p&c.brimstone-第38部分

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o　ashes；　even　the　bones　reduced　to　crumbled　piles。　Only　her　legs　remained；　from　the　knees　down；　a　few　fragments　from　her　hands；　and　a　piece　of　forehead　with　a　lock　of　blonde　hair　attached。　The　rest　of　the　body　was　merely　an　outline　in　ash　and　crumbled　bone。　It；　and　other　early　cases　such　as　Madame　Nicole　of　Rheims；　were　invariably　ascribed　to　death　by　the　'visitation　of　God。'〃　
　〃Excellent　research；　Constance；〃　Pendergast　said。　
　She　smiled。　〃There　are　several　volumes　devoted　to　spontaneous　human　bustion　in　the　library　here。　Your　great…uncle　was　fascinated　by　bizarre　forms　of　death…but　of　course；　you　know　that　already。　Unfortunately　there　are　no　books　here　more　recent　than　1954；　but　there　are　still　many　dozens　of　earlier　accounts。　SHC　cases　all　have　several　elements　in　mon。　The　torso　is　pletely　incinerated；　but　the　extremities　are　frequently　left　intact。　The　blood　is；　quite　literally；　vaporized　from　the　body：　normal　fires　do　not　dehydrate　body　tissue　to　such　a　great　degree。　The　inferno　is　extremely　localized：　nearby　furniture　or　other　items；　even　inflammable　ones；　remain　untouched。　Officials　often　speak　of　a　'circle　of　death'：　everything　inside　is　consumed；　while　everything　outside　is　spared。〃　
　Slowly；　D'Agosta　pushed　away　his　half…eaten　steak。　This　all　sounded　pretty　similar　to　what　happened　to　Grove　and　Cutforth；　with　one　crucial　difference：　the　branding　of　the　cloven　hoof　and　face；　and　the　stench　of　brimstone。　
　Just　then　came　a　low；　hollow　knock　at　the　distant　front　door。　
　〃Neighborhood　kids；　I　imagine；〃　said　Pendergast　after　a　moment　of　silence。　
　The　hollow　knock　came　again…deliberate；　insistent；　echoing　through　the　galleries　and　halls　of　the　ancient　mansion。　
　〃That's　not　the　knock　of　a　delinquent；〃　Constance　murmured。　
　Proctor　cast　an　inquiring　glace　at　Pendergast。　〃Shall　I？〃　
　〃With　the　usual　precautions。〃　
　Within　the　space　of　a　minute；　the　servant　had　ushered　a　man　into　the　room：　a　tall　man　with　thin　lips　and　thinner　brown　hair。　He　wore　a　gray　suit；　and　the　knot　of　his　tie　had　been　pulled　down　from　the　collar　of　his　white　shirt。　His　features　were　regular；　his　face　perhaps　lined　more　than　would　be　usual　for　a　man　his　age；　yet　the　lines　spoke　more　of　weariness　than　years。　He　was　neither　handsome　nor　ugly。　In　every　way；　the　man　was　remarkable　for　his　lack　of　expression　and　individuality。　It　seemed　to　D'Agosta　an　almost　studied　anonymity。　
　He　paused　in　the　doorway　and　his　eyes　roamed　over　the　group；　ing　to　rest　on　Pendergast。　
　〃Yes？〃　Pendergast　said。　
　〃e　with　me。〃　
　〃May　I　ask　who　you　are；　and　on　what　errand　you　e？〃　
　〃No。〃　
　A　short　silence　greeted　this。　
　〃How　did　you　know　I　lived　here？〃　
　The　man　continued　gazing　at　Pendergast　with　that　expressionless　face。　It　wasn't　natural。　It　gave　D'Agosta　the　creeps。　
　〃e；　please。　I'd　rather　not　ask　again。〃　
　〃Why　should　I　go　with　you　if　you　refuse　to　divulge　your　name　or　the　nature　of　your　business？〃　
　〃My　name　is　not　important。　I　have　information　for　you。　Information　of　a　sensitive　nature。〃　
