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〃Does he have the power to raise the dead？ Ask him；〃said Ochs。
Izzy grudgingly asked； and gave the reply。〃If anyone tells you； 'Look here is Christ！' don't believe it。 Because false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and miracles to deceive you。〃 Mark was it； or Luke？ Nathan Lee couldn't remember anymore。
Ochs grew very still。 His eyes grew brighter。 Nathan Lee was confused。 Eesho was； of course； refusing to perform a miracle。。。because he couldn't。 But Ochs looked thrilled to be denied。
〃What about the plague？〃asked Ochs。〃Ask him if he can lift its curse from us。〃
〃You ask me to undo God's judgment；〃Eesho responded。〃If I say no； then what？ Will you condemn God so that you can be justified？〃
〃What about mercy？〃Ochs asked。
〃God causes everything on the face of the whole earth to happen；〃said Eesho。〃Do you understand？ You must prepare yourself like a man。 Repent in dust and ashes。〃 Back to the Old Testament。 Job。 The man was like a grasshopper； bounding from one text to another。
No sooner had Izzy finished translating than Ochs leapt to his feet。 His round face took on a fixed； eerie look。
〃Now here it es；〃 Izzy muttered to Nathan Lee。
Ochs walked around the table。 The clone got up from his chair and backed against the wall。 Ochs towered above him； a good foot taller and twice his weight。 〃Scared him silly；〃 remarked Izzy。 〃Eesho thought he was about to get the royal thrashing。 Thought he'd stiffed the wrong man。〃
For a moment； Nathan Lee thought the same thing。 Eesho had just given Ochs the high hat。〃Back off； there；〃 Izzy told Ochs。
Instead； abruptly； Ochs dropped to his knees at the clone's feet。 His jowls shook。 His tree trunk arms raised up。
〃What are you doing？〃Izzy objected on tape。〃Get to your feet； man。 You'll twist him。〃
〃It was like he'd been waiting to kneel all his life；〃 Izzy mented to Nathan Lee。
〃Forgive us；〃said Ochs。
Eesho looked down at Ochs。 It was hard to tell who was converting who。 In the span of an instant； Eesho's alarm changed to disbelief。 He looked like a man who'd just won the New Jersey lotto。
〃I hear your words；〃Eesho replied；〃but not your heart。〃
With that the clone placed his hand on Ochs's bald head； then shoved him away。 Ochs fell to one side。 He began to weep with joy； or release。
It was； Nathan Lee realized； a moment of perfect unison。 It was like watching the virus find its host。 Which was the virus； and which was the host； Nathan Lee couldn't say。
HALLOWEEN CAME。 The streets filled with monsters who were hideous and princesses who were beautiful。 The pumpkins were fat and orange。 The moon was striped with clouds。
Tara went as Madeline dressed in blue； her bangs cut square； her muscled frame square； too。 Nathan Lee and Miranda trailed her in the dusk； holding hands。 Tara didn't seem to notice that she was trick…or…treating by herself。 If she heard the distant children whispering about her； she didn't pay attention。 She was too busy counting her harvest； flashing her light in the bag after each house。 Back at the Captain's house； while they drank hot cider and ate pumpkin pie； she counted every piece of candy； then started over again at one hundred。
〃I've never seen a Halloween like this；〃 said the Captain。 〃Look at all that loot。〃
〃That means the people loved Madeline；〃 his wife declared。
Down on the floor with her candy； Tara smiled broadly。
Ever since Tara had moved in with them； the Captain and his wife had grown younger。 The framed pictures of their own daughter…dressed for prom； on a river rafting trip； holding a fish； standing beside a Navy jet in her flight suit…had been crowded out by Tara's artwork。 Tara filled their quiet with songs。 There was life in the house again。
〃。。。eight； nine； ten。。。。〃 Tara was dividing her bounty between five dolls； who sat side by side along the wall。 She kept sneaking looks at Nathan Lee。 Miranda nudged him with mock jealousy。
Nathan Lee was happy tonight； and also sad。 He didn't say what he was thinking； that Los Alamos was starting to face up to its end。 Thiswas the best Halloween ever； but for a reason。 The great pretending had begun。 He'd seen it last summer in towns across America； the grownups beguiling their children； making believe the good times had no end。
* * *
NOVEMBER UNFOLDED。 Since the halt to trucking in August； the citizens had grown steadily shabbier； their sleeves and collars more frayed and greasy by the day。 Stores displayed more empty shelves。 European…style kiosks sold oldNewsweek andThe Observer andScientific American magazines。 Yellowed copies of theNew York Times dated back to the 1990s。 Used bookstores flourished。
