cussler.blueandgold-第15部分

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。〃　He　stuck　his　leg　out。　The　ankle　was　heavily　wrapped　in　a　bandage。　〃I　can　barely　walk。　I　don't　think　there　is　a　break；　but　it　is　badly　sprained。　I　was　wondering　if　you　could　go　in　my　place。　You　could　make　a　quick　trip　of　it。〃　〃What　about　the　supply　boat？〃　Gamay　asked。
　
　〃It　is　due　late　tomorrow　as　expected。　They　will　lay　over　for　the　night。　You　would　be　back　before　it　leaves。〃
　
　〃I　don't　see　why　we　can't　do　it；〃　Gamay　said；　stopping　short　as　she　caught　the　quizzical　look　in　her　husband's　eye。　〃If　it's　okay　with　Paul。〃
　
　〃Well…〃
　
　〃Ah；　I　apologize。　My　request　has　created　marital　discord。〃
　
　〃Oh；　no；〃　Paul　reassured　him。　〃It's　simply　my　New　England　caution。　Of　course　we'd　like　to　help　you。〃
　
　〃Splendid。　I　will　have　my　men　gather　supplies　for　you　and　fuel　my　boat。　It　will　be　faster　on　the　river　than　your　inflatable。　She　should　make　the　round　trip　in　the　same　day。〃
　
　〃I　thought　you　had　only　dugout　canoes　in　the　village；〃　Gamay　said。
　
　Ramirez　smiled。　〃They　serve　most　of　my　needs；　yes；　but　occasionally　more　efficient　transportation　is　desirable。〃
　
　She　shrugged。　〃Tell　us　more　about　the　man　you　call　the　Dutchman。〃
　
　〃Dieter　is　actually　German。　He's　a　trader；　married　to　a　native　woman。　He　es　here　occasionally；　but　mostly　he　sends　his　men　once　a　month　with　a　list；　and　we　relay　it　to　the　supply　boat。　He　is　an　unsavory　character　in　my　opinion；　but　that　is　no　reason　not　to　warn　him　of　possible　danger。〃　Ramirez　paused。　〃You　do　not　have　to　do　this。　These　things　are　really　none　of　your　affair；　and　you　are　scientists；　not　adventurers。　Especially　the　beautiful　Senora　Trout。〃
　
　〃I　think　we　can　handle　it；〃　Gamay　said；　looking　at　her　husband　with　amusement。
　
　She　was　not　speaking　with　bravado；　but　as　part　of　the　NUMA　Special　Assignments　Team　she　and　Paul　had　been　on　any　number　of　dangerous　assignments。　And　as　attractive　as　she　was；　Gamay　was　no　delicate　flower。　Back　in　Racine；　Wisconsin；　where　she　was　born；　she　had　been　a　tomboy　who　ran　with　a　pack　of　boys　and　later　moved　with　ease　among　men。
　
　〃Well；　then；　we　have　an　agreement。　After　dessert　we　will　have　a　glass　of　brandy　and　retire　so　we　can　be　up　at　the　crack　of　dawn。〃
　
　A　short　while　later　the　Trouts　were　back　in　their　room　getting　ready　for　bed　when　Gamay　asked　Paul；　〃Why　were　you　hesitant　about　helping　Dr。　Ramirez？〃
　
　〃Couple　of　reasons。　Let's　start　with　the　fact　that　this　little　side　trip　has　nothing　to　do　with　our　NUMA　assignment。〃
　
　Paul　ducked　the　pillow　tossed　at　his　head。　〃Since　when　have　you　gone　by　the　NUMA　rule　book？〃　Gamay　said。
　
　〃Like　you；　whenever　it　has　been　convenient。　I've　stretched　the　rules　but　never　broken　them。〃
　
　〃Then　let's　just　stretch　them　a　little　by　saying　that　the　river　is　an　integral　part　of　the　ocean；　therefore　any　dead　person　found　on　it　should　be　investigated　by　NUMA's　Special　Assignments　Team。　Must　I　remind　you　that　the　team　was　formed　precisely　to　look　into　matters　nobody　else　would？〃
　
　〃Not　a　bad　sales　pitch；　but　don't　put　too　much　stock　in　your　powers　of　persuasion。　If　you　hadn't　suggested　looking　into　this　thing；　I　would　have。　On　similarly　flimsy　grounds；　I　might　add。　I　have　an　aversion　to　someone　getting　away　with　murder。〃
　
　〃So　do　I。　Do　you　have　any　idea　where　we　might　start？〃
　
　〃Already　handled　that。　Don't　let　my　taciturn　Cape　Cod　nature　deceive　you。〃
　
　〃Not　in　a　hundred　years；　my　dear。〃
　
　〃Back　to　your　original　question；　the　reason　I　hesitated　was　my　surprise。　This　is　the　first　time　Ramirez　mentioned　his　boat。　He's　given　us　the　impression　he　used　dugouts。　Remember　the　fuss　he　made　about　how　great　our　little　putt…putt　inflatable　was？　I　was　sniffing　around　one　day　and　found　a　shed　holding　an　air　boat。〃
　
　She　leaned　up　on　one　elbow。　〃An　airboat！　Why　didn't　he　say　something？〃　
　
　　〃I　think　it's　obvious。　He　didn't　want　anybody　to　know。　I　think　our　friend　Ramirez　is　more　plicated　than　he　appears。〃
　
