mreilly.icestation-第68部分

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le　thing　must　have　been　at　least　a　mile　long。　Schofield　couldn't　even　begin　to　guess　how　large　it　was　under　the　surface。　
　It　was　roughly　rectangular　in　shape；　with　an　enormous　white　peak　at　one　end。　The　rest　of　the　iceberg　was　uneven　and　cratered。　It　looked　to　Schofield　like　a　ghostly　white　moonscape。　
　He　stood　up。　
　〃Where　are　you　going？〃　Renshaw　said；　not　getting　up。　〃You　gonna　walk　home？〃　
　〃We　should　keep　moving；〃　Schofield　said。　〃Keep　warm　for　as　long　as　we　can　and；　while　we're　at　it；　see　if　there's　some　way　we　can　get　back　to　the　coast。〃　
　Renshaw　shook　his　head　and　reluctantly　got　to　his　feet　and　followed　Schofield　out　across　the　uneven　surface　of　the　iceberg。　
　
　They　trudged　for　almost　twenty　minutes　before　they　realized　they　were　going　in　the　wrong　direction。　
　The　iceberg　stopped　abruptly　and　they　saw　nothing　but　sea　stretching　away　to　the　west。　The　nearest　iceberg　in　that　direction　was　three　miles　away。　Schofield　had　hoped　they　might　be　able　to　〃iceberg…hop〃　back　to　the　coast。　It　wouldn't　happen　in　this　direction。　
　They　headed　back　the　way　they　had　e。　
　They　made　very　slow　going。　Icicles　began　to　form　around　Renshaw's　eyebrows　and　lips。　
　〃You　know　anything　about　icebergs？〃　Schofield　asked　as　they　walked。　
　〃A　little。〃　
　〃Educate　me。〃　
　Renshaw　said；　〃I　read　in　a　magazine　once　that　the　latest　trend　among　assholes　with　too　much　money　is　'iceberg　climbing。'　Apparently　it's　quite　popular　among　mountaineer　types。　The　only　problem　is　that　eventually　your　mountain　melts。〃　
　〃I　was　thinking　about　something　a　little　more　scientific；〃　Schofield　said。　〃Like；　do　they　ever　float　back　in　toward　the　coast？〃　
　〃No；〃　Renshaw　said。　〃Ice　in　Antarctica　moves　from　the　middle　out。　Not　the　other　way　round。　Icebergs　like　this　one　break　off　from　coastal　ice　shelves。　That's　why　the　cliffs　are　sheer。　The　ice　overhanging　the　ocean　gets　too　heavy　and　it　just　breaks　off；　being〃…Renshaw　waved　his　hand　at　the　iceberg　around　them…〃an　iceberg。〃　
　〃Uh…huh；〃　Schofield　said　as　he　trudged　across　the　ice。　
　〃You　get　some　big　ones；　though。　Really　big　ones。　Icebergs　bigger　than　whole　countries。　I　mean；　hell；　take　this　baby。　Look　how　big　she　is。　Most　large　icebergs　live　for　about　ten　or　twelve　years　before　they　ultimately　melt　and　die。　But　given　the　right　weather　conditions…and　if　the　iceberg　were　big　enough　to　begin　with…an　iceberg　like　this　could　float　around　the　Antarctic　for　up　to　thirty　years。〃　
　〃Great；〃　Schofield　said　dryly。　
　They　came　to　the　spot　where　Renshaw　had　hauled　Schofield　out　of　the　water　after　Schofield　had　destroyed　the　French　submarine。　
　〃Nice；〃　Renshaw　said。　〃Forty　minutes　of　walking　and　we're　back　where　we　started。〃　
　They　started　up　a　small　incline　and　came　to　the　spot　where　the　French　submarine's　torpedo　had　hit　the　iceberg。　
　It　looked　like　a　giant　had　taken　a　huge　bite　out　of　the　side　of　the　iceberg。　
　The　large　landslide　of　ice　that　had　just　fallen　away　under　the　weight　of　the　explosion　had　left　a　huge　semicircular　hole　in　the　side　of　the　berg。　Sheer　vertical　walls　stretched　down　to　the　water　ten　meters　below。　
　Schofield　looked　down　into　the　hole；　saw　the　calm　water　lapping　up　against　the　edge　of　the　enormous　iceberg。　
　〃We're　gonna　die　out　here；　aren't　we？〃　Renshaw　said　from　behind　him。　
　〃I'm　not。〃　
　〃You're　not？〃　
　〃That's　my　station　and　I'm　gonna　get　it　back。〃　
　〃Uh…huh。〃　Renshaw　looked　out　to　sea。　〃And　do　you　have　any　idea　as　to　exactly　how　you're　gonna　do　that？〃　
　Schofield　didn't　answer　him。　
　Renshaw　turned　around。　〃I　said；　how　in　God's　name　do　you　plan　to　get　your　station　back　when　we're　stuck　out　here！〃　
　But　Schofield　wasn't　listening。　
　He　was　crouched　down　on　his　haunches；　looking　down　into　the　semicircular　hole　the　torpedo　had　carved　into　the　iceberg。　
　Renshaw　came　over　and　stood　behind　him。　
　〃What　are　you　looking　at？〃　
　〃Salvation；〃　Schofield　said。　〃Maybe。〃　
　Renshaw　followed　Schofield's　gaze　down　into　the　semicircular　hole　in　the　iceberg　and　saw　it　immediately。　
