alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第31章

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ack　of　either　of　which　could　make　all　the　difference　between　life　and　death。　But；　at　that　moment；　it　didn't　matter；　all　that　mattered　was　lightening　the　ship。
　 〃Main　ballast　tank's　empty；〃　the　diving　officer　reported。　His　voice　was　hoarse　and　strained。
　 Swanson　nodded；　said　nothing。　The　volume　of　the　sound　of　the　pressed　air　had　dropped　at　least　seventy…five　per　cent　and　the　sudden　parative　silence　was　sinister；　terrifying；　as　if　it　meant　that　the　〃Dolphin〃　was　giving　up　the　fight。　Now　we　had　only　the　slender　reserves　of　the　fresh　water　and　diesel　to　save　us；　at　the　rate　at　which　the　Dolphin　was　still　diving；　I　didn't　see　how　it　could。
　 Hansen　was　standing　beside　me。　I　noticed　blood　dripping　from　his　left　hand　to　the　deck；　and　when　I　looked　more　closely；　I　could　see　that　two　of　his　fingers　were　broken。　It　must　have　happened　in　the　torpedo　room。　At　the　moment；　it　didn't　seem　important。　It　certainly　didn't　seem　important　to　Hansen。　He　was　entirely　oblivious　of　it。
　 The　pressure　gauge　fell　further　and　still　further。　I　knew　now　that　nothing　could　save　the　〃Dolphin〃。　A　bell　rang。　Swanson　swung　down　a　microphone　and　pressed　a　button。
　 〃Engine　room　speaking；〃　a　metallic　voice　came　through。　〃We　must　slow　down。　Main　bearings　beginning　to　smoke。　She'll　seize　up　any　minute。〃
　 〃Maintain　revolutions。〃　Swanson　swung　back　the　microphone。　The　youngster　at　the　diving　console；　the　one　with　the　jumping　cheek　muscles　and　the　nervous　twitch；　started　to　mumble；　〃Oh；　dear　God；　oh；　dear　God；〃　over　and　over　again；　softly　at　first；　then　the　voice　climbing　up　the　scale　to　hysteria。　Swanson　moved　two　paces　and　touched　him　on　the　shoulder。　〃Do　you　mind；　laddie？　I　can　hardly　hear　myself　think。〃　The　mumbling　stopped　and　the　boy　sat　quite　still；　his　face　carved　from　gray　granite；　the　nerve　in　his　neck　going　like　a　trip　hammer。
　 〃How　much　more　of　this　will　she　take？〃　I　asked　casually。　At　least；　I　meant　it　to　sound　casual；　but　it　came　out　like　the　croak　of　an　asthmatic　bullfrog。
　 〃I'm　afraid　we're　moving　into　the　realms　of　the　unknown；〃　Swanson　admitted　calmly。　〃One　thousand　feet　plus。　If　that　dial　is　right；　we　passed　the　theoretical　implosion　pointwhere　the　hull　should　have　collapsedfifty　feet　ago。　At　the　present　moment　she's　being　subjected　to　well　over　a　million　tons　of　pressure。〃　Swanson's　repose；　his　glacial　calm；　was　staggering；　they　must　have　scoured　the　whole　of　America　to　find　a　man　like　that。　If　ever　there　was　the　right　man　in　the　right　place　at　the　right　time；　it　was　mander　Swanson　in　the　control　room　of　a　runaway　submarine　diving　to　depths　hundreds　of　feet　below　what　any　submarine　had　ever　experienced　before。
　 〃She's　slowing；〃　Hansen　whispered。
　 〃She's　slowing。〃　Swanson　nodded。
　 She　wasn't　slowing　half　fast　enough　for　me。　It　was　impossible　that　the　pressure　hull　could　hold　out　any　longer。　I　wondered　vaguely　what　the　end　would　be　like；　then　put　the　thought　from　my　mind；　I　would　never　know　anything　about　it；　anyway。　At　that　depth　the　pressure　must　have　been　about　twenty　tons　to　the　square　foot；　we'd　be　squashed　as　flat　as　flounders　before　our　senses　could　even　begin　to　record　what　was　happening　to　us。
　 The　engine…room　call…up　bell　rang　again。　The　voice　this　time　was　imploring；　desperate。　〃We　must　ease　up；　Captain。　Switch　gear　is　turning　red　hot。　We　can　see　it　glowing。〃
　 〃Wait　till　it's　white　hot；　then　you　can　plain　about　it；〃　Swanson　said　curtly。　If　the　engines　were　going　to　break　down；　they　were　going　to　break　down：　but　until　they　did；　he'd　tear　the　life　out　of　them　in　an　attempt　to　save　the　〃Dolphin〃。　Another　bell　rang。
　 〃Control　room？〃　The　voice　was　harsh；　high…pitched。　〃Crew's　mess　deck　speaking。　Water　is　beginning　to　e　in。〃　For　the　first　time；　every　eye　in　the　control　room　turned　away　from　the　depth　gauge　and　fixed　itself　on　that　loudspeaker。　The　hull　was　giving　at　last　under　the　fantastic　pressure；　the　crushing　weight。　One　little　hole；　one　tiny；　threadlike　crack　as　a　starting　point；　and　the　pressure　hull　would　rip　and　tear　and　flatten　like　a　toy　under　a　steam　hammer。　A　quick　glance　at　the　strained；　shocked　faces　showed　this　same　thought　in　every　mind。
