cc.themediterraneancaper2-第28节

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　Zacynthus　broke　off　in　midsentence：　his　eyebrows　rose　sharply；　and　he　leaned　across　the　desk；　gazing　directly　into　Pitt's　eyes。
　〃Let's　have　that　again。　What　did　you　say　your　name　was？〃　His　voice　this　time　was　soft　and　patronizing。
　〃Dirk　Pitt〃
　Zacynthus　did　not　move　or　speak　for　a　full　ten　seconds。　Then　he　slowly　settled　back；　visibly　off　balance。
　〃You're　lying；　you　must　be　lying；〃
　〃Am　I？〃
　〃Your　father's　name？〃　Zacynthus　still　stared　unblinkingly　at　Pitt。
　〃Senator　George　Pitt　of　California。〃
　〃Describe　him；　appearance；　history；　family…　Pitt　sat　down　on　the　edge　of　the　desk　and　pulled
　out　a　cigarette。　He　fumbled　for　his　lighter；　then　remembered　it　was　still　lying　on　the　floor　of　the　room　where　It　had　fallen　when　he　charged　Darius。
　Zacynthus　struck　a　wooden　match　against　a　drawer　and　held　it　for　him。
　Pitt　nodded　a　grateful　thank　you。
　Pitt　spoke　for　ten　minutes　'without　stopping；　Zacynthus　listened　thoughtfully；　moving　only　once　to　switch　on　a　dim　overhead　lamp　as　the　daylight　outside　the　window　faded　slowly　away。　Finally　he　raised　his　hand。
　〃That　will　do。　You　must　be　his　son；　the　person　you　claim　to　be。　But　what　are　you　doing　on　Thasos？〃
　〃NUMA's　Chief　Director；　Admiral　James　Sandecker；　assigned　Giordino　and　myself　to　investigate　a　series　of　strange　accidents　that　have　recently　plagued　one　of　our　oceanographic　research　vessels。'
　〃Ah　yes；　the　white　ship　anchored　beyond　Brady　Field。　Now　I'm　beginning　to　understand。〃
　〃That's　nice；〃　Giordino　said　sarcastically　from　his　unfortable　stance。　〃I'm　sorry　to　interrupt；　but　if　my　bladder　isn't　relieved　soon；　you're　going　to　have　an　accident　right　here　on　the　office　floor。〃
　Pitt　grinned　at　Zacynthus。　〃He'd　do　it　too。〃
　A　speculative　look　crossed　Zacynthus'　eyes；　then　he　shrugged　and　pressed　a　hidden　button　under　the　desk　top。　Instantly　the　door　flew　open；；　revealing　Zeno　with　the　Glisenti　firmly　gripped　in　one　hand。
　〃Trouble；　my　Inspector？〃
　Zacynthus　ignored　the　question。　'Put　away　your　gun；　remove　the　handcuffs　and　show…ah…Mister　Giordino　to　our　sanitation　facilities。〃
　Zeno's　eyebrows　lifted。　〃Are　you　certain…〃
　〃It's　all　right；　old　friend。　These　men　are　no　longer　our　prisoners；　they　are　our　guests。'〃
　Without　another　word　or　any　outward　sign　of　surprise；　Zeno　holstered　the　automatic　and　released　Giordino；　escorting　him　down　the　hall。
　〃Now　it's　my　turn　for　answers；〃　Pitt　said；　exhaling　a　transparent　cloud　of　bluish　smoke。　〃What's　your　connection　with　my　father？〃
　〃Senator　Pitt　is　well　known　and　respected　in　Washington。　He　serves　honorably　and　efficiently　on　several　senate　mittees。　One　of　which　is　the　Narcotic　Drugs　mittee。〃
　〃That　still　doesn't　explain　where　you　e　in。〃
　Zacynthus　pulled　a　well…worn　tobacco　pouch　from　a　coat　pocket　and　idly　filled　his　pipe；　carefully　tamping　it　with　a　small　coin。
　〃Because　of　my　lengthy　experience　and　my　investigations　in　the　field　of　narcotics　I　have　often　served　as　liaison　between　your　father's　mittee　and　my　employer。〃
　Pitt　looked　up　puzzled。　〃Employer？〃
