cc.floodtide-第90部分

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id　Qin　Shang。
　〃Look　how　the　borders　of　Europe　have　changed　in　the　past　hundred　years。　The　United　States　can　no　more　remain　united　for　eternity　than　the　Roman　Empire。　And　the　beauty　of　Project　Pacifica　is　that　when　it　es　to　pass；　the　People's　Republic　of　China　will　have　the　power　to　control　the　entire　economy　of　the　countries　surrounding　the　Pacific　Ocean；　including　Taiwan　and　Japan。〃
　〃As　a　loyal　citizen　of　my　country；〃　said　Qin　Shang；　〃I　would　like　to　think　I　helped　in　some　small　way　to　make　it　a　reality。〃
　〃You　have；　my　friend；　you　have；〃　Qian　Miang　assured　him。　〃But　first；　you　must　leave　the　country　by　no　later　than　two　o'clock　this　afternoon。　That's　when；　according　to　my　sources　at　the　Justice　Department；　you　will　be　taken　into　custody。〃
　〃And　accused　of　murder？〃
　〃No；　willful　destruction　of　federal　property。〃
　〃It　sounds　rather　mundane。〃
　〃Only　the　first　tier　of　the　government's　case。　The　murder　conspiracy　at　Orion　Lake　es　later。　They　also　intend　to　indict　you　for　the　smuggling　of　illegal　immigrants；　guns　and　drugs。〃
　〃I　imagine　the　news　media　must　be　gathering　like　locusts。〃
　〃Make　no　mistake；〃　said　Qian　Miang；　〃the　fallout　will　be　great。　But　if　you　quietly　disappear　and　keep　a　low　profile　while　conducting　business　from　your　offices　in　Hong　Kong；　I　believe　we　can　weather　the　storm。　Congress　and　the　White　House　are　not　about　to　throw　a　shroud　over　relations　between　our　two　governments　because　of　the　acts　of　one　man。　We　will；　of　course；　deny　all　knowledge　of　your　activities　while　our　Information　Ministry　creates　a　flood　of　misleading　information　by　throwing　all　blame　on　Taiwanese　capitalists。〃
　〃Then　I　am　not　to　be　thrown　to　the　dogs。〃
　〃You　will　be　protected。　The　Justice　Department　and　State　Department　will　demand　your　extradition；　but　you　can　rest　assured　it　will　never　happen；　certainly　not　to　a　man　of　your　wealth　and　power。　You　have　many　years　of　service　to　the　People's　Republic　left。　I　speak　for　our　countrymen　when　I　say　that　we　do　not　want　to　lose　you。〃
　〃I　am　honored；〃　Qin　Shang　said　solemnly。　〃Then　this　is　good…bye。〃
　〃Until　we　meet　in　our　homeland；〃　said　Qian　Miang。　〃By　the　way；　how　did　you　find　the　date　pancakes？〃
　〃Please　tell　the　chef　that　he　should　use　sweet　rice　flour　instead　of　cornstarch。〃
　The　Boeing　737　soared　through　a　cloudless　sapphire　sky　and　made　a　sweeping　bank　to　the　west　as　it　passed　over　the　Mississippi　Delta。　The　pilot　glanced　out　his　side　window　and　down　at　the　marshlands　of　Plaquemines　Parish。　Five　short　minutes　later；　the　aircraft　crossed　over　the　green…brown　waters　of　the　Mississippi　River　at　the　little　town　of　Myrtle　Grove。　At　the　instructions　of　his　employer；　the　pilot　had　flown　in　a　southwesterly　direction　from　Washington　to　Louisiana　before　turning　due　west　on　a　course　that　would　take　the　plane　over　Sungari。
　
　Qin　Shang　sat　in　a　fortable　chair　in　his　luxurious　private　jet　and　stared　through　the　view　port　as　the　golden　pyramids　of　his　dockside　warehouses　and　administration　buildings　grew　on　the　horizon。　The　afternoon　sun's　rays　flashed　off　the　gold　galvanized　walls　with　blinding　intensity；　causing　the　precise　effect　Qin　Shang　had　demanded　from　his　architects　and　construction　pany。
　
　At　first；　he　tried　to　put　the　port　from　his　mind。　It　was；　after　all；　merely　an　investment　gone　bad。　But　Qin　Shang　had　poured　too　much　of　himself　into　the　project。　The　finest；　most　modern　and　efficient　shipping　port　in　the　world；　lying　desolate　and　seemingly　abandoned；　haunted　him。　He　gazed　down　and　saw　no　ships　at　the　docks。　All　Qin　Shang　Maritime　ships　arriving　in　the　Gulf　from　overseas　had　been　diverted　to　Tampico；　Mexico。
