Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第29部分

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〃Just　tell　me　your　name。〃
〃Harry　Adams；　for　Christ's　sake。　What's　the　matter　with　you？　Oh；　my　head。〃
〃You　didn't　remember　before；〃　Norman　said。　〃When　we　found　you。〃
〃When　you　found　me？〃　he　asked。　He　seemed　confused　again。
Norman　nodded。　〃Do　you　remember　when　we　found　you？〃
〃It　must　have　been　。。。　outside。〃
〃Outside？〃
Harry　looked　up；　suddenly　furious；　eyes　glowing　with　rage。　〃Outside　the　sphere；　you　goddamn　idiot！　What　do　you　think　I'm　talking　about？〃
〃Take　it　easy；　Harry。〃
〃Your　questions　are　driving　me　crazy！〃
〃Okay；　okay。　Take　it　easy。〃
Emotionally　labile。　Rage　and　irritability。　Norman　made　more　notes。
〃Do　you　have　to　make　so　much　noise？〃　
Norman　looked　up；　puzzled。
〃Your　pen；〃　Harry　said。　〃It　sounds　like　Niagara　Falls。〃　
Norman　stopped　writing。　It　must　be　a　migraine；　or　something　like　migraine。　Harry　was　holding　his　head　in　his　hands　delicately；　as　if　it　were　made　of　glass。
〃Why　can't　I　have　any　aspirin；　for　Christ's　sake？〃
〃We　don't　want　to　give　you　anything　for　a　while；　in　case　you've　hurt　yourself。　We　need　to　know　where　the　pain　is。〃
〃The　pain；　Norman；　is　in　my　head。　It's　in　my　goddamn　head！　Now；　why　won't　you　give　me　any　aspirin？〃
＇＇136＇＇　〃Barnes　said　not　to。〃
〃Is　Barnes　still　here？〃
〃We're　all　still　here。〃
Harry　looked　up　slowly。　〃But　you　were　supposed　to　go　to　the　surface。〃
〃I　know。〃
〃Why　didn't　you　go？〃
〃The　weather　went　bad；　and　they　couldn't　send　the　subs。〃
〃Well；　you　should　go。　You　shouldn't　be　here；　Norman。〃　
Levy　arrived　with　more　lemonade。　Harry　looked　at　her　as　he　drank。
〃You're　still　here；　too？〃
〃Yes；　Dr。　Adams。〃
〃How　many　people　are　down　here；　all　together？〃
Levy　said；　〃There　are　nine　of　us；　sir。〃
〃Jesus。〃　He　passed　the　glass　back。　Levy　refilled　it。　〃You　should　all　go。　You　should　leave。〃
〃Harry；〃　Norman　said。　〃We　can't　go。〃
〃You　have　to　go。〃
Norman　sat　on　the　bunk　opposite　Harry　and　watched　as　Harry　drank。　Harry　was　demonstrating　a　rather　typical　manifestation　of　shock：　the　agitation；　the　irritability；　the　nervous；　manic　flow　of　ideas；　the　unexplained　fears　for　the　safety　of　others…it　was　all　characteristic　of　shocked　victims　of　severe　accidents；　such　as　major　auto　crashes　or　airplane　crashes。　Given　an　intense　event；　the　brain　struggled　to　assimilate；　to　make　sense；　to　reassemble　the　mental　world　even　as　the　physical　world　was　shattered　around　it。　The　brain　went　into　a　kind　of　overdrive；　hastily　trying　to　reassemble　things；　to　get　things　right；　to　re…establish　equilibrium。　Yet　it　was　fundamentally　a　confused　period　of　wheel…spinning。
You　just　had　to　wait　it　out。
Harry　finished　the　lemonade；　handed　the　glass　back。　
〃More？〃　Levy　asked。
〃No；　that's　good。　Headache's　better。〃
