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ll ranch to Corona。 To get there you had to go through the Oscura Range and Jicarilla Apache Reservation or over the malpais…across seven miles of broken lava country。 You can't even get a horse over that； he had explained。 The only time he had tried； his horse had broken a leg and he had been bitten by a rattlesnake。
〃That sounds like he was trying to impress me；〃 she said。 〃But he wasn't。 A girl can tell about that。 He was just telling me about a silly mistake he had made。〃 Ellen's voice stopped。 〃I guess I knew right then he wasn't lonely；〃 she continued； thoughtfully； 〃and that I had never seen anyone like him。〃
He had seemed； she remembered； like someone visiting from the far side of the globe her father kept in the office of his pharmacy…someone pletely foreign to all she knew。 As different from the men she had dated as his empty Oscura foothills were from her family's elm…shaded residential street in a Philadelphia suburb。
〃You remember Othello〃？〃 Ellen asked suddenly。
〃Othello？〃 McKee said； surprised。
〃Yes。 The Moor of Venice。 We studied it that semester； after Hamlet。 You remember how Desdemona was fascinated by Othello？〃
〃I remember；〃 McKee said； trying to remember。
〃That was us；〃 Ellen said。 〃That was our private joke。〃
〃Remember how it goes？〃 She paused a moment。
〃A maiden never bold；
Of spirit so still and quiet that her motion
Blush'd at herself； and she…in spite of nature；
Of years； of country； credit； everything…
To fall in love with what she fear'd to look on！
It is a judgment maim'd and most imperfect。。。〃
〃Yes；〃 said McKee； 〃I remember it。〃 He felt immensely sad。
〃I would say that；〃 Ellen said； 〃and Jim would say Othello's lines：
〃It was my hint to speak…such was the process；
And of the Cannibals that each other eat。
The Anthropophagi； and men whose heads
Do grow beneath their shoulders。 This to hear
Would Desdemona seriously incline。。。'〃
Ellen stopped again。 And when she continued the voice was shaky。
〃I loved him for the dangers he had passed。
And he loved me that I did pity them。〃
McKee reached across the darkness and found her hand。 〃It's going to be all right；〃 he said。 〃We'll get out of here and find him。〃
〃Can't you understand？〃 she asked； and her voice sounded angry now。 〃Why should I pity someone like Jim Hall？ Why should anyone pity anybody who has everything？〃
McKee couldn't think of an answer。
〃Because he doesn't know he has everything？〃 Ellen suggested。 〃Because he isn't happy？
〃Sometimes he is； but mostly he isn't。 He's angry。 He says he's caught in a system which keeps you on the treadmill。 Forty years on the treadmill； he says。 He talks about it a lot； about how it takes a million dollars to beat the system； to pay your own ransom； to buy back your own life。〃
She laughed again； a bitter sound。 〃I guess he。。。 Well； I guess Jim will make a million dollars；〃 she said。
〃Not teaching on an engineering faculty；〃 McKee said。
〃Oh； he's not going to do that；〃 she said。 〃He's going with one of the electronic munications products panies and he's bringing along one of his patents； so it's a very good job。〃
〃Is that what he's working on out here？〃 McKee asked。 〃Trying it out。〃
〃Oh； no。 This is another one； I think。 I…well； I wish I understood it better。 Something to do with very narrow…range sound transmission。 He explained it to me…quite often…but I don't really understand it。〃
McKee started to ask her why she was looking for Dr。 Hall and bit back the question。 The answer was obvious； and none of his business。 A woman who loves a man would simply want to see him。
〃Dr。 Canfield was nice； he was nice； a nice man；〃 Ellen said。 〃But he was too polite to ask why I was chasing after Jim。 And you've been nice； too。 But would you like to know？〃
〃It's your private business；〃 McKee said。 〃No； I don't want to know。〃
〃I want to tell you。 I have to tell someone；〃 she said。 〃I came because I wanted to tell Jim…to tell him that I think he's wrong； and he's going to have to make a choice。 He's got to quit wanting a million dollars。 He has to。 I've e all the way out here。 He has to understand。〃
It sounded utterly feminine to McKee； the reverse side of Sara's logic； and a simpler assignment。 A brilliant； ambitious man could easily enough fail to make a fortune。 But how could a Bergen McKee； a natural on the treadmill； make himself rich？
And； thinking that； McKee； after forty hours without rest； was suddenly asleep。
Now he was fully awake again。 He pushed himself to his feet and surveyed the room。 The floor was covered with a heavy deposit of dust。 He could feel it； flourlike； under the soles of his shoes。 But the condition of the room was surprising。 It was virtually intact。 The roof sagged only at one corner； where the ceiling beams had snapped with rot； and plaster still clung to most of the lower portion of the walls。
McKee flaked off a section of plaster with his thumbnail； broke it and examined it。 Inside it was almost black…a mixture of animal blood and caliche clay used by the pueblo…building people。
It was stone…hard and would last for centuries； and so would the cedar poles in the roof when protected from weather under a cliff。 But not for this many centuries。 Left alone； the roof would have crumbled long ago and the top of the walls would have fallen inward。 This ruin must have been partially rebuilt…restored by one of the later pueblo people who used the canyon before the Navajos arrived and drove them out。
It was then he saw the face。 He stood for a moment staring at it； putting together what it meant； feeling a sense of excitement building within him。 The face was drawn on the plaster in something yellow…probably ocher。 It was faded now and partly missing where chips of plaster had fallen away。 A roundish outline with a topknot； long ears； and a collar。 The figure was unquestionably a Hopi Kachina…either the Dung Carrier or the Mud Head Clown。 And below it to the right were two more stylized outlines。
From the Hopi mythology McKee recognized Chowilawu； the spirit of Terrible Power； with four black…tipped feathers rising vertically from his squarish head and a horizontal band of red bunding his eyes。 The third head had been almost erased by flaking。 Only the dim outline of a protruding ear and the double vertical cheek stripes signifying a warrior spirit remained。 Down the wall there were other markings…the zigzag of lightning； bird tracks； the stair…stepped triangles of clouds； and a row of phallic symbols。 Undoubtedly； one of the Hopi clans had used this as a ceremonial kiva。
He stood absolutely silent a moment； thinking； and then squatted beside Miss Leon and put his hand on her shoulder。
Time to wake up。〃
She rubbed her arm across her eyes。
〃Very domestic；〃 McKee said。
She looked up at him and then pushed herself up against the wall； trying to straighten her tousled hair with her fingers。 〃Oh。 What time is it？〃
〃About four forty…five；〃 McKee said。 〃We shouldn't have wasted all that time。 We need to get out of here。〃
〃Out of here？ But I don't see how we can。〃 Miss Leon looked up at the exit hole in the roof and then at McKee。 〃What do you mean？ How can we？〃