p&c.icelimit-第81部分

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s　rent　and　the　web　unraveled；　the　sudden　red　of　the　meteorite　filling　his　field　of　vision　like　the　opening　of　a　great　wound；　the　rock　crisscrossed　by　tangled　ropes　and　cables；　rivets　shooting　and　ricocheting　past　him。　Still　the　ship　yawed　on　its　side；　steeper　and　steeper。　He　scrambled　desperately；　trying　to　untie　the　rope　from　his　waist；　but　the　knot　was　so　tight；　so　tight。。。
　There　was　a　sound　beyond　all　description；　as　if　the　heavens　and　the　gulfs　below　had　opened　up　at　once。　The　tank　tore　apart　in　a　terrific　shower　of　sparks；　and　the　meteorite　rolled　into　the　darkness　…　a　monstrous　shambling　like　some　deliberate　beast　…　taking　him　with　it。　Instantly　all　was　dark；　and　he　felt　a　rush　of　chill　air。。。
　
　There　was　the　faint　tinkle　of　glasses；　the　murmur　of　voices。　L'Ambroisie　was　busy　on　this　balmy　Thursday　night；　filled　with　art　fanciers　and　wealthy　Parisians。　Beyond　the　restaurant's　discreet　front；　the　smoky　autumn　moon　lent　the　Marais　district　a　delicate　shimmer。　Glinn　smiled　at　Sally　Britton；　who　was　seated　across　the　fine　white　damask。　〃Try　this；〃　he　said　as　the　waiter　uncorked　a　bottle　of　Veuve　Cliquot　and　tipped　a　chilly　stream　into　their　glasses。　He　grasped　his　glass　and　raised　it。　She　smiled　and　spoke：
　。。。how　everything　turns　away
　Quite　leisurely　from　the　disaster；　the　ploughman　may
　Have　heard　the　splash；　the　forsaken　cry；
　But　for　him　it　was　not　an　important　failure
　
　An　important　failure。。。
　
　As　his　mood　turned　to　puzzlement；　the　recitation　was　drowned　by　a　hideous　laugh　from　Puppup。　And　then　the　scene　vaporized　in　a　pure　flash　of　brilliant；　beautiful　light。
　
　Drake　Passage；
　7：55　P。M。
　
　MCFARLANE　CLUTCHED　desperately　at　the　lifeboat's　safety　loops；　riding　it　through　the　great　peaks　and　valleys　of　a　confused　sea；　Rachel　clinging　tightly　to　his　arm。　The　last　twenty　minutes　had　passed　in　a　terrifying　confusion：　Britton's　sudden　departure　from　the　bridge；　Howell's　taking　mand　and　ordering　them　to　abandon　ship；　the　muster　at　the　lifeboat　stations　and　the　harrowing　launching　of　the　boats　into　the　raging　seas。　After　the　tense　hours　of　the　chase；　the　struggle　against　the　storm　and　the　meteorite；　this　ultimate　calamity　had　happened　so　quickly　that　it　seemed　unreal。　He　looked　around　the　inner　walls　of　the　lifeboat　for　the　first　time。　With　its　single…piece　hull；　tiny　entrance　port；　and　tinier　windows；　it　looked　like　an　oversize　torpedo。　Howell　was　at　the　helm；　guiding　the　inboard；　Lloyd　and　some　twenty　in　all　were　inside；　including　half　a　dozen　whose　own　lifeboat　had　been　torn　from　its　davits　during　launch　and　who　had　to　be　plucked　from　the　freezing　waves。
　He　tightened　his　grip　as　the　boat　dropped　in　free　fall；　crashed；　and　was　abruptly　driven　upward。　Instead　of　plowing　through　like　the　Rolvaag；　the　sixty…foot　craft　bobbed　like　a　woodchip。　The　staggering　falls；　the　wrenching　climbs　up　the　cliffs　of　water；　were　exhausting　and　terrifying。　They　were　drenched　in　ice　water；　and　some　who　had　been　in　the　sea；　McFarlane　could　see；　were　unconscious。　Brambell　was　there；　thank　God；　attending　to　them　as　best　he　could。
