p&c.icelimit-第74节

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ier　than　Rochefort　initially　anticipated。　We　might　be　a　bit　short　on　the　engineering。〃
　〃How　short？〃
　〃Hard　to　say　without　…　〃　The　radio　cut　out　a　second　time。　〃Still　a　certain　amount　of　overengineering　was　built　into　the　design；　even　beyond　double…overage。　Stonecipher　thinks　we　might　be　able　to　go　a　long　way　like　this。　On　the　other　hand；　if　some　key　points　go；　the　rest　could　fail　quickly。〃
　〃I　don't　like　these　words　‘might'　and　‘could。'〃
　〃It's　impossible　to　be　more　precise。〃
　〃So　how　quickly　is　‘quickly'？〃
　〃We'd　have　five；　ten　minutes；　maybe。　Maybe　more。〃
　〃And　then？〃
　〃The　meteorite　will　shift。　Even　a　few　inches　might　be　fatal；　cause　hull　failure。〃
　〃Reinforce　those　critical　point　welds。〃
　There　was　a　crackling　pause。　Glinn　knew　what　Garza　was　thinking　about：　what　happened　the　last　time　they　welded　the　cradle。
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　Garza　said　finally。
　〃And　keep　the　salt　water　off　it。〃
　The　only　answer　was　another　buzz　of　static。
　The　great　ship　Rolvaag　drove　southward；　ever　southward。
　
　Rolvaag；
　5：00　P。M。
　
　AT　THE　rear　of　the　bridge　was　an　observation　alcove；　a　small　area　sandwiched　between　the　radio　room　and　the　chart　room。　Except　for　the　tall　expanse　of　windows；　it　was　devoid　of　furniture　or　decoration。　At　the　windows　stood　Glinn；　binoculars　to　his　eyes；　looking　aft　between　the　stacks。　The　snowsquall；　a　wavering　gray　line　to　the　north；　was　passing。　It　had　given　them　sixty　minutes。　They　needed　another　twenty。　But　as　the　bright　moonlight　once　again　lay　a　carpet　of　illumination　across　the　raging　seas；　it　became　clear　that　they　were　not　going　to　get　it。
　As　if　on　cue；　the　Ramirez　came　blowing　out　of　the　distant　curtain　of　snow。　It　was　shockingly　close　now；　no　more　than　four　miles　away；　lights　ablaze。　Its　bow　rose　and　fell　in　the　violent　sea；　and　he　thought　he　could　even　see　the　forward　guns　trained　on　them；　etched　against　the　night　sky　behind。　The　Rolvaag　would　be　as　clear　to　them　as　the　Ramirez　was　to　him。　There　was　a　sudden　murmur　on　the　bridge；　followed　by　an　unbearably　tense　silence。　Vallenar　was　wasting　no　time：　the　forward　guns　quickly　adjusted　their　elevation。
　Even　worse；　with　another　gun　the　Ramirez　began　firing　a　string　of　white　phosphorus　〃Willey　Peters；〃　which　popped　on　and　drifted　slowly　down；　brilliantly　lighting　up　the　Rolvaag　and　the　sea　around　it。
　Vallenar　was　methodical；　not　rushed。　He　was　being　careful。　He　knew　he　had　them。　Glinn　glanced　at　his　gold　pocket　watch。　At　four　miles；　the　Ramirez　would　just　fire　away；　not　bothering　to　get　their　range。　The　Rolvaag　was　twenty　minutes　from　the　ice　islands。　They　would　need　twenty　minutes　of　luck。
　〃Crossing　the　Ice　Limit；　ma'am；〃　said　Howell　to　Britton。
