thillerman.theblessingway-第9节

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　〃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　thought　about　his　own　questions。　〃I　don't　know。　Maybe。　But　there　wasn't　any　sand　in　his　cuffs；　or　in　his　pockets；　or　anywhere　else。〃
　〃It　wouldn't　make　any　sense　anyway；〃　McKee　said。
　Leaphorn　was　looking　out　the　window。　〃I　think　I　know　a　lot　about　witches；〃　he　said。　〃You　think　you　know　a　lot　about　witches。　How　do　you　kill　a　witch？〃
　The　question　surprised　McKee。　He　thought　about　it。　〃You　mean　do　you　smother　them？〃
　〃Remember　that　case　over　at　Fruitland？〃　Leaphorn　asked。　〃That　guy　whose　daughter　died　of　t。b。？　He　shot　four　of　them。　And　then　there　was　that　old　Singer　up　near　Teec　Nos　Pas　a　couple　of　years　ago。　He　was　beaten　to　death。〃
　〃There's　no　special　way　that　I　know　of；〃　McKee　said。　〃There　was　supposed　to　be　a　hanging　back　in　the　1930's　but　there　wasn't　any　proof　and　they　think　it　was　just　gossip。　Usually；　though；　it's　heat…of…passion　stuff…beating；　shooting；　or　knifing。　Something　like　that。　Why？　You　think　somebody　thought　Horseman　was　a　witch？〃
　〃Makes　a　certain　amount　of　sense；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃But　I　don't　know。〃　He　was　still　staring　out　the　window。　〃Why　kill　somebody　like　Horseman？　Just　another　poor　soul　who　didn't　quite　know　how　to　be　a　Navajo　and　couldn't　learn　to　act　like　a　white。　No　good　for　anything。〃
　McKee　could　think　of　nothing　to　say。　Out　the　window　there　was　the　highway；　the　asphalt　strip　of　Navajo　Route　9；　and　across　it　to　the　east；　the　blue…gray　mass　of　the　Lukachukai　Range。　He　wondered　what　Leaphorn　was　seeing　out　there。
　〃I　was　in　charge　of　the　Shiprock　subagency　when　that　Fruitland　thing　happened；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃That　one　was　mine。　I　heard　that　Navajo　Wolf　talk　and　I　didn't　pay　much　attention　to　it　and　so　we　had　five　bodies　to　bury。〃
　〃Four；〃　McKee　said。
　〃No。　It　was　five。〃　Leaphorn　turned；　smiling　grimly。　〃This　isn't　Salem；〃　he　said。　〃We　don't　recognize　witchcraft　legally　and　the　guy　shot　an　old　Hand　Trembler　and　his　wife；　and　a　schoolteacher　and　her　husband；　and　then　he　shot　himself。　Didn't　want　to　stand　trial　for　murder。〃
　〃What　are　you　trying　to　do？〃　McKee　asked。　〃Figure　out　a　way　to　blame　yourself　for　Horseman？〃
　〃I　could　have　gone　in　and　looked　for　him。〃
　〃But　not　found　him；〃　McKee　said。　〃Besides；　Horseman　wasn't　a　stranger。　The　old　woman　said　the　Wolf　is　a　stranger。〃
　〃Yeah；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃That's　what　she　said。　Maybe　she　had　a　reason　to　lie。　Let's　go　find　that　boy　who　went　out　to　warn　Horseman。〃　He　looked　at　his　notes。　〃Billy　Nez。　Let's　go　find　Billy　and　see　what　he　knows。〃
　But　finding　Billy　Nez　was　not　possible。
　They　found　his　family's　hogans　east　of　Chinle；　not　far　from　Shoemaker's；　but　not　Billy。　His　uncle　was　sore　about　it。
　〃Kid　took　a　horse　and　took　off　after　breakfast；〃　he　said。　〃He's　gone　all　the　time。　Screwing　around　back　up　in　the　mountains　somewhere；　when　he's　supposed　to　be　helping　out。〃
　Would　he　be　back　tonight？　The　uncle　couldn't　guess。　Sometimes　he　was　gone　for　days。　He　and　Leaphorn　talked　a　moment　and　then　the　lieutenant　returned　to　the　carryall；　and　turned　it　back　toward　Chinle。
