Barnaby said； 〃Mr。 Nero； if you please。〃
The big man named Nero calinly raised his pistol and fired at Champion from point…blank range。
Champion's head exploded。 Blood and brains instantly splattered against the side of Snake's face。
Henri Rae； the second French scientist； began to whimper。
Barnaby turned to face him。 〃Are you French； too？〃
Rae began to sob。
Barnaby said； 〃Mr。 Nero。〃
Rae saw it ing and he screamed； 〃No！〃 just as Nero raised his gun again and a moment later the other side of Snake's face was splattered all over with blood。
In the pitch…darkness of the crawl space at the base of the elevator shaft； Mother snapped up at the sound of the gunshots。
Damn it； she thought。 She must have blacked out again。
Got to stay awake； she thought。
Got to stay awake。。。。
Mother stared at the clear plastic fluid bag she had brought with her。 It was connected by a tube to an intravenous drip that was stuck into her arm。
The fluid bag was now empty。
Had been for the last twenty minutes。
Mother began to shiver。 She felt cold； weak。 Her eyelids began to close。
She bit her tongue； trying to force her eyes open with the jolt of pain。
It worked for the first few times。 And then it didn't。
Alone at the base of the elevator shaft； Mother lapsed into unconsciousness。
Out on E…deck； Trevor Barnaby stepped forward； his eyes narrowing。 〃Sergeant Kaplan。 Snake。 You've been a naughty boy； haven't you？〃
Snake said nothing。
〃Are you ICG； Snake？ A turncoat？ A traitor to your own unit？ I bet the Scarecrow wasn't too pleased when he found out。 Is that why he chained you to a pole and left you here for me？〃
Snake swallowed。
Barnaby stared at him coldly。 〃It's what I would have done。〃
At that moment； a young SAS corporal came up behind Barnaby。 〃Sir。〃
〃Yes； Corporal。〃
〃Sir； the charges are being set around the perimeter。〃
〃At what range？〃
〃Five hundred yards； sir。 In an arc； like you ordered。〃
〃Good；〃 Barnaby said。 Soon after he had arrived at Wilkes； Barnaby had ordered that eighteen Tritonal charges be placed in a semicircular arc on the landward side of the station。 They were to have a special purpose。 A very special purpose。
Barnaby said； 〃Corporal； how long do you expect the laying of the charges to take？〃
〃Allowing for the drilling； sir； I'd say another hour。〃
〃Fine；〃 Barnaby said。 〃When they're all set； bring me the detonation unit。〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 the corporal said 〃Oh； and； sir； there's one other thing。〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Sir； the prisoners who fell from the American hovercraft have just arrived。 What should we do with them？〃
Barnaby had already been told via radio of the soldier and the little girl who had fallen from one of the escaping hovercrafts and been picked up by his men。
〃Take the girl to her quarters。 Keep her there；〃 Barnaby said。 〃Bring the Marine to me。〃
Libby Gant was standing in a dark corner of the underground cavern； alone。 The beam of her flashlight illuminated a small horizontal fissure in the ice wall。
The fissure was at ground level； at the point where the ice wall met the floor。 It was about two feet high and stretched horizontally for about six feet。
Gant crouched on her hands and knees and peered down into the horizontal fissure。 She saw nothing but darkness。 There did； however； appear to be empty space in there…
〃Hey！〃
Gant turned。
She saw Sarah Hensleigh standing underneath the spacecraft at the other end of the cavern； over by the pool； waving her arms。
〃Hey！〃 Hensleigh called excitedly。 〃e and have a look at this。〃
Gant walked over to the big black spaceship。 Montana was already there when she arrived。 Santa Cruz was standing guard over by the pool。
〃What do you think of that？〃 Hensleigh pointed at something on the underbelly of the ship。
Gant saw it； frowned。 It looked like a keypad of some sort。
Twelve buttons； arranged in three columns； four buttons per column； with what looked like a rectangular screen at the top of it。
