dk.solesurvivor-第25部分

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　　'I　think　the　real　question　is　what　you　see。'
　　Elsewhere　in　the　kitchen；　Charlie　Delmann　opened　drawers　and　sorted　through　the　clattering　contents；　evidently　searching　for　a　corkscrew。
　　'We've　already　told　Lisa。'　Georgine　glanced　across　the　room。　'I'll　wait　until　Charlie's　here　to　tell　you；　Joe。'
　　Lisa　said；　'It's　damned　weird；　Joey；　and　I'm　not　sure　what　to　make　of　what　they've　said。　All　I　know　is　it　scares　the　crap　out　of　me。'
　　'Scares　you？'　Georgine　was　astonished。　'Lisa；　dear；　how　on　earth　could　it　scare　you？'
　　'You'll　see；'　Lisa　told　Joe。　This　woman；　usually　blessed　with　the　strength　of　stones；　shivered　like　a　reed。　'But　I　guarantee　you；　Charlie　and　Georgine　are　two　of　the　most　level…headed　people　I　know。　Which　you're　sure　going　to　need　to　keep　in　mind　when　they　get　started。'
　　Picking　up　the　Polaroid　snapshot；　Georgine　gazed　needfully　at　it；　as　though　she　wished　not　merely　to　burn　it　into　her　memory　but　to　absorb　the　image　and　make　it　a　physical　part　of　her；　leaving　the　film　blank。
　　With　a　sigh；　Lisa　launched　into　a　revelation：　'I　have　my　own　weird　piece　to　add　to　the　puzzle；　Joey。　A　year　ago　tonight；　I　was　at　LAX；　waiting　for　Rose's　plane　to　land。'
　　Georgine　looked　up　from　the　photo。　'You　didn't　tell　us　that。'
　　'I　was　about　to；'　Lisa　said；　'when　Joey　rang　the　doorbell。'
　　At　the　far　end　of　the　kitchen；　with　a　soft　pop；　a　stubborn　cork　came　free　from　a　wine　bottle；　and　Charlie　Delmann　grunted　with　satisfaction。
　　'I　didn't　see　you　at　the　airport　that　night；　Lisa；'　Joe　said。
　　'I　was　keeping　a　low　profile。　Torn　up　about　Rose　but　also。。。　flat　out　scared。'
　　'You　were　there　to　pick　her　up？'
　　'Rose　called　me　from　New　York　and　asked　me　to　be　at　LAX　with　Bill　Hannett。'
　　Hannett　was　the　photographer　whose　images　of　natural　and　manmade　disasters　hung　on　the　walls　of　the　reception　lounge　at　the　Post。
　　The　pale…blue　fabric　of　Lisa's　eyes　was　worn　now　with　worry。　'Rose　desperately　needed　to　talk　to　a　reporter；　and　I　was　the　only　one　she　knew　she　could　trust。'
　　'Charlie；'　Georgine　said；　'you've　got　to　e　hear　this。'
　　'I　can　hear；　I　can　hear；'　Charlie　assured　her。　'Just　pouring　now。　A　minute。'
　　'Rose　also　gave　me　a　list…six　other　people　she　wanted　there；'　Lisa　said。　'Friends　from　years　back。　I　managed　to　locate　five　of　them　on　short　notice　and　bring　them　with　me　that　night。　They　were　to　be　witnesses。'
　　Rapt；　Joe　said；　'Witnesses　to　what？'
　　'I　don't　know。　She　was　so　guarded。　Excited；　really　excited　about　something；　but　also　frightened。　She　said　she　was　going　to　be　getting　off　that　plane　with　something　that　would　change　all　of　us　forever；　change　the　world。'
　　'Change　the　world？'　Joe　said。　'Every　politician　with　a　scheme　and　every　actor　with　a　rare　thought　thinks　he　can　change　the　world　these　days。'
　　'Oh；　but　in　this　case；　Rose　was　right；'　Georgine　said。　Barely　contained　tears　of　excitement　or　joy　shone　in　her　eyes　as　she　showed　him　the　gravestone　photo　once　more。　'It's　wonderful。'
　　If　he　had　fallen　down　the　White　Rabbit's　hole；　Joe　didn't　notice　the　plunge；　but　the　territory　in　which　he　now　found　himself　was　increasingly　surrealistic。
　　The　flames　in　the　oil　lamps；　which　had　been　steady；　flared　and　writhed　in　the　tall　glass　chimneys；　drawn　upward　by　a　draft　that　Joe　could　not　feel。
　　Salamanders　of　yellow　light　wriggled　across　the　previously　dark　side　of　Lisa's　face。　When　she　looked　at　the　lamps；　her　eyes　were　as　yellow　as　moons　low　on　the　horizon。
　　Quickly　the　flames　subsided；　and　Lisa　said；　'Yeah；　sure；　it　sounded　melodramatic。　But　Rose　is　no　bullshit　artist。　And　she　has　been　working　on　something　of　enormous　importance　for　six　or　seven　years。　I　believed　her。'
　　Between　the　kitchen　and　the　downstairs　hall；　the　swinging　door　made　its　distinctive　sound。　Charlie　Delmann　had　left　the　room　without　explanation。
　　'Charlie？'　Georgine　rose　from　her　chair。　'Now　where's　he　gone？　I　can't　believe　he's　missing　this。'
