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！
e address of a government laboratory in Illinois written on the other。 He supposed that the ten fifty…dollar bills tucked between the pages represented travel money。 Or a shameless bribe added to the blouse； the pants； and the perfume worn on her breast。
〃I'm not going！〃 he shouted after the woman。 〃The puter lied…I'm a charlatan。 The Bureau can go play with its weights！〃
She didn't turn around； didn't look back。
〃That woman is too damned sure of herself。〃
Elwood National Research Station
Joliet； Illinois
12 June 1978
A hair perhaps divides the false and true；
Yes； and a single Alif were the clue
could you but find it） to the treasure…house；
And peradventure to the Master too。
… Omar Khayyam
TWO
Two steps ahead； the military policeman who had escorted him from the front gate opened a door and said： 〃This is your briefing room； sir。〃
Brian Chaney thanked him and went through the door。
He found the young woman critically eyeing him； assessing him； expecting him。 Two men in the room were playing cards。 An oversized steel table…the standard government issue…was positioned in the center of the room under bright lights。 Three bulky brown envelopes were stacked on the table near the woman； while the men and their time…killing game occupied the far end of it。 Kathryn van Hise had been watching the door as it opened； anticipating him； but only now did the players glance up from their game to look at the newer。
He nodded to the men and said： 〃My name is Chaney。 I've been…〃
The hurtful sound stopped him； cut off his words。
The sound was something like a massive rubber band snapped against his eardrums； something like a hammer or a mallet smashing into a block of pressed air。 It made a noise of impact； followed by a reluctant sigh as if the hammer was rebounding in slow motion through an oily fluid。 The sound hurt。 The lights dimmed。
The three people in the briefing room were staring at something behind him； above him。
Chaney spun around but found nothing more than a wall clock above the door。 They were watching the red sweep hand。 He turned back to the trio with a question on his lips； but the woman made a little motion to silence him。 She and her male panions continued to watch； the clock with a fixed intensity。
The newer waited them out。
He saw nothing in the room to cause the sound； nothing to explain their concentrated interest； there was only the usual furniture of a government…appointed briefing room and the four people who now occupied it。 The walls were bare of maps； and that was a bit unusual； there were three telephones of different colors on a stand near the door； and that was a bit unusual； but otherwise it was no more than a windowless； guarded briefing room located on an equally well…guarded military reservation forty…five minutes by armored train from Chicago。
He had entered through the customary guarded gate of a restricted installation enpassing about five square miles； had been examined and identified with the customary thoroughness of military personnel； and had been escorted to the room with no explanation and little delay。 Massive outer doors on a structure that appeared earthquake…proof stirred his wonder。 There were several widely scattered buildings on the tract…but none as substantial as thi8 one…which led him to believe it had once been a munitions factory。 Now； the presence of a number of people of both sexes moving about the grounds suggested a less hazardous installation。 No outward hint or sign indicated the present activity； and Chaney wondered if knowledge of the vehicle was shared with station personnel。
He held his silence； again studying the woman。 She was sitting down； and he mentally speculated on the length of the skirt she was wearing today； as pared to the delta pants of the beach。
The younger of the two men suddenly pointed to the clock。 〃Hold onto your hat； mister！〃
Chaney glanced at the clock then back to the speaker。 He judged the fellow at about thirty； only a few years younger than himself； but having the same lanky height。 He was sandy haired； muscular； and something about the set of his eyes suggested a seafarer； the skin was deeply bronzed； as opposed to the girl's new tan； and now his open mouth revealed a silver filling in a front tooth。 Like his panions； he was dressed in casual summer clothing； his sportshirt half unbuttoned down the front。 His finger pointed at the clock dropped； as if in signal。
