小说园

第17部分（第2页）

Ted　had　remained　behind　in　the　cargo　bay；　ostensibly　to　help　Edmunds　set　up　the　cameras。　But　in　fact　they　knew　he　would　try　to　open　the　sphere。　They　saw　Ted　now　on　the　second　monitor；　probing　the　grooves；　touching；　pushing。

Harry　smiled。　〃He　hasnt　got　a　prayer。〃

Norman　said；　〃Harry；　remember　when　we　were　in　the　flight　deck；　and　you　said　you　wanted　to　make　out　your　will　because　something　was　missing？〃

＇＇109＇＇　〃Oh；　that；〃　Harry　said。　〃Forget　it。　Thats　irrelevant　now。〃

Barnes　was　saying；　〃No；　Mr。　Secretary；　raising　it　to　the　surface　would　be　just　about　impossible…well；　sir；　it　is　presently　located　inside　a　cargo　bay　half　a　mile　inside　the　ship；　and　the　ship　is　buried　under　thirty　feet　of　coral；　and　the　sphere　itself　is　a　good　thirty　feet　across；　its　the　size　of　a　small　house。　。。。

〃I　just　wonder　whats　in　the　house；〃　Tina　said。

On　the　monitor；　Ted　kicked　the　sphere　in　frustration。

〃Not　a　prayer；〃　Harry　said　again。　〃Hell　never　get　it　open。〃

Beth　came　in。　〃How　are　we　going　to　open　it？〃

Harry　said；　〃How？〃　Harry　stared　thoughtfully　at　the　sphere；　gleaming　on　the　monitor。　There　was　a　long　silence。　〃Maybe　we　cant。〃

〃We　cant　open　it？　You　mean　not　ever？〃

〃Thats　one　possibility。〃

Norman　laughed。　〃Ted　would　kill　himself。〃

Barnes　was　saying；　〃Well；　Mr。　Secretary；　if　you　wanted　to　mit　the　necessary　Navy　resources　to　do　a　full…scale　salvage　from　one　thousand　feet；　we　might　be　able　to　undertake　it　starting　six　months　from　now；　when　we　were　assured　of　a　month　of　good　surface　weather　in　this　region。　Yes　。。。　its　winter　in　the　South　Pacific　now。　Yes。〃

Beth　said；　〃I　can　see　it　now。　At　great　expense；　the　Navy　brings　a　mysterious　alien　sphere　to　the　surface。　It　is　transported　to　a　top…secret　government　installation　in　Omaha。　Experts　from　every　branch　e　and　try　to　open　it。　Nobody　can。〃

〃Like　Excalibur；〃　Norman　said。

Beth　said；　〃As　time　goes　by；　they　try　stronger　and　stronger　methods。　Eventually　they　try　to　blow　it　open　with　a　small　nuclear　device。　And　still　nothing。　Finally；　nobody　has　any　more　ideas。　The　sphere　sits　there。　Decades　go　by。　The　sphere　is　never　opened。〃　She　shook　her　head。　〃One　great　frustration　for　mankind　。。。〃

Norman　said　to　Harry；　〃Do　you　really　think　thatd　happen？　That　wed　never　get　it　open？〃

Harry　said；　〃Never　is　a　long　time。〃

〃No；　sir；〃　Barnes　was　saying；　〃given　this　new　＇＇110＇＇　development；　well　stay　down　to　the　last　minute。　Weather　topside　is　holding…at　least　six　more　hours；　yes；　sir；　from　the　Metsat　reports…well；　I　have　to　rely　on　that　judgment。　Yes；　sir。　Hourly；　yes；　sir。〃

He　hung　up；　turned　to　the　group。　〃Okay。　We　have　authorization　to　stay　down　six　to　twelve　hours　more；　as　long　as　the　weather　holds。　Lets　try　to　open　that　sphere　in　the　time　remaining。〃

〃Teds　working　on　it　now；〃　Harry　said。

On　the　video　monitor；　they　saw　Ted　Fielding　slap　the　polished　sphere　with　his　hand　and　shout；　〃Open！　Open　Sesame！　Open　up；　you　son　of　a　bitch！〃

The　sphere　did　not　respond。

〃THE　ANTHROPOMORPHIC　PROBLEM〃

〃Seriously；〃　Norman　said；　〃I　think　somebody　has　to　ask　the　question：　should　we　consider　not　opening　it　up？〃

〃Why？〃　Barnes　said。　〃Listen；　I　just　got　off　the　phone…〃

〃…I　know；〃　Norman　said。　〃But　maybe　we　should　think　twice　about　this。〃　Out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye；　he　saw　Tina　nodding　vigorously。　Harry　looked　skeptical。　Beth　rubbed　her　eyes；　sleepy。

〃Are　you　afraid；　or　do　you　have　a　substantive　argument？〃　Barnes　said。

〃I　have　the　feeling；〃　Harry　said；　〃that　Normans　about　to　quote　from　his　own　work。〃

〃Well；　yes；〃　Norman　admitted。　〃I　did　put　this　in　my　report。〃