cc.iceberg-第7部分

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　According　to　my　calculations；　at　the　present　rate　of　drift；　the　iceberg　should　reach　the　edge　of　the　Gulf　Stream　sometime　tomorrow。　If　the　ice　patrol's　estimate　of　the　size　is　correct；　the　berg　is　already　melting　to　the　tune　of　a　thousand　tons　an　hour。　When　it　hits　the　warmer　water　of　the　Gulf　Stream；　it　won't　last　ten　days。
　
　The　only　unanswered　question　is　when　Will　the　derelict　be　released　from　the　ice？　Conceivably　it　could　already　be　lost；　hopefully　it's　still　there　and　will　be　for　a　few　more　days。〃
　〃What　do　you　figure　for　the　flight　distance？〃　Pitt　asked。
　〃Approximately　ninety　miles　to　the　general　vicinity；〃　Hunnewell　answered。
　Koski　looked　up　at　Pitt。　〃As　Soon　as　you　take　off；　I'll　reduce　speed　to　one　third　and　maintain　a　heading　of　one…zero…six　degrees。　How　long　do　you　make　it　before　we　rendezvous？〃
　〃Three　and　a　half　hours　should　do　the　job；〃　Pitt　replied。
　Koski　looked　thoughtful。　〃Four　hours…after　four　hours　I'm　ing　into　the　icepack　after　you。〃
　〃Thank　you；　mander；〃　Pitt　said。　〃Believe　me　when　I　say　I'm　grateful　for　your　concern。〃
　
　Koski　believed　him。　〃Are　you　certain　I　can't　bring　the　Catawaba　in　closer　to　Your　search　area？　if　you　should　have　an　accident　on　the　berg　or　have　to　dive　in　the　sea；　I　doubt　if　I　could　reach　you　in　time。　In　forty…degree　water　a　man　in　full　clothing　only　has　a　life　expectancy　Of　twenty…five　minutes。〃
　〃We'll　have　to　risk　it。〃　Pitt　took　a　final　sip　of　his　coffee　and　stared　idly　at　the　empty　cup。　〃The　Russians　might　already　smell　a　rat　if　one　of　their　trawlers　has　sighted　your　Coast　Guard　vessel　Sunday　cruising　in　an　area　outside　its　regular　patrol　station。　That's　why　the　end　run　with　the　helicopter。　We　can　stay　low　enough　to　avoid　any　radar　scanner　and　still　be　tough　to　sight　visually。　Time　is　important　also。　A　copter　can　get　in　and　out　of　the　Novgorod's　location　in　one　tenth　the　time　it　would　take　the　Catawaba。〃
　〃Okay。〃　Koski　sighed。
　〃It's　your　show。　Just　see　that　you're　back　on　the　landing　platform　by　。　。　。　he　hesitated　looking　at　his　watch　〃no　later　than　1030。〃　Then　he　grinned。　〃If　you're　a　good　boy　and　arrive　on　time；　I'll　have　a　fifth　Of　Johnnie　Walker　waiting。〃　Pitt　laughed。　〃Now　that's　what　I　call　one　hell　of　an　incentive。〃
　〃I　don't　like　it；〃　Hunnewell　shouted　above　the　racket　of　the　helicopter's　engine　exhaust。　〃We　should　have　sighted　something　by　now。〃
　Pitt　looked　at　his　watch。　〃Timewise；　we're　in　good　shape。　Still　over　two　hours　to　go。〃
　〃Can't　you　go　higher？　If　we　double　our　range　of　vision；　we'd　double　our　chances　of　detecting　the　iceberg。〃
　Pitt　shook　his　head。　〃No　can　do。　We'd　also　double　the　possibility　of　our　own　detection。　It's　safer　if　we　stay　at　a　hundred　and　fifty　feet。〃
　〃We　must　find　it　today；〃　Hunnewell　said；　an　anxious　expression　on　his　cherub　face。　〃Tomorrow　may　be　too　late　for　a　second　try。〃　He　studied　the　chart　draped　across　his　knees　for　a　moment　then　picked　up　a　pair　of　binoculars　and　focused　off　to　the　north　at　several　icebergs　floating　together　in　a　cluster。
　〃Have　you　noticed　any　bergs　that　e　close　to　matching　the　description　we're　looking　for？〃　Pitt　asked。
　〃We　crossed　one　about　an　hour　ago　that　passed　the　size　and　configuration　requirements；　but　there　was　no　red　dye　on　its　walls。〃　Hunnewell　swung　the　binoculars；　scanning　a　flat　restless　ocean　studded　with　hundreds　of　massive　icebergs；　some　broken　and　jagged；　others　rounded　and　smooth；　like　paper…white　geometric　solids　thrown　haphazardly　over　the　blue　sea。
　〃My　ego　is　shattered；〃　Hunnewell　said　mournfully〃Never　since　my　high　school　trigonometr…j　class　have　my　calculations　been　so　far　off。〃
　〃Perhaps　a　change　in　wind　direction　blew　the　berg　on　a　different　course。〃
　〃Hardly；〃　Hunnewell　grunted。　〃An　iceberg's　underwater　mass　is　seven　times　the　size　of　what　shows　on　the　surface。　Nothing　but　an　ocean　current　has　the　slightest　effect　on　its　movement。　It　can　easily　move　with　the　current　against　a　twenty…knot　wind。〃
　〃An　irresistible　force　and　an　immovable　object　rolled　up　into　one　lump。〃
