alistairmaclean.seawitch-第17部分

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　〃I'll　do　that；　Chief。〃
　Roomer　winced　and　screwed　his　eyes　shut。
　McGarrity　sounded　positively　brisk。　〃Now；　about　the　local　law。〃
　〃I　suppose　I've　got　to　call　them　in。　I'm　not　too　happy　about　it：　they　don't　exactly　like　us。　What　if　they　refuse　to　keep　this　under　wraps　。　。　。　？〃
　〃In　which　case；〃　McGarrity　said　ominously；　〃just　put　the　person　concerned　directly　on　the　line　to　me。　Anyone　else　know　about　this　yet？〃
　〃Of　course　not。　You're　the　only　man　with　the　power　to　authorize　the　closing　of　the　〃escape　routes。　Naturally　we　contacted　you　first。〃
　〃And　you　were　perfectly　right；　Mr。　Mitchell。〃　McGarrity　was　warm　and　appreciative；　as　well　he　might　have　been；　for　he　had　a　very　shaky　re…election　ing　up　and　the　massive　publicity　the　kidnaping　was　bound　to　generate　would　guarantee　him　a　virtual　shoo…in。　〃FU　get　the　wheels　turning　at　this　end。　Keep　me　posted。〃
　〃Of　course；　Chief。〃　Mitchell　hung　up。　；　Roomer　looked　at　him　admiringly。　〃You　are　an　even　bigger　and　stickier　hypocrite　than　McGarrity。〃
　〃Practice。　Anyway；　we　got　what　we　wanted。'*　Mitchell's　face　was　somber。　〃Has　it　occurred　to　you　that　the　birds　may　have　flown？〃
　Roomer　looked　equally　unhappy。　〃Yeah。　But　first　things　first。　Lord　Worth　next？〃　Mitchell　nodded。　'Til　pass　this　one　up。　They　say　that；　under　provocation；　he　has　a　rich　mand　of　the　English　language；　not　at　all　aristocratic。　Td　be　better　employed　interviewing　the　staff。　Til　ply　them　with　strong　drink　to　help　them　overe　the　rigors　of　their　ordeal　and　to　loosen　their　tongues…Lord　Worth's　reserve　Dom　Perignon　for　choice…and　see　what　I　can　get　out　of　them；　I　don't　expect　much。　AH　I　can　do　is　ask　them　about　descriptions　and　voices　and　whether　or　not　they　touched　anything　that　might　give　us　fingerprints。　Not　that　that　will　help　if　their　prints　aren't　on　file。〃
　〃The　brandy　bit　sounds　the　best　part　of　your　program。　Ask　Jenkins　to　bring　a　large　one〃…　he　looked　at　Robertson…〃two　large　ones。〃
　Roomer　was　at　the　door　when　he　turned。　〃Do　you　know　what　happened　in　ancient　times　to　the　bearers　of　bad　news？〃
　〃I　know。　They　got　their　heads　cut　off。〃
　〃He'll　probably　blame　us　for　carelessness　and　lack　of　foresight…and　he'll　be　right；　too；　even　though　he's　just　as　guilty　as　we　are。〃　Roomer　left。
　〃Get　me　Lord　Worth；　Jim。〃
　〃I　would　if　I　knew　where　he　was。　He　was　here　last　night　when　I　left。〃
　〃He's　on　the　Seawitch。〃
　Robertson　raised　an　eyebrow；　lowered　it；　said　nothing　and　turned　his　attention　to　the　switchboard。　He　raised　the　Seawitch　in　fifteen　seconds。　Mitchell　took　the　phone。
　〃Lord　Worth；　please。〃
　〃Hold　on。〃
　Another　voice　came　on；　a　rasping　gravelly　voice；　not　as　friendly。
　〃Whatd'you　want？〃
　　　〃Lord　Worth；　please。〃
　〃How　do　you　know　he's　here？〃
　〃How　do　I…what　does　that　matter？　May　I　speak　to　him？〃
　〃Look；　mister；　Tm　here　to　protect　Lord　Worth's　privacy。　We　get　far　too　many　oddball　calls　from　oddball　characters。　How　did　you　know　he　was　here？〃
　〃Because　he　told　me。〃
　〃When？〃
　〃Last　night。　About　midnight。〃
　〃What's　your　name？〃
　〃Mitchell。　Michael　Mitchell。〃
　〃Mitchell。〃　Larsen's　tone　changed。　〃Why　didn't　you　say　so　in　the　first　place？〃
　〃Because　I　didn't　expect　a　Gestapo　third　degree；　that's　why。　You　must　be　mander　Lar…sen。〃
　〃That's　me。〃
　〃Not　very　civil；　are　you？〃
　〃I've　got　a　job　to　do。〃
　〃Lord　Worth。〃
　〃He's　not　here。〃
　〃He　wouldn't　lie　to　me。〃　Mitchell　thought　it　impolitic　to　add　that　he'd　actually　seen　Lord　Worth　take　off。
　〃He　didn't　lie　to　you。　He　was　here。　He　left　hours　ago　for　Washington。〃
　Mitchell　was　silent　for　a　few　moments　while　he　considered。　〃Any　number　where　he　can　be　reached？〃
　〃Yes。　Why？〃
　〃I　didn't　ask　you　why　he'd　gone　to　Washington。　It's　an　urgent；　private　and　personal　matter。　From　what　I've　heard　of　you　from　Lord　Worth；　and　that's　quite　a　bit；　you'd　react　in　exactly　the　same　way。　Give　me　the　number　and　Til　call　back　and　fill　you　in　just　as　soon　as　Lord　Worth　gives　me　clearance。〃
　〃Your　word　on　that？〃

　Mitchell　gave　his　promise　and　Larsen　gave　him　the　number。
　Mitchell　replaced　the　receiver。　He　said　to　Robertson：　〃Lord　Worth　has　left　the　Seawitch　and　gone　to　Washington。〃
