alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第34章

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nger　we　remained　there；　the　longer　we　would　have　to　spend　depressing　afterward。　We　half　walked；　half　swam　toward　the　fore　end　of　the　partment；　located　the…　rear　door　on　number　4　tube；　and　closed　it；　but　not　before　I　had　a　quick　look　at　the　inside　of　the　pressure　cock。　The　door　itself　seemed　undamaged：　the　body　of　the　unfortunate　Lieutenant　Mills　had　absorbed　its　swinging　impact　and　prevented　it　from　being　wrenched　off　its　hinges。　It　didn't　seem　distorted　in　any　way；　and　fitted　snugly　into　place。　We　forced　its　retaining　lever　back　into　place　and　left。
　 Back　in　the　collision　partment　we　gave　the　prearranged　taps　on　the　door。　Almost　at　once　we　heard　the　subdued　hum　of　a　motor　as　the　high…speed　extraction　pumps　in　the　torpedo　room　got　to　work；　forcing　the　water　out　through　the　hull。　Slowly　the　water　level　dropped；　and　as　it　dropped；　the　air　pressure　as　slowly　decreased。　Degree　by　degree　the　〃Dolphin〃　began　to　e　back　on　even　keel。　When　the　water　was　finally　below　the　level　of　the　for'ard　sill；　we　gave　another　signal　and　the　remaining　over…pressure　air　was　slowly　bled　out　through　the　hose。
　 A　few　minutes　later；　as　I　was　stripping　off　the　rubber　suit；　Swanson　asked；　〃Any　trouble？〃
　 〃None。　You　picked　a　good　man　in　Murphy。〃
　 〃The　best。　Many　thanks；　Doctor。〃　He　lowered　his　voice。　〃You　wouldn't　by　any　chance〃
　 〃You　know　damned　well　I　would；〃　I　said。　〃I　did。　Not　sealing　wax；　not　chewing　gum；　not　paint。　Glue；　mander　Swanson。　That's　how　they　blocked　the　test…cock　inlet。　The　oldfashioned　animal…hide　stuff　that　es　out　of　a　tube。　Ideal　for　the　job。〃
　 〃I　see；〃　he　said；　and　walked　away。
　
　
　 The　〃Dolphin〃　shuddered　along　its　entire　length　as　the　torpedo　hissed　out　of　its　tubenumber　3　tube；　the　only　one　in　the　submarine　Swanson　could　safely　rely　upon。
　 〃Count　it　down；〃　Swanson　said　to　Hansen。　〃Tell　me　when　we　should　hit；　when　we　should　hear　it　hit。〃
　 Hansen　looked　at　the　stop　watch　in　his　bandaged　hand　and　nodded。　The　seconds　passed　slowly。　I　could　see　Hansen's　lips　move　silently。　Then　he　said；　〃We　should　be　hitting　now；〃　and　two　or　three　seconds　later；　〃We　should　be　hearingnow。〃
　 Whoever　had　been　responsible　for　the　settings　and　time　calculations　on　that　torpedo　had　known　what　he　was　about。　Just　at　Hansen's　second　〃now〃　we　felt　as　much　as　heard　the　clanging　vibration　along　the　〃Dolphin's〃　hull　as　the　shock　waves　from　the　exploding　warhead　reached　us。　The　deck　shook　briefly　beneath　our　feet；　but　the　impact　was　nowhere　nearly　as　powerful　as　I　had　expected。　I　was　relieved。　I　didn't　have　to　be　a　clairvoyant　to　know　that　everyone　was　relieved。　No　submarine　bad　ever　before　been　in　the　vicinity　of　a　torpedo　detonating　under　the　ice　pack；　no　one　had　known　to　what　extent　the　tamping　effect　of　overhead　ice　might　have　increased　the　pressure　and　destructive　effect　of　the　lateral　shock　waves。
　 〃Nicely；〃　Swanson　murmured。　〃Very　nicely　done　indeed。　Both　ahead　one　third。　I　hope　that　bang　had　considerably　more　effect　on　the　ice　than　it　had　on　our　ship。〃　He　said　to　Benson　at　the　ice　machine；　〃Let　us　know　as　soon　as　we　reach　that　lead；　will　you？〃
　 He　moved　to　the　plotting　table。　Raeburn　looked　up　and　said：　〃Five　hundred　yards　gone；　five　hundred　to　go。〃
　 〃All　stop；〃　Swanson　said。　The　slight　vibration　of　the　engines　died　away。　〃We'll　just　mosey　along　very　carefully。　That　explosion　may　have　sent　blocks　of　ice　weighing　a　few　tons　apiece　pretty　far　down　into　the　sea。　I　don't　want　to　be　doing　any　speed　at　all　if　we　meet　any　of　them　on　the　way　up。〃
　 〃Three　hundred　yards　to　go；〃　Raeburn　said。
　 〃All　clear。　All　clear　all　around；〃　the　sonar　room　reported。
　 〃Still　thick　ice；〃　Benson　intoned。　〃Ah！　That's　it。　We're　under　the　lead。　Thin　ice。　Well；　five　or　six　feet。〃
　 〃Two　hundred　yards；〃　Raeburn　said。　〃It　checks。〃
　 We　drifted　slowly　onward。　At　Swanson's　orders　the　propellers　kicked　over　once　or　twice；　then　stopped　again。
　 　〃Fifty　yards；〃　Raeburn　said。　〃Close　enough。〃
　 〃Ice　reading？〃
　 〃No　change。　Five　feet；　about。〃
　 〃Speed？〃
　 〃One　knot。〃
　 〃Position？〃
　 〃One　thousand　yards　exactly。　Passing　directly　under　target　area。〃　…
