jefflong.yearzero-第25章

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　Finally　the　woman　said；　〃Ooo　are　yoo？〃　She　was　French。　She　had　rings　on　her　thumbs　and　fingers。　Her　eyes　were　rimmed　with　kohl；　her　ears　fringed　with　gold　earrings。　Exotic　was　her　middle　name。　The　man　wore　red　puja　threads　around　his　throat。　His　left　hand　was　wrapped　with　prayer　beads。　His　eyes　were　golden　with　jaundice。　Dharma　bums。　Nathan　Lee　read　them　in　an　instant。　They　had　cast　themselves　loose　from　their　homeland。　They　would　be　dogmatic　about　not　being　dogmatic。　Mankind　was　their　landscape。　Once　upon　a　time　they　might　have　been　his　parents。
　Nathan　Lee　was　afraid　to　tell　the　woman　his　name。　〃I　need　your　help；〃　he　said。
　She　moved　a　candle　towards　his　face。　〃Why　is　that？　Look　at　me。〃　She　moved　the　candle　back　and　forth。　〃Have　you　forgotten　yourself？〃
　Nathan　Lee　blinked　at　the　flame。　Was　this　some　mystical　riddle？　The　question　was　very　concerning　to　her。　He　didn't　know　what　answer　would　satisfy　her；　so　he　said　nothing。
　The　woman　could　not　make　up　her　mind　about　him。　She　set　the　candle　back　on　the　table　and　spoke　to　her　panion。　〃Maybe；　maybe　not；〃　she　said。　〃I　can't　tell。　They　say　it　doesn't　always　show。〃
　〃How　did　you　e　here？〃　the　man　asked　him。　〃And　speak　louder　so　we　can　hear。〃
　〃I　followed　you；〃　Nathan　Lee　confessed。
　〃No；　no。　Where　do　you　e　from　before　this？〃
　〃America；〃　Nathan　Lee　said　tentatively。
　The　man　tsk'ed　at　his　dull　answer。　Of　course　he　was　an　American。　The　woman　was　more　patient。　She　tried　again。　〃Did　you　e　from　the　south？　Or　from　the　north；　down　from　Tibet？〃Tea…bit；　she　pronounced　it。
　Nathan　Lee　saw　no　choice　but　to　trust　them。　〃I　was　in　jail。〃
　〃You　see；　Monique？〃　The　man　backed　from　Nathan　Lee。　〃The　stories　are　true。　They　are　locking　them　up　at　the　border。〃
　Locking　who　up？wondered　Nathan　Lee。What　border？　〃They　let　me　go；〃　Nathan　Lee　quickly　assured　them。　〃This　morning。　One　hour　ago。〃
　〃Here？〃　said　the　man。　〃In　Kathmandu？〃Kotmawn…doo？
　〃Let　him　sit；〃　said　Monique。　〃Look　at　him。　He　can　barely　stand。　Have　you　eaten？　Where　are　your　things？〃
　Among　the　lepers　he　had　quit　feeling　impoverished。　At　least　he　had　all　his　flesh；　or　most　of　it。　And　he　had　his　book。
　The　owner's　wife　brought　food。　〃Sit；〃　said　Monique；　and　she　slid　her　tea　in　front　of　Nathan　Lee。　He　wrapped　both　hands　around　the　hot　glass　and　brought　it　to　his　lips。　The　rich　taste　of　milk　and　sugar　and　tea　dust　took　his　breath　away。
　〃Monique；〃　her　panion　plained　in　French。　〃We　have　little　enough。　And　what　if　he　came　up　from　India？　He　could　mean　the　end　of　us　all。〃
　〃The　end　is　ing；〃　she　answered　serenely。　〃It's　only　a　matter　of　time。　We　agreed。〃
　Nathan　Lee　had　no　idea　what　they　were　talking　about。　Monique　pushed　across　a　tin　plate　heaped　with　rice　and　lentil　gravy。〃Merci；〃　he　said。
　Monique's　partner　was　not　pacified。　He　turned　to　Nathan　Lee。　〃Tell　us　the　truth。　Are　you　infected？〃
　Suddenly　Nathan　Lee　realized　their　concern。　It　was　his　toes。　They　thought　he　was　a　leper。　He　smiled。　〃Don't　worry。　I　lost　those　to　the　mountains。〃
　It　was　their　turn　to　be　confused。　〃Now　he　talks　nonsense；〃　said　the　man。
　Nathan　Lee　held　out　his　foot。　〃Frostbite；〃　he　amplified。　〃Not　leprosy。〃
　The　man　tsk'ed　again。　Stupid　American。　〃Leprosy；　what　is　that？　I'm　talking　about　the　plague。〃
　〃Plague？〃　The　rice　was　so　fat；　the　spices　so　rich！
　〃He　treats　us　like　fools；〃　the　man　snorted　in　French。
　〃Or　maybe　he　doesn't　know；〃　Monique　replied。
　〃After　a　year？〃　The　man　gave　Nathan　Lee　a　hard　look。
　〃They　call　itkali　yuga；〃　said　Monique。　〃A　dark　era。　We　are　entering　a　period　of　planetary　holocaust。　And　then　the　planet　will　be　reborn。　All　of　us。　It　will　be　a　paradise　on　earth。Shambala。〃
　Nathan　Lee　took　another　drink　of　tea。　Who　was　talking　nonsense　now？　He'd　thought　the　apocalypse　was　all　over　with　after　the　Y2K　scare。　But　apparently　some　people　were　going　to　the　ends　of　the　earth　to　get　another　hit。
　Nathan　Lee　played　along。　He　wasn't　finished　eating。　He　pointed　at　the　candle　flame。　〃I　saw。　The　city　has　no　electricity。　The　cars　don't　run。　The　tourists　are　all　gone。　Where　have　they　gone？〃
