thillerman.theblessingway-第12节

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it　easy　to　travel　about　and　people　came　just　to　visit　and　fool　around。　In　the　old　days　there　wouldn't　have　been　any　drinking　and　gambling　at　a　ceremonial　like　this。　Sandoval　watched　a　white　carryall　with　the　humped　buffalo　insignia　of　Law　and　Order　drive　up　across　the　flat；　and　a　man　in　blue　jeans　and　a　checked　shirt　get　out　of　it　and　talk　to　a　woman　starting　a　cook　fire　near　one　of　the　pickups。　The　woman　pointed　in　Sandoval's　direction　and　the　man　came　walking　toward　him。
　He　was　short；　with　heavy　shoulders　and　a　Roman　nose；　and　when　he　stopped　in　front　of　Sandoval　and　said；　〃My　grandfather；　I　hope　all　is　well　with　you；〃　his　voice　was　very　clear　and　distinct。　Sandoval；　who　had　noticed　lately　that　most　young　people　mumbled；　liked　this。　He　invited　the　young　man　to　sit　beside　him。
　〃I　am　called　Joe　Leaphorn；〃　the　young　man　said；　〃and　I　work　for　Law　and　Order；〃　but　after　that　he　talked　about　other　things…about　the　rains　starting　early　this　year；　which　was　good；　and　about　drinking　and　gambling　at　the　ceremonials；　which　was　bad。　Sandoval　approved　of　this；　knowing　that　the　policeman　would　get　around　to　his　business　in　good　time　and　appreciating　that　here　was　a　young　one　who　knew　the　old　and　patient　ways。
　〃There　has　not　been　an　Enemy　Way　in　this　country　in　a　long　time；〃　the　policeman　said；　and　from　the　way　he　said　it；　Sandoval　thought　that　the　time　had　e　for　business。
　〃I　guess；〃　the　policeman　added；　〃that　they　had　a　Star　Gazer；　or　a　Hand　Trembler　e。〃　It　was　not　a　question；　exactly；　but　the　tone　confirmed　Sandoval's　guess。　The　policeman　was　talking　business　now。
　〃Hand　Tremble；〃　Sandoval　said。　〃They　got　Jimmy　Hudson　to　e　out　here　and　hold　his　hand　over　Charley　Tsosie　and　Hudson　found　out　he　had　been　witched。　Hudson　said　the　witch　blew　something　on　him。〃
　〃There　was　a　man　lived　out　here　who　they　called　Luis　Horseman；〃　the　policeman　said。　〃I　wonder　if　he　was　a　witch？〃
　〃I　don't　know　about　him。〃
　〃I　guess　the　Enemy　Way　will　work　even　if　you　don't　know　who　the　witch　is。　But；　my　grandfather；　I　am　an　ignorant　man　about　many　things。　There　were　no　Singers　in　my　family　and　I　don't　know　how　the　Scalp　Shooter　gets　the　scalp　if　you　don't　know　who　the　witch　is。〃
　〃They　know　something　about　him；〃　Sandoval　said。　He　was　enjoying　this。　Enjoying　the　young　man's　finesse　and　the　sparring　with　words。
　〃I　knew　a　Hand　Trembler　once　who　was　wrong。　He　said　a　ghost　had　got　at　my　uncle's　brother's　son　and　they　had　a　Shooting　Way　Sing　for　that。　Turned　out　he　had　tuberculosis。〃
　〃Hand　trembling's　not　much　good　usually；〃　Sandoval　agreed。　〃But　this　time　he　got　it　right。　They　said　this　Navajo　Wolf　came　down　and　bothered　Tsosie's　sheep　in　the　night　and　Tsosie　saw　him。　Looked　like　a　big　coyote　but　it　was　a　man。　And　then　after　Hudson　came　and　hand　trembled；　they　got　one　of　the　outfit　who　knew　some　of　the　chants　and　they　did　a　blackening　on　Tsosie　and　after　that　he　felt　better　for　a　little　while。〃　Sandoval　hadn't　liked　the　remark　about　tuberculosis。　He　wondered　sourly　if　the　young　man　believed　in　witches。　The　policeman　had　a　white　haircut。　Not　the　way　the　Changing　Woman　had　taught。　He　was　looking　out　across　the　sagebrush　flat　now；　thinking。　Sandoval　guessed　the　next　question　would　tell　him　something。
