p&c.icelimit-第12节

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shut。　She　turned　away　and　began　walking　toward　him　briskly；　head　held　high；　shoulders　straight；　light　yellow　hair　burnished　by　the　afternoon　sun。
　Glinn　opened　a　manila　folder　lying　on　the　passenger　seat　and　studied　a　photograph　clipped　to　the　papers　inside。　This　was　her。　He　slipped　the　folder　into　the　rear　of　the　car　and　looked　back　through　the　window。　Even　out　of　uniform　the　woman　radiated　authority；　petence；　and　self…discipline。　And　nothing　about　her　betrayed　how　difficult　the　last　eighteen　months　must　have　been。　That　was　good；　very　good。　As　she　approached；　he　lowered　the　passenger　window：　according　to　his　character　profile；　surprise　offered　the　highest　hope　of　success。
　〃Captain　Britton？〃　he　called　out。　〃My　name　is　Eli　Glinn。　Could　I　have　a　word　with　you？〃
　She　paused。　He　noted　that；　already；　the　surprise　on　her　face　was　giving　way　to　curiosity。　There　was　no　alarm　or　fear；　merely　quiet　confidence。
　The　woman　stepped　toward　the　car。　〃Yes？〃
　Automatically；　Glinn　made　a　number　of　mental　notes。　The　woman　wore　no　perfume；　and　she　kept　her　small　but　functional　handbag　clasped　tightly　against　her　side。　She　was　tall；　but　fine…boned。　Although　her　face　was　pale；　tiny　crinkles　around　the　green　eyes　and　a　splash　of　freckles　gave　evidence　of　years　spent　in　the　sun　and　wind。　Her　voice　was　low。
　〃Actually；　what　I　have　to　say　might　take　a　while。　Can　I　drop　you　somewhere？〃
　〃Unnecessary；　thank　you。　The　train　station's　just　a　few　blocks　away。〃
　Glinn　nodded。　〃Heading　home　to　New　Rochelle？　The　connections　are　very　inconvenient。　I'd　be　happy　to　drive　you。〃
　This　time　the　surprise　lingered　a　little　longer；　and　when　it　died　away　it　left　a　look　of　speculation　in　the　sea　green　eyes。　〃My　mother　always　told　me　never　to　get　into　a　stranger's　car。
　〃Your　mother　taught　you　well。　But　I　think　what　I　have　to　say　will　be　of　interest　to　you。〃
　The　woman　considered　this　a　moment。　Then　she　nodded。　〃Very　well；〃　she　said；　opening　the　passenger　door　and　taking　a　seat。　Glinn　noticed　that　she　kept　her　purse　in　her　lap；　and　her　right　hand；　significantly；　stayed　on　the　door　handle。　He　was　not　surprised　she　had　accepted。　But　he　was　impressed　by　her　ability　to　size　up　a　situation；　examine　the　options；　and　quickly　arrive　at　a　solution。　She　was　willing　to　take　a　risk；　but　not　a　foolish　one。　This　is　what　the　dossier　had　led　him　to　expect。
　〃You'll　have　to　give　me　directions；〃　he　said；　pulling　away　from　the　curb。　〃I'm　not　familiar　with　this　part　of　New　Jersey。〃　This　was　not　precisely　true。　He　knew　half　a　dozen　ways　to　get　to　Westchester　County；　but　he　wanted　to　see　how　she　handled　mand；　even　one　as　small　as　this。　As　they　drove；　Britton　remained　collected；　giving　terse　directions　in　the　manner　of　someone　accustomed　to　having　her　orders　obeyed。　A　very　impressive　woman　indeed；　perhaps　all　the　more　impressive　for　her　single　catastrophic　failure。
　〃Let　me　get　something　out　of　the　way　from　the　beginning；〃　he　said。　〃I　know　your　past　history；　and　it　has　no　bearing　on　what　I'm　about　to　say。〃
