jefflong.yearzero-第93章

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　Ochs　collapsed　under　his　weight。　He　fell　to　his　knees。　That　quickly；　Nathan　Lee　found　himself　facing　the　band　of　soldiers　and　the　cross。　He　glanced　down；　and　there　was　Ochs's　head　tucked　in　the　crook　of　his　arm。　His　fingers　were　locked　behind　the　far　side　of　that　big　jaw；　the　knife　was　under　that　throat。　He　owned　the　man's　life。
　For　the　next　few　moments；　they　were　like　a　forest　at　rest。　The　crowd　ringing　the　rim　above；　the　disbelieving　warriors；　everyone　was　still。　You　could　hear　the　ravens　calling　overhead；　and　Izzy's　soft；　panting　breaths；　like　a　climber　in　very　thin　air。　Frost　piped　from　his　teeth。
　Nathan　Lee　cranked　back。　He　aimed　Ochs's　face　at　the　cross；　and　tightened　his　knife　hand。
　Near　the　back；　one　of　the　soldiers　tried　angling　to　one　side　to　flank　him。　〃I　don't　need　more　excuses；〃　Nathan　Lee　told　them。　〃Move　back。　Lay　down　those　guns。〃　His　words　smoked　in　the　cold　air；　straight　out　of　some　Western。
　When　no　one　moved；　Nathan　Lee　gave　the　knife　a　tug；　not　much；　an　inch；　enough　to　cut　the　skin。　Ochs's　blood　ran　along　the　blade。　It　was　hot　on　his　fingers。
　They　obeyed　by　fits　and　starts；　shuffling　back。　〃More；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　The　gap　grew。　Soon　the　ground　was　littered　with　rifles　and　cheap　handguns。
　〃They　sent　you；〃　said　a　man。　〃The　city。〃
　〃They　didn't　need　to；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　〃This　is　personal。〃
　〃You　came；〃　rasped　Ochs。　He　sounded　joyful。
　He　wants　this；Nathan　Lee　realized。　Again　he　felt　that　dizzying　vertigo；　the　sense　of　myth。　He　was　a　twig　being　swept　along　on　a　big　river。
　〃You　know　each　other？〃　said　a　tall　soldier。
　Nathan　Lee　watched　their　eyes。　They　were　angry　eyes；　deadly　and　calculating；　but　most　of　them　were　fixed　on　his　face；　not　Ochs's。　That　said　something。　His　trespass　shocked　them。　It　offended　them　as　men　of　action。　No　doubt　some　felt　brute　loyalty　to　Ochs。　But　the　majority　of　their　outrage　seemed　more　prideful　than　distressed。Their　prophet　was　not　beloved。　Indeed；　as　their　surprise　was　wearing　off；　Nathan　Lee　saw　several　trading　glances；　full　of　conspiracy。　Ochs's　hostage　value　was　dwindling　by　the　heartbeat。
　〃Go　ahead；　make　your　speech。　Or　kill　him；〃　a　man　called。　〃You　can't　stop　us。〃
　Nathan　Lee　looked　up　at　Izzy。　There　was　very　little　blood。　Someone　had　rigged　a　plastic　soda　bottle　on　a　pole　to　give　him　water。　He　was　being　kept　alive。　Eventually　his　strength　would　give　out　and　he　would　suffocate。
　〃I　came　to　take　him　down；〃　Nathan　Lee　said。　He　made　his　voice　loud　for　people　to　hear。　The　crowd　on　the　rim　behind　him　rippled。　Good　or　bad；　he　couldn't　tell。　Maybe　they　cherished　the　torture。　But　just　maybe　it　had　gone　sour　for　them。
　〃He's　nailed　up　there；　you　idiot；〃　one　said。　The　notion　of　undoing　the　execution　boggled　their　minds。　Izzy　had　been　judged。　That　was　final。
　〃Look　at　him；〃　a　tall　soldier　reasoned。　〃It's　all　but　over。〃
　〃That　doesn't　make　it　right；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。
　Ochs　pulled　at　his　arm。　Nathan　Lee　dug　his　feet　in　and　reeled　back。　Ochs's　spine　bowed。　His　vertebrae　creaked。　The　man　quit　fighting。
　〃You'll　never　make　it　out　alive；〃　a　voice　called　at　him。
　〃That's　not　the　idea；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。
　〃No　ladder。　No　hammer。　This　should　be　a　trick。〃　They　were　amused。
　It　was　a　towering　thing。　The　wood　alone　probably　weighed　two　hundred　pounds。　He　couldn't　do　this　alone。
　〃Help　me；〃　Nathan　Lee　answered　simply。　It　slipped　out　of　his　mouth。
　They　gawked。　The　absurdity　stupefied　them。　The　assassin　wanted　a　favor？
　〃I　can　finish　off　your　friend；〃　the　tall　soldier　offered　to　Nathan　Lee。　He　spoke　quietly。　Privately。　〃Is　that　what　you　want？〃　It　was　not　unkind。
　〃He　deserves　better　that　that；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。
　〃Don't　we　all？〃　mocked　a　man。
　〃Yes；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　〃We　do。〃
　It　started　to　snow　just　then。　People　looked　up　at　the　sky。　The　flakes　fell　in　sloppy　wet　clots。　For　a　minute；　that　preoccupied　them　all。　The　ground　was　cold　as　iron。　The　snow　didn't　melt。　It　pasted　the　land　white。
　〃What　about　him？〃　the　tall　soldier　asked。　He　thrust　his　chin　at　Ochs。
