cc.floodtide-第101节

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the　Andes　to　conceal　the　immense　treasure；　if　indeed　it　could　be　proven　the　ship　was　carrying　China's　national　historic　wealth？
　
　Perlmutter　was　a　pragmatic　man。　He　took　nothing　for　granted。　He　went　back　to　square　one　and　restudied　the　photos　of　the　ship。　As　he　examined　her　outline；　a　vague　notion　began　to　form　in　his　mind。　He　called　a　nautical　archivist　friend　in　Panama；　waking　him　from　a　sound　sleep；　and　charmed　him　into　going　through　the　records　of　ships　passing　west　to　east　through　the　Canal　between　November　28　and　December　5；　1948。
　
　With　that　lead　being　pursued；　he　began　reading　through　a　list　of　names　of　the　ship's　officers　last　known　to　have　sailed　on　the　Princess。　All　were　Chinese　except　for　Captain　Leigh　Hunt　and　Chief　Engineer　lan　Gallagher。
　
　He　felt　as　if　he　was　throwing　chips　on　every　number　of　a　roulette　table。　What　are　the　odds　of　losing？　he　mused。　Thirty…six　out　of　thirty…six？　But　then　he　had　to　consider　the　zero　and　double　zero。　Perlmutter　was　no　old　fool。　He　covered　every　bet；　firmly　believing　that　if　only　one　number　paid　off；　he'd　win。
　He　punched　the　buttons　on　his　speakerphone　and　waited　for　a　sleepy　voice　to　answer。　〃Hello；　this　better　be　good。〃
　〃Hiram；　it's　St。　Julien　Perlmutter。〃
　〃Julien；　why　in　God's　name　are　you　calling　me　at　four　in　the　morning？〃　Hiram　Yaeger's　voice　sounded　as　if　he　was　talking　through　a　pillow。
　〃I'm　in　the　middle　of　a　research　project　for　Dirk；　and　I　need　your　help。〃
　Yaeger　became　marginally　alert。　〃Anything　for　Dirk；　but　does　it　have　to　be　four　in　the　morning？〃
　〃The　data　is　important；　and　we　need　it　as　quickly　as　possible。〃
　〃What　do　you　want　me　to　investigate？〃
　Perlmutter　sighed　with　relief；　knowing　from　experience　that　the　NUMA　puter　genius　had　never　let　anyone　down。　〃Got　a　pencil　and　paper？　I'm　going　to　give　you　some　names。〃
　〃Then　what？〃　asked　Yaeger；　yawning。
　〃I'd　like　you　to　hack　your　way　through　government　census；　IRS　and　Social　Security　records　for　a　match。　Also；　check　them　out　through　your　vast　file　of　maritime　records。〃
　〃You　don't　want　much。〃
　〃And　while　you're　at　it。。。〃　said　Perlmutter；　forging　onward。
　〃Does　it　never　end？〃
　〃I　also　have　a　ship　for　you　to　trace。〃
　〃So？〃
　〃If　my　intuition　is　working；　I'd　like　you　to　find　what　port　it　arrived　at　between　November　twenty…eighth　and　December　tenth；　nineteen　forty…eight。〃
　〃What's　her　name　and　owner？〃
　〃The　Canton　Lines'　Princess　Dou　Wan；〃　he　replied；　spelling　it　out。
　〃Okay；　I'll　start　first　thing　after　I　arrive　at　NUMA　headquarters。〃
　〃Leave　for　work　now；〃　urged　Perlmutter。　〃Time　is　vital。〃
　〃You　sure　you're　doing　this　for　Dirk？〃　demanded　Yaeger。
　〃Scout's　honor。〃
　〃Can　I　ask　what　this　is　all　about？〃
　〃You　may；〃　replied　Perlmutter；　and　then　he　hung　up。
　
