wt.theyearofthequietsun- 第24节

　　With　additional　American　troop　mitments　pegged　in　part　on　the　effectiveness　of　South　Asian　Special　Forces　（SASF）；　Grinnell's　visit　sparked　rumors　of　a　fresh　troop　build…up　in　the　hard　hit　northern　sectors。　Unofficial　estimates　set　a　figure　of　two　million　Americans　now　in　bat　in　the　Asian　Theater；　which　the　military　mand　refuses　to　confirm　or　deny。　Asked　about　new　arrivals；　Grinnell　said：　〃That　is　something　the　President　will　have　to　decide　at　the　proper　time。〃　General　Grinnell　will　confer　with　American　military　and　civilian　officials　on　all　fighting　fronts　before　returning　to　Washington　next　week。
　　
　　
　　Chaney　closed　the　record　with　a　sense　of　despair　and　pushed　the　stack　aside。　Wanting　to　lose　himself　in　less　depressing　but　more　familiar　matters；　he　opened　a　copy　of　the　current　merce　yearbook　and　sought　out　the　statistical　tables　that　were　his　stock　in　trade。
　　The　human　lemmings　hadn't　changed　their　habits。　A　bellwether　indicating　the　migration　patterns　from　one　area　to　another　was　the　annual　ton…miles　study　of　interstate　shipments　of　household　goods；　the　family　that　removed　together　grooved　together。　The　flow　continued　into　California　and　Florida；　as　he　had　forecast；　and　the　adjoining　tables　revealed　corresponding　increases　in　tonnage　for　consumer　durabics　and　foodstuffs　not　indigenous　to　those　states。　The　shipment　of　automobiles　（assembled；　new）　into　California　had　sharply　decreased；　and　that　surprised　him。　He　had　supposed　that　the　proposal　to　ban　automobiles　in　the　state　by　1985　would　only　result　in　an　accelerated　flow…a　kind　of　hoarding…but　the　current　figures　suggested　that　state　officials　had　found　a　way　to　discourage　hoarding　and　depress　the　market　at　the　same　time。　Prohibitive　taxation；　most　likely。　New　York　City　should　note　the　success　of　the　program。
　　Chaney　began　filling　his　notebook。
　　
　　
　　The　measured　tolling　of　a　bell　somewhere　outside　the　library　brought　him　up　from　the　book　with　surprise；　and　a　flurry　of　aged　men　from　the　newspaper　racks　toward　the　door　underscored　the　passage　of　time。　It　was　the　noon　hour。
　　Chaney　put　away　the　government　publications　and　cast　a　speculative　eye　on　the　attendant。　A　girl　had　replaced　the　older　woman　on　duty　earlier。　He　studied　her　for　a　space　and　decided　on　an　approach　least　likely　to　arouse　suspicion。
　　〃Excuse　me。〃
　　〃Yes？〃　The　girl　looked　up　from　a　copy　of　Teen　Spin。　Chaney　consulted　his　notebook。　〃Do　you　remember　the　date　of　the　Chicago　wall？　The　first　date…the　earliest　beginning？　I　can't　pin　it　down。〃
　　The　girl　stared　into　the　air　above　his　head　and　said：　〃I　think　it　was　in　August　。　。　。　no；　no；　it　was　the　last　week　of　July。　I'm　pretty　sure　it　was　the　last　of　July。〃　Her　gaze　came　down　to　his。　〃We　have　the　news　magazines　on　file　if　you　want　me　to　get　it　for　you。〃
　　Chaney　caught　the　hint。　〃Don't　bother；　I'll　look。　Where　are　those　files？〃
　　She　pointed　behind　him。　〃Fourth　aisle；　next　to　the　windows。　They　may　not　be　in　chronological　order。〃
　　〃I'll　find　them。　Thank　you。〃　Her　head　was　already　bending　over　the　magazine　as　he　turned　away。
　　The　Chicago　wall　ran　down　the　middle　of　Cermak　Road。
　　It　stretched　from　Burnham　Park　on　the　lakefront　（where　it　consisted　only　of　barbed　wire）；　westward　to　Austin　Avenue　in　Cicero　（where　it　finally　ended　in　another　loose　skein　of　barbed　wire　in　a　white　residential　neighborhood）。　The　wall　was　built　of　cement　and　cinder　blocks；　of　wrecked　or　stolen　automobiles；　burnedout　shells　of　city　buses；　sabotaged　police　cars；　looted　and　stripped　semi…trailer　trucks；　of　upended　furniture；　broken　concrete；　bricks；　debris；　garbage；　excretion。　Two　corpses　were　a　part　of　it　between　Ashland　and　Paulina　Street。　The　barrier　began　going　up　on　the　night　of　July　twenty…ninth；　the　third　night　of　widespread　rioting　along　Cermak　Road；　it　was　lengthened　and　reinforced　every　night　thereafter　as　the　idea　spread　until　it　was　a　fifteenmile　barricade　cutting　a　city　in　two。
　　The　black　munity　south　of　Cermak　Road　had　begun　the　wall　at　the　height　of　the　rioting；　as　a　means　of　preventing　the　passage　of　police　and　fire　vehicles。　Both　blacks　and　belligerent　whites　pleted　it。　The　corpses　near　Paulina　Street　had　been　foolish　men　who　attempted　to　cross　it。
