cussler.blueandgold-第31部分

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　〃You　can　see　why。　The　Chulo　retreated　from　the　onslaught　of　the　white　man　a　long　time　ago。　They've　been　pletely　cut　off　from　the　world。　Then　I　e　like　a　et　flaming　from　the　sky。　Gods　are　supposed　to　behave　that　way　to　keep　people　in　line。　They　figured　the　chief　had　angered　the　gods。　I　became　the　center　of　their　religion。〃
　
　'A　cargo　cult？〃　Gamay　offered。
　
　Paul　said；　〃Back　during　World　War　II；　natives　who　saw　planes　overhead　for　the　first　time　built　replicas　on　the　ground　to　worship。〃
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
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　〃Yes；〃　Gamay　said。　〃Remember　that　movie　The　Gods　Must　Be　Crazy？　A　Coke　bottle　dropped　from　an　airplane　became　an　object　of　religious　veneration　and　started　all　sorts　of　trouble。〃
　
　〃Precisely；〃　Francesca　said。　〃Think　of　how　those　natives　would　react　if　they　had　an　actual　plane　in　their　possession。〃
　
　〃That　explains　the　shrine　with　the　plane　at　its　center。〃
　
　She　nodded。　〃They　hauled　the　pieces　of　the　jet　there　and　did　a　fairly　good　job　of　reassembling　it。　Sort　of　a　'chariot　of　the　god。'　We　have　to　sacrifice　an　animal　now　and　then　so　the　gods　won't　wreak　more　destruction　on　the　tribe。〃
　
　〃The　plane　was　blue　and　white；〃　Gamay　said。　〃The　natives　paint　themselves　with　the　same　color　scheme。　No　coincidence？〃
　
　〃They　believe　it　will　give　them　protection　against　their　enemies。〃
　
　〃How　did　Tessa　e　to　be　here？〃
　
　〃Tessa　is　half　Chulo。　Her　mother　was　captured　during　a　raid　
　by　a　neighboring　tribe　and　traded　to　a　European　who　was　Tessa's　father。　He　was　killed　during　a　tribal　dispute；　and　Tessa　became　Dieter's　property。　He　knew　of　the　Chulo　and　married　Tessa　when　she　was　still　a　girl；　erroneously　thinking　it　would　give　him　entree　to　the　tribe　and　its　medicinal　herbs；　which　he　trafficked　in。〃　〃Why　did　she　stay　with　Dieter？〃
　
　〃She　thought　she　had　no　choice。　Dieter　reminded　her　constantly　that　she　was　a　half…breed；　spoiled　goods。　An　outcast。〃
　
　〃What　about　the　Indian　whose　body　we　found？〃
　
　〃Tessa　wasn't　the　first　child　born　to　her　mother。　She　had　a　half…brother　who　lived　here。　He　was　determined　to　find　his　family　and　began　to　make　explorations　beyond　the　falls。　He　learned　that　his　mother　had　died　but　that　he　had　a　sister。　Tessa。　He　went　to　bring　her　back。　The　Chulo　take　family　honor　very　seriously。　The　plant　pirates　working　with　Dieter　captured　him。　They　wanted　him　to　show　them　where　to　find　blood　root。〃
　
　〃Arnaud　mentioned　the　plant。〃
　
　〃It's　the　miraculous　species　that　was　used　to　help　me　after　the　plane　crash。　The　tribe　considers　it　to　be　sacred。　He　refused　to　tell　them　where　to　find　it；　so　they　tortured　him。　He　was　shot　trying　to　escape；　and　you　found　him。　Dieter　stole　the　specimens。　I　sent　a　search　party　to　look　for　Tessa's　brother。　She　was　trying　to　get　back　here　when　they　ran　into　her；　and　she　told　them　the　story。　I　sent　her　back　to　Dieter's　with　instructions　to　keep　us　in　formed　about　what　was　going　on。　Then　you　showed　up　unexpectedly。　Tessa　tried　to　warn　you　off。　When　that　didn't　work　she　helped　you　escape。　Or　so　she　thought。　You　reappeared　on　our　doorstep。〃
　
　〃We're　in　one　piece。　That's　more　than　I　can　say　for　Dieter　and　his　friends。〃
　
　〃The　men　of　the　tribe　brought　the　heads　back　as　gifts　to　me。〃　She　glanced　around　the　dining　room　which　was　hung　with　colorful　tapestries　of　village　life。　〃Shrunken　heads　would　clash　with　my　decor；　so　I　suggested　they　put　them　outside　the　village。〃
