atlantis.found-第33部分

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dras　ran　into　a　violent　storm　and　heavy　seas　that　lasted　for　nearly　two　weeks。　She　was　battered　and　driven　far　south　of　her　course。　When　the　wind　and　waters　finally　calmed；　it　was　found　that　their　water　barrels　had　been　damaged　and　much　of　their　drinking　supply　lost。　The　captain　then　consulted　his　charts　and　made　the　decision　to　stop　at　a　barren　chain　of　uninhabited　islands　in　the　subantarctic　south　Indian　Ocean。　Now　known　as　the　Crozet　Islands；　they　form　a　tiny　overseas　territory　of　France。　He　dropped　anchor　off　a　small　island　called　St。　Paul　that　was　very　rugged；　with　a　volcanic　mountain　rising　in　its　center。　While　the　crew　repaired　the　water　barrels　and　began　filling　them　from　a　stream；　one　of　the　passengers；　a　British　army　colonel　on　his　way　home　with　his　wife　and　two　daughters　after　serving　ten　years　in　India；　decided　to　go　on　a　little　hunting　expedition。
　　　　　〃The　only　real　game　on　the　island　were　elephant　seals　and　penguins；　but　the　colonel　in　his　ignorance　thought　the　island　might　teem　with　four…legged　game。　After　climbing　nearly　a　thousand　feet　up　the　mountain；　he　and　his　friends　came　upon　a　footpath　laid　with　stones　worn　smooth　with　age。　They　followed　the　path　to　an　opening　hewn　in　the　rock　in　the　shape　of　an　archway。　They　entered　and　saw　a　passageway　that　led　deeper　into　the　mountain。〃
　　　　　〃I　wonder　if　the　entrance　has　been　found　and　explored　since　then；〃　said　Gunn。
　　　　　〃It's　possible；〃　Pitt　admitted。　〃Hiram　Yaeger　checked　it　out　for　me；　and　except　for　an　unmanned　meteorological　station　set　up　by　the　Aussies　from　1978　until　1997　and　monitored　by　satellite；　the　island　has　been　totally　uninhabited。　If　their　weathermen　found　anything　inside　the　mountain；　they　never　mentioned　it。　All　records　are　purely　meteorological。〃
　　　　　Little　was　leaning　over　the　table；　spellbound。　〃Then　what　happened？〃
　　　　　〃The　colonel　sent　one　of　his　party　back　to　the　ship；　and　he　returned　with　lanterns。　Only　then　did　they　venture　inside。　They　found　that　the　passageway　was　smoothly　carved　from　the　rock　and　sloped　downward　for　about　a　hundred　feet；　ending　in　a　small　chamber　with　dozens　of　strange　and　ancient…looking　sculptures。　They　went　on　to　describe　unreadable　inscriptions　etched　on　the　walls　and　ceiling　of　the　chamber。〃
　　　　　〃Did　they　record　the　inscriptions？〃　asked　Pat。
　　　　　〃No　symbols　went　into　the　captain's　log；〃　answered　Pitt。　〃The　only　drawing　is　a　crude　map　to　the　entrance　of　the　chamber。〃
　　　　　〃And　the　artifacts？〃　Sandecker　probed。
　　　　　〃They're　still　on　the　Madras；〃　explained　Pitt。　〃Roxanna　Mender；　the　wife　of　the　captain　of　the　whaler；　mentioned　them　in　a　brief　entry　in　her　diary。　She　identified　one　as　a　silver　urn。　The　others　were　bronze　and　earthenware　sculptures　of　strange…looking　animals　she　said　she　had　never　seen　before。　Under　the　laws　of　salvage；　her　husband　and　his　crew　intended　to　strip　the　Madras　of　anything　of　value；　but　the　ice　pack　began　to　break　up　and　they　had　to　make　a　run　for　the　whaler。　They　took　only　the　obsidian　skull。〃
　　　　　〃Another　chamber；　this　one　with　artifacts；〃　Pat　said；　staring　as　if　seeing　something　beyond　the　room。　〃I　wonder　how　many　others　are　hidden　around　the　world。〃
　　　　　Sandecker　eyed　Giordino　waspishly　as　the　little　Italian　chewed　on　his　immense　cigar。　〃It　seems　we　have　our　work　cut　out　for　us。〃　He　drew　away　his　eyes　from　Giordino　and　trained　them　on　Gunn。　〃Rudi；　as　soon　as　you　can；　expedite　two　expeditions。　One　to　search　for　the　Madras　in　the　Antarctic。　The　second　to　check　out　the　chamber　found　by　the　ship's　passengers　on　St。　Paul　Island。　Use　whatever　research　vessels　are　nearest　the　areas　in　question。〃　He　turned　to　the　men　farther　down　the　long　table。　〃Dirk；　you　head　up　the　search　for　the　derelict。　Al；　you　take　St。　Paul　Island。〃
　　　　　Giordino　sat　slouched　in　his　chair。　〃I　hope　our　bloodthirsty　little　friends　didn't　get　to　either　place　first。〃
　　　　　〃You'll　know　soon　after　you　arrive；〃　Gunn　said；　with　a　straight　face。
　　　　　〃In　the　meantime；〃　said　Helm；　〃I'll　keep　two　agents　on　the　hunt　throughout　the　U。S。　for　any　leads　to　the　organization　that　hired　the　killers。〃