　　There　was　no　traffic　over　the　wall；　nor　through　it；　nor　along　the　north…south　arteries　intersecting　Cermak　Road。　The　Dan　Ryan　Expressway　had　been　dynamited　at　35th　Street　and　again　at　63rd　Street；　the　Stevenson　Expressway　was　breached　at　Pulaski　Road。　Aerial　reconnaissance　reported　that　nearly　every　major　street　in　the　sector　was　blocked　or　otherwise　unfit　for　vehicular　traffic；　fires　raged　unchecked　on　South　Halsted；　and　cattle　had　been　loosed　from　their　pens　in　the　stockyards。　Police　and　Army　troops　patrolled　the　city　above　the　wall；　while　black　militants　patrolled　below　it。　The　government　made　no　effort　to　penetrate　the　barrier；　but　instead　appeared　to　be　playing　a　waiting　game。　Rail　and　highway　traffic　from　the　east　and　south　was　routed　in　a　wide　swing　around　the　zone；　entering　the　city　above　the　wall　to　the　west；　civilian　air　traffic　was　restricted　to　higher　elevations。　Road　blocks　were　thrown　up　at　the　Indiana　line；　and　along　Interstate　80。
　　Chicago　above　the　wall　counted　three　hundred　dead　and　two　thousand…plus　injured　during　the　rioting　and　the　building　of　the　barricade。　No　one　knew　the　count　below　the　wall。
　　By　the　second　week　of　August；　troops　had　encircled　the　affected　area　and　had　dug　in　for　a　siege；　none　but　authorized　personnel　were　permitted　to　enter　and　none　but　white　refugees　were　permitted　to　leave。　Inplete　figures　placed　the　number　of　emerging　refugees　at　about　six　hundred　thousand；　although　that　figure　was　well　below　the　known　white　population　living　in　the　rebellious　zone。　Attempts　were　being　made　daily…with　small　success…to　rescue　white　families　believed　to　be　still　alive　in　the　area。　Penetration　was　not　possible　from　the　north　but　search　parties　from　the　western　and　southern　boundaries　made　several　sallies　into　the　area；　sometimes　working　as　far　north　as　Midway　Airport。　Refugees　were　being　relocated　to　downstate　cities　in　Illinois　and　Indiana。
　　North　Chicago　was　under　martial　law；　with　a　strict　dusk…to…dawn　curfew。　Violaters　moving　on　the　streets　at　night　were　shot　on　sight　and　identified　the　following　day；　when　the　bodies　could　be　removed。　South　Chicago　had　no　curfew　but　shootings　continued　day　and　night。
　　At　the　end　of　October　with　the　election　only　a　week　away；　the　northern　half　of　the　city　was　relatively　quiet；　firing　across　the　wall　under　cover　of　darkness　had　fallen　off　to　nuisance　shooting；　but　the　police　and　troops　had　been　issued　new　orders　not　to　fire　unless　fired　upon。　City　water　service　into　the　zone　continued　but　electricity　was　curtailed。
　　On　the　Sunday　morning　before　election；　a　party　of　about　two　hundred　unarmed　blacks　had　approached　Army　lines　at　Cicero　Avenue　and　asked　for　sanctuary。　They　were　turned　back。　Washington　announced　the　siege　was　effective　and　was　already　putting　an　end　to　the　rebellion。　Hunger　and　pestilence　would　destroy　the　wall。
　　Chaney　strode　across　the　room　to　the　newspaper　rack。
　　Thursday　morning　editions　confirmed　their　projections　published　the　day　before：　President　Mecks　had　carried　all　but　three　states　and　won　re…election　by　a　landslide。　A　local　editorial　applauded　the　victory　and　claimed　it　was　earned　by　〃the　President's　masterful　handling　of　the　Chicago　Confrontation。〃
　　
　　
　　Brian　Chaney　emerged　from　the　library　to　stand　on　the　steps　under　a　cold　November　sun。　He　knew　a　sense　of　fear；　of　confusion…an　uncertainty　of　where　to　turn。　A　city　police　cruiser　passed　the　building；　with　an　armed　guardsman　riding　beside　the　driver。
　　Chaney　knew　why　they　both　stared　at　him。
　　
　　
　　TEN
　　
　　He　wandered　aimlessly　along　the　street　looking　in　store　windows　which　were　not　boarded　over；　and　at　parked　automobiles　along　the　curb。　None　of　the　obviously　newer　cars　were　much　changed　from　the　older　models　parked　ahead　and　behind；　it　was　a　personal　satisfaction　to　see　Detroit　edging　away　from　the　annual　model　change　and　back　to　the　more　sensible　balance　of　three　decades　ago。
　　Chaney　stopped　by　the　post　office　to　mail　a　postcard　to　an　old　friend　at　the　Indiana　Corporat