inca.gold-第8部分

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　　　　〃Understood。〃
　　　　〃I'm　counting　on　you　to　give　me　a　running　account　of　your　situation　and　depth。〃
　　　　Pitt　wrapped　the　safety　line　around　one　arm　and　gripped　it　with　both　hands。　He　gave　Giordino　a　wink　from　behind　the　lens　of　the　face　mask。　〃Okay；　let's　open　the　show。〃
　　　　Giordino　motioned　to　four　of　Miller's　students　who　began　unwinding　the　reel。　Unlike　Shannon　and　Miles　who　bounced　their　way　down　along　the　sinkhole　walls；　Giordino　had　strung　the　nylon　line　over　the　end　of　a　dead　tree　trunk　that　hung　2　meters　（over　6　feet）　beyond　the　edge　of　the　vertical　precipice；　allowing　Pitt　to　drop　without　scraping　against　the　limestone。
　　　　For　a　man　who　was　conceivably　sending　his　friend　to　an　untimely　death；　Miller　thought；　Giordino　appeared　incredibly　calm　and　efficient。　He　did　not　know　Pitt　and　Giordino；　had　never　heard　of　the　legendary　pair。　He　could　not　know　they　were　extraordinary　men　with　almost　twenty　years　of　adventuring　under　the　seas　who　had　developed　an　unerring　sense　for　assessing　the　odds　of　survival。　He　could　only　stand　by　in　frustration　at　what　he　was　certain　was　an　exercise　in　futility。　He　leaned　over　the　brink　and　watched　intently　as　Pitt　neared　the　green　surface　scum　of　the　water。
　　　　〃How's　it　look？〃　asked　Giordino　over　the　phone。
　　　　〃Like　my　grandmother's　split　pea　soup；〃　replied　Pitt。
　　　　〃I　don't　advise　sampling　it。〃
　　　　〃The　thought　never　entered　my　mind。〃
　　　　No　further　words　were　spoken　as　Pitt's　feet　entered　the　liquid　slime。　When　it　closed　over　his　head；　Giordino　slackened　the　safety　line　to　give　him　freedom　of　movement。　The　water　temperature　was　only　about　ten　degrees　cooler　than　the　average　hot　tub。　Pitt　began　breathing　through　his　regulator；　rolled　over；　kicked　his　fins；　and　dove　down　into　the　murky　world　of　death。　The　increasing　water　pressure　squeezed　his　ear　drums　and　he　snorted　inside　his　mask　to　equalize　the　force。　He　switched　on　a　Birns　Oceanographics　Snooper　light；　but　the　hand…held　beam　could　barely　penetrate　the　gloom。
　　　　Then；　abruptly；　he　passed　through　the　dense　murk　into　a　yawning　chasm　of　crystal　clear　water。　Instead　of　the　light　beam　reflecting　off　the　algae　into　his　face；　it　suddenly　shot　into　the　distance。　The　instant　transformation　below　the　layer　of　slime　stunned　him　for　a　moment。　He　felt　as　if　he　were　swimming　in　air。　〃I　have　clear　visibility　at　a　depth　of　four　meters；〃　he　reported　topside。
　　　　〃Any　sign　of　the　other　divers？〃
　　　　Pitt　slowly　swam　in　a　360…degree　circle。　〃No；　nothing。〃
　　　　〃Can　you　make　out　details　of　the　bottom？〃
　　　　〃Fairly　well；〃　replied　Pitt。　〃The　water　is　transparent　as　glass　but　quite　dark。　The　scum　on　the　surface　cuts　the　sunlight　on　the　bottom　by　seventy　percent。　It's　a　bit　dark　around　the　walls　so　I'll　have　to　swim　a　search　pattern　so　I　won't　miss　the　bodies。〃
〃Do　you　have　enough　slack　on　the　safety　line？〃
　　　　〃Maintain　a　slight　tension　so　it　won't　hinder　my　movement　as　I　go　deeper。〃
　　　　For　the　next　twelve　minutes　Pitt　circled　the　steep　walls　of　the　sinkhole；　probing　every　cavity；　descending　as　if　revolving　around　a　giant　corkscrew。　The　limestone；　laid　down　hundreds　of　millions　of　years　earlier；　was　mineral　stained　with　strange；　abstract　images。　He　planed　horizontally　and　swam　in　languid　slow　motion；　sweeping　the　beam　of　light　back　and　forth　in　front　of　him。　The　illusion　of　soaring　over　a　bottomless　pit　was　overwhelming。
　　　　Finally；　he　leveled　out　over　the　floor　of　the　sacrificial　pool。　No　firm　sand　or　plant　life；　just　one　uneven　patch　of　ugly　brown　silt　broken　by　clusters　of　grayish　rock。　〃I　have　the　bottom　at　slightly　over　thirty…six　meters。　Still　no　sign　of　Kelsey　or　Rodgers。〃
　　　　Far　above　the　pool；　Miller　gave　Giordino　a　dazed　look。　〃They　must　be　down　there。　Impossible　for　them　to　simply　vanish。〃
　　　　Far　below；　Pitt　kicked　slowly　across　the　bottom；　careful　to　stay　a　good　meter　above　the　rocks　and　especially　the　silt；　which　might　billow　into　a　blinding　cloud　and　reduce　his　visibility　to　zero　within　seconds。　Once　disturbed；　silt　could　remain　suspended　for　several　hours　before　settling　back　to　the　bottom。　He　gave　an　involuntary　shudder。　The　water　had　turned　unfortably　cold　as　he　passed　into　a　cool　layer　suspended　beneath　the　warmer　water　above。　He　slowed　and　drifted；　adding　enough　lift　from　his　pensator　for　slight　buoyancy；　achieving　a　slight　head…down；　fins…up　swimming　position。
