cussler.blueandgold-第57章

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　〃The　global　water　crisis　would　be　over；〃　Austin　said。　〃Nearly　seventy　percent　of　the　world's　population　lives　within　fifty　miles　of　the　ocean。〃
　
　〃Exactly；〃　Francesca　said；　her　mood　lightening。
　
　〃Are　you　telling　me　you　have　this　magic　wand？〃
　
　〃Something　almost　as　good。　I　have　developed　a　revolutionary　means　to　extract　salt　from　seawater。〃
　
　〃You　must　know　that　desalting　is　hardly　a　new　concept；〃　Sandecker　said。
　
　Francesca　nodded。　〃The　extraction　of　salt　from　seawater　goes　back　to　the　ancient　Greeks。　Desalination　plants　have　been　built　around　the　world；　including　many　in　the　Middle　East。　There　are　several　methods；　but　all　are　costly。　In　my　doctorate　I　proposed　a　radically　new　approach。　I　threw　out　all　the　old　methods。　My　goal　was　a　process　that　would　be　efficient　and　cheap；　available　to　the　poorest　farmer　trying　to　scratch　a　living　from　the　dust。　Think　of　the　implications。　Water　would　be　nearly　free。　Deserts　would　be　e　centers　of　civilization。〃
　
　〃I'm　sure　you　thought　of　the　undesirable　consequences；〃　Sandecker　said；　〃the　fact　that　cheap　water　would　stimulate　development；　population　growth；　and　the　pollution　that　goes　with　them。〃
　
　〃I　thought　long　and　hard　about　that；　Admiral　Sandecker；　but　the　alternatives　were　even　more　unpalatable。　I　would　make　orderly　development　a　requirement　before　allowing　a　country　to　use　my　process。〃
　
　〃It　goes　without　saying　then　that　your　experimentation　was　a　success；〃　Austin　said。
　
　〃Very　much　so。　I　was　bringing　a　working　model　of　the　process　to　the　international　conference。　Seawater　would　go　in　one　end；　fresh　water　e　out　at　the　other。　It　would　produce　energy　and　little　to　no　waste　products。〃
　
　〃A　process　like　that　would　have　been　worth　millions　of　dollars。〃
　
　〃No　doubt。　I　had　offers　that　would　have　made　me　immensely　rich；　but　I　planned　to　give　my　process　to　the　world　free　of　charge。〃
　
　〃That　was　quite　generous　of　you。　You　say　you　had　offers。　Then　someone　knew　of　your　process　and　plans？〃
　
　〃Once　I　contacted　the　United　Nations　to　attend　the　conference　it　became　an　open　secret。〃　She　paused。　〃Something　has　al　ways　puzzled　me。　Many　people　knew　about　my　process。　The　people　who　tried　to　kidnap　me　would　be　immediately　exposed　if　they　tried　to　profit　from　my　work。〃
　
　〃There's　another　possibility；〃　Austin　suggested。　〃Maybe　they　wanted　to　bury　your　work　and　keep　the　process　a　secret　from　the　world。〃
　
　〃But　why　would　anyone　try　to　stop　a　boon　to　humanity？〃
　
　〃Perhaps　you're　too　young　to　remember；〃　said　Sandecker；　who　had　been　listening　intently。　〃Years　ago　stories　circulated　about　the　inventor　who　supposedly　built　a　car　engine　that　could　go　a　hundred　miles　on　a　gallon　or　burn　water。　The　details　aren't　important。　The　oil　panies　reportedly　bought　the　secret　and　buried　it　so　they　could　continue　to　make　profits。　The　stories　were　apocryphal；　but　do　you　see　my　point？〃
　
　〃Who　would　prevent　the　poor　nations　from　enjoying　cheap　water？〃
　
　〃Our　investigations　have　given　us　an　advantage　over　you；　Dr。　Cabral。　Let　me　ask　you　a　theoretical　question。　Suppose　you　con　trolled　the　world's　supply　of　fresh　water。　How　would　you　greet　the　arrival　of　a　process　that　suddenly　makes　cheap　water　avail　able　to　all？〃
　
　〃My　process　would　end　your　theoretical　water　monopoly。　But　this　is　a　moot　point。　It　is　simply　not　possible　for　someone　to　control　the　world's　water。〃
　
　Sandecker　and　Austin　exchanged　glances。
　
　Taking　over　from　Sandecker；　Austin　said；　〃A　lot　has　been　happening　in　the　past　ten　years；　Dr。　Cabral。　We　can　fill　you　in　on　the　whole　story　later；　but　we've　discovered　that　a　huge　pan　national　organization　called　the　Gogstad　Corporation　is　very　close　to　acquiring　a　monopoly　over　the　world's　fresh　water。〃　
　〃Impossible！〃　〃I　wish　it　were。〃
　
　Francesca's　eyes　hardened。　〃Then　this　Gogstad　must　be　the　one　who　tried　to　kidnap　me；　who　stole　those　ten　years　from　my　life。〃
　
　〃We　have　no　solid　proof；〃　Austin　said。　〃There　is　certainly　strong　circumstantial　evidence　pointing　in　that　direction。　Tell　me；　what　do　you　know　of　a　substance　called　anasazium？〃
