p&c.icelimit-第68部分

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ip。　He　had　cut　off　the　power　to　his　suite；　leaving　him　deaf；　dumb；　and　blind。　There　were　matters　to　take　care　of　back　in　New　York　…　critical　matters。　The　enforced　silence　was　costing　him　big　money。　And　there　was　something　else；　something　that　hurt　more　than　money。　Glinn　had　humiliated　him　in　front　of　the　bridge　officers　and　his　own　people。
　Lloyd　could　forgive　a　lot　of　things；　but　that　he　could　never　forgive。　Palmer　Lloyd　had　faced　down　presidents；　prime　ministers；　sheikhs；　captains　of　industry；　and　mob　kingpins。　But　this　man　was　different。
　In　a　paroxysm　of　rage　he　kicked　out　at　one　of　the　wing　chairs；　sending　it　crashing　to　the　deck。　And　then　suddenly　he　whirled　around；　listening　intently。
　The　howl　of　the　wind；　the　faint　grinding　of　machinery　from　the　bogus　worksite；　went　on　as　they　had　before。　But　there　had　been　another；　more　regular　sound：　something　that　Lloyd；　in　the　full　flood　of　his　anger；　had　not　immediately　noticed。　There　it　was　again：　the　staccato　pop　of　as　explosion。　It　was　very　near；　on　the　ship；　in　fact；　because　he　could　feel　the　deck　shuddering　faintly　beneath　his　feet。
　He　waited　in　the　faint　light；　muscles　tense；　curiosity　now　mingling　with　his　outrage。　There　it　was　again：　the　sound；　followed　by　the　shudder。
　Something　was　happening　on　the　maindeck。
　Quickly；　he　walked　out　through　the　sitting　room；　down　the　corridor；　and　into　the　central　suite。　Here；　his　secretaries　and　assistants　sat　awkwardly　among　the　dead　phones　and　darkened　puters；　talking　quietly。　The　talk　fell　away　as　he　passed　through　the　long；　low　space。　Noiselessly；　Penfold　slipped　out　of　the　shadows　to　pluck　at　his　sleeve。　Brushing　him　away；　Lloyd　moved　past　the　closed　elevators　and　opened　the　soundproofed　door　that　led　to　his　private　apartment。　He　went　through　the　rooms　to　the　forward　bulkhead　of　the　superstructure。　He　wiped　the　condensation　from　a　porthole　with　the　cuff　of　his　suit　jacket　and　peered　out。
　Below；　the　deck　was　a　hive　of　activity。　Workers　were　battening　down　the　deck　equipment；　checking　fastenings；　tightening　hatches；　making　all　the　last　frenzied　preparations　for　a　sea　voyage。　But　what　caught　his　attention　was　the　bizarre　tower　that　reared　out　of　the　tank。　It　was　shorter　than　it　had　been　before；　much　shorter；　in　fact。　Smoke　and　steam　encircled　it；　blending　with　the　fog　to　create　clouds　that　unfurled　along　the　deck　in　a　slow…motion　ballet。　As　he　watched；　there　was　another　rat…tat…tat　of　explosions。　The　meteorite　dropped　slightly　and　the　ship　shuddered　again。　Groups　of　workers　scurried　forward；　clearing　away　the　fresh　debris　before　the　next　set　of　explosions。
　Now　he　understood　precisely　what　Glinn　had　meant　by　a　controlled　failure　of　the　tower。　They　were　blowing　it　apart；　bit　by　bit。　As　he　watched；　Lloyd　grasped　that　this　was　the　best　…　probably　the　only　…　way　of　getting　something　that　heavy　into　the　tank。　He　caught　his　breath　at　the　brilliance　and　the　audacity　of　it。
　At　this　thought；　a　fresh　spasm　of　rage　ripped　through　his　body。　But　Lloyd　closed　his　eyes　against　it；　turning　away；　taking　a　deep　breath；　trying　to　calm　himself。
　Glinn　had　told　him　not　to　e；　McFarlane　had　told　him　not　to　e。　But　he　had　e　anyway。　Just　as　he　had　leapt　onto　the　meteorite　when　it　was　first　exposed。　He　thought　of　what　had　happened　to　the　man　named　Timmer；　and　he　shuddered。
　Perhaps　ing　down　again；　guns　blazing；　had　not　been　the　right　thing　to　do。　It　was　impulsive；　and　Lloyd　knew　enough　about　himself　to　know　he　was　not　normally　an　impulsive　man。　He　was　too　close　to　this：　it　had　bee　too　personal。　J。P。　Morgan　once　said；　〃If　you　want　something　too　much；　you　will　not　succeed　in　getting　it。〃　He　had　always　lived　by　that　philosophy：　he　had　never　been　afraid　to　walk　away　from　a　deal；　no　matter　how　lucrative。　The　ability　to　fold　a　hand；　even　with　four　aces；　had　been　his　most　valuable　business　asset。　Now；　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　he　had　drawn　a　hand　that　he　could　not　fold。　He　was　in　the　game　to　the　finish；　win　or　lose。
