cc.floodtide-第56部分

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met　him　thought　he　was　probably　much　younger　than　he　looked。　But　St。　Julien　Perlmutter　was　a　year　past　seventy　and　as　hearty　as　they　came。
　
　A　close　friend　of　Pitt's　father；　Senator　George　Pitt；　Perlmutter　had　known　Dirk　almost　from　the　time　he　was　born。　Over　the　years　they　had　formed　a　close　bond　to　the　point　where　Perlmutter　was　like　a　favorite　uncle。　He　sat　Pitt　and　Julia　down　around　a　huge　latticed　hatch　cover；　reconstructed　and　lacquered　to　as　high　a　sheen　as　a　dining　table's。　He　offered　them　crystal　glasses　that　had　once　graced　the　first…class　dining　room　of　the　former　Italian　luxury　liner　the　Andrea　Doria。
　
　Julia　studied　the　etched　image　of　the　ship　on　her　glass　as　Perlmutter　poured　the　aged　port。　〃I　thought　the　Andrea　Doria　rested　on　the　bottom　of　the　sea。〃
　〃She　still　does；〃　said　Perlmutter；　twisting　one　end　of　the　gray　hair　flowing　from　his　lips。　〃Dirk　here　brought　up　a　rack　of　wineglasses　during　a　dive　he　made　on　the　wreck　five　years　ago　and　graciously　gave　them　to　me。　Please　tell　what　you　think　of　the　port。〃
　Julia　was　flattered　that　such　a　gourmet　would　want　her　opinion。　She　sipped　the　ruby　contents　of　the　glass　and　made　an　expression　of　delight。　〃It　tastes　wonderful。〃
　〃Good；　good。〃　He　gave　Pitt　a　look　reserved　for　a　derelict　on　a　park　bench。　〃You　I　won't　ask；　since　your　taste　runs　to　the　mundane。〃
　Pitt　acted　as　if　he　was　insulted。　〃You　wouldn't　know　good　port　if　you　drowned　in　it。　While　I；　on　the　other　hand；　was　weaned　on　it。〃
　〃I　hate　myself　for　ever　letting　you　through　the　front　door；〃　Perlmutter　moaned。
　Julia　saw　through　the　charade。　〃Do　you　two　always　go　on　like　this？〃
　〃Only　when　we　meet；〃　Pitt　said；　laughing。
　〃What　brings　you　here　this　time　of　night？〃　asked　Perlmutter；　winking　at　Julia。　〃It　couldn't　have　been　my　witty　conversation。〃
　〃No；〃　Pitt　agreed；　〃it　was　to　see　if　you　ever　heard　of　a　ship　that　left　China　sometime　around　nineteen　forty…eight　with　a　cargo　of　historical　Chinese　art　and　then　vanished。〃
　Perlmutter　held　the　port　in　front　of　his　eyes　and　swirled　it　around　in　his　glass。　His　eyes　took　on　a　reflective　expression　as　his　encyclopedic　mind　delved　into　his　brain　cells。　〃I　seem　to　recall　that　the　name　of　the　ship　was　the　Princess　Dou　Wan。　She　went　missing　with　all　hands　somewhere　off　Central　America。　No　trace　of　ship　or　crew　was　ever　found。〃
　〃Was　there　a　record　of　her　cargo？〃
　Perlmutter　shook　his　head。　〃The　word　that　she　was　carrying　a　rich　cargo　of　antiquities　came　from　unsubstantiated　reports　only。　Vague　rumors　actually。　No　evidence　ever　came　to　light　to　suggest　it　was　true。〃
　〃How　do　you　call　it？〃　asked　Pitt。
　〃Another　mystery　of　the　sea。　There　is　very　little　I　can　tell　you　except　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　was　a　passenger　ship　that　had　seen　her　day　and　was　scheduled　for　the　scrap　yard。　A　pretty　ship；　in　her　prime　she　was　known　as　the　queen　of　the　China　Sea。〃
　〃Then　how　did　she　end　up　lost　off　Central　America？〃
　Perlmutter　shrugged。　〃As　I　said；　another　mystery　of　the　sea。〃
　Pitt　shook　his　head　vigorously。　〃I　disagree。　If　there　is　an　enigma；　it　is　man…made。　A　ship　simply　doesn't　vanish　five　thousand　miles　from　where　she　is　supposed　to　be。〃
　〃Let　me　dig　out　the　record　on　the　Princess。　I　believe　it's　in　a　book　stacked　under　the　piano。〃　He　lifted　his　bulk　off　a　thankful　chair　and　ambled　out　of　the　dining　room。　In　less　than　two　minutes；　Pitt　and　Julia　heard　his　voice　roar　out　through　the　hall　from　another　room。　〃Ah；　here　it　is！〃
