jefflong.yearzero-第94章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　Balanced　on　some　niche　in　the　midst　of　the　camp；　Izzy's　camera　had　never　stopped　transmitting。　The　mob　had　no　idea　it　was　there。　In　the　foreground；　bodies　and　faces　milled　back　and　forth；　blocking　and　unblocking　the　zoom。　Between　their　traffic；　you　could　see　the　cross　in　the　distance。
　With　the　Captain　at　her　side；　Miranda　watched　Nathan　Lee　emerge　from　the　crowd　and　jump　on　Ochs　like　a　tiger　and　face　off　his　small　legion　of　warriors。　From　this　distance；　the　scene　was　antlike。　The　knife…too　small　to　see；　but　easy　to　deduce…had　kept　Ochs　frozen　and　Nathan　Lee　temporarily　safe。
　Her　heart　felt　like　a　stone。　Her　love　had　not　been　enough。　In　the　end；　Nathan　Lee　had　succumbed　to　the　past。　He　had　been　unable　to　stay　away　from　the　camp。　His　unfolding　revenge　looked　so　slight　on　the　screen。
　But　then　he　stepped　away　and　Ochs　climbed　to　his　feet　and　the　crowd　obstructed　her　view　again。　〃Now　what？〃　she　said。
　The　Captain　peered　at　the　screen。　〃There；〃　he　said。　〃Above　their　heads。　See？〃
　She　looked。
　Izzy's　cross　was　tipping。
　
　35
　Peace　on　Earth
　
　MIDNIGHT
　She　watched　Izzy　fade　to　black　on　the　lime…green　satellite　feed。　No　one　could　know　for　sure　if　it　was　really　him　and　Nathan　Lee　down　there。　Through　the　veils　of　storm　and　night；　all　they　could　get　on　the　high　resolution　views　were　thermal　signatures。　But　Miranda　knew。　It　would　be　like　Nathan　Lee　to　stay　and　put　his　back　against　the　wind　and　hold　his　friend。
　A　dozen　different　images　from　this　and　other　satellites　flickered　on　screens　around　the　busy　room。　The　medium　resolution　pictures　used　a　scale　of　one　inch　per　mile；　and　they　showed　pools　of　massed　human　body　heat　that　looked　motionless。　But　by　piling　images　from　the　past　twelve　hours　and　running　them　at　high　speed；　the　ASTER　experts　had　been　able　to　display　the　beginnings　of　a　wholesale　retreat。　Large；　shapeless　configurations…hundreds　of　thousands　of　people…were　moving　away　from　the　epicenter。　The　herd　pattern　had　been　most　active　before　sunset。　Since　then；　darkness；　plunging　temperatures；　and　the　deepening　snow　had　bogged　them。
　Most　hadn't　made　it　more　than　a　half　mile　before　halting　for　the　night。　But　the　evidence　was　clear。　The　pilgrims　were　leaving；　or　trying　to。　The　siege　had　broken。　They　had　given　up　on　the　city。　The　precise　explanation　eluded　Los　Alamos；　but　it　coincided　with　Nathan　Lee's　appearance　in　the　valley。　Maybe　he　had　persuaded　Ochs　to　send　the　pilgrims　home。　Or　he'd　warned　them　of　dire　consequences；　or　offered　himself　as　the　city's　ransom；　or　pointed　them　in　a　new　direction。　Something　had　gone　on　in　that　camp。
　Throughout　Los　Alamos；　people　were　celebrating　as　if　a　great　war　had　ended。　There　had　been　an　interfaith　service　at　the　Oppenheimer　Center　earlier　in　the　evening；　televised　for　those　who　could　not　attend　in　person。　Miranda　had　caught　parts　of　it。　Interspliced　with　satellite　images　of　the　pilgrims'　retreat；　the　city's　priests；　ministers；　mullahs；　rabbis；　and　a　Buddhist　monk　had　given　thanks　for　their　deliverance。　They　said　prayers　for　the　poor　people　now　stranded　in　the　blizzard。　It　was　easy　to　think　more　mercifully；　now　that　their　enemy　was　dying　at　their　feet。
　Oddly　the　generals　were　not　pleased。　The　city　had　been　saved；　but　they　tersely　discarded　the　evidence。　〃It's　worse　than　ever　now；〃　one　told　Miranda。　〃The　fool　nearly　ruined　everything。〃
　His　fool　was　Nathan　Lee。　Miranda　flared　at　him。　〃What　more　do　you　want？〃　she　demanded。　〃We're　spared。　He　stole　your　thunder；　is　that　it？〃
　〃We　have　our　orders；〃　the　general　told　her。
　〃Whose　orders？〃　Immediately　she　guessed。　Her　father's；　the　sovereign　of　the　deep。　They　believed　in　him　and　his　invincible　fortress　made　of　salt。　〃What　grand　strategy　of　yours　did　Nathan　Lee　destroy？　They're　leaving。〃
　〃Precisely；〃　the　general　plained。
　It　was　the　closest　to　information　she'd　gotten　from　them。　But　in　what　way　did　the　pilgrims'　departure　unravel　the　generals'　strategy？　She　tried　the　contra　position。　How　could　the　pilgrims'　ing　advance　their　strategy？　Miranda　gave　up　guessing。　Plainly　something　larger　had　been　in　motion；　and　Nathan　Lee　had　derailed　it。　Or　nearly　so。　The　general　was　vexed；　not　defeated。　The　day's　events…Nathan　Lee's　attack；　the　lowering　of　Izzy's　cross；　the　mass　withdrawal…were　an　inconvenience。　She　saw　that　the　generals　were　fast　adapting　to　the　situation。　Their　plan　was　still　alive。