　　　　　〃I　must　tell　you；　Admiral；〃　Little　said　seriously　to　Sandecker；　〃this　is　not　a　priority　assignment　for　Central　Intelligence。　But　I'll　do　what　I　can　to　fill　in　the　pieces。　My　people　will　concentrate　on　international　corporate　syndicates　outside　the　United　States　that　fund　or　search　for　archaeological　searches。　We'll　also　investigate　any　discoveries　that　involved　murder。　Your　new　evidence　pointing　to　a　neo…Nazi　order　may　prove　invaluable。〃
　　　　　〃Last　but　not　least；　we　e　to　the　lovely　lady　in　our　midst；〃　Sandecker　said。　He　wasn't　being　patronizing；　it　was　the　way　he　talked　to　most　women。
　　　　　Pat　smiled　in　poised　confidence　at　seeing　every　male　eye　focused　on　her。　〃My　job；　of　course；　is　to　attempt　to　decipher　the　inscriptions。〃
　　　　　〃The　photos　the　killers　took　should　be　processed　by　now；〃　said　Gunn。
　　　　　〃I'll　need　a　place　to　work；〃　she　said　thoughtfully。　〃Since　I　am　now　a　nonperson；　I　can't　very　well　walk　into　my　office　at　the　University　of　Pennsylvania　and　begin　an　analysis　program。〃
　　　　　Sandecker　smiled。　〃Between　Ron；　Ken；　and　myself；　we　have　at　our　mand　what　are　perhaps　three　of　the　most　sophisticated　data…processing　facilities　and　technicians　in　the　world。　Take　your　pick。〃
　　　　　〃If　I　may　suggest；　Admiral；〃　said　Pitt；　making　no　attempt　at　impartiality；　〃because　of　NUMAs　continued　involvement　with　the　chambers　and　their　contents；　it　may　be　more　efficient　for　Dr。　O'Connell　to　work　with　Hiram　Yaeger　in　our　own　puter　facility。〃
　　　　　Sandecker　looked　for　some　clue　as　to　what　was　going　on　in　Pitt's　devious　mind。　Finding　none；　he　shrugged。　〃It's　your　call；　Doctor。〃
　　　　　〃I　do　believe　Mr。　Pitt　is　right。　By　working　closely　with　NUMA；　I　can　be　in　close　munication　with　the　expeditions。〃
　　　　　〃As　you　wish。　I'll　place　Yaeger　and　Max　at　your　disposal。〃
　　　　　〃Max？〃
　　　　　〃Yaeger's　latest　toy；〃　replied　Pitt。　〃An　artificial　intelligence　puter　system　that　turns　out　visual　holographic　images。〃
　　　　　Pat　took　a　deep　breath。　〃I'll　need　all　the　exotic　technical　help　I　can　get。
　　　　　〃Not　to　worry；〃　said　Giordino　with　humorous　detachment。　〃If　the　inscriptions　prove　ancient；　they're　probably　nothing　but　a　book　of　ancient　recipes。〃
　　　　　〃Recipes　for　what？〃　inquired　Helm。
　　　　　〃Goat；〃　said　Giordino　moodily。　〃A　thousand　and　one　ways　to　serve　goat。〃
　　　　　〃Forgive　me　for　asking；　but　are　you　Hiram　Yaeger？〃　Fueled　by　enthusiasm；　Pat　had　made　her　way　through　the　vast　puter　network　that　covered　the　entire　tenth　floor　of　the　NUMA　building。　She　had　heard　puter　wizards　at　the　University　of　Pennsylvania　talk　in　awe　of　the　oceans　data　center　of　the　National　Underwater　&　Marine　Agency。　It　was　an　established　fact　that　the　center　processed　and　stored　the　most　enormous　amount　of　digital　data　on　oceanography　ever　assembled　under　one　roof。
　　　　　The　scruffy…looking　man　sitting　at　a　horseshoe…shaped　console　pulled　down　his　granny　glasses　and　peered　at　the　woman　standing　in　the　doorway　of　his　sanctum　sanctorum。　〃I'm　Yaeger。　You　must　be　Dr。　O'Connell。　The　admiral　said　to　expect　you　this　morning。〃
　　　　　The　brain　behind　this　incredible　display　of　information…gathering　power　hardly　fit　the　image　she　had　of　him。　For　some　reason；　Pat　had　expected　Yaeger　to　look　like　a　cross　between　Bill　Gates　and　Albert　Einstein。　He　resembled　neither。　He　was　dressed　in　Levi's　pants　and　jacket　over　a　pure　white　T…shirt。　His　feet　were　encased　in　cowboy　boots　that　looked　as　if　they　had　suffered　through　a　thousand　calf…roping　contests　on　the　rodeo　circuit。　His　hair　was　dark　gray　and　long　and　tied　back　in　a　ponytail。　His　face　was　boyish　and　clean…shaven；　and　featured　a　narrow　nose　and　gray　eyes。
　　　　　Pat　would　have　also　been　surprised　to　learn　that　Yaeger　lived　in　a　fashionable　residential　section　of　Maryland；　was　married　to　a　successful　animal　artist；　and　was　the　father　of　two　teenage　daughters　who　attended　an　expensive　private　school。　His　only　hobby　was　collecting　and　restoring　old；　obsolete　puters。
　　　　　〃I　hope　I'm　not　interrupting　anything；〃　said　Pat。
　　　　　〃Weren't　you　met　at　the　elevator　and　shown　to　my　domain？〃
　　　　　〃No；　I　simply　wandered　around　until　I　saw　somebody　who　didn't　look　like　Dilbert。〃
　　　　　Yaeger；　a　fan　of　the　ic　strip　c