inca.gold-第43部分

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eventual　discovery　and　capture。　The　family　should　consider　itself　fortunate　that　I　am　not　the　only　one　who　has　the　capacity　to　kill　if　necessary。　Amaru　makes　an　ideal　executioner。　He　enjoys　it。〃
　　　　〃Just　be　sure　you　keep　him　on　a　strong　leash　when　he's　out　of　his　cage。〃
　　　　〃Not　to　worry；〃　said　Sarason　firmly。　Then　he　changed　the　subject。　〃Any　buyers　in　mind　for　our　Chachapoyan　merchandise？〃
　　　　〃A　drug　dealer　by　the　name　of　Pedro　Vincente；〃　replied　Zolar。　〃He　hungers　after　anything　that's　pre…Columbian。　He　also　pays　a　cash　premium　since　it's　a　way　for　him　to　launder　his　drug　profits。〃
　　　　〃And　you　take　the　cash　and　use　it　to　finance　our　underground　art　and　artifact　operations。〃
　　　　〃An　equitable　arrangement　for　all　concerned。〃
　　　　〃How　soon　before　you　make　the　sale？〃
　　　　〃I'll　set　up　a　meeting　with　Vincente　right　after　Sister　Marta　has　your　shipment　cleaned　up　and　ready　for　display。　You　should　have　your　share　of　the　profits　within　ten　days。〃
　　　　Sarason　nodded　and　gazed　at　the　bubbles　in　his　beer。　〃I　think　you　see　through　me；　Joseph。　I'm　seriously　considering　retiring　from　the　family　business　while　I'm　still　healthy。〃
　　　　Zolar　looked　at　him　with　a　shifty　grin。　〃You　do　and　you'll　be　throwing　away　two　hundred　million　dollars。〃
　　　　〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃
　　　　〃Your　share　of　the　treasure。〃
　　　　Sarason　paused　with　a　forkful　of　pork　in　front　of　his　mouth。　〃What　treasure？〃
　　　　〃You're　the　last　of　the　family　to　learn　what　ultimate　prize　is　within　our　grasp。〃
　　　　〃I　don't　follow　you。〃
　　　　〃The　object　that　will　lead　us　to　Huascar's　treasure。〃　Zolar　looked　at　him　slyly　for　a　moment；　then　smiled。　〃We　have　the　Golden　Body　Suit　of　Tiapollo。〃
　　　　The　fork　dropped　to　the　plate　as　Sarason　stared　in　total　incredulity。　〃You　found　Naymlap's　mummy　encased　in　his　suit　of　gold？　It　is　actually　in　your　hands？〃
　　　　〃Our　hands；　little　brother。　One　evening；　while　searching　through　our　father's　old　business　records；　I　came　upon　a　ledger　itemizing　his　clandestine　transactions。　It　was　he　who　masterminded　the　mummy's　theft　from　the　museum　in　Spain。〃
　　　　〃The　old　fox；　he　never　said　a　word。〃
　　　　〃He　considered　it　the　highlight　of　his　plundering　career；　but　too　hot　a　subject　to　reveal　to　his　own　family。〃
　　　　〃How　did　you　track　it　down？〃
　　　　〃Father　recorded　the　sale　to　a　wealthy　Sicilian　mafioso。　I　sent　our　brother　Charles　to　investigate；　not　expecting　him　to　learn　anything　from　a　trail　over　seventy　years　old。　Charles　found　the　late　mobster's　villa　and　met　with　the　son；　who　said　his　father　had　kept　the　mummy　and　its　suit　hidden　away　until　he　died　in　1984　at　the　ripe　old　age　of　ninety…seven。　The　son　then　sold　the　mummy　on　the　black　market　through　his　relatives　in　New　York。　The　buyer　was　a　rich　junk　dealer　in　Chicago　by　the　name　of　Rummel。〃
　　　　〃I'm　surprised　the　son　spoke　to　Charles。　Mafia　families　are　not　noted　for　revealing　their　involvement　with　stolen　goods。〃
　　　　〃He　not　only　spoke；〃　said　Zolar；　〃but　received　our　brother　like　a　long=lost　relative　and　cooperated　wholeheartedly　by　providing　the　name　of　the　Chicago　purchaser。〃
　　　　〃I　underestimated　Charles；〃　Sarason　said；　finishing　off　his　final　morsel　of　braised　pork。　〃I　wasn't　aware　of　his　talent　for　obtaining　information。〃
　　　　〃A　cash　payment　of　three　million　dollars　helped　immeasurably。〃
　　　　Sarason　frowned。　〃A　bit　generous；　weren't　we？　The　suit　can't　be　worth　more　than　half　that　much　to　a　collector　with　deep　pockets　who　has　to　keep　it　hidden。〃
　　　　〃Not　at　all。　A　cheap　investment　if　the　engraved　images　on　the　suit　lead　us　to　Huascar's　golden　chain。〃
　　　　〃The　ultimate　prize；〃　Samson　repeated　his　brother's　phrase。　〃No　single　treasure　in　world　history　can　match　its　value。〃
　　　　〃Dessert？〃　Zolar　asked。　〃A　slice　of　chocolate　apricot　torte？〃
　　　　〃A　very　small　slice　and　coffee；　strong；〃　answered　Sarason。　〃How　much　extra　did　it　cost　to　buy　the　suit　from　the　junk　dealer？〃
　　　　Zolar　nodded；　and　again　his　serving　lady　silently　plied。　〃Not　a　cent。　We　stole　it。　As　luck　would　have　it；　our　brother　Samuel　in　New　York　had　sold　Rummel　most　of　his　collection　of　illegal　pre…Columbian　antiquities　and　knew　the　location　of　the　concealed　gallery　that　held　the　suit。　He　and　Charles　worked　together　on　the　theft。〃