　Pendergast　looked　at　the　man　a　moment　longer。　Then　he　casually　removed　his　Les　Baer　。45　from　his　suit　coat；　made　sure　a　round　was　in　the　chamber；　replaced　it　in　his　suit。　〃Any　objections？〃　
　The　expression　never　changed。　〃Won't　make　any　difference　either　way。〃　
　〃Wait　a　minute。〃　D'Agosta　rose。　〃I　don't　like　this。　I'm　ing；　too。〃　
　The　man　turned　to　him。　〃Not　possible。〃　
　〃Screw　that。〃　
　The　man's　only　response　was　to　stare　at　D'Agosta。　His　features；　if　anything；　grew　even　deader。　
　Pendergast　laid　an　arm　on　D'Agosta's。　〃I　think　I'd　better　go　alone。〃　
　〃The　hell　with　that。　You　don't　know　who　this　guy　is；　what　he　wants；　anything。　I　don't　like　it。〃　
　The　stranger　turned　and　walked　swiftly　out　of　the　room。　A　moment　later；　Pendergast　followed。　D'Agosta　watched　him　go　with　a　mounting　feeling　of　dismay。　
　　　
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　The　man　drove　north　on　the　West　Side　Highway；　saying　nothing；and　Pendergast　was　content　to　leave　it　that　way。　Rain　began　to　fall；　splattering　the　windshield。　The　car　approached　the　on…ramp　to　the　George　Washington　Bridge；　its　gleaming　lights　strung　across　the　Hudson。　Just　before　the　ramp；　the　car　veered　off　on　a　service　road　and　bumped　its　way　down　the　pitted；　half…paved　surface　to　a　turnaround；　hidden　in　a　cluster　of　poison　sumac　at　the　foot　of　the　bridge's　enormous　eastern　tower。　
　Only　now　did　the　man　speak。　〃Wired？〃　
　〃No。〃　
　〃I　ask　only　for　your　sake。〃　
　〃CIA？〃　
　The　man　nodded　at　the　windshield。　〃I　know　you　could　ID　me　in　a　minute。　I　want　your　word　that　you　won't。〃　
　〃You　have　it。〃　
　The　man　tossed　a　blue　folder　into　Pendergast's　lap。　Its　label　tab　bore　a　single　word：BULLARD。　It　was　stampedClassified：　Top　Secret。　
　〃Where　did　this　e　from？〃　Pendergast　asked。　
　〃I've　been　investigating　Bullard　for　the　past　eighteen　months。〃　
　〃On　what　grounds？〃　
　〃It's　all　there。　But　I'll　summarize　it　for　you。　Bullard's　the　founder；　CEO；　and　majority　shareholder　of　Bullard　Aerospace　Industries。　BAI　is　a　medium…sized；　privately　owned　aerospace　engineering　firm。　Mostly　they　design　and　test　ponents　for　military　aircraft；　drones；　and　missiles。　They're　also　one　of　the　subcontractors　for　the　space　shuttle。　Among　other　things；　BAI　was　involved　in　developing　the　antiradar　coating　for　the　stealth　bomber　and　fighter　programs。　It's　a　highly　profitable　pany；　and　they're　very　good　at　what　they　do。　Bullard　has　some　of　the　best　engineers　money　can　buy。　He　is　a　very；　very　capable　man；　if　hot…tempered　and　impulsive。　But　he's　one　of　the　really　bad　ones。　Know　what　I　mean？　He　doesn't　hesitate　to　hurt；　or　eliminate；　those　who　stand　in　his　way。　Civilianor　official。〃　
　〃Understood。〃　
　〃Good。　Now　listen。　BAI　also　does　research　work　for　foreign　governments。　Some　aren't　so　friendly。　That　work　is　subject　to　strict　export　controls　and　transfer　of　technology　prohibitions。　It's　watched　very　closely。　So　far；　BAI　has　kept　within　the　law…at　least　as　far　as　its　U。S。　facilities　go。　The　problem　is　with　a　small　BAI　plant　in　Italy；　in　an　industrial　suburb　of　Florence　called　Lastra　a　Signa。　A　few　years　ago；　BAI　bought　a　defunct　factory　there。　It　was　once　owned　by　Alfred　Nobel。〃　An　ironic　smile　flickered　across　the　man's　face。　〃It's　a　sprawling；　decaying　place。　They've　turned　its　core　into　a　highly　sophisticated　R&D　facility。〃　