　
　Francesca's　mouth　dropped　open　in　surprise。　Recovering　quickly　she　said；　〃Is　there　anything　you　people　at　NUMA　do　not　know？〃
　
　〃Quite　a　bit；　I'm　sorry　to　say。　We　know　very　little　about　this　stuff　other　than　the　fact　that　it　can　affect　the　hydrogen　atom　in　strange　ways。〃
　
　〃That's　its　most　important　property。　It's　a　very　plex　relationship。　This　material　is　at　the　heart　of　my　desalting　process。　Only　a　few　people　know　of　its　existence。　It's　extremely　rare。〃
　
　〃How　did　you　e　across　it？〃
　
　〃By　chance。　I　read　an　obscure　paper　written　by　a　former　Los　Alamos　physicist。　Rather　than　try　to　improve　on　the　existing　methods　of　desalting；　I　wanted　to　deal　with　it　at　a　molecular　or　even　nuclear　level。　A　solution　had　eluded　me　until　I　heard　about　this　substance。　I　contacted　the　scientist　who　wrote　the　article。　He　had　a　small　amount　of　the　material　and　was　willing　to　part　with　it　when　I　told　him　why　I　needed　it。〃
　
　〃Why　is　it　so　rare？〃
　
　〃Several　reasons。　With　no　apparent　economic　use　for　it；　the　demand　was　nonexistent。　Then；　too；　the　refinement　process　is　quite　plicated。　The　main　ore　source　is　in　a　troubled　part　of　Africa　that　is　constantly　at　war。　I　had　several　ounces；　enough　for　a　working　model。　I　would　have　proposed　that　the　nations　of　the　world　pool　their　resources　to　produce　enough　anasazium　to　set　up　pilot　projects。　Working　together　we　could　have　viable　quantities　of　this　substance　within　a　short　time。〃
　
　〃Gogstad　was　running　an　installation　off　the　coast　of　Mexico。　It　was　destroyed　in　a　tremendous　explosion。〃　
　〃Tell　me　more　about　this　installation。〃
　
　Austin　gave　her　a　quick　summary；　starting　with　the　death　of　the　whales。　He　described　the　storage　cylinder　after　the　explosion　and　how　he　traced　it　to　the　flying　wing。　Sandecker　filled　her　in　on　the　cold　war　mission　to　Siberia。
　
　'A　fantastic　tale。　It's　too　bad　about　the　whales；〃　she　said　sadly。　〃My　process　produces　heat　which　can　be　turned　into　energy。　The　material　can　be　unstable　and　under　certain　circum　stances　bees　a　powerful　explosive。　These　people　must　have　been　trying　to　replicate　my　desalination　process　and　were　unaware　of　the　material's　instability。　Where　would　they　have　acquired　the　anasazium？〃
　
　〃We　don't　know；〃　Austin　said。　〃We　are　aware　of　a　large　source　but　don't　know　its　exact　location。〃
　
　〃We　must　find　it　so　I　can　resume　my　research；〃　Francesca　insisted。
　
　〃There's　an　even　more　important　reason；〃　Sandecker　interjected。
　
　〃I　know　no　more　important　reason　than　to　continue　my　work；〃　she　said　defensively。
　
　〃In　time；　Dr。　Cabral；　in　time。　Your　work　will　have　little　meaning　if　Gogstad　succeeds　in　its　plans。　Whoever　controls　the　world's　water　controls　the　world。〃
　
　〃It　sounds　as　if　you're　talking　about　global　domination；　Admiral　Sandecker。〃
　
　〃Why　not？　Napoleon　and　Hitler　failed；　but　their　attempts　were　made　through　force　of　arms。　In　each　case　they　came　up　against　somebody　with　a　bigger　stick。〃　He　took　a　smooth　puff　on　his　cigar　and　watched　the　cloud　of　smoke。　〃The　people　protesting　globalization；　all　that　business　with　the　World　Trade　Organization　and　the　International　Monetary　Fund；　were　onto　something。　The　danger　is　not　in　these　entities　but　in　the　i；dCt　that　it　is　easier　now　for　someone　to　exert　total　control　over　a　economic　sector。〃
　
　　〃A　sort　of　global　Al　Capone？〃　Austin　offered。
　
　〃There　are　similarities。　Capone　was　ruthless　about　exterminating　the　petition　and　had　a　fine　instinct　for　organization。　His　economic　power　gave　him　political　clout。　Bootleg　booze　is　a　far　cry　from　water。　The　world　can't　do　without　water。　Those　who　control　its　flow　will　have　the　ultimate　political　power。　Who　will　stand　up　against　someone　whose　word　can　condemn　you　and　your　country　to　die　of　thirst？　That　is　why　I　say　with　all　due　respect；　Dr。　Cabral；　that　there　are　more　important　matters　to　be　taken　care　of　first。〃
　
　〃You're　right；　Admiral　Sandecker；〃　Francesca　conceded。　〃If　this　Gogstad　finds　the　main　supply　of　anasazium；　it　will　control　my　process　as　well。〃
　
　〃Intelligence　and　beauty　are　such　a　wele　bination；〃　Sandecker　said　with　unveiled　appreciat