thillerman.theblessingway-第8节

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auses　to　produce　a　scapegoat　witch。　The　cause；　when　he　found　it；　now　would　likely　be　something　isolated　and　outside　the　usual　social　pattern。　He　decided　to　pursue　this　point　very　gingerly。
　〃Who　is　the　Navajo　who　says　this　Wolf　is　a　stranger？〃　McKee　asked。
　〃I　heard　that　from　my　husband。　He　said　they　told　him　that　one　of　the　Tsosie　boys　found　the　place　in　an　arroyo　over　that　way〃…Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　made　a　vague　gesture　with　her　lips　toward　the　Lukachukai　slopes…〃where　the　Wolf　had　camped。　It　was　a　dry　camp　and　there　was　a　spring　just　a　mile　up　the　arroyo。　If　he　lived　around　here　he　would　have　known　where　the　water　was。〃
　〃How　did　they　know　it　was　the　Wolf's　camp？〃　McKee　asked。
　They　said　to　my　husband　that　the　boot　tracks　were　the　same　tracks　that　Tsosie　Begay　found　around　his　sheep　pen　after　the　Wolf　came　there。〃
　So；　thought　McKee。
　〃Is　this　boy　of　the　family　of　Charley　Tsosie？〃　he　asked。
　〃It　is　the　son　of　Charley；〃　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　said。　〃He　didn't　get　married　so　he　is　still　with　the　clan。〃
　〃And　the　Tsosie　place　is　the　one　the　Wolf　came　to？〃
　〃That's　what　is　said。　Charley　Tsosie　was　one　of　them　he　bothered。〃
　〃Do　you　know　the　name　of　the　other　ones？〃　McKee　asked。　Before　their　meal　she　had　assured　him　that　she　didn't　know　the　identity　of　anyone　who　claimed　to　be　troubled　by　a　Wolf。　McKee　considered　this　small　lie；　now　gracefully　retracted；　not　as　an　indication　of　a　Navajo　secrecy　but　as　a　further　demonstration　of　the　mystery　of　womanhood。　He　had　no　theory　concerning　why　Old　Woman　。Gray　Rocks　had　withheld　this　information　earlier；　and　no　theory　concerning　why　she　had　decided　to　confide　it　to　him　now；　and　no　idea　whether　she　would　tell　him　more。　McKee　had　concluded　years　ago　that　the　intricacies　of　feminine　logic　were　beyond　his　prehension。
　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　seemed　not　to　have　heard　the　question。　She　was　looking　down　the　slope　toward　the　pole　corral；　where　two　young　grandsons　were　putting　a　saddle　on　a　scrubby…looking　horse。
　〃I　heard　at　the　trading　post　that　the　other　one　the　Wolf　came　after　was　a　man　they　called　Afraid　of　His　Horse；〃　McKee　said。　〃But　someone　else　said　that　wasn't　right。　And　someone　else　told　it　was　a　fellow　named　Shelton　Nakai；　but　they　didn't　know　where　he　lived　now。〃
　〃Who　told　you　it　was　Afraid　of　His　Horse？〃　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　asked。
　〃I　don't　remember　who　it　was　now；〃　McKee　said。　It　had　been　Mr。　Shoemaker　at　the　trading　post；　and　Shoemaker　had　also　told　him　that　Afraid　of　His　Horse　was　the　son…in…law　of　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks。
　〃Maybe　it　was　Ben　Yazzie　the　witch　was　after；〃　the　woman　said　slowly。　〃I　don't　know　where　he　lives　now。　He　used　to　graze　some　sheep　way　up　on　the　high　slopes　over　there　by　Horse　Fell　and　Many　Ruins　Canyon…　That's　where　he　used　to　have　his　summer　hogan。〃
