cussler.blueandgold-第50节

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ing　for　the　old　flying　wing　base　in　some　of　the　most　rugged　territory　on　earth　would　be　like　trying　to　find　a　single　grain　of　sand　on　Malibu　beach。　pounding　the　problem；　the　base　would　have　been　built　in　a　way　to　keep　it　from　prying　eyes。　He　ran　his　finger　from　Barrow　deep　inside　the　Arctic　Circle　south　to　the　Kenai　Peninsula。　The　phone　rang　as　the　seed　of　an　idea　was　beginning　to　sprout。
　
　Eyes　glued　on　the　map；　he　grabbed　the　phone；　stuck　it　in　his　ear；　and　snapped　a　perfunctory　hello。　Sandecker's　crisp　voice　came　on　the　line。
　
　〃Kurt；　can　you　e　up　to　my　office？〃
　
　〃Can　this　wait；　Admiral？〃　Austin　said；　trying　to　hold　on　to　his　thought。
　
　〃Of　course；　Kurt；〃　Sandecker　said　magnanimously。　〃Is　five　minutes　sufficient？〃　
　
　　The　notion　withered　and　died　like　a　flower　in　the　sun。　Sandecker　must　have　been　the　original　irresistible　force。　The　admiral's　mind　operated　at　warp　speed；　and　consequently　his　sense　of　time　tended　to　be　pressed。
　
　〃I'll　be　there　in　two　minutes。〃
　
　〃Splendid。　I　think　you'll　find　it　worth　your　while。〃
　
　When　Austin　walked　into　Sandecker's　tenth…floor　office　he　expected　to　see　the　director　of　NUMA　behind　the　immense　desk　made　from　a　hatch　taken　from　a　Confederate　blockade　runner。　Instead　the　admiral　sat　off　to　the　side　in　one　of　the　fortable　dark　leather　chairs　reserved　for　visitors。　He　was　chatting　with　a　woman　who　sat　with　her　back　to　Austin。　Sandecker；　who　was　wearing　a　navy　blazer　with　gold　anchors　embroidered　over　the　breast　pocket；　rose　to　greet　Austin。
　
　〃Thank　you　for　ing；　Kurt。　There's　someone　here　I'd　like　you　to　meet。〃

　
　The　woman　stood；　and　Austin's　preoccupation　with　his　Alaskan　puzzle　evaporated　in　a　single　glance。
　
　She　was　tall　and　slim；　with　Eurasian　high　cheekbones　and　almond…shaped　eyes。　In　contrast　to　her　exotic　looks　she　was　dressed　conservatively　in　a　long　burgundy　skirt　and　matching　jacket。　Her　dark　blond　hair　was　tightly　woven　into　a　single　braid　down　to　her　shoulder　blades。　Something　about　her　went　beyond　natural　beauty。　She　had　the　erect　carriage　of　someone　born　to　royalty；　but　at　the　same　time　she　walked　with　the　lithe　easiness　of　a　panther　as　she　came　over　to　shake　hands。　The　deep　brown　eyes　with　gold　flecks　seemed　to　radiate　a　tropical　heat。　Maybe　it　was　his　imagination；　but　her　musky　scent　made　Austin　think　of　the　throb　of　distant　drums。　It　suddenly　dawned　on　him　who　the　woman　was。
　
　〃You're　Dr。　Cabral？〃
　
　Austin　would　not　have　been　surprised　if　she　had　answered　with　a　soft　purr。　In　a　low；　mellow　voice　she　said；　〃Thank　you　for　ing　to　see　me；　Mr。　Austin。　I　hope　I　haven't　interrupted　any　thing　important。　I　asked　Admiral　Sandecker　if　I　might　have　the　chance　to　thank　you　personally　for　your　help。〃　
　
　　〃You're　very　wele；　but　Gamay　and　Paul　did　all　the　hard　work。　I　simply　answered　the　phone　and　pushed　a　couple　of　but　tons。〃
　
　〃You　are　far　too　modest；　Mr。　Austin；〃　she　said　with　a　smile　that　could　have　melted　ice　cubes。　〃If　not　for　your　quick　action　I'm　afraid　my　head　and　those　of　your　colleagues　would　be　deco　rating　a　village　thousands　of　miles　from　these　fortable　surroundings。〃
