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at。
〃Go ahead； make your speech。 Or kill him；〃 a man called。 〃You can't stop us。〃
Nathan Lee looked up at Izzy。 There was very little blood。 Someone had rigged a plastic soda bottle on a pole to give him water。 He was being kept alive。 Eventually his strength would give out and he would suffocate。
〃I came to take him down；〃 Nathan Lee said。 He made his voice loud for people to hear。 The crowd on the rim behind him rippled。 Good or bad； he couldn't tell。 Maybe they cherished the torture。 But just maybe it had gone sour for them。
〃He's nailed up there； you idiot；〃 one said。 The notion of undoing the execution boggled their minds。 Izzy had been judged。 That was final。
〃Look at him；〃 a tall soldier reasoned。 〃It's all but over。〃
〃That doesn't make it right；〃 said Nathan Lee。
Ochs pulled at his arm。 Nathan Lee dug his feet in and reeled back。 Ochs's spine bowed。 His vertebrae creaked。 The man quit fighting。
〃You'll never make it out alive；〃 a voice called at him。
〃That's not the idea；〃 said Nathan Lee。
〃No ladder。 No hammer。 This should be a trick。〃 They were amused。
It was a towering thing。 The wood alone probably weighed two hundred pounds。 He couldn't do this alone。
〃Help me；〃 Nathan Lee answered simply。 It slipped out of his mouth。
They gawked。 The absurdity stupefied them。 The assassin wanted a favor？
〃I can finish off your friend；〃 the tall soldier offered to Nathan Lee。 He spoke quietly。 Privately。 〃Is that what you want？〃 It was not unkind。
〃He deserves better that that；〃 said Nathan Lee。
〃Don't we all？〃 mocked a man。
〃Yes；〃 said Nathan Lee。 〃We do。〃
It started to snow just then。 People looked up at the sky。 The flakes fell in sloppy wet clots。 For a minute； that preoccupied them all。 The ground was cold as iron。 The snow didn't melt。 It pasted the land white。
〃What about him？〃 the tall soldier asked。 He thrust his chin at Ochs。
Nathan Lee looked around at them。 They waited with hard eyes。 The snow nested in their wild hair。They want me to do it； he realized。 The soldier was offering to finish off Izzy； if Nathan Lee would finish off Ochs。
Now he saw it。 Ochs had hectored and blessed and seduced them。 The giant had inhabited the darkest lake in their souls and mired them in their worst fears and foulest hate。 He had steered their confusion into havoc and now their havoc into slaughter。 They were weary。 They hurt。 They were dying。 They didn't want to be Ochs's sacrifice anymore。 But no one knew the way out anymore。
Nathan Lee felt Ochs's great； bald head turning slick in his grasp。 Before it was too late； he could punish all the wrongs Ochs had heaped on him。 With one arc of his fist； the world would be rid of this creature。And then what？
Nathan Lee lifted his face to the gathering storm。 The snow slid from his cheekbones。 It slapped upon his wire…rim glasses。 He tried to see； but the world was a smear。 He was blind。 And then it was suddenly all so plain。
Blood for blood。Nathan Lee knew it。 He knew it to his core。
He saw the order of things with crystal clarity。 These ravaged pilgrims didn't know it yet； but the knife was their signal。 For weeks Ochs had been preaching invasion。 But they wouldn't go。Seasoning； Ochs had called their stalled misery。 They were collectively waiting for something； some sign or event。 Now they would have it。 His blood would spur them。 Ochs couldn't prompt the invasion in life； only in death。 And he knew it。 That explained his joy at Nathan Lee's arrival。 Ochs had to die。 And like a prophecy fulfilling； Nathan Lee had e down off the mountain to do the job and martyr him。
Nathan Lee lowered his face from the sky。 It seemed like he could see a thousand miles。 He saw himself from high above。 Ochs wasn't the city's worst danger。 Nathan Lee was。 His hatred and this knife were Ochs's vehicle。 His deliverance。 Nathan Lee recoiled inside himself。
The tall soldier pressed him。 〃Decide。〃
Nathan Lee's grip eased。 Ochs felt him hesitate。 He pressed his throat against the blade。 He urged Nathan Lee。 〃Grace；〃 he spoke through clenched teeth。
All his life； it seemed； Nathan Lee had been climbing； scratching holds into the mountain； pulling at the world。 And never finding his answers。 Never letting go。 He let go。 〃I can't save you；〃 he murmured。
The tall soldier frowned。 Others around him showed disappointment； too。 Ochs was about to be loosed on them once again。
Nathan Lee opened his hands。 The knife dropped on the dirt。 He released his enemy。
