cc.fireice-第42部分

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The　mood　persisted　even　when　his　telephone　gave　off　a　ring　like　a　ship's　bell。
　
　He　patted　his　mouth　and　thick　gray　beard　with　a　monogrammed　linen　napkin；　and　reached　with　a　plump　hand　for　the　phone。　〃St。　Julian　Perlmutter　here；〃　he　said　pleasantly。　〃State　your　business　in　a　brief　manner。〃
　〃I'm　sorry。　I　must　have　the　wrong　number；〃　the　voice　on　the　phone　said。　〃The　gentleman　I'm　trying　to　reach　would　never　answer　the　phone　so　politely。〃
　〃Ah　ha！〃　Perlmutter's　voice　ratcheted　up　the　decibel　scale　to　a　supersonic　boom。　〃You　should　be　sorry；　Kurt。　What　happened　to　imam？〃
　〃Can't　say　I　know　anyone　by　that　name。　Have　you　tried　Istanbul　missing　persons？〃
　〃Don't　toy　with　me　over　such　an　important　matter；　you　impertinent　young　snit；〃　Perlmutter　boomed；　his　sky　blue　eyes　twinkling　in　the　ruddy　face。　〃You　know　perfectly　well　you　promised　to　get　me　an　authentic　recipe　for　imam　bayidi。　Translated　loosely　as　'the　imam　fainted；'　because　the　old　boy　was　overe　with　delight　when　he　tasted　the　dish。　You　did　remember；　didn't　you？〃
　
　Austin　kept　on　Perlmutter's　good　side　by　searching　out　authentic　recipes　on　his　travels　around　the　world。　〃Of　course　I　remembered。　I've　been　trying　to　persuade　one　of　the　finest　chefs　in　Istanbul　to　part　with　his　recipe　and　will　send　it　to　you　forthwith。　I　wouldn't　want　you　to　waste　away　to　nothing。〃
　
　Perlmutter　roared　with　laughter；　the　belly　laugh　amplified　by　the　nearly　four　hundred　pounds　of　flesh　adhering　to　his　sturdy　frame。　〃There's　not　much　danger　of　that　happening。　Are　you　still　in　Turkey？〃
　〃In　the　neighborhood。　I'm　on　a　NUMA　ship　in　the　Black　Sea。〃
　〃Still　on　your　vacation　cruise？〃
　〃Vacation's　over。　I'm　back　at　work　and　need　a　favor。　Could　you　dig　up　something　on　an　old　cargo　ship　named　the　Odessa　Star？　It　went　down　in　the　Black　Sea；　but　I　don't　know　when。　That's　all　I　can　tell　you　for　now。〃
　〃Tracking　down　your　ship　should　be　no　problem；　not　with　such　a　helpful　description；〃　Perlmutter　responded　with　dry　humor。　〃Please　tell　me　what　you　do　know　about　it。〃　Perlmuttecr　jotted　down　the　sparse　information　Austin　was　able　to　give。　〃I'll　do　my　best；　although　I　may　be　weak　with　hunger；　a　condition　easily　remedied　by　the　receipt　of　a　certain　Turkish　recipe。〃
　
　Austin　again　assured　Perlmutter　that　the　recipe　was　in　the　pipeline；　and　hung　up。　He　felt　guilty　for　shading　the　truth　somewhat。　With　all　that　was　going　on；　he　had　forgotten　Perlmutter's　request。　He　turned　to　Captain　Atwood。　〃Does　anybody　in　the　galley　know　anything　about　Turkish　cooking？〃
　
　While　Austin　tried　to　track　down　the　imam；　thousands　of　miles　away　in　his　N　Street　carriage　house　behind　two　vine…encrusted　Georgetown　town　houses；　Perlmutter　was　grinning　with　pleasure。　Despite　his　bluster；　he　enjoyed　a　challenge。　The　Smithsonian　would　have　to　wait；　although　the　concept　of　an　obscure　twin…hulled　ironclad　was　intriguing。　He　glanced　around　the　huge　bination　living　room；　bedroom　and　study　at　the　stacks　of　books　occupying　every　square　inch。　Although　the　space　looked　like　a　librarian's　nightmare；　Perlmutter's　apartment　contained　the　finest　collection　of　historical　ship　literature　ever　assembled。
　
　Perlmutter　had　read　every　volume　he　owned　at　least　twice。　His　encyclopedic　mind　had　absorbed　a　numbing　number　of　facts；　each　connected　like　the　links　of　a　Web　site　to　related　caches。　He　could　pluck　a　book　from　a　dusty　pile；　run　his　finger　down　the　spine　and　remember　practically　every　page。
