inca.gold-第39部分

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　　　　Pitt's　eyes　lit　up　like　beacons。　〃The　Drake　quipu。〃
　　　　〃It　appears　the　myth　has　substance；〃　Gunn　said　with　a　broad　smile。
　　　　〃And　Yaeger？〃　Pitt　asked　as　he　began　sifting　through　the　papers。
　　　　〃His　puter　analyzed　the　existing　data　and　came　up　with　grid　coordinates　that　put　the　galleon　within　a　ten…square…kilometer　ballpark。〃
　　　　〃Far　smaller　than　I　expected。〃
　　　　〃I'd　say　our　prospects　of　finding　the　galleon　and　the　jade　box　just　improved　by　a　good　fifty　percent。〃
　　　　〃Make　that　thirty　percent；〃　said　Pitt；　holding　up　a　sheet　from　Perlmutter　giving　the　known　data　on　the　construction；　fittings；　and　cargo　of　the　Nuestra　Senora　de　la　Concepcion。　〃Except　for　four　anchors　that　were　probably　carried　away　during　the　impact　of　the　tidal　wave；　the　magnetic　signature　of　any　iron　on　board　would　be　too　faint　to　be　detected　by　a　magnetometer　more　than　a　stone's　throw　away。〃
　　　　〃An　EG&G　Geometrics　G…8136　could　pick　up　a　small　iron　mass　from　a　fair　distance。〃
　　　　〃You're　reading　my　thoughts。　Frank　Stewart　has　a　unit　on　board　the　Deep　Fathom。〃
　　　　〃We'll　need　a　helicopter　to　tow　the　sensor　over　the　top　of　the　rain　forest；〃　said　Gunn。
　　　　〃That's　your　department；〃　Pitt　said　to　him。　〃Who　do　you　know　in　Ecuador？〃
　　　　Gunn　thought　a　moment；　and　then　his　lips　creased　in　a　grin。　〃It　just　so　happens　the　managing　director　of　the　Corporacion　Estatal　Petrolera　Ecuatoriana；　the　state　oil　pany；　is　indebted　to　NUMA　for　steering　his　pany　onto　significant　deposits　of　natural　gas　in　the　Gulf　of　Guayaquil。〃
　　　　Then　they　owe　us　big；　enough　to　lend　us　a　bird。〃
　　　　〃You　could　safely　say　that；　yes。〃
　　　　〃How　much　time　will　you　need　to　put　the　bite　on　them？〃
　　　　Gunn　held　up　his　wrist　and　peered　through　his　glasses　at　the　dial　of　his　trusty　old　Timex。　〃Give　me　twenty　minutes　to　call　and　make　a　deal。　Afterward；　I'll　inform　Stewart　that　we'll　drop　in　and　pick　up　the　magnetometer。　Then　I'll　contact　Yaeger　and　reconfirm　his　data。〃
　　　　Pitt　stared　blankly　at　him。　〃Washington　isn't　exactly　around　the　corner。　Are　you　making　conference　calls　with　smoke　signals　or　mirrors？〃
　　　　Gunn　reached　into　his　pocket　and　held　up　what　looked　like　a　small；　portable　telephone。　〃The　Iridium；　built　by　Motorola。　Digital；　wireless；　you　can　call　anywhere　in　the　world　with　it。〃
　　　　〃I'm　familiar　with　the　system；〃　Pitt　acknowledged。　〃Works　off　a　satellite　enhancement　network。　Where　did　you　steal　a　unit？〃
　　　　Gunn　glanced　furtively　around　the　ruins。　〃Bite　your　tongue。　This　is　merely　a　temporary　appropriation　from　the　Peruvian　television　crew。〃
　　　　Pitt　gazed　fondly　at　his　little　bespectacled　friend　with　deep　admiration　and　wonder。　It　was　a　rare　event　when　shy　Gunn　slipped　out　of　his　academic　shell　to　perform　a　sneaky　deed。　〃You're　okay；　Rudi；　I　don't　care　what　the　celebrity　gossip　columns　say　about　you。〃

　　　　In　terms　of　artifacts　and　treasures；　the　looters　had　barely　scratched　the　surface　in　the　City　of　the　Dead。　They　had　concentrated　on　the　royal　tombs　near　the　temple；　but　thanks　to　Pitt's　intrusion；　they　did　not　have　time　to　do　extensive　excavation　on　most　of　the　surrounding　tombs。　Many　of　them　contained　the　remains　of　high　officials　of　the　Chachapoya　confederation。　Ortiz　and　his　team　of　archaeologists　also　found　what　appeared　to　be　untouched　burial　houses　of　eight　noblemen。　Ortiz　was　overjoyed　when　he　discovered　the　royal　coffins　were　in　pristine　condition　and　had　never　been　opened。
