p&c.thunderhead-第25部分

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17
　
　THEY　MOVED　UP　SERPENTINE　CANYON　SINGLE　file；　crossing　and　recrossing　the　little　creek　that　flowed　in　its　bottom。　On　both　sides　of　the　canyon；　windblown　sand　had　piled　up　against　the　stone　cliffs　in　drifts；　covered　with　a　scattering　of　grass　and　desert　flowers。　Here　and　there　they　passed　juniper　trees；　stunted　and　coiled　into　fantastic　shapes。　Elsewhere；　blocks　of　sandstone　had　e　loose　from　the　canyon　walls　and　spilled　across　its　bottom；　creating　piles　of　rubble　the　horses　had　to　pick　through　with　care。　Canyon　wrens　flitted　about　in　the　shadows；　and　swallows　darted　out　from　beneath　overhanging　lips　of　sandstone；　their　mud　nests　like　warts　on　the　underside　of　the　rock。　A　few　white　clouds　drifted　past　the　canyon　rims；　a　quarter　mile　above　their　heads。　The　group　followed　silently　behind　Nora；　lost　in　this　strange　new　world。　
　Nora　inhaled　deeply。　The　gentle　rocking　motion　of　Fiddlehead　felt　familiar　and　forting。　She　glanced　at　the　animal。　She　was　a　twelve…year…old　sorrel；　clearly　an　experienced　dude　horse；　wise　and　melancholy。　As　they　proceeded；　she　proved　herself　sure…footed　in　the　rocks；　putting　her　nose　down　and　picking　her　way　with　the　utmost　attention　to　self…preservation。　While　she　was　far　from　handsome；　she　was　strong　and　sensible。　Except　for　Hurricane　Deck；　Sloane's　horse　pa？ero；　and　Swire's　own　two　mounts；　the　horses　were　similar　to　Nora's：　not　very　pretty；　but　solid　ranch　stock。　She　approved　of　Swire's　judgment；　her　experience　growing　up　had　given　her　a　low　opinion　of　expensive；　overbred　horses　who　looked　great　in　the　show　ring　but　couldn't　wait　to　kill　themselves　in　the　mountains。　She　remembered　her　father　buying　and　selling　horses　with　his　usual　flair　and　bluster；　turning　away　pampered　animals；　saying　We　don't　want　any　of　those　country…club　horses　around　here；　do　we；　Nora？　
　She　twisted　in　the　saddle　to　look　back　at　the　other　riders　trailing　behind　her；　pack　horses　in　tow。　While　some　of　the　riders；　notably　Black　and　Holroyd；　looked　lumpy　and　unbalanced；　the　rest　looked　petent；　particularly　Sloane　Goddard；　who　moved　up　and　down　the　line　with　ease；　checking　cinches　and　giving　suggestions。　
　And　Smithback　was　a　surprise。　Hurricane　Deck　was　clearly　a　spirited　horse；　and　there　were　a　few　tense　moments　at　first　while　Smithback's　oaths　and　imprecations　filled　the　air。　But　Smithback　knew　enough　to　show　the　horse　who　was　boss；　and　he　was　now　riding　confidently。　He　may　be　full　of　himself；　she　thought；　but　he　looks　pretty　good　on　a　horse。　
　〃Where'd　you　learn　to　ride？〃　she　called　back。　
　〃I　spent　a　couple　of　years　at　a　prep　school　in　Arizona；〃　the　writer　answered。　〃I　was　a　sickly；　whining　brat　of　a　kid；　and　my　parents　thought　it　would　make　a　man　of　me。　I　arrived　late　the　first　term；　and　all　the　horses　were　taken　except　this　one　big　old　guy　named　Turpin。　He'd　chewed　on　barbed　wire　at　some　point　and　torn　his　tongue；　and　it　was　always　hanging　out；　this　long　pink　disgusting　thing。　So　nobody　wanted　him。　But　Turpin　was　the　fastest　horse　at　the　school。　We'd　race　down　the　dry　creekbeds　or　bush…bend　through　the　desert；　and　Turpin　always　won。〃　He　shook　his　head　at　the　memory；　chuckling。　
