cc.iceberg-第13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！


gainst　the　iceberg；　it　would　only　take　forty…eight　hours　or　less　before　this　entire　ship　imbedded　itself　under　the　berg's　mantle。　You　can　achieve　the　same　situation　by　holding　a　red…hot　poker　against　an　ice　block。　The　poker　will　melt　its　way　into　the　block　until　it　cools。　Then　the　ice；　if　refrozen　around　the　metal；　locks　it　tight。〃
　〃Okay；　Dog　you　score　on　that　one。　However；　there's　one　important　factor　no　one　has　considered。〃
　〃Which　is？〃　Pitt　prompted。
　〃The　final　course　of　the　Lax；〃　Koski　said　firmly。
　〃Nothing　strange　about　that；〃　Pitt　offered。　〃It　was　in　all　the　newspapers。　Fyrie　with　his　crew　and　passengers　left　Reykjavik　on　the　morning　of　April　tenth　of　last　year　and　laid　a　direct　heading　for　New　York。　He　was　last　sighted　by　a　Standard　Oil　tanker　six　hundred　miles　off　Cape　Farewell；　Greenland。　After　that；　nothing　more　was　seen　or　heard　of　the　Lax　again。〃
　〃That's　fine　as　far　as　it　goes。〃　Koski　pulled　his　coat　collar　around　his　ears　and　fought　to　keep　his　teeth　from　chattering。　〃Except　the　sighting　took　place　…near　the　fiftieth　parallel…too　far　south　of　the　iceberg　limit。〃
　〃I　would　like　to　remind　you；　mander；〃　Hunnewell　said；　raising　an　intimidating　eyebrow；　〃that　your　own　Coast　Guard　has　logged　as　many　as　fifteen　hundred　bergs　in　one　year　below　the　forty…eighth　parallel。〃
　〃And　I'd　like　to　remind　you；　Dog〃　Koski　persisted；　〃that　during　the　year　in　question　the　number　of　iceberg　sightings　below　the　forty…eighth　parallel　came　to　zero。〃
　
　Hunnewell　merely　shrugged。
　〃It　would　be　most　helpful；　Dr。　Hunnewell；　if　you'd　explain　how　an　iceberg　appeared　where　none　existed；　then　with　the　Lax　frozen　in　its　clutches　ignored　the　prevailing　currents　for　eleven　and　a　half　months　and　cruised　four　degrees　north　while　every　other　berg　in　the　Atlantic　was　drifting　south　at　the　rate　of　three　knots　an　hour。〃
　〃I　can't；〃　Hunnewell　said　simply。
　〃You　can't？〃　Koski's　face　went　blank　with　disbelief。　He　looked　at　Hunnewell；　then　at　Pitt；　then　back　to　Hunnewell　again。　〃You　rotten　bastards！〃　he　said　savagely。　〃Don't　lie　to　me！〃
　〃That's　pretty　salty　terminology；　mander；〃　Pitt　said　harshly。
　〃What　in　hell　do　you　expect？　You're　both　highly　intelligent　people；　yet　you　act　like　a　pair　of　mongoloids。
　
　Take　Dr。　Hunnewell　here。　An　internationally　renowned　scientist；　and　he　can't　even　explain　how　an　iceberg　can　drift　north　against　the　Labrador　Current。　Either　you're　a　fraud；　Dog　or　you're　the　dumbest　professor　…on　record。　The　plain　simple　truth　is　that　it's　as　impossible　for　this　berg　to　reverse　drift　as　it　is　for　a　glacier　to　flow　uphitl。〃
　〃Nobody's　perfect；〃　Hunnewell　said　shrugging　helplessly。
　〃No　courtesy；　no　honest　answer；　is　that　it？〃
　〃It's　not　a　question　of　honesty；〃　Pitt　said。　〃We've　our　orders　just　as　you　have　yours。　Up　to　an　hour　ago　Hunnewell　and　I　were　following　a　precise　plan。　That　plan　is　now　out　the　window。〃
　〃Uh…huh。　And　the　next　move　in　our　game　of　charades？〃
　〃The　problem　is；　we　can't　explain　everything；〃　Pitt　said。　〃Damned　little　in　reality。　I'll　tell　you　what　Dr。　Hunnewell　and　I　know。　After　that　you'll　have　to　draw　your　own　conclusions。〃
　〃You　could　have　leveled　with　me　sooner。〃
　〃Hardly；〃　Pitt　said。　〃As　captain　of　your　ship　you　have　full　authority。　You　even　have　the　power　to　disregard　or　challenge　orders　from　your　mandant　if　you　feel　they　endanger　your　crew　and　ship。　I　couldn't　take　a　chance。　We　had　to　give　you　a　snow　job　so　you'd　cooperate　fully。　Besides；　we　were　not　to　confide　in　anyone。　I'm　going　against　those　orders　right　now。〃
　〃Could　be　another　snow　job？〃
　〃Could　be；〃　Pitt　said；　grinning；　〃but　what's　the　percentage？　Hunnewell　and　I　have　nothing　more　to　gain。　We're　washing　our　hands　of　this　mess　and　heading　for　Iceland。〃
　〃You're　dropping　all　this　in　my　lap？〃
　〃Why　not？　Abandoned　and　drifting　derelicts　are　your　bag。　Remember　your　motto；　Semper　paratus；　always　prepared；　Coast　Guard　to　the　rescue　and　all　that。〃
　
　The　twisted　look　on　Koski's　face　was　priceless。　〃I　would　appreciate　it　if　you　just　stuck　to　the　facts　without　benefit　of　tawdry　remarks。〃
