美铁之战系列 第六卷 EarthThunder 第8部分

rememberedthem,soIaskedMizJeffersonifshecouldaccessthe

officialsummariesforme.Ihopethatwasokay?

K:Iimaginethatwoulddependonwhatyoufound.

B:Exactly,sir.It'sthesourceoftheexplosivesusedtocrippleThe

Lady.Iwasonboardwhenshewentup.Itcouldn'thavebeenblack

powder,andgun-cottonfuses,sir.Theblastsweretoopowerful,too

wellsynchronised.

ThesewereFederationdemolitioncharges,detonatedbybattery-powered

timingdevices.LiketheonesIfoundintheM'Callsettlement.But

there'snomentionofthemanywhereinthesesummaries.

K:Isee.DidyoumentionthistoMizJefferson?Iimagineshewould

beinterestedtoknowwhyyouwantedtoaccessthismaterial.

B:Ihaven'tbreathedawordtoanyone,sir.Andmyinterestinthe

summariescanbeexplainedbythefactthatIwasinvolvedinthe

operation.

K:Ofcourse.Haveyoucometoanyconclusionbasedonwhatyouhave

learned?

B:Well,sir,itwouldappearthere'sbeensomekindofcover-up.I

obviouslydon'tknowatwhatlevelthisoccurred,butifeltduty-bound

todrawittoyournotice.

WhoeverputthoseexplosivesintothehandsofthatfakeSIG-INTunit

bearsadirectresponsibilityforthelossofTheLadyfrom

Louisiana.

Idon'tthinkthepersonnelinvolvedshouldbeleftinaposition

wheretheycanmakethesamekindofmistakeagain.

K:Iagree.

B:ThewayIseeit,sir,thisisastrictlyinternalmatterandshould

bedealtwithonthatbasis.Myoverridingconcernistoprotectthe

goodnameoftheorganisation.

Myass!thoughtKarlstrom.Butwhathehadsaidwas:'Iappreciate

yourconcern."Andthen,quitestupidly,hehadimplicatedhimselfby

adding:'Youwillfindthattheorganisationknowshowtolookafter

itsown."

Whathadpromptedhim,ofallpeople,tosaysuchathingandplay

rightintoBrickman'shands?!Lookingback,hecouldseewhy.Through

Fran,BrickmanhadadirectroutetotheOvalOffice.Theslightest

indiscretiononhispartcouldopenacanofwormsthatKarlstrom

wantedtokeepshut.

Officially,AMEXICOdidn'texist.Karlstrom'sofficialtitlewas

DirectorofOperationalResearch-ashellorganisationwithitsown

staff.AMEXICOwasthehiddenkernelwithin.Itssolepurposewasto

achievetheaimsandprotecttheassofthemanintheOvalOffice

againsthisownkindifnecessary.Jeffersonthe31stwouldnotdo

anythingthatmightupsetthatarrangement-unless,ofcourse,he

suspectedhewasnotbeingkeptfullyinthepicture.Ifthetrue

storybehindthelossofTheLadycametolightitcouldmakehim

nervous.

AndwhenPresident-Generalsbecamenervous,noonewassafeespecially

theirnearestanddearest.

Thinkingitoveragain,Karlstromdecidedhewasnotinanyimmediate

danger.brickmanwouldkeepsilentbecausehethoughthehadacquired

someleverage.

Karlstromwashappytolethimthinkthiswasthecase.

Itmadehimlessdangerous.

Forthemoment,furtherovergroundassignmentswereoutofthe

question.ThePresident-GeneralwantedBrick-mantoremaincloseto

Clearwater.Karlstromwasonlytoopleasedtooblige.HecalledSteve

inandtoldhimhewasbeingtemporarilyreassignedtotheEastern

Desk;adepartmentwhichanalysedandcollateddatafedintoAMEXICO

fromitscontactsandagentsinsideNe-Issan.

Itwasn'tasinecure,orapay-offforservicesrendered.

ItwasaresponsiblejobinwhichBrickman'sowndirectexperienceof

IronMastersocietywasavaluableasset-especiallynow,afterthe

catastrophiclossofthelasttradingexpedition.

Brickmanwasashrewdoperator,withmanyadmirablequalities,butfor

nearlytwodecades,Karlstromhadbeeneatingguyslikehimfor

breakfast.ThatwaswhyhewastheheadofAMEXICO.Hewasglad

brickmanhadtriedtoleanonhim.Thattookalotofballs.Andthat

wasthekindofmanKarlstromneededtohelpexecutetheplanhewas

puttingtogether.

