第一小说网

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第23部分（第4页）

〃But　it　is　obviously　a　picture　of　the　creature；〃　Ted　said。　〃Look；　thats　the　vertical　torso；　three　legs；　two　arms。　Theres　no　head；　so　presumably　the　creatures　head　is　located　within　the　torso　itself。　Surely　you　see　that；　Norman。〃

〃Ted　。。。〃

〃For　once；　Harry　has　missed　the　point　entirely！　The　message　is　not　only　a　picture；　its　a　self…portrait！〃

〃Ted　。。。〃

Ted　sat　back。　He　sighed。　〃Youre　going　to　tell　me　Im　trying　too　hard。〃

〃I　dont　want　to　dampen　your　enthusiasm；〃　Norman　said。

〃But　you　dont　see　the　alien？〃

〃Not　really；　no。〃

〃Hell。〃　Ted　tossed　the　papers　aside。　〃I　hate　that　son　of　a　bitch。　Hes　so　arrogant；　he　makes　me　so　mad。　。。。　And　on　top　of　that；　hes　young！〃

〃Youre　forty；〃　Norman　said。　〃I　wouldnt　exactly　call　that　over　the　hill。〃

〃For　physics；　it　is；〃　Ted　said。　〃Biologists　can　sometimes　do　important　work　late　in　life。　Darwin　was　fifty　when　he　published　the　Origin　of　Species。　And　chemists　sometimes　do　good　work　when　theyre　older。　But　in　physics；　if　you　havent　done　it　by　thirty…five；　the　chances　are；　you　never　will。〃

〃But　Ted；　youre　respected　in　your　field。〃

Ted　shook　his　head。　〃Ive　never　done　fundamental　work。　Ive　analyzed　data；　Ive　e　to　some　interesting　conclusions。　But　never　anything　fundamental。　This　expedition　is　my　chance　to　really　do　something。　To　really　。。。　get　my　name　in　the　books。〃

Norman　now　had　a　different　sense　of　Teds　enthusiasm　and　energy；　that　relentlessly　juvenile　manner。　Ted　wasnt　emotionally　retarded；　he　was　driven。　And　he　clung　to　his　youth　out　of　a　sense　that　time　was　slipping　by　and　he　hadnt　yet　acplished　anything。　It　wasnt　obnoxious。　It　was　sad。

＇＇151＇＇　〃Well；〃　Norman　said；　〃the　expedition　isnt　finished　yet。〃

〃No；〃　Ted　said；　suddenly　brightening。　〃Youre　right。　Youre　absolutely　right。　There　are　more；　wonderful　experiences　awaiting　us。　I　just　know　there　are。　And　theyll　e；　wont　they。〃

〃Yes；　Ted；〃　Norman　said。　〃Theyll　e。〃

BETH

〃Damn　it；　nothing　works！〃　She　waved　a　hand　to　her　laboratory　bench。　〃Not　a　single　one　of　the　chemicals　or　reagents　here　is　worth　a　damn！〃

〃Whatve　you　tried？〃　Barnes　said　calmly。　〃Zenker…Formalin；　H　and　E；　the　other　stains。　Proteolytic　extractions；　enzyme　breaks。　You　name　it。　None　of　it　works。　You　know　what　I　think；　I　think　that　whoever　stocked　this　lab　did　it　with　outdated　ingredients。〃

〃No；〃　Barnes　said；　〃its　the　atmosphere。〃

He　explained　that　their　environment　contained　only　2　percent　oxygen；　1　percent　carbon　dioxide；　but　no　nitrogen　at　all。　〃Chemical　reactions　are　unpredictable；〃　he　said。　〃You　ought　to　take　a　look　at　Levys　recipe　book　sometime。　Its　like　nothing　youve　ever　seen　in　your　life。　The　food　looks　normal　when　shes　finished；　but　she　sure　doesnt　make　it　the　normal　way。〃

〃And　the　lab？〃

〃The　lab　was　stocked　without　knowing　the　working　depth　we　would　be　at。　If　we　were　shallower；　wed　be　breathing　pressed　air；　and　all　your　chemical　reactions　would　work…theyd　just　go　very　fast。　But　with　heliox；　reactions　are　unpredictable。　And　if　they　wont　go；　well　。。。〃　He　shrugged。

〃What　am　I　supposed　to　do？〃　she　said。

〃The　best　you　can；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Same　as　the　rest　of　us。〃

＇＇152＇＇　〃Well；　all　I　can　really　do　is　gross　anatomical　analyses。　All　this　bench　is　worthless。〃

〃Then　do　the　gross　anatomy。〃

〃I　just　wish　we　had　more　lab　capability。　。。。〃

〃This　is　it；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Accept　it　and　go　on。〃

Ted　entered　the　room。　〃You　better　take　a　look　outside；　everybody；〃　he　said；　pointing　to　the　portholes。　〃We　have　more　visitors。〃

The　squid　were　gone。　For　a　moment　norman　saw　nothing　but　the　water；　and　the　white　suspended　sediment　caught　in　the　lights。

〃Look　down。　At　the　bottom。〃

The　sea　floor　was　alive。　Literally　alive；　crawling　and　wiggling　and　tremulous　as　far　as　they　could　see　in　the　lights。　〃What　is　that？〃

Beth　said；　〃Its　shrimps。　A　hell　of　a　lot　of　shrimps。〃　And　she　ran　to　get　her　net。

〃Now；　thats　what　we　ought　to　be　eating；〃　Ted　said。　〃I　love　shrimp。　And　those　look　perfect…size；　a　little　smaller　than　crayfish。　Probably　delicious。　I　remember　once　in　Portugal；　my　second　wife　and　I　had　the　most　fabulous　crayfish。　。。。〃

Norman　felt　slightly　uneasy。　〃Whatre　they　doing　here？〃

〃I　dont　know。　What　do　shrimps　do；　any