pdouglas.thecodex-第33节

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　And　all　this　time　he　hadn't　heard　from　Hauser。　What　the　hell　was　he　doing？　Had　something　happened　to　him？　Had　he　given　up？　Skiba　felt　the　sweat　breaking　out　afresh　on　his　brow。　He　hated　the　fact　that　the　fate　of　his　pany　and　his　own　fate　were　in　the　hands　of　a　man　like　that。
　The　scrambler　phone　rang；　and　Skiba　literally　jumped。　It　was　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning。　Hauser　never　called　in　the　morning。　But　somehow　he　knew　it　was　him。
　〃Yes？〃　He　tried　not　to　sound　breathless。
　〃Skiba？〃
　〃Yes；　yes。〃
　〃How's　it　going？〃
　〃Fine。〃
　〃Slept　on　it　yet？〃
　Skiba　swallowed。　That　lump　was　there　again；　that　pig　of　lead　in　his　gut。　He　couldn't　quite　bring　himself　to　speak；　it　was　blocking　his　throat。　He'd　already　had　his　limit；　but　another　sip　wouldn't　hurt。　Cradling　the　phone；　he　slid　open　the　cabinet；　poured　a　glass。　He　didn't　even　bother　with　the　water。
　〃Lewis；　I　know　this　is　tough。　But　the　time's　e。　Do　you　want　the　Codex　or　not？　I　can　call　it　quits　right　now；　head　back。　What　do　you　think？〃
　Skiba　swallowed　the　hot　golden　liquid　and　found　his　voice；　but　it　came　out　in　a　cracked　whisper。　〃I've　told　you　again　and　again；　this　has　nothing　to　do　with　me。　You're　five　thousand　miles　away。　I　have　no　control　over　you。　You　do　what　you　want。　Just　bring　me　the　Codex。〃
　〃I　didn't　catch　that；　with　the　scrambler　and　all　。。。〃
　〃Just　do　what　you　need　to　do！〃　Skiba　roared。　〃Leave　me　out　of　it！〃
　〃Oh　no；　no；　no；　no；　noooo。　No。　I　already　explained　it　to　you；　Skiba。　We're　in　this　together；　pard。〃
　Skiba's　hand　gripped　the　phone　with　murderous　force。　His　whole　body　was　shaking。　He　almost　imagined　he　could　throttle　Hauser　if　he　squeezed　hard　enough。
　〃Do　I　get　rid　of　them　or　not？〃　the　jocose　voice　went　on。　〃If　I　don't；　even　if　I　get　the　Codex；　they'll　be　ing　right　back　out　and　making　a　claim　against　you；　and　you　know　what；　Lewis？　You　can't　win　that　one。　They'll　take　the　Codex　away　from　you。　You　told　me　you　wanted　it　clean；　no　plications；　no　lawsuits。〃
　〃I'll　pay　them　royalties。　They'll　make　millions。〃
　〃They　won't　deal　with　you。　They　have　other　plans　for　the　Codex。　Didn't　I　tell　you　that？　That　woman；　Sally　Colorado；　has　got　plans；　big　plans。〃
　〃What　plans？〃　Skiba　felt　shaky　all　over。
　〃They　don't　involve　Lampe；　that's　all　you　need　to　know。　Look；　Skiba；　that's　the　problem　with　all　you　business　guys。　You　don't　know　how　to　make　the　tough　decisions。〃
　〃These　are　human　lives　you're　talking　about。〃
　〃I　know。　This　isn't　easy　for　me；　either。　Weigh　the　good　against　the　bad。　A　few　people　disappear　in　an　unknown　jungle。　That's　on　one　side。　The　other　side　is　lifesaving　drugs　for　millions；　twenty　thousand　people　who　still　have　work；　shareholders　who　love　you　instead　of　crying　for　your　blood；　and　you　the　darling　of　Wall　Street　for　pulling　Lampe　back　from　the　abyss。〃
　Another　swallow。　〃Give　me　another　day　to　think　about　it。〃