The reluctant sigh of the hammer or the mallet plowing sluggishly through a fluid filled the room； and Chaney wanted to cover his ears。 Again the unseen hammer smashed into pressed air； the rubber band struck his eardrums； and there was a final； anticlimactic pop。
〃There you are；〃 the younger man said。 〃The same old sixty…one。〃 He glanced at Chaney and added what appeared to be an explanation。 〃Sixty…one seconds； mister。
〃Is that good？〃
〃That's the best we'll ever have。〃
〃Bully。 What's going on？〃
〃Testing。 Testing； testing； testing； over and over again。 Even the monkeys are getting tired of it。〃 He shot a quick glance at Kathryn van Hise； as if to ask： Does he know？
The other card player studied Chaney with some reserve； wanting to fit him into some convenient slot。 He was an older man。 〃Your name is Chaney；〃 he repeated dourly。 〃And you've been…what？〃
〃Drafted；〃 Chaney replied； and saw the man wince。
The young woman said quickly： 〃Mr。 Chaney？〃
He turned and found her standing。 〃Miss van Hise。〃
〃We expected you earlier； Mr。 Chaney。〃
〃You expected too much。 I had to wait for a few days for sleeper reservations； and I laid over in Chicago to visit old friends。 I wasn't eager to leave the beach； Miss van Hise。〃
〃Sleeper？〃 the older man demanded。 〃The railroad？ Why didn't you fly in？〃
Chaney felt embarrassed。 〃I'm afraid of planes。〃
The sandy…haired man exploded in howling laughter and pointed an explanatory finger at his dour panion。 〃Air Force；〃 he said to Chaney。 〃Born in the air and flies by the seat of his pants。〃 He slapped the table and the cards jumped； but no one shared his high humor。 〃You're off to a fine start； mister！〃
〃Must I hold a candle to my shame？〃 Chaney asked。
The woman said again： 〃Mr。 Chaney； please。〃
He gave her his attention； and she introduced him to the card players。
Major William Theodore Moresby was the disapproving Air Force career man； now in his middle forties； whose receding hairline accented his rather large and penetrating gray…green eyes。 The ridge of his nose was sharp； bony； and had once been broken。 There was the suspicion of a double chin； and another suspicion of a building paunch beneath the summer shirt he wore outside his trousers。 Major Moresby had no humor； and he shook hands with the tardy newer with the air of a man shaking hands with a draft dodger newly returned from Canada。
The younger man with the bronzed muscular frame and the prominent dental work was Lieutenant mander Arthur Saltus。 He congratulated Chaney on having the good sense of being reluctant to leave the sea； and said he'd been Navy since he was fifteen years old。 Lied about his age； and furnished forged papers to underscore the lie。 Even in the windowless room his eyes were set against the bright sunlight on the water。 He was likable。
〃A civilian？〃 Major Moresby asked gravely。
〃Someone has to stay home and pay the taxes；〃 Chaney responded in the same tone。
The young woman broke in quickly； diplomatically。 〃Official policy； Major。 Our directive was to establish a balanced team。〃 She glanced apologetically at Chaney。 〃Some people in the Senate were unhappy with the early NASA policy of selecting only military personnel for the orbital missions； and so we were directed to recruit a more balanced crew to…to avert a possible future inquiry。 The Bureau is mindful of Congressional judgments。〃
Saltus： 〃Translation： we've got to keep those funds rolling in。〃
Moresby： 〃Damn it！ Is politics into this thing？〃
〃Yes； sir； I'm afraid so。 The Senate submittee overseeing our project has posted an agent here to maintain liaison。 it is to be regretted； sir； but some few of them profess to see a parallel to the old Manhattan project； and so they insisted on continuous liaison。〃
〃You mean surveillance；〃 Moresby groused。
〃Oh； cheer up； William。〃 Arthur Saltus had picked up the scattered cards and was noisily shuffling the deck。 〃This one civilian won't hurt us； we outnumber him two to one； and look at the rank he hasn't got。 Tailend of the team； last man in the bucket； and we'll make him do the writing。〃 He turned back to the civilian。 〃What do you do； Chaney？ Astronomer？ Cartographer？ Something？〃
〃Something；〃 Chaney answered easily。 〃Researcher； translator； statistician； a little of this and that。〃
Kathryn van Hise said： 〃Mr。 Chaney authored the Indic report。〃
〃Ah；〃 Saltus nodded。 〃That Chaney。〃
〃Mr。 Chaney authored a book on the Qumran scrolls。〃
Major Moresby reacted。 〃That Chaney？〃
Brian Chaney said： 〃Mr。 Chaney will walk out of here in high pique and blow up the building。 He objects to b