inca.gold-第4部分

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　　　　The　worst　was　far　from　over。　The　mad　swirl　of　the　tidal　current　caused　a　vortex　that　spun　the　galleon　with　such　force　the　masts　went　crashing　over　the　sides　and　the　two　guns　broke　their　lashings　and　tumbled　about　the　deck　in　a　wild　dance　of　destruction。　One　by　one　the　fear…crazed　seamen　were　swept　away　by　the　gyrating　avalanche　of　water　until　only　Cuttill　was　left。　The　enormous　surge　smashed　and　ravaged　its　way　8　kilometers　（5　miles）　inland；　uprooting　and　shredding　trees　until　over　100　square　kilometers　（36　square　miles）　were　utterly　devastated。　Massive　boulders　were　scattered　ahead　of　the　wave's　force　like　small　pebbles　thrown　by　a　boy's　sling。　Then　at　last；　as　the　leviathan　of　death　met　the　foothills　of　the　Andes　it　began　to　lose　momentum。　Its　fury　spent；　it　lapped　at　the　foot　of　the　mountains　and　finally　began　to　recede　with　a　great　sucking　sound；　leaving　in　its　wake　a　swath　of　destruction　unknown　in　recorded　history。
　　　　Cuttill　felt　the　galleon　bee　motionless。　He　stared　across　the　gun　deck　covered　with　fallen　rigging　and　timbers；　unable　to　see　another　living　soul。　For　nearly　an　hour　he　huddled　under　the　tiller；　fearing　a　return　of　the　murderous　wave；　but　the　ship　remained　still　and　silent。　Slowly；　stiffly；　he　made　his　way　to　the　top　of　the　quarterdeck　and　surveyed　the　scene　of　devastation。
　　　　Astoundingly；　the　Conception　sat　upright；　high　and　dry　in　a　flattened　jungle。　He　judged　her　to　be　almost　three　leagues　from　the　nearest　water。　Her　survival　was　due　to　her　rugged　construction　and　the　fact　she　was　sailing　into　the　wave　when　it　struck。　If　she　had　been　sailing　away　the　watery　force　would　have　smashed　into　her　high　sterncastle　and　ripped　her　to　kindling。　She　had　endured；　but　she　was　a　wreck　that　would　never　feel　the　sea　beneath　her　keel　again。
　　　　Far　in　the　distance；　the　village　had　disappeared。　All　that　remained　was　a　wide　beach　of　sand　swept　free　of　wreckage。　It　was　as　if　a　thousand　people　and　their　homes　had　never　existed。　Corpses　littered　the　drenched　jungle。　To　Cuttill　they　seemed　to　be　scattered　everywhere；　in　some　places　over　3　'meters　deep　（10　feet）。　Many　were　hanging　grotesquely　in　the　twisted　branches　of　the　trees。　Most　had　been　battered　into　almost　unrecognizable　shapes。
　　　　Cuttill　could　not　believe　he　was　the　only　human　to　survive　the　cataclysm；　and　yet　he　failed　to　see　another　living　soul。　He　thanked　God　for　his　deliverance　and　prayed　for　guidance。　Then　he　took　stock　of　his　situation。　Stranded　fourteen　thousand　nautical　miles　from　England；　deep　in　a　part　of　the　world　controlled　by　the　Spanish；　who　would　gladly　torture　and　execute　a　hated　English　pirate　should　they　lay　hands　on　him；　his　odds　of　living　a　long　life　were　slim　indeed。　Cuttill　saw　absolutely　no　hope　of　returning　home　by　sea。　He　decided　his　only　course；　one　with　little　probability　of　success；　was　to　trek　over　the　Andes　and　work　east。　Once　he　reached　the　Brazilian　coast　there　was　always　the　possibility　of　meeting　up　with　an　English　marauder　that　was　raiding　Portuguese　shipping。
　　　　The　following　morning　he　made　a　litter　for　his　sea　chest　and　filled　it　with　food　and　water　from　the　ship's　galley；　bedding；　two　pistols；　a　pound　of　gunpowder；　a　supply　of　shot；　flint；　and　steel；　a　sack　of　tobacco；　a　knife；　and　a　Spanish　Bible。　Then　with　nothing　else　but　the　clothes　on　his　back；　Cuttill　set　off　with　his　litter　for　the　mists　hovering　over　the　peaks　of　the　Andes；　taking　one　final　look　at　the　forlorn　Conception　and　wondering　if　perhaps　the　gods　of　the　Incas　were　somehow　responsible　for　the　catastrophe。
　　　　Now　they　had　their　sacred　relics　back；　he　thought；　and　they　were　damned　wele　to　them。　The　antique　jade　box　with　its　strange　lid　came　to　mind；　and　he　did　not　envy　the　next　men　who　came　to　steal　it。

