thillerman.theblessingway-第27章

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　that？〃
　〃No。　I　don't　think　so。　He　said　nobody　ever　got　away　from　him。〃
　〃I　heard　that；〃　McKee　said。　〃Did　he　say　anything　else？〃
　〃I　can't　think　of　anything。〃　She　paused。　〃He　asked　me　why　we　waited　in　the　canyon　so　he　could　catch　us。〃
　〃I　heard　that；　too。　Don't　worry　about　it。〃
　And　then　he　heard　the　big　man　climbing　back　into　the　Land…Rover。　There　was　the　sound　of　shifting　gears；　the　whine　of　the　winch；　and　the　cracking　noise　of　limbs　breaking。　Then　the　winch　stopped　and　the　man　climbed　out　again。
　〃I　want　you　to　be　very；　very　careful；〃　McKee　said。　〃Do　exactly　what　he　tells　you　to　do。　And　keep　your　eyes　open。　Watch　for　a　chance　to　get　away。　If　you　can　get　out　of　his　sight；　hide。　Hide　and　don't　move　until　it's　pitch　dark　and　then　get　out　of　the　canyon。　Go　to　Shoemaker's。　That's　south　by　southwest　of　here。　You　know　how　to　tell　your　directions　at　night？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Ellen　said。
　She　probably　doesn't；　McKee　thought；　but　it　seemed　entirely　academic。
　〃Find　the　Big　Dipper；〃　McKee　said。　〃The　two　stars　in　the　line　at　the　end　of　the　cup　point　to　the　Pole　Star。　That's　due　north。〃
　〃He's　ing　back；〃　she　said。
　〃Remember。　Watch　for　a　chance。〃
　And　then　the　big　man　was　leaning　over　the　seat；　looking　at　him。　〃I　hope　you　were　giving　Miss　Leon　good　advice。〃
　〃I　told　her　to　follow　orders。〃
　〃That's　good　advice；〃　the　Navajo　said。
　They　drove　about　ten　minutes　by　McKee's　estimate　before　the　Land…Rover　stopped　again。
　This　time　you　better　e　along；　Miss　Leon；〃　the　man　said。　〃Slide　out　on　my　side。〃
　〃Where　are　you　taking　her？〃　McKee's　voice　was　loud。
　〃I　won't　hurt　her；〃　the　man　said。　〃We're　just　going　to　get　some　of　your　papers。〃
　McKee　twisted　his　shoulders　and　neck；　straining　to　see　out　the　rear　window。　Only　the　top　of　the　cliff　was　in　his　line　of　sight；　but　it　was　enough　to　confirm　that　they　were　at　their　camping　place。
　They　were　gone　only　a　moment。　And　then　the　Land…Rover　was　moving　again；　smoothly　at　first　up　the　sandy　floor　of　Many　Ruins　and　then　a　jolting；　twisting　ride。　Suddenly　they　weren't　moving。　McKee　heard　the　hand　brake　pulled　on。
　〃I　see　you　got　a　woman；　George。　Where's　the　man　you　were　after？〃
　The　voice　was　soft。　A　Virginia　accent；　McKee　thought；　or　maybe　Carolina　or　Maryland。
　〃In　the　back　seat；〃　the　Navajo　said。　〃Get　out；　Miss　Leon。〃
　The　door　by　McKee's　head　opened　and　he　saw　a　man　looking　down　at　him。　On　his　stomach；　with　his　head　turned　to　one　side；　McKee　could　see　only　out　of　the　corner　of　his　right　eye。　He　could　see　a　belt　buckle；　and　a　navy…blue　vest　with　black　buttons；　and　the　bottom　of　the　man's　chin　and　up　his　nostrils。
　〃He's　tied　up；〃　the　voice　above　him　said。　It　seemed　to　McKee　a　remarkably　stupid　thing　to　say。
　〃Move　a　little　bit　out　of　the　way；〃　the　Navajo　said。　Then　McKee　felt　the　Indian's　hands；　deftly　untying　the　knots。
　〃Get　any　calls　while　you　were　gone？〃　the　soft　voice　asked。　〃Do　they　know　when　we　can　haul　out　of　this　hole？〃
　〃No　calls；〃　the　Big　Navajo　said。　〃You　see　anything？〃
　〃No；〃　the　soft　voice　said。　〃Just　that　kid　on　the　horse　again。　Up　on　the　top。　Way　off　across　the　mesa。〃
　〃You　can　get　up　now；　Dr。　McKee。〃
　McKee　sat　up　and　examined　the　man　with　the　blue　vest。　He　was　a　tall　young　man　with　a　pale　face　shaded　by　a　light…blue　straw　hat。　He　looked　back　at　McKee　and　nodded　politely…blue　eyes　under　blond　eyebrows…and　then　turned　toward　Miss　Leon。
　〃How　do　you　do；〃　he　said。　Ellen　Leon　ignored　him。
　The　young　man　wore　a　harness　over　his　vest　supporting　a　shoulder　holster　with　a　semi…automatic　pistol　in　it。　McKee　didn't　recognize　the　type；　but　it　seemed　to　be　about　。38　caliber。　Miss　Leon　stood　stiffly　in　front　of　the　truck。　She　looked　frightened。
　〃e　on；〃　the　Big　Navajo　said。　〃Get　out　now。　I'm　in　a　hurry。〃
　McKee　climbed　out　of　the　Land…Rover；　his　muscles　stiff。　His　head　ached；　but　the　ache　was　lost　in　the　violent　throbbing　of　his　injured　hand。　He　held　it　stiffly　at　his　side　and　glanced　around。
