thillerman.theblessingway-第6节

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　〃I　usually　walk　where　the　rains　fall。
　Below　the　east　I　walk。
　I　being　Born　of　Water；
　I　usually　walk　where　the　rains　fall。
　Within　the　dawn　I　walk。
　
　I　usually　walk　where　the　rains　fall。
　Among　the　white　corn　I　walk。
　Among　the　soft　goods　I　walk。
　Among　the　collected　waters　I　walk。
　Among　the　pollen　I　walk。
　I　usually　walk　where　the　rain　falls。〃
　It　was　brightening　on　the　eastern　horizon　as　he　shifted　into　low　gear　to　wind　down　the　switchback　down　the　long　slope　toward　the　highway。　The　descent　took　almost　fifteen　minutes；　and　at　the　bottom；　skirting　the　base　of　the　mesa；　was　Teastah　Wash。　If　it　had　rained　harder　elsewhere　on　the　mesa；　he　might　not　be　able　to　drive　through　the　wash　until　the　runoff　water　cleared。　He　stopped　just　as　his　truck　tilted　down　the　steep　incline；　put　on　the　emergency　brake；　and　stepped　out。　The　headlights；　illuminating　the　bottom　of　the　wash；　showed　only　a　slight　trickle　of　water　across　the　sandy　expanse。　What　little　runoff　there　had　been　was　mostly　gone　now。
　It　was　when　he　was　turning　to　climb　back　into　the　pickup　that　he　saw　the　owl。　It　flew　almost　directly　at　the　truck；　startling　him；　flitted　through　the　headlight　beams；　and　disappeared　abruptly　in　the　dawn　half…light　up　the　wash。　He　sat　behind　the　wheel　a　moment；　feeling　shaken。　The　owl　had　acted　strangely；　he　thought；　and　it　was　known　that　ghosts　sometimes　took　on　that　form　when　they　moved　in　the　darkness。　It　looked　like　a　burrowing　owl；　Begay　thought；　but　maybe　it　was　a　ghost　returning　with　the　dawn　to　a　grave　or　a　death　hogan。
　He　was　still　thinking　of　the　owl　as　he　let　the　pickup　ease　slowly　down　the　steep　bank　and　then　raced　it　across　the　soft　bottom。　And　he　was　thinking　of　it　as　the　truck　climbed　out　of　the　arroyo；　its　motor　laboring　in　low　gear。　But　by　now　the　mood　of　the　morning　had　recaptured　him　and　he　thought　that　it　was　just　a　burrowing　owl；　going　home　from　the　night's　hunting　and　confused　by　his　headlights。　It　was　just　beyond　the　rim　of　the　shallow　canyon；　just　after　the　pickup　had　regained　level　ground　and　he　had　shifted　into　second　gear；　that　he　saw　that　he　was　wrong。
　The　body　lay　just　beside　the　track　and　his　headlights　first　reflected　from　the　soles　of　its　shoes。　Before　he　could　stop；　the　pickup　was　almost　beside　it。　Joseph　Begay　shifted　into　neutral　and　left　the　motor　running。　He　unbuttoned　his　shirt　and　extracted　a　small　leather　pouch　hung　from　his　neck　by　a　thong。　The　pouch　contained　a　small　bit　of　jet　flint　in　the　crude　shape　of　a　bear；　and　about　an　ounce　of　yellow　pollen。　Begay　put　his　thumb　in　the　pollen　and　rubbed　it　against　his　chest。　He　chanted：
　〃Everywhere　I　go；　myself
　May　I　have　luck；
　Everywhere　my　close　relatives　go
　May　they　have　their　good　luck。〃
　The　ghost　was　gone…at　least　for　the　moment。　He　had　seen　it　flying　up　Teastah　Wash。　He　got　out　of　the　truck　and　stood　beside　the　body。　It　was　a　young　man　dressed　in　jeans　and　a　red　shirt　and　with　town　shoes　on。　The　body　lay　on　its　back；　the　legs　slightly　parted；　right　arm　outflung　and　left　arm　across　the　chest　with　the　wrist　and　hand　extending；　oddly　rigid。　There　was　no　visible　blood　but　the　clothing　was　damp　from　the　rain。