　〃With　all　these　books；　he　knows　exactly　where　to　find　the　one　he's　looking　for？〃　she　asked　in　amazement。
　〃He　can　tell　you　the　title　of　every　book　in　the　house；〃　said　Pitt　with　certainty；　〃its　exact　location　and　what　number　it　lies　from　the　top　of　its　stack　or　from　the　right　side　of　its　shelf。〃
　Pitt　had　no　sooner　finished　speaking　than　Perlmutter　came　into　the　room；　his　elbows　brushing　both　frames　of　the　doorway　simultaneously。　He　held　up　a　thick；　leather…bound　book。　The　title；　lettered　in　gold；　read；　History　of　the　Orient　Shipping　Lines。　〃This　is　the　only　official　record　I've　ever　e　across　on　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　that　gives　details　of　her　years　afloat。〃　Perlmutter　sat　down　at　the　table；　opened　the　book　and　began　reading　aloud。
　〃She　was　laid　down　and　launched　in　the　same　year；　nineteen　thirteen；　by　Harland　and　Wolff　shipbuilders　of　Belfast　for　the　Singapore　Pacific　Steamship　Lines。　Her　original　name　was　Lanai。　Gross　tonnage　of　just　under　eleven　thousand　tons；　over…all　length　of　four　hundred　and　ninety…seven　feet　and　a　sixty…foot　beam；　she　was　rather　a　good…looking　ship　for　her　day。〃　He　paused　and　held　up　the　book　to　show　a　photograph　of　the　ship　sailing　over　a　flat　sea　with　a　trailing　wisp　of　smoke　from　her　single　smokestack。　The　photo　was　tinted　and　revealed　the　traditional　black　hull　with　white　superstructure　topped　by　a　tall　green　funnel。　〃She　could　carry　five　hundred　and　ten　passengers；　fifty…five　of　them　first　class；〃　Perlmutter　continued。　〃She　was　originally　coal…fired　but　converted　to　oil…firing　in　nineteen　twenty。　Top　speed　of　seventeen　knots。　Her　maiden　voyage　took　place　in　December　of　nineteen　thirteen　when　she　left　Southampton　for　Singapore。　Until　nineteen　thirty…one；　most　of　her　voyages　were　between　Singapore　and　Honolulu。〃
　〃It　must　have　been　a　fortable　and　relaxing　experience　sailing　across　the　South　Seas　in　those　early　days；〃　said　Julia。
　〃Passengers　were　not　nearly　so　harried　and　occupied　eighty　years　ago；〃　Pitt　agreed。　He　looked　at　Perlmutter。　〃When　did　the　Lanai　bee　the　Princess　Dou　Wan？〃
　〃She　was　sold　to　the　Canton　Lines　out　of　Shanghai　in　nineteen　thirty…one；〃　Perlmutter　answered。　〃From　then　until　the　war；　she　carried　passengers　and　cargo　to　ports　around　the　South　China　Sea。　During　the　war；　she　served　as　an　Australian　troop　transport。　In　nineteen　forty…two；　while　unloading　troops　and　their　equipment　off　New　Guinea；　she　was　attacked　by　Japanese　aircraft　and　severely　damaged；　but　she　returned　to　Sidney　under　her　own　power　for　repair　and　a　refit。　Her　war　record　is　quite　impressive。　From　nineteen　forty　to　nineteen　forty…five；　she　transported　over　eighty　thousand　men　in　and　out　of　the　war　zone；　dodging　enemy　aircraft；　submarines　and　warships　and　suffering　extensive　damage　inflicted　during　seven　different　attacks。〃
　
　〃Five　years　of　sailing　through　Japanese…infested　waters；〃　said　Pitt。　〃It's　a　wonder　she　wasn't　sunk。〃
　〃When　the　war　ended；　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　was　returned　to　the　Canton　Lines　and　refitted　as　a　passenger　ship　again。　She　then　went　into　service　between　Hong　Kong　and　Shanghai。　Then　in　the　late　fall　of　nineteen　forty…eight　she　was　taken　out　of　service　and　sent　to　the　scrappers　hi　Singapore　for　breaking　up。〃
　〃Breaking　up；〃　Pitt　echoed。　〃You　said　she　sank　off　Central　America。〃
