atlantis.found-第61部分

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　nineteenth…century　schooner　that　had　lain　deep　beneath　the　waters　of　Lake　Erie。　The　richly　paneled　mahogany　wall　displayed　a　series　of　paintings　depicting　historic　naval　sea　battles。
　　　　　Sandecker　ran　NUMA　like　a　benevolent　dictator；　with　a　firm　hand；　and　loyal　to　his　employees　to　a　fault。　Personally　picked　by　a　former　president　to　form　the　National　Underwater　&　Marine　Agency　from　scratch；　he　had　built　a　far…reaching　operation　with　two　thousand　employees　that　scientifically　probed　into　every　peak　and　valley　under　the　seas。　NUMA　was　highly　respected　around　the　world　for　its　scientific　projects；　and　its　budget　requests　were　rarely　denied　by　Congress。
　　　　　An　exercise　fanatic；　he　maintained　a　sixty…two…year…old　body　that　knew　no　fat。　He　stood　a　few　inches　over　five　feet　and　stared　through　hazel　eyes　surrounded　by　flaming　red　hair　and　a　Vandyke　beard。　An　occasional　drinker；　mostly　at　Washington　dinner　parties；　his　only　major　sin　was　a　fondness　for　elegant　cigars；　grand　and　aromatic；　that　were　personally　selected　and　wrapped　to　his　exacting　specifications　by　a　small　family　in　the　Dominican　Republic。　He　never　offered　one　to　visitors；　but　was　irritated　and　frustrated　to　extremes　because　he　often　caught　Giordino　smoking　the　exact　same　cigars　and　yet　could　never　find　any　of　his　private　stock　missing。
　　　　　He　was　sitting　at　the　end　of　the　table；　and　stood　as　Pitt　and　Pat　O'Connell　stepped　into　the　room。　He　stepped　forward　and　greeted　Pitt　like　a　son；　shaking　his　hand　while　gripping　a　shoulder。　〃Good　to　see　you。〃
　　　　　〃Always　a　pleasure　to　be　back　in　the　fold　again；〃　Pitt　replied；　beaming。　The　admiral　was　like　a　second　father　to　him；　and　they　were　very　close。
　　　　　Sandecker　turned　to　Pat。　〃Please　sit　down；　Doctor。　I'm　anxious　to　hear　what　you　and　Hiram　have　for　me。〃
　　　　　Giordino　and　Yeager　soon　joined　the　others；　followed　by　Dr。　John　Stevens；　a　noted　historian　and　author　of　several　books　on　the　study　and　identification　of　ancient　artifacts。　Stevens　was　an　academic　and　looked　the　part；　plete　with　a　sleeveless　sweater　under　a　wool　sport　coat　that　had　a　meerschaum　pipe　protruding　from　the　breast　pocket。　He　had　a　way　of　cocking　his　head　like　a　robin　listening　for　a　worm　under　the　sod。　He　carried　a　large　plastic　ice　chest；　which　he　set　beside　his　chair　on　the　carpet。
　　　　　Sandecker　set　the　sawed…off　base　of　an　eight…inch　shell　casing　form　a　naval　gun　in　front　of　him　as　an　ashtray　and　lit　up　a　cigar。　He　stared　at　Giordino；　half　expecting　his　projects　specialist　to　light　up；　too。　Giordino　decided　not　to　irritate　his　boss　and　did　his　best　to　look　cultured。
　　　　　Pitt　could　not　help　noticing　that　Yaeger's　and　Pat's　faces　seemed　unduly　strained　and　tired。
　　　　　Sandecker　opened　the　discussion　by　asking　if　they'd　all　had　a　chance　to　go　over　the　report　from　Pat　and　Yaeger。　All　nodded　silently；　except　Giordino。　〃I　found　it　interesting　reading；〃　he　said；　〃but　as　science　fiction　it　doesn't　measure　up　to　Isaac　Asimov　or　Ray　Bradbury。〃
　　　　　Yaeger　gave　Giordino　a　steady　gaze。　〃I　assure　you；　this　is　not　science　fiction。〃
　　　　　〃Have　you　discovered　what　this　race　of　people　called　themselves？〃　asked　Pitt。　〃Did　their　civilization　have　a　name　besides　Atlantis？〃
　　　　　Pat　opened　a　file　on　the　desk　in　front　of　her　and　pulled　out　a　sheet　of　notebook　paper　and　peered　at　the　writing。　'As　near　as　I　can　decipher　and　translate　into　English；　they　referred　to　their　league　of　seafaring　city…states　as　Amenes；　pronounced　'Ameenees。'　〃
　
　　　　　〃Amenes；〃　Pitt　repeated　slowly。　〃It　sounds　Greek。〃
　　　　　〃I　unraveled　a　number　of　words　that　could　well　be　the　origins　for　later　Greek　and　Egyptian…language　terms。〃
　　　　　Sandecker　gestured　the　end　of　his　cigar　at　the　historian。　〃Dr。　Stevens；　I　assume　you've　examined　the　obsidian　skulls？〃
　　　　　〃I　have。〃　Stevens　leaned　down；　opened　the　ice　chest；　lifted　out　one　of　the　black　skulls；　and　set　it　upright　on　a　large　silk　pillow　laid　on　the　conference　table。　The　glossy　obsidian　gleamed　under　the　overhead　spotlights。　〃A　truly　remarkable　piece　of　work；〃　he　said　reverently。　〃Amenes　artisans　began　with　a　solid　block　of　obsidian　one　that　was　incredibly　pure　of　imperfections　a　rarity　in　itself。　Over　a　period　of　at　least　ninety　to　a　hundred　years；　and　perhaps　more；　the　head　was　shaped　by　hand；　using　what　I　believe　was　obsidian　dust　as　a　smoothing　agent。〃
