cussler.blueandgold-第39节

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ound　with　the　material　he　gave　us？〃
　
　The　face　of　a　lovely　woman　appeared　on　the　huge　monitor　just　beyond　the　platform。　Her　lips　parted　in　a　white　smile。
　
　〃I'd　e　off　my　coffee　break　any　time　for　Mr。　Austin；〃　the　voice　said　flirtatiously。
　
　The　air　above　the　platform　shimmered　with　blue　light　at　the　nexus　of　lasers　scattered　in　the　walls。　Stud　by　stud；　beam　by　beam；　but　with　lightning　speed；　the　flashing　lasers　assembled　a　long　open　ship　with　a　single　square　sail。
　
　〃C'mon。〃　Yaeger　got　up；　and　they　walked　onto　the　platform。　Austin's　vision　blurred　for　a　second。　When　it　cleared　they　were　
　standing　on　the　deck　of　the　vessel　looking　toward　the　gracefully　upturned　bow。　Circular　wooden　shields　adorned　the　sides。
　
　〃This　is　the　next　evolution　in　the　program。　Not　only　will　you　be　able　to　see　the　ships　in　our　inventory；　you'll　be　able　to　walk　around　on　the　decks。　The　virtual　perspective　changes　as　you　move。　The　simplicity　of　design　made　this　one　fairly　easy。　〃
　
　〃I'd　say　I'm　standing　on　the　deck　of　the　Gogstad　ship。〃
　
　〃Correct。　Built　in　Norway　between　A。D。　700　and　1000。　The　original　ship　was　seventy…nine　feet　long　and　was　constructed　entirely　of　oak；　something　a　bit　more　substantial　than　light　beams。　This　is　a　half…scale　model。〃
　
　〃It's　beautiful；〃　Austin　said；　〃but　what　does　it　have　to　do　with　the　material　I　gave　you？〃
　
　〃I'll　show　you　what　I　found。〃
　
　They　walked　through　the　shimmering　walls　back　to　the　con　sole。
　
　〃It　wasn't　hard　getting　some　data　on　the　Mulholland　Group；〃　Yaeger　said。　〃As　your　dead　lawyer　friend　told　you；　the　pany　is　involved　in　hydraulic　projects。　I　had　to　dig　around；　but　I　found　that　it　was　part　of　a　larger　corporation　called　Gogstad。　The　logo　of　the　parent　pany　is　the　ship　you　see　be　fore　you。〃　The　hologram　disappeared；　and　a　stylized　version　of　the　ship　appeared　on　the　monitor。
　
　〃Tell　me　more。〃
　
　〃I　asked　Max　to　start　playing　around　with　Gogstad。　I　didn't　get　much　on　the　pany；　but　apparently　it's　a　huge　trans　national　corporation　involved　in　all　kinds　of　stuff。　Finance。　Engineering。　Banking。　Construction。〃
　
　He　handed　Austin　a　puter　disk。　〃This　is　what　I　found　Nothing　startling。　I'll　keep　trying。〃
　
　〃Thanks；　Hiram。　I'll　review　it。　In　the　meantime　I've　got　an　other　favor　to　ask　of　you　and　Max。〃　He　related　his　visit　to　the　Garber　center　and　his　interview　with　the　pilot's　son。　〃I'd　like　to　know　if　this　plane　was　ever　built　and　what　happened　to　the　I　pilot。〃　
　
　　Max　had　been　attentive　again。　A　photograph　of　a　large　wing　shaped　craft　appeared　on　the　screen。
　
　〃This　is　a　picture　from　the　Smithsonian　files　of　the　YB…49A；　the　last　Northrop　flying　wing　bomber　to　take　to　the　air；〃　the　low　voice　purred。　〃I　can　give　you　a　three…D　rendering；　like　the　ships。〃
　
　〃This　is　fine　for　now。　The　designation　etched　on　the　cylinder　was　YB…49B。〃
　
　The　photograph　was　replaced　by　a　drawing。　〃This　is　the　YB　49B；〃　Max　said。
　
　〃What's　the　difference　between　this　model　and　the　one　you　just　showed　us；　Max？〃
