jefflong.yearzero-第6章

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　〃It　goes　down？　I　thought　this　was　bedrock。〃
　〃So　did　everyone　else。　Then　they　did　a　sonar　scan　from　the　chapel　above；　and　the　new　cavity　popped　out　at　them。　The　old　quarry　ran　deeper　than　anyone　realized。　Keep　moving。〃
　A　beam　had　sagged　in　the　ceiling。　Ochs　kept　talking。　〃When　the　Romans　started　building　their　Venus　temple；　they　needed　to　fill　in　all　the　pits　and　cavities。　They　used　whatever　was　at　hand。　Dirt；　garbage；　potsherds；　and。。。〃
　Nathan　Lee　reached　the　pit。
　The　walls　were　studded　with　white　and　brown　sticks。　〃Human　bones；〃　he　said。
　A　small　ledge　had　been　trimmed　along　the　lip　of　the　pit。　A　rope　ladder　fell　into　the　depths。　Ochs　crowded　beside　him。　They　shined　their　lights　on　the　tangle　of　bones　jutting　from　the　deeper　walls。
　〃It　will　take　years　to　properly　excavate　the　cave；〃　said　Ochs。　〃Years　more　to　articulate　the　skeletons。　So　far　all　they've　done　is　sink　this　exploratory　shaft。　What　little　material　that's　e　out　has　been　dated　and　sexed；　though。　All　are　male。　Most　are　first　century　or　earlier。　And　there's　no　question　how　they　died。〃
　〃The　missing　crucifixions；〃　murmured　Nathan　Lee。
　〃It's　one　giant；　pacted　ossuary。　The　estimates　run　into　the　tens　of　thousands　of　bone　fragments。　They've　even　found　pieces　of　wood；　nails；　rope。　And　tear　phials　left　by　mourners。　Forget　the　rock　of　Calvary。　Golgotha　was　here　after　all；　right　outside　the　old　gates；　alongside　the　road　to　Jaffa　where　every　traveler　could　see　the　wrath　of　Rome。〃
　The　shaft　gaped　up　at　them。　〃This　is　incredible；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　〃It　could　change　the　way　we　read　history。〃
　〃So　could　the　Dead　Sea　Scrolls；〃　said　Ochs。　〃But　look　how　long　the　Vatican　sat　on　them。　Decades。　It　took　a　lone　scholar　leaking　photocopies　to　finally　let　the　rest　of　the　world　see　them。〃
　〃So　looting　is　a　public　service？〃
　〃That's　the　spirit；〃　said　Ochs。
　〃But　you'll　destroy　the　site。〃
　〃That's　archaeology。　To　dig　is　to　destroy。　Anyway；　it　could　all　be　lost　again　in　the　aftershocks。〃
　〃Someone　will　notice。〃
　〃No　one　will　notice。　They　don't　know　what's　here。　How　can　they　know　what's　not？〃
　Ochs　handed　Nathan　Lee　the　plastic　envelope　containing　their　body　bag。　〃Let's　get　this　over　with。　Fill　it　up。〃
　〃This　doesn't　make　sense。　Who　would　buy　a　pile　of　bones？〃
　〃Who　do　you　think　pays　for　you　to　root　in　the　dirt？　The　university？　Where　do　they　get　their　money？　Foundations？　What　are　they？　The　aristocracy。　Wrap　your　head　around　it。　Aristocracy　is　the　engine　that　drives　archaeological　exploration。　Private　collectors；　museums；　thecognoscenti。　Without　them；　artifacts　would　simply　fall　to　dust。〃
　There　was　nothing　more　to　argue。　Nathan　Lee　climbed　down　the　rope　ladder。　The　braided　hemp　creaked　under　his　weight。　He　had　never　seemed　so　heavy。　Down　at　the　bottom；　he　began　cutting　loose　the　dead。
　　
　IT　WAS　NEARLY　FOURin　the　morning　when　Nathan　Lee　finished。　The　bones　rattled　in　the　body　bag。　They　backtracked　through　the　church　and　up　the　ridge　to　where　Nathan　Lee's　cairn　marked　the　site　of　the　buried　woman。
　Her　hand　was　gone。
　He　searched。　It　was　possible　an　animal　had　torn　it　loose；　or　the　stones　had　sealed　it　over。　But　there　was　no　blood。　To　Nathan　Lee　it　was　as　if　she　had　pulled　her　hand　back　into　the　underworld。　Away　from　him。
　
　1
　The　Collector
　
　CORFUISLAND；　GREECE
　MARCH
　The　two　old　men　entered　a　spacious　room；　their　wives　trailing　them。　Nikos　led　them　to　a　wall　of　glass。　Perched　upon　a　high　cliff；　the　room　aimed　due　west。　From　here　one　actually　looked　down　into　the　sun　as　it　sank　into　the　sea。　Unprepared；　the　Egyptian　surgeon　and　his　wife　stepped　back　from　the　glassed…off　precipice。　The　abyss　was　wild　with　pure　light。
　The　Egyptian　realized　that　Nikos　had　precisely　timed　their　entrance　for　the　maximum　effect。　Beauty；　profound　beauty；　drove　the　man。　That's　all　you　needed　to　know　about　Nikos。　His　merchant　navy　and　import…export　cartel　and　banks　all　had　their　explanation　not　in　money　or　power；　but　in　a　sunset　such　as　this。
