inca.gold-第64部分

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e　worked　in　a　vacuum　too。〃
　　　　〃If　you're　going　to　tell　us　the　show　ends　with　no　grand　climax；〃　said　Giordino；　〃I'm　going　to　lunch。〃
　　　　〃Drake's　quipu　is　a　plex　representation　of　numerical　data；〃　Yaeger　pushed　on；　undaunted　by　Giordino's　sarcasm；　〃but　it's　not　strong　on　blow…by…blow　descriptions　of　events。　You　can't　narrate　visual　action　and　drama　with　strategically　placed　knots　on　a　few　coils　of　colored　wire。　The　quipu　can　only　offer　sketchy　accounts　of　the　people　who　walked　on　and　off　this　particular　stage　of　history。〃
　　　　〃You've　made　your　point；〃　said　Sandecker；　waving　one　of　his　bulbous　cigars。　〃Now　why　don't　you　tell　us　what　you　sifted　from　the　maze？〃
　　　　Yaeger　nodded　and　lowered　the　conference　room　lights。　He　switched　on　a　slide　projector　that　threw　an　early　Spanish　map　of　the　coast　of　North　and　South　America　on　the　wall　screen。　He　picked　up　a　metal　pointer　that　telescoped　like　an　automobile　radio　aerial　and　casually　aimed　it　in　the　general　direction　of　the　map。
　　　　〃Without　a　long…winded　history　lesson；　I'll　just　say　that　after　Huascar；　the　legitimate　heir　to　the　Inca　throne；　was　defeated　and　overthrown　by　his　bastard　half…brother；　Atahualpa；　in　1533；　he　ordered　his　kingdom's　treasury　and　other　royal　riches　to　be　hidden　high　in　the　Andes。　A　wise　move；　as　it　turned　out。　During　his　imprisonment；　Huascar　suffered　great　humiliation　and　grief。　All　his　friends　and　kinsmen　were　executed；　and　his　wives　and　children　were　hanged。　Then　to　add　insult　to　injury；　the　Spanish　picked　that　particular　moment　to　invade　the　Inca　empire。　In　a　situation　similar　to　Cortez　in　Mexico；　Francisco　Pizarro's　timing　couldn't　have　been　more　perfect。　With　the　Inca　armies　divided　by　factions　and　decimated　by　civil　war；　the　disorder　played　right　into　his　hands。　After　Pizarro's　small　force　of　soldiers　and　adventurers　slaughtered　a　few　thousand　of　Atahualpa's　imperial　retainers　and　bureaucrats　in　the　square　at　the　ancient　city　of　Caxanarca；　he　won　the　Inca　empire　on　a　technical　foul。〃
　　　　〃Strange　that　the　Inca　simply　didn't　attack　and　overwhelm　the　Spanish；〃　said　Gunn。　〃They　must　have　outnumbered　Pizarro's　troops　by　a　hundred　to　one。
　　　　〃Closer　to　a　thousand　to　one；〃　said　Yaeger。　〃But　again；　as　with　Cortez　and　the　Aztecs；　the　sight　of　fierce　bearded　men　wearing　iron　clothes　no　arrow　or　rock　could　penetrate；　riding　ironclad　horses；　previously　unknown　to　the　Incas；　while　slashing　with　swords　and　shooting　matchlock　guns　and　cannons；　was　too　much　for　them。　Thoroughly　demoralized；　Atahualpa's　generals　failed　to　take　the　initiative　by　ordering　determined　mass　attacks。〃
　　　　〃What　of　Huascar's　armies？〃　asked　Pitt。　〃Surely　they　were　still　in　the　field。〃
　　　　〃Yes；　but　they　were　leaderless。〃　Yaeger　nodded。　〃History　can　only　look　back　on　a　what…if　situation。　What　if　the　two　Inca　kings　had　buried　the　hatchet　and　merged　their　two　armies　in　a　do…or…die　campaign　to　rid　the　empire　of　the　dreaded　foreigners？　An　interesting　hypothesis。　With　the　defeat　of　the　Spanish；　God　only　knows　where　the　political　boundaries　and　governments　of　South　America　might　be　today。〃
　　　　〃They'd　certainly　be　speaking　a　language　other　than　Spanish；〃　mented　Giordino。
　　　　〃Where　was　Huascar　during　Atahualpa's　confrontation　with　Pizarro？〃　asked　Sandecker；　finally　lighting　his　cigar。
　　　　Imprisoned　in　Cuzco；　the　capital　city　of　the　empire；　twelve　hundred　kilometers　south　of　Caxanarca。〃
　　　　Without　looking　up　from　the　notations　he　was　making　on　a　legal　pad；　Pitt　asked；　〃What　happened　next？〃
　　　　〃To　buy　his　liberty；　Atahualpa　contracted　with　Pizarro　to　cram　a　room　with　gold　as　high　as　he　could　reach；〃　answered　Yaeger。　〃A　room；　I　might　add；　slightly　larger　than　this　one。〃
　　　　〃Did　he　fulfill　the　contract？〃
　　　　〃He　did。　But　Atahualpa　was　afraid　that　Huascar　might　offer　Pizarro　more　gold；　silver；　and　gems　than　he　could。　So　he　ordered　that　his　brother　be　put　to　death；　which　was　carried　out　by　drowning；　but　not　before　Huascar　ordered　the　royal　treasures　to　be　hidden。〃
　　　　Sandecker　stared　at　Yaeger　through　a　cloud　of　blue　smoke。　〃With　the　king　dead；　who　carried　out　his　wish？〃
