jefflong.yearzero-第5节

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　〃One　thing　is　certain；〃　Ochs　rambled　on。　〃Wherever　Golgotha　was；　it　must　have　served　for　thousands　of　other　executions　over　the　years。　Varus　crucified　2000　in　the　year　4B　。C。E。　Florus　crucified　almost　twice　that　many　at　the　start　of　the　First　Jewish　Revolt。　A　few　years　later；　Titus　was　crucifying　500　people　per　day。　It　adds　up。　But　have　you　ever　asked　yourself；　with　all　those　dead　men；　where　are　the　remains？　Wouldn't　some　of　those　skulls　and　bones　have　survived？　In　all　our　excavations　around　Jerusalem；　we've　found　only　one　skeleton　that　had　been　crucified。〃
　Nathan　Lee　knew　the　skeleton。。。by　name。　Yehochanan　had　been　a　male；　five…foot　five…inches　tall；　twenty…five　years　old。　Possibly　he'd　been　a　rebel。　Possibly　his　little　daughter　had　been　killed　before　his　eyes　as　he　hung　on　his　cross。　At　any　rate；　her　bones　had　been　found　mixed　with　his。　A　spike　driven　sideways　through　his　heel　bone　had　stuck；　and　they　had　buried　Yehochanan　with　the　nail　at　a　tomb　just　north　of　the　city。
　For　a　moment；　despite　himself；　Nathan　Lee　felt　pulled　in。　〃The　bones　were　removed　when　the　Old　City　walls　were　expanded；〃　he　said。　〃According　tohalakhic　law；　carcasses；　graves　and　tanneries　couldn't　remain　within　fifty　cubits　of　the　town。〃
　〃That's　conventional　wisdom；〃　said　Ochs。　〃But　the　Jews　weren't　in　charge　of　the　city's　expansion；　remember？　It　was　the　Romans　calling　the　shots。　They　didn't　give　a　damn　about　Hebrew　regulations。〃
　〃Then　the　bones　turned　to　dust。　I　don't　know。　They're　gone。　What　does　it　matter？〃
　〃My　man；〃　tutted　Ochs。
　The　pieces　fell　together。　〃There　are　remains？〃
　〃Under　our　very　feet。〃
　〃But　I　would　have　heard　about　it。〃
　〃They　were　only　discovered　a　month　ago；〃　said　Ochs。　〃A　team　with　the　Studium　Biblicum　Franciscanum。　Vatican　people。　You　know　how　secretive　they　are。〃
　〃How　did　you　find　out　then？〃
　Ochs　rubbed　his　fingers　and　thumb。　〃Filthy　lucre。　I　know　you　think　you're　above　everyone　else；　Nathan　Lee。　But　even　you　have　your　price。〃
　Nathan　Lee　flushed。　Ochs　led　the　way　down　a　set　of　stone　stairs　through　a　chapel　region；　then　further　on　to　a　barred　gate　with　a　U…shaped；　titanium　bike　lock。　〃The　Cave　of　the　Invention　of　the　Cross；〃　he　said；　beaming　his　flashlight　into　the　depths。
　According　to　legend；　the　true　cross　had　been　discovered　here；　in　327　C。E。；　by　the　newly　converted　mother　of　Emperor　Constantine。　In　a　sense；　she'd　been　the　original　archaeologist；　dashing　around；　digging　up　artifacts；　orchestrating　bits　and　pieces　of　the　Passion　Narrative；　the　story　of　Jesus'　death。　It　was　she　who　had　decided　the　Rock　was　Golgotha；　a　tomb　was　the　Tomb；　and　that　Jesus'　cross　had　been　buried　in　this　cave。　The　wooden　cross　was　long　gone。　Twice　it　had　been　lost　to　Moslem　conquerors；　first　the　Persians；　then　the　great　Kurdish　warrior　Saladin。　Each　time　it　had　been　recovered；　only　to　be　nibbled　to　toothpicks　by　faithful　Christians。　If　Christ's　〃tree〃　had　ever　existed　in　the　first　place；　it　was　now　scattered　around　the　world　in　holy　relic　boxes。
