atlantis.found-第46部分

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　　　　　〃So　you　think　Plato's　portrait　of　Atlantis；　in　his　works　Critias　and　Timaeus；　is　an　invention。〃
　　　　　〃Not　portrait；　Max；〃　Yaeger　lectured　the　puter。　〃He　told　the　story　in　dialogue；　a　popular　genre　in　ancient　Greece。　The　story　is　not　related　in　the　third　person　by　the　author；　but　presented　to　the　reader　by　two　or　more　narrators；　one　who　questions　the　other。　And；　yes；　I　believe　Plato　invented　Atlantis；　knowing　with　glee　that　future　generations　would　swallow　the　con；　write　a　thousand　books　on　the　subject；　and　debate　it　endlessly。〃
　　　　　〃You're　a　hard　man；　Yaeger；〃　said　Max。　〃I　assume　you　don't　believe　in　the　predictions　of　Edgar　Cayce；　the　famous　psychic。〃
　　　　　Yaeger　shook　his　head　slowly。　〃Cayce　claimed　he　saw　Atlantis　fall　and　rise　in　the　Caribbean。　If　an　advanced　civilization　had　ever　existed　in　that　region；　the　hundreds　of　islands　would　have　produced　clues。　But　to　date　not　so　much　as　a　potsherd　of　an　ancient　culture　has　been　found。〃
　　　　　〃And　the　great　stone　blocks　that　form　an　undersea　road　off　Bimini？〃
　　　　　〃A　geological　formation　that　can　be　found　in　several　other　parts　of　the　seas。〃
　　　　　〃And　the　stone　columns　that　were　found　on　the　seafloor　off　Jamaica？〃
　　　　　〃It　was　proven　they　were　barrels　of　dry　concrete　that　solidified　in　water　after　the　ship　carrying　them　as　cargo　sank　and　the　wooden　staves　eroded　away。　Face　facts；　Max。　Atlantis　is　a　myth。〃
　　　　　〃You're　an　old　poop；　Hiram。　You　know　that？〃
　　　　　〃Just　telling　it　like　it　is；〃　said　Yaeger　testily。　〃I　prefer　not　to　believe　in　an　ancient　advanced　civilization　that　some　dreamers　believe　had　rocket　ships　and　garbage　disposals。〃
　　　　　〃Ah；〃　Max　said　sharply；　〃there　lies　the　rub。　Atlantis　was　not　one　vast　city　populated　by　Leonardo　da　Vincis　and　Thomas　Edisons　and　surrounded　by　canals　on　an　island　continent；　as　Plato　described　it。　According　to　what　I'm　finding；　the　ancient　people　were　a　league　of　small　seafaring　nations　who　navigated　and　mapped　the　entire　world　four　thousand　years　before　the　Egyptians　raised　the　pyramids。　They　conquered　the　seas。　They　knew　how　to　use　currents；　and　developed　a　vast　knowledge　of　astronomy　and　mathematics　that　made　them　master　navigators。　They　developed　a　chain　of　coastal　city…ports　and　built　a　trading　empire　by　mining　and　transporting　mineral　ore　they　transformed　into　metals；　unlike　other　people　of　the　same　millennium　who　lived　at　higher　elevations；　led　a　nomadic　existence；　and　survived　the　disaster。　The　seafarers　had　the　bad　luck　to　be　destroyed　by　the　giant　tidal　waves　and　were　lost　without　a　trace。　Whatever　remains　of　their　port　cities　now　lies　deep　underwater　and　buried　beneath　a　hundred　feet　of　silt。〃
　　　　　〃You　deciphered　and　collected　all　that　data　since　yesterday？〃　asked　Yaeger　in　undisguised　astonishment。
　　　　　〃The　grass；〃　Max　pontificated　〃does　not　grow　under　my　feet；　nor；　I　might　add；　do　I　sit　around　and　wait　for　my　terminal　innards　to　rust。〃
　　　　　〃Max；　you're　a　virtuoso。〃
　　　　　〃It's　nothing　really。　After　all；　it　was　you　who　built　me。〃
　　　　　〃You've　given　me　so　much　to　contemplate；　I　can't　digest　it　all。〃
　　　　　〃Go　home；　Hiram。　Take　your　wife　and　daughters　to　a　movie。　Get　a　good　night's　sleep　while　I　sizzle　my　chips。　Then；　when　you　sit　down　in　the　morning；　I'll　really　have　information　that　will　curl　your　ponytail。〃
　
