cussler.blueandgold-第11节

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eness　of　the　situation　went　beyond　the　loss　of　his　father's　boat。　It　rankled　his　sense　of　orderliness。
　
　The　autopsy　seemed　to　be　winding　down。　Austin　asked　the　seaman　to　take　his　NUMA　business　card　to　someone　in　charge。
　
　The　seaman　returned　with　a　sandy…haired　man　in　his　forties　who　stripped　off　his　blood…soaked　foul…weather　gear　and　gloves　but　kept　his　surgical　mask　on。
　
　〃Mr。　Austin；〃　he　said；　extending　his　hand。　〃Jason　Witherell　EPA。　Pleasure　to　meet　you。　Glad　to　have　NUMA　interested。　We　might　need　to　utilize　your　resources。〃
　
　〃We're　always　ready　to　help　the　EPA；〃　Austin　said。　〃My　interest　is　more　personal　than　official。　I　was　in　the　race　today　when　the　whales　made　their　appearance。〃
　
　〃I　saw　the　news　clips。〃　Witherell　laughed。　〃That　was　one　hell　of　a　maneuver　you　pulled　off。　Sorry　about　your　boat。〃
　
　〃Thanks。　I　was　wondering；　have　you　e　up　with　a　cause　of　death？〃
　
　〃Sure；　they　died　of　DORK。〃
　
　〃Pardon？〃
　
　Witherell　grinned。　〃Don't　Really　Know。　DORK。〃
　
　Austin　smiled　patiently。　He　knew　pathologists　sometimes　cultivated　a　zany　sense　of　humor　to　help　maintain　their　sanity。
　
　〃Any　guesses？〃
　
　Witherell　said；　'As　far　as　we　can　determine　for　now；　there　was　no　evidence　of　trauma　or　toxin；　and　we've　tested　tissue　for　virus。　Negative　so　far。　One　whale　had　bee　entangled　in　a　monfilament　fishing　net；　but　it　doesn't　seem　to　have　prevented　the　animal　from　eating　or　harmed　it　in　any　fatal　way。〃
　
　〃So　at　least　for　now　you　don't　have　a　clue　how　they　died？〃
　
　〃Oh　sure；　we　know　how。　They　suffocated。　There　was　heavy　lung　damage　that　caused　pneumonia。　The　lungs　seem　to　have　been　damaged　by　intense　heat。〃
　
　〃Heat？　I'm　not　sure　I　follow　you。〃
　
　〃I'll　put　it　this　way。　They　were　partially　cooked　internally；　and　their　skin　was　blistered　as　well。〃
　
　〃What　could　have　done　something　like　that？〃
　
　〃DORIC；〃　Witherell　said　with　a　shrug　of　his　shoulders。
　
　Austin　pondered　the　answer。　〃If　you　don't　know　what；　how　about　when？〃
　
　〃That's　tough　to　pinpoint。　The　initial　exposure　might　not　
　have　been　instantly　fatal。　The　mammals　could　have　bee　ill　several　days　before　their　deaths　but　continued　to　make　their　way　along　the　coast。　The　little　ones　would　have　been　the　sickest；　and　maybe　the　adults　waited　for　them。　You'd　have　to　factor　in　the　time　it　would　take　for　the　body　to　depose　and　for　the　putrefaction　gases　to　bloat　them　up　where　they'd　surface　in　the　race　course。〃
　
　〃So　if　you　backtracked　you　might　be　able　to　determine　where　they　were　when　they　died。　You'd　have　to　consider　traveling　and　feeding　time　and　currents　of　course。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃Too　bad　the　whales　can't　tell　us　where　they've　been。〃
　
　Witherell　chuckled。　〃Who　says　they　can't　tell　us？　C'mon；　I'll　show　you。〃
　
　The　EPA　man　led　the　way　past　the　flatbeds　around　the　puddles　of　bloody　water　being　hosed　into　drains。　The　smell　was　like　a　sledgehammer　this　close　to　the　dead　whales；　but　Witherell　didn't　seem　to　be　bothered。
　
