inca.gold-第38部分

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　　　　〃Who　plays　the　leads？〃
　　　　〃Humphrey　Bogart；　Lionel　Barrymore；　Marilyn　Monroe；　Julia　Roberts；　and　Tom　Cruise。　It's　so　real；　you'd　swear　they　all　acted　together　on　the　set。〃
　　　　Sandecker　laid　his　hand　on　Yaeger's　shoulder。　〃Let's　see　if　you　can　make　a　reasonably　accurate　documentary。〃
　　　　Yaeger　did　his　magic　on　the　puter；　and　the　two　men　watched；　fascinated；　as　the　monitor　displayed　a　sea　so　blue　and　distinct　it　was　like　looking　through　a　window　at　the　real　thing。　Then　slowly；　the　water　began　convulsing　into　a　wave　that　rolled　away　from　the　land；　stranding　the　galleon　on　the　seabed；　as　dry　as　if　it　were　a　toy　boat　on　the　blanket　of　a　boy's　bed。　Then　the　puter　visualized　the　wave　rushing　back　toward　shore；　rising　higher　and　higher；　then　cresting　and　engulfing　the　ship　under　a　rolling　mass　of　froth；　sand；　and　water；　hurling　it　toward　land　at　an　incredible　speed；　until　finally　the　ship　stopped　and　settled　as　the　wave　smoothed　out　and　died。
　　　　〃Five　kilometers；〃　murmured　Yaeger。　〃She　looks　to　be　approximately　five　kilometers　from　the　coast。〃
　　　　〃No　wonder　she　was　lost　and　forgotten；〃　said　Sandecker。　〃I　suggest　you　contact　Pitt　and　make　arrangements　to　fax　your　puter's　grid　coordinates。〃
　　　　Yaeger　gave　Sandecker　a　queer　look　indeed。　〃Are　you　authorizing　the　search；　Admiral？〃
　　　　Sandecker　feigned　a　look　of　surprise　as　he　rose　and　walked　toward　the　door。　Just　before　exiting；　he　turned　and　grinned　impishly。　〃I　can't　very　well　authorize　what　could　turn　out　to　be　a　wild　goose　chase；　now　can　I？〃
　　　　〃You　think　that's　what　we're　looking　at；　a　wild　goose　chase？〃
　　　　Sandecker　shrugged。　〃You've　done　your　magic。　If　the　ship　truly　rests　in　a　jungle　and　not　on　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　then　the　burden　falls　on　Pitt　and　Giordino　to　go　in　that　hell　on　earth　and　find　her。〃

　　　　Giordino　contemplated　the　dried　red　stain　on　the　stone　floor　of　the　temple。　〃No　sign　of　Amaru　in　the　rubble；〃　he　said　with　an　utter　lack　of　emotion。
　　　　〃I　wonder　how　far　he　got？〃　Miles　Rodgers　asked　no　one　in　particular。　He　and　Shannon　had　arrived　from　the　sacred　well　an　hour　before　noon　on　a　helicopter　piloted　by　Giordino。
　　　　〃His　mercenary　buddies　must　have　carried　him　off；〃　Pitt　surmised。
　　　　〃Knowing　a　sadist　like　Amaru　might　still　be　alive；〃　said　Rodgers；　〃is　enough　to　cause　nightmares。〃
　　　　Giordino　gave　a　mechanical　shrug。　〃Even　if　he　survived　the　rocket　attack；　he'd　have　died　from　loss　of　blood。〃
　　　　Pitt　turned　and　stared　at　Shannon；　who　was　directing　a　team　of　archaeologists　and　a　small　army　of　workers。　They　were　numbering　the　shattered　blocks　of　stone　from　the　temple　in　preparation　for　a　restoration　project。　She　seemed　to　have　discovered　something　in　the　debris　and　was　bending　down　for　a　closer　examination。　〃A　man　like　Amaru　doesn't　die　easily。　I　don't　think　we've　heard　the　last　of　him。〃
　　　　〃A　grim　prospect；〃　said　Rodgers；　〃made　worse　by　the　latest　news　from　Lima。〃
　　　　Pitt　raised　an　eyebrow。　〃I　didn't　know　we　received　CNN　this　deep　in　the　Andes。〃
　　　　〃We　do　now。　The　helicopter　that　landed　about　an　hour　ago　belonged　to　the　Peruvian　News　Bureau。　It　brought　in　a　team　of　television　reporters　and　a　mountain　of　equipment。　The　City　of　the　Dead　has　bee　international　news。〃
　　　　〃So　what　did　they　have　to　report？〃　pressed　Giordino。
