小说园

第4部分（第2页）

He　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃Im　going　to　brief　the　team　members　at　eleven　hundred　hours。　I　want　you　to　e　along；　and　see　what　you　think　about　the　team　members；〃　Barnes　said。　〃After　all；　we　followed　your　ULF　report　remendations。〃

You　followed　my　remendations；　Norman　thought　with　a　sinking　feeling。　Jesus　Christ；　I　was　just　paying　for　a　house。

〃I　knew　youd　jump　at　the　opportunity　to　see　your　ideas　put　into　practice；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Thats　why　Ive　included　you　on　the　team　as　the　psychologist；　although　a　younger　man　would　be　more　appropriate。〃

〃I　appreciate　that；〃　Norman　said。

〃I　knew　you　would；〃　Barnes　said；　smiling　cheerfully。　He　extended　a　beefy　hand。　〃Wele　to　the　ULF　Team；　Dr。　Johnson。〃

BETH

An　ensign　showed　norman　to　his　room；　tiny　and　gray；　more　like　a　prison　cell　than　anything　else。　Normans　day　bag　lay　on　his　bunk。　In　the　corner　was　a　puter　console　and　a　keyboard。　Next　to　it　was　a　thick　manual　with　a　blue　cover。

He　sat　on　the　bed；　which　was　hard；　unweling。　He　leaned　back　against　a　pipe　on　the　wall。

〃Hi；　Norman；〃　a　soft　voice　said。　〃Im　glad　to　see　they　dragged　you　into　this。　This　is　all　your　fault；　isnt　it？〃　A　woman　stood　in　the　doorway。

Beth　Halpern；　the　team　zoologist；　was　a　study　in　contrasts。　She　was　a　tall；　angular　woman　of　thirty…six　who　could　be　called　pretty　despite　her　sharp　features　and　the　almost　masculine　quality　of　her　body。　In　the　years　since　Norman　had　last　seen　her；　she　seemed　to　have　emphasized　her　masculine　side　even　more。　Beth　was　a　serious　weight…lifter　and　runner；　the　veins　and　muscles　bulged　at　her　neck　and　on　her　forearms；　and　her　legs；　beneath　her　shorts；　were　powerful。　Her　hair　was　cut　short；　hardly　longer　than　a　mans。

At　the　same　time；　she　wore　jewelry　and　makeup；　and　she　moved　in　a　seductive　way。　Her　voice　was　soft；　and　her　eyes　were　large　and　liquid；　especially　when　she　talked　about　the　living　things　that　she　studied。　At　those　times　she　became　almost　maternal。　One　of　her　colleagues　at　the　University　of　Chicago　had　referred　to　her　as　〃Mother　Nature　with　muscles。〃

Norman　got　up；　and　she　gave　him　a　quick　peck　on　the　cheek。　〃My　rooms　next　to　yours；　I　heard　you　arrive。　When　did　you　get　in？〃

〃An　hour　ago。　I　think　Im　still　in　shock；〃　Norman　said。　〃Do　you　believe　all　this？　Do　you　think　its　real？〃

〃I　think　thats　real。〃　She　pointed　to　the　blue　manual　next　to　his　puter。

Norman　picked　it　up：　Regulations　Governing　Personnel　＇＇23＇＇　Conduct　During　Classified　Military　Operations。　He　thumbed　through　pages　of　dense　legal　text。

〃It　basically　says；〃　Beth　said；　〃that　you　keep　your　mouth　shut　or　you　spend　a　long　time　in　military　prison。　And　theres　no　calls　in　or　out。　Yes；　Norman；　I　think　it　must　be　real。〃

〃Theres　a　spacecraft　down　there？〃

〃Theres　something　down　there。　Its　pretty　exciting。〃　She　began　to　speak　more　rapidly。　〃Why；　for　biology　alone；　the　possibilities　are　staggering…everything　we　know　about　life　es　from　studying　life　on　our　own　planet。　But；　in　a　sense；　all　life　on　our　planet　is　the　same。　Every　living　creature；　from　algae　to　human　beings；　is　basically　built　on　the　same　plan；　from　the　same　DNA。　Now　we　may　have　a　chance　to　contact　life　that　is　entirely　different；　different　in　every　way。　Its　exciting；　all　right。〃

Norman　nodded。　He　was　thinking　of　something　else。　〃What　did　you　say　about　no　calls　in　or　out？　I　promised　to　call　Ellen。〃

〃Well；　I　tried　to　call　my　daughter　and　they　told　me　the　mainland　　links　are　out。　If　you　can　believe　that。　The　Navys　got　more　satellites　than　admirals；　but　they　swear　theres　no　available　line　to　call　out。　Barnes　said　hed　approve　a　cable。　Thats　it。〃

〃How　old　is　Jennifer　now？〃　Norman　asked；　pleased　to　pull　the　name　from　his　memory。　And　what　was　her　husbands　name？　He　was　a　physicist；　Norman　remembered；　something　like　that。　Sandy　blond　man。　Had　a　beard。　Wore　bow　ties。

〃Nine。　Shes　pitching　for　the　Evanston　Little　League　now。　Not　much　of　a　student；　but　a　hell　of　a　pitcher。〃　She　sounded　proud。　〃Hows　your　family？　Ellen？〃

〃Shes　fine。　The　kids　are　fine。　Tims　a　sophomore　at　Chicago。　Amys　at　Andover。　How　is　。。。〃

〃George？　We　divorced　three　years　ago；〃　Beth　said。　〃George　had　a　year　at　CERN　in　Geneva；　looking　for　exotic　particles；　and　I　guess　he　found　whatever　he　was　looking　for。　Shes　French。　He　says　shes　a　great　cook。〃　She　shrugged。　〃Anyway；　my　work　is　going　well。　For　the　past　year　I　have　been　working　with　cephalopods…squid　and　octopi。〃

〃Hows　that？〃

＇＇24＇＇　〃Interesting。　It　gives　you　quite　a　strange　feeling　to　realize　the　gentle　intelligence　of　these　creatures；　particularly　octopi。　You　know　an　octopus　is　smarter　than　a　dog；　and　would　probably　make　a　much　better　pet。　Its　a　wonderful；　clever；　very　emotional　creature；　an　octopus。　Only　we　never　think　of　them　that　way。〃

Norman　said；　〃Do　you　still　eat　them？〃