Sphere (深海圓疑) 原版小說

第23部分 (第7/7頁)

s　would　work…they'd　just　go　very　fast。　But　with　heliox；　reactions　are　unpredictable。　And　if　they　won't　go；　well　。。。〃　He　shrugged。

〃What　am　I　supposed　to　do？〃　she　said。

〃The　best　you　can；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Same　as　the　rest　of　us。〃

＇＇152＇＇　〃Well；　all　I　can　really　do　is　gross　anatomical　analyses。　All　this　bench　is　worthless。〃

〃Then　do　the　gross　anatomy。〃

〃I　just　wish　we　had　more　lab　capability。　。。。〃

〃This　is　it；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Accept　it　and　go　on。〃

Ted　entered　the　room。　〃You　better　take　a　look　outside；　everybody；〃　he　said；　pointing　to　the　portholes。　〃We　have　more　visitors。〃

The　squid　were　gone。　For　a　moment　norman　saw　nothing　but　the　water；　and　the　white　suspended　sediment　caught　in　the　lights。

〃Look　down。　At　the　bottom。〃

The　sea　floor　was　alive。　Literally　alive；　crawling　and　wiggling　and　tremulous　as　far　as　they　could　see　in　the　lights。　〃What　is　that？〃

Beth　said；　〃It's　shrimps。　A　hell　of　a　lot　of　shrimps。〃　And　she　ran　to　get　her　net。

〃Now；　that's　what　we　ought　to　be　eating；〃　Ted　said。　〃I　love　shrimp。　And　those　look　perfect…size；　a　little　smaller　than　crayfish。　Probably　delicious。　I　remember　once　in　Portugal；　my　second　wife　and　I　had　the　most　fabulous　crayfish。　。。。〃

Norman　felt　slightly　uneasy。　〃What're　they　doing　here？〃

〃I　don't　know。　What　do　shrimps　do；　any