cc.floodtide-第101部分

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　Inside　the　footlocker　the　upper　tray　held　several　objects　neatly　wrapped　in　sodden　gauze　and　exactingly　placed　in　little　individual　partments。　As　if　she　was　unwrapping　the　Holy　Grail；　O'Connell　delicately　removed　the　covering　from　the　largest　object。　When　the　last　piece　of　gauze　fell　away；　she　held　up　what　looked　like　a　yellow…brown　circular　bowl。
　
　〃A　skullcap；〃　she　said　in　a　hushed　voice；　〃from　Peking　man。〃
　
　THE　CAPTAIN　OF　THE　JADE　ADVENTURER；　CHEN　JlANG；　HAD　served　Qin　Shang　Maritime　Limited　for　twenty　of　his　thirty　years　at　sea。　Tall　and　thin　with　straight　white　hair；　he　was　quiet　and　efficient　in　the　operation　of　his　ship。　He　forced　back　a　smile　and　spoke　to　bis　employer。
　〃There　is　your　ship；　Qin　Shang。〃
　〃I　can't　believe　after　all　these　years　I'm　seeing　her　at　last；〃　said　Qin　Shang；　his　eyes　locked　on　the　video　monitor　receiving　images　from　an　ROV　that　was　moving　over　the　sunken　wreck。
　〃We　are　very　lucky　the　depth　is　only　four　hundred　and　thirty　feet。　If　the　ship　had；　indeed；　foundered　off　the　coast　of　Chile；　we'd　have　found　ourselves　working　in　ten　thousand　feet。〃
　〃It　appears　the　hull　is　separated　in　two　parts。〃
　〃Not　unusual　for　ships　caught　in　storms　on　the　Great　Lakes　to　break　up；〃　explained　Chen　Jiang。　〃The　Edmund　Fitzgerald；　a　legendary　ore　carrier；　was　twisted　apart　when　she　sank。〃
　
　During　the　search；　Qin　Shang　had　paced　the　deck　of　the　wheelhouse　restlessly。　He　appeared　impassive　to　the　captain　and　officers　of　the　ship；　but　beneath　the　cold　exterior；　his　adrenaline　was　pumping　madly。　Qin　Shang　was　not　a　patient　man。　He　hated　doing　nothing　but　waiting　while　the　ship　swept　back　and　forth　before　finally　striking　the　wreck　he　hoped　was　the　Princess　Dou　Wan。　The　tedious　search　was　a　torment　he　could　have　happily　done　without。
　
　The　Jade　Adventurer　did　not　look　like　the　usual　businesslike　survey…and…salvage　ship。　Her　sleek　superstructure　and　twin　catamaran　hulls　gave　her　more　the　look　of　an　expensive　yacht。　Only　the　stylized；　contemporary　A…frame　crane　on　her　stern　suggested　that　she　was　anything　but　a　pleasure　cruiser。　Her　hulls　were　painted　blue　with　a　red　stripe　running　around　the　leading　edges。　The　upperworks　gleamed　white。
　
　A　big　ship　with　a　length　of　325　feet；　elegant　and　brutishly　powered；　she　was　a　marvel　of　engineering；　loaded　from　the　keel　with　the　latest　and　most　sophisticated　equipment　and　instrumentation。　She　was　Qin　Shang's　pride　and　joy；　expressly　designed　and　constructed　to　his　specifications　for　this　moment；　the　salvage　of　the　Princess　Dou　Wan。
　
　The　ship　had　arrived　on　site　early　in　the　morning；　relying　on　the　approximate　position　Zhu　Kwan　had　received　from　St。　Julien　Perlmutter。　Qin　Shang　was　relieved　to　see　only　two　ships　within　twenty　miles。　One　was　an　ore　carrier　heading　toward　Chicago；　the　other　Chen　Jiang　identified　as　a　research　vessel　only　three　miles　away；　showing　her　starboard　broadside　as　she　moved　on　an　opposite　course　with　unmon　lethargy。
　
　Using　the　same　basic　techniques　and　equipment　as　Pitt　and　the　crew　of　the　Divercity；　the　Jade　Adventurer　was　only　in　the　third　hour　of　the　search　when　the　sonar　operator　announced　a　target。　After　four　more　passes　to　improve　the　quality　of　the　recording；　the　sonar　operator　could　safely　say　they　had　a　ship　on　the　bottom　that；　although　broken　up；　matched　the　dimensions　of　the　Princess　Dou　Wan。　Then　a　Chinese…manufactured　ROV　was　lowered　over　the　side　and　descended　to　the　wreck。