It was basketball season。 Every Friday night the stands were packed as Los Alamos's two high schools vied in lively； if redundant； petition。 The city continued to swim in electricity thanks to their nuclear reactor plant。 Street and porch lights stayed on all night。
It was as if the city were floating in air。
Then one morning； they woke to find themselves besieged。
Overnight； the few hundred pilgrims along the Rio Grande swelled to twenty thousand。 A day later； they were thirty thousand。 The citizens of Los Alamos were appalled。 These were plague victims at their doorstep。 Cavendish helpfully declared this was the beginning of the end。
Curiously； the generals did nothing。 Even more curiously； their restraint calmed the city。 It seemed to enunciate their power。 Remembering that the pilgrims had been dispersed once before； people decided they could be dispersed again。 For now； so long as the horde stayed on its own side of the river； they were left alone。
These new pilgrims coiled down through the wine country by the thousands； through old villages wheresantoses were still carved from the heart of cottonwoods and the cemeteries dated back to Spanish colonial times。 They streamed in from the deserts of Texas and Mexico； and south from mountain fortresses bunkered upon ski mountains and in extinct gold mines in Colorado and Utah； and out from tornado shelters and missile silos and train tunnels。 Wherever they had been hiding； they emerged。 Slouching toward the city of light。
Remote surveillance cameras watched them day and night。 It helped ease the city's anxiety that the vagabond camp resembled old； fabled hippie munes； right down to their guitars； soup lines； andagape。 They showed no inclination to violence。 To the contrary； they signaled their desire for peace。 They knew they were being watched。 Some had relatives within Los Alamos。 They held up signs to the cameras across the river with people's names； or with peace signs； or with references to scripture。
The Rio was their Jordan。 They pitched their tents on soil painted orange with Vietnam…era poison。 They were explicit about their intent to remain along the river banks。 They wanted a miracle； not bloodshed。
It was a plague camp down there。 Satellite photos showed a great red tumor along the eastern banks of the river。 The plasma rods for detecting deposition gases read off the scale。 Downstream； the Rio ran hot with virus。
By Thanksgiving； their camp was two miles long and growing。 Military intelligence estimated their numbers at nearly a hundred thousand。 In another week； they would be double that。 The high…altitude photos taken at night were most telling。 You could see their candles and fires reaching backwards in long thick veins that forked and thinned and forked again and became capillaries and finally just dots of light at their distant origins。 They were the last of their kind。 America was ing to celebrate Christmas。
As the days passed by； the pilgrims asked for nothing。 At night； their campfires turned the valley red。 The pilgrims who arrived healthy were quickly infected。 They didn't seem to mind。 Christ had arisen at Los Alamos。
Miranda convoked an emergency session with the generals and lab directors。
〃We should have evacuated while it was still possible；〃 cried a scientist。
〃The time is not right；〃 a general responded。
〃What are you waiting for？〃 an administrator demanded。 〃They'll outnumber us two to one in a week。〃
〃Four to one in two weeks；〃 someone added。 〃How are we supposed to do our work with people dying down there？〃
〃We're monitoring the situation；〃 the general told them。 The generals sat side by side； hands folded； inscrutable。 They were serene。 Nathan Lee was perplexed。 They didn't seem to care。
〃They could e storming up here any minute。 You're supposed to be protecting us。〃
〃The situation is under control；〃 the general said。
〃They're a clear and present danger；〃 someone protested。
A minister from one of the local churches tapped on his microphone。 He was an older man with a cloud of white hair and highlander sideburns。 He leaned forward。 〃They are the lilies of the field；〃 he said。
People waited impatiently。
〃They're hungry and thirsty；〃 the minister continued。 〃Christians in need。〃
〃They're carriers；〃 a woman barked at him。 〃They're already dead。 We have to break them up before it's too late。 How will we ever be able to evacuate with them blocking the highway？〃
The generals looked like a row of Buddhas； not a worry。 〃When the time es；〃 one said； 〃we will part the waters。〃