cc.goldenbuddha-第37节

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　Then；　from　the　side　of　the　door；　he　felt　a　hand　around　his　mouth。　He　was　thrown　facedown　on　the　bed；　his　eyes　pressed　tight　against　the　stainless…steel　screws　on　the　rear　of　the　box　with　an　optometrist's　screwdriver。　〃Go　again。〃　
　〃I　did　not　have　sex　with　that　woman；　Miss　Lewinsky；〃　Barrett　said。　〃Read　my　lips；　no　new　taxes。　Out　of　respect　for　the　family；　I　will　not　answer　that　question；　la　de　dah。〃　
　〃Hold　on；〃　Hanley　said。　
　He　repeated　Barrett's　ramblings　while　staring　at　the　screen。　Barrett　watched　and　raised　an　eyebrow。　His　voice　was　ing　from　Hanley's　mouth。　It　was　both　eerie　and　amazing。　
　〃My　mother　couldn't　tell　the　difference；〃　he　said。　
　〃Modern　technology；〃　Hanley　said；　〃still　astounds　me。〃　
　〃How　are　you　going　to　attach　it？〃　Barrett　asked。　
　Hanley　showed　him。　
　　
　AT　THE　SAME　instant　that　Reyes　and　Lincoln　were　pulling　alongside　the　Oregon　and　parking；　Max　Hanley　was　checking　a　device　in　the　Magic　Shop。　In　the　background；　on　one　of　the　numerous　workbenches；　the　machine　that　heated　liquid　latex　beeped　to　signal　it　was　at　operating　temperature；　then　automatically　went　to　standby。　
　Hanley　turned　and　stared　at　the　latex　machine；　then　diverted　his　eyes　back　to　the　small　box　in　his　hand。　〃Okay；〃　Hanley　said　to　Barrett；　〃let's　try　it　again。〃　
　〃Testing；　one；　two；　three；〃　Barrett　said。　〃The　brown　cow　jumped　over　the　red　moon；　four　score　and　seven　years　ago　our〃
　〃That's　fine；〃　Hanley　said；　cutting　him　off。　
　He　stared　at　the　small　box；　then　placed　it　to　his　throat　and　repeated　what　Barrett　had　said。　Staring　at　a　puter　screen　displaying　a　series　of　bar　graphs；　he　noted　the　discrepancy　and　adjusted　a　series　of　tiny　bedspread。　Next；　he　was　quickly　gagged　and　blindfolded；　with　his　arms　and　legs　secured　with　plastic　ties。　
　
　REYES　GLANCED　AROUND　the　port；　no　one　was　watching。　With　…L。Xiincoln's　help；　he　removed　Talbot　from　the　rear　seat；　then　dragged　him　up　the　gangplank　onto　the　Oregon。　Met　at　the　inner　door　by　Julia　Huxley；　the　trio　was　directed　down　to　the　Magic　Shop。　Talbot；　still　blindfolded；　stumbled　down　the　passages；　into　the　elevator；　then　along　the　last　stretch　of　hallway　until　they　reached　the　Magic　Shop。　Once　Lincoln　opened　the　door；　Reyes　directed　Talbot　to　a　chair；　then　sat　him　down　and　placed　straps　across　his　body。　A　light　was　moved　to　the　front　of　Talbot's　seat；　then　turned　on。　Talbot　could　feel　the　heat　from　the　lamp。　A　few　seconds　later；　his　blindfold　was　removed　and　the　blinding　light　met　his　eyes。　
　〃You　Michael　Talbot？〃　Hanley　asked。　
　〃Yes；〃　Talbot　said；　turning　from　the　light。　
　〃Eyes　forward；〃　Hanley　said。　
　Talbot　plied；　but　he　had　a　hard　time　looking　into　the　light。　He　could　sense　someone　was　behind　him；　but　the　straps　were　too　tight　to　turn。　
　〃Did　you　have　sex　with　a　teenage　boy　in　Indonesia？〃　
　〃Who　are　you　people？〃　Talbot　said。　
　A　second　later；　he　felt　a　touch　on　his　neck；　then　a　surge　of　electricity　hit　his　body。　
　〃We　ask　the　questions　here；〃　Hanley　said。　〃Did　you　have　sex　with　a　teenage　boy？〃　