　
　He　picked　up　the　phone　to　the　cockpit　and　ordered　the　pilot　to　make　a　circle　over　the　port。　He　pressed　his　face　against　the　window　as　the　pilot　banked　to　give　him　a　good　view。　After　a　few　moments　Qin　Shang's　mind　began　to　drift；　and　he　gazed　without　really　seeing　the　empty　docks；　the　big；　deserted　cargo…loading　cranes　and　the　vacant　buildings。　That　he　had　e　within　the　snap　of　a　finger　from　pulling　off　the　greatest　enterprise　in　history　and　achieving　what　no　man　had　ever　attempted　before　gave　him　little　satisfaction。　He　was　not　a　man　who　could　block　failure　from　his　mind　and　go　on　to　the　next　project　without　a　backward　glance。
　
　〃You　will　be　back；〃　came　the　musically　soothing　voice　of　his　private　secretary；　Su　Zhong。
　The　beginnings　of　anger　stirred　inside　Qin　Shang。　〃Not　any　time　soon。　If　I　so　much　as　step　foot　on　American　shores　again；　I　will　be　thrown　into　one　of　their　federal　prisons。〃
　〃Nothing　is　forever。　American　governments　change　with　every　election。　Politicians　e　and　go　like　migrating　lemmings。　New　ones　will　have　no　personal　memories　of　your　affairs。　Time　will　soften　all　condemnation。　You　will　see；　Qin　Shang。〃
　〃You　are　good　to　say　so；　Su　Zhong。〃
　〃Do　you　wish　me　to　hire　a　crew　to　maintain　the　facility？〃she　asked。
　〃Yes；〃　he　said　with　a　curt　nod。　〃When　I　return　in　ten　or　twenty　years　from　now；　I　want　to　see　Sungari　looking　exactly　as　it　does　now。〃
　〃I　am　worried；　Qin　Shang。〃
　He　looked　at　her。　〃Why？〃
　〃I　do　not　trust　the　men　in　Beijing。　There　are　many　who　have　an　envious　hatred　of　you。　I　fear　they　may　use　your　misfortune　to　take　advantage。〃
　〃Like　an　excuse　to　assassinate　me？〃　he　said　with　a　thin　smile。 。
　She　dropped　her　head；　unable　to　gaze　into　his　eyes。　1　ask　forgiveness　for　my　unseemly　thoughts。〃
　
　Qin　Shang　rose　from　his　chair　and　took　Su　Zhong　by　the　hand。　〃Do　not　worry；　my　little　swallow。　I　have　already　conceived　a　plan　to　make　me　indispensable　to　the　Chinese　people。　I　shall　give　them　a　gift　that　will　last　two　thousand　years。〃　Then　he　led　her　into　the　spacious　bedroom　in　the　aft　section　of　the　aircraft。　〃Now；〃　he　said　softly；　〃you　can　help　me　forget　my　ill　fortune。〃
　
　AFTER　HIS　MEETING　WITH　DIRK　AND　JULIA；　ST。　JULIEN　PERL…mutter　rolled　up　his　sleeves　and　went　to　work。　Once　he　walked　the　trail　leading　to　a　lost　ship；　he　became　obsessed。　No　lead；　no　rumor；　no　matter　how　seemingly　insignificant；　was　left　unexplored。　Though　his　diligence　and　persistence　had　paid　off　in　ferreting　out　any　number　of　answers　and　solutions　that　led　searchers　to　successful　shipwreck　discoveries；　he　failed　more　often　than　he　succeeded。　Most　ships　that　vanished　into　thin　air　left　no　thread　to　follow。　They　were　simply　swallowed　up　by　the　infinite　sea　that　very　rarely　gave　up　her　secrets。
　
　On　the　surface；　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　looked　to　be　simply　another　one　of　the　many　dead　ends　Perlmutter　had　experienced　during　his　decades　as　a　marine　historian。　He　launched　the　search　by　scouring　his　own　immense　collection　of　sea　lore　before　expanding　into　the　many　marine　archives　around　the　United　States　and　the　rest　of　the　world。
　