　
　Sandecker　stepped　between　them　and　guided　Francesca　back　to　her　chair。　〃On　that　happy　note；　Dr。　Cabral；　would　you　mind　if　we　imposed　and　asked　you　to　tell　us　your　story　from　start　to　finish？〃
　
　〃Not　at　all；〃　she　replied。　〃Talking　to　someone　about　my　experience　has　therapeutic　value；　and　I　also　find　myself　remembering　details　I　had　forgotten。〃
　
　Sandecker　motioned　for　Austin　to　sit；　then　slipped　into　his　desk　chair　and　lit　up　one　of　the　ten　custom…made　cigars　he　smoked　each　day。　He　and　Austin　listened　with　rapt　attention　as　Francesca　narrated　the　gripping　tale　of　the　hijacking；　the　crash　and　her　brush　with　death；　her　ascension　as　a　white　goddess。　She　went　into　great　detail　about　the　public　works　projects　in　the　Chulo　village　that　she　took　so　much　pride　in。　She　ended　with　an　account　of　the　arrival　of　the　Trouts；　their　mad　flight；　and　their　rescue　by　helicopter。
　
　〃Fascinating；〃　Sandecker　said；　〃absolutely　fascinating。　Tell　me；　what　became　of　your　friend　Tessa？〃
　
　〃She　stayed　on　with　Dr。　Ramirez。　Her　knowledge　of　medicinal　plants　will　be　invaluable　in　his　research。　I　talked　by　phone　to　my　parents　to　make　sure　they　are　well。　They　wanted　me　to　e　home；　but　I　decided　to　stay　in　the　U。S。　I　need　more　of　a　depression　time　before　I　insert　myself　back　into　the　Sao　Paulo　social　whirl。　Beyond　that；　I　am　determined　to　carry　on　the　task　that　was　interrupted　ten　years　ago。〃
　
　Sandecker　contemplated　the　stubborn　set　of　Francesca's　jaw。　〃I　firmly　believe　past　is　not　only　present　but　also　future。　It　would　help　to　know　what　lies　ahead　if　you　told　us　something　about　the　events　that　led　to　your　plane　trip。〃　
　
　　Francesca　stared　into　the　distance　as　if　she　could　see　through　time。　〃It　goes　back　to　my　childhood。　I　became　aware　at　a　very　early　age　that　I　e　from　a　privileged　background。　Even　as　a　girl　I　knew　I　lived　in　a　city　with　appalling　slums。　As　I　grew　older　and　traveled　I　learned　that　my　city　was　a　microcosm　for　the　world。　Here　in　one　place　were　the　haves　and　the　have…nots。　I　also　discovered　that　the　difference　between　rich　and　poor　nations　is　the　earth's　most　plentiful　substance：　water。　Fresh　water　lubricates　development。　Without　water　there　is　nothing　to　eat。　With　out　food　there　is　no　will　to　live；　to　raise　one's　standard　of　living。　Even　the　oil…rich　countries　use　much　of　their　petroleum　revenues　to　buy　or　produce　water。　We　take　it　for　granted　that　when　we　turn　on　the　tap　water　will　flow；　but　that　will　not　always　be　the　case。　The　petition　for　water　has　bee　greater　than　ever。〃
　
　〃The　U。S。　is　no　stranger　to　water　disputes；〃　Sandecker　said。　〃In　the　old　days　range　wars　were　fought　over　water　rights。〃
　
