Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第34章

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〃Why　aren't　these　fried？〃　Norman　said。
〃We　can't　deep…fry　down　here；〃　Barnes　said。　〃The　hot　oil　forms　a　suspension　and　gums　up　the　air　filters。　But　sautéed　is　fine。〃
〃Well；　I　don't　know　about　the　squid　but　the　shrimps　are　great；〃　Ted　said。　〃Aren't　they；　Harry？〃　Ted　and　Harry　were　eating　shrimp。
〃Great　shrimp；〃　Harry　said。　〃Delicious。〃
〃You　know　how　I　feel；〃　Ted　said；　〃I　feel　like　Captain　Nemo。　Remember；　living　underwater　off　the　bounty　of　the　sea？〃
〃Twenty　Thousand　Leagues　Under　the　Sea；〃　Barnes　said。
＇＇160＇＇　〃James　Mason；〃　Ted　said。　〃Remember　how　he　played　the　organ？　Duh…duh…duh；　da　da　da　daaaaah　da！　Bach　Toccata　and　Fugue　in　D　minor。〃
〃And　Kirk　Douglas。〃
〃Kirk　Douglas　was　great。〃
〃Remember　when　he　fought　the　giant　squid？〃
〃That　was　great。〃
〃Kirk　Douglas　had　an　ax；　remember？〃
〃Yeah；　and　he　cut　off　one　of　the　squid　arms。〃
〃That　movie；〃　Harry　said；　〃scared　the　hell　out　of　me。　I　saw　it　when　I　was　a　kid　and　it　scared　the　hell　out　of　me。〃
〃I　didn't　think　it　was　scary；〃　Ted　said。
〃You　were　older；〃　Harry　said。
〃Not　that　much　older。〃
〃Yes；　you　were。　For　a　kid　it　was　terrifying。　That's　probably　why　I　don't　like　squid　now。〃
〃You　don't　like　squid；〃　Ted　said；　〃because　they're　rubbery　and　disgusting。〃
Barnes　said；　〃That　was　the　movie　that　made　me　want　to　join　the　Navy。〃
〃I　can　imagine；〃　Ted　said。　〃So　romantic　and　exciting。　And　a　real　vision　of　the　wonders　of　applied　science。　Who　played　the　professor　in　that？〃
〃The　professor？〃
〃Yes；　remember　there　was　a　professor？〃
〃I　vaguely　remember　a　professor。　Old　guy。〃
〃Norman？　You　remember　who　was　the　professor？〃
〃No；　I　don't；〃　Norman　said。
Ted　said；　〃Are　you　sitting　over　there　keeping　an　eye　on　us；　Norman？〃
〃How　do　you　mean？〃　Norman　said。
〃Analyzing　us。　Seeing　if　we're　cracking　up。〃
〃Yes；〃　Norman　said；　smiling。　〃I　am。〃
〃How're　we　doing？〃　Ted　said。
〃I　would　say　it　is　highly　significant　that　a　group　of　scientists　can't　remember　who　played　the　scientist　in　a　movie　they　all　loved。〃
〃Well；　Kirk　Douglas　was　the　hero；　that's　why。　The　scientist　wasn't　the　hero。〃
＇＇161＇＇　〃Franchot　Tone？〃　Barnes　said。　〃Claude　Rains？〃
〃No；　I　don't　think　so。　Fritz　somebody？〃
〃Fritz　Weaver？〃
They　heard　a　crackle　and　hiss；　and　then　the　sounds　of　an　organ　playing　the　Toccata　and　Fugue　in　D　minor。
〃Great；〃　Ted　said。　〃I　didn't　know　we　had　music　down　here。〃
Edmunds　returned　to　the　table。　〃There's　a　tape　library；　Ted。〃
〃I　don't　know　if　this　is　right　for　dinner；〃　Barnes　said。
〃I　like　it；〃　Ted　said。　〃Now；　if　we　only　had　seaweed　salad。　Isn't　that　what　Captain　Nemo　served？〃
〃Maybe　something　lighter？〃　Barnes　said。
〃Lighter　than　seaweed？〃
〃Lighter　than　Bach。〃
〃What　was　the　submarine　called？〃　Ted　said。
〃The　Nautilus；〃　Edmunds　said。