　〃This　is　the　male；〃　he　said；　stopping　by　the　first　carcass。　〃You　can　see　why　they're　called　gray　whales。　The　skin　is　naturally　dark；　but　it's　blotched　from　barnacle　scars　and　whale　lice。　He's　a　bit　chopped　up　now。　When　we　first　measured　him　he　was　forty　one　feet。〃　They　walked　to　the　next　flatbed　which　held　a　miniaturized　version　of　the　first　whale。　〃This　calf　is　also　a　male；　born　just　a　few　months　ago。　There　were　other　calves　so　we　don't　know　if　it　belonged　to　the　female。〃　They　had　paused　before　the　last　flatbed。　〃She's　bigger　than　the　male。　Like　the　others；　she's　got　no　outward　signs　of　any　bruise　or　laceration　that　might　be　fatal。　This　is　what　might　interest　you。〃　He　borrowed　a　knife　from　a　colleague；　climbed　onto　the　flatbed；　and　bent　over　the　whale's　fin。　After　a　minute　he　hopped　down　and　handed　Austin　a　flat　square　packet　of　metal　and　plastic。
　
　〃A　transponder？〃　Austin　said。
　
　Witherell　pointed　up。　〃This　old　girl's　every　move　was　being　tracked　by　satellite。　Find　out　who's　been　keeping　an　eye　on　her；　and　that　person　should　be　able　to　tell　you　where　she　has　been　and　when。〃
　
　〃You're　a　genius；　Mr。　Witherell。〃
　
　〃Only　a　humble　government　servant　like　you；　trying　to　do　my　job。〃　He　hefted　the　transponder。　〃I'll　have　to　hold　on　to　this　thing；　but　there's　a　number　to　call　on　the　back。〃
　
　Austin　jotted　the　number　down　in　a　small　notebook　and　thanked　the　pathologist　for　his　help。
　
　As　Witherell　escorted　him　back　to　the　door；　Austin　said；　〃By　the　way；　how'd　you　choose　these　particular　whales？〃
　
　〃It　was　done　pretty　much　by　chance。　I　asked　the　Navy　to　cut　three　representative　animals　out　of　the　batch。　I　guess　there　was　somebody　on　board　who　actually　listened　to　my　request。〃
　
　〃Do　you　think　you　would　have　been　more　likely　to　find　a　cause　of　death　if　you　had　a　chance　to　autopsy　the　other　corpses？〃
　
　〃I　doubt　it；〃　Witherell　said　flatly。　〃What　killed　these　whales　killed　the　others　that　were　towed　away。　It's　a　bit　late　for　that　anyhow。　From　what　I　understand；　after　the　Navy　got　through　with　them　there　wasn't　enough　left　of　the　other　animals　for　a　plate　of　sushi。〃
　
　More　autopsy　humor。　Tossing　his　surgical　mask　into　a　barrel；　Austin　took　a　last　look　at　the　butchered　carcasses　that　were　the　sad　remains　of　once　magnificent　sea　creatures。　He　thanked　Witherell　and　Seaman　Cummings　and　stepped　out　into　the　fresh　night　air。　He　gulped　in　several　deep　breaths；　as　if　he　could　purge　his　memory　as　well　as　his　lungs　of　the　rank　smell。　Across　the　harbor　sparkled　the　city…like　lights　of　an　aircraft　carrier。　He　drove　back　to　the　hotel　and　walked　quickly　through　the　lobby；　but　not　fast　enough　to　avoid　a　few　nose　wrinkles　from　the　staff　and　guests　who　had　picked　up　the　stench　of　death。
　
　Back　in　his　room　Austin　threw　the　khakis　and　dress　shirt　he'd　been　wearing　into　a　laundry　bag。　He　took　a　long；　hot　shower；　shampooed　twice；　and　changed　into　slacks　and　a　golf　shirt。　Then　he　settled　into　a　fortable　chair；　picked　up　the　phone；　and　dialed　the　number　marked　on　the　transponder。　As　he　expected　he　was　connected　to　voice　mail。　The　government　wouldn't　pay　someone　to　sit　around　and　wait　for　news　of　a　meandering　whale。　It　might　take　days　before　someone　answered　his　call。　He　left　no　message　and　instead　called　a　twenty…four…hour　desk　at　NUMA　headquarters　outside　Washington　and　put　in　a　request。　The　phone　rang　about　a　half　hour　later。