　 〃Where？〃　Swanson　demanded。
　 〃Starboard　bulkhead。〃
　 〃How　much？〃
　 〃A　pint　or　two；　just　trickling　down　the　bulkhead。　And　it's　getting　worse。　It's　getting　worse　all　the　time。　For　God's　sake；　Captain；　what　are　we　going　to　do？〃
　 〃What　are　you　going　to　do？〃　Swanson　echoed。　〃Mop　the　damn　stuff　up；　of　course。　You　don't　want　to　live　in　a　dirty　ship；　do　you？〃　He　hung　up。
　 〃She's　stopped。　She's　stopped。〃　Four　words　and　a　prayer。　I'd　been　wrong　about　every　eye　being　on　that　loud…speaker；　one　pair　of　eyes　had　never　left　the　depth　gauge；　the　pair　belonging　to　the　youngster　at　the　console。
　 〃She's　stopped；〃　the　diving　officer　confirmed。　His　voice　had　a　shake　in　it。
　 No　one　spoke。　The　blood　continued　to　drip　unheeded　from　Hansen's　crushed　fingers。　I　thought　that　I　detected；　for　the　first　time；　a　faint　sheen　of　sweat　on　Swanson's　brow；　but　I　couldn't　be　sure。　The　deck　still　shuddered　beneath　our　feet　as　the　giant　engines　strove　to　lift　the　〃Dolphin〃　out　of　those　deadly　depths；　the　pressed　air　still　hissed　into　the　diesel　and　fresh…water　tanks。　I　could　no　longer　see　the　depth　gauge；　the　diving　officer　had　drawn　himself　up　so　close　to　it　that　he　obscured　most　of　it　from　me。
　 Ninety　seconds　passed；　ninety　seconds　that　didn't　seem　any　longer　than　a　leap　year；　ninety　interminable　seconds　while　we　waited　for　the　sea　to　burst　in　our　hull　and　take　us　for　its　own；　then　the　diving　officer　said。　〃Ten　feet。　Up。〃
　 〃Are　you　sure？〃　Swanson　asked。
　 〃A　year's　pay。〃
　 〃We're　not　out　of　the　woods　yet；〃　Swanson　said　mildly。　〃The　hull　can　still　go：　it　should　have　gone　a　damn　long　time　ago。　Another　hundred　feetthat　means　a　couple　of　tons　less　pressure　to　the　square　footand　I　think　we'll　have　a　chance。　At　least　a　fifty…fifty　chance。　And　after　that　the　chances　will　improve　with　every　foot　we　ascend；　and　as　we　ascend；　the　highly　pressed　air　in　the　torpedo　room　will　expand；　…driving　out　water　and　so　lightening　the　ship。〃
　 〃Still　rising；〃　the　diving　officer　said。　〃Still　rising。　Speed　of　ascent　unchanged。〃
　 Swanson　walked　across　to　the　diving　stand　and　studied　the　slow　movement　of　the　depth…gauge　dial。　〃How　much　fresh　water　left？〃
　 〃Thirty　per　cent。〃
　 〃Secure　blowing　fresh…water　ballast。　Engines　all　back　two　thirds。〃
　 The　roar　of　pressed　air　fell　away　and　the　deck　vibration　eased　almost　to　nothing　as　the　engine　revolutions　fell　from　emergency　power　to　two…thirds　full　speed。
　 〃Speed　of　ascent　unchanged；〃　the　diving　officer　reported。　〃One　hundred　feet　up。〃
　 〃Secure　blowing　diesel。〃　The　roar　of　pressed　air　stopped　pletely。　〃All　back　one　third。〃
　 〃Still　rising。　Still　rising。〃
　 Swanson　took　a　silk　handkerchief　from　his　pocket　and　wiped　his　face　and　neck。　〃I　was　a　little　worried　there；〃　he　said　to　no　one　in　particular；　〃and　I　don't　much　care　who　knows　it。〃　He　reached　for　a　microphone　and　I　could　hear　his　voice　booming　faintly　throughout　the　ship。
　 〃This　is　the　captain。　All　right；　you　can　all　start　breathing　again。　Everything　is　under　control；　we're　on　our　way　up。　As　a　point　of　interest；　we're　still　over　three　hundred　feet　deeper　than　the　lowest　previous　submarine　dive　ever　recorded。〃
　 I　felt　as　if　I　had　just　been　through　the　rollers　of　a　giant　mangle。　We　all　looked　as　if　we'd　just　been　through　the　rollers　of　a　giant　mangle。　A　voice　said：　〃I've　never　smoked　in　my　life；　but　I'm　starting　now。　Someone　give　me　a　cigarette。〃　Hansen　said：　〃When　we　get　back　to　the　States；　do　you　know　what　I'm　going　to　do？〃
　 〃Yes；〃　Swanson　said。　〃You're　going　to　scrape　together　your　last　cent；　go　up　to　Groton；　and　throw　the　biggest；　the　most　expensive　party　ever　for　the　men　who　built　this　boat。　You're　too　late；　Lieutenant；　I　thought　of　it　first。〃　He　stopped　abruptly　and　said　sharply：　〃What's　happened　to　your　hand？〃
　 Hansen　lifted　his　left　hand　and　stared　at　it　in　surprise。　〃I　never　even　knew　I'd　been　scratched。　Must　have　happened　with　that　damn　door　in　the　torpedo　room。　There's　a　medicalsupply　box　there；　Doc。　Would　you　fix　this？〃
　 〃You　did　a　damn　fine　job　there；　John；〃　Swanson　said　warmly。　〃Getting　that　door　closed；　I　mean。　Couldn't　have　been　easy。〃
　 〃It　wasn't