　Suddenly；　the　smile　on　his　face　was　replaced　with　a　look　of　shock。　〃What　the　hell？〃　He　spun　around。　Following　his　gaze；　Nora　saw　Smithback's　pack　horse；　Beetlebum；　dart　back。　A　rope　of　saliva　was　dripping　off　Smithback's　leg。　
　〃That　damn　horse　just　tried　to　bite　me！〃　Smithback　roared；　full　of　indignation。　The　pack　horse　looked　back；　his　face　a　picture　of　surprised　innocence。　
　〃That　old　Beetlebum；〃　said　Swire；　shaking　his　head　affectionately。　〃He's　sure　got　a　sense　of　humor。〃　
　Smithback　wiped　his　leg。　〃So　I　see。〃　
　After　another　half　hour　of　uneventful　riding　Nora　brought　the　group　to　a　halt。　From　an　aluminum　tube　tied　to　her　saddle；　she　removed　the　U。S。G。S。　topo　onto　which　Holroyd　had　superimposed　the　radar　data。　She　examined　it　for　a　moment；　then　motioned　him　over。　
　〃Time　for　a　GPS　reading；〃　she　said。　She　knew　that　six　miles　up　Serpentine　Canyon　they　had　to　branch　off　into　a　smaller　canyon；　marked　HARD　TWIST　on　the　map。　The　trick　would　be　identifying　which　of　the　endless　parade　of　side　canyons　they　were　passing　was　Hard　Twist。　Down　on　the　canyon　bottom；　every　bend　looked　the　same。　
　Holroyd　dug　into　his　saddlebag　and　pulled　out　the　GPS　unit；　a　laptop　into　which　he　had　downloaded　all　the　navigation　and　waypoint　data。　While　Nora　waited；　he　booted　the　puter；　then　began　to　tap　at　the　keyboard。　After　a　few　minutes　he　grimaced；　then　shook　his　head。　
　〃I　was　afraid　of　that；〃　he　said。　
　Nora　frowned。　〃Don't　tell　me　it　isn't　powerful　enough。〃　
　Holroyd　laughed　crookedly。　〃Powerful？　It　uses　a　twenty…four…channel　GPS　reader　with　an　infrared　remote。　It　can　plot　positions；　geocode　locations　automatically；　leave　breadcrumb　trails；　everything。〃　
　〃Then　what's　the　problem？　Broken　already？〃　
　〃Not　broken；　just　unable　to　get　a　fix。　It　has　to　locate　at　least　three　geostationary　satellites　simultaneously　to　get　a　reading。　With　these　high　canyon　walls；　it　can't　even　pick　up　one。　See？〃　
　He　turned　the　laptop　toward　Nora；　and　she　nudged　her　horse　closer。　A　high…resolution　overhead　map　of　the　Kaiparowits　canyon　system　filled　the　screen。　Atop　lay　smaller　windows　containing　magnified　charts　of　Lake　Powell；　real…time　passes；　and　data。　In　one　window；　she　could　see　a　series　of　messages：　
　NMEA　MODE　ENABLED
　ACQUIRING　SATELLITES　。　。　。
　SATELLITES　ACQUIRED　SO　FAR：　0
　3…D　FIX　UNAVAILABLE
　LAT/LONG：　N/A
　ELEVATION：　N/A
　EPHEMERIS　DATA　UNAVAILABLE
　RELOCATE　UNIT　AND　REINITIALIZE
　〃See　this？〃　Holroyd　pointed　to　a　small　window　on　the　screen　in　which　various　red　dots　orbited　in　circular　tracks。　〃Those　are　the　available　satellites。　Green　means　good　reception；　yellow　means　poor　reception；　and　red　means　no　reception。　They're　all　red。〃　
　〃Are　we　lost　already？〃　called　Black　from　behind；　a　note　somewhere　between　apprehension　and　satisfaction　in　his　voice。　Nora　ignored　him。　
　〃If　you　want　a　reading；〃　Holroyd　said　to　Nora；　〃you'll　have　to　go　up　top。〃　
　Nora　glanced　at　the　soaring　red　walls；　streaked　with　desert　varnish；　and　looked　back　at　Holroyd。　〃You　first。〃　
