alistairmaclean.seawitch-第29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！


　Tm　afraid　that　this　man　here…his　name　is　Durand　and　I　assume　that　he　is　one　of　Cronkite's　lieutenants…〃
　〃Cronkite！〃　Durand　was　jarred。　〃What　do　you　know　about　Cronkite？〃
　〃I　can　hardly　congratulate　him　on　his　choice　of　lieutenants。〃　When　Lord　Worth　poured　on　his　icy　contempt　he　used　a　king…sized　trowel。　〃Do　you　think　we　are　such　fools　as　not　to　know　who　your　employer　is？　Not　that　Cronkite　has　long　to　live。　Nor　you；　either；　for　that　matter。〃　Durand　stirred　uneasily…Lord　Worth　sounded　far　too　much　like　his　daughters　for　his　peace　of　mind。　Lord　Worth　directed　his　attention　to　Larsen。　〃One　assumes　that　this　ruffian　arrived　with　acplices。　How　many？〃
　〃Four。〃
　〃Four！　But　with　Palermo　and　his　men　you　have　over　twenty！　How　is　it　possible…〃
　Durand　was　back　on　balance。　When　he　spoke　it　was　with　a　slight；　if　logical；　smugness。　〃We　have　something　that　Larsen　hasn't。　We　have　your　daughters。〃
　What　was　apparently　pure　shock　rendered　Lord　Worth　temporarily　speechless；　then　in　a　hoarse　voice　he　said：　〃Great　God　almighty！　My　daughters！〃　Lord　Worth　could　have　had　his　Oscar　just　for　the　asking。　〃You…you　are　the　kidnaper？〃
　〃Fortunes　of　war；　sir。〃　It　said　much　for　Lord　Worth's　aristocratic　magnetism　that　even　the　most　villainous　eventually　addressed　him　in　respectful　tones。　〃Now；　if　we　could　see　the　rest　of　the　passengers。〃
　Mitchell　and　Roomer　descended。　In　tan　alpaca　suits　and　horn…rimmed　glasses　they　were　innocu…ousness　personified。　Lord　Worth　said：　〃Mitchell　and　Roomer。　Scientists…geologists　and　seismologists。〃　He　turned　to　Mitchell　and　Roomer　and　said　dully：　〃They're　holding　my　daughters　captive　aboard　the　Seawitch。〃
　〃Good　God！〃　Mitchell　was　properly　shocked。　〃But　surely　this　is　the　last　place…〃
　〃Of　course。　The　unexpected；　keeping　a　couple　of　steps　ahead　of　the　opposition。　What'd　you　e　here　for？〃
　〃To　find　new　sources　of　oil。　We　have　a　perfectly　equipped　laboratory　here…〃
　〃You　could　have　saved　your　time。　Can　we　search　your　bag　and　your　friend's？〃
　〃Have　I　any　choice？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Go　ahead。〃
　〃Aaron。〃
　Aaron　carried　out　a　quick　examination　of　Mitchell's　bag。　〃Clothes。　Some　scientific　books　and　scientific　instruments。　Is　all。〃
　Dr。　Greenshaw　clambered　down　the　ladder；　reached　up　and　relieved　the　pilot　of　various　bags　and　boxes。　Durand　looked　at　the　door　and　said：　〃Who　the　hell　is　he？〃
　〃Dr。　Greenshaw；〃　Lord　Worth　said。　〃A　highly　respected　doctor　and　surgeon。　We　did　expect　a　certain　amount　of　violence　aboard　the　Seawitch。　We　came　prepared。　We　do　have　a　dispensary　and　small　sick　bay　here。〃
　〃Another　wasted　trip。　We　hold　all　the　cards；　and　violence　is　the　last　thing　we　expect。　We'll　examine　your　equipment　too；　Doctor。〃
　〃If　you　wish。　As　a　doctor；　I　deal　in　life　and　not　in　death。　I　have　no　concealed　weapons。　The　medical　code　forbids　it。〃　Greenshaw　sighed。　〃Please　search　but　do　not　destroy。〃
　Durand　pulled　out　his　walkie…talkie。　〃Send　one　of　Palermo's　men　across　here　with　an　electric　truck…there's　quite　a　bit　of　equipment　to　pick　up。〃　He　replaced　his　walkie…talkie　and　looked　at　Mitchell。　〃Your　hands　are　shaking。　Why？〃
　〃I'm　a　man　of　peace；〃　Mitchell　said。　He　crossed　his　hands　behind　his　back　to　conceal　the　tremor。
　
　Roomer；　the　only　man　to　recognize　the　signals；　licked　his　lips　and　looked　at　Mitchell　in　exaggerated　nervous　apprehension。　Durand　said：　〃Another　hero。　I　hate　cowards。〃
　Mitchell　brought　his　hands　in　front　of　him。　The　tremor　was　still　there。　Durand　stepped　forward；　his　right　hand　swinging　back　as　if　to　strike　Mitchell　open…handed；　then　let　his　hand　fall　in　disgust；　which　was；　unwittingly；　the　wisest　thing　he　could　have　done。　Durand's　mind　was　incapable　of　picking　up　any　psychic　signals：　had　it　been　so　attuned；　he　could　not　have　failed　to　hear　the　black　wings　of　the　bird　of　death　flapping　above　his　head。
