p&c.icelimit-第14章

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　Glinn　did　not　actually　utter　this　last　sentence；　but　he　had　been　about　to。　He　allowed　his　eyes　to　sweep　over　Captain　Britton　for　a　moment。　What　had　prompted　him　to　almost　drop　a　reserve　as　habitual　as　breathing？　This　merited　later　consideration。
　He　returned　his　eyes　to　the　road。　〃We　have　evaluated　your　overall　record　thoroughly。　Once　you　were　a　superb　captain　with　a　drinking　problem。　Now　you　are　merely　a　superb　captain。　One　on　whose　discretion　I　know　I　can　rely。〃
　Britton　acknowledged　this　with　a　slight　nod　of　her　head。　〃Discretion；〃　she　repeated；　with　a　faint　sardonic　note。
　〃If　you　accept　the　assignment；　I　will　be　able　to　say　much　more。　But　what　I　can　tell　you　now　is　this。　The　voyage　will　not　be　a　long　one；　perhaps　three　months　at　most。　It　will　have　to　be　conducted　under　great　secrecy。　The　destination　is　the　far　southern　latitudes；　an　area　you　know　well。　The　financial　backing　is　more　than　adequate；　and　you　may　handpick　your　crew；　as　long　as　they　pass　our　background　checks。　All　officers　and　crew　will　draw　triple　the　normal　pay。〃
　Britton　frowned。　〃If　you　know　I　turned　down　the　Liberians；　then　you　know　I　don't　smuggle　drugs；　run　guns；　or　deal　in　contraband。　I　will　not　break　the　law；　Mr。　Glinn。〃
　〃The　mission　is　legal；　but　it　is　unique　enough　to　require　a　motivated　crew。　And　there　is　something　else。　If　the　mission　is　successful　…　I　should　say；　when　the　mission　is　successful；　because　my　job　is　to　make　sure　it　is　…　there　will　be　publicity；　largely　favorable。　Not　for　me　…　I　avoid　that　sort　of　thing　…　but　for　you。　It　could　be　useful　in　a　number　of　ways。　It　could　get　you　reinstated　onto　the　list　of　active　masters；　for　example。　And　it　would　carry　some　weight　with　your　child　custody　hearings；　perhaps　making　these　long　weekend　visitations　unnecessary。〃
　This　last　observation　had　the　effect　Glinn　hoped　for。　Britton　looked　at　him　quickly；　then　glanced　over　her　shoulder；　as　if　at　the　swiftly　retreating　Georgian　house；　now　many　miles　behind　them。　Then　she　looked　back　at　Glinn。
　〃I've　been　reading　W。H。　Auden；〃　she　said。　〃On　the　train　ing　out　this　morning；　I　came　across　a　poem　called　'Atlantis。'　The　last　stanza　started　out　something　like　this：
　All　the　little　household　gods
　Have　started　crying；　but　say
　Good…bye　now；　and　put　to　sea。〃
　
　She　smiled。　And；　if　Glinn　paid　attention　to　such　things；　he　would　have　insisted　that　the　smile　was　distinctly　beautiful。
　
　Port　of　Elizabeth；
　June　17；　10：00　A。M。
　
　PALMER　LLOYD　paused　before　the　windowless　door；　a　grimy　rectangle　in　the　vast　expanse　of　metal　building　that　reared　up　before　him。　From　behind；　where　his　driver　leaned　against　a　limousine　reading　a　tabloid；　he　could　hear　the　roar　of　the　New　Jersey　Turnpike　echoing　across　the　dead　swamplands　and　old　warehouses。　Ahead；　beyond　the　Marsh　Street　dry　docks；　the　Port　of　Elizabeth　glittered　in　the　summer　heat。　Nearby；　a　crane　nodded　maternally　above　a　container　ship。　Beyond　the　port；　a　brace　of　tugboats　was　pushing　a　barge　burdened　with　cubed　cars。　And　even　farther　beyond；　poking　above　the　blackened　backside　of　Bayonne；　the　Manhattan　skyline　beckoned；　gleaming　in　the　sun　like　a　row　of　jewels。
　Lloyd　was　momentarily　swept　by　a　feeling　of　nostalgia。　It　had　been　years　since　he　was　last　here。　He　remembered　growing　up　in　ironbound　Rahway；　near　the　port。　In　his　poverty…stricken　boyhood；　Lloyd　had　spent　many　days　prowling　the　docks；　yards；　and　factories。
　He　inhaled　the　industrial　air；　the　familiar　acrid　odor　of　artificial　roses　mingling　with　the　smell　of　the　salt　marshes；　tar；　and　sulfur。　He　still　loved　the　feel　of　the　place；　the　stacks　trailing　steam　and　smoke；　the　gleaming　refineries；　the　thickets　of　power　lines。　The　naked　industrial　muscle　had　a　Sheeler…like　beauty　to　it。　It　was　places　like　Elizabeth；　he　mused；　with　their　synergy　of　merce　and　industry；　that　gave　the　residents　of　the　suburbs　and　the　phony　boutique　artiste　towns　the　very　wherewithal　that　allowed　them　to　sneer　at　its　ugliness　from　their　own　perches　of　fort。　Strange　how　much　he　missed　those　lost　boyhood　days；　even　though　all　his　dreams　had　e　true。
