jefflong.yearzero-第54节

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　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　dark。
　Not　a　boyfriend；　she　considered。　Nothing　cute。　A　man。　One　who　could　trespass　on　her　solitude；　and　speak　kindly　of　a　terrible　world；　and　sneak　them　in　among　the　constellations　like　this。　One　who　believed　in　forever。
　Miranda　threw　a　glance　at　him。　She　couldn't　see　his　face　in　the　darkness；　only　the　slight　gleam　of　his　shirt。　Why　not；　whoever　he　was？　The　meteors　flickered。　Here；　then　gone。
　The　kiss。。。she　kept　her　thoughts　away　from　it。　It　should　have　a　life　of　its　own。But　then？　She　tried　to　read　the　future。　She　tried　to　calculate　the　arc　of　them。
　She　felt　her　blood　moving　faster。　His　lip；　she　remembered。　They　would　need　to　be　gentle　on　him。　She　heard　herself　breathing。
　Then　her　cell　phone　beeped。　〃Oh；　god；〃　she　muttered。
　〃What？〃
　〃I　know　who　this　is。〃　She　went　inside　with　it。　When　she　returned；　she　said；　〃My　father。〃
　〃He's　here？〃
　〃Yes　and　no。　He's　faraway。　A　half　mile　underground　near　the　border　of　Texas；　preparing　the　sanctuary。〃　She　paused。　〃He　had　your　file　sitting　in　front　of　him。〃
　She　let　the　implications　sink　in。
　They　were　being　watched。　Possibly　they　were　two　heat　signatures　in　someone's　night　scope。　Maybe　her　kitchen　was　bugged。　Probably。
　〃Man；〃　he　whispered。
　The　spell　was　broken。　The　Perseids　continued　their　display　in　vain。　The　taste　of　wine　was　suddenly　too　sweet。　She　was　going　to　have　a　headache　in　the　morning。
　〃I　should　go；〃　he　said。　The　lawn　chair　creaked　in　the　night。
　She　didn't　agree。　She　didn't　disagree。　〃You　wanted　something；〃　she　said。
　〃That；〃　he　said。　He　had　to　remember　so　far　back。　It　pleased　her。　The　night　had　taken　off　with　him；　too。So　close。　〃It　was　about　the　Year　Zero　clones；〃　he　said。
　〃Yes？〃　Business；　indeed。
　〃I　don't　know　what　all　has　been　done　to　them；〃　he　said。
　〃Do　we　need　to　talk　about　that　tonight？〃
　〃No。　It's　just　that　they've　been　turned　inside　out　in　search　of　the　plague。　I　mean　these　guys　look　like　a　butcher　shop　or　something。〃
　She　let　out　a　deep　sigh。　He　was　going　to　hector　her　about　the　abuses。　Condemn　her　for　their　birth。　They　would　argue。　She　would　order　him　to　leave。　They　needed　to　go　through　the　ugly　motions。　〃Yes；〃　she　braced　herself。
　〃Well；　I　started　wondering；〃　he　said。　〃Has　anyone　ever　just　asked　them？〃
　She　paused。　〃About　the　plague？〃
　〃It　was　just　a　thought；〃　he　said。　〃Who　knows　what　they　might　have　to　tell　us？〃
　
　23
　Into　the　Sun
　
　THEREST　OFAUGUST
　Ineed　to　see　their　eyes；〃　he　told　her　next　day。　She　made　him　follow　her　through　the　hallways。　〃They　need　to　see　mine。〃
　She　was　fiercely　protective。　〃They're　patients　as　much　as　inmates。　They're　wounded；　even　the　ones　who　were　never　touched。　Just　by　being　brought　back。　They're　in　shock。　When　you　said　talk　to　them；　I　thought　you　meant　to　use　the　inters。〃
　〃The　guards　tried　that　once。　They　said　the　clones　acted　like　it　was　the　voice　of　God。　They　were　in　a　state　of　terror　for　days。〃
　〃You　want　contact；〃　she　clarified。
　〃Yes。〃
