inca.gold-第51部分

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　　　　Zolar　shook　his　head。　〃I　don't　think　so。〃
　　　　〃I　agree；〃　said　Oxley。　〃We've　underestimated　his　monumental　greed　and　his　ruthless　mania　for　being　a　big　star　in　the　academic　world。　Am　I　right；　Doctor？〃
　　　　Moore　was　unmoved　by　their　contempt。　Then　he　said；　〃Fifty　percent　of　something　beats　a　hundred　percent　of　nothing；　gentlemen。〃
　　　　Zolar　glanced　at　his　brothers。　Oxley　gave　a　barely　perceptible　nod。　Sarason　clenched　his　fists　so　tightly　they　went　ivory…he　turned　away　but　the　expression　on　his　face　gave　every　indication　of　wanting　to　tear　Moore's　lungs　out。
　　　　〃I　think　we　can　avoid　further　threats　and　settle　this　is　an　orderly　manner；〃　said　Zolar。　〃Before　we　can　agree　to　your　increased　demands；　I　must　have　your　plete　assurance　you　can　guide　us　to　the　treasure。〃
　　　　〃I　have　deciphered　the　description　of　the　landmark　that　leads　to　the　entrance　of　the　cavern；〃　said　Moore；　speaking　slowly　and　distinctly。　〃There　is　no　probability　of　error。　I　know　the　dimensions　and　its　shape。　I　can　recognize　it　from　the　air。〃
　　　　His　confident　assertion　was　met　with　silence。　Zolar　walked　over　to　the　golden　mummy　and　looked　down　at　the　glyphs　etched　in　the　gold　covering。　〃Thirty　percent。　You'll　have　to　make　do　with　that。〃
　　　　〃Forty　or　nothing。〃　Moore　said　resolutely。
　　　　〃Do　you　want　it　in　writing？〃
　　　　〃Would　it　stand　up　in　a　court　of　law？〃
　　　　〃Probably　not。〃
　　　　〃Then　we'll　just　have　to　take　each　other　at　our　word。〃　Moore　turned　to　his　wife。　〃Sorry；　my　dear；　I　hope　you　didn't　find　this　too　upsetting。　But　you　must　understand。　Some　things　are　more　important　than　marriage　vows。〃
　　　　What　a　strange　woman；　Zolar　thought。　She　should　have　looked　frightened　and　humiliated；　but　she　showed　no　indication　of　it。　〃It's　settled　then；〃　he　said。　〃Since　we're　now　working　partners；　I　see　no　need　to　continue　wearing　our　ski　masks。〃　He　pulled　it　over　his　head　and　ran　his　hands　through　his　hair。　〃Everyone　try　to　get　a　good　night's　sleep。　You　will　all　fly　to　Guaymas；　Mexico；　on　our　pany　jet　first　thing　in　the　morning。〃
　　　　〃Why　Guaymas？〃　asked　Micki　Moore。
　　　　〃Two　reasons。　It's　centrally　located　in　the　Gulf；　and　a　good　friend　and　client　has　an　open　invitation　for　my　use　of　his　hacienda　just　north　of　the　port。　The　estate　has　a　private　airstrip；　which　makes　it　an　ideal　headquarters　for　conducting　the　search。〃
　　　　〃Aren't　you　ing？〃　asked　Oxley。
　　　　〃I'll　meet　you　in　two　days。　I　have　a　business　meeting　in　Wichita；　Kansas。〃
　　　　Zolar　turned　to　Sarason；　leery　that　his　brother　might　launch　another　rampage　against　Moore。　But　he　need　not　have　worried。
　　　　Samson's　face　had　a　ghoulish　grin。　His　brothers　could　not　see　inside　his　mind；　see　that　he　was　happily　imagining　what　Tupac　Amaru　would　do　to　Henry　Moore　after　the　treasure　was　discovered。

　　　　〃Brunhilda　has　gone　as　far　as　she　can　go；〃　said　Yaeger；　referring　to　his　beloved　puter　terminal。　〃Together；　we've　painstakingly　pieced　together　about　ninety　percent　of　the　stringed　codes。　But　there　are　a　few　permutations　we　haven't　figured　out〃

　　　　〃Permutations？〃　muttered　Pitt；　sitting　across　from　Yaeger　in　the　conference　room。
　　　　〃The　different　arrangements　in　lineal　order　and　color　of　the　quipu's　coiled　wire　cables。〃
　　　　Pitt　shrugged　and　looked　around　the　room。　Four　other　men　were　there　Admiral　Sandecker；　Al　Giordino；　Rudi　Gunn；　and　Hiram　Yaeger。　Everyone's　attention　was　focused　on　Yaeger；　who　looked　like　a　coyote　who　had　bayed　nonstop　all　night　at　a　full　moon。
