cc.fireice-第63节

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　Howes　helped　the　others　out　of　their　dry　suits；　then　passed　around　blankets　and　a　bottle　of　Irish　whiskey。　Austin　peered　through　the　spume；　but　the　black　ship　had　disappeared。　There　was　also　no　sign　of　the　fishing　boats　that　had　acpanied　them　on　the　way　out。　He　asked　where　the　other　boats　were。
　
　〃Things　got　dicey　out　here；　so　I　sent　them　home；〃　Jenkins　yelled　over　the　grinding　roar　of　the　engine。　〃We　should　get　back　to　port　before　the　storm　hits。　Sit　back　and　enjoy　the　ride。〃
　〃I　wonder　what　our　former　hosts　will　say　when　they　discover　us　gone；〃　Logan　said　with　a　wolfish　smile。
　
　〃I'm　hoping　that　they'll　think　you　tried　to　escape　and　were　drowned。〃
　〃Thanks　for　ing　to　our　rescue。　My　only　regret　is　that　we　couldn't　leave　the　way　we　came；　on　the　NR…1。〃
　〃The　important　part　was　getting　you　out　in　one　piece。〃
　
　Trout　passed　the　whiskey　bottle　to　Austin。　〃Here's　to　a　job　well　done。〃
　
　Austin　raised　the　bottle　to　his　lips　and　took　a　sip。　The　fiery　liquid　overwhelmed　the　salty　taste　in　his　mouth　and　warmed　his　stomach。　He　stared　out　past　their　heaving　wake；　thinking　about　the　huge　projectile　they　had　seen　on　the　ship。
　
　〃Unfortunately；〃　he　said；　〃the　real　work　may　have　just　begun。〃
　
　
　HIRAM　YAEGER　TOILED　late　into　the　night。　He　had　moved　away　from　his　usual　place　at　the　grand　console　and　sat　in　a　corner　of　the　vast　puter　center；　his　face　lit　up　by　a　single　screen。　He　was　typing　mands　into　a　keyboard；　and　Max　didn't　like　it。
　
　HIRAM；　WHY　AREN'T　WE　USING　THE　HOLOGRAM？
　
　THIS　IS　A　SIMPLE　ACCESS　PROBLEM；　MAX。　WE　DON'T　NEED　THE　BELLS　AND　WHISTLES。　IT's　BACK　TO　BASICS。
　
　I　FEEL　PRACTICALLY　NAKED　SITTING　OUT　HERE　IN　A　PLAIN　PLASTIC　CABINET。
　
　YOU'RE　STILL　BEAUTIFUL　IN　MY　EYES。
　
　FLATTERY　WILL　GET　YOU　EVERYWHERE。　THE　PROBLEM；　PLEASE。
　
　Yaeger　had　been　working　for　hours　to　carve　away　the　useless　and　misleading　data　in　the　files　Austin　and　Trout　had　transmitted　from　the　Ataman　ship。　He'd　run　into　countless　dead　ends　and　had　had　to　cut　through　more　layers　than　an　onion。　Finally；　he　had　distilled　his　findings　into　a　series　of　mands　that　would　cut　through　the　dross。　He　typed　them　out　one　at　a　time　and　waited。　Before　long；　words　written　in　Cyrillic　appeared。　He　entered　a　mand　to　use　translation　software。
　
　Yaeger　scratched　his　head；　mystified　at　the　image　on　the　screen。　It　was　a　menu。
　
　As　he　was　watching；　the　menu　disappeared　and　in　its　place　was　a　message　from　Max。
　
　MAY　I　TAKE　YOUR　ORDER；　SIR？　WHAT'S　THIS　ALL　ABOUT？
　
　I　COULD　TELL　YOU　BETTER　IF　WE　USED　THE　HOLOGRAM。
　
　Yaeger　blinked。　Max　was　trying　to　bribe　him。　He　rotated　his　shoulder　blades　to　relieve　the　stress　of　working；　breathed　a　weary　sigh　and　brought　his　fingers　back　to　the　keyboard。
　
　…30…
　WASHINGTON；　D。C。
　
　THE　NUMA　EXECUTIVE　jet　was　one　of　dozens　of　planes　ing　into　Washington　National　Airport。　Unlike　the　regularly　scheduled　arrivals　that　followed　the　bug…like　ground　vehicles　to　their　respective　terminals；　the　turquoise　plane　taxied　to　a　restricted　section　on　the　south　end　of　the　airport　not　far　from　an　old　airplane　hangar　with　a　rounded　roof。　The　engines　whined　to　a　stop　and　a　trio　of　dark　blue　Suburban　SUVs　emerged　from　the　shadows　with　darkened　headlights；　and　lined　up　alongside　the　plane。