　〃That　means　they'll　need　to　be　inoculated；〃　she　said。　〃Two　thousand　years　of　disease　have　evolved　since　they　died。　Their　blood　is　pure。　We're　lucky　Tara　survived　you。〃
　He　chased　her。　〃This　needs　to　be　done　outdoors；〃　he　added。　〃In　the　sun。〃
　She　resisted。　〃What　if　one　escaped？　One　did。　He　almost　killed　himself　getting　loose。〃
　Nathan　Lee　was　ready。　He　showed　her　his　pencil　sketch　for　a　courtyard　with　high　walls。　〃We　can　make　it　in　the　parking　lot　on　the　side　of　Alpha　Lab。　It's　empty。　There's　a　tree　in　the　middle。　The　housing　department　has　prefab　concrete　slabs；　thirty　feet　tall。〃
　〃Who　is　this　for？〃　she　demanded。　〃You　or　them？〃
　〃They　need　a　little　freedom。　A　little　patch　of　sky。　I　know　what　I'm　talking　about。〃
　His　persistence　aggravated　her。　〃What　about　your　daughter？〃　she　threw　at　him。
　It　took　his　breath。　He　stopped。What　was　he　doing？　Grace　was　here；　in　Ochs's　keeping；　but　she　was　out　there；　Ochs　or　not。　Had　he　strayed；　justifying　the　Year　Zero　men　as　a　means　to　his　end；　a　way　to　outwait　his　enemy？
　Ahead　in　the　hallway；　Miranda　had　stopped；　too。
　〃I　didn't　mean　it　that　way；〃　she　said。
　But　she　had；　and　that　was　good；　he　thought。　He　needed　the　hurt。　Nothing　macho。　It　simply　kept　him　close　to　himself。　〃We're　fine；〃　he　said。
　〃What　else　do　you　want？〃　she　asked。
　〃I　should　think　about　this；〃　he　said。
　〃Bull；〃　she　retorted。　〃You　were　talking　about　the　clones。　I　was　a　little　overloaded；　that's　all。　You're　onto　something。　Keep　going。　What　else　will　you　need？〃
　He　tried　to　put　Grace　from　his　thoughts　again。　〃They　need　to　be　together；〃　he　said。　〃Every　day。　All　of　us　mixed　in　with　each　other。〃
　〃They're　used　to　being　handled　like　animals。　They　might　kill　each　other。　Or　you。　You're　the　first　one　they'd　go　after；　their　captor。〃
　〃I'll　be　one　of　them。〃
　〃A　clone　from　the　year　zero？〃
　〃They'll　never　know　the　difference。〃
　〃You　don't　speak　their　language。〃
　〃And　so　I　need　a　translator。〃
　In　the　end；　she　agreed　to　everything。
　While　the　yard　was　being　built；　and　the　clones'　immune　systems　were　getting　boosted　into　the　twenty…first　century；　a　matter　of　seven　days；　Nathan　Lee　prepared　his　time　machine。
　Above　all；　he　needed　the　right　translator。　Once　the　word　spread　of　what　he　was　doing；　it　turned　out　Los　Alamos　held　hundreds　of　Hebrew　speakers。　For　part　of　the　a　week　he　interviewed　volunteers　ranging　from　Israelis　and　emigres　from　the　old　Soviet　bloc　to　bar　mitzvah　kids　from　the　Bronx　and　Cleveland　Heights。　Not　all　were　Jewish。　A　number　of　Mormons…the　sciences　teemed　with　them…turned　out　to　be　fluent　in　Hebrew；　too；　from　either　their　missionary　work　or　Bible　scholarship。
　But　two　thousand　years　ago；　the　binding　language　of　the　Levant　had　been　Aramaic；　now　considered　a　dead　language。　That　was　the　language　moners　would　have　spoken　on　a　daily　basis　in　the　towns　and　countryside　of　Judea　and　Samaria　and　Galilee。　In　a　sense；　Aramaic　was　the　language　of　captivity；　for　it　had　displaced　Hebrew　during　the　Jews'　long　exile　in　ancient　Babylon。　Well　into　the　second　century；　synagogues　had　provided　Aramaic　translations；　or　Targums；　of　Hebrew　scripture　to　the　uneducated　masses。　It　was　the　language　the　clones　murmured　in　their　cells。