　〃Can't。　Things　have　reached　a　head。　You　remember　what　I　said　about　stopping　them　before　the　mountains？　Lewis；　just　to　ease　your　mind；　I'm　not　even　going　to　do　it　myself。　There　are　some　Honduran　soldiers　down　here；　renegades；　and　I　can　hardly　keep　them　in　check　as　it　is。　These　guys　are　crazy；　liable　to　do　anything。　These　things　happen　all　the　time　down　here。　Hey；　if　I　were　to　turn　around　now　these　soldiers　would　kill　them　anyway。　So　Lewis；　what　should　I　do？　Get　rid　of　them　and　bring　you　the　Codex？　Or　turn　around　and　forget　about　it？　I've　got　to　go。　Your　answer？〃
　〃Just　do　it！〃
　There　was　a　buzz　of　static。
　〃Say　it；　Lewis。　Say　what　it　is　you　want　me　to　do。〃
　〃Do　it！　Kill　them；　goddamn　you！　Kill　the　Broadbents！〃
　
　32
　
　Two　and　a　half　days　after　the　snake　attack；　as　they　were　poling　along　one　more　endless　water　channel；　Tom　noticed　a　brightening　of　the　swamp；　sunlight　through　the　trees…and　then　with　astonishing　suddenness　the　two　dugouts　broke　free　of　the　Meambar　Swamp。　It　was　like　entering　a　new　world。　They　were　on　the　edge　of　a　huge　lake；　the　water　as　black　as　ink。　The　late　afternoon　sun　was　breaking　through　the　clouds；　and　Tom　felt　a　surge　of　relief　in　finally　being　in　the　open；　released　from　the　green　prison　of　the　swamp。　A　fresh　breeze　swept　away　the　blackflies。　Tom　could　see　blue　hills　on　the　far　shore；　and　beyond　them　a　faint　line　of　mountains　rising　into　the　clouds。
　Don　Alfonso　stood　up　in　the　bow　of　the　boat　and　spread　his　arms；　his　corncob　enclosed　in　one　wrinkled　fist；　looking　like　a　ragged　scarecrow。　〃The　Laguna　Negra！〃　he　cried。　〃We　have　crossed　the　Meambar　Swamp！　I；　Don　Alfonso　Boswas；　have　guided　well　and　true！〃
　Chori　and　Pingo　lowered　the　boat　engines　and　fired　them　up。　The　boats　set　off　for　the　far　end　of　the　lake。　Tom　rested　against　the　pile　of　supplies　and　enjoyed　the　delicious　flow　of　air　while　his　pet　monkey；　Hairy　Bugger；　climbed　out　of　his　pocket　and　rode　on　top　of　his　head；　eyes　closed；　smacking　and　chattering　contentedly。　Tom　had　almost　forgotten　what　a　breeze　felt　like　on　his　skin。
　They　camped　on　a　sandy　beach　at　the　far　end　of　the　lake。　Chori　and　Pingo　went　hunting　and　returned　an　hour　later　with　a　gutted　and　quartered　deer；　the　bloody　chunks　wrapped　in　palm　fronds。
　〃Splendid！〃　cried　Don　Alfonso。　〃Tomás；　we　will　eat　deer　chops　tonight　and　smoke　the　rest　for　our　overland　journey。〃
　Don　Alfonso　roasted　the　loin　chops　over　the　fire　while　Pingo　and　Chori　built　a　smoking　rack　over　a　second　fire　nearby。　Tom　watched　with　interest　as　they　expertly　sliced　off　long　pieces　of　meat　with　their　machetes　and　flipped　them　over　the　rack；　then　piled　wet　wood　on　the　fire；　generating　fragrant　clouds　of　smoke。
　The　chops　were　soon　done；　and　Don　Alfonso　served　them　out。　As　they　ate；　Tom　raised　the　question　he　had　been　wanting　to　ask。　〃Don　Alfonso；　where　do　we　go　from　here？〃
　Don　Alfonso　tossed　a　bone　into　the　darkness　behind　him。　〃Five　rivers　flow　into　the　Laguna　Negra。　We　must　find　out　which　river　your　father　went　up。〃
　〃Where　do　they　originate？〃
　〃They　have　their　sources　in　the　interior　mountain　ranges。　Some　flow　out　of　the　Cordillera　Entre　Rios；　some　from　the　Sierra　Patuca；　and　some　flow　out　of　the　Sierra　de　las　Neblinas。　The　Macaturi　is　the　longest　river；　and　it　rises　in　the　Sierra　Azul；　which　is　halfway　to　the　Pacific　Ocean。〃