　　To　Joe；　Lisa　said；　'When　I　spoke　to　her　on　the　phone　a　few　hours　before　she　boarded　Flight　353；　Rose　told　me　they　were　looking　for　her。　She　didn't　think　they　would　expect　her　to　show　up　in　L。A。　But　just　in　case　they　figured　out　what　flight　she　was　on；　in　case　they　were　waiting　for　her；　Rose　wanted　us　there　too；　so　we　could　surround　her　the　minute　she　got　off　the　plane　and　prevent　them　from　silencing　her。　She　was　going　to　give　me　the　whole　story　right　there　at　the　debarkation　gate。'
　　'They？'　Joe　asked。
　　Georgine　had　started　after　Charlie　to　see　where　he'd　gone；　but　interest　in　Lisa's　story　got　the　better　of　her；　and　she　returned　to　her　chair。
　　Lisa　said；　'Rose　was　talking　about　the　people　she　works　for。'
　　'Teknologik。'
　　'You've　been　busy　today；　Joey。'
　　'Busy　trying　to　understand；'　he　said；　his　mind　now　swimming　through　a　swamp　of　hideous　possibilities。
　　'You　and　me　and　Rose　all　connected。　Small　world；　huh？'
　　Sickened　to　think　there　were　people　murderous　enough　to　kill　three　hundred　and　twenty　innocent　bystanders　merely　to　get　at　their　true　target；　Joe　said；　'Lisa；　dear　God；　tell　me　you　don't　think　that　plane　was　brought　down　just　because　Rose　Tucker　was　on　it。'
　　Staring　out　at　the　shimmering　blue　light　of　the　pool；　Lisa　thought　about　her　answer　before　giving　it。　'That　night　I　was　sure　of　it。　But　then。。。　the　investigation　showed　no　sign　of　a　bomb。　No　probable　cause　really　fixed。　If　anything；　it　was　a　bination　of　a　minor　mechanical　error　and　human　error　on　the　part　of　the　pilots。'
　　'At　least　that's　what　we've　been　told。'
　　'I　spent　time　quietly　looking　into　the　National　Transportation　Safety　Board；　not　on　this　crash　so　much　as　in　general。　They　have　an　impeccable　record；　Joey。　They're　good　people。　No　corruption。　They're　even　pretty　much　above　politics。'
　　Georgine　said；　'But　I　believe　Rose　thinks　she　was　responsible　for　what　happened。　She's　convinced　that　her　being　there　was　the　cause　of　it。'
　　'But　if　she's　even　indirectly　responsible　for　the　death　of　your　daughter；'　Joe　said；　'why　do　you　find　her　so　wonderful？'
　　Georgine's　smile　was　surely　no　different　from　the　one　with　which　she　had　greeted…and　charmed…him　at　the　front　door。　To　Joe；　however；　in　his　growing　disorientation；　her　expression　seemed　to　be　as　strange　and　unsettling　as　might　be　the　smile　on　a　clown　encountered　in　a　fog…threaded　alley　after　midnight；　alarming　because　it　was　so　profoundly　out　of　place。　Through　her　disturbing　smile；　she　said；　'You　want　to　know　why；　Joe？　Because　this　is　the　end　of　the　world　as　we　know　it。'
　　To　Lisa；　Joe　said　exasperatedly；　'Who　is　Rose　Tucker？　What　does　she　do　for　Teknologik？'
　　'She's　a　geneticist；　and　a　brilliant　one。'
　　'Specializing　in　rebinant　DNA　research。'　Georgine　held　up　the　Polaroid　again；　as　if　Joe　should　be　able　to　grasp　at　once　how　the　photo　of　a　gravestone　and　genetic　engineering　were　related。
　　'Exactly　what　she　was　doing　for　Teknologik；'　Lisa　said；　'I　never　knew。　That's　what　she　was　going　to　tell　me　when　she　landed　at　LAX　a　year　ago　tonight。　Now；　because　of　what　she　told　Georgine　and　Charlie　yesterday。。。　I　can　pretty　much　figure　it　out。　I　just　don't　know　how　to　believe　it。'
　　Joe　wondered　about　her　odd　locution：　not　whether　to　believe　it；　but　how　to　believe　it。
　　'What　is　Teknologik…besides　what　it　appears　to　be？'　he　asked。
　　Lisa　smiled　thinly。　'You　have　a　good　nose；　Joe。　A　year　off　hasn't　dulled　your　sense　of　smell。　From　things　Rose　said　over　the　years；　vague　references；　I　think　you're　looking　at　a　singularity　in　a　capitalist　world…a　pany　that　can't　fail。'
　　'Can't　fail？'　Georgine　asked。
　　'Because　behind　it　there's　a　generous　partner　that　covers　all　the　losses。'
　　'The　military？'　Joe　wondered。
　　'Or　some　branch　of　government。　Some　organization　with　deeper　pockets　than　any　individual　in　the　world。　I　got　the　sense；　from　Rose；　that　this　project　wasn't　funded　with　just　a　hundred　million　of　research　and　development　funds。　We're　talking　major　capital　on　the　line　here。　There　were　billions　behind　this。'
　　From　upstairs　came　the　boom　of　a　gunshot。
　　Even　muffled　by　intervening　rooms；　the　nature　of　the　sound　was　unmistakable。
　　The　three　of　them　came　to　their　feet　as　one；　and　Georgine　said；　'Charlie？'
　　Perhaps　because　he　had　so　recently