　　　　　After　Pat　had　photo…recorded　the　inscriptions　and　the　strange　global　maps　inside　the　burial　chamber；　she　and　Giordino　were　airlifted　to　Cape　Town；　where　they　met　with　Rudi　Gunn　in　the　hospital　soon　after　his　operation。　Causing　a　scene　bordering　on　an　uproar；　Gunn　ignored　the　orders　of　the　hospital　staff　and　enlisted　Giordino　to　smuggle　him　on　an　airplane　out　of　South　Africa。　Giordino　gladly　plied；　and　with　Pat's　able　assistance　sneaked　the　tough　little　NUMA　director　past　the　doctors　and　nurses　through　the　utility　basement　of　the　hospital　and　into　a　limousine；　before　speeding　to　the　city　airport；　where　a　NUMA　executive　jet　was　waiting　to　fly　them　all　back　to　Washington。
　　　　　Pitt　remained　behind　with　Dr。　Hatfield　and　the　Navy　SEAL　team。　Together；　they　carefully　packed　the　artifacts　and　directed　their　airlift　by　helicopter　to　a　NUMA　deep…ocean　research　ship　that　had　been　detoured　to　St。　Paul　Island。　Hatfield　hovered　over　the　mummies；　delicately　wrapping　them　in　blankets　from　the　ship　and　carefully　arranging　them　in　wooden　crates　for　the　journey　to　his　lab　at　Stanford　University　for　in…depth　study。
　　　　　After　the　last　mummy　had　been　loaded　onto　the　NUMA　helicopter；　Hatfield　acpanied　them　and　the　artifacts　on　the　short　flight　to　the　ship。　Pitt　turned　and　shook　hands　with　Lieutenant　Jacobs。　〃Thank　you　for　your　help；　Lieutenant；　and　please　thank　your　men　for　me。　We'd　have　never　done　it　without　you。〃
　　　　　〃We　don't　often　get　an　assignment　chaperoning　old　mummies；〃　Jacobs　said；　smiling。　〃I'm　almost　sorry　the　terrorists　didn't　try　and　snatch　them　from　us。〃
　　　　　〃I　don't　think　they　were　terrorists；　in　the　strict　sense　of　the　word。〃
　　　　　〃A　murderer　is　a　murderer　by　any　other　name。〃
　　　　　〃Are　you　headed　back　to　the　States？〃
　　　　　Jacobs　nodded。　〃We've　been　ordered　to　escort　the　bodies　of　the　attackers；　so　ably　dispatched　by　your　friends；　to　Walter　Reed　Hospital　in　D。C。　for　examination　and　possible　identification。〃
　　　　　〃Good　luck　to　you；〃　said　Pitt。
　　　　　Jacobs　threw　a　brief　salute。　〃Maybe　we'll　meet　again　somewhere。〃
　　　　　〃If　there　is　a　next　time；　I　hope　it's　on　a　beach　in　Tahiti。〃
　　　　　Pitt　stood　in　the　never…ending　drizzle　and　watched　as　a　Marine　Osprey　tilt…rotor　aircraft　hung　in　the　air　above　the　ground；　and　the　Marines　climbed　on　board。　He　was　still　standing　there　when　the　plane　disappeared　into　a　low　cloud。　He　was　now　the　only　man　on　the　island。
　　　　　He　walked　back　into　the　now…empty　burial　chamber　and　took　one　final　look　at　the　global　charts　etched　into　the　far　wall。　The　floods　had　been　removed；　and　he　beamed　a　flashlight　on　the　ancient　nautical　charts。
　　　　　Who　were　the　ancient　cartographers　who'd　drawn　such　incredibly　accurate　maps　of　the　earth　so　many　millennia　ago？　How　could　they　have　charted　Antarctica　when　it　was　not　buried　under　a　massive　blanket　of　ice？　Could　the　southern　polar　continent　have　possessed　a　warmer　climate　several　thousand　years　ago？　Could　it　have　been　habitable　for　humans？
　　　　　The　picture　of　an　ice…free　Antarctica　wasn't　the　only　incongruity。　Pitt　had　not　mentioned　it　to　the　others；　but　he　was　disturbed　by　the　position　of　the　other　continents　and　Australia。　They　were　not　where　they　were　supposed　to　be。　It　appeared　to　him　that　the　Americas；　Europe；　and　Asia　were　shown　almost　two　thousand　miles　farther　north　than　they　should　be。　Why　had　the　ancients；　who　otherwise　calculated　the　shorelines　with　such　exactness；　have　placed　the　continents　so　far　off　their　established　locations　in　relation　to　the　circumference　of　the　earth？　The　observation　puzzled　him。
