jefflong.yearzero-第22章
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The heartbeat quickened。 〃Sir Benjamin votes for death； then；〃 Cavendish said。 〃And the rest of you？〃
Abbot watched the brinksmanship。 He knew the oute； or thought he did。 The child would be born。 But not before Cavendish bent them to his will。 He was assaulting their hypocrisy。 Human cloning was the other shoe waiting to drop。 For years people had been pretending the shoe was in a state of zero gravity。 They had the technology； the genetic map； the skills。。。but not the daring。
The band of scientists stood silent。 The heart drummed faster over the speakers； urgent； profound。 Elise spoke up。 〃You've twisted nature inside out；〃 she said。
〃What's new？〃 Cavendish replied。 〃Include yourselves。 It's what we do。〃
〃It is precisely what we do not do。 That is Sir Benjamin's point。〃
Abbot waited。 Would Cavendish shrug？ Call them fools？ He was smarter than that。 〃As I learned the story；〃 he replied evenly； 〃Prometheus did not ask the gods for permission to borrow fire。 He reached out his hand。 And he snatched it from them。〃
〃And was punished for eternity；〃 Elise reminded him。
〃Yes； but he knew the risks。 And he took them；〃 said Cavendish。 〃And he lit our darkness。〃
The fetal monitor beat at them。 The figure inside the sac had started to struggle weakly。 Floating in the tank of water； Miranda ran her hand over the sides as if to soothe the unborn child。
Elise resisted Cavendish。 〃Why？〃 she said。
〃To quote the great Oppenheimer；〃 Cavendish said； 〃when you see something that's technically sweet； you go ahead and do it。〃
〃But what's the purpose？〃
Cavendish shrugged。 〃Who knows？ Someone will find one someday； I'm sure。〃
All eyes fixed on Elise。 She was Cavendish's boss。 He had surrendered authority to her； but only to force her surrender to him。
〃Deliver the poor thing；〃 she muttered。
〃As you wish。〃 Cavendish gave a single decisive tap at a key on his wheelchair's puter panel。 It was the signal。
One of the divers snipped the colored wires with a pair of scissors。 The heartbeat fell silent。 In the silence； they heard a distant voice counting down to zero。 The wires were drawn up and out of the water。
A scalpel appeared in Miranda's hand。 She made a careful incision。 The sac opened。 Its contents gushed out in a pinkish plume。 The plume obscured their view。 The other divers helped open the incision as the scalpel moved。 As they peeled away the placental sleeve； more organic debris floated outward。 Between the divers and the plume； it was impossible to see the newborn。
Then the clone drifted free。 He began to sink like a falling climber； upside down； the umbilical cord trailing like slack rope。 Abbot thought the scalpel must have slipped； because a long black stream floated from the head。 It wasn't blood； though； but hair； three or four feet of it。
Miranda kicked hard and dove lower。 In slow motion； she opened her arms and caught him from below。 His hair settled around her shoulders。
This was no infant。 The clone opened his arms and unfolded his legs； and at the end of each limb was a rack of curled； tangled nails。 He had a beard。 A whole lifetime of hair and nails； Abbot realized。 The clone's body hair was stark black against skin that had never seen the sun。
The other divers joined Miranda； and together； cradling the man between them； they drafted upwards。 As they passed the observation windows； the clone suddenly woke to his new world。 He opened his eyes。 And they were blue。 Cornflower blue。 〃Look！〃 someone gasped。
Inside her dive mask； even Miranda appeared shocked。
The face was unmistakable。 Cavendish had cloned himself。 It grew more audacious than that。
The eyes opened wider。 The clone turned his head； taking in the surroundings。 He noticed the audience of scientists watching from the other side of the glass。 A faint smile appeared in his streaming beard。
〃Did you see that？〃 Abbot whispered to Elise。
〃Of course； I saw；〃 she seethed。 〃He's doomed us。 The genie is out of the bottle now。〃
〃No； Elise。 The smile。 He smiled。 He recognized us。〃
6
Monster
KATHMANDU/BADRIGHOTJAIL
THIRTEENMONTHSLATER
Like a gargoyle in wirerims； Nathan Lee sat crosslegged in the windowsill with Grace's storybook in his lap。 He'd been at work with it for nearly a year。 It was early in the morning。 Blue fog lapped against what were left of his toes。 Behind him on the floor； three lepers lay dreaming in a huddle。
The palace belonged to me；he neatly printed。At night I listened to my heart beating and the quiet claws of gecko lizards。 To the lizards； I was king。
He left a four…inch space for art work。 That would e later； maybe an aerial view of an Escher…style maze。 Or a naturalist sketch of a gecko。 He'd always been pretty fair at drawing。 He would give it a thin sepia wash； or gently lay in some water colors with a dry brush。 One had to be careful painting on this old rice paper。
I could look down and spy people going about their ordinary lives。He bent close to see the ink on the page。 His candle kept flickering in the tin lantern。But no matter how loud I shouted； no one seemed to notice me。 No one； until the day a little girl happened to look up at my window。
He loved this hour。 He had made a habit of waking first among the prisoners。 All too soon the dawn would break wide open。 Roosters would screech； dogs would bark。 Nine hundred men and boys would fill the yard； muttering prayers and hawking up the taste of night； clamoring； washing； bartering for extra rations of rice or for old Hindi movie magazines or rags of clothing。 The noise would stretch into night； the clockwork of volleyballs batting back and forth and chess pieces clicking and lunatics chanting。 But for now； his peace held and he could pretend to be alone with his daughter。
Long ago； Badrighot Prison had been a Rana palace。 At this hour； in this fog； it was easy to make out the bygone glory。 In buildings now occupied by murderers and political prisoners and rapists； rajas once listened to music。 From terraces where prisoners now grew small red tomatoes and ginger roots； princes used to fly kites。 Monkeys had capered in an arbor that no longer existed。 Elephants and peacocks had drunk from a pool with emerald green lotuses。 He had discovered all of this and woven it into his storybook。
The former palace had bee his escape。 Ironically it was escape that had brought him here。 Since being jailed fourteen months ago； Nathan Lee had gotten loose three times。 He wasn't very good at it。 The longest his freedom had ever lasted was fifteen minutes。
After his third escape； they had transferred him to this medieval pound with its towering brick walls。 He'd gotten five years added to his twenty。 As an extra punishment； they'd placed him with the lepers。 It amounted to a death sentence。 It wasn't the leprosy that concerned Nathan Lee。 He knew it was rarely contagious。 But the lepers were regarded as walking dead。 They received less food than the other prisoners。 Even on a full ration； Nathan Lee knew he would never last a quarter century in this Third World sewer。
The leper asylum stood off by itself and was considered more secure than the other buildings。 It was like a box within a box。 The guards watched it； but so did the prisoners。 Even the untouchables loathed to have lepers mingling with the general population。 Like geese； prisoners would cry the alarm if anyone tried to leave the building。 The one person lower than them all was their sole Westerner。 Their one and only man eater。
Nathan Lee remembered his trial only vaguely； as part of a larger nightmare of interrogation and jail and the horror of his frostbitten toes blackening on the bone。 He remembered the pitiless Indian doctor with his scissors more than the judges or lawyers。 Apparently some kind of animal had gotten to Rinchen's body before the authorities did。 Gruesome photos were introduced showing the ravaged corpse tangled in Nathan Lee's pink climbing rope。 Once the charge of cannibalism was raised； the American consular officer had quit sitting behind Nathan Lee in the courtroom。 TheMen's Journal writer had moved closer。
In a sworn deposition delivered by diplomatic pouch； Professor David Ochs claimed Nathan Lee had tried to