But there was something very odd about this 〃keypad。〃
There were no symbols on any of the keys。
Like the rest of the ship； the keypad was pletely and utterly black…black buttons on a black background。
And then Gant saw that there was one button that did have markings on it。 The second button in the middle column had a small red circle printed on it。
〃What do you think it is？〃 Montana asked。
〃Who knows；〃 Hensleigh said。
〃It could be a way to open it up；〃 Gant suggested。
Hensleigh snorted。 〃Not likely。 Do you know any aliens that use keypads？〃
〃I don't know any aliens。〃 Gant said。 〃Do you？〃
Hensleigh ignored her。 〃There's no telling what it is；〃 she said。 〃It could be an ignition key； or a weapons system。。。〃
〃Or a self…destruct mechanism；〃 Gant said dryly。
〃I say we just press it and find out；〃 Hensleigh said。
〃But which button do we press？〃 Montana said。
〃The one with the circle on it； I suppose。〃
Montana pursed his lips in thought。 He was the senior man down here。 It was his call。 He looked to Gant。
Gant shook her head。 〃We're not here to see what it does。 We're just here to hold it until the cavalry arrives。〃
Montana looked to Santa Cruz； who had e over from the pool to look。
〃Press it；〃 Cruz said。 〃If I'm gonna buy it for this fuckin' thing； I wanna see what's inside it。〃
Montana turned back to face Sarah Hensleigh。 She nodded。 〃Let's see what it does。〃
At last； Montana said； 〃OK。 Press it。〃
Sarah Hensleigh nodded and took a deep breath。 Then she stretched out with her hand and pressed the button with the red circle on it。
At first； nothing happened。
Sarah Hensleigh lifted her finger off the keypad and looked up at the spaceship above her； as if she expected it to take off or something。
Suddenly there came a soft harmonic tone； and the screen above the keypad began to glow。
And then another second later； a sequence of symbols appeared across the screen。
〃Oh； shit〃 Montana said。
〃What the 。。。〃 Hensleigh said。
The screen read：
〃Numbers？〃 Montana said。
〃English？〃 Sarah Hensleigh said。 〃What the hell is this thing？〃
For her part； Gant just shook her head。 And as she walked away from the 〃spaceship〃 she began to laugh softly。
Schofield and Renshaw lay flat on their backs of the cold hard surface of the iceberg； listening to the rhythmic sound of the waves crashing against the ice cliffs two hundred yards away。
They just lay there for a while； catching their breath。
After a few minutes； Schofield reached around with his hand until he found a small black unit attached to his waist。 He pressed a button on the unit。
Beep！
〃What are you doing？〃 Renshaw said； not looking up。
〃Initializing my GPS unit；〃 Schofield said； still lying on his back。 〃It's a satellite location system that uses the Navistar Global Positioning System。 Every Marine has one； for use in emergencies。 You know； so people can find us if we end up on a life raft out in the middle of the ocean。 I figured this wasn't too much different；〃 he sighed。 〃In a dark room on a somewhere； a flashing red dot just appeared on someone's screen。〃
〃Does that mean they're gonna e for us？〃 Renshaw asked。
〃We'll be long dead by the time anybody gets here。 But they'll at least be able to find our bodies。〃
Renshaw said； 〃Oh； great。 It's nice to see my tax dollars at work。 You guys build a satellite location system so that they can find my body。 Wow。〃
Schofield turned to look at Renshaw。 〃At least I can leave a note attached to our bodies telling whoever finds us exactly what happened at the station。 At least then they'll know the truth。 About the French； about Barnaby。〃
Renshaw said； 〃Well； that makes me feel better。〃
Schofield propped himself up on his elbow and looked out toward the cliffs。 He saw the mountainous waves of the Southern Ocean smash against them and explode in spectacular showers of white。
Then； for the first time； he took in the iceberg around him。
It was big。 In fact； it was so big it didn't even rock in the heavy seas。 Above the surface； the whole thing must have bee