　Within　minutes　after　he　began　his　probe　of　Captain　Leigh　Hunt　of　the　Princess　Dou　Wan；　Yaeger　found　the　old　seaman　mentioned　in　various　references　in　maritime　journals　listing　ships　and　their　crews　that　sailed　the　China　Sea　between　1925　and　1945；　in　Royal　Navy　historical　documents　and　old　newspaper　accounts　describing　the　rescue　of　eighty　passengers　and　crew　from　a　sinking　tramp　steamer　off　the　Philippines　by　a　ship　captained　by　Hunt　in　1936。　Hunt's　final　mention　came　from　a　Hong　Kong　maritime　register；　a　short　paragraph　stating　that　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　had　failed　to　arrive　at　the　scrappers　in　Singapore。　After　1948　it　was　as　if　Hunt　had　vanished　from　the　face　of　the　earth。
　
　Yaeger　then　concentrated　on　lan　Gallagher；　smiling　when　his　search　ran　across　remarks　in　an　Australian　marine　engineer's　journal　telling　of　Gallagher's　colorful　testimony　during　an　investigation　into　a　shipwreck　he　had　survived　that　had　gone　aground　near　Darwin。　〃Hong　Kong〃　Gallagher；　as　he　was　referred　to；　had　little　good　to　say　about　his　captain　and　fellow　crewmen；　blaming　them　for　the　disaster　and　claiming　he　had　never　seen　any　of　them　sober　during　the　entire　voyage。　The　final　mention　of　the　Irishman　was　a　brief　account　of　his　service　with　Canton　Lines；　with　a　footnote　on　the　disappearance　of　the　Princess　Dou　Wan。
　
　Then；　to　cover　all　bases；　Yaeger　programmed　his　vast　puter　plex　to　conduct　a　search　of　all　worldwide　records　pertaining　to　mercial　engineering　officers。　This　would　take　some　time；　so　he　wandered　down　to　the　NUMA　building's　cafeteria　and　had　a　light　breakfast。　Upon　his　return；　he　worked　on　two　other　marine　geological　projects　for　the　agency　before　finally　returning　to　see　if　anything　turned　up　on　his　monitor。
　
　He　stared　fascinated　at　what　he　saw；　not　willing　to　accept　it。　For　several　seconds　the　information　did　not　register　in　his　brain。　Now　suddenly　out　of　the　blue　he　had　a　hard　hit。　He　spread　the　search　in　several　different　directions。　Several　hours　later；　he　finally　sat　back　in　his　chair；　shaking　his　head。　Feeling　supremely　self…satisfied；　he　called　Perlmutter。
　
　〃St。　Julien　Perlmutter　here；〃　came　the　familiar　voice。
　〃Hiram　Yaeger　here；〃　the　puter　genius　mimicked。
　〃Did　you　find　anything　of　interest？〃
　〃Nothing　you　can　use　on　Captain　Hunt。〃
　〃What　about　his　chief　engineer？
　〃Are　you　sitting　down？〃
　〃Why？〃　Perlmutter　asked　cautiously。
　〃Ian　'Hong　Kong'　Gallagher　did　not　go　down　on　the　Princess　Dou　Wan。〃
　〃What　are　you　saying？〃　demanded　Perlmutter。
　〃Ian　Gallagher　became　a　citizen　of　the　United　States　in　nineteen　fifty。〃
　〃Not　possible。　It　must　be　another　lan　Gallagher。〃
　〃It's　a　fact；〃　said　Yaeger；　enjoying　his　triumph。　〃As　we　speak；　I'm　looking　at　a　copy　of　his　engineering　papers；　which　he　renewed　with　the　Maritime　Administration　of　the　U。S。　Department　of　Transportation　shortly　after　he　became　a　citizen。　He　then　hired　on　for　the　next　twenty…seven　years　as　chief　engineer　with　the　Ingram　Line　out　of　New　York。　He　married　one　Katrina　Garin　in　nineteen　forty…nine　and　raised　five　kids。〃
　〃Is　he　still　alive？〃　asked　a　dazed　Perlmutter。
　〃According　to　the　records；　he　draws　his　pension　and　Social　Security　checks。〃
　〃Can　it　be　he　survived　the　sinking　of　the　Princess？〃
　〃Providing　Gallagher　was　on　it　when　she　went　down；〃　replied　Yaeger。　〃Do　you　still　want　me　to　see　if　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　arrived　in　an　eastern　seaboard　port　during　the　dates　you　gave　me？〃