　McKee　thought　she　looked　nervous；　and　he　thought　he　knew　why。　She　didn't　want　her　son…in…law　connected；　even　in　gossip；　with　witching；　so　she　was　turning　his　attention　to　Yazzie。　He　would　find　Charley　Tsosie；　Ben　Yazzie；　and　Afraid　of　His　Horse　later；　and　talk　to　them；　but　now　he　would　change　the　subject。　He　wanted　to　learn　more；　if　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　would　tell　him；　about　why　this　witch　was　thought　to　be　a　stranger。
　〃I　don't　know　why　they　think　this　Wolf　doesn't　live　around　here；〃　McKee　said。　〃Maybe　he　made　that　dry　camp　in　the　arroyo　because　he　thought　somebody　would　e　to　the　spring　and　he　didn't　want　them　to　find　him。〃
　〃Somebody　saw　him　one　night；〃　the　old　woman　said。　She　spoke　very　slowly；　weighing　what　she　would　say；　and　how　much　she　would　say。　〃Witches　e　out　mostly　when　there　is　a　moon　and　there　was　a　moon　that　night。　This　man　he　woke　up　in　the　night　and　heard　a　coyote　singing　and　he　went　out　to　see　about　some　lambs　he　had　penned　up　out　there　and　he　saw　the　witch　there　in　the　moonlight。　It　wasn't　anyone　who　has　his　hogan　around　here。〃
　McKee　started　to　ask　the　name　of　this　man；　and　thought　better　of　it。　This　〃someone〃　would　be　Afraid　of　His　Horse；　the　old　woman's　son…in…law。
　〃But　how　did　this　man　know　he　was　seeing　a　witch？〃　McKee　asked。　〃Maybe　it　was　just　somebody　walking　through　there。〃
　McKee　thought；　for　a　long　moment；　that　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　would　ignore　the　question。　He　let　it　hang　in　the　heavy　silence。　Behind　the　winter　hogan；　the　dogs　began　to　bark　and　McKee　heard　the　sound　of　the　pickup　truck…Canfield　ing　back　from　Shoemaker's　with　the　groceries。
　〃The　way　I　heard　it；〃　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　said；　still　slowly；　〃this　witch　had　a　wolf　skin　over　his　back　and　he　was　down　where　those　rams　were　penned；　killing　them　with　a　knife。〃
　Canfield　arrived　from　Shoemaker's　with　43　worth　of　groceries　in　the　camper；　a　case　of　beer；　and　a　letter　from　Ellen　Leon；　postmarked　Page；　Arizona。　She　planned　to　spend　a　day　or　two　checking　the　trading　posts　around　Mormon　Ridge　and　the　Kaibab　Plateau　in　the　northwest　section　of　the　Reservation。　And　then　she　would　e　to　Chinle　on　Thursday　and　drive　over　to　Shoemaker's　trading　post　and　find　out　where　she　could　meet　them。　Canfield　had　left　a　note　and　a　penciled　map　telling　her　they　would　be　camped　about　five　miles　up　the　main　branch　of　Many　Ruins　Canyon　and　showing　her　how　to　get　there。
　〃Works　out　good　for　everybody；〃　Canfield　said。　〃You've　got　your　witchery　business　going　on　in　the　neighborhood；　and　if　we　have　time；　we　can　look　around　up　in　there　and　see　if　we　can　find　that　green　van。〃　He　grinned。　〃Let's　hope　we　don't　find　it。　We'll　get　out　my　guitar　and　serenade　her　and　spend　bacchanal　evenings　under　the　Navajo　moon。〃
　〃I　don't　know　if　I've　got　any　witchery　business　yet；〃　McKee　said。　〃I've　got　to　find　this　Tsosie　family　and　find　out　what　their　trouble　is；　if　anything。　According　to　the　old　lady；　Charley　usually　has　his　summer　hogan　just　a　few　miles　south　of　where　we'll　be　camping；　so　that　should　be　easy。　Then　maybe　the　Tsosies　can　tell　me　where　to　find　Afraid　of　His　Horse。　The　old　lady　didn't　want　to　talk　about　him。　They　don't　like　witch　trouble　in　the　family。〃
　〃What　are　you　going　to　do　about　Horseman？〃
　McKee　thought　about　it。　〃I　think　I　ought　to　go　on　back　to　Chinle　tomorrow　and　call　Leaphorn　about　it；〃　he　said。