　During　his　field　research　in　northern　Syria；　Nathan　Lee　had　learned　of　a　small　munity　ofSuriani；　or　Syrian　Orthodox　Christians；　who　had　been　expelled　from　Turkey　in　the　late　1970s　and　ended　up　in　a　remote　village　above　Aleppo。　He　had　made　the　journey　a　few　times　just　to　listen　to　them　speaking　an　extinct　tongue。　Now；　to　his　surprise；　Los　Alamos　contained　a　scientist　who　had　been　born　in　that　very　village。
　His　name　was　Ismail　Abouma　Symeon。　He　spoke　with　a　heavy　Scottish　accent；　the　product　of　his　university　training　in　Edinburgh。　His　experience　with　mammal　cloning　had　brought　him　to　the　Hill。　〃Call　me　Ishmael；〃　he　solemnly　declared　on　their　first　meeting。
　Nathan　Lee　went　along　with　it。　〃Ishmael；〃　he　repeated　with　the　same　grave　dignity。
　Immediately　a　smile　cracked　the　man's　black　beard。　〃Kidding；〃　he　said。　〃You　Yanks。　Izzy　will　do。〃
　Izzy　was　a　find　in　more　ways　than　one。　Besides　his　Aramaic　and　good　humor；　he　was　a　natural。　More　than　any　of　the　Hebrew　speakers；　who　leaned　towards　the　urban　and　intellectual；　Izzy　had　the　soil　and　times　in　him。　Family　lore　connected　him　to　Simeon　Stylites　the　Elder；　a　hermit　who'd　gotten　tired　of　being　pestered　by　the　masses　and　spent　the　last　thirty　years　of　his　life　on　top　of　a　pillar。
　〃Old　Simeon；〃　Izzy　called　him。　〃He　kicked　off　a　whole　movement。　It　spread　across　Europe；　monks　building　higher　and　higher　pillars。　Reminds　me　of　that　Everest　mania　back　in　the　nineties；　all　those　hard　men　acting　like　they　wanted　no　damn　thing　to　do　with　the　masses；　but　perching　themselves　in　public　view　where　you　couldn't　miss　them。　Same　thing；　the　stylites。　They'd　die　up　there　from　hunger；　exposure；　lightning。　When　they　finally　came　tumbling　down；　pilgrims　would　fight　for　pieces　of　their　bodies。　Martyrs。　Always　some　fool　ready　to　believe。〃
　Nathan　Lee　told　him　about　his　plan　to　infiltrate　the　clones　and　mingle　with　them。　〃I'm　not　sure　how　they'll　behave；〃　he　warned。　〃We'll　have　to　disguise　ourselves。　It　could　be　dangerous。〃
　〃I'm　good　for　it；〃　said　Izzy。　〃Gone　half　blind　from　the　microscope。　Be　nice；　some　sun。　Can't　wait　to　meet　the　lads。　Let's　see　where　they　lead。〃
　　
　AT　NOON　OF　THE　DAYof　first　contact；　August　20；　the　clones　emerged　into　the　courtyard　one　by　one。　Each　wore　the　same　rubber　shower　sandals　and　white　hospital　bathrobes　without　the　sashes。　Nathan　Lee　had　begged　the　clothing　from　the　missary；　all　of　a　kind；　none　better　or　worse　than　the　others。　It　was　simple　for　now；　something　to　cover　their　nakedness；　nothing　with　zippers　or　buttons。
　Izzy　was　near　the　front　of　the　column　of　men；　Nathan　Lee　next　to　last。　There　were　thirty…eight　of　them；　Miranda　had　picked　up　a　few　more。　They　surfaced　into　direct　sunlight。　Blinded；　they　halted　in　a　knot　just　outside　the　door　and　held　their　hands　to　their　eyes。
　The　air　smelled　of　pines　and　sagebrush。　One　of　the　men　moaned；　a　long　stream　of　lunatic　rapture。　When　he　stopped　to　take　a　breath；　his　moans　went　on　echoing　off　the