　the　boys　each　a　third　cigarette。
　〃And　now；〃　he　said；　〃I　want　you　to　tell　me　about　your　brother。　I　want　you　to　tell　about　Luis　Horseman。〃　He　tried　to　read　Billy　Nez's　face。　Was　it　surprise；　or　fear；　or　anger？　The　boy　looked　at　the　tip　of　the　cigarette；　and　then　took　a　long　drag　and　blew　out　the　smoke。
　〃I　heard　Law　and　Order　already　found　him；〃　Billy　Nez　said。　〃I　heard　Luis　Horseman　is　dead。〃
　〃We　found　his　body；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃He　was　way　down　by　Ganado　when　we　found　him；　a　hundred　miles　south　of　here。　We　don't　know　how　he　got　there。〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　Billy　Nez　said。　〃He　was　staying　up　there　on　the　plateau　between　Many　Ruins　and　Horse　Fell　canyons。〃
　〃And　you　went　up　there　to　tell　him　that　he　didn't　kill　that　Nakai　at　Gallup…that　the　man　got　well　and　he　should　e　in　and　talk　to　us　about　it；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃You　did　that；　didn't　you？〃　His　voice　was　gentle。
　〃I　heard　you　telling　that　at　Shoemaker's；〃　Billy　Nez　said。　〃And　I　thought　you　were　right。　It　would　be　better　if　Luis　Horseman　went　in　to　Window　Rock　and　didn't　try　to　run　and　hide　any　more。　But　when　I　went　up　there　to　tell　him　and　take　him　some　food　he　was　gone。〃
　〃That　was　four　days　ago；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃Tuesday。　The　day　I　was　at　Shoemaker's？〃
　Nez　nodded。
　〃What　time　did　you　go？　What　time　did　you　get　there？〃
　〃I　waited　until　it　got　dark；〃　Billy　Nez　said。　〃Luis　Horseman　told　me　to　do　that　so　nobody　would　see。　But　he　wasn't　there。　I　got　there　maybe　two　hours　after　midnight　and　he　was　gone。〃
　〃Blue　Policeman；〃　the　smaller　boy　said；　〃my　cousin　found　something　strange　there。〃
　〃I　looked　around　where　he　was　camping　in　some　rocks　and　I　thought　he　had　taken　everything　he　had　with　him；〃　Billy　Nez　said。　〃And　then　I　looked　around　some　more　and　I　found　that　the　food　he　had　left　was　buried　there…just　covered　up　with　sand。〃
　〃Were　the　ashes　covered　up；　too？〃　Leaphorn　asked。
　〃Covered　up　with　sand　and　smoothed　over。〃
　〃Did　you　see　anything　else？〃
　〃It　was　dark。　I　rode　on　down　into　the　Chinle　Valley　and　slept　until　it　was　light　and　then　I　went　back　up　again。　Then　I　found　those　tracks　again。〃
　〃The　tracks　like　the　Land…Rover　left？〃
　〃Same　tracks；〃　Billy　Nez　said。　〃Up　there　on　the　mesa；　maybe　a　half　mile　from　where　Luis　Horseman　was。〃　He　paused。　〃My　brother　would　have　taken　that　food　with　him。　He　wouldn't　have　spoiled　it　like　that。〃
　They　sat；　smoking　in　silence。
　〃I　told　Luis　Horseman　that　wasn't　a　good　place　to　stay。　Too　many　houses　of　the　Old　People　down　in　those　canyons；〃　Billy　Nez　said。　〃Too　many　ghosts。　Nobody　likes　that　country　but　witches。〃
　The　boy　was　silent　again；　staring　at　the　fire　where　the　sway　dancers　were　again　being　moved　by　the　drums　in　two　rhythmic　lines。
　〃I　think　that　Wolf　killed　my　brother；〃　Billy　Nez　said。　His　tone　was　flat；　emotionless。
　〃Listen；　my　nephew；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃Listen　to　me。　I　think　you　might　be　right。　But　you　might　be　wrong。〃　Leaphorn　paused。　It　would　do　no　good　at　all　to　warn　this　boy　against　any　danger。　〃This　is　our　business　now…Law　and　Order　business。　If　you　hunt　this　man　you　would　hunt　him　to　kill　him　and　that　would　be　wrong。　That　man　might　not　be　the　one　who　did　it。　Don't　hunt　him。〃
