cc.goldenbuddha-第42部分

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　〃Okay；　okay；〃　Talbot　blurted。　〃But　I'm　about　to　pee　my　pants。〃　
　〃Take　him　to　the　facilities；〃　Hanley　said。　
　Blindfolded　once　again；　Talbot　was　led　to　a　restroom　and　his　hands　untied。　
　Four　minutes　later；　he　was　back　in　his　seat　and　strapped　in　place　Fifteen　minutes　after　that；　the　mask　was　formed　and　the　voice　prin　recorded。　A　few　minutes　later；　Michael　Talbot　was　placed　facedown　on　the　rear　seat　of　the　sedan　again　and　was　driven　toward　the　ferry　dock。　
　
　WINSTON　SPENSER　WAS　trying　to　figure　an　angle。　There　was　none。　He　had　grabbed　for　the　brass　ring　and　e　up　short。　His　choice　now　was　to　live　or　to　die；　and　the　people　that　were　controlling　him　had　made　a　pelling　argument。　He'd　walk　out　with　a　new　identity　and　a　million　in　funding。　He　decided　this　was　a　deal　he　would　honor。　
　Spenser　stared　at　his　new　passport　and　documents；　then　watched　the　lady　in　the　group　talking　on　the　cellular　telephone。　She　disconnected　and　turned　to　the　leader。　
　〃The　president　is　on　his　way；　Mr。　Chairman；〃　she　said。　〃He's　taken　care　of　the　problem。〃　
　Spenser　had　no　idea　of　the　identities　or　affiliation　of　the　people　who　had　taken　him　hostage。　He　only　knew　from　what　he　had　witnessed　so　far　that　they　had　a　power　that　went　far　beyond　anything　he　had　ever　seen。　They　seemed　to　exist　in　a　world　of　their　own　creation；　a　world　of　control　and　illusion；　and　whatever　Spenser　may　have　planned；　they　had　always　been　one　step　ahead。　And　then　it　hit　him。　
　〃You　were　at　the　auction　in　Geneva；〃　he　said　to　the　leader。　
　Cabrillo　stared　at　Spenser；　as　if　trying　to　decide。　〃Yes；　I　was。〃　
　〃How　did　you　know　I'd　switched　the　Buddhas？〃　
　〃You　paid　our　pany　to　fly　the　icon　here　to　Macau；　then　take　it　by　armored　car　to　the　temple；〃　Cabrillo　said。　
　〃So　you　staged　the　entire　affair　at　the　party　as　a　ruse？〃　
　〃That；　and　we　wanted　to　fulfill　your　deal　with　the　man　outside；〃　Cabrillo　said。　
　〃Unreal；〃　Spenser　said。　〃And　the　one　hundred　million？〃　
　〃It　will　go　to　charity；〃　Cabrillo　said。　〃We　were　hired　to　bring　the　real　Buddha　back　to　its　rightful　ownerthis　side　deal　is　just　frosting　on　the　cake。〃　
　Spenser　thought　for　a　moment。　〃What　is　your　ideology；　your　group's　motivation？〃　
　〃We　are　a　corporation；〃　Cabrillo　said。　〃That　is　the　only　ideology　we　need。〃　
　〃So　you　exist　to　make　a　profit？〃　
　〃We　exist；〃　Cabrillo　said；　〃to　make　right　from　wrong。　But　along　the　way；　we've　learned　how　to　make　that　a　very　lucrative　enterprise。〃　
　〃Amazing；〃　Spenser　said。　
　〃Not　as　amazing　as　this；〃　Cabrillo　said　as　the　door　to　the　hangar　opened　and　the　car　carrying　Hanley　drove　inside。　Once　the　door　closed；　Hanley　climbed　from　the　passenger　side　of　the　SUV。　〃Meet　Michael　Talbot；〃　Cabrillo　said　to　an　astonished　Winston　Spenser。　
　
　THE　SOFTWARE　BILLIONAIRE　took　a　key　from　a　chain　around　his　neck　and　opened　the　leather　portfolio　on　the　table。　Then　he　removed　a　folder　and　flipped　through　the　papers。　The　stack　of　papers　was　nearly　an　inch　thick　and　was　posed　of　bearer　bonds　in　various　amounts。　The　largest　denomination　was　for　an　even　1　million。　The　smallest；　50；000。　The　banks　that　had　issued　the　bonds　were　from　a　hodgepodge　of　European　countries；　from　Great　Britain　to　Germany　to　the　most　prevalent；　Switzerland　and　Liechtenstein。　The　total　was　100　million。　
　It　was　a　king's　ransom　to　purchase　a　princely　prize。　
　But　to　the　software　billionaire；　it　was　just　money。　He　lived　for　the　fulfillment　of　his　own　desires。　It　was　not　the　art　of　the　Golden　Buddhs　that　intrigued　him；　nor　the　history　that　surrounded　the　icon　like　a　cloud；　it　was　the　fact　that　it　had　once　been　stolen　and　now　it　had　been　stoler　again。　It　was　the　crime　that　turned　him　on；　the　inflation　of　his　ego　h《　would　feel　when　he　knew　that　he　was　the　only　man　in　the　world　to　possess　the　rare　and　priceless　artifact。　Truth　be　told；　he　already　owned　a　collection　of　stolen　art　that　rivaled　any　museum　in　Europe。　Monet；　
　Manet；　Daumier；　Delacroix。　Da　Vinci　sketches；　Donatello　bronzes。　Illuminated　manuscripts；　crown　jewels；　stolen　historical　documents。　