　〃Her　fate　gets　vague；〃　said　Perlmutter；　pulling　several　loose　sheets　of　paper　from　the　book。　〃I　accumulated　what　information　I　could　find　and　condensed　it　into　a　brief　report。　All　that's　known　for　certain　is　that　she　didn't　make　it　to　the　scrappers。　The　final　account　came　from　a　naval　station　radio　operator　at　Valparaiso；　Chile。　According　to　the　radio　operator's　records；　a　ship　calling　herself　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　sent　out　a　series　of　distress　signals；　saying　she　was　taking　on　water　and　badly　listing　under　a　violent　storm　two　hundred　miles　west。　Repeated　inquiries　brought　no　answers。　Then　her　radio　went　dead　and　she　was　never　heard　from　again。　A　search　turned　up　no　sign　of　her。〃
　〃Could　there　have　been　another　Princess　Dou　Wan？〃　asked　Julia。
　Perlmutter　shook　his　head　negatively。　〃The　International　Ships　Registry　only　lists　one　Princess　Dou　Wan　between　eighteen　fifty　and　the　present。　The　signal　must　have　been　sent　as　a　red　herring　from　another　Chinese　vessel。〃
　〃Where　did　the　rumor　originate　that　Chinese　antiquities　were　on　board？〃　asked　Pitt。
　Perlmutter　held　out　his　hands；　palms　upward　in　a　sign　of　unknowing。　〃A　myth；　a　legend；　the　sea　is　full　of　them。　The　only　sources　I'm　aware　of　were　unreliable　dockworkers　and　Nationalist　Chinese　soldiers　who　were　in　charge　of　loading　the　ship。　They　were　later　captured　and　interrogated　by　the　munists。　One　claimed　a　crate　broke　open　while　itXwas　being　lifted　aboard；　revealing　a　life…size　bronze　prancing　horse。〃
　〃How　on　earth　did　you　find　all　this　information？〃　said　Julia；　overwhelmed　with　Perlmutter's　knowledge　of　maritime　disasters。
　He　smiled。　〃From　a　fellow　researcher　in　China。　I　have　sources　around　the　world　that　I　rely　on　to　send　me　books　and　information　related　to　shipwrecks　whenever　they　find　it。　They　know　that　I　pay　top　dollar　for　reports　that　contain　new　and　uncovered　ground。　The　story　of　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　came　from　an　old　friend　who　is　China's　top　historian　and　researcher　by　the　name　of　Zhu　Kwan。　We've　corresponded　and　exchanged　maritime　information　for　many　years。　It　was　he　who　mentioned　a　legend　surrounding　the　alleged　treasure　ship。〃
　〃Was　Zhu　Kwan　able　to　give　you　a　manifest　of　the　treasure？〃　Pitt　inquired。
　〃No；　he　claimed　only　that　his　research　led　him　to　believe　that　before　Mao's　troops　marched　into　Shanghai；　Chiang　Kai…shek　cleaned　out　the　museums；　galleries　and　private　collections　of　Chinese　antiquities。　Records　of　art　and　artifacts　before　World　War　n　in　China　are　sketchy　to　say　the　least。　It　is　pretty　well　known　that　after　the　munists　took　over；　there　were　few　antiquities　to　be　found。　All　that　you　see　in　China　today　were　discovered　and　excavated　since　nineteen　forty…eight。〃
　〃Not　one　of　the　lost　treasures　was　ever　found？〃
　〃Not　to　my　knowledge；〃　Perlmutter　admitted。　〃Nor　has　Zhu　Kwan　told　me　any　different。〃
　Pitt　took　the　last　swallow　from　his　glass　of　the　forty…year…old　port。　〃So　a　vast　part　of　China's　heritage　may　lie　on　the　bottom　of　the　sea。〃
　Julia's　expression　altered　to　curiosity。　〃This　is　all　most　interesting；　but　I　fail　to　see　what　good　any　of　this　has　to　do　with　Qin　Shang's　illegal　immigrant…smuggling　operations。〃
　Pitt　took　her　hand　and　held　it　tightly。　〃Your　Immigration　and　Naturalization　Service；　the　Central　Intelligence　Agency　and　the　Federal　Bureau　of　Investigation　can　strike　Qin　Shang　and　his　rotten　empire　from　the　front　and　sides。　But　his　obsession　with　the　lost　antiquities　of　China　opens　the　door　for　the　National　Underwater　and　Marine　Agency　to　strike　him　from　the　rear；　where　he　least　expects　it。　St。　Julien　and　I　wi