　The　Egyptian　glanced　around　the　room。　Nikos's　passions　were　on　display　in　typically　Spartan　measure。　There　was　a　Koons　on　one　wall；　spectacular　and　obscene。　A　plate　of　oranges　glittered　by　one　window。　In　the　corner　was　a　priceless　bronze　shield　said　to　be　from　the　Trojan　War。　And　then　there　was　his　wife。　Perhaps　a　third　his　age；　she　was　a　woman　of　almost　inhuman　beauty。　Her　gray　almond　eyes　were　startling。　The　Egyptian　could　tell　that　his　own　wife；　elegant　herself；　was　shaken。　She　would　be　gossiping　about　this　evening　for　a　long　time　to　e。　Nikos　was　nothing　if　not　memorable。
　〃Where　are　your　golden　death　masks？〃　the　Egyptian　continued。　〃The　steles　and　amphorae？　Your　torso　of　Achilles？　The　swords　and　chariot　wheels？〃
　〃I　have　laid　aside　the　armor。〃　It　was　said　quietly；　with　a　modesty　unlike　him。　〃Let　others　see　Homer's　accuracy；〃　Nikos　said。　〃I　have　found　a　greater　mythology　to　prove　real。〃
　〃Greater　than　Homer？〃　the　Egyptian　teased　his　old　friend。
　The　Egyptian's　eyes　shifted　to　Nikos。　The　man　still　carried　the　wide　shoulders　of　a　sailor；　still　cracked　walnuts　with　his　fingers　and　threw　the　meat　at　his　mouth。　But　his　scarred　hands　and　thick　forearms　bore　liver　spots　among　the　white　hairs。　There　were　smears　of　aluminum…oxide　paste　on　the　skin　cancer　his　glorious　sun　had　ignited。　His　spine　tilted　to　the　left。　It　was　like　seeing　a　powerful　statue　being　eaten　away。
　〃What　new　adventure　have　you　embarked　upon　then？〃　asked　the　Egyptian。
　Nikos　glanced　at　him　sideways。　〃Can　you　hold　off　your　hunger　for　an　hour　more？〃
　The　Egyptian　looked　at　his　wife。　She　tilted　her　head　with　mock　servility。　〃At　your　pleasure；〃　he　replied　to　Nikos。
　〃Excellent；〃　said　Nikos。　It　seemed　important　to　him。　〃In　the　meantime；　perhaps　the　ladies　might　enjoy　a　tour。　Medea？〃
　The　young　woman　needed　no　further　instruction。　She　linked　arms　with　the　Egyptian's　wife　and　gracefully　guided　her　out　through　the　door。　Nikos　went　to　the　back　wall　and　slid　open　a　set　of　panels　that　reached　from　the　floor　to　the　ceiling。　Behind　them；　thick　glass　fronted　an　interior　chamber。　The　Egyptian　smiled　at　the　theatrical　touch：　No　women　allowed；　this　was　an　inner　sanctum。
　He　touched　the　glass　with　his　fingertips；　and　it　was　cold。　Nikos's　secret　room　was　refrigerated。　Inside　stood　stainless　steel　cases　with　glass　shelves　lit　from　behind。　He　tried　to　see　what　the　shelves　held；　but　the　windows　were　coated　on　the　inside　with　a　sheen　of　frost。　In　another　setting；　he　would　have　recognized　it　as　a　storage　unit　for　medical　specimens　or　art　objects。　Here　he　could　not　say　for　sure　what　it　held。　Oddities　of　nature　or　man；　that　was　sure。
　Opening　the　door；　Nikos　stepped　inside。　He　touched　the　switch　and　light　cascaded　through　the　glass　and　metal　room。　〃e；〃　he　said。
　The　room　was　filled　with　relics。　Christian　relics。　There　were　scores　of　them。　The　Egyptian　could　not　help　feeling　cheated。　These　trinkets　were　the　source　of　Nikos's　delight？　The　old　pirate　had　simply　gotten　religion。
　〃Impressive；〃　he　finally　said。　His　word　lingered　before　him；　a　cloud　of　frost。
　〃Say　what　you　mean。'Nikos；　your　dick　has　grown　soft。'〃
　〃We're　old　men；〃　the　Egyptian　shrugged　diplomatically。　〃We're　allowed　our　gods。〃
　A　crafty　grin　restored　Nikos's　air　of　mystery。　There　was　something　more　to　this。
　〃What？〃　said　the　Egyptian。　He　was　relieved。　〃What　is　this　all　about？〃
　Nikos　edged　among　the　chill　glass　shelves。　〃Doubt；〃　he　said。
　Pure　white　light　suffused　the　room。　The　effect　was　of　a　crystal　forest。　The　glass　shelves　and　their　steel　mounting　gleamed。　The　artifacts　seemed　to　hang　in　space。　〃You　know　what　these　are？〃　he　asked。
　〃I've　seen　such　things　in　the　Coptic　churches　of　Alexandria　and　Cairo。　Holy　relics。　They　hold　the　remains　of　martyrs。。。bone　chips；　pieces　of　mummified　flesh。〃
　〃Perhaps；　perhaps　not。〃　Nikos　took　down　an　octagonal　vessel　with　transparent　sides　and　handed　it　to　his　friend。　〃I　have　had　to　learn　a　whole　new　vocabulary。　This　particular　type　of　casing　is　called　amonstrance　orostensorium。　The　lockets　aretecta。　The　general　term　isdomo　or　house。　Peepholes　on　the　divine。　They　are　often　made　of　precious　metal　and　studded　with　gems；〃　he　said。　〃But　the　prize　is　within。　You　see　that　glass　capsule？　This　pretty　little　house　of　silver　was　built　just　to　hold