　Glinn　glanced　down　to　the　sea。　Even　in　the　moonlight；　he　could　easily　make　out　the　abrupt　color　change　in　the　water。　from　a　deep　green　to　a　clear；　almost　bluish　black。　He　came　to　the　front　of　the　bridge　now；　searching　the　southern　horizon　with　his　binoculars。　He　could　see　thin　patches　of　brash　ice　lifting　and　falling；　and　as　the　ship　rose　he　caught　a　striking　glimpse　of　the　ice　islands　…　two　low；　flat　lines　of　turquoise。　He　raised　his　binoculars　and　examined　them　more　closely。　The　one　to　the　east　was　huge；　perhaps　twenty　miles　long；　the　one　to　the　west　about　five。　They　rode　steady　in　the　water；　vast　still　mesas　above　the　changeable　sea　…　so　large　that　even　this　violent　sea　could　not　raise　and　lower　them。　There　was　a　gap　between　the　islands　of　perhaps　a　thousand　yards。
　〃No　sign　of　fog；〃　said　Britton；　ing　up　beside　him　with　her　own　binoculars。
　As　Glinn　continued　gazing　southward；　a　terrible　feeling；　perhaps　the　most　terrible　he　had　ever　felt；　constricted　his　solar　plexus。　The　Ice　Limit　had　not　brought　them　cover。　If　anything；　the　sky　to　the　south　was　clearer。　The　brilliant　moonlight；　silvering　the　enormous　waves；　was　like　a　searchlight　across　the　sea。　The　Willey　Peters；　slowly　dropping　about　them；　made　the　landscape　as　bright　as　day。　There　was　no　place　to　hide。　They　were　pletely　vulnerable。　It　was　intolerable；　an　exquisite　pain　unique　in　Glinn's　experience。
　With　supreme　self…mastery；　he　once　again　raised　the　binoculars　and　examined　the　islands。　The　Ramirez　was　not　firing；　taking　her　time；　sure　now　of　the　kill。　Minutes　passed　as　his　mind　traveled　back　down　all　the　dead　avenues　it　had　explored　before。　Again　and　again　his　mind　probed　farther；　deeper　down　the　branches　of　possibility；　trying　to　reach　another　solution　to　their　problem。　But　there　were　no　others：　just　the　one　far…fetched　plan。　The　silence　stretched　on。
　A　shell　came　screaming　down　past　the　superstructure；　sending　up　a　delicate　plume　of　spray。　And　another；　and　another；　closing　on　their　position。
　He　quickly　turned　to　Britton。　〃Captain；〃　he　murmured；　〃pass　between　the　two　islands；　staying　close　to　the　larger　island。　Understand　me　now：　as　close　as　you　possibly　can。　Then　bring　the　ship　into　its　lee　and　heave　to。〃
　Britton　had　not　dropped　her　binoculars。　〃That's　going　to　turn　us　into　a　sitting　duck　as　soon　as　he　es　around　the　island。　This　is　not　a　viable　plan；　Eli。〃
　〃It's　our　only　chance；〃　he　answered。　〃Trust　me。〃
　A　geyser　erupted　off　their　port　side；　and　another；　the　shells　once　again　walking　through　their　position。　There　was　no　time　to　turn；　no　point　in　evasive　action。　Glinn　braced　himself。　Tall　columns　of　water　shot　up　around　them；　moving　closer。　There　was　a　brief　lull；　pregnant　and　terrible。　And　then　a　terrific　explosion　jerked　Glinn　from　his　feet　and　threw　him　to　the　deck。　Some　of　the　bridge　windows　blew　out；　scattering　jeweled　shards　across　the　deck　and　letting　in　the　howling　of　the　wind。
　As　Glinn　lay　on　the　deck；　half　stunned；　he　heard　…　or　perhaps　felt　…　a　second　explosion。　And　that　was　when　the　lights　went　out。
　
　Rolvaag；
　5：10　P。M。
　
　THE　FIRING　stopped。　Britton；　lying　amid　shards　of　Plexiglas；　instinctively　listened　for　the　engines。　They　were　still　running；　but　the　vibration　was　different。　Different；　and　ominous。　She　rose　shakily　as　the　orange　emergency　lights　snapped　on。　The　ship　rolled　with　the　terrifying　sea；　and　now　the　roar　of　the　wind　and　waves；　blasting　through　the　broken　windows；　filled　her　ears；　along　with　stinging　sheets　of　salt　spray　and　gusts　of　subzero　air。　The　storm　was　now　inside　the　bridge。　She　staggered　over　the　main　console；　which　was　covered　with　blinking　lights；　shaking　chips　of　plastic　out　of　her　hair。
