pdouglas.thecodex-第15部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ing　every　which　way。　That　country　is　virtually　unexplored；　from　the　swamps　all　the　way　past　the　Sierra　Azul　down　to　the　Guayambré　River。　Forty　thousand　square　kilometers　of　terra　incognita。〃
　〃We　haven't　really　decided　where　we're　going。〃
　〃Don　Orlando。　He's　your　man。〃　Then　Derek　Dunn　revolved　in　his　seat　and　faced　Tom　with　his　big　sweaty　face。　〃Say；　I'm　a　bit　short　of　funds…royalty　check　in　the　mail　and　all　that。　Perhaps　you　could　spot　us　another　round；　what　say？〃
　
　15
　
　On　the　puter　screen　nestled　discreetly　among　the　cherrywood　paneling　in　his　office；　Lewis　Skiba　watched　the　progress　of　Lampe…Denison　Pharmaceuticals　on　the　New　York　Stock　Exchange。　Investors　had　been　hammering　the　stock　all　day；　and　it　was　now　trading　at　close　to　ten。　Even　as　he　watched；　the　stock　ticked　down　another　eighth　of　a　point　to　trade　at　ten　even。
　Skiba　did　not　want　to　see　his　pany　go　into　single　digits。　He　flicked　off　the　screen。　His　eyes　flickered　to　the　wood　panel　that　hid　the　Macallan；　but　it　was　too　soon　for　that。　Too　soon。　He　needed　a　clear　head　for　the　call。
　Rumors　were　circulating　that　Phloxatane　was　in　trouble　at　the　FDA。　The　short　sellers　were　all　over　the　stock；　like　maggots　on　a　corpse。　Two　hundred　million　dollars　of　R&D　had　gone　into　that　drug。　Lampe　had　worked　with　the　best　medical　researchers　and　scientists　at　three　Ivy　League　universities。　The　double…blind　tests　had　been　well　conceived；　the　data　massaged　and　patted　into　the　best　possible　shape。　Their　friends　at　the　FDA　had　been　wined　and　dined。　But　nothing　in　the　end　would　save　Phloxatane。　No　matter　which　way　you　cut　the　data；　Phloxatane　was　a　failure。　And　here　he　was　sitting　on　six　million　shares　of　Lampe　stock　he　couldn't　unload…no　one　had　forgotten　what　happened　to　Martha　Stewart…as　well　as　two　million　paper　options　so　far　out　of　the　money　that　they　would　be　more　useful　as　toilet　tissue　in　his　Carrara　marble　bathroom。
　More　than　anything　else　in　this　world；　Skiba　loathed　short　sellers。　They　were　the　vultures；　the　maggots；　the　carrion　flies　of　the　market。　He　would　give　anything　to　see　Lampe's　stock　turn　against　them　and　start　rising；　he　would　love　to　see　their　panic　as　they　were　forced　to　cover　their　positions。　He　would　love　to　think　of　all　the　margin　calls　they　would　be　receiving。　It　would　be　a　beautiful　thing。　And　when　he　got　his　hands　on　the　Codex　and　made　the　announcement；　this　beautiful　thing　would　happen。　It　would　burn　the　short　sellers　so　badly　that　it　would　be　months；　maybe　years；　before　they　came　back。
　A　soft　trill　came　from　the　phone　on　his　desk。　He　glanced　at　his　watch。　The　satellite　call　was　right　on　time。　He　really　hated　talking　to　Hauser；　he　loathed　the　man　and　his　principles。　But　he　had　to　deal　with　him。　Hauser　had　insisted　on　〃keeping　him　in　the　loop〃；　even　though　Skiba　was　usually　a　hands…on　CEO；　he　had　hesitated。　Some　things　were　better　left　in　the　dark。　But　in　the　end　he　agreed；　if　only　to　keep　Hauser　from　doing　something　stupid　or　illegal。　When　he　got　the　Codex；　he　wanted　it　clean。
　He　picked　up　the　receiver。
　〃Skiba　here。〃
　The　voice　of　Hauser；　made　Donald…Duckish　by　the　scrambler；　came　over　the　line。　As　usual；　the　PI　wasted　no　time　on　pleasantries。
　〃Maxwell　Broadbent　went　up　the　Patuca　River　with　a　bunch　of　highland　Indians。　We're　on　his　track。　We　don't　know　yet　where　he　was　headed；　but　my　guess　is　somewhere　in　the　interior　mountains。〃
