jefflong.yearzero-第53节

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　〃What　for？〃
　〃They　string　the　wire　at　throat　level　to　get　the　bicycle　riders。　It's　almost　impossible　to　see；　especially　if　you're　going　fast。　There's　a　lot　of　bicycles　out。　A　land　of　bikes。〃　Her　shock　at　the　piano　wire　must　have　showed。　〃One　night；　I　slept　in　a　cornfield。　Young　corn。　I　never　knew　this；　but　you　can　hear　it　growing。〃　He　was　trying　to　distract　her。　It　was　working。
　〃You　mean　the　stalks　rustling　in　the　breeze；〃　she　said。
　〃No；〃　he　said。　〃No　breeze。　Totally　still。　The　ears　getting　bigger。　The　leaves　unfolding。　It　makes　a　sound。〃
　She　had　never　thought　about　that。　Then　she　returned　to　chasing　the　reality。　〃These　bad　people；　you're　talking　about。　The　snipers。。。。〃
　〃Taking　care　of　their　own；〃　he　said。　〃There　is　no　good　or　bad。〃
　〃Shooting　innocent　people？〃
　〃Providing　for　their　families。　Or　clans。　Whatever's　left。〃
　〃I　thought　there　was　martial　law。〃
　〃There　was。　They　say　the　Army　kept　I…70　open　all　the　way　through　spring。　They　escorted　the　convoys；　hunted　the　highway　robbers；　protected　the　blood　stations。　They　did　what　they　could；　but　it　got　out　of　hand。　I　passed。。。so　many。。。executions。　Bodies　hanging　from　high…voltage　towers。　Or　tied　up　to　fence　posts。　Or　just　shot　in　the　ditches。　It　was　like　something　out　of　the　dark　ages。　You　could　tell　the　Army's　work。　They　made　a　public　display　of　it　along　the　roadsides。〃
　〃That's　going　on？〃
　〃Not　anymore。　Not　the　Army。　There's　only　so　long　a　soldier　will　go　without　pay。　And　most　of　them　had　families。　I…70　was　the　last　sea…to…sea　corridor。　It　was　closed　by　the　time　I　wanted　to　use　it。〃
　The　Army　was　falling　apart。〃The　generals　have　told　told　us　nothing　like　that；〃　she　said。
　〃Have　you　ever　read　about　the　conquistadores？〃　he　said。　〃First　thing　they　did　when　they　landed　in　the　New　World　was　to　cut　ties　with　the　monarchy。　This　was　back　when　kings　got　their　authority　straight　from　God；　same　as　the　pope。　All　of　a　sudden；　the　conquistadores　found　themselves　in　a　world　without　a　god。〃
　〃You're　paring　the　generals　to　warlords？〃
　〃I　don't　see　anybody　in　charge　of　them。〃
　My　father；she　didn't　say。　And　the　President　and　Joint　Chiefs；　bunkered　in　NORAD　in　Cheyenne　Mountain。　And　two　hundred　years　of　democracy。　She　did　not　consider　herself　a　patriot。　But　democracy　was　their　god。　He　was　scaring　her。　〃They　get　their　authority　from　the　people；〃　she　insisted。
　〃Miranda。〃　He　murmured　the　chastisement。
　She　tipped　the　bottle。　It　was　empty。　Not　good。　Too　fast。　〃I　know　it's　grim；〃　she　stated。
　〃It's　different；　is　what　I'm　saying。　It's　not　the　way　it　was；〃　he　said；　〃but　also　it's　just　the　way　it　was。　I　came　to　some　of　these　little　towns；　and　it　was　surreal。　Like　the　clock　had　stopped　fifty　years　ago。　They　were　untouched。　Not　a　worry。　Men　cutting　their　lawns　with　hand　mowers。　Lemonade　for　a　nickel。　Boys　painting　white　fences。　You'd　think　they'd　never　heard　of　the　plague。〃
　〃Out　of　sight；　out　of　mind？〃