　She　found　her　voice。　〃Status；　Mr。　Howell。〃
　He　was　also　on　his　feet；　punching　buttons　on　the　console；　speaking　into　the　phone。　〃Losing　power　to　the　port　turbine。〃
　〃Ten　degrees　left　rudder。〃
　〃Ten　degrees　left　rudder；　aye；　ma'am。〃　Howell　spoke　briefly　into　the　inter。　〃Captain；　it　looks　like　we　received　two　hits　on　C　deck。　One　in　six　starboard；　the　other　in　the　vicinity　of　the　engine　room。〃
　〃Get　damage　control　on　it。　I　need　damage　assessment　and　casualty　count；　and　I　need　them　now。　Mr。　Warner；　start　the　bilge　pumps。〃
　〃Start　the　bilge　pumps；　aye；　ma'am。〃
　Another　gust　of　wind　blasted　through　the　bridge；　bringing　with　it　another　sheet　of　spray。　As　the　temperature　on　the　bridge　dropped；　the　spray　was　starting　to　freeze　on　the　deck　and　consoles。　But　Britton　hardly　felt　the　cold。
　Lloyd　approached；　shrugging　glass　from　his　clothes。　A　nasty　cut　across　his　forehead　was　bleeding　profusely。
　〃Mr。　Lloyd；　report　to　sick　bay　…　〃　Britton　began　automatically。
　〃Don't　be　ridiculous；〃　he　said　impatiently；　wiping　the　blood　off　his　brow　and　flinging　it　to　one　side。　〃I'm　here　to　help。〃
　The　blast　seemed　to　have　shocked　him　back　to　life。　〃Then　you　can　get　us　all　foul…weather　gear；〃　Britton　said；　gesturing　toward　a　storage　locker　at　the　rear　of　the　bridge。
　A　radio　crackled　and　Howell　answered。　〃Waiting　on　the　casualty　list；　ma'am。　Damage　control　reports　fire　in　the　engine　room。　It　was　a　direct　hit。〃
　〃Can　it　be　contained　with　portable　extinguishers？〃
　〃Negative。　It's　spreading　too　fast。〃
　〃Use　the　fixed　C02　system。　And　I　want　water　fog　on　the　exterior　bulkheads。〃
　She　glanced　over　at　Glinn。　He　had　been　speaking　urgently　to　his　operative　at　the　EES　console。　The　man　stood　and　vanished　from　the　bridge。
　〃Mr。　Glinn；　I　need　a　report　from　the　hold；　please；〃　she　said。
　He　turned　to　Howell。　〃Patch　Garza　through。〃
　A　minute　later；　the　overhead　speaker　crackled。　〃Jesus；　what　the　hell's　going　on？〃　Garza　asked。
　〃We've　received　two　more　hits。　What's　your　status？〃
　〃Those　explosions　came　on　a　roll。　They　broke　additional　welds。　We're　working　as　fast　as　we　can；　but　the　meteorite　…　〃
　〃Keep　on　it；　Manuel。　Smartly。〃
　Lloyd　returned　from　the　locker　and　began　distributing　gear　to　the　bridge　crew。　Britton　accepted　hers；　pulled　it　on；　and　looked　forward。　The　ice　islands　now　loomed　up；　faintly　blue　in　the　moonlight；　barely　two　miles　distant；　rearing　two　hundred　feet　or　more　out　of　the　water；　the　surf　tearing　and　ripping　at　their　bases。
　〃Mr。　Howell；　what　is　the　position　of　the　enemy　ship？〃
　〃Just　at　three　miles　and　closing。　They're　firing　again。〃
　There　was　another　explosion　off　the　port　beam；　a　geyser　of　water　that　rose；　only　to　immediately　bend　almost　horizontal　under　the　force　of　the　panteonero。　Now　Britton　could　hear　the　distant　reports　of　the　guns　themselves；　strangely　disconnected　from　the　nearby　explosions。　There　was　another　crash；　a　shudder；　and　she