atlantis.found-第6部分

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he　bitter　cold。　They　were　spellbound　in　anticipation　of　finding　some　great　treasure　in　gold　and　gemstones。　But　when　Mender　held　up　one　of　the　pieces　of　the　contents　from　a　chest；　their　hopes　were　quickly　shattered。
　　　　　〃A　copper　urn；〃　he　said；　passing　it　to　Roxanna；　who　held　it　up　in　the　brighter　light　of　the　steerage　partment。　〃Beautifully　sculpted。　Greek　or　Roman；　if　I'm　any　judge　of　antiquity。〃
　　　　　Bigelow　removed　and　passed　several　more　artifacts　through　the　open　door。　Most　of　them　were　small　copper　sculptures　of　strange…looking　animals　with　black　opal　eyes。　〃They're　beautiful；〃　whispered　Roxanna；　admiring　the　designs　that　had　been　sculpted　and　etched　into　the　copper。　〃They're　nothing　like　anything　I've　seen　in　books。〃
　　　　　〃They　do　look　unusual；〃　agreed　Mender。
　　　　　〃Are　they　of　any　value？〃　asked　Bigelow。
　　　　　〃To　a　collector　of　antiquities　or　a　museum　maybe；〃　answered　Mender。　〃But　I　seriously　doubt　any　of　us　could　get　rich　off　them。　。　。〃　He　paused　as　he　held　up　a　life…size　human　skull　that　gleamed　black　in　the　veiled　light。　〃Good　Lord；　will　you　look　at　this？〃
　　　　　〃It's　frightening；〃　muttered　Bigelow。
　　　　　〃Looks　like　it　was　carved　by　Satan　himself；〃　murmured　a　crewman　in　awe。
　　　　　Totally　unintimidated；　Roxanna　held　it　up　and　stared　into　the　empty　eye　sockets。　〃It　has　the　appearance　of　ebony　glass。　And　see　the　dragon　ing　out　between　its　teeth。〃
　　　　　〃My　guess；　it's　obsidian；〃　observed　Mender；　〃but　I　couldn't　begin　to　presume　how　it　was　carved〃　Mender　was　interrupted　by　a　loud　crackling　sound；　as　the　ice　around　the　stern　of　the　ship　heaved　and　grumbled。
　　　　　One　of　the　crew　dropped　down　the　stairway　from　the　upper　deck；　shouting；　his　voice　high…pitched　and　harsh。　〃Captain；　we　must　leave　quickly！　A　great　crack　is　spreading　across　the　ice　and　pools　of　water　are　forming！　I　fear　if　we　don't　hurry；　we'll　be　trapped　here！〃
　　　　　Mender　wasted　no　time　in　questions。　〃Get　back　to　the　ship！〃　he　ordered。　〃Quickly！〃
　　　　　Roxanna　wrapped　the　skull　in　her　scarf　and　tucked　it　under　one　arm。
　　　　　〃No　time　for　souvenirs；〃　Mender　snapped　at　her。　But　she　ignored　him　and　refused　to　let　go　of　the　skull。
　　　　　Pushing　Roxanna　ahead　of　them；　the　men　hurried　up　the　stairway　to　the　main　deck　and　dropped　down　onto　the　ice。　They　were　horrified　to　see　that　what　had　been　a　solid　field　of　ice　was　now　buckling　and　breaking　up　into　ponds。　Cracks　turned　into　meandering　streams　and　rivers　as　the　seawater　poured　up　through　the　ice　onto　the　floe。　None　of　them　had　any　idea　the　floe　could　melt　so　fast。
　　　　　Skirting　the　upheaved　masses；　some　of　them　forty　feet　high；　and　leaping　across　the　cracks　before　they　widened　and　made　crossing　impossible；　the　crew　and　Roxanna　ran　as　if　all　the　banshees　of　hell　were　after　them。　The　macabre；　indescribable　sounds　of　the　ice　grinding　against　itself　struck　terror　in　their　minds。　The　going　was　exhausting。　At　every　step　their　feet　sank　six　inches　into　the　blanket　of　snow　that　had　accumulated　on　the　level　stretches　of　the　floe。
　　　　　The　wind　began　to　pick　up　again；　and　incredibly　it　felt　warm；　the　warmest　air　they　had　felt　since　the　ship　had　bee　jammed　in　the　ice。　After　running　a　mile　and　a　half；　everyone　was　ready　to　collapse　from　exhaustion。　The　shouts　of　their　shipmates　on　the　Paloverde；　begging　them　to　hurry；　urged　them　to　greater　efforts。　Then；　abruptly；　it　seemed　that　their　struggle　to　gain　the　ship　had　ended　in　vain。　The　last　crack　in　the　ice　before　they　could　reach　the　safety　of　the　Paloverde　nearly　defeated　them。　It　had　widened　to　twenty　feet；　too　far　for　them　to　leap　over；　and　was　spreading　at　a　rate　of　a　foot　every　thirty　seconds。
　　　　　Seeing　their　predicament；　the　Paloverde's　second　mate；　Asa　Knight；　ordered　the　men　on　board　to　lower　a　whaleboat　over　the　side；　and　they　manhandled　it　across　the　ice　to　the　fissure；　which　had　now　increased　to　nearly　thirty　feet。　Heaving　and　pulling　the　heavy　boat；　the　crew　struggled　to　save　the　captain　and　his　wife　and　their　shipmates　before　it　was　too　late。　After　a　herculean　effort；　they　reached　the　opposite　edge　of　the　fissure。　By　then；　Mender；　Roxanna；　and　the　others　were　standing　kneedeep　in　water　that　was　ing　up　through　the　ice。
