atlantis.found-第80部分

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。　You　ladies；　all　aboard。〃
　　　　　Pitt　stood　for　a　moment　and　studied　the　instruments　on　the　console。　He　turned　the　key　and　hit　the　twin　starter　buttons。　Down　below　in　the　engine　partment；　a　pair　of　big　marine　diesel　engines　turned　over；　the　fuel　inside　their　firing　chambers　pressing　and　igniting　to　the　tune　of　high…pitched　clacking。　He　slid　open　the　starboard　window　and　peered　out。　Giordino　had　untied　the　fore　and　aft　lines　and　was　climbing　on　board。
　　　　　Pitt　engaged　the　reverse　drive　and　very　slowly　began　edging　the　boat　away　from　the　pier　and　backing　it　toward　the　open　water　twenty　yards　astern。　He　passed　two　dockworkers　installing　a　railing　around　the　pier；　and　waved。　They　waved　back。　It's　so　much　easier　to　be　sneaky；　he　thought；　than　to　burst　out　of　the　corral　like　a　wild　bull。
　　　　　The　boat　passed　the　end　of　the　pier　into　open　water。　Now　the　stern　of　the　great　ship　soared　above　them。　Pitt　moved　the　shift　lever　into　Forward　and　steered　the　Grand　Banks　on　a　course　along　the　Ulrich　Woof。　To　reach　the　fjord　and　escape　the　shipyard；　they　had　to　cruise　entirely　around　the　floating　titan。　Pitt　set　the　throttles　until　the　speed　instruments　read　eight　knots；　a　pace　that　he　hoped　would　not　arouse　suspicions。　So　far；　there　had　been　no　shouts；　no　bells　or　whistles；　no　signs　of　a　chase　or　searchlights　pinning　them　against　the　dark　water。
　　　　　At　this　speed；　it　would　take　fifteen　minutes　to　pass　the　entire　length　of　the　supership　and　turn　the　bow　until　they　could　move　a　safe　distance　away　and　out　from　under　the　glare　of　the　lights　from　the　shipyard。　Fifteen　agonizing　minutes　that　would　seem　like　fifteen　years。　That　was　only　the　first　hurdle。　They　still　had　the　patrol　boats　to　contend　with；　and　by　then　there　was　every　possibility　their　crews　would　have　been　alerted　to　the　fugitives'　escape　in　the　Grand　Banks　cabin　cruiser。
　　　　　There　was　nothing　they　could　do　except　remain　inside　the　main　cabin　out　of　sight　and　stare　up　at　the　immense　monster　as　they　crept　alongside。　From　bow　to　stern；　the　great　mass　of　glass　was　a　blaze　of　light　inside　and　out；　giving　it　the　effect　of　a　baseball　stadium　during　a　night　game。　The　famous　classic　liners　of　their　time；　Titanic；　Lusitania；　Queen　Mary；　Queen　Elisabeth；　and　Normandy；　if　anchored　in　a　row；　would　still　have　e　up　short　next　to　the　Ulrich　Wolf。
　　　　　〃I　could　use　a　hamburger　about　now；〃　said　Giordino；　trying　to　relieve　the　tension。
　　　　　〃Me；　too；〃　said　Megan。　〃All　they　fed　us　was　yucky　nutritional　stuff。〃
　　　　　Pat　smiled；　though　her　face　looked　strained。　〃It　won't　be　long；　honey；　and　you'll　get　your　hamburger。〃
　　　　　Pitt　turned　from　the　helm。　〃Were　you　treated　badly？〃
　　　　　〃No　abuse；〃　answered　Pat；　〃but　I've　never　been　ordered　around　by　so　many　nasty　and　arrogant　people。　They　worked　me　twenty　hours　a　day。〃
　　　　　〃Deciphering　Amenes　inscriptions　from　another　chamber？〃
　　　　　〃They　weren't　from　another　chamber。　They　were　photos　taken　of　inscriptions　they　found　at　a　lost　city　in　the　Antarctic。〃
　　　　　Pitt　looked　at　her　curiously。　〃The　Antarctic？〃
　　　　　She　nodded　solemnly。　〃Frozen　in　the　ice。　The　Nazis　discovered　it　before　the　wax。〃
　　　　　〃Elsie　Wolf　told　me　they'd　found　evidence　the　Amenes　built　six　chambers。〃
　　　　　〃I　can't　say；〃　admitted　Pat。　〃All　I　can　tell　you　is　that　I　got　the　impression　they're　using　the　ice　city　for　some　purpose。　What；　I　didn't　find　out。
　　　　　〃Did　you　learn　anything　new　from　the　inscriptions　they　forced　you　to　decipher？〃
　　　　　As　she　talked；　Pat　no　longer　looked　sad　and　forlorn。　〃I　was　barely　into　the　project　when　you　burst　through　the　door。　They　were　extremely　interested　in　what　me　deciphered　in　the　Colorado　and　St。　Paul　chambers。　It　appeared　that　the　Wolfs　were　desperate　to　study　the　accounts　passed　down　by　the　Amenes　describing　the　effects　of　the　cataclysm。〃
　　　　　〃That's　because　any　inscriptions　they　found　inside　the　lost　city　came　before　the　cataclysm。〃　He　paused　and　nodded　toward　her　briefcase。
　　　　　〃Is　that　what's　in　there？〃
　　　　　She　held　it　up。　〃The　photos　from　the　Antarctic　chamber。　I　couldn't　bring　myself　to　leave　them　behind。〃
