p&c.brimstone-第21节

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y　saying　Grove　hated　rock　music。　His　look　gave　him　away　immediately。〃　
　〃A　crude　lie。〃　
　〃He's　a　crude　man；　and　pretty　stupid　to　boot。　I　imagine　he's　good　at　what　he　does；　though；　given　all　the　dough　he's　made。〃　
　〃Intelligence；　culture；　and　education　are　not　qualities　generally　associated　with　the　popular　music　business。〃　
　〃Well；　Bullard's　on　another　level。　He's　crude；　too；　but　highly　intelligent。　I　wouldn't　underestimate　him。　The　fact　is　they　both　know　a　lot　more　about　Grove's　death　than　they're　telling。　We　can　crack　Cutforth；　I'm　pretty　sure…he's　a　wuss…but　Bullard's　going　to　be　a　tough　nut。〃　
　Pendergast　nodded。　〃The　forensic　report　on　Grove's　body　should　be　ready　tomorrow。　That　may　give　us　badly　needed　information。　The　critical　thing　now　is　to　find　the　connection　between　Bullard；　Cutforth；　and　Grove。　If　we　find　that　connection；　Vincent；　we'll　have　the　key　to　this　entire　mystery。〃　
　　　
　17
　
　Dr。　Jack　Dienphong　cast　his　eye　about　his　laboratory：　examiningthe　metal　tables；　the　chemical　hoods　and　glove　boxes；　microscopes；　SEMs；　microtomes；　and　titration　setups。　It　wasn't　pretty；　but　it　was　organized　and　functional。　Dienphong　was　chief　of　the　FBI's　Forensic　Science　Division　on　Congress　Street；　and　he　was　very　curious　to　meet…at　last…this　Special　Agent　Pendergast　he　had　heard　so　much　about。　
　He　glanced　down　at　the　scribbled　index　card　in　his　hand；　running　through　his　notes　one　more　time。　Most　of　it　was　in　his　head：　the　index　card　was　more　for　fort　than　anything　else。　He　felt　a　disquieting　sense　of　apprehension。　He　didn't　like　what　he　was　going　to　have　to　report；　and　he　just　hoped　the　famous…some　said　infamous…agent　would　understand。　In　Dienphong's　opinion；　the　worst　mistake　one　could　make　in　forensic　chemistry　was　to　overinterpret　results。　Do　that　enough　times；　and　eventually　you'd　send　an　innocent　man　to　prison。　It　was　Dienphong's　greatest　fear。　He　wouldn't　stretch　results　for　anyone；　not　even　someone　as　formidable　as　Pendergast。　
　There　was　a　stir　at　the　door；　and　Dienphong　glanced　at　his　watch。　On　time　almost　to　the　second；　already　confirming　one　thing　he'd　heard　Pendergast　was　famous　for。　A　moment　later　the　door　opened；　and　a　slender　man　in　a　black　suit　entered；　followed　by　Special　Agent　in　Charge　Carlton；　chief　of　the　Southern　District　Field　Office；　and　a　hushed　group　of　junior　agents　and　assistants。　There　was　an　almost　palpable　excitement　in　the　air；　the　kind　of　excitement　high…profile　cases　always　generated。　And　only　a　high…profile　case　like　this　would　bring　somebody　like　Carlton　in　on　a　Sunday。　All　the　pertinent　evidence　had　been　forwarded　to　the　FBI　by　local　police　for　in…depth　analysis。　And　now　it　was　up　to　Dienphong　to　piece　everything　together　for　them。　His　feeling　of　apprehension　did　not　diminish。　
　Dienphong　observed　the　stranger　carefully。　Pendergast　was　just　as　people　had　described　him；　moving　with　the　efficiency　and　grace　of　a　cat。　His　hair　was　so　blond　it　was　almost　white；　his　face　cool　and　patrician；　his　pale　eyes　restlessly　taking　in　everything。　Dienphong　had　met　many　FBI　agents　in　his　time；　but　this　one　was　in　another　category　altogether。　
