cc.floodtide-第99部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


eserved　in　the　fresh　water　of　a　lake　all　these　years　and　was　now　within　reach。　Zhu　Kwan　fervently　hoped　that　he　would　live　long　enough　to　see　the　artifacts　on　display　in　a　national　gallery　and　museum。
　
　〃You　do　nice　work；　St。　Julien；〃　said　Sandecker　as　Perlmutter　put　down　the　phone。　〃You　missed　your　calling　as　a　used…car　salesman。〃
　〃Or　a　politician　running　for　election；〃　Giordino　muttered。
　〃I　feel　like　a　low…down　skunk；　misleading　that　nice　old　man；〃　said　Perlmutter。　He　paused　and　looked　around　Sandeck…er's　office　at　the　four　NUMA　men　seated　around　him。　〃Zhu　Kwan　and　I　go　back　many　years。　We've　always　had　the　highest　respect　for　each　other。　I　hated　lying　to　him。〃
　〃Fair　is　fair；〃　said　Pitt。　〃He　conned　you；　too。　All　this　time　he's　claimed　his　only　interest　in　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　was　strictly　academic。　He　knows　damned　well　the　ship　sank　with　a　fantastic　fortune　in　art　on　board。　A　fax　line　can　be　eavesdropped　on。　Why　else　would　he　insist　you　send　Gallagher's　story　by　courier？　You　can　bet　he's　itching　to　give　the　news　to　j　Qin　Shang。〃 j
　
　Perlmutter　shook　his　head。　〃Zhu　Kwan　is　a　hard…nosed　scholar。　He　won't　make　any　announcement　to　his　boss　until　he's　analyzed　the　document。〃　He　looked　into　the　other　faces　one　by　one。　〃Out　of　curiosity；　who　did　write　the　report　I'm　sending　him？〃
　Rudi　Gunn　raised　his　hand　almost　sheepishly。　〃I　volunteered　for　the　chore。　And　a　rather　good　job；　if　I　may　say　so。　Naturally；　I　took　writer's　liberty　with　the　text。　A　footnote　makes　mention　of　lan　Gallagher's　death　from　a　heart　attack　in　nineteen　ninety…two。　So　he　and　Katie's　tracks　are　covered。〃
　Sandecker　looked　at　his　special　projects　director。　〃Will　we　have　enough　time　to　properly　bring　up　the　art　treasures　before　Qin　Shang's　salvage　ship　arrives？〃
　Pitt　shrugged。　〃Not　if　the　Ocean　Retriever　is　the　only　ship　working　the　wreck。〃
　〃Not　to　worry；〃　said　Gunn。　〃We've　already　chartered　two　more　salvage　vessels。　One　is　from　a　private　pany　in　Montreal　and　the　other　is　on　loan　from　the　U。S。　Navy。〃
　〃Speed　is　essential；〃　said　Sandecker。　〃I　want　the　treasure　raised　before　word　leaks　out。　I　want　no　interference　from　any　quarter；　including　our　own　government。〃
　〃And　when　the　salvage　work　is　pleted？〃　inquired　Perlmutter。
　〃Then　the　artifacts　will　be　quickly　turned　over　to　facilities　equipped　to　preserve　them　from　damage　after　so　many　years　of　immersion。　At　that　time　we'll　announce　the　discovery　and　stand　back　while　the　bureaucrats　from　Washington　and　Beijing　fight　over　it。〃
　〃And　Qin　Shang？〃　Perlmutter　probed　deeper。　〃What　happens　when　he　shows　up　on　site　with　his　own　salvage　ship？〃
　Pitt　grinned　deviously。　〃We'll　give　him　a　reception　fitting　for　a　man　of　his　sterling　qualities。〃
　
　THE　OCEAN　RETRIEVER；　WITH　PITT；　GIORDINO；　GUNN　AND　Julia　on　board；　was　the　first　to　arrive　and　position　herself　over　the　wreck　of　the　Princess　Dou　Wan。　The　Canadian　salvage　ship　from　Deep　Abyss　Systems　Limited　out　of　Montreal；　Hudson　Bay；　arrived　only　four　hours　later。　She　was　an　older　vessel　converted　from　a　powerful　oceangoing　salvage　and　tugboat。　Aided　by　clear　weather　and　smooth　water；　the　salvage　of　the　art　treasures　menced　immediately。
　
