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手机浏览器扫描二维码访问

第35部分（第2页）

＇＇234＇＇　〃Thats　assuming　the　storm　clears　on　schedule；〃　Beth　added。　〃Ive　been　trying　to　figure　out　how　to　release　a　surface　balloon；　and　see　what　its　like　up　there。　Tina　used　to　punch　some　special　code　to　release　a　balloon。〃

〃We　can　make　it；〃　Norman　said　again。

〃Oh　sure。　If　worse　es　to　worst；　we　can　always　get　food　from　the　spaceship。　Theres　plenty　over　there。〃

〃You　think　we　can　risk　going　outside？〃

〃Well　have　to；〃　she　said；　glancing　at　the　screens；　〃sometime　in　the　next　three　hours。〃

〃Why？〃

〃The　minisub。　It　has　that　automatic　surfacing　timer；　unless　someone　goes　over　and　punches　the　button。〃

〃The　hell　with　the　sub；〃　Norman　said。　〃Let　the　sub　go。〃　〃Well；　dont　be　too　hasty；〃　Beth　said。　〃That　sub　can　hold　three　people。〃

〃You　mean　we　could　all　get　out　of　here　in　it？〃

〃Yeah。　Thats　what　I　mean。〃

〃Christ；〃　Norman　said。　〃Lets　go　now。〃

〃There　are　two　problems　with　that；〃　Beth　said。　She　pointed　to　the　screens。　〃Ive　been　going　over　the　specs。　First；　the　sub　is　unstable　on　the　surface。　If　there　are　big　waves　on　the　surface；　itll　bounce　us　around　worse　than　anything　weve　had　down　here。　And　the　second　thing　is　that　we　have　to　link　up　with　a　depression　chamber　on　the　surface。　Dont　forget；　we　still　have　ninety…six　hours　of　depression　ahead　of　us。〃

〃And　if　we　dont　depress？〃　Norman　said。　He　was　thinking；　Lets　just　go　to　the　surface　in　the　sub　and　throw　open　the　hatch　and　see　the　clouds　and　the　sky　and　breathe　some　normal　earth　air。

〃We　have　to　depress；〃　Beth　said。　〃Your　bloodstream　is　saturated　with　helium　gas　in　solution。　Right　now　youre　under　pressure；　so　everything　is　fine。　But　if　you　release　that　pressure　suddenly；　its　just　the　same　as　when　you　pop　the　top　off　a　soda　bottle。　The　helium　will　bubble　explosively　out　of　your　system。　Youll　die　instantly。〃

〃Oh；〃　Norman　said。

＇＇235＇＇　〃Ninety…six　hours；〃　Beth　said。　〃Thats　how　long　it　takes　to　get　the　helium　out　of　you。〃

〃Oh。〃

Norman　went　to　the　porthole　and　looked　across　at　DH…7；　and　the　minisub。　It　was　a　hundred　yards　away。　〃You　think　the　squid　will　e　back？〃

She　shrugged。　〃Ask　Jerry。〃

Norman　thought；　No　more　of　that　Geraldine　stuff　now。　Or　did　she　prefer　to　think　of　this　malevolent　entity　as　masculine？

〃Which　monitor　is　it？〃

〃This　one。〃　She　flicked　it　on。　The　screen　glowed。

Norman　said；　〃Jerry？　Are　you　there？〃

No　answer。

He　typed；　JERRY？　ARE　YOU　THERE？

There　was　no　response。

〃Ill　tell　you　something　about　Jerry；〃　Beth　said。　〃He　cant　really　read　minds。　When　we　were　talking　to　him　before；　I　sent　him　a　thought　and　he　didnt　respond。〃

〃I　did；　too；〃　Norman　said。　〃I　sent　both　messages　and　images。　He　never　responded。〃

〃If　we　speak；　he　answers；　but　if　we　just　think；　he　doesnt　answer；〃　Beth　said。　〃So　hes　not　all…powerful。　He　actually　behaves　as　if　he　hears　us。〃

〃Thats　right；〃　Norman　said。　〃Although　he　doesnt　seem　to　be　hearing　us　now。〃

〃No。　I　tried　earlier；　too。〃

〃I　wonder　why　he　isnt　answering。〃

〃You　said　he　was　emotional。　Maybe　hes　sulking。〃

Norman　didnt　think　so。　Child　kings　didnt　sulk。　They　were　vindictive　and　whimsical；　but　they　didnt　sulk。