　〃A　little　bit　of　that；　I'm　sure；〃　he　said。　〃But　also　no　one　thinks　they're　next。　It's　not　denial。　It's　belief。　They　all　think　they're　destined　to　survive。　I　must　have　heard　a　hundred　reasons　why　the　plague　is　going　to　pass　them　over。　Their　family's　genes　are　strong；　or　they　lived　more　decently；　or　their　food　is　healthier；　or　the　jogging　they　do；　or　the　praying。〃
　〃But　that's　so　deluded。　What　about　the　blackout？　The　end　of　oil？　The　food　riots？〃
　〃Distant　thunder；〃　he　answered。　〃Until　it's　right　on　you。。。。〃
　〃It　is　right　on　them。〃
　〃But　they're　Americans；〃　he　said。　〃In　their　hearts　and　minds　they're　ready　for　anything。　You　wouldn't　believe　how　ready。　They're　prepared。　It's　second　nature　to　them。　They've　been　taking　cover　ever　since　Sputnik。　And　there's　nothing　the　plague　can　throw　at　them　that　Hollywood　hasn't　already　e　up　with。　Hell；　they've　survived　the　plague　a　dozen　times。　Think　Stephen　King。The　Andromeda　Strain。　Camus。The　Decameron。　Thucydides。　Life　is　just　imitating　art。　Catastrophes　are　renewal。　Out　there；　people　still　talk　about　the　gas　rationing　in　the　seventies；　and　Mount　St。　Helens　and　the　Yellowstone　fire　and　Hurricane　Mitch。　The　big　power　blackouts；　the　blizzard　years；　Waco；　Oklahoma　City；　the　World　Trade　Center；　floods；　the　Depression；　Vietnam。　All　those　things　are　legends　to　them。　Like　parables。　Lessons。〃
　〃Reasons　to　hope？〃　she　offered。
　〃Sure。　America　always　survives。　People　are　excited。　They　can't　wait　to　clean　up　the　mess　and　start　all　over　again。〃
　〃You　make　them　sound　foolish。〃
　〃They're　not。〃
　〃You　think　we're　making　fools　of　them；〃　she　said。　〃Our　promise　of　a　cure。〃
　〃I　didn't　say　that。〃
　〃What　if　there　is　no　cure？〃
　He　looked　at　her。　〃Is　that　what　you're　saying？〃
　She　shut　her　mouth。
　〃There；〃　he　said；　flapping　the　omelette　shut。　〃Our　meal's　ready　and　now　I've　spoiled　it。〃
　　
　AFTER　DINNER；　they　went　outside　to　look　at　the　stars。　He　asked　about　her　life；　but　it　sounded　trite　next　to　his　stories。　She　had　been　raised　among　walls。　She　had　already　been　ensconced　at　Los　Alamos　when　the　nation　collapsed；　beyond　reach。　The　Lab…or　the　Hill；　or　the　Mesa；　or　Atomic　City…was　an　island　above　it　all。
　Nathan　Lee　called　it　a　citadel；　a　city　within　a　city。　He　pared　Los　Alamos　to　the　ziggaruts　in　Ur　and　the　Acropolis　above　Athens　and　the　Pentagon　or　Kremlin。　Here　was　the　keep　of　power；　closed　off　from　mon　people；　the　place　of　retreat　in　times　of　siege。　He　made　it　sound　like　a　great　landmark　in　history。
　He　wanted　to　know　how　the　town　had　grown　into　a　city。　She　told　him　about　the　waves　of　international　scientists　arriving　like　immigrants　with　their　suitcases　and　families；　and　the　overthrow　of　the　weaponeers。　For　over　a　half　century；　Los　Alamos　had　been　dedicated　to　nuclear　weapons　research　and　development　and　reduction。　Almost　overnight；　the　biosciences…scorned　as　soft；　or　squishy；　by　physicists　and　engineers…had　reared　up　and　taken　the　place　over。　There　had　been　epic　turf　battles；　but　Elise　had　prevailed　and　brought　order　and　honed　their　new　mission；　to　find　Corfu　and　contain　it。
