cussler.blueandgold-第62节

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　minutes。　She　was　grateful　when　the　door　hissed　open　and　the　woman　entered　and　waved　the　grotesque　twins　away。
　
　Francesca　wondered　if　she　had　blundered　into　a　freak　show　or　the　set　of　a　Fellini　movie。　She　knew　the　reason　for　the　out　sized　furniture。　The　woman　dressed　in　the　dark　green　uniform　was　a　giantess。　Settling　into　a　big　sofa；　she　smiled　pleasantly　but　without　warmth。　'Are　you　well；　Dr。　Cabral？〃
　
　〃What　did　you　do　with　Gamay？〃
　
　〃Your　NUMA　friend？　She　is　fortably　quartered　in　her　room。〃
　
　〃I　want　to　see　her。〃
　
　The　woman　lazily　reached　over　and　tapped　her　puter　screen；　and　Gamay　appeared　on　the　monitor；　lying　on　her　side　on　a　cot。　Francesca　held　her　breath。　Then　Gamay　stirred；　tried　to　rise；　only　to　fall　back　onto　the　cot。
　
　〃She　has　not　been　given　the　drug　antidote　as　you　were。　She　will　sleep　it　off　and　awaken　in　a　few　hours。〃
　
　〃I　want　to　see　her　in　person　to　make　sure　she　is　all　right。〃
　
　〃Later　perhaps。〃　The　answer　was　unpromising。　The　woman　touched　the　screen；　and　it　went　dark。
　
　Francesca　looked　around。　〃Where　exactly　is　this　place？〃
　
　〃That's　not　important。〃
　
　〃Why　have　you　brought　us　here？〃
　
　The　woman　ignored　her　question。　〃Did　Melo　and　Radko　frighten　you？〃
　
　〃Do　you　mean　the　human　mushrooms　who　just　left？〃
　
　She　smiled　at　the　parison。　'A　clever　metaphor；　but　you　would　do　better　to　pare　them　to　poisonous　toadstools。　De　spite　your　bravado；　I　can　see　the　fear　in　your　eyes。　Good。　They　should　frighten　you。　During　the　ethnic　cleansing　campaign　in　Bosnia　the　Kradzik　brothers　personally　killed　hundreds　of　people　and　planned　the　deaths　of　thousands。　They　destroyed　entire　villages　and　engineered　numerous　massacres。　If　not　for　me　they　would　be　sitting　in　the　prisoners'　dock　at　the　World　Court　in　the　Hague；　charged　with　crimes　against　humanity。　There　is　no　war　crime　they　did　not　mit。　They　have　absolutely　no　conscience；　no　morals；　no　sense　of　remorse　for　anything　they　do。　Maiming　and　killing　are　second　nature　to　them。〃　She　paused　to　let　her　words　sink　in。　〃Am　I　making　my　point？〃
　
　〃Yes。　That　you　have　no　scruples　yourself　about　hiring　murderers。〃
　
　〃Exactly。　Their　murderous　character　is　precisely　why　I　hired　them。　It　is　no　different　from　a　carpenter　buying　a　hammer　to　drive　nails　into　a　board。　The　Kradzik　twins　are　my　hammer。〃
　
　〃People　aren't　nails。〃
　
　〃Some　are。　Some　aren't；　Dr。　Cabral。〃
　
　Francesca　wanted　to　change　the　subject。　〃How　do　you　know　my　name？〃
　
　〃I　have　known　and　admired　your　work　for　years；　Dr。　Cabral。　In　my　opinion；　your　fame　as　one　of　the　world's　leading　hydro　engineers　easily　eclipses　your　more　recent　notoriety　as　a　white　goddess。〃
　
　〃You　know　who　I　am；　but　who　are　you？〃
　
　〃My　name　is　Brynhild　Sigurd。　Although　your　name　is　better　known　than　mine；　we　are　both　acplished　in　our　chosen　field；　the　movement　of　the　earth's　most　precious　substance；　its　water。〃
　
　〃You're　a　hydro…engineer？〃
　
　〃I　studied　at　the　finest　technological　institutions　in　Europe。　After　I　finished　my　studies　I　moved　to　California；　where　I　started　my　consulting　pany；　now　one　of　the　biggest　in　the　world。〃
