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It didn't seem right； somehow； to use one father against another。
THE CLONES GAINEDstrength。 Their baby fat melted away。 They were eager to test their muscles。 Foot races sprang into being。 They did hand…stands。 Men draped arms over one another's shoulders and danced and sang。 A wrestling match on the hard blacktop left the petitors bruised and bloody； but buoyant。
Autumn arrived； and with it cooler weather。 The fire became their center。 Every night； the Captain had his guards stack more wood in the yard。 Every morning the prisoners arrived to find the flames crackling； and they would take up where yesterday had left them。
In the fourth week； Nathan Lee edited his character。 His Aramaic was improving。 He continued to play a traveler from the mountains north of Babylon； but now he became their scribe。 Like a magician； he produced a pen and blank sheets of paper。 It was an ingenious trick。 In one stroke； he made himself what he already was； their ghostwriter。
Through him； they believed； they could municate with their families and villages。 The fact that Nathan Lee wrote their letters in his own language using a strange alphabet was no more perplexing than the pen of endless ink that he wrote with。 They trusted that he must have his ways。
He no longer had to wait for the clones to accidentally interview themselves。 Now they stood in line； waiting to pour out their thoughts to him。 While Izzy translated； Nathan Lee wrote； and the cameras recorded。
They were utterly present…minded。 They knew they had died； but in their minds only a year or two had passed。 They missed their families。 They worried about how the crops were doing； or if the herds had fattened； and how the children were growing。 Those who had been killed during the destruction of Jerusalem anguished over the fate of their loved ones。 〃Be strong； we'll soon be joined together；〃 they dictated to Nathan Lee。
Each tried to describe this unusual land of the afterlife。 They called itSheol； orTophet orGehenna 。。。no more of that Egypt business with the iron walls and bronze sky。 For them； it was a place of punishment； but also gradual rewards。 They stressed the rewards。 The sky was very blue； they marveled。 The lambs were fat。 A forest sent its sweet perfume to them over the walls。 One day the walls would fall away； they were sure of it。 Everything was going to be better and better。 Any minute their loved ones were going to show up。
25
The Horse
OCTOBER
Sixty…three degrees Fahrenheit；〃 Nathan Lee told the girl as they drove out East Jemez Road。 〃Winds west by southwest at five miles per hour。 Look； not a cloud in the sky。 We can't go wrong today。〃 He started singing。 〃I was driving along in my automobile； my baby beside me at the wheel。。。。〃
Tara was grinning。 She had no idea what he was raving about； but he was happy with her； and she had him for the day。 He turned left to go to the old Neutron Science Center。 The place had been mothballed years ago。 Now it was home to a contingent of Special Forces soldiers。 Here the Appaloosa lived in splendor。
The elite soldiers had adopted her with a passion。 They had built a stall for her among the pi？ons and rabbit brush。 She was the Wild West to them； who had grown up in cities and suburbs and never ridden a horse before Nathan Lee brought her。 None of the other units had such a glorious mascot。 The Marines had various mutts； the SEALS kept fighting cocks。 The Appaloosa was unique。
On her behalf； the team medic had taught himself veterinary medicine。 The weapons specialists curried her and rigged an enamel bathtub so that she had a constant supply of fresh； running water。 They learned which fescues she preferred； stockpiled hay bales for the winter； and…before the valley had been designated off…limits in late August and travel across the Rio was banned…had bartered with ranchers near Taos for enough eighty…pound sacks of oats to feed a cavalry。 They regularly swept the field and killed any rattlesnakes。 They took turns sleeping in a tent by the stable so that coyotes would not be tempted。 In jest they said Nathan Lee would have to fight them to get her back。 In jest he said they'd never know until she was gone； he'd be that quiet the night he cut loose of the Mesa。 The soldiers liked that。 In their minds no one was ever leaving Los Alamos； not unless the cure appeared or the much discussed； near mythic Evacuation Day actually came down。