　Holroyd　grinned；　powered…down　the　laptop；　and　returned　it　to　his　saddlebag。　〃This　is　a　great　unit　when　it　works。　But　I　guess　way　out　here；　even　technology　has　its　limits。〃　
　〃Want　me　to　climb　up　and　take　the　reading？〃　Sloane　asked；　riding　forward　with　an　easy　smile。　
　Nora　looked　at　her　curiously。　
　〃I　brought　some　gear；〃　Sloane　said；　lifting　the　top　of　a　saddlebag　and　displaying　a　gear　sling　loaded　with　carabiners；　friends；　nuts；　and　pitons。　She　gave　the　rock　walls　a　calculating　look。　〃I　could　make　it　in　three　pitches；　maybe　two。　Doesn't　look　too　bad；　I　could　probably　free　climb　my　way　up。〃　
　〃Let's　save　that　for　when　we　really　need　it；〃　Nora　said。　〃I'd　rather　not　take　the　time　right　now。　Let's　do　things　the　old…fashioned　way　instead。　Dead　reckoning。〃　
　〃It's　your　gig；〃　Sloane　said　good…humoredly。　
　〃Dead　reckoning；〃　Smithback　murmured。　〃Never　did　like　the　sound　of　that。〃　
　〃We　may　not　have　satellites；〃　Nora　said。　〃But　we've　got　maps。〃　Spreading　Holroyd's　map　across　her　saddlehorn；　she　stared　at　it　closely；　estimating　their　approximate　speed　and　travel　time。　She　marked　a　dot　at　their　probable　position；　the　date　and　time　beside　it。　
　〃Done　a　lot　of　this　before？〃　Holroyd　asked　at　her　side。　
　Nora　nodded。　〃All　archaeologists　have　to　be　good　at　reading　maps。　It's　hell　finding　some　of　the　remoter　ruins。　And　what　makes　it　harder　is　this。〃　She　pointed　to　a　note　in　the　corner　of　the　map　that　read　WARNING：　DATA　NOT　FIELD…CHECKED。　〃Most　of　these　maps　are　created　from　stereogrammatic　images　taken　from　the　air。　Sometimes　what　you　see　from　a　plane　is　a　lot　different　from　what　you　see　on　foot。　As　you　can　see；　your　radar　image…which　is　absolutely　accurate…doesn't　always　correspond　to　what's　printed　on　the　map。〃　
　〃Reassuring；〃　she　heard　Black　mutter。　
　Replacing　the　map；　Nora　nudged　her　horse　forward　and　they　continued　up　the　canyon。　The　walls　broadened　and　the　stream　diminished；　in　some　places　even　disappearing　for　a　while；　leaving　only　a　damp　stretch　of　sand　to　mark　its　underground　course。　Each　time　they　passed　a　narrow　side　canyon；　Nora　would　stop　and　mark　it　on　the　map。　Sloane　rode　up　beside　her；　and　for　a　while　they　rode　together。　
　〃Airplane　pilot；〃　Nora　said；　〃expert　horsewoman；　archaeologist；　rock　climber…is　there　anything　you　don't　do？〃　
　Sloane　shifted　slightly　in　her　seat。　〃I　don't　do　windows；〃　she　said　with　a　laugh。　Then　her　face　became　more　serious。　〃I　guess　the　credit…or　the　blame…goes　to　my　father。　He's　a　man　with　exacting　standards。〃　
　〃He's　quite　a　remarkable　man；〃　Nora　replied；　hearing　a　slightly　acerbic　tone　creeping　into　Sloane's　voice。　
　Sloane　glanced　back　at　her。　〃Yes。〃　
　They　rounded　another　bend　and　the　canyon　suddenly　widened。　A　cluster　of　cottonwoods　grew　against　the　reddish　walls；　late　afternoon　sunlight　slanting　through　their　leaves。　Nora　glanced　at　her　watch：　just　after　four。　She　noted　with　satisfaction　a　broad　sandy　bench　where　they　could　camp；　high　enough　to　be　beyond　the　reach　of　any　unexpected　flash　flood。　And　along　the　banks　of　the　creek　were　abundant　new　grass　for　the　horses。　True　to　its　name；　Hard　Twist　canyon　veere