Cadillacwasalsomakingplans,andasRozlistenedtohim,she

realisedthatinhelpinghim,shecouldendangerSteve.Since

respondingtohiscallafterClearwaterhadbeenwounded,the

telepathiclinkbetweenthemhadstayedopen.Karlstromandhis

mastersknewthis.

TheyhadagreedtorescueClearwaterjustastheyhadrespondedtoan

earliercalltorescueStevefromthewheelboatonLakeMichigan.Now,

followingherlastminuteescapewithCadillacfromthestricken

wagon-train,StevehadmadethefatalmistakeoftellingKarlstromthat

shewassafeandwell.

Hehadavoidedsuspicionfallinguponthembothbypretendingthatshe

wasbeingheldprisonerbyCadillac,butthathadonlycomplicatedthe

situation.Karlstromknewthatshecouldinducehallucinatory

experiences,andmightbegintowonderwhyshedidnotusethisnew

powertofreeherself.Andaslongashebelievedhertobealiveand

well,hecouldpressureStevetomaintaintelepathiccontactwithher

inordertofindoutwhatCadillacwasupto.

Afterhavingdemonstratedhowefficaciousthattelepathiclinkwas,it

wouldlookdistinctlyoddifStevenowclaimedhecouldnotget

through.Therewasanevengreaterdanger.IfTheFederationgotwind

ofCadillac'splansandlearnedthatshewashelpinghim-againstthe

Federation-KarlstrommighttrytostrikeatherbyharmingSteve.

TherewasonlyonewaytoprotectherselfandSteve.

RozBrickmanhadto'die'.Andinordertomakeitconvincing,shehad

towarnSteve,thencombineherpowersinanewandterrifyingway.

Franemergedfromthebathroom,tinglingfromabriskrub-downafter

hermorningshowertofindStevestilllyinginbed.Shemadeasarong

ofthebathtowelandwentovertohaulhimoutofbed.Asshegot

closerandsawhisflushedfaceanddroopingeyelids,shechangedher

mind.'What'sthematter,don'tyoufeelwell?"

'Notreally,no.Idon'tknowwhatthehellitis,butI'vebeen

feelingabitoffcolour,andlateyesterdayIstartedgettinganodd

tinglinginmyeyelids.Nowtheywon'topenproperly,andsomething's

happeninginmythroat."

Franlaidahandonhisforehead.'Feelslikeyourtemperature'sup,

butit'snotexactlyraging.Staythere.

I'llcalladoctor."

BythetimeJoshuaadmittedoneoftheFamilydoctors,Steve'seyelids

werecompletelyparalysed,andhehaddifficultyexplainingwhatwas

wrongwithhim.Thedoctorprisedhiseyelidsopen,shonealightinto

hiseyes,felthisthroat,checkedhistemperature,tooksoundingswith

astethoscope,thenturnedtoFran.'HaveanyotherpeopleinSavannah

beentakensick?"

FranreferredthequestiontoJoshua,thegrey-hairedMutewhowasHead

ofServiceinthemansion.

'NotasfarasIknow,ma'am.Doyouwantmetomakesure?"

'Ithinkyou'dbetter,'saidthedoctor.'Ican'tbecertaintillwe

dosomeothertests,butitlooksasifthecaptain'ssufferingfrom

foodpoisoning-anditcouldbeserious."

ThediagnosiscausedFrantoexplode.'Foodpoisoning?

Howthehellcananyoneherecatchfoodpoisoning?"

ShebrokeoffandlookeddownasshefeltStevetugathertrouser

leg.

Hewastryingtosaysomethingbutseemedunabletogethistongueinto

gear.Hejabbedhisrightforefingernervouslyatthebed,then

carefullytracedoutthreelettersonthecoverlet.

R...O...Z...

Franexchangedapuzzledlookwiththedoctor.'Roz?"

Thenshemadetheconnection.'ugh,jeezusss!Roz!"Thedoctor

remainedperplexed.'Ibegyourpardon?"

'It'sROZwho'sgotfoodpoisoning!"ThedoctorlookedatJoshuafor

enlightenment,thenreturnedtoFran.

'I'mafraidIdon'tunderstand'?'Youdon'thaveto,'criedFran.

'Justgethimtotheclinicanddowhateveryouhavetodo!"Bythe

timeStevewasadmittedtotheCloudlandsclinic,hewasexhibitingthe

classicsymptomsofbotulism-thedeadliestformoffoodpoisoning.

Thetoxinwasknowntoattackthefinenervefibrils,stoppingthe

chemicalreactionwhich,inahealthyperson,causesmuscular

contraction.