　From　the　er　of　his　eye；　he　saw　her　stiffen。　But　when　she　spoke；　her　voice　was　calm。　〃I　believe　that　at　this　point；　a　lady　is　supposed　to　say；　‘You　have　me　at　a　disadvantage；　sir。'〃
　〃I　can't　go　into　details　at　the　moment。　But　I'm　here　to　offer　you　the　captaincy　of　an　oil　tanker。〃
　They　rode　for　several　minutes　in　silence。
　At　last　she　glanced　over　at　him。　〃If　you　knew　my　history　as　well　as　you　say；　I　doubt　you'd　be　making　such　an　offer。〃　Her　voice　remained　calm；　but　Glinn　could　read　many　things　in　her　face：　curiosity；　pride；　suspicion；　perhaps　hope。　〃You're　wrong；　Captain　Britton。　I　know　the　whole　story。　I　know　how　you　were　one　of　the　few　female　masters　in　the　tanker　fleet。　I　know　how　you　were　ostracized；　how　you　tended　to　catch　the　least　popular　routes。　The　pressures　you　faced　were　immense。〃　He　paused。　〃I　know　that　you　were　found　on　the　bridge　of　your　last　mand　in　a　state　of　intoxication。　You　were　diagnosed　an　alcoholic　and　entered　a　rehabilitation　center。　As　a　result　of　rehab；　you　successfully　retained　your　master's　license。　But　since　leaving　the　center　over　a　year　ago；　you've　had　no　new　offers　of　mand。　Did　I　miss　anything？〃　He　carefully　waited　for　the　reaction。
　〃No；〃　she　replied；　steadily。　〃That　about　covers　it。〃
　〃I'll　be　frank；　Captain。　This　assignment　is　very　unusual。　I　have　a　short　list　of　other　masters　I　could　approach；　but　I　think　they　might　well　turn　down　the　mand。〃
　〃While　I；　on　the　other　hand；　am　desperate。〃　Britton　continued　staring　out　the　windshield；　speaking　in　a　low　voice。
　〃If　you　had　been　desperate；　you　would　have　taken　that　tramp　Panama　steamer　offered　you　last　November；　or　that　Liberian　freighter；　with　its　armed　guards　and　suspicious　cargo。〃　He　watched　her　eyes　narrow　slightly。　〃You　see；　Captain　Britton；　in　my　line　of　work；　I　analyze　the　nature　of　failure。〃
　〃And　just　what　is　your　line　of　work；　Mr。　Glinn？〃
　〃Engineering。　Our　analysis　has　shown　that　people　who　failed　once　are　ninety　percent　less　likely　to　fail　again。〃　I　myself　am　a　living　example　of　the　truth　of　this　theory。　
　Glinn　did　not　actually　utter　this　last　sentence；　but　he　had　been　about　to。　He　allowed　his　eyes　to　sweep　over　Captain　Britton　for　a　moment。　What　had　prompted　him　to　almost　drop　a　reserve　as　habitual　as　breathing？　This　merited　later　consideration。
　He　returned　his　eyes　to　the　road。　〃We　have　evaluated　your　overall　record　thoroughly。　Once　you　were　a　superb　captain　with　a　drinking　problem。　Now　you　are　merely　a　superb　captain。　One　on　whose　discretion　I　know　I　can　rely。〃
　Britton　acknowledged　this　with　a　slight　nod　of　her　head。　〃Discretion；〃　she　repeated；　with　a　faint　sardonic　note。
　〃If　you　accept　the　assignment；　I　will　be　able　to　say　much　more。　But　what　I　can　tell　you　now　is　this。　The　voyage　will　not　be　a　long　one；　perhaps　three　months　at　most。　It　will　have　to　be　conducted　under　great　secrecy。　The　destination　is　the　far　southern　latitudes；　an　area　you　know　well。　The　financial　backing　is　more　than　adequate；　and　you　may　handpick　your　crew；　as　long　as　they　pass　our　background　checks。　All　officers　and　crew　will　draw　triple　the　normal　pay。〃