　〃Yes；　Uncle　Sam　pays　my　salary　just　as　he　does　yours；　my　dear　Pitt。〃　Zacynthus　grinned。　〃My　apologies　for　the　late　formal　introduction。　I'm　Inspector　Hercules　Zacynthus；　Federal　Bureau　of　Narcotics。　My　friends　just　call　me　Zac；　I'd　be　honored　if　you　do　the　same。〃
　All　doubts　flew　from　Pitt's　mind　and　the　relief　of　certainty　covered　him　like　a　forting　cool　wave　from　the　sea。　His　muscles　relaxed；　and　he　became　aware　of　how　tense　he　had　been；　how　keyed…up　his　thoughts　and　nerves　were　against　the　unknown　dangers　of　the　situation。　Carefully；　holding　back　an　urge　to　tremble；　ho　crushed　his　cigarette　in　an　ashtray。
　〃Aren't　you　a　little　out　of　your　territory？〃
　〃Geographically　yes；　professionally　no。〃　Zac　paused　to　puff　his　pipe　into　life。　〃About　a　month　ago　the　Bureau　received　a　report　through　INTERPOL　that　a　massive　shipment　of　heroin　was　loaded　aboard　a　freighter　in　Shanghai。　。　。〃
　〃One　of　Bruno　von　Till's　ships？〃
　〃How　did　you　know？〃　Zac's　voice　was　quizzical。
　A　wry　smile　crossed　Pitt's　lips。　〃Just　a　guess。　I'm　sorry　for　interrupting；　please　continue。〃
　〃The　ship；　a　Minerva　Lines　freighter　called　the　Queen　Artemisia；　left　the　Shanghai　harbor　three　weeks　ago　with　a　seemingly　innocent　cargo　manifest　of　soybeans；　frozen　pork；　tea；　paper　and　carpets。〃　Zac　could　not　help　grinning。　〃Quite　a　variety；　I　admit。〃
　〃And　the　destination？〃
　〃The　first　port　of　call　was　Colombo　in　Ceylon。　Here　the　ship　unloaded　the　munist　Chinese　trade　goods　and　took　on　a　new　cargo　of　grapbite　and　cocoa。
　After　a　fuel　stop　at　Marseille；　the　Queen　Artemisia's　next　and　final　port　is　Chicago　via　the　Saint　Lawrence　Seaway。〃
　Pitt　thought　a　moment。　〃Why　Chicago？　Surely　New　York；　Boston　or　the　other　eastern　seaboard　ports　are　better　equipped　by　the　underworld　to　handle　foreign　drug　shipments。〃
　〃Why　not　Chicago？〃　Zac　retorted。　〃The　Windy　City　is　the　greatest　distribution　and　transportation　center　in　the　good　old　United　States。　What　better　place　to　dump　one　hundred　and　thirty　tons　of　uncut　heroin。〃
　Pitt　looked　up；　disbelief　etched　on　his　face。　〃That's　impossible。　No　one　on　this　earth　could　get　that　kind　of　an　amount　through　a　custom's　inspection。〃
　〃No　one；　that　is；　except　Bruno　von　Till。〃　The　voice　was　a　low　murmur；　and　Pitt　suddenly　felt　cold。
　〃It's　not　his　real　name　of　course。　That　was　lost　somewhere　in　his　past；　long　before　he　became　an　elusive　smuggler；　the　most　diabolic　and　crafty　purveyor　of　human　misery　of　all　time。〃　Zac　swung　around　and　gazed　unseeing　out　the　window。　〃Captain　Kidd；　the　blockade　runners　of　the　Confederacy　and　all　the　slave　traders　rolled　into　one　couldn't　hold　a　candle　to　von　Till's　setup。〃
　〃You　make　him　sound　like　the　arch　villain　of　the　century。〃　Pitt　ventured。　'What　did　he　do　to　deserve　the　honor？〃
　Zac　flickered　a　glance　at　him；　then　looked　again　through　the　window。
