'Digital Fortress Chapter 12\r'

'David Becker had been to funerals and seen dead bodies before, but there was something particularly unnerving about this integrity. It was not an immaculately groomed corpse resting in a silk-lined c polish stumblein. This physical structure had been stripped naked and dumped unceremoniously on an atomic number 13 table. The eyes had not yet found their vacant, dead gaze. Instead they were twisted upward toward the ceiling in an eerie freeze-frame of terror and regret.\r\nâ€Å"?Donde estan sus efectos?” Becker asked in tranquil Castillian Spanish. â€Å"Where are his belongings?”\r\nâ€Å"Alli,” replied the yellow-toothed deputy. He pointed to a envision of clothing and other personal items.\r\nâ€Å"?Es todo? Is that each?”\r\nâ€Å"Si.”\r\nBecker asked for a cardboard calamity. The lieutenant hurried off to find one.\r\nIt was Saturday evening, and the Seville morgue was technically closed. The young lieutenant had let Becker in nether direct orders from the transmit of the Seville Guardia-it seemed the visiting American had powerful friends.\r\nBecker eyed the jackpot of clothes. There was a passport, wallet, and glasses stuffed in one of the shoes. There was also a pure duffle the Guardia had taken from the mans hotel. Beckers directions were clear: Touch nothing. Read nothing. simply bring it all cover. Everything. Dont miss anything.\r\nBecker surveyed the pile and frowned. What could the NSA maybe indirect request with this junk?\r\nThe lieutenant returned with a small box, and Becker began putting the clothes inside.\r\nThe military military military incumbent poked at the cadavers leg. â€Å"?Quienes? Who is he?”\r\nâ€Å"No idea.”\r\nâ€Å"Looks Chinese.”\r\nJapanese, Becker legal opinion.\r\nâ€Å"Poor bastard. Heart attack, huh?”\r\nBecker nodded absently. â€Å"Thats what they told me.”\r\nThe lieutenant sighed and agitate his head sympathetically. â€Å" The Seville sun can be cruel. Be careful out there tomorrow.”\r\nâ€Å"Thanks,” Becker said. â€Å" and Im headed home.”\r\nThe officer looked shocked. â€Å"You just got here!”\r\nâ€Å"I know, but the cuckoo paying my airfare is waiting for these items.”\r\nThe lieutenant looked offended in the way only a Spaniard can be offended. â€Å"You mean youre not going away to experience Seville?”\r\nâ€Å"I was here years ago. Beautiful city. Id love to stay.”\r\nâ€Å"So youve seen La Giralda?”\r\nBecker nodded. Hed never actually climbed the ancient Moresque tower, but hed seen it.\r\nâ€Å"How about the Alcazar?”\r\nBecker nodded again, remembering the night hed hear Pacode Lucia play guitar in the courtyard-Flamenco under the stars in a fifteenth-century fortress. He wished hed known Susan tooshie then.\r\nâ€Å"And of course theres Christopher Columbus.” The officer beamed. â€Å"Hes buried in our cathedral.â⠂¬Â\r\nBecker looked up. â€Å"Really? I thought Columbus was buried in the Dominican Republic.”\r\nâ€Å" pitfall no! Who starts these rumors? Columbuss body is here in Spain! I thought you said you went to college.”\r\nBecker shrugged. â€Å"I must yield missed that day.”\r\nâ€Å"The Spanish church is very rarified to own his relics.”\r\nThe Spanish church. Becker knew here was only one church in Spain-the Roman Catholic church. universality was bigger here than in Vatican City.\r\nâ€Å"We dont, of course, have his built-in body,” the lieutenant added. â€Å"Solo el escroto.”\r\nBecker stopped packing material and stared at the lieutenant. Solo el escroto? He fought off a grin. â€Å"Just his scrotum?”\r\nThe officer nodded proudly. â€Å"Yes. When the church obtains the dust of a great man, they saint him and spread the relics to various cathedrals so everyone can enjoy their splendor.”\r\nâ€Å"And you got theâ₠¬Â¦Ã¢â‚¬Â Becker stifled a laugh.\r\nâ€Å"Oye! Its a pretty important part!” the officer defended. â€Å"Its not like we got a rib or a knuckle like those churches in Galicia! You should sincerely stay and see it.”\r\nBecker nodded politely. â€Å"Maybe Ill drop in on my way out of town.”\r\nâ€Å"Mala suerte.” The officer sighed. â€Å" shitty luck. The cathedrals closed till sunrise mass.”\r\nâ€Å"Another quantify then.” Becker smiled, hoisting the box. â€Å"I should probably get going. My flights waiting. â€Å"He do a final glance around the room.\r\nâ€Å"You want a ride to the airport?” the officer asked. â€Å"Ive got a Moto Guzzi out front.”\r\nâ€Å"No thanks. Ill catch a cab.” Becker had compulsive a motorcycle once in college and more or less killed himself on it. He had no intention of get on one again, regardless of who was driving.\r\nâ€Å"Whatever you say,” the officer said, heading for the door. â€Å"Ill get the lights.”\r\nBecker tucked the box under his arm. Have I got everything? He took a decision look at the body on the table. The routine was stark naked, face up under fluorescent fixture lights, clearly hiding nothing. Becker found his eyes careworn again to the strangely deformed hands. He gazed a minute, focusing more intently.\r\nThe officer killed the lights, and the room went dark.\r\nâ€Å" clasp on,” Becker said. â€Å"Turn those back on.”\r\nThe lights flickered back on.\r\nBecker set his box on the floor walked over to the corpse. He leaned drink and squinted at the mans left hand.\r\nThe officer followed Beckers gaze. â€Å"Pretty ugly, huh?”\r\nBut the deformity was not what had caught Beckers eye. Hed seen something else. He turned to the officer. â€Å"Youre trustworthy everythings in this box?”\r\nThe officer nodded. â€Å"Yeah. Thats it.”\r\nBecker stood for moment with his hands on his hips. T hen he picked up the box, carried it back over to the counter, and dumped it out. Carefully, piece by piece, he shake out the clothing. Then he emptied the shoes and tapped them as if trying to remove a pebble. After going over everything a second time, he stepped back and frowned.\r\nâ€Å"Problem?” asked the lieutenant.\r\nâ€Å"Yeah,” Becker said. â€Å"Were missing something.”\r\n'