　
　〃The　designers　ironed　out　the　oscillation　problem　that　bothered　the　bombardiers。　In　addition　it　would　have　flown　faster　and　farther　than　the　earlier　model。　It　was　never　built。〃
　
　Austin　knew　better　than　to　argue　with　Max。　Instead；　he　watched　the　statistical　and　performance　figures　roll　under　the　picture。　Something　in　the　data　bothered　him。
　
　〃Wait；〃　he　said。　〃Go　back。　See　there；　it　says　the　cruising　speed　was　five　hundred　and　twenty…five　miles　per　hour。　How　would　they　have　known　the　speed　if　they　hadn't　conducted　field　trials？〃
　
　〃It　may　be　an　estimate？〃　Yaeger　ventured。
　
　〃Maybe。　But　it　doesn't　say　that　it's　estimated。〃
　
　〃You're　right。　They　would　have　to　have　conducted　field　trials　back　then　because　they　didn't　have　smart　machines　like　Max　to　simulate　flying　conditions。〃
　
　〃Thank　you　for　the　pliment；　although　it　does　state　the　obvious；〃　Max　said。　〃Kurt　has　a　point；　Hiram。　While　you　were　talking　I　checked　and　found　that　in　every　instance　where　a　plane　was　designed　but　not　actually　built；　its　speed　was　estimated。　Except　for　this　one。〃
　
　Yaeger　knew　better　than　to　argue　with　Max。　〃It　seems　that　maybe　this　plane　did　exist？　But　what　happened　to　it？〃
　
　〃This　may　be　as　far　as　we　get　for　now；〃　Austin　said。　〃The　Northrop　and　Air　Force　records　were　lost。　What　can　Max　tell　us　about　the　pilot；　Frank　Martin？〃　
　
　　〃Do　you　want　the　quick　economy　search　or　the　full…blown　probe？〃　Max　asked。
　
　〃What's　the　difference？〃
　
　〃The　quick　tour　goes　to　the　Pentagon's　armed　services　registry；　which　contains　the　name　of　everyone；　living　or　dead；　who　served　in　the　armed　forces。　The　full　monte　digs　additional　information　from　the　Pentagon's　classified　files。　I'll　throw　in　the　National　Security　Council；　the　FBI；　and　the　CIA　just　for　ha…has。〃
　
　〃This　is　a　mere　technicality；　but　isn't　it　illegal　to　hack　into　those　databases？〃
　
　〃Hack　is　such　an　ugly　word；〃　Max　said。　〃Let's　say　I'm　simply　paying　social　calls　on　fellow　puter　systems　so　we　can　ex　change　gossip。〃
　
　〃In　that　case；　do　all　the　socializing　you　want　to；〃　Austin　said。
　
　〃Interesting；〃　Max　said　after　a　moment。　〃I've　tried　to　open　several　doors；　but　in　every　case　Harry　has　put　a　lock　on　them。〃
　
　〃Who's　Harry；　another　puter？〃　Yaeger　said。
　
　〃No；　silly。　Harry　Truman。〃
　
　Austin　scratched　his　head。　〃Are　you　saying　that　all　the　files　on　this　pilot　were　sealed　by　order　of　the　president？〃
　
　〃That's　right。　Aside　from　the　most　basic　information　about　Mr。　Martin；　everything　else　is　still　classified。〃　There　was　an　un　characteristic　pause。　〃That's　peculiar；〃　Max　said。　〃I　just　got　a　trace。　It　was　as　if　someone　opened　a　door　that　was　locked。　Here's　your　boy。〃　A　picture　of　a　young　man　in　an　Air　Force　uniform　appeared。　〃He　lives　in　upstate　New　York　near　Coopers　town。〃
　
　〃He's　still　alive？〃
　
　〃There　seems　to　be　some　disagreement　on　that。　The　Pentagon　says　he　died　in　a　plane　crash　in　1949。　This　new　information　says　just　the　opposite。〃
　
　〃A　mistake？〃
　
　〃I　wouldn't　be　surprised。　Humans　are　fallible。　I'm　not。〃
　
　〃Does　he　have　a　phone？〃
　
