dk.nightchills-第16章

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s　less　than　eight　hundred　thousand。　The　greatest　part　of　that　is　concentrated　in　a　few　urban　areas；　chiefly　in　Hawaii　and　the　capital　city。　Furthermore；　all　of　the　members　of　the　government　and　virtually　all　of　the　wealthy　reside　in　those　metropolitan　centers。　The　handful　of　super…rich　families　who　own　desert　enclaves　get　their　water　by　truck　from　the　cities。　In　short；　we　could　take　control　of　everyone　of　influence　within　the　country…giving　us　a　behind…the…scenes　managerial　dictatorship　over　the　Kuwait　oil　reserves；　which　pose　twenty　percent　of　the　entire　world　supply。　That　done；　Kuwait　would　bee　our　base　of　operations；　from　which　we　could　subvert　Saudi　Arabia；　Iraq；　Yemen；　and　every　other　oil…exporting　nation　in　the　Mid…East。〃
　〃We　could　smash　the　OPEC　cartel；〃　Klinger　said　thoughtfully。
　〃Or　strengthen　it；〃　Dawson　said。　〃Or　alternately　weaken　and　strengthen　it　in　order　to　cause　major　fluctuations　in　the　value　of　oil　stocks。　Indeed；　we　could　affect　the　entire　stock　market。　And　because　we'd　know　about　each　fluctuation　well　in　advance；　we　could　take　rare　advantage　of　it。　Within　a　year　of　assuming　control　of　a　half…dozen　Mid…Eastern　countries；　we　should　be　able　to　siphon　one　and　a　half　billion　dollars　into　the　corporation　in　Liechtenstein。　Thereafter；　it　will　be　a　matter　of　no　more　than　five　or　six　years　until　everything；　quite　literally　everything；　is　ours。〃
　〃It　sounds…crazy；　mad；〃　Klinger　said。
　Dawson　frowned。　〃Mad？〃
　〃Incredible；　unbelievable；　impossible；〃　the　general　said；　clarifying　his　first　statement　when　he　saw　that　it　disturbed　Dawson。
　〃There　was　a　time　when　heavier…than…air　flight　seemed　impossible；〃　Salsbury　said。　〃The　nuclear　bomb　seemed　incredible　to　many　people　even　after　it　was　dropped　on　Japan。　And　in　1961；　when　Kennedy　launched　the　Apollo　Space　Program；　very　few　Americans　believed　that　a　man　would　ever　walk　on　the　moon。〃
　They　stared　at　one　another。
　The　silence　in　the　room　was　so　perfect　that　each　tiny　wave　breaking　against　the　boat　dock；　although　it　was　little　more　than　a　gentle　ripple　and　was　muffled　by　the　window；　sounded　like　an　ocean　surf。　At　least　it　did　to　Salsbury；　it　reverberated　within　his　nearly　fevered　mind。
　Finally　Dawson　said；　〃Ernst？　Will　you　help　us　get　those　magnetic　tapes？〃
　Klinger　looked　at　Dawson　for　a　long　moment；　then　at　Salsbury。　A　shudder　either　of　fear　or　pleasure；　Ogden　could　not　be　certain　which…passed　through　him。　He　said；　〃I'll　help。〃
　Ogden　sighed。
　〃Champagne？〃　Dawson　asked。　〃It's　a　bit　crude　after　brandy。　But　I　believe　that　we　should　raise　a　toast　to　one　another　and　to　the　project。〃
　Fifteen　minutes　later；　after　a　servant　had　brought　a　chilled　bottle　of　Mo？t　et　Chandon　and　he　had　uncorked　it；　after　the　three　of　them　had　toasted　success；　Klinger　smiled　at　Dawson　and　said；　〃What　if　I'd　been　terrified　of　this　drug？　What　if　I'd　thought　your　offer　was　more　than　I　could　handle？〃
　〃I　know　you　well；　Ernst；〃　Dawson　said。　〃Perhaps　better　than　you　think　I　do。　I'd　be　surprised　if　there　was　anything　that　you　couldn't　handle。〃
　〃But　suppose　I'd　balked；　for　whatever　reason。　Suppose　I　hadn't　wanted　to　e　in　with　you。〃
　Dawson　rolled　some　champagne　over　his　tongue；　swallowed；　inhaled　through　his　mouth　to　savor　the　aftertaste；　and　said；　〃Then　you　wouldn't　have　left　this　estate　alive；　Ernst。　I'm　afraid　you'd　have　had　an　accident。〃
　〃Which　you　arranged　for　a　week　ago。〃　〃Nearly　that。〃
　〃I　knew　you　wouldn't　disappoint　me。〃
　〃You　came　with　a　gun？〃　Dawson　asked。　〃A　thirty…two　automatic。〃
　〃It　doesn't　show。〃
　〃It's　taped　to　the　small　of　my　back。〃
　〃You've　practiced　drawing　it？〃
　〃I　can　have　it　in　my　hand　in　less　than　five　seconds。〃
　Dawson　nodded　approval。　〃And　you　would　have　used　me　as　a　shield　to　get　off　the　estate。〃
　〃I　would　have　tried。〃
　They　both　laughed　and　regarded　each　other　with　something　very　near　to　affection。　They　were　delighted　with　themselves。
　Jesus　Christ！　Salsbury　thought。　He　nervously　sipped　his　champagne。
　5
　Friday；　August　19；　1977