For Nathan Lee； the Appaloosa was his promise to himself。 She was his link backward to a time before this place。 He visited sporadically； most often following a night of vivid dreams。 In one form or another； the bad dreams always had to do with his daughter。 She was calling to him； or her photo on the shelf in the bone lab would show a skull。 He would wake sweating and try to be thankful for the nightmares。 But they were not strong enough to overe his good dreams； which were more and more often about Miranda； and the friendships he was making； and the ties he felt binding him。 One recurring image was of his feet turning into tree roots that grew into the rocky soil of Los Alamos。 He looked up in his dream and his arms would be limbs； and he would be lodged on the edge of a cliff overlooking the valley。 As beautiful and peaceful as that was； he would wake from those dreams in a sweat； too。
But the Appaloosa calmed his night fears。 Just the sight of her pacified his sense of guilt and betrayal。 One day he would leave on her back。 He would be true。
Bringing Tara here seemed right all around。 It was going on two months since he had first crashed her isolation。 Since then； a host of therapists and guardians had been working with the child； guiding her into the pany of man。 The Captain and his wife were ready to take her into their home； but Tara was not ready to be taken。 She was still an unredeemed wild child。 Her few exploratory outings into Los Alamos had been small disasters： a tantrum in the market； a screaming fit at the playground； another incident with feces； and other such lapses back into her cage self。 As far as Nathan Lee was concerned； her behavior had everything to do with the captivity she had endured since birth。 People kept alluding to her Neandertal differences； as if she were impaired or separate； and that stung Nathan Lee。 But the fact was that in the midst of one of her fits； Tara was a dangerous little brute； and she didn't belong mixing with other children in the city； not yet； maybe not ever。
And so； he brought her to the horse。 He would have brought the horse to her； in the yard； but she had never been allowed into the yard。 For one thing it was occupied by the other clones all day； every day； and the therapists…and Nathan Lee's instincts…ruled against introducing the girl to the men from Year Zero。 They might very well treat her like a little sister； but on the other hand they were walking wounded themselves。 At best； the insertion of a female child would probably have stirred expectations that their own womenfolk were about to arrive。 At worst； they were crucified men。 Nathan Lee was still uncertain about the extent of some of their crimes。
Tara's visit had been arranged in advance。 The Special Forces camp was set on several acres to the east of the abandoned testing facility； and for today's visit they had tethered the appaloosa in the middle of nowhere； far from any human distraction。 No one else was out there。
Nathan Lee and Tara took their time walking out across the warm tan soil。 She kept stopping； fascinated by the grasshoppers and ladybugs and rocks。 He rubbed sprigs of sagebrush for her to smell。 〃Look！〃 she kept saying。 He didn't tell her about the horse。 He let her discover the animal herself。
Tara grew very still at the sight of the appaloosa。 The horse was browsing clumps of dry grass； her long tail sailing back and forth。 They had saddled her。 Her mane was groomed。 She was beautiful。
〃Should we go a little closer？〃 Nathan Lee asked。
Tara held his hand。 She was fearful； the way any child would be； all wide eyes and quiet before the majesty of the giant animal。 She clutched her blond Barbie doll in one brown fist。
The appaloosa went on cropping the grass； though her ears swiveled at their approach。 They got close。
〃Touch her；〃 Nathan Lee said； running his hands along the white…and…black spotted flanks。 Tara laid a fingertip on the muscled bellows of a rib cage。 The horse lifted her head to see the small creature； and Tara shied against Nathan Lee。
〃She wants to get a look at you；〃 he said。 〃She wants to smell you。〃 The big nostrils flexed and blew。 〃I think she likes you。〃
Tara was speechless。
〃Look； you have the same hair；〃 said Nathan Lee。 He raised one forearm through the dirty white mane and let the coarse hair cascade off。 Tara worked her fingers through it； awestruck by her connection with the magical beast。
Nathan Lee had brought a treat from the farmer's market in Los Alamos。 People had built greenhouses on the tops of apartment buildings and dug plots in the parks and cleared spaces in the forest。 The growing season had been unusually long this year。 For the last several weeks； you could trade for peas in the pod； green and red chiles； ears of yellow and Indian corn； round can