thillerman.theblessingway-第22章

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he　pain　was　tolerable。　He　stood　up；　surprised　at　how　quickly　his　leg　muscles　had　stiffened。　A　mockingbird　flew　out　of　a　young　cotton…wood　tree；　whistling　raucously。　It　was　then　McKee　was　suddenly　struck　with　the　dismaying　thought　of　Miss　Ellen　Leon。
　Almost　certainly　in　a　very　few　hours　he　would　meet　her　and；　when　he　did；　he　would　have　to　make　her　believe　an　absolutely　incredible　story。　He　walked　slowly　down　the　canyon；　thinking　of　how　he　would　tell　it。　As　he　thought；　the　incident　seemed　first　wildly　ridiculous　and　then　entirely　unreal。　The　canyon　was　filled　with　the　cool；　gray　light　of　full　dawn　now。　All　that　had　happened　under　the　moonlight　was　utterly　absurd；　like　something　out　of　a　bad　melodrama；　and　his　own　role　in　it　had　been　thoroughly　unheroic。　Yet　Miss　Leon　had　to　be　told…to　get　her　out　of　the　canyon。　There　simply　was　no　way　to　explain　it　all　without　sounding　like　a　plete　fool。　McKee　wished　fervently　that　the　visitor　were　a　man。
　He　trudged　steadily　down　the　canyon；　turning　in　his　mind　the　problem　of　confronting　the　woman。　He　had　skipped　shaving　yesterday　in　his　haste　to　get　to　Chinle　and　call　Leaphorn。　Now　the　face　which　confronted　him　each　morning　in　his　bathroom　mirror　would　be　worse　by　two　days'　growth　of　bristles。　And　the　torn　and　dirty　shirt　and　the　scraped　cheekbone　certainly　wouldn't　inspire　confidence　in　a　female。　Neither；　he　thought　glumly；　would　the　improbable　tale　he　had　to　tell。
　When　he　heard　the　sound　of　the　motor　again；　it　came　almost　as　a　relief。　He　was　crossing　the　point　where　a　large　tributary　canyon　drained　into　Many　Ruins　and　where　centuries　of　turbulent　runoff　had　carved　the　cliffs　into　a　series　of　horseshoe　bends。　The　motor　sound　and　its　confusion　of　echoes　seemed　first　to　e　from　upstream；　and　then　from　downstream。　Before　it　died　abruptly　away　he　decided　the　vehicle　might　be　somewhere　up　the　tributary。　Talking　Rock　Canyon；　he　thought　it　was；　but　he　wasn't　sure。　In　the　morning　sunlight　the　sound　of　the　truck　seemed　natural　and　sane；　reassuring　him　that　all　that　had　happened　in　the　darkness　had　not　been　merely　nightmare。
　And　now　he　was　sitting　beside　Miss　Leon　and　she　was　saying　that　she　wanted　very　badly　to　see　Dr。　Canfield　this　morning。
　McKee　converted　his　embarrassment　to　irritation。
　〃Listen；〃　he　said。　〃There's　a　man　somewhere　up　this　canyon　who　isn't　acting　rationally。　I　think　he　may　have　done　something　to　Dr。　Canfield。　I　don't　know　where　the　hell　Canfield　is　and　I　can't　start　looking　for　him　until　I　get　you　out　of　here。〃
　Miss　Leon　said；　〃Oh；〃　in　a　small　voice　and　looked　at　McKee。　He　noticed　again　that　she　was　a　very　pretty　woman。
　She　thinks　I'm　a　nut；　he　thought。
　〃Canfield　was　gone　when　I　got　back　to　the　camp　yesterday；〃　McKee　went　on。　〃Left　me　a　note　and　signed　it　'John。'　His　name's　Jeremy。〃　Even　as　he　said　it；　the　explanation　sounded　ridiculous。　Miss　Leon　glanced　at　him。
　〃What　did　the　note　say？〃
　〃It　said　a　Navajo　had　e　by　with　a　snakebite　and　he　was　taking　him　to　Teec　Nos　Pas。〃　The　text　of　the　note　now　seemed　pletely　reasonable。　〃But　why　would　he　sign　it　with　a　phony　name？〃
　〃Maybe　it　was　a　joke；〃　Miss　Leon　said。
　Maybe　it　was　a　joke；　McKee　thought。　If　it　is；　I'll　kill　the　smirking　bastard。
　〃I　thought　of　that；　too；〃　McKee　said；　〃But　last　night；　sometime　after　midnight；　I　saw　a　man　sneaking　up　on　our　tent。　Had　a　wolf　skin　over　his　head。〃　He　had　planned　not　to　mention　the　wolf　skin；　thinking　it　might　frighten　her；　or　merely　make　the　entire　episode　seem　more　ludicrous。　But　he　blurted　it　out。
　〃Is　that　how　you　got　that　awful　bruise？　Did　he　hit　you？〃
　The　sympathy　in　her　voice　made　McKee　feel　about　seven　years　old。
　〃No。　No；〃　he　said；　impatiently。　〃I　fell　on　a　rock。〃
　Miss　Leon　slowed　the　Volks　and　shifted　into　low　gear　to　make　her　way　across　a　bed　of　rocks。
　〃Your　hand's　hurt；　too；〃　Miss　Leon　said。
　〃I'd　like　you　to　drive　back　to　Shoemaker's；〃　McKee　said。　〃When　you　get　there；　tell　Shoemaker　that　something　happened　to　Canfield　and　ask　him　to　call　Chinle　and　get　the　Law　and　Order　boys　to　send　someone　in　here　to　help　look。〃
　McKee　made　a　wry　face。
