jefflong.yearzero-第76部分

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temptations　came　on　the　afternoon　breeze。Take　your　love；　they　whispered；flee　into　the　desert。
　There　were　hundreds　of　Anasazi　cave　dwellings　in　the　Four　Corners　region。　With　the　Captain's　help；　he'd　plotted　them　on　a　map。　He　could　flee　with　Miranda；　hole　up；　outwait　the　fanatics　streaming　toward　Los　Alamos；　and　then　run　loose　through　the　world　with　what　was　left　of　their　time。　It　would　mean　betraying　her　father；　to　whom　he'd　promised　to　deliver　Miranda；　or　trying　to　betray　him。　Nathan　Lee　took　it　for　granted　that　Paul　Abbot　had　his　every　move　under　the　tightest　surveillance。　He　was　more　of　a　prisoner　than　the　prisoners　in　Miranda's　basement。　Even　if　he　could　escape　Los　Alamos；　Miranda　would　never　agree　to　leave　with　him。　Her　devotion　to　the　city…her　utter　faith　in　it…baffled　and　frustrated　him。　She　acted　as　if　she'd　been　born　here。
　And　so；　for　now；　Nathan　Lee　resigned　himself。　He　did　the　next　best　thing　to　making　his　own　escape。　He　devised　the　clones'　escape。
　The　notion　gratified　him。　He　despised　what　had　been　done　to　them。　They　and　their　sacrificed　brothers　had　been　used　a　thousand　different　ways　by　Los　Alamos；　from　serving　as　lab　subjects　to　titillating　the　city's　mystical　itch。　Now　they　could　be　used　one　final　time；　as　his　surrogate　for　breaking　free。
　〃I'm　thinking　the　boys　should　get　turned　loose；〃　he　announced　to　the　Captain　in　the　quiet　of　one　afternoon。　They　were　watching　the　yard　over　cameras。　Over　the　weeks；　the　prisoners　had　slowly　begun　to　trickle　up　from　their　cells　and　brave　the　sun　again。　Ben　was　the　stalwart；　first　every　morning；　last　at　dusk；　walking；　feeding　the　fire；　walking；　walking；　getting　those　muscles　ready。　Nathan　Lee　could　see　his　mind　at　work。　Ben　had　not　missed　a　day。　For　weeks　he'd　had　the　place　to　himself。　Now　it　was　inhabited　again。　The　burnt　sacrifices　of　birds　and　squirrels　resumed；　though　the　season　was　getting　cold　and　they'd　largely　hunted　the　place　out。
　At　the　moment；　Ben　was　walking　the　wall　circuit。　Big；　loping　strides　carried　him　around　the　yard。　Men　followed　behind；　the　earnest　ones　matching　his　pace；　the　slower　ones　yakking　away。
　By　the　fire；　Eesho　was　holding　forth　about　the　ing　armageddon。　It　had　been　over　a　month　since　Ochs　had　kowtowed　to　him；　but　the　encounter　continued　to　whet　his　appetite　for　disciples。　Borrowing　from　Revelation　and　from　the　War　Scroll　of　the　Dead　Sea　Scrolls；　he　had　patched　together　a　hybrid　parable　about　a　giant　demon；　one　of　the　Sons　of　Darkness；　begging　him　for　forgiveness；　and　a　queen　of　the　dead；　a　woman　with　green　eyes　and　hair　like　red　gold　whose　name　was　Miranda；　and　her　slaves；　who　were　Nathan　Lee　and　Izzy。　Each　day　his　sermons　became　a　little　bolder　and　more　intricate。
　〃About　time　someone　brought　that　up；〃　the　Captain　replied。
　Nathan　Lee　was　surprised。　〃Then　you're　not　opposed　to　them　going　free？〃
　〃I　wouldn't　treat　a　dog　the　way　we've　had　to　treat　those　men。〃
　Nathan　Lee　was　astonished。　〃But　you're　their　keeper；〃　he　protested。