　Those　ice　cool　eyes　alighted　on　Dienphong；　and　the　agent　came　striding　over。　〃Dr。　Dienphong；〃　the　man　said　in　the　buttery　tones　of　the　Deep　South。　
　〃A　pleasure。〃　Dienphong　took　the　dry　hand。　
　〃I　thought　your　piece　in　theJournal　of　Forensics　on　the　maturation　rate　of　blowfly　larvae　in　the　human　cadaver　to　be　fine　reading。〃　
　〃Thank　you。〃　He　hadn't　quite　thought　of　the　article　as　〃fine　reading〃　himself；　but　then　each　to　his　own。　Dienphong's　idea　of　fine　reading　was　Johnson'sRambler　essays。　
　〃The　presentation　is　all　ready；〃　he　said；　gesturing　toward　a　double　row　of　metal　chairs　set　up　before　a　projection　screen。　〃We're　going　to　begin　with　a　brief　visual　presentation。〃　
　〃Excellent。〃　
　The　agents　seated　themselves　with　murmurs；　coughing；　and　scraping　of　chairs。　Special　Agent　in　Charge　Carlton　took　up　position　in　the　front　row　center；　his　thick　thighs　spilling　off　the　edges　of　the　seat。　
　Dienphong　nodded　toward　his　assistant　and　the　lights　dimmed。　He　switched　on　the　puter　projector。　
　〃Please　feel　free　to　interrupt　with　questions　at　any　time。〃　He　called　up　the　first　image。　〃We'll　go　from　simplest　to　most　plex。　This　is　a　50x　sample　of　the　sulfur　recovered　at　the　site。　Our　chemical　analysis　showed　it　to　be　natural；　with　trace　elements　that　indicate　a　volcanic　origin。　It　had　been　rapidly　heated　and　burned　by　unknown　means。　When　sulfur　burns；　it　bines　with　oxygen　to　make　sulfur　dioxide　gas；　SO2；　which　has　a　very　strong　odor…the　smell　of　burned　matches。　If　it　then　es　in　contact　with　water；　it　creates　H2SO4；　also　known　as　sulfuric　acid。　
　〃These　fibers　here〃　…the　next　image　came　up…〃are　from　the　victim's　clothing。　Note　the　pitting　and　curling：　clear　effects　of　sulfuric　acid　on　the　victim's　clothes。〃　
　Three　more　images　in　quick　succession。　〃As　you　can　see；　there　was　even　microscopic　pitting　on　the　victim's　plastic　glasses；　and　in　the　varnish　on　the　walls　and　floor；　from　the　intense　release　of　sulfur　pounds。〃　
　〃Any　idea　of　the　specific　volcanic　source？〃　It　was　Pendergast　who　spoke。　
　〃That's　almost　impossible　to　answer。　We'd　have　to　analyze　and　pare　this　with　thousands　of　known　volcanic　sources；　an　overwhelming　job　even　if　we　could　get　the　samples。　What　I　can　tell　you　is　that　the　high　proportion　of　silicon　indicates　a　continental；　as　opposed　to　an　oceanic；　source。　In　other　words；　this　sulfur　didn't　e　from　Hawaii　or；　say；　the　seafloor。〃　
　Pendergast　settled　back；　his　expression　unreadable　in　the　dark　room。　
　〃This　next　image　shows　some　microsections　of　the　burned　wood　of　the　floor　from　the　so…called　hoofprint。〃　Several　more　images　flashed　across　the　screen。　Dienphong　cleared　his　throat。　Here　is　where　the　difficulties　began。　
　〃You　will　note　the　very　deep　penetration　of　the　burn　into　the　wood。　You　can　see　it　better　at　200x。〃　
　Another　slide。　〃This　was　not　caused　by　a　'branding　iron'　effect。〃　He　paused；　swallowed。　〃That　is　to　say；　this　mark　was　not　burned　into　the　floor　by　a　red…hot　object　being　impressed　into　the　wood。　It　was　caused　by　an　intense　burst　of　nonionizing　radiation；　probably　in　the　very　short　infrared　wavelength　range；　which　deeply　penetrated　the　wood。〃　
