jefflong.yearzero-第8章

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of　different…colored　glass　had　been　cut　open；　then　placed　upon　small　squares　of　surgical　gauze。　They　looked　like　rare　cocoons。　Behind　every　domo　stood　a　small　rack　of　test　tubes　with　red　or　yellow　or　blue　plastic　stoppers；　each　labelled　with　lab　tags。　Nestled　in　their　bellies　were　fragments　of　bone；　wood；　hair；　dust；　or　splinters。
　The　Egyptian　gave　up　trying　to　guess　Nikos's　purpose。　〃I　don't　understand；〃　he　said。　〃You　have　cultivated　an　impressive　knowledge　about　early　Christianity。　You　have　gathered　together　artifacts　that　are　2000　years　old。　But　then　you　tear　them　to　pieces。〃　He　picked　up　a　gold　and　crystal　container；　and　the　opening　in　the　back　gaped　like　a　wound。　A　sudden　flash　of　recognition　jolted　him。　〃Wait。　You　mean　to　say。。。。〃
　〃Yes；〃　said　Nikos。　〃I　am　hunting　Jesus。〃
　The　Egyptian　coughed。　He　was　astonished。　Exhilarated。　He　shivered　with　the　cold。　The　audacity。　Only　Nikos。　〃Christ　is　your　prey？〃
　Nikos　shook　his　finger。　〃Not　Christ；〃　he　said。　〃Jesus。〃
　〃The　same　thing。〃
　〃Not　at　all。　Christ　is　faith。　Jesus　is　history。　I　mean　to　excavate　through　two　thousand　years　of　superstitions　and　myth　and　religious　baubles　and　to　find　his　evidence。〃
　〃Is　such　a　thing　possible？〃
　〃People　claimed　Troy　was　a　myth。　That　Agamemnon　and　Nestor　were　mere　fictions。　No　longer。〃
　〃But　they　left　ruins　and　gold。　What　could　be　left　of　a　peasant　who。。。。〃　The　Egyptian　stopped　himself。　〃Blood；〃　he　murmured。
　〃Yes；〃　said　Nikos。　〃The　DNA　of　God。〃
　As　the　Egyptian　looked　around　the　refrigerated　reliquary；　the　brazen　undertaking　came　rushing　together。　The　artifacts；　the　blood　traces；　the　labs。　He　was　thrilled　by　the　challenge　Nikos　had　set；　and　felt　himself　tumbling　into　the　mystery。　A　thousand　questions　crowded　in。
　〃One　must　be　careful；〃　Nikos　pronounced。　〃Jesus　is　a　trickster。　He　has　hidden　himself　behind　thousands　of　years　of　storytellers。　I　demand　hard　proof。〃
　Nikos　paused　and　took　down　a　primitive　tin　with　early　Christian　etchings　on　the　outside。　〃This　was　one　of　my　first　purchases。　It　was　very　exciting；〃　he　said；　lifting　the　lid。　A　small；　crude　cross…perhaps　two　inches　high…set　on　the　bottom。　〃The　preliminary　tests　suggested　it　might　have　e　from　the　true　Cross。　The　wood　was　dated　to　the　first　century。　Further　it　was　a　type　of　pine　that　only　grows　at　1；000　feet　above　sea　level。　It　has　traces　of　blood；　see？　The　genotype　was　Levantine。　Semitic。　Unfortunately　it　came　from　a　woman。　Unless　Jesus　had　breasts　and　a　womb。。。and　a　double　X　sex　chromosome。。。my　little　souvenir　was　a　fake。　It　taught　me　a　lesson；　though。　The　road　is　long。〃
　〃But　how　will　you　ever　recognize　the　blood　evidence　even　if　you　find　it？〃
　〃Didn't　you　know？〃　Nikos　said。　〃Jesus　was　blood　type　AB。〃
　〃Now　you're　joking。〃
　Nikos　kept　a　straight　face。　〃In　the　eighth　century；　so　the　story　goes；　in　the　monastery　of　St。　Longinus；　named　for　the　Roman　soldier　who　pierced　Jesus　with　a　lance；　the　wine　and　Host　became　actual　blood　and　flesh。　The　blood　congealed　into　five　pellets。　The　circle　of　flesh　dried　into　a　thin　disc。　In　1970；　two　professors　of　human　anatomy　were　allowed　to　analyze　the　relics。　Their　conclusion？　The　disc　of　flesh　was　striated　muscle　tissue　from　the　wall　of　a　human　heart。　The　blood　was　type　AB。〃　He　paused。　A　grin　erupted。　〃Of　course；　the　professors　were　Italian。〃
　〃And　so　my　question　stands；〃　said　the　Egyptian。　〃Even　if　you　find　the　blood　of　Jesus　on　a　splinter　of　wood；　how　will　you　know　it　is　true？〃
　〃I　won't　know；〃　Nikos　said　more　somberly。　〃But　at　least　I　will　know　if　it　is　false。〃
　The　Egyptian　was　baffled　all　over　again。　〃Why　not　call　it　all　false　and　be　done　with　it？　Let　the　faithful　have　their　visions　and　miracles。　Why　mutilate　these　ornaments？〃
　〃Surely　a　man　of　science　understands；〃　Nikos　answered　him。　〃Desecration　is　knowledge。　Doubt　is　faith。〃
　〃Yes；　if　one　is　looking　for　the　center　of　the　universe　or　the　structure　of　an　atom。〃
　〃And　so　I　am；　my　friend。〃
　〃But　you　said　it　yourself。　Even　if　you　find　what　you're　looking　for；　you'll　never　know　if　it　is　true。〃
　〃And　yet　I　will　have　touched　it；　even　if　I　didn't　know　it。〃