　
　He　knitted　his　brow　in　thought；　something　was　eluding　him；　lurking　in　a　shadowed　er　of　his　mind　beyond　the　periphery　of　consciousness。　He　was　sure　he'd　heard　of　the　Odessa　Star　before　Austin　mentioned　it。　He　would　find　it　in　five　minutes　or　not　at　all。　He　dug　through　his　piles　of　books　and　periodicals；　mumbling　under　his　breath。　Damned　if　he　could　remember。　Must　be　getting　old。　He　rummaged　for　an　hour　before　giving　up。　He　picked　a　card　out　of　his　telephone　number　file　and　dialed　the　international　code　for　London　and　a　number。
　
　A　moment　later；　a　clipped　British　accent　answered；　〃Guildhall　Library。〃
　
　Perlmutter　gave　his　name　and　asked　for　an　assistant　cataloger　he　had　dealt　with　on　previous　calls。　Like　many　English　institutions；　the　Guildhall　Library　had　been　around　for　centuries。　The　original　library　dated　back　to　1423　and　was　acknowledged　worldwide　for　a　history　collection　that　went　back　to　the　eleventh　century。
　
　The　library　also　had　the　finest　collection　of　wine　and　food　books　in　the　United　Kingdom；　a　fact　that　had　not　escaped　Perlmutter's　attention。　But　it　was　the　Guildhall's　extensive　maritime　records　that　Perlmutter　often　drew　upon　in　his　research。　England's　naval　tradition；　and　the　wide　reach　of　the　British　Empire　colonies　and　trade；　made　the　collection　a　treasure　trove　of　information　about　practically　every　sea…girt　country　in　the　world。
　
　The　cataloger；　a　pleasant　young　woman　named　Elizabeth　Bosworth；　came　on　the　line。　〃Julian。　How　nice　to　hear　from　you　again。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Elizabeth。　All　goes　well　with　you；　I　trust。〃
　〃Very　well；　thank　you。　I've　been　quite　busy　indexing　agreements　of　colonial　registered　vessels　dating　back　to　the　seventeen　hundreds。〃
　〃I　hope　I'm　not　calling　at　a　bad　time。〃
　〃Of　course　not；　Julian。　The　material　is　fascinating；　but　the　work　does　get　a　bit　tedious　at　times。　What　can　I　do　for　you？〃
　〃I'm　trying　to　track　down　some　information　on　an　old　cargo　ship　named　the　Odessa　Star　and　wondered　if　you　could　tickle　the　Lloyd's　file　for　me。〃
　
　The　Guildhall　Library　held　all　the　shipping　records　for　the　giant　international　marine　insurance　underwriter　prior　to　1985。　Lloyd's　of　London　had　been　established　in　1811　to　provide　a　universal　system　of　〃intelligence　and　superintendence〃　in　all　the　principal　ports　of　the　world。　To　acplish　this　goal；　Lloyd's　had　set　up　a　network　of　agents。　By　the　turn　of　the　century；　the　agency　had　more　than　four　hundred　agents　and　five　hundred　subagents　scattered　around　the　globe。　Their　reports　on　marine　casualties；　shipowners；　shipping　movements　and　voyages　were　contained　in　the　library's　files；　where　they　were　accessible　to　historians　like　Perlmutter。
　
　〃I'd　be　happy　to　look　into　it　for　you；〃　Bosworth　replied。　Her　enthusiasm　was　due　only　in　part　to　the　generous　contributions；　far　and　above　the　usual　research　fee；　that　Perlmutter　consistently　made　to　the　library。　She　shared　his　love　of　sea　history　and　admired　his　book　collection。　More　than　once；　she　had　gone　to　him　with　queries　of　her　own。
　
　Apologizing　for　providing　so　little　information；　Perlmutter　relayed　the　facts　outlined　by　Austin。　Bosworth　said　she　would　get　back　to　him　as　soon　as　she　could。　Perlmutter　hung　up　and　returned　to　his　research　for　the　Smithsonian。　With　bulldog　perseverance；　he　unearthed　a　rough　sketch　of　the　Confederate　twin…hulled　ironclad　and　was　typing　out　a　report　on　his　puter　when　the　phone　rang。　It　was　Bosworth。