Perhaps　it　was　dehydration　after　all；　Norman　thought。　But　why　would　Harry　be　dehydrated　after　three　hours　in　the　sphere？
〃Harry　。。。　？〃
＇＇137＇＇　〃Tell　me　something。　Do　I　look　different；　Norman？〃
〃No。〃
〃I　look　the　same　to　you？〃
〃Yes。　I'd　say　so。〃
〃Are　you　sure？〃　Harry　said。　He　jumped　up；　went　to　a　mirror　mounted　on　the　wall。　He　peered　at　his　face。
〃How　do　you　think　you　look？〃　Norman　said。
〃I　don't　know。　Different。〃
〃Different　how？〃
〃I　don't　know！〃　。。。　He　pounded　the　padded　wall　next　to　the　mirror。　The　mirror　image　vibrated。　He　turned　away；　sat　down　on　the　bunk　again。　He　sighed。　〃Just　different。〃
〃Harry。。。〃
〃What？〃
〃Do　you　remember　what　happened？〃
〃Of　course。〃
〃What　happened？〃
〃I　went　inside。〃
He　waited；　but　Harry　said　nothing　further。　He　just　stared　at　the　carpeted　floor。
〃Do　you　remember　opening　the　door？〃　Harry　said　nothing。
〃How　did　you　open　the　door；　Harry？〃
Harry　looked　up　at　Norman。　〃You　were　all　supposed　to　leave。　To　go　back　to　the　surface。　You　weren't　supposed　to　stay。
〃How　did　you　open　the　door；　Harry？〃
There　was　a　long　silence。　〃I　opened　it。〃　He　sat　up　straight；　his　hands　at　his　sides。　He　seemed　to　be　remembering；　reliving　it。
〃And　then？〃
〃I　went　inside。〃
〃And　what　happened　inside？〃
〃It　was　beautiful。　。。。〃
〃What　was　beautiful？〃
〃The　foam；〃　Harry　said。　And　then　he　fell　silent　again；　staring　vacantly　into　space。
〃The　foam？〃　Norman　prompted。
〃The　sea。　The　foam。　Beautiful　。。。〃
＇＇138＇＇　Was　he　talking　about　the　lights？　Norman　wondered。　The　swirling　pattern　of　lights？
〃What　was　beautiful；　Harry？〃
〃Now；　don't　kid　me；〃　Harry　said。　〃Promise　you　won't　kid　me。〃
〃I　won't　kid　you。〃
〃You　think　I　look　the　same？〃
〃Yes；　I　do。〃
〃You　don't　think　I've　changed　at　all？〃
〃No。　Not　that　I　can　see。　Do　you　think　you've　changed？〃
〃I　don't　know。　Maybe。　I…maybe。〃
〃Did　something　happen　in　the　sphere　to　change　you？〃
〃You　don't　understand　about　the　sphere。〃
〃Then　explain　it　to　me；〃　Norman　said。
〃Nothing　happened　in　the　sphere。〃
〃You　were　in　the　sphere　for　three　hours。　。。。〃
'Nothing　happened。　Nothing　ever　happens　inside　the　sphere。　It's　always　the　same；　inside　the　sphere。〃
〃What's　always　the　same？　The　foam？〃
〃The　foam　is　always　different。　The　sphere　is　always　the　same。〃
〃I　don't　understand；〃　Norman　said。
〃I　know　you　don't；〃　Harry　said。　He　shook　his　head。　〃What　can　I　do？〃
〃Tell　me　some　more。〃
〃There　isn't　any　more。〃
〃Then　tell　me　again。〃
〃It　won't　help；〃　Harry　said。　〃Do　you　think　you'll　be　leaving　soon？〃
〃Barnes　says　not　for　several　days。〃
〃I　think　you　should　leave　soon。　Talk　to　the　others。　Convince　them。　Make　them　leave。〃
〃Why；　Harry？〃
〃I　can't　be…I　don't　know。〃
Harry　rubbed　his　eyes　and　lay　back　on　the　bed。　〃You'll　have　to　excuse　me；〃　he　said；　〃but　I'm　very　tired。　Maybe　we　can　continue　this　some　other　time。　Talk　to　the　others；　Norman。　Get　them　to　leave。　It's　。。。　dangerous　to　stay　here。〃　And　he　lay　down　in　the　bunk　and　closed　his　eyes。


