mreilly.icestation-第32部分

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ley　had　kept　Kirsty　by　his　side；　safe　and　sound。　
　〃Good；〃　Schofield　said。　〃You're　one　tough　kid；　you　know　that？　You　ought　to　be　a　Marine。〃　
　Kirsty　beamed。　Schofield　nodded　down　the　tunnel。　〃You　going　my　way？〃　
　〃Yeah；〃　she　said；　falling　into　step　beside　him。　Wendy　loped　down　the　corridor　behind　them。　
　〃Where　are　you　going？〃　Kirsty　asked。　
　〃I'm　looking　for　your　mom。〃　
　〃Oh；〃　Kirsty　said；　a　little　softly。　
　It　was　a　strange　response；　and　through　his　reflective　silver　glasses　Schofield　cast　a　sideways　glance　at　Kirsty。　She　just　stared　at　the　floor　as　she　walked。　He　wondered　what　it　meant。　
　There　was　an　awkward　silence　and　Schofield　searched　for　something　to　say。　〃So；　uh；　how　old　did　you　say　you　were？　Twelve；　right？〃　
　〃Uh…huh。〃　
　〃What　is　that；　seventh　grade？〃　
　〃Mm〃　
　〃Seventh　grade；〃　Schofield　mused。　He　was　at　a　total　loss　for　something　to　say　now；　so　he　just　said；　〃I　guess　you　must　be　starting　to　think　about　a　career；　then。〃　
　Kirsty　seemed　to　perk　up　at　the　question。　She　looked　across　at　him　as　they　walked。　
　〃Yeah；〃　she　said　seriously；　as　though　career　thoughts　had　been　weighing　heavily　on　her　twelve…year…old　mind　lately。　
　〃So　what　do　you　want　to　do　when　you　leave　school？〃　
　〃I　want　to　be　a　teacher；〃　Kirsty　said。　〃Like　my　dad。〃　
　〃What　does　your　dad　teach？〃　
　〃He　taught　geology　at　a　big　college　in　Boston；〃　Kirsty　said。　〃Harvard；〃　she　added　importantly。　
　〃And　what　do　you　want　to　teach？〃　Schofield　asked。　
　〃Math。〃　
　〃Math？〃　
　〃I'm　good　at　math；〃　Kirsty　said；　shrugging　selfconsciously；　embarrassed　and　proud　at　the　same　time。　
　〃My　dad　used　to　help　me　with　my　homework；〃　she　went　on。　〃He　said　I　was　much　better　at　math　than　most　other　kids　my　age；　so　sometimes　he　would　teach　me　stuff　that　the　other　kids　didn't　know。　Interesting　stuff；　stuff　that　I　wasn't　supposed　to　learn　until　I　was　a　senior。　And　sometimes　he'd　teach　me　stuff　that　they　don't　teach　you　at　all　in　school。〃　
　〃Yeah？〃　Schofield　said；　genuinely　interested。　〃What　sort　of　stuff？〃　
　〃Oh；　you　know。　Polynomials。　Number　sequences。　Some　calculus。〃　
　〃Calculus。　Number　sequences；〃　Schofield　repeated；　amazed。　
　〃You　know；　like　triangular　numbers　and　Fibonacci　numbers。　That　sort　of　stuff。〃　
　Schofield　shook　his　head　in　astonishment。　This　was　impressive。　Very　impressive。　Kirsty　Hensleigh；　twelve　years　old　and　a　little　short　for　her　age；　was　apparently　a　very　smart　young　lady。　Schofield　looked　at　her　again。　She　seemed　to　walk　on　her　toes；　with　a　kind　of　spring　in　each　step。　She　just　looked　like　a　regular　kid。　
　Kirsty　said；　〃We　used　to　do　a　lot　of　stuff　together。　Softball；　hiking；　once　he　even　took　me　scuba　diving；　even　though　I　hadn't　done　the　course。〃　