　
　Francesca　shook　her　head。　She　thought　she　knew　everyone　in　the　water　engineering　fraternity。　〃I've　never　heard　of　you。〃
　
　〃I　prefer　it　that　way。　I've　always　operated　behind　the　scenes。　I'm　nearly　seven　feet　tall。　My　stature　makes　me　a　freak；　subject　to　derision　from　those　very　much　inferior　to　me。〃
　
　Despite　her　predicament；　Francesca　felt　a　slight　pang　of　empathy。　〃I　had　my　share　of　harassment　from　idiots　who　don't　like　the　idea　of　a　woman　excelling　in　their　field。　I　never　let　it　bother　me。〃
　
　〃Perhaps　you　should　have。　In　the　long　run　my　resentment　at　having　to　hide　from　the　public　has　been　an　asset。　I　directed　my　anger；　retooling　it　into　an　unstoppable　ambition。　I　acquired　other　panies；　all　with　an　eye　toward　the　future。　There　was　only　one　fly　in　the　ointment。〃　The　cold　smile　again。　〃You；　Dr。　Cabral。〃
　
　〃I've　never　considered　myself　an　insect；　Ms。　Sigurd。〃
　
　〃My　apologies　for　the　label；　but　the　analogy　is　precise。　Some　years　ago　it　became　clear　to　me　that　in　time　the　demand　for　the　world's　water　would　exceed　the　supply；　and　I　wanted　to　be　the　one　with　her　hand　on　the　tap。　Then　I　heard　about　your　revolutionary　desalting　process。　If　you　were　successful　it　would　torpedo　my　carefully　laid　plans。　I　couldn't　allow　that　to　happen。　I　considered　making　you　an　offer；　but　I　had　studied　your　personality　and　knew　I　could　never　get　through　your　impractical　altruism。　I　re　solved　to　prevent　you　from　giving　the　process　to　the　world。〃
　
　Francesca　felt　the　heat　rising　in　her　cheeks。　Her　voice　came　out　in　a　hiss。　〃You　were　the　one　behind　my　attempted　kidnap　ping。'
　
　〃I　had　hoped　to　persuade　you　to　work　for　me。　I　would　have　set　you　up　in　a　laboratory　to　perfect　your　process。　Unfortunately　my　plans　went　awry；　and　you　disappeared　into　the　Amazon。　Everyone　thought　you　were　dead。　Then　I　read　with　admiration　about　your　adventures　among　the　savages；　how　you　became　their　queen。　I　knew　that　we　were　both　survivors　in　a　hostile　world。〃
　
　Francesca　had　gotten　her　initial　fury　under　control；　and　her　reply　was　in　measured　tones。　〃What　would　you　have　done　with　the　process　if　I　had　given　it　to　you？〃
　
　〃I　would　have　kept　it　secret　while　I　consolidated　my　grip　on　the　world's　water。〃
　
　〃I　was　going　to　give　my　findings　to　the　world　free　of　charge；〃　Francesca　said　disdainfully。　〃My　goal　was　to　relieve　suffering；　not　profit　by　it。〃
　
　〃Laudable　but　self…defeating。　With　you　apparently　dead；　I　set
　up　a　plant　in　Mexico　to　duplicate　your　work。　It　was　destroyed　in　an　explosion。〃
　
　Francesca　almost　laughed。　She　knew　the　reason　for　the　blast　and　was　tempted　to　throw　it　in　this　woman's　face。　Instead　she　said；　〃I'm　not　surprised。　Working　with　high　pressure　and　extreme　heat　can　be　tricky。〃
　
　〃No　matter。　The　main　lab　here　was　working　on　another　aspect　of　the　process。　Then　came　the　happy　announcement　of　your　escape　from　the　Amazon。　Again　you　disappeared；　but　I　knew　of　your　ties　to　NUMA。　We've　been　watching　the　Trouts　since　they　returned。〃
　
