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。 Then it was gone。
McKee gave up。 He fell over on his side。 Much better。
The metallic sound of the door in the van slamming and then a voice； the voice of Joe Leaphorn； and a little later a single loud pop。
I can't faint now； McKee told himself； because I have to tell him about Ellen。 But he fainted。
Chapter 18
He was aware first of the vague sick smell of ether； of the feel of hospital sheets； of the cast on his chest； and of the splint bandaged tightly on his right hand。 The room was dark。 There was the shape of a man standing looking out the window into the sunlight。 The man was Joe Leaphorn。
〃Did you find her？〃 McKee asked。
〃Sure；〃 Leaphorn said。 He sat beside the bed。 〃We found her before we found you； as a matter of fact。〃 He interrupted McKee's question。 〃She's right down the hall。 Broken cheekbone and a broken shoulder and some lost blood。〃
He looked down at McKee； grinning。 〃They had to put about ten gallons in you。 You were dry。〃
〃She's going to be all right？〃
〃She's already all right。 You've been in here two days。〃
McKee thought for a while。
〃Her boyfriend；〃 he said。 〃How'd it all e out in the canyon？〃
〃Son of a bitch shot himself；〃 Leaphorn said。 〃Walked right away from me into the truck； and slammed the door and locked it and got out a little 。22 he had in there and shot himself right through the forehead。〃 Leaphorn's expression was sour。 〃Walked right in with me just standing there；〃 he added。 He didn't sound like he could make himself believe it。
McKee felt sick。 Maybe it was the ether。
〃You've got more Navajo blood in you now than I do；〃 Leaphorn said。 〃The doc said you had a busted oil pan。 Took ten gallons。〃
〃I guess you had to tell her about Hall。〃
〃She knows。〃
〃He must have been crazy；〃 McKee said。
〃Crazy to get rich；〃 Leaphorn said。 〃You call it ambition。 Sometimes we call it witchcraft。 You remember the Origin Myth； when First Woman sent the Heron diving back into the Fourth World to get the witchcraft bundle。 She told him to swim down and bring back 'the way to make money。'〃
〃Knock off the philosophy；〃 McKee said。 〃What happened？ How did you find her？〃
〃I've noticed this before；〃 Leaphorn said。 〃Belacani women are smarter than you Belacani men。 Miss Leon got herself over to that camp stove on that cliff。 She poured out the kerosene and made herself a smoky little smudge fire。 You could see it for miles。〃
He grinned at McKee。
〃Something else she figured out that you might like to know about。 She was having her doubts about Hall when I got there。 All excited。 Said you'd gone to find him and she was afraid something might happen to you。 Miss Leon wanted me to climb up that split in the cliff and go chasing across that plateau to rescue you。〃
McKee felt better。 He was； in fact； feeling wonderful。
〃Why didn't you think of something simple； like making a big smoke？〃 Leaphorn asked。 〃Climbing up that crack in the rock was showing off。〃
〃How was I going to know you'd be wandering around out there？〃 McKee asked。 〃It's supposed to be the cavalry that arrives in the nick of time； not the blanket…ass Indians。〃
McKee had a sobering thought。 〃I guess you know I killed those two men？〃
〃Not officially； you didn't；〃 Leaphorn said。 〃Officially； we've got just two dead people。 Officially； Dr。 Canfield and Jim Hall were killed in a truck accident。 Miss Leon and you were hurt in the crash。 And officially Eddie Poher and George Jackson never existed。〃
〃Was that their names？ And what was going on in there； anyway？ What was Hall doing？〃
〃It's a secret；〃 Leaphorn said。
〃Like hell it's a secret；〃 McKee said。 〃If you want me to tell some phony story about Canfield getting killed in a truck wreck； you don't have secrets。〃
〃I'm not really supposed to know all of it myself。〃
〃But you do；〃 McKee said。
Leaphorn looked at him a long moment。
〃Well；〃 he said。 〃You cut one of his cables so I guess you know Hall had portable radar sets staked out on that plateau。 And you know that plateau is under the route from the Tonepah Range up in Utah down to White Sands Proving Grounds。〃
〃Yeah；〃 McKee said。 〃I knew that much。〃 He wondered why he hadn't thought of radar。
〃Hall was sitting with his radar right under what the military calls its 'Bird Path；' and when the birds flew from Tonepah the radar was feeding information into a puter in the van。 Hall was putting it into tapes。〃
〃What were they testing？〃
〃The military intelligence people don't tell a Navajo cop things like that。〃
〃I'll bet you can guess。〃
Leaphorn looked at him again。 〃Maybe the MIRV。 The Multiple Intercontinental Re…entry Vehicle。 Read about it in Newsweek。 One missile； but it drops off five or six warheads and some decoys。 I'd guess that if I was guessing。〃
〃It still doesn't make sense。 What was he doing with the information and how'd a guy like Hall get tied up with that bunch？〃
〃If you'll shut up and listen； I'll tell you。〃
From what they now knew； Leaphorn explained； Hall； Poher； and Jackson had arrived on the Reservation separately almost two months ago。 A fingerprint check had been enlightening。 Poher was relatively unknown。 One arrest on suspicion of conspiracy to rob a bank； some East Coast Mafia associations； but no convictions。 Jackson was another story。 He was also known as Amos Raven； and Big Raven and George Thomas； with a long and violent juvenile record dating back into the late thirties in Los Angeles； and one adult conviction for armed robbery； and a half…dozen arrests for questioning in an assortment of crimes of violence…all Mafia…connected。
〃A Relocation Indian。 Jackson seems to have been born in Los Angeles。〃 Leaphorn laughed。 〃California Navajo。 That's what had me hung up。 I was expecting him to act like The People and all he knew about The People he must have got out of a book。〃
〃Case Studies in Navajo Ethnic Aberrations； for one；〃 McKee said； 〃by John Greersen。〃
〃Anyway；〃 Leaphorn continued； 〃Jackson had apparently been picked for this assignment simply because he was a Navajo and looked like one。 His job must have been to help Hall set up his equipment and make sure that nobody knew what was going on。 It wouldn't have seemed difficult； for the very reason the military chose this route for its overland missile。 The country was almost pletely deserted。 Hall set up in Many Ruins Canyon plex； which The People avoid because of the Anasazi ghosts； and Jackson scared the few stragglers out by pretending to be a witch。〃
〃Except Horseman；〃 McKee said。
〃Yeah。 Except Horseman。〃 Leaphorn's voice was flat。
〃It wasn't your fault；〃 McKee said。
〃Remember what I said to Jackson at the trading post？ I said if Horseman don't e out we'll e in looking for him。 So Jackson brought him out for us and laid him out where we couldn't miss him。〃
〃Use your head； Joe。 There was no way you could have stopped it from happening。〃
〃I was slow figuring it out；〃 Leaphorn said。 〃I smelled something about Jackson。 But I figured him to act like a Navajo and he was acting like a white man。〃
〃Thanks a lot；〃 McKee said。
〃If he was a Navajo； no matter what he was doing in there； killing Horseman would have screwed it up for him。 He