danbrown.deceptionpoint-第11部分

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y。　Then　the　words　were　spoken　aloud　by　a　synthetic　voice。　Total　delay；　eighty　milliseconds。
　〃Controller；　here；〃　said　the　person　overseeing　the　operation。　The　robotic　tone　of　the　CrypTalk　was　eerie…inorganic　and　androgynous。　〃What　is　your　op　status？〃
　〃Everything　proceeding　as　planned；〃　Delta…One　replied。
　〃Excellent。　I　have　an　update　on　the　time　frame。　The　information　goes　public　tonight　at　eight　P。M。　Eastern。〃
　Delta…One　checked　his　chronograph。　Only　eight　more　hours。　His　job　here　would　be　finished　soon。　That　was　encouraging。
　〃There　is　another　development；〃　the　controller　said。　〃A　new　player　has　entered　the　arena。〃
　〃What　new　player？〃
　Delta…One　listened。　An　interesting　gamble。　Someone　out　there　was　playing　for　keeps。　〃Do　you　think　she　can　be　trusted？〃
　〃She　needs　to　be　watched　very　closely。〃
　〃And　if　there　is　trouble？〃
　There　was　no　hesitation　on　the　line。　〃Your　orders　stand。〃
　
　　
　16
　Rachel　Sexton　had　been　flying　due　north　for　over　an　hour。　Other　than　a　fleeting　glimpse　of　Newfoundland；　she　had　seen　nothing　but　water　beneath　the　F…14　for　the　entire　journey。
　Why　did　it　have　to　be　water？　she　thought；　grimacing。　Rachel　had　plunged　through　the　ice　on　a　frozen　pond　while　ice…skating　when　she　was　seven。　Trapped　beneath　the　surface；　she　was　certain　she　would　die。　It　had　been　her　mother's　powerful　grasp　that　finally　yanked　Rachel's　waterlogged　body　to　safety。　Ever　since　that　harrowing　ordeal；　Rachel　had　battled　a　persistent　case　of　hydrophobia…a　distinct　wariness　of　open　water；　especially　cold　water。　Today；　with　nothing　but　the　North　Atlantic　as　far　as　Rachel　could　see；　her　old　fears　had　e　creeping　back。
　Not　until　the　pilot　checked　his　bearings　with　Thule　airbase　in　northern　Greenland　did　Rachel　realize　how　far　they　had　traveled。　I'm　above　the　Arctic　Circle？　The　revelation　intensified　her　uneasiness。　Where　are　they　taking　me？　What　has　NASA　found？　Soon　the　blue…gray　expanse　below　her　became　speckled　with　thousands　of　stark　white　dots。
　Icebergs。
　Rachel　had　seen　icebergs　only　once　before　in　her　life；　six　years　ago　when　her　mother　persuaded　Rachel　to　join　her　on　an　Alaskan　mother…daughter　cruise。　Rachel　had　suggested　a　number　of　alternative　land…based　vacations；　but　her　mother　was　insistent。　〃Rachel；　honey；〃　her　mother　had　said；　〃two　thirds　of　this　planet　is　covered　with　water；　and　sooner　or　later；　you've　got　to　learn　to　deal　with　it。〃　Mrs。　Sexton　was　a　resilient　New　Englander　intent　on　raising　a　strong　daughter。
　The　cruise　had　been　the　last　trip　Rachel　and　her　mother　ever　took。
　Katherine　Wentworth　Sexton。　Rachel　felt　a　distant　pang　of　loneliness。　Like　the　howling　wind　outside　the　plane；　the　memories　came　tearing　back；　pulling　at　her　the　way　they　always　did。　Their　final　conversation　had　been　by　phone。　Thanksgiving　morning。
　〃I'm　so　sorry；　Mom；〃　Rachel　said；　phoning　home　from　a　snowbound　O'Hare　airport。　〃I　know　our　family　has　never　spent　Thanksgiving　Day　apart。　It　looks　like　today　will　be　our　first。〃
　Rachel's　mom　sounded　crushed。　〃I　was　so　looking　forward　to　seeing　you。〃
　〃Me　too；　Mom。　Think　of　me　eating　airport　food　while　you　and　Dad　feast　on　turkey。〃
　There　was　a　pause　on　the　line。　〃Rachel；　I　wasn't　going　to　tell　you　until　you　got　here；　but　your　father　says　he　has　too　much　work　to　make　it　home　this　year。　He'll　be　staying　at　his　D。C。　suite　for　the　long　weekend。〃
