cc.floodtide-第71节

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d　by　Qin　Shang　Maritime　directors　that　the　United　States's　immigration　agents　were　stepping　up　their　efforts　to　halt　the　rise　in　illegal…alien　smuggling。　He　felt　impervious　to　any　threat。　The　most　diligent　inspection　would　never　discover　the　second　hull　attached　beneath　the　bilges　and　keel　of　his　ship　that　housed　three　hundred　immigrants。　Despite　the　cramped　and　insufferable　conditions；　he　had　not　lost　one。　Hung…chang　was　assured　that　a　generous　Qin　Shang　would　reward　him　with　a　fat　bonus　after　his　return　to　China；　as　in　the　past。　This　was　his　sixth　voyage　bining　the　legal　transportation　of　cargo　with　smuggling；　and　already　his　pensation　had　built　a　fine　house　for　his　family　in　the　upper…class　section　of　Beijing。
　
　He　watched　the　bow　wave　fall　off　the　Coast　Guard　cutter；　his　expression　calm　and　outwardly　relaxed。　Hung…chang　was　still　in　his　late　forties；　yet　his　hair　was　a　gleaming　salt…and…pepper　under　the　sun；　though　his　narrow　mustache　was　still　black。　He　stared　through　kindly…grandfather；　dark…amber　eyes；　his　lips　tight　with　silence　as　the　two　ships　drifted　closer。　Then　a　boat　was　lowered　and　began　to　motor　toward　the　Sung　Lien　Star。　He　nodded　to　his　first　officer。
　
　〃Go　to　the　boarding　ladder　and　greet　our　guests。　About　ten　by　the　look　of　it。　Give　them　your　fullest　cooperation　and　allow　them　free　access　throughout　the　ship。〃
　
　Then；　as　calm　and　relaxed　as　if　he　was　sitting　in　the　garden　of　his　home；　Captain　Li　Hung…chang　ordered　a　cup　of　tea　from　the　galley　and　watched　the　Weehawken's　boarding　party　climb　onto　the　deck　of　his　ship　and　begin　their　inspection。
　
　Lieutenant　Stowe　paid　his　respects　to　Captain　Hung…chang　on　the　bridge　and　requested　to　see　the　ship's　papers　and　manifest。　The　crew　from　the　Coast　Guard　cutter　began　to　split　up；　four　searching　the　ship's　partments；　three　examining　the　cargo　containers；　and　another　three　who　headed　for　the　crew's　quarters。　The　Chinese　acted　indifferently　to　the　intrusion　and　paid　little　attention　to　the　three　coast　guardsmen　who　seemed　more　interested　in　the　ship's　mess；　particularly　the　galley；　instead　of　their　individual　cabins。
　
　Only　two　of　the　Sung　Lien　Star's　crew　were　present　in　the　mess　room。　Both　were　dressed　in　the　white　uniform　and　hats　of　galley　workers。　They　sat　around　a　table；　one　reading　a　Chinese　newspaper　while　the　other　spooned　a　bowl　of　soup。　Neither　protested　when　Chief　Cochran；　using　sign　language；　asked　them　to　step　into　the　passageway　while　a　search　of　the　dining　area　was　conducted。
　
　Disguised　as　one　of　the　Coast　Guard　boarding　crew；　Julia　walked　directly　into　the　galley；　where　she　found　Lin　Wan　Chu　dressed　in　white　shirt　and　pants　leaning　over　a　stove；　a　long　wooden　spoon　in　one　hand；　stirring　a　large　copper　vat　of　boiling　shrimp。　Under　her　captain's　orders　to　cooperate　with　the　Coast　Guard　inspectors；　she　looked　up　from　the　steam　rising　from　the　vat　and　flashed　a　toothy；　friendly　smile。　She　went　on　working　unconcerned　as　Julia　walked　behind　her；　eyes　routinely　darting　into　pantries　and　storerooms。