　The　only　person　who　derived　any　satisfaction；　carefully　concealed；　from　this　vignette；　was　Lar…sen。　Although　he　had　talked　to　Mitchell　on　the　telephone　he　had　never　met　him…but　he　had　heard　a　great　deal　about　him　from　Lord　Worth；　more　than　enough　to　make　him　realize　that　Mitchell　would　have　reduced　Durand　to　mincemeat　sooner　than　back　down　before　him。　Mitchell　had　taken　only　seconds　to　establish　the　role　he　wished　to　establish…that　of　the　cowardly　nonentity　who　could　be　safely　and　contemptuously　ignored。　Larsen；　who　was　no　mean　hand　at　taking　care　of　people　himself；　felt　strangely　forted。
　Lord　Worth　said：　〃May　I　see　my　daughters？〃
　Durand　considered；　then　nodded。　〃Search　him；　Aaron。〃
　Aaron；　carefully　avoiding　Lord　Worth's　basilisk　glare　of　icy　outrage；　duly　searched。　〃He's　clean；　Mr。　Durand。〃
　〃Across　there。〃　Durand　pointed　through　the　gathering　gloom。　〃By　the　side　of　the　platform。〃
　Lord　Worth　walked　off　without　a　word。　The　others　made　their　way　toward　the　acmodation　quarters。　As　Lord　Worth　approached　his　daughters；　Heffer　barred　his　way。
　〃Where　do　you　think　you're　going；　mister？〃
　〃Lord　Worth　to　you；　peasant。〃
　Heffer　pulled　out　his　walkie…talkie。　〃Mr。　Durand？　There's　a　guy　here…〃
　Durand's　voice　crackled　over　the　receiver。　〃That's　Lord　Worth。　He's　been　searched　and　he's　got　my　permission　to　speak　to　his　daughters。〃
　Lord　Worth　plucked　the　walkie…talkie　from　Heffer。　〃And　would　you　please　instruct　this　individual　to　remain　outside　listening　range？〃
　〃You　heard；　Heffer。〃　The　walkie…talkie　went　dead。
　The　reunion　between　father　and　daughters　was　a　tearful　and　impassioned　one；　at　least　on　the　daughters*　side。　Lord　Worth　was　all　that　a　doting　parent　reunited　with　his　kidnaped　children　should　have　been；　but　his　effusiveness　was　kept　well　under　control。　Marina　was　the　first　to　notice　this。
　〃Aren't　you　glad　to　see　us　again；　Daddy？〃
　Lord　Worth　hugged　them　both　and　said　simply：　〃You　two　are　my　whole　life。　If　you　don't　know　that　by　this　time；　you　will　never　know　it。〃
　〃You've　never　said　that　before。〃　Even　in　the　deepening　dusk　it　was　possible　to　see　the　sheen　of　tears　in　Melinda's　eyes。
　〃I　did　not　think　it　necessary。　I　thought　you　always　knew。　Perhaps　I'm　a　remiss　parent；　perhaps　still　too　much　the　reserved　highlander。　But　all　my　billions　aren't　worth　a　lock　of　your　black　hair；　Marina；　or　a　lock　of　your　red　hair；　Me…linda。〃
　〃Titian；　Daddy；　titian。　How　often　must　I　tell　you？〃　Melinda　was　openly　crying　now。
　It　was　Marina；　always　the　more　shrewd　and　perceptive　of　the　two；　who　put　her　finger　on　it。　〃You　aren't　surprised　to　see　us；　Daddy；　are　you？　You　knew　we　were　here。〃
　〃Of　course　I　knew。〃
　〃How？〃
　〃My　agents；〃　Lord　Worth　said　loftily；　〃lie　thick　upon　the　ground。〃
　〃And　what　is　going　to　happen　now？〃
　Lord　Worth　was　frank。　〃I'm　damned　if　I　know。〃
　〃We　saw　three　other　men　e　off　the　helicopter。　Didn't　recognize　them…getting　too　dark。〃
　〃One　was　a　Dr。　Greenshaw。　Excellent　surgeon。〃
　Melinda　said：　〃What　do　you　want　a　surgeon　for？〃
　〃Don't　be　silly。　What　does　anyone　want　a　surgeon　for？　You　think　we're　going　to　hand　over　the　Seawitch　on　a　platter？…〃
　〃And　the　other　two？〃
　〃You　don't　know　them。　You've　never　heard　of　them。　And　if　you　do　meet　them　you　will　give　no　indication　that　you　recognize　them　or　have　ever　seen　them　before。〃
　Marina　said：　〃Michael　and　John。〃
　〃Yes。　Remember…you've　never　seen　them　before。〃
　〃We'll　remember；〃　the　girls　said　almost　in　chorus。　Their　faces　were　transformed。　Marina　said：　〃But　they'll　be　in　great　danger。　Why　are　they　here？〃
　〃Something　to　do；　I　understand；　with　then…stated　intent　of　taking　you　back　home。〃
　〃How…are　they　going　to　do　that？〃
　Again　Lord　Worth　was　frank。　〃I　don't　know。　H　they　know；　they　wouldn't　tell　me。　They've　bee　bossy；　very　bossy。　Watch　me　like　a　hawk：　Won't　even　let　me　near　my　own　blasted　phone。〃　The　girls　refrained　from　smiling；　principally　because　Lord　Worth　didn't　seem　particularly　perturbed。　〃Mitchell；　especially；　seems　in　a　very　tetchy　mood。〃　Lord　Worth　spoke　with　some　relish。　〃Near　as　a　whisker　killed　Durand　inside　the　first　minute。　Would　have；　too；　if　you　weren't　being　held　hostage。　Well；　let's　go　to　my　suite。　I've　been　to　Washington　and　back。　Long　tiring　day。　I　need　refreshment。〃
　Durand　went　into　the　radio　room；　told　the　regular　operator　that　his　services　would　not　be　required　until　further　notice　and　that　he　was　to　return　to　his　quarters　and　remain　there。　The　operator　lef