cc.floodtide-第5章

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as　he　came　toward　her。　She　talked　to　Gallagher　as　though　they　were　sitting　at　a　table　at　a　restaurant；　ordering　dinner。　Her　dead　father　appeared　to　her；　dressed　in　his　captain's　uniform。　He　stood　in　the　raft；　looked　down　and　smiled。　He　told　her　she　would　live　and　not　to　worry。　Land　was　only　a　short　distance　away。　And　then　he　was　gone。
　
　〃What　time　is　it？〃　she　asked　hoarsely。
　〃Sometime　late　in　the　afternoon；　I　should　judge；〃　answered　Gallagher。　〃My　watch　stopped　soon　after　we　abandoned　the　Princess。〃
　〃How　long　have　we　been　adrift？〃
　〃A　rough　guess　would　put　it　about　thirty…eight　hours　since　the　Princess　went　down。〃
　〃We're　near　land；〃　she　muttered　abruptly。
　〃What　makes　you　say　that；　darlin'？〃
　〃My　father　told　me。〃
　〃He　did；　did　he？〃　He　smiled　at　her　passionately　under　a　mustache　and　eyebrows　caked　white　with　ice。　Icicles　hanging　from　whatever　hair　was　exposed；　gave　Gallagher　the　appearance　of　a　monster　risen　from　the　depths　of　the　South　Pole　in　a　science…fiction　movie。　Except　for　her　lack　of　facial　hair；　Katie　wondered　if　she　looked　the　same。
　
　〃Can't　you　see　it？〃
　
　Dreadfully　stiff　from　the　cold；　Gallagher　struggled　to　a　sitting　position　and　scanned　the　horizons　of　his　restricted　world。　His　view　was　blurred　by　the　driving　sleet；　but　he　kept　trying。　Then　he　thought　his　eyes　were　deceiving　him。　He　could　just　make　out　large　boulders　scattered　along　a　shoreline。　A　short　distance　beyond；　no　more　than　fifty　yards；　snow　blanketed　trees　swaying　in　the　wind。　He　spotted　what　looked　like　the　dark　shape　of　a　small　cabin　amid　the　trees。
　
　His　joints　numb　and　unresponsive；　Gallagher　removed　one　boot　and　used　it　as　a　paddle。　After　a　few　minutes；　the　exertion　seemed　to　warm　his　body　and　the　effort　became　less　arduous。　〃Take　heart；　darlin'。　We'll　be　on　dry　land　soon。〃
　
　The　current　was　working　parallel　to　the　shore；　and　Gallagher　fought　to　break　out　of　its　clutches。　He　felt　as　if　he　was　struggling　against　a　stream　filled　with　molasses。　The　gap　narrowed　with　agonizing　slowness。　The　trees　seemed　so　close　he　could　reach　out　and　shake　them；　but　they　were　still　a　good　sixty　yards　away。
　
　Just　when　Gallagher　had　reached　the　end　of　his　endurance　and　was　about　to　collapse　from　exhaustion；　he　could　feel　the　raft　bumping　against　underwater　boulders。　He　looked　down　at　Katie。　She　was　shivering　uncontrollably　from　the　damp　and　chill。　She　could　not　last　much　longer。
　
　He　shoved　his　frozen　foot　back　inside　the　boot。　Then；　sucking　in　his　breath；　he　prayed　that　the　water　would　not　close　over　his　head　and　jumped　in。　It　was　a　hazard　he　had　to　risk。　Thankfully；　the　soles　of　his　boots　struck　hard　rock　before　the　water　level　reached　his　crotch。
　
　〃Katie！〃　he　shouted　in　happy　delirium。　〃We've　made　it。　We're　on　land。〃
　〃That's　nice；〃　Katie　murmured；　too　paralyzed　and　oblivious　to　care。
　
　Gallagher　dragged　the　raft　onto　a　shore　covered　with　wave…smoothed　rocks　and　pebbles。　The　exhausting　effort　took　the　last　of　his　strength；　and　he　sagged　like　a　lifeless　rag　doll　and　dropped　onto　the　cold；　wet　rocks。　He　never　knew　how　long　he　lay　there；　but　when　he　finally　recovered　enough　to　crawl　up　to　the　life　raft　and　peer　over　the　side；　he　saw　that　Katie's　skin　was　blue　and　mottled。　Fearful；　he　reached　in　and　pulled　her　toward　him。　He　wasn't　sure　whether　she　was　alive　or　dead。　Then　he　noticed　a　wisp　of　vapor　ing　from　her　nose。　He　felt　for　a　pulse　in　her　neck。　It　was　faint　and　slow；　her　strong　heart　was　still　pumping；　but　death　was　very　close　to　her。
　
　He　looked　up　at　the　sky。　It　was　no　longer　a　thick　quilt　of　dark　gray。　The　clouds　were　forming　into　distinct　shapes　and　turning　white。　The　storm　was　passing；　and　already　he　could　sense　the　gusting　wind　diminishing　to　a　settled　breeze。　He　had　little　time。　If　he　did　not　find　warmth　quickly；　he　would　lose　her。
　
　Taking　a　deep　breath；　Gallagher　slid　his　arms　under　Katie's　body　and　lifted　her　out　of　the　raft。　Out　of　hatred　he　kicked　the　raft　with　General　Hui's　frozen　body　away　from　the　shoreline。　He　watched　for　a　few　moments　as　the　current　caught　the　raft　and　began　carrying　it　back　into　deep　water。　Then；　clutching　her　close　to　his　chest；　he　began　trudging　toward　the　cabin　in　the　trees。　The　frigid　air　seemed　suddenly　warmer；　and　he　no　longer　felt　stiff　and　tired。
