scoonts.theminotaur-第53部分

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　Fallen　was　off　to　the　west　here　somewhere。　He　craned　to　see　over　the　instrument　panel　in　that　direction。
　〃Misty　22；　Fallen　tower　on　Guard。　Roger　your　Mayday。　e　up。。。〃　and　the　controller　gave　them　a　discrete　frequency。
　Hey；　stupid；　look　at　the　radar。　He　examined　it。　Be　patient；　Toad；　be　patient。　You're　doing　okay；　if　only　Rita　es　around。　And　if　she　doesn't；　well；　screw　it。　You　can　figure　out　some　way　to　eject　her　right　over　the　runway；　then　you　can　hop　out。　Too　bad　those　penny…pinchers　in　the　puzzle　palace　never　spent　the　bucks　for　a　mand　ejection　system　for　the　A…6。　But　you　can　get　her　out　somehow。　It's　been　done　before。　There…that　must　be　the　base　there；　just　ing　onto　the　screen　from　the　right。　He　waited　until　it　was　dead　ahead；　then　pushed　the　stick　left　until　the　wings　were　level。　Now　he　dialed　in　the　Fallen　tower　freq　and　gave　them　a　call。
　Rita　was　using　her　right　arm　to　get　her　left　up　to　the　throttle　quadrant。　〃Toad？〃
　〃Yeah。　You　okay？〃
　〃What…〃
　〃Bird　strike。　All　that　goo　on　you　is　bird　shit　and　gore。　Relax；　it　ain't　you。　Can　you　see？〃
　〃I　think…right　eye's　blurred。　This　wind。　Left　is　red…blood…can't　see。。。〃
　〃Okay。　I　got　the　gear　and　flaps　down　and　we're　on　autopilot　motoring　toward　Fallen。　After　a　while　or　two　you're　gonna　land　this　thing。　Just　sit　back　right　now　and　get　yourself　going　again。〃
　She　rubbed　at　her　face　with　her　right　hand…
　The　autopilot　dropped　off　the　line。　Automatically　she　grasped　the　stick　and　began　flying。
　〃See；〃　exclaimed　Toad　Tarkington　triumphantly；　〃you　can　do　it！　All　fucking　right！　We're　almost　home。　Raise　your　left　wing。〃　She　did　so　and　he　resumed　his　monologue；　only　to　pause　occasionally　to　answer　a　question　over　the　radio。
　Rita　Moravia　flew　by　instinct；　her　vision　restricted　to　one　eye；　and　that　giving　her　only　a　blurred　impression　of　the　attitude　instruments　on　the　panel　before　her。　It　was　enough。　She　could　feel　the　plane　respond　to　her　touch；　and　confirmation　of　that　response　was　all　she　needed　from　her　vision。　Needed　now。　She　would　need　to　see　a　lot　better　to　land。　The　wind…it　was　part　of　the　problem。　The　wind　wasn't　ing　into　the　plane　through　the　shattered　quarter　panel　at　140　knots…the　closed　cockpit　prevented　that…but　it　was　ing　in　at　an　unfortable　velocity　and　temperature。
　Cold。　She　was　cold。　She　should　slow　some　more。
　She　tugged　at　the　throttles　with　her　left　hand。　Her　arm　was　numb：　her　fingers　felt　like　they　were　frozen。　The　power　levers　came　back；　though　the　engine…RPM　and　fuel…flow　tapes　were　too　blurred　to　read。　Still　she　turned　her　head　and　squinted　with　her　good　eye。　She　could　make　out　the　angle…of…attack　stoplight　indexer　on　the　glare　shield　and　trimmed　to　an　on…speed　condition。
　For　the　first　time　she　looked　outside；　trying　to　see　the　ground。　Just　a　blurred　brown　backdrop。　But　Toad　could　get　her　lined　up。
　She　tried　to　make　her　left　thumb　depress　the　ICS　button；　and　after　a　few　seconds　succeeded。　〃Where　are　we？〃
　〃e　left　about　twenty　degrees　and　start　a　descent　to。。。　oh；　say；　six　thousand。　Can　you　see？〃
　〃I　can　see　to　fly。　Can't　see　outside　very　well。　Get　me　lined　up　and　all　and　I　think　I　can　do　it〃
　Toad　got　back　on　the　radio。
　She　made　the　heading　change　and　only　then　retarded　the　throttles　slightly　and　let　the　nose　slip　down　a　degree　or　so。　One　thing　at　a　time。　She　had　once　had　an　instructor　who　liked　to　chant　that　to　his　students；　who　were　often　in　over　their　heads。　When　it's　all　going　to　hell；　he　used　to　say；　just　do　one　thing　at　a　time。
　The　plane　sank　slowly；　the　altimeter　needle　swinging　counterclockwise　with　about　the　speed　of　an　elevator　indicator。　So　they　had　all　day。　Go　down　slow　and　you　have　an　easy　transition　at　the　bottom。　Go　down　too　fast　and。。。　As　she　sat　there　she　continued　to　blink　and　flex　her　left　arm。　Doesn't　feel　like　anything's　broken；　just　numb。　Maybe　the　world's　most　colorful　bruise　on　my　shoulder；　some　orange…and…purple　splotch　that　will　be　the　envy　of　every　tattooed　motorcyclist　north　of　Juarez。
　She　was　hurting　now。　As　the　numbness　wore　off　she　was　hurting。　Her　face　felt　like　someone　had　used　a　steak　hammer　on　it。　Like　she　had　slid　down　the　sidewalk　on　her　cheekbone　for　a　couple　hundred　yards。
