第一小说网

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第1部分（第3页）

THE　POWER

267

THE　SURFACE

WEST　OF　TONGA

For　a　long　time　the　horizon　had　been　a　monotonous　flat　blue　line　separating　the　Pacific　Ocean　from　the　sky。　The　Navy　helicopter　raced　forward；　flying　low；　near　the　waves。　Despite　the　noise　and　the　thumping　vibration　of　the　blades；　Norman　Johnson　fell　asleep。　He　was　tired；　he　had　been　traveling　on　various　military　aircraft　for　more　than　fourteen　hours。　It　was　not　the　kind　of　thing　a　fifty…three…year…old　professor　of　psychology　was　used　to。

He　had　no　idea　how　long　he　slept。　When　he　awoke；　he　saw　that　the　horizon　was　still　flat；　there　were　white　semicircles　of　coral　atolls　ahead。　He　said　over　the　inter；　〃Whats　this？〃

〃Islands　of　Ninihina　and　Tafahi；〃　the　pilot　said。　〃Technically　part　of　Tonga；　but　theyre　uninhabited。　Good　sleep？〃

〃Not　bad。〃　Norman　looked　at　the　islands　as　they　flashed　by：　a　curve　of　white　sand；　a　few　palm　trees；　then　gone。　The　flat　ocean　again。

〃Whered　they　bring　you　in　from？〃　the　pilot　asked。

〃San　Diego；〃　Norman　said。　〃I　left　yesterday。〃

〃So　you　came　Honolulu…Guam…Pago…here？〃

〃Thats　right。〃

〃Long　trip；〃　the　pilot　said。　〃What　kind　of　work　you　do；　sir？〃

〃Im　a　psychologist；〃　Norman　said。

〃A　shrink；　huh？〃　The　pilot　grinned。　〃Why　not？　Theyve　called　in　just　about　everything　else。〃

〃How　do　you　mean？〃

〃Weve　been　ferrying　people　out　of　Guam　for　the　last　two　days。　Physicists；　biologists；　mathematicians；　you　name　it。　Everybody　being　flown　to　the　middle　of　nowhere　in　the　Pacific　Ocean。〃

＇＇4＇＇　〃Whats　going　on？〃　Norman　said。

The　pilot　glanced　at　him；　eyes　unreadable　behind　dark　aviator　sunglasses。　〃Theyre　not　telling　us　anything；　sir。　What　about　you？　Whatd　they　tell　you？〃

〃They　told　me；〃　Norman　said；　〃that　there　was　an　airplane　crash。〃

〃Uh…huh；〃　the　pilot　said。　〃You　get　called　on　crashes？〃

〃I　have　been；　yes。〃

For　a　decade；　Norman　Johnson　had　been　on　the　list　of　FAA　crash…site　teams；　experts　called　on　short　notice　to　investigate　civilian　air　disasters。　The　first　time　had　been　at　the　United　Airlines　crash　in　San　Diego　in　1976；　then　he　had　been　called　to　Chicago　in　78；　and　Dallas　in　82。　Each　time　the　pattern　was　the　same…the　hurried　telephone　call；　frantic　packing；　the　absence　for　a　week　or　more。　This　time　his　wife；　Ellen；　had　been　annoyed　because　he　was　called　away　on　July　1；　which　meant　he　would　miss　their　July　4　beach　barbecue。　Then；　too；　Tim　was　ing　back　from　his　sophomore　year　at　Chicago；　on　his　way　to　a　summer　job　in　the　Cascades。　And　Amy；　now　sixteen；　was　just　back　from　Andover；　and　Amy　and　Ellen　didnt　get　along　very　well　if　Norman　wasnt　there　to　mediate。　The　Volvo　was　making　noises　again。　And　it　was　possible　Norman　might　miss　his　mothers　birthday　the　following　week。　〃What　crash　is　it？〃　Ellen　had　said。　〃I　havent　heard　about　any　crash。〃　She　turned　on　the　radio　while　he　packed。　There　was　no　news　on　the　radio　of　an　airline　crash。

When　the　car　pulled　up　in　front　of　his　house；　Norman　had　been　surprised　to　see　it　was　a　Navy　pool　sedan；　with　a　uniformed　Navy　driver。

〃They　never　sent　a　Navy　car　the　other　times；〃　Ellen　said；　following　him　down　the　stairs　to　the　front　door。　〃Is　this　a　military　crash？〃

〃I　dont　know；〃　he　said。

〃When　will　you　be　back？〃

He　kissed　her。　〃Ill　call　you；〃　he　said。　〃Promise。〃

But　he　hadnt　called。　Everyone　had　been　polite　and　pleasant；　but　they　had　kept　him　away　from　telephones。　First　at　Hickam　Field　in　Honolulu；　then　at　the　Naval　Air　Station　in　Guam；　where　he　had　arrived　at　two　in　the　morning；　and　had　＇＇5＇＇　spent　half　an　hour　in　a　room　that　smelled　of　aviation　gasoline；　staring　dumbly　at　an　issue　of　the　American　Journal　of　Psychology　which　he　had　brought　with　him；　before　flying　on。　He　arrived　at　Pago　Pago　just　as　dawn　was　breaking。　Norman　was　hurried　onto　the　big　Sea　Knight　helicopter；　which　immediately　lifted　off　the　cold　tarmac　and　headed　west；　over　palm　trees　and　rusty　corrugated　rooftops；　into　the　Pacific。

He　had　been　on　this　helicopter　for　two　hours；　sleeping　part　of　the　time。　Ellen；　and　Tim　and　Amy　and　his　mothers　birthday；　now　seemed　very　far　away。

〃Where　exactly　are　we？〃

〃Between　Samoa　and　Fiji　in　the　South　Pacific；〃　the　pilot　said。

〃Can　you　show　me　on　the　chart？〃

〃Im　not　supposed　to　do　that；　sir。　Anyway；　it　wouldnt　show　much。　Right　now　youre　two　hundred　miles　from　anywhere；　sir。〃

Norman　stared　at　the　flat　horizon；　still　blue　and　featureless。　I　can　believe　it；　he　thought。　He　yawned。　〃Dont　you　get　bored　looking　at　that？〃

〃To　tell　you　the　truth；　no；　sir；〃　the　pilot　said。　〃Im　real　happy　to　see　it　flat　like　this。　At　least　weve　got　good　weather。　And　it　wont　hold。　Theres　a　cyclone　forming　up　in　the　Admiralties；　should　swing　down　this　way　in　a　few　days。〃