thillerman.theblessingway-第32节

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！


　〃Killing　you　is　going　to　cost　me　thirty　thousand　dollars；〃　Eddie　said。　〃It's　going　to　cost　George　twice　that　much。〃　He　paused　again。　〃Are　you　going　to　make　me　do　it？〃
　McKee　found　he　was　holding　his　breath　again。　Eddie　was　examining　the　wall；　making　his　choice。
　McKee　looked　at　the　rock　in　his　hand。　He　turned　his　body；　braced　himself；　and　threw　it　in　a　high　arching　toss　up　the　crevasse。　There　was　a　sudden　echoing　clatter　as　the　stone　bounced　from　wall　to　wall。　Eddie　took　five　quick；　almost　running；　steps　down　the　path　and　then　stopped　abruptly　just　short　of　the　pi？on。
　McKee　held　the　knife　blade　against　the　taut　cloth。　Eddie　looked　up　along　the　wall　and　then　squatted；　peering　past　the　lower　branches　of　the　pi？on；　so　close　now　that　McKee　could　only　see　his　left　shoulder　and　part　of　his　back。
　It　happened　very　quickly　then。
　Eddie　moved　swiftly　into　the　gap　between　tree　and　crevasse　and　McKee　slashed　downward　with　the　knife。　He　knew　even　as　the　rope　parted　that　Eddie　had　stopped　again。　He　had　underestimated　the　gunman's　caution。
　ing　over　the　wall；　McKee　saw　only　part　of　what　happened。　There　was　the　blast　of　Eddie's　pistol；　fired　into　the　swinging　mass　of　the　limb。　Then　the　blond　man；　with　lightning　reflexes；　leaped　backward　in　a　spinning　crouch…swinging　the　pistol　barrel　toward　him。
　Eddie；　suddenly；　was　no　longer　there。　There　was　a　cry…a　sound　mixed　of　surprise　and　anger　and　fear…and　a　crashing　thump。　Eddie's　reflexive　leap　had　carried　him　off　the　edge　of　the　cliff　into　the　crevasse。
　When　McKee　first　looked　into　the　crevasse　he　presumed　Eddie　was　dead。　The　man　had　apparently　struck　a　sloping　slab　of　sandstone　about　twenty　feet　below　the　shelf；　bounced　from　that　against　a　block…shaped　mass　of　black　rock；　which　jammed　the　center　of　the　crack；　and　then　fallen　another　ten　feet。　He　was　caught　in　an　awkward　jackknifed　sitting　position　between　rocks　about　fifteen　feet　above　the　sandy　floor　of　the　crevasse。　Eddie's　pistol　lay　on　the　sand；　about　forty…five　feet　down。　McKee　stared　at　it　longingly。　It　was　as　unreachable　as　the　moon。
　And　then　he　saw　Eddie's　head　move。　Eddie　was　looking　up　at　him。　His　nose　was　bleeding；　McKee　noticed；　and　he　was　breathing　through　his　mouth。　McKee　stared　at　the　man；　feeling　a　mixture　of　embarrassment　and　pity。
　〃I　fell　off；〃　Eddie　said。
　〃Yeh；〃　McKee　said。　〃When　you　jumped　back　from　that　tree。〃
　He　started　to　say　he　was　sorry；　but　caught　himself。
　〃Can　you　get　down　here　to　me？　I　got　to　have　help。〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　McKee　said。　〃George　took　the　ladder　down。　You　know　any　other　way？〃
　〃I　was　going　to　draw　forty…five　thousand　dollars；〃　Eddie　said。　〃They　had　it　written　up　so　I'd　get　fifteen　thousand　when　they　were　finished　and　then　thirty　thousand　if　nobody　knew　about　it　a　year　from　now。　That's　why　we　had　to　have　you　write　that　letter。〃
　The　blood　from　Eddie's　nose　ran　across　his　chin。　He　coughed。　〃I　can't　feel　anything　in　my　arms。〃
　〃Who　are　they？〃　McKee　asked。　〃What　are　you　doing　in　here？〃