　
　Three　days　later；　the　cargo　ship　Stephen　Miller　reported　sighting　a　body　in　a　life　raft；　which　was　later　recovered。　The　dead　man　was　Chinese　and　looked　as　if　he　had　been　sculpted　from　ice。　He　was　never　identified。　The　life　raft；　a　model　not　in　use　for　nearly　twenty　years；　was　marked　in　Chinese。　Later　translation　indicated　it　came　from　a　ship　called　the　Princess　Dou　Wan。
　
　A　search　was　launched；　bits　of　floating　debris　were　spotted　but　never　retrieved　for　investigation。　No　oil　slick　was　discovered。　No　ship　had　been　reported　missing。　Nowhere；　on　ship　or　ashore；　had　any　distress　signal　or　cry　of　〃Mayday〃　been　picked　up。　All　rescue　stations　monitoring　the　standard　ship…distress　frequency　received　nothing；　hearing　only　static　from　the　heavy　snow。
　
　The　mystery　deepened　when　it　was　learned　that　a　ship　named　Princess　Dou　Wan　had　been　reported　sunk　off　the　coast　of　Chile　the　month　before。　The　body　found　in　the　life　raft　was　buried；　and　the　strange　enigma　was　quickly　forgotten。
　
　PART　I
　THE　KILLING　WATER
　
　April　14；　2000　Pacific　Ocean　off　Washington
　
　AS　IF　SHE　WERE　STRUGGLING　OUT　OF　A　BOTTOMLESS　PIT；　CONsciousness　slowly　returned　to　Ling　T'ai。　Her　whole　upper　body　swam　in　pain。　She　groaned　through　clenched　teeth；　wanting　to　scream　out　in　agony。　She　lifted　a　hand　that　was　badly　bruised　and　tenderly　touched　her　fingertips　to　her　face。　One　coffee　brown　eye　was　swollen　closed；　the　other　puffed　but　partially　open。　Her　nose　was　broken；　with　blood　still　trickling　from　the　nostrils。　Thankfully；　she　could　feel　her　teeth　still　in　their　gums；　but　her　arms　and　shoulders　were　turning　black…and…blue。　She　could　not　begin　to　count　the　bruises。
　
　Ling　T'ai　was　not　sure　at　first　why　she　was　singled　out　for　interrogation。　The　explanation　came　later；　just　before　she　was　brutally　beaten。　There　were　others；　to　be　sure；　who　were　pulled　from　the　mass　of　illegal　Chinese　immigrants　on　board　the　ship；　tormented　and　thrown　into　a　dark　partment　in　the　cargo　hold。　Nothing　was　very　clear　to　her；　everything　seemed　confused　and　obscure。　She　felt　as　if　she　was　about　to　lose　her　grip　on　consciousness　and　fall　back　into　the　pit。
　
　The　ship　she　had　traveled　on　from　the　Chinese　port　of　Qing…dao　across　the　Pacific　looked　to　all　appearances　like　a　typical　cruise　ship。　Named　the　Indigo　Star；　her　hull　was　painted　white　from　waterline　to　the　funnel。　parable　in　size　to　most　smaller　cruise　ships　that　carried　between　one　hundred　and　one　hundred　fifty　passengers　in　luxurious　fort；　the　Indigo　Star　crammed　nearly　twelve　hundred　illegal　Chinese　immigrants　into　huge　open　bays　within　the　hull　and　superstructure。　She　was　a　facade；　innocent　on　the　outside；　a　human　hellhole　on　the　inside。
　
　Ling　T'ai　could　not　have　envisioned　the　insufferable　conditions　that　she　and　over　a　thousand　others　had　to　endure。　The　food　was　minimal　and　hardly　enough　to　exist　on。　Sanitary　conditions　were　nonexistent　and　toilet　facilities　deplorable。　Some　had　died；　mostly　young　children　and　the　elderly；　their　bodies　removed　and　never　seen　again。　It　seemed　likely　to　Ling　T'ai　that　they　were　simply　thrown　into　the　sea　as　if　they　were　garbage。　The　day　before　the　Indigo　Star　was　scheduled　to　reach　the　northwestern　coast　of　the　United　States；　a　team　of　sadistic　guards　called　enforcers；　who　maintained　a　climate　of　fear　and　intimidation　on　board　the　ship；　had　rounded　up　thirty　or　forty　passengers　and　forced　them　to　undergo　an　unexplained　interrogation。　When　her　turn　finally　came；　she　was　ushered　into　a　small；　dark　partment　and　manded　to　sit　in　a　chair　in　front　of　four　enforcers　of　the　smuggling　operation　who　were　seated　behind　a　table。　Ling　was　then　asked　a　series　of　questions。
　
　〃Your　name！〃　demanded　a　thin　man　neatly　attired　in　a　gray　pinstripe　business　suit。　His　smooth；　brown　face　was　intelligent　but　expressionless。　The　other　three　enforcers　sat　silently　and　glared　malevolently。　To　the　initiated；　it　was　a　classic　act　of　interrogative　coercion。 〃My　name　i