cc.fireice-第53部分

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erlmutter。
　
　〃I'd　be　happy　to　look　into　it　for　you；〃　Bosworth　replied。　Her　enthusiasm　was　due　only　in　part　to　the　generous　contributions；　far　and　above　the　usual　research　fee；　that　Perlmutter　consistently　made　to　the　library。　She　shared　his　love　of　sea　history　and　admired　his　book　collection。　More　than　once；　she　had　gone　to　him　with　queries　of　her　own。
　
　Apologizing　for　providing　so　little　information；　Perlmutter　relayed　the　facts　outlined　by　Austin。　Bosworth　said　she　would　get　back　to　him　as　soon　as　she　could。　Perlmutter　hung　up　and　returned　to　his　research　for　the　Smithsonian。　With　bulldog　perseverance；　he　unearthed　a　rough　sketch　of　the　Confederate　twin…hulled　ironclad　and　was　typing　out　a　report　on　his　puter　when　the　phone　rang。　It　was　Bosworth。
　
　〃Julian；　I've　found　some　references　to　the　Odessa　Star：　I'll　fax　them　to　you。〃
　〃Thank　you　so　much；　Elizabeth。　In　return；　the　next　time　I'm　in　town　I'll　take　you　to　lunch　at　Simpson's　on　the　Strand。〃
　〃It's　a　date；〃　she　said。　〃You　know　where　to　find　me。〃　They　said　their　good…byes　and；　a　minute　later；　the　fax　buzzed　and　spat　out　several　sheets　of　paper。　Perlmutter　examined　the　top　sheet。　It　was　the　report　of　the　Lloyd's　agent　in　Novorossiysk；　a　Mr。　A。　Zubrin。　It　was　dated　April　of　1917。
　
　〃This　is　to　report　that　the　Odessa　Stat；　freighter　of　ten　thousand　tons；　carrying　a　cargo　of　coal　from　Caucasus；　enroute　from　Odessa　to　Constantinople　1917；　February；　did　not　arrive　at　its　destination　and　is　presumed　lost。　Have　confirmed　such　with　G。　Bozdag；　Lloyd's　agent；　Constantinople。　No　report　of　ship　at　any　Black　Sea　port。　Vessel　owned　by　Fauchet；　Ltd。；　of　Marseilles；　France；　which　has　put　in　a　claim。　Last　survey；　June　1916；　showed　ship　in　desperate　need　of　repair。　Please　advise　as　to　claim。〃
　
　The　other　papers　included　a　three…way　correspondence　among　the　agent；　the　central　office　in　London　and　the　French　owners。　The　French　were　insisting　on　full　payment　of　the　claim。　Lloyd's　resisted；　citing　the　perilous　condition　of　the　ship；　but　eventually　settled　for　a　third；　most　of　it　the　value　of　the　cargo。
　
　Perlmutter　turned　to　a　ceiling…to…floor　bookcase　and　extracted　a　thick　volume　whose　burgundy　cloth　cover　was　worn　with　use。　He　leafed　through　the　registry　of　French　shipping　panies。　Fauchet　had　gone　out　of　business　in　1922。　Perlmutter　grunted。　Small　wonder；　the　way　they　neglected　their　ships。　He　replaced　the　registry　and　picked　up　another　document　Bosworth　had　sent　him。　It　was　a　copy　of　a　book　review　from　the　London　Times　dating　to　the　thirties。
　
　The　headline　read：　VETERAN　SEA　CAPTAIN　REVEALS　SECRETS　OF　THE　BLACK　SEA。　He　put　the　review　aside　and　turned　to　the　note　from　Bosworth。
　
　〃Dear　Julian。　Hope　this　material　is　of　help。　I　found　a　reference　to　your　mystery　ship　in　a　summary　of　archival　material　bequeathed　to　the　library　by　the　estate　of　Lord　Dodson；　who　served　for　many　years　in　the　Foreign　Office。　It　was　a　manuscript　containing　Dodson's　memoirs；　but　it　seems　to　have　been　withdrawn　by　the　family。　There　was　also　mention　of　the　Odessa　Star　in　a　book　called　Life　on　the　Black　Sea。　We　have　a　copy　here　and　I　can　FedEx　it　to　you　if　you　wish。〃
　
　Perlmutter　put　the　note　down　and　went　over　to　a　shelf　crammed　to　the　gills　with　volumes　of　every　size　and　description。　He　ran　his　pudgy　fingers　along　a　row　of　books　and　pulled　out　a　small；　slim　volume　with　a　leather　cover　handsomely　embossed　in　gold　leaf。
　
　〃Hah！〃　Perlmutter　exclaimed　in　triumph。　If　he　could　have　danced；　he　would　have　done　a　two…step；　No　longer　worried　about　his　temporary　lapse　of　memory；　he　scribbled　a　note　on　a　piece　of　paper　and　inserted　it　in　the　fax　machine。　〃No　need　to　send　book。　Have　it　in　my　collection。　Thanks。〃　As　the　message　flew　across　the　Atlantic；　Perlmutter　settled　into　a　fortable　chair　with　a　tumbler　of　iced　hibiscus　tea；　a　plate　of　crackers　and　white　truffle　paste　by　his　side；　and　began　to　read。
　
　A　Russian　ship　captain　named　Popov　had　written　the　book　in　1936。　The　captain　had　an　eye　for　detail　and　a　sense　of　humor；　and　Perlmutter　found　himself　smiling　frequently　as　Popov　related　his　adventures　with　waterspouts　and　storms；　leaky　vessels；　pirates　and　bandits；　thievish　merchants；　knavish　bureaucrats　and　mutinous　crews。