　Warehouses　in　California　were　filled　with　antique　automobiles；　historic　motorcycles；　and　early　airplanes。　Stolen　Civil　War　artifacts；　Romanov　icons　heisted　from　a　museum　in　St。　Petersburg；　scientist　Nikola　Tesla's　writings　lifted　from　a　museum　in　Romania　after　the　fall　of　munism；　secret　presidential　letters；　even　a　toilet　from　the　White　House。　
　The　first　puter；　the　first　personal　puter；　the　first　mass…produced　consumer　puter。　
　Those　last　were　for　nostalgia；　since　puters　were　where　his　fortune　had　e　from。　He　still　had　a　hard　copy　of　the　first　program　his　pany　had　soldone　he　had　stolen　himself　from　an　unsuspecting　programmer　who'd　believed　he　was　just　helping　another　enthusiast。　That　had　been　his　first　and　largest　theft；　and　it　had　set　the　stage　for　all　the　others。　
　He　stared　at　the　bonds　again；　then　reached　for　the　satellite　telephone。
　
　EDDIE　SENG　WATCHED　as　a　pair　of　olive…green　Zodiac　boats　were　raised　from　a　lower　deck　on　a　utility　elevator　that　exited　amidships　on　the　Oregon。　As　soon　as　the　elevator　stopped；　Sam　Pryor　hooked　a　cable　to　the　center　hoisting　ring　of　the　first　boat　and　swung　it　over　the　side；　then　into　the　water。　Down　at　water　level；　Murphy　took　the　bowline　of　the　boat　and　tied　it　to　the　dock。　While　Pryor　was　hooking　up　the　second　boat；　Murphy　climbed　aboard　and　checked　the　fuel　and　oil　for　the　high…output　four…stroke　outboard　motor。　The　oil　was　fresh　and　full；　the　tanks　topped　to　the　rim。　Murphy　turned　the　key　and　watched　the　lights　on　the　dash；　once　he　was　sure　everything　was　fine；　he　twisted　the　key　and　the　engine　started　and　settled　into　an　almost　silent　idle。　
　Once　the　second　boat　touched　the　water；　Kasim　duplicated　Murphy's　efforts。　The　two　boats　sat　idling　in　the　night。　Seng　climbed　aboard　Murphy's　vessel　and　checked　the　supplies　that　had　been　loaded　aboard　down　in　the　inner　workings　of　the　Oregon。　Finding　all　in　order；　he　spoke　to　Huxley　in　a　low　voice。　
　〃You　got　everything？〃　
　Huxley　stared　at　her　list；　then　found　the　last　item。　〃We're　good。〃　
　Next；　Seng　reached　across　between　the　boats　and　handed　Kasim　a　CD。　〃These　are　the　coordinates　for　the　onboard　GPSwe　are　running　an　exact　copy　on　this　boat。　Let's　try　to　stay　within　ten　feet　or　so　of　one　another；　that　way　the　radar　shielding　should　hide　us　both。〃　
　Kasim　nodded。　〃You　got　it；　Eddie。〃　
　〃Okay；　Mark；〃　Seng　said　quietly　as　he　threw　off　the　line；　〃you　can　take　us　out。〃　
　Murphy　slid　the　control　lever　down　and　the　boat　backed　in　reverse。　A　few　minutes　later；　the　two　boats　were　skimming　across　the　rain…splashed　water　at　speeds　of　nearly　thirty　knots。　For　all　intents　and　purposes；　they　were　undetectable。　Any　radar　that　might　try　to　paint　them　was　being　jammed；　anyone　listening　for　the　engines　would　not　be　able　to　hear　the　noise　over　the　storm。　Help　was　ing。
　
　TWO　IN　THE　morning　and　the　trio　in　the　tunnel　had　between　three　and　four　hours　until　first　light。　
　That　was　not　as　much　of　a　problem　as　it　might　seem。　Right　now；　the　main　threat　was　drowning。　Hornsby　stared　ahead　to　where　a　large　tile　pipe　was　spilling　its　contents　into　the　main　sewer。　What　had　begun　as　a　trickle　from　the　offshoot　pipes　had　grown　into　angry　torrents　of　water。　The　pipe　ahead　was　raging　with　such　force　that　the　stream　of　water　was　slapping　against　the　far　wall　of　the　main　sewer　like　the　torrent　from　a　broken　fire　hydrant。　
　〃From　that　point　forward；〃　Meadows　said；　〃we　lose　the　bottom　half　of　the　sewer　to　water。〃　
　Already　the　water　was　knee…deep；　and　the　farther　the　men　had　gone；　the　more　it　had　risen。　Now　they　were　at　an　impasse。　From　here　to　the　end　of　the　line；　the　water　would　be　too　deep　to　walk　through。　〃Let's　inflate　the　rafts；〃　Jones　said　wearily。　
　Hornsby　opened　one　of　the　duffle　bags　and　removed　a　pair　of　folding　rafts。　Taking　a　high…pressure　air　supply　from　inside　the　bag；　he　attached　it　to　a　raft　and　turned　the　switch。　The　raft　unfolded　and　quickly　became　rigid。　Two　minutes　later；　Hornsby　turned　off　the　inflator。　
　〃We　need　to　place　the　Buddha　in　one　raft；〃　Hornsby　said；　〃and　the　three　of　us　in　the　other。〃　
　〃Weight　problems？〃　Jones　asked。　
　〃Each　raft　can　carry　a　maximum　of　seven　hundred　pounds；〃　Hornsby　said。　〃Since　none　of　us　weighs　under　a　hundred