alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第13章

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　 〃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。　Swanson　said；　〃If　we've　overestimated　the　speed　of　the　drift；　there's　going　to　be　another　bump；　I'm　afraid。〃　He　turned　to　Rawlings；　who　was　still　repairing　lights。　〃If　I　were　you；　I'd　suspend　operations　for　the　present。　You　may　have　to　start　all　over　again　in　a　moment；　and　we　don't　carry　all　that　number　of　spares　aboard。〃
　 〃One　hundred　feet；〃　the　diving　officer　said。　He　didn't　sound　as　unhappy　as　his　face　looked。
　 〃The　water's　clearing；〃　Hansen　said　suddenly。　〃Look。〃
　 The　water　had　cleared；　not　dramatically　so；　but　enough。　We　could　see　the　top　corner　of　the　sail　clearly　outlined　on　the　TV　screen。　And　then；　suddenly；　we　could　see　something　else　again；　heavy；　ugly　ridged　ice　not　a　dozen　feet　above　the　sail。
　 Water　flooded　into　the　tanks。　The　diving　officer　didn't　have　be　to　told　what　to　do：　we'd　gone　up　like　an　express　elevator　the　first　time　we'd　hit　a　different　water　layer；　and　once　like　that　was　enough　in　the　life　of　any　submarine。
　 〃Ninety　feet；〃　he　reported。　〃Still　rising。〃　More　water　flooded　in；　and　then　the　sound　died　away。　〃She's　holding。　Just　under　ninety　feet。〃
　 〃Keep　her　there。〃　Swanson　stared　at　the　TV　screen。　〃We're　drifting　clear　and　into　the　polynyaI　hope。〃
　 〃Me　too；〃　Hansen　said。　〃There　can't　be　more　than　a　couple　of　feet　between　the　top　of　the　sail　and　that　damned　ugly　stuff。〃
　 〃There　isn't　much　room；〃　Swanson　acknowledged。　〃Sanders？〃
　 〃Just　a　moment；　sir。　The　graph　looks　kinda　funny　No；　we're　clear。〃　He　couldn't　keep　the　excitement　out　of　his　voice。　〃Thin　ice！〃
　 I　looked　at　the　screen。　He　was　right。　I　could　see　the　vertical　edge　of　a　wall　of　ice　move　slowly　across　the　screen；　exposing　clear　water　above。
　 〃Gently；　now；　gently；〃　Swanson　said。　〃And　keep　that　camera　on　the　ice　wall　at　the　side；　then　straight　up；　turn　about。〃
　 The　pumps　began　to　throb　again。　The　ice　wall；　less　than　ten　yards　away；　began　to　drift　slowly　down　past　us。
　 〃Eighty…five　feet；〃　the　diving　officer　reported。　〃Eighty。〃
　 〃No　hurry；〃　Swanson　said。　〃We're　sheltered　from　that　drift　by　now。〃
　 〃Seventy…five　feet。〃　The　pumps　stopped；　and　water　began　to　flood　into　the　tanks。　〃Seventy。〃　The　〃Dolphin〃　was　almost　stopped　now；　drifting　upward　as　gently　as　thistledown。　The　camera　switched　upward；　and　we　could　see　the　top　corner　of　the　sail　clearly　outlined　with　a　smooth　ceiling　of　ice　floating　down　to　meet　it。　More　water　gurgled　into　the　tanks；　the　top　of　the　sail　met　the　ice　with　a　barely　perceptible　bump；　and　the　〃Dolphin〃　came　to　rest。
　 〃Beautifully　done；〃　Swanson　said　warmly　to　the　diving　officer。　〃Let's　try　giving　that　ice　a　nudge。　Are　we　slewing？〃
　 〃Bearing　constant。〃
　 Swanson　nodded。　The　pumps　hummed；　poured　out　water；　lightening　ship；　steadily　increasing　positive　buoyancy；　The　ice　stayed　where　it　was。　More　time　passed；　more　water　pumped　out；　and　still　nothing　happened。　I　said　softly　to　Hansen；　〃Why　doesn't　he　blow　the　main　ballast？　You'd　get　a　few　hundred　tons　of　positive　buoyancy　in　next　to　no　time；　and　even　if　that　ice　is　forty　inches　thick；　it　couldn't　survive　all　that　pressure　at　a　concentrated　point。〃　…
　 〃Neither　could　the　〃Dolphin〃；〃　Hansen　said　grimly。　〃With　a　suddenly　induced　big　positive　buoyancy　like　that；　once　she　broke　through；　she'd　go　up　like　a　cork　from　a　champagne　bottle。　The　pressure　hull　might　take　it；　I　don't　know；　but　sure　as　little　apples　the　rudder　would　be　squashed　as　flat　as　a　piece　of　tin。　Do　you　want　to　spend　what　little's　left　of　your　life　traveling　in　steadily　decreasing　circles　under　the　polar　ice　cap？〃　
　 I　didn't　want　to　spend　what　little　was　left　of　my　life　in　traveling　in　steadily　decreasing　circles　under　the　ice　cap；　so　I　kept　quiet。　I　watched　Swanson　as　he　walked　across　to　the　diving　stand　and　studied　the　banked　dials　in　silence　for　some　seconds。　I　was　beginning　to　bee　a　little　apprehensive　about　what　Swanson　would　do　next。　I　was　beginning　to　realize；　and　not　slowly；　either；　that　he　was　a　man　who　didn't　give　up　very　easily。