　
　Two　Marine　guards　and　a　man　dressed　in　civilian　clothes　got　out　of　the　lead　vehicle。　While　the　guards　took　their　place　at　the　foot　of　the　gangway；　standing　stiffly　at　attention；　the　third　man；　who　carried　a　black　satchel；　strode　quickly　up　the　gangway　and　rapped　on　the　door。　It　opened　a　second　later；　and　Austin　stuck　his　head　out。
　
　〃I'm　Captain　Morris；　a　doctor　from　the　naval　hospital；〃　the　man　said。　〃I've　e　to　check　out　our　people。〃　He　looked　past　Austin　and　saw　the　unconscious　forms　of　the　captain　and　the　pilot　slumped　in　their　seats。　〃Dear　God！　Are　they　dead？〃
　〃Yeah；　dead　drunk；〃　Austin　said。　〃We　celebrated　their　homeing　on　the　trip　from　Portland　and　they　had　a　little　too　much　of　the　bubbly。　Those　strapping　young　Marines　down　there　might　want　to　assist　your　men　off　the　plane。〃
　
　Captain　Morris　called　the　Marines；　and　they　managed　to　help　the　NR…1　men　down　the　gangway　to　the　tarmac。　The　cool　night　air　revived　Captain　Logan　and　the　pilot。　They　gave　Austin　and　Trout　an　emotional　and　slurred　thank…you；　staggered　to　the　middle　vehicle　and　were　whisked　off　into　the　night　in　a　squeal　of　tires；　leaving　Austin　and　Trout　breathing　in　their　engine　exhausts。
　
　The　taillights　were　barely　out　of　sight　when　a　figure　stepped　from　the　shadows　and　a　familiar　and　unmistakable　voice　said；　〃That's　gratitude　for　you。　The　least　the　navy　could　have　done　was　call　a　cab　to　run　you　home。〃
　
　Austin　glanced　at　the　departing　SUVs。　〃The　navy　doesn't　like　fly…by…night　operations　like　us　showing　up　their　expensive　intelligence　services　and　aircraft　carriers。〃
　〃They'll　get　over　it；〃　Admiral　Sandecker　said；　with　amusement。　〃Can　I　offer　you　a　lift？〃
　〃Best　offer　I've　had　all　night。〃　Austin　and　Trout　got　into　the　Jeep　Cherokee　parked　nearby。　Sandecker　deplored　limousines；　or　any　of　the　trap…　pings　of　power　for　that　matter；　and　preferred　to　drive　a　four…　wheel　drive　from　NUMA's　agency　pool。　The　pilot　and　copilot　finished　buttoning　down　the　plane　and　Sandecker　gave　them　rides　home。
　
　Austin　had　called　Sandecker　from　Maine　to　tell　him　about　the　mission。　As　he　drove　onto　the　George　Washington　Memorial　Parkway；　Sandecker　said；　〃I　said　it　before；　but　you　boys　deserve　a　medal　for　getting　aboard　that　ship。〃
　〃It　was　getting　off　the　ship　that　I　preferred；　although　I　may　give　up　fishing　forever　now　that　I've　seen　a　trawl　from　a　cod's　point　of　view；〃　Trout　said　with　his　understated　New　England　humor。
　
　Sandecker　chuckled。　〃You're　reasonably　certain　no　one　on　board　the　Ataman　ship　will　suspect　the　navy　men　were　spirited　away？〃
　〃A　few　crewmen　might　remember　seeing　us　and　put　two　and　two　together　with　the　missing　dry　suits　and　the　open　moon　pool。　I　doubt　they'd　think　anyone　was　crazy　enough　to　do　what　we　did；　and　get　away　with　it。〃
　〃I　agree。　They　will　report　the　missing　navy　men　to　Razov；　but　they'll　assume　they　drowned　or　died　from　hypothermia。　Even　if　they　suspect　an　intrusion；　I　doubt　whether　they'd　tell　Razov；　for　fear　of　their　lives。〃
