jefflong.yearzero-第23章
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In a sworn deposition delivered by diplomatic pouch； Professor David Ochs claimed Nathan Lee had tried to throw him； too； off the mountainside。 〃Monster；〃 concluded Nepal's main newspaper；The Rising Sun。 〃The yeti lives。〃 The court agreed。 Nathan Lee had grown used to the pitter…patter of prisoners spitting on him or flicking stones at his legs。 What tore at him was how much Grace might be hearing of it。 He could only pray Lydia would spare her。
To his surprise； the lepers were good to him。 They doctored and fed him when he developed a fever。 They gave him a straw mat and a blanket and a mosquito net belonging to a dead man。 Some mornings they would ask grave questions about his dreams。 It turned out he wept in his sleep every night。
Once a day； they were allowed to walk around the pound。 It was usually the hottest part of the day； or the wettest； or the coldest。 Most of the other prisoners retreated inside their own buildings while the lepers staggered and limped around the walking circuit at the foot of the walls。 One day he found tusk marks high upon the eastern wall。 Though the gouges had been plastered over； they were the ghostly evidence of royal elephants。 That was the beginning of his book for Grace。
After that； he pursued an archaeological survey of the old palace。 He paced off measurements； gained an overlook of the grounds from the upper windows； collected oral histories。 He came to treat it as his long…lost dissertation。 His exploration quickly became magical for the lepers； too。 They gave him paper and ink for his drawings。 He gave them wings。
He hired one of the lepers； a cobbler； to sew his pages together into a book。 It was prised of a hodgepodge of paper。 Some were pieces of rice paper； some linen or pulped wood； and some were empty end pages recycled from other books。 A few were even made of papyrus or soft vellum。 In all there were over three hundred pages bound together in a cover taken from a nineteenth…century botany pendium entitledFlora of the Greater Himalaya； by George Bogle； a potato specialist。 The book was as beautiful as it was strange。 It weighed five pounds in his hands。 It even smelled rare and enticing。 His archaeological notes and stories…in…progress occupied the first 183 pages。 The rest was blank； waiting for his pen and paintbrush。 Each morning； Nathan Lee rose at this same hour to fill in a little more。
Now he adjusted the tin lantern； and by its orange glow resumed his fairytale of the monster in the tower。She was so small down there among that crowd。 I wondered； Who could she be？ What did she think； seeing my faraway face？
He left the rest of that page blank for a watercolor portrait of a little girl。 It would consume him for days。 Of late； he found himself confusing Grace with images of other girls and women。 The lepers had shown him antique studio pictures of their wives and daughters； and their faces intruded on him。 He had glued the snapshot of Grace to the inside cover； but it was nearly ruined from water and sun exposure。 Time was against him and he knew it。 She was growing up。 Her fifth birthday was ing soon。
He'd sent dozens of letters； wishfully picturing Lydia reading them to Grace； and yet knowing better。 Not so much as a postcard came back。 Maybe Grace believed her daddy had perished in the Himalayas； a colorful excuse for her preschool friends。 Just as likely； she'd been told he was an animal rotting in a faraway cage。
Nathan Lee closed the book。 It was time to start a fire in the clay pit in the floor。 He tucked the book in hisjhola； a haversack made of coarse wool。 The book fit perfectly； leaving just enough space for his pens and the little watercolor kit。 Thejhola never left his side。
As he was backing from the window； the fog suddenly parted and Nathan Lee saw something he'd never seen。 Thirty feet away； at his same height； there was a monkey in the guard tower。 It was perched on its haunches。 The monkey saw him at the same moment。 They regarded each other； then the monkey resumed eating a piece of fruit from some neighborhood altar。
Nathan Lee waited。 There had to be some mistake。The guards were gone。
He sniffed for the smoke of theirbidis。 He threw a pebble at the tower。 The monkey bared its teeth and turned its rump to him and vanished into the fog。 Now the guard tower stood pletely empty。
What could this mean？he wondered。 All winter； Kathmandu's power supply had been slowly dying。 For the last several weeks there had been no electricity at all。 The prison's loudspeakers no longer blared childlike Hindi songs。 At night the rusty lightbulbs didn't light。 The blackout spawned all kinds of theories。 Some claimed it was evidence of a change in government。 Others thought the rivers had run low。 The country bumpkins blamed a dearth of lightning bolts the preceding summer。
Nathan Lee took off his glasses and carefully wiped them。 He was thorough。 He rubbed his eyes and replaced the glasses； and it was the same。 The tower was empty。
There should have been two or three guards out there in the tower。 They had gotten used to Nathan Lee sitting in his window with the orange candle flame。 One fellow had made a morning ritual of aiming his rifle at the American cannibal。 Nathan Lee would press his palms together in greeting； a wordlessnamaste。 The guard would smile behind his iron sights。 Not this morning。 All were gone。
Nathan Lee swung his legs down and stood on the clay floor。 His limbs ached。 He slung hisjhola on one shoulder。 He didn't wake the lepers。 The fire could wait。 Barefoot； he stole down the wooden staircase。
The leper building had only one entrance。 He paused in the low doorway。 Going out without permission was forbidden。 But who would see him in this mist？
He took the chance and stepped from the building。 No one cried out。 He headed uphill； hopping wide across the ditch with grey water。 Two posts marked the volleyball court。 He limped across a million footprints pounded into the dirt。 The blue air smelled of ash and curry and urine。
A soft clapping noise came from behind。 He stopped。 It was only a prisoner in the distance； the slap…slap of his thongs fading out。 Nathan Lee went on； heading straight for the front gate。 Regular prisoners lived for the gate。 It was their eventual exit。 Through its bars； they visited their lawyers； business associates； and loved ones。 None of that applied to him； so he had avoided it。 Until now。
The mouth of a tunnel yawned just ahead。 Nathan Lee tried to remember what lay inside。 When they'd brought him here； he was almost catatonic with despair。 He remembered the clatter of chains being dropped and the heavy gate screeching on its hinges and an interval of darkness。 His heart was racing。 He entered。
The tunnel ran thirty feet； but seemed much longer。 It was pitch black inside； the arched walls greasy with human passage。 Nathan Lee reached the entrance。 The gate hung open。 Its iron straps were pitted with rust。 The chains lay at his feet like dead serpents。 He stopped。
Just ahead lay the world。 It was almost too much to believe。 The fog was thinning。 He could see buildings hanging in the distance。 Little shapes…people； dogs； cows？…roamed through the far mist。 There was not a guard in sight。
He hesitated。 Was this a trap？ A dream？ It seemed so close to one of his fairytales about a city that suddenly evaporated around a lone traveler。
Closing his eyes； Nathan Lee planted one bare foot outside the walls。 There was no gunfire； no alarm。 Mobs did not assemble。 Thunder did not crack the sky。 He let out a breath。 For months he had contemplated all sorts of harrowing escapes。 Now all he had to do was walk away？ The moment was surreal。 He began walking。
For the first few minutes； he didn't dare look over his shoulder； afraid a single glance might sweep him backwards into jail。 With every step he wanted to run through the streets； shout； throw his arms in the air。 He kept his arms close。 Thejhola with his book rapped against his hipbone。 He had no other possession in the world except the rags on his back。
A human figure surfaced to his left； giving him a start。 It was a goddess； her shrine built into the red brick wall。 Vermilion and ghee smeared her face and shoulders。 Whil