　〃George　was　getting　more　because　he　made　the　contract　and　it　was　up　to　him；〃　Eddie　said。　〃After　this　one；　if　we　got　it　all；　I'd　of　had　almost　two　hundred　thousand　dollars　saved　up。〃　He　coughed　again。　〃You　don't　pay　taxes　on　it。〃
　Eddie's　head　tilted　forward。　He　seemed　to　be　staring　at　the　rock　in　front　of　him。　McKee　knew　he　was　looking　at　death。　If　Eddie　had　been　Navajo；　soon　his　ghost　would　have　been　escaping　to　wander　eternally；　bining　all　that　was　weak；　and　evil；　and　unnatural　in　the　man；　and　leaving　behind　all　that　was　natural　and　good。　Only　the　Dinee　who　died　before　their　first　cry　at　birth；　or　of　a　natural　old　age；　escaped　this　fate　and　enjoyed　simple　oblivion。　Eddie's　ghost　would　be　a　greedy　one；　McKee　thought；　always　coveting　material　possessions…the　Navajo　ultimate　of　unnatural　wickedness。
　Eddie　coughed。
　〃Eddie；　where's　George　now？　How　long　will　it　be　before　he　es　back？〃
　It　took　Eddie　a　moment　to　raise　his　head。　〃Today's　when　they　were　trying　to　get　it　finished。　George　had　to　go　out　and　uncover　the　sets　and　after　that。。。〃　Eddie　paused　to　cough　again。　〃Then　we　were　going　to　pull　out　of　here。　One　more　day　for　George　to　clean　up　and　then　we'd　be　finished。〃
　〃But　when　will　George　be　back？〃
　〃I…I　don't　know；〃　Eddie　said。
　〃Please；〃　McKee　said。　〃I　have　to　know。〃
　〃No。　It　wouldn't　help。　He　works　out　of　Los　Angeles；　but　I　heard　about　him　all　the　way　back　East。　They　say　he　never　broke　a　contract。〃　Eddie　coughed　again。　〃Never　screwed　up　a　job。　He'll　kill　you　and　your　woman　and　then　he'll　go　on　away。〃
　McKee　felt　a　sudden　surge　of　hope。　It　lasted　only　a　second。
　〃Didn't　you　kill　her？〃
　〃Oh；〃　Eddie　said。　His　voice　was　weak。　〃I　forgot　for　a　minute。〃
　He　peered　up　at　McKee；　frowning。　〃Told　her　not　to　yell；〃　he　said。　〃Maybe　it　didn't　kill　her。〃
　McKee　left　him　talking。　He　ran；　hurdling　the　crumbled　walls；　back　to　where　Ellen　would　be。
　She　was　lying　almost　out　of　the　crawl　hole。　She　had　apparently　been　emerging　on　hands　and　knees　when　Eddie　shot　her。　McKee　stood　a　long　moment　looking　at　her；　feeling　infinitely　lonely　and　terribly　tired。　It　wasn't　until　he　lifted　her　that　he　realized　she　was　still　alive。
　The　bullet　had　cut　through　her　cheek；　deflected　past　her　jawbone；　struck　the　top　of　her　shoulder；　and　torn　out　through。the　back　of　her　shirt。　McKee　brought　water；　canned　food；　the　first…aid　kit；　and　one　of　the　sleeping　bags　from　the　campsite。　He　laid　her　on　the　bed　roll　and　examined　the　wounds。　The　slug　apparently　had　hit　her　right　shoulder　blade；　breaking　it。　It　had　deflected　out　through　the　back　muscle；　leaving　a　hole　around　which　a　seep　of　blood　was　beginning　to　clot。　He　rinsed　the　wounds；　powdered　them　with　disinfectant　from　the　kit；　bandaged　her　face；　and　applied　a　pad　of　gauze　to　the　ragged　tear　where　the　bullet　had　finally　emerged。
　There　was　nothing　else　to　do。　He　trotted　back　to　the　crevasse。　Maybe　Eddie　could　tell　him　something　useful。　Eddie　was　still　staring　at　the　rock　in　front　of　him；　but　now　Eddie　would　answer　no　more　questions。
