atlantis.found-第53部分

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　　　　　〃Congresswomen　lead　dull　lives；〃　he　retorted。
　　　　　〃Just　for　being　testy；　you're　taking　me　to　dinner　at　St。　Cyr's。〃
　　　　　〃You　have　good　taste；〃　said　Pitt。　〃That　will　set　me　back　a　month's　wages。　What's　the　occasion？〃
　　　　　〃I　have　a　rather　thick　report　on　Destiny　Enterprises　sitting　on　my　desk　and　it's　going　to　cost　you　big…time。〃
　　　　　〃Did　anybody　ever　tell　you；　you're　in　the　wrong　business？〃
　　　　　〃I've　sold　my　soul　to　pass　legislation　more　times　than　any　hooker　has　sold　her　body　to　clients。〃
　　　　　Pitt　pulled　to　a　stop　at　a　large　hangar　entry　door　and　pressed　a　code　into　a　remote　transmitter。　〃I　hope　you　have　reservations。　St。　Cyr's　isn't　known　for　taking　moners　off　the　street。〃
　　　　　〃I　did　a　favor　for　the　chef　once。　Trust　me；　we'll　have　the　best　table　in　the　house。　Pick　me　up　in　front　of　my　place　at　seven…thirty。〃
　　　　　〃Can　you　get　me　a　discount　on　the　wine？〃
　　　　　〃You're　cute；〃　said　Loren　softly。　〃Goodbye。〃
　
　
　　　　　Pitt　wasn't　in　the　mood　to　wear　a　tie　to　a　fancy　restaurant。　As　he　pulled　the　Ford　up　in　front　of　Loren's　town　house　in　Alexandria；　he　was　wearing　gray　slacks；　a　dark　blue　sport　coat；　and　a　saffron…colored　turtleneck　sweater。　Loren　spotted　him　and　the　car　from　her　fourth…story　balcony；　waved；　and　came　down。　Chic　and　glamorous；　she　wore　a　charcoal　lace…and…beadwork　cardigan　with　palazzo　pants　pleated　in　the　front　under　a　black；　knee…length　imitation　fur　coat。　She　carried　a　briefcase　whose　charcoal　leather　matched　her　outfit。　She'd　seen　from　the　balcony　that　Pitt　had　put　the　top　up　on　the　Ford；　and　so；　since　she　did　not　have　to　worry　about　windblown　hair；　she　didn't　bother　to　wear　a　hat。
　　　　　Pitt　stood　on　the　sidewalk　and　opened　the　door　for　her。　〃Nice　to　see　there　are　still　a　few　gentlemen　left；〃　she　said；　with　a　flirty　smile。
　　　　　He　leaned　down　and　kissed　her　cheek。　〃I　e　from　the　old　school。〃
　　　　　The　restaurant　was　only　two　miles　away；　just　across　the　Capitol　Beltway　into　Fairfax　County；　Virginia。　The　valet　parking　attendant's　face　lit　up　like　a　candle　inside　a　Halloween　pumpkin　when　he　spotted　the　hotrod　roll　up　in　front　of　the　elegant　restaurant。　The　mellow　tone　from　the　exhaust　pipes　sent　quivers　up　his　spine。
　　　　　He　handed　Pitt　a　claim　check；　but　before　he　drove　away；　Pitt　leaned　in　and　scanned　the　odometer。　〃Something　wrong；　sir？〃　asked　the　parking　attendant。
　　　　　〃Just　reading　the　mileage；〃　replied　Pitt；　giving　the　young　man　a　knowing　look。
　　　　　His　dream　of　taking　the　hot　rod　out　for　a　spin　while　its　owner　was　inside　having　dinner　now　suddenly　dashed；　the　attendant　drove　the　car　slowly　into　the　lot　and　parked　it　next　to　a　Bentley。
　　　　　St。　Cyr's　was　an　intimate　dining　experience。　Established　in　an　eighteenth…century　colonial　brick　house；　the　owner…chef　had　e　to　Washington　by　way　of　Cannes　and　Paris　after　having　been　discovered　by　a　pair　of　wealthy　Washington　developers　with　palates　for　fine　food　and　wine。　They'd　bankrolled　the　restaurant；　giving　the　chef　a　half　interest。　The　dining　room　was　decorated　in　deep　blues　and　golds；　with　Moroccan…style　decor　and　furniture。　There　were　no　more　than　twelve　tables　served　by　six　waiters　and　four　busboys。　What　Pitt　especially　enjoyed　about　St。　Cyr's　was　the　acoustics。　With　heavy　curtains　and　miles　of　fabric　on　the　walls；　all　sounds　of　conversation　were　cut　to　a　bare　minimum；　unlike　most　restaurants；　in　which　you　couldn't　hear　what　the　person　across　the　table　was　saying　and　the　din　literally　ruined　any　enjoyment　of　a　gourmet　meal。