　　　　〃A　general　called　Naymlap；〃　replied　Yaeger。　He　paused　and　used　the　pointer　to　trace　a　red　line　on　the　map　that　ran　from　the　Andes　down　to　the　coast。　〃He　was　not　of　royal　Inca　blood；　but　rather　a　Chachapoyan　warrior　who　rose　through　the　ranks　to　bee　Huascar's　most　trusted　advisor。　It　was　Naymlap　who　organized　the　movement　of　the　treasury　down　from　the　mountains　to　the　seashore；　where　he　had　assembled　a　fleet　of　fifty…five　ships。　Then；　according　to　the　quipu；　after　a　journey　of　twenty…four　days；　it　took　another　eighteen　days　just　to　load　the　immense　treasure　on　board。〃
　　　　〃I　had　no　idea　the　Incas　were　seafaring　people；〃　said　Gunn。
　　　　〃So　were　the　Mayans；　and　like　the　Phoenicians；　Greeks；　and　Romans　before　them；　the　Incas　were　coastal　sailors。　They　were　not　afraid　of　open　water；　but　they　wisely　beached　their　boats　on　moonless　nights　and　during　stormy　weather。　They　navigated　by　the　sun　and　stars　and　sailed　with　prevailing　winds　and　currents　up　and　down　the　shoreline；　conducting　trade　with　the　Mesoamericans　in　Panama　and　perhaps　beyond。　An　Inca　legend　tells　of　an　early　king　who　heard　a　tale　about　an　island　rich　in　gold　and　intelligent　people；　that　lay　far　out　beyond　the　horizon　of　the　sea。　With　loot　and　slaves　in　mind；　he　built　and　rigged　a　fleet　of　ships；　and　then　sailed　off　with　a　pany　of　his　soldiers　acting　as　marines　to　what　is　thought　to　be　the　Galapagos　Islands。　Nine　months　later　he　returned　with　scores　of　black　prisoners　and　much　gold。〃
　　　　〃The　Galapagos？〃　wondered　Pitt。
　　　　〃As　good　a　guess　as　any。〃
　　　　〃Do　we　have　any　records　of　their　ship　construction？〃　Sandecker　queried。
　　　　〃Bartholomew　Ruiz；　Pizarro's　pilot；　saw　large　rafts　equipped　with　masts　and　great　square　cotton　sails。　Other　Spanish　seamen　reported　sailing　past　rafts　with　hulls　of　balsa　wood；　bamboo　and　reed；　carrying　sixty　people　and　forty　or　more　large　crates　of　trade　goods。　Besides　sails；　the　rafts　were　also　propelled　by　teams　of　paddlers。　Designs　found　on　pre…Columbian　clay　pottery　show　twodecker　boats　sporting　raised　stem　and　sternposts　with　carved　serpent　heads　similar　to　the　dragons　gracing　Viking　longships。〃
　　　　〃So　there　is　no　doubt　they　could　have　transported　tons　of　gold　and　silver　long　distances　across　the　sea？〃
　　　　〃No　doubt　at　all；　Admiral。〃　Yaeger　tapped　the　pointer　on　another　line　that　traced　the　voyage　of　Naymlap's　treasure　fleet。　〃From　point　of　departure；　north　to　their　destination；　the　voyage　took　eighty…six　days。　No　short　cruise　for　primitive　ships。〃
　　　　〃Any　chance　they　might　have　headed　south？〃　asked　Giordino。
　　　　Yaeger　shook　his　head。　〃My　puter　discovered　that　one　coil　of　knots　represented　the　four　basic　points　of　direction；　with　the　knot　for　north　at　the　top　and　the　knot　for　south　at　the　bottom。　East　and　west　were　represented　by　subordinate　strands。〃
　　　　〃And　their　final　landfall？〃　Pitt　prodded。
　　　　〃The　tricky　part。　Never　having　the　opportunity　to　clock　a　balsa　raft　under　sail　over　a　measured　nautical　mile；　estimating　the　fleet's　speed　through　water　was　strictly　guesswork。　I　won't　go　into　it　now；　you　can　read　my　full　report　later。　But　Brunhilda；　in　calculating　the　length　of　the　voyage；　did　a　masterful　job　of　projecting　the　currents　and　wind　during　1533。〃
　　　　Pitt　put　his　hands　behind　his　head　and　leaned　his　chair　back　on　two　legs。　〃Let　me　guess。　They　came　ashore　somewhere　in　the　upper　reaches　of　the　Sea　of　Cortez；　also　known　as　the　Gulf　of　California；　a　vast　cleft　of　water　separating　the　Mexican　mainland　from　Baja　California。〃
　　　　〃On　an　island　as　you　and　I　already　discussed；〃　Yaeger　added。　〃It　took　the　crews　of　the　ships　twelve　days　to　stash　the　treasure　in　a　cave；　a　large　one　according　to　the　dimensions　recorded　on　the　quipu。　An　opening；　which　I　translated　as　being　a　tunnel；　runs　from　the　highest　point　of　the　island　down　to　the　treasure　cave。〃
　　　　〃You　can　conclude　all　this　from　a　series　of　knots？〃　asked　Sandecker；　incredulous。
　　　　Yaeger　nodded。　〃And　much　more。　A　crimson　strand　represented　Huascar；　a　black　knot　the　day　of　his　execution　at　the　order　of　Atahualpa；　whose　attached　strand　was　purple。　General　Naymlap's　is　a　dark　turquoise。　Brunhilda　and　I　can　also　give　you　a　plete　tally　of　the　hoard。　Believe　me　wh