　〃Are　they　navigable　by　boat？〃
　〃The　lower　parts　are　said　to　be。〃
　〃　'Said　to　be'？〃　Tom　asked。　〃You　haven't　been　up　them？〃
　〃None　of　my　people　have　been　up　them。　The　country　back　there　is　very　dangerous。〃
　〃How　so？〃　asked　Sally。
　〃The　animals　are　not　afraid　of　people。　There　are　earthquakes；　volcanoes；　and　bad　spirits。　There　is　a　city　of　demons　from　which　no　one　ever　returns。〃
　〃A　city　of　demons？〃　Vernon　asked；　suddenly　interested。
　〃Yes。　La　Ciudad　Blanca。　The　White　City。〃
　〃What　kind　of　city　is　it？〃
　〃Built　by　gods　long　ago；　it　lies　in　ruins。〃
　Vernon　gnawed　on　a　bone；　then　tossed　it　into　the　fire。　Matter…of…factly；　he　said：　〃There's　the　answer。〃
　〃The　answer　to　what？〃
　〃Where　Father　went。〃
　Tom　stared　at　him。　〃That's　a　rather　big　leap。　How　can　you　know？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　But　that's　just　the　kind　of　place　Father　would　go。　He'd　love　a　story　like　that。　He'd　check　it　out　for　sure。　And　stories　like　that　are　often　based　in　reality。　I　bet　he　did　find　a　lost　city　there；　some　big　old　ruin。〃
　〃But　there　aren't　supposed　to　be　any　ruins　in　those　mountains。〃
　〃Says　who？〃　Vernon　pulled　another　roasted　chop　off　the　palm　leaves　and　tucked　in。
　Tom　remembered　the　very　red…faced　Derek　Dunn　and　his　breezy　assertion　that　anacondas　didn't　eat　people。　He　turned　to　Don　Alfonso。　〃Is　this　White　City　mon　knowledge？〃
　Don　Alfonso　nodded　slowly；　his　face　contracted　into　a　mask　of　wrinkles。　〃It　is　talked　about。〃
　〃Where　is　it？〃
　Don　Alfonso　shook　his　head。　〃It　has　no　fixed　location　but　moves　about　the　highest　peaks　of　the　Sierra　Azul；　always　shifting　and　hiding　in　the　mists　of　the　mountain。〃
　〃So　it's　a　myth。〃　Tom　glanced　at　Vernon。
　〃Oh　no；　Tomás；　it's　real。　They　say　it　can　only　be　reached　by　crossing　a　bottomless　gorge。　Those　who　slip　and　fall　die　of　fright；　and　then　their　bodies　keep　falling　until　they　are　bones；　and　the　bones　keep　tumbling　until　they　fall　apart。　In　the　end　there　is　nothing　left　but　a　plume　of　bone　dust；　which　will　fall　in　the　darkness　for　eternity。〃
　Don　Alfonso　chucked　a　piece　of　wood　into　the　fire。　Tom　watched　as　it　smoked　and　then　caught　fire；　the　flames　eating　up　its　sides。　The　White　City。
　〃There　aren't　any　lost　cities　in　this　day　and　age；〃　said　Tom。
　〃That's　where　you're　wrong；〃　said　Sally。　〃There　are　dozens；　maybe　even　hundreds　of　them；　in　places　like　Cambodia；　Burma；　the　Gobi　Desert…and　especially　here；　in　Central　America。　Like　Site　Q。〃
　〃Site　Q？〃
　〃The　loot　has　been　pouring　out　of　Site　Q　for　thirty　years　now　and　it's　driving　the　archaeologists　crazy。　They　know　it　must　be　a　great　Mayan　city；　probably　somewhere　in　the　Guatemalan　lowlands；　but　they　can't　find　it。　Meanwhile　the　looters　are　taking　it　apart　stone　by　stone　and　selling　it　off　on　the　black　market。〃
　〃Father　hung　out　in　bars；〃　Vernon　said；　〃buying　rounds　for　Indians；　loggers；　and　gold　prospectors；　listening　for　gossip　about　ruins　and　lost　cities。　He　even　learned　some　Indian　language。　Remember；　Tom；　how　he　used　to　launch　into　it　at　dinner　parties？〃
　〃I　always　thought　he　was　just　making　it　up。〃
　〃Look；〃　said　Vernon；　〃think　about　it　for