　
　Lin　Wan　Chu　did　not　sense　the　needle　of　the　syringe　enter　the　flesh　of　her　back。　After　a　few　seconds　her　eyes　took　on　a　puzzled　look　as　the　steam　over　the　vat　suddenly　seemed　to　thicken　into　a　dense　cloud。　Then　a　solid　blackness　swept　over　her。　Much　later；　when　she　awoke　on　board　the　Weehawken；　her　first　thought　was　whether　she　had　overboiled　the　shrimp。
　
　In　less　than　a　minute　and　a　half；　and　thanks　to　the　results　of　well…practiced　exercise；　Julia　was　dressed　in　the　cook's　white　kitchen　clothes　while　Lin　Wan　Chu　lay　on　the　deck　in　the　uniform　of　the　U。S。　Coast　Guard。　Another　thirty　seconds　passed　as　Julia　cut　short　the　cook's　hair　before　pulling　a　baseball　cap　with　the　Coast　Guard　insignia　and　the　word　Weehawken　down　over　Lin　Wan　Chu's　head。　〃Take　her　away；〃　Julia　said　to　Cochran；　who　was　patiently　guarding　the　doorway　to　the　passage　outside。
　
　Cochran　and　the　other　member　of　his　boarding　party　quickly　picked　up　the　Chinese　cook；　one　on　each　side；　and　hung　her　arms　over　their　shoulders　so　her　head　would　sag　on　her　chest　and　make　identification　difficult。　The　baseball　cap　was　pulled　down　over　her　face　before　he　gave　Julia　a　final　nod　and　said　softly；　so　only　she　could　hear；　〃I　wish　you　a　great　performance。〃　Then　they　half…dragged；　half…carried；　Lin　Wan　Chu　back　to　the　boarding　launch。
　
　Julia　picked　up　the　wooden　spoon　and　continued　stirring　the　boiling　shrimp　as　if　she'd　been　at　it　all　afternoon。
　
　〃One　of　your　men　seems　to　have　injured　himself；〃　said　Captain　Hung…chang　at　seeing　the　boarding　party　lower　a　limp　body　into　the　launch。
　〃The　fool　didn't　watch　where　he　was　going　and　cracked　his　head　on　an　overhead　pipe；〃　Stowe　explained。　〃Probably　has　a　concussion。〃
　〃Have　you　found　anything　interesting　aboard　my　ship？〃　asked　Hung…chang。
　〃No　sir；　your　ship　is　clean。〃
　〃Always　happy　to　oblige　the　American　authorities；〃　said　Hung…chang　condescendingly。
　〃Your　destination　is　Sungari？〃
　〃According　to　my　sailing　orders　and　the　documents　provided　by　Qin　Shang　Maritime。〃
　〃You　may　get　under　way　as　soon　as　we're　clear；〃　said　Stowe；　giving　the　Chinese　captain　a　courtesy　salute。　〃I　regret　that　we　had　to　detain　you。〃
　Twenty　minutes　after　the　Coast　Guard　launch　had　pulled　away；　the　pilot　boat　arrived　from　Morgan　City　and　swung　alongside　the　Sung　Lien　Star。　The　pilot　climbed　aboard　and　made　his　way　up　to　the　bridge。　Soon　the　container　ship　was　moving　through　the　deep…water　channel　of　the　lower　Atchafalaya　River　and　across　Sweet　Bay　Lake　toward　the　docks　of　Sungari。
　
　Captain　Hung…chang　stood　on　the　bridge　wing　beside　the　Cajun　pilot　as　he　took　the　automated　helm　and　expertly　guided　the　ship　through　the　marshlands。　Out　of　curiosity　Hung…chang　peered　through　a　pair　of　binoculars　at　the　turquoise　ship　anchored　just　out　of　the　channel。　Bold　letters　across　the　hull　designated　the　vessel　as　a　research　ship　belonging　to　the　National　Underwater　and　Marine　Agency。　Hung…chang　had　often　seen　them　on　scientific　marine　expeditions　during　his　voyages　around　the　world。　He　idly　wondered　what　manner　of　experiments　they　were　conducting　here　on　the　Atchafalaya　River　below　Sungari。