　
　〃Mr。　Austin？　My　name　is　Wanda　Perelli。　I'm　with　the　Interior　Department。　Someone　called　from　NUMA　and　said　you　were　looking　for　me。　They　said　it　was　important。〃
　
　〃Yes；　thanks　for　calling。　I'm　sorry　to　bother　you　at　home。　You　heard　about　the　gray　whales　off　California？〃
　
　〃Yes。　I　was　wondering　how　you　got　my　number。〃
　
　〃It　was　on　a　transponder　attached　to　the　fin　of　a　female　whale。〃
　
　〃Oh　dear；　that　was　Daisy。　It　was　her　pod。　I've　been　tracking　her　for　three　years。　She's　almost　like　a　relative。〃
　
　〃I'm　sorry　to　hear　that。　There　were　fourteen　whales　in　all。　She　was　one　of　those　picked　at　random。〃
　
　She　sighed　loudly。　〃This　is　terrible　news。　We've　tried　so　hard　to　protect　the　grays；　and　they've　really　been　making　a　eback。　We're　waiting　for　a　forensics　report　on　cause　of　death。〃
　
　〃I　came　from　the　necropsy　a　little　while　ago。　Apparently　there　was　no　sign　of　a　virus　or　pollutant。　The　whales　died　from　lung　damage　caused　by　intense　heat。　Have　you　ever　heard　of　such　a　thing　happening？〃
　
　〃No。　Never。　Does　anyone　know　the　source　of　this　heat？〃
　
　〃Not　yet。　I　thought　it　might　shed　some　light　on　the　incident　if　we　knew　where　the　whales　had　been　recently。〃
　
　〃I'm　pretty　familiar　with　Daisy's　pod。　Their　migration　is　re　ally　quite　remarkable。　They　make　a　ten…thousand…mile　round　trip。　They　feed　all　summer　in　the　Arctic　seas；　then　head　south　along　the　Pacific　Coast　to　the　breeding　lagoons　in　Baja　California；　Mexico。　They　start　moving　around　November　and　December　and　get　there　early　the　following　year。　The　pregnant　females　lead　the　way；　then　the　mature　adults　and　the　juveniles；　in　single　file　or　in　pairs。　They　go　pretty　close　to　the　shoreline。　They　start　back　north　in　March。　The　whales　with　calves　may　wait　until　April。　Again　they　follow　the　coastline　closely　on　the　
　way　north。　They　go　real　slow；　about　ten　miles　an　hour　on　the　average。〃
　
　〃There　was　a　briefing　before　the　boat　race。　We　were　told　to　keep　a　watch　for　whales；　but　the　race　had　been　scheduled　after　the　last　pod　had　passed。　As　far　as　anyone　knew　there　were　no　whales　in　the　vicinity。〃
　
　〃The　only　thing　I　can　think　of　is　that　they　were　stragglers。　Maybe　one　of　the　calves　became　sick　and　they　dallied　some　where　until　the　calves　were　well。〃
　
　〃The　pathologist　had　the　same　theory。　Would　you　have　kept　track　of　their　migration？〃
　
　〃Yes。　Do　you　have　access　to　a　laptop　puter？〃
　
　〃Wouldn't　be　without　it。〃
　
　〃Good。　Give　me　your　e…mail　address。　I'll　tap　into　the　data　base　and　get　the　information　to　you　at　light　speed。〃
　
　〃Thank　you。　Can't　ask　for　better　service　than　that。〃
　
　〃You　might　get　the　chance　to　pay　me　back　if　we　call　on　NUMA　for　help。〃
　
　〃Call　me　personally；　and　we'll　do　what　we　can。〃
　
　〃Thanks。　Oh；　God；　I　still　can't　believe　it　about　Daisy。〃
　
　Austin　hung　up；　opened　his　IBM　lapto