cussler.blueandgold-第37章

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　smoldering　resentment；　and　planted　the　seeds　for　her　megalomania。
　
　She　was　talking　on　the　speaker　phone：　〃Thank　you　for　your　
　support　of　the　Colorado　River　legislation；　Senator　Barnes。　Your　state　stands　to　gain　quite　handsomely　for　your　key　vote；　especially　when　your　brother's　firm　starts　picking　up　contracts　for　the　work　we　have　planned。　I　hope　you've　taken　advantage　of　the　suggestions　I've　made。〃
　
　〃Yes；　ma'am；　I　have；　thank　you。　I've　had　to　avoid　the　conflict…of…interest　thing；　of　course；　but　my　brother　and　I　are　quite　close；　if　you　know　what　I　mean。〃
　
　〃I　do；　Senator。　Have　you　talked　to　the　president？〃
　
　〃Just　got　off　the　phone　with　his　chief　of　staff。　The　White　House　will　veto　any　bill　that　seeks　to　overturn　the　privatization　legislation　we　passed。　The　president　is　a　firm　believer　that　the　private　sector　can　always　do　a　better　job　than　government；　whether　it's　running　prisons；　social　security；　or　pumping　water。〃
　
　〃What　sort　of　backing　does　the　Kinkaid　bill　have？〃
　
　〃Only　a　scattering　of　votes；　nothing　serious。　Damned　shame　about　Kinkaid　having　that　accident。　I　always　liked　the　man。　But　without　him　around　to　whip　up　the　troops；　an　override　is　bound　to　fail。〃
　
　〃Excellent。　How　are　the　other　privatization　bills　faring？〃
　
　〃They'll　do　just　fine。　You'll　be　seeing　publicly　run　water　facilities　being　privatized　all　over　the　country。〃
　
　〃So　there　are　no　problems？〃
　
　〃One　maybe。　The　biggest　pain　in　the　butt　is　the　editor　of　the　daily　paper　in　my　state　capital。　He's　raising　a　ruckus；　and　I'm　afraid　he　might　bollix　things　up。〃
　
　She　asked　the　editor's　name　and　made　a　metal　note　of　the　senator's　answer。　Her　desktop　was　free　of　pen　and　paper。　She　mitted　everything　to　memory。
　
　〃By　the　way；　Senator　Barnes；　was　the　contribution　to　your　reelection　campaign　sufficient？〃
　
　〃Yes；　ma'am；　it　was　very　generous　considering　I'm　running　unopposed。　Having　a　big　war　chest　discourages　the　opposition。〃
　
　A　red　light　was　blinking　on　the　phone　console。　
　〃We'll　speak　again。　Good…bye；　Senator。〃
　
　She　pressed　a　button；　and　a　door　opened　in　the　wall　of　the　room。　The　Kradzik　brothers；　wearing　their　usual　black　leather；　stepped　inside。
　
　〃Well？〃　she　said。
　
　The　thin　lips　widened　in　identical　metallic　smiles。
　
　〃We　have　fired　Mexican　farmer　。　。　。〃
　
　〃。　。　。　and　lawyer　as　you　ordered。〃
　
　〃No　plications？〃
　
　They　shook　their　heads。
　
　〃The　authorities　will　spend　little　time　on　the　farmer's　case；〃　she　said。　〃The　lawyer　had　many　enemies。　Now　to　other　matters。　There　have　been　some　developments　on　the　explosion　at　our　Mexican　operation。〃
　
　She　touched　the　screen；　and　two　photos　appeared。　One　of　the　photos；　taken　by　a　surveillance　camera；　showed　Austin　and　Zavala　in　the　reception　area　of　the　tortilla　plant。　The　other　picture　was　an　enlarged　shot　of　the　two　men　standing　on　the　deck　of　the　Sea　Robin　off　Ensenada。　Brynhild's　eye　went　from　the　wide…shouldered　man　with　the　silver…white　hair　for　a　moment；　then　shifted　to　the　handsome　dark…haired　man。
　
　〃Do　you　know　who　these　men　are？〃
　
　The　brothers　shrugged。
　
　〃That's　Kurt　Austin；　head　of　NUMA's　Special　Assignments　Team；　and　Jose　Zavala；　a　member　of　the　team。〃
　
　〃When　can　we　。　。　。〃
　
　〃。　。　。　eliminate　them？〃
　
　The　temperature　in　the　cool　room　seemed　to　drop　another　twenty　degrees。
　
　〃If　they　were　responsible　for　the　destruction　of　the　Baja　facility；　they　will　pay　with　their　lives；〃　Brynhild　said。　〃But　not　now。　There's　a　minor　problem　to　be　taken　care　of。〃　She　gave　them　the　name　of　the　newspaper　editor　and　said；　〃That's　all。　You　can　go。〃
　
　The　brothers　hastened　from　the　room　like　a　pair　of　dogs　sent　to　fetch　a　bone；　and　Brynhild　was　alone　again。　She　sat　there　brooding　about　the　Baja　facility。　All　that　work　wasted。　Even　worse；　the　supply　of　the　catalyst　was　destroyed　in　the　blast。　She　stared　with　hate…filled　eyes　at　the　faces　of　the　two　men　on　the　puter　monitor。
　〃Little　people；〃　she　snarled。
　With　a　wave　of　her　hand　the　screen　went　blank。
　
　
　Chapter　17
