cc.iceberg-第57部分

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d。〃　Kippmann　broke　in　and　tapped　his　cigarette　holder　against　the　rim　of　an　ashtray。　〃Also；　we　have　definitely　identified　the　faces　in　the　photographs　as　the　same　people　who　set　sail　on　the　Lax　shortly　before　it　vanished。〃
　〃And　what　of　Matajic？〃　Sandecker　asked；　probing。　〃He　was　a　top　scientist；　trained　in　accurate　observation。　Surely　he　was　positive　of　what　he　saw'　〃Matajic　saw　men　who　were　made　up　to　look　like　other　nationalities；〃　Kippmann　said。　〃The　crew　should　have　been　masters　at　disguise　by　the　time　he　stumbled　onto　them…remember　they　had　visited　a　number　of　ports。　They　took　no　chances　of　recognition…　It's　only　guesswork；　of　course；　we'll　never　know　for　certain；　but　it's　fairly　safe　to　say　the　crew　caught　O'riley　watching　them　and　slipped　into　their　phony　pose　before　Matajic　came　on　board　for　supper。〃
　〃I　see；〃　Pitt　said　mildly。　〃And　then　what？〃
　〃You　can　guess　the　rest；　if　you　don't　already　know　it。〃　Kippmann　toyed　with　his　cigarette　holder　a　moment　and　then　continued。　〃Somehow；　it's　not　difficult　to　imagine；　the　celtinium…279　ignited　and　transformed　the　Lax　into　a　floating　incinerator。　Our　submarine　could　only　stand　by　and　watch　helplessly…it　happened　so　quickly；　there　were　no　survivors。　Fortunately　the　Navy　had　put　a　fast…thinking　skipper　in　mand　of　the　sub。
　
　A　storm　was　approaching　and　he　knew　it　was　only　a　question　of　time　before　the　red…hot　plates　on　the　Lax's　hull　cooled　and　contracted；　bursting　their　seams　and　letting　the　sea　water　flood　in　and　sink　her；　a　finale　further　speeded　by　the　Force　Eight　storm　building　on　the　horizon。〃
　〃So　he　turned　a　twenty…million…dollar　submarine　into　a　tugboat　and　nudged　the　burning　hulk　against　a　convenient　iceberg　until　it　melted　its　way　inside；。〃　Pitt　sat　there　looking　at　Kippmann；　his　expression　pleasant。
　〃Your　theory　is　quite　correct；　Major；〃　Kippmann　said　thinly〃Not　my　theory。〃　Pitt　smiled。　〃Dr。　Hunnewell's。　It　was　he　who　came　up　with　the　hot　poker　in　ice　proposal。〃
　〃I　see；〃　Kippmann　said；　but　he　didn't。
　〃The　next　question　that　interests　me　directly〃Pitt　hesitated；　mashing　out　his　cigarette…〃is　why　did　you　send　Hunnewell　and　me　chasing　all　over　the　North　Atlantic　hunting　down　a　particular　iceberg　after　you　erased　all　of　its　distinguishable　markings？　Why　did　you　set　Hunnewell　up　to　find　the　Lax　and　then　deliberately　try　to　hide　it？〃
　
　Impassively　Kippmann　stared　at　Pitt。　〃Thanks　to　you；　Major；　my　men　were　forced　to　work　their　asses　off　in　freezing　temperatures；　chipping　the　Coast　Guard's　red　dye　marker　from　the　iceberg　simply　because　you　showed　up　two　days　ahead　of　schedule。〃
　〃You　were　going　over　the　Lax　with　a　fine…toothed　b　and　hadn't　finished　when　Hunnewell　and　I　appeared　on　the　scene。　Is　that　it？〃
　〃Precisely；〃　Kippmann　said。　〃Nobody　expected　you　to　fly　a　helicopter　through　the　aftermath　of　the　season's　worst　storm。〃
　〃Then　your　men　were　there…〃　Pitt　broke　off；　looked　at　Kippmann　for　a　long　speculative　moment；　then　went　on　quietly；　〃Your　agents　were　concealed　on　the　berg　the　entire　time　Hunnewell　and　I　explored　the　Lax。〃
　
　Kippmann　shrugged。　〃You　didn't　give　us　a　chance　to　pull　them　off。〃
　
　Pitt　half　rose　from　the　couch。　〃You　mean　they　stood　by　and　did　nothing　when　Hunnewell　and　I　damned　near　fell　from　the　berg　into　the　sea；　no　rope；　no　help；　no　encouraging　word；　nothing？〃
　〃In　our　business　we　have　to　be　ruthless。〃　Kippmann　offered　a　tired　smile。　〃We　don't　like　it；　but　we　have　to。　It's　just　that　it's　the　nature　of　the　game。〃
　〃A　game？〃　Pitt　said。　〃A　fantasy　of　intrigue？　A　sport　of　make…believe　dog　eat　dog？　You're　in　a　rotten　occupation？〃
　〃A　never…ending　cycle；　my　friend；〃　Kippmann　said　acidly。　〃We　didn't　start　out　to　be　this　way。　America　has　always　been　the　good　guy。　But　you　can't　play　knit　when　the　other　side　uses　every　dirty　rule　in　the　book。〃
　〃Granted；　we're　the　land　of　suckers；　always　believing　that　good　never　fails　to　triumph　over　evil。　But　where　does　that　leave　us？　Back　in　Disneyland？〃