　The　Egyptian　wasn't　sure　what　to　make　of　that。　Here　was　a　rational　man。　He　was　filled　with　worldly　skepticism；　but　seeking　some　hidden　moment。　〃You　contradict　yourself；〃　he　said　to　Nikos。
　The　Egyptian　knew　he　should　have　expected　something　like　this。　He　tried　to　recall　his　Homer；　or　was　it　Tennyson？　Odysseus　sets　off　with　an　oar　across　one　shoulder。　He　leaves　upon　a　quest　with　no　end。　He　looked　at　Nikos。　After　a　minute；　the　Egyptian　said；　〃I'm　cold。〃
　〃Ah；〃　said　Nikos；　angry　at　his　own　bad　manners。　〃Forgive　me。〃
　On　their　way　out　of　the　chamber；　Nikos　paused　beside　a　small　wooden　crate　by　the　door。　〃A　new　acquisition　arrived　two　days　ago。　Very　old。　Very　exciting。　I　took　one　look　and　decided　to　wait　before　trying　to　dissect　it。　It　might　interest　you。　Would　you　care　to　help　me？　In　the　outer　room；　where　it's　warm。〃
　The　Egyptian　was　touched　by　the　generosity。　He　held　the　door　while　Nikos　carried　the　crate。　The　last　rays　of　sunlight　felt　glorious。　Nikos　placed　the　crate　on　a　table　at　the　far　end　of　the　windows。　He　turned　on　a　lamp　and　they　each　sat　in　chairs。　A　drawer　held　his　tools　and　specimen　kit。　The　Egyptian　remarked　on　the　pleteness　of　his　outfit。
　Together　they　carefully　lifted　out　a　fourteen…inch　silver　and　gold　cross　with　a　hollow　interior。　Nikos　sprayed　off　the　dust　with　an　aerosol　can　for　cleaning　camera　lenses；　then　lay　the　cross　on　a　white　foam　sheet。　〃It　es　from　a　Serb　church　in　Kosovo　looted　by　the　KLA。　Their　asking　price　was　1。8　million　U。S。　My　agent　countered　with　125；000　and　they　grabbed　it。　They　had　no　idea　its　real　worth。　I　didn't　either。〃
　〃It　looks　magnificent；〃　mented　the　Egyptian。
　Nikos　appraised　it　more　coldly；　making　notes　on　a　legal　pad。　Each　arm　of　the　cross；　front　and　back；　displayed　a　different　holy　man　in　early　Byzantine　design。　They　were　two…dimensional；　verging　on　cartoons　with　halos　of　silver。　But　the　figures　stood　out　against　the　gold　background；　their　incised　lines　filled　with　niello；　a　black　enamel。　Judging　by　the　artwork；　Nikos　guessed　its　date　at　300C。E　。　He　was　unimpressed。　〃Let's　hope　the　contents　are　at　least　two　centuries　older　than　that；〃　he　said。
　Unlike　many　of　the　other　artifacts；　this　one　had　no　little　window　through　which　to　see　the　enclosed　relic。　The　Egyptian　weighed　it　in　his　hands　and　determined　the　cross　was　clearly　hollow。　〃What　if　there　is　nothing　inside？〃　he　asked。
　Nikos　laid　down　his　pencil。　〃Then　we　will　have　our　dinner　that　much　sooner；〃　he　said　cheerfully。　He　swivelled　a　magnifying　lens　over　the　artifact。　〃Now；〃　he　spoke　to　it；　〃how　do　we　enter　your　labyrinth？〃
　He　turned　the　cross　over　several　times。　In　the　center　of　the　back；　a　blot　of　red　seal　wax　carried　a　bishop's　imprint。　Nikos　did　not　recognize　the　imprint。　He　took　several　photos　with　a　small　camera；　then　pried　away　the　wax　in　chunks。　Underneath；　the　surface　was　blank。
　〃You　can　never　tell　where　the　door　to　the　house　might　be；〃　he　said。　〃Oftentimes　thedomo　is　hinged　on　one　side；　or　the　top　lifts　off　or　a　hidden　lid　is　nested　into　the　surface。　Others　simply　have　a　hollow　built　into　their　backs　that　is　threaded　shut。　But　some…especially　of　this　era　and　earlier…can　be　quite　elaborate。　They　are　puzzle　boxes　built　by　ancient　masters。〃
　Using　jeweler's　tools；　Nikos　touched　the　cross　in　various　places。　He　pressed　gems　studding　the　front　as　if　they　were　doorbells。　〃The　very　old　ones　sometimes　have　secret　lock　mechanisms；　hideaways；　even　false　capsules；〃　he　explained。　〃I've　learned　the　hard　way。　My　clumsiness　destroyed　several　of　the　oldest　relics。　One　must　be　patient　and　try　to　think　like　the　puzzle　maker。　It　is　a　game。　Him　against　us。〃
　He　raised　his　eyes　to　the　Egyptian。　〃Would　you　care　to　try？　Look　for　a　latch　or　dial　or　pressure　point。〃
　The　Egyptian　was　eager。　〃But　what　if　I　damage　it？〃　he　said。
　〃Then　I　surely　would　have　damaged　it。　You're　the　surgeon；　I'm　just　an　old　sailor。〃
　The　Egyptian　took　a　dental　pick　and　a　long　dissection　needle。　He　placed　his　hands　to　either　side　and　bent　over　the　magnifying　lens。　He　had　noticed　something　about　a　carbuncle　of　amethyst　at　the　center　of　the　cross's　upright。　It　had　a　bit　of　rust　around　the　edges；　quite　unlike　the　lead　s