Sphere (深海圓疑) 原版小說

第25部分 (第3/7頁)

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〃I　think　I'll　just　eat　now；　Jane；〃　Ted　said；　a　bit　severely。　Edmunds　looked　stricken；　rejected。　Norman　thought；　I'll　have　to　watch　that。　She　turned　to　leave。　The　others　glanced　toward　the　porthole；　but　nobody　left　the　table。

〃Have　you　ever　eaten　jellyfish？〃　Ted　said。　〃I　hear　they're　a　delicacy。〃

〃Some　of　them　are　poisonous；〃　Beth　said。　〃Toxins　in　the　tentacles。〃

＇＇162＇＇　〃Don't　the　Chinese　eat　jellyfish？〃　Harry　said。

〃Yes；〃　Tina　said。　〃They　make　a　soup；　too。　My　grandmother　used　to　make　it　in　Honolulu。〃

〃You're　from　Honolulu？〃

〃Mozart　would　be　better　for　dining；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Or　Beethoven。　Something　with　strings。　This　organ　music　is　gloomy。〃

〃Dramatic；〃　Ted　said；　playing　imaginary　keys　in　the　air；　in　time　to　the　music。　Swaying　his　body　like　James　Mason。

〃Gloomy；〃　Barnes　said。

The　inter　crackled。　〃Oh；　you　should　see　this；〃　Edmunds　said；　over　the　inter。　〃It's　beautiful。〃

〃Where　is　she？〃

〃She　must　be　outside；〃　Barnes　said。　He　went　to　the　porthole。

〃It's　like　pink　snow；〃　Edmunds　said。　They　all　got　up　and　went　to　the　portholes。

Edmunds　was　outside　with　the　video　camera。　They　could　hardly　see　her　through　the　dense　clouds　of　jellyfish。　The　jellyfish　were　small；　the　size　of　a　thimble；　and　a　delicate；　glowing　pink。　It　was　indeed　like　a　snowfall。　Some　of　the　jellyfish　came　quite　close　to　the　porthole；　they　could　see　them　well。

〃They　have　no　tentacles；〃　Harry　said。　〃They're　just　little　pulsating　sacs。〃

〃That's　how　they　move；〃　Beth　said。　〃Muscular　contractions　expel　the　water。〃

〃Like　squid；〃　Ted　said。

〃Not　as　developed；　but　the　general　idea。〃

〃They're　sticky；〃　Edmunds　said；　over　the　inter。　〃They're　sticking　to　my　suit。〃

〃That　pink　color　is　f