Sphere (深海圓疑) 原版小說

第27部分 (第3/7頁)

ic　knocking；　a　sort　of　thumping。　And　the　everpresent　hum　of　the　air　handlers。

Beth　was　staring　at　him。　〃Seeing　Edmunds　die　must　have　been　hard　for　you。〃

〃It's　funny；〃　Norman　said。　〃I　never　made　the　connection；　until　right　now。〃

〃Blocked　it；　I　guess。　Want　a　Valium？〃

He　smiled。　〃No。〃

〃You　looked　as　if　you　were　about　to　cry。〃

〃No。　I'm　fine。〃　He　stood　up；　stretched。　He　went　over　to　the　medicine　kit　and　closed　the　white　lid；　came　back。

Beth　said；　〃What　do　you　think　about　these　messages　we're　getting？〃

〃Beats　me；〃　Norman　said。　He　sat　down　again。　〃Actually；　I　did　have　one　crazy　thought。　Do　you　suppose　the　messages　and　these　animals　we're　seeing　are　related？〃

〃Why？〃

＇＇180＇＇　〃I　never　thought　about　it　until　we　started　to　get　spiral　messages。　Harry　says　it's　because　the　thing…the　famous　it…believes　we　think　in　spirals。　But　it's　just　as　likely　that　it　thinks　in　spirals　and　so　it　assumes　we　do；　too。　The　sphere　is　round；　isn't　it？　And　we've　been　seeing　all　these　radially　symmetrical　animals。　Jellyfish；　squid。〃

〃Nice　idea；〃　Beth　said；　〃except　for　the　fact　that　squid　aren't　radially　symmetrical。　An　octopus　is。　And；　like　an　octopus；　squid　have　a　round　circle　of　tentacles；　but　squid're　bilaterally　symmetrical；　with　a　matching　left　and　right　side；　the　way　we　have。　And　then　there's　the　shrimps。〃

〃That's　right；　the　shrimps。〃　Norman　had　forgotten　about　the　shrimps。

〃I　can't　see　a　connection　between　the　sphere　and　the　animals；〃　Beth　said。

They　heard　the　thumping　again；　soft；　rhythmic。　Sitting　in　his　chair；　Norman　realized　that　he　could　feel　the　thumping　as　well；　as　a　slight　impact。　〃What　is　that；　anyway？〃

〃I　don't　know。　Sounds　like　it's　ing　from　outside。〃

He　had　started　toward　the　p