alistairmaclean.seawitch-第11节

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source；　and　a　suitably　placed　depth　charge　from　the　Roamer　would　attend　to　that。
　Lord　Worth；　of　course；　was　unaware　that　at　that　very　moment　another　craft　was　moving　out　at　high　speed　to　join　Cronkite　on　the　Tiburon。　It　was　a　standard　and　well…established　design　irreverently　known　as　the　〃push…pull；〃　in　which　water　was　ducted　in　through　a　tube　forward　under　the　hull　and　forced　out　under　pressure　at　the　rear。　It　had　no　propeller　and　had　been　designed　primarily　for　work　close　inshore　or　in　swamps；　where　there　was　always　the　danger　of　the　propeller　being　fouled。　The　only　difference　between　this　vessel…the　Starlight…and　others　was　that　it　was　equipped　with　a　bank　of　storage　batteries　and　could　be　electrically　powered。　Sonar　could　detect　and　accurately　pinpoint　a　ship's　engines　and　propeller　vibrations；　it　was　virtually　helpless　against　an　electric　push…pull。
　Lord　Worth　and　the　others　considered　the　possibility　of　a　direct　attack　on　the　Seawitch。　Because　of　her　high　degree　of　partmentaliza…tion　and　her　great　positive　buoyancy；　nothing　short　of　an　atom　bomb　was　capable　of　disposing　of　something　as　large　as　a　football　field。　Certainly　no　conventional　weapon　could。　The　attack；　when　it　came；　would　be　localized。　The　drilling　derrick　was　an　obvious　target；　but　how　Cronkite　could　approach　it　unseen　could　not　be　imagined。　But　Lord　Worth　was　certain　of　one　thing：　when　the　attack　came　it　would　be　leveled　against　the　Seawitch；
　The　next　half　hour　was　to　prove；　twice；　just　how　wrong　Lord　Worth　could　be。
　The　first　intimations　of　disaster　came　as　Lord　Worth　was　watching　the　fully　laden　Torbello　just　disappearing　over　the　northern　horizon；　the　Crusader；　he　knew；　was　due　alongside　the　tank　late　that　afternoon。　Larsen；　his　face　one　huge　scowl　of　fury；　silently　handed　Lord　Worth　a　signal　just　received　in　the　radio　office。　Lord　Worth　read　it；　and　his　subsequent　language　would　have　disbarred　him　forever　from　a　seat　in　the　House　of　Lords。　The　message　told；　in　cruelly　unsparing　fashion；　of　the　spectacular　end　of　the　Crusader　hi　Galveston。　…〃'
　Both　men　hurried　to　the　radio　room。　Larsen　contacted　the　Jupiter；　their　third　tanker　then　off…loading　at　an　obscure　Louisiana　port；　told　its　captain　the　unhappy　fate　of　the　Crusader　and　warned　him　to　have　every　man　on　board　on　constant　lookout　until　they　had　cleared　harbor。　Lord　Worth　personally　called　the　chief　of　police　in　Galveston；　identified　himself　and　demanded　more　details　of　the　sinking　of　the　Crusader。　These　he　duly　received；　and　none　of　them　made　him　any　happier。　On　inspiration；　he　asked　if　there　had　been　a　man　called　John　Cronkite　or　a　vessel　belonging　to　a　man　of　that　name　in　the　vicinity　at　the　time。　He　was　told　to　hang　on　while　a　check　was　made　with　Customs。　Two　minutes　later　he　was　told　yes；　there　had　been　a　John　Cronkite　aboard　a　vessel　called　the　Tiburon；　which　had　been　moored　directly　aft　of　the　Crusader。　It　was　not　known　whether　Cronkite　was　the　owner　or　not。　The　Tiburon　had　sailed　half　an　hour　before　the　Crusader　blew　up。