　 〃That's　enough　of　that；〃　he　said　to　the　diving　officer。　〃If　we　go　through　now　with　all　this　pressure　behind　us；　we'll　be　airborne。　This　ice　is　even　thicker　than　we　thought。　We've　tried　the　long；　steady　shove　and　it　hasn't　worked。　A　sharp　tap　is　obviously　what　is　needed。　Flood　her　down；　but　gently；　to　eighty　feet　or　so。　A　good　sharp　whiff　of　air　into　the　ballast　tanks；　and　we'll　give　our　well…known　imitation　of　a　bull　at　a　gate。〃
　 Whoever　had　installed　the　240…ton　air…conditioning　unit　in　the　〃Dolphin〃　should　have　been　prosecuted；　it　just　wasn't　working　any　more。　The　air　was　very　hot　and　stuffywhat　little　there　was　of　it；　that　was。　I　looked　around　cautiously　and　saw　that　everyone　else　appeared　to　be　suffering　from　this　same　shortage　of　air；　all　except　Swanson；　who　seemed　to　carry　his　own　built…in　oxygen　cylinder　around　with　him。　I　hoped　Swanson　was　keeping　in　mind　the　fact　that　the　〃Dolphin〃　cost　120　million　dollars　to　build。　Hansen's　narrowed　eyes　held　a　definite　core　of　worry；　and　even　the　usually　imperturbable　Rawlings　was　rubbing　a　bristly　blue　chin　with　a　hand　the　size　and　shape　of　a　shovel。　In　the　deep　silence　after　Swanson　had　finished　speaking　the　scraping　noise　sounded　unusually　loud；　then　was　lost　in　the　noise　of　water　flooding　into　the　tanks。
　 We　stared　at　the　screen。　Water　continued　to　pour　into　the　tanks　until　we　could　see　a　gap　appear　between　the　top　of　the　sail　and　the　ice。　The　pumps　started　up；　slowly；　to　control　the　speed　of　descent。　On　the　screen；　the　cone　of　light　thrown　on　to　the　underside　of　the　ice　by　the　floodlight　grew　fainter　and　larger　as　we　dropped；　then　remained　stationary；　neither　moving　nor　growing　in　size。　We　had　stopped。
　 〃Now；〃　said　Swanson。　〃Before　that　current　gets　us　again。〃
　 There　came　the　hissing　roar　of　pressed　air　under　high　pressure　entering　the　ballast　tanks。　The　〃Dolphin〃　started　to　move　sluggishly　upward　while　we　watched　the　cone　of　light　on　the　ice　slowly　narrow　and　brighten。
　 〃More　air；〃　Swanson　said。
　 We　were　rising　faster　now；　closing　the　gap　to　the　ice　all　too　quickly　for　my　liking。　Fifteen　feet；　twelve　feet；　ten　feet。
　 〃More　air；〃　Swanson　said。
　 I　braced　myself；　one　hand　on　the　plot；　the　other　on　an　overhead　grab　bar。　On　the　screen；　the　ice　was　rushing　down　to　meet　us。　Suddenly　the　picture　quivered　and　danced；　the　〃Dolphin〃　shuddered；　jarred；　and　echoed　hollowly　along　its　length；　more　lights　went　out；　the　picture　came　back　on　the　screen；　the　sail　was　still　lodged　below　the　ice；　then　the　〃Dolphin〃　trembled　and　lurched　and　the　deck　pressed　against　our　feet　like　an　ascending　elevator。　The　sail　on　the　TV　vanished；　nothing　but　opaque　white　taking　its　place。　The　diving　officer；　his　voice　high　with　strain　that　had　not　yet　found　relief；　called　out；　〃Forty　feet；　forty　feet。〃　We　had　broken　through。
　 〃There　you　are；　now；〃　Swanson　said　mildly。　〃All　it　needed　was　a　little　perseverance。〃　I　looked　at　the　short；　plump　figure；　the　round；　good…humored　face；　and　wondered　for　the　hundredth　time　why　the　nerveless　iron　men　of　this　world　so　very　seldom　look　the　part。
　 I　let　my　pride　have　a　holiday。　I　took　my　handkerchief　from　my　pocket；　wiped　my　face；　and　said　to　Swanson；　〃Does　this　sort　of　thing　go　on　all　the　time？〃
　 〃Fortunately；　perhaps；　no；〃　he　smiled。　He　turned　to　the　diving　officer。　〃We've　got　our　foothold　on　this　rock。　Let's　make　sure　we　have　a　good　belay。〃
　 For　a　few　seconds；　more　pressed　air　was　bled　into　the　tanks；　then　the　diving　officer　said：　〃No　chance　of　her　dropping　down　now；　Captain。〃
　 〃Up　periscope。〃
　 Again　the　long；　gleaming　silver　tube　hissed　up　from　its　well。　Swanson　didn't　even　bother　folding　down　the　hinged　handles。　He　peered　briefly　into　the　eyepiece；　then　straightened。　〃Down　periscope。〃
　 〃Pretty　cold　up　top？〃　Hansen…　asked。
　 Swanson　nodded。　〃Water　on　the　lens　must　have　frozen　solid　as　soon　as　it　hit　that　air。　Can't　see　a　thing。〃　He　turned　to　the　diving　officer。　〃Steady　at　forty？〃
　 〃Guaranteed。　And　all　the　buoyancy　we'll　ever　want。〃
　 〃Fair　enough。〃　Swanson　looked　at　the　quartermaster；　who　was　shrugging　his　way　into　a　heavy　sheepskin　coat。　〃How　about　a　littl