cc.vixen03-第32节

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　The　doors　began　to　close。　Jarvis　held　them　open；　one　foot　in；　one　foot　still　on　the　foyer　floor。　〃I'll　instigate　an　inquiry；〃　he　said。　〃But　I　warn　you；　Congressman；　you　may　not　like　what　we　find。〃
　Then　the　doors　clunked　shut　and　he　was　gone。
　It　was　ten　o'clock　when　Daggat　came　awake。　He　was　in　his　office　alone。　His　staff　had　long　since　left　for　home。　He　looked　at　his　watch　and　figured　he　had　dozed　for　nearly　an　hour。　He　rubbed　his　eyes　and　stretched　as　he　vaguely　heard　the　outer…office　door　open　and　close。　He　didn't　bother　to　look　up；　thinking　it　was　the　cleaning　crew。　It　was　only　after　he　failed　to　tune　in　the　familiar　sounds　of　wastebaskets　being　emptied　and　vacuum　cleaners　humming　that　he　became　aware　of　a　strange　presence。
　Felicia　Collins　leaned　languidly　against　the　doorway；　saying　nothing；　just　staring　at　Daggat。
　A　thought　triggered　in　the　back　of　his　mind　and　he　rose　and　made　an　apologetic　gesture。　〃I'm　sorry；　time　slipped　away　from　me。　I　pletely　forgot　our　dinner　date。〃
　〃You're　forgiven；〃　she　said。
　He　reached　for　his　coat。　〃You　must　be　starved。〃
　〃By　the　fourth　martini；　all　hunger　pangs　disappeared。〃　She　peered　around　the　office。　〃I　figured　you　and　Hiram　were　probably　tied　up　in　conference。〃
　〃I　turned　him　over　to　the　State　Department　this　afternoon。　They're　giving　him　the　usual　lukewarm　treatment　reserved　for　fourth…class　visit…ing　dignitaries。〃　；
　〃Is　it　safe　for　him　to　be　out　in　public？〃
　〃I　saw　to　it　that　he's　provided　with　round…the…clock　security。〃
　〃Then　he's　no　longer　our　houseguest。〃
　〃No；　he　has　a　suite　at　the　Mayflower；　courtesy　of　the　government。〃
　Felicia　stretched　her　opulent　body　and　flowed　into　the　room。　〃By　the　way；　I　met　Loren　Smith　for　lunch。　She　poured　out　her　love　life　to　me。〃
　〃She　took　the　bait？〃
　〃If　you　mean　the　key　to　your　little　hideaway　in　Arlington；　the　answer　is　yes。〃
　He　took　her　in　his　arms；　his　eyes　gentle　but　smug　with　satisfaction。　〃You　won't　be　sorry；　Felicia。　Only　good　can　e　from　this。〃
　〃Try　telling　that　to　Loren　Smith；〃　she　said；　turning　away。
　He　released　her。　〃Did　she　mention　any　names？〃
　〃I　gather　she's　teasing　Phil　Sawyer　into　marriage　while　she's　screwing　some　guy　from　NUMA　on　the　side。〃
　〃Did　she　say　who？〃
　〃His　name　is　Dirk　Pitt。〃
　Daggat's　eyes　widened。　〃You　did　say　Dirk　Pitt？〃
　Felicia　nodded。
　Daggat's　mind　raced　to　make　a　connection　and　then　he　had　it。　〃Son　of　a　bitch！　It's　perfect！〃
　〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃
　〃The　revered　senior　senator　from　California；　George　Pitt。　Didn't　it　occur　to　you？　Congresswoman　Holier…Than…Thou　Smith　is　shacking　with　the　senator's　son。〃
　Felicia　shivered　as　her　skin　suddenly　went　cold。　〃For　God's　sake；　Frederick；　drop　this　stupid　scheme　of　yours　before　it　gets　out　of　hand。〃
　〃I　don't　think　so；〃　Daggat　said；　smiling　a　sinister　smile。　〃I　do　what　I　think　best　for　the　country。〃
　〃You　mean　you　do　what　you　think　best　for　Frederick　Daggat。〃