　 〃And　nothing　on　the　ice　machine？　Nothing　at　all？〃
　 〃Not　a　thing。〃　Benson　shrugged　and　looked　at　Swanson。　The　captain　walked　across　and　watched　the　inked　stylus　draw　its　swiftly　etched　vertical　lines　on　the　paper。
　 〃Peculiar；　to　say　the　least；〃　Swanson　murmured。　〃Seven　hundred　pounds　of　very　high…grade　amatol　in　that　torpedo。　Must　be　unusually　tough　ice　in　those　parts。　Again；　to　say　the　least。　We'll　go　up　to　ninety　feet　and　make　a　few　passes　under　the　area。　Floodlights　on；　TV　on。〃
　 So　we　went　up　to　ninety　feet　and　made　a　few　passes　and　nothing　came　of　it。　The　water　was　pletely　opaque；　the　floods　and　camera　useless。　The　ice　machine　stubbornly　registered　four　to　six　feetit　was　impossible　to　be　more　accurateall　the　time。
　 〃Well；　that　seems　to　be　it；〃　Hansen　said。　〃We　back　off　and　try　again？〃
　 〃Well；　I　don't　know；〃　Swanson　said　pensively。　〃What　do　you　say　we　just　try　to　shoulder　our　way　up？〃
　 〃'Shoulder　our　way　up？'〃　Hansen　wasn't　with　him；　neither　was　I。　〃What　kind　of　shoulder　is　going　to　heave　five　feet　of　ice　to　one　side？〃
　 〃I'm　not　sure。　The　thing　is；　we've　been　working　from　unproved　assumptions　and　that's　always　a　dangerous　basis。　We've　been　assuming　that　if　the　torpedo　didn't　blow　the　ice　to　smithereens；　it　would　at　least　blow　a　hole　in　it。　Maybe　it　doesn't　happen　that　way　at　all。　Maybe　there's　just　a　big　upward　pressure　of　water　distributed　over　a　sizable　area　that　heaves　the　ice　up　and　breaks　it　into　pretty　big　chunks　that　just　settle　back　into　the　water　again　in　their　original　position　in　the　pattern　of　a　dried…up　mud　hole　with　tiny　cracks　all　around　the　isolated　sections。　But　with　cracks　all　around。　Narrow　cracks；　but　there。　Cracks　so　narrow　that　the　ice　machine　couldn't　begin　to　register　them　even　at　the　slow　speed　we　were　doing。〃　He　turned　to　Raeburn。　〃What's　our　position？〃
　 〃Still　in　the　center　of　the　target　area；　sir。〃
　 〃Take　her　up　till　we　touch　the　ice；〃　Swanson　said。
　 He　didn't　have　to　add　any　cautions　about　gentleness。　The　diving　officer　took　her　up　like　floating　thistledown　until　we　felt　a　gentle　bump。
　 〃Hold　her　there；〃　Swanson　said。　He　peered　at　the　TV　screen；　but　the　water　was　so　opaque　that　all　definition　vanished　halfway　up　the　sail。　He　nodded　to　the　diving　officer。　〃Kick　her　uphard。〃
　 pressed　air　roared　into　the　ballast　tanks。　Seconds　passed　without　anything　happening；　then　all　at　once　the　〃Dolphin〃　shuddered　as　something　very　heavy　and　very　solid　seemed　to　strike　the　hull。　A　moment's　pause；　another　solid　shock；　and　then　we　could　see　the　edge　of　a　giant　segment　of　ice　sliding　down　the　face　of　the　TV　screen。
　 〃Well；　now；　I　believe　I　might　have　had　a　point　there；〃　Swanson　remarked。　〃We　seem　to　have　hit　a　crack　between　two　chunks　of　ice　almost　exactly　in　the　middle。　Depth？〃
　 〃Forty…five。〃
　 〃Fifteen　feet　showing。　And　I　don't　think　we　can　expect　to　lift　the　hundreds　of　tons　of　ice　lying　over　the　rest　of　the　hull。　Plenty　of　positive　buoyancy？〃
　 〃All　we'll　ever　want。〃
　 〃Then　we'll　call　it　a　day。　Okay；　quartermaster；　away　you　go　up　top　and　tell　us　what　the　weather　is　like。〃
　 I　didn't　wait　to　hear　what　the　weather　was　like。　I　was　interested　enough　in　it；　but　I　was　even　more　interested　in　making　sure　that　Hansen　didn't　e　along　to　his　cabin　in　time　to　find　me　putting　on　the　Mannlicher…Schoenauer　along　with　my　furs。　But　this　time　I　stuck　it　not　in　its　special　holster　but　in　the　outside　pocket　of　my　caribou　trousers。　I　thought　it　might　e　in　handier　there。
　
　
　 It　was　exactly　noon　when　I　clambered　over　the　edge　of　the　bridge　and　used　a　dangling　rope　to　slide　down　a　great　rafted　chunk　of　ice　that　slanted　up　almost　to　the　top　of　the　sail。　The　sky　had　about　as　much　light　in　it　as　a　late　twilight　in　winter　when　the　sky　is　heavy　with　gray　cloud。　The　air　was　as　bitter　as　ever；　but；　for　all　that；　the　weather　had　improved。　The　wind　was　down　now；　backed　around　to　the　northeast；　seldom　gusting　at　more　than　twenty　mph；　the　ice　spicules　rising　no　more　than　two　or　three　feet　above　the　ice　cap。　Nothing　to　tear　your　eyes　out。　To　be　able　to　see　where　you　were　going　on　that　damned　ice　cap　made　a　very　pleasant　change。
　 There　were　eleven　of　u