　〃What！〃　Rachel's　surprise　gave　way　immediately　to　anger。　〃But；　it's　Thanksgiving。　The　Senate　isn't　in　session！　He's　less　than　two　hours　away。　He　should　be　with　you！〃
　〃I　know。　He　says　he's　exhausted…far　too　tired　to　drive。　He's　decided　he　needs　to　spend　this　weekend　curled　up　with　his　backlog　of　work。〃
　Work？　Rachel　was　skeptical。　A　more　likely　guess　was　that　Senator　Sexton　would　be　curled　up　with　another　woman。　His　infidelities；　though　discreet；　had　been　going　on　for　years。　Mrs。　Sexton　was　no　fool；　but　her　husband's　affairs　were　always　acpanied　by　persuasive　alibis　and　pained　indignity　at　the　mere　suggestion　he　could　be　unfaithful。　Finally；　Mrs。　Sexton　saw　no　alternative　but　to　bury　her　pain　by　turning　a　blind　eye。　Although　Rachel　had　urged　her　mother　to　consider　divorce；　Katherine　Wentworth　Sexton　was　a　woman　of　her　word。　Till　death　do　us　part；　she　told　Rachel。　Your　father　blessed　me　with　you…a　beautiful　daughter…and　for　that　I　thank　him。　He　will　have　to　answer　for　his　actions　to　a　higher　power　someday。
　Now；　standing　in　the　airport；　Rachel's　anger　was　simmering。　〃But；　this　means　you'll　be　alone　for　Thanksgiving！〃　She　felt　sick　to　her　stomach。　The　senator　deserting　his　family　on　Thanksgiving　Day　was　a　new　low；　even　for　him。
　〃Well。。。　；〃　Mrs。　Sexton　said；　her　voice　disappointed　but　decisive。　〃I　obviously　can't　let　all　this　food　go　to　waste。　I'll　drive　it　up　to　Aunt　Ann's。　She's　always　invited　us　up　for　Thanksgiving。　I'll　give　her　a　call　right　now。〃
　Rachel　felt　only　marginally　less　guilty。　〃Okay。　I'll　be　home　as　soon　as　I　can。　I　love　you；　Mom。〃
　〃Safe　flight；　sweetheart。〃
　It　was　10：30　that　night　when　Rachel's　taxi　finally　pulled　up　the　winding　driveway　of　the　Sextons'　luxurious　estate。　Rachel　immediately　knew　something　was　wrong。　Three　police　cars　sat　in　the　driveway。　Several　news　vans　too。　All　the　house　lights　were　on。　Rachel　dashed　in；　her　heart　racing。
　A　Virginia　State　policeman　met　her　at　the　doorway。　His　face　was　grim。　He　didn't　have　to　say　a　word。　Rachel　knew。　There　had　been　an　accident。
　〃Route　Twenty…five　was　slick　with　freezing　rain；〃　the　officer　said。　〃Your　mother　went　off　the　road　into　a　wooded　ravine。　I'm　sorry。　She　died　on　impact。〃
　Rachel's　body　went　numb。　Her　father；　having　returned　immediately　when　he　got　the　news；　was　now　in　the　living　room　holding　a　small　press　conference；　stoically　announcing　to　the　world　that　his　wife　had　passed　away　in　a　crash　on　her　way　back　from　Thanksgiving　dinner　with　family。
　Rachel　stood　in　the　wings；　sobbing　through　the　entire　event。
　〃I　only　wish；〃　her　father　told　the　media；　his　eyes　tearful；　〃that　I　had　been　home　for　her　this　weekend。　This　never　would　have　happened。〃
　You　should　have　thought　of　that　years　ago；　Rachel　cried；　her　loathing　for　her　father　deepening　with　every　passing　instant。
　From　that　moment　on；　Rachel　divorced　herself　from　her　father　in　the　way　Mrs。　Sexton　never　had。　The　senator　barely　seemed　to　notice。　He　suddenly　had　gotten　very　busy　using　his　late　wife's　fortunes　to　begin　courting　his　party's　nomination　for　president。　The　sympathy　vote　didn't　hurt　either。
　Cruelly　now；　three　years　later；　even　at　a　distance　the　senator　was　making　Rachel's　life　lonely。　Her　father's　run　for　the　White　House　had　put　Rachel's　dreams　of　meeting　a　man　and　starting　a　family　on　indefinite　hold。　For　Rachel　it　had　bee　far　easier　to　take　herself　pletely　out　of　the　social　game　than　to　deal　with　the　endless　stream　of　power…hungry　Washingtonian　suitors　hoping　to　snag　a　grieving；　potential　〃first　daughter〃　while　she　was　still　in　their　league。
