p&c.thunderhead-第41节

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ut　fifty　feet。　The　front　two　were　freestanding；　the　rear　two　were　actually　mortared　to　the　natural　stone　roof　of　the　alcove。　
　The　ruin　was　in　beautiful　condition；　but　on　closer　view　it　was　far　from　perfect。　Nora　could　see　several　ugly　fractures　snaking　up　the　sides　of　the　four　towers。　In　one　place；　the　masonry　had　peeled　off　part　of　an　upper　story；　revealing　a　dark　interior。　In　the　terraced　city　between　the　towers；　several　of　the　third…story　rooms　had　collapsed。　Others　appeared　to　have　burned。　But　overall　the　city　was　remarkably　well　preserved；　its　huge　walls　built　of　stone　courses　mortared　with　adobe。　Wooden　ladders　stood　against　some　of　the　walls。　Hundreds　of　rooms　were　still　intact　and　roofed…a　plicated　arrangement　of　roomblocks　and　smaller　circular　kivas；　dotted　with　black　windows　and　doorways。　The　Great　Kiva　that　dominated　the　center　seemed　almost　untouched。　It　was　a　city　made　to　last　forever。　
　Nora's　eyes　wandered　into　the　dark　recesses　of　the　alcove。　Behind　the　towers；　terraced　roomblocks；　and　plazas　lay　a　narrow　passageway　that　ran　between　the　back　of　the　city　and　a　long　row　of　squat　granaries。　The　passageway　was　low　and　dim。　Behind　the　granaries　appeared　to　lie　a　second；　even　more　constricted　alleyway…no　more　than　a　sunken　crawlspace；　really…cloaked　in　darkness。　This　was　unusual：　in　fact；　Nora　had　never　seen　anything　like　it。　In　most　Anasazi　cities；　the　granaries　were　built　directly　into　the　back　wall　of　the　cave。　
　Although　the　archaeologist　in　her　registered　these　observations；　Nora　was　aware　that　her　hands　were　shaking　and　her　heart　was　thudding　at　a　breakneck　pace。　
　〃Is　this　real？〃　she　heard　Sloane　mutter　hoarsely。　
　As　they　slowly　approached　the　city；　a　remarkable　series　of　pictographs　became　visible　on　the　cliff　face　beside　them。　They　had　been　laid　down　in　several　layers；　figures　painted　over　figures；　a　palimpsest　of　Anasazi　imagery　in　red；　yellow；　black；　and　white。　There　were　handprints；　spirals；　shamanistic　figures　with　huge　shoulders　and　power　lines　radiating　from　their　heads；　antelope；　deer；　snakes；　and　a　bear；　along　with　geometric　designs　of　unknown　meaning。　
　〃Look　up；〃　Sloane　said。　
　Nora　followed　her　glance。　There；　twenty　feet　above　their　heads；　were　rows　upon　rows　of　negative　handprints：　paint　sprayed　over　a　hand　held　against　the　rock；　a　great　crowd　waving　goodbye。　Above　that；　on　the　domed　roof　itself；　the　Anasazi　had　painted　a　plicated　pattern　of　crosses　and　dots　of　various　sizes。　Something　about　it　was　vaguely　familiar。　
　Then　it　hit　her。　〃My　God；　it's　an　Anasazi　planetarium。〃　
　〃Yes。　That's　the　constellation　Orion。　And　there's　Cassiopeia；　I　think。　It's　just　like　the　Planetarium　at　Canyon　de　Chelly；　only　more　elaborate　by　far。〃　
　Instinctively；　Nora　raised　her　camera。　Then　she　dropped　it　again。　There　would　be　time；　plenty　of　time；　later。　Now　she　just　wanted　to　simply　experience　it。　She　took　a　step　forward；　then　hesitated　and　glanced　at　her　panion。　
　〃I　know　what　you　mean；〃　Sloane　said。　〃I　feel　the　same　way。　It's　as　if　we　don't　belong　here。〃　