　　　　　The　boat　was　quickly　pushed　into　the　freezing　water；　and　the　men　rowed　it　across　the　rapidly　expanding　river　in　the　ice；　to　the　vast　relief　of　those　minutes　away　from　death　on　the　other　side。　Roxanna　was　lifted　over　the　side　first；　followed　by　the　rest　of　the　crew　and　Mender。
　　　　　〃We　owe　you　a　great　debt；　Mr。　Knight；〃　said　Mender；　shaking　his　second　mate's　hand。　〃Your　daring　initiative　saved　our　lives。　I　especially　thank　you　on　behalf　of　my　wife。〃
　　　　　〃And　child；〃　Roxanna　added；　as　two　crewmen　wrapped　her　in　blankets。
　　　　　He　looked　at　her。　〃Our　child　is　safe　on　the　ship。〃
　　　　　〃I　wasn't　talking　about　Samuel；〃　she　said；　through　chattering　teeth。
　　　　　Mender　stared　at　her。　〃Are　you　telling　me　you're　with　child　again；　woman？〃
　　　　　〃I　think　about　two　months。〃
　　　　　Mender　was　appalled。　〃You　went　out　on　the　ice　in　a　storm　knowing　you　were　pregnant？〃
　　　　　〃There　was　no　storm　when　I　set　out；〃　she　said　with　a　weak　grin。
　　　　　〃Good　Lord；〃　he　sighed；　〃what　am　I　to　do　with　you？〃
　　　　　〃If　you　don't　want　her；　Captain；〃　said　Bigelow　jovially；　〃I'll　be　happy　to　have　her。〃
　　　　　Despite　the　fact　that　he　was　chilled　to　the　bone；　Mender　laughed　as　he　hugged　his　wife；　nearly　crushing　the　breath　out　of　her。　〃Do　not　tempt　me；　Mr。　Bigelow；　do　not　tempt　me。〃
　
　
　　　　　Half　an　hour　later；　Roxanna　was　back　on　board　the　Paloverde；　changed　into　dry　clothing　and　warming　her　body　around　the　big　brick…and…cast…iron　stove　used　to　melt　whale　blubber。　Her　husband　and　crew　did　not　spare　any　time　for　creature　forts。　The　sails　were　hurriedly　removed　from　the　hold　where　they　had　been　stowed；　and　were　carried　into　the　rigging。　Soon　they　were　unfurled；　the　anchors　were　pulled　off　the　bottom；　and；　with　Mender　at　the　helm；　the　Paloverde　began　to　thread　her　way　through　the　melting　water　between　huge　icebergs　toward　the　open　sea　again。
　　　　　After　enduring　six　months　of　cold　and　near　starvation；　the　captain　and　crew　were　free　of　the　ice　and　headed　home；　but　not　before　they　had　filled　her　casks　with　seventeen　hundred　barrels　of　sperm　oil。
　　　　　The　strange　obsidian　skull　that　Roxanna　had　taken　from　the　frozen　Madras　went　on　the　family　mantel　of　their　home　in　San　Francisco。　Mender　dutifully　corresponded　with　the　current　owners　of　the　Skylar　Croft　Trade　pany　of　Liverpool；　who　were　operating　under　a　new　name；　and　sent　off　the　logbook；　giving　the　position　where　they　had　found　the　derelict　ship　on　the　shore　of　the　Bellingshausen　Sea。
　　　　　The　sinister　and　dead　relic　of　the　past　remained　in　frigid　isolation。　An　expedition　consisting　of　two　ships　was　mounted　from　Liverpool　in　1862　to　recover　the　Madras's　cargo；　but　neither　ship　was　ever　seen　again　and　were　presumed　lost　in　the　great　ice　floe　around　Antarctica。
　　　　　Another　144　years　would　pass　before　men　were　to　rediscover　and　set　foot　on　the　decks　of　the　Madras　again。
　
　AS　CLOSE　TO　HELL　AS　YOU　CAN　GET
　March　22；　2001
　Pandora；　Colorado
　　　　　The　waning　stars　in　the　early…morning　sky　blazed　like　a　theater　marquee　when　seen　from　9；000　feet　above　sea　level。　But　it　was　the　moon　that　had　a　ghostly　look　about　it　as　Luis　Marquez　stepped　from　his　little　wooden　frame　house。　It　wore　a　curious　orange　halo　that　he　had　never　seen　before。　He　peered　at　the　odd　phenomenon　for　a　few　moments　before　walking　across　the　yard　to　his　1973　Chevy　Cheyenne　4X4　pickup　truck。
　　　　　He　had　dressed　in　his　work　clothes　and　slipped　quietly　out　of　the　house　so　as　not　to　wake　his　wife　and　two　daughters。　His　wife；　Lisa；　would　have　gladly　gotten　up　and　fixed　breakfast　and　a　sandwich　for　his　lunch　pail；　but　he　insisted　that　4：00　A。M。　was　too　early　for　anyone　but　a　mental　case　to　be　roaming　around　in　the　dark。
　　　　　Marquez　and　his　family　lived　simply。　With　his　own　hands；　he　had　remodeled　the　house　that　had　been　built　in　1882。　His　children　went　to　school　in　nearby　Telluride；　and　what　he　and　Lisa　couldn't　buy　in　the　booming　resort　ski　town；　they　brought　home　during　monthly　shopping　trips　to　the　larger　ranch　munity　of　Montrose；　sixty…seven　miles　to　the　north。
　　　　　His　routine　was　never　plete　until　he　lingered　over