　　　　Cautiously；　he　reached　down　and　gently　sank　his　hands　into　the　brown　muck。　They　touched　bedrock　before　the　silt　rose　to　his　wrists。　Pitt　thought　it　strange　the　silt　was　so　shallow。　After　countless　centuries　of　erosion　from　the　walls　and　runoff　from　the　ground　above；　the　rocky　subsurface　should　have　been　covered　with　a　layer　at　least　2　meters　（over　6　feet）　deep。　He　went　motionless　and　floated　over　what　looked　like　a　field　of　bleached　white　tree　limbs　sprouting　from　the　mud。　Gripping　one　that　was　gnarled　with　small　protrusions；　he　eased　it　out　of　the　bed　of　silt。　He　found　himself　staring　at　a　spinal　column　from　an　ancient　sacrificial　victim。
　　　　Giordino's　voice　broke　through　his　earphones。　〃Speak　to　me。〃
　　　　〃Depth　thirty…seven　meters；〃　Pitt　answered　as　he　flung　aside　the　spinal　column。　〃The　floor　of　the　pool　is　a　bone　yard。　There　must　be　two　hundred　skeletons　scattered　around　down　here。〃
　　　　〃Still　no　sign　of　bodies？〃
　　　　〃Not　yet。〃
　　　　Pitt　began　to　feel　an　icy　finger　trail　up　the　nape　of　his　neck　as　he　spotted　a　skeleton　with　a　bony　hand　pointing　into　the　gloom。　Beside　the　rib　cage　was　a　rusty　breastplate；　while　the　skull　was　still　encased　in　what　he　guessed　was　a　sixteenth…century　Spanish　helmet。
　　　　Pitt　reported　the　sighting　to　Giordino。　〃Tell　Doc　Miller　I've　found　a　long…dead　Spaniard　plete　with　helmet　and　breastplate　down　here。〃　Then；　as　if　drawn　by　an　unseen　force；　his　eyes　followed　in　the　direction　a　curled　finger　of　the　hand　pointed。
　　　　There　was　another　body；　one　that　had　died　more　recently。　It　appeared　to　be　a　male　with　the　legs　drawn　up　and　the　head　tilted　back。　Deposition　had　not　had　time　to　fully　break　down　the　flesh。　The　corpse　was　still　in　a　state　of　saponification；　where　the　meaty　tissue　and　organs　had　turned　into　a　firm　soaplike　substance。
　　　　The　expensive　hiking　boots；　a　red　silk　scarf　knotted　around　the　neck；　and　a　Navajo　silver　belt　buckle　inlaid　with　turquoise　stones　made　it　easy　for　Pitt　to　recognize　someone　who　was　not　a　local　peasant。　Whoever　he　was；　he　was　not　young。　Strands　of　long　silver　hair　and　beard　swayed　with　the　current　from　Pitt's　movements。　A　wide　gash　in　the　neck　also　showed　how　he　had　died。
　　　　A　thick　gold　ring　with　a　large　yellow　stone　flashed　under　the　beam　of　the　dive　light。　The　thought　occurred　to　Pitt　that　the　ring　might　e　in　handy　for　identifying　the　body。　Fighting　the　bile　rising　in　his　throat；　he　easily　pulled　the　ring　over　the　knuckle　of　the　dead　man's　rotting　finger　while　half　expecting　a　shadowy　form　to　appear　and　accuse　him　of　acting　like　a　ghoul。　Disagreeable　as　the　job　was；　he　swished　the　ring　through　the　silt　to　clean　off　any　remnant　of　its　former　owner；　and　then　slipped　it　onto　one　of　his　own　fingers　so　he　wouldn't　lose　it。
　　　　〃I　have　another　one；〃　he　notified　Giordino。
　　　　〃One　of　the　divers　or　an　old　Spaniard？〃
　　　　〃Neither。　This　one　looks　to　be　a　few　months　to　a　year　old。〃
　　　　Do　you　want　to　retrieve　it？〃　asked　Giordino。
　　　　〃Not　yet。　We'll　wait　until　after　we　find　Doc　Miller's　people…〃　Pitt　suddenly　broke　off　as　he　was　struck　by　an　enormous　force　of　water　that　surged　into　the　pool　from　an　unseen　passage　on　the　opposite　wall　and　churned　up　the　silt　like　dust　whirling　around　a　tornado。　He　would　have　tumbled　out　of　control　like　a　leaf　in　the　wind　by　the　unexpected　energy　of　the　turbulence　but　for　his　safety　line。　As　it　was　he　barely　kept　a　firm　grip　on　his　dive　light。
　　　　〃That　was　a　hell　of　a　jerk；〃　said　Giordino　with　concern。　〃What's　going　on？〃
　　　　〃I've　been　struck　by　a　powerful　surge　from　nowhere；〃　Pitt　replied；　relaxing　and　allowing　himself　to　go　with　the　flow。　〃That　explains　why　the　silt　layer　is　so　shallow。　It's　periodically　swept　away　by　the　turbulence。〃
　　　　〃Probably　fed　by　an　underground　water　system　that　builds　up　pressure　and　releases　it　as　a　surge　across　the　floor　of　the　sinkhole；〃　Giordino　speculated。　〃Shall　we　pull　you　out？〃
　　　　〃No；　leave　me　be。　Visibility　is　nil；　b