按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
lf in Pitt's home。
He glanced at his watch。 Over an hour had passed since he dropped through the trees。 He left the mass of jumbled antiquities and continued moving toward what had once been the captain's cabin on the stern of the galleon。 He was swinging the blade of the machete back and forth to sweep the dead vegetation away from a debris mound when the blade suddenly clanged on a solid metal object。 Kicking the leaves to the side he found that he had stumbled on one of the ship's two cannons。 The bronze barrel had long since been coated by a thick green patina and the muzzle was filled with post accumulated through the centuries。
Pitt could no longer tell where his perspiration left of and the humid moisture from the forest began。 It was like working in a steam bath； with the added annoyance of tiny gnatlike insects that swarmed around his unprotected head and face。 Fallen vines wrapped around his ankles； and twice he slipped on the wet plant growth and fell。 A layer of clay soil and decayed leaves adhered to his body； giving him the look of some swamp creature from a haunted bog。 The steamy atmosphere was slowly sapping his strength； and he fought back an overwhelming urge to lie down on a soft pile of leaves and take a nap； an urge that abruptly vanished at the repulsive sight of a bushmaster slithering across a nearby heap of ballast stones。 The largest poisonous snake in the Americas； 3 meters （10 feet） long； pink and tan with dark diamond shaped blotches； the notorious pit viper was extremely lethal。 Pitt gave it a wide berth and kept a wary eye for its relatives。
He knew he was in the right area when he uncovered the big pintles and gudgeons； now badly rusted； that once held and pivoted the rudder。 His foot accidentally kicked something buried in the ground； an unidentifiable circular band of ornate iron。 When he bent down for a closer inspection he saw shards of glass。 He checked Perlmutter's illustrations and recognized the object as the stern running light。 The rudder fittings and the lamp told him that he was standing over what had been the captain's cabin。 Now his search for the jade box began in earnest。
In forty minutes of searching on his hands and knees； he found an inkwell； two goblets； and the remains of several oil lamps。 Without stopping to rest； he carefully brushed away a small heap of leaves and found himself looking into a green eye that stared back through the dank humus。 He wiped his wet hands on his pants； took a bandanna from his pocket； and lightly cleaned the features around the eye。 A human face became visible； one that had been artistically carved with great care from a solid piece of jade。 Pitt held his breath。
Keeping his enthusiasm in check； he painstakingly dug four small trenches around the unblinking face； deep enough to see that it was the lid to a box about the size of a twelve…volt car battery。 When the box was totally uncovered； he lifted it from the moist soil where it had rested since 1578 and set it between his legs。
Pitt sat in wondrous awe for the better part of ten minutes； afraid to pry off the lid and find nothing but damp rot inside。 With great trepidation he took a small Swiss army knife from one pocket； swung out the thinnest blade and began to jimmy the lid。 The box was so tightly sealed he had to constantly shift the knife blade around the box； prying each side a fraction of a millimeter before moving on to the next。 Twice he paused to wipe away the sweat that trickled into his eyes。 Finally； the lid popped free。 Then； irreverently； he clenched the face by the nose； lifted the lid and peeked inside。
The interior of the box was lined with cedar and contained what looked to him to be a folded mass of multicolored knotted string。 Several of the strands had faded but they were intact and their colors could still be distinguished。 Pitt couldn't believe the remarkable state of preservation； until he closely studied the antiquity and realized it was made； not from cotton or wool； but twisted coils of tinted metal。
〃That's it！〃 he shouted； startling a tree full of macaws； who winged into the depths of the rain forest amid a chorus of shrieking chatter。 〃The Drake quipu。〃
Clutching the box with the tenacity of an Ebenezer Scrooge refusing to donate to a Christmas charity； Pitt found a reasonably dry fallen tree to sit on。 He stared into the jade face and wondered if the quipu's secret could somehow be unriddled。 According to Dr。 Ortiz； the last person who might have read the knotted strands had died four hundred years ago。 He fervently hoped that Yaeger's state…of…the…art puter could cut through time and solve the mystery。
He was still sitting there amid the ghosts of the English and Spanish seamen； oblivious to a swarm of biting insects； the stabbing pain from his gashed arm； and the clammy dampness； when the returning helicopter came within earshot from somewhere in the shrouded sky。
A small van； marked with the name of a well known express package pany； drove up a ramp and stopped at the shipping and receiving door of a sizable one…story concrete building。 The structure covered one city block of a huge warehouse plex near Galveston； Texas。 There was no pany sign on the roof or walls。 The only evidence that it was occupied came from a small brass plaque beside the door that read Logan Storage pany。 It was just after six o'clock in the evening。 Too late for employees to be working on the job but still early enough not to arouse the suspicion of the patrolling security guards。
Without exiting the van； the driver punched in a code on a remote control box that deactivated the security alarm and raised the big door。 As it rose to the ceiling； it revealed the interior of a vast storehouse filled to the roof support girders with seemingly endless racks packed with furniture and ordinary household goods。 There was no hint of life anywhere on the spacious concrete floor。 Now assured that all employees had left for home； the driver moved the van inside and waited for the door to close。 Then he drove onto a platform scale large enough to hold an eighteen…wheel truck and trailer。
He stepped from the vehicle and walked over to a small instrument panel on a pedestal and pressed a code into a switch labeled Engage Weigh…in。 The platform vibrated and then began to sink beneath the floor； revealing itself to be a huge freight elevator。 After it settled onto the basement floor； the driver eased the van into a large tunnel while behind him the elevator automatically returned to the upper storage floor。
The tunnel stretched for nearly a full kilometer before ending deep beneath the main floor of another huge warehouse。 Here in a vast subterranean plex the Zolar family conducted their criminal operations； while operating as a legitimate business on the main floor。
On the honest business level； regular employees entered a glass entrance to administration offices that ran along one entire wall of the building。 The rest of the spacious floor housed thousands of valuable paintings； sculptures； and a great variety of antiques。 All had impeccably bona fide origins and were legally purchased and sold on the open market。 A separate department at the rear housed the preservation department； where a small team of master craftsmen worked to restore damaged art and ancient artifacts to their original splendor。 None of the employees of Zolar International or Logan Storage pany； even those with twenty years of service or more； remotely suspected the great clandestine operation that took place beneath their feet。
The driver exited the tunnel and entered an enormous sprawling secret sub…basement whose interior floor space was even larger than the main surface level 20 meters （66 feet） above。 About two…thirds of the area was devoted to the accumulation； storage； and eventual sale of stolen and smuggled artworks。 The remaining third was set aside for the Zolar family's thriving artifact forgery and fabrication program。 This subterranean level was known only to the immediate members of the Zolar family； a few loyal copartners in the operation； and the original construction crew； who were brought in from Russia and then returned when the subterranean rooms were pleted； so no outsiders could reveal the facility's existence。
The driver slipped from behind the steering wheel； walked around to the rear of the van and pulled a long metal cylinder from inside that was attached to a cart whose wheels automatically unfolded once it was pulled free； like an ambulance gurney。 When all four wheels were extended； he rolled the cart and cylinder across the huge basement toward a closed room。
As he pushed； the van driver stared at his reflection in the polished metal of the cylinder。 He was of average height with a well…rounded stomach。 He looked heavier than his actual weight because of a tight…fitting pair of white coveralls。 His medium brown hair was clipped short in a military crew cut； and his cheeks and chin were closely shaven。 He found it amusing that his shamrock green eyes took on a silver tint from the aluminum container。 Now deceptively dreamy； they could turn as hard as flint when he was angry or tense。 A police detective； good at providin