　　　　Drake　returned　triumphantly　to　England；　arriving　at　Plymouth　on　September　26；　1580；　with　the　Golden　Hind's　holds　bulging　with　spoils。　But　he　found　no　sign　of　Thomas　Cuttill　and　the　Nuestra　Senora　de　la　Concepcion。　His　backers　received　a　4700　percent　profit　on　their　investment　and　the　queen's　share　became　the　foundation　for　future　British　expansion。　During　a　lavish　party　on　board　the　Hind　at　Greenwich；　Queen　Elizabeth　conferred　knighthood　on　Drake。
　　　　The　second　ship　to　circumnavigate　the　world　was　made　a　tourist　attraction。　For　three　generations　she　remained　on　view　until　finally　she　either　rotted　away　or　burned　to　the　waterline。　History　doesn't　know　for　certain　how　it　happened；　but　the　Golden　Hind　vanished　into　the　water　of　the　Thames。
　　　　Sir　Francis　Drake　continued　his　exploits　for　another　sixteen　years。　On　a　later　voyage；　he　seized　the　city　ports　of　Santo　Domingo　and　Cartagena　and　became　Her　Majesty's　Admiral…of…the…Seas。　He　also　served　as　mayor　of　Plymouth　and　a　member　of　Parliament。　And　then　there　was　his　bold　attack　on　the　great　Spanish　Armada　in　1588。　His　end　came　during　an　expedition　to　plunder　ports　and　shipping　on　the　Spanish　Main　in　1596。　After　succumbing　to　dysentery　he　was　sealed　in　a　lead　coffin　and　dropped　in　the　sea　near　Portobelo；　Panama。
　　　　Before　his　death；　hardly　a　day　passed　when　Drake　didn't　puzzle　over　the　disappearance　of　the　Conception　and　the　enigma　of　the　mysterious　jade　box　and　its　knotted　cords。



BONES　AND　THRONES
October　10；　1998
Andes　Mountains　of　Peru

　　　　The　skeleton　reclined　in　the　sediment　of　the　deep　pool　as　if　resting　on　a　soft　mattress；　the　cold　unwinking　eye　sockets　of　the　skull　staring　upward　through　the　liquid　gloom　toward　the　surface　36　meters　（120　feet）　away。　There　was　a　horrible　vindictive　grin　set　in　the　teeth　as　a　small　water　snake　thrust　its　evil　head　from　under　the　rib　cage；　and　then　slithered　away；　leaving　a　tiny　cloud　of　silt　to　smudge　its　trail。　One　arm　was　held　in　an　upright　position　by　an　elbow　imbedded　in　the　muck；　the　bony　fingers　of　the　hand　as　if　beckoning　the　unwary。
　　　　From　the　bottom　of　the　pool　to　the　sun　above；　the　water　gradually　lightened　from　a　dismal　gray…brown　to　a　pea…soup　green　from　the　pond　scum　that　flourished　under　the　tropical　heat。　The　circular　rim　stretched　30　meters　（98　feet）　across　and　the　sheer　walls　dropped　15　meters　（49　feet）　to　the　water。　Once　in；　there　was　no　way　a　human　or　animal　could　escape　without　help　from　above。
　　　　There　was　an　ugliness　about　the　deep　limestone　sinkhole；　or　cenote　as　it　was　technically　called；　a　repugnant　menace　that　animals　sensed；　refusing　to　approach　within　fifty　meters　of　its　perimeter。　A　grim　sense　of　death　hung　about　the　place；　and　rightly　so。　The　place　was　more　than　a　sacred　well　where　men；　women；　and　children　had　been　thrown　alive　into　the　dark　waters　as　sacrifices　during　times　of　drought　and　harsh　storms。　Ancient　legends　and　myths　called　it　a　house　of　evil　gods　where　strange　and　unspeakable　events　occurred。　There　were　also　tales　of　rare　artifacts；　handcrafted　and　sculpted；　along　with　jade；　gold；　and　precious　gemstones；　that　were　said　to　have　been　cast　into　the　forbidding　pool　to　appease　the　evil　gods　who　were　inflicting　bad　weather。　In　1964　two　divers　entered　the　depths　of　the　sinkhole　and　never　returned。　No　attempt　had　been　made　to　recover　their　bodies。
　　　　The　sinkhole's　early　history　began　in　the　Cambrian　era　when　the　region　was　part　of　an　ancient　sea。　Through　the　following　geological　eras；　thousands　of　generations　of　shellfish　and　coral　lived　and　died；　their　skeletal　carcasses　forming　an　enormous　mass　of　lime　and　sand　that　pressed　into　a　limestone　and　dolomite　layer　two　kilometers　thick。　Then；　beginning　sixty…five　million　years　ago；　an　intense　earth　uplifting　occurred　that　raised　the　Andes　Mountains　to　their　present　height。　As　the　rain　ran　down　from　the　mountains　it　formed　a　great　underground　water　table　that　slowly　began　dissolving　the　limestone。　Where　it　collected　and　pooled；　the　water　ate　upward　until　the　land　surface　collapsed　and　created　the　sinkhole。