　〃Or；　if　you　meet　Canfield　on　your　way　to　Shoemaker's；　just　forget　the　whole　thing。〃　He　laughed。　Tell　Canfield　you　met　some　kind　of　nut　up　the　canyon　named　Bergen　McKee。〃
　〃All　right；〃　Miss　Leon　said。　She　glanced　at　the　right　hand　held　rigidly　inside　his　shirt　front。　〃How　badly。。。〃
　Immediately　ahead　of　them　around　an　abrupt　bend　of　the　canyon；　there　was　the　whining　sound　of　a　motor　running　at　a　high　speed。
　〃Stop　a　minute；〃　McKee　said；　but　Miss　Leon　was　already　braking　the　car。
　As　he　reached　across　with　his　left　hand　for　the　door　handle；　he　brushed　the　injured　finger　and　felt　suddenly　sick　and　weak　as　a　fresh　wave　of　pain　engulfed　his　brain。　He　swung　his　legs　out　of　the　Volks　and　sat　for　a　moment；　head　down；　while　the　dizziness　passed。　He　heard　Miss　Leon　opening　her　door。
　〃I'll　go　see　what's　going　on；〃　he　said。　〃You　wait　here。〃　He　realized；　with　self…disgust；　that　the　words　came　slowly　and　his　voice　was　thick。　When　he　got　to　his　feet　she　was　already　out　of　the　car。　Let　it　go；　he　thought。　He　didn't　feel　like　arguing。
　It　was　less　than　fifty　yards　to　the　canyon　bend　but　McKee　had　identified　the　sound　before　they　reached　it。　He　was　almost　certain　it　was　a　winch　working。　His　first　glance　around　the　rocky　point　confirmed　this　guess。　Some　five　hundred　yards　downstream　the　canyon　bent　sharply　to　the　north　through　a　narrow　defile。　Here　a　section　of　the　undercut　cliff　had　collapsed；　tumbling　huge　blocks　of　rimrock　to　the　canyon　floor。　Just　beyond　this　pile　of　talus；　McKee　saw　a　gray　Land…Rover　parked。　A　cable　from　the　winch　reel　on　its　front　bumper　was　attached　to　a　ponderosa　pine　carried　into　the　canyon　by　the　landslide。　The　massive　trunk　of　the　long…dead　tree　was　being　swung　slowly　across　the　canyon。
　〃Looks　like　we　walk　out；〃　McKee　said　softly。
　〃What　in　the　world　is　he　doing？〃
　〃He's　blocking　us　in　with　that　tree。〃
　〃He　is；　isn't　he？〃　She　said　it　in　a　very　small　voice。
　McKee　couldn't　see　the　man　in　the　Land…Rover　very　well。　He　was　wearing　a　black　hat　and　there　was　something　which　might　be　a　rifle　barrel　jutting　at　an　angle　out　of　the　side　window。　The　high　whining　noise　of　the　winching　operation　had　apparently　covered　the　sound　of　their　approach。
　〃Let's　go；〃　McKee　said。　〃We'll　drive　back　up　the　canyon　and　find　one　of　those　run…in　washes；　and　climb　out　of　here。〃
　The　sound　of　the　winch　stopped　just　as　they　reached　the　car。　There　was　a　long　moment　of　silence　as　they　climbed　into　the　Volkswagen；　and　then　the　sound　began　again。　McKee　motioned　for　Miss　Leon　to　start　the　motor。
　〃Quietly　as　you　can；〃　he　said。　〃Don't　race　the　motor　and　get　it　into　second　quick　as　possible。〃
　She　said　nothing；　driving　petently　and；　McKee　noticed　out　of　the　side　of　his　eye；　occasionally　biting　her　lower　lip。
　〃But　why　would　that　man　want　to　block　the　road？〃　she　asked　suddenly。　〃Do　you　think　we　should　just　drive　down　there　and　ask　him　to　let　us　through？〃
　〃I　don't　think　so；〃　McKee　said。　He　felt　very；　very　tired。
　〃Was　that　the　man　you　saw　last　night？　The　man　with　the　wolf　skin？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　I　guess　it　is。〃
　A　half　mile　up　the　canyon　he　had　her　turn　off　the　ignition。　From　far　behind　them　there　still　came　the　high　whine　of　the　winch；　a　faint　sound　now。
　〃Anyway；　he　can't　follow　us；〃　Miss　Leon　said。　She　smiled　at　McKee。　〃He's　on　the　wrong　side　of　his　roadblock。〃
　〃That's　right；〃　McKee　said。　But　he　knew　it　wasn't　right。　He　had　to　work　the　winch　from　the　down　side　because　the　tree　top　was　pointing　upstream。　He'll　simply　swing　the　trunk　downstream　far　enough　so　he　can　drive　past　it　and　then　re…attach　his　winch　line　from　the　upstream　side　and　pull　it　back　in　place　across　the　canyon。　He'll　drive　in　and　close　the　gate　behind　him。　McKee　wondered　if　Land…Rovers　had　four…wheel　drive。　He　was　almost　certain　they　did。　The　Land…Rover　could　go　anyplace　the　Volks　could　go；　and　lots　of　places　it　couldn't。　The　sense　of　urgency　returned；　and　his　hand　and　cheekbone　began　throbbing　in　harmony。
　〃Is　your　hand　broken？〃
　〃No；〃　McKee　said。　〃Sprained　my　little　finger。〃
　She　looked　at　him。　The　sympathy　in　her　eyes　embarrassed　him　and　he　looked　away。　〃But　it　hurts　a　lot；〃　she　said。　〃It　would　feel　better　if　you　let