〃Oh；　right。　Nautilus。〃
〃It　was　the　name　of　the　first　atomic　submarine；　too；　launched　in　1954；〃　she　said。　And　she　gave　Ted　a　bright　smile。
〃True；〃　Ted　said。　〃True。〃
Norman　thought；　He's　met　his　match　in　irrelevant　trivia。　Edmunds　went　to　the　porthole　and　said；　〃Oh；　more　visitors。〃
〃What　now？〃　Harry　said；　looking　up　quickly。
Frightened？　Norman　thought。　No；　just　quick；　manic。　Interested。
〃They're　beautiful；〃　Edmunds　was　saying。　〃Some　kind　of　little　jellyfish。　All　around　the　habitat。　We　should　really　film　them。　What　do　you　think；　Dr。　Fielding？　Should　we　go　film　them？〃
〃I　think　I'll　just　eat　now；　Jane；〃　Ted　said；　a　bit　severely。　Edmunds　looked　stricken；　rejected。　Norman　thought；　I'll　have　to　watch　that。　She　turned　to　leave。　The　others　glanced　toward　the　porthole；　but　nobody　left　the　table。
〃Have　you　ever　eaten　jellyfish？〃　Ted　said。　〃I　hear　they're　a　delicacy。〃
〃Some　of　them　are　poisonous；〃　Beth　said。　〃Toxins　in　the　tentacles。〃
＇＇162＇＇　〃Don't　the　Chinese　eat　jellyfish？〃　Harry　said。
〃Yes；〃　Tina　said。　〃They　make　a　soup；　too。　My　grandmother　used　to　make　it　in　Honolulu。〃
〃You're　from　Honolulu？〃
〃Mozart　would　be　better　for　dining；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Or　Beethoven。　Something　with　strings。　This　organ　music　is　gloomy。〃
〃Dramatic；〃　Ted　said；　playing　imaginary　keys　in　the　air；　in　time　to　the　music。　Swaying　his　body　like　James　Mason。　
〃Gloomy；〃　Barnes　said。
The　inter　crackled。　〃Oh；　you　should　see　this；〃　Edmunds　said；　over　the　inter。　〃It's　beautiful。〃
〃Where　is　she？〃
〃She　must　be　outside；〃　Barnes　said。　He　went　to　the　porthole。
〃It's　like　pink　snow；〃　Edmunds　said。　They　all　got　up　and　went　to　the　portholes。
Edmunds　was　outside　with　the　video　camera。　They　could　hardly　see　her　through　the　dense　clouds　of　jellyfish。　The　jellyfish　were　small；　the　size　of　a　thimble；　and　a　delicate；　glowing　pink。　It　was　indeed　like　a　snowfall。　Some　of　the　jellyfish　came　quite　close　to　the　porthole；　they　could　see　them　well。
〃They　have　no　tentacles；〃　Harry　said。　〃They're　just　little　pulsating　sacs。〃
〃That's　how　they　move；〃　Beth　said。　〃Muscular　contractions　expel　the　water。〃
〃Like　squid；〃　Ted　said。
〃Not　as　developed；　but　the　general　idea。〃
〃They're　sticky；〃　Edmunds　said；　over　the　inter。　〃They're　sticking　to　my　suit。〃
〃That　pink　color　is　fantastic；〃　Ted　said。　〃Like　snow　in　a　sunset。〃
〃Very　poetic。〃
〃I　thought　so。〃
〃You　would。〃
〃They're　sticking　to　my　faceplate；　too；〃　Edmunds　said。　〃I　have　to　pull　them　off。　They　leave　a　smeary　streak…〃
＇＇163＇＇　She　broke　off　abruptly；　but　they　could　still　hear　her　breathing。
〃Can　you　see　her？〃　Ted　said。
〃Not　very　well。　She's　there；　to　the　left。〃
Over　the　inter；　Edmunds　said；　〃They　seem　to　be　warm。　I　feel　heat　on　my　arms　and　legs。〃
〃That's　not　right；〃　Barnes　said。　He　turned　to　Tina。　〃Tell　her　to　get　out　of　there。〃
