cc.fireice-第45部分

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　〃They'll　be　thrilled。　How　did　your　excursion　go？〃
　〃Like　you　and　Gamay；　we　got　a　warm　reception；　but　I　wouldn't　advise　it　for　a　Cook's　Tour。　I'll　fill　you　in　when　we　meet。〃
　〃Can't　wait　to　hear　the　details。〃
　〃You'll　get　your　chance　sooner　than　you　think。　I'm　on　the　Argo；　and　I　could　use　the　immediate　services　of　a　deep…ocean　geologist　and　a　marine　biologist　who　will　work　cheap。〃
　〃Unfortunately；　I　know　where　you　can　find　a　couple　of　poor　wastrels　who　fit　that　description　exactly。〃
　〃I　knew　I　could　count　on　you。　I've　made　arrangements　for　transportation。　How　soon　will　you　be　ready　to　travel？〃
　〃We　arrived　at　the　hotel　a　few　minutes　ago；　so　we　won't　even　have　to　pack。〃　Paul　glanced　at　the　bathroom　door　and　smiled。　Gamay　was　singing　an　off…key　version　of　〃Gonna　Wash　That　Man　Right　Out　of　My　Hair。〃　〃Do　we　have　time　to　finish　our　martinis？〃
　〃Oh　hell；　Paul；　have　two。　You'll　be　sharing　space　with　a　VIP　from　the　States。　You've　got　a　couple　of　hours　before　he　flies　in。〃
　〃Wonderful！　We　get　to　ride　with　a　six…chinned　Senator　Claghorn　with　a　b…over。〃
　
　Austin　chuckled。　〃Incredible；　Paul。　You　must　be　psychic。　How'd　you　know　it　was　the　good　senator？〃
　〃Lucky　guess。　I'll　break　the　news　to　Gamay。　We'll　see　you　tonight。〃
　
　Paul　jotted　down　the　travel　time　and　place。　As　he　hung　up；　Gamay　came　out　of　the　bathroom　with　a　towel　wrapped　around　her　slim　body；　another　turban…style　on　her　head　and　a　half…empty　martini　glass　in　her　hand。　The　shower　and　drink　had　mellowed　her　mood。　When　he　told　her　they　would　have　to　hit　the　road　again；　Gamay　even　greeted　the　news　with　a　smile；　saying　that　she　missed　Kurt　and　Joe。
　
　Paul　took　his　turn　in　the　shower；　and　Gamay　sent　down　to　room　service　for　lamb　shish　kebab　and　pilaf。　The　food　arrived　as　they　were　starting　on　their　second　martini。　After　dinner；　they　changed　their　clothes；　and　with　full　stomachs；　clean　bodies　and　refreshed　spirits；　they　took　another　cab　to　the　airport。　The　cab　driver　had　no　kamikaze　yearnings　and　except　for　the　usual　heavy　traffic；　the　trip　was　uneventful。
　
　As　Austin　instructed；　they　asked　to　be　dropped　off　away　from　the　main　airport　terminal　at　a　section　used　by　small　private　airlines。　They　made　their　way　to　a　hangar　whose　floodlights　gleamed　off　the　turquoise　paint　of　a　midsized　helicopter。　The　letters　NUMA　were　painted　in　black　on　the　side。　The　rotor　turned　slowly　as　the　engines　warmed　up。　The　pilot　stood　on　the　tarmac　talking　to　someone。　Even　though　the　man's　back　was　turned；　the　Trouts　immediately　recognized　the　narrow　shoulders　and　hips　and　thinning　hair　of　NUMA's　deputy　director。　Rudi　Gunn　turned；　greeted　them　with　a　wide　grin　and　jerked　his　thumb　toward　the　open　door　of　the　aircraft。
　
　〃Need　a　lift？〃
　
　Gamay　turned　to　Paul。　〃So　this　is　the　six…chinned　senator　with　the　major　b…over　that　you　were　telling　me　about？〃
　
　Trout　did　a　classic　double…take。　〃For　God's　sakes；　Rudi；　why　didn't　you　tell　us　you　were　the　bigwig　VIP？〃
　〃Didn't　want　to　spoil　your　fun。　Admiral　Sandecker　thought　I　should　be　in　the　neighborhood　in　case　the　situation　got　plicated。　I've　been　in　Athens　representing　NUMA　at　a　conference　on　nautical　archaeology。　It　was　only　a　short　hop　here　via　executive　jet。　The　helicopter　flew　in　from　a　project　in　the　eastern　Aegean。　Sandecker　figured　it　was　time　for　me　to　jump　in　with　both　feet　after　Kurt　called　him　with　news　of　the　'package'　he　had　to　deliver。〃
　〃Package？〃　Paul　said。
　
　〃I'll　tell　you　everything　I　know　on　the　way。　Shall　we？〃
　
　They　climbed　into　the　chopper　and　took　their　seats　in　the　spacious　cabin。　The　engines　revved　up；　and　minutes　later　the　Sikorsky　S…76C　lifted　rapidly　into　the　sky。　The　sprawling　lights　of　Istanbul　straddling　the　Bosporus　on　two　continents　spread　below　them　like　a　sequined　tapestry。　Powered　by　its　twin　Arriel　engines；　the　helicopter　headed　north　at　a　cruising　speed　of　one　hundred　seventy…five　miles　per　hour。
　
　The　pilot's　voice　came　over　their　earphones　in　a　lazy；　slightly　western　Chuck　Yeager　drawl。
　
