cc.fireice-第52部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃So　much　for　brilliant　ideas；〃　Austin　said。
　
　Gunn　was　equally　frustrated。　His　forehead　glistened　with　beads　of　perspiration。　He'd　been　trying　to　counteract　the　push　by　revving　up　the　ROV's　thrusters。　At　one　point；　he　lost　control　and　the　ROV　slammed　into　the　hull。　A　layer　of　gunk　a　couple　of　feet　across　dropped　off　to　reveal　an　S。
　
　〃There's　concretion　under　the　marine　growth；〃　Gamay　said。　〃That's　why　you　can't　brush　the　stuff　away。〃
　〃Can　you　bang　off　another　chunk？〃　Austin　asked。　He　turned　to　the　captain。　〃With　your　permission；　of　course。〃
　
　Atwood　shrugged。　〃Hell；　I'm　as　curious　about　this　old　hulk　as　you　are。　If　it　takes　a　few　dents　in　a　piece　of　NUMA　equipment　to　do　the　job；　let's　do　it。〃
　
　His　face　flushed　as　he　remembered　that　NUMA's　second…in…mand　was　sitting　at　the　controls。　But　Gunn　had　no　punctions。　He　gritted　his　teeth　and　rammed　the　ship　again　and　again；　as　if　he　were　trying　to　break　down　a　castle　door。　Pieces　of　thin　brittle　concretion　began　to　flake　off；　to　reveal　more　letters。　After　one　sharp　jab；　a　huge　piece　of　the　covering　dropped　off　to　reveal　the　ship's　name　in　Cyrillic　letters。
　
　Austin　studied　the　letters　illuminated　in　the　glare　of　the　ROV's　lights　and　shook　his　head。
　
　〃My　Russian　is　rusty；　but　the　name　of　the　ship　seems　to　be　Odessa　Star：〃
　〃Doesn't　ring　a　bell；〃　Atwood　said。　〃Have　you　ever　heard　of　her？〃
　〃Nope；〃　Austin　said。　〃But　I'll　bet　I　know　somebody　who　has。〃
　
　…22…
　WASHINGTON；　D。C。
　
　ST。　JULIAN　PERLMUTTER　had　spent　most　of　his　day　researching　a　twin…hulled　Civil　War　ironclad　for　the　Smithsonian　Institution；　and　the　work　had　made　him　hungry。　But　then；　practically　everything　made　Perlmutter　hungry。　An　ordinary　human　faced　with　this　state　of　affairs　would　have　satisfied　his　needs　by　slapping　a　wad　of　cold　cuts　between　two　slabs　of　bread。　Not　so　Perlmutter。　He　indulged　his　addiction　for　German　cooking　with　a　plate　of　pig's　knuckles　and　sauerkraut；　paired　with　a　light…bodied　Reisling　Kabinett　plucked　from　his　four…thousand…bottle　wine　cellar。　He　dined　using　silver　and　china　from　the　French　liner　Normandie。　He　was　sublimely　happy。　The　mood　persisted　even　when　his　telephone　gave　off　a　ring　like　a　ship's　bell。
　
　He　patted　his　mouth　and　thick　gray　beard　with　a　monogrammed　linen　napkin；　and　reached　with　a　plump　hand　for　the　phone。　〃St。　Julian　Perlmutter　here；〃　he　said　pleasantly。　〃State　your　business　in　a　brief　manner。〃
　〃I'm　sorry。　I　must　have　the　wrong　number；〃　the　voice　on　the　phone　said。　〃The　gentleman　I'm　trying　to　reach　would　never　answer　the　phone　so　politely。〃
　〃Ah　ha！〃　Perlmutter's　voice　ratcheted　up　the　decibel　scale　to　a　supersonic　boom。　〃You　should　be　sorry；　Kurt。　What　happened　to　imam？〃
　〃Can't　say　I　know　anyone　by　that　name。　Have　you　tried　Istanbul　missing　persons？〃
　〃Don't　toy　with　me　over　such　an　important　matter；　you　impertinent　young　snit；〃　Perlmutter　boomed；　his　sky　blue　eyes　twinkling　in　the　ruddy　face。　〃You　know　perfectly　well　you　promised　to　get　me　an　authentic　recipe　for　imam　bayidi。　Translated　loosely　as　'the　imam　fainted；'　because　the　old　boy　was　overe　with　delight　when　he　tasted　the　dish。　You　did　remember；　didn't　you？〃
　
　Austin　kept　on　Perlmutter's　good　side　by　searching　out　authentic　recipes　on　his　travels　around　the　world。　〃Of　course　I　remembered。　I've　been　trying　to　persuade　one　of　the　finest　chefs　in　Istanbul　to　part　with　his　recipe　and　will　send　it　to　you　forthwith。　I　wouldn't　want　you　to　waste　away　to　nothing。〃
　
　Perlmutter　roared　with　laughter；　the　belly　laugh　amplified　by　the　nearly　four　hundred　pounds　of　flesh　adhering　to　his　sturdy　frame。　〃There's　not　much　danger　of　that　happening。　Are　you　still　in　Turkey？〃
　〃In　the　neighborhood。　I'm　on　a　NUMA　ship　in　the　Black　Sea。〃
　〃Still　on　your　vacation　cruise？〃
　〃Vacation's　over。　I'm　back　at　work　and　need　a　favor。　Could　you　dig　up　something　on　an　old　cargo　ship　named　the　Odessa　Star？　It　went　down　in　the　Black　Sea；　but　I　don't　know　when。　That's　all　I　can　tell　you　for　now。〃