　For　a　time；　the　scientists　had　bonded。　They　had　peted；　but　as　a　brotherhood。　From　virology　to　genetics　and　primate　paleobiology；　each　of　the　specialties　had　its　own　esprit　de　corps；　its　own　labs；　its　own　pursuits。　At　first；　discovery　boomed。　The　structure　of　every　protein　in　everything　from　worms　to　man　had　been　captured　on　disc。　Plasma　rods　were　invented　for　detecting　Corfu　in　the　air。　Satellites　tracked　the　geographic　progression　of　the　disease。
　Once　Corfu　fell　to　them；　a　new　golden　age　of　medicine　was　going　to　be　ushered　in。　In　hunting　the　virus；　they　had　found　cures　for　TB；　Alzheimer's；　AIDS；　and　every　type　of　cancer。　Neural　and　optic　fibers　had　been　synthesized。　People　with　cord　injuries　would　stand　up　and　walk。　The　blind　would　see。　The　deaf　would　hear。　All　of　that　awaited　them。
　Then　Elise　had　died；　and　Cavendish　took　over。　One　fence　came　to　hold　many　fences。　Its　secrecy　ate　at　them。　It　spawned　distrust。　Soon　the　fractures　appeared。
　Now　the　older　families　lorded　over　the　newer　ones。　Those　who　had　been　academics　snubbed　former　industry　researchers　who　snubbed　former　government　scientists。　Those　who'd　hunted　AIDS　felt　slighted　by　those　who'd　gone　after　Ebola　and　other　〃wild〃　viruses。　The　internationals　thought　the　Americans　had　it　lucky。　The　Americans　thought　the　internationals　had　blown　it。　The　security　guards…many　of　whom　held　Ph。D。's　in　now…useless　fields　like　nuclear　weapons　design…resented　the　bio…scientists。　The　scientists　viewed　security　as　〃creeps。〃　There　was　dissension　between　labs；　dissension　within　them。　Every　bench　worker　wanted　his　or　her　own　lab。　Reigning　over　it　all　was　Cavendish；　who　encouraged　their　anarchy。
　〃Sometimes　I　think　they've　discovered　too　much；〃　she　said。　〃Maybe　there's　a　limit　to　what　we　can　know。　I　never　thought　I'd　be　saying　that。〃
　〃Don't　be　disappointed　in　them。〃
　〃I'm　disappointed　in　me。〃
　〃What　more　can　you　do？〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　〃You're　only　nineteen；　Miranda。〃
　She　pointed　the　wine　bottle　at　him。　She　was　a　little　drunk。　〃Damn　the　Captain；〃　she　said。
　〃He　didn't　tell　me。　You　see　what　I　mean；　though。〃
　〃Step　back；　little　girl；　let　the　ship　sink？〃
　〃You're　trying　to　save　these　people；〃　he　said。　〃But　you　can't　do　that。　They　have　to　save　themselves。〃
　She　pointed　across　the　abyss　to　where　the　lights　of　Santa　Fe　once　shone。　〃It's　them；　out　there；　I'm　trying　to　save。〃
　They　both　followed　her　aim。　And　their　eyes　traveled　north。　A　star　was　shooting　through　the　night。
　〃Did　you　see　that？〃　she　breathed。
　It　happened　again。　Then　suddenly　there　was　a　whole　shower　of　them。
　〃I　forgot；〃　he　said。　〃Tonight's　the　night。　The　Perseids。〃
　Miranda　knew　what　they　were。　She　knew　which　quadrant　they　occupied；　which　constellation　they　took　their　name　from。　But　she　had　never　seen　them。　The　meteors　streaked　in　great　livid　bunches。　They　were　so　beautiful。
　She　sat　there；　and　her　heart　stirred。　Now　she　understood　what　he　had　meant。Summer。　It　was　summer。
　The　meteors　flashed　through　the　sky。　They　watched　for　half　an　hour。　Her　thoughts　streaked　this　way　and　that。
　She　wanted　a　lover。
　Miranda　put　the　wine　glass　away　from　her。　Enough。
　A　lover；she　thought。
　The　shooting　stars　strafed　the　neat　order　of　things。　No　wreckage　up　there；　just　a　loosening　of　the　astronomical　pattern。　A　bit　of　tempest　in　the　d