pdouglas.thecodex-第13节

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n　a　al　over　one　of　the　drums；　the　smell　of　frying　pork　cracklings　carried　toward　Vernon　on　a　fetid　breeze。　He　walked　with　the　Teacher　along　the　dirt　street　that　paralleled　the　beach；　trailed　and　jostled　by　a　crowd　of　children；　followed　in　turn　by　a　groveling　pack　of　dogs。　The　children　had　been　trailing　them　for　almost　an　hour；　crying　out　〃Gimme　sweet！〃　and　〃Gimme　dollar！〃　Vernon　had　dispensed　several　bags　of　candy　and　given　out　all　his　dollar　bills　in　an　effort　to　placate　them；　but　the　generosity　had　succeeded　only　in　swelling　the　crowd　to　ever　more　hysterical　proportions。
　Vernon　and　the　Teacher　arrived　at　a　rickety　wooden　pier　that　stuck　out　into　the　muddy　lagoon；　at　the　end　of　which　was　tied　a　gaggle　of　dugout　canoes　with　outboard　motors。　Men　lounged　in　hammocks；　and　dark…eyed　women　eyed　them　from　doorways。　A　man　pushed　up　to　them；　a　boa　wrapped　around　his　neck。
　〃Snake；〃　he　said。　〃Fifty　dollar。〃
　〃We　don't　want　a　snake；〃　said　the　Teacher。　〃We　want　a　boat。　Barca。　Boat。　We're　looking　for　Juan　Freitag　Charters。　You　sale　Juan　Freitag？〃
　The　man　began　unwrapping　the　snake　and　holding　it　out　as　if　he　were　offering　a　string　of　sausages。　〃Snake。　Thirty　dollar。〃
　The　Teacher　brushed　past　him。
　〃Snake！〃　the　man　cried；　pursuing。　〃Twenty　dollar！〃　His　shirt　was　almost　falling　off　his　shoulders；　it　had　so　many　holes。　He　clutched　at　Vernon　with　long　brown　fingers　as　he　passed。　Vernon；　fishing　in　his　pocket　for　change　and　dollar　bills；　could　only　find　a　fiver。　He　gave　it　to　the　man。　The　children　surged　forward；　redoubling　their　hollering；　streaming　down　to　the　quayside　from　the　teeming　barrios　above。　〃Damn　you；　stop　handing　out　money；〃　said　the　Teacher。　〃We're　going　to　be　robbed。〃
　〃Sorry。〃
　The　teacher　seized　an　older　child　by　the　scruff　of　his　neck。　〃Juan　Freitag　Charters！〃　he　cried　impatiently。　〃Where？　Donde？〃　He　turned　to　Vernon。　〃How　do　you　say　boat　in　Spanish　again？〃
　〃Barca。〃
　〃Barca！　Donde　barca？〃
　The　boy；　frightened；　pointed　a　dirty　finger　toward　a　cinderblock　building　across　from　the　pier。
　The　Teacher　released　him　and　hurried　along　the　dusty　quayside；　Vernon　following；　pursued　by　children　and　dogs。　The　door　to　the　office　was　open；　and　they　went　in。　A　man　behind　a　desk　got　up；　went　to　the　door　with　a　flyswatter；　swatted　the　pursuing　children　away　from　the　door；　and　slammed　it。　By　the　time　he　had　resumed　his　seat；　he　was　all　smiles。　He　had　a　small；　neat　head　and　body　and　blond；　Aryan　features。　But　when　he　spoke；　it　was　with　a　Spanish　accent。
　〃Please　acmodate　yourselves。〃
　They　took　a　couple　of　wicker　chairs；　next　to　an　end　table　piled　with　copies　of　scuba　magazines。
　〃What　can　I　do　for　you；　gentlemen？〃
　〃We　want　to　rent　a　couple　of　boats　with　guides；〃　the　Teacher　said。
　The　man　smiled。　〃Scuba　diving　or　tarpon　fishing？〃
　〃Neither。　We　want　to　go　upriver。〃
　The　smile　seemed　to　gel　on　the　man's　face。　〃Up　the　Patuca？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃I　see。　You　are　adventure　travelers？〃
　The　Teacher　glanced　at　Vernon。　〃Yes。〃
　〃How　far　do　you　wish　to　go？〃