CHANGES

〃He's　sleeping；〃　Norman　told　them。　〃He's　in　shock。　He's　confused。　But　he　seems　basically　intact。〃
〃What　did　he　tell　you；〃　Ted　said；　〃about　what　happened　in　there？〃
〃He's　quite　confused；〃　Norman　said；　〃but　he's　recovering。　When　we　first　found　him；　he　didn't　even　remember　his　name。　Now　he　does。　He　remembers　my　name；　he　remembers　where　he　is。　He　remembers　he　went　into　the　sphere。　I　think　he　remembers　what　happened　inside　the　sphere；　too。　He　just　isn't　telling。〃
〃Great；〃　Ted　said。
〃He　mentioned　the　sea；　and　the　foam。　But　I　wasn't　clear　what　he　meant　by　that。〃
〃Look　outside；〃　Tina　said；　pointing　to　the　portholes。　Norman　had　an　immediate　impression　of　lights…thousands　of　lights　filling　the　blackness　of　the　ocean…and　his　first　response　was　unreasoning　terror：　the　lights　in　the　sphere　were　ing　out　to　get　them。　But　then　he　saw　each　of　the　lights　had　a　shape；　and　were　moving；　wriggling。
They　pressed　their　faces　to　the　portholes；　looked。　〃Squid；〃　Beth　said　finally。　〃Bioluminescent　squid。〃
〃Thousands　of　them。〃
〃More；〃　she　said。　〃I'd　guess　at　least　half　a　million；　all　around　the　habitat。〃
〃Beautiful。〃
〃The　size　of　the　school　is　amazing；〃　Ted　said。　〃Impressive；　but　not　really　unusual；〃　Beth　said。　〃The　fecundity　of　the　sea　is　very　great　pared　with　the　land。　The　sea　is　where　life　began；　and　where　intense　petition　among　animals　first　appeared。　One　response　to　petition　is　to　produce　enormous　numbers　of　offspring。　Many　sea　animals　do　that。　In　fact；　we　tend　to　think　that　animals　came　out　onto　the　land　as　a　positive　step　forward　in　the　evolution　of　life。　But　the　truth　is；　the　first　creatures　were　really　driven　out　of　the　ocean。　They　were　just　trying　to　get　away　from　the　petition。　And　＇＇140＇＇　you　can　imagine　when　the　first　fish…amphibians　climbed　up　the　beach　and　poked　their　heads　up　to　look　out　at　the　land；　and　saw　this　vast　dry…land　environment　without　any　petition　at　all。　It　must　have　looked　like　the　promised…〃
Beth　broke　off；　turned　to　Barnes。　〃Quick：　where　do　you　keep　specimen　nets？〃
〃I　don't　want　you　going　out　there。〃
〃I　have　to；〃　Beth　said。　〃Those　squid　have　six　tentacles。〃
〃So？〃
〃There's　no　known　species　of　six…tentacled　squid。　This　is　an　undescribed　species。　I　must　collect　samples。〃
Barnes　told　her　where　the　equipment　locker　was；　and　she　went　off。　Norman　looked　at　the　school　of　squid　with　renewed　interest。
The　animals　were　each　about　a　foot　long；　and　seemed　to　be　transparent。　The　large　eyes　of　the　squid　were　clearly　visible　in　the　bodies；　which　glowed　a　pale　blue。
In　a　few　minutes　Beth　appeared　outside；　standing　in　the　midst　of　the　school；　swinging　her　net；　catching　specimens。　Several　squid　angrily　squirted　clouds　of　ink。
〃Cute