p&c.icelimit-第60章
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Eli Glinn stood inside the mouth of the ice tunnel； watching the progress as the great machines worked。 All had gone according to plan； despite the two recent deaths。 Half a dozen thick hoses snaked out of the hole in the ice； diesel fumes and soot spewing from their ends： a jury…rigged forced…air system to suck exhaust from the tunnel while the heavy machinery carved through the ice。 It was beautiful in its way； Glinn thought； one more engineering marvel in a long list since the project had begun。 The walls and ceiling of the tunnel were rough…edged and irregular； fractal in their endless knobs and ridges。 A million cracks and fissures ran away in crazy spiderwebs across the walls； white against the shockingly deep blue of the ice。 Only the floor was even； covered with the omnipresent crushed gravel over which the cart would travel。
A single row of fluorescent lights lit the tunnel。 Peering ahead； Glinn could see the meteorite on its cart； a red blob inside an eerie blue tube。 The tunnel echoed with the crashing and grinding of unseen machinery。 There was a wink of headlights in the distance； then some kind of vehicle made its way around the meteorite and came toward him。 It was a train of ore carts； full of glittering blue shards of ice。
The revelation that the meteorite could kill by touch had startled Glinn more than he cared to admit。 Despite that he had instituted orders never to touch the rock directly； he had always considered this merely a judicious precaution。 He sensed that McFarlane was right： the touch had caused the explosion。 There seemed to be no other possible answer。 A strategic recalculation had bee necessary。 It had caused yet another revision in his failure…success analysis … one that required virtually all of EES's puter capacity back in New York to process。
Glinn looked once again at the red rock； sitting like a huge gemstone on its bed of greenheart oak。 This was the thing that killed Vallenar's man； killed Rochefort and Evans； killed Masangkay。 Strange that it had not killed Lloyd。 It was undeniably deadly。。。 but the fact was； they were still ahead of schedule on fatalities。 The volcano project had cost fourteen lives； including one meddling government minister who insisted on being where he shouldn't have been。 Glinn reminded himself that； despite the strangeness of the rock； despite the problem of the Chilean destroyer； this remained essentially a heavy moving job。
He glanced at his watch。 McFarlane and Amira would be on time； they always were。 And he could see them now； stepping out of a snowcat at the mouth of the ice tunnel； McFarlane lugging a duffel bag full of instruments。 In five minutes they were at Glinn's side。 He turned to them。 〃You've got forty minutes until the tunnel is plete and the meteorite is moved again。 Make good use of it。〃
〃We intend to；〃 said Amira。
He watched her pulling gear out of the duffel and setting up instruments； while McFarlane silently took pictures of the rock with a digital camera。 She was capable。 McFarlane had learned about her reports； as he had expected。 This had had the desired effect： it put McFarlane on notice that his behavior was being scrutinized。 It also gave Amira an ethical dilemma to occupy herself with； always helpful in distracting her from the thornier moral questions she had a tendency to ask。 Moral questions that had no place in a cold…blooded engineering project。 McFarlane had taken it better than the profile predicted。 A plicated man； and one who had proven himself unusually useful。
Glinn noticed another cat arriving； also with a passenger。 Sally Britton stepped out； a long coat of navy blue wool billowing out behind her。 Uncharacteristically； there was no officer's cap on her head； and her wheat…colored hair gleamed in the lights of the tunnel。 Glinn smiled。 He had also been expecting this； ever since the explosion that killed the Chilean spy。 Expecting it； even looking forward to it。
As Britton drew near； Glinn turned toward her with a genuinely weling smile。 He took her hand。 〃Nice to see you； Captain。 What brings you down here？〃
Britton looked around； her intelligent green eyes taking in everything。 They froze when they saw the meteorite。
〃Good God；〃 she said； her step suddenly faltering。
Glinn smiled。 〃It's always a shock at first sight。〃
She nodded wordlessly。
〃Nothing great can happen in this world； Captain； without some difficulty。〃 Glinn spoke quietly； but with great force。 〃It's the scientific discovery of the century。〃 Glinn did not particularly care about its value to science； his interest was solely in the engineering aspects。 But he was not going to eschew a little drama； if it served his purposes。
Britton continued staring。 〃They said it was red； but I had no idea。。。〃
The roar of heavy machinery echoed down the ice tunnel as she stared： one minute； then two。 At last； with obvious effort； she took a breath； pulled her eyes away； and faced him。
〃Two more people have been killed。 But what news we've had from you has been slow in ing； and rumors are everywhere。 The crew are nervous； and so are my officers。 I need to know exactly what happened； and why。〃
Glinn nodded； waiting。
〃That meteorite is not ing on board my ship until I'm convinced it's safe。〃 She said it all at once and then stood firm； her slim； small form planted on the gravel。
Glinn smiled。 This was one hundred percent Sally Britton。 Every day he admired her more。
〃I feel exactly the same way；〃 he said。
She looked at him； off balance； obviously having expected resistance。
〃Mr。 Glinn； we have a dead Chilean naval officer to explain to the authorities。 We have a warship out there somewhere； a destroyer that likes to train its guns on us。 Three of your people are dead。 We have a twenty…five…thousand…ton rock that； when it isn't crushing people； blows them to bits； and you want to put it inside my ship。〃 She paused a moment； then continued； her voice lower。 〃Even the best crews can get superstitious。 There's been a lot of wild talk。〃
〃You are right to be concerned。 Let me brief you on what happened。 I apologize for not ing to the ship myself； but as you know we've been fighting the clock。〃
She waited。
〃Two nights ago； during the storm； we had an intruder from the Chilean ship。 He was killed by an electrical discharge from the meteorite。 Unfortunately； not before he murdered one of our men。〃
Britton looked at him sharply。 〃So it's true？ Lightning shot out of the meteorite？ I didn't believe it。 And I sure as hell don't understand it。〃
〃It's actually quite simple。 It's made of a metal that is a superconductor of electricity。 The human body … human skin … has an electrical potential。 If you touch the meteorite； the meteorite discharges some of the electricity circulating inside it。 Like a blast of lightning； only greater。 McFarlane has explained the theory to me。 That's what we believe killed the Chilean； as well as Nestor Masangkay； the man who first discovered the meteorite。〃
〃Why does it do that？〃
〃McFarlane and Amira are working on that question now。 But moving the rock is the priority now； and they haven't had time for further analysis。〃
〃So what's to prevent this from happening on my ship？〃
〃Another good question。〃 Glinn smiled。 〃We're working on that one too。 We're taking great precautions to make sure no one touches it。 Indeed； we had instituted such a policy even before we realized that touch could trigger an explosion。〃
〃I see。 Where does the electricity e from？〃
Glinn's hesitation was very brief。 〃That's one of the things that Dr。 McFarlane is studying right now。〃
Britton did not respond。
Quite suddenly； Glinn took her hand。 He felt a brief； instinctive resistance。 Then she relaxed。
〃I understand your concerns； Captain；〃 he said gently。 〃That's why we are taking all possible precautions。 But you must believe we will not fail。 You must believe in me。 Just as I believe in you to maintain discipline aboard your ship； despite the nervousness and superstitions of the crew。〃
She looked at him； but he could see her eyes irresistibly drawn back to the great red rock。
〃Stay a while；〃 said Glinn softly； smiling。 〃Stay and watch us bring the heaviest object ever moved by ma