　　　　〃I　still　can't　believe　it's　in　our　hands。〃
　　　　〃A　near　thing　too。　Charles　and　Sam　barely　smuggled　it　from　Rummel's　penthouse　before　Customs　agents　stormed　the　place。〃
　　　　Do　you　think　they　were　tipped　of？〃
　　　　Zolar　shook　his　head。　〃Not　by　anyone　on　our　end。　Our　brothers　got　away　clean。〃
　　　　〃Where　did　they　take　it？〃　asked　Sarason。
　　　　Zolar　smiled；　but　not　with　his　eyes。　〃Nowhere。　The　mummy　is　still　in　the　building。　They　rented　an　apartment　six　floors　below　Rummel　and　hid　it　there　until　we　can　safely　move　it　to　Galveston　for　a　proper　examination。　Both　Rummel　and　the　Customs　agents　think　it　was　already　smuggled　out　of　the　building　by　a　moving　van。〃
　　　　〃A　nice　touch。　But　what　happens　now？　The　images　engraved　in　the　gold　body　casing　have　to　be　deciphered。　Not　a　simple　exercise。〃
　　　　〃I've　hired　the　finest　authorities　on　Inca　art　to　decode　and　interpret　the　glyphs。　A　husband　and　wife　team。　He's　an　anthropologist　and　she's　an　archaeologist　who　excels　as　a　decoding　analyst　with　puters。〃
　　　　〃I　should　have　known　you'd　cover　every　base；〃　said　Sarason；　stirring　his　coffee。　〃But　we'd　better　hope　their　version　of　the　text　is　correct；　or　we'll　be　spending　a　lot　of　time　and　money　chasing　up　and　down　Mexico　after　ghosts。〃
　　　　Time　is　on　our　side；〃　Zolar　assured　him　confidentially。　〃Who　but　us　could　possibly　have　a　clue　to　the　treasure's　burial　site？〃

　　　　After　a　fruitless　excursion　to　the　archives　of　the　Library　of　Congress；　where　he　had　hoped　to　find　documentary　evidence　leading　to　the　Concepcion's　ultimate　fate；　Julien　Perlmutter　sat　in　the　vast　reading　room。　He　closed　a　copy　of　the　diary　kept　by　Francis　Drake　and　later　presented　to　Queen　Elizabeth；　describing　his　epic　voyage。　The　diary；　lost　for　centuries；　had　only　recently　been　discovered　in　the　dusty　basement　of　the　royal　archives　in　England。
　　　　He　leaned　his　great　bulk　back　in　the　chair　and　sighed。　The　diary　added　little　to　what　he　already　knew。　Drake　had　sent　the　Concepcion　back　to　England　under　the　mand　of　the　Golden　Hind's　sailing　master；　Thomas　Cuttill。　The　galleon　was　never　seen　again　and　was　presumed　lost　at　sea　with　all　hands。
　　　　Beyond　that；　the　only　mention　of　the　fate　of　the　Concepcion　was　unverified。　It　came　from　a　book　Perlmutter　could　recall　reading　on　the　Amazon　River；　published　in　1939　by　journalist/explorer　Nicholas　Bender；　who　followed　the　routes　of　the　early　explorers　in　search　of　El　Dorado。　Perlmutter　called　up　the　book　from　the　library　staff　and　reexamined　it。　In　the　Note　section　there　was　a　she…t　reference　to　a　1594　Portuguese　survey　expedition　that　had　e　upon　an　Englishman　living　with　a　tribe　of　local　inhabitants　beside　the　river。　The　Englishman　claimed　that　he　had　served　under　the　English　sea　dog；　Francis　Drake；　who　placed　him　in　mand　of　a　Spanish　treasure　galleon　that　was　swept　into　a　jungle　by　an　immense　tidal　wave。　The　Portuguese　thought　the　man　quite　mad　and　continued　on　their　mission；　leaving　him　in　the　village　where　they　found　him。
　　　　Perlmutter　made　a　note　of　the　publisher。　Then　he　signed　the　Drake　diary　and　Bender's　book　back　to　the　library　staff　and　caught　a　taxi　home。　He　felt　discouraged；　but　it　was　not　the　first　time　he　had　failed　to　run　down　a　clue　to　a　historical　puzzle　from　the　twenty…five　million　books　and　forty　million　manuscripts　in　the　library。　The　key　to　unlocking　the　mystery　of　the　Concepcion；　if　there　was　one；　had　to　be　buried　somewhere　else。
　　　　Perlmutter　sat　in　the　backseat　of　the　cab　and　stared　out　the　window　at　the　passing　automobiles　and　buildings　without　seeing　them。　He　knew　from　experience　that　each　research　project　moved　at　a　pace　all　its　own。　Some　threw　out　the　key　answers　with　a　shower　of　fireworks。　Others　entangled　themselves　in　an　endless　maze　of　dead　ends　and　slowly　died　without　a　solution。　The　Concepcion　enigma　was　different。　It　appeared　as　a　shadow　that　eluded　his　grip。　Did　Nicholas　Bender　quote　a　genuine　source；　or　did　he　embellish　a　myth　as　so　many　nonfiction　authors　were　prone　to　do？
　　　　The　question　was　still　goading　his　mind　when　he　walked　into　the　clutter　that