　〃Hi；　folks。　My　name　is　Mike。　Make　yourselves　fortable。　Should　be　plenty　of　room　to　stretch。　They　designed　this　chopper　for　oil…rig　support；　so　it's　pretty　much　a　flying　bus。　We　can　take　twelve　passengers。　You're　lucky　to　be　going　on　this　leg。　We　expect　to　be　pretty　crowded　on　the　return　trip。　There's　a　thermos　of　hot　coffee　up　near　the　bulkhead。　Help　yourselves。　Please　let　me　know　if　you　need　anything。　Otherwise；　sit　back　and　enjoy　the　flight。〃
　
　Gunn　poured　the　coffee　and　passed　the　steaming　cups　around。　〃Good　to　see　you　both。　Sorry　your　sabbaticals　were　cut　short。　Officially　speaking；　you're　still　on　leave；　I'm　sitting　in　an　auditorium　at　the　Greek　National　Archaeological　Museum；　and　this　meeting　is　not　taking　place。〃
　〃What's　been　going　on；　Rudi？〃　Paul　said。　〃We've　only　heard　bits　and　pieces。〃
　〃I'm　not　sure　what　the　total　picture　looks　like；　but　here's　what　we　do　know。　Several　days　ago；　Admiral　Sandecker　was　invited　to　a　White　House　meeting　with　the　president　and　his　advisors。　The　White　House　was　worried　about　the　deteriorating　political　situation　in　Russia。　Some　of　the　president's　men　scolded　Sandecker　for　allowing　Kurt　to　violate　Russian　sovereign　territory　at　the　abandoned　Soviet　submarine　base。　They　were　worried　that　it　would　give　Russian　opposition　forces　ammunition　to　use　against　the　government；　which　is　already　fighting　for　its　life。　The　admiral　apologized；　said　it　was　an　accident　and　offered　to　talk　directly　to　the　Russians。　His　offer　was　rejected。　Then　he　asked　what　the　White　House　was　doing　about　the　NR…1。　Strangely；　the　president　and　his　people　had　forgotten　to　tell　Sandecker　the　sub　was　missing。〃
　
　Paul　grinned　and　said；　〃Assuming　the　admiral　wouldn't　know　was　pretty　dumb　on　their　part。〃
　
　Gamay　shook　her　head。　〃It's　unbelievable　that　the　NR…1　could　vanish　with　no　trace；　as　if　it　had　been　swallowed　by　a　sea　monster。〃
　〃You're　not　far　off　the　mark。　The　NR…1　was　hijacked　and　transported　on　the　deck　of　a　submarine。〃
　〃That's　more　far…fetched　than　the　sea　monster　theory；〃　Gamay　said。
　
　〃We　were　trying　to　figure　things　out；　when　Kurt　called　and　said　a　source　had　told　him　that　a　mining　tycoon　named　Mikhail　Razov　is　behind　the　political　unrest　in　Russia。　According　to　the　White　House；　there's　a　tie　between　the　NR…1's　disappearance　and　the　mess　in　Moscow。　In　addition；　Razov's　pany；　Ataman　Enterprises；　has　leased　the　sub　base　from　the　Russian　government。〃
　
　Gamay　said；　〃That's　why　Kurt　asked　us　to　look　into　Razov's　operation　at　Novorossiysk。〃
　〃You　think　the　NR…J　was　taken　to　this　old　sub　base？〃
　
　Paul　said。　〃We　thought　that　was　a　possibility。　But　we　were　more　worried　about　something　else　Kurt's　source　said；　that　Razov　was　connected　to　a　plot　against　the　United　States。〃
　〃What　sort　of　plot？〃　Paul　asked。
　
　〃We　don't　know。　Sandecker　considered　the　tip　serious。　When　Kurt　said　he　was　assembling　the　Special　Assignments　Team　and　planned　to　go　back　to　the　base；　the　admiral　gave　his　unofficial　blessing。　Kurt　must　have　mentioned　that　his　mission　was；　uh；　unofficial。〃
　〃He　put　it　quite　colorfully；〃　Gamay　said；　laughingly。
　
　〃I　won't　even　ask；〃　said　Rudi；　imagining　Austin's　report。　〃The　White　House　specifically　warned　Admiral　Sandecker　to　stay　clear　of　the　NR…1　investigation。　I'm　sure　it　won't　surprise　you　to　know　he　managed　to　get　around　that　warning　by　a　technicality。　He　agreed　not　to　search　for　the　sub；　but　said　nothing　about　the　sub　base。〃
　〃I'm　shocked；　shocked；〃　Gamay　said　with　mock　horror；　echoing　Casablanca。
　
　〃Me；　too；〃　said　Paul。　〃Who　would　have　thought　such　a　thing？〃
　〃Your　sarcasm　is　dutifully　noted　and　ignored。　But　you　get　the　point。　We　had　to　keep　the　admiral　insulated　to　give　him　room　to　maneuver。
　
　〃Risky；〃　Paul　said。　〃The　whole　thing　could　blow　up　in　NUMA's　face。〃
　〃Sandecker　was　well　aware　of　that　possibility；　but　the　gods　who　watch　over　the　Black　Sea　were　in　a　benevolent　mood。〃
　〃You　look　like　the　cat　who　swallowed　the　canary；〃　Gamay　said；　noting　Gunn's　enigmatic　smile。　〃Apparently；　Kurt　has　some　good　news。〃
　〃Very　good。　He　and　Joe　found　the　NR…1's　crew　…　the　package　I　mentioned。　They　were　being　held　captive　at　the　Russian　base。　They're　on　the　Argo　now。〃
　〃That's　great；　but　I　don't　underst