With that； Ochs rose up with a roar。 He loomed in front of Nathan Lee； eyes terrible； his naked chest striped with scars。 In some ascetic fit； he had cut his own nipples off。 That frightened Nathan Lee more than anything。 He had sliced away his most tender flesh in the name of God。 〃Now；〃 Ochs declared。
It was his last word。
From behind； as if it had an enchanted life of its own； Nathan Lee's knife appeared at Ochs's neck。 The blade moved without pause； one stroke； across and back。 Ochs squinted。 His scowl was full of pain； but full of questions； too。 He seemed to be inviting Nathan Lee to tell him what was wrong。
Then the prophet's throat yawed open。 The hot breath escaped from his windpipe in a puff of steam。 Bright blood flew across the white ground and sprayed Nathan Lee。 Ochs clutched at his neck； eyes bulging。 It was like watching a man strangle himself。
He didn't topple and crash to earth。 In the end； the great oak of a man simply eased down into a tangle of limbs。 His bones seemed to melt。 His legs folded。 He sank to sitting。 His spine bent and he drooped over his lap； shrinking smaller。 His head met the dirt。 After that he didn't move anymore。
Nathan Lee raised his eyes。 The tall soldier stood above Ochs's body with the knife in one hand。 Nathan Lee knew better than to run。 He stood rooted in place as the crusaders hemmed him in。
〃WHAT ARE THEY DOINGto him？〃 Miranda was holding onto the very edge of the TV monitor。 She was still in shock。 While she lay sleeping； her lover had crossed the river and vanished。 And reappeared。
Balanced on some niche in the midst of the camp； Izzy's camera had never stopped transmitting。 The mob had no idea it was there。 In the foreground； bodies and faces milled back and forth； blocking and unblocking the zoom。 Between their traffic； you could see the cross in the distance。
With the Captain at her side； Miranda watched Nathan Lee emerge from the crowd and jump on Ochs like a tiger and face off his small legion of warriors。 From this distance； the scene was antlike。 The knife…too small to see； but easy to deduce…had kept Ochs frozen and Nathan Lee temporarily safe。
Her heart felt like a stone。 Her love had not been enough。 In the end； Nathan Lee had succumbed to the past。 He had been unable to stay away from the camp。 His unfolding revenge looked so slight on the screen。
But then he stepped away and Ochs climbed to his feet and the crowd obstructed her view again。 〃Now what？〃 she said。
The Captain peered at the screen。 〃There；〃 he said。 〃Above their heads。 See？〃
She looked。
Izzy's cross was tipping。
35
Peace on Earth
MIDNIGHT
She watched Izzy fade to black on the lime…green satellite feed。 No one could know for sure if it was really him and Nathan Lee down there。 Through the veils of storm and night； all they could get on the high resolution views were thermal signatures。 But Miranda knew。 It would be like Nathan Lee to stay and put his back against the wind and hold his friend。
A dozen different images from this and other satellites flickered on screens around the busy room。 The medium resolution pictures used a scale of one inch per mile； and they showed pools of massed human body heat that looked motionless。 But by piling images from the past twelve hours and running them at high speed； the ASTER experts had been able to display the beginnings of a wholesale retreat。 Large； shapeless configurations…hundreds of thousands of people…were moving away from the epicenter。 The herd pattern had been most active before sunset。 Since then； darkness； plunging temperatures； and the deepening snow had bogged them。
Most hadn't made it more than a half mile before halting for the night。 But the evidence was clear。 The pilgrims were leaving； or trying to。 The siege had broken。 They had given up on the city。 The precise explanation eluded Los Alamos； but it coincided with Nathan Lee's appearance in the valley。 Maybe he had persuaded Ochs to send the pilgrims home。 Or he'd warned them of dire consequences； or offered himself as the city's ransom； or pointed them in a new direction。 Something had gone on in that camp。
Throughout Los Alamos； people were celebrating as if a great war had ended。 There had been an interfaith service at the Oppenheimer Center earlier in the evening； televised for those who could not attend in person。 Miranda had caught parts of it。 Interspliced with satellite images of the pilgrims' retreat； the city's priests； ministers； mullahs； rabbis； and a Buddhist monk had given thanks for their deliverance。 They said prayers for the poor people now stranded in the blizzard。 It was easy to think more mercifully； now that their enemy was dying at their feet。
Oddly the generals w