thillerman.theblessingway-第16节

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etimes　dropping　the　〃th〃　sound。
　The　man　stood　silent　a　long　moment；　staring　up；　and　then　down；　the　canyon。　Listening。　And　he　won't　hear　a　damn　thing；　McKee　thought。　Not　from　me。
　〃John's　hurt；〃　the　voice　said。　The　voice　was　louder　now　and　the　cliffs　bounced　the　〃hurt〃　between　them　until　it　blended　into　a　single　note。　〃He　needs　help。〃
　John。　John；　not　Jeremy。　The　man　standing　down　there　in　the　darkness；　the　man　with　the　wolf　skin；　the　man　who　had　stalked　like　an　animal；　had　some　connection　with　Canfield's　note；　with　Canfield's　peculiar　signature。
　〃I　should　go　down　there；〃　McKee　thought；　but　he　remembered　the　thing　that　had　reflected　the　moonlight　in　this　man's　hand　as　he　had　crossed　the　canyon　floor。　Why　the　pistol？　Why　the　dog　skin？　And　he　leaned　motionless　against　the　boulder；　feeling　the　rough　coldness　of　the　rock　against　his　legs　and　the　cold　sweat　on　his　palms；　knowing　he　would　go　nowhere　near　this　man。　Not　alone　in　this　dark　canyon。　Not　without　a　weapon。
　And　then　the　man　was　gone。　Suddenly　he　was　no　longer　beside　the　tent。　And　then　McKee　saw　him；　trotting　diagonally　across　the　canyon　bottom；　the　wolf　skin　dangling　from　one　hand。
　McKee　relaxed　against　the　boulder；　suddenly　aware　that　he　was　cold　and　that　his　shirt　was　wet　with　sweat。　Far　down　canyon　the　saw…whet　owl　made　its　strange；　rasping　cry。　Signaling　a　kill；　McKee　thought。
　
　Chapter　12
　
　It　was　well　after　midnight　when　Leaphorn　finally　learned　who　had　collected　the　scalp　for　the　ceremonial。　He　had　talked　until　he　was　tired　of　talking…tired　and　frustrated　and　irritated　at　his　close…mouthed　people。　And　then　a　girl　had　told　him；　proudly　and　without　prompting；　that　Billy　Nez…whom　he　still　hadn't　located…had　stolen　the　hat。　Billy　Nez　had　tracked　the　truck　of　the　witch　and　had　watched　from　hiding　until　he　finally　had　the　opportunity。　Leaphorn　had　been　captured　by　the　girl；　a　plump　and　pretty　youngster　wearing　a　T…shirt　with　〃Chinle　High　School〃　printed　across　it；　during　the　Girl　Dance。　She　had　grabbed　his　arm　while　he　was　talking　to　an　old　man。
　〃e　on；　Blue　Policeman；〃　she　had　said。　I've　got　you　and　you've　got　to　dance。〃　And　Leaphorn　had　let　her　tow　him　to　the　great　fire；　because　he　had　already　decided　the　old　man　would　tell　him　nothing；　and　because　it　was　the　tradition　at　this　ceremonial。　He　would　dance　with　the　girl　a　little；　and　after　a　while　he　would　pay　her　the　proper　ransom　for　his　release；　and　then　he　would　continue　wandering　through　the　crowd　asking　for　Billy　Nez　but　no　longer　really　expecting　to　find　him　here。
　Blue　Policeman；　he　thought。　A　hell　of　a　lot　of　good　it　does　to　leave　your　uniform　at　home。　There's　not　an　adult　at　this　Sing　by　now　who　doesn't　know　I'm　the　law。
　The　chant　rose　in　the　firelight。　Ya　Ha　He　Ya　Na　He。　Rising　and　falling　with　the　rhythm　of　the　pot　drums。　And　then　the　words。　〃Lie　closer　to　me；〃　the　singers　chanted。　〃Bring　your　sheepskin　and　we　will　go　into　the　darkness。　What　are　you　going　to　do　out　there？〃　Leaphorn　glanced　at　his　partner；　curious　whether　the　ribald　suggestion　of　the　song　would　embarrass　a　boarding…school　girl。　She　danced　gracefully；　gripping　his　left　arm　with　her　right。
