Sphere (深海圓疑) 原版小說

第22部分 (第4/7頁)

。〃

The　large　eyes　of　the　squid　stared。　The　tentacles　moved。　〃And　you　can　see　all　the　internal　organs；〃　Beth　said。　〃The　brain　is　hidden　behind　the　eye。　That　sac　is　the　digestive　gland；　and　behind　it；　the　stomach；　and　below　that…see　it　beating？…the　heart。　That　big　thing　at　the　front　is　the　gonad；　and　ing　down　from　the　stomach；　a　sort　of　funnel…that's　where　it　squirts　the　ink；　and　propels　itself。〃

〃Is　it　really　a　new　species？〃　Norman　said。

She　sighed。　〃I　don't　know。　Internally　it　is　so　typical。　But　fewer　tentacles　would　qualify　it　as　a　new　species；　all　right。〃

〃You　going　to　get　to　call　it　Squidus　bethus？　〃　Norman　said。

She　smiled。　〃Architeuthis　bethis；〃　she　said。　〃Sounds　like　a　dental　problem。　Architeuthis　bethis：　means　you　need　root　canal。〃

〃How　about　it；　Dr。　Halpern？〃　Levy　said；　poking　her　head　in。　〃Got　some　good　tomatoes　and　peppers；　be　a　shame　to　waste　them。　Are　the　squid　really　poisonous？〃

〃I　doubt　it；〃　Beth　said。　〃Squid　aren't　known　to　be。　Go　ahead；〃　she　said　to　Levy。　〃I　think　it'll　be　okay　to　eat　them。〃　When　Levy　had　gone；　Norman　said；　〃I　thought　you　gave　up　eating　these　things。〃

〃Just　octopi；〃　Beth　said。　〃An　octopus　is　cute　and　smart。　Squid　are　rather　。。。　unsympathetic。〃

〃Unsympathetic。〃

〃Well；　they're　cannibalistic；　and　rather　nasty。　。。。　She　raised　an　eyebrow。　〃Are　you　psychoanalyzing　me　again？〃

〃No。　Just　curious。〃

〃As　a　zoologist；　you're　supposed　to　be　objective；〃　Beth　said；　〃but　I　have　feelings　about　animals；　like　anybody　else。　I　have　a　warm　feeling　about　octopi。　They're　clever；　you　know。　I　once　had　an　octopus　in　a　research　tank　that　learned　to　kill　cockroaches　and　use　them　as　bait　to　catch　crabs。　The　curious　crab　would　e　along；　investigate　the　dead　cockroach；　and　then　the　octopu