　〃By　all　means；〃　answered　Perlmutter。　〃And　scan　the　shipping…port　arrival　records　for　a　ship　called　the　Princess　Yung　Tai；　also　owned　by　the　Canton　Lines。〃
　〃You　got　something　going？〃
　〃Crazy　intuition；〃　replied　Perlmutter。　〃Nothing　more。〃
　
　The　border　of　the　puzzle　is　in　place；　thought　Perlmutter。　Now　he　had　to　fit　the　inside　pieces。　Exhaustion　finally　caught　up　with　him；　and　he　allowed　himself　the　extravagance　of　a　short　two…hour　sleep。　He　awoke　to　the　sound　of　his　phone　ringing。　He　allowed　it　to　ring　five　times　while　his　mind　came　back　on　track　before　answering。
　
　〃St。　Julien；　Juan　Mercado　from　Panama。〃
　〃Juan；　thank　you　for　calling。　Did　you　turn　up　anything？〃
　〃Nothing；　I'm　afraid；　on　the　Princess　Dou　Wan。〃
　〃I'm　sorry　to　hear　it。　I'd　hoped　by　chance　she　might　have　made　passage　through　the　canal。〃
　〃I　did；　however；　find　an　interesting　coincidence。〃
　〃Oh？〃
　〃A　Canton　Lines　ship；　the　Princess　Yung　Tai；　passed　through　on　December　first；　nineteen　forty…eight。〃
　Perlmutter's　fingers　and　hands　tightened　around　the　receiver。　〃What　direction　was　her　passage？〃
　〃West　to　east；〃　answered　Mercado。　〃From　the　Pacific　into　the　Caribbean。〃
　
　Perlmutter　said　nothing；　soaking　up　a　wave　of　jubilation。　Several　pieces　were　still　missing　in　the　puzzle；　but　a　visible　pattern　was　slowly　emerging。　〃I　owe　you　a　great　debt；　Juan。　You've　just　made　my　day。〃
　〃Happy　to　have　been　of　service；〃　said　Mercado。　〃But　do　me　a　favor　next　time；　will　you？〃
　〃Anything。〃
　〃Call　me　during　daylight　hours。　Any　time　my　wife　thinks　I'm　awake　after　we've　gone　to　bed；　she　gets　amorous。〃
　
　WHEN　PITT　RETURNED　TO　HIS　HANGAR　IN　WASHINGTON；　HE　was　pleasantly　surprised　to　find　Julia　waiting　in　his　apartment　above　the　car　collection。　After　a　hug　and　a　kiss；　she　presented　him　with　a　margarita　on　the　rocks　made　the　right　way…without　the　sweet　mix　and　crushed　ice　popular　in　most　restaurants。
　
　〃You　are　so　nice　to　e　home　to；〃　he　said　happily。
　〃I　couldn't　think　of　a　more　fortable　and　secure　place　to　stay；〃　she　said；　smiling　seductively。　She　was　wearing　a　blue　leather　miniskirt　with　a　tan　nylon　mesh　one…shoulder　top。
　〃I　can　see　why。　The　grounds　outside　are　crawling　with　security　guards。〃
　〃Courtesy　of　the　INS。〃
　〃I　hope　they're　more　alert　than　the　last　group；〃　he　said；　sipping　the　margarita　and　giving　an　approving　nod。
　〃Did　you　fly　in　from　Louisiana　alone？〃
　
　Pitt　nodded。　〃Al　is　in　a　local　hospital　having　a　cast　put　on　his　broken　leg。　Admiral　Sandecker　and　Rudi　Gunn　came　in　earlier　to　make　a　report　directly　to　the　President。〃
　〃Peter　Harper　filled　me　in　about　your　heroics　on　the　Mississippi。　You　prevented　a　national　disaster　and　saved　countless　lives。　The　newspapers　and　TV　news　programs　are　filled　with　stories　of　terrorists　blowing　up　the　levee　and　the　battle　between　the　United　States　and　the　National　Guard。　The　whole　country　was　rocked　by　the　event。　Strangely；　there　was　no　mention　of　you　or　Al。〃
　〃Just　the　way　we　like　it。〃　He　raised　his　head　and　sniffed　the　air。　〃What's　that　appetizing　aroma　I　smell？〃
　〃My　Chinese