　
　〃Julian；　I've　found　some　references　to　the　Odessa　Star：　I'll　fax　them　to　you。〃
　〃Thank　you　so　much；　Elizabeth。　In　return；　the　next　time　I'm　in　town　I'll　take　you　to　lunch　at　Simpson's　on　the　Strand。〃
　〃It's　a　date；〃　she　said。　〃You　know　where　to　find　me。〃　They　said　their　good…byes　and；　a　minute　later；　the　fax　buzzed　and　spat　out　several　sheets　of　paper。　Perlmutter　examined　the　top　sheet。　It　was　the　report　of　the　Lloyd's　agent　in　Novorossiysk；　a　Mr。　A。　Zubrin。　It　was　dated　April　of　1917。
　
　〃This　is　to　report　that　the　Odessa　Stat；　freighter　of　ten　thousand　tons；　carrying　a　cargo　of　coal　from　Caucasus；　enroute　from　Odessa　to　Constantinople　1917；　February；　did　not　arrive　at　its　destination　and　is　presumed　lost。　Have　confirmed　such　with　G。　Bozdag；　Lloyd's　agent；　Constantinople。　No　report　of　ship　at　any　Black　Sea　port。　Vessel　owned　by　Fauchet；　Ltd。；　of　Marseilles；　France；　which　has　put　in　a　claim。　Last　survey；　June　1916；　showed　ship　in　desperate　need　of　repair。　Please　advise　as　to　claim。〃
　
　The　other　papers　included　a　three…way　correspondence　among　the　agent；　the　central　office　in　London　and　the　French　owners。　The　French　were　insisting　on　full　payment　of　the　claim。　Lloyd's　resisted；　citing　the　perilous　condition　of　the　ship；　but　eventually　settled　for　a　third；　most　of　it　the　value　of　the　cargo。
　
　Perlmutter　turned　to　a　ceiling…to…floor　bookcase　and　extracted　a　thick　volume　whose　burgundy　cloth　cover　was　worn　with　use。　He　leafed　through　the　registry　of　French　shipping　panies。　Fauchet　had　gone　out　of　business　in　1922。　Perlmutter　grunted。　Small　wonder；　the　way　they　neglected　their　ships。　He　replaced　the　registry　and　picked　up　another　document　Bosworth　had　sent　him。　It　was　a　copy　of　a　book　review　from　the　London　Times　dating　to　the　thirties。
　
　The　headline　read：　VETERAN　SEA　CAPTAIN　REVEALS　SECRETS　OF　THE　BLACK　SEA。　He　put　the　review　aside　and　turned　to　the　note　from　Bosworth。
　
　〃Dear　Julian。　Hope　this　material　is　of　help。　I　found　a　reference　to　your　mystery　ship　in　a　summary　of　archival　material　bequeathed　to　the　library　by　the　estate　of　Lord　Dodson；　who　served　for　many　years　in　the　Foreign　Office。　It　was　a　manuscript　containing　Dodson's　memoirs；　but　it　seems　to　have　been　withdrawn　by　the　family。　There　was　also　mention　of　the　Odessa　Star　in　a　book　called　Life　on　the　Black　Sea。　We　have　a　copy　here　and　I　can　FedEx　it　to　you　if　you　wish。〃
　
　Perlmutter　put　the　note　down　and　went　over　to　a　shelf　crammed　to　the　gills　with　volumes　of　every　size　and　description。　He　ran　his　pudgy　fingers　along　a　row　of　books　and　pulled　out　a　small；　slim　volume　with　a　leather　cover　handsomely　embossed　in　gold　leaf。
　
　〃Hah！〃　Perlmutter　exclaimed　in　triumph。　If　he　could　have　danced；　he　would　have　done　a　two…step；　No　longer　worried　about　his　temporary　lapse　of　memory；　he　scribbled　a　note　on　a　piece　of　paper　and　inserted　it　in　the　fax　machine。　〃No　need　to　send　book。　Have　it　in　my　collection。　Thanks。〃　As　the　message　flew　across　the　Atlantic；　Perlmutter　settled　into　a　fortable　chair　with　a　tumbler　of　iced　hibiscus　tea；　a　plate　of　crackers　and　white　truffle　paste　by　his　side；　and　began　to　read。
　
　A　Russian　ship　captain　named　Popov　had　written　the　book　in　1936。　The　captain　had　an　eye　for　detail　and　a　sense　of　humor；　and　Perlmutter　found　himself　smiling　frequently　as　Popov　related　his　adventures　with　waterspouts　and　storms；　leaky　vessels；　pirates　and　bandits；