　As　Begay　drove　the　last　mile　down　the　bumpy　track　toward　the　highway；　driving　faster　than　he　should　have；　he　thought　that　he　would　have　to　report　this　body　to　Law　and　Order　before　he　went　to　the　bus　station。　He　tried　not　to　think　of　the　expression　frozen　on　the　face　of　the　young　man；　the　dead　eyes　bulging　and　the　lips　drawn　back　in　naked　terror。
　
　Chapter　6
　
　It　was　midmorning　when　the　news　of　Horseman　reached　Leaphorn's　office。　In　the　two　hours　since　breakfast；　McKee　had　sorted　through　two　filing　cabinets；　extracted　Manila　folders　marked　〃Witchcraft〃　and　segregated　those　identified　as　〃Wolf〃　from　those　labeled　〃Frenzy〃　and　〃Datura。〃　The　datura　cases　involved　narcotics　users；　and　most　frenzy　incidents；　McKee　knew；　centered　on　mental　illness。　If　he　had　time；　he'd　look　through　those　later。　He　was　marking　Wolf　incident　locations　on　a　Bureau　of　Indian　Affairs　reservation　map；　coding　them　with　numbers；　and　then　making　notes　of　names　of　witnesses；　when　the　radio　dispatcher　stopped　at　the　door　and　told　Leaphorn　that　Luis　Horseman　had　been　found。
　〃When　did　he　e　in？〃
　〃Found　his　body；〃　the　dispatcher　said。
　Leaphorn　stared　at　the　dispatcher；　waiting　for　more。
　〃The　captain　wants　to　know　if　you　can　pick　up　the　coroner　and　clear　the　body？〃
　〃Why　don't　they　handle　it　out　of　the　Chinle　subagency？〃　Leaphorn　asked。　〃They're　a　hundred　miles　closer。〃
　〃They　found　him　down　near　Ganado。　You're　supposed　to　pick　up　the　coroner　there。〃
　〃Ganado？〃　Leaphorn　looked　incredulous。　〃What　killed　him？　Suicide？〃
　〃Apparently　natural；〃　the　dispatcher　said。　〃Too　much　booze。　But　nobody's　looked　at　him　yet。〃
　〃Ganado；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃How　the　devil　did　he　get　down　there？〃
　It　was　forty…five　minutes　to　Ganado　and　Leaphorn　spent　most　of　them　worrying　to　McKee　about　being　wrong。
　〃Congratulations；〃　McKee　said。　〃You're　forty　years　old　and　you　just　made　your　first　mistake。〃
　〃It's　not　that。　It　just　doesn't　make　sense。〃　And　then；　for　the　third　time；　Leaphorn　reviewed　his　reasoning…looking　for　a　flaw。　The　Gallup　police　had　reported　the　car　Horseman　had　taken　after　the　knifing　was　last　seen　heading　north　on　U。S。　666；　the　right　direction。　It　had　been　found　later；　abandoned　near　Greasewood。　The　right　place；　if　he　was　returning　to　the　west…slope　canyon　country　of　his　mother's　clan。　And　there　was　every　reason　to　think　he　would。　Horseman　was　scared。　The　territory　was　empty；　and　a　fugitive's　dream　for　hiding　out。　His　kinsmen　would　feed　him　and　keep　their　mouths　shut。　And　at　Shoemaker's　Leaphorn　was　certain　that　at　least　two　of　those　he　had　talked　to　had　known　about　Horseman。　There　was　the　old　man　with　the　witch　story　and　it　was　even　more　obvious　with　the　boy　who　had　e　in　late。　He　had　clearly　been　relieved　to　hear　the　Mexican　hadn't　died　and　clearly　was　in　a　hurry　to　end　the　conversation　and　go　tell　someone　about　it。　And　then　there　was　the　Big　Navajo。　〃He　was　interested；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃Remember　he　asked　me　to　describe　Horseman。　And　Shoemaker　said　he　was　new　around　there。　Why　would　he　be　interested　if　he　hadn't　seen　him？〃
