p&c.icelimit-第5部分

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himself　by　the　fire　…　white　man　style；　with　his　butt　in　the　dust　…　unscrewed　the　cap；　and　poured　out　a　steaming　cup。　He　offered　it　to　McFarlane；　who　shook　his　head　impatiently。
　〃You　like　hunting　meteorites？〃　Lloyd　asked。
　〃It　has　its　days。〃
　〃And　you　really　think　you'll　find　the　Okavango？〃
　〃Yes。　Until　you　dropped　out　of　the　sky。〃　McFarlane　crouched　beside　him。　〃I'd　love　to　chitchat　with　you。　But　every　minute　you　sit　here　with　that　idling　chopper；　the　Bushmen　are　getting　farther　away。　So　I'll　say　it　again。　I'm　not　interested　in　a　job。　Not　at　your　museum；　not　at　any　museum。〃　He　hesitated。　〃Besides；　you　can't　pay　me　what　I'm　going　to　make　on　the　Okavango。〃
　〃And　just　what　might　that　be？〃　Lloyd　asked；　sipping　the　cup　himself。
　〃A　quarter　million。　At　least。〃
　Lloyd　nodded　〃Assuming　you　find　it。　Subtract　what　you　owe　everyone　over　the　Tornarssuk　fiasco；　and　I　imagine　you'll　probably　break　even。〃
　McFarlane　laughed　harshly。　〃Everyone's　entitled　to　one　mistake。　I'll　have　enough　left　over　to　get　me　started　on　the　next　rock。　There's　a　lot　of　meteorites　out　there。　It　sure　beats　a　curator's　salary。〃
　〃I'm　not　talking　about　a　curatorship。〃
　〃Then　what　are　you　talking　about？〃
　〃I'm　sure　you　could　make　a　pretty　good　guess。　I　can't　talk　about　particulars　until　I　know　you're　on　board。〃　He　sipped　at　the　toddy。　〃Do　this　one　for　your　old　partner。〃
　〃Old　ex…partner。〃
　Lloyd　sighed。　〃You're　right。　I　know　all　about　you　and　Masangkay。　It　wasn't　entirely　your　fault；　losing　the　Tornarssuk　rock　like　that。　If　anyone's　to　blame；　it's　the　bureaucrats　at　the　New　York　Museum　of　Natural　History。〃
　〃Why　don't　you　give　up？　I'm　not　interested。〃
　〃Let　me　tell　you　about　the　pensation。　As　a　signing　bonus；　I'll　pay　off　the　quarter　million　you　owe；　get　the　creditors　off　your　back。　If　the　project　is　successful；　you'll　get　another　quarter　million。　If　it　isn't；　you'll　have　to　settle　for　being　debt　free。　Either　way；　you　can　continue　at　my　museum　as　director　of　the　Planetary　Sciences　Department　if　you　wish。　I'll　build　you　a　state…of…the…art　laboratory。　You'll　have　a　secretary；　lab　assistants；　a　six…figure　salary　…　the　works。〃
　McFarlane　began　to　laugh　again。　〃Beautiful。　So　how　long　is　this　project？〃
　〃Six　months。　On　the　outside。〃
　McFarlane　stopped　laughing。　〃Half　a　million　for　six　months'　work？〃
　〃If　we're　successful。〃
　〃What's　the　catch？〃
　〃No　catch。〃
　〃Why　me？〃
　〃You　knew　Masangkay：　his　quirks；　his　work　patterns；　his　thoughts。　There's　a　big　mystery　lingering　over　what　he　was　doing；　and　you're　the　man　who　can　solve　it。　And　besides；　you're　one　of　the　top　meteorite　hunters　in　the　world。　You've　got　an　intuitive　sense　about　them。　People　say　you　can　smell　them。〃
　〃I'm　not　the　only　one　out　there。〃　The　praise　irritated　McFarlane：　it　smacked　of　manipulation。
　In　response；　Lloyd　extended　one　hand；　the　knuckle　of　the　ring　finger　raised。　There　was　a　wink　of　precious　metal　as　he　turned　it　in　McFarlane's　direction。
　〃Sorry；〃　McFarlane　answered。　〃I　only　kiss　the　ring　of　the　pope。〃
　Lloyd　chuckled。　〃Look　at　the　stone；〃　he　said。
　Peering　more　closely；　McFarlane　saw　that　the　ring　on　Lloyd's　finger　consisted　of　a　milky　gemstone；　deep　violet；　in　a　heavy　platinum　setting。　He　recognized　it　immediately。　〃Nice　stone。　But　you　could　have　bought　it　from　me　wholesale。〃
　〃No　doubt。　After　all；　you　and　Masangkay　are　the　ones　that　got　the　Atacama　tektites　out　of　Chile。〃
　〃Right。　And　I'm　still　a　wanted　man　in　those　parts　as　a　result。〃
　〃We　will　offer　you　suitable　protections。〃
　〃So　it's　Chile；　huh？　Well；　I　know　what　the　insides　of　their　jails　look　like。　Sorry。〃
　Lloyd　didn't　respond　immediately。　Picking　up　a　stick；　he　banked　the　scattered　embers；　then　tossed　the　stick　onto　them。　The　fire　crackled　up；　beating　back　the　darkness。　On　anybody　else；　the　Tilley　hat　would　look　a　little　silly；　somehow；　Lloyd　managed　to　pull　it　off。　〃If　you　knew　what　we　were　planning；　Dr。　McFarlane；　you'd　do　it　for　free。　I'm　offering　you　the　scientific　prize　of　the　century。〃
　McFarlane　chuckled；　shaking　his　head。　〃I'm　done　with　science；〃　he　said。　〃I've　had　enough　dusty　labs　and　museum　bureaucracies　to　last　me　a　lifetime。〃