　　　　　After　being　seated　at　a　table　in　a　small　private　alcove　off　the　main　dining　room　by　the　maitre　d'；　Pitt　asked　Loren；　〃Wine　or　champagne？〃
　　　　　〃Why　ask？〃　she　said。　〃You　know　a　good　Cabernet　puts　me　in　a　vulnerable　mood。〃
　　　　　Pitt　ordered　a　bottle　of　Martin　Ray　Cabernet　Sauvignon　from　the　wine　steward　and　settled　fortably　into　the　leather　chair。　〃While　we're　waiting　to　order；　why　don't　you　tell　me　what　you've　found　on　Destiny　Enterprises？〃
　　　　　Loren　smiled。　〃I　should　make　you　feed　me　first。〃
　　　　　〃Another　politician　on　the　take；〃　he　said　satirically。
　　　　　She　leaned　down；　opened　her　briefcase　and　retrieved　several　file　folders。　She　passed　them　discreetly　under　the　table。　〃Destiny　Enterprises　is　definitely　not　a　corporation　that　delights　in　public　relations；　promotional　programs；　or　advertising。　They　have　never　sold　stock；　and　are　wholly　owned　by　the　Wolf　family；　which　consists　of　three　generations。　They　do　not　produce；　nor　do　they　distribute；　profit…and…loss　statements　or　annual　reports。　Obviously；　they　could　never　operate　with　such　secrecy　in　the　U。S。；　Europe；　or　Asia；　but　they　wield　enormous　clout　with　the　Argentine　government；　beginning　with　the　Perons　soon　after　World　War　Two。〃
　　　　　Pitt　was　reading　the　opening　pages　of　the　file　when　the　wine　arrived。　After　the　wine　steward　poured　a　small　amount　in　his　glass；　he　studied　the　color；　inhaled　the　scent；　and　then　took　a　mouthful。　He　did　not　daintily　sip　the　Cabernet　but　gently　swirled　it　around　in　his　mouth　for　a　few　seconds　before　swallowing。　He　looked　up　at　the　wine　steward　and　smiled。　〃I'm　always　amazed　at　the　finesse　yet　the　solid　soul　of　a　Martin　Ray　Cabernet　Sauvignon。〃
　　　　　〃A　very　excellent　choice；　sir；〃　said　the　wine　steward。　〃Not　many　of　our　patrons　know　it　exists。〃
　　　　　Pitt　indulged　in　another　taste　of　the　wine　before　continuing　his　study　of　the　file。　〃Destiny　Enterprises　seems　to　have　materialized　out　of　nowhere　in　1947。〃
　　　　　Loren　stared　into　the　deep；　fluid　red　in　her　wineglass。　〃I　hired　a　researcher　to　examine　Buenos　Aires　newspapers　of　the　time。　There　was　no　mention　of　Wolf　in　the　business　sections。　The　researcher　could　only　pass　on　rumors　that　the　corporation　was　made　up　of　high　Nazi　officials　who　had　escaped　Germany　before　the　surrender。〃
　　　　　〃Admiral　Sandecker　talked　about　the　flow　of　the　Nazis　and　their　stolen　wealth　by　U…boat　to　Argentina　during　the　final　months　of　the　war。　The　operation　was　orchestrated　by　Martin　Bormann。〃
　　　　　〃Wasn't　he　killed　trying　to　escape　during　the　battle　of　Berlin？〃　asked　Loren。
　　　　　〃I　don't　believe　it　was　ever　proven　the　bones　they　found　many　years　later　were　his。〃
　　　　　〃I　read　somewhere　that　the　greatest　unsolved　mystery　of　the　war　was　the　total　disappearance　of　the　German　treasury。　Not　one　Deutschmark　or　scrap　of　gold　was　ever　found。　Could　it　be　Bormann　survived　and　smuggled　the　country's　stolen　wealth　to　South　America？〃
　　　　　〃He　heads　the　list　of　suspects；〃　answered　Pitt。　He　began　sifting　through　the　papers　in　the　files；　but　found　little　of　interest。　Most　were　merely　newspaper　articles　reporting　business　dealings　of　Destiny　Enterprises　that　were　too　large　to　keep　confidential。　The　most　detailed　analysis　came　from　a　CIA　report。　It　listed　the　various　activities　and　projects　the　corporation　was　involved　in；　but　few　if　any　details　of　their　operations。