　
　The　most　poignant　chapter　was　one　entitled　〃The　Little　Mermaid。〃　Popov　had　been　the　skipper　of　a　freighter　carrying　a　cargo　of　lumber　across　the　Black　Sea。　One　night　the　lookout　saw　the　flash　of　lights　in　the　distance　and　heard　what　sounded　like　distant　thunder；　although　the　sky　was　clear。　Thinking　someone　might　be　in　trouble；　Popov　investigated。
　
　〃When　my　ship　arrived　several　minutes　later；　we　encountered　an　oil　slick；　and　a　cloud　of　black　greasy　smoke；　hung　on　the　water：　There　was　debris　floating　everywhere　and；　more　horrifying；　burned　and　mutilated　bodies。　Despite　my　entreaties；　my　crew　refused　to　recover　the　corpses；　saying　they　were　bad　luck；　and　dead　and　gone　in　any　case。　I　called　for　Stop　engines　and　we　listened。　All　was　silent。　Then　came　what　sounded　like　the　cry　of　a　seabird。　I　enlisted　my　loyal　first　mate　and　launched　a　boat。　We　made　our　way　through　the　sad　flotsam　toward　the　sound。　Imagine　our　surprise　when　the　lamplight　fell　upon　the　golden　tresses　of　a　young　girl。　She　was　clinging　to　a　wooden　crate　and；　had　we　arrived　minutes　later；　would　have　frozen　to　death　in　the　frigid　black　water：　We　pulled　her　into　the　boat　and　cleaned　the　oil　from　her　face。　My　mate　exclaimed：　'Why；　she　looks　like　a　mermaid！'　My　crewmen；　seeing　our　lovely　burden；　put　aside　their　rebellious　emotions　and　ministered　to　the　girl。　When　she　recovered；　she　proved　herself　to　be　quite　well…spoken。　She　conversed　easily　in　French　with　one　of　our　crew。　She　said　she　had　been　traveling　with　her　family　on　a　ship　called　the　Odessa　Star。　Although　she　recalled　the　ship's　name；　she　could　not　remember　her　own　but　thought　it　might　be　Maria。　Of　her　life　before　the　ship　went　down　and　the　circumstances　of　its　sinking；　she　could　remember　nothing。　The　tough　old　salts　aboard　my　ship　could　not　have　been　more　tender　in　their　regard　and　called　her　'the　little　mermaid。'　〃
　
　The　captain　reported　the　incident　when　he　got　back　to　port；　but　strangely　he　told　the　authorities　nothing　about　the　girl。　His　omission　was　explained　in　the　epilogue。
　
　〃Some　of　my　dear　readers　may　have　wondered　what　became　of　the　little　mermaid。　Now　that　many　years　have　passed；　I　feel　free　to　reveal　the　truth。　When　I　found　the　girl　floating　barely　alive　on　the　billows；　I　had　been　married　five　years。　In　all　that　time；　my　lovely　young　wife　had　been　unable　to　conceive　a　child。　Upon　my　return　to　the　Caucasus；　we　adopted　Maria　as　our　own。　She　was　a　joy　to　both　of　us　before　my　wife　died；　and　became　a　lovely　young　woman　who；　in　time；　married　and　had　children　of　her　own。　Now；　in　my　retirement；　I　feel　that　it　is　time　to　reveal　to　the　world　the　precious　gift　the　sea　gave　to　me　after　years　of　inflicting　so　many　hardships。〃
　
　Perlmutter　put　the　book　down　and　picked　up　the　Times　review。　The　reviewer　had　been　critical　of　the　writing；　but　intrigued　by　the　story　of　the　mermaid；　which　he　described　at　great　length。　Perlmutter　guessed　that　some　sharp…eyed　Lloyd's　operative　had　seen　the　reference　to　the　Odessa　Star　and　attached　it　to　the　claim　file　on　the　missing　ship。
　
　The　captain's　account　had　been　so　fascinating　Perlmutter　had　forgotten　his　snack。　He　remedied　the　situation　quickly　by　slathering　twenty　dollars'　worth　of　truffle　onto　a　cracker。　Back　once　more　in　the　present；　Perlmutter　stared　out　the　window　as　he　savored　the　delicate　earthy　taste。　Then　he　remembered　Bosworth's　ment　about　Lord　Dodson。　He　read　her　note　again　and　wondered　why　the　Dodson　family　would　have　pulled　the　archives　from　the　library。
　
　Despite　his　ungainly　bulk；　Perlmutter　was　very　much　a　man　of　action。　He　picked　up　the　phone　and　dialed　a　couple　of　acquaintances　in　London。　Within　minutes；　he　learned　that　Lord　Dodson's　grandson；　himself　a　lord；　was　alive　and　living　in　the　Cotswolds。　Perlmutter　got　a　phone　number；　al…　though　his　source　made　him　swear　under　pain　of　eating　at　Burger　King　not　to　reveal　where　he　had　gotten　it。　Perlmutter　called　and　identified　himself　to　the　man　who　answered　the　phone。
　
　〃This　is　Lord　Dodson。　You　say　you're　a　marin