cussler.blueandgold-第47章

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　〃What　happened　to　the　Owens　Valley？〃
　
　〃Drained　dry。〃　He　chuckled　evilly。　〃Most　of　the　water　the　taxpayers　paid　for　went　to　the　San　Fernando　Valley；　not　the　city。　A　bunch　of　local　businessmen　bought　land　cheap　there。　Prices　skyrocketed　when　water　came　in　and　made　the　speculators　mil　lions。　The　man　who　engineered　the　coup　was　William　Mulholland。〃
　
　〃Interesting。　How　does　the　Mulholland　Group　fit　in　with　Gogstad？〃
　
　〃Mulholland　was　the　seed　pany　for　Gogstad。　Now　it's　a　subsidiary　that　provides　engineering　services　for　the　parent　corporation。〃
　
　〃What　exactly　does　Gogstad　do？〃
　
　'At　first　they　acquired　interests　in　pipeline；　energy；　and　construction　panies。　Since　then　they　have　branched　out　into　financial　institutions；　insurance；　media。　For　the　last　several　years　they've　concentrated　on　one　product：　blue　gold。〃
　
　〃I'm　only　familiar　with　the　fourteen…karat　stuff。〃
　
　Cohen　lifted　the　tumbler　in　front　of　him。　
　〃Blue　gold　is　water？〃
　
　〃Yep。〃　Cohen　held　the　glass　to　the　light　like　a　fine　wine；　then　took　a　hearty　gulp。　〃Water　is　no　longer　a　natural　right；　it's　a　modity　that　can　fetch　a　higher　price　than　refined　gas。　Gogstad　is　the　dominant　player　in　the　world　water　business。　It　has　the　controlling　interest　in　water　panies　in　one　hundred　and　fifty　countries　on　six　continents　and　distributes　water　to　more　than　two　hundred　million　people。　Their　biggest　coup　was　engineering　passage　of　the　Colorado　River　privatization　bill。〃
　
　〃I've　read　something　about　that。　Fill　me　in。〃
　
　〃The　Colorado　River　is　the　main　source　of　water　for　the　western　and　southwestern　states。　The　system　has　always　been　operated　by　the　feds；　the　people　who　brought　you　the　big　dams　and　reservoirs；　working　with　the　states　and　cities。　The　bill　took　control　away　from　the　government　and　placed　it　in　the　hands　of　private　panies。〃
　
　〃Privatization　is　pretty　mon　these　days。　You've　got　private　panies　running　prisons。　Why　not　water　systems？〃
　
　〃Exactly　the　argument　advanced　for　the　bill。　The　states　have　been　fighting　over　water　rights　for　years。　Tons　of　money　have　been　spent　on　lawsuits。　The　proponents　said　privatization　would　end　this。　Water　would　be　distributed　more　efficiently。　The　investors　would　shoulder　the　costs　of　big　capital　improvements。　What　pushed　it　into　the　win　column　was　the　drought。　Cities　are　running　out　of　water；　and　people　are　scared。〃
　
　〃Where　does　Gogstad　fit　in？〃
　
　〃The　way　it　was　set　up；　the　Colorado　River　system　would　be　run　by　a　bunch　of　separate　panies　working　together。〃
　
　〃Spreading　the　wealth？〃
　
　〃That　was　the　idea。　Only　problem　is；　every　one　of　these　panies　is　secretly　owned　by　Gogstad。〃
　
　〃So　Gogstad　has　control　of　the　Colorado　River？〃
　
　He　nodded。　〃They've　been　doing　the　same　thing　on　a　smaller　scale　all　over　the　country。　They've　got　contracts　to　extract　glacier　water　in　Alaska。　They've　expanded　their　reach　into　Canada；　which　has　the　major　sources　of　water　in　North　America。　They've　nailed
　down　control　of　most　of　British　Columbia's　water。　Before　long　the　Great　Lakes　will　bee　Gogstad　reservoirs。〃
　
　Zavala　let　out　a　low　whistle。　〃That's　scary；　but　it　fits　right　in　with　globalization；　the　concentration　of　economic　power　in　fewer　hands。〃
　
　〃Sure。　Taking　ownership　of　a　country's　most　precious　re　source　is　entirely　legal　whether　we　like　it　or　not。　But　Gogstad　doesn't　play　by　the　rules；　and　that's　even　scarier。〃
　
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　
　〃I'll　give　you　one　example。　Congressman　Jeremy　Kinkaid　fought　the　Colorado　River　bill　tooth　and　nail　and　was　threatening　congressional　hearings　to　rescind　the　legislation。　He　died　in　an　accident。〃
　
　〃Lots　of　people　die　in　accidents。〃
　
　The　reporter　extracted　a　map　of　the　world　from　his　pocket　and　unfolded　it　on　the　table。　Speaking　almost　in　a　whisper；　he　said；　〃See　these　red　squares？　Don't　bother　counting　them。　There　are　dozens。〃
　
　〃Gogstad　acquisitions？〃
　
