dk.coldfire-第32节

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　The　voice　in　Delbaugh's　headset　crackled　in　response：　〃That　doesn't　make　sense。〃　
　McDonnell　Douglas's　DC…10　specialist　at　SAM　sounded　equally　baffled：　〃What's　this　guy's　name？〃　〃We'll　find　out。　All　we　know　right　now　is　his　first　name；〃　Sleighton　Delbaugh　said。　〃It's　Jim。〃　
　As　the　captain　announced　to　the　passengers　that　they　would　be　landing　in　Dubuque　as　a　result　of　mechanical　problems；　Jim　watched　Evelyn　approach　him　along　the　port　aisle；　weaving　because　the　plane　was　no　longer　as　steady　as　it　had　been。　He　wished　she　would　not　ask　him　what　he　knew　she　had　to　ask。　
　〃。　and　it　might　be　a　little　rough；〃　the　captain　concluded。　
　As　the　pilots　reduced　power　to　one　engine　and　increased　it　to　the　other；　the　wings　wobbled；　and　the　plane　wallowed　like　a　boat　in　a　swelling　sea　Each　time　it　happened；　they　recovered　quickly；　but　between　those　desperate　course　corrections；　when　they　were　unlucky　enough　to　hit　air　turbulence；　the　DC…10　did　not　ride　through　it　as　confidently　as　it　had　done　all　the　way　out　from　LAX。　
　〃Captain　Delbaugh　would　like　you　to　e　forward　if　you　could；〃　Evelyn　said　when　she　reached　him；　soft…voiced　and　smiling　as　if　delivering　an　invitation　to　a　pleasant　little　luncheon　of　tea　and　finger　sandwiches。　
　He　wanted　to　refuse。　He　was　not　entirely　sure　that　Christine　and　Casey　…or　Holly；　for　that　matter…would　live　through　the　crash　and　its　immediate　aftermath　without　him　at　their　side。　He　knew　that　on　impact　a　ten…row　chunk　of　the　fuselage　aft　of　first…class　would　crack　loose　from　the　rest　of　the　plane；　and　that　less　damage　would　be　done　to　it　than　to　the　forward　and　rear　sections。　Before　he　had　intervened　in　the　fate　of　Flight　246；　all　of　the　passengers　in　those　favored　seats　had　been　destined　to　e　out　of　the　crash　with　paratively　minor　injuries　or　no　injuries　at　all。　He　was　sure　that　all　of　those　marked　for　life　were　still　going　to　live；　but　he　was　not　certain　that　merely　moving　the　Dubroveks　into　the　middle　of　the　safety　zone　was　sufficient　to　alter　their　fate　and　insure　their　survival。　Perhaps；　after　impact；　he　would　have　to　be　there　to　get　them　through　the　fire　and　out　of　the　wreckage…which　he　could　not　do　if　he　was　with　the　flight　crew。　
　Besides；　he　had　no　idea　whether　the　crew　was　going　to　survive。　If　he　was　with　them　in　the　cockpit　on　impact。　。　。　
　He　went　with　Evelyn　anyway。　He　had　no　choice…at　least　not　since　Holly　Thorne　had　insisted　that　he　might　be　able　to　do　more　than　save　one　woman　and　one　child；　might　thwart　fate　on　a　large　scale　instead　of　a　small　one。　He　remembered　too　clearly　the　dying　man　in　the　station　wagon　out　on　the　Mojave　Desert　and　the　three　murdered　innocents　in　the　Atlanta　convenience　store　last　May；　people　who　could　have　been　spared　along　with　others　if　he　had　been　allowed　to　arrive　in　time　to　save　them。　
　As　he　went　by　row　sixteen；　he　checked　out　the　Dubroveks；　who　were　huddled　over　a　storybook；　then　he　met　Holly's　eyes。　Her　anxiety　was　palpable。　
