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！
The cold water was cold but the hot water was only a few degrees warmer…barely enough to feel a difference。 Chaney came out of the shower； wrapped a towel about his middle and began rubbing lather on his face。
〃Stop！〃 Arthur Saltus was in the doorway； pointing an accusatory finger。 〃Put down the razor； civilian。〃
Startled； Chaney dropped the razor into the bowl of tepid water。 〃Good morning； mander。〃 He recovered his wits and the razor to begin the shave。 〃Why？〃
〃Secret orders came in the middle of the night；〃 Saltus declared。 〃All the people of the future wear long beards； like old Abe Lincoln。 We must be in character。〃
〃Nudists with bushy beards；〃 Chaney mented。 〃That must be quite a sight。〃 He kept on shaving。
〃Well； you bit hard yesterday； civilian。〃 Saltus put an exploratory hand under the shower and turned on the water。 He had anticipated the result。 〃This hasn't changed since boot camp；〃 he told Chaney。 〃Every barracks is allotted ten gallons of hot water。 The first man in uses it all。〃
〃I thought this was a barracks。〃
〃This building？ It must have been at one time or another； but the station wasn't always a military post。 I spotted that ing in。 Katrina said it was built as an ordnance plant in 1941…you know； during that war。〃 He stepped under the shower。 〃That was…what？ Thirty seven years ago？ Time flies and the mice have been at work。〃
〃That other building is new。〃
〃The lab building is brand new。 Katrina said it was built to house that noisy machine…built to last forever。 Reinforced concrete all the way down； a basement； and a sub…basement； and other things。 The vehicle is down there somewhere hauling monkeys back and forth。〃
〃I'd like to see that damned thing。〃
〃You and me together； civilian。 You and me and the Major。〃 His head popped out of the shower and his voice dropped to a stage whisper。 〃But I've got it figured。〃
〃You have？ What？〃
〃Promise you won't tell Katrina？ You won't tell the man in the White House I broke security？〃
〃Cross my heart； spit at the moon and everything。〃
〃All right： all this is a plot； a trick to be ahead of everybody else。 Katrina has been misleading us； We're not going up to the turn of the century…we're going back down； back into history！〃
〃Back？ Why？〃
〃We're going back two thousand years； civilian。 To grab those old scrolls of yours； pirate them； as if they were classified or something。 We're going to sneak in there some dark night； find a batch of them in some cave or other and copy them。 Photograph them。 That's why we're using cameras。 And meanwhile； you'll be using a recorder； making tapes of the location and the like。 Maybe you could unroll a parchment or two and read off the titles； so we'll know if we have anything important。〃
〃But they seldom have titles。〃
Saltus was stopped。 〃Why not？〃
〃Titles just weren't important at the time。〃
〃Well…no matter； we'll make do； we'll just copy everything we can find and sort them out later。 And when we're finished we'll put everything back the way we found it and make our escape。〃 Saltus snapped his fingers to indicate a job well done and went back into the shower。
〃Is that all？〃
〃That's enough for us…we've scooped the world！ And a long time afterward…you know； whatever year it was…some shepherd will stumble into the cave and find them in the usual way。 Nobody but us will be the wiser。〃
Chaney wiped his face dry。 〃How do we get into the Palestine of two thousand years ago？ Cross the Atlantic in a canoe？〃
〃No； no； we don't ride backwards first； civilian…not here； not in Illinois。 If we did that we'd have to fight our way though Indians！ Look； now： the Bureau of Standards will ship the vehicle over there in a couple of weeks； after we've had our field trials。 They'll pack it in a box marked Agricultural Machinery； or some such thing； and smuggle it in like everybody else does。 How do you think the Egyptians got that baby bomb into Israel？ By sending it parcel post？〃
Chaney said： 〃Fantastic。〃
A face emerged from the shower。 〃Are you being disagreeable； civilian？〃
〃I'm being skeptical； sailor。〃
〃Spoil…sport！〃
〃Why would we want to copy the scrolls？〃
〃To be first。〃
〃Why that？〃
Saltus stepped all the way out of the shower。
〃Well…to be first； that's all。 We like to be first in everything。 Where's your patriotism； civilian？〃
〃I carry it in my pocket。 How do we copy the scrolls in the dark； in a cave？〃
〃Now that's my department！ Infra…red equipment； of course。 Don't fret about the technical end； mister。 I'm an old cameraman； you know。〃