　〃I　wonder　why　Hosteen　Policeman　looks　at　me；〃　she　said。　〃Are　you　going　to　arrest　me？〃
　Leaphorn　returned　the　smile。　〃I　would　if　I　thought　you　could　tell　me　anything。〃
　〃Who　are　you　after？　What　do　you　want　to　know？〃
　〃I'd　like　to　know　all　about　a　witch；〃　Leaphorn　said。
　〃I'll　bet　you　don't　even　believe　in　witches。〃
　〃I　believe　in　a　witch　who　used　to　wear　a　big　black　Stetson　hat　until　somebody　got　it　away　from　him。〃
　〃That　was　Billy　Nez；〃　the　girl　had　said。　There　it　was；　as　simple　as　that。　Billy　Nez　was　around　here　somewhere　（the　girl　glanced　over　her　shoulder　into　the　darkness；　frowning）。
　〃I'd　like　to　talk　to　Hosteen　Nez；〃　Leaphorn　said。
　〃So　would　I。　I　caught　him　and　made　him　dance　and　he　just　paid　me　twenty…five　cents。　And　he　said　he'd　let　me　catch　him　again。〃　The　girl　frowned　into　the　darkness　again　and　then　looked　up　at　Leaphorn。　〃But　he's　no　Hosteen　yet。　He's　just　a　boy。〃
　〃How　old　is　just　a　boy？〃
　〃He's　just　sixteen。〃
　And　you're　about　fifteen；　Leaphorn　thought；　and　if　Billy　Nez　isn't　careful　his　clan　is　going　to　lose　itself　a　boy；　and　a　bride's　price　to　boot。
　〃Just　a　boy；〃　Leaphorn　said。
　〃But　he's　the　one　who　got　the　hat。　Billy　was　the　Scalp　Carrier。　He　followed　that　man's　pickup；　and　he　watched　from　where　the　witch　couldn't　see　him；　and　when　he　went　away　Billy　was　the　one　who　got　the　scalp。〃
　And　that　seemed　to　be　exactly　all　the　girl　knew　about　it。　She　knew　Nez　was　Red　Forehead；　and　that　he　raised　sheep　with　his　uncle　over　on　Cotton…wood　Flats　near　Chinle；　and　that　he　was　wearing　a　red…checked　shirt　and　a　red　baseball　cap；　and　some　of　the　other　things　that　fifteen…year…old　girls　learn　about　sixteen…year…old　boys。　And　then　suddenly　the　pot　drums　and　the　chanting　stopped；　and　there　were　much　haggling　and　laughing　and　banter　as　the　women　collected　their　ransom　fees。　Leaphorn　gave　the　girl　a　dollar。
　〃That's　the　most　I　got　all　night；〃　she　said。　But　she　wouldn't　e　with　him　to　point　out　Nez。
　Leaphorn　spotted　the　Carrier　of　the　Scalp　a　half　hour　later。　The　Sway　Dancing　had　started　then　and　he　saw　Nez　in　his　ball　cap　among　the　line　of　dancers　from　the　Stick　Receiver's　camp。　The　rhythm　was　faster　now　and　the　rising；　falling　in　sound　of　the　voices　was　as　old　as　the　earth。　But　the　words　were　about　a　rocket。
　〃Belacani's　rocket　fell　on　the　mesa；〃　the　singers　chanted。
　And　then　the　line　of　men　from　the　patient's　camp　began　the　rhythmic　swaying　and　the　words　changed。
　〃Belacani's　rocket　start　the　brush　burning。〃
　Track　down　the　man　who　started　that　one；　Leaphorn　thought；　and　you'd　find　the　missile　the　Army　spent　half　the　winter　looking　for　four　years　ago。　Trouble　was　it　would　be　easier　to　find　the　missile　than　the　song　writer。
　But　he　had；　at　least；　found　Billy　Nez；　and　now　the　dancing　was　over　for　a　time　and　Nez　was　walking　toward　him；　talking　to　a　younger　boy　who；　Leaphorn　guessed；　would　be　his　cousin。
　〃My　nephew；〃　Leaphorn　said；　〃I　would　like　to　talk　for　a　moment　with　the　man　who　carried　the　scalp。〃