　〃I'll　e　to　that　in　due　time；〃　Kippmann　said　with　restraint。　〃Now　then；　from　what　you　and　the　others　in　the　hospital　reported；　Hermit　Limited　intends　to　make　their　move　approximately　nine　hours　and　forty…five　minutes　from　now。　Their　first　step　will　be　to　assassinate　the　leader　of　the　Latin　American　country　that　they　plan　to　take　over。　Am　I　correct？〃
　〃That's　what　the　man　said；〃　Pitt　nodded。　〃Beginning　with　Bolivia。〃
　〃You　shouldn't　believe　all　you　hear；　Major。　Kelly　only　used　Bolivia　as　an　example。　He　and　his　group　aren't　strong　enough　for　a　country　that　size。　He's　too　much　of　a　businessman　to　make　a　grab　until　he　is　ninety　percent　sure　of　a　profit。〃
　〃The　target　could　be　any　one　of　half　a　dozen　countries；〃　said　Sandecker。　〃How　in　hell　can　you　be　sure　which　one　it　is？〃
　〃We　have　puters　too〃　Kippmann　said　with　some　satisfaction。　〃The　processed　data　narrowed　the　choice　down　to　four。　Major　Pitt　helpfully　narrowed　it　down　to　two。〃
　〃You've　lost　me；〃　Pitt　said。　〃How　could　I…〃
　〃The　models　you　dredged　from　the　sea；　Kippmann　cut　in　quickly。　〃One　is　the　exact　repleca　of　the　capitol　building　of　the　Dominican　Republic。　The　other　is　the　government　legislative　chambers　of　French　Guiana。〃
　〃A　fifty…fifty　chance　at　best；〃　Sandecker　said　slowly。
　〃Not　really；〃　Kippmann　said。　〃It's　the　honored　opinion　of　the　N。I。A。　that　Kelly　and　his　little　troop　will　try　for　a　double…header。〃
　〃Both　countries　at　once？〃　Sandecker　looked　at　Kippmann　inquiringly。　〃You　can't　be　serious？〃
　〃Yes；　we're　serious；　and　if　you'll　pardon　the　expression'；　we're　deadly　serious。〃
　〃What　can　Kelly　hope　to　gain　by　splitting　his　efforts？〃　Pitt　asked。
　〃Trying　for　the　Dominican　Republic　and　French　Guiana　at　the　same　time　isn't　the　gamble　it　seems。〃
　
　Kippmann　pulled　a　map　from　the　folder　and　smoothed　it　on　Sandecker's　desk。　〃On　the　northern　coast　of　South　America　you　have　Venezuela；　and　British；　Dutch　and　French　Guiana。　Further　north；　a　day's　passage　by　boat；　a　few　hours'　flight　by　plane；　the　island　that　contains　Haiti　and　the　Domini'can　Republic。　Strategically　it's　a　beautiful　situation。〃
　〃In　what　way？〃
　〃Suppose；〃　Kippmann　said　thoughtfully；　〃just　suppose　a　dictator　who　ruled　Cuba　also　ruled　Florida　as　well。〃
　
　Sandecker　looked　at　Kippmann；　his　face　set　and　intense。　〃By　God；　it　is　a　beautiful　situation。　It　would　only　be　a　matter　of　time　before　Hermit　Limited；　operating　on　the　same　island；　strangled　Haiti's　economy　and　took　over。〃
　〃Yes；　then　using　the　island　as　a　base；　they　could　slowly　spread　into　the　central　Latin　countries　and　absorb　them　one　by　one。〃
　
　Pitts　voice　was　impassive。　〃History　recalls　that　Fidel　Castro　tried　to　infiltrate　the　mainland　countries　and　failed　on　every　occasion。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Kippmann　repeated。　〃But　Kelly　and　Hermit　Limited　have　the　one　thing　Castro　lacked…a　foothold。　Kelly　will　have　French　Guiana。〃　He　paused　in　reflection　a　moment。　〃A　foothold　as　sure　and　as　firm　as　the　Allies　had　in　1944　when　they　invaded　France　at　Normandy。〃
　
　Pitt　shook　his　head　slowly。　〃And　I　thought　Kelly　was　insane。　The　bastard　just　might　do　it。　He　just　might　pull　his　fantastic　scheme　off。〃
　
　Kippmann　nodded。　〃Let　us　say；　considering　all　facts；　at　the　present　time　the　odd　makers　would　probably　lay　their　bets　in　favor　of　Kelly　and　Hermit　Limited。〃
　〃Maybe　we　should　let　him　do　it；〃　Sandecker　said。
　〃Maybe；　he　was　somehow　meant　to　have　his　utopia。〃
　〃No；　it　is　not　meant　to　be；〃　Kippmann　said　calmly。
　〃It　can　never　happen。〃
　〃You　seem　pretty　certain；〃　Pitt　said。
　
　Kippmann　stared　at　him　and　grinned　thinly。
　〃Didn't　I　tell　you？　One　of　the　birds　that　tried　to　kill　you　in　that　doctor's　office　decided　to　cooperate。　He　told　us　quite　a　story。〃
　〃It　seems　there　are　a　number　of　things　you　forgot　to　tell　us。〃　Sandecker　grunted　acidly。
　
　Kippmann　went　on。　〃Kelly's　glorious　enterprise　is　doomed　to　failure；　I　have　it　on　the　best　authority。〃　He　paused；　his　grin　broadening。　〃As　soon　as　Hermit　Limited　is　entrenched　in　the　Dominican　Republic　and　French　Guiana；　there　will　be　a　proxy　fight　among　the　board　of　directors。　Major　Pitts　passing　acquaintance；　Mr。　Oskar　Rondheim；　intends　to　emate　Kelly；　Marks；　Von　Hummel　and　the　rest　and　take　over　as　chairman　of　the　board。　Sad　to　say；　Mr。　Rondheim's　future　intentions　will　hardly　be　class