〃I didn't know。〃
〃Well； I was a cameraman； a working cameraman； when I was an EM。 Do you remember the Gemini flights about thirteen or fourteen years ago？〃
I remember。
〃I was right there on deck； mister。 Photographer's apprentice； stationed on the Wasp when the flights began； I manned the deck cameras on some of those early flights in 1964； but when the last one splashed down in 1966； I was riding the choppers out to meet them；〃 A disparaging wave of the hand。 〃Now； would you believe it； I'm riding a desk。 Operations officer。〃 His face mirrored his dissatisfaction。 〃I'd rather be behind the camera； the enlisted men have the fun with that job。〃
Chaney said： 〃I've learned something new。〃
〃What s that？'
〃Why you and I were brought in here。 I map and structure the future； you will film it。 What's the Major's specialty？〃
〃Air Intelligence。 I thought you knew。〃
〃I didn't。 Espionage？〃
〃No； no…he's another desk man； and he hates it as much as I do。 Old William is a brain： interrogation and interpretation。 He briefs the pilots before they fly out； tells them where to find the targets； what is concealing them； and what is defending them； and then he quizzes the hell out of them when they e back to learn what they saw； where they saw it； how it behaved； how it smelled； and what was new firing at them。〃
〃Air Intelligence；〃 Chaney mused。 〃A sharpie？〃
〃You can bet your last tax dollar； civilian。 Do you remember those maps Katrina gave us yesterday？〃
〃I'm not likely to forget them。 Top secret。〃
〃Read that literally for the Major： he memorized them。 Mister； if you could show him another map today with one small Illinois town shifted a quarter of an inch away from yesterday's location； old William would put his long finger on the spot and say； 'This town has moved。' He's good。〃 Saltus was grinning with high humor。 〃The enemy can't hide a water tank or a missile launcher or an ammo bunker from him…not from him。〃
Chaney nodded his wonder。 〃Do you see what kind of team Katrina is putting together？ What kind the mystery man Seabrooke has recruited？ I wish I knew what they really expect us to find up there。〃
Arthur Saltus left his room and crossed the corridor to stand at Chaney's door； dressed for a summer day。
〃Hey…how do you like our Katrina？〃
Chaney said： 〃Let us consider beauty a sufficient end。〃
〃Mister； did you swallow a copy of Bartlett？〃
A grin。 〃I like to prowl through old cultures； old times。 Bartlett and Haakon are my favorites； each in his way offers a rich storehouse； a treasury。〃
〃Haakon？ Who is Haakon？〃
〃A latter…day Viking； he was born too late。 Haakon wrote Pax Abrahamitica； a history of the desert tribes。 I would say it was more of a treasury than a history： maps； photographs； and text telling one everything he would want to know about the tribes five to seven thousand years ago。〃
〃Photographs five thousand years ago？〃
〃No； photographs of the remains of tribal life five thousand years ago： Byzantine dams； Nabataean wells； old Negev water courses still holding water； still serving the people who live there today。 The Nabataeans built things to last。 Their wells are water…tight today； they're still used by the Bedouin。 Several good photographs of them。〃
〃I'd like to see that。 May I borrow the book？〃
Chaney nodded。 〃I have it with me。〃 He stared at a closed door and listened to the snores。 〃Wake him up？〃
〃No！ Not if we have to live in the same room with him all day。 He's a bear when he's routed out of his cave before he's ready…and he doesn't eat breakfast。 He says he thinks and fights well on an empty stomach。〃
Chaney said： 〃The pany is Spartan； see all their wounds on the front。〃
〃I give up！ Let's go to breakfast。〃
They quit the converted barracks and struck off along the narrow concrete sidewalk； walking north toward the missary。 A jeep and a staff car moved along the street； while in the middle distance a cluster of civilian cars were parked about a large building housing the missary。 They were the only ones who walked。
Chaney asked： 〃This is swimming weather。 Is there a pool here？〃
〃There has to be…Katrina didn't get that beautiful tan under a sun lamp。 I think it's over that way…over on E Street； near the Officers' Club。 Want to try it this afternoon？〃
〃If she will permit it。 We may have to study。〃
〃I'm already tired of that！ I don't care how many million voters with plastic stomachs affiliated with Party A will be living in Chicago twenty years from now。 Mister； how can you spend years p