　〃My　grandfather；　I　am　using　too　much　of　your　time　today；　but　I　keep　wondering　about　this。　I　know　you　have　never　listened　to　gossip　but　I　will　tell　you　something　you　might　need　to　know　for　your　Sing。　This　man　Horseman　is　dead　now；　and　if　he　was　the　witch；　you　might　need　to　know　about　it　for　the　way　you　hold　the　Sing。〃
　Sandoval　wondered　why　the　policeman　thought　a　man　named　Horseman　was　the　witch。　The　question　would　e　now。　Maybe　it　would　tell　him。
　〃As　I　said；　I　am　ignorant　about　many　things。　I　know　it　would　be　easier　to　cure　Tsosie　if　the　witch　was　already　dead。　But　how　would　be　the　best　way　to　kill　the　witch？〃
　Sandoval　turned　the　question　over　carefully。
　〃The　best　way　is　with　clubs。〃
　The　policeman　was　looking　at　him　closely　now。　〃Would　it　be　a　good　thing　to　smother　him？　To　pour　sand　over　his　head？〃
　〃I　never　heard　that。　Sometimes　with　clubs　and　sometimes　they　shoot　them。〃　Sandoval　was　puzzled。　He　had　never　heard　of　Horseman　and　he　had　never　heard　of　a　man　being　killed　like　that。　He　saw　Tsosie　was　ing　back　now　from　behind　the　brush　shelter　and　he　got　to　his　feet。　His　bones　felt　stiff　and　he　was　irritated。　He　suspected　the　young　man　had　left　the　Navajo　Way　and　was　on　the　Jesus　Road。
　〃My　grandson；　I　must　go　back　into　the　hogan　now。　But　now　I　have　a　question　for　you　to　answer。　Tell　me　if　you　believe　in　witching。〃
　〃My　father　taught　me　about　it；〃　the　policeman　said。　〃When　the　water　rose　in　the　Fourth　World　and　the　Holy　People　emerged　through　the　hollow　reed；　First　Man　and　First　Woman　came　up；　too。　But　they　forgot　witchcraft　and　so　they　sent　Diving　Heron　back　for　it。　They　told　him　to　bring　out　'the　way　to　get　rich'　so　the　Holy　People　wouldn't　know　what　he　was　getting。　And　Heron　brought　it　out　and　gave　it　to　First　Man　and　First　Woman　and　they　gave　some　of　it　to　Snake。　But　Snake　couldn't　swallow　it　so　he　had　to　hold　it　in　his　mouth。　And　that's　why　it　kills　you　when　a　snake　strikes　you。〃
　The　words　were　right；　Sandoval　thought；　but　he　recited　them　like　a　lesson。
　〃You　didn't　tell　me　whether　you　believe　it。〃
　The　man　named　Leaphorn　smiled　very　slightly。
　〃My　grandfather；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　learned　to　believe　in　evil。〃
　Lieutenant　Joe　Leaphorn　had　returned　to　his　carryall　intending　to　get　some　sleep。　He　had　left　Window　Rock　a　little　after　midnight　to　drive　to　the　Tsosie　place。　But　the　track　over　the　slick　rock　country　had　been　even　worse　than　he　remembered　and　the　two　hours'　rest　he　had　hoped　to　have　when　he　arrived　had　been　used　in　low…gear　driving　over　the　great　waste　of　eroded　slopes　west　of　the　Lukachukais。　Now　he　had　time。　He　had　learned　nothing　positive　from　Sandoval。　He　had　asked　around　and　learned　that　Billy　Nez　was　not　yet　here。　There　was　nothing　to　do　but　wait。　The　sun；　now　rising；　would　have　to　be　halfway　up　the　sky　before　it　was　time　for　the　Encounter　Between　the　Camps　and　then　there　would　be　the　exchange　of　gifts　and　other　ritual　before　the　scalp　shooting　could　be　held。　He　leaned　back　against　the　seat；　feeling　exhausted　but　wide　awake。　He　found　himself　again　retracing　all　he　knew　of　Luis　Horseman；　again　examining　each　assorted　fact　for　some　semblance　of　pattern。