Tina　ran　from　the　cylinder；　toward　the　munications　console。
Norman　could　hardly　see　Edmunds　any　more。　He　was　vaguely　aware　of　a　dark　shape；　moving　arms；　agitated。　。。。　
Over　the　inter；　she　said；　〃The　smear　on　the　faceplate…it　won't　go　away…they　seem　to　be　eroding　the　plastic…and　my　arms…the　fabric　is…〃
Tina's　voice　said；　〃Jane。　Jane；　get　out　of　there。〃
〃On　the　double；〃　Barnes　shouted。　〃Tell　her　on　the　double！〃
Edmunds's　breathing　was　ing　in　ragged　gasps。　〃The　smears…can't　see　very　well…I　feel…hurts…my　arms　burning…hurts…they're　eating　through…〃
〃Jane。　e　back。　Jane。　Are　you　reading？　Jane。〃
〃She's　fallen　down；〃　Harry　said。　〃Look；　you　can　see　her　lying…〃
〃…We　have　to　save　her；〃　Ted　said；　jumping　to　his　feet。　
〃Nobody　move；　〃　Barnes　said。
〃But　she's…〃
〃…Nobody　else　is　going　out　there；　mister。〃
Edmunds's　breathing　was　rapid。　She　coughed；　gasped。　〃I　can't…I　can't…oh　God…〃
Edmunds　began　to　scream。
The　scream　was　high…pitched　and　continuous　except　for　ragged　gasps　for　breath。　They　could　no　longer　see　her　through　the　swarms　of　jellyfish。　They　looked　at　each　other；　at　Barnes。　Barnes's　face　was　rigidly　set；　his　jaw　tight；　listening　to　the　screams。
And　then；　abruptly；　there　was　silence。

THE　NEXT　MESSAGES

An　hour　later；　the　jellyfish　disappeared　as　mysteriously　as　they　had　e。　They　could　see　Edmunds's　body　outside　the　habitat；　lying　on　the　bottom；　rocking　back　and　forth　gently　in　the　current。　There　were　small　ragged　holes　in　the　fabric　of　the　suit。
They　watched　through　the　portholes　as　Barnes　and　the　chief　petty　officer；　Teeny　Fletcher；　crossed　the　bottom　into　the　harsh　floodlights；　carrying　extra　air　tanks。　They　lifted　Edmunds's　body；　the　helmeted　head　flopped　loosely　back；　revealing　the　scarred　plastic　faceplate；　dull　in　the　light。
Nobody　spoke。　Norman　noticed　that　even　Harry　had　dropped　his　manic　effect；　he　sat　unmoving；　staring　out　the　window。
Outside；　Barnes　and　Fletcher　still　held　the　body。　There　was　a　great　burst　of　silvery　bubbles；　which　rose　swiftly　to　the　surface。
〃What're　they　doing？〃
〃Inflating　her　suit。〃
〃Why？　Aren't　they　bringing　her　back？〃　Ted　said。
〃They　can't；〃　Tina　said。　〃There's　nowhere　to　put　her　here。　The　deposition　by…products　would　ruin　our　air。〃
〃But　there　must　be　some　kind　of　a　sealed　container…〃　
〃…There　isn't；〃　Tina　said。　〃There's　no　provision　for　keeping　organic　remains　in　the　habitat。〃
〃You　mean　they　didn't　plan　on　anyone　dying。〃
〃That's　right。　They　didn't。〃
Now　there　were　many　thin　streams　of　bubbles　rising　from　the　holes　in　the　suit；　toward　the　surface。　Edmunds's　suit　was　puffed；　bloated。　Barnes　released　it；　and　it　floated　slowly　away；　as　if　pulled　upward　by　the　streaming　silver　bubbles。
〃It'll　go　to　the　surface？〃
〃Yes。　The　gas　expands　continuously　as　outside　pressure　diminishes。〃
〃And　what　then？〃