　
　After　another　hour　of　passionately　staring　at　the　monitor；　Qin　Shang　snapped　angrily。　〃This　cannot　be　the　Princess　Dou　Wan！　Where　is　her　cargo？　I　see　nothing　that　confirms　the　report　of　wooden　crates　protecting　the　art　treasures。〃
　〃Odd；〃　murmured　Chen　Jiang。　〃The　steel　plates　of　the　hull　and　superstructure　look　scattered　around　the　wreck。　It　looks　as　if　the　ship　was　burst　apart。〃
　Qin　Shang's　face　went　pale。　〃This　wreck　cannot　be　the　Princess　Dou　Wan；〃　he　repeated。
　〃Move　the　ROV　around　the　stern；〃　Chen　Jiang　ordered　the　operator。
　In　a　few　minutes　the　little　underwater　prowler　stopped　and　the　operator　zoomed　the　camera　in　on　the　lettering　across　the　stern　of　the　hulk。　There　was　no　mistaking　the　name；　
　PRINCESS　YUNG　T'AI；　SHANGHAI。
　〃It　is　my　ship！〃　Qin　Shang's　eyes　were　stricken　as　he　stared　into　the　monitor。
　〃Could　it　have　been　salvaged　without　your　knowledge？〃　asked　Chen　Jiang。
　〃Not　possible。　No　treasure　that　immense　could　have　remained　hidden　all　these　years。　Pieces　of　it　would　have　most　certainly　surfaced。〃
　〃Shall　I　order　the　crew　to　prepare　the　submersible？〃
　〃Yes；　yes；〃　Qin　Shang　said　anxiously。　〃I　must　have　a　closer　look。〃
　
　Qin　Shang　hired　his　own　engineers　to　design　the　submersible　he　named　Sea　Lotus。　She　was　built　at　a　pany　in　France　that　specialized　in　deep…undersea　vehicles。　He　had　watched　over　every　aspect　of　her　construction。　Unlike　most　submersibles；　where　the　requirements　of　the　equipment　came　before　the　fort　of　the　crew；　the　Sea　Lotus　was　built　more　like　an　office　than　a　Spartan　chamber　for　scientific　study。　She　was　a　pleasure　craft　to　Qin　Shang。　He　trained　himself　in　her　operation　and　often　piloted　her　around　the　Hong　Kong　harbor　shortly　after　she　was　built；　making　suggestions　for　modifications　to　suit　his　personal　demands。
　
　He　also　ordered　a　second　submersible　built；　called　Sea　Jasmine。　Her　purpose　was　to　act　as　backup　in　case　Sea　Lotus　suffered　mechanical　problems　while　on　the　seabed。
　
　An　hour　later；　Shang's　private　submersible　was　rolled　out　of　her　partment　onto　the　stern　of　the　salvage　vessel　and　stationed　beneath　the　modernistic　A…frame　that　would　lift　her　out　and　into　the　water。　When　all　systems　were　checked；　the　copilot　stood　at　the　hatch；　waiting　for　Qin　Shang　to　enter。
　〃I　will　pilot　the　craft　alone；〃　he　said　imperiously。
　Captain　Chen　Jiang　looked　up　at　him　from　the　deck。　〃Do　you　think　that　wise；　sir？　You　are　unfamiliar　with　these　waters。〃
　〃I　am　quite　familiar　with　the　operation　of　the　Sea　Lotus。　You　forget；　Captain；　I　created　her。　I　will　go　down　alone。　It　is　for　me　to　be　the　first　to　see　the　treasures　stolen　from　our　country　all　these　years。　I　have　dreamed　too　long　of　this　moment　to　share　it。〃
　
　Chen　Jiang　shrugged　and　said　nothing。　He　merely　nodded　for　the　submersible's　copilot　to　stand　aside　as　Qin　Shang　descended　the　ladder　down　through　the　tower　that　prevented　rough　water　from　cascading　into　the　open　hatch　leading　to　the　control　and　pressure　chamber。　He　pulled　the　hatch　closed　and　sealed　it；　then　turned　on　the　life…support　systems。
　Diving　to　430　feet　was　child's　play　for　a　vessel　built　to　withstand　the　immense　squeeze　that　water　exerted　at　depths　of　25；000　feet。　He　sat　in　a　fortable　chair　of　his　own　design；　facing　the　control　console　and　a　large　viewing　window　on　the　bow　of　the　submersible。
