第53部分(第1/7 頁)

〃Jesus。〃

〃Take　it　easy；　Harry。〃

Looking　back　down；　they　could　see　the　habitat　with　its　lights。　And　then　the　long　lines　of　explosives　set　over　the　spaceship　itself。　They　rose　past　the　high　fin　of　the　spacecraft；　leaving　it　behind；　seeing　only　black　water　now。

〃One　minute　twenty。〃

〃Nine　hundred　feet；〃　Norman　said。　There　was　very　little　sensation　of　movement；　only　the　changing　dials　on　the　instrument　panel　to　tell　them　they　were　moving。

〃It's　not　fast　enough；〃　Harry　said。　〃That's　a　hell　of　a　lot　of　explosive　down　there。〃

It　is　fast　enough；　Norman　thought；　correcting　him。

〃The　shock　wave　will　crush　us　like　a　can　of　sardines；〃　Harry　said；　shaking　his　head。

The　shock　wave　will　not　harm　us。

Eight　hundred　feet。

〃Forty　seconds；〃　Harry　said。　〃We'll　never　make　it。〃

〃We'll　make　it。〃

＇＇358＇＇　They　were　at　seven　hundred　feet；　rising　fast。　The　water　now　had　a　faint　blue　color：　sunlight　filtering　down。

〃Thirty　seconds；〃　Harry　said。　〃Where　are　we？　Twenty…nine　。。。　eight　。。。〃

〃Six　hundred　twenty　feet；〃　Norman　said。　〃Six　ten。〃

They　looked　back　down　the　side　of　the　sub。　They　could　barely　discern　the　habitat；　faint　pinpricks　of　light　far　beneath　them。

Beth　coughed。　〃It's　too　late　now；〃　Harry　said。　〃I　knew　from　the　beginning　we'd　never　make　it。〃

〃Yes　we　will；〃　Norman　said。

〃Ten　seconds；〃　Harry　said。　〃Nine　。。。　eight　。。。　Brace　yourself！〃

Norman　pulled　Beth　to　his　chest　as　the　explosion　rocked　the　submarine；　spinning　it　like　a　toy；　upending　it；　then　righting　it　again；　and　lifting　it　in　a　giant　upward　surge。

〃Mama！〃　Harry　shouted；　but　they　were　still　rising；　they　were　okay。　〃We　did　it！〃

〃Two　hundred　feet；〃　Norman　said。　The　water　outside　was　now　ligh