　〃We　don't；〃　Nora　heard　herself　say。　
　Sloane　looked　at　her　a　moment。　Then　she　turned　and　began　to　move　toward　the　ruin。　Nora　followed　slowly。　
　As　they　walked　into　the　cool　darkness；　their　shadows　merged　with　the　shadows　of　the　stone。　A　group　of　swallows　burst　out　of　a　cluster　of　mud　nests　above　their　heads；　wheeling　out　into　the　sunlight；　dipping　and　crying　with　displeasure　at　the　intrusion。　
　They　walked　toward　a　broad　plaza　area　in　front　of　the　towers；　their　feet　sinking　into　soft　sand。　Glancing　down；　Nora　saw　there　was　almost　no　cultural　debris　on　the　surface：　many　inches　of　fine；　windblown　dust　had　covered　everything。　
　At　the　front　of　the　first　tower；　Nora　stopped　and　laid　her　hand　on　the　cool　masonry。　The　tower　had　been　built　straight　and　sure；　with　a　slight　inward　slope。　There　were　no　doors　in　its　face；　entry　must　have　been　gained　from　the　back。　A　few　notches　far　up　its　flank　looked　like　arrow　ports。　Peering　into　one　of　the　cracks　in　the　bottom　of　the　tower；　she　saw　the　masonry　was　at　least　ten　feet　thick。　The　towers　were　obviously　for　defense。　
　Sloane　walked　around　the　tower's　front；　Nora　following　in　her　wake。　It　was　odd；　she　thought；　how　they　were　instinctively　staying　together。　There　was　something　unsettling　about　the　place；　something　she　couldn't　immediately　put　into　words。　Perhaps　it　was　the　defensive　nature　of　the　site：　the　massive　walls；　the　lack　of　ground…floor　doors。　There　were　even　piles　of　round　rocks　stacked　on　some　of　the　frontline　roofs；　clearly　intended　as　weapons　to　be　dropped　on　the　heads　of　any　invaders。　Or　maybe　it　was　the　absolute　silence　of　the　city；　the　powdery　smell　of　the　dust；　the　faint　odor　of　corruption　that　unnerved　her。　
　She　glanced　at　Sloane。　The　woman　had　recovered　her　posure　and　was　scratching　in　her　sketchbook。　Her　calm　presence　was　reassuring。　
　She　turned　back　to　the　tower。　On　the　back　side；　at　the　second…story　level；　she　could　now　see　a　small　keyhole　doorway；　partly　collapsed。　It　was　accessible　from　a　flat　roof；　against　which　leaned　a　pole　ladder；　perfectly　preserved。　She　moved　to　the　ladder　and　carefully　climbed　to　the　roof。　Closing　her　sketchbook；　Sloane　followed。　A　moment　later；　they　ducked　beneath　the　doorway　and　were　staring　up　into　the　gloom　of　the　tower。　
　As　she　had　expected；　there　was　no　staircase　inside。　Instead；　running　up　the　center；　was　a　series　of　notched　poles；　resting　on　shelves。　Stones　projected　from　the　inner　walls；　providing　footholds。　Nora　had　seen　this　type　of　arrangement　before；　at　a　ruin　in　New　Mexico　called　Shaft　House。　In　order　to　ascend　the　tower；　one　had　to　climb　spraddle…legged；　one　foot　using　the　notches　in　the　poles；　and　the　other　foot　using　the　stones　fastened　into　the　wall。　It　was　a　deliberately　precarious　and　exposed　method　of　climbing；　keeping　all　four　of　the　climber's　limbs　occupied。　From　above；　defenders　could　knock　off　climbing　invaders　with　rocks　or　arrows。　At　the　very　top　of　the　tower；　the　last　pole　ladder　went　through　a　small　hole　into　a　tiny　room　beneath　the　roof：　the　last　redoubt　in　case　of　attack。　