　　　　〃We　will　need　ten　years；　maybe　twenty；　to　conduct　a　full　excavation　of　the　valley；〃　said　Ortiz　during　the　customary　after…dinner　conversation。　〃No　discovery　in　the　Americas　can　touch　this　one　for　the　sheer　number　of　antiquities。　We　have　to　go　slow。　Not　even　the　seed　of　a　flower　or　one　bead　of　a　necklace　can　be　overlooked。　We　must　miss　nothing；　because　we　have　an　unparalleled　opportunity　to　gain　a　new　understanding　of　the　Chachapoyan　culture。〃
　　　　〃You　have　your　work　cut　out　for　you；〃　said　Pitt。　〃I　only　hope　none　of　the　Chachapoya　treasures　are　stolen　during　shipment　to　your　national　museum。〃
　　　　〃Any　loss　between　here　and　Lima　is　the　least　of　my　worries；〃　replied　Ortiz。　〃Almost　as　many　artifacts　are　stolen　from　our　museums　as　from　the　original　tombs。〃
　　　　〃Don't　you　have　tight　security　to　protect　your　country's　valuable　objects？〃　asked　Rodgers。
　　　　〃Of　course；　but　professional　art　thieves　are　very　shrewd。　They　often　switch　a　genuine　artifact　with　a　skillfully　done　forgery。　Months；　sometimes　years；　can　go　by　before　the　crime　is　discovered。〃
　　　　〃Only　three　weeks　ago；〃　said　Shannon；　〃the　National　Heritage　Museum　in　Guatemala　reported　the　theft　of　pre…Columbian　Mayan　art　objects　with　an　estimated　value　of　eight　million　dollars。　The　thieves　were　dressed　as　guards　and　carried　off　the　treasures　during　viewing　hours　as　if　they　were　simply　moving　them　from　one　wing　to　another。　No　one　thought　to　question　them。〃
　　　　〃My　favorite；〃　said　Ortiz　without　smiling；　〃was　the　theft　of　forty…five　twelfth…century　Shang　dynasty　drinking　vessels　from　a　museum　in　Bejjing。　The　thieves　carefully　disassembled　the　glass　cases　and　rearranged　the　remaining　pieces　to　create　the　illusion　that　nothing　was　missing。　Three　months　passed　before　the　curator　noticed　the　pieces　were　missing　and　realized　they'd　been　stolen。〃
　　　　Gunn　held　up　his　glasses　and　checked　for　smudges。　〃I　had　no　idea　art　theft　was　such　a　widespread　crime。〃
　　　　Ortiz　nodded。　〃In　Peru；　major　art　and　antiquity　collections　are　stolen　as　often　as　banks　are　robbed。　What　is　even　more　tragic　is　that　the　thieves　are　getting　bolder。　They　have　no　hesitation　in　kidnapping　a　collector　for　ransom。　The　ransom　is；　of　course；　his　art　objects。　In　many　cases；　they　simply　murder　a　collector　before　looting　his　house。〃
　　　　〃You　were　lucky　only　a　fraction　of　the　art　treasures　were　plundered　from　the　City　of　the　Dead　before　the　looters　were　stopped；〃　said　Pitt。
　　　　〃Lucky　indeed。　But　tragically　the　choice　items　have　already　made　their　way　out　of　the　country。〃
　　　　〃A　wonder　the　city　wasn't　discovered　by　the　huaqueros　long　before　now；〃　said　Shannon；　deliberately　avoiding　any　eye　contact　with　Pitt。
　　　　〃Pueblo　de　los　Muertos　sits　in　this　isolated　valley　ninety　kilometers　from　the　nearest　village；〃　replied　Ortiz。　〃Traveling　in　here　is　a　major　ordeal；　especially　by　foot。　The　native　population　had　no　reason　to　struggle　seven　or　eight　days　through　a　jungle　to　search　for　something　they　thought　existed　only　in　legends　from　their　dim　past。　When　Hiram　Bingham　discovered　Machu　Picchu　on　a　mountaintop　the　local　inhabitants　had　never　ventured　there。　And　though　it　would　not　deter　a　hardened　huaquero；　descendants　of　the　Chachapoya　still　believe　that　all　ruins　across　the　mountains　in　the　great　forests　to　the　east　are　protected　by　a　demon　god　like　the　one　we　found　this　afternoon。　They're　deathly　afraid　to　go　near　them。〃