　
　〃Were　you　also　responsible　for　our　weling　mittee？〃
　
　〃Oh；　yes。　You　must　admit　that　big　orange…and…blue　balloon　
　you　were　flying　was　not　inconspicuous。　The　men　reported　that　you　had　almost　flown　into　the　falls。　I　had　ordered　that　if　you　were　seen　you　would　be　observed　but　not　harmed。　They　were　tracking　you　from　the　start。　I　was　surprised　when　you　started　this　way。　You　couldn't　have　been　lost。〃　〃We　thought　we　might　borrow　a　canoe。〃
　
　'Ah。　How　audacious！　You　wouldn't　have　stood　a　chance。　The　reputation　these　people　have　is　well　deserved。　They　tracked　you　for　miles。　Sometimes　I　think　they　truly　are　the　ghost　people。　They　can　melt　through　the　forest　like　the　mists　the　other　Indians　say　they　are　made　of。〃
　
　Paul　had　been　pondering　Francesca's　story。　〃Why　would　someone　want　to　hijack　the　plane　and　kidnap　you？〃
　
　〃I　have　an　idea　why。　e；　I'll　show　you。〃
　
　Francesca　rose　from　the　table　and　led　the　way　through　torch　lit　hallways　to　a　large　bedroom。　She　reached　into　a　chest　and　pulled　out　a　battered　and　scarred　aluminum　case。　She　set　it　on　top　of　her　bed；　then　opened　it。　Inside　was　a　jumble　of　broken　wires　and　circuits。
　
　〃This　was　a　model　of　the　experiment　I　was　carrying　to　Cairo。　I　won't　go　into　the　technical　details；　but　if　you　pour　seawater　in　on　this　end；　the　salt　is　extracted　and　fresh　water　es　out　here。〃
　
　〃A　desalting　process？〃
　
　〃Yes。　It　was　a　revolutionary　approach　unlike　any　devised　be　fore。　It　took　me　two　years　to　perfect。　The　problem　with　desalination　has　been　its　cost。　This　process　would　transform　hundreds　of　gallons　for　only　pennies。　At　the　same　time　it　produces　heat　which　can　be　transformed　into　energy。〃　She　shook　her　head。　〃It　would　have　turned　deserts　into　gardens　and　allowed　people　the　benefits　of　power。〃
　
　〃I　still　don't　understand；〃　Paul　said。　〃Why　would　someone　want　to　prevent　a　boon　like　this　from　being　made　available　to　the　world？〃
　
　〃I've　asked　myself　that　question　many　times　in　the　past　ten　years　and　still　have　no　satisfactory　answer。〃　
　〃Was　this　your　only　model？〃
　
　〃Yes；〃　she　said　sadly。　〃I　took　everything　with　me　from　Sao　Paulo。　All　my　papers　were　burned　in　the　plane　crash。〃　Brightening；　she　said；　〃I　was　able　to　put　my　hydraulic　engineering　skills　to　work　here。　It　can　be　boring　just　sitting　around　being　adored　all　day。　I'm　virtually　a　prisoner　They　hid　me　from　search　parties　after　the　crash。　The　only　place　where　I　am　truly　alone　is　this　palace。　Only　those　who　are　invited　can　enter。　My　servants　were　handpicked　for　their　loyalty。　Outside　the　palace　I'm　watched　by　my　Praetorian　guard。〃
　
　〃Being　a　white　goddess　isn't　all　it's　cracked　up　to　be；〃　Paul　said。
　
　〃An　understatement。　Which　is　why　I'm　so　happy　you　dropped　out　of　the　sky。　Tonight　you　rest。　Tomorrow　I　will　give　you　a　tour　of　the　village；　and　we　will　start　planning。〃
　
　〃Planning　for　what？〃　Gamay　said。
　
　〃Sorry；　I　thought　that　was　obvious。　Planning　to　escape。〃　
　Chapter　18
　Austin　had　a　quick　breakfast　of　ham　and　scrambled　eggs　on　the　deck　of　his　boathouse　below　the　Potomac　palisades　in　Fairfax；　Virginia。　He　stared　longingly　at　the　slow…moving　river；　thinking　that　a　brisk　row　in　his　scull　would　be　far　preferable　to　morning　traffic　on　the　Beltway。　But　the　events　of　the　last　few　days　gnawed　at　him。　Having　narrowly　missed　being　killed　twice　had　injected　a　personal　note　into　the　case。