　Britton　frowned。　〃If　you　know　I　turned　down　the　Liberians；　then　you　know　I　don't　smuggle　drugs；　run　guns；　or　deal　in　contraband。　I　will　not　break　the　law；　Mr。　Glinn。〃
　〃The　mission　is　legal；　but　it　is　unique　enough　to　require　a　motivated　crew。　And　there　is　something　else。　If　the　mission　is　successful　…　I　should　say；　when　the　mission　is　successful；　because　my　job　is　to　make　sure　it　is　…　there　will　be　publicity；　largely　favorable。　Not　for　me　…　I　avoid　that　sort　of　thing　…　but　for　you。　It　could　be　useful　in　a　number　of　ways。　It　could　get　you　reinstated　onto　the　list　of　active　masters；　for　example。　And　it　would　carry　some　weight　with　your　child　custody　hearings；　perhaps　making　these　long　weekend　visitations　unnecessary。〃
　This　last　observation　had　the　effect　Glinn　hoped　for。　Britton　looked　at　him　quickly；　then　glanced　over　her　shoulder；　as　if　at　the　swiftly　retreating　Georgian　house；　now　many　miles　behind　them。　Then　she　looked　back　at　Glinn。
　〃I've　been　reading　W。H。　Auden；〃　she　said。　〃On　the　train　ing　out　this　morning；　I　came　across　a　poem　called　'Atlantis。'　The　last　stanza　started　out　something　like　this：
　All　the　little　household　gods
　Have　started　crying；　but　say
　Good…bye　now；　and　put　to　sea。〃
　
　She　smiled。　And；　if　Glinn　paid　attention　to　such　things；　he　would　have　insisted　that　the　smile　was　distinctly　beautiful。
　
　Port　of　Elizabeth；
　June　17；　10：00　A。M。
　
　PALMER　LLOYD　paused　before　the　windowless　door；　a　grimy　rectangle　in　the　vast　expanse　of　metal　building　that　reared　up　before　him。　From　behind；　where　his　driver　leaned　against　a　limousine　reading　a　tabloid；　he　could　hear　the　roar　of　the　New　Jersey　Turnpike　echoing　across　the　dead　swamplands　and　old　warehouses。　Ahead；　beyond　the　Marsh　Street　dry　docks；　the　Port　of　Elizabeth　glittered　in　the　summer　heat。　Nearby；　a　crane　nodded　maternally　above　a　container　ship。　Beyond　the　port；　a　brace　of　tugboats　was　pushing　a　barge　burdened　with　cubed　cars。　And　even　farther　beyond；　poking　above　the　blackened　backside　of　Bayonne；　the　Manhattan　skyline　beckoned；　gleaming　in　the　sun　like　a　row　of　jewels。
　Lloyd　was　momentarily　swept　by　a　feeling　of　nostalgia。　It　had　been　years　since　he　was　last　here。　He　remembered　growing　up　in　ironbound　Rahway；　near　the　port。　In　his　poverty…stricken　boyhood；　Lloyd　had　spent　many　days　prowling　the　docks；　yards；　and　factories。
　He　inhaled　the　industrial　air；　the　familiar　acrid　odor　of　artificial　roses　mingling　with　the　smell　of　the　salt　marshes；　tar；　and　sulfur。　He　still　loved　the　feel　of　the　place；　the　stacks　trailing　steam　and　smoke；　the　gleaming　refineries；　the　thickets　of　power　lines。　The　naked　industrial　muscle　had　a　Sheeler…like　beauty　to　it。　It　was　places　like　Elizabeth；　he　mused；　with　their　synergy　of　merce　and　industry；　that　gave　the　residents　of　the　suburbs　and　the　phony　boutique　artiste　towns　the　very　wherewithal　that　allowed　them　to　sneer　at　its　ugliness　from　their　own　perches　of　fort。　Strange　how　much　he　missed　those　lost　boyhood　days；　even　though　all　his　dreams　had　e　true。
　And　even　stranger　that　his　greatest　achievement　should　be　launched　from　here；　where　his　own　roots　lay。　Even　as　a　boy　he　had　loved　collecting。