　He　took　her　by　the　arm　and　led　her　from　the　office。　〃When　you　have　time　to　reconsider；　you'll　e　to　find　that　I　was　right。〃　He　turned　off　the　lights。　〃Now　then；　let's　grab　some　dinner；　and　afterward　we'll　prepare　Loren　Smith's　love　nest　for　her　one　and　only　visit。〃
　
　38
　
　Admiral　James　Sandecker　was　a　short；　feisty　character　with　flaming　red　hair　and　plenty　of　gall。　When　his　retirement　from　the　Navy　was　forced　upon　him；　he　used　his　considerable　congressional　influence　to　connive　his　way　into　the　job　of　chief　director　of　the　then…fledgling　National　Underwater　and　Marine　Agency。　It　was　a　match　that　was　ordained　for　success　from　the　start。　In　seven　short　years　Sandecker　had　taken　an　insignificant　eighty…person　agency　and　built　it　into　a　massive　organiza…tion　of　five　thousand　scientists　and　employees　supported　by　an　annual　budget　that　exceeded　four　hundred　million　dollars。
　He　was　accused　by　his　enemies　of　being　a　grandstander；　of　launching　oceanic　projects　that　garnered　more　publicity　than　scientific　data。　His　supporters　applauded　his　flair　for　making　the　field　of　oceanography　as　popular　as　space　science。　Whatever　his　assets　or　liabilities；　Admiral　Sandecker　was　as　solidly　entrenched　at　NUMA　as　J。　Edgar　Hoover　had　been　at　the　FBI。
　He　drained　the　last　swallow　from　a　bottle　of　Seven…Up；　sucked　on　the　stub　of　a　giant　cigar；　and　looked　into　the　unsmiling　faces　of　Admiral　Walter　Bass；　Colonel　Abe　Steiger；　Al　Giordino；　and　Dirk　Pitt。
　〃The　part　I　find　hard　to　swallow；〃　he　continued；　〃is　the　total　lack　of　interest　on　the　part　of　the　Pentagon。　It　would　seem　logical…to　me；　at　any　rate…that　Colonel　Steiger's　report　on　the　discovery　of　Vixen　03　plete　with　photos　would　have　shocked　the　hell　out　of　them。　And　yet　the　colonel　has　told　us　his　superiors　acted　as　though　the　whole　episode　was　best　dropped　and　forgotten。〃
　〃There　is　a　bona　fide　reason　behind　their　indifference；〃　Bass　answered　impassively。　〃Generals　O'Keefe　and　Burgdorf　are　ignorant　of　the　link　between　Vixen　03　and　the　QD　project　because　none　is　recorded。〃
　〃How　can　that　be？〃
　〃What　was　learned　after　the　deaths　of　Dr。　Vetterly　and　his　scientists　motivated　everyone　who　knew　of　QD's　ghastly　power　to　bury　every　scrap　of　evidence　and　erase　all　memories　of　its　existence　so　that　it　could　not　be　resurrected　ever　again。〃
　〃You　mean　you　suppressed　an　entire　defense　project　under　the　noses　of　the　Joint　Chiefs　of　Staff？〃　Sandecker　said　incredulously。
　〃By　direct　order　from　President　Eisenhower　I　was　to　state　in　my　reports　to　the　Joint　Chiefs　that　the　experiment　had　backfired　and　the　formulation　of　QD　had　died　along　with　Dr。　Vetterly。〃
　〃And　they　swallowed　the　story？〃
　〃They　had　no　reason　not　to；〃　said　Bass。　〃Besides　the　President；　Secretary　of　Defense　Wilson；　and　myself　and　a　handful　of　scientists；　no　one　else　knew　exactly　what　Vetterly　had　discovered。　As　far　as　the　Joint　Chiefs　were　concerned；　the　project　was　simply　another　low…budget　experiment　within　the　ugly　realm　of　chemical…biological　warfare。　They　suffered　no　qualms；　nor　did　they　ask　embarrassing　questions　before　writing　it　off　as　a　failure。〃
　〃What　was　the　purpose　of　circumventing　the　armed…forces　power　structure？〃
