alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第12章

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be　very　small。　Anything　between　four　and　forty　inches。　Four　inches　we　go　through　like　the　icing　on　a　wedding　cake：　forty　inches　and　we　get　a　very　sore　head　indeed。〃　He　nodded　across　to　Swanson。　〃Doesn't　look　so　good。　That　grip　he's　twisting　is　to　tilt　the　periscope　lens　upward　and　that　button　is　for　focusing。　Means　he's　having　trouble　in　finding　anything。〃
　 Swanson　straightened。　〃Black　as　the　earl　of　hell's　waistcoat；〃　he　said　conversationally。　〃Switch　on　hull　and　sail　floodlights。〃
　 He　stooped　and　looked　again。　For　a　few　seconds　only。　〃Pea　soup。　Thick　and　yellow　and　strong。　Can't　see　a　thing。　Let's　have　the　camera；　shall　we？〃
　 I　looked　at　Hansen；　who　nodded　to　a　white　screen　that　had　just　been　unshuttered　on　the　opposite　bulkhead。　〃All　mod　cons；　Doc；　Closed…circuit　TV。　Camera　is　deck　mounted　under　toughened　glass　and　can　be　remote…controlled　to　look　up　or　around。〃
　 〃You　could　do　with　a　new　camera；　couldn't　you？〃　The　TV　screen　was　gray；　fuzzy；　featureless。
　 〃Best　that　money　can　buy；〃　Hansen　said。　〃It's　the　water。　Under　certain　conditions　of　temperature　and　salinity；　it　bees　almost　pletely　opaque　when　flood…lit。　Like　driving　into　a　heavy　fog　with　your　headlights　full　on。〃
　 〃Floodlights　off；〃　Swanson　said。　The　screen　became　quite　blank。　〃Floodlights　on。〃　The　same　drifting；　misty　gray　as　before。　Swanson　sighed　and　turned　to　Hansen。　〃Well；　John？〃
　 〃If　I　were　paid　for　imagining　things；〃　Hansen　said　carefully；　〃I　could　imagine　I　see　the　top　of　the　sail　in　that　left　corner。　Pretty　murky　out　there；　Captain。　Blindman's　buff；　is　that　it？〃
　 〃Russian　roulette；　I　prefer　to　call　it。〃　Swanson　had　the　clear；　unworried　face　of　a　man　contemplating　a　Sunday　afternoon　in　a　deck　chair。　〃Are　we　holding　position？〃
　 〃I　don't　know。〃　Raeburn　looked　up　from　the　plot。　〃It's　difficult　to　be　sure。〃
　 〃Sanders？〃　This　to　the　man　at　the　ice　machine。
　 〃Thin　ice；　sir。　Still　thin　ice。〃
　 〃Keep　calling。　Down　periscope。〃　He　folded　the　handles　up　and　turned　to　the　diving　officer。　〃Take　her　up　like　we　were　carrying　a　crate　of　eggs　atop　the　sail　and　didn't　want　to　crack　even　one　of　them。〃
　 The　pumps　started　again。　I　looked　around　the　control　room。　Swanson　excepted；　everyone　was　quiet　and　still　and　keyed…up。　Raeburn's　face　was　beaded　with　sweat；　and　Sanders'　voice　was　too　calm　and　impersonal　by　half　as　he　kept　repeating；　〃Thin　ice；　thin　ice〃　in　a　low　monotone。　You　could　reach　out　and　touch　the　tension　in　the　air。　I　said　quietly　to　Hansen；　〃Nobody　seems　very　happy。　There's　still　a　hundred　feet　to　go。〃
　 〃There's　forty　feet；〃　Hansen　said　shortly。　〃Readings　are　taken　from　keel　level；　and　there's　sixty　feet　between　the　keel　and　the　top　of　the　sail。　Forty　feet　minus　the　thickness　of　the　ice…and　maybe　a　razor…sharp　or　needle…pointed　stalactite　sticking　down　ready　to　skewer　the　〃Dolphin〃　through　the　middle。　You　know　what　that　means？〃
　 〃That　it's　time　I　started　getting　worried　too？〃
　 Hansen　smiled；　but　he　wasn't　feeling　like　smiling。　Neither　Was　I；　not　any　more。
　 〃Ninety　feet；〃　the　diving　officer　said。
　 〃Thin　ice；　thin　ice；〃　Sanders　intoned。
　 〃Switch　off　the　deck　flood；　leave　the　sail　flood　on；〃　Swanson　said。　〃And　keep　that　camera　moving。　Sonar？〃
　 〃All　clear；〃　the　sonar　operator　reported。　〃All　clear　all　around。〃　A　pause　then：　〃No；　hold　it；　hold　it！　Contact　dead　astern！〃
　 〃How　close？〃　Swanson　asked　quickly。
　 〃Too　close　to　say。　Very　close。〃
　 〃She's　jumping！〃　the　diving　officer　called　out　sharply。　〃Eighty；　seventy…five。〃　The　〃Dolphin〃　had　hit　a　layer　of　colder　water　or　extra　salinity。
　 〃Heavy　ice；　heavy　ice！〃　Sanders　called　out　urgently。
　 〃Flood　emergency！〃　Swanson　orderedand　this　time　it　was　an　order。
　 I　felt　the　sudden　build…up　of　air　pressure　as　the　diving　officer　vented　the　negative　tank　and　tons　of　seawater　poured　into　the　emergency　diving　tank。　But　it　was　too　late。　With　a　shuddering；　jarring　smash　that　sent　us　staggenng；　the　〃Dolphin〃　crashed　violently　into　the　ice　above；　glass　tinkled；　lights　went　out　and　the　submarine　started　falling　like　a　stone。