　〃Better　me　than　most；〃　said　the　Captain。　〃Anyhow；　I　had　this　hunch　someone　like　you　might　show　up。　And　then　it　would　need　someone　like　me　to　be　where　I　am；　doing　what　I'm　doing；　who　could　nod　his　head　yes。〃
　Nathan　Lee　guessed　that　was　one　way　to　view　the　universe。　〃You're　going　to　let　them　go？〃　he　reiterated。
　〃Not　yet。　And　not　me；〃　said　the　Captain。　〃But　when　the　time's　right；　I'm　all　for　you。〃
　〃Well；　all　right　then；〃　Nathan　Lee　said；　trying　to　believe　his　luck。　〃So　when　is　the　right　time？〃
　As　it　developed；　the　Captain　had　put　a　great　deal　of　thought　to　it　already。　For　the　next　several　hours；　they　might　as　well　have　been　discussing　the　release　of　zoo　animals　into　the　wilderness。　The　clones　were　too　wild；　and　at　the　same　time　too　tame。　They　were　dangerous；　but　habituated。　They　couldn't　be　freed　anywhere　close　to　the　city；　or　they　might　try　to　return　and　prey　upon　it。　Sending　them　down　to　the　pilgrim　camp　would　be　like　throwing　them　into　quicksand。　It　was　a　pit　of　despair　and　deprivations　down　along　the　river。　If　the　deck　sweeps　had　not　been　called　off；　they　could　have　been　transferred　by　helicopter　to　some　distant　place；　but　now　that　wasn't　an　option　either。　After　Miranda's　directive　shutting　down　human　experimentation；　Los　Alamos　had　ceased　the　harvesting　of　cities；　which　were　probably　finished　anyway。
　Their　release；　in　short；　would　have　to　wait　until　E…Day；　their　fabled　evacuation　date。　Nathan　Lee　worried　that　if　and　when　that　day　ever　arrived；　there　would　be　so　much　chaos　the　guards　might　forget　to　open　the　cells。　In　crossing　America；　he　had　heard　stories　of　prisons　and　zoos　filled　with　the　carcasses　of　captives　who　had　starved　to　death。　The　Captain　took　the　job　of　programming　the　cell　doors　to　automatically　open　an　hour　after　the　city　emptied。
　In　the　meantime；　Nathan　Lee　wanted　to　prepare　the　clones　for　alien　times。　They　knew　how　to　quarry　limestone；　sow　wheat；　work　leather；　smith　iron；　and　herd　goats。　But　survival　in　the　ruins　of　America　was　going　to　require　different　skills。　One　can　of　spoiled　food　could　wipe　them　out　with　botulism。　One　wrong　highway　could　land　them　in　the　Canadian　winter。　The　cities　might　be　dead；　but　they　were　still　mechanically　alive；　and　deadly。　The　clones　needed　a　crash　course　in　the　twenty…first　century。
　〃You've　got　your　work　cut　out；〃　said　the　Captain。
　Nathan　Lee　went　to　Izzy；　who　thought　it　was　a　terrible　idea。　〃I　told　you；　they　know　we're　the　enemy。　Eesho's　got　them　ready　to　kill　us　if　we　show　our　faces。〃
　〃We'll　select　just　one　of　them。　Educate　him。　Show　him　the　ropes。　When　the　time　es；　he　can　lead　the　rest。〃
　Izzy　balked。　〃Why　would　any　of　them　trust　us？　They're　onto　us　now。　In　their　shoes；　I　wouldn't　trust　us。〃
　〃They're　prisoners。　They　have　no　choice。〃
　〃Fine；〃　grumbled　Izzy。　〃We'll　pick　one。　But　which　one？〃
　〃Someone　they'll　listen　to。〃
　〃Not　his　bloody　lordship；〃　Izzy　protested。　〃I'm　not　about　to　hand　Eesho　the　keys　to　the　castle。　He　already　thinks　he's　God　almighty。〃
　〃Not　him；〃　Nathan　Lee　said；　〃Ben。〃
　Izzy　chewed　on　his　moustache。　〃I　thought　you　wanted　a　leader。　He's　a　loner。　Last　time　he　had　the　chance；　he　bolted　off　all　by　himself。〃