　Lord　Worth　peremptorily　demanded　that　the　Tiburon　be　apprehended　and　returned　to　port　and　that　Cronkite　be　arrested。　The　police　chief　pointed　out　that　international　law　prohibited　the　arrest　of　vessels　on　the　high　seas　except　in　time　of　war　and；　as　for　Cronkite；　there　wasn't　a　shred　of　evidence　to　connect　him　with　the　sinking　of　the　Crusader。　Lord　Worth　then　asked　if　he　would　trace　the　owner　of　the　Tiburon。　This　the　police　chief　promised　to　do；　but　warned　that　there　might　be　a　considerable　delay。　There　were　many　registers　to　be　consulted。
　At　that　moment　the　Cuban　submarine　steaming　on　the　surface　at　full　speed　was　in　the　vicinity　of　Key　West　and　heading　directly　for　the　Sea…witch。　At　almost　the　same　time　a　missile…armed　Russian　destroyer　slipped　its　moorings　in　Havana　and　set　off　in　apparent　pursuit　of　the　Cuban　submarine。　And　very　shortly　after　that；　a　destroyer　departed　its　home　base　in　Venezuela。
　The　　　Roamer；　　　Lord　　　Worth's　　　survey　　　vessel　under　the　mand　of　Conde；　was　now　halfway　to　its　destination。
　The　Starlight；　under　the　mand　of　Easton；　was　just　moving　away　from　the　Tiburon；　which　was　lying　stopped　in　the　water。　Men　on　slings　had　already　painted　out　the　ship's　name；　and　with　the　aid　of　cardboard　stencils　were　painting　in　a　new　name…Georgia。　Cronkite　had　no　wish　that　any　vessel　with　whom　they　might　make　contact　could　radio　for　confirmation　of　the　existence　of　a　cutter　called　Tiburon。　From　aft　there　came　the　unmistakable　racket　of　a　helicopter　engine　starting　up；　then　the　machine　took　off；　circled　and　headed　southeast；　not　on　its　usual　pattern…bombing　circuit　but　to　locate　and　radio　back　to　the　Tiburon　the　location　and　course　of　the　Torbello；　if　and　when　it　found　it。　Within　minutes　the　Tiburon　was　on　its　way　again；　heading　in　approximately　the　same　direction　as　the　helicopter。
　
　
　Chapter　4
　
　Worth；　enjoying　a　very　early　morning　cup　of　tea；　was　in　his　living　room　with　Larsen　and　Palermo　when　the　radio　operator　knocked　and　entered；　a　message　sheet　in　his　hand。　He　handed　it　to　Lord　Worth　and　said：　〃For　you；　sir。　But　it's　hi　some　sort　of　code。　Do　you　have　a　code　book？〃
　〃No　need。〃　Lord　Worth　smiled　with　some　self…satisfaction；　his　first　smile　of　any　kind　for　quite　some　tune。　〃I　invented　this　code　myself。〃　He　tapped　his　head。　〃Here's　my　code　book。〃
　The　operator　left。　The　other　two　watched　in　mild　anticipation　as　Lord　Worth　began　to　decode。　The　anticipation　turned　into　apprehension　as　the　smile　disappeared　from　Lord　Worth's　face；　and　the　apprehension　gave　way　hi　turn　to　deep　concern　as　reddish…purple　spots　the　size　of　pennies　touched　either　cheekbone。　He　laid　down　the　message　sheet；　took　a　deep　breath；　then　proceeded　to　give　a　repeat　performance…though　this　time　more　deeply　felt；　more　impassioned…　of　the　unparliamentary　language　he　had　used　at　the　news　of　the　loss　of　the　Crusader。　After　some　time　he　desisted；　less　because　he　had　nothing　fresh　to　say　than　from　sheer　loss　of　breath。
　Larsen　had　more　wit　than　to　ask　Lord　Worth　ft　something　were　the　matter。　Instead　he　said　in　a　quiet　voice：　〃Suppose　you　tell　us；　Lord　Worth？〃