　〃Eisenhower　was　an　old　soldier　who　abhorred　mass…kill　weapons。〃　Bass　seemed　to　shrivel　in　his　chair　while　he　collected　his　thoughts。　〃I　am　the　last　surviving　member　of　the　Quick　Death　Team；〃　he　continued　slowly。　〃Unhappily；　the　secret　will　not　die　with　me；　as　I　had　once　hoped；　because　Mr。　Pitt；　here；　accidentally　discovered　a　long…lost　source　of　the　disease　strain。　I　did　not　bare　the　facts　then…nor　will　I　now…to　the　men　who　run　the　Pentagon；　for　fear　that　they　would　consider　recovering　Vixen　03's　cargo　and　storing　it；　in　the　name　of　national　defense；　against　the　day　it　might　be　unleashed　against　a　future　enemy。〃
　〃But　surely　if　it　came　down　to　protecting　our　country　。　。　。〃　Sandecker　protested。
　Bass　shook　his　head。　〃I　don't　think　you　understand　the　true　horror　of　the　Quick　Death　organism；　Admiral。　Nothing　known　can　impede　its　deadly　effects。　Allow　me　to　cite　an　illustration：　if　five　ounces　of　QD　were　delivered　over　Manhattan　Island；　the　organism　would　seek　out　and　kill　ninety…eight　percent　of　the　population　within　four　hours。　And　no　one；　gentlemen；　no　human；　could　set　foot　on　the　island　for　over　three　cen…turies。　Future　generations　could　only　stand　on　the　New　Jersey　shore　and　watch　the　once…mighty　buildings　erode　and　crumble　over　the　bones　of　their　former　inhabitants。〃
　The　other　men　around　the　table　paled；　their　blood　ran　cold。　For　a　while　no　one　spoke。　They　sat　frozen；　visualizing　a　city　entombing　three　million　corpses。　It　was　Pitt　who　finally　broke　the　uneasy　silence。
　〃The　people　in　Brooklyn　and　the　Bronx…they　would　not　be　af…fected？〃
　〃QD　organisms　spread　in　colonies。　Strangely；　they　do　not　travel　by　human　contact　or　by　the　wind。　They　tend　to　stay　localized。　Of　course；　if　enough　of　the　biological　agent　were　delivered　by　aircraft　or　rockets；　theoretically　blanketing　all　of　North　America；　the　entire　continent　would　bee　barren　of　all　human　life　until　the　year　2300。〃
　〃Is　there　nothing　that　can　kill　QD？〃　asked　Steiger。
　〃H…two…oh；〃　answered　Bass。　〃The　organism　can　only　exist　in　an　atmosphere　with　a　high　gaseous…oxygen　content。　You　might　say　it　suf…focates　when　immersed　in　water；　just　as　we　do。〃
　〃It　strikes　me　as　odd　that　Vetterly　was　the　only　one　who　knew　how　to　produce　it。〃　This　from　Pitt。
　Bass　smiled　thinly。　〃I　would　have　never　permitted　one　man　to　keep　the　critical　data　to　himself。〃
　〃So　you　destroyed　the　doctor's　records。〃
　〃I　also　falsified　all　orders　and　paperwork　I　could　lay　my　hands　on　that　related　to　the　project；　which　included；　by　the　way；　the　original　flight　plan　of　Vixen　03。〃
　Steiger　sat　back　and　sighed　with　apparent　relief。　〃At　least　that's　one　part　of　the　puzzle　that　won't　bug　me　any　longer。〃
　〃But　surely　the　project　left　tracks；〃　Sandecker　said　spe3ulatively。
　〃Skeletons　still　lie　on　Rongelo　Island；〃　said　Pitt。　〃And　what　keeps　unsuspecting　fishermen　or　yachtsmen　off　its　beaches？〃
　〃I'll　answer　your　question　in　reverse；〃　said　Bass。　〃First；　all　nautical　charts　of　that　area　designate　Rongelo　Island　as　a　dumping　ground　for　hydrogen　cyanide。　The　shores　are　also　ringed　with　buoys　warning　of　danger。〃
　〃Hydrogen　cyanide；〃　Giordino　repeated。　〃Sounds　like　bad　medicine。〃
　〃Tru