alistairmaclean.seawitch-第37部分

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　〃Bad　news。　There's　not　only　no　sign　of　your　tanker；　but　our　radar　scanners　show　no　signs　of　any　vessel　of　that　size　within　a　radius　of　forty　miles。〃
　〃Then；　what　the　devil　can　have　happened　to　her？　I　was　speaking　to　her　only　two　or　three　minutes　ago。〃
　〃On　her　own　call　sign？〃
　〃Yes；　dammit〃
　*Then　obviously　she's　in　no　trouble。〃
　Lord　Worth　hung　up　without　as　much　as　a　courtesy　thank　you。　He　glowered　at　Larsen　and　Mitchell　as　if　what　had　happened　had　been　their　fault。　He　said　at　length：　〃I　can　only　conclude　that　the　captain　of　the　Torbello　has　gone　off　his　rocker。〃
　Mitchell　said：　〃And　I　conclude　that　he's　under　lock　and　key　aboard　his　own　ship。'*
　Lord　Worth　was　heavily　ironic。　〃In　addition　to　your　many　other　acplishments　you've　now　bee　psychic。〃
　〃Your　Torbello　has　been　hijacked。〃
　〃Hijacked！　Hijacked？　Now　you've　gone　off　your　rocker。　Who　ever　heard　of　a　tanker　being　hijacked？〃
　〃Who　ever　heard　of　a　jumbo　jet　being　hijacked　until　the　first　one　was？　After　what　happened　to　the　Crusader　in　Galveston；　the　captain　of　the　Torbello　would　have　been　extremely　leery　of　being　approached；　much　less　boarded；　by　any　other　vessel　unless　it　were　a　craft　with　respectability　beyond　question。　The　only　two　such　types　of　craft　are　naval　or　coast　guard。　WeVe　heard　that　the　Marine　Gulf　Corporation's　survey　vessel　has　been　stolen。　A　lot　of　those　survey　vessels　are　ex…coast　guard　with　landing　space　for　a　helicopter　to　carry　out　seismological　pattern　bombing。　That　ship　was　called　the　Hammond。　With　your　connections　you　could　find　out　about　it　in　minutes。〃
　Lord　Worth　did　find　out　in　minutes。　He　said：　〃So　you're　right。〃　He　was　too　dumbfounded　even　to　apologize。　〃And　this　of　course　was　the　Tiburon　that　Cronkite　sailed　from　Galveston。　God　only　knows　what　name　it　goes　under　now。　What　next；　I　wonder？〃
　Mitchell　said：　〃A　call　from　Cronkite；　I'd　guess。〃
　〃What　would　he　call　me　for？〃
　〃Some　tough　demands；　I'd　say。　I　don't　know。〃
　Lord　Worth　was　nothing　if　not　resilient。　He　had　powerful　and　influential　friends。　He　called　an　admiral　in　naval　headquarters　in　Washington　and　demanded　that　an　air…sea　search　unit　be　dispatched　immediately　to　the　scene。　The　Navy　apologetically　said　that　they　would　have　to　obtain　the　permission　of　the　mander…in…Chief　…that　is；　the　President。　The　President；　he　knew；　would　profess　a　profound　if　polite　degree　of　disinterest。　Neither　he　nor　Congress　had　any　reason　to　love　the　oil　panies　who　had　so　frequently　flouted　them…which　was　less　than　fair　to　Lord　Worth；　who　had　never　flouted　anyone　in　Wash…247
　Allstalr　MaeLcam
　ington　in　his　life。　More；　the　search　almost　certainly　lay　outside　their　jurisdictional　waters。　Besides；　it　was　raining　in　the　Gulf　and　black　as　the　pit；　and　though　their　radar　might　well　pick　up　a　hundred　ships　in　the　area；　visual　identification　would　be　impossible。
　He　tried　the　CIA。　Then…　disinterest　was　even　more　profound。　In　the　several　years　past　they　had　had　their　fingers　badly　burned　in　public　and　all　their　spare　time　was　devoted　to　licking　their　wounds。
　The　FBI　curtly　reminded　him　that　their　activities　were　purely　internal　and　that　anyway　they　got　seasick　whenever　they　ventured　on　water。
　Lord　Worth　considered　making　an　appeal　to　the　UN；　but　was　dissuaded　by　Larsen　and　Miteh…elL　Not　only　would　the　Arab　states；　Venezuela；　Nigeria；　every　munist　country；　and　what　now　went　by　the　name　of　the　Third　World…and　they　held　the　vast　majority　of　votes　hi　the　UN…　veto　any　such　suggestion：　the　UN　had　no　legal　power　to　initiate　any　such　action。　Apart　from　that；　by　that　time　the　entire　UN　plex　were　probably　hi　bed　anyway。
　For　once　in　his　life；　Lord　Worth　appeared　to　be　at　a　loss。　Life；　it　appeared；　could　hold　no　more　for　him。　Lord　Worth　was　discovering　that；　upon　occasion；　he　could　be　as　fallible　as　the　next　man。
　A　voice…over　call　came　through。　It　was；　as　Mitchell　had　predicted　it　would　be；　Cronkite。　He　was　glad　to　inform　Lord　Worth　that　there　was　no　cause　for　concern　over　the　Torbello；　as　she　was　in　safe　and　sound　hands。