　〃Too　bad　you're　wasting　your　time　once　again。〃
　
　〃I　don't　think　so。　It's　not　too　late　to　put　your　talents　to　work　
　
　　〃You　have　a　strange　way　of　recruiting　employees。　Your　first　kidnapping　attempt　was　the　reason　I　spent　ten　years　in　the　wilderness。　Now　you　drug　and　kidnap　me　again。　Why　would　I　want　to　do　anything　for　you？〃
　
　〃I　can　offer　you　unparalleled　support　for　your　research。〃
　
　〃A　dozen　foundations　would　be　glad　to　fund　my　work。　Even　if　I　were　inclined　to　work　for　you；　which　I'm　not；　there　is　a　major　obstacle。　The　desalting　process　involves　a　plex　molecular　metamorphosis　that　works　only　in　the　presence　of　a　rare　substance。〃
　
　〃I　know　about　anasazium。　My　supply　of　the　material　was　destroyed　in　the　blast　at　the　Mexican　facility。〃
　
　〃Too　bad；〃　Francesca　said。　〃The　process　can't　work　without　it。　So　if　you'll　be　so　kind　as　to　allow　me　to　leave　。　。　。〃
　
　〃You'll　be　pleased　to　know　that　I　have　all　the　anasazium　you'll　need　to　develop　your　process。　When　I　heard　of　your　re　turn　I　acquired　a　substantial　amount　of　the　refined　material。　Just　in　time；　I　might　add。　NUMA　had　dispatched　part　of　its　Special　Assignments　Team　on　a　similar　mission。　Now　I　can　carry　out　my　full　plan　to　control　the　world's　fresh　water。　You　alone　would　appreciate　the　simple　brilliance　of　my　scheme；　Dr。　Cabral。〃
　
　Francesca　feigned　a　reluctant　agreement；　as　if　she　were　secretly　pleased　at　the　pliment。　〃Well；　of　course；　as　a　water　scientist　I　would　be　curious　about　such　an　ambitious　endeavor。〃
　
　〃The　world　is　entering　one　of　the　most　serious　droughts　in　its　history。　This　dry　spell　could　last　a　hundred　years　if　the　past　is　any　indication。　The　first　impacts　have　been　felt　in　Africa；　China；　and　the　Middle　East。　Europe　is　beginning　to　experience　a　thirst　that　cannot　be　quenched。　I　simply　plan　to　accelerate　the　process　of　drying　out　the　world。〃
　
　〃Excuse　my　skepticism；　but　that's　absurd。〃
　
　〃Is　it？〃　Brynhild　replied　with　a　smile。　〃The　United　States　is　not　immune。　The　great　desert　cities　of　the　Southwest；　Los　Angeles；　Phoenix；　Las　Vegas；　draw　their　water　from　the　Colorado　River；　which　is　now　under　my　control。　They　rely　on　a　tenuous　network　of　dams；　reservoirs；　and　river　diversion。　The　water　sup　ply　hangs　by　a　thread。　Any　disruption　in　the　water　supply　would　be　disastrous。〃
　
　〃You're　not　going　to　blow　up　a　dam？〃　Francesca　said　with　alarm。
　
　〃Nothing　so　crude。　With　their　regular　water　supply　at　the　breaking　point；　the　cities　have　been　depending　more　and　more　on　private　sources。　Gogstad's　straw　corporations　have　been　buying　up　water　systems　everywhere。　We　can　create　a　water　shortage　wherever　and　whenever　we　want　to　simply　by　turning　the　handle　of　the　tap。　Then　we　will　sell　only　to　the　places　that　can　afford　it；　the　big　cities　and　the　high…tech　centers。〃
　
　〃What　of　those　who　can't　afford　it？〃
　
　〃There's　an　old　saying　in　the　West：　'Water　flows　uphill　to　money。'　The　wealthy　have　always　been　assured　of　a　cheap　water　source　at　the　expense　of　others。　Under　my　plan　water　will　no　longer　be　cheap。　We　will　be　doing　this　on　a　worldwide　scale；　in　Europe　and