　Carlton　spoke　up；　as　Dienphong　knew　he　would。　〃You　mean；　the　perp　didn't　heat　something　up　and　press　it　on　the　wood？〃　
　〃Exactly。　Nothing　actuallytouched　the　wood。　The　burn　was　made　by　a　short　blast　of　pure　radiation。〃　
　Carlton　shifted；　the　chair　uttering　a　dangerous　groan。　〃Wait　a　minute。　How　can　that　be？〃　
　〃My　job　is　to　describe；　not　interpret；〃　said　Dienphong；　flicking　up　the　next　slide。　
　But　the　chief　hadn't　finished。　〃Are　you　saying　the　mark　was　made　with　some　kind　ofray　gun　？〃　
　〃I　can't　say　what　the　source　of　the　radiation　was。〃　
　Carlton　settled　back　with　a　dubious　grunt。　
　〃This　brings　us　to　the　cross。〃　The　next　slide　came　up。　〃Our　art　expert　has　identified　this　as　a　rare　example　of　a　seventeenth…century　Tuscan　cross；　monly　worn　by　the　noble　classes。　It　is　made　of　gold　and　silver；　layered；　fused；　and　hand…chased　to　produce　a　rather　interesting　effect　known　aslamellés　fines　。　It　was　then　set　in　wood；　which　has　largely　burned　away。〃　
　〃How　much's　it　worth？〃　Carlton　said；　asking　an　intelligent　question　for　a　change。　
　〃Given　the　precious　stones；　eighty；　perhaps　one　hundred　thousand　dollars。　Undamaged；　that　is。〃　
　Carlton　whistled。　
　〃The　cross　was　found　around　the　neck　of　the　victim；　touching　his　skin。　Here　is　a　photograph　of　it　at　the　scene　of　the　crime；　still　around　the　victim's　neck。〃　
　The　next　slide　came　up；　prompting　noises　of　disgust　and　disbelief。　
　〃As　you　can　see；　the　cross　heated　to　the　point　of　melting；　deeply　burning　the　skin　where　it　lay。　But　observe　that　the　surrounding　flesh　is　not　scorched　or　even　reddened。　Something…and　I　really　can't　say　what…selectively　heated　the　crosswithout　heating　the　surrounding　skin。　The　cross　then　partially　melted　and　burned　itself　into　the　victim's　flesh　in　situ。　
　〃And　here〃…he　brought　up　the　next　image…〃is　an　electron　micrograph　at　3；000x；　showing　this　extraordinary　pitting　along　the　silver…butnot　the　gold…surface　of　the　cross。　I　can't　account　for　this；　either。　I　suspect　it　might　have　been　caused　by　an　intense　and　prolonged　dose　of　radiation　that　seems　to　have　stripped　off　the　top　layers　of　electrons　and　vaporized　part　of　the　metal。　It　acts　much　more　strongly　on　silver　than　on　gold。　Again；　I　have　no　idea　why。〃　
　Carlton　was　on　his　feet。　〃Can　we　have　this　in　plain　English？〃　
　〃Of　course；〃　Dienphong　said　dryly。　〃Something　heated　up　and　melted　the　cross　without　heating　up　anything　around　it。　I　guess　it　must　have　been　some　kind　of　radiation　that　was　taken　up　by　metal　more　strongly　than　flesh。〃　
　〃Like　maybe　the　same　radiation　that　burned　the　hoofprint？〃　
　Carlton　；　Dienphong　had　to　admit；　was　not　as　stupid　as　he　pretended　to　be。　
　〃A　good　possibility。〃　
　Pendergast　raised　a　finger。　
　〃Agent　Pendergast？〃　
　〃Were　there　any　signs　of　radiation　burns　or　heating　in　any　other　surfaces　in　the　room？〃　
　An　even　better　question。　〃Yes；　in　fact；　there　were。　The　bedposts；　which　were　varnished　pine；　showed　signs　of　heat　stress；　as　did　the　wall　behind　the　bed；　which　was　painted　pine。　I