cussler.blueandgold-第73章

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　Contos　nodded；　and　they　got　up　from　the　table　and　walked　through　the　parking　lot　to　the　dock。　The　closer　they　got　to　the　water　the　more　puzzled　was　the　expression　on　Contos's　face。　Used　to　NUMA's　state…of…the…art　equipment；　he　was　looking　for　something　like　a　high…tech　barge　fitted　out　with　cranes。　There　was　nothing　like　that。
　
　〃Where's　your　delivery　system？〃　he　said。
　
　〃I　think　I　see　it　ing　in　now；〃　Austin　said。
　
　Contos　looked　out　at　the　lake；　and　his　eyes　grew　wider　as　the　old…fashioned　paddle…wheel　tour　boat　made　its　way　in　their　direction。　The　vessel　was　painted　red；　white；　and　blue　and　deco　rated　with　bunting　and　fluttering　flags。
　
　〃You're　kidding；〃　he　said。　〃You're　going　to　launch　from　that？　It　looks　like　a　waterborne　wedding　cake。〃
　
　〃It　is　pretty　festive。　The　old　girl　makes　the　trip　from　one　end　of　the　lake　to　the　other　every　day。　No　one　gives　it　a　second　look　anymore。　It's　the　perfect　cover　for　a　covert　operation；　don't　you　think；　Joe？〃
　
　〃I've　heard　they　serve　a　pretty　good　breakfast　aboard；〃　Zavala　said　with　a　straight　face。
　
　Contos　stared　grimly　at　the　approaching　vessel。　Then；　with　out　warning；　he　wheeled　about　and　headed　for　the　parking　lot。
　
　〃Hey；　captain；　where　are　you　going？〃　Austin　called　after　him。
　
　〃Back　to　the　truck　to　get　my　banjo。〃
　
　Chapter　36
　Francesca　stood　on　the　deck　of　the　Viking　ship　taking　in　its　long；　sweeping　lines；　its　graceful；　upturned　bow　and　stern；　the　painted　square　sail。　Even　with　the　thick　planking　and　massive　keel　it　seemed　almost　delicate　in　its　construction。　She　looked　around　at　the　huge　chamber；　with　its　vaulted　ceiling；　the　flaming　torches；　and　high　stone　walls　hung　with　medieval　weapons；　and　she　wondered　how　anything　so　beautiful　could　be　in　a　setting　so　bizarre　and　ugly。
　
　Standing　by　the　tiller；　Brynhild　Sigurd　mistook　Francesca's　silence　for　appreciative　awe。
　
　〃It's　a　masterpiece；　isn't　it？　The　Norsemen　called　this　a　skuta　when　they　built　the　original　nearly　two　thousand　years　ago。　It　was　not　the　biggest　of　their　boats；　like　the　dragon　ship；　but　it　was　the　fastest。　I　have　had　her　duplicated　in　every　way；　from　the　oak　planking　to　the　spun　cow's　hair　that　was　used　as　caulking。　She　is　more　than　seventy…nine　feet　long　and　sixteen　feet　wide。　The　original　is　in　Oslo；　Norway。　An　earlier　replica　actually　sailed　across　the　Atlantic。　You　must　be　wondering　why　I　went　through　the　trouble　to　have　her　built　and　placed　in　the　great　hall。〃
　
　〃Some　people　collect　old　stamps；　others　old　cars。　There's　no　accounting　for　tastes。〃
　
　〃This　goes　beyond　a　collector's　whim。〃　Brynhild　took　her　hand　off　the　tiller　and　came　over　to　stand　before　Francesca；　who　shuddered　at　their　physical　proximity。　Although　Brynhild's　towering　body　was　hard　and　muscular；　the　menace　she　projected　went　beyond　the　physical。　She　seemed　capable　of　reaching　up　and　wringing　the　power　from　a　lightning　bolt。　〃I　chose　this　ship　as　the　symbol　of　my　vast　holdings　because　it　embodies　the　Viking　spirit。　It　was　sailed　by　those　who　seized　what　they　wanted。　I　e　here　often　for　inspiration。　So　shall　it　be　with　you；　Dr。　Cabral。　e；　I　will　show　you　where　you　will　be　working。〃
　
　Francesca　had　been　escorted　back　to　Brynhild's　aerie　after　the　brief　visit　with　Gamay。　Brynhild　had　led　the　way　through　a　bewildering　maze　of　passageways　that　reminded　Francesca　of　being　on　a　cruise　ship。　They　were　unguarded　at　all　times；　but　the　thought　of　escape　never　crossed　Francesca's　mind。　Even　if　she　were　able　to　disable　the　giant　woman；　an　unlikely　prospect；　she　would　have　bee　lost　in　minutes。　And　she　suspected　the　guards　were　not　far　away。
　
　Now　they　got　into　an　elevator　that　dropped　with　knee…bending　swiftness。　The　door　opened　on　a　room　where　a　monorail　car　awaited。　Brynhild　motioned　for　Francesca　to　get　into　the　front；　then　got　in　the　back；　sitting　in　a　space　especially　made　for　her　tall　form。　Their　weight　activated　the　accelerator。　The　tram　went　through　an　opening　and　sped　along　a　lighted　tunnel。　When　it　seemed　the　car　would　go　rocketing　out　of　control　the　puters　controlling　its　speed　decelerated　it　to　a　fortable　stop　in　a　room　very　much　like　the　one　they　had　just　left。