　〃He　told　me　he　was　eighteen；〃　Talbot　said　through　gritted　teeth。　〃We're　tired　of　slime　like　you　ing　over　to　Asia　to　partake　of　your　sick　desires；〃　Hanley　said。　〃It's　giving　America　a　bad　name。〃
　〃I'm　here　on　busi〃　Talbot　started　to　say。　The　sharp　bite　of　electricity。　〃Silence；〃　Hanley　snapped。　
　Talbot　was　afraid；　the　kind　of　deep…down　fear　of　the　unknown　and　unseen　that　creeps　into　a　man's　soul　and　plays　with　his　nerves　and　internal　organs。　Talbot　began　sweating　from　his　forehead　and　the　need　to　urinate　was　overpowering。　〃I　have　to　pee；〃　he　said。　
　〃When　we　say　you　can；〃　Hanley　said。　〃First　we　are　going　to　make　a　mold　of　your　head。　Then　we　will　produce　a　three…dimensional　image　of　it；　which　we　will　transmit　over　our　puter　network。　From　here　on　out；　the　Asian　police　organizations　will　be　on　the　lookout　for　you。　Then　you　are　going　to　read　a　confession　aloud。　If　you　cooperate　and　perform　these　tasks；　you　will　be　taken　to　Hong　Kong　so　that　you　can　catch　the　first　flight　to　the　United　States。　Screw　with　us　in　any　way　and　you　will　be　washing　up　on　the　beaches　of　mainland　China　a　few　days　from　now。　What'll　it　be；　lover　boy？〃　
　〃Okay；　okay；〃　Talbot　blurted。　〃But　I'm　about　to　pee　my　pants。〃　
　〃Take　him　to　the　facilities；〃　Hanley　said。　
　Blindfolded　once　again；　Talbot　was　led　to　a　restroom　and　his　hands　untied。　
　Four　minutes　later；　he　was　back　in　his　seat　and　strapped　in　place　Fifteen　minutes　after　that；　the　mask　was　formed　and　the　voice　prin　recorded。　A　few　minutes　later；　Michael　Talbot　was　placed　facedown　on　the　rear　seat　of　the　sedan　again　and　was　driven　toward　the　ferry　dock。　
　
　WINSTON　SPENSER　WAS　trying　to　figure　an　angle。　There　was　none。　He　had　grabbed　for　the　brass　ring　and　e　up　short。　His　choice　now　was　to　live　or　to　die；　and　the　people　that　were　controlling　him　had　made　a　pelling　argument。　He'd　walk　out　with　a　new　identity　and　a　million　in　funding。　He　decided　this　was　a　deal　he　would　honor。　
　Spenser　stared　at　his　new　passport　and　documents；　then　watched　the　lady　in　the　group　talking　on　the　cellular　telephone。　She　disconnected　and　turned　to　the　leader。　
　〃The　president　is　on　his　way；　Mr。　Chairman；〃　she　said。　〃He's　taken　care　of　the　problem。〃　
　Spenser　had　no　idea　of　the　identities　or　affiliation　of　the　people　who　had　taken　him　hostage。　He　only　knew　from　what　he　had　witnessed　so　far　that　they　had　a　power　that　went　far　beyond　anything　he　had　ever　seen。　They　seemed　to　exist　in　a　world　of　their　own　creation；　a　world　of　control　and　illusion；　and　whatever　Spenser　may　have　planned；　they　had　always　been　one　step　ahead。　And　then　it　hit　him。　
　〃You　were　at　the　auction　in　Geneva；〃　he　said　to　the　leader。　
　Cabrillo　stared　at　Spenser；　as　if　trying　to　decide。　〃Yes；　I　was。〃　
　〃How　did　you　know　I'd　switched　the　Buddhas？〃　
　〃You　paid　our　pany　to　fly　the　icon　here　to　Macau；　then　take　it　by　armored　car　to　the　temple；〃　Cabrillo　said。　
　〃So　you　staged　the　entire　affair　at　the　party　as　a　ruse？〃　
　〃That；　and　we　wanted　to　fulfill　your　deal　with　the　man　outside；〃　Cabrillo　said。　
　〃Unreal；〃　Spenser　said。　〃And　the　one　hundred　million？〃　