　〃You　make　it　sound　like　your　dad　doesn't　do　that　sort　of　thing　anymore？〃　
　There　was　a　short　silence。　Then　Kirsty　said　softly；　〃He　doesn't。〃　
　〃What　happened？〃　Schofield　asked　gently。　He　was　waiting　to　hear　a　tale　about　fighting　parents　and　a　divorce。　It　seemed　to　happen　a　lot　these　days。　
　〃My　dad　was　killed　in　a　car　wreck　last　year；〃　Kirsty　said　flatly。　
　Schofield　stopped　in　midstride。　He　turned　to　look　at　Kirsty。　The　little　girl　was　staring　down　at　her　shoelaces。　
　〃I'm　sorry；〃　he　said。　
　Kirsty　cocked　her　head　to　one　side。　〃It's　OK；〃　she　said；　and　then　resumed　walking。　
　They　came　to　a　door　sunken　into　the　outer　tunnel；　and　Schofield　stopped　in　front　of　it。　〃Well；　this　is　my　stop。〃　
　〃Mine；　too；〃　Kirsty　said。　
　Schofield　opened　the　door　and　let　Kirsty　and　Wendy　enter　in　front　of　him。　He　followed　them　inside。　
　It　was　a　mon　room　of　some　sort。　Some　ugly　orange　couches；　a　stereo；　a　television；　a　VCR。　Schofield　guessed　that　they　didn't　get　regular　TV　transmissions　down　here　so　they　just　watched　videos　on　the　television。　
　Sarah　Hensleigh　and　Abby　Sinclair　sat　on　one　of　the　orange　couches。　They　were　also　now　wearing　dry　clothes。　The　three　other　scientists　from　Wilkes…three　men　named　Llewellyn；　Harris；　and　Robinson…were　there；　too。　After　seeing　what　the　fragmentation　grenades　had　done　to　Hollywood　and　one　of　their　colleagues　they　had　spent　the　remainder　of　the　battle　holed　up　in　their　rooms。　Now　they　looked　tired　and　weary；　afraid。　
　Kirsty　went　over　and。sat　down　on　the　couch　next　to　Sarah　Hensleigh。　She　sat　down　silently　and　didn't　say　anything　to　her　mother。　Schofield　remembered　the　first　time　he　had　seen　Sarah　and　Kirsty　together…back　before　the　French　had　arrived　at　Wilkes。　Kirsty　hadn't　said　much　then　either。　Schofield　hadn't　noticed　any　tension　between　them　then；　but　he　noticed　it　now。　He　put　it　out　of　his　mind　as　he　walked　over　to　Sarah。　
　〃Is　anyone　here　a　medical　doctor？〃　Schofield　asked　her。　
　Sarah　shook　her　head。　〃No。　No；　Ken　Wishart　was　the　only　doctor　at　the　station。　But　he…〃　She　cut　herself　off。　
　〃But　he　what？〃　
　Sarah　sighed。　〃But　he　was　on　board　the　hovercraft　that　was　supposed　to　be　heading　back　to　d'Urville。〃　
　Schofield　shut　his　eyes；　once　again　imagined　the　fate　of　the　five　scientists　who　had　been　on　board　the　doomed　hovercraft。　
　A　voice　crackled　over　his　helmet　inter。　〃Scarecrow；　this　is　Montana。〃　
　〃What　is　it？〃　Schofield　said。　
　〃I've　set　up　the　range　finders　around　the　outer　perimeter　just　like　you　wanted。　You　wanna　e　up　and　check　it　out？〃　
　〃Yes；　I　do；〃　Schofield　said。　〃I'll　be　up　in　a　minute。　Where　are　you？〃　
　〃Southwest　corner。〃　
　〃Wait　for　me；〃　Schofield　said。　〃Have　you　had　any　luck　getting　through　to　McMurdo？〃　
　〃Not　yet。　There's　a　shitstorm　of　interference　on　every　frequency。　I　can't　get　through。〃　