　〃Very　well；〃　Pitt　said　calmly。　〃The　story　I　concocted　on　the　Catawaba　was　true　up　to　a　point…the　point　where　I　substituted　the　Novgorod　for　the　Lax。　Fyrie's　yacht；　of　course；　wasnt　carrying　classified　electronic　equipment；　or　any　other　clandestine　mechanical　devices　for　that　matter。　The　cargo　actually　consisted　of　eight　major…league　engineers　and　scientists　from　Fyrie　Mining　Limited；　who　were　on　their　way　to　New　York　to　open　secret　negotiations　with　two　of　our　government's　largest　defense　contractors。　Somewhere　on　board…probably　in　this　room…was　a　file　of　documents　containing　a　geological　survey　of　the　ocean　floor。　What　Fyrie's　research　team　bad　discovered　under　the　sea　or　where　remains　a　mystery。　This　information　was　vitally　important　to　a　great　number　of　people；　our　own　defense　department　desperately　yearned　to　get　their　hands　on　it。
　
　And　so　did　the　Russians；　they　pulled　out　all　stops　to　grab　it。〃
　〃The　last　statement　explains　a　great　deal；〃　said　Koski。
　〃Meaning？〃
　Koski　exchanged　knowing　looks　with　Dover。　〃We　were　one　of　the　ships　that　searched　for　the　Lax…it　was　the　Catawaba's　first　patrol。　Every　time　we　blinked　our　eyes；　we　found　ourselves　crossing　the　wake　of　a　Russian　vessel。　We　were　just　egotistical　enough　to　think　they　were　observing　our　search　patterns。　Now　it　turns　out　that　they　were　nosing　after　the　Lax　too。〃
　〃It　also　neatly　ties　in　with　the　reason　we　butted　in　on　your　show〃　said　Dover。　〃Ten　minutes　after　you　and　Dr。　Hunnewell　left　the　flight　pad；　we　received　a　message　from　Coast　Guard　Headquarters　warning　of　a　Russian　sub　patrolling　around　the　ice　pack。　We　tried　but　couldn't　raise　you…〃
　〃Small　wonder；〃　Pitt　interrupted。　〃It　was　essential　that　we　maintain　strict　radio　silence　once　we　headed　for　the　derelict。　I　took　the　precaution　of　switching　the　radio　off。　We　couldn't　transmit；　much　less　receive。〃
　〃After　mander　Koski　notified　headquarters　of　our　failure　to　contact　your　helicopter；〃　Dover　continued；　〃a　signal　came　through　hot　and　heavy　ordering　us　to　hightail　it　after　you　and　act　as　escort　in　case　the　sub　got　pushy。〃
　〃How　did　you　find　us？〃　Pitt　asked。
　〃We　hadn't　passed　two　icebergs　before　we　snotted　that　yellow　copter　of　yours。　it　stood　out　like　a　canary　on　a　bedsheet。〃
　Pitt　and　Hunnewell　looked　at　each　other　and　began　laughing。
　〃What's　the　joke？〃　Koski　asked　curiously。
　〃Luck；　plain；　simple；　paradoxical　luck；〃　said　Pitt；　his　face　twisted　in　mirth。　〃We　flew　all　over　hell　for　three　hours　before　we　found　this　floating　ice　palace；　and　you　found　it　five　minutes　after　you　began　searching。〃　Pitt　then　briefly　told　Koski　and　Dover　about　the　iceberg　decoy　and　meeting　with　the　Russian　submarine。
　〃Good　Lord；〃　Dover　muttered。　〃Are　you　suggesting　that　we're　not　the　first　to　set　foot　on　the　iceberg？〃
　〃The　evidence　is　plain；〃　Pitt　said。　〃The　Ice　Patrol's　dyed　stain　has　been　chipped　away；　and　Hunnewell　and　I　found　footprints　in　nearly　every　cabin　of　the　ship。
　And　there's　more；　something　that　takes　the　whole　situation　out　of　the　mysterious　and　puts　it　in　the　category　of　the　macabre。〃
　〃The　fire？〃
　〃The　fire。〃
　〃Undoubtedly　accidental。　Fires　have　been　happening　on　ships　since　the　first　reed　boats　floated　down　the　Nile　thousand　of　years　ago。〃
　〃Murder　has　been　going　on　for　much　longer　than　that。〃
　〃Murder！〃　Koski　repeated　flatly。　〃You　did　say　murder？〃
　〃With　a　capital　M。〃
　〃Except　for　the　excessive　degree；　I've　observed　nothing　I　haven't　already　seen　On　at　least　eight　other　burned…out　ships　during　my　service　on　the　Coast　Guard…bodies；　stench；　devastation；　the　works。　In　your　honored　opinion　as　an　Air　Force　officer　what　makes　You　think　this　one　is　any　different？〃
　
　Pitt　ignored　Koski's　testy　remark　〃It's　all　too　perfect。　The　radio　operator　in　the　radio　room；　two　engineers　in　the　engine　room；　the　captain　and　a　mate　on　the　bridge；　the　passengers　in　either　their　staterooms　or　salon；　even　a　cook　in　the　galley；　everybody　exactly　where　he　should　be。　You　tell　me；　mander；　you're　the　expert。　What　in　hell　kind　of　a　fire　would　sweep　through　the　entire　ship；　roasting　everyone　to　a　crisp　without　their　making　the　slightest　attempt　at　selfpreservation？〃
　
　Koski　tugged　at　an　ear　thoug