jefflong.yearzero-第82章

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　〃The　miracle。〃
　〃What　miracle？〃
　〃Never　mind；〃　said　Abbot。　〃It's　all　in　motion　now。〃
　Nathan　Lee　could　practically　feel　invisible　wheels　turning　around　him。　He　had　already　been　inserted　into　the　clockwork。　Whatever　his　part　was；　it　would　be　revealed　in　due　time。
　〃Your　role　is　simple；〃　Abbot　said。　〃For　the　time　being；　do　whatever　it　is　you　do　up　here。　Talk　to　God。　Smell　the　roses。　Sleep　with　my　daughter。　Make　her　happy。　Keep　her　in　love。　No　matter　what；　keep　close　to　her。〃
　Abbot　handed　him　one　of　his　cellphones。
　〃The　day　is　ing；〃　he　said。　〃E…Day。　And　I　know　Miranda。　She'll　argue　to　stay　up　here。　You've　heard　her。　But　you　will　bring　her　to　me。　She'll　fight　you。　She　may　hate　you　until　the　end　of　time。　But　you　will　bring　her　down　into　the　sanctuary。〃
　Abbot　looked　over　Nathan　Lee's　shoulder　into　the　rising　sun。　His　eyes　cut　to　a　thin　slit。　He　brought　them　back　to　Nathan　Lee。　〃If　anyone　can　understand；　it　is　you；〃　he　finished。　〃I　must　not　lose　my　daughter。〃
　
　31
　The　Siege
　
　OCTOBERENDS
　Her　father　departed；　leaving　Miranda　to　guide　them　back　into　the　sunlight。　With　a　stroke　of　her　pen；　she　destroyed　Cavendish's　culture　of　secrecy；　declassifying　all　of　their　research；　and　scheduling　seminars　and　conferences。　From　now　on　the　labs　were　to　cooperate；　not　pete。　Like　some　antique　torture　device；　Cavendish's　notorious　deportation　order　became　a　thing　of　the　past。　Reason；　not　fear；　would　rule。
　The　change　that　stirred　the　most　controversy　was　her　moratorium　on　human　testing。　Miranda　suspended　the　deck　sweeps；　and　announced　that　no　more　clones　would　be　grown　for　medical　experimentation。　The　moratorium　upended　researchers　who　had　grown　used　to　human　guinea　pigs。　They　railed　that　without　human　testing；　the　cure　would　surely　elude　them。
　Miranda　held　her　ground。　〃The　cure　has　eluded　uswith　human　testing；〃　she　told　them。　〃The　end　no　longer　justifies　the　means。　Keep　searching。　Everything　will　be　fine。〃　They　adapted　to　her　edicts。　Human　ash　no　longer　sprinkled　down　when　the　wind　blew　the　wrong　way。
　Los　Alamos　settled　into　its　traditions　of　hard　work；　hard　play；　dinner　conversations　that　could　be　brilliant　or　mundane；　high　school　Bach　concerts；　jazz　sessions　in　garages；　and　petty　office　politics。　Kids　got　up　in　the　morning；　went　to　class；　played　video　games。　The　world　seemed　further　away　than　ever。　No　storm　clouds　brewed。　The　sky　stayed　relentlessly　blue。　During　lunch　hour；　beautiful　homemade　kites　of　every　shape　and　color　climbed　up　from　the　labs；　drifting　back　and　forth　above　the　forest　and　the　tan　and　white　canyons。
　Every　morning；　Miranda　seemed　slightly　different　to　Nathan　Lee　from　yesterday。　Her　green　eyes　no　longer　burned　from　dark　recesses　in　her　face。　The　stubbornness　in　her　jawline　softened。　Nathan　Lee　watched　her　sleeping；　or　moving　about　in　the　kitchen；　and　tried　to　put　words　to　it。　She　was　more　and　more　beautiful　to　him。　But　the　change　was　something　larger　than　that。　He　watched　her　touching　the　young　widow's　shoulder；　listening　to　the　impassioned　bench　worker；　or　bulling　her　way　with　stubborn　Council　members。　They　looked　up　to　her。　He　had　seen　it　in　Alpha　Lab。　Now　it　was　the　whole　city；　giving　allegiance　to　a　woman　barely　out　of　her　teens。
　For　a　time；　their　peace　was　disturbed　only　by　Cavendish。　Not　a　day　went　by　that　he　didn't　condemn　Miranda's　softness　or　pepper　them　with　doomsday　predictions。　His　gnomelike　face　infiltrated　their　cable　TV　and　puter　screens。　He　ranted　about　conspirators　in　their　midst；　about　the　approach　of　a　great　army　of　plague　victims；　about　research　being　suppressed。　He　unsettled　them；　or　tried　to。
　But　the　shadowy　conspirators　never　materialized。　Marine　snipers　kept　watch　off　the　prow　of　the　Mesa；　and　there　was　no　army　of　plague　victims；　only　a　few　hundred　wretched　pilgrims　who　returned　to　camp　on　the　bright　orange　valley　floor。　As　for　suppressed　research；　the　scientists　had　never　known　such　freedom。