　〃e　right　about　fifteen　degrees　or　so　and　you'll　be　lined　up；〃　Toad　said。　〃You　got　fourteen　thousand　feet　of　concrete　here；　Rita；　but　I　think　we　should　try　for　a　wire。〃　He　reached　up　with　his　left　hand　and　pulled　the　handle　to　drop　the　tailhook。　〃Just　keep　it　lined　up　and　descending　wings　level　and　we'll　be　in　fat　city。〃
　〃Fuel？　How's　our　fuel？〃
　〃About　ten　grand　or　so。　Just　a　little　heavy。　Let's　dump　the　fuel　in　the　wings。〃
　Rita　reached　with　her　left　hand；　up　there　under　that　blown…out　quarter　panel；　for　the　dump　switch　on　the　fuel　management　panel。　〃I　can't　get　it；〃　she　said　finally。
　〃I'll　get　it。〃　Toad　leaned　across　and　hunted　until　he　had　the　proper　switch。
　〃Landing　checklist。〃
　〃Okay；　you　got　three　down　and　locked；　flaps　and　slats　out；　stab　shifted；　boards？〃　She　put　them　out　and　added　some　power。　It　took　a　while　to　get　the　plane　stabilized　on　speed　again。
　〃Pop…up？〃　Toad　murmured　when　she　once　again　had　everything　under　control。　〃Can　you　check　the　flaperon　pop…up？〃　The　switch　was　on　her　left　console。　She　had　to　lower　her　head　and　look　as　she　rumbled　with　numb　fingers。　〃Watch　your　wings；〃　Toad　warned。
　She　brought　the　wings　back　to　level。
　〃Screw　the　pop…up；〃　Toad　announced；　figuring　that　she　just　couldn't　ascertain　the　switch　position。　〃It's　probably　still　on。　Check　the　brakes。〃
　This　also　took　some　doing。　She　had　to　lift　both　feet　free　of　the　deck　where　her　heels　rested　and　place　the　balls　of　her　feet　on　top　of　the　rudder　pedals；　then　push。　She　had　never　before　realized　what　a　strain　that　put　on　her　stomach　muscles。　She　was　weak　as　a　kitten。　She　struggled　and　got　her　feet　arranged　and　pushed　hard。　They　met　resistance。　〃Brakes　okay。〃　She　would　have　to　do　this　again　on　the　runway　if　the　hook　skipped　over　the　short…field　arresting　gear　or　she　landed　long。　For　now　she　let　her　feet　slide　down　the　pedals　until　her　heels　were　once　again　on　the　deck。
　〃My　mask。〃　She　gagged。　〃Get　my　mask　off！〃
　Toad　got　her　right　fitting　released　just　in　time。　She　retched　and　the　vomit　poured　down　over　her　chest。
　Seeing　Rita　vomit　and　smelling　that　smell；　Toad　felt　his　own　stomach　turn　over。　He　choked　it　back　and　helped　her　hold　the　plane　level　until　she　stopped　heaving。
　〃Okay；〃　she　said　when　she　finally　got　her　mask　back　on；　〃check　your　harness　lock　and　we're　ready　to　do　it。〃　She　took　her　hand　off　the　stick　and　locked　the　harness　lever　on　the　forward　right　corner　of　the　ejection　seat。
　〃Oh；　poo；〃　Toad　said。　She　glanced　his　way。　He　was　reconnecting　his　Koch　fittings。　〃Sort　of　forgot　to　strap　myself　back　in；〃　he　explained。
　She　ran　her　seat　up　as　far　as　she　could　and　yet　still　reach　the　rudder　pedals。　This　put　her　a　face　a　little　higher　out　of　the　wind；　and　in　seconds　she　could　see　better；　but　only　out　of　her　right　eye。　Her　left　was　still　clogged　with　blood。
　〃You're　ing　down　nicely；　passing　six　thousand　MSL；　eighteen　hundred　above　the　ground。　Let's　keep　this　sink　rate　and　we'll　do　okay。　e　left　a　couple　degrees；　though。〃
　She　plied。
　〃A　little　more。　And　gimme　just　a　smidgen　more　power。〃
　When　she　squinted　and　blinked　a　few　more　times；　she　could　make　out　the　runway。　There　was　a　little　crosswind　and　Toad　had　her　aimed　off　to　the　left　slightly　to　pensate。
　The　approach　seemed　to　take　forever；　perhaps　because　she　was　hurting　and　perhaps　because　she　was　unsure　if　she　could　handle　it　at　the　bottom。　She　would　just　have　to　wait　and　see；　but　it　was　difficult　waiting　when　she　was　so　cold；　and　growing　colder。
　She　let　the　plane　descend　without　throttle　corrections；　without　wiggling　the　stick　or　trying　to　sweeten　her　lineup。　With　three　hundred　feet　still　to　go　on　the　radar　altimeter；　she　made　a　heading　correction。　She　was　going　to　have　trouble　judging　the　altitude　with　only　one　eye；　and　she　thought　about　that。　She　could　do　it；　she　decided。　There　was　the　meatball　on　the　Optical　Landing　System。　She　began　to　fly　it；　working　mightily　to　move　the　throttles。　Still　ing　down。　on　speed；　lined　up；　across　the　threshold。　Now！　Throttles　back　a　little　and　nose　just　so；　right　rudder　and　left　stick　to　straighte