　　　　In　the　damp　air　above　the　jungle　surrounding　the　cavity；　an　Andean　condor　banked　in　great　lazy　circles；　one　emotionless　eye　fastened　on　a　group　of　people　working　around　the　edge　of　the　cenote。　Its　long；　broad　wings；　measuring　3　meters　（10　feet）；　arched　stiff　to　catch　the　air　currents。　The　huge　black　bird；　with　its　white　ruff　and　bald　pinkish　head；　soared　effortlessly　as　it　studied　the　movement　below。　Finally；　satisfied　that　no　meal　was　in　the　offing；　the　vulture　ascended　to　a　greater　height　for　distant　observation　and　drifted　eastward　in　search　of　carrion。
　　　　A　great　deal　of　unresolved　controversy　had　surrounded　the　sacred　pool；　and　now　archaeologists　had　finally　gathered　to　dive　and　retrieve　artifacts　from　its　enigmatic　depths。　The　ancient　site　was　located　on　a　western　slope　beneath　a　high　ridge　of　the　Peruvian　Andes　near　a　great　ruined　city。　The　nearby　stone　structures　had　been　part　of　a　vast　confederation　of　city…states；　known　as　the　Chachapoyas；　that　was　conquered　by　the　renowned　Inca　empire　around　A。D。1480。
　　　　The　Chachapoyan　confederation　enpassed　almost　400　square　kilometers　（150　square　miles）。　Its　metropolitan　spread　of　farms；　temples；　and　fortresses　now　lay　in　mostly　unexplored　heavily　forested　mountains。　The　ruins　of　this　great　civilization　indicated　an　incredibly　mysterious　blend　of　cultures　and　origins　that　were　mostly　unknown。　The　Chachapoyan　rulers　or　council　of　elders；　their　architects；　priests；　soldiers；　and　ordinary　working　people　in　the　cities　and　on　the　farms　left　virtually　no　record　of　their　lives。　And　archaeologists　had　yet　to　fathom　their　government　bureaucracy；　justice　system；　and　religious　practices。
　　　　As　she　stared　down　at　the　stagnant　water　through　big；　wide；　hazel　eyes　under　raised　dark　brows；　Dr。　Shannon　Kelsey　was　too　excited　to　feel　the　cold　touch　of　fear。　A　very　attractive　woman　when　dressed　and　made　up；　she　possessed　a　rather　cool　and　aloof　self…sufficiency　that　most　men　found　irritating；　particularly　so　since　she　could　gaze　into　their　eyes　with　a　teasing　boldness。　Her　hair　was　straight　and　soft　blond　and　tied　in　a　ponytail　by　a　red　bandanna；　and　the　abundance　of　skin　that　showed　on　her　face；　arms；　and　legs　was　richly　tanned。　The　inside　of　her　one…piece　black　Lycra　swim　suit　was　nicely　filled　by　an　hourglass　figure　with　an　extra　twenty　minutes　thrown　in　for　good　measure；　and　when　she　moved　it　was　with　the　fluid　grace　of　a　Balinese　dancer。
　　　　In　her　late　thirties；　Dr。　Kelsey　had　enjoyed　a　ten…year　fascination　with　the　Chachapoyan　cultures。　She　had　explored　and　surveyed　important　archaeological　sites　on　five　previous　expeditions；　clearing　the　invading　plant　growth　from　a　number　of　the　major　buildings　and　temples　of　the　region's　ancient　cities。　As　a　respected　archaeologist　of　Andes　culture；　following　in　the　footsteps　of　a　glorious　past　was　her；　great　passion。　To　work　where　an　enigmatic　and　obscure　people　had　flourished　and　died　was　a　dream　made　possible　by　a　grant　from　the　Archaeology　Department　of　Arizona　State　University。
　　　　〃Useless　to　carry　a　video　camera　unless　the　visibility　opens　up　below　the　first　two　meters；〃　said　Miles　Rodgers；　the　photographer　who　was　filming　the　project。
　　　　〃Then　shoot　stills；〃　Shannon　said　firmly。　〃I　want　every　dive　recorded　whether　we　can　see　past　our　noses　or　not。〃
　　　　A　year　shy　of　forty　and　sporting　luxuriant　black　hair　and　a　beard；　Rodgers　was　an　old　pro　at　underwater　photography。　He　was　in　demand　by　all　the　major　science　and　travel　publications　to　shoot　below…the…sea　photos　of　fish　and　coral　r