　Following　Evelyn　forward；　Jim　was　aware　of　the　passengers　looking　at　him　speculatively。　He　was　one　of　their　own；　elevated　to　special　status　by　their　predicament；　which　they　were　beginning　to　suspect　was　worse　than　they　were　being　told。　They　were　clearly　wondering　what　special　knowledge　he　possessed　that　made　his　presence　in　the　cockpit　desirable。　
　If　only　they　knew。　
　The　plane　was　wallowing　again。　
　Jim　picked　up　a　trick　from　Evelyn。　She　did　not　just　weave　where　the　tilting　deck　forced　her　to　go；　but　attempted　to　anticipate　its　movement　and　lean　in　the　opposite　direction；　shifting　her　point　of　gravity　to　maintain　her　balance。　
　A　couple　of　the　passengers　were　discreetly　puking　into　air…sickness　bags。　
　Many　others；　though　able　to　control　their　nausea；　were　gray…faced。　
　When　Jim　entered　the　cramped；　instrument…packed　cockpit；　he　was　appalled　by　what　he　saw。　The　flight　engineer　was　paging　through　a　manual；　a　look　of　quiet　desperation　on　his　face。　The　two　pilots…Delbaugh　and　First　officer　Anilov；　according　to　the　flight　attendant　who　had　not　entered　with　Jim…were　struggling　with　the　controls；　trying　to　wrench　the　right…tending　jumbo　jet　back　onto　course。　To　free　them　to　concentrate　on　that　task；　a　red…haired　balding　man　was　on　his　knees　between　the　two　pilots；　operating　the　throttles　at　the　captain's　direction；　using　the　thrust　of　the　remaining　two　engines　to　provide　what　steering　they　had。　
　Anilov　said；　〃We're　losing　altitude　again。〃　
　〃Not　serious；〃　Delbaugh　said。　Aware　that　someone　had　entered　Delbaugh　glanced　back　at　Jim。　In　the　captain's　position；　Jim　would　have　been　sweating　like　a　race…lathered　horse；　but　Delbaugh's　face　glistened　with　only　a　fine　sheen　of　perspiration；　as　if　someone　had　spritzed　him　with　a　plant　mister。　His　voice　was　steady：　〃You're　him？〃　〃Yeah；〃　Jim　said。　
　Delbaugh　looked　forward　again。　〃We're　ing　around；〃　he　said　to　Anilov；　and　the　co…pilot　nodded。　Delbaugh　ordered　a　throttle　change；　and　the　man　on　the　floor　plied。　Then；　speaking　to　Jim　without　looking　at　him；　the　captain　said；　〃You　knew　it　was　going　to　happen。〃　
　〃Yeah。〃　
　〃So　what　else　can　you　tell　me？〃　Bracing　himself　against　a　bulkhead　as　the　plane　shuddered　and　wallowed　again；　Jim　said；　〃Total　hydraulic　failure。〃　
　〃I　mean；　something　I　don't　know；〃　Delbaugh　replied　with　cool　sarcasm。　
　It　justifiably　could　have　been　an　angry　snarl；　but　he　was　admirably　in　mand　of　himself。　Then　he　spoke　to　approach　control；　obtaining　new　instructions。　
　Listening；　Jim　realized　that　the　Dubuque　tower　was　going　to　bring　in　Flight　246　by　way　of　a　series　of　360…degree　turns；　in　an　attempt　to　line　it　up　with　one　of　the　runways。　The　pilots　could　not　easily　guide　the　plane　into　a　straight　approach；　as　usual；　because　they　had　no　real　control。　The　disabled　craft's　maddening　tendency　to　turn　endlessly　to　the　right　was　now　to　be　incorporated　into　a　breathtakingly　conceived　plan　that　would　let　it　find　its　way　into　the　barn　like　a　stubborn　bull　determined　to　resist　the　herder　and　follow　its　own　route　home。　If　the　radius　of　each　turn　was　carefully　calculated　and　matched　to　an　equally　precise　rate　of　descent；　they　might　eventually　be　able　to　bring　head…on　to　a　runway　and　all　the　way　in。　
