Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第63章

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　knee；　it　hurt；　but　not　too　badly。　Norman　moved　to　the　porthole　and　looked　out　the　window。　In　the　distance　he　could　＇＇311＇＇　see　the　string　of　red　lights；　from　the　explosives　Beth　had　set　and　armed。　He　had　never　understood　why　she　had　wanted　to　do　that。　She　had　acted　so　strangely　about　the　whole　thing。　He　looked　down　toward　the　base　of　the　habitat。
Red　lights　were　glowing　there；　too；　just　below　the　porthole。　She　had　armed　the　explosives　around　the　habitat。
〃Beth；　what　have　you　done？〃
〃Done？〃
〃You　armed　the　explosives　around　DH…8。〃
〃Yes；　Norman；〃　she　said。　She　stood　watching　him；　very　still；　very　calm。
〃Beth；　you　promised　you　wouldn't　do　that。〃
〃I　know。　I　had　to。〃
〃How　are　they　wired？　Where's　the　button；　Beth？〃
〃There　is　no　button。　They're　set　on　automatic　vibration　sensors。〃
〃You　mean　they'll　go　off　automatically？〃
〃Yes；　Norman。〃
〃Beth；　this　is　crazy。　Someone　is　still　making　these　manifestations。　Who　is　doing　that；　Beth？〃
She　smiled　slowly；　a　lazy；　cat　smile；　as　if　he　secretly　amused　her。　〃Don't　you　really　know？〃
He　did　know。　Yes；　he　thought。　He　knew；　and　it　chilled　him。　〃You're　making　these　manifestations；　Beth。〃
〃No；　Norman；〃　she　said；　still　calm。　〃I'm　not　doing　it。　You　are。〃

0640　HOURS

He　thought　back　years　ago；　to　the　early　days　of　his　training；　when　he　had　worked　in　the　state　hospital　at　Borrego。　Norman　had　been　sent　by　his　supervisor　to　make　a　progress　report　on　a　particular　patient。　The　man　was　in　his　＇＇312＇＇　late　twenties；　pleasant　and　well　educated。　Norman　talked　to　him　about　all　sorts　of　things：　the　Oldsmobile　Hydramatic　transmission；　the　best　surfing　beaches；　Adlai　Stevenson's　recent　presidential　campaign；　Whitey　Ford's　pitching；　even　Freudian　theory。　The　man　was　quite　charming；　although　he　chain…smoked　and　seemed　to　have　an　underlying　tension。　Finally　Norman　got　around　to　asking　him　why　he　had　been　sent　to　the　hospital。
The　man　didn't　remember　why。　He　was　sorry；　he　just　couldn't　seem　to　recall。　Under　repeated　questioning　from　Norman；　the　man　became　less　charming；　more　irritable。　Finally　he　turned　threatening　and　angry；　pounding　the　table；　demanding　that　Norman　talk　about　something　else。
Only　then　did　it　dawn　on　Norman　who　this　man　was：　Alan　Whittier；　who　as　a　teenager　had　murdered　his　mother　and　sister　in　their　trailer　in　Palm　Desert；　and　then　had　gone　on　to　kill　six　people　at　a　gas　station　and　three　others　in　a　supermarket　parking　lot；　until　he　finally　turned　himself　in　to　the　police；　sobbing；　hysterical　with　guilt　and　remorse。　Whittier　had　been　in　the　state　hospital　for　ten　years；　and　he　had　brutally　attacked　several　attendants　during　that　time。
This　was　the　man　who　was　now　enraged；　standing　up　in　front　of　Norman；　and　kicking　the　table；　flinging　his　chair　back　against　the　wall。　Norman　was　still　a　student；　he　didn't　know　how　to　handle　it。　He　turned　to　flee　the　room；　but　the　door　behind　him　was　locked。　They　had　locked　him　in；　which　is　what　they　always　did　during　interviews　with　violent　patients。　Behind　him；　Whittier　lifted　the　table　and　threw　it　against　the　wall；　he　was　ing　for　Norman。　Norman　had　a　moment　of　horrible　panic　until　he　heard　the　locks　rattling；　and　then　three　huge　attendants　dashed　in；　grabbed　Whittier；　and　dragged　him　away；　still　screaming　and　swearing。
Norman　went　directly　to　his　supervisor；　demanded　to　know　why　he　had　been　set　up。　The　supervisor　said　to　him；　Set　up？　Yes；　Norman　had　said；　set　up。　The　supervisor　said；　But　weren't　you　told　the　man's　name　beforehand？　Didn't　the　name　mean　anything　to　you？　Norman　replied　that　he　hadn't　really　paid　attention。
＇＇313＇＇　You　better　pay　attention；　Norman；　the　supervisor　had　said。　You　can't　ever　let　down　your　guard　in　a　place　like　this。　It's　too　dangerous。
Now；　looking　across　the　habitat　at　Beth；　he　thought：　Pay　attention；　Norman。　You　can't　let　down　your　guard。　Because　you're　dealing　with　a　crazy　person　and　you　haven't　realized　it。
〃I　see　you　don't　believe　me；〃　Beth　said；　still　very　calm。　〃Are　you　able　to　talk？〃
〃Sure；〃　Norman　said。
〃Be　logical；　all　of　that？〃
〃Sure；〃　he　said；　thinking：　I'm　not　the　crazy　one　here。
〃All　right；〃　Beth　said。　〃Remember　when　you　told　me　about　Harry…how　all　the　evidence　pointed　to　Harry？〃
〃Yes。　Of　course。〃
〃You　asked　me　if　I　could　think　of　another　explanation；　and　I　said　no。　But　there　is　another　explanation；　Norman。　Some　points　you　conveniently　overlooked　the　first　time。　Like　the　jellyfish。　Why　the　jellyfish？　It　was　your　little　brother　who　was　stung　by　the　jellyfish；　Norman；　and　you　who　felt　guilty　afterward。　And　when　does　Jerry　speak？　When　you're　there；　Norman。　And　when　does　the　squid　stop　its　attack？　When　you　were　knocked　unconscious；　Norman。　Not　Harry；　you。〃
Her　voice　was　so　calm；　so　reasonable。　He　struggled　to　consider　what　she　was　saying。　Was　it　possible　she　was　right？　〃Step　back。　Take　the　long　view；〃　Beth　said。　〃You're　a　psychologist；　down　here　with　a　bunch　of　scientists　dealing　with　hardware。　There's　nothing　for　you　to　do　down　here…you　said　so　yourself。　And　wasn't　there　a　time　in　your　life　when　you　felt　similarly　professionally　bypassed？　Wasn't　that　an　unfortable　time　for　you？　Didn't　you　once　tell　me　that　you　hated　that　time　in　your　life？〃
〃Yes；　but…〃
〃When　all　the　strange　things　start　to　happen；　the　problem　isn't　hardware　any　more。　Now　it's　a　psychological　problem。　It's　right　up　your　alley；　Norman；　your　particular　area　of　expertise。　Suddenly　you　bee　the　center　of　attention；　don't　you？〃
No；　he　thought。　This　can't　be　right。
＇＇314＇＇　〃When　Jerry　starts　to　municate　with　us；　who　notices　that　he　has　emotions？　Who　insists　we　deal　with　Jerry's　emotions？　None　of　us　are　interested　in　emotions；　Norman。　Barnes　only　wants　to　know　about　armaments；　Ted　only　wants　to　talk　science；　Harry　only　wants　to　play　logical　games。　You're　the　one　who's　interested　in　emotions。　And　who　manipulates　Jerry…or　fails　to　manipulate　him？　You；　Norman。　It's　all　you。〃
〃It　can't　be；〃　Norman　said。　His　mind　was　reeling。　He　struggled　to　find　a　contradiction；　and　found　it。　〃It　can't　be　me…because　I　haven't　been　inside　the　sphere。〃
〃Yes；　you　have；〃　Beth　said。　〃You　just　don't　remember。〃