　Nathan　Lee　looked　around　at　them。　They　waited　with　hard　eyes。　The　snow　nested　in　their　wild　hair。They　want　me　to　do　it；　he　realized。　The　soldier　was　offering　to　finish　off　Izzy；　if　Nathan　Lee　would　finish　off　Ochs。
　Now　he　saw　it。　Ochs　had　hectored　and　blessed　and　seduced　them。　The　giant　had　inhabited　the　darkest　lake　in　their　souls　and　mired　them　in　their　worst　fears　and　foulest　hate。　He　had　steered　their　confusion　into　havoc　and　now　their　havoc　into　slaughter。　They　were　weary。　They　hurt。　They　were　dying。　They　didn't　want　to　be　Ochs's　sacrifice　anymore。　But　no　one　knew　the　way　out　anymore。
　Nathan　Lee　felt　Ochs's　great；　bald　head　turning　slick　in　his　grasp。　Before　it　was　too　late；　he　could　punish　all　the　wrongs　Ochs　had　heaped　on　him。　With　one　arc　of　his　fist；　the　world　would　be　rid　of　this　creature。And　then　what？
　Nathan　Lee　lifted　his　face　to　the　gathering　storm。　The　snow　slid　from　his　cheekbones。　It　slapped　upon　his　wire…rim　glasses。　He　tried　to　see；　but　the　world　was　a　smear。　He　was　blind。　And　then　it　was　suddenly　all　so　plain。
　Blood　for　blood。Nathan　Lee　knew　it。　He　knew　it　to　his　core。
　He　saw　the　order　of　things　with　crystal　clarity。　These　ravaged　pilgrims　didn't　know　it　yet；　but　the　knife　was　their　signal。　For　weeks　Ochs　had　been　preaching　invasion。　But　they　wouldn't　go。Seasoning；　Ochs　had　called　their　stalled　misery。　They　were　collectively　waiting　for　something；　some　sign　or　event。　Now　they　would　have　it。　His　blood　would　spur　them。　Ochs　couldn't　prompt　the　invasion　in　life；　only　in　death。　And　he　knew　it。　That　explained　his　joy　at　Nathan　Lee's　arrival。　Ochs　had　to　die。　And　like　a　prophecy　fulfilling；　Nathan　Lee　had　e　down　off　the　mountain　to　do　the　job　and　martyr　him。
　Nathan　Lee　lowered　his　face　from　the　sky。　It　seemed　like　he　could　see　a　thousand　miles。　He　saw　himself　from　high　above。　Ochs　wasn't　the　city's　worst　danger。　Nathan　Lee　was。　His　hatred　and　this　knife　were　Ochs's　vehicle。　His　deliverance。　Nathan　Lee　recoiled　inside　himself。
　The　tall　soldier　pressed　him。　〃Decide。〃
　Nathan　Lee's　grip　eased。　Ochs　felt　him　hesitate。　He　pressed　his　throat　against　the　blade。　He　urged　Nathan　Lee。　〃Grace；〃　he　spoke　through　clenched　teeth。
　All　his　life；　it　seemed；　Nathan　Lee　had　been　climbing；　scratching　holds　into　the　mountain；　pulling　at　the　world。　And　never　finding　his　answers。　Never　letting　go。　He　let　go。　〃I　can't　save　you；〃　he　murmured。
　The　tall　soldier　frowned。　Others　around　him　showed　disappointment；　too。　Ochs　was　about　to　be　loosed　on　them　once　again。
　Nathan　Lee　opened　his　hands。　The　knife　dropped　on　the　dirt。　He　released　his　enemy。
　With　that；　Ochs　rose　up　with　a　roar。　He　loomed　in　front　of　Nathan　Lee；　eyes　terrible；　his　naked　chest　striped　with　scars。　In　some　ascetic　fit；　he　had　cut　his　own　nipples　off。　That　frightened　Nathan　Lee　more　than　anything。　He　had　sliced　away　his　most　tender　flesh　in　the　name　of　God。　〃Now；〃　Ochs　declared。
　It　was　his　last　word。
　From　behind；　as　if　it　had　an　enchanted　life　of　its　own；　Nathan　Lee's　knife　appeared　at　Ochs's　neck。　The　blade　moved　without　pause；　one　stroke；　across　and　back。　Ochs　squinted。　His　scowl　was　full　of　pain；　but　full　of　questions；　too。　He　seemed　to　be　inviting　Nathan　Lee　to　tell　him　what　was　wrong。
　Then　the　prophet's　throat　yawed　open。　The　hot　breath　escaped　from　his　windpipe　in　a　puff　of　steam。　Bright　blood　flew　across　the　white　ground　and　sprayed　Nathan　Lee。　Ochs　clutched　at　his　neck；　eyes　bulging。　It　was　like　watching　a　man　strangle　himself。
　He　didn't　topple　and　crash　to　earth。　In　the　end；　the　great　oak　of　a　man　simply　eased　down　into　a　tangle　of　limbs。　His　bones　seemed　to　melt。　His　legs　folded。　He　sank　to　sitting。　His　spine　bent　and　he　drooped　over　his　lap；　shrinking　smaller。　His　head　met　the　dirt。　After　that　he　didn't　move　anymore。
　Nathan　Lee　raised　his　eyes。　The　tall　soldier　stood　above　Ochs's　body　with　the　knife　in　one　hand。　Nathan　Lee　knew　better　than　to　run。　He　stood　rooted　in　place　as　the　crusaders　hemmed　him　in。
　　
　〃WHAT　ARE　THEY　DOINGto　him？〃　Miranda　was　holding　onto　the　very　edge　of　the　TV　monitor。　She　was　still　in　shock。　While　she　lay　sleeping；　her　lover　had　crossed　the　river　and　vanished。　And　reappeared。
　Balanced　on　some　niche　in　the　midst　of　the　camp；　Izzy's　camera　had　never