　〃Any　problems？〃
　〃One　of　the　sons；　Vernon；　jumped　the　gun　and　got　ahead　of　us　upriver。　It　seems　the　jungle　might　take　care　of　that　problem　for　us；　though。〃
　〃I　don't　understand。〃
　〃He　hired　two　drunken　guides　from　Puerto　Lempira；　and　they've　gotten　themselves　lost　in　Meambar　Swamp。　It　seems　unlikely　they　will；　ah；　ever　see　sunshine　again。〃
　Skiba　swallowed。　This　was　a　lot　more　information　than　he　needed　to　know。　〃Look；　Mr。　Hauser；　just　stick　to　the　facts　and　leave　the　opining　to　others。〃
　〃We　had　a　minor　setback　with　the　other　one；　Tom。　He's　got　a　woman　with　him；　a　graduate　student　in　ethnopharmacology　from　Yale。〃
　〃Ethnopharmacology？　She　knows　about　the　Codex？〃
　〃You　bet　your　ass　she　does。〃
　Skiba　winced。　〃That's　rather　inconvenient。〃
　〃Yeah；　but　it's　nothing　I　can't　handle。〃
　〃Look；　Mr。　Hauser；〃　he　said　briskly；　〃I'll　leave　it　all　in　your　capable　hands。　I've　got　a　meeting　to　go　to。〃
　〃Those　people　will　have　to　be　taken　care　of。〃
　Skiba　didn't　like　the　way　the　conversation　kept　doglegging　back　to　that　subject。　〃I　don't　have　any　idea　what　you're　talking　about；　and　I　don't　want　to　know。　I'm　content　to　let　you　handle　the　details。〃
　There　was　a　small　chuckle　at　the　far　end。　〃Skiba；　how　many　people　are　dying　in　Africa　right　now　because　you　insist　on　charging　twenty…three　thousand　dollars　a　year　for　that　new　TB　drug　that　costs　you　a　hundred　and　ten　dollars　to　make？　That's　all　I'm　talking　about。　When　I　say　'take　care　of　them；'　all　I　mean　is　adding　a　few　more　numbers　to　your　total。〃
　〃Damn　you；　Hauser；　that's　outrageous…〃　Skiba　broke　off　and　swallowed。　He　was　just　letting　Hauser　bait　him。　This　was　talk；　nothing　more。
　〃This　is　beautiful；　Skiba。　You　want　your　Codex　nice　and　clean　and　legal；　you　don't　want　anyone　popping　up　to　claim　ownership；　and　you　don't　want　anyone　hurt。　Don't　worry；　no　white　people　will　be　killed　without　your　permission。〃
　〃You　listen　to　me。　I　will　not　countenance　the　killing　of　anyone；　white　or　nonwhite。　This　reckless　talk　has　got　to　stop。〃　Skiba　could　feel　the　sweat　trickling　down　his　neck。　How　had　he　allowed　Hauser　to　take　control　of　the　situation　like　this？　His　hand　fumbled　with　the　key。　The　drawer　slid　open。
　〃I　understand；〃　said　Hauser。　〃Like　I　said…〃
　〃I've　got　a　meeting。〃　Skiba　ended　the　connection；　his　heart　pounding。　Hauser　was　down　there；　out　of　control；　with　no　supervision；　liable　to　do　anything。　The　man　was　a　psychopath。　He　bit　down；　chewed；　washed　the　bitterness　down　with　a　slug　of　Macallan；　and　sat　back；　breathing　deeply。　The　fire　was　burning　merrily　in　the　fireplace。　The　talk　of　killing　made　him　feel　agitated；　sick　to　his　stomach。　He　gazed　into　the　flames；　seeking　their　soothing　influence。　Hauser　had　promised　to　ask　his　permission；　and　Skiba　would　never　give　it。　Neither　the　pany　nor　even　his　own　personal　fortune　was　worth　taking　that　step。　His　gaze　wandered　over　to　the　row　of　silver　photographs　on　his　desk：　his　three　children；　gazing　back　at　him　with　towheaded　grins。　He　regulated　his　breathing。　Hauser　was　full　of　tough　talk；　but　it　was　just　that：　talk。　Nobody　was　going　to　get　killed。　Hauser　would　retrieve　the　Codex；　Lampe　would　recover；　and　in　two　or　three　years　he　would　be　the　toast　of　Wall　Street　for　pulling　his　pany　back　from　the　brink。
　Skiba　glanced　at　his　watch：　The　markets　had　closed。　With　a　feeling　of　anxiety　and　reluctance　he　flicked　on　the　puter　screen。　Late　bargain　hunting　had　pushed　the　stock　up　in　the　last　twenty　minutes。　It　had　closed　at　ten　and　a　half。