　The　underwater　part　of　the　project　was　handled　by　submers…ibles　using　articulated　arms　in　cooperation　with　divers　encased　in　deep…water　atmospheric　diving　systems　called　Newtsuits　that　were　similar　in　appearance　to　the　Michelin　tire　man。　Bulbous；　constructed　of　fiberglass　and　magnesium；　and　self…propelled；　the　suit　enabled　a　diver　inside　to　work　for　long　periods　of　time　at　the　four…hundred…foot…plus　depth　without　concern　over　depression。
　
　The　artifacts　were　beginning　to　e　up　systematically　and　with　rapid　regularity　once　a　routine　was　established。　The　operation　continued　at　an　even　more　rapid　pace　when　the　U。S。　Navy　salvage　vessel　Dean　Hawes　came　charging　down　from　the　north　end　of　the　lake　two　days　earlier　than　expected　and　took　up　station　beside　the　other　two　ships。　She　was　considered　new；　only　two　years　from　her　launch　date；　and　was　constructed　especially　for　deep…water　work；　the　recovery　of　submarines　in　particular。
　
　An　immense　open　barge　with　long　ballast　tanks　attached　along　its　hull　was　parked　in　place　by　use　of　the　global　positioning　system　and　sunk；　falling　to　the　lake　bed　a　short　distance　from　the　forward　section　of　the　Princess　Dou　Wan。　Then　crane　operators；　working　from　the　ships　on　the　surface　and　employing　underwater　cameras；　manipulated　the　clamshell　claws　on　the　end　of　their　winch　cables；　deftly　recovering　the　crates　exposed　on　the　outer　decks　of　the　ship；　those　deep　inside　the　cargo　holds　and　the　artifacts　littering　the　bottom　between　the　two　sections　of　the　broken　hull。　The　crates；　together　with　their　contents；　were　then　lifted　onto　the　sunken　barge。　When　it　was　fully　loaded；　the　ballast　tanks　were　filled　with　pressurized　air　and　the　barge　rose　to　the　surface。　A　tugboat　then　took　it　in　tow　for　the　trip　to　the　Port　of　Chicago；　where　it　was　met　by　a　team　of　NUMA　archaeologists　who　took　charge　of　the　art　treasures。　They　very　carefully　removed　them　from　the　waterlogged　packing　cases　and　immediately　immersed　them　in　temporary　conservation　tanks　until　they　could　be　transported　to　a　more　permanent　preservation　facility。
　
　No　sooner　was　one　fully　loaded　barge　towed　off　site　than　another　one　was　maneuvered　into　position　and　sunk；　repeating　the　process。
　
　Six　submersibles；　three　owned　by　NUMA；　one　by　the　Canadians　and　two　by　the　Navy　worked　in　harmony；　meticulously　lifting　the　crates　with　their　invaluable　contents　into　the　specially　designed　cargo　partment　of　the　sunken　barge。
　
　To　facilitate　the　removal　of　the　artwork　from　inside　the　hull；　the　divers　in　the　Newtsuits　cut　through　the　steel　plates　with　state…of…the…art　torch　systems　that　melted　metal　underwater　at　an　incredible　rate。　Once　an　opening　was　made；　the　submersibles　moved　in　and　lifted　out　the　treasures；　aided　by　the　clamshell　claws　from　the　cranes　on　the　surface。
　
　The　entire　operation　was　observed　and　directed　from　a　control　room　on　board　the　Ocean　Retriever。　Video　screens　linked　to　cameras　set　at　strategic　locations　around　the　wreck　revealed　every　stage　of　the　recovery　project。　The　high…resolution　video　systems　were　carefully　monitored　by　Pitt　and　Gunn；　who　managed　the　intricate　deployment　of　men　and　equipment。　They　worked　twelve…hour　shifts；　as　did　the　crews　of　all　three　vessels。　The　around…the…clock　project　never　stopped　bringing　up　the　seemingly　endless　mountain　of　artifacts　on　the　bottom　below。　Pitt　would　have　given　his　right　arm　to　have　worked　on　the　wreck　in　one　of　the　submersibles　or　Newtsuits；　but　as　project　director　his　experience　was　required　to　coordinate　and　guide　the　operation　from　the　surface。　He　watched　one　of　the　monitors　with　envy　as　it　showed　Giordino　being　lifted　into　the　Sappho　TV　submersible；　broken　leg　and　all。　Giordino　had　over　seven　hundred　hours　in　submersibles；　and　the　one　he　was　piloting　was　his　favorite。　On　this　shift；　the　wily　little　Italian　planned　to　take　his　sub　deep　into　the　Princess　Dou　Wan's　superstructure　after　the　bulkheads　were　cut　away　by　the　divers　inside　the　Newtsuits。
