alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第27部分

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　 Hansen　was　still　on　the　other　side　of　the　bulkhead。　I　could　hear　him　cursing　steadily；　monotonously；　and　as　if　he　meant　it　as　he　struggled　to　unhook　the　heavy　door　from　its　standing　catch。　Because　of　the　steep　downward　pitch　of　the　Dolphin's　deck；　he　had　to　lean　all　his　weight　against　the　massive　steel　door　to　free　the　catch；　and　with　his　insecure　footing　among　the　swirling　waters　on　that　sloping；　slippery　deck；　he　was　obviously　having　the　devil's　own　time　trying　to　release　it。　I　let　Mills　go；　jumped　over　the　sill；　flung　my　shoulder　against　the　door；　and　with　the　suddenly　added　pressure；　the　latch　clicked　free。　The　heavy　door　at　once　swung　half　shut；　carrying　us　along　with　it　and　knocking　us　both　off　our　feet　into　the　battering…ram　path　of　that　torrent　still　gqshing　from　number　4　tube。　Coughing　and　spluttering；　we　scrambled　upright　again；　crossed　the　sill；　and；　hanging　on　to　a　latch　handle　apiece；　tried　to　drag　the　door　shut。
　 Twice　we　tried　and　twice　we　failed。　The　water　boiled　in　through　the　tube；　and　its　level　was　now　almost　Jipping　the　top　of　the　sill。　With　every　second　that　passed；　the　downward　angle　of　the　〃Dolphin〃　increased；　and　with　every　extra　degree　of　steepness　the　task　of　pulling　that　door　uphill　against　the　steadily　increasing　gravity　became　more　and　more　difficult。
　 The　water　began　to　spill　over　the　sill　onto　our　feet。
　 Hansen　grinned　at　me。　At　least　I　thought　for　a　moment　he　was　grinning；　but　the　white　teeth　were　clamped　tightly　together　and　there　was　no　amusement　at　all　in　his　eyes。　He　shouted　above　the　roar　of　the　water：　〃It's　now　or　never。〃
　 A　well…taken　point。　It　was　indeed　now　or　never。　At　a　signal　from　Hansen；　we　flung　our　bined　weights　on　to　those　latch　handles；　each　with　one　hand　to　a　latch　while　the　other　braced　against　the　bulkhead　to　give　maximum　leverage。　We　got　the　door　to　within　four　inches。　It　swung　open。　We　tried　again。　Still　four　inches；　and　I　knew　that　all　our　strength　had　gone　into　that　one。
　 〃Can　you　hold　it　for　a　moment？〃　I　shouted。
　 He　nodded。　I　shifted　both　hands　to　the　lower　corner　latch；　dropped　to　the　deck；　braced　my　feet　against　the　sill；　and　straightened　both　legs　in　one　convulsive　jerk。　The　door　crashed　shut；　Hansen　jammed　his　latch　home；　I　did　the　same　with　mine；　and　we　were　safe。　For　the　moment　we　were　safe。
　 I　left　Hansen　to　secure　the　remaining　latches　and　started　knocking　those　of　the　after　collision…bulkhead　door。　I'd　only　got　as　far　as　the　first　one　when　the　others　started　falling　off　by　themselves。　Petty　officer　Bowen　and　his　men；　on　the　other　side　of　that　door；　needed　no　telling　that　we　wanted　out　of　there　just　as　fast　as　possible。　The　door　was　pulled　open　and　my　eardrums　popped　with　the　abrupt　fall　in　air　pressure。　I　could　hear　the　steady　echoing　roar　of　air　blasting　into　the　ballast　tanks　under　high　pressure。　I　hoisted　Mills　by　the　shoulders；　strong；　petent　hands　lifted　him　out　and　over　the　sill；　and　a　couple　of　seconds　later　Hansen　and　I　were　beside　him。
　 〃In　God's　name！〃　Bowen　said　to　Hansen。　〃What's　gone　wrong？〃