　Lloyd　sighed　and　stood　up。　〃Well；　it　looks　like　I've　wasted　my　time。　I　guess　we'll　have　to　go　with　our　number　two　choice。〃
　McFarlane　paused。　〃And　who　would　that　be？〃
　〃Hugo　Breitling　would　love　to　be　in　on　this。〃
　〃Breitling？　He　couldn't　find　a　meteorite　if　it　hit　him　in　the　ass。〃
　〃He　found　the　Thule　meteorite；〃　Lloyd　replied；　slapping　the　dust　from　his　pants。　He　gave　McFarlane　a　sidelong　glance。　〃Which　is　bigger　than　anything　you've　found。〃
　〃But　that's　all　he　found。　And　that　was　sheer　luck。〃
　〃Fact　is；　I'm　going　to　need　luck　for　this　project。〃　Lloyd　screwed　the　top　back　on　the　thermos　and　tossed　it　into　the　dust　at　McFarlane's　feet。　〃Here；　have　yourself　a　party。　I've　got　to　get　going。〃
　He　began　striding　toward　the　helicopter。　As　McFarlane　watched；　the　engine　revved　and　the　heavy　rotors　picked　up　speed；　beating　the　air；　sending　skeins　of　dust　swirling　erratically　across　the　ground。　It　suddenly　occurred　to　him　that；　if　the　chopper　left；　he　might　never　learn　how　Masangkay　died；　or　what　he　had　been　doing。　Despite　himself；　he　was　intrigued。　McFarlane　looked　around　quickly：　at　the　metal　detectors；　dented　and　scattered；　at　the　bleak　little　camp；　at　the　landscape　beyond；　parched　and　unpromising。
　At　the　helicopter's　hatch；　Lloyd　paused。
　〃Make　it　an　even　million！〃　called　McFarlane　to　the　man's　broad　back。
　Carefully；　so　as　not　to　upset　the　hat；　Lloyd　ducked　his　head　and　began　stepping　into　the　chopper。
　〃Seven　fifty；　then！〃
　There　was　another　pause。　And　then　Palmer　Lloyd　slowly　turned；　his　face　breaking　into　a　broad　smile。
　
　The　Hudson　River　Valley；
　June　3；　10：45　A。M。
　
　PALMER　LLOYD　loved　many　rare　and　valuable　things；　but　one　of　the　things　he　loved　most　was　Thomas　Cole's　painting　Sunny　Morning　on　the　Hudson　River。　As　a　scholarship　student　in　Boston；　he　had　often　gone　to　the　Museum　of　Fine　Arts；　walking　through　the　galleries　with　his　eyes　downcast　so　as　not　to　sully　his　vision　before　he　could　stand　before　that　glorious　painting。
　Lloyd　preferred　to　own　the　things　he　loved；　but　the　Thomas　Cole　painting　was　not　to　be　had　at　any　price。　Instead；　he　had　purchased　the　next　best　thing。　On　this　sunny　morning　he　sat　in　his　upper　Hudson　Valley　office；　gazing　out　a　window　that　framed　precisely　the　view　in　Cole's　painting。　There　was　a　very　beautiful　line　of　light　penciling　the　extreme　horizon；　the　fields；　seen　through　the　breaking　mists；　were　exquisitely　fresh　and　green。　The　mountainside　in　the　foreground；　limned　by　the　rising　sun；　sparkled。　Not　much　had　changed　in　the　Clove　Valley　since　Cole　had　painted　this　scene　in　1827；　and　Lloyd　had　made　sure；　with　vast　land　purchases　along　his　line　of　sight；　that　nothing　would。
　He　swiveled　in　his　chair；　gazing　across　a　desk　of　spaulded　maple　into　a　window　that　looked　in　the　opposite　direction。　From　here；　the　hillside　fell　away　beneath　him；　a　brilliant　mosaic　of　glass　and　steel。　Hands　behind　his　head；　Lloyd　surveyed　the　scene　of　frantic　activity　with　satisfaction。　Work　crews　swarmed　over　the　landscape；　fulfilling　a　vision　…　his　vision　…　unparalleled　in　the　world。　〃A　miracle　of　rare　device；〃　he　murmured　beneath　his　breath。
　At　the　center　of　the　activity；　green　in　the　Catskill　morning　light；　was　a　massive　dome：　an　oversize　replica　of　London's　Crystal　Palace；　which　had　been　the　first　structure　made　entirely　of　glass。　Upon　its　pletion　in　1851　it　was　considered　one　of　the　most　beautiful　buildings　ever　constructed；　but　it　had　been　gutted　by　fire　in　1936；　and　its　remains　demolished　in　1942　for　fear　it　would　provide　a　convenient　landmark　for　Nazi　bombers。
　Beyond　the　overarching　dome；　Lloyd　could　see　the　first　blocks　being　laid　of　the　pyramid　of　Khefret　II；　a　small　Old　Kingdom　pyramid。　He　smiled　a　little　ruefully　at　the　memory　of　his　trip　to　Egypt：　his　byzantine　dealings　with　government　officials；　the　Keystone　Kops　uproar　about　the　suitcase　full　of　gold　that　no　one　could　lift；　all　the　other　tedious　melodrama。　That　pyramid　had　cost　him　more　than　he　liked；　and　it　wasn't　exactly　Cheops；　but　it　was　impressive　nonetheless。
　Thinking　of　the　pyramid　reminded　him　of　the　outrage　its　purchase