　　　　〃The　military　and　police　have　admitted　their　failure　to　capture　the　army　renegade　mercenaries　who　flew　into　the　valley　to　slit　our　throats　and　remove　the　artifacts。　Nor　have　investigators　tracked　down　any　of　Amaru's　grave　looters。〃
　　　　Pitt　smiled　at　Rodgers。　〃Not　exactly　the　sort　of　report　that　will　look　good　on　their　resumes。〃
　　　　〃The　government　tried　to　save　face　by　handing　out　a　story　that　the　thieves　dumped　the　artifacts　over　the　mountains　and　are　now　hiding　out　in　the　Amazon　forests　of　Brazil。〃
　　　　〃Never　happened；〃　said　Pitt。　〃Otherwise　why　would　U。S。　Customs　insist　we　provide　them　with　an　inventory　of　the　artifacts？　They　know　better。　No；　the　loot　is　not　scattered　on　a　mountaintop。　If　I　read　the　brains　behind　the　Solpemachaco　correctly；　they're　not　the　kind　to　panic　and　run。　Their　informants　in　the　military　alerted　them　every　step　of　the　way；　from　the　minute　an　assault　force　was　assembled　and　launched　to　capture　them。　They　would　have　also　learned　the　flight　plan　of　the　assault　transports；　and　then　plotted　a　safe　route　to　avoid　them。　After　quickly　loading　the　artifacts；　they　flew　to　a　prearranged　rendezvous　at　an　airstrip　or　seaport　where　the　stolen　riches　were　either　transferred　aboard　a　jetliner　or　a　cargo　ship。　I　doubt　whether　Peru　will　ever　see　its　historical　treasures　again。〃
　　　　〃A　nice　tight　scenario；〃　said　Rodgers　thoughtfully。　〃But　aren't　you　forgetting　the　bad　guys　only　had　one　helicopter　after　we　stole　their　backup？〃
　　　　〃And　we　knocked　that　one　into　a　mountain；〃　added　Giordino。
　　　　〃I　think　if　we　knew　the　full　truth；　the　gang　of　second…rate　killers　ordered　in　by　the　boss　who　impersonated　Doc　Miller　was　followed　later　by　a　couple　of　heavy…lift　helicopter　transports；　probably　the　old　model　Boeing　Chinooks　that　were　sold　around　the　world。　They　can　lift　almost　fifty　troops　or　twenty　tons　of　cargo。　Enough　mercenaries　were　left　on　the　ground　to　stow　the　artifacts。　They　made　their　getaway　in　plenty　of　time　after　our　escape　and　before　we　alerted　the　Peruvian　government；　who　took　their　time　in　mounting　an　aerial　posse。〃
　　　　Rodgers　stared　at　Pitt　with　renewed　admiration。　Only　Giordino　was　not　impressed。　He　knew　from　long　years　of　experience　that　Pitt　was　one　of　that　rare　breed　who　could　stand　back　and　analyze　events　as　they　occurred；　down　to　the　finest　details。　It　was　a　gift　with　which　few　men　and　women　are　born。　Just　as　the　greatest　mathematicians　and　physicists　pute　incredibly　intricate　formulas　on　a　level　inprehensible　to　people　with　no　head　for　figures；　so　Pitt　operated　on　a　deductive　level　inprehensible　to　all　but　a　few　of　the　top　criminal　investigators　in　the　world。　Giordino　often　found　it　maddening　that　while　he　was　attempting　to　explain　something　to　Pitt；　the　mesmeric　green　eyes　would　focus　on　some　unseen　object　in　the　distance　and　he　would　know　that　Pitt　was　concentrating　on　something。
　　　　While　Rodgers　was　pondering　Pitt's　reconstruction　of　events；　trying　to　find　a　flaw；　the　big　man　from　NUMA　turned　his　attention　to　Shannon。
　　　　She　was　on　her　hands　and　knees　on　the　temple　floor　with　a　soft…bristled　paintbrush；　gently　clearing　away　dust　and　tiny　bits　of　rubble　from　a　burial　garment。　The　textile　was　woven　from　wool　and　adorned　with　multicolored　embroidery　in　the　design　of　a　laughing　monkey　with　hideous；　grinning　teeth　and　coiled　snakes　for　arms　and　legs。
　　　　〃What　the　well…dressed　Chachapoyan　wore？〃　he　asked。
　　　　〃No；　it's　Inca。〃　Shannon　did　not　turn　and　look　up　at　him　but　remained　absorbed　in　her　work。
　　　　〃They　did　beautiful　work；〃　Pitt　observed。