　 〃Number　4　tube　open　to　the　sea。〃
　 〃Jesus！〃
　 〃Secure　that　door；〃　Hansen　ordered。　〃But　good。〃　He　left　at　a　dead　run；　clawing　his　way　up　the　sharply　sloping　deck　of　the　torpedo　storage　room。　I　took　a　look　at　Lieutenant　Millsone　short　look　was　all　I　neededand　followed　after　Hansen。　Only　I　didn't　run。　Running　wasn't　going　to　help　anybody　now。
　 The　roar　of　pressed　air　filled　the　ship；　the　ballast　tanks　were　rapidly　emptying；　but　still　the　〃Dolphin〃　continued　on　its　deadly　dive；　arrowing　down　for　the　dark　depths　of　the　Arctic。　Not　even　the　massive　pressed…air　banks　of　the　submarine　could　hope　to　cope　so　soon　with　the　effects　of　the　scores　of　tons　of　sea　water　that　had　already　flooded　into　the　for'ard　torpedo　room：　I　wondered　bleakly　if　they　would　ever　be　able　to　cope　at　all。　As　I　walked　along　the　wardroom　passage；　using　the　hand　rail　to　haul　myself　up　that　crazily　canted　deck；　I　could　feel　the　entire　submarine　shudder　beneath　my　feet。　No　doubt　about　what　that　was：　Swanson　had　the　great　turbines　turning　over　at　maximum　revolutions；　the　big　bronze　propellers　threshing　madly　in　reverse；　trying　to　bite　deep　into　the　water　to　slow　up　the　diving　submarine。
　 You　can　smell　fear。　You　can　smell　it　and　you　can　see　it；　and　I　could　do　both　as　I　hauled　my　way　into　the　control　center　of　the　〃Dolphin〃　that　morning。　Not　one　man　as　much　as　flickered　an　eye　in　my　direction　as　I　passed　by　the　sonar　room。　They　had　no　eyes　for　me。　They　had　no　eyes　for　anybody：　tense；　strained；　immobile；　with　hunted　faces；　they　had　eyes　for　one　thing　onlythe　plummeting　needle　on　the　depth　gauge。
　 The　needle　was　passing　the　six…hundred…feet　mark。　Six　hundred　feet。　No　conventional　submarine　I'd　ever　been　on　could　have　operated　at　this　depth。　Could　have　survived　at　this　depth。　Six　hundred　and　fifty。　I　thought　of　the　fantastic　outside　pressure　that　represented　and　I　felt　far　from　happy。　Someone　else　was　feeling　far　from　happy　also：　the　young　seaman　manning　the　inboard　diving　seat。　His　fists；　were　clenched　till　the　knuckles　showed；　a　muscle　was　jumping　in　his　cheek；　a　nerve　twitching　in　his　neck；　and　he　had　the　look　of　a　man　who　sees　the　bony　finger　of　death　beckoning。
　 Seven　hundred　feet。　Seven　hundred　and　fifty。　Eight　hundred。　I'd　never　heard　of　a　submarine　that　had　reached　that　depth　and　lived。　Neither；　apparently；　had　mander　Swanson。
　 〃We　have　just　set　a　new　record；　men；〃　he　said。　His　voice　was　calm　and　relaxed；　and　although　he　was　far　too　intelligent　a　man　not　to　be　afraid；　no　trace　of　it　showed　in　tone　or　manner。　〃Lowest　recorded　dive　ever；　as　far　as　I　am　aware。　Speed　of　descent？〃
　 〃No　change。〃
　 〃It　will　change　soon。　The　torpedo　room　must　be　about　full　nowapart　from　the　pocket　of　air　pressed　under　high　pressure。〃　He　gazed　at　the　dial　and　tapped　his　teeth　thoughtfully　with　a　thumbnailthis；　for　Swanson；　was　probably　the　equivalent　of　going　into　hysterics。　〃Blow　the　diesel　tanks：　blow　the　fresh…water　tanks。〃　Imperturbable　though　he　sounded；　Swanson　was　close　to　desperation　for　this　was　the　counsel　of　despair：　thousands　of　miles　from　home　and　supplies；　yet　jettisoning　all　the　diesel　and　drinking　water；　the　lack　of　either　of　which　could　make　all　the　difference　between　life　and　death。　But；　at　that　moment；　it　didn't　matter；　all　that　mattered　was　lightening　the　ship。