　〃Tourists？〃　the　man　grunted。　〃There　is　no　such　thing　anymore。　No　more　dilettantes。　No　more　voyeurs。　Now　one　must　live　real　life。　Or　die。〃　He　seemed　pleased。　Nathan　Lee's　father　could　have　spoken　those　very　words。　Life　was　risk；　death　a　bitch。
　〃You　really　don't　understand；　do　you？〃　Monique　said　to　Nathan　Lee。　〃The　whole　world　is　like　this。〃　She　swam　her　fingers　through　the　flame's　aureole。　〃And　soon　it　will　be　like　this。〃　She　pinched　the　wick；　plunging　their　tabletop　into　gloom。
　After　a　minute；　Nathan　Lee's　eyes　adjusted　and　he　could　see　his　plate　of　food　again。　He　applied　his　spoon　to　it。
　〃We　came　ahead　of　themaladie；〃　she　continued。　〃We　were　in　India　when　it　broke　out　in　Europe　and　Africa。　That　was　eleven　months　ago。　Now　it　is　ing　across　central　Asia。　We　have　e　here　to　wait　for　our　destiny。〃
　〃There　were　signs。　Omens；〃　said　her　lover。　〃Earthquakes。　Great　avalanches　in　the　Alps。　Windstorms　that　flattened　parts　of　the　continent。　Drought　in　Africa。　Wildfires　in　Russia。　Swarms　of　locusts。　Deformed　frogs。　I　have　a　friend　who　saw　rivers　turn　to　blood　in　Kosovo。〃　He　paused　to　see　the　American's　reaction。
　Nathan　Lee　didn't　dare　speak　his　mind；　not　before　his　meal　was　finished。　There　was　no　telling　when　he　would　eat　again。　Things　were　getting　buggy　with　this　French　pair。　This　was　what　they　meant　by　a　plague？　The　litany　of　disasters　was　feeble。　Since　when　had　therenot　been　earthquakes　and　avalanches　and　wildfires　and　locusts？　They　fell　under　the　heading　Mother　Nature。　As　for　deformed　frogs；　blame　Dow　Chemical。　And　bloody　rivers？　The　cutthroats　of　Serbia。　〃Sounds　like　Moses　all　over　again；〃　he　said　between　bites。
　〃Yes；〃　said　the　Frenchman。　〃But　this　time　God　is　erasing　His　own　book　of　Genesis。〃　He　went　on　to　list　more　adversities：　crop　failures；　heat　spells；　lightning　storms；　a　full　eclipse；　and　an　Arctic　winter。。。in　Rome　and　Miami！
　〃And　now　some　kind　of　flu；〃　Nathan　Lee　helpfully　added。
　〃No；　not　flu；〃　said　Monique。　〃It　is　a　disease　like　man　has　never　known。　You　bee　infected　and　soon　grow　blind。　That　is　the　first　phase。　The　color　leaves　your　eyes。〃
　That　was　why　she　had　wanted　to　see　his　eyes。
　〃Later；　your　skin　bees　transparent。　You　grow　into　an　apparition。　The　effect　is　quite　beautiful；〃　she　said。　〃In　the　final　hours；　the　human　heart　is　bared　for　all　to　see。〃
　〃You've　seen　this　yourself？〃　asked　Nathan　Lee。
　〃Only　pictures　in　magazines。　Now　there　are　no　more　magazines。〃
　Nathan　Lee　couldn't　help　himself。　〃People　are　dying　of　invisibility？〃
　〃Not　at　all。　That　is　a　symptom；　nothing　more。　As　the　pigment　dissolves；　your　mind　begins　to　die。　Soon　you　forget　everything。　Everything。　Soldiers　at　war；　they　drop　their　weapons。　That　is　good。　But　also；　farmers　leave　their　fields。　Mothers　forget　their　babies。　The　social　contract　falls　to　pieces。　The　entire　population　slowly　starves。　One　by　one；　the　nations　are　dying。　There　is　no　cure。　No　hope。〃
　〃This　is　in　Europe；　you　say？〃
　〃There　is　no　Europe　anymore。〃
　〃There　must　be　survivors；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。
　〃None。〃
　Nathan　Lee　didn't　believe　a　word　of　it。　They　had　to　be　exaggerating　about　some　pocket　of　disease。　No　disease　could　have　a　hundred　percent　attrition；　or　it　would　end　up　wiping　itself　out。　It　occurred　to　him　that　they　were　part　of　some　doomsday　cult。　Theirguru　orrinpoche　had　hooked　a　pair　with　these　two。
　〃You　don't　believe　me？〃　the　Frenchman　seethed。　〃My　whole　family。　My　country。　Gone。〃
　〃It　just　seems　so　fantastic；〃　he　said。　〃How　can　a　disease　that　kills　everyone。。。。〃
　Monique　interrupted　him。　〃The　disease　is　not　the　killer。　They　forget　themselves。　It　is　a　state　of　peace；　not　death。　The　people　are　dying　because　they　no　longer　remember　to　eat　or　they　wander　into　the　cold　with　no　clothing。　They　fall　from　bridges　and　drown。　They　walk　into　the　sea。〃
　This　was　getting　more　farfetched　by　the　word。　〃Where　are　the　doctors？　Where　are　the　relief　agencies？〃
　〃They　tried；〃　Monique　somberly　declared。　〃It　is　what　they　call　a　doctors'　disease。　The　doctors　rushed　in；　only　to　be　killed　very　quickly。　Rescue　groups　learned　not　to　send　workers　because　they　became　infected；　too。　Then　the　airdrops　of　food　were　suspended；　too；　because　it　was　decided　food　only　prolonged　th