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第48部分

gns.theplutopact-第48部分

小说: gns.theplutopact 字数: 每页4000字

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  The gauge in Section Eight was still the criterion。
  
  Canverdale's hand rested close to the internal telephone; his fingers drumming noiselessly on the surface of the table。 Nobody spoke; all ears were awaiting the promised buzz。 It would only buzz once; then would be snatched up before it had a chance to ring a second time。 A group of men silently awaited the fate of their nation…the whole world。
  
  5。30 a。m。 The phone remained silent。 Looks were exchanged; but no words。 The allotted time was up。 Surely Tyler must know by now whether his experiment had succeeded or failed。 Perhaps it had failed; and he had decided to persevere a little longer; clinging vainly to a vanishing hope; afraid to admit defeat。
  
  5。40 a。m。 Still nothing。 Canverdale lit a cigarette in his long holder。 Kent followed suit with his pipe。 Minor regulations were being waived。
  
  5。45 a。m。 A whirring noise that became louder with every second…then stopped abruptly。 The elevator 。 。 。 footsteps outside in the corridor。 Measured steps; neither slow nor fast。 The door opened。
  
  It was Tyler…with Stafford just behind him。
  
  'I'm sorry for the delay; gentlemen;' the Hazardous Materials Group man said; his voice scarcely louder than a whisper。 'But you'll appreciate that we had to undergo decontamination procedure before ing up here。'
  
  'You could have phoned!' Canverdale almost shouted; and added; 'Well?'
  
  A moment's silence; possibly for effect。
  
  'Gentlemen'…Tyler moved towards his vacant chair; but did not sit down…'I am pleased to announce that the Radioactive Solidifier; technically known as SLR92; is an undoubted success。 Not only has it already solidified some of the escaped vapour; but the pressure gauge has dropped by four degrees!
  
  A moment in history to be savoured。 That; of course; was why Tyler had e up in person。 For once in his life he had not discarded credit that was due to him。 He had seized his moment of glory; even at the expense of keeping a Prime Minister waiting。 A normally retiring personality had surfaced from the very ocean depths to quell the tidal wave。
  
  Handshakes all round。 Canverdale debated how soon he could broadcast the news to the nation。 First; though; the USSR and the United States must be told。 The former would need some convincing。 He feared lest they might e; anyway; and there was no time to lose。 He moved towards the telephone to call to his deputy in Hertfordshire。 From the small village of Stanstead Abbots; messages were soon relayed to the governments of the world at large; whose nations breathed a loud sigh of relief。
  
  With some reluctance; Soviet aircraft were recalled。 The White House ordered their planes to ascertain that there would be no Russian intervention; and then return immediately。 The President was taking no chances。
  
  Canverdale regarded the whole business as a personal triumph; beginning with his 7。30 a。 m。 announcement to the British people…and the rest of the world…that the danger was now past。 Doomsday had been averted; by a matter of hours。 He would; of course; endeavour to impose a permanent ban on any further reprocessing of nuclear waste 。 。 。
  
  Eventually only Tyler and Stafford remained in that elevated room overlooking Section Eight。 Together they watched the first faint streaks of light in the eastern sky; then the golden glow of a morning sunrise on the surrounding mountain peaks。 Neither spoke。 The time for congratulations was over。 Yet there was still one unsolved problem; which everybody else appeared to have forgotten。 That first escape of radioactivity! It was somewhere in the environment。 It would remain there for the next quarter of a million years。 They wondered where and when it would show up again。 Perhaps not in their lifetime; or even during that of the next generation。 It was a very disturbing thought。
  
  Wearily they rose to their feet。 A few hours' sleep; and then back to work on the Solidifiers。 SLR92…there were one or two modifications to be carried out on the instruments before they could be classed as one hundred…percent effective。 But basically the idea had worked…and; as a result; the world lived on。
  
  Kent dropped Coyle off at the offices of the Herald。 The Londoner kept the engine running。 There were several reasons why he did not want to go inside。 'See you tomorrow;' he said。 'I take it you won't be ing in today。' 'No。 We've both plenty of sleep to catch up on。' They shook hands; a gesture that said more than any amount of words。
  
  Coyle stood watching the Mercedes until it was out of sight; then slowly turned and went inside。 The world lived on; and that still meant one or two problems。 Right now; though; he had to get to work on next week's Herald。 It just had to be a special edition; a kind of celebration issue。



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