　Sea　Lotus　was　swung　out　over　the　water　by　the　A…frame　away　from　the　ship's　fantail；　where　she　hung　for　a　few　moments　until　her　rocking　motion　ceased。　Then　she　was　lowered　into　Lake　Michigan。　Divers　released　the　lift　hook　and　made　a　final　check　of　the　exterior　before　Qin　Shang　took　her　into　the　frigid　depths。
　〃You　are　free　of　the　lift　line　and　cleared　to　descend；〃　Chen　Jiang's　voice　came　over　the　munications　speaker。
　〃Flooding　ballast　tanks；〃　Qin　Shang　replied。
　Chen　Jiang　was　too　experienced　an　officer　to　allow　his　employer　to　override　his　responsibilities　as　captain　of　the　Jade　Adventurer。　He　turned　to　an　officer　and　issued　an　order　unheard　by　Qin　Shang。　〃Have　the　Sea　Jasmine　prepared　to　launch　as　a　safety　precaution。〃
　〃Do　you　expect　trouble；　sir？〃
　〃No；　but　we　cannot　allow　harm　to　e　to　Qin　Shang。〃
　The　Sea　Lotus　quickly　slipped　out　of　sight　beneath　the　waves　and　began　her　slow　fall　to　the　bottom　of　the　lake。　Qin　Shang　stared　through　the　viewing　window　into　the　dark　green　water　as　it　magically　went　black　and　he　saw　his　reflection　inside　the　pressure　chamber。　His　eyes　were　cold；　his　mouth　was　in　a　tight　line；　unsmiling。　Within　the　brief　span　of　an　hour　he　had　gone　from　a　man　of　supreme　confidence　to　someone　who　looked　sick　and　tired　and　baffled。　He　did　not　like　what　he　saw　in　the　nebulous　face　staring　back　at　him；　seemingly　outside　in　the　depths。　For　the　only　time　in　his　life　that　he　could　remember；　he　felt　a　growing　surge　of　anxiety。　The　treasures　had　to　be　somewhere　inside　the　broken　hulks；　he　told　himself　over　and　over　as　the　submersible　sank　ever　deeper　into　the　cold　waters　of　the　lake。　They　had　to　be。　It　was　inconceivable　that　someone　had　e　before。
　
　The　descent　took　less　than　ten　minutes；　but　to　Qin　Shang　the　seconds　passed　like　hours。　He　gazed　into　pure　blackness　before　switching　on　the　exterior　lights。　It　was　also　being　cold　inside　the　chamber；　and　he　set　a　small　heating　unit　to　seventy　degrees。　The　echo　sounder　indicated　the　bottom　was　ing　up　fast。　He　allowed　a　small　amount　of　pressurized　air　to　flow　into　the　ballast　tanks　to　slow　his　descent。　On　deep…water　dives　beyond　one　thousand　feet；　he　would　have　dropped　weights　attached　to　the　keel　of　the　submersible。
　
　The　flat；　barren　lake　bed　emerged　under　the　lights。　He　adjusted　the　ballast　and　stopped　five　feet　from　the　bottom。　Then　Qin　Shang　turned　on　the　electric　thrusters　and　began　banking　in　a　wide　circle。　〃I　am　on　the　bottom；〃　he　called　to　his　support　crew　above。　〃Can　you　see　where　I　am　in　relation　to　the　wreck？〃
　
　〃The　sonar　shows　you　only　forty　yards　west　of　the　starboard　side　of　the　main　wreckage；〃　Jiang　answered。
　
　Qin　Shang's　heartbeat　raced　in　anticipation。　He　banked　the　Sea　Lotus　until　it　was　moving　parallel　to　the　hull；　and　then　brought　the　sub　upward　until　it　passed　over　the　railing　along　the　edge　of　the　forward　cargo　deck。　He　saw　the　cranes　looming　out　of　the　black　void　and　banked　to　miss　them。　Now　he　was　over　one　of　the　cargo　holds。　Hovering　the　submersible　and　tilting　its　stern　upward　so　the　lights　beamed　down；　his　eyes　strained　into　the　darkness　as　he　stared　into　the　gaping　cavern。
　
　With　indescribable　dread；　he　saw　that　it　was　empty。
　
　Then　something　moved　in　the　shadows。　At　first　he　merely　thought　it　was　a　fish；　but　then　it　moved　up　from　the　black　of　the　cargo　hold　and　materialized　into　an　unspeakable　monstrosity；　an　apparition　that　belonged　in　another　world。　Slowly　it　rose；　as　if　levitated　in　air；　like　some　hideous　creature　from　the　murk