　Lloyd　found　himself　fighting　an　unfamiliar　battle：　a　struggle　to　steady　his　mind。　He　considered　that　he　had　not　made　34　billion　by　being　unreasonable　and　hot…tempered。　He　had　always　avoided　second…guessing　his　hired　professionals。　In　this　terrible　moment　of　humiliation；　defeat；　and　self…reflection；　he　realized　that　Glinn　might；　in　fact；　have　been　acting　in　his　best　interests　by　sending　him　from　the　bridge　and　cutting　him　off　from　the　world。　But　even　this　thought　touched　off　another　wave　of　anger。　Best　interests　or　not；　the　man　had　been　arrogant　and　high…handed。　Glinn's　coolness；　his　unflappability；　his　assumption　of　leadership；　enraged　Lloyd。　He　had　been　humiliated　in　front　of　everyone；　and　he　would　never　forget　nor　forgive　it。　When　all　this　was　over；　there　would　be　a　reckoning　for　Glinn；　financial　and　otherwise。
　But　first　they　had　to　get　the　meteorite　the　hell　out　of　there。　And　Glinn　seemed　to　be　the　only　man　who　could　do　it。
　
　Rolvaag；
　3：40　A。M。
　
　CAPTAIN　BRITTON；　the　meteorite　will　be　inside　the　holding　tank　within　ten　minutes。　The　ship　will　be　yours；　and　we　can　depart。〃
　Glinn's　words　broke　the　long　hush　that　had　fallen　over　the　bridge。　Like　the　others；　McFarlane　had　been　staring　at　the　slow；　regular　progress　of　the　meteorite　into　the　belly　of　the　Rolvaag。
　For　another　minute；　maybe　two；　Britton　stood　unmoving；　statuesque；　staring　out　the　windows　of　the　bridge　as　she　had　ever　since　Lloyd's　departure。　At　last　she　turned　and　looked　directly　at　Glinn。　After　a　significant　moment　she　turned　toward　the　second　officer。　〃Wind　speed？〃
　〃Thirty　knots　from　the　southwest；　gusting　to　forty；　and　rising。〃
　〃Currents？〃
　The　murmured　exchange　continued；　while　Glinn　leaned　toward　his　man　at　the　puter　console：　〃Have　Puppup　and　Amira　report　to　me　here；　please。〃
　There　was　another　rapid　series　of　explosions。　The　ship　lurched；　and　the　ballast　pumps　rumbled　to　pensate。
　〃There's　a　weather　front　ing　in；〃　Howell　murmured。　〃We're　losing　our　fog。〃
　〃Visibility？〃　Britton　asked。
　〃Rising　to　five　hundred　yards。〃
　〃Position　of　the　warship？〃
　〃Unchanged　at　twenty…two　hundred　yards；　zero　five　one。〃
　A　gust　of　wind　hit　the　ship　hard。　Then　there　was　a　vast；　hollow　boom；　different　from　anything　McFarlane　had　felt　before；　and　a　shudder　seemed　to　run　through　the　very　spine　of　the　vessel。
　〃The　hull　just　hit　the　bluff；〃　said　Britton　quietly。
　〃We　can't　move　yet；〃　replied　Glinn。　〃Will　the　hull　stand　it？〃
　〃For　a　while；〃　Britton　answered　expressionlessly。　〃Perhaps。〃
　A　door　at　the　far　end　of　the　bridge　opened　and　Rachel　entered。　She　looked　around；　her　bright　alert　eyes　quickly　sizing　up　the　situation。　She　came　up　beside　McFarlane。　〃Garza　better　get　that　thing　in　the　tank　before　we're　holed；〃　she　muttered。
　There　was　another　series　of　explosions；　and　the　meteorite　dropped　farther。　Its　base　was　now　hidden　inside　the　frame　of　the　ship。
　〃Dr。　McFarlane；〃　Glinn　said　without　turning　around。　〃Once　the　meteorite　is　secured　in　the　tank；　it　bees　yours。　I　want　you　and　Amira　to　monitor　it　round　the　clock。　Let　me　know　if　there's　any　change　in　readings；　or　in　the　meteorite's　status。　I　don't　want　any　more　surprises　from　that　rock。〃
　〃Right。〃
　〃The　lab　is　ready；　and　there's　an　observation　platform　above　the　tank。　If　you　need　anything；　let　me　know。〃
　〃More　lightning　now；〃　the　second　officer　broke　in。　〃Ten　miles　out。〃
　There　was　a　moment　of　silence。
　〃Speed　this　up；〃　Britton　said　suddenly　to　Glinn。
　〃Can't；〃　murmured　Glinn；　almost　absentmindedly。
　〃Visibility　one　thousand　yards；〃　said　the　second　officer。　〃Wind　speed　increasing　to　forty　knots。〃
　McFarlane　swallowed。　Everything　had　been　moving　ahead　with　such　predictable；　clockwork　precision　that　he'd　almost　been　lulled　into　forgetting　the　danger。　He　remembered　Lloyd's　question：　So　how　are　you　going　to　deal　with　that　destroyer　out　there？　How　indeed？　He　wondered　what　Lloyd　was　doing；　down　in　his　darkened　staterooms。　He　thought；　with　surprisingly　little　regret；　about　the　probable　loss　of　his　750；000　fee；　given　what　he　had　said　to　Lloyd。　It　hardly　mattered　to　him　now　…　now　that　he　had　the　rock。
　Another　crackle　of　explosions；　and　titanium　struts　flashed　out；　bouncing　and　skidding　along　the　maindeck　and　ricocheting　off　the　rails。　He　could　hear　the　thunk　of　additional　st