　Ochs　gave　the　bars　a　shake；　and　took　off　his　daypack。　He　tried　a　pry　bar；　but　the　bike　lock　defied　him。　He　looked　like　a　giant　rat　gnawing　at　the　door。　〃The　chisel；　e　on；〃　he　said。
　Nathan　Lee　shucked　his　pack。　The　bolts　in　the　hinges　were　negligible。　He　chopped　their　heads　off。　The　gate　opened。
　Even　from　the　top　of　the　stairs；　Nathan　Lee　could　smell　the　fresh　dirt　of　a　dig。　They　descended　into　a　room　with　an　altar　built　against　one　wall。　Next　to　it　yawned　a　narrow　tunnel。　The　floor　of　the　subterranean　chapel　was　piled　with　dirt　on　tarps。　Sieve　trays　were　neatly　nested　by　a　grid　frame；　trowels；　and　other　tools　of　the　trade。　〃After　you；〃　said　Ochs；　shining　his　light　into　the　tunnel。
　Nathan　Lee　turned　on　his　headlamp。　It　was　his　father's　headlamp；　a　taped；　tended　thing。Get　over　it；　he　thought。
　He　had　to　crouch　to　move　inside。　The　Franciscan　team　had　braced　the　sides　and　ceiling　with　scaffolding　and　beams。　Somehow　it　had　stood　up　to　the　tremors。　His　claustrophobia　was　not　helped　by　Ochs　looming　behind　him。
　〃Careful　ahead。　It　goes　back　twelve　meters；　then　turns　right；　and　drops　nine　meters。〃
　〃It　goes　down？　I　thought　this　was　bedrock。〃
　〃So　did　everyone　else。　Then　they　did　a　sonar　scan　from　the　chapel　above；　and　the　new　cavity　popped　out　at　them。　The　old　quarry　ran　deeper　than　anyone　realized。　Keep　moving。〃
　A　beam　had　sagged　in　the　ceiling。　Ochs　kept　talking。　〃When　the　Romans　started　building　their　Venus　temple；　they　needed　to　fill　in　all　the　pits　and　cavities。　They　used　whatever　was　at　hand。　Dirt；　garbage；　potsherds；　and。。。〃
　Nathan　Lee　reached　the　pit。
　The　walls　were　studded　with　white　and　brown　sticks。　〃Human　bones；〃　he　said。
　A　small　ledge　had　been　trimmed　along　the　lip　of　the　pit。　A　rope　ladder　fell　into　the　depths。　Ochs　crowded　beside　him。　They　shined　their　lights　on　the　tangle　of　bones　jutting　from　the　deeper　walls。
　〃It　will　take　years　to　properly　excavate　the　cave；〃　said　Ochs。　〃Years　more　to　articulate　the　skeletons。　So　far　all　they've　done　is　sink　this　exploratory　shaft。　What　little　material　that's　e　out　has　been　dated　and　sexed；　though。　All　are　male。　Most　are　first　century　or　earlier。　And　there's　no　question　how　they　died。〃
　〃The　missing　crucifixions；〃　murmured　Nathan　Lee。
　〃It's　one　giant；　pacted　ossuary。　The　estimates　run　into　the　tens　of　thousands　of　bone　fragments。　They've　even　found　pieces　of　wood；　nails；　rope。　And　tear　phials　left　by　mourners。　Forget　the　rock　of　Calvary。　Golgotha　was　here　after　all；　right　outside　the　old　gates；　alongside　the　road　to　Jaffa　where　every　traveler　could　see　the　wrath　of　Rome。〃
　The　shaft　gaped　up　at　them。　〃This　is　incredible；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　〃It　could　change　the　way　we　read　history。〃
　〃So　could　the　Dead　Sea　Scrolls；〃　said　Ochs。　〃But　look　how　long　the　Vatican　sat　on　them。　Decades。　It　took　a　lone　scholar　leaking　photocopies　to　finally　let　the　rest　of　the　world　see　them。〃
　〃So　looting　is　a　public　service？〃
　〃That's　the　spirit；〃　said　Ochs。
　〃But　you'll　destroy　the　site。〃
　〃That's　archaeology。　To　dig　is　to　destroy。　Anyway；　it　could　all　be　lost　again　in　the　aftershocks。〃
　〃Someone　will　notice。〃