　There；　embedded　in　the　ice　a　couple　of　meters　down　the　sheer；　vertical　cliff　face；　Renshaw　saw　the　distinctive　square　outline　of　a　frozen　glass　window。　
　
　Schofield　tied　their　two　parkas　together　and；　using　the　two　jackets　as　a　rope；　got　Renshaw　to　lower　him　down　to　the　window　set　into　the　ice　cliff。　
　Schofield　hung　high　above　the　water；　in　front　of　the　frozen　glass　window。　He　looked　at　it　closely。　
　It　was　definitely　man…made。　
　And　old；　too。　The　wooden　panes　of　the　window　were　weathered　and　scarred；　bleached　to　a　pale　gray。　Schofield　wondered　how　long　the　window…and　whatever　structure　it　was　attached　to…had　been　buried　inside　this　massive　iceberg。　
　The　way　he　figured　it；　the　blast　from　the　submarine's　torpedo　must　have　dislodged　the　ten　meters　or　so　of　ice　in　from　of　the　window；　exposing　it。　The　window　and　whatever　it　was　attached　to；　had　been　buried　deep　within　the　iceberg。　
　Schofield　took　a　deep　breath。　Then　he　kicked　hard；　shattering　the　window。　
　He　saw　darkness　beyond　the　now…open　window；　a　small　cave　of　some　sort。　
　He　pulled　a　flashlight　from　his　hip　pocket　and；　with　a　final　look　up　at　Renshaw；　swung　himself　in　through　the　window　and　into　the　belly　of　the　iceberg。　
　
　
　
　The　first　thing　Schofield　saw　through　the　beam　of　his　flashlight　was　the　upside…down　words：　
　
　HAPPY　NEW　YEAR　1969！　
　WELE　TO　LITTLE　AMERICA　IV！　
　
　The　words　were　written　on　a　banner　of　some　sort。　It　hung　limply：…upside　down…across　the　cave　in　which　Schofield　now　stood。　
　Only　it　wasn't　a　cave。　
　It　was　a　room　of　some　sort…a　small　wooden…walled　room；　pletely　buried　within　the　ice。　
　And　everything　was　upside　down。　The　whole　room　was　inverted。　
　It　was　a　strange　sensation；　everything　being　upside…down。　It　took　Schofield　a　second　to　realize　that　he　was　actually　standing　on　the　ceiling　of　the　underground　room。　
　He　looked　off　to　his　right。　There　seemed　to　be　several　other　rooms　branching　off　from　this　one…　
　〃Hello　down　there！〃　Renshaw's　voice　sailed　in　from　outside。　
　Schofield　poked　his　head　out　through　the　window　in　the　ice　cliff。　
　〃Hey；　what's　happening？　I'm　freezing　my　nuts　off　out　here；〃　Renshaw　said。　
　〃Have　you　ever　heard　of　Little　America　IV？〃　Schofield　asked。　
　〃Yeah；〃　Renshaw　said。　〃It　was　one　of　our　research　stations　back　in　the　sixties。　Floated　out　to　sea　in　'69　when　the　Ross　Ice　Shelf　calved　an　iceberg　nine　thousand　square　kilometers　big。　The　Navy　looked　for　it　for　three　months；　but　they　never　found　it。〃　
　〃Well；　guess　what；〃　Schofield　said。　〃We　just　did。〃　
　
　Cloaked　in　three　thick　woolen　blankets；　James　Renshaw　sat　down　on　the　floor　of　the　main　room　of　Little　America　IV。　He　rubbed　his　hands　together　vigorously；　blew　on　them　with　his　warm　breath；　while　Schofield…still　dressed　in　his　waterlogged　fatigues…rummaged　through　the　other　rooms　of　the　darkened　inverted　station。　Neither　man　dared　to　eat　any　of　the　thirty…year…old　canned　food　that　lay　strewn　about　the　floor。　
　〃As　I　remember　it；　Little　America　IV　was　kind　of　like　Wilkes；〃　Renshaw　said。　〃It　was　a　resource　exploration　station；　built　into　the　coastal　ice　shelf。　They　were　after　offshore　oil　deposits　buried　in　the　continental　shelf。　They　used　to　lower　collectors　all　the　way　to　the　bottom　to　see　if　the　soil　down　there　contained…〃　
　〃Why　is　everything　upside…down？〃　Schofield　asked　from　the　next　room。　
　〃That's　easy。　When　this　iceberg　calved；　it　must　have　flipped　over。〃　
　〃The　iceberg　flipped　over？〃　
　〃It's　been　known　to　happen；〃　Renshaw　said。　〃And　if　you　think　about　it；　it　makes　sense。　An　iceberg　is　top…heavy　when　it　breaks　off　the　mainland；　because　all　the　ice　that's　been　living　underwater　has　been　slowly　eroded　over　the　years　by　the　warmer　seawater。　So　unless　your　iceberg　is　perfectly　balanced　when　it　breaks　free　from　the　mainland；　the　whole　thing　tips　over。〃　
　In　the　next　room；　Schofield　was　negotiating　his　way　through　piles　of　rusty　overturned　junk。　He　stepped　around　a　large；　cylindrical　cable　spooler　that　lay　awkwardly　on　its　side。　Then　he　saw　something。　
　〃How　long　did　you　say　the　Navy　looked　for　this　station？〃　Schofield　asked。　
　〃About　three　months。〃　
　〃Was　that　a　long　time　to　look　for　a　lost　station？〃　
　In　the　main　room；　Renshaw　shrugged。　〃It　wa