cussler.blueandgold-第74节

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　Epilogue
　Libyan　Desert；　six　months　later
　
　The　village　elder　was　as　thin　as　a　stork　and　his　leathery　face　so　creased　by　decades　of　desert　sun　that　it　would　have　been　impossible　to　find　room　for　one　more　wrinkle。　Years　of　malnutrition　had　reduced　his　inventory　of　teeth　down　to　two；　one　up　and　one　down；　but　the　lack　of　dentures　didn't　keep　him　from　smiling　with　pride。　As　he　stood　in　the　center　of　his　domain；　a　cluster　of　yellow　clay　hovels　and　a　few　palm　trees　marking　a　muddy　oasis；　he　could　have　been　any　big　city　mayor　presiding　over　the　ribbon　cutting　at　a　public　works　project。
　
　The　village　was　located　far　to　the　west　of　the　Great　Pyramids　at　Giza　in　one　of　the　most　inhospitable　regions　in　the　world。　Between　Egypt　and　Libya　lie　thousands　of　square　miles　of　hot；　dry　sand　broken　here　and　there　by　the　bones　of　panzers　left　over　from　World　War　II。　A　few　scattered　settlements　cling　precariously　to　life　around　oases　of　unpredictable　reliability。　Sometimes　the　oases　dry　up；　and　when　that　happens　the　crops　die　and　famine　stalks　the　villages。　The　cycle　between　subsistence　and　starvation　had　been　a　way　of　life　for　centuries；　but　all　that　was　about　to　change。
　
　In　recognition　of　good　things　to　e　the　village　was　decked　out　with　colorful　banners。　Strips　of　fabric　were　braided　into　the　tail　of　every　camel。　A　large　pavilion　tent　striped　in　blue　and　white；　the　colors　of　the　United　Nations；　had　been　set　up　in　the　square；　actually　no　more　than　a　dusty　open　space　in　the　center　of　the　settlement。　Lined　up　on　the　edge　of　the　village　were　several　helicopters。　Diplomats　from　the　UN　and　several　Middle　Eastern　and　African　countries　stood　in　the　shade　of　the　tent。
　
　The　village　elder　stood　next　to　a　structure　unlikely　to　be　found　in　the　middle　of　the　desert。　It　was　a　circular　fountain　made　of　marble　and　consisting　of　a　large　basin　enclosing　a　smaller　one　surmounted　by　a　statue　of　a　winged　woman。　The　fountain　was　made　so　that　the　water　flowed　from　the　out　stretched　palms　of　the　figure。
　
　The　elder　was　ready。　With　great　ceremony　he　removed　a　tin　cup　from　around　his　neck；　scooped　it　full　of　water；　and　took　a　sip。　His　toothless　grin　became　even　wider；　and　in　a　frail；　reedy　voice　he　called　out　in　Arabic；　〃Elhamdelillah　lilmayya。　〃
　
　He　was　joined　by　the　other　village　men　who　took　turns　drinking　from　the　cup　as　if　it；　and　not　the　fountain；　were　the　magical　source　of　water。　The　women　who　had　been　waiting　rushed　in　to　fill　their　clay　water　jugs。　The　children　hovering　around　the　fountain　took　their　mothers'　action　as　a　signal　to　cool　off。　Before　long　the　basin　was　full　of　laughing　and　splashing　naked　children。　The　diplomats　and　government　officials　left　the　protection　of　their　tent　and　gathered　around　the　fountain。
　
　Watching　with　amusement　from　the　shade　of　a　palm　tree　was　the　NUMA　Special　Assignments　Team　and　the　skipper　of　the　Sea　Robin。
　
　〃Does　anyone　know　what　the　old　man　said？〃　Zavala　said。
　
　〃My　Arabic　is　pretty　limited；〃　Gamay　said；　〃but　I　believe　he　is　saying　big　thanks　to　Allah　for　water；　the　wonderful　gift　of　life。〃
　
　Paul　put　his　good　right　arm　around　his　wife's　shoulders。　〃Too　bad　Francesca　isn't　here　to　see　herself　carved　in　marble。　It　re　minds　me　of　her　old　white　goddess　days。〃
　
　Austin　nodded。　〃From　my　impression　of　Francesca；　she　wouldn't　give　it　a　second　glance。　She'd　check　out　the　water　tower　and　the　irrigation　setup；　make　sure　the　pipeline　from　the　desalting　plant　didn't　leak；　then　she'd　be　off　to　get　more　plants　going。〃
　