　〃You're　hung　up　on　the　hat　thing；〃　McKee　said。
　〃All　right；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃You　explain　the　hat。〃
　〃Sure。　He　took　the　hatband　off　and　while　it　was　off；　somebody　stole　the　hat。〃
　〃When's　the　last　time　you　took　off　your　hatband？〃
　〃I　don't　wear　silver　conchos　on　my　hat；〃　McKee　said。
　They　picked　up　the　coroner…justice　of　the　peace　at　a　Conoco　station　in　Ganado；　a　man　named　Rudolph　Bitsi。　Bitsi　told　them　to　drive　south。
　The　late　morning　sun　was　hot　by　the　time　they　arrived　at　the　edge　of　Teastah　Wash　and　the　Navajo　policeman　who　had　been　left　with　the　body　had　retreated　into　the　shade　of　the　arroyo　wall。　He　climbed　into　the　sunlight；　blinking；　as　the　carryall　stopped。　He　looked　very　young；　and　a　little　nervous。　Leaphorn　said　the　policeman　was　Dick　Roanhorse；　just　out　of　recruit　school。
　〃Find　anything　interesting？〃　Leaphorn　asked。
　〃No；　sir。　Just　this　bottle。　The　only　tracks　are　the　ones　made　by　Begay's　pickup。　Rain　washed　everything　else　out。〃
　〃The　body　was　here　before　the　rain；　then；〃　Leaphorn　said。　It　was　more　a　statement　than　a　question；　and　the　policeman　only　nodded。
　Leaphorn　pulled　the　blanket　off　the　body。　They　looked　at　what　had　been　Luis　Horseman。
　〃Well；〃　Bitsi　said；　〃looks　like　he　might　have　had　some　sort　of　seizure。〃
　〃Looks　like　it；〃　Leaphorn　said。
　Bitsi　squatted；　examining　the　face。　He　was　a　short；　middle…aged　man；　tending　to　fat；　and　he　grunted　as　he　lowered　himself。　He　sniffed　at　Horseman's　nose　and　lips。
　〃Alcohol。　You　can　just　barely　get　a　whiff　of　it。〃
　Leaphorn　was　looking　at　Horseman's　legs。　McKee　noticed　they　were　rigidly　straight…as　if　he　had　died　erect　and　tumbled　backward；　which　wasn't　likely。
　Bitsi　was　still　examining　the　face。　〃I　saw　one　that　looked　like　that　two；　three　years　ago。　Crazy　bastard　had　made　him　a　brew　out　of　jimson　weed　to　get　more　potent　and　it　poisoned　him。〃
　Leaphorn　was　looking　at　Horseman's　left　arm。　The　watch　on　his　wrist　was　running；　which　would　mean　he　had　wound　it　the　previous　day…probably　less　than　twenty…four　hours　earlier。　It　was　a　cheap　watch；　the　kind　that　cost　about　8　or　10；　with　a　stainless…steel　expansion　band。　Leaphorn　stared　at　the　left　hand。　The　arm　lay　across　Horseman's　chest　with　the　wrist　and　hand　extended；　unsupported。
　〃Pretty　fair　booze；〃　Bitsi　said；　holding　up　the　bottle。　The　label　was　red　and　proclaimed　the　contents　to　be　sour…mash　whiskey。　About　a　half　ounce　of　amber　liquid　remained　in　the　bottle。
　〃Looks　like　he　overdid　it；〃　Bitsi　said。　〃Looks　like　he　strangled。　Fell　down　while　he　was　throwing　up；　and　passed　out　and　strangled。〃
　〃That's　what　it　looks　like；〃　Leaphorn　said。
　〃Might　as　well　haul　him　in；〃　Bitsi　said。　He　rose　from　his　squat；　grunting　again。
　〃No　tracks　at　all？〃　Leaphorn　asked　the　policeman。
　〃Just　Begay's。　Where　he　got　out　of　his　pickup　and　came　over　to　look　at　the　body。　Nothing　but　that。〃；
　There　were　plenty　of　tracks　now。　Mostly　Roanhorse's；　Leaphorn　guessed。
　〃Where　was　the　bottle？〃
　〃Four　or　five　feet　from　the　body；〃　Roanhorse　said。　〃Like　he　dropped　it。〃
　〃O。K。；〃　Leaph