cussler.blueandgold-第69章

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　〃They　have　offices　in　New　York；　Washington；　and　the　West　Coast。　There　must　be　a　dozen　scattered　across　Europe　and　Asia。〃
　
　〃Quite　the　hydra；〃　Sandecker　said。
　
　〃Even　if　we　knew　where　their　central　office　was；　it　wouldn't　do　much　good。　To　outward　appearances；　Gogstad　is　a　legitimate　business。　They'll　deny　any　accusations　we　make。〃
　
　Hiram　Yaeger　slipped　quietly　into　the　room　and　settled　into　a　chair。　〃Sorry；〃　he　said。　〃I　had　to　run　some　stuff　off　for　the　meeting。〃　He　looked　expectantly　at　Austin；　who　took　the　cue。
　
　〃I　was　thinking　about　something　Hiram　showed　me　earlier。　It　was　a　hologram　of　a　Viking　ship。　The　same　ship　is　the　centerpiece　of　the　Gogstad　corporate　logo。　I　reasoned　that　this　ship　must　have　some　significance　to　be　given　such　a　prominent　place。　I　asked　Hiram　to　start　playing　around　with　Gogstad；　to　go　beyond　the　scant　corporate　stuff　Max　dug　up　for　us。〃
　
　Yaeger　nodded。　〃At　Kurt's　suggestion　I　asked　Max　to　go　back　and　brush　over　the　historical　and　maritime　links　I　had　pretty　much　ignored　before。　Tons　of　material　on　the　subject　exist；　as　you　might　imagine。　Kurt　had　said　to　look　for　a　California　connection；　perhaps　with　the　Mulholland　Group。　Max　picked　up　an　interesting　newspaper　story。　A　Norwegian　designer　of　antique　ships　had　e　to　California　to　do　a　replica　of　the　Gogstad　ship　for　a　wealthy　client。〃
　
　〃Who　was　the　client？〃　Austin　asked。　
　
　　〃The　article　didn't　say。　But　it　was　easy　to　track　down　the　Norwegian　designer。　I　called　him　a　few　minutes　ago　and　asked　about　the　job。　He　had　been　sworn　to　secrecy；　but　it　was　years　ago；　and　he　didn't　mind　saying　he　built　the　replica　for　a　big　woman　in　a　big　house。〃
　
　〃Big　woman？〃
　
　〃He　meant　tall。　A　giantess。〃
　
　〃Sounds　like　a　Scandinavian　folktale。　What's　this　about　the　house？〃
　
　〃He　said　it　was　like　a　modern…day　Viking　pound　on　the　shores　of　a　large　lake　in　California　surrounded　by　mountains。〃
　
　〃Tahoe？〃
　
　〃That　was　my　conclusion。〃
　
　〃A　big　Viking　house　on　the　shores　of　Lake　Tahoe。　Shouldn't　be　too　hard　to　find。〃
　
　〃Already　done。　Max　linked　up　to　a　mercial　satellite。〃　Yaeger　passed　around　copies　of　the　satellite　photos。　〃There　are　some　big　places　around　the　lake；　trophy　homes；　resorts　and　hotels。　But　nothing　like　this。〃
　
　The　first　picture　showed　the　icy　blue　waters　of　Lake　Tahoe　viewed　from　a　high　altitude　as　if　it　were　a　puddle。　In　another　photo　the　camera　had　zoomed　down　on　a　dot　alongside　the　lake；　enlarging　the　details　so　that　the　sprawling　building　and　the　nearby　helicopter　pad　were　clear。
　
　〃Does　this　hovel　have　an　owner？〃　Austin　said。
　
　〃I　was　able　to　tap　into　the　local　assessor's　office　and　tax　data　base。〃　Yaeger　grinned。　If　he　had　a　tail　he'd　be　wagging　it。　〃It's　owned　by　a　realty　trust。〃
　
　〃That　doesn't　give　us　much　to　go　on。〃
　
　〃How　about　this；　then？　The　trust　is　part　of　the　Gogstad　Corporation。〃
　
　Sandecker　looked　up　from　the　photos。　He　had　kept　his　famous　temper　in　control　throughout　the　meeting；　but　he　was　furious　at　the　kidnapping　of　one　of　his　favored　staffers　and　the　wounding　of　another。　He　was　enraged；　too；　after　all　she　had　suffered；　at　the　abduction　of　the　lovely　Dr。　Cabral。　Once　again　a　discovery　with　lifesaving　implications　was　being　kept　from　the　world。
　
　　〃Thank　you；　Hiram。〃　He　glanced　around　the　table　with　cold；　manding　blue　eyes。　〃Well；　gentlemen；〃　he　said　with　a　voice　as　sharp…edged　as　a　razor。　〃We　know　what　we　have　to　do。〃
　
　Chapter　34
　The　men　watching　Francesca　were　either　twins　or　some　mad　cloning　experiment　gone　bad。　The　most　terrifying　thing　was　not　their　repulsiveness。　It　was　their　absolute　silence。　They　sat　a　few　yards　away；　one　on　either　side；　leaning　on　the　backs　of　chairs　that　had　been　turned　around。　They　were　identical　in　every　way；　from　their　troll…like　ugliness　to　their　preference　for　black　leather。
　