　〃I　think　you're　right；〃　Paul　replied。　〃Once　the　other　countries　see　how　well　the　Cabral　process　works　for　the　Mediterranean　pilot　plant；　they'll　all　e　running　with　their　tin　cups　out。　Bahrain　and　Saudi　have　said　they're　ready　to　finance　something。　But　the　UN　has　promised　to　abide　by　the　request　Francesca　en　closed　with　the　plans　she　gave　you　and　will　make　the　big　push　in　the　sub…Saharan　African　countries。〃
　
　〃I　heard　the　Southwest　states　and　Mexico　are　taking　the　initiative　to　build　plants　on　the　California　coast；〃　Austin　said。　〃That　should　relieve　the　stress　on　the　Colorado　River。〃
　
　Gamay　said；　〃I　think　Francesca　would　be　pleased　to　see　some　of　those　who　have　been　fighting　over　water　working　together　to　bring　it　to　places　hit　by　the　drought。　There's　a　whole　new　spirit　of　cooperation。　Maybe　there　is　hope　for　the　species　yet。〃
　
　〃I'm　optimistic；〃　Austin　said。　〃The　UN　has　promised　to　speed　up　its　usual　bureaucratic　pace。　They　did　a　good　job　setting　up　a　refining　plant　for　that　new　anasazium　site　in　Canada。　Francesca's　plans　are　amazingly　simple。　From　what　we've　seen　of　how　fast　and　cheap　this　plant　went　up；　any　country　is　going　to　be　able　to　bring　in　low…cost　fresh　water。〃
　
　〃Ironic；　isn't　it？〃　Gamay　said。　〃Anasazium　came　out　of　Los　Alamos　where　they　were　working　on　weapons　of　mass　destruction。〃
　
　〃It　came　close　to　being　just　that　in　the　hands　of　Gogstad；〃　Austin　said。
　
　Gamay　shivered　although　the　temperature　was　in　the　nineties。　〃Sometimes　that　giant　woman；　her　two　dreadful　henchmen；　and　her　horrible　lair　seem　like　a　dream。〃
　
　〃Unfortunately　they　were　very　real；　and　that　wasn't　the　Emerald　City　of　Oz　we　barely　escaped　from。〃
　
　〃I　just　hope　some　malignant　cell　didn't　lodge　somewhere　where　it　can　grow　like　a　cancer。〃
　
　〃Not　much　chance　of　that；〃　Austin　said。　〃Gogstad　no　longer　has　its　leader；　its　scientific　expertise；　and　the　powerful　men　who　were　the　engine　powering　this　thing。　People　around　the　world　have　realized　what　they　almost　lost　and　are　reclaiming　their　sovereignty　over　their　water　rights。〃
　
　Jim　Contos　had　been　listening　to　the　exchange　with　interest
　〃Thanks　for　inviting　me　along。　At　least　I　know　that　my　two　submersibles　were　deep…sixed　for　a　worthy　cause。〃　〃Glad　you　brought　that　up。　Joe？〃
　
　Zavala　smiled；　extracted　a　sheet　of　paper　from　his　shirt　pocket；　and　unfolded　it。　〃This　is　only　a　preliminary　sketch；〃　he　said；　〃but　it　will　give　you　an　idea　of　what　we've　got　in　the　works。〃
　
　Contos's　eyes　widened　in　astonishment。　〃Hell；　it's　beautiful。〃
　
　Zavala　grimaced。　〃I　wouldn't　go　that　far。　It　looks　like　a　de　formed　guppy；　but　it　will　go　deeper　and　faster　and　carry　more　instrumentation　and　mechanical　functions　than　any　submersible　in　the　sea。　It's　going　to　require　extensive　testing。〃
　
　〃When　do　we　start？〃　Contos　replied。
　
　〃The　preliminary　work　has　already　begun。　I've　got　a　date　with　the　Smithsonian。　They're　planning　a　memorial　to　the　last　pilots　of　the　flying　wing；　and　they've　asked　me　to　do　a　few　fly…bys　to　publicize　the　campaign。　But　after　that　I'll　be　free　to　help　plan　the　tests。〃
　
　〃What　are　we　waiting　for？〃　Gamay　said。
　
　〃That's　a　good　question；〃　Austin　said。　〃Francesca's　process　is　going　to　turn　this　sand　pit　into　a　garden；　but　it's　no　place　for　a　bunch　of　ocean　scientists。〃　He　started　walking　toward　a　turquoise　blue　helicopter　with　〃NUMA〃　printed　in　black　on　its　side。
　
　〃Hey；　Kurt；　where　are　you　headed？〃　Zavala　said。
　
　Austin　turned。　〃C'mon；〃　he　said　with　a　wide　grin　on　his　bronzed　features。　〃Let's　go　someplace　where　we　can　get　our　feet　wet。〃
　
　
　
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