　 〃Blow　negative　to　the　mark！〃　the　diving　officer　called。　High…pressure　air　came　boiling　into　the　negative　tank；　at　our　rate　of　falling；　we　would　have　been　flattened　by　the　sea　pressure　before　the　pumps　could　even　have　begun　to　cope　with　the　huge　extra　ballast　load　we　had　taken　aboard　in　seconds。　Two　hundred　feet；　two　hundred　and　fifty；　and　we　were　still　falling。　Nobody　spoke；　everybody　just　stood　or　sat　in　a　frozen　position　staring　at　the　diving　stand。　It　required　no　gift　for　telepathy　to　know　the　thought　in　every　mind。　It　was　obvious　that　the　〃Dolphin〃　had　been　struck　aft　by　some　underwater　pressure　ridge　at　the　same　instant　as　the　sail　had　hit　the　heavy　ice　above。　If　the　〃Dolphin〃　had　been　holed　aft；　this　descent　wasn't　going　to　stop　until　the　pressure　of　a　million　tons　of　water　crushed　and　flattened　the　hull　and　in　a　ificker　of　time　snuffed　out　the　life　of　every　man　inside　it。
　 〃Three　hundred　feet；〃　the　diving　officer　called　out。　〃Three　fiftyand　she's　slowing。　She's　slowing。〃
　 The　〃Dolphin〃　was　still　falling；　sluggishly　passing　the　four　hundred…foot　mark；　when　Rawlings　appeared　in　the　control　room；　tool　kit　in　one　hand；　a　crate　of　assorted　lamps　in　the　other。
　 〃It's　unnatural；〃　he　said。　He　appeared　to　be　addressing　the　shattered　lamp　above　the　plot　which　he　had　immediately　begun　to　repair。　〃Contrary　to　the　laws　of　nature；　I've　always　maintained。　Mankind　was　never　meant　to　probe　beneath　the　depths　of　the　ocean。　Mark　my　words；　these　newfangled　inventions　will　e　to　a　bad　end。〃
　 〃So　will　you　if　don't　keep　quiet；〃　mander　Swanson　said　acidly。　But　there　was　no　reprimand　in　his　face；　he　appreciated　as　well　as　any　of　us　the　therapeutic　breath　of　fresh　air　that　Rawlings　had　brought　into　that　tension…laden　atmosphere。　〃Holding？〃　he　said　to　the　diving　officer。
　 The　diving　officer　raised　a　finger　and　grinned。　Swanson　nodded　and　swung　the　coiled…spring　microphone　in　front　of　him。　〃Captain　speaking；〃　he　said　calmly。　〃Sorry　about　that　bump。　Report　damage　at　once。〃
　 A　green　light　flashed　in　the　panel　of　a　box　beside　him。　Swanson　touched　a　switch　and　a　loud…speaker　in　the　deckhead　crackled。
　 〃Maneuvering　room。〃　The　maneuvering　room　was　in　the　after　end　of　the　upper…level　engine　room；　toward　the　stern。　〃Hit　was　directly　above　us　here。　We　could　do　with　a　box　of　candles；　and　some　of　the　dials　and　gauges　are　out　of　kilter。　But　we　still　got　a　roof　over　our　heads。〃
　 〃Thank　you；　Lieutenant。　You　can　cope？〃
　 〃Sure　we　can。〃
　 Swanson　pressed　another　switch。　〃Stern　room？〃
　 〃We　still　attached　to　the　ship？〃　a　cautious　voice　inquired。
　 〃You're　still　attached　to　the　ship；〃　Swanson　assured　him。　〃Anything　to　report？〃
　 〃Only　that　there's　going　to　be　an　awful　lot　of　dirty　laundry　by　the　time　we　get　back　to　Scotland。　The　washing　machine's　had　a　kind　of　fit。〃
　 Swanson　smiled　and　switched　off。　His　face　was　untroubled；　he　must　have　had　a　special　sweat…absorbing　mechanism　on　his　face。　I　felt　I　could　have　done…　with　a　bath　towel。　He　said　to　Hansen；　〃That　was　bad　luck。　A　bination　of　a　current　where　a　current　had　no　right　to　be；　a　temperature　inversion　where　a　temperature　inversion　had　no　right　to　be；　and　a　pressure　ridge　where　we　least　expected　it。　Not　to　mention　the　damned　opacity　of　the　water。　What's　required　is　a　few　circuits　until　we　know　this　polynya　like　the　backs　of　our　hands；　a　small　off…set　to　allow　for　drift　and　a　little　precautionary　flooding　as　we　approach　the　ninety…foot　mark。〃
　 〃Yes；　sir。　That's　what's　required。　Point　is；　what　are　we　going　to　do？〃
　 〃Just　that。　Take　her　up　and　try　again。〃
　 I　had　my　pride　so　I　refrained　from　mopping　my　brow。　They　took　her　up　and　tried　again。　At　two　hundred　feet　and　for　fifteen　minutes　Swanson　juggled　propellers　and　rudder　　until　he　had　the　outline　of　the　frozen　polynya　above　as　accurately　limned　on　the　plot　as　he　could　ever　expect　to　have　it。　Then　he　positioned　the　〃Dolphin〃　just　outside　one　of　the　boundary　lines　and　gave　an　order　for　a　slow　ascent。
　 〃One　hundred　twenty　feet；〃　the　diving　officer　said。　〃One　hundred　ten。〃
　 〃Heavy　ice；〃　Saunders　intoned。　〃Still　heavy　ice。〃
　 Sluggishly　the　〃Dolphin〃　continued　to　rise。　Next　time　in　the　control　room；　I　promised　myself；　I　wouldn't　forget　that　bath　towel