　〃I　have　the　same　impression。　I　think　he　was　being　disingenuous　about　sending　us　scientific　geeks　off　on　a　potentially　dangerous　mission。　We've　told　him　enough　about　the　Special　Assignments　Team　for　him　to　know　what　we　do　when　we're　not　counting　river　dolphins。　I　think　he　wants　NUMA　brought　into　this　thing。〃
　
　〃Looks　like　we've　played　right　into　his　hands；　but　I'm　not　sure　why　he'd　be　so　Machiavellian。〃
　
　〃I've　got　an　idea；〃　Gamay　said。　〃He　was　talking　about　the　scientists　from　the　university　acting　as　bio　police。　He　is　a　scientist　from　a　university。　He　sort　of　side…slipped　the　implication。〃
　
　〃I　noticed。〃　Paul　stretched　out　on　the　bed　and　closed　his　eyes。　〃So　you　think　he's　actually　a　bio　cop　disguised　as　a　botanist？〃
　
　〃It　would　make　sense。〃　Gamay　paused　in　thought。　〃I　must　confess　that　the　real　reason　I　want　to　investigate　was　in　those　bags　we　found　with　the　Chulo。　I'm　intrigued　at　how　a　backward　Indian　got　all　those　high…tech　toys；　aren't　you？〃
　
　There　was　no　sound　from　the　other　side　of　the　bed　except　that　of　low　breathing。　Paul　was　exercising　his　famous　talent　for　dropping　off　to　sleep　on　mand。　Gamay　shook　her　head；　pulled　the　sheets　over　her　shoulders；　and　did　the　same。　They　would　be　up　with　the　sun；　and　she　expected　the　next　day　to　be　a　long　one。
　
　Chapter　6
　The　Mexican　customs　agent　leaned　from　his　window　and　checked　out　the　two　men　in　the　white　Ford　pickup　truck。　They　were　wearing　beat…up　shorts　and　T…shirts；　Foster　Grant　sunglasses；　and　baseball　caps　with　bait　shop　logos　on　them。
　
　〃Purpose　of　your　visit？〃　the　agent　asked　the　husky　man　be　hind　the　wheel。　The　driver　jerked　his　thumb　over　his　shoulder　at　the　fishing　rods　and　tackle　boxes　in　back。　〃Going　fishing。〃
　
　〃Wish　I　could　join　you；〃　the　agent　said　with　a　smile；　and　waved　them　on　into　Tijuana。
　
　As　they　pulled　away；　Zavala；　who　was　sitting　in　the　passenger　seat；　said；　〃What's　with　the　Spies　Like　Us　routine？　All　we　had　to　do　was　flash　our　NUMA　IDs。〃
　
　Austin　grinned。　〃This　is　more　fun。〃
　
　〃We're　lucky　our　clean…cut　appearance　doesn't　fit　the　profile　for　terrorists　or　drug　runners。〃
　
　〃I　prefer　to　think　that　we're　masters　of　disguise。〃　Austin　glanced　at　Zavala　and　shook　his　head。　〃By　the　way；　I　hope　you　brought　along　your　American　passport。　I　wouldn't　want　you　to　get　stuck　in　Mexico。〃
　
　〃No　problem。　It　wouldn't　be　the　first　time　a　Zavala　sneaked　across　the　border。〃
　
　Zavala's　parents　had　waded　across　the　Rio　Grande　in　the　1960s　from　Morales；　Mexico；　where　they　were　born　and　raised。　
　His　mother　was　seven　months　pregnant　at　the　time。　Her　condition　didn't　stand　in　the　way　of　her　determination　to　start　life　with　her　newborn　in　El　Norte。　They　made　their　way　to　Santa　Fe；　New　Mexico；　where　Zavala　was　born。　His　father's　skills　as　a　carpenter　and　woodcarver　brought　him　steady　work　with　the　wealthy　clients　who　built　their　fashionable　homes　there。　The　same　influential　people　helped　his　father　when　he　applied　for　a　green　card　and　later　for　citizenship。
　
　The　truck　was　on　loan　from　the　Red　Ink's　support　team　because　rental　cars　couldn't　be　taken　into　Mexico。　From　their　hotel　they　headed　south　from　San　Diego；　passing　through　Chula　Vista；　the　border　town　that　is　neither　Mexican　nor　American　but　a　blend　of　both　countries。　Once　into　Mexico　they　skirted　the　sprawling　slums　of　Tijuana；　then　picked　up　MEX　1；　the　Carretera　Transper　linsula　highway　that　runs　the　full　length　of　Baja　California。　Past　El　Rosarita　with　its　concentration　of　souvenir　shops；　motels；　and　taco　stands；　the　mercial　honky…tonk　began　to　thin　out。　Before　long　the　highway　was　flanked　by　agricultural　fields　and　bare　hills　on　the　left　and　by　the　curving　emerald　bay　known　as　Todos　Los　Santos。　About　an　hour　after　leaving　Tijuana　they　turned　off　at　Ensenada。
　
　Austin　knew　the　resort　and　fishing　city　from　the　days　he　crewed　in　the　Newport…Ensenada　sailboat　race。　The　unofficial　finish　was　at　Hussong's　Cantina；　a　seedy　old　bar　with　sawdust　covered　floors。　Before　the　new　highway　brought　the　tourists　and　their　dollars；　Baja　California　Norte　was　truly　the　frontier。　In　its　heyday　Hussong's　was　a　haunt　for　the　colorful　local　characters　and　rugged　individuals；　and　the　sailors；　fishermen；　and　auto　racers　who　knew　Ensenada　when　it　was　the　last　outpost　of　civiliza