　　　　〃I　really　must　work　on　my　vocabulary；〃　Pitt　murmured。　He　slouched　into　a　fortable　position　and　stared　at　the　puter　genius　who　stood　behind　a　podium　under　a　large　wall　screen。
　　　　〃As　I　was　about　to　explain；〃　Yaeger　continued；　〃a　few　of　the　knots　and　coils　are　indecipherable。　After　applying　the　most　sophisticated　and　advanced　information　and　data　analysis　techniques　known　to　man；　the　best　I　can　offer　is　a　rough　account　of　the　story。〃
　　　　〃Even　a　mastermind　like　you？〃　asked　Gunn；　smiling。
　　　　〃Even　Einstein。　Unless　he'd　unearthed　an　Inca　Rosetta　Stone　or　a　sixteenth…century　how…to　book　on　the　art　of　creating　your　very　own　quipu；　he'd　have　worked　in　a　vacuum　too。〃
　　　　〃If　you're　going　to　tell　us　the　show　ends　with　no　grand　climax；〃　said　Giordino；　〃I'm　going　to　lunch。〃
　　　　〃Drake's　quipu　is　a　plex　representation　of　numerical　data；〃　Yaeger　pushed　on；　undaunted　by　Giordino's　sarcasm；　〃but　it's　not　strong　on　blow…by…blow　descriptions　of　events。　You　can't　narrate　visual　action　and　drama　with　strategically　placed　knots　on　a　few　coils　of　colored　wire。　The　quipu　can　only　offer　sketchy　accounts　of　the　people　who　walked　on　and　off　this　particular　stage　of　history。〃
　　　　〃You've　made　your　point；〃　said　Sandecker；　waving　one　of　his　bulbous　cigars。　〃Now　why　don't　you　tell　us　what　you　sifted　from　the　maze？〃
　　　　Yaeger　nodded　and　lowered　the　conference　room　lights。　He　switched　on　a　slide　projector　that　threw　an　early　Spanish　map　of　the　coast　of　North　and　South　America　on　the　wall　screen。　He　picked　up　a　metal　pointer　that　telescoped　like　an　automobile　radio　aerial　and　casually　aimed　it　in　the　general　direction　of　the　map。
　　　　〃Without　a　long…winded　history　lesson；　I'll　just　say　that　after　Huascar；　the　legitimate　heir　to　the　Inca　throne；　was　defeated　and　overthrown　by　his　bastard　half…brother；　Atahualpa；　in　1533；　he　ordered　his　kingdom's　treasury　and　other　royal　riches　to　be　hidden　high　in　the　Andes。　A　wise　move；　as　it　turned　out。　During　his　imprisonment；　Huascar　suffered　great　humiliation　and　grief。　All　his　friends　and　kinsmen　were　executed；　and　his　wives　and　children　were　hanged。　Then　to　add　insult　to　injury；　the　Spanish　picked　that　particular　moment　to　invade　the　Inca　empire。　In　a　situation　similar　to　Cortez　in　Mexico；　Francisco　Pizarro's　timing　couldn't　have　been　more　perfect。　With　the　Inca　armies　divided　by　factions　and　decimated　by　civil　war；　the　disorder　played　right　into　his　hands。　After　Pizarro's　small　force　of　soldiers　and　adventurers　slaughtered　a　few　thousand　of　Atahualpa's　imperial　retainers　and　bureaucrats　in　the　square　at　the　ancient　city　of　Caxanarca；　he　won　the　Inca　empire　on　a　technical　foul。〃
　　　　〃Strange　that　the　Inca　simply　didn't　attack　and　overwhelm　the　Spanish；〃　said　Gunn。　〃They　must　have　outnumbered　Pizarro's　troops　by　a　hundred　to　one。
　　　　〃Closer　to　a　thousand　to　one；〃　said　Yaeger。　〃But　again；　as　with　Cortez　and　the　Aztecs；　the　sight　of　fierce　bearded　men　wearing　iron　clothes　no　arrow　or　rock　could　penetrate；　riding　ironclad　horses；　previously　unknown　to　the　Incas；　while　slashing　with　swords　and　shooting　matchlock　guns　and　cannons；　was　too　much　for　them。　Thoroughly　demoralized；　Atahualpa's　generals　failed　to　take　the　initiative　by　ordering　determined　mass　attacks。〃
　　　　〃What　of　Huascar's　armies？〃　asked　Pitt。　〃Surely　they　were　still　in　the　field。〃