He　felt　battered；　repeatedly　punched　and　battered。　He　couldn't　seem　to　get　his　balance；　and　the　blows　kept　ing。
〃Just　the　way　you　don't　remember　that　I　asked　you　to　look　up　the　balloon　codes；〃　Beth　was　saying　in　her　calm　voice。　〃Or　the　way　Barnes　asked　you　about　the　helium　concentrations　in　E　Cyl。〃
He　thought；　what　helium　concentrations　in　E　Cyl？　When　did　Barnes　ask　me　about　that？
〃There's　a　lot　you　don't　remember；　Norman。〃
Norman　said；　〃When　did　I　go　to　the　sphere？〃
〃Before　the　first　squid　attack。　After　Harry　came　out。〃
〃I　was　asleep！　I　was　sleeping　in　my　bunk！〃
〃No；　Norman。　You　weren't。　Because　Fletcher　came　to　get　you　and　you　were　gone。　We　couldn't　find　you　for　about　two　hours；　and　then　you　showed　up；　yawning。〃
〃I　don't　believe　you；〃　he　said。
〃I　know　you　don't。　You　prefer　to　make　it　somebody　else's　problem。　And　you're　clever。　You're　skilled　at　psychological　manipulation；　Norman。　Remember　those　tests　you　conducted？　Putting　unsuspecting　people　up　in　an　airplane；　then　telling　them　the　pilot　had　a　heart　attack？　Scaring　them　half　to　death？　That's　pretty　ruthless　manipulation；　Norman。
〃And　down　here　in　the　habitat；　when　all　these　things　started　happening；　you　needed　a　monster。　So　you　made　＇＇315＇＇　Harry　the　monster。　But　Harry　wasn't　the　monster；　Norman。　You　are　the　monster。　That's　why　your　appearance　changed；　why　you　became　ugly。　Because　you're　the　monster。〃
〃But　the　message。　It　said　'My　name　is　Harry。'　〃
〃Yes；　it　did。　And　as　you　yourself　pointed　out；　the　person　causing　it　was　afraid　that　the　real　name　would　e　out　on　the　screen。〃
〃Harry；〃　Norman　said。　〃The　name　was　Harry。〃
〃And　what's　your　name？〃
〃Norman　Johnson。〃
〃Your　full　name。〃
He　paused。　Somehow　his　mouth　wasn't　working。　His　brain　was　blank。
〃I'll　tell　you　what　it　is；〃　Beth　said。　〃I　looked　it　up。　It's　Norman　Harrison　Johnson。〃


No；　he　thought。　No；　no；　no。　She　can't　be　right。
〃It's　hard　to　accept；〃　Beth　was　saying　in　her　slow；　patient；　almost　hypnotic　voice。　〃I　understand　that。　But　if　you　think　about　it；　you'll　realize　you　wanted　it　to　e　to　this。　You　wanted　me　to　figure　it　out；　Norman。　Why；　just　a　few　minutes　ago；　you　even　told　me　about　The　Wizard　of　Oz；　didn't　you？　You　helped　me　alon