　〃You　want　a　war；〃　she　realized。
　〃We　want　maximum　security。〃
　〃Now　we　have　it；〃　she　said。　〃By　this　time　tomorrow　night；　the　pilgrims　will　be　gone。　You　can　put　your　swords　away。〃
　〃It's　a　feint；〃　said　the　general。　〃They're　going　back　into　the　forests。　Into　their　tunnels。　Taking　up　positions。〃
　〃What　forests？　What　tunnels？〃　she　demanded。　It　struck　her。　Their　touchstone　was　Vietnam。　Afghanistan。　Or　Gaul。　The　barbarians　were　wild　things。
　〃We　had　them　gathered　in　place；　the　last　of　them；〃　said　the　general。　Now　we　won't　know　where　they　are。　They're　getting　away。〃
　〃Let　them　go；〃　Miranda　told　them。　〃Now　we　can　stay。〃
　The　generals　departed；　but　their　staff　officers　remained；　circling　the　room；　leaning　over　monitors；　writing　down　coordinates；　making　notes。　Every　now　and　then　one　would　leave　the　room　to　make　a　call。　Their　doomsday　expressions　were　stark　amidst　the　overall　jubilation。　Except　for　them；　it　was　like　an　office　party　in　here；　the　happy　faces；　the　little　pine　tree　with　paper　decorations；　the　strings　of　electric　red　chili　lights　on　the　wall。
　Miranda　kept　to　one　corner。　She　didn't　want　to　sour　their　joy。　The　retreat　was　exactly　what　they'd　been　hoping　for。　They　could　stay　in　the　open　now。　They　could　inhabit　the　sunlight；　carry　on　their　research；　embrace　the　survivors；　find　the　cure。　Their　high　fives　and　hallelujahs　confirmed　her　vision。　They　belonged　in　the　city；　not　with　her　father。
　She　wanted　to　share　in　their　gladness；　but　they　knew　she　was　in　mourning。　Their　smiles　faded　when　they　looked　at　her。　She　saw　their　deep　sighs。　If　not　for　monitor　number　eight；　she　would　have　gone　home　to　grieve　in　private。　It　was　too　soon　to　grieve；　in　a　sense。　He　was　still　alive　down　there。　But　he　had　killed　himself。　It　was　all　on　monitor　number　eight；　a　few　seconds　past　real　time；　however　long　it　took　to　transmit　from　the　valley　to　space　and　back　down　to　this　room。
　His　luminous；　hollow…eyed　head　turned　to　one　side；　then　bent　over　Izzy　again。　She　touched　the　screen。　If　only　she'd　known　what　he　was　thinking。　She　would　have　wrapped　her　arms　around　him；　paralyzed　him　with　her　love；　ordered　his　arrest。　But　in　saving　him；　she　would　have　doomed　the　city。　He　had　given　her　what　she　wanted。
　Los　Alamos　was　aware　of　his　sacrifice。　Whatever　he　had　done　down　there；　he　had　done　for　them。　Whether　that　was　true　or　not；　they　believed　it　was　so。　They　had　chosen　Nathan　Lee　to　mark　the　epicenter。　It　was　a　sort　of　cartographic　honor。　All　their　bull's…eye　overlays　centered　on　him。　They　measured　their　new　hope　outwards　from　where　he　sat。
　She　placed　her　chair　sideways　to　the　monitor　so　that　her　back　was　to　the　room。　She　sat　next　to　him；　inches　from　the　screen。　They'd　tightened　down　on　him　to　the　maximum　resolution；　but　he　still　looked　so　tiny。　His　skull　was　a　matter　of　pixels。　Sitting　there；　he　fit　under　her　fingertip。　The　image　pulsed。
　He　had　not　self…infected　with　the　Sera…III。　Miranda　had　checked　the　freezer；　and　all　the　samples　were　accounted　for。　She　understood。　By　the　end　of　forty…eight　hours；　Izzy　would　have　been　dead。　Ochs　might　have　invaded。　The　generals　might　have　made　their　move。　By　going　immediately；　Nathan　Lee　had　preempted　the　alternate　realities；　or　at　least　some　of　them。
　Izzy　had　died。　She　wasn't　sure　Nathan　Lee　even　knew。　For　several　hours　she'd　been　watching　darkness　creep　through　Izzy's　limbs　and　into　his　core。　Now　he　was　little　more　than　a　shadow　on　Nathan　Lee's　lap。
　Beside　her；　a　puter's　screen　saver　showed　clouds　whisking　past　the　Matterhorn。　The　scene　switched：　the　Grand　Canyon　at　dawn。　A　Hawaiian　waterfall。　Fields　of　red　poppies。　Mount　Everest　at　sunset。　It　was　a　box　full　of　dreams。　At　last　she　figured　out　the　screen　theme。　There　were　no　people　in　the　pretty　places。　The　puter　was　showing　her　the　Garden　before　man。　She　reached　over　and　turned　it　off。
　They　had　supplies　to　last　a　decade。　With　care；　there　seemed　no