　〃In　a　manner　of　speaking。　As　Gogstad　expanded　it　ran　into　established　players；　the　panies　and　municipalities　that　con　trolled　the　water　in　other　countries。　In　many　cases　a　rival　resisted　Gogstad's　overtures。〃　He　tapped　the　map。　〃We　correlated　the　data　on　the　acquisitions　with　information　on　pany　personnel。　Every　place　where　you　see　a　red　square　the　acquisition　coincided　with　fatal　'accidents'　among　the　corporate　hierarchy。　Sometimes　top　executives　simply　disappeared。〃
　
　〃Either　Gogstad　is　using　street　gang　methods　or　it　is　very　lucky。〃
　
　〃You　figure　it　out。　In　the　past　ten　years　it　has　assimilated　transnational　water　panies　in　France；　Italy；　Britain；　and　South　America。　It's　like　the　Borg；　that　alien　race　in　Star　Trek　that　grows　in　power　by　absorbing　other　species　into　its　collective。　It's　acquired　water　concessions　in　Asia　and　South　Africa…〃　Cohen　stopped　his　breathless　recitation。　His　eyes　darted　to　the　door。　He　relaxed　when　a　woman　and　a　child　walked　in。　
　Zavala　raised　a　brow；　but　he　said　nothing。
　
　〃Sorry；〃　Cohen　said。　〃This　whole　thing　has　me　as　paranoid　as　hell。〃
　
　〃A　little　paranoia　can　be　a　healthy　thing；　my　friend。〃
　
　Cohen　dropped　his　voice　to　a　whisper　again。　〃We　may　have　a　mole　in　the　news　department。　That's　why　I　had　you　call　on　my　cell　phone。〃　He　fidgeted　nervously　with　his　spoon。　〃A　lot　of　weird　stuff　has　been　happening　at　the　paper。〃
　
　〃What　kind　of　stuff？〃
　
　〃Nothing　I　can　put　my　finger　on。　Files　out　of　the　order　you　put　them　in。　Strangers　in　the　building。　Odd　glances。〃
　
　〃Are　you　sure　it's　not　your　imagination？〃
　
　　〃Others　on　the　team　have　noticed　the　funny　stuff；　too。　Hell。　Are　my　jitters　that　obvious？〃
　
　　〃You're　even　making　me　nervous。〃
　
　〃Good；　I　want　you　to　be　nervous。　I　don't　think　Gogstad　would　think　twice　about　getting　rid　of　anyone　standing　in　the　way　of　its　goal。〃
　
　〃Which　is？〃
　
　〃It's　clear　to　me　that　they　want　to　control　the　world's　fresh　water　supply。〃
　
　Zavala　pondered　the　pronouncement。　〃That's　a　tall　order。　What　they've　done　in　North　America　and　Europe　is　pretty　impressive；　but　can　any　one　pany　corner　the　world's　fresh　water？〃
　
　〃It's　not　as　hard　as　you　might　think。　Fresh　water　is　less　than　one　half　of　one　percent　of　the　world's　total　water　stock。　What　remains　is　seawater；　or　it's　locked　up　in　ice　caps　or　in　the　ground。　A　lot　of　our　water　is　too　polluted　to　use；　and　the　world　needs　more　of　it　every　day。〃
　
　〃But　isn't　most　of　that　water　still　controlled　by　all　sorts　of　people　and　governments？〃
　
　〃No　more。　Gogstad　locates　a　likely　water　source；　then　offers　to　run　it；　making　all　sorts　of　generous　concessions。　Once　it　has　its　foot　in　the　door　it　uses　bribery；　extortion；　or　more　to　convert　it　to　private　ownership。　In　the　past　five　years　Gogstad　has
　stepped　up　the　pace　of　privatization　tremendously。　It's　been　helped　by　the　fact　that　under　the　new　international　trade　agreements；　a　country　no　longer　owns　its　water。　For　Godsakes；　Joe；　this　is　Owens　Valley　all　over　again；　but　it's　happening　world　wide！〃　〃Your　megapany　sounds　like　a　very　big　octopus。〃
　
　〃Nice　analogy　even　if　it　is　a　little　cliche。〃　He　took　a　red　grease　pencil　from　his　pocket　and　drew　lines　and　arrows　on　the　map。　〃Here　are　your　tentacles。　Water　will　flow　from　Canada　and　Alaska　to　China。　From　Scotland　and　Austria　it　will　go　to　Africa　and　the　Mideast。　Australia　has　contracts　to　export　water　to　Asia。　On　the　surface　separate　interests　are　involved。　But　Gogstad　calls　the　shots　through　its　shadow　corporations。〃
　
　〃How　do　they　intend　to　move　all　that　water？〃
　
　'A　Gogstad　pany　has　already　developed　the　technology　to　transport　millions　of　gallons　across　the　oceans　in　huge　sealed　bags。　In　addition；　Gogstad　shipyards　have　been　building　fifty　thousand…gross…ton　tankers　that　can　serve　double　duty　hauling　oil　and　water。〃
　
　〃That's　got　to　be　pretty　expensive。〃
　
　〃They　say　water　flows　uphill　to　money。　The　customers　will　pay　any　price。　Most　of　it　won't　quench　the　thirst　of　some　poor　bastard　scratching　a　living　in　a　dust　bowl。　It's　for　high　tech；　one　of　the　biggest　polluters；　incidentally。〃
　
　〃The　whole　thing　is　incredible。〃
　
　〃Hold　on　to　your　seat；　Joe；　because　that's　only　part　of　it。〃　He　tapped　the　map　of　North　America　with　his　finger。　〃Here's　the　big　m