cc.fireice-第39部分

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can　talk　about　old　times　and　new　beginnings。〃
　
　Austin　turned　to　Zavala　and　nodded。　With　Petrov　leading　the　way；　the　three　men　made　their　way　to　the　soccer　field。
　
　…16…
　WITH　HIS　TALL　gangling　physique　and　questing　intelligence；　Yuri　Orlov　reminded　Paul　Trout　of　himself　as　a　kid　hanging　around　the　ocean　scientists　at　the　Woods　Hole　Oceanographic　Institution。　The　way　Yuri　stood　in　the　stem　with　one　hand　on　the　tiller；　the　Russian　student　could　have　been　any　of　the　skiff　fishermen　Trout　knew　on　Cape　Cod。　All　the　youth　needed　to　plete　the　picture　was　a　Red　Sox　baseball　cap　and　a　big　black　Labrador　retriever。
　
　Yuri　had　taken　immediate　control　of　the　boat；　steering　it　a　few　hundred　feet　offshore；　then　stopping　and　letting　the　motor　idle。
　
　〃Thank　you　so　much　for　allowing　me　to　go　with　you；　Dr。　Paul　and　Dr。　Gamay。　It's　really　an　honor　to　be　in　the　pany　of　two　such　famous　scientists。　I　envy　you　working　for　NUMA。　My　father　told　me　all　about　his　experiences　in　the　States。〃
　
　The　Trouts　smiled；　even　though　the　young　man　had　upset　their　plan　to　sneak　off　on　a　scouting　expedition。　He　brimmed　with　youthful　enthusiasm；　and　his　big　blue　eyes　danced　with　excitement　behind　the　thick　glasses。
　
　〃Your　father　often　talked　about　his　family　back　in　Russia；〃　Paul　said。　〃I　remember　him　showing　me　pictures　of　you　and　your　mother。　You　were　younger　then；　so　I　didn't　recognize　you　today。〃
　〃Some　people　say　I　look　more　like　my　mother。〃
　
　Trout　nodded　in　agreement。　During　Professor　Orlov's　stay　in　Woods　Hole；　the　Russian　had　countered　bouts　of　homesickness　by　whipping　family　snapshots　from　his　billfold　and　proudly　passing　them　around。　Trout　remembered　being　struck　by　the　contrast　between　the　bearlike　professor　and　Svetlana；　his　tall；　willowy　wife。
　
　〃I　enjoyed　working　with　your　father。　He's　a　brilliant　man；　as　well　as　personable。　I　hope　we　can　work　together　again　someday。〃
　
　Yuri　lit　up　like　a　bulb。　〃Next　time　Professor　Orlov　goes　to　the　States；　he　has　promised　to　take　me　with　him。〃
　
　Trout　smiled　at　Yuri's　use　of　the　proper　title　before　his　father's　name。　〃You　should　have　no　problem。　Your　English　is　excellent。〃
　〃Thank　you。　My　parents　used　to　have　American　exchange　students　stay　with　us。〃　He　pointed　in　the　opposite　direction　from　the　one　the　Trouts　wanted　to　take。　〃It's　pretty　nice　along　the　coast　here。　Are　you　bird…watchers？〃
　
　Gamay　saw　their　mission　going　astray。　〃Actually；　Yuri；〃　she　said　sweetly；　〃we　were　hoping　to　go　to　Novorossiysk。〃
　
　A　look　of　amused　amazement　crossed　Yuri's　young　face。　〃Novorossiysk？　Are　you　sure？　The　coast　the　other　way　is　much　prettier。〃
　
　Paul　picked　up　on　Gamay's　cue。　〃We　do　a　lot　of　bird…watching　in　the　Virginia　countryside；　but　as　an　ocean　geologist　I'm　more　interested　in　deep…sea　mining。　I　understand　one　of　the　largest　ocean　mining　panies　in　the　world　has　its　headquarters　in　Novorossiysk。〃
　〃Sure。　You're　talking　about　Ataman　Industries。　They're　huge。　I'm　doing　my　grad　work　in　ecological　mining；　and　I　may　apply　for　a　job　there　myself　when　I　get　out　of　school。〃
　〃Then　you'll　understand　why　I'd　be　interested　in　taking　a　look　at　their　facilities。〃　
　
　〃Absolutely。　Too　bad　I　didn't　know　earlier。　Maybe　we　could　have　set　up　a　tour　with　them。　You　can't　get　a　good　idea　of　the　scale　of　their　operation　from　the　water。〃　Yuri　grinned　with　relief。　〃I　like　birds；　too；　but　not　that　much。〃
　
　Gamay　said；　〃I'm　a　marine　biologist。　Fish　and　plants　are　my　game；　but　I　think　it　would　be　interesting　to　go　to　Novorossiysk。〃
　〃That　settles　it；　then；〃　Paul　said。　Yuri　goosed　the　throttle　and　brought　the　boat　around　in　a　big；　lazy　turn。　He　stayed　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　offshore　on　a　course　roughly　parallel　to　the　coast。　After　a　while；　the　woods　began　to　thin　out；　giving　way　to　coastal　plain　and　high；　rolling　hills。　The　beach　was　replaced　by　extensive　reed…grown　marshes　and　meandering　creeks。
　