　They　were　up　a　narrow　side　canyon。　Below；　not　more　than　two　hundred　yards；　McKee　could　see　the　broad　sandy　bed　of　Many　Ruins　bright　in　the　afternoon　sun。　Here　there　was　shadow　and　it　was　a　moment　before　he　noticed　the　cliff　dwelling　high　on　the　sandstone　wall　behind　the　blond　man。　It　was　large　for　an　Anasazi　ruin…built　in　a　long　horizontal　fault　cleft　some　forty　feet　above　the　talus　slope　and　protected　from　above　by　the　sloping　overhang　of　the　cliff。　He　wondered；　fleetingly；　if　it　was　one　of　those　excavated　by　the　Harvard…Smithsonian　teams。　It　would　be　hard　to　reach；　but　that　made　it　all　the　more　attractive　to　the　archaeologists。　Less　chance　it　had　been　disturbed。
　〃Dr。　McKee　is　going　to　write　that　letter　for　us；　Eddie；〃　the　Navajo　said。　〃It　may　take　some　time；　and　while　I'm　thinking　about　the　letter；　you　want　to　be　thinking　about　McKee。　He's　tricky。〃
　〃He　hasn't　written　it　yet？〃　the　blond　man　asked。　He　sounded　surprised。
　〃I　could　have　had　him　write　it　back　at　his　camp；〃　the　Indian　said。　〃I　think　I　could　handle　him。　Ninety…nine　chances　out　of　a　hundred。　But　why　take　chances　with　one　this　slippery？〃
　〃Too　much　money　involved；〃　Eddie　said。　〃Way　too　much　money　for　taking　chances。〃
　He　slipped　the　pistol　deftly　from　the　holster；　handling　it；　McKee　noticed　glumly；　as　naturally　as　a　pipe　smoker　handles　a　pipe。
　〃Don't　talk　so　much；〃　the　Big　Navajo　said。　〃We're　going　to　leave　these　two　behind　and　the　less　they　hear　the　better。〃
　Eddie　said；　〃Oh？〃　The　word　came　out　as　another　question。
　The　Navajo　reached　into　the　Land…Rover；　pulled　out　a　pile　of　papers；　stacked　them　on　the　hood；　sorted　swiftly　through　them；　extracted　a　letter；　and　skimmed　it。
　〃How　about　this　Dr。　Green？　Looks　like　he's　your　boss。　He'd　probably　be　the　one　to　write。〃
　〃Green's　chairman　of　the　department；〃　McKee　said。　〃We　usually　try　to　keep　in　touch　when　we're　in　the　field。〃
　How　long；　McKee　wondered；　had　Canfield　lived　after　he　wrote　his　note　for　this　man？　Just　long　enough　for　the　Navajo　to　kill　him　without　marks　of　violence。　Only　one　thing　was　clear　in　this　incredible　situation…the　Navajo's　need　for　this　letter　was　all　that　kept　Miss　Leon　and　himself　alive。　He　wouldn't　write　it；　but　it　had　to　be　handled　exactly　right。
　The　Big　Navajo　handed　him　Dr。　Canfield's　ballpoint　pen。　It　was　a　slim　silver　pen；　and　as　McKee　accepted　it　with　his　left　hand　he　felt　his　resolution　harden。　He　would　never；　under　any　circumstances；　write　this　letter。
　〃I　didn't　find　any　stationery　so　I　guess　you　use　your　notebook？〃
　〃That's　right；〃　McKee　said。
　〃We'll　make　it　to　Dr。　Green；〃　the　Navajo　said。　〃What　do　you　call　him？　Dr。　Green？　Or　his　first　name？〃
　〃Dr。　Green；〃　McKee　lied。　〃He's　pretty　stuffy。〃
　The　Navajo　looked　at　him　thoughtfully。　〃What　was　Dr。　Canfield's　first　name？　Was　it　John？〃
　〃John　Robert　Canfield；〃　McKee　said。
　The　Big　Navajo　studied　him。
　〃Dr。　McKee；〃　he　said　finally；　〃what　happened　to　Dr。　Canfield　was　too　bad。　It　couldn't　be　helped　because　Dr。　Canfield　tried　to　get　away　and　he　didn't　leave　me　any　alternative。　But　there　is　no　reason　at　all　for　you　and　Miss　Leon　to　die。　If　this　letter　is　written　properly　it　will　give　us　time　to　finish　what　we　are　doing　here。　And　then　we　will　leave　and　we　can　afford　to　leave　you　behind。〃　He　said　all　this　very　slowly；　watching　McKee　intently。　McKee　kept　his　expression　studiously　nonmittal。
　〃You　may　doubt　that；　but　it's　true。　When　we　are　finished　here；　there　will　be　no　way　at　all　to　trace　us。　If　you　cooperate；　we　can　leave　you　up　in　that　cliff　dwelling　with　food　and　water。　In　time；　perhaps　you　could　find　a　way　to　get　down。　If　not；　someone　will　e　in　here　sooner　or　later　and　find　you。〃
　〃What　happens　if　I　don't　write　the　letter？〃
　The　Navajo's　expression　remained　perfectly　pleasant。
　〃Then　I'll　have　to　kill　you　both。　Without　the　letter　we'd　have　to　hurry。　You　would　slow　us　down　some；　because　someone　will　have　to　watch　you。　Nothing　personal　about　it；　Dr。　McKee。　It's　simply　a　matter　of　money。〃　He　smiled。　〃You　know　our　Origin　Myth。　That's　what　witchcraft　is　all　about…the　way　to　make　money。〃
　〃What　do　you　want　me　to　write？〃　McKee　asked。
　〃That's　part　of　the　problem。　We　want　a　letter　to　Dr。　Green　telling　him　that　you're　leaving　this　canyon　and　going　somewhere　else…somewhere　it　would　be　natural　for　you　to　go。　You　and　Dr。　Canfield　and　Mis