thillerman.theblessingway-第30节

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　the　letter。〃
　〃O。K。；〃　McKee　said。　〃I　think　you're　right。　They　want　the　letter　because　they　know　that　someday　there's　going　to　be　a　search　started　for　us　and　they　don't　want　the　search　to　be　in　here。　They　don't　want　the　search　to　be　in　this　canyon　ever…or　at　least　not　for　a　long；　long　time。〃
　〃But　why　not？　Do　you　know　why？〃
　〃No；〃　McKee　said。　〃Can't　even　make　a　good　guess　at　it。　But　it　has　to　be　right。〃
　He　leaned　back　against　the　cliff　and　wiped　the　dust　off　his　face。
　〃I　didn't　think　so　at　first。　I　thought　that；　whatever　they　were　doing　here；　it　was　making　them　wait　for　something；　and　they　didn't　know　how　long　the　wait　would　be；　so　they　didn't　want　interference。　But　that's　not　right；　because　it　seems　to　be　happening　today。　They　could　just　leave　us　here；　and　it　would　be　a　long　time　before　anyone　found　us。　A　lot　more　time　than　they　would　need　to　get　away。〃
　That's　what　I　thought　of；　too；〃　Ellen　said。
　〃Did　you　notice　how　they　camped？〃　McKee　asked。　〃No　garbage　hole。　Put　all　the　cans　and　stuff　in　gunny　sacks。　And　Eddie；　when　he　lit　the　stove；　he　put　the　burned　match　in　his　vest　pocket。〃
　〃I　didn't　notice。　I　guess　I　didn't　think　of　that。〃
　〃When　they　pull　out　of　here　there　won't　be　any　traces　left。　Not　after　the　August　rainy　season；　anyway。　Unless　there　was　some　reason　for　a　search；　no　one　could　ever　know　anyone　had　been　in　here。〃
　Beneath　the　pile　of　debris　in　the　corner；　the　plaster　looked　almost　new。　He　jabbed　it　with　his　stick　and　cursed　inwardly　when　the　rotten　wood　snapped。　For　this　he　needed　his　pocket　knife　and　the　Big　Navajo　had　taken　it　when　he　had　searched　him。　Or　had　he？
　McKee　suddenly　was　aware　of　the　weight　of　the　knife　in　his　shirt　pocket。　He　had　dropped　it　there　with　his　cigarette　pack　when　he　hurried　from　their　tent…hands　full　of　odds　and　ends…in　his　futile　race　to　escape。　It　was　a　ridiculous　place　to　carry　a　pocket　knife；　and　the　Navajo　had　overlooked　it。
　McKee　fished　it　out　and　pulled　open　the　blade…noticing　he　could　hold　it　between　the　thumb　and　forefinger　of　his　right　hand　with　little　pain。　With　the　knuckle　back　in　joint　the　swelling　must　be　going　down。　There　would　be　no　chance　now　of　persuading　the　Navajo　that　he　couldn't　write。
　The　plaster　chipped　away　in　sections；　revealing　a　rough　surface　of　stone　with　mud　mortar　chinking。　A　moment　later　a　yard…square　sheet　crumbled　and　McKee　saw　he　had　guessed　right。　The　fitted　stonework　ended　in　a　crude　half…arch　in　the　corner　two　feet　above　the　floor。　The　first　stone　he　pulled　on　was　jammed　tightly；　but　the　second　slipped　out　easily。
　McKee　rocked　back　on　his　heels；　looking　at　the　stone。　It　was　about　the　size　of　a　grapefruit　and　felt　clumsy　in　his　left　hand。　He　tried　to　shift　it　to　the　right；　but　it　fell　into　the　dust。
　Miss　Leon　looked　at　the　stone　and　then　at　him。
　〃I　think　we　can　get　out；〃　he　said。　〃We　can　if　the　room　on　the　other　side　hasn't　fallen　in　and　buried　this　crawl　hole　under　a　lot　of　big　rocks。〃
　〃What　do　we　do　if　we　get　out？〃　Her　voice　was　very　small。
　〃Did　you　hear　them　e　back　during　the　night？〃　McKee　said。