Withhisspeechmusclesparalysed,itwasnotlongbeforethetoxin

affectedotherpartsofthethroat,makingitdifficultforhimto

swallow.Abreathingtubewasinserted,andhewasputonaventilator

topreventanyfurtherdeterioration.Hewasstillfullyconscious,

butwithoutanantidote,itwasonlyamatteroftimebeforethe

breathingmusclesbecameparalysed.Withoutartificialrespiration,he

wouldsuffocate,andwithitssupplyofoxygencutoff,hisbrainwould

beirreparablydamaged.

Unabletositstill,Franpacedupanddownbesidehisbed,gripping

hishandnowandthentoreassureherselfthatthemasked,unmoving

figureinthebedwasstillalive.Karlstromhadjoinedherinthe

intensivecareunit,andnowstoodontheothersideofSteve'sbed.

FrantookholdofSteve'shandagain.'Can'ttheydoanything?Isn't

theresomedrugtheycangivehim?!"'It'snotthateasy,'said

Karlstrom.'Thereisanantidote-butthatcanendupkillingyouas

well.Whatwehavetorememberisthatit'snotBrickmanthathas

beenpoisoned."

'Buthe'sdying!"shoutedFran.'Lookathim!!"Sheletgoof

Steve'shandandstrodeangrilytoandfro,clawingtheairin

frustration.'Ijustdon'tbelievethisishappening!"ButKarlstrom

wasright.ThetestsonseveralsamplesofSteve'sbloodrevealedno

traceofthebotulinumtoxin.

JustasRoz'sbodyhadreproducedSteve'swounds,hisbodywas

duplicatingthecreepingparalysisthatwasbringinghercloserand

closertodeath'sdoor.

Twelvehourslater,Steve'schestmuscleswerealmostcompletely

paralysed.Itwasonlytheventilatorthatwaskeepinghisbrain

suppliedwiththeoxygenitneeded.

Karlstromdroppedinagaintoseehowhewas.Franwasstillathis

bedside.Shelookedwornandcrumpled.

'Iheartheverdict'snotgood."

'No.Theytoldmehecoulddiewithintwenty-fourhoursofthefirst

signsofparalysis.Hecouldlastlonger-itdependsonRoz.Butif

she'satthesamestagewithoutanyofthisequipmentshehasn'ta

hope."Frangesturedhelplesslyandgaveatiredlaugh.'Idon'tknow

whatI'mdoinghere.WhenIhearpeopletalkaboutbedsidemanners

thisisnotwhatspringstomind."

'Thefactthatyouarehereshowshimyoucare.Thatmustbea

help."

'Maybe."Shebecameangry.'Isn'ttheresomewaywecanbreakthis

telepathiclink?!"'I'vealreadyaskedthatquestion.Andasusual

thepsionicsdepartmentdoesn'thaveananswer.Noneofusknowhow

thistelepathybusinessworks,butthat'sonlypartofthemysterythat

surroundsthesetwo.Weknowofothertelepaths,butwhat'shappening

hereisabsolutelyunique."

'Iknowthat,butRozishissister,forcrissakes!Doesn'tshe

realiseshe'skillinghim?!"'Shemustdo,butperhapsinasituation

likethisthecontactisinvoluntary,'saidKarlstrom.'Ican'tthink

thateitherofthemwouldmaketheothersufferdeliberately.

We'lljusthavetokeepourfingerscrossedandhopethatwhenshe

dies,shedoesn'ttakeBrickmanwithher."

'Sothat'sallwecandoisit?"Keepourfingerscrossed"?"

Karlstromsmiled.Astheircontroller,Franhadbeenoverseeingthe

livesofSteveandRozforthelastfiveyears.'Lookonthebright

side.Iftheybothdie,it'lllightenyourcaseload."

Shrewdashewas,theheadofAMEXICOwaswrong.

WithSteve'sconnivance,Rozhadinducedtheprogressivemuscular

paralysisthatwasthehallmarkoffatalfoodpoisoningwhichoften

arosefromeatingsmoked,uncookedmeats-astandarditeminthediet

ofthePlainfolk.Inthesmallhoursofthefollowingmorning,Steve's

conditiondeterioratedfurther.Asthedoctorsandnursingstaff

clusteredroundhim,hisbodywasshakenbyaseriesofviolent

convulsions,thenhewentcompletelylimpandhiseyesopened.When

theyremovedtheoxygenmaskandthetubefromhisthroat,hewasable

tospeakandbreathenormally,butwascompletelyexhausted.

Fran,whohadsnatchedafewhourssleepinanadjoiningroom,welcomed

himbacktothelandofthelivingwithanexuberantkissthenshook

hiswrists.

'Don'tyoueverdothistomeagain!"Shesatdownontheedgeofthe