　Skiba　felt　a　wisp　of　relief。　It　hadn't　been　such　a　bad　day　after　all。
　
　16
　
　Sally　looked　skeptically　at　the　junk　heap　of　a　plane　being　rolled　out　of　the　shabby　hangar　by　two　workers。
　〃Maybe　we　should　have　checked　out　the　plane　before　we　bought　tickets；〃　Tom　said　to　her。
　〃I'm　sure　it's　fine；〃　said　Sally；　as　if　trying　to　convince　herself。
　The　pilot；　a　lean　expatriate　American　with　a　torn　T…shirt；　cutoffs；　two　long　braids；　and　a　beard；　came　sauntering　over　and　introduced　himself　as　John。　Tom　eyed　him　and　then　cast　a　sour　look　toward　the　plane。
　〃I　know；　I　know。　Looks　like　shit；〃　John　said　with　a　grin；　giving　the　plane's　fuselage　a　rap　with　his　knuckles；　which　made　it　rattle。　〃What　matters　is　what's　under　the　hood。　I　do　all　my　own　maintenance。〃
　〃You　don't　know　how　that　reassures　me；〃　said　Tom。
　〃So　you're　headed　for　Brus？〃
　〃That's　right。〃
　John　squinted　at　the　luggage。　〃Going　tarpon　fishing？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Best　tarpon　fishing　in　the　world。　Not　much　else；　though。〃　John　opened　a　partment　in　the　side　of　the　plane　and　began　shoving　in　their　luggage　with　his　skinny　arms。　〃So　what　are　you　doing　there？〃
　〃We're　not　sure；〃　Sally　said　quickly。　The　less　said　about　what　they　were　doing；　the　better。　No　sense　in　starting　a　treasure　stampede　upriver。
　The　pilot　shoved　the　last　bag　in；　gave　it　a　few　blows　to　make　it　fit；　and　slammed　the　hatch　with　a　great　noise　of　cheap　tin。　It　took　three　tries　before　it　latched。　〃Where　you　staying　in　Brus？〃
　〃Haven't　decided　that　either。〃
　〃Nothing　like　planning　ahead；〃　said　John。　〃Anyway；　there's　only　one　place　and　that's　La　Perla。〃
　〃How　many　stars　does　Michelin　give　it？〃
　John　gave　a　little　laugh。　He　opened　the　passenger　hatch　and　swung　down　the　steps；　and　they　climbed　aboard。　John　followed；　and　as　he　entered　Tom　detected　what　he　thought　was　a　faint　whiff　of　marijuana。　Great。
　〃How　long　have　you　been　flying？〃　Tom　asked。
　〃Twenty　years。〃
　〃Ever　had　an　accident？〃
　〃Once。　Hit　a　pig　in　Paradise。　Jokers　hadn't　mowed　the　strip；　and　the　damn　thing　was　sleeping　in　the　tall　grass。　And　he　was　a　big　pig。〃
　〃Are　you　instrument　rated？〃
　〃Let's　just　say　I　know　how　to　use　my　instruments。　There　isn't　much　call　for　official　ratings　down　here；　not　for　bush　flights。〃
　〃Have　you　filed　a　flight　plan？〃
　John　shook　his　head。　〃All　I　have　to　do　is　follow　the　coast。〃
　The　plane　took　off。　It　was　a　splendid　day。　Sally　felt　a　thrill　as　the　plane　banked　and　the　sunlight　shimmered　off　the　Caribbean。　They　turned　to　follow　the　coastline；　low　and　flat　with　many　lagoons　and　offshore　islands　that　looked　like　green　pieces　of　jungle　that　had　broken　off　the　mainland　and　were　drifting　out　to　sea。　Sally　could　see　where　roads　ran　up　into　the　interior；　bordered　by　irregular　fields　or　ragged　patches　where　the　trees　had　recently　been　clear…cut。　Deep　in　the　interior；　she　could　see　a　ragged　line　of　blue　mountains；　their　tops　sprinkled　in　clouds。
　Sally　glanced　at　Tom。　The　sun　had　bleached　his　light　brown　hair；　streaking　it　with　gold；　and　he　had　a　lean；　tall；　wiry；　cowboy　sort　of　way　of　moving　that　she　liked。　She　wondered　how　someone　could　just　kiss　a　hundred　million　dollars　good…bye。　That　had　impressed　her　more　than　anything　else。　She　had　lived　long　enough　to　realize　that　people　who　had　money　cared　a　lot　more　about　it　than　people　who　had　never　had　it。
　Tom　turned　and　glanced　at　her；　and　she　quickly　smiled　and　looked　back　out　the　window。　As