p&c.icelimit-第21节

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　〃Very　well。〃
　Brambell　sat　back；　folded　his　hands；　and　resigned　himself　to　listening。
　〃Years　ago；　McFarlane　had　a　partner　named　Masangkay。　They　first　teamed　up　to　smuggle　the　Atacama　tektites　out　of　Chile；　which　made　them　infamous　in　that　country。　After　that；　they　successfully　located　several　other　small　but　important　meteorites。　The　two　worked　well　together。　McFarlane　had　gotten　in　trouble　at　his　last　museum　job　and　went　freelance。　He　had　an　instinctive　knack　for　finding　meteorites；　but　rock　hunting　isn't　a　full…time　job　unless　you　can　get　backers。　Masangkay；　unlike　McFarlane；　was　smooth　at　museum　politics　and　lined　up　several　excellent　assignments。　They　grew　very　close。　McFarlane　married　Masangkay's　sister；　Malou；　making　them　brothers…in…law。　However；　over　the　years；　their　relationship　began　to　fray。　Perhaps　McFarlane　envied　Masangkay's　successful　museum　career。　Or　Masangkay　envied　the　fact　that　McFarlane　was　by　nature　the　better　field　scientist。　But　most　of　all　it　had　to　do　with　McFarlane's　pet　theory。〃
　〃And　that　was？〃
　〃McFarlane　believed　that；　someday；　an　interstellar　meteorite　would　be　found。　One　that　had　traveled　across　vast　interstellar　distances　from　another　star　system。　Everyone　told　him　this　was　mathematically　impossible　…　all　known　meteorites　came　from　inside　the　solar　system。　But　McFarlane　was　obsessed　with　the　idea。　It　gave　him　the　faint　odor　of　quackery；　and　that　didn't　sit　well　with　a　traditionalist　like　Masangkay。
　〃In　any　case；　about　three　years　ago　there　was　a　major　meteorite　fall　near　Tornarssuk；　Greenland。　It　was　tracked　by　satellites　and　seismic　sensors；　which　allowed　for　good　triangulation　of　its　impact　site。　Its　trajectory　was　even　captured　on　an　amateur　videotape。　The　New　York　Museum　of　Natural　History；　working　with　the　Danish　government；　hired　Masangkay　to　find　the　meteorite。　Masangkay　brought　in　McFarlane。
　〃They　found　the　Tornarssuk；　but　it　took　a　lot　more　time　and　cost　a　lot　more　money　than　they　anticipated。　Large　debts　were　incurred。　The　New　York　Museum　balked。　To　make　matters　worse；　there　was　friction　between　Masangkay　and　McFarlane。　McFarlane　extrapolated　the　orbit　of　the　Tornarssuk　from　the　satellite　data；　and　became　convinced　that　the　meteorite　was　following　a　hyperbolic　orbit；　which　meant　it　must　have　e　in　from　far　beyond　the　solar　system。　He　thought　it　was　the　interstellar　meteorite　he　had　been　looking　for　all　his　life。　Masangkay　was　worried　sick　over　the　funding；　and　this　was　the　last　thing　he　wanted　to　hear。　They　waited；　guarding　the　site；　for　days；　but　no　money　came。　At　last；　Masangkay　went　off　to　resupply　and　meet　with　Danish　officials。　He　left　McFarlane　with　the　stone　…　and；　unfortunately；　a　munications　dish。