　〃Found　out　a　little；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃The　boy　knew　where　Horseman　was　hiding…somewhere　back　up　in　those　canyons。　But　when　he　went　to　tell　him　he　hadn't　killed　anybody；　Horseman　was　gone。〃　Leaphorn　paused。　〃Or　at　least　the　kid　said　he　was　gone。〃
　〃You　don't　think　he　was？〃
　〃Probably；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃The　uncle　also　told　me　something　else。　Billy　Nez　is　Horseman's　younger　brother。〃
　〃His　brother？〃　McKee　said。　〃How　about　the　different　name？〃
　〃Family　broke　up；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃Billy　was　living　with　his　uncle　so　he　used　Nez　instead　of　Horseman。　You　know　how　it　is　with　the　Dinee。　The　only　name　that　really　counts　is　the　war　name　you　get　when　you're　little。　And　that　one's　a　secret　inside　your　family　and　it's　only　used　in　your　Blessing　Way　ceremonial　or　if　you　get　somebody　to　sing　you　a　cure。〃
　It　was　noon　when　they　reached　the　Chinle　sub　agency　office　and　the　man　Leaphorn　wanted　to　see　was　at　lunch。　They　found　him　at　the　diner；　and　Leaphorn　introduced　him　as　Sam　George　Takes。　He　was　a　round…faced；　barrel…chested　young　man；　wearing　the　uniform　of　a　Law　and　Order　sergeant。　McKee　ordered　chicken…fried　steak；　more　lunch　than　he　usually　allowed　himself。
　〃Hell；　you　know　how　it　is；　Joe；〃　Takes　was　saying。　〃It's　summer；　school's　out。　He's　probably　chasing　some　girl　and　no　telling　when　he　gets　back。〃
　〃That's　right；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃That's　what　you　do　when　you're　sixteen　or　so。　Hanging　around　some　girl's　hogan。　Or；　if　your　brother　is　missing；　maybe　looking　for　your　brother。〃
　Takes　put　down　his　fork。　〃And　he　don't　find　him　and　he　es　home　and　his　uncle　sends　him　in　here　like　he　said　he　would　and　we　find　out　whatever　he　knows；　which　is　probably　nothing；　and　that's　the　end　of　it。　Why　are　you　worrying？〃
　〃It　could　work　out　like　that；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃But　you　know　how　news　travels　on　this　reservation。　It　could　be　by　now　he　knows　his　brother　is　dead。　So　maybe　he　connects　it　to　this　witching　gossip。　Then　he　collects　some　cousins　and　uncles　and　goes　looking　for　the　Wolf。〃
　McKee's　lunch　arrived；　with　the　gravy　poured　over　the　French　fries。
　〃Al's　cook　quit　again；〃　Takes　said。　〃Son　of　a　bitch　is　trying　to　do　his　own　cooking。〃
　〃The　problem　is　where　to　start　looking；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃It's　your　territory；　Sam。　Where　do　you　think？〃
　Takes　looked　glum。　〃Son　of　a　bitch　could　be　anywhere。　You　remember　when　we　had　that　bootlegger　in　there　working　a　still　right　after　the　Korean　War。　We　never　did　find　him。〃　Takes　looked　as　though　the　thought　still　irritated　him。　〃We　knew　he　had　to　be　close　to　water　and　at　least　have　a　horse　to　haul　the　grain　in；　but　booze　came　out　of　there　for　four　years　and　we　never　found　nothing。〃
　〃It　wouldn't　take　that　Nez　outfit　four　years　to　find　itself　a　witch；〃　Leaphorn　said。
　Takes　laughed。　〃If　you're　worrying　about　that；〃　he　said；　〃they're　going　to　have　an　Enemy　Way。　That　ought　to　take　care　of　the　witch。〃
　〃Who's　having　it？〃　Leaphorn　asked。　〃Somebody　in　the　Nez　family？〃
　〃I　heard　it　was　Charley　Tsosie；〃　Takes　said。　〃But　they're　Nez　kinfolks…part　of　the　same　outfit。〃