　〃That　was　different。　He　saw　the　chance　and　took　it。　And　look；　now；　they　follow　him　whether　he　wants　to　lead　or　not。〃
　Izzy　grumbled。　〃Better　him　than　most；　I　suppose。〃
　Class　began　next　morning。
　Ben　was　taken　from　the　yard　and　led　to　the　same　spartan　room　where　Ochs　had　asked　Eesho　for　a　miracle。　Nathan　Lee　and　Izzy　waited　for　him　at　a　table　with　the　day's　lessons　arranged　on　top。　There　was　a　globe　of　the　world；　a　can　of　beans；　and　a　can　opener。
　Ben　was　brown　as　mahogany　from　the　sun。　His　hair　smelled　smoky　from　the　campfire。　He　showed　no　surprise　at　seeing　them；　nor　hostility。　His　face　was　its　usual　cipher。　He　nodded　to　Izzy；　but　spoke　to　Nathan　Lee。　〃You've　returned；〃　he　said。　It　was　a　greeting　that　presumed　a　journey　of　some　kind。
　〃Yes；　I'm　back；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。
　Eesho　had　condemned　Nathan　Lee　and　Izzy　as　minions　of　the　darkness。　But　the　microphones　in　the　yard　had　also　picked　up　clones　discussing　whether　their　two　former　rades　had　escaped；　or　possibly　been　executed。　The　crucifix　in　the　tree　still　haunted　them。
　Ben　didn't　speak　to　such　gossip。　He　had　already　expressed　his　opinion　that　late　afternoon　two　months　ago　when　he　described　Golgotha；　and　how　he　and　Nathan　Lee　were　alike；　travelers　who　cast　themselves　into　a　wilderness　of　light　and　shadows。　Nathan　Lee　had　gone　searching　anew；　and　now　he　was　back。　That　was　enough　for　Ben。　He　didn't　ask　where　Nathan　Lee　had　gone；　nor　what　he'd　seen。　They　could　get　into　those　kinds　of　details　another　time。
　Ben　studied　Nathan　Lee's　face；　and　maybe　his　face　had　changed。　Nathan　Lee　had　looked　in　his　mirror；　and　grief　had　not　turned　his　hair　white　nor　put　more　lines　around　his　eyes。　Just　the　same；　Ben　saw　something。　〃Your　journey　was　hard；〃　he　remarked。
　He　seemed　personally　disappointed；　as　if　it　might　have　been　the　wrong　journey　or　Nathan　Lee　had　been　the　wrong　one　to　take　it。　There　was　nothing　mystical　nor　pointed　about　it。　Nathan　Lee　had　felt　the　same　disillusion　himself　listening　to　his　father　and　mother　after　certain　expeditions。　Explorers　were　connected；　no　matter　if　they　were　searching　on　the　sea　or　in　a　book。　When　one　of　them　discovered　a　treasure；　whether　it　was　gold　or　a　summit　or　a　math　formula；　it　enriched　them　all；　because　fundamentally　they　were　driven　by　the　same　riddle。　When　one　of　them　came　home　lost　or　empty…handed；　all　felt　empty。　Sooner　or　later　the　quest　would　resume；　often　with　a　new　approach　or　a　fresh　explorer。　The　continuation　was　inevitable。　There　was　no　end　to　humanity's　searching；　only　the　great　circle。
　Nathan　Lee　knew　the　clones　would　all　embark　on　his　same　quest　once　they　gained　their　freedom。　They　would　go　to　the　ends　of　the　earth　looking　for　their　loved　ones。　They　would　never　believe　that　two　thousand　years…eighty　generations　or　more…had　passed；　and　that　their　wives　and　children　were　dust。　He　had　no　intention　of　telling　them　the　truth。　Passing　the　torch；　that　was　Nathan　Lee's　job；　pure　and　simple。　There　was　no　telling　what　the　miles　might　reveal　to　them。
　He　drew　the　globe　between　them。　〃Here　is　the　world。　All　the　land。　All　the　water。〃　He　held　his　fist　to　one　side。〃Suh…rraa。〃　The　moon。　Further　out；　he