　〃He　does　get　around。　In　his　Boeing；　I　presume？〃
　〃I　didn't　ask。　I　took　that　for　granted。　Do　you　think　you　can　reach　him　on　the　plane？〃
　Robertson　didn't　look　encouraging。　〃When　did　he　leave　the　Seawitch？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　Should　have　asked；　I　suppose。　Hours　ago；　Larsen　said。〃
　
　Robertson　looked　even　more　discouraged。　〃I　wouldn't　hold　out　any　hope；　Mr。　Mitchell。　With　this　set　I　can　reach　out　a　couple　of　thousand　miles。　Lord　Worth's　Boeing　can　reach　any　airport　not　quite　as　far　away；　just　as　the　airport　can　reach　him。　But　the　receiving　equipment　aboard　the　Boeing　hasn't　been　modified　to　receive　long…range　transmissions　from　this　set；　which　is　very　specialized。　Short…range　only。　Five　hundred　miles；　if　that。　The　Boeing　is　bound　to　be　well　out　of　range　by　now。〃
　〃Freak　weather　conditions？〃
　〃Mighty　rare；　Mr。　Mitchell。〃
　〃Try　anyway；　Jim。〃
　He　tried　and　kept　on　trying　for　five　minutes；　during　which　it　became　steadily　more　apparent　that　Lord　Worth　would　have　at　least　a　bit　more　time　before　being　set　up　for　his　coronary。　At　the　end　of　five　minutes　Robertson　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　looked　up　at　Mitchell。
　〃Thanks　for　the　try；　Jim。〃　He　gave　Robertson　a　piece　of　paper　with　a　number　on　it。　〃Washington。　Think　you　can　reach　that？〃
　〃That　I　can　guarantee。〃
　〃Try　for　it　in　half　an　hour。　Ask　for　Lord　Worth。　Emphasize　the　urgency。　If　you　don't　contact　him；　try　again　every　twenty　minutes。　You　have　a　direct　line　to　the　study？〃
　〃Yes。1'
　'Til　be　there。　I　have　to　wele　the　law。〃
　Alia*air　MaeLean
　Lord　Worth；　still　happily　unaware　of　his　disintegrating　world；　slept　soundly。　The　Boeing；　at　thirty…three　thousand　feet；　was　just　beginning　its　descent　to　Dulles　Airport。
　
　Chapter　5
　
　Worth；　a　glass　of　scotch　in　one　hand　and　an　illegal　Cuban　cigar　in　the　other；　was　fortably　ensconced　in　a　deep　armchair　in　the　very　plush　office　of　the　Assistant　Secretary　of　State；　He　should　have　been　contented　and　relaxed：　he　was；　in　fact；　highly　discontented　and　pletely　unrelaxed。　He　was　being　mad；　steadily　and　far　from　slowly；　at　the　world　in　general　and　at　the　four　other　people　in　that　room　in　particular。
　The　four　consisted　of　Howell；　the　Assistant　Secretary；　a　tall；　thin；　keen…faced　man　with　steel…framed　glasses　who　looked　like；　and　in　fact　was；　a　Yale　professor。　The　second　was　his　personal　assistant；　whose　name；　fittingly　enough；　Lord　Worth　had　failed　to　catch；　for　he　had　about　him　the　gray　anonymity　of　a　top…flight　civil　servant。　The　third　was　Lieutenant…General　Zweicker；　and　all　that　could　be　said　about　him　was　that　he　looked　every　inch　a　general。　The　fourth　was　a　middle…aged　stenographer　who　appeared　to　take　notes　of　the　discussion　whenever　the　mood　struck　her；　which　didn't　appear　to　be　very　often：　most　likely；　long　experience　had　taught　her　that　most　of　what　was　said　at　any　conference　wasn't　worth　noting　anyway。
　Lord　Worth　said：　*Tm　a　very　tired　man　who　has　just　flown　up　from　the　Gulf　of　Mexico。　I　have　spent　twenty…five　minutes　here　and　appear　to　have　wasted　my　time。　Well；　gentlemen；　I　have　no　intention　of　wasting　my　time。　My　time　is　as　important　as　yours。　Correction。　It's　a　damn　sight　more　important。　'The　big　brush…off；'　I　believe　it's　called。〃
　〃How　can　you　call　it　a　brush…off？　You're　sitting　in　my　office　and　General　Zweicker　is　here。　How　many　other　citizens　rate　that　kind　of　treatment？〃
　〃The　bigger　the　facade；　the　bigger　the　brush…off。　I　am　not　accustomed　to　dealing　with　underlings。　I　am　accustomed　to　dealing　with　the　very　top；　which　I　haven't　quite　reached　yet；　but　will。　The　cool；　diplomatic；　deep…freeze　treatment　will　not　work。　I　am　no　troublemaker；　but　Til　go　any　lengths　to　secure　justice。　You　can't　sweep　me　under　your　diplomatic　carpet；　Mr。　Howell。　I　told　you　recently　that　there　were　international　threats　against　the　Seawitch；　and　you　chose　either　to　disbelieve　me　or　ignore　me。　I　e　to　you　now　with　additional　proof　that　I　am　threatened…three　naval　vessels　heading　for　the　Seawitch…and　still　you　propose　to　take　no　action。　And　I　would　point　out；　incidentally；　if　you　still　don't　know　independently　of　the　movements　of　those　vessels；　the