　Billy　Nez　got　up　and　dusted　off　his　jeans。
　〃I　must　go　now；　my　uncle；　and　dance　with　Chinle　High　School　Girl。　Go　in　beauty。〃
　〃Go　in　beauty；〃　Leaphorn　said。
　He　sat　against　the　truck；　thinking　about　it；　sorting　out　what　he　knew。
　The　Dinee；　at　least　the　Dinee　who　lived　in　the　district　east　of　Chinle；　thought　the　Big　Navajo　was　their　witch。　Billy　Nez　had　found　his　Land…Rover　tracks　near　Horseman's　camp。　But　they　might　be　old　tracks；　and　they　would　be　gone　now。　It　had　rained　tonight　on　the　Lukachukai　slopes。　And　the　witch；　whoever　he　was；　was　a　violent　witch；　or　a　cruel　one…a　man　who　would　cripple　horses　with　an　ax。　That　was　all　he　knew。　That；　and　the　certainty　that　Billy　Nez　would　be　hunting　the　man　who　drove　the　Land…Rover；　a　danger　to　the　man　if　he　was　innocent　and　a　danger　to　the　boy　if　he　was　not。
　The　first　sign　of　paleness　was　showing　at　the　eastern　edge　of　the　night。　Soon　Charley　Tsosie　and　his　wife　and　sons　would　e　out　of　the　ceremonial　hogan。　Sandoval　would　sing　the　four　First　Songs　and　the　Coyote　Song；　and　the　Tsosies　would　inhale　the　required　four　deep　breaths　of　the　air　of　the　Dawn　People。　Then　Charley　Tsosie　and　his　people　would　be　cured　and　the　witch　who　drove　the　gray　Land…Rover　and　who　might；　or　might　not；　have　maimed　two　horses　with　an　ax　would　have　his　witchcraft　turned　against　him。　The　Origin　Myth　gave　him　one　year　to　live。　One　year；　if　the　Tsosies　or　Billy　Nez　didn't　find　him　first。
　
　Chapter　13
　
　It　was　a　little　more　than　an　hour　after　daylight　when　McKee　heard　the　car　puttering　up　the　canyon；　its　exhaust　leaving　a　faint　wake　of　echoes　from　the　cliffs。　Canfield　had　said　Miss　Leon　would　be　driving　a　Volkswagen　and　this　sounded　like　one。　It　certainly　didn't　have　the　throaty　roar　of　whatever　it　was　the　man　who　had　stalked　him　had　driven　away　in　the　night　before。
　McKee　moved　out　of　the　thicket　of　willows　where　he　had　been　lying；　and　prepared　himself　for　a　moment　he　had　been　dreading。　If　the　car　which　would　soon　round　the　corner　ahead　was　a　Volkswagen　he　would　wave　it　to　a　stop。　If　the　driver　was　Miss　Leon；　she　would　be　confronted　with　the　startling　spectacle　of　a　large　man　with　a　badly　torn　shirt；　a　bruised　and　swollen　face；　and　an　injured　hand；　who　would　tell　her　a　wild；　irrational　story　of　being　spooked　out　of　his　bed　by　a　werewolf；　and　who　would　order　her　to　turn　around　and　flee　with　him　out　of　the　canyon。　McKee　had　thought　of　this　impending　confrontation　for　hours；　ever　since　it　had　occurred　to　him　that　he　couldn't　simply　escape　from　this　canyon…and　whatever　crazy　danger　it　held…and　go　for　help　to　find　Canfield。　To　do　so　would　be　to　leave　Miss　Leon　to　face　whatever　he　was　running　from。
　The　car　which　came　around　the　cliff　into　view　was　a　baby…blue　Volkswagen　sedan；　driven　by　a　young　woman　with　dark　hair。　McKee　trotted　down　the　slope　onto　the　hard…packed　sand；　signaling　it　to　stop。
　The　Volkswagen　slowed。　McKee　saw　the　woman　staring　at　him；　her　eyes　very　large。　And　then；　suddenly；　she　spun　the　wheel；　the　rear　wheels　spurted　sand；　and　the　car　roared　past　him。
　〃Miss　Leon；〃　McKee　screamed。　〃Stop。〃
　The　Volkswagen　stopped。
　McKee　ran　to　it　and　pulled　at　the