Arctic Drift Part 35

"It's possible that the Inuit erred in the date," Pitt replied. "The other point to consider is Max's comment about the Adelaide Peninsula being an Inuit migration stop. Just because the Inuit were known to camp on the peninsula doesn't mean that it's where they acquired the mineral."

"Good point. Do you think there's a connection with the Franklin Expedition?"

Pitt nodded slowly. "Might be our only real link," he said.

"But you heard what Max said. The entire crew perished. That would seem to eliminate any hope of finding an answer there."

"There's always hope," Pitt said, with a glint to his eye. He looked at his watch, then rose to leave. "As a matter of fact, Hiram, I fully expect to be on the right path just this afternoon."

41

PITT BORROWED AN AGENCY JEEP AND PICKED UP

Loren on Capitol Hill, then drove across downtown D.C.

"You have time for a long lunch?" he asked, sitting at a stop-light.

"You're in luck, I have no hearings scheduled for today. I'm just reviewing some draft legislation. What did you have in mind? "

"A side trip to Georgetown."

"To my condo, for a little afternoon delight?" she asked coyly.

"A tempting proposition," he replied, squeezing her hand, "but I'm afraid we have a lunch reservation that can't be canceled."

The noontime traffic clogged the streets until Pitt maneuvered onto M Street, which led to the heart of Georgetown.

"How's Lisa coming along?" he asked.

"She's being released from the hospital today and is anxious to get back to work. I'm arranging a briefing with the White House Office on Science and Technology once she has the chance to doc.u.ment and summarize her findings. That might take a few weeks, though. Lisa called me this morning a little upset-her lab a.s.sistant has apparently taken another position out of state, just quit on her without notice."

"Bob Hamilton?"

"Yes, that's his name. The one you don't trust."

"He's supposed to talk to the FBI later this week. Something tells me he won't be leaving for that new job anytime soon."

"It started out as such a promising breakthrough, but it's certainly turned into a mess. I saw a private report from the Department of Energy which forecasts a much bleaker environmental and economic impact from global warming than anybody else is letting on. The latest studies indicate the atmospheric greenhouse gases are growing at an alarming rate. Do you think a source of ruthenium can be found quickly enough to make the artificial-photosynthesis system a reality?"

"All we've got is a tenuous historical account of a long forgotten source. It might turn up empty, but the best we can do is track it down."

Pitt turned down a quaint residential street lined with historic mansions that dated to the 1840s. He found a parking spot beneath a towering oak tree, and they made their way to a smaller residence constructed from the carriage house of an adjacent manor. Pitt rapped a heavy bra.s.s knocker, and the front door flew open a moment later, revealing a colossal man clad in a red satin smoking jacket.

"Dirk! Loren! There you are," St. Julien Perlmutter boomed in a hearty voice. The bearded behemoth, who tipped the scales at nearly four hundred pounds, gave them each a spine-crushing hug as he welcomed them into his house.

"Julien, you are looking fit. Have you lost some weight?" Loren said, patting his ample belly.

"Heavens, no," he roared. "The day I stop eating is the day I die. You, on the other hand, look more ravishing than ever."

"You'd best keep that appet.i.te of yours focused on food," Pitt threatened with a grin.

Perlmutter leaned down to Loren's ear. "If you ever get tired of living with this adventuresome old cuss, you just let me know," he said, loud enough for Pitt to hear. Then rising like a bear, he pounded across the room.

"Come, to the dining room," he beckoned.

Loren and Pitt followed him past the entryway, through a living room, and down a hallway, all of which were filled to the ceiling with shelved books. The entire house was similarly cluttered, resembling a stately library more than a personal residence. Within its walls was the largest single collection of historic maritime books and journals in the world. An insatiable collector of nautical archives, Perlmutter himself stood as a pre-eminent expert on maritime history.

Perlmutter led them to a small but ornate dining room, where only a few piles of books were discreetly stacked against one wall. They took their seats at a thick mahogany table that featured legs carved in the shape of lion paws. The table had come from the captain's cabin of an ancient sailing ship, one of many nautical antiques tucked among the legion of books.

Perlmutter opened a bottle of Pouilly-Fume, then poured each of them a gla.s.s of the dry white wine.

"I'm afraid I already finished off that bottle of airag that you sent me from Mongolia," he said to Pitt. "Marvelous stuff."

"I had plenty while I was there. The locals consume it like water," he replied, recalling the slightly bitter taste of the alcoholic drink made from mare's milk.

Perlmutter tasted the wine, then set down his gla.s.s and clapped his hands.

"Marie," he called loudly. "You may serve the soup."

An ap.r.o.n-clad woman appeared from the kitchen carrying a tray of bowls. The physical opposite of Perlmutter, she was lithe and pet.i.te, with short dark hair and coffee-colored eyes. She silently placed a bowl of soup in front of each diner with a smile, then disappeared into the kitchen. Pitt took a taste and nodded.

"Vichyssoise. Very flavorful."

Perlmutter leaned forward and spoke in a whisper. "Marie is an a.s.sistant chef at Citronelle here in Georgetown. She is a graduate of one of the top culinary schools in Paris. Better than that, her father was a chef at Maxim's," he added, kissing his fingertips in delight. "She agreed to come cook for me three times a week. Life is good," he declared in a deep bellow, the folds of fat around his chin rolling as he laughed.

The trio dined on sauteed sweetbreads with risotto and leeks, followed by a chocolate mousse. Pitt pushed his empty dessert plate away with a sigh of satisfaction. Loren threw in the towel before finishing hers.

"Outstanding, Julien, from start to finish. If you ever grow tired of maritime history, I do believe you'd have a fantastic future as a restaurateur," Loren said.

"Perhaps, but I believe there would be too much work involved," Perlmutter said with a laugh. "Besides, as you surely have learned from your husband, one's love for the sea never wanes."

"True. I don't know what you two would do with yourselves if man had never sailed the seas."

"Blasphemous thought," Perlmutter boomed. "Which reminds me, Dirk, you said your calling involved something more than just fine dining with a dear friend ..."

"That's right, Julien. I'm on the hunt for a scarce mineral that made an appearance in the Arctic around 1849."

"Sounds intriguing. What's your interest?"

Pitt summarized the importance of ruthenium and the tale of the Inuit ore from the Miners Co-op.

"Adelaide Peninsula, you say? If my memory serves, that's just below King William Island, dead center in the Northwest Pa.s.sage," Perlmutter said, stroking this thick gray beard. "And in 1849, the only explorers in that region would have been Franklin's party."

"Who was Franklin?" Loren asked.