p&c.icelimit-第38章

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nd　the　resources　…　would　be　here；　at　this　time　and　in　this　place；　staring　at　this　ravishing　object。
　〃Mr。　Lloyd；〃　he　heard　Glinn　say。　〃I　said　step　back。〃
　Instead；　Lloyd　leaned　forward。
　Glinn　raised　his　voice。　〃Palmer；　do　not　do　it！〃
　But　Lloyd　had　already　dropped　into　the　hole；　his　feet　landing　squarely　on　the　surface　of　the　meteorite。　He　immediately　fell　to　his　knees；　allowing　the　tips　of　his　gloved　fingers　to　caress　the　smoothly　rippled　metallic　surface。　On　impulse；　he　leaned　down　and　placed　his　cheek　against　it。　Above；　there　was　a　brief　silence。
　〃How　does　it　feel？〃　he　heard　McFarlane　ask。
　〃Cold；〃　Lloyd　replied；　sitting　up。　He　could　hear　the　quaver　in　his　voice　as　he　spoke；　feel　the　tears　freezing　on　his　numb　cheek。　〃It　feels　very　cold。〃
　
　Isla　Desolacion；
　1：55　P。M。
　
　MCFARLANE　STARED　at　the　laptop　on　his　knees。　The　cursor　blinked　back；　reproachfully；　from　a　nearly　blank　screen。　He　sighed　and　shifted　in　the　metal　folding　chair；　trying　to　get　fortable。　The　lone　window　of　the　missary　hut　glittered　with　frost；　and　the　sound　of　wind　came　through　the　walls。　Outside；　the　clear　weather　had　given　way　to　snow。　But　within　the　hut；　a　coal　stove　threw　out　a　wonderfully　intense　heat。
　McFarlane　moused　a　mand；　then　closed　the　laptop　with　a　curse。　On　a　nearby　table；　a　printer　began　to　hum。　He　shifted　again；　restlessly。　Once　again；　he　replayed　the　events　of　the　morning。　The　moment　of　awestruck　silence；　Lloyd　jumping　so　impulsively　into　the　hole；　and　Glinn　calling　out　to　him　…　by　his　Christian　name；　for　the　first　time　McFarlane　remembered。　The　triumphant　christening；　the　torrent　of　questions　that　followed。　And　…　overlaying　everything　…　an　overpowering　sense　of　inprehension。　He　felt　that　the　breath　had　been　knocked　out　of　him；　that　he　was　struggling　for　air。
　He；　too；　had　felt　a　sudden　urge　to　jump　in；　to　touch　the　thing；　to　reassure　himself　that　it　was　real。　But　he　was　also　slightly　afraid　of　it。　It　had　such　a　rich　color；　so　out　of　place　in　the　monochromatic　landscape。　It　reminded　him　of　an　operating　table；　a　vast　expanse　of　snowy　white　sheets　with　a　bloody　incision　at　their　center。　It　repelled　and　fascinated　simultaneously。　And　it　excited　in　him　a　hope　that　he　thought　had　been　dead。
　The　door　to　the　hut　opened；　admitting　a　howl　of　snow。　McFarlane　glanced　up　as　Amira　stepped　in。
　〃Finish　the　report？〃　she　asked；　removing　her　parka　and　shaking　off　the　snow。
　In　response；　McFarlane　nodded　toward　the　printer。　Amira　walked　to　it　and　grabbed　the　emerging　sheet。　Then　she　barked　a　laugh。　〃'The　meteorite　is　red；'〃　she　read　aloud。　She　tossed　the　sheet　into　McFarlane's　lap。　〃Now　that's　what　I　like　in　a　man；　succinctness。〃
　〃Why　fill　up　paper　with　a　lot　of　useless　speculations？　Until　we　get　a　piece　of　it　for　study；　how　can　I　possibly　say　what　the　hell　it　is？〃
　She　pulled　up　a　chair　and　sat　down　beside　him。　It　seemed　to　McFarlane　that；　beneath　a　forced　casualness；　she　was　eyeing　him　very　carefully。　〃You've　been　studying　meteorites　for　years。　I　doubt　your　speculations　would　be　useless。〃
　〃What　do　you　think？〃
　〃I'll　show　you　mine　if　you　show　me　yours。〃
　McFarlane　glanced　down　at　the　pattern　of　ripples　on　the　plywood　table；　tracing　his　finger　along　them。　It　had　the　fractal　perfection　of　a　coastline；　or　a　snowflake；　or　a　Mandelbrot　set。　It　reminded　him　how　plicated　everything　was：　the　universe；　an　atom；　a　piece　of　wood。　Out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye　he　saw　Amira　draw　a　metal　cigar　tube　from　her　parka　and　upend　it；　letting　a　half…burnt　stogie　drop　into　her　hand。
　〃Please　don't；〃　he　said。　〃I'd　rather　not　be　driven　out　into　the　cold。〃
　Amira　replaced　the　cigar。　〃I　know　something　is　running　through　that　head　of　yours。〃
　McFarlane　shrugged。
　〃Okay；〃　she　said。　〃You　want　to　know　what　I　think？　You're　in　denial。〃
　He　turned　to　look　at　her　again。
　〃That's　right。　You　had　a　pet　theory　once　…　something　you　believed　in；　despite　the　razzing　of　your　peers。　Isn't　that　right？　And　when　you　thought　you'd　finally　found　evidence　for　that　theory；　it　got　you　into　trouble。　In　all　the　excitement　you　lost　your　usual　good　judgment　and　shafted　a　friend。　And　in　the　end；　your　evidence　turned　out　to　be　worthless。〃