　〃Your　cop　really　thinks　it　wasn't　a　natural　death？〃
　〃I　don't　think　he　knows；〃　McKee　said。　〃But　he　guessed　right　about　Horseman　ing　back　in　here　to　hide。〃
　Canfield　let　the　pickup　idle　along　the　hard…packed　sand　of　the　canyon　floor；　turning　occasionally　to　side　canyons　to　check　his　map　and　his　memory　of　where　cliff　ruins　he　would　inspect　were　located。　The　sun　was　low　as　they　penetrated　the　upper　canyon。　Here　the　cliffs　closed　in；　rising　in　sheer；　almost　smooth　walls　nearly　four　hundred　feet　to　a　narrow　slit　of　sky　above。　Here　in　this　slot　of　eroded　stone　darkness　came　early。　Canfield　had　switched　on　his　headlights　before　he　found　a　likely　camp…a　hillock　of　rocky　debris　which　had　collected　enough　soil　to　support　an　expanse　of　grass　and　even　a　growth　of　young　cottonwoods　and　willows。
　By　the　time　they　had　Canfield's　working　tent　pitched　and　supper　cooked；　the　first　stars　were　visible　over　the　canyon　walls。　A　nighthawk　flashed　past　them；　hunting。　Up　canyon　a　rasping　hoot　touched　off　a　dull　pattern　of　echoes。
　〃Saw…whet　owl；〃　Canfield　said。　He　grinned　at　McKee。　〃If　Leaphorn　was　right；　maybe　that's　Horseman's　ghost　enjoying　the　night　out。〃
　They　ate　and　then　sat　in　the　silent　darkness；　watching　the　light　of　the　early　moon　light　the　top　of　the　canyon　walls。　From　some　infinite　distance　came　the　faint　sound　of　barking。
　〃Take　your　pick；〃　McKee　said。　〃A　coyote；　some　sheepherder's　lost　dog；　or　one　of　my　witches　turned　into　a　wolf　for　the　evening。〃
　Canfield　took　the　turquoise　frog　from　his　pocket　and　rubbed　it；　chuckling。
　〃I'll　say　it's　a　witch；〃　he　said；　〃because　this　keeps　me　safe　from　witches。〃
　Actually；　McKee　remembered；　the　turquoise　shape　wasn't　a　Navajo　charm。　It　was　a　much　older　Anasazi　fertility　totem　with　nothing　at　all　to　do　with　witches。
　Of　course　it　didn't　really　matter。
　
　Chapter　8
　
　McKee　left　the　campsite　before　dawn；　called　Leaphorn's　office　from　the　Gulf　station　on　the　highway　at　Chinle；　and　then　ate　a　leisurely　breakfast　at　Bishbito's　Diner　while　he　waited　for　the　policeman　to　make　the　sixty…mile　drive　from　Window　Rock。　Leaphorn　arrived　while　he　was　finishing　his　third　cup　of　coffee。　He　handed　McKee　a　sheet　of　paper　and　sat　down。
　〃Take　a　look　at　that；〃　he　said。　〃And　then　let's　go　and　find　that　boy　who　went　to　warn　Horseman。〃
　The　paper　was　a　carbon　of　an　autopsy　report　form：
　SUBJECT：　Luis　Horseman　（war　name　unknown）。
　AGE：　23。
　ADDRESS：　27　miles　southwest　of　Klagetoh。
　NEXT　OF　KIN：　Wife；　Agnes　（Tso）　Horseman；　Many　Goats　Clan。
　TIME　OF　DEATH：　Between　6　P。M。　and　12　midnight；　June　11　（estimated）。
　CAUSE　OF　DEATH：　Suffocation。　Substantial　accumulation　of　fine　granular　material　in　lung　tissue；　windpipe；　throat　and　nostrils。
　There　was　more　information；　negative　reports　on　blood　alcohol　and　on　abrasions　and　concussions；　and　an　analysis　indicating　the　〃fine　granular　material〃　was　mon　silica…based　sand。
　〃The　medical　examiner　said　it　looked　like　he　got　caught　in　a　cave…in；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃Like　he　had　been　buried　in　sand。〃
　〃You　think　so？〃
　〃And　somebody　dug　him　out？　And　laid　him　out　there　at　Teastah　Wash　with　the　bottle　of　whiskey　he　hadn't　drunk？〃　Leaphorn　thou