　Rain　continued　to　drum　on　the　roof。　There　was　the　flicker　of　lightning　over　the　river；　a　faint　roll　of　thunder。　
　〃We　don't　really　know　what　BAI　does　in　this　Italian　plant；　but　we　have　some　indirect　evidence　that　they　may　be　working　on　a　project　for　the　Chinese。　Last　year　we　monitored　a　string　of　ballistic　missile　tests　over　the　Lop　Nur　desert　testing　grounds。　It　seems　the　missile　in　question　is　a　new　type；　specifically　designed　to　penetrate　America's　planned　antimissile　shield。〃　
　Pendergast　nodded。　
　〃What　makes　the　missile　special　is　a　new　aerodynamic　form；　bined　with　some　special　surface　or　coating；　which　together　make　it　invisible　to　radar。　It　doesn't　even　leave　a　heat　trace　or　turbulence　wake　on　Doppler。　But　here's　the　rub：　whatever　it　is　the　Chinese　have　done；　it　isn't　working。　Up　to　now；　all　their　missiles　have　broken　up　on　re…entry。　
　〃That's　where　BAI　es　in。　This　is　right　up　their　alley。　We　think　the　Chinese　hired　BAI　to　solve　the　problem。　And　we　think　they're　solving　it　at　the　Florentine　plant。〃　
　〃How？〃　
　〃We　don't　know。　The　breakups　seem　to　have　had　something　to　do　with　a　resonance　spike　that　occurs　at　re…entry。　The　shape　of　the　missile　is　so　constrained　by　having　to　remain　invisible　that　it's　almost　unflyable。　A　similar　problem　occurred　with　the　stealth　bomber；　but　it　was　solved　with　some　heavy　puting　power　and　wind…tunnel　research。　But　here　the　missile　is　moving　a　hell　of　a　lot　faster；　it's　ballistic；　and　it's　up　against　a　much　more　sophisticated　radar。　The　answer　lies　somewhere　in　the　field　of　eigenvalue　mathematics；　Fourier　transforms；　that　sort　of　thing。　You　know　what　I'm　talking　about？〃　
　〃At　a　basic　level。〃　
　〃The　mathematics　of　vibrations；　resonance；　and　dampening。　It　has　to　be　perfectly　aerodynamic　while　having　a　surface　that's　black　to　radar。　This　missile　can't　have　any　curves；　hardness；　or　smoothness…those　would　cause　reflection　or　turbulence　you　could　see　on　the　Doppler…and　yet　it　has　to　be　aerodynamic。　If　anyone　can　rise　to　the　technical　challenge；　BAI　can。〃　
　〃Is　this　file　for　me？〃　
　〃Yes。〃　
　〃Why？〃　
　The　agent　looked　at　Pendergast　for　the　first　time；　and　his　mask　of　expressionlessness　fell　away。　What　Pendergast　saw　was　the　face　of　a　very；　very　tired　man。　〃It's　the　same　old　story。　The　CIA　is　subject　to　partisan　political　pressure。　Bullard　has　friends　in　Washington。　I　was　told　to　deep…six　the　Bullard　investigation。　After　all；　he's　raised　millions　for　the　reelection　campaigns　of　a　half　dozen　key　senators　and　congressmen；　as　well　as　the　president。　Why；　we're　asked；　is　the　CIA　harassing　a　fine；　upstanding　citizen　when　there　are　so　many　foreign　terrorists　out　there？　You　know　the　refrain。〃　
　Pendergast　simply　nodded。　
　〃But　screw　it；　this　bastard　is　selling　America　down　the　river。　He's　a　traitor；　just　like　those　good　old　American　panies　that　sell　dual…use　technology　to　Iran　and　Syria。　If　Bullard　gets　away　with　this；　the　U。S。　will　have　laid　out　a　hundred　billion　dollars　develop