　The　more　impossible　the　project；　the　more　he　tackled　it　with　inflexible　tenacity；　laboring　all　hours　of　the　day　or　night。　He　began　by　assembling　every　shred　of　known　historical　information　concerning　the　Princess　Dou　Wan；　from　the　time　her　keel　was　laid　until　she　went　missing。　He　obtained　and　studied　plans　and　designs　of　her　construction；　including　engine　specifications；　equipment；　dimensions　and　deck　plans。　One　particularly　interesting　bit　of　data　he　gleaned　from　the　records　was　a　description　of　her　sailing　qualities。　She　was　revealed　as　a　very　stable　ship；　having　survived　the　worst　storms　during　her　time　in　service　that　the　seas　around　Asia　could　throw　at　her。
　
　A　team　of　fellow　researchers　was　hired　to　dig　through　archives　in　England　and　Southeast　Asia。　By　using　the　expertise　of　other　marine　historians；　he　saved　himself　considerable　time　and　expense。
　
　Perlmutter　sorely　wished　he　could　consult　his　old　friend　and　fellow　marine　historian　Zhu　Kwan　in　China；　but　it　was　his　understanding　that　Pitt　wanted　no　revelations　making　their　way　back　to　Qin　Shang。　He　did；　however；　contact　personal　friends　on　Taiwan　for　leads　to　still　living　rades　of　Chiang　Kai…shek　who　might　shed　some　light　on　the　missing　treasure　trove。
　
　In　the　early　hours　of　the　morning；　when　most　of　the　world　was　asleep；　he　stared　into　a　puter　monitor　the　size　of　a　home…entertainment　video　screen　and　analyzed　the　data　as　it　accumulated。　He　peered　at　one　of　the　six　known　photographs　of　the　Princess　Dou　Wan。　She　was　a　stately…looking　ship；　he　thought。　Her　superstructure　was　set　far　aft　of　the　bow　and　appeared　small　in　relation　to　her　hull。　He　studied　the　colored　image　of　her；　magnifying　the　white　band　in　the　center　of　the　green　funnel；　focusing　on　the　emblem　of　the　Canton　Lines；　a　golden　lion　with　its　left　paw　raised。　Her　maze　of　loading　cranes　suggested　a　ship　that　could　carry　a　substantial　cargo　besides　her　passengers。
　
　He　also　found　photos　of　her　sister　ship；　the　Princess　Yitng　Thi；　which　was　launched　and　entered　service　the　year　after　the　Princess　Dou　Wan。　According　to　the　records　the　Princess　Yung　Thi　was　broken　up　six　months　before　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　was　scheduled　to　be　scrapped。
　
　A　tired　old　liner　doomed　for　the　scrappers　at　Singapore　would　not　have　made　an　ideal　transport　to　move　China's　national　treasures　to　a　secret　location；　he　thought。　She　was　beyond　her　time　and　hardly　in　prime　condition　to　weather　heavy　seas　on　an　extended　voyage　across　the　Pacific。　It　also　seemed　to　Perlmutter　that　Taiwan　was　the　more　sensible　destination　since　it　was　where　Chiang　Kai…shek　eventually　set　up　the　Chinese　Nationalist　government。　It　was　not　conceivable　the　last
　
　known　report　of　the　ship　had　e　from　a　naval　radio　operator　in　Valparaiso；　Chile。　What　possible　purpose　could　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　have　for　being　over　six　hundred　miles　south　of　the　Tropic　of　Capricorn　in　an　area　of　the　Pacific　Ocean　far　off　the　traditional　shipping　lanes？
　
　Even　if　the　liner　was　on　a　clandestine　mission　to　hide　China's　art　treasures　somewhere　on　the　other　side　of　the　world　in　either　Europe　or　Africa；　why　go　across　the　vast；　empty　region　of　the　South　Pacific　and　through　the　Strait　of　Magellan　when　it　was　shorter　to　steer　west　across　the　Indian　Ocean　and　around　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope？　Was　secrecy　so　consuming　that　captain　and　crew　could　not　risk　going　through　the　Panama　Canal；　or　did　Chiang　Kai…shek　have　an　unknown　cavern　or　man…made　structure　hidden　in　the　Andes　to　conceal　the　immense　treasure；　if　indeed　it　could　be　proven　the　ship　was　carrying　China'