　〃No。　But　I　have　an　address。〃
　
　A　printout　came　out　of　a　slot　on　the　console。　Still　puzzled；　Austin　looked　at　the　name　and　address　as　if　they　were　in　vanishing　ink。　He　folded　the　paper　and　tucked　it　into　his　pocket。　〃Thanks；　Hiram　and　Max。　You've　been　a　great　help。〃　He　started　for　the　door。
　〃Where　you　off　to　now？〃　Yaeger　said。
　
　　〃Cooperstown。　This　may　be　my　one　and　only　chance　to　get　into　the　Baseball　Hall　of　Fame。〃
　　
　
　Chapter　21
　Across　the　Potomac　at　the　new　CIA　headquarters　building　in　Langley；　Virginia；　an　analyst　in　the　Directorate　of　Intelligence　was　wondering　if　his　puter　was　having　the　hiccups。　The　analyst；　an　eastern　European　specialist　named　J。　Barrett　Browning；　stood　up　and　peered　over　the　partition　into　the　adjacent　cubicle。
　
　〃Say；　Jack；　do　you　have　a　second　to　look　at　something　really　weird？〃
　
　The　sallow…faced　man　at　the　cluttered　desk　put　aside　the　Russian　newspaper　he　had　been　marking　up　and　rubbed　his　deep…set　eyes。
　
　〃Sex；　crime；　and　more　sex。　I　don't　know　what　could　be　weirder　than　the　Russian　press；〃　said　John　Rowland；　a　respected　translator　who　had　joined　the　CIA　after　the　agency's　dark　Nixon　days。　〃It's　like　U。S。　supermarket　tabloids　on　hormones。　I　almost　miss　the　tractor　production　statistics。〃　He　rose　from　his　work　station　and　came　around　into　Browning's　cubicle。　〃What's　the　problem；　young　man？〃
　
　〃This　crazy　message　on　my　puter；〃　Browning　replied　with　a　shake　of　his　head。　〃I　was　scrolling　some　historical　material　on　the　Soviet　Union；　and　this　popped　up　on　the　screen。〃
　
　Rowland　leaned　forward　and　read　the　words：　〃PROTOCAL　ACTIVATED　FOR　SANCTION　WITH　EXTREME　PREJU　DICE。〃　
　
　　Rowland　tugged　his　pepper…and…salt　goatee。　〃Extreme　prejudice？　Nobody　uses　language　like　that　anymore。〃
　
　〃What's　it　mean？〃
　
　〃It's　a　euphemism。　Goes　way　back　to　the　cold　war　and　Vietnam。　It's　a　polite　way　of　referring　to　a　hit。〃
　
　〃Huh？〃
　
　〃Don't　they　teach　you　anything　at　Yale？〃　Rowland　said　with　a　grin。　〃Sanctioning　someone　is　setting　him　up　for　assassination。　Real　James　Bond　stuff。〃
　
　〃Oh；　I　get　it；〃　Barrett　said；　looking　around　the　room　at　the　other　cubicles。　〃Let's　guess　which　of　our　esteemed　colleagues　is　the　practical　joker。〃
　
　Rowland　was　in　deep　thought　and　didn't　reply。　He　slid　into　Browning's　chair　and　studied　the　underlined　file　number　at　the　end　of　the　message。　He　highlighted　the　number　and　hit　the　enter　key。　A　series　of　digits　appeared。
　
　〃If　this　is　a　joke；　it's　a　good　one；〃　he　muttered。　〃No　one　has　used　this　encoding　since　Allen　Dulles　was　agency　director　after　World　War　II。〃
　
　Rowland　hit　the　print　button　and　took　the　copy　of　the　message　to　his　cubicle　with　his　puzzled　colleague　right　behind　him。　He　made　a　quick　phone　call；　then　fed　the　code　into　his　puter　and　tapped　the　keys。　〃I'm　sending　this　down　to　a　pal　in　the　decoding　division。　It's　pretty　antiquated　stuff。　He　can　decipher　it　in　a　matter　of　minutes　with　the　programs　available　today。〃
　
　〃Where　do　you　suppose　it　came　from？〃　Browning　said。
　
　〃What　were　you　reading　when　the　message　appeared？〃
　
　〃Archives　mater