　Impact　in　five　minutes。　
　Jim　twitched　in　shock　and　almost　spoke　those　four　words　aloud　when　they　came　to　him。　
　Instead；　when　the　captain　finished　talking　to　the　tower；　Jim　said；　〃Is　your　landing　gear　operable？〃　〃We　got　it　down　and　locked；〃　Delbaugh　confirmed。　
　〃Then　we　might　make　it。〃　
　〃We　will　make　it；〃　Delbaugh　said。　〃Unless　there's　another　surprise　waiting　for　us。〃　
　〃There　is；〃　Jim　said。　
　The　captain　glanced　worriedly　at　him　again。　〃What？〃　Impact　in　four　minutes　〃For　one　thing；　there'll　be　a　sudden　windshear　as　you're　going　in　oblique　to　you；　so　it　won't　drive　you　into　the　ground。　
　But　the　reflected　updraft　from　it　will　give　you　a　couple　bad　moments。　
　It'll　be　like　you're　flying　over　a　washboard。〃　
　〃What're　you　talking　about？〃　Anilov　demanded。　
　〃When　you're　making　your　final　approach；　a　few　hundred　feet　from　the　end　of　the　runway；　you'll　still　be　at　an　angle；〃　Jim　said；　once　more　al　lowing　some　omniscient　higher　power　to　speak　through　him；　〃but　you'll　have　to　go　for　it　anyway；　no　other　choice。〃　
　〃How　can　you　know　that？〃　the　flight　engineer　demanded。　
　Ignoring　the　question；　Jim　went　on；　and　the　words　came　in　a　rush：　〃The　plane'll　suddenly　drop　to　the　right；　the　wing'll　hit　the　ground；　and　you'll　cartwheel　down　the　runway；　end　over　end；　off　it；　into　a　field。　
　The　whole　damn　plane'll　e　apart　and　burn。〃　
　The　red…haired　man　in　civilian　clothes；　operating　the　throttles；　looked　back　at　Jim　in　disbelief　〃What　crock　of　shit　is　this；　who　the　hell　do　you　think　you　are？〃　〃He　knew　about　engine　number　two　before　it　blew　up；〃　Delbaugh　said　coolly。　
　Aware　that　they　were　entering　the　second　of　the　trio　of　planned　degree　turns　and　that　time　was　swiftly　running　out；　Jim　said；　〃None　of　you　in　the　cockpit　will　die；　but　you'll　lose　a　hundred　and　forty…seven　passengers；　plus　four　flight　attendants。〃　
　〃Oh　my　God；〃　Delbaugh　said　softly。　
　〃He　can't　know　this；〃　Anilov　objected。　
　Impact　in　three　minutes　Delbaugh　gave　additional　instructions　to　the　red…haired　man；　who　manipulated　the　throttles。　One　engine　grew　louder；　the　other　softer；　and　the　big　craft　began　its　second　turn；　shedding　some　altitude　as　it　went。　
　Jim　said；　〃But　there's　a　warning；　just　before　the　plane　tips　to　the　right。〃　
　〃What？〃　Delbaugh　said；　still　unable　to　look　at　him；　straining　to　get　what　response　he　could　from　the　wheel。　
　〃You　won't　recognize　what　it　means；　it's　a　strange　sound；　like　nothing　you've　heard　before；　because　it's　a　structural　failure　in　the　wing　coupling；　where　it's　fixed　to　the　fuselage。　A　sharp　twang；　like　a　giant　steel…guitar　string。　When　you　hear　it；　if　you　increase　power　to　the　port　engine　immediately；　pensating　to　the　left；　you'll　keep　her　from　cart…wheeling。〃　
　Anilov　had　lost　his　patience。　〃This　is　nuts。　Slay；　I　can't　think　with　this　guy　here。〃　
　Jim　knew　Anilov　was　right。　Both　System　Aircraft　Maintenance　in　San　Francisco　and　the　dispatcher　had　been　silent　for　a　while；　hesitant　to　interfere　with　the　crew's　concentration。　If　he　stayed　there；　even　without　saying　another　word；　he　might　unintentionally　distract　them　at　a　crucial　moment。　
　Be