　〃He　might　learn　the　truth　when　the　navy　announces　that　all　the　NR…1　crew　have　been　rescued。〃
　〃I've　asked　the　Navy　Department　to　keep　a　lid　on　the　announcement；　which　they　were　glad　to　do。　The　crew　members　will　be　reunited　with　their　families　and　whisked　off　to　a　seaside　retreat　for　some　R　&　R。〃
　〃That　will　buy　us　some　time。〃
　〃We'll　need　every　minute。　Get　a　good　night's　sleep；　both　of　you；　and　we'll　have　a　meeting　first　thing　in　the　morning。〃
　
　Sandecker　drove　Trout　to　his　Georgetown　town　house　and　gave　Austin　a　lift　to　Fairfax。　Austin　dropped　his　overnight　bag　inside　the　door　and　went　into　the　den…study；　a　spacious　room　with　dark　wood　colonial　furniture　and　walls　lined　with　shelves　for　his　books　and　progressive　jazz　collection。　The　red　light　was　blinking　on　his　telephone　answering　machine。　He　clicked　through　the　messages　and　was　happy　to　hear　that　Joe　Zavala　was　back　from　England。　Austin　grabbed　a　tall　can　of　Speckled　Hen　ale　from　his　refrigerator　and　settled　into　a　black　leather　chair　with　his　phone。　Joe　answered　on　the　first　ring。　They　talked　at　length。　Zavala　filled　him　in　on　his　interview　with　Lord　Dodson；　and　Austin　gave　a　summary　of　Jenkins's　visit　to　NUMA　and　the　successful　mission　to　the　Ataman　ship。
　
　After　he　hung　up；　Austin　walked　out　onto　the　deck　and　drew　a　deep　breath　of　river　air　into　his　lungs。　The　exercise　cleared　his　head；　and　he　began　to　think　about　the　drama　that　had　played　out　on　the　Black　Sea　decades　ago。　With　the　passage　of　time；　the　people　who　had　struggled　for　their　lives　had　no　more　substance　than　the　lights　glowing　like　fireflies　along　the　Maryland　shore。　Yet　the　long…ago　echoes　of　their　voices　were　still　being　heard　more　than　eighty　years　later。
　
　According　to　Zavala's　report；　the　empress　and　her　daughters　were　traveling　on　the　Odessa　Star　with　some　of　the　royal　treasure　when　the　ship　was　attacked　and　sunk。　Razov　probably　had　the　treasure　now。　Austin　was　uncertain　why　a　man　who　already　had　more　money　than　Croesus　would　go　through　so　much　trouble　to　dive　for　treasure。　Greed　knows　no　bounds；　he　concluded。
　
　More　important　was　the　fact　that　the　Grand　Duchess　Maria　had　escaped。　Lord　Dodson　was　worried　about　political　turmoil　if　and　when　the　news　got　out。　Austin　frowned　at　the　tacit　approval　of　the　British　Crown　in　the　sordid　tale。　The　story　might　embarrass　some　families；　but　all　those　involved　were　long　dead。　Mendacity　by　those　in　high　office　was　no　longer　the　scandal　it　once　had　been。　Austin　was　more　concerned　about　how　the　story　connected　to　Ataman　and　the　supposed　plot　against　the　United　States。
　
　Austin　glanced　at　his　watch。　He　hadn't　realized　the　late…　ness　of　the　hour　or　how　worn…out　he　was。　He　crawled　up　to　his　bedroom　in　the　turret　of　the　old　Victorian　boathouse；　crashed　into　bed　and　was　asleep　within　minutes。
　
　
　AUSTIN　WAS　UP　at　dawn；　dressed　in　T…shirt；　shorts　and　baseball　cap；　put　a　pot　of　Jamaican　coffee　on　to　brew　and　went　downstairs　to　where　his　twenty…three…foot　Mass　Aero