　〃Where？〃　Had　his　daughter　not　been　present；　Lord　Worth　would　undoubtedly　have　qualified　his　question　with　a　few　choice　adjectives。
　〃I　prefer　not　to　specify　exactly。　Enough　to　say　that　she　is　securely　anchored　in　the　territorial　waters　of　a　Central　American　country。　It　is　my　intention　to　dispose　of　this　oil　to　this　very　poor　and　oil…deficient　country〃…he　did　not　mention　that　it　was　his　intention　to　sell　it　at　half　price；　which　would　bring　in　a　few　acceptable　hundred　thousands　of　dollars…〃then　take　the　tanker　out　to　sea　and　sink　it。　Unless；　of　course…〃
　〃Unless　what？〃　Lord　Worth　asked。　His　voice　had　assumed　a　peculiar　hoarseness。
　〃Unless　you　close　down　the　Christmas　tree　on　the　Seawiteh　and　immediately　stop　all　pumping　and　drilling。〃
　〃Fool。〃
　〃How's　that？〃
　〃Your　thugs　have　already　attended　to　that　Haven't　they　told　you？〃
　〃I　want　proof。　I　want　Mortensen。〃
　Lord　Worth　said　wearily：　〃Hold　on。　We'll　get　him/'
　Mitchell　went　to　fetch　him。　By　the　time　he　returned；　overalled　and　masked；　Mortensen　had　been　thoroughly　briefed。　He　confirmed　to　Cronkite　that　all　pumping　and　drilling　had　stopped。　Cronkite　expressed　his　satisfaction　and　the　radio　link　went　dead。　Mitchell　removed　the　。38　from　below　Mortensen's　ear　and　two　of　Palermo's　men　took　him　from　the　room。　Mitchell　took　off　his　hood　and　Marina　looked　at　him　with　a　mixture　of　horror　and　incredulity。
　She　whispered：　〃You　were　ready　to　kill　him。〃　〃Not　at　all。　I　was　going　to　pat　him　on　the　head　and　tell　him　what　a　good　boy　he　was。　I　asked　you　to　get　off　this　rig。〃
　
　
　Chapter　9
　
　Worth　had　barely　begun　to　wipe　his　brow　when　two　men　hurried　into　the　room。　One　was　Palermo　and　the　other　was　one　of　the　rig　crew；　Simpson；　whose　duty　it　was　to　monitor　the　sensory　instruments　attached　to　the　platform's　legs　and　the　tensioning　anchor　cables。　He　was　obviously　in　a　state　of　considerable　agitation。
　Lord　Worth　said：　〃What　fresh　horror　does　fate　hold　in　store　for　us　now？〃
　〃Somebody　below　the　rig；　sir。　My　instruments　have　gone　a　bit　haywire。　Some　object；　almost　certainly　metallic；　is　ia　intermittent　contact　with　the　western　leg。〃
　〃There　can　be　no　doubt　about　this？〃　Simpson　shook　his　head。　〃Seems　damnably　odd　that　Cronkite　would　try　to　bring　down　the　Seawitch　with　his　own　men　on　board。〃
　Mitchell　said：　〃Maybe　he　doesn't　want　to　bring　it　down；　just　damage　the　leg　enough　to　destroy　the　buoyancy　in　the　leg　and　the　adjacent　members　and　tilt　the　Seawitch　so　the　drill　and　pump…hug　mechanisms　don't　work。　Maybe　anything。　Or　maybe　he　would　be　prepared　to　sacrifice　his　own　men　to　get　you。〃　He　turned　to　Palermo。　〃I　know　you've　got　scuba　equipment　aboard。　Show　me。〃　They　left。
　Marina　said：　〃I　suppose　he's　off　to　murder　someone　else。　He's　not　really　human；　is　he？〃
　Lord　Worth　looked　at　her　without　enthusiasm。　〃If　you　call　being　inhuman　wanting　to　see　that　you　don't　die；　then　he's　inhuman。　There's　only　one　person　aboard　this　rig　he　really　cares　for；　and　you　damned　well　know　it。　I　never　thought　Fd　be　ashamed　of　a　daughter　of　mine。〃
　Palermo　had；　in　fact；　two　trained　scuba　divers　with　him；　but　Mitchell　chose　only　one　to　acpany　him。　Palermo　was　not　a　man　to　be　easily　impressed；　but　he　had　seen　enough　of　Mitchell　not　to　question　his　judgment。　In　remarkably　quick　time　Mitchell　and　the　other　man；　who　went　by　the　name　of　Sawyers；　were　dressed　in　scuba　outfits　and　were　equipped　with　reloadable　pressed…air　harpoon　guns　and　sheath　knives。
　
　They　were　lowered　to　the　water　by　the　only　available　means　on　such　a　giant　TLP…a　wire…mesh　cage　attached　to　the　boom　of　the　derrick　crane。　At　water　level　they　opened　the　hinged　door；　dived　and　swam　to　the　giant　western　leg。
　Simpson　had　made　no　mistake。　They　were　indeed　at　work　down　there；　two　of　them；　attached　by　airlines　and　cables　to　the　shadowy　outline　of　a　vessel　some　twenty　feet　above　them。　Both　wore　powerful　headlamps。　They_　were　energetically　engaged　in　attaching　limpet　mines；　conventional　magnetic　mines　and　wraparound　rolls　of　beehive　amatol　to　the　enormous　leg。　They　had　enough　explosives　there；　Mitchell　figured；　to　bring　down　the　Eiffel　Tower。　Maybe　Cronkite　did　intend　to　destroy　the　leg。　That　Cronkite　was　unhinged　seemed　more　probable　than　not。
　The　two　saboteurs