cc.floodtide-第122章

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as。
　〃Princess　Yung　Thi；〃　Giordino　shouted。　〃We　got　her！〃
　〃The　queen　of　the　China　Sea；〃　Julia　murmured　as　if　she　was　in　a　trance。　〃She　looks　so　cold　and　isolated。　It's　almost　as　if　she　was　praying　we'd　e。〃
　〃I　thought　you　wanted　a　ship　called　the　Princess　Dou　Wan；〃　said　Wilbanks。
　〃It's　a　long　story；〃　Pitt　replied　with　a　big　grin；　〃but　they're　one　and　the　same。〃　He　laid　one　hand　on　Hall's　shoulder。　〃Move　aft；　keeping　at　least　ten　feet　from　the　side　of　the　ship　so　we　don't　entangle　our　tether　and　lose　the　ROV。〃
　
　Hall　silently　nodded　and　worked　the　little　joysticks　on　the　handbox　that　controlled　the　camera　and　vehicle　movement。　Visibility　was　nearly　fifty　feet　under　the　vehicle's　halogen　lights　and　showed　that　the　exterior　of　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　had　changed　very　little　after　fifty…two　years。　The　frigid　fresh　water　and　deep　depth　had　inhibited　marine　growth　and　corrosion。
　
　The　superstructure　came　into　view；　looking　surprisingly　fresh。　None　of　it　had　collapsed。　Only　a　light　coat　of　silt　adhered　to　the　paint；　which　had　dulled　somewhat　but　still　appeared　surprisingly　fresh。　The　Princess　Dou　Wan　looked　like　the　interior　of　a　haunted；　abandoned　house　that　had　not　been　dusted　for　half　a　century。
　
　Hall　maneuvered　the　MiniRover　around　the　bridge。　Most　of　the　windows　had　been　smashed　from　the　force　of　the　waves　and　the　pressure　of　the　deep。　They　could　see　the　engine…room　telegraph　standing　inside；　its　pointer　still　set　on　FULL　AHEAD。　Only　a　few　fish　lived　in　her　now。　The　crew　was　no　more；　most　all　swept　away　by　frenzied　waves　when　she　went　down。　The
　
　MiniRover　crept　alongside　the　ship　on　a　horizontal　course　a　short　distance　from　the　main　promenade　deck。　The　lifeboat　davits　were　empty　and　twisted　out；　grim　evidence　of　the　chaos　and　terror　that　occurred　that　violent　night　in　1948。　Wooden　crates；　still　intact；　were　lashed　down　on　every　square　foot　of　open　deck。　Her　runnel　was　missing　aft　of　the　bridge；　but　could　be　seen　where　it　had　fallen　beside　the　hull　when　the　ship　drove　herself　into　the　soft　bottom。
　
　〃I'd　give　anything　to　see　what's　inside　those　packing　boxes；〃　said　Julia。
　〃Maybe　we'll　find　one　that's　broken　open；〃　said　Pitt　without　taking　his　eyes　off　the　screen。
　
　The　hull　aft　of　the　superstructure　had　been　ruptured　and　spread　open；　the　steel　twisted　and　jagged　from　when　she　had　broken　up　from　the　battering　of　the　giant　waves。　The　stem　section　was　pletely　torn　away　when　the　ship　plunged　under　the　water。　It　was　as　if　a　giant　had　squeezed　the　ship　apart　and　then　tossed　her　broken　pieces　aside。
　
　〃Looks　like　mementos　from　the　ship　are　scattered　in　a　debris　field　that　leads　from　one　part　of　the　wreck　to　the　other；〃　observed　Giordino。
　〃Can't　be；〃　said　Pitt。　〃Every　nonessential　piece　was　stripped　off　before　she　was　to　go　to　the　scrappers。　At　the　risk　of　sounding　like　an　irrepressible　optimist；　I'm　betting　we're　looking　at　an　acre　or　more　of　fabulous　works　of　art。〃
　
　On　closer　inspection　the　cameras　on　the　MiniRover　revealed　a　sea　of　wooden　crates　that　had　been　spilled　between　the　broken　sections　of　the　ship　when　she　sank。　Pitt's　prediction　was　confirmed　when　the　ROV　soared　over　the　debris　field　and　honied　in　on　a　strange　shape　materializing　out　of　the　murk。　They　all　stared　astonished　as　a　poignant　artifact　from　the　distant　past　slowly　rose　and　met　the　camera　lens。　The　walls　of　a　large　crate　had　burst　open　like　petals　of　a　rose；　exposing　a　strange　shape　standing　in　eerie　solitude。
　
　〃What　is　it？〃　queried　Wilbanks。
　〃A　bronze　life…size　horse　and　rider；〃　Pitt　muttered　in　awe。　〃I'm　not　enough　of　an　expert；　but　it　must　be　the　sculpture　of　an　ancient　Chinese　emperor　from　the　Han　dynasty。〃
　〃How　old　do　you　reckon　it　is？〃　asked　Hall。
　〃Close　to　two　thousand　years。〃
　The　effect　of　the　horse　and　rider　standing　proud　on　the　bottom　was　so　profound；　they　all　gazed　solemnly　at　its　image　on　the　screen　for　the　next　two　minutes　without　speaking。　To　Julia　it　was　as　if　she　had　been　carried　back　in　time。　The　horse's　head　was　turned　slightly　in　the　direction　of　the　MiniRover；　its　nostrils　flared。　The　rider　sat　stiffly　upright；　his　sightless　eyes　staring　into　nothingness。