　PAUL　AND　MARK　SAT　cross…legged；　side　by　side　on　the　dew…damp　mountain　grass。　They　were　as　still　as　stones。　Even　Mark；　who　loathed　inactivity　and　to　whom　patience　was　an　irritant　rather　than　a　virtue；　did　no　more　than　blink　his　eyes。
　Around　them　lay　a　breath…taking　panorama　of　virtually　unspoiled　land。　On　three　sides　of　their　clearing；　a　dense；　purple…green；　almost　primeval　forest　rose　like　walls。　To　their　right　the　clearing　opened　at　the　head　of　a　narrow　valley；　and　the　town　of　Black　River；　two　miles　away；　shimmered　like　a　patch　of　opalescent　fungus　on　the　emerald　quilt　of　the　wild　land。　The　only　other　scar　of　civilization　was　the　Big　Union　mill；　which　was　barely　visible；　three　miles　on　the　other　side　of　Black　River。　Even　so；　from　this　distance　the　huge　buildings　did　not　resemble　millworks　so　much　as　they　did　the　ramparts；　gates；　and　towers　of　castles。　The　planned　forests　that　supplied　Big　Union；　and　which　were　less　attractive　than　the　natural　woods；　were　out　of　sight　beyond　the　next　mountain。　Blue　sky　and　fast…moving　white　clouds　overhung　what　could　have　passed　for　a　scene　of　Eden　in　a　biblical　film。
　Paul　and　Mark　were　not　interested　in　the　scenery。　Their　attention　was　fixed　on　a　small；　red…brown　squirrel。
　For　the　past　five　days　they　had　been　putting　out　food　for　the　squirrel…dry　roasted　peanuts　and　sectioned　apples…hoping　to　make　friends　with　it　and　gradually　to　domesticate　it。　Day　by
　day　it　crept　closer　to　the　food；　and　yesterday　it　took　a　few　bites　before　succumbing　to　fear　and　scampering　away。
　Now；　as　they　watched；　it　came　forth　from　the　perimeter　of　the　woods；　three　or　four　quick　yet　cautious　steps　at　a　time；　pausing　again　and　again　to　study　the　man　and　boy。　When　it　finally　reached　the　food；　it　picked　up　a　piece　of　the　apple　in　its　tiny　forepaws　and；　sitting　back　on　its　haunches；　began　to　eat。
　When　the　animal　finished　the　first　slice　and　picked　up　another；　Mark　said；　〃He　won't　take　his　eyes　off　us。　Not　even　for　a　second。〃
　As　the　boy　spoke　the　squirrel　became　suddenly　as　still　as　they　were。　It　cocked　its　head　and　fixed　them　with　one　large　brown　eye。
　Paul　had　said　they　could　whisper；　breaking　their　rule　of　silence；　if　the　squirrel　had　gained　courage　since　yesterday　and　managed　to　stay　at　the　food　for　more　than　a　few　seconds。　If　they　were　to　domesticate　it；　the　animal　would　have　to　bee　accustomed　to　their　voices。
　〃Please　don't　be　scared；〃　Mark　said　softly。　Paul　had　promised　that；　if　the　squirrel　could　be　tamed；　Mark　would　be　allowed　to　take　it　home　and　make　a　pet　of　it。　〃Please；　don't　run　away。〃
　Not　yet　prepared　to　trust　them；　it　dropped　the　slice　of　apple；　turned；　bounded　into　the　forest；　and　scrambled　to　the　upper　branches　of　a　maple　tree。
　Mark　jumped　up。　〃Ah；　heck！　We　wouldn't　have　hurt　you；　you　dumb　squirrel！〃　Disappointment　lined　his　face。
　〃Stay　calm。　He'll　be　back　again　tomorrow；〃　Paul　said。　He　stood　and　stretched　his　stiff　muscles。
　〃He'll　never　trust　us。〃
　〃Yes；　he　will。　Little　by　little。〃
　〃We'll　never　tame　him。〃
　〃Little　by　little；〃　Paul　said。　〃He　can't　be　converted　in　one　week。　You've　got　to　be　patient。〃
　〃I'm　not　very　good　at　being　patient。〃
　〃I　know。　But　you'll　learn。〃
　〃Little　by　little？〃
　〃That's　right；〃　Paul　said。　He　bent　over；　picked　up　the　apple　slices　and　peanuts；　and　dropped　them　into　a　plastic　bag。
　〃Hey；〃　Mark　said；　〃maybe　he's　mad　at　us　because　we　always　take　the　food　when　we　leave。〃
　Paul　laughed。　〃Maybe　so。　But　if　he　got　in　the　habit　of　sneaking　back　and　eating　after　we've　gone；　he　wouldn't　have　any　reason　to　e　out　while　we're　here。〃
　As　they　started　back　toward　camp；　which　lay　at　the　far　end　of　the　two…hundred…yard…long　mountain　meadow；　Paul　gradually　became　aware　again　of　the　beautiful　day　as　if　it　were　a　mosaic　for　all　the　senses；　falling　into　place　around　him；　piece　by　piece。　The　warm　summer　breeze。　White　daisies　gleaming　in　the　grass；　and　here　and　there　a　buttercup。　The　odor　of　grass　and　earth　and　wild　flowers。　The　constant　rustle　of　leaves　and　the　gentle　soughing　of　the　breeze　in　the　pine　boughs。　The　trilling　of　birds。　The　solemn　shadows　of　the　forest。　High　above；　a　hawk　wheeled　into　sight；　the　last　piece　of　the　mosaic；　its　shrill　cry　seemed　filled　with　pride；　as　if　it　knew　that　it　had　capped　the　scene；　as　if