　〃We　don't　know　yet。　A　long　way。　Perhaps　as　far　as　the　mountains。〃
　〃You　must　take　motorized　dugout　canoes；　because　the　river　is　too　shallow　for　a　regular　boat。　Manuel！〃
　After　a　moment　a　young　man　came　in　from　the　back。　He　blinked　in　the　light。　He　had　fish　blood　and　scales　on　his　hands。
　〃This　is　Manuel。　He　and　his　cousin　Ramón　will　guide　you。　They　know　the　river　well。〃
　〃How　long　will　it　take　to　get　upriver？〃
　〃You　can　go　as　far　as　Pito　Solo。　One　week。　Beyond　that　is　the　Meambar　Swamp。〃
　〃And　beyond　that？〃
　The　man　waved　his　hand。　〃You　do　not　want　to　cross　the　Meambar　Swamp。〃
　〃On　the　contrary；〃　said　the　Teacher；　〃it's　quite　possible　we　do。〃
　The　man　inclined　his　head；　as　if　humoring　crazy　Americans　was　all　in　a　day's　work。　〃As　you　wish。　Beyond　the　swamp　are　mountains　and　more　mountains。　You　will　need　to　take　at　least　a　month　of　supplies　and　food。〃
　A　wasp　buzzed　in　the　whitewashed　room；　tapping　on　the　cracked　window；　swinging　around；　and　colliding　with　it　again。　With　a　lightning　motion　the　man　smacked　it　with　the　flyswatter。　It　fell　to　the　ground；　writhing　and　stinging　itself　in　agony。　A　polished　shoe　was　extended　from　under　the　desk　and　ended　its　life　with　a　little　crunch。
　〃Manuel！　Get　Ramón。〃　He　turned　to　the　Teacher。　〃We　can　outfit　you　here；　se？or；　with　everything　you　need。　Tents；　sleeping　bags；　mosquito　netting；　gas；　food；　GPS；　hunting　gear…everything。　We　can　put　it　all　on　credit　card。〃　He　laid　his　hand　reverently　on　a　brand…new　credit…card　machine　connected　to　a　shiny　jack　in　the　wall。　〃You　do　not　worry　about　anything　because　we　take　care　of　it　all。　We　are　a　modern　operation。〃　He　smiled。　〃We　give　you　adventure；　but　not　too　much　adventure。〃
　
　12
　
　The　car　hummed　northward　through　the　San　Juan　Basin　Desert　toward　the　Utah　border；　along　a　vast　and　lonely　highway　between　endless　prairies　of　sagebrush　and　chamisa。　Shiprock　towered　in　the　distance；　a　dark　thrust　of　stone　into　blue　sky。　Tom；　driving；　felt　a　great　relief　that　it　was　over。　He　had　done　what　he　promised；　he　had　helped　Sally　find　out　where　his　father　had　gone。　What　she　did　next　was　up　to　her。　She　could　either　wait　until　his　brothers　came　out　of　the　jungle　with　the　Codex…provided　they　found　the　tomb…or　she　could　try　to　catch　up　to　them　herself。　He；　at　least；　was　now　out　of　it。　He　could　get　back　to　his　life　of　peace　and　simplicity　in　the　desert。
　He　cast　a　surreptitious　glance　at　her　sitting　in　the　passenger　seat。　She　had　been　silent　for　the　past　hour。　She　hadn't　said　what　her　plans　were；　and　Tom　wasn't　sure　he　wanted　to　know。　All　he　wanted　to　do　was　get　back　to　his　horses；　to　the　routine　of　the　clinic；　to　his　cool　adobe　house　shaded　by　cottonwoods。　He　had　worked　hard　at　creating　the　undemanding　life　he　wanted；　and　he　was　more　determined　than　ever　not　to　let　his　father　and　his　crazy　schemes　overturn　it。　Let　his　brothers　have　the　adventure　and；　if　they　wanted；　let　them　even　keep　the　inheritance。　He　had　nothing　to　prove。　After　Sarah；　he　wasn't　about　to　jump　into　deep　water　again。
　〃So　he　went　to　Honduras；〃　Sally　said。　〃You　still　have　no　idea；　no　guess；　as　to　where？〃