　Nora　looked　at　the　huge　cracks　in　the　walls；　and　at　the　pole　ladders；　flimsy　and　brittle　with　dry　rot。　Even　when　first　built；　it　would　have　been　a　terrifying　climb；　now；　it　was　unthinkable。　She　nodded　to　Sloane；　and　they　ducked　back　through　the　door　and　climbed　down　to　the　stepped…back　facade　of　the　city　itself。　Any　exploration　of　the　towers　would　have　to　wait。　
　Walking　away　from　the　tower；　Nora　approached　the　foot　of　the　nearest　roomblock。　Over　the　centuries；　windblown　sand　had　drifted　up　against　the　front　of　the　houses。　In　places；　the　drifts　were　so　high　a　person　could　climb　to　the　flat　roofs　that　led　to　the　upper　stories；　and　from　there　into　the　second…floor　houses　themselves。　Beyond　the　roomblocks；　she　could　see　the　circular　form　of　the　Great　Kiva　and　the　stylized　blue　disk　incised　into　its　facade；　a　white　band　at　its　top。　
　Sloane　drifted　over　silently；　glancing　first　at　Nora；　then　the　sandpile。　Again；　Nora　realized　that　protocol　dictated　they　return　for　the　others；　establish　a　formal　pattern　of　discovery。　But　she　also　realized　that　nobody；　not　even　Richard　Wetherill；　had　found　an　Anasazi　city　like　this　one。　The　urge　to　explore　was　too　strong　to　resist。　
　They　scrambled　up　the　sandpile　to　the　first…story　roofs。　Ahead　of　them　lay　a　row　of　darkened；　keyhole　doorways。　As　Nora　glanced　around；　she　saw；　arrayed　along　the　edge　of　the　roof；　partly　buried　in　sand；　eight　gorgeous　St。　John's　Polychrome　pots　in　perfect　condition。　Three　of　them　still　had　their　sandstone　lids。　
　The　women　paused　at　the　nearest　doorway；　once　again　feeling　the　strange　hesitation。　〃Let's　go　inside；〃　Sloane　said　at　last。　
　Nora　ducked　through　the　doorway。　Gradually；　as　her　eyes　adjusted　to　the　dim　light；　she　could　see　the　room　was　not　empty。　On　the　far　side　was　a　firepit　with　a　stone　al。　Beside　it　were　two　corrugated　cooking　pots；　blackened　with　smoke。　One　had　broken　open；　spilling　tiny　Anasazi　corncobs　across　the　floor。　Packrats　had　built　a　nest　in　one　corner；　a　junk　heap　of　sticks　and　cactus　husks　thickly　laid　with　dung。　The　acrid　scent　of　their　urine　permeated　the　room。　As　Nora　stepped　forward；　she　saw；　hanging　on　a　peg　near　the　door；　a　pair　of　sandals　made　from　woven　yucca　fibers。　
　Sloane　switched　on　her　flashlight　and　played　its　beam　toward　a　dark　doorway　that　beckoned　on　the　far　wall。　Stepping　through；　Nora　saw　that　the　second　room　had　a　plicated　painted　design　running　like　a　border　around　the　plastered　walls。　〃It's　a　snake；〃　she　said。　〃A　stylized　rattlesnake。〃　
　〃Unbelievable。〃　Sloane　ran　the　beam　along　the　design。　〃As　if　it　was　painted　yesterday。〃　The　light　came　to　rest　in　a　niche　on　one　wall。　〃Look；　Nora；　there's　something　there。〃　
　Nora　stepped　over。　It　was　bundle　of　buckskin；　about　the　size　of　a　fist；　tightly　rolled　and　tied。　
　〃It's　a　medicine　bundle；〃　she　whispered。　〃A　mountain　soil　bundle；　from　the　look　of　it。〃　
　Sloane　stared　at　her。　〃Do　you　know　of　anyone　finding　an　intact　Anasazi　medicine　bundle？〃　she　asked。　
　〃No；〃　said　Nora。　〃I　think　this　is　the　first。〃　
　They　stood　in　the　room　for　a　few　moments；　breathing　in　the　ancient　air。　Then　Nora　found　her　eyes　drawn　to　a　third　doorway。　It　was　smaller　than　the　others；　and　appeared　to　lead　to　a