　Paul　and　Gamay　sat　side　by　side　on　the　center　seat　as　the　powerboat　plowed　through　the　sun…sparkled　sea。　The　boat　was　around　eighteen　feet　long　and　built　like　a　tank；　with　overlapping　planks　and　a　thick　prow。　Yuri　kept　up　a　running　narrative　as　he　pointed　out　landmarks。　The　Trouts　nodded　with　appreciation；　although　the　snarl　of　the　motor　and　the　shush…shush　of　the　hull　drowned　out　most　of　Yuri's　words。
　
　Any　misgivings　the　Trouts　had　about　Yuri　were　quickly　dispelled。　He　turned　out　to　be　a　godsend。　He　knew　how　to　keep　the　touchy　motor　supplied　with　the　proper　mixture　of　air　and　fuel；　and　was　intimately　acquainted　with　the　countryside。　They　would　have　had　trouble　navigating　the　busy　port　on　their　own。　Finding　Ataman　would　have　been　almost　impossible　without　a　guide。　As　they　got　farther　into　Zeroes　Bay；　the　city's　importance　as　a　major　Russian　seaport　became　apparent。　Ship　traffic　in　both　directions　was　nonstop。　The　parade　included　every　type　of　mercial　vessel　imaginable：　cargo　ships；　tankers；　oceangoing　tugs；　passenger　ships　and　ferries。
　
　Yuri　kept　a　respectful　distance　from　the　big　ships　and　their　boat…swamping　wakes。　The　shoreline　became　more　built…up。　High…rise　buildings；　smoking　chimneys　and　grain　elevators　could　be　seen　through　the　industrial　haze　that　hung　over　the　port。　Yuri　slowed　the　boat　down　to　a　fast　walk。
　
　〃The　city　is　very　historic；〃　Yuri　said。　〃You　can't　go　ten　feet　without　tripping　over　a　monument。　The　Russian　Revolution　ended　here；　when　Allied　ships　evacuated　the　White　Army　in　1920。　It's　also　one　of　the　biggest　ports　in　Russia。　Oil　is　piped　here　from　the　wells　in　the　northern　Caucasus。　That's　the　Shesharis　Oil　Harbor　over　there。〃
　
　Paul　had　been　studying　the　dark　hue　of　the　water。　〃It's　a　deep…water　port；　judging　from　the　size　of　those　ships。〃
　〃Novorossiysk　doesn't　freeze　up　in　the　winter。　This　is　the　major　port　for　cargo　moving　between　Russia　and　the　Mediterranean　and　the　rest　of　Europe；　and　it's　also　more　or　less　convenient　to　Asia；　the　Persian　Gulf　and　Africa。　The　port　facilities　are　state…of…the…art。　There　are　actually　five　parts　to　the　harbor：　three　dry　cargo　handling　areas；　the　oil　harbor　and　the　passenger　terminal。　You　came　in　through　the　airport；　so　you　know　it's　got　connections　allover　the　world。〃
　〃I　can　see　why　Ataman　would　have　its　headquarters　here；〃　Gamay　noted；　as　she　scanned　the　bustling　bay。
　
　〃I'll　show　you。〃　Yuri　kicked　the　boat's　speed　up　and　angled　the　bow　in　toward　a　wide　indentation　on　the　shore。　Six　long　concrete　piers　extended　from　land。　Several　ships　were　tied　up　at　the　wharves。　Rising　behind　the　piers　was　a　sprawling　plex　of　industrial　buildings；　gantry　cranes；　big　straddle　carriers　and　cargo　derricks。　Forklift　trucks　and　tractors　moved　along　the　piers　like　oversized　insects。
　
　〃Which　part　is　Ataman's？〃　Gamay　asked。
　
　Yuri　grinned　and　swept　his　hand　in　a　wide　arc。　〃All　of　it。〃
　
　Gamay　whistled　in　astonishment。　〃I　can't　believe　the　size　of　this　place。　It's　bigger　than　some　major　ports。〃
　〃Ataman　has　it　own　fleet　of　tugboats；　fuel　and　water　supplies　and　tanks　for　bilge　and　waste　removal；〃　Yuri　said。　〃See　those　giant　cranes　over　there？　That's　Ataman's　shipyard。　They　build　all　their　own　vessels。　That　way　they　can　control　design　and　cost。〃　He　furrowed　his　brow　and　looked　around　as　if　he　had　lost　something。　〃That's　funny；　Ataman'　s　port　is　practically　empty。〃
　
　Paul　exchanged　a　puzzled　glance　with　his　wife。　〃It　doesn't　look　empty　to　me。　Look　at　all　that　activity。　I　can　see　five　ships　of　considerable　size　pulled　up　to　the　dock。〃
　〃Those　are　Ataman's　small　ships。　I　wanted　to　show　you　their　ocean　drilling　rigs。　They　look　like　they　could　drill　through　to　the　other　side　of　the　world。　Each　one　is　like　a　city　in　itself。〃
　〃Maybe　they're　all　at　sea　working。〃
　〃Maybe；〃　he　said；　with　skepticism　in　his　voice。　〃But　I　don't　think　so。　Ataman　has　so　many　ships；　a　few　are　always　being　outfitted。　Even　with　all　those　wharves；　they　don't　have　space　to　take　care　of　their　whole　fleet　at　the　same　time。〃　He　scanned　the　shoreline　until　he　saw　what　he　was　looking　for。　〃I　can　show　you　something　almost　as　interesting。〃
　
　Yuri　kept　the　boat　on　the　same　heading　until　they　were　past　the　main　wharves；　then　he　steered　in　toward　a　smaller　pier。　A　luxurious　yacht　four　hundred　feet　long　was　tied　up　at　the　dock