　〃I've　told　you　all　I　know；　Sally。　Forty　years　ago　he　spent　some　time　in　Honduras　with　his　old　partner；　Marcus　Hauser；　looking　for　tombs　and　picking　bananas　to　earn　money。　They　got　swindled；　so　I　heard；　buying　a　fake　treasure　map　of　some　kind；　and　they　spent　a　few　months　tramping　through　the　jungle　and　nearly　died。　They　had　some　kind　of　falling…out；　and　that　was　that。〃
　〃And　you're　sure　he　didn't　find　anything？〃
　〃That's　what　he　always　said。　The　mountains　of　southern　Honduras　were　uninhabited。〃
　She　nodded；　her　eyes　looking　ahead　at　the　empty　desert。
　〃So　what　are　you　going　to　do？〃　Tom　finally　asked。
　〃I'm　going　to　Honduras。〃
　〃All　by　yourself？〃
　〃Why　not？〃
　Tom　said　nothing。　What　she　did　was　her　business。
　〃Did　your　father　ever　get　in　trouble　for　looting　tombs？〃
　〃The　FBI　investigated　him　on　and　off　over　the　years。　Nothing　stuck。　Father　was　too　smart。　I　remember　once　when　the　agents　raided　our　house　and　seized　some　jade　figurines　my　father　had　just　brought　back　from　Mexico。　I　was　ten　at　the　time；　and　it　scared　the　hell　out　of　me；　the　agents　pounding　on　the　door　before　dawn。　But　they　couldn't　prove　anything　and　had　to　return　all　the　stuff。〃
　Sally　shook　her　head。　〃People　like　your　father　are　a　menace　to　archaeology。〃
　〃I'm　not　sure　I　see　a　big　difference　between　what　my　father　did　and　what　archaeologists　do。〃
　〃There's　a　big　difference；〃　said　Sally。　〃Looters　wreck　a　site。　They　remove　things　from　their　context。　A　dear　friend　of　Professor　Clyve　was　beaten　in　Mexico　while　trying　to　stop　some　local　villagers　from　looting　a　temple。〃
　〃I'm　sorry　to　hear　that；　but　you　can't　blame　starving　people　for　trying　to　feed　their　children…and　taking　exception　to　some　norteamericano　ing　down　and　telling　them　what　to　do。〃
　Sally　set　her　lip；　and　Tom　could　see　she　was　angry。　The　car　hummed　along　the　shimmering　asphalt。　Tom　cranked　up　the　A/C。　He　would　be　glad　when　this　was　over。　He　didn't　need　a　plication　like　Sally　Colorado　in　his　life。
　Sally　shook　her　heavy　gold　hair　back　from　her　head；　unleashing　a　faint　scent　of　perfume　and　shampoo。　〃There's　something　still　bothering　me。　I　just　can't　get　it　out　of　my　head。〃
　〃What's　that？〃
　〃Barnaby　and　Fenton。　Doesn't　it　seem　strange　to　you　that　right　after　they　investigate　your　father's　so…called　robbery　they　e　up　dead？　There's　something　about　the　timing　of　their　'accident'　that　I　don't　like。〃
　Tom　shook　his　head。　〃Sally；　it's　just　one　of　those　coincidences。〃
　〃It　doesn't　feel　right　to　me。〃
　〃I　know　the　Ski　Basin　Road；　Sally。　Nun's　Corner　is　a　hellacious　curve。　They　aren't　the　first　ones　to　get　killed　there。〃
　〃What　were　they　doing　on　the　Ski　Basin　Road？　Ski　season's　over。〃
　Tom　sighed。　〃If　you're　so　worried；　why　don't　you　call　that　policeman；　Hernandez；　and　find　out？〃
　〃I　will。〃　Sally　slipped　her　cell　phone　out　of　her　bag　and　dialed。　Tom　listened　while　she　was　transferred　half　a　dozen　times；　from　one　slack　receptionist　to　the　next；　until　she　finally　reached　Hernandez。
　〃This　is　Sally　Colorado；〃　she　said。　〃You　remember　us？〃
　Pause。
　〃I　wanted　to　ask　you　a　question　about　Barnaby　and　Fenton's　death。〃
　Another　pause。
　〃Why　did　they　go