　
　This　room；　too；　had　an　elevator；　but　unlike　the　more　conventional　box　on　a　cable；　its　transparent　plastic　walls　were　egg　shaped。　There　were　seats　for　four　people　of　ordinary　stature。　The　door　hissed　shut；　and　the　elevator　passed　through　blackness；　then　descended　into　a　deep　blue。　Watching　the　fluid　interplay　of　light　and　shadow　through　the　transparent　walls；　Francesca　realized　they　were　sinking　into　water。　The　blue　became　darker　until；　all　at　once；　it　was　as　if　they　were　caught　in　the　beam　of　a　searchlight。
　
　The　door　opened；　and　they　stepped　out。　Francesca　could　hardly　believe　her　eyes。　They　were　in　a　brightly　lit；　circular　space　hundreds　of　feet　across。　A　curving　roof　arched　overhead。　The　exact　size　of　the　room　was　difficult　to　estimate　because　it　was　filled　with　thick　pipes；　coils；　and　vats　of　all　sizes。　A　dozen　or　so　white…frocked　technicians　moved　quietly　among　the　conduits　and　tanks　or　were　bent　over　puter　monitors。
　
　〃Well；　what　do　you　think？〃　Brynhild　said　with　obvious　pride。
　
　〃It's　incredible。〃　The　awe　in　her　voice　was　real。　〃Where　are　we；　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea？〃
　
　The　giantess　smiled。　〃This　is　where　you'll　do　your　work。　e；　I'll　show　you　around。〃
　
　Francesca's　scientific　mind　quickly　made　order　out　of　her　chaotic　first　impression。　Although　the　pipes　went　off　at　different　angles；　there　was　definitely　a　scientific　organization　to　the　mad　ness。　No　matter　which　way　the　pipes　went；　they　eventually　led　toward　the　center　of　the　room。
　
　〃This　controls　the　various　conditions　that　affect　the　core　material；〃　Brynhild　said；　pointing　to　the　blinking　lights　on　a　control　board。　〃This　underwater　facility　stands　on　four　legs。　Two　of　the　support　legs　double　as　intake　pipes；　and　the　other　two　as　out　flow。　Since　we　are　on　a　fresh　body　of　water；　we　first　infuse　the　liquid　we　pump　in　with　salt　and　sea　minerals　from　those　containers。　It　is　indistinguishable　from　actual　seawater。〃
　
　They　walked　toward　the　center　of　the　chamber。　It　was　occupied　by　a　massive　cylindrical　tank　some　twenty　feet　across　and　ten　feet　high。
　
　〃This　must　contain　the　anasazium；〃　Francesca　said。
　
　〃That's　right。　The　water　is　circulated　around　the　core；　then　returned　to　the　lake　through　the　other　two　supports。〃
　
　They　walked　back　to　the　master　control　console。
　
　〃Well；　how　close　are　we　to　duplicating　the　Cabral　process？〃
　
　Francesca　examined　the　gauges。　〃Refrigeration；　electrical　cur　rent；　heat　monitoring；　all　good。　You　were　close；　very　close。〃
　
　〃We　have　subjected　the　anasazium　to　heat；　cold；　and　electrical　current；　but　with　only　limited　success。〃
　
　〃I'm　not　surprised。　The　sonic　ponent　is　missing。〃
　
　〃Of　course。　Sound　vibrations。〃　
　
　　〃You　have　the　right　idea；　but　the　process　won't　work　unless　the　material　is　subjected　to　a　certain　level　of　sound　waves　in　con　cert　with　the　other　forces。　It's　like　removing　the　cello　from　a　string　quartet。〃
　
　〃Ingenious。　How　did　you　e　up　with　that　technique？〃
　
　〃It　was　simply　a　matter　of　thinking　in　unconventional　terms。　As　you　know；　there　have　been　three　main　methods　of　desalting　be　fore　this。　In　electrodialysis　and　reverse　osmosis；　electrified　water　passes　through　membranes　that　remove　the　salt。　The　third　method　is　distillation；　which　evaporates　the　water　the　way　the　sun's　heat　turns　the　ocean　to　vapor。　All　require　tremendous　expenditures　of　energy　that　made　the　cost　of　desalting　prohibitive。　My　method　changes　molecular　and　atomic　structure。　In　the　process　it　creates　energy　and　bees　self…sustaining。　The　bination　of　forces　must　be　exactly　right。　The　process　won't　work　if　it　is　off　by　a　hair。〃
　
　〃Now　that　you've　seen　it；　how　long　do　you　think　it　would　take　to　modify　this　facility　to　your　standards？〃
　
　She　shrugged。　〃A　week。〃
　
　〃Three　days；〃　Brynhild　said　flatly。
　
　〃Why　the　time　limit？〃
　
　〃The　Gogstad　board　of　directors　is　due　to　meet　here。　I　am　bringing　people　in　from　all　parts　of　the　world。　I　want　to　give　them　a　demonstration　of　your　process。　Once　they　have　seen　it　work　they　will　go　home　and　we