　　　　〃Yes；　but　they　were　leaderless。〃　Yaeger　nodded。　〃History　can　only　look　back　on　a　what…if　situation。　What　if　the　two　Inca　kings　had　buried　the　hatchet　and　merged　their　two　armies　in　a　do…or…die　campaign　to　rid　the　empire　of　the　dreaded　foreigners？　An　interesting　hypothesis。　With　the　defeat　of　the　Spanish；　God　only　knows　where　the　political　boundaries　and　governments　of　South　America　might　be　today。〃
　　　　〃They'd　certainly　be　speaking　a　language　other　than　Spanish；〃　mented　Giordino。
　　　　〃Where　was　Huascar　during　Atahualpa's　confrontation　with　Pizarro？〃　asked　Sandecker；　finally　lighting　his　cigar。
　　　　Imprisoned　in　Cuzco；　the　capital　city　of　the　empire；　twelve　hundred　kilometers　south　of　Caxanarca。〃
　　　　Without　looking　up　from　the　notations　he　was　making　on　a　legal　pad；　Pitt　asked；　〃What　happened　next？〃
　　　　〃To　buy　his　liberty；　Atahualpa　contracted　with　Pizarro　to　cram　a　room　with　gold　as　high　as　he　could　reach；〃　answered　Yaeger。　〃A　room；　I　might　add；　slightly　larger　than　this　one。〃
　　　　〃Did　he　fulfill　the　contract？〃
　　　　〃He　did。　But　Atahualpa　was　afraid　that　Huascar　might　offer　Pizarro　more　gold；　silver；　and　gems　than　he　could。　So　he　ordered　that　his　brother　be　put　to　death；　which　was　carried　out　by　drowning；　but　not　before　Huascar　ordered　the　royal　treasures　to　be　hidden。〃
　　　　Sandecker　stared　at　Yaeger　through　a　cloud　of　blue　smoke。　〃With　the　king　dead；　who　carried　out　his　wish？〃
　　　　〃A　general　called　Naymlap；〃　replied　Yaeger。　He　paused　and　used　the　pointer　to　trace　a　red　line　on　the　map　that　ran　from　the　Andes　down　to　the　coast。　〃He　was　not　of　royal　Inca　blood；　but　rather　a　Chachapoyan　warrior　who　rose　through　the　ranks　to　bee　Huascar's　most　trusted　advisor。　It　was　Naymlap　who　organized　the　movement　of　the　treasury　down　from　the　mountains　to　the　seashore；　where　he　had　assembled　a　fleet　of　fifty…five　ships。　Then；　according　to　the　quipu；　after　a　journey　of　twenty…four　days；　it　took　another　eighteen　days　just　to　load　the　immense　treasure　on　board。〃
　　　　〃I　had　no　idea　the　Incas　were　seafaring　people；〃　said　Gunn。
　　　　〃So　were　the　Mayans；　and　like　the　Phoenicians；　Greeks；　and　Romans　before　them；　the　Incas　were　coastal　sailors。　They　were　not　afraid　of　open　water；　but　they　wisely　beached　their　boats　on　moonless　nights　and　during　stormy　weather。　They　navigated　by　the　sun　and　stars　and　sailed　with　prevailing　winds　and　currents　up　and　down　the　shoreline；　conducting　trade　with　the　Mesoamericans　in　Panama　and　perhaps　beyond。　An　Inca　legend　tells　of　an　early　king　who　heard　a　tale　about　an　island　rich　in　gold　and　intelligent　people；　that　lay　far　out　beyond　the　horizon　of　the　sea。　With　loot　and　slaves　in　mind；　he　built　and　rigged　a　fleet　of　ships；　and　then　sailed　off　with　a　pany　of　his　soldiers　acting　as　marines　to　what　is　thought　to　be　the　Galapagos　Islands。　Nine　months　later　he　returned　with　scores　of　black　prisoners　and　much　gold。〃
　　　　〃The　Galapagos？〃　wondered　Pitt。
　　　　〃As　good　a　guess　as　any。〃
　　　　〃Do　we　have　any　records　of　their　ship　construction？〃　Sandecker　queried。
　　　　〃Bartholomew　Ruiz；　Pizarro's　pilot；　saw　large　rafts　equipped　with　masts　and　great　square　cotton　sails。　Other　Spanish　seamen　reported　sailing　past　rafts　with　hulls　of　balsa　wood；　bamboo　and　reed；　carrying　sixty　people　and　forty　or　more　large　crates　of　trade　goods。　Besides　sails；　the　rafts　were　also　propelled　by　teams　of　paddlers。　Designs　found　on　pre…Columbian　clay　pottery　show　twodecker　boats　sporting　raised　stem　and　sternposts　with　carved　serpent　heads　similar　to　the　dragons　gracing　Viking　longships。〃
　　　　〃So　there　i