　McFarlane　looked　at　her。　〃I　didn't　know　you　had　a　degree　in　psychiatry；　along　with　everything　else。〃
　She　leaned　closer；　pressing。　〃Sure；　I　heard　the　story。　The　point　is；　now　you've　got　what　you've　been　looking　for　all　these　years。　You've　got　more　than　evidence。　You've　got　proof。　But　you　don't　want　to　admit　it。　You're　afraid　to　go　down　that　road　again。〃
　McFarlane　held　her　gaze　for　a　minute。　He　felt　his　anger　drain　away。　He　slumped　in　his　chair；　his　mind　in　turmoil。　Could　she　be　right？　he　wondered。
　She　laughed。　〃Take　the　color；　for　example。　You　know　why　no　metals　are　deep　red？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Objects　are　a　certain　color　because　of　the　way　they　interact　with　photons　of　light。〃　Amira　shoved　a　hand　in　her　pocket　and　took　out　a　crumpled　paper　bag。　〃Jolly　Rancher？〃
　〃What　the　hell's　a　Jolly　Rancher？〃
　She　tossed　him　a　candy　and　shook　another　one　into　her　hand。　She　held　the　green　lozenge　up　between　thumb　and　forefinger。　〃Every　object；　except　for　a　perfect　blackbody；　absorbs　some　wavelengths　of　light　and　scatters　others。　Take　this　green　candy。　It's　green　because　its　scatters　the　green　wavelengths　of　light　back　at　our　eye；　while　absorbing　the　rest。　I've　run　a　few　pretty　little　calculations；　and　I　can't　find　a　single　theoretical　bination　of　alloyed　metals　that　will　scatter　red　light。　It　seems　to　be　impossible　for　any　known　alloy　to　be　deep　red。　Yellow；　white；　orange；　purple；　gray　…　but　not　red。〃　She　popped　the　green　candy　in　her　mouth；　bit　down　with　a　loud　crunch；　and　began　to　chew。
　McFarlane　placed　his　candy　on　the　table。　〃So　what　are　you　saying？〃
　〃You　know　what　I'm　saying。　I'm　saying　it's　made　of　some　weird　element　we've　never　seen　before。　So　stop　being　coy。　I　know　that's　what　you've　been　thinking：　This　is　it：　this　is　an　interstellar　meteorite。〃　
　McFarlane　raised　his　hand。　〃All　right；　it's　true；　I　have　been　thinking　about　it。〃
　〃And？〃
　〃All　the　meteorites　ever　found　have　been　made　from　known　elements　…　nickel；　iron；　carbon；　silicon。　They　all　formed　here；　in　our　own　solar　system；　out　of　the　primordial　cloud　of　dust　that　once　surrounded　our　sun。〃　He　paused；　choosing　his　words　carefully。　〃Obviously；　you　know　I　used　to　speculate　about　the　possibility　of　meteorites　ing　from　outside　the　solar　system。　A　chunk　of　something　that　just　happened　to　wander　past　and　get　caught　in　the　sun's　gravitational　field。　An　interstellar　meteorite。〃
　Amira　smiled　knowingly。　〃But　the　mathematicians　said　it　was　impossible：　a　quintillion　to　one。〃
　McFarlane　nodded。
　〃I　ran　some　calculations　back　on　the　ship。　The　mathematicians　were　wrong：　they　were　working　from　faulty　assumptions。　It's　only　about　a　billion　to　one。〃
　McFarlane　laughed。　〃Yeah。　Billion；　quintillion；　what's　the　difference？〃
　〃It's　a　billion　to　one　for　any　given　year。〃　
　McFarlane　stopped　laughing。
　〃That's　right；〃　said　Amira。　〃Over　billions　of　years；　there's　a　better　than　even　chance　that　one　did　land　on　Earth。　It's　not　only　possible；　it's　probable。　I　resurrected　your　little　theory　for　you。　You　owe　me；　big　time。〃
　A　silence　fell　in　the　missary　hut；　broken　only　by　the　rattle　of　wind。　Then　McFarlane　began　to　speak。　〃You　mean　you　really　believe　this　meteorite　is　made　of　some　alloy　or　metal　that　doesn't　exist　anywhere　in　the　solar　system？〃
　〃Yup。　And　you　believe　it；　too。　That's　why　you　haven't　written　your　report。〃
　McFarlane　went　on　slowly；　almost　to　himself。　〃If　this　metal　did　exist　somewhere；　we'd　have　found　at　least　some　trace　of　it。　After　all；　the　sun　and　the　planets　formed　from　the　same　dust　cloud。　So　it　must　have　e　from　beyond。〃　He　looked　at　her。　〃It's　inescapable。〃
　She　grinned。　〃My　thoughts　exactly。〃
　He　fell　silent　and　the　two　sat；　absorbed　for　the　moment。　〃We　need　to　get　our　hands　on　a　piece　of　it；〃　Amira　said　at　last。　〃I've　got　the　perfect　tool　for　the　job；　too；　a　highspeed　diamond　corer。　I'd　say　five　kilos　would　be　a　nice　chunk　to　start　with；　wouldn't　you？〃
　McFarlane　nodded。　〃But　let's　just　keep　our　speculations　to　ourselves　for　now。　Lloyd　and　the　rest　are　due　here　any　minute。〃
　As　if　on　cue；　there　was　a　stomping　outside　the　hut；　and　the　d