　
　As　he　panned　the　glasses　along　the　deck　of　the　research　ship；　he　suddenly　stopped　and　found　himself　peering　at　a　tall　man　with　thick；　curly　black　hair　who　was　staring　back　through　his　own　binoculars。　What　struck　Li　Hung…chang　odd　was　that　the　crewman　on　the　research　vessel　wasn't　focused　on　the　container　ship　itself。
　
　He　seemed　to　be　studying　the　wake　directly　behind　the　stern。
　
　JULIA　HAD　TO　STRUGGLE　TO　DECIPHER　LlN　WAN　CHU'S　MENUS　and　recipes。　Although　Han　Chinese　is　the　most　widely　spoken　language　in　the　world；　there　are　several　different　dialects　reflected　by　regional　differences。　Julia's　mother　taught　her　to　read；　write　and　speak　Mandarin；　the　most　important　of　these；　when　she　was　a　young　girl。　She　had　learned　the　most　widespread　of　the　three　Mandarin　variants；　known　as　the　Peking　dialect。　Because　Lin　Wan　Chu　had　grown　up　in　Jiangsu　Province；　she　wrote　and　spoke　another　variant　of　Mandarin；　the　Nanking　dialect。　Fortunately；　there　were　enough　similarities　for　Julia　to　fake　it　and　get　by。　As　she　worked　over　the　stove　she　kept　her　head　down　and　face　away　from　anyone　nearby。
　
　Her　two　helpers；　an　assistant　cook　and　a　dishwasher/galley　cleanup　man；　showed　no　sign　of　suspicion。　They　went　about　their　business；　speaking　only　when　it　concerned　the　evening　meal；　offering　no　small　talk　or　gossip　from　the　crew。　Julia　thought　she　caught　the　baker　studying　her　with　a　peculiar　look　on　his　face；　but　when　she　ordered　him　to　quit　staring　and　get　back　to　deep…frying　wontons；　he　laughed；　made　a　ribald　remark　and　went　back　to　work。
　
　The　stoves　and　the　boiling　pots　and　woks　that　were　vigorously　stirred　soon　turned　the　galley　into　a　steam　bath。　Julia　could　not　remember　when　she　had　sweat　rivers。　She　drank　glass　after　glass　of　water　to　maintain　her　bodily　liquids。　She　gave　a　little　prayer　of　thanks　at　watching　the　assistant　cook　take　the　initiative　and　prepare　the　watercress　soup　and　the　shredded　chicken　with　bean　sprouts。　Julia　gave　a　worthy　performance　of　making　the　roast　pork　and　noodles　and　the　shrimp　fried　rice。
　
　Captain　Hung…chang　wandered　into　the　galley　briefly　for　a　quick　snack　of　sesame…seed　puffs　after　the　Sung　Lien　Star　was　safely　moored　to　the　dock　at　Sungari。　Then　he　returned　to　the　bridge　to　receive　the　American　customs　and　immigration　officials。　Fie　looked　Julia　square　in　the　face；　but　his　eyes　betrayed　no　sign　other　than　simple　recognition　of　who　he　thought　was　Lin　Wan　Chu。
　
　Julia　joined　the　rest　of　the　crew　as　they　lined　up　and　produced　then…　passports　to　the　immigration　official　who　came　on　board。　Ordinarily；　the　captain　would　present　the　documents　so　the　crew　could　go　about　their　duties；　but　the　INS　was　particularly　strict　with　vessels　entering　the　port　owned　by　Qin　Shang　Maritime。　The　official　examined　Lin　Wan　Chu's　passport；　which　Julia　had　uncovered　in　the　cook's　cabin；　without　looking　up　at　her。　All　neat　and　very　professional；　she　thought。　By　looking　her　in　the　face；　the　official　might　have　made　an　expression　of　recognition　no　matter　how　inconsequential。
　
　Once　the　crew　cleared　immigration；　they　came　dow