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A cracked voice rang out； and the people instantly fell back； leaving the old woman； Cah's wife； standing alone； leaning on her stick。 She looked up and fixed her eye on Tom。 There was a long silence； and then she raised her stick； drew it back； and gave him a tremendous blow across the thighs。 Tom tried not to flinch or grimace。
Then the old woman cried out something in a wizened voice。
〃What'd she say？〃
Borabay turned。 〃I do not know how to translate。 She speak a strong Tara expression。 It mean something like： You kill or you die。〃
57
Professor Julian Clyve propped up his feet and creaked back in his old chair with his hands behind his head。 It was a blustery May day； the wind twisting and torturing the leaves of the sycamore tree outside his window。 Sally had been gone now for over a month。 There had been no word。 He hadn't expected to hear anything； but Clyve still found the long silence perturbing。 When Sally left； they both expected the Codex would usher in one more academic triumph in Professor Clyve's life。 But after thinking about it for a week or two； Clyve had changed his mind。 Here he was a Rhodes scholar； a full professorship at Yale； with a string of prizes； academic honors； and publications that most professors didn't accumulate in a lifetime。 The fact was； he hardly needed another academic honor。 What he needed…let's face it…was money。 The values of American society were all wrong。 The real prize…financial wealth…did not e to those who deserved it most； to the intellectual movers and shakers： the brain trust that controlled； directed； and disciplined the great stupid lumbering beast that was the vulgus mobile。 Who did make the money？ Sports figures； rock stars； actors； and CEOs。 Here he was； at the top of his profession； earning less than the average plumber。 It was galling。 It was unfair。
Wherever he went； people sought him out； crushed his hand； praised him； admired him。 All the wealthy people of New Haven wanted to know him； to have him to dinner； to collect him and show him off as evidence of their good taste； as if he were an Old Master painting or piece of antique silver。 Not only was it disgusting； but it was humiliating and expensive。 Almost everyone he knew had more money than he did。 No matter what honors he gained； no matter what prizes he won or monographs he published； he still wasn't able to pick up the tab at a reasonably good restaurant in New Haven。 Instead they picked up the tab。 They had him to their houses。 They invited him to the black…tie charity dinners and paid for the table； brushing off his insincere offers of reimbursement。 And when it was all over he had to slink back to his two…bedroom； revoltingly bourgeois split…level in the academic ghetto； while they went home to their mansions in the Heights。
Now； finally； he had the means to do something about it。 He glanced at the calendar。 It was the thirty…first of May。 Tomorrow the first installment of the two million from the giant Swiss drug pany； Hartz； was to arrive。 The coded e…mail confirmation should be ing from the Cayman Islands soon。 He would have to spend the money outside the United States； of course。 A snug villa on the Costiera Amalfitana would be a nice place to park it； a million for the villa and the second million for expenses。 Ravello was supposed to be nice。 He and Sally could take their honeymoon there。
He thought back to his meeting with the CEO and the Hartz board； so very serious； so very Swiss。 They were skeptical； of course； but when they saw the page Julian had already translated； their old gray mouths were almost watering。 The Codex would bring them many billions。 Most drug panies had research departments that evaluated indigenous medicines…but here was the ultimate medical cookbook； all nicely packaged； and Julian was about the only person in the world； apart from Sally； who could translate it accurately。 Hartz would have to strike a deal with the Broadbents over it； but as the largest pharmaceutical pany in the world it was in the best position to pay。 And without his translation skills； what use would the Codex be to the Broadbents anyway？ Everything would be done correctly： The pany had of course insisted on it。 The Swiss were like that。
He wondered how Sally would react when she learned that the Codex was going to disappear into the maw of some giant multinational corporation。 Knowing her； she would not take it well。 But once they started enjoying the two million dollars Hartz had agreed to pay him as a finder's fee…not to mention the generous remuneration he expected to receive for doing the translation…she'd get over it。 And he would show her that this was the right thing to do； that Hartz was in the best position to develop these new drugs and bring them to market。 It was the right thing to do。 It took money to develop new drugs。 Nobody was going to do it for free。 Profit made the world go round。
As for himself； poverty had been fine for a few years while he was young and idealistic； but it would bee unendurable over thirty。 And Professor Julian Clyve was fast approaching thirty。
58
After ten hours of hiking into the mountains； Tom and his brothers topped a bare； windswept ridge。 A stupendous view of mountains greeted their eyes； a violent sea of peaks and valleys； layered toward the horizon in deepening shades of purple。
Borabay pointed。 〃Sukia Tara； the White City；〃 he said。
Tom squinted in the bright afternoon sun。 About five miles away； across a chasm； rose two pinnacles of white rock。 Nestled between them was a flat； isolated saddle of land； cut off on both sides by chasms and surrounded by jagged peaks。 It was a lone patch of green； a lush piece of cloudforest that looked as if it had broken off from somewhere else to lodge between the two fangs of white rock； teetering on the brink of a precipice。 Tom had imagined it would be a ruin with white towers and walls。 Instead； he could see nothing but a thick； lumpy carpet of trees。
Vernon raised his binoculars； examined the White City； and passed them to Tom。
The green promontory leapt into magnification。 Tom scanned it； slowly。 The plateau was heavily covered in trees and what appeared to be impenetrable mats of vines and creepers。 Whatever ruined city lay in that strange hanging valley was well covered by jungle。 But as Tom scrutinized it； here and there； rising from the verdure； he could make out whitish outcrops that began to take on faint patterns： a corner； a broken stretch of wall； a dark square that looked like a window。 And as he looked further at what he thought was a steep hill； he realized it was a ruined pyramid； heavily overgrown。 One side of it had been gashed open； a white wound in the living green。
The mesa the city had been constructed on was； truly； an island in the sky。 It hung between the two peaks； separated from the rest of the Sierra Azul by sheer cliffs。 It looked cut off until he saw a thread of yellow curving across one of the chasms…a crude suspension bridge。 As he examined it further he saw that the bridge was well guarded by soldiers who were using a ruined stone fortress evidently built by the original inhabitants to protect the White City。 Hauser and his men had cut