　　　　　〃They　seem　quite　diversified；〃　said　Pitt。　〃Vast　mining　operations　for　recovering　gemstones；　gold；　platinum；　and　other　rare　minerals。　Their　puter　software　development　and　publishing　division　is　the　fourth　largest　in　the　world　behind　Microsoft。　They're　heavily　into　oil　field　development。　They're　also　a　world　leader　in　nanotechnology。〃
　　　　　〃I'm　not　sure　what　that　is；〃　said　Loren。
　　　　　Before　Pitt　could　answer；　the　waiter　approached　the　table　for　their　order。　〃What　catches　your　fancy？〃　he　asked　her。
　　　　　〃I　trust　your　taste；〃　she　said　softly。　〃You　order　for　me。〃
　　　　　Pitt　did　not　attempt　to　pronounce　the　menu　courses　in　French。　He　held　to　straight　English。　〃For　the　hors　d'oeuvres；　we'll　have　your　house　pate　with　truffles；　followed　by　vichyssoise。　For　the　main　course；　the　lady　will　have　the　rabbit　stewed　in　white　wine　sauce；　while　I'll　try　the　sweetbreads　in　brown　butter　sauce。〃
　　　　　〃How　can　you　eat　sweetbreads？〃　Loren　asked；　with　an　expression　of　distaste。
　　　　　〃I've　always　had　a　craving　for　good　sweetbreads；〃　Pitt　replied　simply。　〃Where　were　we？　Oh　yes；　nanotechnology。　From　what　little　I　know　on　the　subject；　nanotechnology　is　a　new　science　that　attempts　to　control　the　arrangement　of　atoms；　enabling　the　construction　of　virtually　anything　possible　under　natural　law。　Molecular　repairs　inside　human　bodies　will　be　possible　and　manufacturing　will　be　revolutionized。　Nothing　will　be　impossible　to　produce　cheaply　and　with　quality。　Incredibly　tiny　machines　that　can　reproduce　themselves　will　be　programmed　to　create　new　fuels；　drugs；　metals；　and　building　products　that　would　not　be　possible　with　normal　techniques。　I've　heard　that　mainframe　puters　can　be　built　with　a　volume　as　small　as　a　cubic　micron。　Nanotechnology　has　to　be　the　wave　of　the　future。〃
　　　　　〃I　can't　begin　to　imagine　how　it　works。〃
　　　　　〃It's　my　understanding　the　goal　is　to　create　what　nanotechnology　experts　call　an　assembler；　a　submicroscopic　robot　with　articulated　arms　that　are　operated　by　puters。　Supposedly　they　could　construct　large；　atomically　precise　objects　by　controlled　chemical　reactions；　molecule　by　molecule。　The　assemblers　can　even　be　designed　to　replicate　themselves。　Theoretically；　you　could　program　your　assemblers　to　build　you　a　new　custom　set　of　golf　clubs　out　of　metals　yet　to　be　developed；　a　television　set　of　a　particular　shape　to　fit　a　cabinet；　even　an　automobile　or　an　airplane；　including　special　fuel　to　run　them。〃
　　　　　〃Sounds　fantastic。〃
　　　　　〃The　advances　over　the　next　thirty　years　should　prove　mind　boggling。〃
　　　　　〃That　explains　the　file　on　Destiny's　project　in　Antarctica；〃　said　Loren；　pausing　to　sip　her　wine。　〃You'll　find　it　in　file　5…A。〃
　　　　　〃Yes；　I　see　it；〃　acknowledged　Pitt。　〃An　extensive　facility　for　mining　minerals　from　the　sea。　They　have　to　be　the　first　to　have　ever　profitably　exploited　seawater　for　valuable　minerals。〃
　　　　　〃It　seems　Destiny's　engineers　and　scientists　have　developed　a　molecular　device　capable　of　separating　minerals　such　as　gold　from　seawater。〃
　　　　　〃I　assume　the　program　is　successful？〃
　　　　　〃Very；〃　said　Loren。　〃According　to　Swiss　depository　records　obtained　covertly　by　the　CIA　I　swore　to　them　on　a　thousand　Bibles　that　this　information　would　remain　strictly　confidential　Destiny's　deposits　of　gold　into　Swiss　vaults　e　close　to　matching　the　hoard　at　Fort　Knox。〃
　　　　　〃Their　retrieval　of　gold　would　have　to　be　held　on　a　select　level；　or　world　gold　prices　would　plummet。〃
　　　　　〃According　to　my　sources；　Des