　〃The　numerous　revolutionary　bloodbaths　suffered　by　Central　and　South　America　in　the　last　twenty　years　would　never　have　occurred　without　secret　arms　shipments　from　Europe。　Do　you　recall　the　great　Spanish　gold　theft　of　nineteen　fifty…four？　Spain's　already　shaky　economy　nearly　toppled　after　a　large　government　gold　reserve　vanished　from　the　secret　vaults　of　the　Ministry　of　Treasury。　Shortly　after；　India's　black　market　was　glutted　with　gold　bars　bearing　the　crest　of　Spain。　How　was　a　cargo　that　size　smuggled　seven　thousand　miles？　It's　still　a　mystery。　But　we　do　know　a　Minerva　Lines　freighter　left　Barcelona　the　night　of　the　theft　and　arrived　in　Bombay　a　day　before　the　gold　appeared。〃
　The　swivel　chair　squeaked；　and　Zac　refaced　Pitt。　The　inspector's　melancholy　eyes　looked　vague　and　lost　in　contemplation。
　〃Immediately　prior　to　Germany's　surrender　in　World　War　II；〃　he　continued；　〃eighty…five　high　ranking　Nazis　suddenly　materialized　in　Buenos　Aires　on　the　same　day。　How　did　they　get　there？　Again；　the　only　ship　arrival　that　morning　was　a　Minerva　Lines　freighter。　Again　in　the　summer　of　nineteen　fifty…four　an　entire　bus　load　of　teenage　school　girls　disappeared　on　an　outing　in　Naples。　Four　years　later　an　Italian　embassy　aid　discovered　one　of　the　missing　girls　wandering　aimlessly　through　one　of　the　back　alleys　of　Casablanca。〃　Zac　paused　for　nearly　a　minute；　then　went　on　very　quietly。　'She　was　pletely　insane。　I　saw　photographs　of　her　body。　It　was　enough　to　make　a　grown　man　cry。〃
　〃And　her　story？〃　Pitt　prompted　gently。
　〃She　remembered　being　carried　aboard　a　ship　with　a　large　'M'　painted　on　the　funnel。　That　was　the　only　thing　she　said　that　made　any　sense。　The　rest　was　insane　babble。〃
　Pitt　waited　for　more；　but　Zac　had　fallen　silent；　relighting　his　pipe　and　filling　the　room　with　a　sweet　aromatic　odor。
　〃White　slavery　is　a　rotten　business；〃　Pitt　said！　tersely。
　Zac　nodded。　〃Those　are　only　four　cases　of　hundred；　that　are　indirectly　connected　to　von　Till。　If　I　could　quote　word　for　word　from　the　INTERPOL　files　we　would　be　sitting　here　for　a　month；　and　then　some。〃　〃Do　you　think　von　Till　masterminds　the　crimes？〃　〃No；　the　old　devil　is　much　too　smart　to　bee　involved　in　the　actual　deed。　He　merely　supplies　the　transportation。　Smuggling　is　his　game；　and　on　a　grand　scale　at　that。〃
　〃Why　In　hell　hasn't　the　filthy　bastard　been　stopped？〃　Pitt　asked　half　angry；　half　confused。
　〃I　wish　I　could　answer　that　without　a　feeling　of　shame；〃　Zac　shook　his　head　sadly。　〃But　I　can't。　Nearly
　every　law　enforcement　agency　in　the　works　has　tried　to　catch　von　Till　with　the　goods；　so　to　speak；　but　he　has　eluded　every　trap；　murdered　every　agent　sent　to　infiltrate　Minerva　Lines。　His　ships　have　been　searched　and　researched　a　thousand　times；　yet　nothing　illegal　is　ever　found。〃
　Pitt　idly　watched　the　smoke　curl　from　Zac's　pipe。　〃No　one　is　that　clever。　If　he's　human；　he　can　be　caught。〃
　〃God　knows　we've　tried。　our　bined　law　enforcement　agencies　have　studied　every　inch　of　the　Minerva　ships；　shadowed　them　day　and　night　at　sea；　guarded　them　like　hawks　at　the　docks；　and　searched　every　bulkhead　with　electronic　detection　gear。
　〃I　can　rattle　off　the　names　of　at　least　twenty　investigators…damn　good　ones　too…who　have　made　von　Till's　arrest　their　life's　work。〃

　Pitt　lit　a　second　cigarette　and　stared　at　Zac　steadily。　〃Why　are　you　telling　me　all　this？〃
　〃Because　I　think　you　might　help