　McKee　was　interested。　Old　Lady　Gray　Rocks　had　mentioned　Tsosie　being　bothered　by　the　witch。　But　the　Prostitution　Way　was　the　curing　ceremonial　held　for　those　exposed　to　witchcraft…to　turn　the　evil　around　and　direct　it　back　against　the　Wolf　who　started　it。　Why　an　Enemy　Way？　McKee　thought　about　the　rite。　It　had　grown　out　of　the　fighting　between　the　Dinee　and　the　Utes；　and　the　only　times　he　had　heard　of　its　being　used　was　when　members　of　The　People　came　home　after　being　off　the　Reservation；　people　like　discharged　servicemen；　people　who　had　been　in　contact　with　foreign　influences…white　men；　or　Pueblo　Indians；　or　Mexicans。　He　remembered　again　what　the　old　woman　had　said　about　the　witch　being　a　stranger。　Leaphorn　was　looking　at　him。
　〃If　they're　having　an　Enemy　Way；　that　old　woman　must　have　told　you　right；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃They　think　it's　an　outsider；　and　if　they　think　that；　they　didn't　think　it　was　Horseman　and　that　wasn't　why　he　was　killed。〃
　〃Wonder　why　he　was；〃　Takes　said。　〃Usually　there's　a　feud；　or　fighting　over　a　woman；　or　somebody　bad…mouthing　somebody。〃
　〃Maybe　he　found　that　whiskey　still　you　were　looking　for；〃　McKee　said。
　〃Hasn't　been　any　bootleg　whiskey　turning　up　in　years；〃　Takes　said。
　〃How　about　that　rocket　the　military　lost　three；　four　years　ago？〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃Is　that　ten…thousand…dollar　reward　still　out　for　anyone　finding　that　thing？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　Takes　said。　〃I　don't　think　they　ever　found　it。〃
　〃I'll　call　the　people　up　at　the　Tonepah　Range　and　find　out　if　they're　still　offering　ten　thousand　dollars；〃　Leaphorn　said。　He　explained　to　McKee　that　missiles　fired　from　the　Tonepah　test　site　in　Utah　to　the　impact　area　at　White　Sands　Proving　Grounds　in　New　Mexico　passed　over　the　empty　eastern　expanse　of　the　Reservation。
　〃They　used　to　lose　one　now　and　then　when　a　second　stage　misfired；　and　then　they'd　have　a　hell　of　a　time　finding　it；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃But　now　they　have　a　radar　station　over　on　Tall　Poles　Butte　and　they　track　'em　all　the　way　to　the　ground。
　〃You　think　maybe　Horseman　and　somebody　else　both　found　the　old　rocket　and　fought　over　who'd　get　the　reward？〃　McKee　asked。
　Leaphorn　shrugged。　He　asked　Bishbito　if　he　could　use　his　office　telephone　for　a　long…distance　call。
　McKee　finished　his　meal；　eating　dutifully；　feeling　simultaneously　disappointed　and　ashamed　of　that　disappointment。　He　had　once　again；　as　he　had　for　years；　fallen　victim　to　his　optimism。　Expecting　something　when　there　was　always　nothing。　Anticipating　some　romantic　mystery　in　what　Takes　and　Leaphorn　must　already　see　as　a　sordid；　routine　little　homicide。　It　was　this　flaw；　he　knew；　that　had　cost　him　these　last　eight　years　of　anguish；　turned　to　misery；　turned　to　what　now　was　simply　numbness。　He　could　still　see　the　note；　blue　ink　on　blue　paper　in　Sara's　easy　script：
　〃Berg。　I　am　meeting　Scotty　in　Las　Vegas　tonight。　I　won't　contest　the　divorce。〃
　Simply　that；　and　her　signature。　It　was　not　Sara's　style　to　add　the　unnecessary　explanation；　to　say　that　he　was　a　dull；　nondescript　man　in　a　dull；　dead…end　job；　and　that　Scotty　was　exciting；　in　an　exciting