　An　officer　in　the　bow　of　the　boat　was　securing　the　provisions　and　security　gear。　Debris　was　wallowing　and　rolling　in　the　water　beneath　their　feet。　They　were　all　sick；　and　some　were　retching　uncontrollably。　None　of　the　crew　spoke；　going　silently　through　their　duties。　The　tightly　enclosed　hull　of　the　lifeboat　sheltered　them　from　the　elements。　But　McFarlane　could　feel　the　terrible　seas　were　battering　the　boat　mercilessly。
　Howell　finally　spoke；　his　voice　hoarse　over　the　sound　of　wind　and　water。　He　was　holding　a　radio　to　his　mouth；　but　he　spoke　so　that　everyone　in　the　boat　could　hear。
　〃All　boats；　listen　up！　Our　only　chance　is　to　head　for　an　ice　island　to　the　southeast；　and　ride　out　the　storm　in　its　lee。　Maintain　a　heading　of　one　two　zero　at　ten　knots　and　keep　in　visual　contact　at　all　times。　Keep　channel　three　open。　Activate　emergency　beacons。〃
　It　was　hard　to　tell　they　were　going　anywhere；　but　the　moon　had　e　back　out　…　and　now　and　then；　through　the　narrow　oblong　windows；　McFarlane　caught　the　faint　lights　of　the　other　two　lifeboats　driving　down　the　foam…webbed　seas；　struggling　to　keep　in　sight。　At　the　heights　of　the　terrible　waves；　he　could　still　make　out　the　Rolvaag；　half　a　mile　back；　wallowing　back　and　forth　as　if　in　slow　motion；　its　emergency　lights　winking　on　and　off。　No　more　boats　had　been　launched　since　their　pack　of　three　started　out　minutes　before。　He　could　not　take　his　eyes　from　the　sight　of　the　gigantic　vessel；　held　in　the　death　grip　of　the　storm。
　A　fresh　roller　tried　to　raise　the　tanker；　but　this　time　the　Rolvaag　hung　back；　almost　as　if　it　was　tethered　from　below。　It　leaned　farther　and　farther　from　the　face　of　the　wave；　and　as　the　crest　boiled　over　the　ship　it　slowly　lay　down　on　its　side。　McFarlane　glanced　over　at　Lloyd。　The　man's　haggard　face　was　turned　away　from　McFarlane　and　the　Rolvaag　both。
　Another　bob；　the　seas　pletely　submerged　the　lifeboat；　then　they　struggled　upward　again。　Although　he　too　wanted　nothing　more　than　to　avert　his　eyes；　McFarlane　found　his　gaze　drawn　once　again　to　the　great　ship。　It　still　hung　sideways；　motionless。　Even　after　the　crest　of　the　wave　had　passed　over；　it　sagged；　dragged　lower　and　lower　by　the　ineluctable　weight。　Its　stern　began　to　peer　through　the　retreating　wave；　dead　screws　exposed。　A　distant　shriek；　almost　feminine；　cut　through　the　howl　of　the　storm。　And　then；　both　bow　and　stern　jerked　apart　and　rose　from　the　seas　in　a　boil　of　white。　There　was　a　deep；　intense　blue　light　in　the　center　of　the　cataclysm；　so　bright　it　seemed　to　light　up　the　sea　from　underneath；　sending　an　unearthly　hue　through　the　water。　A　huge　gout　of　steam　ripped　through　the　surface　and　mushroomed　upward；　blanketing　the　doomed　ship；　while　lightning　flickered　within　it；　breaking　out　its　top　in　forks　that　stabbed　into　the　night。　At　that　moment　the　lifeboat　sank　back　into　a　welter　of　water；　obscuring　the　terrible　sight。　When　it　emerged；　the　seas　were　empty　and　dark。　The　ship　was　gone。
