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envelope and his breath caught。 The photos were gone； but the envelope contained strips of color negatives。 He held them to the light； and there she was in reverse； light for dark。
〃Grace；〃 he said out loud。 She had bangs； he could see that much。 It had been a day at the playground。 She was on a swing set； ing down a slide； dangling from the monkey bars。 He smiled。
He went through the strips frame by frame。 If he could make out the playground； he thought there was a chance of locating Lydia's new neighborhood。 One frame had part of a building in the background。 It had a fairytale turret with a crenellated battlement running off the edge。 Disneyland； he thought。 But on closer study； it was the Castle at the Smithsonian。 That was one clue。
A second clue waited at the bottom of the box； a wedding invitation。 Mrs。 Swift had bee Lydia Ochs…Houghton。The parents of Baxter Montgomery Houghton wish to announce。 。。。He looked at the date twice； awed by her ability…to the very end…to blind him。 Even as he was crawling down from Makalu La； still missing； she was saying I do。 He put the days together。 June 10： Ochs had probably made it home in time for the champagne。 They'd tricked him； brother and sister。 He felt small。 Everything had been kept from him。 While he was fighting for visitation rights； she had been courting。
〃You wrote those letters；〃 the woman stated。 〃They were already opened。 I read them。〃
He cleared his throat。 He looked at the envelopes； and each had been neatly slit with a letter opener along the side； not the top。 That was Lydia's habit。
〃I wonder。。。〃 He balked at his own foolishness。 〃Do you think my daughter ever heard a word of what I wrote？〃
〃Did her mother still love you？〃
〃No；〃 said Nathan Lee。
〃Then I don't think so。〃 The woman came within an inch of touching his arm。 〃She would have been afraid of your power。〃
It was the first kindness Nathan Lee had experienced in a very long time。 He didn't know how to respond； and so he shied from it。 〃My five minutes are up；〃 he said。 〃I have no way to repay this。〃
〃Be a good man；〃 the woman said to him。 That was all。
THE LEADS WERE THIN； but Lydia's trail was not cold。 True； there was no hint of where she had taken Grace。 The wedding invitation said nothing about her new husband's origins。 After much searching； Nathan Lee found an unburned copy of the District of Columbia phone directory from two years ago； and the numerous Houghtons did not include anyone named Baxter； nor any Ochs named Lydia。 But there was still the Smithsonian。 Ochs had been there； he was sure of it； on business。 If the man had started plundering for the museum； there was bound to be some record of him。
Reaching the Smithsonian was no easy task。 The center of government…fifty square blocks； including the Mall…had been sealed off from the general populace； stored away until the plague passed and the government could return。 At the Marine checkpoints along Independence Avenue； Nathan Lee played the absentminded professor； insisting the museum had summoned him to help assemble the bones of a million…year…old apeman。 It took five hours； and two blood tests； to penetrate their defenses。 At the last checkpoint； an officer assigned two Marines to escort him to his destination。
The sky sullied to gray。 The air grew heavy。 It was going to rain。
Government buildings stood barren； their ground floor windows boarded over as for a hurricane； the upper windows glassy and eyeless。 They skirted what was left of the FBI building。 An explosion had gnawed a gaping hole in the edifice。
They came to the Mall； a vast green field gone to seed。 Their legs whip…whipped through the uncut grass。 The stars…and…stripes fluttered at half mast on the poles surrounding the Washington Monument。 Nathan Lee looked around at all the stillness。 He was starting to understand。 The Marines had been assigned to watch over statues and pigeons； little more。 The jewel of the American empire lay hollow。
A fine drizzle began。 The two Marines put on ponchos。 Nathan Lee seated hisYosemite： The West Is Best cap with neck flaps tighter on his head。 He led them to the Natural History Museum； which housed the anthropology collection and offices； but it was boarded shut。 The workmen had even sealed the edges with epoxy。 It would take power tools to cut one's way inside。
〃I thought you said this was the place；〃 said one of the Marines。
〃They told me the Smithsonian；〃 Nathan Lee blustered。 〃It has twelve different museums。 I presumed。。。。〃
〃e on； man； it's raining。〃