　　　　　He　looked　at　her　steadily。　〃They　don't　make　women　like　you　anymore。〃
　　　　　Pitt　might　have　said　more；　but　a　boat　was　crossing　his　bow　about　a　hundred　yards　ahead。　It　looked　to　be　a　workboat；　and　its　course　remained　steady　as　it　turned　and　passed　on　the　Grand　Bank's　port　side。　The　crew　seemed　intent　on　their　labors　and　didn't　pay　the　slightest　attention　to　the　cabin　cruiser。
　　　　　Relaxing　a　bit　as　they　neared　the　forward　section　of　the　Ulrich　Wolf　without　any　sign　of　pursuit；　Pitt　asked；　〃You　said　they're　studying　what　conditions　will　be　like　in　the　aftermath　of　the　cataclysm？〃
　　　　　〃In　a　big　way。　I　assume　they　want　every　bit　of　data　they　can　glean　for　their　survival。〃
　　　　　〃I'm　still　at　a　loss　as　to　why　the　Wolfs　are　so　positive　a　et　is　going　to　return　and　collide　with　Earth　within　days　of　the　prediction　made　by　the　Amenes　nine　thousand　years　ago；〃　Pitt　said。
　　　　　Pat　shook　her　head　slowly。　〃I　have　no　answers　to　that。〃
　　　　　Still　crawling　along　at　eight　knots；　Pitt　gently　turned　the　wheel；　sending　the　Grand　Banks　on　a　wide　arc　around　the　bow　of　the　Ulrich　Wolf　and　passing　the　end　of　the　dock；　now　swarming　with　shipyard　workers　and　security　guards　checking　the　identification　of　every　man　and　woman　in　red　coveralls。　He　passed　a　small　powerboat　running　with　no　lights　that　ominously　swung　around　in　a　180…degree　turn　and　began　following　in　their　wake。　He　set　his　directional　puter　on　the　frame　of　the　windshield　and　studied　the　readings　that　would　lead　him　through　the　darkness　to　the　ravine　that　held　the　Skycar。
　　　　　Three　miles　to　the　ravine；　three　miles　over　water　in　a　boat　that　offered　no　protection　from　probing　lights　or　automatic　weapons　and　heavy　machine　guns。　All　they　carried　were　a　pair　of　handguns。　And　there　were　the　patrol　boats　that　surely　must　have　been　alerted　by　now　of　a　stolen　powerboat　carrying　intruders　attempting　to　escape　the　shipyard。　His　only　consolation　was　that　the　patrol　boats　were　at　the　far　end　of　the　fjord；　giving　them　an　extra　few　minutes　of　time。　A　slim　consolation　at　best。　With　their　superior　speed；　the　patrol　boats　could　easily　intercept　the　Grand　Banks　before　they　could　reach　the　mouth　of　the　ravine。
　　　　　〃Al！〃
　　　　　Giordino　was　at　his　side　immediately。　〃Aye；　aye。〃
　　　　　〃Find　some　bottles。　There　must　be　some　on　board。　Empty；　then　fill　them　with　whatever　you　can　find　that's　highly　inflammable。　Diesel　fuel　is　too　slow…burning。　Look　for　gas　or　solvent。〃
　　　　　〃Molotov　cocktails；〃　said　Giordino；　grinning　like　a　demon。　〃I　haven't　thrown　one　of　those　since　kindergarten。〃　Two　steps；　and　he　was　dropping　down　a　ladder　to　the　engine　partment。
　　　　　Pitt　brushed　aside　an　urge　to　shove　the　throttles　to　their　stops；　judging　that　it　was　more　productive　to　play　out　a　passive　role。　He　stared　over　one　shoulder　at　the　twenty…five…foot　runabout　behind　them；　its　big；　powerful　outboard　motor　clamped　to　its　transom　it　had　increased　speed　and　was　drawing　alongside。　The　lights　from　the　shipyard　revealed　only　two　men　in　black　uniforms；　one　steering　the　boat；　the　other　standing　in　the　stern　gripping　an　automatic　rifle。　The　one　at　the　helm　was　motioning　at　his　ear。　Pitt　understood　the　message　and　turned　on　the　radio；　leaving　it　on　the　frequency　it　was　set。
　　　　　A　voice　crackled　over　the　speaker　in　Spanish；　with　an　indisputable　inflection　that　Pitt　knew　was　a　mand　to　lay　to。　He　picked　up　the　microphone　and　answered　〃No　habla　espanol。〃
　　　　　〃Alto；　alto！〃　the　voice　shouted。
　　　　　〃Get　down　below　and　lay　flat　on　the　deck；〃　he　ordered　Pat　and　Megan。　They　silently　plied　and　hurried　down　the　ladder　to　the　main　cabin。
　　　　　Pitt　slowed　the　boat　and　stood　in　the　doorway；　his　Colt　cocked　and　stuffed　under　his　belt。　The　guard　in　the　stern　of　the　runabout　crouched　in　readiness　to　jump　on　board　the　Grand　Banks。
　　　　　Pitt　then　pulled　back　the　throttles　but　kept　a　slight　headway；　measuring　the　distance　between　the　two　boats　and　moving　at　just　enough　parallel　speed　so　that　the　boarder　would　e　over　the　railing　almost　in　line　with　the　doorway　to　the　bridge。　His　timing　would　have　to　be　exactly　on　the　mark。　He　waited　patiently；　like　a　hunter　in　a　blind　watching　the　skies　for　a　passing　duck。
　　　　　At　the