　　　　　The　seafarers　clearly　had　a　scientific　ability　that　went　far　beyond　the　cultural　races　and　civilizations　that　followed　them。　Their　era　also　appeared　more　advanced　in　the　art　of　writing　and　munication　than　others　that　came　thousands　of　years　later。　What　message　were　they　trying　to　pass　on　across　the　constantly　moving　sea　of　time　that　was　imperishably　engraved　in　stone？　A　message　of　hope；　or　a　warning　of　natural　disasters　to　e？
　　　　　The　thoughts　running　through　Pitt's　mind　were　interrupted　as　the　sounds　of　rotor　blades　and　engine　exhaust　echoed　through　the　tunnel；　announcing　the　return　of　the　helicopter　that　was　to　carry　him　to　the　research　ship。　With　a　sense　of　reluctance；　he　turned　off　his　mind　at　the　same　instant　he　switched　off　the　flashlight　and　walked　from　the　dark　chamber。
　
　
　　　　　Without　wasting　time　waiting　for　government　transportation；　Pitt　flew　from　Cape　Town　to　Johannesburg；　where　he　caught　a　South　African　Airlines　flight　to　Washington。　He　slept　most　of　the　way；　taking　a　short　walk　to　stretch　his　legs　when　the　plane　landed　in　the　Canary　Islands　to　refuel。　When　he　stepped　out　of　the　Dulles　Airport　terminal；　it　was　nearly　midnight。　He　was　pleasantly　surprised　to　find　a　dazzling　1936　Ford　cabriolet　hot　rod　with　the　top　down；　waiting　at　the　curb。　The　car　looked　like　something　out　of　California　in　the　1950s。　The　body　and　fenders　were　painted　in　metallic　plum　maroon　that　sparkled　under　the　lights　of　the　terminal。　The　bumpers　were　the　ribbed　type　from　a　1936　De　Soto。　Ripple　moon　disks　covered　the　wheel　in　front；　while　those　in　the　rear　were　hidden　by　teardrop　skirts。　The　seats　in　front　and　in　the　rumble　seat　were　a　biscuit…tan　leather。　The　elegant　little　car　was　powered　by　a　V…8　flathead　engine　that　had　been　rebuilt　from　top　to　bottom　to　produce　225　horsepower。　The　rear　end　was　fitted　with　a　fifty…year…old　Columbia　overdrive　gear　system。
　　　　　If　the　car　wasn't　enough　to　turn　heads；　the　woman　sitting　behind　the　wheel　was　equally　beautiful。　The　long　cinnamon　hair　was　protected　from　the　light　breeze　outside　the　airport　by　a　colorful　scarf。　She　had　the　prominent　cheekbones　of　a　fashion　model；　enhanced　by　full　lips　and　a　short；　straight　nose　and　charismatic　violet　eyes。　She　was　wearing　an　alpaca　chunky　autumn　leaf　brown　turtleneck　with　taupe　wool　tweed　pants　under　a　taupe　shearling　coat　that　came　down　to　her　knees。
　　　　　Congresswoman　Loren　Smith　of　Colorado　flashed　an　engaging　smile。　〃How　many　times　have　I　met　you　like　this　and　said；　‘Wele　home；　sailor'？〃
　　　　　〃At　least　eight　that　I　can　think　of；〃　said　Pitt；　happy　that　his　romantic　love　of　many　years　had　taken　the　time　out　of　her　busy　schedule　to　pick　him　up　at　the　airport　in　one　of　the　cars　from　his　collection。
　　　　　He　threw　his　duffel　bag　into　the　rumble　seat；　then　slid　into　the　passenger's　seat　and　leaned　over　and　kissed　her；　holding　her　in　his　arms　for　a　long　while。　When　he　finally　pulled　back　and　released　her；　she　gasped；　catching　her　breath；　〃Careful；　I　don't　want　to　end　up　like　Clinton。〃
　　　　　〃The　public　applauds　affairs　by　female　politicians。〃
　　　　　〃That's　what　you　think；〃　Loren　said；　pressing　the　ignition　lever　on　the　steering　column　and　pushing　the　starter　button。　It　fired　on　the　first　rotation　and　emitted　a　mellow；　throaty　roar　through　the　Smitty　mufflers　and　dual　exhaust　pipes。　〃Where　to；　your　hangar？〃
　　　　　〃No；　I'd　like　to　drop　by　NUMA　headquarters　for　a　moment　and　check　my　puter　for　the　latest　word　from　Hiram　Ya