　〃Tracking　down　your　ship　should　be　no　problem；　not　with　such　a　helpful　description；〃　Perlmutter　responded　with　dry　humor。　〃Please　tell　me　what　you　do　know　about　it。〃　Perlmuttecr　jotted　down　the　sparse　information　Austin　was　able　to　give。　〃I'll　do　my　best；　although　I　may　be　weak　with　hunger；　a　condition　easily　remedied　by　the　receipt　of　a　certain　Turkish　recipe。〃
　
　Austin　again　assured　Perlmutter　that　the　recipe　was　in　the　pipeline；　and　hung　up。　He　felt　guilty　for　shading　the　truth　somewhat。　With　all　that　was　going　on；　he　had　forgotten　Perlmutter's　request。　He　turned　to　Captain　Atwood。　〃Does　anybody　in　the　galley　know　anything　about　Turkish　cooking？〃
　
　While　Austin　tried　to　track　down　the　imam；　thousands　of　miles　away　in　his　N　Street　carriage　house　behind　two　vine…encrusted　Georgetown　town　houses；　Perlmutter　was　grinning　with　pleasure。　Despite　his　bluster；　he　enjoyed　a　challenge。　The　Smithsonian　would　have　to　wait；　although　the　concept　of　an　obscure　twin…hulled　ironclad　was　intriguing。　He　glanced　around　the　huge　bination　living　room；　bedroom　and　study　at　the　stacks　of　books　occupying　every　square　inch。　Although　the　space　looked　like　a　librarian's　nightmare；　Perlmutter's　apartment　contained　the　finest　collection　of　historical　ship　literature　ever　assembled。
　
　Perlmutter　had　read　every　volume　he　owned　at　least　twice。　His　encyclopedic　mind　had　absorbed　a　numbing　number　of　facts；　each　connected　like　the　links　of　a　Web　site　to　related　caches。　He　could　pluck　a　book　from　a　dusty　pile；　run　his　finger　down　the　spine　and　remember　practically　every　page。
　
　He　knitted　his　brow　in　thought；　something　was　eluding　him；　lurking　in　a　shadowed　er　of　his　mind　beyond　the　periphery　of　consciousness。　He　was　sure　he'd　heard　of　the　Odessa　Star　before　Austin　mentioned　it。　He　would　find　it　in　five　minutes　or　not　at　all。　He　dug　through　his　piles　of　books　and　periodicals；　mumbling　under　his　breath。　Damned　if　he　could　remember。　Must　be　getting　old。　He　rummaged　for　an　hour　before　giving　up。　He　picked　a　card　out　of　his　telephone　number　file　and　dialed　the　international　code　for　London　and　a　number。
　
　A　moment　later；　a　clipped　British　accent　answered；　〃Guildhall　Library。〃
　
　Perlmutter　gave　his　name　and　asked　for　an　assistant　cataloger　he　had　dealt　with　on　previous　calls。　Like　many　English　institutions；　the　Guildhall　Library　had　been　around　for　centuries。　The　original　library　dated　back　to　1423　and　was　acknowledged　worldwide　for　a　history　collection　that　went　back　to　the　eleventh　century。
　
　The　library　also　had　the　finest　collection　of　wine　and　food　books　in　the　United　Kingdom；　a　fact　that　had　not　escaped　Perlmutter's　attention。　But　it　was　the　Guildhall's　extensive　maritime　records　that　Perlmutter　often　drew　upon　in　his　research。　England's　naval　tradition；　and　the　wide　reach　of　the　British　Empire　colonies　and　trade；　made　the　collection　a　treasure　trove　of　information　about　practically　every　sea…girt　country　in　the　world。
　
　The　cataloger；　a　pleasant　young　woman　named　Elizabeth　Bosworth；　came　on　the　line。　〃Julian。　How　nice　to　hear　from　you　again。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Elizabeth。　All　goes　well　with　you；　I　trust。〃
　〃Very　well；　thank　you。　I've　been　quite　busy　indexing　agreements　of　colonial　registered　vessels　dating　back　to　the　seventeen　hundreds。〃
　〃I　hope　I'm　not　calling　at　a　bad　time。〃
　〃Of　course　not；　Julian。　The　material　is　fascinating；　but　the　work　does　get　a　bit　tedious　at　times。　What　can　I　do　for　you？〃
　〃I'm　trying　to　track　down　some　information　on　an　old　cargo　ship　named　the　Odessa　Star　and　wondered　if　you　could　tickle　the　Lloyd's　file　for　me。〃
　
　The　Guildhall　Library　held　all　the　shipping　records　for　the　giant　international　marine　insurance　underwriter　prior　to　1985。　Lloyd's　of　London　had　been　established　in　1811　to　provide　a　universal　system　of　〃intelligence　and　superintendence〃　in　all　the　principal　ports　of　the　world。　To　acplish　this　goal；　Lloyd's　had　set　up　a　network　of　agents。　By　the　turn　of　the　century；　the　agency　had　more　than　four　hundred　agents　and　five　hundred　subagents　scattered　around　the　globe。　Their　reports　on　marine　casualties；　shipowners；　shipping　movements　and　voyages　were　contained　in　the　library's　files；　where　they　were　accessible　to　historians　like　Pe