　〃That　will　be　nothing　pared　with　the　troubles　of　the　future；〃　Francesca　said　darkly。　〃In　this　century　wars　will　not　be　fought　over　oil；　as　in　the　past；　but　over　water。　The　situation　is　being　desperate。　The　world's　water　is　strained　by　the　population　growth。　There　is　no　more　fresh　water　on　the　earth　than　two　thousand　years　ago　when　the　population　was　three　percent　of　its　current　size。　Even　without　the　inevitable　droughts；　like　the　cur　rent　one；　it　will　get　worse　as　demand　and　pollution　increase。　Some　countries　will　simply　run　out　of　water；　sparking　a　global　refugee　crisis。　Tens　of　millions　of　people　will　flood　across　international　borders。　It　means　the　collapse　of　fisheries；　environmental　destruction；　conflict；　lower　living　standards。〃　She　paused　for　a　moment。　〃As　people　who　deal　with　the　ocean　you　must　see　the　irony。　We　are　facing　a　shortage　on　a　planet　whose　surface　is　covered　two…thirds　with　water。〃
　
　〃Water；　water；　everywhere；　nor　any　drop　to　drink；〃　Austin　said；　quoting　the　Samuel　Taylor　Coleridge　poem。
　
　〃Precisely。　But　suppose　the　Mariner　had　a　magic　wand　could　wave　over　a　bucket　of　seawater；　changing　it　into　fresh。〃
　
　〃His　ship　would　have　survived。〃　
　〃Now　extend　that　analogy　to　millions　of　buckets。〃
　
　〃The　global　water　crisis　would　be　over；〃　Austin　said。　〃Nearly　seventy　percent　of　the　world's　population　lives　within　fifty　miles　of　the　ocean。〃
　
　〃Exactly；〃　Francesca　said；　her　mood　lightening。
　
　〃Are　you　telling　me　you　have　this　magic　wand？〃
　
　〃Something　almost　as　good。　I　have　developed　a　revolutionary　means　to　extract　salt　from　seawater。〃
　
　〃You　must　know　that　desalting　is　hardly　a　new　concept；〃　Sandecker　said。
　
　Francesca　nodded。　〃The　extraction　of　salt　from　seawater　goes　back　to　the　ancient　Greeks。　Desalination　plants　have　been　built　around　the　world；　including　many　in　the　Middle　East。　There　are　several　methods；　but　all　are　costly。　In　my　doctorate　I　proposed　a　radically　new　approach。　I　threw　out　all　the　old　methods。　My　goal　was　a　process　that　would　be　efficient　and　cheap；　available　to　the　poorest　farmer　trying　to　scratch　a　living　from　the　dust。　Think　of　the　implications。　Water　would　be　nearly　free。　Deserts　would　be　e　centers　of　civilization。〃
　
　〃I'm　sure　you　thought　of　the　undesirable　consequences；〃　Sandecker　said；　〃the　fact　that　cheap　water　would　stimulate　development；　population　growth；　and　the　pollution　that　goes　with　them。〃
　
　〃I　thought　long　and　hard　about　that；　Admiral　Sandecker；　but　the　alternatives　were　even　more　unpalatable。　I　would　make　orderly　development　a　requirement　before　allowing　a　country　to　use　my　process。〃
　
　〃It　goes　without　saying　then　that　your　experimentation　was　a　success；〃　Austin　said。
　
　〃Very　much　so。　I　was　bringing　a　working　model　of　the　process　to　the　international　conference。　Seawater　would　go　in　one　end；　fresh　water　e　out　at　the　other。　It　would　produce　energy　and　little　to　no　waste　products。〃
　
　〃A　process　like　that　would　have　been　worth　millions　of　dollars。〃
　
　〃No　doubt。　I　had　offers　that　would　have　made　me　immensely　rich；　but　I　planned　to　give　my　process　to　the　world　free　of　charge。〃
　
　〃That　was　quite　generous　of　you。　You　say　you　had　offers。　Then　someone　knew　of　your　process　and　plans？〃
　
　〃Once　I　contacted　the　United　Nations　to　attend　the　conference　it　became　an　open　secret。〃　She　paused。　〃Something　has　al　ways　puzzled　me。　Many　people　knew　about　my　process。　The　people　who　tried　to　kidnap　me　would　be　immediat