　She　tried　not　to　look　at　the　dark；　red…rimmed　eyes　under　beetling　brows；　the　metallic　dental　work；　and　the　bloodless　pallor　of　the　psychopathic　faces。　They　were　looking　at　her　hungrily；　but　there　was　nothing　sexual　in　their　leers。　This　was　not　the　ignorant　savagery　she　was　used　to　with　the　Chulo。　This　was　pure　animal　lust；　hunger　for　blood　and　bone。　She　glanced　around　the　strange　circular　white　room　with　the　plain　walls　and　unfortably　cool　temperature。　At　its　center　was　a　puter　console。　She　was　thinking　how　absurdly　big　the　furniture　was　and　wondered　whether　the　outsized　chairs；　like　the　low　temperature；　were　a　psychological　ploy　to　make　people　brought　there　feel　small　and　inadequate。　She　could　be　anywhere　in　the　world。
　
　Francesca　had　no　idea　how　she　had　e　to　this　sterile　chamber。　She　was　vaguely　aware　of　being　moved　from　one　place　to　the　other。　At　one　point　she　thought　she　heard　jet　engines；　but　she　was　injected　with　drugs　again　and　slipped　off　into　black　unconsciousness。　She　had　seen　no　sign　of　Gamay；　and　that　worried　her；　too。　She　had　felt　a　pinprick　in　her　arm　and　awakened　quickly　as　if　she　had　been　injected　with　a　stimulant。　As　her　eyes　fluttered　open　she　saw　the　twins。　No　one　had　spoken　for　several　minutes。　She　was　grateful　when　the　door　hissed　open　and　the　woman　entered　and　waved　the　grotesque　twins　away。
　
　Francesca　wondered　if　she　had　blundered　into　a　freak　show　or　the　set　of　a　Fellini　movie。　She　knew　the　reason　for　the　out　sized　furniture。　The　woman　dressed　in　the　dark　green　uniform　was　a　giantess。　Settling　into　a　big　sofa；　she　smiled　pleasantly　but　without　warmth。　'Are　you　well；　Dr。　Cabral？〃
　
　〃What　did　you　do　with　Gamay？〃
　
　〃Your　NUMA　friend？　She　is　fortably　quartered　in　her　room。〃
　
　〃I　want　to　see　her。〃
　
　The　woman　lazily　reached　over　and　tapped　her　puter　screen；　and　Gamay　appeared　on　the　monitor；　lying　on　her　side　on　a　cot。　Francesca　held　her　breath。　Then　Gamay　stirred；　tried　to　rise；　only　to　fall　back　onto　the　cot。
　
　〃She　has　not　been　given　the　drug　antidote　as　you　were。　She　will　sleep　it　off　and　awaken　in　a　few　hours。〃
　
　〃I　want　to　see　her　in　person　to　make　sure　she　is　all　right。〃
　
　〃Later　perhaps。〃　The　answer　was　unpromising。　The　woman　touched　the　screen；　and　it　went　dark。
　
　Francesca　looked　around。　〃Where　exactly　is　this　place？〃
　
　〃That's　not　important。〃
　
　〃Why　have　you　brought　us　here？〃
　
　The　woman　ignored　her　question。　〃Did　Melo　and　Radko　frighten　you？〃
　
　〃Do　you　mean　the　human　mushrooms　who　just　left？〃
　
　She　smiled　at　the　parison。　'A　clever　metaphor；　but　you　would　do　better　to　pare　them　to　poisonous　toadstools。　De　spite　your　bravado；　I　can　see　the　fear　in　your　eyes。　Good。　They　should　frighten　you。　During　the　ethnic　cleansing　campaign　in　Bosnia　the　Kradzik　brothers　personally　killed　hundreds　of　people　and　planned　the　deaths　of　thousands。　They　destroyed　entire　villages　and　engineered　numerous　massacres。　If　not　for　me　they　would　be　sitting　in　the　prisoners'　dock　at　the　World　Court　in　the　Hague；　charged　with　crimes　against　humanity。　There　is　no　war　crime　they　did　not　mit。　They　have　absolutely　no　conscience；　no　morals；　no　sense　of　remorse　for　anything　they　do。　Maiming　and　killing　are　second　nature　to　them。〃　She　paused　to　let　her　words　sink　in。　〃Am　I　making　my　point？〃
　
　〃Yes。　That　you　have　no　scruples　yourself　about　hiring　murderers。〃
　
　〃Exactly。　Their　murderous　character　is　precisely　why　I　hired　them。　It　is　no　different　from　a　carpenter　buying　a　hammer　to　drive　nails　into　a　board。　The　Kradzik　twins　are　my　hammer。〃
　
　〃People　aren't　nails。〃
　
　〃Some　are。　Some　aren't；　Dr。　Cabral。〃
　
　Francesca　wanted　to　change　the　subject。　〃How　do　you　know　my　name？〃
　
　〃I　have　known　and　admired　your　work　for　years；　Dr。　Cabral。　In　my　opinion；　your　fame　as　one　of　the　world's　leading　hydro　engineers　easily　eclipses　your　more　recent　notoriety　as　a　white　goddess。〃
　
　〃You　know　who　I　am；　but　who　are　you？〃
　
　〃My　name　is　Brynhild　Sigurd。　Although　your　name　is　better　known　than　mine；　we　are　both　acplished　in　our　chosen　field；　the　movement　of　the　earth's　most　precious　substance；　its　water。〃
　
　〃You're　a　hydro…engineer？〃
　
　〃I　studied　at　the　finest　technological　institutions　in　Europe。　After　I　finished　my　studies　I　moved　to　California；　where　I　started　my　consulting　pany；　now　one　of　the　biggest　in　the　world。〃