　　　　Shannon　nodded。　〃Many　still　swear　that　anyone　who　finds　and　enters　the　City　of　the　Dead　will　be　turned　to　stone。〃
　　　　〃Ah　yes；〃　Giordino　murmured；　〃the　old　‘cursed　be　you　who　disturb　my　bones'　routine。〃
　　　　〃Since　none　of　us　feels　any　stiffening　of　the　joints；〃　said　Ortiz　jovially；　〃I　must　assume　the　evil　spirits　that　frequent　the　ruins　have　lost　their　spell。〃
　　　　〃Too　bad　it　didn't　work　against　Amaru　and　his　looters；〃　said　Pitt。
　　　　Rodgers　moved　behind　Shannon　and　placed　a　possessive　hand　on　the　nape　of　her　neck。　〃I　understand　you're　all　bidding　us　good…bye　in　the　morning。〃
　　　　Shannon　looked　surprised　and　made　no　attempt　to　remove　Rodgers's　hand。　〃Is　that　true？〃　she　said；　looking　at　Pitt。　〃You're　leaving？〃
　　　　Gunn　answered　before　Pitt。　〃Yes；　we're　flying　back　to　our　ship　before　heading　north　into　Ecuador。〃
　　　　〃You're　not　going　to　search　in　Equador　for　the　galleon　we　discussed　on　the　Deep　Fathom？〃　Shannon　asked。
　　　　〃Can　you　think　of　a　better　place？〃
　　　　〃Why　Ecuador？〃　she　persisted。
　　　　〃Al　enjoys　the　climate；〃　Pitt　said；　clapping　Giordino　on　the　back。
　　　　Giordino　nodded。　〃I　hear　the　girls　are　pretty　and　wild　with　lust。〃
　　　　Shannon　stared　at　Pitt　with　a　look　of　interest。　〃And　you？〃
　　　　〃Me？〃　Pitt　murmured　innocently。　〃I'm　going　for　the　fishing。〃

　　　　〃You　sure　can　pick　'em；〃　said　FBI　Chief　of　Interstate　Stolen　Art　Francis　Ragsdale；　as　he　eased　into　the　vinyl　seat　of　a　booth　in　a　nineteen…fifties…style　chrome　diner。　He　studied　the　selections　on　the　coin…operated　music　unit　that　was　wired　to　a　Wurlitzer　jukebox。　〃Stan　Kenton；　Charlie　Barnett；　Stan　Getz。　Who　ever　heard　of　these　guys？〃
　　　　〃Only　people　who　appreciate　good　music；〃　Gaskill　replied　sourly　to　the　younger　man。　He　settled　his　bulk；　which　filled　two…thirds　of　the　seat　on　his　side　of　the　booth。
　　　　Ragsdale　shrugged。　〃Before　my　time。〃　To　him；　at　thirty…four；　the　great　musicians　of　an　earlier　era　were　only　vague　names　mentioned　occasionally　by　his　parents。　〃e　here　often？〃
　　　　Gaskill　nodded。　〃The　food　really　sticks　to　your　ribs。〃
　　　　〃Hardly　an　epicurean　remendation。〃　Clean…shaven；　with　black　wavy　hair　and　a　reasonably　well…exercised　body；　Ragsdale　had　the　handsome　face；　pleasant　gray　eyes；　and　bland　expression　of　a　soap　opera　actor　automatically　reacting　to　his　counterpart's　dialogue。　A　good　investigator；　he　took　his　job　seriously；　maintaining　the　image　of　the　bureau　by　dressing　in　a　dark　business　suit　that　gave　him　the　appearance　of　a　successful　Wall　Street　broker。　With　a　professional　eye　for　detail；　he　examined　the　linoleum　floor；　the　round　stools　at　the　counter；　the　period　napkin　holders　and　art　deco　salt　and　pepper　shakers　that　were　parked　beside　a　bottle　of　Heinz　ketchup　and　a　jar　of　French's　mustard。　His　expression　reflected　urbane　distaste。　He　would　unquestionably　have　preferred　a　more　trendy　restaurant　in　midtown　Chicago。
　　　　〃Quaint　place。　Hermetically　sealed　within　the　Twilight　Zone。〃
　　　　〃Atmosphere　is　half　the　enjoyment；〃　said　Gaskill　resignedly。
　　　　〃Why　is　it　when　I　pay；　we　eat　in　a　class　establishment；　but　when　it's　your　turn　we　wind　up　in　a　geriatric　beanery？〃
　　　　〃It's　knowing　I　always　get　a　good　table。〃
　　　　〃What　about　the　food？〃
　　　　Gaskill　smiled。　〃Best　place　I　know　to　eat　good　chicken。〃
　　　　Ragsdale　gave　him　a　look　just　shy　of　nausea　and　ignored　the　menu；　mimeographed　entrees　between　sheets　of　plastic。　〃I'll　throw　caution　to　the　winds　and　risk　botulism　with　a　bowl　of　soup　and　a　cup　of　coffee。〃
　　　　〃Congratulations　on　solving　the　Fairchild　Museum　theft　in　Sca