　
　〃The　treasure；〃　whispered　Julia。　〃It's　everywhere。〃
　〃Steer　toward　the　stern；〃　Pitt　said　to　Hall。
　〃I've　got　the　tether　at　its　maximum　length　now；〃　Hall　replied。　〃Ralph　will　have　to　move　the　boat。〃
　
　Wilbanks　nodded；　measured　the　distance　and　direction　on　the　puter；　and　moved　the　Divercity；　dragging　the　Mini…Rover　until　it　was　sitting　atop　the　detached　stern　section。　Then　Hall　deftly　steered　the　ROV　past　the　ship's　propellers；　whose　upper　blades　rose　from　the　silt。　The　huge　rudder　was　still　set　on　a　direct　course　ahead。　The　lettering　across　the　stern　could　be　distinctly　seen　to　identify　the　vessel's　home　port　as　Shanghai。　The　story　was　the　same…the　bent　and　shredded　hull　plates；　the　disemboweled　engines；　the　scattered　art　treasures。
　
　Midnight　came　and　went　as　the　first　humans　to　lay　eyes　on　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　in　fifty…two　years　studied　the　two　broken　hulks　and　their　priceless　cargo　from　every　angle。　When　they　finally　decided　that　there　was　no　more　to　see；　Hall　began　reeling　in　the　MiniRover。
　
　No　one　tore　his　gaze　away　from　the　screen　until　long　after　the　MiniRover　ascended　toward　the　surface　and　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　was　lost　to　view　in　the　black　void。　The　ship　was　once　again　alone　on　the　bottom　of　the　lake；　her　only　panion　an　unknown　sailing　ship　that　rested　only　a　mile　away。　But　the　solitude　was　temporary。　Soon　men；　ships　and　equipment　would　be　probing　her　bones　and　removing　the　precious　cargo　she　had　carried　so　far　across　the　world　and　jealously　guarded　through　the　years　since　she　steamed　from　Shanghai。
　
　The　ill…fated　voyage　of　the　Princess　Dou　Wan　had　not　ended；　not　quite　yet。　Her　epilogue　was　still　to　be　written；
　
　HISTORIAN　ZHU　KWAN
　　SAT　AT　A　DESK　ON　A　STAGE　IN　THE　middle　of　a　huge　office　and　studied　reports　gathered　by　an　international　army　of　researchers　hired　by　Qin　Shang。　The　Princess　Dou　Wan　project　took　up　half　of　one　floor　in　the　Qin　Shang　Maritime　office　building　in　Hong　Kong。　No　expense　was　spared。　And　yet；　despite　the　massive　effort；　nothing　of　substance　had　been　found。　To　Zhu　Kwan；　the　loss　of　the　ship　remained　a　mystery。
　
　Zhu　Kwan　and　his　team　scouted　every　maritime　source　for　leads　while　Qin　Shang's　survey…and…salvage　ship　kept　up　its　search　of　the　waters　off　the　coast　of　Chile　for　the　elusive　passenger　liner。　Built　in　his　Hong　Kong　shipyard；　the　vessel　was　a　marvel　of　undersea　technology　and　the　envy　of　every　maritime　nation's　oceanographic　science　and　research　institutions。　Named　the　Jade　Adventurer　rather　than　a　Chinese　name　to　make　documentation　simpler　when　operating　in　foreign　waters；　the　ship　and　its　crew　had　previously　discovered　the　wreck　of　a　sixteenth…century　junk　in　the　China　Sea　and　salvaged　its　cargo　of　Ming…dynasty　porcelain。
　
　Zhu　Kwan　examined　a　description　of　works　of　art　from　a　private　collection　of　Chinese　art　owned　by　a　wealthy　merchant
　
　in　Peking　that　had　disappeared　in　1948。　The　merchant　had　been　murdered；　and　Zhu　Kwan　had　tracked　down　his　heirs　in　what　turned　out　to　be　a　successful　hunt　for　an　inventory　of　the　lost　art。　He　was　studying　a　drawing　of　a　rare　wine　vessel　when　his　assistant's　voice　came　over　the　speakerphone。
　
　〃Sir；　you　have　a　call　from　the　United　States。　A　Mr。　St。　Julien　Perlmutter。〃
　Zhu　Kwan　laid　aside　the　drawing。　〃Please　put　him　on。〃
　〃Hello；　Zhu　Kwan；　are　you　there？〃　came　the　jovial　voice　of　Perlmutter。
　〃St。　Julien。　What　an　unexpected　surprise。　I　am　honored　to　hear　from　my　old　friend　and　colleague。〃
　〃You'll　be　more　than　honored　when　you　hear　what　I　have　to　tell　you。〃
　The　Chinese　historian　was　bewildered。　〃I　am　always　happy　to　hear　of　your　archival　discoveries。〃
　〃Tell　me；　Zhu　Kwan；　are　you　still　interested　in　finding　a　ship　called　the　Princess　Dou　Wan？〃
　Zhu　Kwan　sucked　in　his　breath；　a　fear　rising　inside　him。　〃You　are　also　searching　for　her？〃
　〃Oh；　no；　no；　no；〃　Perlmutter　said　carelessly。　〃I　have　no　interest　in　the　ship　whatsoever。　But　while　researching　another　lost　ship；　a　missing　Great　Lakes　car　ferry；　I　ran　across　a　document　by　a　ship's　engineer；　since　deceased；　that　told　of　a　harro