　The　file　on　Luis　Horseman　at　Window　Rock　had　been　typical　of　those　for　the　relatively　few　young　men　who　gave　Law　and　Order　the　bulk　of　its　business。　A　few　scattered　years　of　schooling　on　the　Reservation；　arrests　at　Gallup　and　Farmington　and　Tuba　City　for　drunk　and　disorderly；　beginning　when　he　was　seventeen。　Short…term　jobs　on　the　Santa　Fe　railroad　maintenance　crews　and　at　the　strip　mine。　A　marriage　into　the　Minnie　Tso　family；　a　fight；　a　six…month　term　in　the　tribal　jail　for　aggravated　assault；　and　then　the　knifing　at　Gallup　and　the　stolen　car。　All　that　was　familiar　enough。　Too　familiar。
　〃He　acted　like　he　had　no　relatives；〃　Leaphorn　thought　and　grinned　wryly　at　the　old…fashioned　expression。　When　he　was　a　boy；　it　was　the　worst　thing　his　mother　could　say　about　anyone。　But　then　the　Navajo　Way　made　the　relatives　totally　responsible　for　anything　one　of　the　family　did。　Now　that　was　changing　and　there　were　more　young　men　like　Horseman。　Souls　lost　somewhere　between　the　values　of　The　People　and　the　values　of　the　whites。　No　good　even　at　crime。
　〃Not　worth　killing；〃　Leaphorn　thought。　But　someone　had　killed　him；　and　gone　to　considerable　trouble　in　doing　it。　Why　so　much　trouble？　Why　had　Horseman's　body　been　moved？　Why　had　it　been　left　beside　the　road　when　it　could　so　easily　have　been　lost　forever；　buried　under　the　bank　of　a　thousand　arroyos　or　left　for　the　ravens　anywhere　in　twenty…five　thousand　empty　square　miles？　And　why　had　Horseman　been　killed？　Above　all；　why　had　he　been　killed　in　that　peculiar　manner？
　The　question　always　brought　him　back　to　witchcraft。　But　all　of　yesterday　afternoon　and　evening；　hours　of　driving　from　place　to　place　and　hours　of　frustrating　questioning　of　Hand　Tremblers；　Listeners；　and　Singers…all　the　practitioners　who　knew　the　most　about　magic…had　told　him　nothing。　Only　that　the　Hand　Trembler　who　examined　Tsosie　had　learned　in　his　trance　that　the　witch　was　a　stranger　and　that　the　cure　must　be　an　Enemy　Way。　It　was　not；　Leaphorn　knew；　a　ceremonial　lightly　undertaken。　It　required　two　Singers；　one　for　the　patient　and　one　at　the　Stick　Receiver's　camp；　and　the　Scalp　Shooter。　In　some　cases　there　would　also　be　a　team　of　Tail　Singers　for　the　coyote　songs；　and　the　seven　Black　Dancers。　Even　without　the　special　performers；　the　Singers　and　the　Scalp　Shooter　would　cost　the　Tsosie　family　at　least　200　in　fees。　Dozens　of　sheep　would　have　to　be　killed　to　feed　the　crowds　at　both　camps；　and　several　hundred　dollars　more　would　go　for　the　gift　exchanges。　Leaphorn　thought　the　Tsosie　uncles　and　cousins　who　would　have　to　help　bear　this　heavy　cost　would　approve　the　Sing　only　if　they　were　sure　there　had　been　a　witching。　And　how　the　devil　could　they　be　sure　if　they　hadn't　identified　the　witch？
　Leaphorn　saw　smoke　rising　from　the　smoke　hole　of　the　ceremonial　hogan。　Sandoval；　who　had　been　burning　pine　and　willow　bark　by　the　brush　shelter；　had　collected　his　ashes　and　gone　into　t