mreilly.icestation- 第64节

　
　
　
　Schofield　and　Renshaw　plummeted　down　the　face　of　the　cliff　and　plunged　into　the　ocean。　
　The　cold　hit　them　like　an　anvil；　but　Schofield　didn't　care。　His　adrenaline　was　pumping　and　his　body　heat　was　already　high。　Most　experts　would　give　you　about　eight　minutes　to　live　in　the　freezing　Antarctic　waters。　But　with　his　thermal　wet　suit　on　and　his　adrenaline　pumping；　Schofield　gave　himself　at　least　thirty。　
　He　swam　upward；　searching　for　air；　and　then　suddenly　he　broke　the　surface　and　the　first　thing　he　saw　was　the　largest　wave　he　had　ever　seen　in　his　life　bearing　down　upon　him。　The　wave　crashed　down　against　him　and　drove　him…　slammed　him…back　against　the　base　of　the　ice　cliff。　
　The　impact　knocked　the　wind　out　of　him；　and　his　lungs　clawed　for　air。　
　Suddenly　the　wave　subsided　and　Schofield　felt　himself　get　sucked　down　into　a　trough　between　two　waves。　He　let　himself　float　in　the　water　for　a　few　seconds　while　he　got　his　breath　and　his　bearings。　
　The　sea　around　him　was　absolutely　mountainous。　Forty…foot　waves　surrounded　him。　A　mammoth　wave　smashed　into　the　cliffs　twenty　yards　to　his　right。　Icebergs…some　as　tall　and　as　wide　as　New　York　skyscrapers；　others　as　long　and　flat　as　football　fields…hovered　a　hundred　yards　off　the　coast；　silent　sentries　guarding　the　ice　cliffs。　
　Abruptly　Renshaw　burst　up　out　of　the　water　right　next　to　Schofield。　The　short　scientist　immediately　began　gulping　in　air　in　hoarse；　heaving　breaths。　For　an　instant；　Schofield　worried　about　how　Renshaw　would　cope　with　the　extreme　cold　of　the　water；　but　then　he　remembered　Renshaw's　Neoprene　bodysuit。　Hell；　Renshaw　was　probably　warmer　than　he　was。　
　At　that　moment　Schofield　saw　another　towering　wave　ing　toward　them。　
　〃Go　under！〃　he　yelled。　
　Schofield　took　a　deep　breath　and　dived；　and　suddenly　the　world　went　eerily　silent。　
　He　swam　downward；　saw　Renshaw　swimming　alongside　him；　hovering　in　the　water。　
　And　then　he　saw　an　explosion　of　white　foam　fan　out　above　their　heads　as　the　wave　on　the　surface　crashed　with　all　its　might　against　the　cliff。　
　Schofield　and　Renshaw　surfaced　again。　
　As　he　bobbed　and　swayed　in　the　water；　Schofield　saw　the　entire　side　door　of　a　hovercraft　float　past　him　in　the　water。　
　〃We　have　to　get　farther　out；〃　he　said。　〃If　we　stay　here　any　longer；　we're　gonna　get　pulverized　against　these　cliffs。〃　
　〃Where　to？〃　Renshaw　said。　
　〃OK；〃　Schofield　said。　〃See　that　iceberg　out　there？〃　He　pointed　at　a　large　berg　that　looked　like　a　grand　piano　on　its　side；　about　two　hundred　yards　out　from　the　cliffs。　
　〃I　see　it。〃　
　〃That's　where　we're　going；〃　Schofield　said。　
　〃All　right。〃　
　〃OK；　then。　On　three。　One。　Two。　Three。〃　
　On　three；　both　men　drew　deep　breaths　and　went　under。　They　kicked　off　the　cliff　and　breaststroked　their　way　through　the　clear　Antarctic　water。　Explosions　of　white　foam　flared　out　above　their　heads　as　they　made　their　way　through　the　water。　
　Ten　yards。　Twenty。　
　Renshaw　ran　out　of　breath；　surfaced；　took　a　quick　gulp　of　air；　and　then　went　under　again。　Schofield　did　the　same；　clenching　his　teeth　as　he；　too；　ducked　beneath　the　waves　again。　His　newly　broken　rib　burned　with　pain。　
　Fifty　yards　out　and　the　two　men　broke　the　surface　again。　They　were　beyond　the　breaking　waves　now；　so　they　stretched　out　into　freestyle；　powering　over　the　vertiginous　peaks　of　the　towering　forty…foot　waves。　
　At　last；　they　came　to　the　base　of　the　iceberg。　It　loomed　above　them；　a　wall　of　white；　sheer　in　some　places；　beautifully　curved　and　grooved　in　others。　Magnificent　vaulted　tunnels　disappeared　into　the　virgin　ice。　
　The　big　berg　leveled　off　at　one　point；　descending　to　the　ocean；　where　it　formed　a　kind　of　ledge。　Schofield　and　Renshaw　made　for　the　ledge。　
　When　they　got　there；　they　saw　that　the　ledge　was　actually　poised　about　three　feet　above　the　water。　
　〃Push　off　my　shoulder；〃　Schofield　said。　
　Renshaw　obeyed　and　quickly　hoisted　his　left　foot　onto　Schofield's　shoulder　and　pushed　off　it。　
　The　little　man's　hands　reached　up　and　clasped　the　ice　ledge；　and　he　awkwardly　hauled　himself　up　onto　it。　Then　he　lay　flat　on　the　edge　of　the　ledge　and　reached　back　down　for　Schofield。　