　〃As　best　I　understand　it；　McFarlane　had　a　kind　of　psychological　break。　He　was　there；　alone；　for　a　week。　He　became　convinced　that　the　New　York　Museum　would　fail　to　provide　the　extra　funding；　and　that　in　the　end　the　meteorite　would　be　spirited　off　by　somebody；　broken　up；　and　sold　on　the　black　market；　never　to　be　seen　or　studied　again。　So　he　used　the　satellite　dish　to　contact　a　rich　Japanese　collector　who　he　knew　could　buy　it　whole　and　keep　it。　In　short；　he　betrayed　his　partner。　When　Masangkay　returned　with　the　supplies　…　and；　as　it　happened；　the　extra　funding　…　the　Japanese　were　already　there。　They　wasted　no　time　at　all。　They　took　it　away。　Masangkay　felt　betrayed；　and　the　scientific　world　was　furious　at　McFarlane。　They've　never　forgiven　him。〃
　Brambell　nodded　sleepily。　It　was　an　interesting　story。　Might　make　for　a　good；　if　somewhat　sensational；　novel。　Jack　London　could　have　done　it　justice。　Or　better　yet；　Conrad。。。
　〃I　worry　about　McFarlane；〃　Glinn　said；　intruding　on　his　thoughts。　〃We　can't　have　anything　like　that　happening　here。　It　would　ruin　everything。　If　he　was　willing　to　betray　his　own　brother…in…law；　he　would　betray　Lloyd　and　EES　without　a　second　thought。〃
　〃Why　should　he？〃　Brambell　yawned。　〃Lloyd　has　deep　pockets；　and　he　seems　perfectly　happy　to　write　checks。〃　〃McFarlane　is　mercenary；　of　course；　but　this　goes　beyond　money。　The　meteorite　we're　after　has　some　very　peculiar　properties。　If　McFarlane　grows　obsessed　with　it　as　he　did　with　the　Tornarssuk。。。　〃　Glinn　hesitated。　〃For　example；　if　we　ever　have　to　use　the　dead　man's　switch；　it　would　be　in　a　time　of　extreme　crisis。　Every　second　would　count。　I　don't　want　anybody　trying　to　prevent　it。〃
　〃And　my　role　in　this？〃
　〃You　have　a　background　in　psychiatry。　I　want　you　to　review　these　periodic　reports。　If　you　see　any　cause　for　concern　…　in　particular；　any　incipient　signs　of　a　break　like　his　last　one　…　please　let　me　know。〃
　Brambell　flipped　through　the　two　files　again；　the　old　one　and　the　new。　The　background　file　was　strange。　He　wondered　where　Glinn　had　gotten　the　information　…　very　little；　if　any；　was　standard　psychiatric　or　medical　stuff。　Many　of　the　reports　had　no　reporting　doctors'　names　or　affiliations　…　indeed；　some　had　no　names　at　all。　Whatever　the　source；　it　had　a　very　expensive　whiff　about　it。
　He　finally　looked　up　at　Glinn　and　slapped　the　folder　shut。　〃I'll　look　this　over；　and　I'll　keep　an　eye　on　him。　I'm　not　sure　my　take　on　what　happened　is　the　same　as　yours。〃
　Glinn　rose　to　leave；　his　gray　eyes　as　impenetrable　as　slate。　Brambell　found　it　unaccountably　irritating。
　〃And　the　Greenland　meteorite？〃　Brambell　asked。　〃Was　it　from　interstellar　space？〃
　〃Of　course　not。　It　turned　out　to　be　an　ordinary　rock　from　the　asteroid　belt。　McFarlane　was　wrong。〃
　〃And　the　wife？〃　Brambell　asked　after　a　moment。
　〃What　wife？〃
　〃McFarlane's　wife。　Malou　Masangkay。〃
　〃She　left　him。　Went　back　to　the　Philippines　and　remarried。〃
　In　a　moment；　Glinn　was　gone；　his　carefully　placed　footfalls　fading　down　the　corridor。　For　a　moment；　the　doctor　listened　to　the　dying　cadence；　thinking。　Then　a　line　of　Conrad's　came　to　mind。　He　spoke　it　aloud：　〃No　man　ever　understands　quite　his　own　artful　dodges　to　escape　from　the　grim　shadow　of　self…knowledge。〃
