小说园

第2部分（第2页）

〃Im　sure；　Im　sure。　You　came　from　San　Diego？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃So　its　fifteen　hours；　give　or　take。　Like　to　have　a　rest？〃

〃Id　like　to　know　whats　going　on；〃　Norman　said。

〃Perfectly　understandable。〃　Barnes　nodded。　〃Whatd　they　tell　you？〃

〃Who？〃

〃The　men　who　picked　you　up　in　San　Diego；　the　men　who　flew　you　out　here；　the　men　in　Guam。　Whatever。〃

〃They　didnt　tell　me　anything。〃

〃And　did　you　see　any　reporters；　any　press？〃

〃No；　nothing　like　that。〃

Barnes　smiled。　〃Good。　Im　glad　to　hear　it。〃　He　waved　Norman　to　a　seat。　Norman　sat　gratefully。　〃How　about　some　coffee？〃　Barnes　said；　moving　to　a　coffee　maker　behind　his　desk；　and　then　the　lights　went　out。　The　room　was　dark　except　for　the　light　that　streamed　in　from　a　side　porthole。

〃God　damn　it！〃　Barnes　said。　〃Not　again。　Emerson！　Emerson！〃

An　ensign　came　in　a　side　door。　〃Sir！　Working　on　it；　Captain。〃

〃What　was　it　this　time？〃

〃Blew　out　in　ROV　Bay　2；　sir。〃

〃I　thought　we　added　extra　lines　to　Bay　2。〃

〃Apparently　they　overloaded　anyway；　sir。〃

〃I　want　this　fixed　now；　Emerson！〃

〃We　hope　to　have　it　solved　soon；　sir。〃

＇＇10＇＇　The　door　closed；　Barnes　sat　back　in　his　chair。　Norman　heard　the　voice　in　the　darkness。　〃Its　not　really　their　fault；〃　he　said。　〃These　ships　werent　built　for　the　kind　of　power　loads　we　put　on　them　now；　and…ah；　there　we　are。〃　The　lights　came　back　on。　Barnes　smiled。　〃Did　you　say　you　wanted　coffee；　Dr。　Johnson？〃

〃Black　is　fine；〃　Norman　said。

Barnes　poured　him　a　mug。　〃Anyway；　Im　relieved　you　didnt　talk　to　anybody。　In　my　job；　Dr。　Johnson；　security　is　the　biggest　worry。　Especially　on　a　thing　like　this。　If　word　gets　out　about　this　site；　well　have　all　kinds　of　problems。　And　so　many　people　are　involved　now。　。。。　Hell；　CincPac　didnt　even　want　to　give　me　destroyers　until　I　started　talking　about　Soviet　submarine　reconnaissance。　The　next　thing；　I　get　four；　then　eight　destroyers。〃

〃Soviet　submarine　reconnaissance？〃　Norman　asked。　〃Thats　what　I　told　them　in　Honolulu。〃　Barnes　grinned。　〃Part　of　the　game；　to　get　what　you　need　for　an　operation　like　this。　Youve　got　to　know　how　to　requisition　equipment　in　the　modern　Navy。　But　of　course　the　Soviets　wont　e　around。〃

〃They　wont？〃　Norman　felt　he　had　somehow　missed　the　assumptions　that　lay　behind　the　conversation；　and　was　trying　to　catch　up。

〃Its　very　unlikely。　Oh；　they　know　were　here。　Theyll　have　spotted　us　with　their　satellites　at　least　two　days　ago；　but　were　putting　out　a　steady　stream　of　decodable　messages　about　our　Search　and　Rescue　exercises　in　the　South　Pacific。　S　and　R　drill　represents　a　low　priority　for　them；　even　though　they　undoubtedly　figure　a　plane　went　down　and　were　recovering　for　real。　They　may　even　suspect　that　were　trying　to　recover　nuclear　warheads；　like　we　did　off　of　Spain　in　68。　But　theyll　leave　us　alone…because　politically　they　dont　want　to　be　implicated　in　our　nuclear　problems。　They　know　we　have　troubles　with　New　Zealand　these　days。〃

〃Is　that　what　all　this　is？〃　Norman　said。　〃Nuclear　warheads？〃

〃No；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Thank　God。　Anything　nuclear；　somebody　in　the　White　House　always　feels　duty…bound　to　announce　it。　But　weve　kept　this　one　away　from　the　White　＇＇11＇＇　House　staff。　In　fact；　we　bypass　the　JCS　on　this。　All　briefings　go　straight　from　the　Defense　Secretary　to　the　President；　personally。〃　He　rapped　his　knuckles　on　the　desk。　〃So　far；　so　good。　And　youre　the　last　to　arrive。　Now　that　youre　here；　well　shut　this　thing　down　tight。　Nothing　in；　nothing　out。〃

Norman　still　couldnt　put　it　together。　〃If　nuclear　warheads　arent　involved　in　the　crash；〃　he　said；　〃why　the　secrecy？〃