le thing must have been at least a mile long。 Schofield couldn't even begin to guess how large it was under the surface。
It was roughly rectangular in shape； with an enormous white peak at one end。 The rest of the iceberg was uneven and cratered。 It looked to Schofield like a ghostly white moonscape。
He stood up。
〃Where are you going？〃 Renshaw said； not getting up。 〃You gonna walk home？〃
〃We should keep moving；〃 Schofield said。 〃Keep warm for as long as we can and； while we're at it； see if there's some way we can get back to the coast。〃
Renshaw shook his head and reluctantly got to his feet and followed Schofield out across the uneven surface of the iceberg。
They trudged for almost twenty minutes before they realized they were going in the wrong direction。
The iceberg stopped abruptly and they saw nothing but sea stretching away to the west。 The nearest iceberg in that direction was three miles away。 Schofield had hoped they might be able to 〃iceberg…hop〃 back to the coast。 It wouldn't happen in this direction。
They headed back the way they had e。
They made very slow going。 Icicles began to form around Renshaw's eyebrows and lips。
〃You know anything about icebergs？〃 Schofield asked as they walked。
〃A little。〃
〃Educate me。〃
Renshaw said； 〃I read in a magazine once that the latest trend among assholes with too much money is 'iceberg climbing。' Apparently it's quite popular among mountaineer types。 The only problem is that eventually your mountain melts。〃
〃I was thinking about something a little more scientific；〃 Schofield said。 〃Like； do they ever float back in toward the coast？〃
〃No；〃 Renshaw said。 〃Ice in Antarctica moves from the middle out。 Not the other way round。 Icebergs like this one break off from coastal ice shelves。 That's why the cliffs are sheer。 The ice overhanging the ocean gets too heavy and it just breaks off； being〃…Renshaw waved his hand at the iceberg around them…〃an iceberg。〃
〃Uh…huh；〃 Schofield said as he trudged across the ice。
〃You get some big ones； though。 Really big ones。 Icebergs bigger than whole countries。 I mean； hell； take this baby。 Look how big she is。 Most large icebergs live for about ten or twelve years before they ultimately melt and die。 But given the right weather conditions…and if the iceberg were big enough to begin with…an iceberg like this could float around the Antarctic for up to thirty years。〃
〃Great；〃 Schofield said dryly。
They came to the spot where Renshaw had hauled Schofield out of the water after Schofield had destroyed the French submarine。
〃Nice；〃 Renshaw said。 〃Forty minutes of walking and we're back where we started。〃
They started up a small incline and came to the spot where the French submarine's torpedo had hit the iceberg。
It looked like a giant had taken a huge bite out of the side of the iceberg。
The large landslide of ice that had just fallen away under the weight of the explosion had left a huge semicircular hole in the side of the berg。 Sheer vertical walls stretched down to the water ten meters below。
Schofield looked down into the hole； saw the calm water lapping up against the edge of the enormous iceberg。
〃We're gonna die out here； aren't we？〃 Renshaw said from behind him。
〃I'm not。〃
〃You're not？〃
〃That's my station and I'm gonna get it back。〃
〃Uh…huh。〃 Renshaw looked out to sea。 〃And do you have any idea as to exactly how you're gonna do that？〃
Schofield didn't answer him。
Renshaw turned around。 〃I said； how in God's name do you plan to get your station back when we're stuck out here！〃
But Schofield wasn't listening。
He was crouched down on his haunches； looking down into the semicircular hole the torpedo had carved into the iceberg。
Renshaw came over and stood behind him。
〃What are you looking at？〃
〃Salvation；〃 Schofield said。 〃Maybe。〃
Renshaw followed Schofield's gaze down into the semicircular hole in the iceberg and saw it immediately。
There； embedded in the ice a couple of meters down the sheer； vertical cliff face； Renshaw saw the distinctive square outline of a frozen glass window。
Schofield tied their two parkas together and； using the two jackets as a rope； got Renshaw to lower him down to the window set into the ice cliff。
Schofield hung high above the water； in front of the frozen glass window。 He looked at it closely。
It was definitely man…made。
And old； too。 The wooden panes of the window were weathered and scarred； bleached to a pale gray。 Schofield wondered how long the window…and whatever structure it was attached to…had been buried inside this massive iceberg。
The way he figured it； the blast from the submarine's torpedo must have dislodged the ten meters or so of ice in from of the window； exposing it。 The window and whatever it was attached to； had been buried deep within the iceberg。
Schofield took a deep breath。 Then he kicked hard； shattering the window。
He saw darkness beyond the now…open window； a small cave of some sort。
He pulled a flashlight from his hip pocket and； with a final look up at Renshaw； swung himself in through the window and into the belly of the iceberg。
The first thing Schofield saw through the beam of his flashlight was the upside…down words：
HAPPY NEW YEAR 1969！
WELE TO LITTLE AMERICA IV！
The words were written on a banner of some sort。 It hung limply：…upside down…across the cave in which Schofield now stood。
Only it wasn't a cave。
It was a room of some sort…a small wooden…walled room； pletely buried within the ice。
And everything was upside down。 The whole room was inverted。
It was a strange sensation； everything being upside…down。 It took Schofield a second to realize that he was actually standing on the ceiling of the underground room。
He looked off to his right。 There seemed to be several other rooms branching off from this one…
〃Hello down there！〃 Renshaw's voice sailed in from outside。
Schofield poked his head out through the window in the ice cliff。
〃Hey； what's happening？ I'm freezing my nuts off out here；〃 Renshaw said。
〃Have you ever heard of Little America IV？〃 Schofield asked。
〃Yeah；〃 Renshaw said。 〃It was one of our research stations back in the sixties。 Floated out to sea in '69 when the Ross Ice Shelf calved an iceberg nine thousand square kilometers big。 The Navy looked for it for three months； but they never found it。〃
〃Well； guess what；〃 Schofield said。 〃We just did。〃
Cloaked in three thick woolen blankets； James Renshaw sat down on the floor of the main room of Little America IV。 He rubbed his hands together vigorously； blew on them with his warm breath； while Schofield…still dressed in his waterlogged fatigues…rummaged through the other rooms of the darkened inverted station。 Neither man dared to eat any of the thirty…year…old canned food that lay strewn about the floor。
〃As I remember it； Little America IV was kind of like Wilkes；〃 Renshaw said。 〃It was a resource exploration station； built into the coastal ice shelf。 They were after offshore oil deposits buried in the continental shelf。 They used to lower collectors all the way to the bottom to see if the soil down there contained…〃
〃Why is everything upside…down？〃 Schofield asked from the next room。
〃That's easy。 When this iceberg calved； it must have flipped over。〃
〃The iceberg flipped over？〃
〃It's been known to happen；〃 Renshaw said。 〃And if you think about it； it makes sense。 An iceberg is top…heavy when it breaks off the mainland； because all the ice that's been living underwater has been slowly eroded over the years by the warmer seawater。 So unless your iceberg is perfectly balanced when it breaks free from the mainland； the whole thing tips over。〃
In the next room； Schofield was negotiating his way through piles of rusty overturned junk。 He stepped around a large； cylindrical cable spooler that lay awkwardly on its side。 Then he saw something。
〃How long did you say the Navy looked for this station？〃 Schofield asked。
〃About three months。〃
〃Was that a long time to look for a lost station？〃
In the main room； Renshaw shrugged。 〃It wa