小说园

第36部分（第2页）

There　was　no　time　to　think。　Norman　took　three　steps；　jumped；　and　pulled　himself　through　the　open　hatch　into　DH…7。

He　slammed　the　hatch　door　down　behind　him　but　the　flat；　spade…like　tentacle　was　already　reaching　in。　He　pinned　the　tentacle　in　the　partially　closed　hatch；　but　the　tentacle　didnt　withdraw。　It　was　incredibly　strong　and　muscular；　writhing　as　he　watched；　the　suckers　like　small　puckered　mouths　opening　and　closing。　Norman　stomped　down　on　the　hatch；　trying　to　force　the　tentacle　to　withdraw。　With　a　muscular　flip；　the　hatch　flew　open；　knocking　him　backward；　and　the　tentacle　reached　up　into　the　habitat。　He　smelled　the　strong　odor　of　ammonium。

Norman　fled；　climbing　higher　into　the　cylinder。　The　second　tentacle　appeared；　splashing　up　through　the　hatch。　The　two　tentacles　swung　in　circles　beneath　him；　searching。　He　came　to　a　porthole　and　looked　out；　saw　the　great　body　of　the　animal；　the　huge　round　staring　eye。　He　clambered　higher；　getting　away　from　the　tentacles。　Most　of　the　cylinder　seemed　to　be　given　over　to　storage；　it　was　crammed　with　equipment；　＇＇242＇＇　boxes；　tanks。　Many　of　the　boxes　were　bright　red　with　stencils：　〃CAUTION　NO　SMOKING　NO　ELECTRONICS　TEVAC　EXPLOSIVES。〃　There　were　a　hell　of　a　lot　of　explosives　in　here；　he　thought；　stumbling　upward。

The　tentacles　rose　higher　behind　him。　Somewhere；　in　a　detached；　logical　part　of　his　brain；　he　thought：　The　cylinder　is　only　forty　feet　high；　and　the　tentacles　are　at　least　forty　feet　long。　There　will　be　no　place　for　me　to　hide。

He　stumbled；　banged　his　knee；　kept　going。　He　heard　the　slap　of　the　tentacles　as　they　struck　the　walls；　swung　upward　toward　him。

A　weapon；　he　thought。　I　have　to　find　a　weapon。

He　came　to　the　small　galley；　metal　counter；　some　pots　and　pans。　He　pulled　the　drawers　open　hastily；　looking　for　a　knife。　He　could　find　only　a　small　paring　knife；　threw　it　away　in　disgust。　He　heard　the　tentacles　ing　closer。　The　next　moment　he　was　knocked　down；　his　helmet　banging　on　the　deck。　Norman　scrambled　to　his　feet；　dodged　the　tentacle；　moved　up　the　cylinder。

A　munications　section：　radio　set；　puter；　a　couple　of　monitors。　The　tentacles　were　right　behind　him；　slithering　up　like　nightmarish　vines。　His　eyes　burned　from　the　ammonia　fumes。

He　came　to　the　bunks；　a　narrow　space　near　the　top　of　the　cylinder。

No　place　to　hide；　he　thought。　No　weapons；　and　no　place　to　hide。

The　tentacles　reached　the　top　of　the　cylinder；　slapped　against　the　upper　curved　surface；　swung　sideways。　In　a　moment　they　would　have　him。　He　grabbed　the　mattress　from　one　bunk；　held　it　up　as　flimsy　protection。　The　two　tentacles　were　swinging　erratically　around　him。　He　dodged　the　first。

And　then　with　a　whump　the　second　tentacle　coiled　around　him；　holding　both　him　and　the　mattress　in　a　cold；　slimy　grip。　He　felt　a　sickening　slow　squeeze；　the　dozens　of　suckers　gripping　his　body；　cutting　into　his　skin。　He　moaned　in　horror。　The　second　tentacle　swung　back　to　grip　him　along　with　the　first。　He　was　trapped　in　a　vise。

