第32部分(第1/7 頁)

Silence。

Inside　the　cylinder；　Ted　sighed。　〃I　don't　think　they　should　kill　it；〃　he　said　softly。

Norman　thought；　I　don't　think　they　can。

Nobody　else　said　anything。　They　listened　to　the　amplified　breathing　of　Barnes　and　Tina。

〃Northeast　corner　。。。　All　right。　Feel　strong　currents；　active；　moving　water　。。。　something　nearby。　。。。　Can't　see　。。。　visibility　less　than　five　feet。　Can　barely　see　stanchion　I　am　holding。　I　can　feel　him；　though。　He's　big。　He's　near。　Tina？〃

Silence。

A　loud　sharp　crackling　sound；　static。　Then　silence。

〃Tina？　Tina？〃

Silence。

〃I've　lost　Tina。〃

Another；　very　long　silence。

〃I　don't　know　what　it　。。。　Tina；　if　you　can　hear　me；　stay　where　you　are；　I'll　take　it　from　here。　。。。　Okay　。。。　He　is　very　close。　。。。　I　feel　him　moving。　。。。　Pushes　a　lot　of　water；　this　guy。　A　real　monster。〃

Silence　again。

〃Wish　I　could　see　better。〃

Silence。

＇＇213＇＇　〃Tina？　Is　that…〃

And　then　a　muffled　thud　that　might　have　been　an　explosion。　They　all　looked　at　each　other；　trying　to　know　what　the　sound　meant；　but　in　the　next　instant　the　habitat　began　rocking　and　wrenching　again；　and　Norman；　unprepared；　was　slammed　sideways；　against　the　sharp　edge　of　the　bulkhead　door；　and　the　world　went　gray。　He　saw　Harry　strike　the　wall　next　to　him；　and　Harry's　glasses　fell　onto　Norman's　chest；　and　Norman　reached　for　the　glasses　for　Harry；　because　Harry　needed　his　glasses。　And　then　Norman　lost　consciousness；　and　everything　was　black。

AFTER　THE　ATTACK

Hot　spray　poured　over　him；　and　he　inhaled　steam。　Standing　in　the　shower；　Norman　looked　down　at　his　body　and　thought；　I　look　like　a　survivor　of　an　airplane　crash。　One　of　those　people　I　used　to　see　and　marvel　that　they　were　still　alive。