　　
　Outside　the　F…14；　the　daylight　had　started　to　fade。　It　was　late　winter　in　the　Arctic…a　time　of　perpetual　darkness。　Rachel　realized　she　was　flying　into　a　land　of　permanent　night。
　As　the　minutes　passed；　the　sun　faded　entirely；　dropping　below　the　horizon。　They　continued　north；　and　a　brilliant　three…quarter　moon　appeared；　hanging　white　in　the　crystalline　glacial　air。　Far　below；　the　ocean　waves　shimmered；　the　icebergs　looking　like　diamonds　sewn　into　a　dark　sequin　mesh。
　Finally；　Rachel　spotted　the　hazy　outline　of　land。　But　it　was　not　what　she　had　expected。　Looming　out　of　the　ocean　before　the　plane　was　an　enormous　snowcapped　mountain　range。
　〃Mountains？〃　Rachel　asked；　confused。　〃There　are　mountains　north　of　Greenland？〃
　〃Apparently；〃　the　pilot　said；　sounding　equally　surprised。
　As　the　nose　of　the　F…14　tipped　downward；　Rachel　felt　an　eerie　weightlessness。　Through　the　ringing　in　her　ears　she　could　hear　a　repeated　electronic　ping　in　the　cockpit。　The　pilot　had　apparently　locked　on　to　some　kind　of　directional　beacon　and　was　following　it　in。
　As　they　passed　below　three　thousand　feet；　Rachel　stared　out　at　the　dramatic　moonlit　terrain　beneath　them。　At　the　base　of　the　mountains；　an　expansive；　snowy　plain　swept　wide。　The　plateau　spread　gracefully　seaward　about　ten　miles　until　it　ended　abruptly　at　a　sheer　cliff　of　solid　ice　that　dropped　vertically　into　the　ocean。
　It　was　then　that　Rachel　saw　it。　A　sight　like　nothing　she　had　ever　seen　anywhere　on　earth。　At　first　she　thought　the　moonlight　must　be　playing　tricks　on　her。　She　squinted　down　at　the　snowfields；　unable　to　prehend　what　she　was　looking　at。　The　lower　the　plane　descended；　the　clearer　the　image　became。
　What　in　the　name　of　God？
　The　plateau　beneath　them　was　striped。。。　as　if　someone　had　painted　the　snow　with　three　huge　striations　of　silver　paint。　The　glistening　strips　ran　parallel　to　the　coastal　cliff。　Not　until　the　plane　dropped　past　five　hundred　feet　did　the　optical　illusion　reveal　itself。　The　three　silver　stripes　were　deep　troughs；　each　one　over　thirty　yards　wide。　The　troughs　had　filled　with　water　and　frozen　into　broad；　silvery　channels　that　stretched　in　parallel　across　the　plateau。　The　white　berms　between　them　were　mounded　dikes　of　snow。
　As　they　dropped　toward　the　plateau；　the　plane　started　bucking　and　bouncing　in　heavy　turbulence。　Rachel　heard　the　landing　gear　engage　with　a　heavy　clunk；　but　she　still　saw　no　landing　strip。　As　the　pilot　struggled　to　keep　the　plane　under　control；　Rachel　peered　out　and　spotted　two　lines　of　blinking　strobes　straddling　the　outermost　ice　trough。　She　realized　to　her　horror　what　the　pilot　was　about　to　do。
　〃We're　landing　on　ice？〃　she　demanded。
　The　pilot　did　not　respond。　He　was　concentrating　on　the　buffeting　wind。　Rachel　felt　a　drag　in　her　gut　as　the　craft　decelerated　and　dropped　toward　the　ice　channel。　High　snow　berms　rose　on　either　side　of　the　aircraft；　and　Rachel　held　her　breath；　knowing　the　slightest　miscalculation　in　the　narrow　channel　would　mean　certain　death。　The　wavering　plane　dropped　lower　between　the　berms；　and　the　turbulence　suddenly　disappeared。　Sheltered　there　from　the　wind；　the　plane　touched　down　perfectly　on　the　ice。
　The　Tomcat's　rear　thrusters　roared；　slowing　the　plane。　Rachel　exhaled。　The　jet　taxied　about　a　hundred　yards　farther　and　rolled　to　a　stop　at　a　red　line　spray…painted　boldly　across　the　ice。
　The　view　t