Oh　God；　he　thought。

＇＇243＇＇　The　tentacles　swung　away　from　the　wall；　lifting　him　high　in　the　air；　into　the　middle　of　the　cylinder。　This　is　it；　he　thought；　but　in　the　next　moment　he　felt　his　body　sliding　downward　past　the　mattress；　and　he　slipped　through　the　grip　and　fell　through　the　air。　He　grabbed　the　tentacles　for　support；　sliding　down　the　giant　evil…smelling　vines；　and　then　he　crashed　down　onto　the　deck　near　the　galley；　his　head　banging　on　the　metal　deck。　He　rolled　onto　his　back。

He　saw　the　two　tentacles　above；　gripping　the　mattress；　squeezing　it；　twisting　it。　Did　the　squid　realize　what　had　happened；　that　he　had　gotten　free？

Norman　looked　around　desperately。　A　weapon；　a　weapon。　This　was　a　Navy　habitat。　There　must　be　a　weapon　somewhere。

The　tentacles　tore　the　mattress　apart。　Shreds　of　white　padding　drifted　down　through　the　cylinder。　The　tentacles　released　the　mattress；　the　big　pieces　falling。　Then　the　tentacles　started　swinging　around　the　habitat　again。

Searching。

It　knows；　he　thought。　It　knows　I　have　gotten　away；　and　that　I　am　still　in　here　somewhere。　It　is　hunting　me。

But　how　did　it　know？

Norman　ducked　behind　the　galley　as　one　of　the　flat　tentacles　came　crashing　through　the　pots　and　pans；　sweeping　around；　feeling　for　him。　Norman　scrambled　back；　ing　up　against　a　large　potted　plant。　The　tentacle　was　still　searching；　moving　restlessly　across　the　floor；　banging　the　pans。　Norman　pushed　the　plant　forward；　and　the　tentacle　gripped　it；　uprooted　it　easily；　sweeping　it　away　into　the　air。

The　distraction　allowed　Norman　to　scramble　forward。　A　weapon；　he　thought。　A　weapon。

He　looked　down　to　where　the　mattress　had　fallen；　and　he　saw；　lining　the　wall　near　the　bottom　hatch；　a　series　of　silver　vertical　bars。　Spear　guns！　Somehow　he　had　missed　them　on　the　way　up。　Each　spear　gun　was　tipped　in　a　fat　bulb　like　a　hand　grenade。　Explosive　tips？　He　started　to　climb　down。

The　tentacles　were　sliding　down；　too；　following　him。　How　did　the　squid　know　where　he　was？　And　then；　as　he　passed　a　＇＇244＇＇　porthole；　he　saw　the　eye　outside　and　he　thought；　He　can　see　me；　for　Gods　sake。

Stay　away　from　the　portholes。

Not　thinking　clearly。　Everything　happening　fast。　Crawling　down　past　the　explosive　crates　in　the　storage　hold；　thinking；　I　better　not　miss　in　here；　and　he　landed　with　a　clang　on　the　airlock　deck。

The　arms　were　slithering　down；　moving　down　the　cylinder　toward　him。　He　tugged　at　one　of　the　spear　guns。　It　was　strapped　to　the　wall　with　a　rubber　cord。　Norman　pulled　at　it；　tried　to　release　it。　The　tentacles　drew　closer。　He　yanked　at　the　rubber；　but　it　wouldnt　release。　What　was　wrong　with　these　snaps？

The　tentacles　were　closer。　ing　down　swiftly。

Then　he　realized　the　cords　had　safety　catches：　you　had　to　pull　the　guns　sideways；　not　out。　He　did；　the　rubber　popped　free。　The　spear　gun　was　in　his　hand。　He　turned；　and　the　tentacle　knocked　him　down。　He　flipped　onto　his　back　and　saw　the　great　flat　suckered　palm　of　the　tentacle　ing　straight　down　on　him；　and　the　tentacle　wrapped　over　his　helmet；　everything　was　black；　and　he　fired。

There　was　tremendous　pain　in　his　chest　and　abdomen。　For　a　horrified　moment　he　thought　he　had　shot　himself。　Then　he　gasped　and　he　realized　it　was　just　the　concussion；　his　chest　was　burning；　but　the　squid　released　him。