　Schofield　reached　up　and　Renshaw　began　to　haul　him　up　out　of　the　water。　Schofield　was　almost　on　the　ledge　when　suddenly　Renshaw's　wet　hands　slipped　off　his　wrist　and　Schofield　fell　clumsily　back　down　into　the　water。　
　
　Schofield　plunged　underwater。　
　Silence。　Total　silence。　Like　the　womb。　
　The　blasting　explosions　of　the　waves　crashing　against　the　ice　cliffs　no　longer　assaulted　his　ears。　
　The　massive　white　underbelly　of　the　iceberg　filled　his　vision。　It　stretched　down　and　down　until　it　disappeared　into　the　cloudy　depths　of　the　ocean。　
　And　then　suddenly　Schofield　heard　a　sound　and　he　snapped　upright　in　the　water。　The　sound　traveled　well　in　the　water　and　he　heard　it　clearly。　
　Vmmmmmm。　
　It　was　a　low；　droning；　humming　sound。　
　Vmmmmmm。　
　Schofield　frowned。　It　sounded　almost。。。　mechanical。　Like　a　motorized　door　opening　somewhere。　Somewhere　close。　
　Somewhere。。。　behind　him。　
　Schofield　spun　around　instantly。　
　And　then　he　saw　it。　
　It　was　so　huge…so　monstrously　huge…that　the　mere　sight　of　it　sent　his　heart　into　overdrive。　
　It　was　just　hovering　there　in　the　water。　
　Silent。　Huge。　
　Looming　over　Schofield　as　he　hovered　in　the　water　alongside　the　iceberg。　
　It　must　have　been　at　least　a　hundred　meters　long；　its　hull　black　and　round。　Schofield　saw　the　two　horizontal　stabilizing　fins　jutting　out　from　either　side　of　the　conning　tower；　saw　the　cylindrical　snub　nose　of　the　bow；　and　suddenly　his　heart　was　pumping　very　loudly　inside　his　head。　
　Schofield　couldn't　believe　his　eyes。　
　He　was　looking　at　a　submarine。　
　
　
　
　Schofield　burst　up　out　of　the　water。　
　〃Are　you　all　right？〃　Renshaw　asked　from　up　on　the　ledge。　
　〃Not　anymore；〃　Schofield　said　before　he　quickly　took　another　breath　and　submerged　again。　
　The　world　was　silent　again。　
　Schofield　swam　a　little　deeper　and　stared　at　the　massive　submarine　in　awe。　It　was　about　thirty　yards　away　from　him；　but　he　could　see　it　clearly。　The　enormous　submarine　just　sat　there…pletely　submerged…hovering　in　the　underwater　silence　like　an　enormous；　patient　leviathan。　
　Schofield　looked　it　over；　looked　for　the　signature　features。　
　He　saw　the　narrow　conning　tower；　saw　the　four　torpedo　ports　on　the　bow。　One　of　the　torpedo　ports；　he　saw；　was　in　the　process　of　opening。　Vmmmmm。　
　And　then　he　saw　the　colors　painted　on　the　forward　left…hand　side　of　the　bow…saw　the　three　vertical　shafts　of　color：　blue…white…red。　
　He　was　looking　at　the　French　flag。　
　
　Renshaw　watched　as　Schofield　burst　up　out　of　the　water　again。　
　〃What　are　you　doing　down　there？〃　he　asked。　
　Schofield　ignored　him。　Instead；　he　thrust　his　left　arm　out　of　the　water　and　examined　his　watch。　
　The　stopwatch　read：　
　2：57：59　
　2：58：00　
　2：58：01　
　〃Oh；　Jesus；〃　he　said。　〃Oh；　Jesus。〃　
　In　the　bedlam　of　the　hovercraft　chase；　he　had　pletely　forgotten　about　the　French　warship　hovering　off　the　coast　of　Antarctica；　waiting　to　fire　its　missiles　at　Wilkes；　Ice　Station。　Its　code　name；　he　recalled；　was　Shark。　
　It　was　only　now；　though；　that　Schofield　realized　he　had　made　a　mistake。　He　had　jumped　to　the　wrong　conclusion。　Shark　wasn't　a　warship　at　all。　
　It　was　a　submarine。　
　It　was　this　submarine。　
　
　〃Quickly；〃　Schofield　said　to　Renshaw。　〃Get　me　out〃　
　Renshaw　thrust　his　hand　down　and　Schofield　clasped　it　firmly。　Renshaw　hauled　him　up　as　quickly　as　he　could。　When　he　was　high　enough；　Schofield　grabbed　hold　of　the　ice　ledge　and　hauled　himself　up　onto　it。　
　Renshaw　had　half…expected　Schofield　to　drop　down　onto　the　ice　and　catch　his　breath　as　he　himself　had　done；　but　Schofield　was　up　on　his　feet　in　an　instant。　
　In　fact；　no　sooner　was　he　up　on　the　ledge　than　he　was　running…no；　sprinting…out　across　the　flat　expanse　of　the　iceberg。　
　Renshaw　gave　chase。　He　saw　Schofield　hurdle　an　ice　mound　as　he　bounded　for　the　edge　of　the　iceberg　about　thirty　meters　away。　There　was　a　slight　incline　that　Schofield　ran　up；　toward　the　edge　of　the　iceberg。　On　the　other　side　of　the　incline；　Renshaw　saw；　was　a　sheer　ten…meter　drop　down　to　the　water　below。　
　As　he　ran；　Schofield　checked　his　stopwatch。　The