　〃That　and　much　moreamned　near　indestructible。〃　Hunnewell　talked　as　he　peered　through　the　glasses。　〃Of　course；　they　break　up　and　melt　soon　after　drifting　south　into　warmer　waters。　But　during　their　passage　to　the　Gulf　Stream；　they　bow　neither　to　storm　nor　man。　Glacier　icebergs　have　been　blasted　by　torpedoes；　eight…inch　naval　guns；　massive　doses　of　thermite　bombs；　and　tons　of　coal　dust　to　soak　up　the　sun　and　speed　up　the　melting　process。　The　results　were　parable　to　the　damage　a　herd　of　elephants　might　suffer　after　a　slingshot　bombardment　by　a　tribe　of　anemic　pygmies。〃
　
　Pitt　went　into　a　steep　bank；　dodging　around　the　sheer　sides　of　a　high…pinnacled　berg…a　maneuver　that　had　Hunnewell　clutching　his　stomach。
　
　He　checked　the　chart　again。　Two　hundred　square　miles　covered　and　nothing　achieved。　He　said：　〃Let's　try　due　north　for　fifteen　minutes。　Then　head　back　east　to　the　edge　of　the　ice　pack。　Then　south　for　ten　minutes　before　we　cut　west　again。〃
　〃One　graduated　box　pattern　to　the　north　ing　up；〃　Pitt　said。　He　tilted　the　controls　slightly；　holding　the　helicopter　in　a　side…swinging　movement　until　the　pass　read　zero　degrees。
　
　The　minutes　wore　on　and　multiplied　and　the　fatigue　began　to　show　in　the　deepening　lines　around　Hunnewell's　eyes。　〃How's　the　gas　situation？〃
　〃That's　the　least　of　our　worries；〃　Pitt　replied。　〃The　elements　we're　short　on　at　the　moment　are　time　and　optimism。
　〃Might　as　well　admit　it；〃　Hunnewell　said　wearily。
　〃I　ran　out　of　the　latter　a　quarter　of　an　hour　ago。〃
　Pitt　gripped　Hunnewell's　arm。　〃Hang　in　there；　Dog〃　he　said　encouragingly。　〃Our　elusive　iceberg　may　be　just　around　the　next　corner。〃
　〃If　it　is；　it's　defied　every　drift　pattern　in　the　book。〃
　〃The　red　dye　marker。　Could　be　it　washed　away　in　the　storm　yesterday？〃
　〃Fortunately　no。　The　dye　contains　calcium　chloride；　a　necessary　ingredient　for　deep　penetration…takes　weeks；　sometimes　months　for　the　stain　to　melt　away。〃
　〃That　leaves　us　with　one　other　possibility。〃
　〃I　know　what　you're　thinking；〃　Hunnewell　said　flatly。　〃A…nd　you　can　perish　the　thought。　I've　worked　closely　off　an（I　on　with　the　Coast　Guard　for　over　thirty　years；　and　I've　never　known　them　to　mistake　an　ice　position　sighting。〃
　〃That's　it　then。　A　million…ton　chunk　of　ice　evaporated　mt〃　Pitot　left　the　sentence　unfinished；　partly　because　the　helicopter　was　beginning　to　drift　off　course；　partly　because　he　glimpsed　something。　Hunnewell　suddenly　stiffened　in　his　seat　and　leaned　forward；　the　binoculars　jammed　against　his　eye　sockets。
　〃I　have　it；〃　Hunnewell　cried。
　
　Pitt　didn't　wait　for　a　mand；　he　dipped　the　helicopter　and　headed　toward　the　direction　indicated　by　Hunnewell's　binoculars。
　
　Hunnewell　passed　the　glasses　to　Pitt。　〃Here；　take　a　peek　and　tell　me　these　old　eyes　aren't　picking　up　a　mirage。〃
　
　Pitt　did　a　juggling　act　with　the　binoculars　and　the　helicopter's　controls　while　fighting　to　keep　the　engine　vibration　from　jiggling　the　iceberg　out　of　focus。
　〃Can　you　make　out　the　red　dye？〃　Hunnewell　asked　anxiously。
　〃Like　a　stripe　of　strawberry　in　the　middle　of　a　scoop　of　vanilla　ice　cream。〃
　〃I　can't　understand　it。〃　Hunnewell　shook　his　head。
　〃That　berg　shouldn't　be　there。　By　every　known　law　of　current　and　drift；　it　should　be　floating　at　least　ninety　miles　to　the　southeast。〃
　
　But　it　was　there；　resting　on　the　sharp　horizon　line；　a　massive　towering　hunk　of　ice；　beautifully　carved　by　nature；　grotesquely　marred　by　manmade　chemicals。　Before　Pitt　could　lower　the　binoculars；　the　ice　crystals　on　the　berg　caught　the　sun　and　reflected　the　brilliance　into　his　eyes；　the　intensity　blasting　through　the　lenses。　Temporarily　blinded；　he　gained　altitude　and　altered　course　a　few　degrees　to　remove　the　glare。　It　was　nearly　a　full　minute　before　the　skyrockets　behind　his　eyeballs　finally　faded　away。
　
　Then　suddenly　Pitt　became　aware　of　a　dun；　almost　imperceptible　shadow　in　the　water。　He　hardly　had　time　to　distinguish　the　dark　shape　as　the　helicopter　skimmed　over　the　blue　swells；　not　three　hundred　feet　beneath　the　landing　skids。　The　iceberg　was　still　a　good　seven　miles　away　when　he　swung　around　in　a　great　half　circle　toward　the　east　and　the　Catawaba。
　〃What　in　hell's　the　matter　with　you？〃　Hunnewell　demanded。