第一小说网

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第21部分（第3页）

〃Harry；〃　Norman　said。　〃We　cant　go。〃

〃You　have　to　go。〃

Norman　sat　on　the　bunk　opposite　Harry　and　watched　as　Harry　drank。　Harry　was　demonstrating　a　rather　typical　manifestation　of　shock：　the　agitation；　the　irritability；　the　nervous；　manic　flow　of　ideas；　the　unexplained　fears　for　the　safety　of　others…it　was　all　characteristic　of　shocked　victims　of　severe　accidents；　such　as　major　auto　crashes　or　airplane　crashes。　Given　an　intense　event；　the　brain　struggled　to　assimilate；　to　make　sense；　to　reassemble　the　mental　world　even　as　the　physical　world　was　shattered　around　it。　The　brain　went　into　a　kind　of　overdrive；　hastily　trying　to　reassemble　things；　to　get　things　right；　to　re…establish　equilibrium。　Yet　it　was　fundamentally　a　confused　period　of　wheel…spinning。

You　just　had　to　wait　it　out。

Harry　finished　the　lemonade；　handed　the　glass　back。

〃More？〃　Levy　asked。

〃No；　thats　good。　Headaches　better。〃

Perhaps　it　was　dehydration　after　all；　Norman　thought。　But　why　would　Harry　be　dehydrated　after　three　hours　in　the　sphere？

〃Harry　。。。　？〃

＇＇137＇＇　〃Tell　me　something。　Do　I　look　different；　Norman？〃

〃No。〃

〃I　look　the　same　to　you？〃

〃Yes。　Id　say　so。〃

〃Are　you　sure？〃　Harry　said。　He　jumped　up；　went　to　a　mirror　mounted　on　the　wall。　He　peered　at　his　face。

〃How　do　you　think　you　look？〃　Norman　said。

〃I　dont　know。　Different。〃

〃Different　how？〃

〃I　dont　know！〃　。。。　He　pounded　the　padded　wall　next　to　the　mirror。　The　mirror　image　vibrated。　He　turned　away；　sat　down　on　the　bunk　again。　He　sighed。　〃Just　different。〃

〃Harry。。。〃

〃What？〃

〃Do　you　remember　what　happened？〃

〃Of　course。〃

〃What　happened？〃

〃I　went　inside。〃

He　waited；　but　Harry　said　nothing　further。　He　just　stared　at　the　carpeted　floor。

〃Do　you　remember　opening　the　door？〃　Harry　said　nothing。

〃How　did　you　open　the　door；　Harry？〃

Harry　looked　up　at　Norman。　〃You　were　all　supposed　to　leave。　To　go　back　to　the　surface。　You　werent　supposed　to　stay。

〃How　did　you　open　the　door；　Harry？〃

There　was　a　long　silence。　〃I　opened　it。〃　He　sat　up　straight；　his　hands　at　his　sides。　He　seemed　to　be　remembering；　reliving　it。

〃And　then？〃

〃I　went　inside。〃

〃And　what　happened　inside？〃

〃It　was　beautiful。　。。。〃

〃What　was　beautiful？〃

〃The　foam；〃　Harry　said。　And　then　he　fell　silent　again；　staring　vacantly　into　space。

〃The　foam？〃　Norman　prompted。

〃The　sea。　The　foam。　Beautiful　。。。〃

＇＇138＇＇　Was　he　talking　about　the　lights？　Norman　wondered。　The　swirling　pattern　of　lights？