p&c.thunderhead-第8章
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〃Why？〃
He stopped； surprised by the bluntness of the question。 〃Well；〃 he said； 〃I always wanted to be part of the exploration of space。〃
〃I bet you grew up wanting to be the first man on the moon。〃
Holroyd blushed。 〃I was a little late for that。 But I did have dreams of going to Mars。〃
〃And now they're up there； orbiting the earth； and you're sitting here in a greasy pizza parlor。〃
It was as if she had read his mind。 Holroyd felt a surge of resentment。 〃Look； I'm doing just fine。 Those guys wouldn't be up there if it weren't for me and others like me。〃
Nora nodded。 〃But it's not quite the same thing； is it？〃 she said softly。
Holroyd remained silent。
〃What I'm offering is a chance for you to be part of what might be the greatest archaeological discovery since King Tut。〃
〃Yeah；〃 said Holroyd。 〃And my part would be to do for you just what I do for Watkins： crunch some data and let someone else run with it。 I'm sorry； but the answer is no。〃
But the woman never took her hazel eyes from his。 She was silent； and it seemed to Holroyd that she was making some kind of private decision。
〃Maybe I can offer you more than that；〃 she said at last； her voice still low。
Holroyd frowned sharply。 〃Like what？〃
〃A place on the expedition。〃
Holroyd felt his heart accelerate。 〃What did you say？〃
〃I think you heard me。 We'll need a remote sensing and puter specialist。 Can you handle munications gear？〃
Holroyd swallowed； his throat suddenly dry。 Then he nodded。 〃I've got gear you've never even dreamed of。〃
〃And how are you set for vacation？ Could you take two； maybe three weeks off？〃
〃I've never taken a vacation；〃 Holroyd heard himself say。 〃I've got so much time accrued； I could leave for six months and still get paid。〃
〃Then that's it。 You get me the data； and I get you on the expedition。 I guarantee it； Peter； you won't be sorry。 It's an adventure you'd remember for the rest of your life。〃
Holroyd glanced down at the woman's hands； tapered and beautiful； clasped together expectantly。 He had never met anyone so passionate about something。 He realized he was having a hard time catching his breath。
〃I…〃 he began。
She leaned forward quickly。 〃Yes？〃
He shook his head。 〃This is all too sudden。 I have to think about this。〃
She looked at him； appraisingly。 Then she nodded。 〃I know you do；〃 she said softly。 Reaching into her purse； she pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him。 〃Here's the number of the friend's apartment where I'm staying。 But； Peter； don't think too long。 I can only stay a couple of days。〃
But Holroyd barely heard her。 He was putting something together in his head。 〃I'm not necessarily saying I'll do it； you understand；〃 he said in a lower tone。 〃But here's how it could work。 You wouldn't need to put in a request。 The shuttle's devoting the last three days of the mission to radar sweeps； sixty…five orbits at varying latitudes。 There's this mineral exploration pany that's been wanting a sweep of some areas of Utah and Colorado。 We've put them off for a while now。 I could fit them into the lineup。 Then I'd extend their run slightly to get the areas you need。 The only thing you'd have to do is put in a purchase request as soon as the data is downloaded from the shuttle。 Normally the data is proprietary for a couple of years； but the right kind of academic requests can get around that。 I'd lead you through the red tape when the time es。〃
〃A purchase request？ You mean I have to pay？〃
〃It's very expensive；〃 said Holroyd。
〃What are we talking here？ A couple of hundred bucks？〃
〃More like twenty thousand。〃
〃Twenty thousand dollars！ Are you crazy？〃
〃Sorry。 That's something not even Watkins can control。〃
〃Where the hell am I going to get twenty thousand dollars？〃 Nora exploded。
〃Look； I'd be arranging an alteration in the orbit of a United States spacecraft for you。 That's bad enough。 What else do you want me to do； steal the damn data？〃
There was a silence。
〃Now there's an idea；〃 said Nora。
7
IF NORA HAD EVER WALKED INTO A HOTTER； stuffier place than Peter Holroyd's apartment； she couldn't remember it。 The air was not just dying here； she decided； it was dead and deposing。
〃Got any ice？〃 she asked。
Holroyd； who had walked down the four flights of stairs to retrieve his mail and open the door for her； shook his shaggy head。 〃Sorry。 Freezer's busted。〃
Nora watched him sort through his mail。 Below the mop of sandy hair； the very white skin of his face was stretched over two prominent cheekbones。 As he moved； his limbs never seemed to be in the right place； and his legs seemed a little short for his narrow torso and bony arms。 And yet the overall impression of melancholy was countered by a pair of intelligent green eyes that looked hopefully out on the world。 His taste in clothes was questionable： striped brown polyester pants； topped by a V…neck short…sleeved checkered shirt。
Grimy yellow curtains flapped apathetically in the travesty of a breeze。 Nora walked to the window； glancing south toward the dusky boulevards of East L。A。 Then she looked down toward the nearby intersection and the front window of Al's Pizza。 She'd spent the last two nights at a friend's house in Thousand Oaks。 This was an ugly little corner of L。A。； and she felt a sudden sympathy for Peter and his longing for adventure。
She took a step back。 The apartment was so barren she was unable to determine what kind of housekeeper Holroyd was。 A small bookcase； made up of plywood strips balanced on cinderblocks。 Two elderly Adirondack chairs； festooned with back issues of Old Bike Journal。 An ancient motorcycle helmet on the floor； scarred and scuffed。 〃Is that your bike I saw chained to the lamppost？〃 Nora asked。