　
　Driving　a　turquoise　NUMA…issue　Jeep　Cherokee；　Austin　headed　south　and　then　east　across　the　Woodrow　Wilson　Memorial　Bridge　into　Maryland；　where　he　left　the　Beltway。　In　suburban　Suitland　he　pulled　off　the　road　at　a　plex　of　metal　buildings　so　boringly　nondescript　that　they　could　only　have　been　built　by　the　federal　government。
　
　A　docent　in　the　visitor　center　took　his　name　and　made　a　call。　Minutes　later　a　trim　middle…aged　man　arrived　carrying　a　clip　board。　He　wore　paint…splattered　jeans；　a　denim　work　shirt；　and　a　baseball　cap　with　the　Smithsonian　National　Air　and　Space　Museum　logo。　He　gave　Austin　a　firm　handshake　and　introduced　himself。
　
　〃I'm　Fred　Miller。　We　talked　on　the　phone；〃　he　said。
　
　〃Thanks　for　seeing　me　on　such　short　notice。〃
　
　〃No　problem。〃　Miller　raised　a　quizzical　brow。　〃Are　you　the　same　Kurt　Austin　who　found　the　Christopher　Columbus　tomb　in　Guatemala？〃　
　〃That's　me。〃　〃That　must　have　been　some　adventure。〃　〃It　had　its　moments。〃
　
　〃I'll　bet。　I　have　to　apologize。　Aside　from　what　I　read　in　the　papers　of　NUMA's　undersea　exploits；　I　don't　know　a　lot　about　your　agency。〃
　
　〃Maybe　we　can　both　learn　something　about　our　respective　work。　I　don't　know　much　about　the　Paul　E。　Garber　Preservation；　Restoration；　and　Storage　Facility。　Your　Web　site　says　you　restore　historical　and　vintage　airplanes。〃
　
　〃That's　only　the　tip　of　the　iceberg；〃　Miller　said；　showing　the　way　to　the　door。　〃C'mon；　I'll　give　you　a　tour。〃
　
　He　led　Austin　outside　and　continued　his　narrative　as　they　walked　past　a　row　of　identical　buildings；　all　with　low　roofs　and　big　sliding　doors。　〃Paul　Garber　was　a　plane　nut；　which　was　fortunate　for　us。　When　he　was　just　a　kid　he　saw　Orville　Wright　fly　the　world's　first　military　aircraft。　Later　he　worked　for　the　Smithsonian　and　was　instrumental　in　creating　the　National　Air　Museum。　The　Air　Force　and　Navy　had　collected　examples　of　the　planes　that　won　World　War　II　and　some　of　the　enemy　planes　they　beat。　They　wanted　to　get　rid　of　them。　Garber　did　an　aerial　survey　and　found　twenty…one　acres　owned　by　the　federal　government　out　here　in　the　sticks。　There　are　thirty…two　buildings　at　the　center。〃　They　stopped　in　front　of　one　of　the　larger　structures。　〃This　is　Building　Ten；　the　workshop　where　we　do　the　restorations。〃
　
　〃I　saw　some　of　your　work　on　the　live　Web　cam。〃
　
　〃You　might　have　spotted　me。　I　just　came　from　there。　I　worked　for　years　as　a　project　manager　for　Boeing　in　Seattle；　but　I'm　originally　from　Virginia；　and　when　I　had　a　chance　to　e　to　the　center　I　jumped　at　it。　At　any　given　time　we've　got　several　projects　going。　We've　been　finishing　up　a　Hawker　Hurricane　restoration。　It's　been　a　little　delayed　because　of　a　parts　problem。　We're　restoring　the　fuselage　of　the　Enola　Gay；　the　B…29　that　carried　the　A…bomb　over　Hiroshima。　There's　a　nifty　little　biplane　called　Pitt's　special　'Little　Stinker'　that's　getting　its　fabric　skin　
　painted。　It's　not　just　planes。　We've　had　a　Russian　air…to…surface　missile；　plane　engines；　even　the　spaceship　model　they　used　in　that　movie　Close　Encounters。　We　can　stop　in　for　a　look　on　the　way　back。〃　〃I'd　like　that。　Sounds　like　an　eclectic　collection。〃
　
　〃Oh；　it　is。　We've　got　aircraft　from　all　over　the　world　that　we're　getting　ready　for　exhibition。　Three　buildings　are　devoted　to　exhibition　restoration　alone。　This　is　a　high…class　club。　The　artifacts　have　to　have　a　story　behind　them　to　qualify　for　a　makeover。　Something　historic