　 〃Main　ballast　tank's　empty；〃　the　diving　officer　reported。　His　voice　was　hoarse　and　strained。
　 Swanson　nodded；　said　nothing。　The　volume　of　the　sound　of　the　pressed　air　had　dropped　at　least　seventy…five　per　cent　and　the　sudden　parative　silence　was　sinister；　terrifying；　as　if　it　meant　that　the　〃Dolphin〃　was　giving　up　the　fight。　Now　we　had　only　the　slender　reserves　of　the　fresh　water　and　diesel　to　save　us；　at　the　rate　at　which　the　Dolphin　was　still　diving；　I　didn't　see　how　it　could。
　 Hansen　was　standing　beside　me。　I　noticed　blood　dripping　from　his　left　hand　to　the　deck；　and　when　I　looked　more　closely；　I　could　see　that　two　of　his　fingers　were　broken。　It　must　have　happened　in　the　torpedo　room。　At　the　moment；　it　didn't　seem　important。　It　certainly　didn't　seem　important　to　Hansen。　He　was　entirely　oblivious　of　it。
　 The　pressure　gauge　fell　further　and　still　further。　I　knew　now　that　nothing　could　save　the　〃Dolphin〃。　A　bell　rang。　Swanson　swung　down　a　microphone　and　pressed　a　button。
　 〃Engine　room　speaking；〃　a　metallic　voice　came　through。　〃We　must　slow　down。　Main　bearings　beginning　to　smoke。　She'll　seize　up　any　minute。〃
　 〃Maintain　revolutions。〃　Swanson　swung　back　the　microphone。　The　youngster　at　the　diving　console；　the　one　with　the　jumping　cheek　muscles　and　the　nervous　twitch；　started　to　mumble；　〃Oh；　dear　God；　oh；　dear　God；〃　over　and　over　again；　softly　at　first；　then　the　voice　climbing　up　the　scale　to　hysteria。　Swanson　moved　two　paces　and　touched　him　on　the　shoulder。　〃Do　you　mind；　laddie？　I　can　hardly　hear　myself　think。〃　The　mumbling　stopped　and　the　boy　sat　quite　still；　his　face　carved　from　gray　granite；　the　nerve　in　his　neck　going　like　a　trip　hammer。
　 〃How　much　more　of　this　will　she　take？〃　I　asked　casually。　At　least；　I　meant　it　to　sound　casual；　but　it　came　out　like　the　croak　of　an　asthmatic　bullfrog。
　 〃I'm　afraid　we're　moving　into　the　realms　of　the　unknown；〃　Swanson　admitted　calmly。　〃One　thousand　feet　plus。　If　that　dial　is　right；　we　passed　the　theoretical　implosion　pointwhere　the　hull　should　have　collapsedfifty　feet　ago。　At　the　present　moment　she's　being　subjected　to　well　over　a　million　tons　of　pressure。〃　Swanson's　repose；　his　glacial　calm；　was　staggering；　they　must　have　scoured　the　whole　of　America　to　find　a　man　like　that。　If　ever　there　was　the　right　man　in　the　right　place　at　the　right　time；　it　was　mander　Swanson　in　the　control　room　of　a　runaway　submarine　diving　to　depths　hundreds　of　feet　below　what　any　submarine　had　ever　experienced　before。
　 〃She's　slowing；〃　Hansen　whispered。
　 〃She's　slowing。〃　Swanson　nodded。
　 She　wasn't　slowing　half　fast　enough　for　me。　It　was　impossible　that　the　pressure　hull　could　hold　out　any　longer。　I　wondered　vaguely　what　the　end　would　be　like；　then　put　the　thought　from　my　mind；　I　would　never　know　anything　about　it；　anyway。　At　that　depth　the　pressure　must　have　been　about　twenty　tons　to　the　square　foot；　we'd　be　squashed　as　flat　as　flounders　before　our　senses　cou