Across the meadow； the Castle loomed； its red sandstone towers and spires swathed in ivy。 This was the original building； its odd； Norman architecture inspired by Sir Walter Scott novels。 A wet American flag hung atop the central tower。 〃There；〃 he said； 〃that must be the one。〃
As they crossed to the Castle； he tried to entertain the souring Marines。 〃Abraham Lincoln once surveyed the city's defenses from that tower；〃 he said。 They weren't in the mood。 He threw out more trivia； wetter by the step。
Things did not look promising。 From the steps to the high arch； the front doors were barricaded with masonry blocks。 The windows were dark blanks； boarded over from the inside。 The mighty fortress of collections and knowledge had bee a haunted house。
They circled the building pletely。 Little markers at the base of the walls identified each different climbing vine。 Back at the front entrance； they came to halt。 The sunlight was fading fast。 The rain cut harder； rattling against their ponchos。 Nathan Lee was drenched； not a convincing picture。
〃You don't really belong here； do you？〃 one of the Marines said。 〃Let's see your paperwork。 Orders。 A letter of authorization。〃
Nathan Lee's bluff was crumbling。 Somewhere inside these buildings were clues about where Ochs had gone； he was certain of it。 〃I told you。 It was verbal。 They sent a messenger。〃
〃They？ I don't see anyone； sir。 Where's your blood book？〃
With growing alarm； Nathan Lee handed it over； and the soldier didn't look at it。 They were confiscating his blood book！ He thought of running； but even if they didn't shoot him； he would be trapped without his passport。
At that moment； a metal door creaked open on the fire escape two stories overhead。 An old man appeared on the small grated deck。 Calmly smoking a pipe in the rain； scanning the far distances； he didn't notice them at first。 He stood there； pale and delicate； like an ancient submariner getting a breath of fresh air。
Unbelievably； Nathan Lee thought he recognized the ghost。 〃Spencer？〃 he said。 〃Spencer Baird？〃 He was…or had been…a paleontologist。 He had to be ninety。
The old man looked down at them。 〃Who goes there？〃
〃Do you know this man； sir？〃 a Marine called up to him。
〃Spencer； it's me；〃 said Nathan Lee。 〃I came when you sent word。〃 He pulled off his cap and pawed flat his short； chopped； wet beard； trying to make his face younger。 He didn't dare identify himself by his real name； because the Marines knew him as someone else。 It was not a small matter。 No one had better reason to hide their true identity than a plague carrier。
The old man leaned over the wet railing。 〃Word？ What's the word？〃
〃Fred Whipple；〃 Nathan Lee tried。 He dug for other names； praying one of them might still be around。 〃Joe Henry。 Charlie Abbot。 They said ASAP。〃 He added； 〃The bones。〃
〃Ah；〃 said Baird； 〃the bones。〃
〃I'm here。〃
〃Thank god。 We've been waiting for you。〃 Baird looked old as Noah up there with his white beard in the clattering rain。 〃But who are you？〃
There was no way around it。 〃Swift；〃 said Nathan Lee。
One of the Marines said； 〃Wait a minute。〃 He pulled Nathan Lee's blood book from under his poncho for a second look。
〃Is that you； Nathan Lee？〃 Baird leaned out further。 〃They said you were a goner。 Swallowed by the mountains。〃
〃What's your name； sir？〃 the Marine said。
Hurry；thought Nathan Lee。Reach down。 Raise me up。
〃Get in here before you catch your death； man；〃 Baird said。 〃Don't you see it's raining？〃
Nathan Lee reached for the fire escape ladder。 The Marine grabbed his arm。 〃Not so fast；〃 he said。
〃They know me。〃 Nathan Lee smiled。 He tried to smile。 His teeth chattered。
〃Let him go；〃 said the second Marine。 He took the blood book and slapped Nathan Lee's chest with it。 〃The man's home。 At least somebody belongs somewhere。〃
Nathan Lee pulled himself up the fire escape and climbed the metal stairs。 Baird weled him with tobacco breath and mighty slaps on the back。 Inside the building was pitch black。 Baird handed Nathan Lee his two…foot Maglite； heavy as an axe； and pulled the steel door shut against the storm。 〃They said you were dead；〃 he kept repeating。 〃Wait till the others see。〃
Nathan Lee followed him through the dark bowels of the institute。 〃I'm looking for a man named David Ochs；〃 he said。 〃A professor。〃
〃Ox？〃
〃An archaeologist。 A big man。 A professor。〃
〃Never heard of him；〃 said Baird。
〃What about Dean White？〃 Nathan Lee asked hopefully。 White was the curator who had missioned the Himalayan hunt two years ago。
〃White；〃 barked Baird。 〃He got his nuts handed to him after your peccadillo。 Is it true you killed a man？ And ate him？〃
〃Are the