　
　Pitt　turned　as　Rudi　Gunn　stepped　into　the　control　room。　The　early　sun　flashed　through　the　doorway；　momentarily　illuminating　the　partment；　which　had　no　ports　or　windows。　〃You　here　already？　I'd　swear　you　just　walked　out。〃
　〃It's　that　time；〃　Gunn　answered；　smiling。　He　was　carrying　a　large；　rolled　mosaic　photograph　under　one　arm　that　had　been　shot　above　the　wreck　before　the　start　of　the　salvage　operation。　The　mosaic　was　invaluable　in　detecting　artifacts　that　had　been　scattered　in　the　debris　field　and　for　directing　the　submersibles　and　divers　to　different　sections　of　the　wreck。　〃How　do　we　stand？〃　he　asked。
　〃The　barge　has　been　filled　and　is　on　its　way　to　the　surface；〃　replied　Pitt；　his　nose　catching　the　smell　of　coffee　from　the　galley　and　yearning　for　a　cup。
　〃I　never　cease　to　be　amazed　by　the　sheer　numbers　of　it　all；〃　said　Gunn；　taking　his　place　in　front　of　the　munications　console　and　array　of　video　screens。
　〃The　Princess　Dou　Wan　was　incredibly　overloaded；〃　said　Pitt。　〃It's　no　small　wonder　she　broke　up　and　sank　in　heavy　weather。〃
　〃How　close　are　we　to　wrapping　it　up？〃　〃Most　all　the　loose　packing　crates　have　been　recovered　from　the　lake　bed。　The　stern　section　is　about　cleaned　out。　The　cargo　holds　should　be　emptied　before　the　end　of　the　next　shift。　Now　it's　down　to　ferreting　out　all　the　smaller　cases　that　were　stowed　in　the　passageways　and　staterooms　in　the　center　part　of　the　ship。　The　deeper　they　penetrate；　the　more　difficult　it　is　for　the　men　in　the　Newtsuits　to　cut　through　the　bulkheads。〃
　〃Any　word　on　when　Qin　Shang's　salvage　ship　is　due　to　arrive？〃　Gunn　asked。
　〃The　Jade　Adventurer？〃　Pitt　looked　down　on　a　chart　of　the　Great　Lakes　spread　out　on　a　table。　〃At　last　report　she　passed　Quebec　on　her　way　down　the　St。　Lawrence。〃
　〃That　should　put　her　here　in　a　little　under　three　days。〃
　〃She　didn't　waste　any　time　ing　off　her　search　operation　off　Chile。　She　was　on　her　way　north　less　than　an　hour　after　Zhu　Kwan　received　your　phony　report　from　Perlmutter。〃
　〃It's　going　to　be　close；〃　said　Gunn　as　he　watched　a　sub…mersible's　articulated　fingers　delicately　pick　up　a　porcelain　vase　protruding　from　the　muck。　〃We'll　be　lucky　to　finish　up　and　get　out　of　the　neighborhood　before　the　Jade　Adventurer　and　our　friend　e　charging　onto　the　scene。〃
　〃We've　been　lucky　Qin　Shang　didn't　send　any　of　his　agents　ahead　to　scout　out　the　environment。〃
　〃The　Coast　Guard　cutter　that　patrols　our　search　area　has　yet　to　report　an　encounter　with　a　suspicious　vessel。〃
　〃When　I　came　on　my　shift　last　night；　Al　said　a　reporter　from　a　local　newspaper　somehow　got　a　call　through　to　the　Ocean　Retriever。　Al　strung　him　along　when　the　reporter　asked　what　we　were　doing　out　here。〃
　〃What　did　Al　tell　him？〃
　〃He　said　we　were　drilling　cores　in　the　bottom　of　the　lake；　looking　for　signs　of　dinosaurs。〃
　〃And　the　reporter　bought　it？〃　Gunn　asked　skeptically。
　〃Probably　not；　but　he　got　excited　when　Al　promised　to　bring　him　on　board　over　the　weekend。〃
　Gunn　looked　puzzled。　〃But　we　should　be　gone　by　then。〃
　〃You　get　the　picture；〃　Pitt　laughed。
　〃We　should　consider　ourselves　lucky　that　rumors　of　treasure　haven't　brought　out　swarms　of