； she wouldn't be needing them anymore。
Schofield poked his head around the dining room door。 〃What do you think； Rebound？〃 he said。
Inside the dining room； Rebound was working feverishly over Samurai's inanimate body。 The body lay flat on its back on a table in the center of the room。 Blood dripped off the edges of the table； forming a red puddle on the cold porcelain floor。
Rebound looked up from what he was doing。 He shook his head in exasperation。
〃I can't keep up with the blood loss；〃 he said to Schofield。 〃There's just too much internal damage。 His whole gut's been blown apart。〃
Rebound wiped his forehead。 A slick of blood appeared above his eyes。 He looked hard at Schofield。 'This is way out of my league； sir。 He needs someone who knows what he's doing。 He needs a doctor。〃
Schofield stared at Samurai's prone body for a few seconds。
〃Just do what you can；〃 he said； and then he left the room。
〃OK； people； listen up；〃 Schofield said。 〃We don't have much time； so I'm going to keep this short。〃
The six remaining able…bodied Marines were gathered around the pool on E…deck。 They all stood in a wide circle。 Schofield stood in the middle。
Schofield's voice echoed up through the shaft of the empty station： 〃This station is obviously a lot hotter than we originally thought。 I'm thinking that if the French were willing to take a chance to grab it； others will； too。 And whoever those others might be； by now they've had some time to get their shit together and prepare for a full…scale attack。 Have no doubt； people； if anyone else decides to hit this station they will almost certainly be better prepared and more heavily armed than those French pricks we just exterminated。 Opinions？〃
〃Concur；〃 Buck Riley said。
〃Same；〃 Snake said。 Book Riley and Snake Kaplan were the two most senior enlisted men in the unit。 It meant something that they both agreed with Schofield's assessment of the situation。
Schofield said； 〃All right； then。 What I want to happen now is this。 Montana。。。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃I want you to go topside and position our two hovercrafts so that their range finders are pointed outward； so that they cover the entire landward approach to this station。 I want maximum coverage； no gaps。 Trip wires aren't going to cut it anymore with this place； we use the range finders from here。 As soon as anyone es within fifty miles of this station； I want to know about it。〃
〃Got it；〃 Montana said。
〃And while you're up there；〃 Schofield said； 〃see if you can get on the radio and raise McMurdo。 Find out when our reinforcements are ing。 They should've been here by now。〃
〃You got it；〃 Montana said。 He hurried away。
〃Santa Cruz 。。。；〃 Schofield said； turning。
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Eraser check。 I want this whole facility swept from top to bottom for any kind of eraser or delay switch； OK？ There's no knowing what kinds of little surprises our French friends left behind for us。 Got it？〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 Santa Cruz said。 He broke out of the circle and headed for the nearest rung…ladder。
〃Snake。。。〃
〃Sir。〃
〃The winch that lowers the diving bell。 Its control panel is up on C…deck； in the alcove。 That control panel was damaged by a grenade blast during the fight。 I need those winch controls working again。 Can you handle it？〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 Snake said。 He； too； left the circle。
When Snake had gone； Riley and Gant were the only ones left on the deck。
Schofield turned to face them。 〃Book。 Fox。 I want vou two to do a full prep of our dive gear。 Three divers； four…hour dive pression； low…audibility gear； plus some auxiliaries for later。〃
〃Air mix？〃 Riley asked。
〃Saturated helium…oxygen。 Ninety…eight to two；〃 Schofield said。
Riley and Gant were momentarily silent。 A pressed air mix of 98％ helium and 2％ oxygen was very rare。 The almost negligible amount of oxygen indicated a dive to a very high…pressure environment。
Schofield handed Gant a handful of blue capsules。 They were N…67D antinitrogen blood…pressure capsules； developed by the Navy for use during deep…dive missions。 They were affectionately known to military divers as 〃the pills。〃
By retarding the dissolution of nitrogen in the bloodstream during a deep dive； the pills prevented depression sickness…better known as the bends…among divers。 Since the pills neutralized nitrogen activity in the bloodstream； Navy and Marine Corps divers could descend as quickly as they liked without fear of nitrogen narcosis and ascend without the need for making time…consuming depression stops。 The pills had revolutionized military deep…diving。
〃Planning a deep dive； sir？〃 Gant said； looking up from the blue pills in her hand。
Schofield looked at her seriously。 〃I want to find out what's down in that cave。〃
Schofield walked quickly around the curved outer tunnel of B…deck； deep in thought。
Things were moving fast now。
The French attack on Wilkes had taught him a lot。 Wilkes Ice Station…or； more precisely； whatever lay buried in the ice beneath Wilkes Ice Station…was now officially worth killing for。
But it was the implications of that lesson that gave Schofield a chill。 If France had been willing to launch an impromptu snatch…and…grab for whatever was down in that cave； it was highly probable that other countries would be willing to do the same。
There was one additional factor； though； about possible further attacks on Wilkes that caused Schofield particular concern： if someone was going to launch an attack on Wilkes。 they would have to do it soon…before a full…strength U。S。 force arrived at the station。
The next few hours would be very tense。
It would be a race to see who would arrive first。
American reinforcements or a fully…equipped enemy force。
Schofield tried not to think about it。 There were a lot of things to do； and one matter in particular required his attention first。
After the battle with the French had concluded； the remaining scientists from Wilkes…there were five of them； three men and two women…had retired to their living quarters on B…deck。 Schofield was heading for those living quarters now。 He was hoping to find among those scientists a doctor who might be able to help Samurai。
Schofield continued to walk around the curved outer tunnel。 His clothes were still wet； but he didn't care。 Like all of the other Marines in his unit； he was wearing a thermal wet suit under his fatigues。 It was practically standard attire for Recon Units working in arctic conditions。 Wet suits were warmer than long Johns and didn't get heavy if they got wet。 And by wearing one's wet suit instead of carrying it； a Recon Marine lightened his load； something very important for a rapid…response unit。
Just then； a door to Schofield's right opened and a cloud of steam wafted out into the corridor。 A sleek black object slid out of the haze and into the corridor in front of Schofield。
Wendy。
She was dripping with water。 She looked up at Schofield with a goofy seal grin。
Kirsty emerged from the steamy haze。 The shower room。 She saw Schofield instantly and she smiled。
〃Hi；〃 she said。 She was wearing a new set of dry clothes； and her hair was tousled； wet。 Schofield guessed that Kirsty had just had the hottest shower of her life。
〃Hey there；〃 Schofield said。
〃Wendy loves the shower room；〃 Kirsty said； nodding at Wendy。 〃She likes to slide through the steam。〃
Schofield suppressed a laugh and looked down at the little black fur seal at his feet。 She was cute； very cute。 She had also saved his life。 Her soft brown eyes glistened with intelligence。
He looked at Kirsty。 〃How are you feeling？〃
〃Warm now；〃 she said。
Schofield nodded。 From the look of her； Kirsty seemed to have bounced back well from her ordeal in the pool。 Kids were good like that； resilient。 He wondered what sort of therapy an adult would need after falling into a pool filled with ferocious killer whales。
Schofield gave a lot of the credit to Buck Riley。 Riley had been up on C…deck when Kirsty had been whizzed up there on the Maghook； and for the remainder of the battle Riley had kept Kirsty by his side； safe and sound。
〃Good；〃 Schofield said。 〃You're one tough kid；