　Paul　Trout　turned　the　shower　off　and　again　examined　its　workings　with　scientific　admiration。　Water　flowed　through　a　wooden　pipe　and　sprayed　out　through　tiny　holes　in　the　hardened　shell　of　a　hollowed…out　gourd。　A　simple　wooden　valve　controlled　the　flow。　The　water　disappeared　through　a　drain　hole　in　the　hardwood　floor。　He　stepped　from　the　wooden　stall；　dried　himself　with　a　cotton　towel；　wrapped　his　body　in　another；　and　went　through　a　doorway　into　an　adjacent　room　lit　by　clay　lamps。
　
　Gamay　was　stretched　out　on　a　fortable　grass…filled　mat　tress　placed　on　a　platform　bed。　She　had　fashioned　her　towel　into　a　toga；　had　bed　and　braided　her　dark　red　hair；　and　was　sampling　fruit　from　a　large　bowl　like　a　woman　of　ancient　Rome。　She　eyed　Paul；　whose　towel　looked　ridiculously　small　on　his　tall　figure。　〃What　do　you　think　of　all　this；　nature　boy？〃
　
　〃I've　seen　worse　plumbing　back　in　the　so…called　civilized　world。〃
　
　〃Did　you　know　a　civilization　can　be　measured　by　the　sophistication　of　its　plumbing？〃
　
　〃I　can't　say　much　for　the　uncivilized　habit　the　locals　have　of　sticking　heads　on　sharpened　poles；　but　this　whole　village　is　a　miracle。　Look　at　the　workmanship　in　these　walls；〃　he　said；　running　his　fingers　over　the　white　plastered　surface。　〃I've　got　a　mil　lion　questions。　Any　word　from　our　hostess？〃　
　
　　〃She　sent　Tessa　by　and　said　she　would　see　us　after　we've　had　a　chance　to　rest。　Talk　about　pulling　a　rabbit　out　a　hat。　I　thought　the　Chulo　grabbed　Dieter's　wife。〃
　
　The　goddess　had　offered　no　explanations。　After　greeting　the　Trouts　by　name　and　producing　Tessa；　she　simply　said；　〃Please　be　patient。　I'll　explain　everything　in　time。〃
　
　At　a　clap　of　her　hands　two　young　Indian　women　had　emerged　with　heads　lowered　from　behind　the　curtain。　The　bare…breasted　ladies…in…waiting　led　the　Trouts　to　their　bedroom；　demonstrated　the　workings　of　the　shower；　and　left　them　with　a　bowl　of　fruit。
　
　〃I　know　better　than　to　disobey　a　white　goddess；〃　Paul　said；　sitting　alongside　his　wife。　〃What　do　you　make　of　her？〃
　
　〃Let's　deal　with　the　obvious。〃　Gamay　tallied　her　conclusions　on　her　fingers。　〃She　didn't　grow　up　in　these　parts。　She　speaks　English　with　a　slight　accent。　She's　smart。　She's　friendly。　And　certainly　knows　her　fruit。　Here；　try　one　of　these　little　yellow　ones。　It　tastes　like　an　orange　sprinkled　with　cinnamon。〃
　
　Trout　sampled　the　plum…sized　blob　and　agreed　with　the　assessment。　Then　he　stretched　out　on　the　bed；　his　feet　sticking　out　over　the　end。　They　only　intended　to　rest　a　little　while；　but　exhausted　from　the　long　trek　in　the　sun　and　relaxed　by　the　shower；　they　fell　asleep。
　
　When　they　awoke　they　saw　an　Indian　lady…in…waiting　sitting　cross…legged　on　the　floor　watching　them。　Seeing　them　stir；　she　slipped　silently　from　the　room。　Lying　on　a　table　were　their　clothes；　which　had　disappeared　when　they　were　in　the　shower。　Their　shorts　and　shirts　had　been　washed　clean　of　sweat　and　grime　and　were　neatly　folded。　Trout　checked　his　watch。　They　had　slept　three　hours。　They　dressed　quickly；　hastened　by　the　aroma　of　cooking　food。
　
　Tessa　arrived　and　beckoned　for　them　to　follow。　She　led　them　along　a　passageway　to　a　large　chamber。　A　dark　wood　table　and　three　covered　stools　occupied　the　center　of　the　room。　An　Indian　woman　was　tending　to　clay　pots　bubbling　on　a　ceramic　stove　whose　exhaust　was　carried　through　the　ceiling　by　pipes。
　
　The　white　goddess　arrived　a　moment　later；　her　barefoot　presence　announced　by　the　soft　jingle　of　her　metal　bracelets　and　anklets。　A　pendant　similar　to　that　worn　by　the　dead　Indian　hung　from　her　neck。　She　was　wearing　a　two…piece　suit　of　jaguar　skin　which　hugged　the　contours　of　her　bronzed　body　nicely。　She　had　Oriental　eyes　and　high　cheekbones。　Her　hair；　bleached　to　a　honeyed　blond　by　the　sun；　was　bed　back　and　cut　in　bangs　the　way　the　native　women　wore　theirs。　Taking　a　seat　at　the　table；　she　said；　〃You　look　more　rested。〃　〃The　shower　helped　immensely；〃　Gamay　said。
　
　〃That's　a　remarkable　setup；〃　Paul　added。　〃As　a　native　New　Englander；　I　was　intrigued　by　your　Yankee　inventiveness。〃
　
　〃It　was　one　of　my　first　projects；　thank　you。　The　water　is　pumped　by　windmill　into　a　holding