　McKee　stared　down　at　the　body；　thinking　of　what　the　blond　man　had　told　him。　The　Big　Navajo　was　from　Los　Angeles。　Probably；　McKee　thought；　a　〃Relocation　Navajo〃…a　child　of　one　of　those　unfortunate　families　moved　off　the　drought…stricken　Reservation　to　urban　centers　during　the　1930's。　It　had　been　one　of　the　most　disastrous　experiments　of　the　Bureau　of　Indian　Affairs；　turning　hungry　sheepherders　into　hungry　city　alcoholics。　If　George　had　been　raised　in　Los　Angeles；　it　would　explain　his　weak　mand　of　the　Navajo　gutturals；　and　why　what　he　knew　of　witches　came　from　books。　And　maybe　it　would　explain　an　Indian　with　the　underworld　connections　which　Eddie　had　seemed　to　imply。　But　it　didn't　explain　why　George　and　Eddie　had　been　assigned　to　scare　sheepherders　out　of　this　canyon　country。　Or　why　it　was　so　important　that　no　one　learned　they　had　been　here。
　The　metal　of　Eddie's　pistol　reflected　the　early…morning　sun。　With　that；　McKee　thought；　he　could　simply　wait　for　the　Big　Navajo　to　return；　shoot　him；　carry　Ellen　down　the　ladder　and　take　her　to　the　hospital　in　the　Land…Rover。　But　the　pistol　was　beyond　recovery。　No　way　down　into　the　crevasse　and　no　way　up　if　he　got　down。
　He　thought　about　it。　Without　the　pistol　he　could　probably　keep　the　Big　Navajo　off　the　cliff。　There　were　food　and　water　at　the　camp。　He　could　wait　the　big　man　out。　But　Ellen　would　be　dying。
　McKee　chewed　on　his　lip；　trying　desperately　to　think　of　the　best　solution。　It　was　then　he　remembered　the　truck。　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　had　said　it　was　parked　in　Hard　Goods　Canyon；　nine　miles　up　from　the　mouth　of　Many　Ruins。　That　must　be　close…within　two　miles　at　the　most。　He　made　his　decision。
　It　took　him　only　a　few　minutes　to　hide　Ellen　Leon　where　the　Big　Navajo　might　not　be　able　to　find　her。　He　carried　her　on　the　sleeping　bag　back　into　the　ruins　under　the　cuff。　He　put　her　in　a　room；　with　food　and　water　beside　her；　and　readjusted　the　bandage　on　her　face。　He　saw　then　that　her　eyes　were　open。
　〃Bergen。〃　She　held　out　her　hand　and　he　took　it…conscious　of　how　small　and　fragile　it　felt。
　〃Lie　very　still；〃　he　said。　〃I'm　going　to　climb　out　and　get　help。〃
　〃Bergen；〃　she　said　again。　〃Be　careful。〃
　He　ran　back　to　the　fissure　in　the　cliff。　He　would　climb　out　and　find　the　truck。　Somehow　he　would　find　the　truck。　If　he　didn't　it　would　take　a　day　and　a　night　to　walk　to　Shoemaker's。　Eighteen　or　twenty　hours；　he　guessed；　which　was　about　twelve　more　than　he　could　spare。
　He　pushed　past　the　pi？on　tree　into　the　dark　fissure；　swallowing　his　dread　of　the　climb。　She　had　said　Hall　was　smart…brilliant。　If　he　could　find　Jim　Hall；　maybe　Hall　would　be　smart　enough　to　save　the　girl　he　was　engaged　to　marry。
　
　Chapter　17
　
　The　sun　was　almost　directly　overhead　when　McKee　found　the　wires。　He　squatted　in　the　thin　shade　of　a　juniper　and　examined　them…a　cable　about　the　diameter　of　his　finger　paralleled　by　a　lighter　wire。　Both　were　heavily　insulated　with　gray　rubber；　almost　invisible　on　the　rocky　ground。　The　heavier　one；　McKee　thought；　would　carry　electrical　current。　The　lighter　one　might　be　anything；　maybe　even　a　telephone　wire。　They　must　be　part　of　the　data…collection　system　for　Dr。　Hall's　sound　experiments；　McKee　knew；　and　they　gave　him　the　second　hope　he　had　felt　since　emerging　from　the　chimney