　Lord　Worth；　with　no　little　effort；　posed　himself　and　said：　〃It　seems　that　Cor…〃　He　broke　off　and　corrected　himself：　it　was　one　of　his　many　axioms　that　the　right　hand　shouldn't　know　what　the　left　hand　doeth。　〃I　was　informed…all　too　reliably；　as　it　now　appears…　that　a　couple　of　countries　hostile　to　us　might　well　be　prepared　to　use　naval　force　against　us。　One；　it　appears；　is　already　prepared　to　do　so。　A　destroyer　has　just　cleared　its　Venezuelan　home　port　and　is　heading　in　what　is　approximately　our　direction。〃
　〃They　wouldn't　dare；'*　Palermo　said。
　〃When　people　are　power…　and　money…mad　they'll　stop　at　nothing。〃　It　apparently　never　occurred　to　Lord　Worth　that　his　description　of　people　applied；　in　excelsis；　to　himself。
　〃Who's　the　other　power？〃　said　Larsen。
　〃The　Soviet　Union。〃
　〃Is　it　now？〃　Larsen　seemed　quite　unmoved。　〃I　don't　know　if　I　like　the　sound　of　that。〃
　〃We　could　do　without　them。〃　Lord　Worth　was　back　on　balance　again。　He　flipped　out　a　notebook　and　consulted　it。　〃I　think　Til　have　a　talk　with　Washington。〃　His　hand　was　just　reaching　out　for　the　phone　when　it　rang。　He　lifted　the　instrument；　at　the　same　time　turning　the　switch　that　cut　the　ining　call　into　the　bulkhead　speaker。
　〃Worth。〃
　A　vaguely　disembodied　voice　came　through　the　speaker。　〃You　know　who　I　am？〃　Disembodied　or　not；　the　voice　was　known　to　Worth。　Corral。
　〃Yes。〃
　Tve　checked　my　contact；　sir。　Tm　afraid　our　guesses　were　only　too　accurate。　Both　X　and　Y　are　willing　to　mit　themselves　to　naval　support。〃
　〃I　know。　One　of　them　has　just　moved　out　and　appears　to　be　heading　in　our　general　direction。〃
　〃Which　one？〃
　〃The　one　to　the　south。　Any　talk　of　air　mitment？〃
　〃None　that　I've　heard；　sir。　But　I　don't　have　to　tell　you　that　that　doesn't　rule　out　its　use。〃
　Seawitch
　〃Let　me　know　if　there　is　any　more　good　news。〃
　〃Naturally。　Goodbye；　sir。〃
　Lord　Worth　replaced　the　instrument；　then　lifted　it　again。
　〃I　want　a　number　in　Washington。〃
　〃Can　you　hold　a　moment；　sir？〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃There's　another　code　message　ing　through。　Looks　like　the　same　code　as　the　last　one；　sir。〃
　〃I　shouldn't　be　surprised。〃　Lord　Worth's　tone　was　somber。　〃Bring　it　across　as　soon　as　possible。〃
　He　replaced　the　phone；　pressed　a　button　on　the　small　console　before　him；　lifting　the　phone　again　as　he　did。
　〃Chambers？〃　Chambers　was　his　senior　pilot
　〃Sir？〃
　〃Your　chopper　refueled？〃
　〃Ready　to　go　when　you　are；　sir。〃
　〃May　be　any　second　now。　Stand　by　your　phone。〃　He　replaced　the　receiver。
　Larsen　said：　〃Washington　beckons；　sir？〃
　〃I　have　the　odd　feeling　that　it's　about　to。　There　are　things　that　one　can　achieve　in　person　that　one　can't　over　the　phone。　Depends　upon　this　next　message。〃
　〃If　you　go；　anything　to　be　done　in　your　absence？〃
　〃There'll　be　dual…purpose　antiaircraft　guns　arriving　aboard　the　Roamer　this　afternoon。　Secure　them　to　the　platform。〃
　〃To　the　north；　south；　east　but　not　west？〃
　〃As　you　wish。〃
　〃We　don't　want　to　start　blowing　holes　in　our　own　oil　tank。〃
　〃There's　that。　There'll　…eAso　be　mines。　Three　piles；　each　halfway　between　a　pair　of　legs。〃
　〃An　underwater　explosion　from　a　mine　wouldn't　damage　the　legs？〃
　〃I　shouldn't　thin