cc.floodtide-第116章

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o　the　United　States　for　safekeeping　until　after　the　war。　After　months　of　negotiation；　the　American　ambassador　in　Peking　finally　arranged　shipment　by　a　detachment　of　U。S。　marines　that　was　under　orders　to　sail　for　the　Philippines。
　〃The　ancient　bones　were　carefully　packed　in　two　Marine　Corps　footlockers　and；　along　with　the　marines；　were　put　aboard　a　train　bound　for　the　port　city　of　Tientsin；　where　both　living　and　dead　were　to　board　the　S。S。　President　Harrison；　a　passenger　ship　belonging　to　the　American　President　Lines。　The　train　never　arrived　hi　Tientsin。　It　was　halted　by　Japanese　troops　who　ransacked　it。　By　now　it　was　December　the　eighth；　nineteen　forty…one；　and　the　marines；　who　had　thought　themselves　neutrals；　were　then　sent　to　Japanese　prison　camps　to　sit　out　the　war。　It　can　only　be　assumed　that　after　lying　underground　for　a　million　years；　the　remains　of　Peking　man　were　scattered　around　the　rice　paddies　beside　the　railroad　track。〃
　〃That　was　the　last　word　on　their　fate？〃　Harper　inquired。
　
　Sandecker　shook　his　head　and　smiled。　〃Myths　thrived　after　the　war。　One　had　the　fossils　secretly　hidden　in　a　vault　under　the　Museum　of　Natural　History　in　Washington。　The　marines　who　guarded　the　shipment　and　survived　the　war　came　up　with　at　least　ten　different　stories　of　their　own。　The　footlockers　went　down　on　a　Japanese　hospital　ship　that　in　reality　was　loaded　with　weapons　and　troops。　The　marines　buried　the　footlockers　near　an　American　consulate。　They　were　hidden　in　a　prisoner…of…war　camp　and　then　lost　at　the　end　of　the　war。　They　were　stored　in　a　Swiss　warehouse；　in　a　vault　on　Taiwan；　in　the　closet　of　a　marine　who　smuggled　them　home。　Whatever　the　true　story；　Peking　man　is　still　lost　in　a　fog　of　controversy。　And　how　they　somehow　found　their　way　into　Chiang　Kai…shek's　hands　and　onto　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　is　anybody's　guess。〃
　
　〃All　very　tantalizing；〃　said　Julia；　setting　a　pot　of　tea　and　cups　on　the　center　table　for　anyone　who　wanted　some。　〃But　what　good　is　all　this　if　the　Princess　can't　be　found？〃
　Pitt　smiled。　〃Leave　it　to　a　woman　to　cut　to　the　heart　of　the　matter。〃
　〃Any　details　surrounding　her　loss？〃　asked　Sandecker。
　〃On　November　twenty…eighth；　she　sent　out　a　Mayday　signal　that　was　picked　up　in　Valparaiso；　Chile；　giving　her　position　as　two　hundred　miles　west　of　the　South　American　coast　in　the　Pacific。　Her　radio　operator　claimed　a　fire　was　raging　in　her　engine　room　and　she　was　rapidly　taking　on　water。　Ships　in　the　general　area　were　diverted　to　the　location　given；　but　the　only　trace　that　was　ever　found　were　several　empty　life　jackets。　Repeated　signals　from　Valparaiso　brought　no　response；　and　no　extensive　search　was　undertaken。〃
　Gunn　shook　his　head　thoughtfully。　〃You　could　look　for　years　with　the　Navy's　latest　deep…sea…penetrating　technology　and　not　find　anything。　A　vague　position　like　that　means　a　search　grid　of　at　least　two　thousand　square　miles。〃
　Pitt　poured　himself　a　cup　of　tea。　〃Was　her　destination　known？〃
　Perlmutter　shrugged。　〃None　was　ever　given　nor　determined。〃　He　opened　another　file　and　passed　around　several　photos　of　the　Princess　Dou　Wan。
　〃For　her　time；　she　was　a　pretty　ship；〃　observed　Sandecker；　admiring　her　lines。
　Pitt's　eyebrows　raised　in　speculation。　He　rose　from　his　chair；　walked　to　a　desk　and　picked　up　a　magnifying　glass。　Then　he　studied　two　of　the　photos　closely　before　looking　up。　〃These　two　photos；〃　he　said　slowly。
　〃Yes；〃　Perlmutter　murmured　expectantly。
　〃They　are　not　of　the　same　ship。〃
　〃You're　absolutely　right。　One　photo　shows　the　Princess　Dou　Wan's　sister　ship；　the　Princess　Yung　Tai。〃
　Pitt　stared　into　Perlmutter's　eyes。　〃You're　hiding　something　from　us；　you　old　fox。〃
　〃I　have　no　rock…hard　proof；〃　said　the　big　history　expert；　〃but　I　do　have　a　theory。〃
　〃We'd　all　like　to　hear　it；〃　said　Sandecker。
　Out　came　another　file　from　the　briefcase。　〃I　strongly　suspect　the　distress　signal　received　in　Valparaiso　was　a　fabrication　that　was　probably　sent　by　Chiang　Kai…shek's　agents　either　on　land　or　from　a　fishing　boat　somewhere　offshore。　The　Princess　Dou　Wan；　while　en　route　across　the　Pacific；　was　given　a　few　minor　modifications　by　her　crew；　including　a　name　change。　She　became　the　Princess　Yung　Tai；　which　had　been　broken　up　at　the　scrappers　a　short　time　before。　Under　her　new　disguise；　she　then　continued　toward　her　ultimate　destination。〃