　McFarlane　sat　back；　shaking　and　nauseated。　He　did　not　dare　look　at　Lloyd。　Glinn；　Britton；　the　three　dozen　crewmen；　EES　staffers；　and　Lloyd　Industries　workers　who　had　gone　down　with　the　ship。。。　the　meteorite；　plunging　to　the　bottom；　two　miles　below。。。　He　closed　his　eyes；　tightening　his　grip　on　the　shivering　Rachel。　He　had　never　been　so　cold；　so　sick；　so　frightened　in　his　life。
　She　murmured　something　unintelligible　and　he　leaned　close。　〃What's　that？〃
　She　was　pressing　something　toward　him。　〃Take　it；〃　she　said。　〃Take　it。〃
　In　her　hands　was　her　CD…ROM；　containing　the　test　data　on　the　meteorite。
　〃Why？〃　he　asked。
　〃I　want　you　to　keep　it。　Keep　it　always。　The　answers　are　there；　Sam。　Promise　me　you'll　find　them。〃
　He　slipped　the　disk　into　his　pocket。　It　was　all　they　had　left：　a　few　hundred　megabytes　of　data。　The　meteorite　was　forever　lost　to　the　world；　it　had　already　buried　itself　deep　in　the　abyssal　silt　of　the　ocean　floor。
　〃Promise；〃　Rachel　said　again。　Her　voice　sounded　slurred；　drugged。
　〃I　promise。〃　And　he　hugged　her　closer　to　him；　feeling　the　warm　trickle　of　her　tears　upon　his　hands。　The　meteorite　was　gone。　So　many　others　were　gone。　But　the　two　of　them　remained；　would　always　remain。
　〃We'll　find　the　answers　together；〃　he　said。
　A　breaking　crest　slammed　into　the　lifeboat；　driving　it　sideways。　They　were　thrown　to　the　deck　of　the　boat。　McFarlane　could　hear　Howell　shouting　mands　as　another　breaking　wave　slammed　the　boat　and　pushed　it　sideways；　almost　flipping　it　over。　It　dropped　back　with　a　crash。　〃My　arm！〃　a　man　cried。　〃I've　broken　my　arm！〃
　McFarlane　helped　Rachel　back　onto　the　padded　seat；　helped　her　arms　into　the　loops。　The　seas　were　roaring　all　around　them；　burying　them　in　water；　sometimes　forcing　the　entire　closed　boat　beneath　the　surface。
　〃How　much　farther？〃　someone　shouted。
　〃Two　miles；〃　Howell　replied；　struggling　to　keep　the　boat　on　course。　〃Give　or　take。〃
　Heavy　water　rinsed　down　the　portholes；　allowing　only　occasional　glimpses　of　the　black　night　beyond。　McFarlane's　elbows；　knees；　and　shoulders　grew　sore　from　being　battered　against　the　sides　and　roof　of　the　small　vessel。　He　felt　like　a　ping…pong　ball　tumbling　inside　a　washing　machine。　It　was　so　cold　that　he　had　lost　all　feeling　in　his　feet。　Reality　began　to　recede。　He　remembered　a　summer　spent　on　a　lake　in　Michigan。　He　would　sit　on　the　beach　for　hours；　bottom　in　the　sand；　feet　in　the　shallows。　But　the　water　had　never　been　this　cold。。。　He　realized　that　frigid　seawater　was　rising　in　the　bottom　of　the　boat。　The　punishing　gale　was　pulling　the　lifeboat　apart　at　the　seams。
　He　stared　out　the　little　window。　A　few　hundred　yards　away；　he　could　see　the　lights　of　the　other　two　boats；　bucking　and　bouncing　in　the　sea。　A　great　wave　would　descend　upon　them；　and　they　would　struggle　through　it；　corkscrewing　wildly　as　the　pilots　worked　to　keep　them　from　rolling　over；　the　propellers　whining　madly　as　they　rose　out　of　the　water。　He　stared；　stupefied　with　exhaustion　and　fear；　at　the　wildly　gyrating　antennas；　the　semi…circles　of　ten…gallon　water　tanks　knocking　crazily　around　the　sterns。
　And　then　one　of　the　boats　vanished。　One　moment　it　was　there；　running　lights　winking；　diving　into　yet　another　wave；　and　then　it　was　gone；　burie