　　　　〃The　Inca　and　their　ancestors　were　the　finest　dyers　and　weavers　in　the　world。　Their　fabric　weaving　techniques　are　too　plicated　and　time…consuming　to　be　copied　today。　They　are　still　unrivaled　in　interlocking　tapestry　construction。　The　finest　tapestry　weavers　of　Renaissance　Europe　used　eighty…five　threads　per　inch。　The　early　Peruvians　used　up　to　five　hundred　threads　per　inch。　Small　wonder　the　Spanish　mistakenly　thought　the　finer　Inca　textiles　were　silk。〃
　　　　〃Maybe　this　isn't　a　good　time　for　pursuing　the　arts；　but　I　thought　you'd　like　to　know　that　AI　and　I　have　finished　sketching　the　artifacts　we　caught　sight　of　before　the　roof　fell　in。〃
　　　　〃Give　them　to　Dr。　Ortiz。　He's　most　interested　in　what　was　stolen。〃
　　　　Then　lost　in　her　project；　she　turned　back　to　the　excavation。

　　　　An　hour　later；　Gunn　found　Pitt　standing　beside　Ortiz；　who　was　directing　several　workers　in　scraping　vegetation　from　a　large　sculpture　of　what　appeared　to　be　a　winged　jaguar　with　a　serpent's　head。　The　menacing　jaws　were　spread　wide；　revealing　a　set　of　frightening　curved　fangs。　The　massive　body　and　wings　were　sculpted　into　the　doorway　of　a　huge　burial　house。　The　only　entrance　was　the　gaping　mouth；　which　was　large　enough　for　a　man　to　crawl　into。　From　the　feet　to　the　tip　of　the　raised　wings；　the　stone　beast　stood　over　6　meters　high　（20　feet）。
　　　　〃Not　something　you'd　want　to　meet　some　night　in　a　dark　alley；〃　said　Gunn。
　　　　Dr。　Ortiz　turned　and　waved　a　greeting。　〃The　largest　Chachapoyan　sculpture　yet　found。　I　judge　it　dates　somewhere　between　A。D。　1200　and　I300。〃
　　　　〃Does　it　have　a　name？〃　asked　Pitt。
　　　　〃Demonio　del　Muertos；〃　answered　Ortiz。　〃The　demon　of　the　dead；　a　Chachapoyan　god　who　was　the　focus　of　a　protective　rite　connected　with　the　cult　of　the　underworld。　Part　jaguar；　part　condor；　part　snake；　he　sank　his　fangs　into　whoever　disturbed　the　dead　and　then　dragged　them　into　the　black　depths　of　the　earth。〃
　　　　〃He　wasn't　exactly　pretty；〃　said　Gunn。
　　　　〃The　demon　wasn't　meant　to　be。　Effigies　ranged　in　size　from　one　like　this　to　those　no　larger　than　a　human　hand；　depending　on　the　deceased's　wealth　and　status。　I　imagine　we'll　find　them　in　almost　every　tomb　and　grave　in　the　valley。〃
　　　　〃Wasn't　the　god　of　the　ancient　Mexicans　some　kind　of　serpent？〃　asked　Gunn。
　　　　〃Yes；　Quetzalcoatl；　a　feathered　serpent　who　was　the　most　important　deity　of　Mesoamerica；　beginning　with　the　Olmecs　in　900　B。　C。　and　ending　with　the　Aztecs　during　the　Spanish　conquest。　The　Inca　also　had　sculptures　of　serpents；　but　no　direct　connection　has　yet　been　made。〃
　　　　Ortiz　turned　away　as　a　laborer　motioned　for　him　to　examine　a　small　figurine　he　had　excavated　next　to　the　sculpture。　Gunn　took　Pitt　by　the　arm　and　led　him　over　to　a　low　stone　wall　where　they　sat　down。
　　　　〃A　courier　from　the　U。S。　Embassy　flew　in　from　Lima　on　the　last　supply　copter；〃　he　said；　removing　a　folder　from　his　briefcase；　〃and　dropped　off　a　packet　that　was　faxed　from　Washington。〃
　　　　〃From　Yaeger？〃　Pitt　asked　anxiously。
　　　　〃Both　Yaeger　and　your　friend　Perlmutter。〃
　　　　〃Did　they　strike　pay　dirt？〃
　　　　〃Read　for　yourself；〃　said　Gunn。　〃Julien　Perlmutter　found　an　account　by　a　survivor　of　the　galleon　being　swept　into　the　jungle　by　a　tidal　wave。〃
　　　　〃So　far　so　good。〃
　　　　〃It　gets　better。　The　account　mentions　a　jade　box　containing　knotted　cords。　Apparently　the　box　still　rests　in　the　rotting　timbers　of　the　galleon。〃
　　　　Pitt's　eyes　lit　up　like　beacons。　〃The　Drake　quipu。〃
　　　　〃It　appears　the　myth　has　substance；〃　Gunn　said　with　a　broa