　〃It　will　go　to　charity；〃　Cabrillo　said。　〃We　were　hired　to　bring　the　real　Buddha　back　to　its　rightful　ownerthis　side　deal　is　just　frosting　on　the　cake。〃　
　Spenser　thought　for　a　moment。　〃What　is　your　ideology；　your　group's　motivation？〃　
　〃We　are　a　corporation；〃　Cabrillo　said。　〃That　is　the　only　ideology　we　need。〃　
　〃So　you　exist　to　make　a　profit？〃　
　〃We　exist；〃　Cabrillo　said；　〃to　make　right　from　wrong。　But　along　the　way；　we've　learned　how　to　make　that　a　very　lucrative　enterprise。〃　
　〃Amazing；〃　Spenser　said。　
　〃Not　as　amazing　as　this；〃　Cabrillo　said　as　the　door　to　the　hangar　opened　and　the　car　carrying　Hanley　drove　inside。　Once　the　door　closed；　Hanley　climbed　from　the　passenger　side　of　the　SUV。　〃Meet　Michael　Talbot；〃　Cabrillo　said　to　an　astonished　Winston　Spenser。　
　
　THE　SOFTWARE　BILLIONAIRE　took　a　key　from　a　chain　around　his　neck　and　opened　the　leather　portfolio　on　the　table。　Then　he　removed　a　folder　and　flipped　through　the　papers。　The　stack　of　papers　was　nearly　an　inch　thick　and　was　posed　of　bearer　bonds　in　various　amounts。　The　largest　denomination　was　for　an　even　1　million。　The　smallest；　50；000。　The　banks　that　had　issued　the　bonds　were　from　a　hodgepodge　of　European　countries；　from　Great　Britain　to　Germany　to　the　most　prevalent；　Switzerland　and　Liechtenstein。　The　total　was　100　million。　
　It　was　a　king's　ransom　to　purchase　a　princely　prize。　
　But　to　the　software　billionaire；　it　was　just　money。　He　lived　for　the　fulfillment　of　his　own　desires。　It　was　not　the　art　of　the　Golden　Buddhs　that　intrigued　him；　nor　the　history　that　surrounded　the　icon　like　a　cloud；　it　was　the　fact　that　it　had　once　been　stolen　and　now　it　had　been　stoler　again。　It　was　the　crime　that　turned　him　on；　the　inflation　of　his　ego　h《　would　feel　when　he　knew　that　he　was　the　only　man　in　the　world　to　possess　the　rare　and　priceless　artifact。　Truth　be　told；　he　already　owned　a　collection　of　stolen　art　that　rivaled　any　museum　in　Europe。　Monet；　
　Manet；　Daumier；　Delacroix。　Da　Vinci　sketches；　Donatello　bronzes。　Illuminated　manuscripts；　crown　jewels；　stolen　historical　documents。　
　Warehouses　in　California　were　filled　with　antique　automobiles；　historic　motorcycles；　and　early　airplanes。　Stolen　Civil　War　artifacts；　Romanov　icons　heisted　from　a　museum　in　St。　Petersburg；　scientist　Nikola　Tesla's　writings　lifted　from　a　museum　in　Romania　after　the　fall　of　munism；　secret　presidential　letters；　even　a　toilet　from　the　White　House。　
　The　first　puter；　the　first　personal　puter；　the　first　mass…produced　consumer　puter。　
　Those　last　were　for　nostalgia；　since　puters　were　where　his　fortune　had　e　from。　He　still　had　a　hard　copy　of　the　first　program　his　pany　had　soldone　he　had　stolen　himself　from　an　unsuspecting　programmer　who'd　believed　he　was　just　helping　another　enthusiast。　That　had　been　his　first　and　largest　theft；　and　it　had　set　the　stage　for　all　the　others。　
　He　stared　at　the　bonds　again；　then　reached　for　the　satellite　telephone。
　
　EDDIE　SENG　WATCHED　as　a　pair　of　olive…green　Zodiac　boats　were　raised　from　a　lower　deck　on　a　utility　elevator　that　exited　amidships　on　the　Oregon。　As　soon　as　the　elevator　stopped；　Sam　Pryor　hooked　a　cable　to　the　cen