　〃Very　canny　of　you　to　fathom　the　substitution；〃　said　San…decker。
　〃Not　at　all；〃　Perlmutter　replied　modestly。　〃A　fellow　researcher　in　Panama　discovered　that　the　Princess　Yung　Tbi　passed　through　the　Canal　only　three　days　after　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　sent　her　Mayday　signal。〃
　〃Were　you　able　to　trace　her　course　from　Panama？〃　asked　Pitt。
　Perlmutter　nodded。　〃Thanks　to　Hiram　Yaeger；　who　used　his　vast　puter　plex　to　trace　ship　arrivals　at　ports　up　and　down　the　eastern　seaboard　during　the　first　and　second　week　of　December；　nineteen　forty…eight。　Bless　his　little　heart；　he　struck　gold。　The　records　show　a　vessel　passing　through　the　Welland　Canal　listed　as　the　Princess　Yung　Tbi　on　December　the　seventh。〃
　Sandecker's　face　lit　up。　〃The　Welland　Canal　separates　Lake　Erie　from　Lake　Ontario。〃
　〃It　does　indeed；〃　agreed　Perlmutter。
　〃My　God；〃　Gunn　muttered。　〃That　means　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　didn't　disappear　in　the　ocean　but　sank　in　one　of　the　Great　Lakes。〃
　〃Who　would　have　thought　it？〃　Sandecker　said　more　to　himself　than　the　others。
　〃Quite　a　feat　of　seamanship　to　navigate　a　ship　her　size　down　the　St。　Lawrence　River　before　the　seaway　was　built；〃　said　Pitt。
　〃The　Great　Lakes；〃　Gunn　echoed　the　words　slowly。　〃Why　would　Chiang　Kai…shek　order　a　ship　filled　with　priceless　art　treasures　to　go　thousands　of　miles　out　of　the　way？　If　he　wanted　to　hide　the　cargo　in　the　United　States；　why　not　San　Francisco　or　Los　Angeles　as　a　destination？〃
　
　〃Colonel　Hui　Wiay　claimed　he　was　not　told　the　ship's　final　destination。　But　he　did　know　that　Chiang　Kai…shek　flew　agents　into　the　U。S。　to　arrange　for　the　cargo　to　be　unloaded　and　stored　with　the　utmost　secrecy。　According　to　him；　it　was　at　the　direction　of　officials　at　the　State　Department　in　Washington；　who　set　up　the　operation。〃
　〃Not　a　bad　plan；〃　said　Pitt。　〃The　main　port　terminals　along　the　East　and　West　coasts　were　too　open。　The　dockworkers　would　have　known　what　they　were　unloading　in　a　second。　Word　would　have　spread　like　wildfire。　The　munist　leaders　back　in　China　would　never　have　suspected　their　national　treasures　were　to　be　smuggled　into　America's　heartland　and　hidden。〃
　〃Seems　to　me　a　naval　base　would　have　been　the　obvious　choice　if　they　wanted　secrecy；〃　suggested　Harper。
　〃That　would　have　taken　a　direct　order　from　the　White　House；〃　said　Sandecker。　〃They　were　already　catching　flak　from　munist　Romania　and　Hungary　for　keeping　their　royal　jewels　in　a　Washington　vault　after　the　American　Army　found　them　hidden　in　a　salt　mine　in　Austria　immediately　after　the　war。〃
　Pitt　said；　〃Not　a　bad　plan　when　you　think　about　it。　munist　Chinese　intelligence　agents　would　have　put　their　money　on　San　Francisco。　They　probably　had　agents　crawling　over　the　dock　terminals　around　the　bay；　waiting　for　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　to　steam　under　the　Golden　Gate　Bridge；　never　dreaming　the　ship　was　actually　headed　for　a　port　in　the　Great　Lakes。〃
　〃Yes；　but　what　port？〃　said　Gunn。　〃And　on　which　lake？〃
　They　all　turned　to　Perlmutter。　〃I　can't　give　you　an　exact　location；〃　he　said　candidly；　〃but　I　do　have　a　lead　who　might　direct　us　to　a　ballpark　location　containing　the　wreck。〃
　〃This　person　has　information　you　don't？〃　asked　Pitt　unbelievingly。
　〃He　does。〃
　Sandecker　looked　steadily　at　Perlmutter。　〃You've　questioned　him？〃
　〃Not　yet。　I　thought　I'd　leave　that　up　to　you。〃
　〃How　can　you　be　sure　he's　reliable？〃　asked　Julia。
　〃Because　he　was　an　eyewitness。〃
　Everyone　stared　openly　at　Perlmutter。　Finally；　Pitt　asked　the　obvious　question　in　their　minds。　〃He　saw　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　go　down？〃
　〃Better　yet；　lan　'Hong　Kong'　Gallagher　was　the　only　survivor。　He　was　the　ship's　chief　engineer；　so　if　anyone　can　provide　details　of　the　sinking；　he　can。　Gallagher　never　went　back　to　China　but　remained　in　the　States；　eventually　being　a　citizen　and　shipping　out　again　on　an　American　line　before　retiring。〃
　〃Is　he　still　living？〃
　〃My　very　same　question　to　Yaeger；〃　a