　With　a　sigh　of　returning　contentment；　he　put　aside　the　files　and　went　back　into　his　private　suite。　The　torpid　equatorial　climate；　as　well　as　something　about　Glinn　himself；　made　the　doctor　think　of　Maugham　…　the　short　stories；　to　be　exact。　He　ran　his　fingers　over　the　nubbed　spines　…　each　rekindling　a　universe　of　memory　and　emotion　as　it　passed　by　…　found　what　he　was　looking　for；　settled　into　a　large　wing　chair；　and　opened　the　cover　with　a　shiver　of　delight。
　
　Rolvaag；
　July　11；　7：55　A。M。
　
　MCFARLANE　ADVANCED　onto　the　parquet　deck　and　looked　around　curiously。　It　was　his　first　time　on　the　bridge；　and　this　was　without　question　the　most　dramatic　space　on　the　Rolvaag。　The　bridge　was　as　wide　as　the　ship　itself。　Three　sides　of　the　room　were　dominated　by　large　square　windows；　slanting　outward　from　bottom　to　top；　each　equipped　with　its　own　electric　wiper。　On　either　end；　doors　led　out　to　the　bridge　wings。　Other　doors　to　the　rear　were　labeled　CHART　ROOM　and　RADIO　ROOM　in　brass　letters。　Beneath　the　forward　windows；　a　bank　of　equipment　stretched　the　entire　length　of　the　bridge：　consoles；　rows　of　telephones；　links　to　control　stations　throughout　the　ship。　Beyond　the　windows；　a　predawn　squall　lay　across　stormy　deserts　of　ocean。　The　only　light　came　from　the　instrument　panels　and　screens。　A　smaller　row　of　windows　gave　a　view　aft；　between　the　stacks　and　past　the　stern　of　the　ship　to　the　white　double　lines　of　the　wake；　vanishing　toward　the　horizon。
　In　the　center　of　the　room　stood　a　mand…and…control　station。　Here；　McFarlane　saw　the　captain；　a　dim　figure　in　the　near…darkness。　She　was　speaking　into　a　telephone；　occasionally　leaning　over　to　murmur　to　the　helmsman　beside　her；　the　hollows　of　his　eyes　illuminated　a　cold　green　by　his　radar　screen。
　As　McFarlane　joined　the　silent　vigil；　the　squall　began　to　break　up　and　a　gray　dawn　crept　over　the　horizon。　A　single　deckhand　moved　antlike　across　the　distant　forecastle；　bound　on　obscure　business。　Above　the　creamy　bow…wake；　a　few　persistent　seabirds　wheeled　and　screamed。　It　was　a　shocking　contrast　to　the　torrid　tropics；　which　they　had　left　behind　less　than　a　week　before。
　After　the　Rolvaag　had　crossed　the　equator；　in　sultry　heat　and　heavy　rains；　a　lassitude　had　fallen　over　the　ship。　McFarlane　had　felt　it；　too：　yawning　over　games　of　shuffleboard；　lolling　in　his　suite；　staring　at　the　butternut　walls。　But　as　they　continued　south；　the　air　had　grown　crisper；　the　ocean　swells　longer　and　heavier；　and　the　pearlescent　sky　of　the　tropics　had　given　way　to　brilliant　azure；　flecked　with　clouds。　As　the　air　freshened；　he　sensed　that　the　general　malaise　was　being　replaced　by　amounting　excitement。
　The　door　to　the　bridge　opened　once　again；　and　two　figures　entered：　a　third　officer；　taking　the　morning　eight…to…twelve；　and　Eli　Glinn。　He　came　silently　up　to　McFarlane's　side。
　〃What's　this　all　about？〃　McFarlane　asked　under　his　breath。
　Before　Glinn　could　answer；　there　was　a　soft　click　from　behind。　McFarlane　glanced　back　to　see　Victor　Howell　step　out　of　the　radio　room　and　look　on　as　the　watch　was　relieved。
　The　third　officer　came　over　and　murmured　something　in　the　captain's　ear。　In　turn；　she　glanced　at　Glinn。　〃Keep　an　eye　off　the　starboard　bow；〃　she　said；　nodding　out　toward　the　horizon；　which　lay　like　a　knife　edge　against　the　sky。
　As　the　sky　lightened；　the　swel