　〃No。　I　didn't　hear　anything。　But　we　don't　even　know　if　they　left。　Maybe　just　one　climbed　down。〃
　The　Big　Navajo　said　he　had　to　leave；〃　McKee　said。　〃And　he　said　he　might　not　be　back　until　tonight。　If　Eddie　didn't　stay　up　here　on　the　ledge；　we'll　try　to　find　a　way　off。〃
　Miss　Leon　looked　skeptical。
　〃e　on；〃　McKee　said。　〃The　Hopis　lived　here　long　enough　to　rebuild　part　of　this　place　and　they　didn't　like　being　in　places　where　they　could　be　boxed　in。　There's　a　good　enough　chance　that　they　had　some　sort　of　escape　route　off　the　cliff。　They　always　had　a　hidden　way　out　if　they　could。〃
　There　was　another　alternative。　If　they　found　no　way　off　the　cliff；　he　could　try　to　keep　Eddie　and　the　Indian　from　climbing　back　up。　He　might　surprise　them；　catch　them　on　the　ladder…defenseless　from　a　rock　dropped　from　above。　With　surprise　it　might　work。　But　there　was　a　rifle　in　the　Land…Rover。　They　would　be　good　with　it…probably　very　good。
　〃But　what　if　Eddie　stayed　up　here？〃　Ellen　said。　〃I'll　bet　he　did。〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　McKee　said。　〃Just　let's　hope　he　didn't。〃
　He　tried　to　make　his　grin　reassuring　without　much　success。　He　was　thinking　of　the　way　Eddie　handled　the　pistol。　For　the　first　time　it　occurred　to　him　exactly　what　his　problem　might　be。　He　might　have　to　find　a　way　to　kill　a　man。　He　turned　away　from　the　thought。
　Outside　the　hole　he　stood　tensely；　listening。　The　ravens　had　flown　away　now　and　the　only　sound　was　the　morning　wind　and　the　faint　whistling　of　a　horned　lark　on　the　canyon　rim　high　above　him。　The　Hopis　had　repaired　this　room；　too。　He　could　tell　from　the　remnants　of　plaster。　But　a　slab　of　stone　had　fallen　from　the　cliff；　crashing　through　the　roof　and　tumbling　much　of　the　east　wall　outward。　Denied　this　support　and　protection；　the　roof　had　collapsed　and　centuries　of　wind　had　drifted　a　hump　of　sand　and　dust　against　what　remained　of　the　wall。　Over　this　hump；　McKee　surveyed　what　he　could　see　of　the　east　end　of　the　ruins。
　The　shelf　gradually　narrowed　to　the　east。　From　what　he　remembered　seeing　yesterday　from　the　canyon　bottom；　this　entire　east　end　was　filled　with　ruined　walls；　ending　just　short　of　the　point　where　a　structural　fault　split　the　canyon　wall　from　floor　to　rim。　That　would　be　the　place　to　look　for　an　escape　route。　That　narrow　chimney　would　be　the　only　possible　way　up。　The　thought　of　it　made　his　stomach　knot。　As　a　graduate　student；　he　had　climbed　down　such　a　slot　to　reach　a　cliff　house　at　Mesa　Verde；　and　the　memory　of　it　was　an　unpleasant　mixture　of　fear　and　vertigo。
　He　climbed　cautiously　over　the　rubble　of　the　exterior　wall　at　the　edge　of　the　shelf　and　looked　down　into　the　canyon。　The　Land…Rover　was　not　in　sight。　That　should　mean　the　Navajo　had　not　returned　from　wherever　his　business　had　taken　him。　Nor　was　there　any　sign　of　Eddie。　That　meant　nothing。　Eddie　might　be　sleeping　below　him　in　any　of　a　thousand　invisible　places。　Or　Eddie　might　be　only　a　few　yards　away　on　the　cliff。
