gns.theplutopact-第43节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　from　the　very　ocean　depths　to　quell　the　tidal　wave。
　　
　　Handshakes　all　round。　Canverdale　debated　how　soon　he　could　broadcast　the　news　to　the　nation。　First；　though；　the　USSR　and　the　United　States　must　be　told。　The　former　would　need　some　convincing。　He　feared　lest　they　might　e；　anyway；　and　there　was　no　time　to　lose。　He　moved　towards　the　telephone　to　call　to　his　deputy　in　Hertfordshire。　From　the　small　village　of　Stanstead　Abbots；　messages　were　soon　relayed　to　the　governments　of　the　world　at　large；　whose　nations　breathed　a　loud　sigh　of　relief。
　　
　　With　some　reluctance；　Soviet　aircraft　were　recalled。　The　White　House　ordered　their　planes　to　ascertain　that　there　would　be　no　Russian　intervention；　and　then　return　immediately。　The　President　was　taking　no　chances。
　　
　　Canverdale　regarded　the　whole　business　as　a　personal　triumph；　beginning　with　his　7。30　a。　m。　announcement　to　the　British　people…and　the　rest　of　the　world…that　the　danger　was　now　past。　Doomsday　had　been　averted；　by　a　matter　of　hours。　He　would；　of　course；　endeavour　to　impose　a　permanent　ban　on　any　further　reprocessing　of　nuclear　waste　。　。　。
　　
　　Eventually　only　Tyler　and　Stafford　remained　in　that　elevated　room　overlooking　Section　Eight。　Together　they　watched　the　first　faint　streaks　of　light　in　the　eastern　sky；　then　the　golden　glow　of　a　morning　sunrise　on　the　surrounding　mountain　peaks。　Neither　spoke。　The　time　for　congratulations　was　over。　Yet　there　was　still　one　unsolved　problem；　which　everybody　else　appeared　to　have　forgotten。　That　first　escape　of　radioactivity！　It　was　somewhere　in　the　environment。　It　would　remain　there　for　the　next　quarter　of　a　million　years。　They　wondered　where　and　when　it　would　show　up　again。　Perhaps　not　in　their　lifetime；　or　even　during　that　of　the　next　generation。　It　was　a　very　disturbing　thought。
　　
　　Wearily　they　rose　to　their　feet。　A　few　hours'　sleep；　and　then　back　to　work　on　the　Solidifiers。　SLR92…there　were　one　or　two　modifications　to　be　carried　out　on　the　instruments　before　they　could　be　classed　as　one　hundred…percent　effective。　But　basically　the　idea　had　worked…and；　as　a　result；　the　world　lived　on。
　　
　　Kent　dropped　Coyle　off　at　the　offices　of　the　Herald。　The　Londoner　kept　the　engine　running。　There　were　several　reasons　why　he　did　not　want　to　go　inside。　'See　you　tomorrow；'　he　said。　'I　take　it　you　won't　be　ing　in　today。'　'No。　We've　both　plenty　of　sleep　to　catch　up　on。'　They　shook　hands；　a　gesture　that　said　more　than　any　amount　of　words。
　　
　　Coyle　stood　watching　the　Mercedes　until　it　was　out　of　sight；　then　slowly　turned　and　went　inside。　The　world　lived　on；　and　that　still　meant　one　or　two　problems。　Right　now；　though；　he　had　to　get　to　work　on　next　week's　Herald。　It　just　had　to　be　a　special　edition；　a　kind　of　celebration　issue。



30