　〃No　one　will　notice。　They　don't　know　what's　here。　How　can　they　know　what's　not？〃
　Ochs　handed　Nathan　Lee　the　plastic　envelope　containing　their　body　bag。　〃Let's　get　this　over　with。　Fill　it　up。〃
　〃This　doesn't　make　sense。　Who　would　buy　a　pile　of　bones？〃
　〃Who　do　you　think　pays　for　you　to　root　in　the　dirt？　The　university？　Where　do　they　get　their　money？　Foundations？　What　are　they？　The　aristocracy。　Wrap　your　head　around　it。　Aristocracy　is　the　engine　that　drives　archaeological　exploration。　Private　collectors；　museums；　thecognoscenti。　Without　them；　artifacts　would　simply　fall　to　dust。〃
　There　was　nothing　more　to　argue。　Nathan　Lee　climbed　down　the　rope　ladder。　The　braided　hemp　creaked　under　his　weight。　He　had　never　seemed　so　heavy。　Down　at　the　bottom；　he　began　cutting　loose　the　dead。
　　
　IT　WAS　NEARLY　FOURin　the　morning　when　Nathan　Lee　finished。　The　bones　rattled　in　the　body　bag。　They　backtracked　through　the　church　and　up　the　ridge　to　where　Nathan　Lee's　cairn　marked　the　site　of　the　buried　woman。
　Her　hand　was　gone。
　He　searched。　It　was　possible　an　animal　had　torn　it　loose；　or　the　stones　had　sealed　it　over。　But　there　was　no　blood。　To　Nathan　Lee　it　was　as　if　she　had　pulled　her　hand　back　into　the　underworld。　Away　from　him。
　
　1
　The　Collector
　
　CORFUISLAND；　GREECE
　MARCH
　The　two　old　men　entered　a　spacious　room；　their　wives　trailing　them。　Nikos　led　them　to　a　wall　of　glass。　Perched　upon　a　high　cliff；　the　room　aimed　due　west。　From　here　one　actually　looked　down　into　the　sun　as　it　sank　into　the　sea。　Unprepared；　the　Egyptian　surgeon　and　his　wife　stepped　back　from　the　glassed…off　precipice。　The　abyss　was　wild　with　pure　light。
　The　Egyptian　realized　that　Nikos　had　precisely　timed　their　entrance　for　the　maximum　effect。　Beauty；　profound　beauty；　drove　the　man。　That's　all　you　needed　to　know　about　Nikos。　His　merchant　navy　and　import…export　cartel　and　banks　all　had　their　explanation　not　in　money　or　power；　but　in　a　sunset　such　as　this。
　The　Egyptian　glanced　around　the　room。　Nikos's　passions　were　on　display　in　typically　Spartan　measure。　There　was　a　Koons　on　one　wall；　spectacular　and　obscene。　A　plate　of　oranges　glittered　by　one　window。　In　the　corner　was　a　priceless　bronze　shield　said　to　be　from　the　Trojan　War。　And　then　there　was　his　wife。　Perhaps　a　third　his　age；　she　was　a　woman　of　almost　inhuman　beauty。　Her　gray　almond　eyes　were　startling。　The　Egyptian　could　tell　that　his　own　wife；　elegant　herself；　was　shaken。　She　would　be　gossiping　about　this　evening　for　a　long　time　to　e。　Nikos　was　nothing　if　not　memorable。
　〃Where　are　your　golden　death　masks？〃　the　Egyptian　continued。　〃The　steles　and　amphorae？　Your　torso　of　Achilles？　The　swords　and　chariot　wheels？〃
　〃I　have　laid　aside　the　armor。〃　It　was　said　quietly；　with　a　modesty　unlike　him。　〃Let　others　see　Homer's　accuracy；〃　Nikos　said。　〃I　have　found　a　greater　mythology　to　prove　real。〃
　〃Greater　than　Homer？〃　the　Egyptian　teased　his　old　friend。
　The　Egyptian's　eyes　shifted　to　Nikos。　The　man　still　carried　the　wide　shoulders　of　a　sailor；　still　cracked　walnuts　with　his　fingers　and　threw　the　meat　at　his　mouth。　But　his　scarred　hands　and　thick　forearms　bore　liver