〃Yup。 An old '46 Indian Chief。 Mostly。〃 He grinned。 〃Inherited a basket case from my great…uncle； and scrounged the rest of the parts here and there。 You ride？〃
〃My dad had an old dirt bike I used to ride around the ranch。 Rode my brother's Hog once or twice before he laid it down on Route 66。〃 Nora looked back toward the window。 There was a row of very strange…looking plants： black； crimson； a riot of drooping stalks and pendulous flowers。 Must be the only things around here that enjoy the heat； she thought。
A small plant with dark purple flowers caught her attention。 〃Hey； what's this？〃 she asked； reaching out curiously。
Holroyd looked over； then dropped the mail。 〃Don't touch that！〃 he cried。 Nora jerked her hand away。
〃It's belladonna；〃 Holroyd said； bending to pick up the scatter。 〃Deadly nightshade。〃
〃You're kidding；〃 Nora said。 〃And this？〃 She pointed to a neighboring plant； a small flower with exotic maroon spikes。
〃Monkshood。 It contains aconitine； which is a really terrific poison。 In the tray there are the three deadliest mushrooms： the Death Cap； Fool's Mushroom； and A。 virosa； the Destroying Angel。 And in that pot on the sill…〃
〃I get the picture。〃 Nora turned away from the Death Cap； its horrible mantle resembling plague…spotted skin； and gazed once again around the bare apartment。 〃Enemies bothering you？〃
Holroyd tossed the mail into the garbage and barked a laugh； his green eyes suddenly catching the light。 〃Some people collect stamps。 I collect botanical poisons。〃
Nora followed him into the kitchen； a small； cramped area almost as free of furniture as the rest of the apartment。 A large wooden table had been pushed up against the old refrigerator。 Sitting on the table were a keyboard； a three…button mouse； and the largest monitor she had ever seen。
Holroyd smiled at her appreciative glance。 〃Not a bad chunk of video real estate； is it？ Just like the ones at the Lab。 A few years ago Watkins bought these for all his top imaging staff。 He assumes that no one who works for him has a social life。 Pretty good assumption； at least as far as I'm concerned。〃 He glanced at her。
Nora raised a speculative eyebrow at him。 〃So you do bring some homework with you； after all。〃
The smile vanished as he caught the implication。 〃Only declassified homework；〃 he replied； as he reached into a rumpled Jiffy bag and pulled out a rewriteable DVD disk。 〃What you asked for doesn't exactly fit that category。〃
〃Can I ask how you did it？〃
〃I took the raw data from the shuttle feed this morning and burned an extra copy onto the disk。 I've always got a handful of disks in my backpack； nobody would know the difference。〃 He waggled the disk and it flashed in the dim light； sending out a coruscation of color。 〃If you have the right clearance； stealing data isn't difficult。 It's just that； if you get caught； the penalties are much stiffer。 Much stiffer。〃 He grimaced。
〃I realize that；〃 said Nora。 〃Thank you； Peter。〃
He looked at her。 〃You knew I'd help； didn't you？ Even before you left the pizza parlor。〃
Nora returned the glance。 It was true； once he'd described the way he could access the data； she felt certain he'd agree。 But she did not want to hurt his pride。 〃I hoped you would；〃 she replied。 〃But I wasn't really sure until you called the next morning。 And I can't tell you how much I appreciate it。〃
Nora realized Holroyd was blushing。 He quickly turned his back and opened the refrigerator door。 Inside； Nora could see two cans of alcohol…free beer； some V8 juice； and a large puter CPU。 Looking more closely； she noticed the puter was connected to the monitor by cables running through a small insulated hole in the back of the refrigerator。
〃Too hot out here；〃 Holroyd said； sliding the disk into the puter housing and closing the refrigerator door。 〃Put your topo over there； okay？〃
Nora began to unroll the map； then paused。 〃You realize this won't be like crunching numbers all day long in an air…conditioned lab；〃 she said。 〃On a small dig like this； everybody does double or triple duty。 You'd be ing along as an assistant； specializing in image sensing。 Only they're not called 'assistants' on archaeological digs。 They're called 'diggers。' For a reason。〃
Holroyd blinked at her。 〃What are you trying to do？ Talk me out of going？〃
〃I just want to make sure you know what you're getting into。〃
〃You've seen the books I read。 I know it won't be a picnic。 That's part of the challenge； isn't it？〃 He sat down at the wooden table and pulled the keyboard toward him。 〃I'm risking a possible prison sentence； bringing you this data。 You think I'm afraid of a little digging？〃
Nora smiled。 〃Point taken。〃 She pulled up a plastic chair。 〃Now how does this thing work； exactly？〃
〃Radar's just another kind of light。 We shine it down on Earth from the shuttle； and it bounces back changed。 The Terrestrial Imager simply takes digital photographs of what bounces back； and then bines them。〃 Holroyd punched some keys。 There was a brief pause； then a small window opened at the bottom of the screen； displaying scrolling messages as a plex program began to boot。 Several other small windows flew open in corners of the screen； displaying various software tools。 Then a large window appeared at the screen's center。 Holroyd moused the cursor through several menus。 Finally； an image began rolling down the large central screen； line by line； painted in artificial reds。
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