　People　began　to　remark　that　their　former　tyrant　had　never　been　so　alive　as　when　he　was；　effectively；　dead。　They　also　remarked　that　Cavendish　had　never　looked　so　dead。　His　illness　had　thinned　him　to　a　twig。　His　lip　curled　back　on　his　teeth。　He　came　and　went　like　a　poltergeist；　never　staying　for　longer　than　a　sound　bite。　He　would　speak　his　poison；　then　fifteen　seconds　later　be　gone；　and　they　would　be　watchingJeopardy　orFrasier　reruns　again。
　　
　NATHANLEE　WENT　BACKto　the　only　job　he　could　think　of。　He　returned　to　the　year　zero；　or　tried　to。
　The　city's　fascination　with　the　clones　was　ended。　The　appearance　of　desperate　pilgrims　in　the　valley　had　robbed　the　Year　Zero　Hour　of　its　charm　and　entertainment　value。　Antiquity　seemed　dangerous　once　again。　And　so　the　clones　lost　the　celebrity　status　they'd　never　known　they　had。　After　a　three…week　absence；　Nathan　Lee　wasn't　sure　the　tribe　would　have　him　back。　Izzy　made　it　perfectly　clear：　no　way。　The　yard　had　bee　much　too　dangerous　for　him　and　Nathan　Lee。　〃Might　as　well　jump　off　a　cliff；〃　he　said。　〃I've　been　tuning　in　to　our　friend　Eesho　over　the　yard　microphones。　He's　told　the　others　what　Miranda　showed　him；　the　clone　in　glass；　and　what　she　said；　that　she　created　him。　He　made　it　sound　like　the　bottom　of　hell。　They　know　we're　somehow　part　of　it。　They　think　we're　demons。〃
　〃Not　a　chance　then？〃　Nathan　Lee　said。　His　regret　had　less　to　do　with　having　a　job　than　having　a　place。　He'd　grown　used　to　the　high　walls　and　the　pany　of　misfits；　and　now　he　shared　their　sense　of　dislocation。　He　felt　confused　and；　ever　since　Denver；　had　fastened　on　the　peace　of　their　little　fishbowl　in　the　sun。　He　wanted　their　ignorance　of　the　world。　He　was　tired　of　hope。
　〃Forget　it；〃　said　Izzy。　〃Ochs　poisoned　the　well。〃
　〃Ochs？〃　Was　there　no　end　to　the　man？
　〃Freaking　folly。　Him　and　Eesho。〃
　〃What　did　he　do？〃
　〃Got　himself　reborn。　You　were　in　decon。　It's　all　on　tape。〃
　Izzy　guided　him　through　the　tapes　of　Ochs's　interview　with　Eesho。　It　had　taken　place　in　a　room　with　only　a　bare　table　and　chairs。　The　date　of　the　interview　was　October　11；　one　day　after　Nathan　Lee's　descent　into　Denver。　The　camera　showed　Izzy　sitting　to　one　side　of　the　clone　and　Ochs；　who　kept　wiping　his　palms。　He　looked　anguished；　but　excited；　even　feverish。　Izzy　hit　fast　forward　and　the　three　characters　began　twitching　in　their　seats。
　〃Skip　the　first　few　hours；〃　said　Izzy。　〃Broken　record。　Ochs　asked　the　same　questions　you　and　I　did。　Got　the　same　rap。　Straight　from　the　Book。〃
　〃So　is　Ochs　the　one　who　scripted　him？〃
　〃Not　in　a　million　years。　He　wouldn't　dare。　He　makes　that　poor　worshipping　fool　Ross　look　downright　atheist。〃
　Izzy　slowed　the　tape；　listened　a　moment；　sped　it　forward；　slowed　again。　〃Here　we　go；〃　he　said。　〃Ochs　asked　him　about　his　missing　years；　the　gap　between　his　late　teens　and　late　twenties。〃
　It　was　one　of　the　great　mysteries　of　the　New　Testament。　For　centuries　preachers　and　theologians　had　wondered　about　Jesus'　evolution　from　a　precocious　kid　to　the　King　of　Kings。　The　theories　were　rife；　some　even　claiming　he　must　have　traveled　to　India　for　a　Beatles…style　enlightenment　with　the　gurus。
　〃How　did　Eesho　field　that　one？〃　asked　Nathan　Lee。
　〃Claims　he　went　off　to　university；　you　know；　temple；〃　said　Izzy。　〃He　said　his　father　farmed　him　out　to　the　Teacher　of　Righteousness。　Don't　know　where　that　came　from。〃
　〃The　Dead　Sea　Scrolls　again；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　〃It's　a　story　about　a　teacher　and　his　favorite　student；　who　betrays　him　with　some　kind　of　heresy。　In　the　Scrolls；　the　student　is　called　the　Wicked　Priest。〃
　〃Well　Eesho　was　no　rebel　student；〃　said　Izzy。　〃Much　too　proper；　this　lad。〃
　〃Interesting；　though。　Eesho's　showing　another　side。　He　keeps　stepping　out　of　the　Gospels；　into　the　Scrolls。〃
　Izzy　shrugged。　〃Safe　place　to　do　it；〃　he　said。　〃The　mystery　years。　You　can　say　anything　you　want　and　nobody　can　really　argue　otherwise。〃
　Nathan　Lee　watched　the　tape。　He　could　tell　Ochs　wanted　to　pursue　the　missing　years；　but　that　he'd　e　with　heavier　freight　to　unload。〃Now；　as　an　academic　matter；〃　Ochs　said　on　the　tape；〃I'd　like　to　visit　this　issue　of　miracles　and　healing。　Did　you　ever　perform　miracles？〃
　Izzy　translated　the　question；　and　Eesho　responded　in　the　affirmative；　one　more　rote　recitation　of　the　loaves　and　fishes　and　healing　the　blind　and　crippled。　Och