　Here　the　Anasazis　had　crowded　their　building　almost　to　the　edge　of　the　cliff；　leaving　along　the　lip　of　the　precipice　a　narrow　walkway；　which　was　now　buried　under　debris。　McKee　moved　along　it　gingerly；　keeping　as　close　as　the　fallen　rocks　would　allow　to　the　wall　of　the　storeroom。　At　the　corner；　behind　a　water…starved　growth　of　juniper；　he　stopped。
　When　he　looked　around　the　corner；　Eddie　would　be　standing　there。　Eddie　would　have　the　pistol　in　his　hand　and　would…without　any　change　of　expression…shoot　him　in　the　head。　McKee　thought　about　it　for　a　moment。　Eddie　might　look　faintly　apologetic；　as　he　had　when　he　had　introduced　himself　at　the　Land…Rover。　But　he　would　pull　the　trigger。
　McKee　stood　with　his　back　pressed　against　the　stones　and　looked　out　across　the　canyon。　It　was　almost　full　dawn　now。　Light　from　the　sun；　barely　below　the　horizon；　reflected　a　reddish　light　from　a　cloud　formation　somewhere　to　the　east　onto　the　tops　of　the　opposite　cliffs。　A　pi？on　jay　exploded　out　of　a　juniper　across　the　canyon　in　a　flurry　of　black　and　white。　He　heard　the　ravens　again；　far　up　the　canyon　now。　It　was　a　beautiful　morning。
　McKee　leaned　forward　and　looked　around　the　wall。
　Eddie　was　not　in　sight。　The　stretched　tarp　was　there；　and　the　stove；　and　other　equipment。　Both　sleeping　bags　were　gone。　So　was　the　ladder。　McKee　felt　himself　relaxing。　Eddie　must　have　climbed　down　and　left　them　alone　on　the　shelf。
　McKee　was　suddenly　aware　that　he　would　be　plainly　visible　from　below。　He　moved　back　behind　the　juniper　and　stood；　thinking　it　through。　He　glanced　at　his　watch。　Five　A。M。　Then　he　heard　Eddie　whistling。
　Eddie　walked　around　the　jumble　of　fallen　rock　at　the　west　end　of　the　shelf；　not　fifty　feet　away。　He　was　carrying　his　bedroll　under　his　right　arm　and　his　coat　slung　over　his　left　shoulder…whistling　something　that　sounded　familiar。　He　dumped　the　bedroll；　folded　the　coat　neatly　across　an　outcrop　of　sandstone；　and　squatted　beside　the　stove。
　McKee　stared　numbly　through　the　juniper。　Of　course　the　Big　Navajo　had　left　nothing　at　all　to　luck。　He　had　taken　the　ladder　but　left　the　guard　behind。
　Eddie　was　bing　his　hair。　His　shoulder　holster；　with　the　pistol　in　it；　was　strapped　over　his　vest。　About　twenty　yards　away；　McKee　guessed。　He　could　cover　maybe　ten　yards　before　Eddie　saw　him；　and　another　five　before　Eddie　could　get　the　pistol　out；　and　then　Eddie　would　shoot　him　as　many　times　as　were　necessary。
　The　first　plan　McKee　considered　as　he　worked　his　way　slowly　back　along　the　cliff　edge　involved　waiting　in　ambush　at　the　corner　of　the　storeroom　until　Eddie　mounted　the　ladder　to　bring　them　their　breakfast。　He　imagined　himself　sprinting　the　fifteen　feet　before　Eddie；　encumbered　with　food；　could　draw　the　pistol；　knocking　the　ladder　from　under　him　and　triumphantly　disarming　him。
　It　might　work…if　Eddie　brought　them　breakfast。　There　was　no　reason　to　believe　he　would。　Much　more　likely　he　would　first　check　on　his　prisoners　with　pistol　in　hand。
　The　second　plan；　even　more　fleeting；　involved　having　Miss　Leon　raise　a　clamor…perhaps　shouting　that　he　was　sick。　This　would　probably　bring　Eddie　up　the　ladder　to　look　in　the　hole　in　the　storehouse　roof。　But　he　would　e　cautiously　and　suspiciously。　The　third　plan　survived　a　little　longer　because…if　it　worked…it　did　n