　〃Keep　trying；〃　Schofield　said。　〃Scarecrow；　out。〃　
　Schofield　turned　and　was　about　to　leave　the　mon　room　when　someone　tapped　him　lightly　on　the　shoulder。　He　turned。　It　was　Sarah　Hensleigh。　She　was　smiling。　
　〃I　just　remembered；〃　she　said。　〃There　is　a　medical　doctor　at　this　station　after　all。〃　
　
　After　the　battle　was　over；　the　Marines　had　found　the　two　French　scientists；　Luc　Champion　and　Henri　Rae；　cowering　in　a　cupboard　in　the　dining　room　on　A…deck。　
　They　had　not　offered　any　resistance。　Indeed；　as　they　had　been　dragged　unceremoniously　out　of　the　cupboard　to　face　their　conquerors　the　horror　on　their　faces　had　said　it　all。　They　had　backed　the　wrong　side　in　this　fight。　The　men　they　had　deceived　were　now　their　captors。　The　price　for　their　treachery　would　be　high。　
　Both　men　had　been　taken　down　to　E…deck；　where　they　were　handcuffed　to　a　pole　in　plain　view。　Schofield's　team　had　work　to　do；　and　Schofield　didn't　want　to　waste　any　of　his　manpower　guarding　the　two　French　scientists。　By　cuffing　the　two　Frenchmen　to　a　pole　out　in　the　open　the　Marines　down　on　E…deck　could　work　as　well　as　keep　an　eye　on　them。　
　Schofield　stepped　out　onto　the　B…deck　catwalk。　He　was　about　to　speak　into　his　helmet　mike　when　Sarah　Hensleigh　came　out　onto　the　catwalk　behind　him。　
　〃I　have　something　I　have　to　ask　you；〃　she　said。　〃Something　I　couldn't　ask　you　back　in　the　mon　room。〃　
　Schofield　held　up　a　hand；　spoke　into　his　helmet　mike：　〃Rebound。　This　is　Scarecrow。　How's　Samurai？〃　
　Rebound's　voice　came　in　over　his　earpiece。　〃I've　managed　to　stop　the　bleeding　for　the　moment；　sir；　but　he's　still　pretty　bad。〃　
　〃Stable？〃　
　〃As　stable　as　I'm　gonna　get　him。〃　
　〃All　right；　listen。　I　want　you　to　go　down　to　E…deck　and　grab　that　French　scientist　named　Champion；　Luc　Champion；〃　Schofield　said。　He　looked　at　Sarah　as　he　spoke。　〃I've　just　been　informed　that　our　good　friend　Monsieur　Champion　is　a　surgeon。〃　
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　Rebound　said　eagerly。　He　seemed　relieved　that　someone　more　qualified　might　be　able　to　take　over　Samurai's　care。　But　then　he　seemed　to　check　himself。　〃Uh；　sir。。。〃　
　〃What　is　it？〃　
　〃Can　we　trust　him？〃　
　〃No；〃　Schofield　said　firmly　as　he　began　to　climb　up　the　rung…ladder　toward　A…deck。　He　motioned　for　Sarah　to　follow　him　up。　〃Not　a　whit。　Rebound；　you　just　tell　him　that　if　Samurai　dies；　so　does　he。〃　
　〃Gotcha。〃　
　Schofield　reached　the　top　of　the　rung…ladder　and　stepped　up　onto　the　A…deck　catwalk。　He　helped　Sarah　up　behind　him。　Almost　immediately；　he　saw　Rebound　emerge　from　the　dining　room　doorway　not　far　away　and　jog　for　the　opposite　rung…ladder。　He　was　going　down　to　E…deck　to　get　Champion。　
　Schofield　and　Sarah　headed　for　the　main　entrance　to　the　station。　As　they　walked　along　the　catwalk；　Schof