　And　even　stranger　that　his　greatest　achievement　should　be　launched　from　here；　where　his　own　roots　lay。　Even　as　a　boy　he　had　loved　collecting。　Having　no　money；　he　had　to　build　up　his　natural　history　collection　by　finding　his　own　specimens。　He　picked　up　arrowheads　out　of　eroded　embankments；　shells　from　the　grimy　shoreline；　rocks　and　minerals　from　abandoned　mines；　he　dug　fossils　from　the　Jurassic　deposits　of　nearby　Hackensack　and　caught　butterflies　by　the　dozen　from　these　very　marshes。　He　collected　frogs；　lizards；　snakes；　and　all　manner　of　animal　life；　preserving　them　in　gin　swiped　from　his　father。　He　had　amassed　a　fine　collection　…　until　his　house　burned　down　on　his　fifteenth　birthday；　taking　all　his　treasures　with　it。　It　was　the　most　painful　loss　of　his　life。　After　that；　he　never　collected　another　specimen。　He'd　gone　to　college；　then　into　business；　piling　success　upon　success。　And　then　one　day；　it　dawned　on　him　that　he　could　now　afford　to　buy　the　very　best　the　world　could　offer。　He　could；　in　an　odd　way；　erase　that　early　loss。　What　started　as　a　hobby　became　a　passion　…　and　his　vision　for　the　Lloyd　Museum　was　born。　And　now　here　he　was；　back　at　the　Jersey　docks；　about　to　set　off　to　claim　the　greatest　treasure　of　all。
　He　took　a　deep　breath　and　gripped　the　handle　of　the　door；　a　tingle　of　anticipation　coursing　through　him。　Glinn's　thin　folder　had　been　a　masterpiece　…　well　worth　the　million　he　had　paid　for　it。　The　plan　it　outlined　was　brilliant。　Every　contingency　had　been　accounted　for；　every　difficulty　anticipated。　Before　he'd　finished　reading；　his　shock　and　anger　at　the　price　tag　had　been　replaced　by　eagerness。　And　now；　after　ten　days　of　impatient　waiting；　he　would　see　the　first　stage　of　the　plan　nearing　pletion。　The　heaviest　object　ever　moved　by　mankind。　He　turned　the　handle　and　stepped　inside。
　The　building's　facade；　large　as　it　was；　only　hinted　at　the　vastness　of　its　interior。　Seeing　such　a　large　space　without　internal　floors　or　walls；　pletely　open　to　its　high　ceiling；　temporarily　defeated　the　eye's　ability　to　judge　distances；　but　it　seemed　at　least　a　quarter　mile　in　length。　A　network　of　catwalks　stretched　through　the　dusty　air　like　metal　spiderwebbing。　A　cacophony　of　noise　rolled　through　the　cavernous　space　toward　him：　the　chatter　of　riveting；　the　clang　of　steel；　the　crackle　of　welding。
　And　there；　at　the　center　of　furious　activity；　it　lay：　a　stupendous　vessel；　propped　up　in　dry　dock　by　great　steel　buttresses；　its　bulbous　bow　towering　above　him。　As　oil　tankers　go；　it　was　not　the　biggest；　but　out　of　the　water　it　was　just　about　the　most　gigantic　thing　Lloyd　had　ever　seen。　The　name　Rolvaag　was　stenciled　in　white　paint　along　the　port　side。　Men　and　machines　were　crawling　around　it　like　a　colony　of　ants。　A　smile　broke　out　on　Lloyd's　face　as　he　inhaled　the　heady　aroma　of　burnt　metal；　solvents；　and　diesel　fumes。　A　part　of　him　enjoyed　watching　the　flagrant　expenditure　of　money　…　even　his　own。
　Glinn　appeared；　rolled…up　blueprints　in　one　hand；　an　EES　hard　hat　on　his　head。　Lloyd　looked　at　him；　still　smiling；　and　shook　his　head　wordlessly　in　admiration。
　Glinn　handed　him　a　spare　hard　hat。　〃The　view　from　the　catwalks　is　even　better；〃　he　said。　〃We'll　meet　Captain　Britton　up　there。〃
　Lloyd　fitted　the　hard　hat　to　his　head　and　followed　Glinn　onto　a　small　lift。　They　ascended　about　a　hundred　feet；　then　stepped　out　onto　a　catwalk　that　ran　around　all　four　walls　of　the　dry　dock。　As　he　moved；　Lloyd　found　himself　unable　to　take　his　gaze　off　the　immense　ship　that　stretched　away　below　him。　It　was　incredible。　And　it　was　his。　
　〃It　was　built　in　Stavanger；　Norway；　six　months　ago。〃　Glinn's　dry　voice　was　almost　lost　in　the　din　of　construction　that　rose　up　to　meet　them。　〃Given　everything　we're　doing　to　it；　we　couldn't　opt　for　a　spot　charter。　So　we　had　to　buy　it　outright。〃
　〃Double　overage；〃　Lloyd　murmured。
　〃We'll　be　able　to　sell　it　later　and　recoup　almost　all　the　expense；　of　course。　And　I　think　you'll　find　the　Rolvaag　worth　it。　It's　state　of　the　art；　double…hulled　and　deep　drafted　for　rough　seas。　It　displaces　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　tons…smallish　when　you　consider　that　VLCCs　displace　up　to　half　a　million。〃
　〃It's　remarka