　Billy　Nez　looked　surprised　and　pleased。　But；　Leaphorn　noticed；　he　also　moved　his　hand　toward　his　shirt　front　to　touch　his　medicine　pouch　with　its　gallstone　proof　against　witches。　One　was　careful　of　strangers　at　an　Enemy　Way。
　〃I　myself　am　a　policeman；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃It　is　sometimes　my　business　to　track　people　and　it　would　be　good　for　me　to　hear　how　you　tracked　this　Wolf。〃
　The　boy　looked　down。　〃It　was　nothing　very　much；〃　he　said。　And　then；　remembering　his　manners；　added；　〃My　uncle。〃　For　the　first　time　in　a　long　day；　Leaphorn　felt　he　was　handling　someone　exactly　right。
　〃And　yet　nobody　else　got　the　scalp　for　this　Sing。　It　was　you；　Hosteen　Nez。〃
　〃Billy　tracked　him　three　days；〃　the　younger　boy　said。　He　grinned　at　Leaphorn。　〃I'm　Billy's　uncle's　son。〃
　〃We　might　sit　here　by　this　pickup　and　smoke；〃　Leaphorn　said。　He　took　a　cigarette　and　handed　the　pack　to　the　younger　boy。　And　when　the　pack　came　to　Billy　Nez　he　took　a　cigarette；　and　lit　it；　and　told　Joe　Leaphorn　everything　he　knew。　And　he　started；　as　Leaphorn　knew　he　would　start；　from　the　beginning。
　The　witch　had　first　e　around　the　summer　hogans　of　his　uncle　at　mid…spring　not　long　after　his　uncle's　family　had　driven　the　sheep　up　from　the　winter　grazing　in　the　Chinle　Valley　to　the　summer　range　in　the　Lukachukais。
　Two　days　after　they　had　settled　down；　he　and　the　two　boys　were　driving　the　sheep　up　there　on　the　plateau。　His　uncle　was　driving　his　own　sheep　and　the　boys　were　driving　his　uncle's　wife's　sheep。　And　they　saw　this　truck　ing　across　this　arroyo　there。　It　wasn't　really　a　truck。　More　like　a　jeep；　only　bigger　and　with　a　cloth　top　on　it。
　〃Was　it　a　Land…Rover？〃　Leaphorn　said。
　〃I　don't　know；〃　Billy　Nez　said。　〃I　never　saw　another　one　like　it。　It　was　gray。〃
　The　Big　Navajo　had　left　Shoemaker's　store　in　a　Land…Rover；　Leaphorn　thought。　Gray　and　hard　to　see　and　I　wonder　if　that's　a　coincidence。
　The　truck　had　stopped　at　first　and　his　uncle　had　seen　the　driver　looking　at　them。　And　then　it　drove　up　and　the　man　asked　my　uncle　where　he　was　taking　those　sheep　and　how　long　he　was　going　to　keep　them　in　that　high　country。　His　uncle　had　said　all　summer　and　the　man　had　asked　if　he　didn't　know　there　was　a　witch　cave　up　in　that　country　and　a　bunch　of　wolves　up　there　that　got　after　people　that　came　into　their　territory。
　Billy　Nez　took　a　long　drag　on　his　cigarette；　inhaled；　and　then　blew　out　the　smoke。
　〃What'd　your　uncle　say？〃　Leaphorn　asked；　and　was　instantly　irked　with　himself　for　his　impatience。
　〃He　thought　it　was　kind　of　funny　this　Nakai　knowing　so　much　about　Navajo　Wolves。〃
　Leaphorn　looked　at　Billy　Nez　sharply。
　〃Why　Nakai？　Did　your　uncle　think　this　man　was　a　Mexican？〃
　〃Nakai；　or　Belacana；　or　something；〃　Billy　Nez　said。　〃Anyhow　my　uncle　said　he　didn't　talk　much　good　Navajo。　Wanted　to　talk　in　English　and　my　uncle　don't　talk　that　much；　so　he　tried　to　talk　in　Spanish　and　this　man　didn't　know　that　good。〃　Billy　Nez　paused。　〃So　I　guess　he　wasn't　a　Nakai；　e　to　think　of　it。　Maybe　a　Ute　or　something。〃
　So；　Leaphorn　thought。　No　doubt　now　why　the　Hand　Tremble　had　prescribed　the　Enemy　Way　instead　of　the　Prostitution　Way。　Here's　why　th