　　　　　〃Why　not　some　type　of　hardened　metal　chisels　tapped　by　a　mallet？〃　asked　Giordino。
　　　　　Stevens　shook　his　head。　〃No　tools　were　wielded。　There　are　no　signs　of　scratches　or　nicks。　Obsidian；　though　extremely　hard；　is　very　prone　to　fracture。　One　slip；　one　misplaced　angle　of　a　chisel；　and　the　whole　skull　would　have　shattered。　No；　the　shaping　and　polishing　had　to　be　acplished　as　if　a　marble　bust　had　been　delicately　smoothed　by　car　polish。〃
　　　　　〃How　long　would　it　take　to　reproduce　with　modern　tools？〃
　　　　　Stevens　gave　a　faint　grin。　〃Technically；　it　would　be　next　to　impossible　to　create　an　exact　replica。　The　more　I　study　it；　the　more　I　bee　convinced　it　shouldn't　exist。〃
　　　　　〃Are　there　any　markings　on　the　base　to　suggest　a　source？〃　asked　Sandecker。
　　　　　〃No　markings；〃　answered　Stevens。　〃But　let　me　show　you　something　that's　truly　astonishing。〃　With　extreme　care　he　slowly　made　a　twisting　motion；　as　he　lifted　the　upper　half　of　the　skull　until　it　came　free。　Next　he　removed　a　perfectly　contoured　globe　from　the　skull　cavity。　Holding　it　devoutly　in　both　hands；　he　lowered　it　onto　a　specially　prepared　cushioned　base。　〃I　can't　begin　to　imagine　the　degree　of　artistic　craftsmanship　it　took　to　produce　such　an　astonishing　object；〃　he　said　admiringly。　〃Only　while　studying　the　skull　under　strong　magnification　did　I　see　a　line　around　the　skull　plate　that　was　invisible　to　the　naked　eye。〃
　　　　　〃It's　absolutely　fabulous；〃　murmured　Pat　in　awe。
　　　　　〃Are　there　carvings　on　the　globe？〃　Pitt　asked　Stevens。
　　　　　〃Yes；　it's　an　engraved　illustration　of　the　world。　If　you　care　to　view　it　more　closely；　I　have　a　magnifying　glass。〃
　　　　　He　handed　the　thick　glass　to　Pitt；　who　peered　at　the　lines　inscribed　on　the　globe　that　was　about　the　size　of　a　baseball。　After　a　minute；　he　carefully　slid　the　globe　across　the　table　in　front　of　Sandecker　and　passed　him　the　magnifying　glass。
　　　　　While　the　admiral　was　examining　the　globe；　Stevens　said；　〃By　paring　the　photographs　taken　inside　the　chamber　in　Colorado　with　those　from　St。　Paul　Island；　I　found　that　the　continents　perfectly　match　those　of　the　obsidian　globe。〃
　　　　　〃Meaning？〃　asked　Sandecker。
　　　　　〃If　you　study　the　alignment　of　the　continents；　and　large　islands　such　as　Greenland　and　Mozambique；　you'll　find　they　don't　match　the　geography　of　the　world　today。〃
　　　　　〃I　observed　the　differences；　too；〃　said　Pitt。
　　　　　〃What　does　that　prove？〃　asked　Giordino；　playing　the　role　of　skeptic。　〃Except　that　it's　a　primitive；　inaccurate　map？〃
　　　　　〃Primitive？　Yes。　Inaccurate？　Perhaps　by　modern　standards。　But　I　strongly　support　the　theory　that　these　ancient　peoples　sailed　every　sea　on　earth　and　charted　thousands　of　miles　of　coastlines。　If　you　look　closely　at　the　obsidian　globe；　you　can　see　they　even　defined　Australia；　Japan；　and　the　Great　Lakes　of　North　America。　All　this　by　people　who　lived　more　than　nine　thousand　years　ago。〃
　　　　　〃Unlike　the　Atlantis　that　was　described　by　Plato　as　having　existed　on　a　single　island　or　continent；〃　Pat　spoke　up；　〃the　Amenes　engaged　in　worldwide　merce。　They　went　far　beyond　the　bounds　of　much　later　civilizations。　They　were　not　restricted　by　tradition　or　fear　of　the　unknown　seas。　The　inscriptions　detail　their　sea　routes　and　vast　trading　network　that　took　them　across　the　Atlantic　and　up　the　St。　Lawrence　River　to　Michigan；　where　they　mined　copper；　and　to　Bolivia　and　the　British　Isles；　where　they　mined　tin；　using　advanced　developments　in　metallurgy　to　create　and　produce　bronze；　thereby　lifting　mankind　from　the　Stone　Age　to　the　Bronze　Age。〃
　　　　　Sandecker　leaned　across　the　table。　〃Surely　they　mined　and　traded　in　gold　and　silver。〃
　　　　　〃Strangely；　they　did　not　consider　gold　or　silver　useful　metals；　and　preferred　copper　for　their　ornaments　and　art　works。　But　they　did　journey　around　the　world　in　search　of　turquoise　and　black　opal；　which　they　fashioned　into　jewelry。　And；　of　course；　obsidian；　which　was　almost　sacred　to　them。　Obsi