dk.coldfire-第34节

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　What　flashed　before　her　was　not　her　life；　but　the　special　people　in　it　though　in　a　way　that　was　the　same　thing。　
　Even　above　the　creak…rumble…shriek　of　the　jet；　and　in　spite　of　her　focus　on　the　faces　in　her　mind；　she　heard　Christine　Dubrovek　speak　to　her　daughter　in　the　last　moments　of　their　shaky　descent：　〃I　love　you；　Casey。〃　
　Holly　began　to　cry。　
　Three　hundred　meters。　
　Delbaugh　had　the　nose　up。　
　Everything　looked　good。　As　good　as　it　could　look　under　the　circumstances。　
　They　were　at　a　slight　angle　to　the　runway；　but　he　might　be　able　to　realign　the　aircraft　once　they　were　on　the　ground。　If　he　couldn't　bring　it　around　to　any　useful　degree；　they　would　roll　three　thousand　or　maybe　even　four　thousand　feet　before　their　angle　of　approach　carried　them　off　the　edge　of　the　pavement　and　into　a　field　where　it　appeared　that　a　crop　of　some　kind　had　been　harvested　recently。　That　was　not　a　desirable　termination　point；　but　at　least　by　then　a　lot　of　their　momentum　would　have　been　lost；　the　plane　might　still　break　up；　depending　on　the　nature　of　the　bare　earth　under　its　wheels；　but　there　was　little　chance　that　it　would　disintegrate　catastrophically。　
　Two　hundred　meters。　
　Turbulence　gone。　
　Floating。　Like　a　feather。　
　〃All　right；〃　Anilov　said；　just　as　Delbaugh　said；　〃Easy；　easy；〃　and　they　both　meant　the　same　thing：　it　looked　good；　they　were　going　to　make　it。　
　One　hundred　meters。　
　Nose　still　up。　
　Perfect；　perfect。　
　Touchdown　and　TWANG！　…the　tires　barked　on　the　blacktop　simultaneously　with　the　queer　sound。　
　Delbaugh　remembered　the　stranger's　warning；　so　he　said；　〃Power　number　one！〃　and　pulled　hard　to　the　left。　Yankowski　remembered　as　well；　though　he　had　said　it　was　all　a　crock；　and　he　responded　to　Delbaugh's　throttle　mand　even　as　it　was　being　given。　The　right　wing　dipped；　just　as　they　had　been　told　it　would；　but　their　quick　action　pulled　the　plane　left；　and　the　right　wing　came　back　up。　There　was　a　danger　of　overpensation；　so　Delbaugh　issued　a　new　throttle　mand　while　still　trying　to　hold　the　craft　to　the　left。　They　were　rolling　along；　rolling　along；　the　plane　shaking；　and　he　gave　the　order　to　reverse　engines　because　they　couldn't；　for　God's　sake；　continue　to　accelerate；　they　were　in　mortal　danger　as　long　as　they　were　moving　at　high　speed；　rolling；　rolling；　moving　inexorably　at　an　angle　on　the　runway；　rolling　and　slowing　now；　but　rolling。　And　the　right　wing　was　tipping　down　again；　acpanied　by　hellish　popping　and　metallic　tearing　noises　as　age…fatigued　steel…trouble　in　the　joining　of　wing　and　fuselage；　Jim　had　said…succumbed　to　the　stress　of　their　wildly　erratic　flight　and　once…in…a…century　crosswinds。　Rolling；　rolling；　but　Delbaugh　couldn't　do　a　damn　thing　about　a　structural　failure；　couldn't　get　out　there　and　reweld　the　joints　or　hold　the　damn　rivets　in　place。　Rolling；　rolling；　their　momentum　dropping；　but　the　right　wing　still　going　down；　none　of　his　countermeasures　working　any　longer；　the　wing　down；　and　down；　oh　God；　the　wing　Holly　felt　the　plane　tipping　farther　to　the　right　than　before。　
　She　held　her　breath　or　thought　she　did；　but　at　the　same　time　she　heard　herself　gasping　frantically。　
　The　creaks　and　squeals　of　tortured　metal；　which　had　been　echoing　eerily　through　the　fuselage　for　a　couple　of　minutes；　suddenly　grew　much　louder。　
　The　aircraft　tipped　farther　to　the　right。　A　sound　like　a　cannonshot　boomed　through　the　passenger　partment；　and　the　plane　bounced　up；　came　down　hard。　The　landing　gear　collapsed。　
　They　were　sliding　along　the　runway；　rocking　and　jolting；　then　the　plane　began　to　turn　as　it　slid；　making　Holly's　heart　clutch　up　and　her　stomach　knot。　It　was　the　biggest　carnival　ride　in　the　world；　except　it　wasn't　any　fun　at　all；　her　seatbelt　was　like　a　blade　against　her　midriff；　cutting　her　in　half；　and　if　there　had　been　a　carny　ticket…taker；　she　knew　he　would　have　had　the　ghastly　face　of　a　rotting　corpse　and　a　rictus　for　a　smile。　
　The　noise　was　intolerable；　though　the　passengers'　screaming　was　not　the　worst　of　it。　For　the　most　part　their　voices　were　drowned　out　by　the　scream　of　the　aircraft　itself　as　its　belly　dissolved　against　the　pavement　and　other　pieces　of　it　were　torn　loose。　Maybe　dinosaurs；　sinking　into　Mesozoic　pits　of　tar；　had　equaled　the　volume　of　that　dying　cry；　but　nothing　on　the　face　of　the　earth　since　that　era　had　protested　its　demise　at　such　a　piercing　pitch　and　thunderous　volume。　It　wasn't　purely　a　machine　sound；　it　was　metallic　but　somehow　alive；　and　it　was　so　eerie　and　chilling　that　it　might　have　been　the　bined；　tortured　cries　of　all　the　denizens　of　hell；　hundreds　of　millions　of　despairing　souls　wailing　at　once。　She　was　sure　her　eardrums　would　burst。　
　Disregarding　the　instructions　she　had　been　given；　she　raised　her　head　and　looked　quickly　around。　Cascades　of　white；　yellow；　and　turquoise　sparks　foamed　past　the　portholes；　as　if　the　airplane　was　passing　through　an　extravagant　fireworks　display。　Six　or　seven　rows　ahead；　the　fuselage　cracked　open　like　an　eggshell　rapped　against　the　edge　of　a　ceramic　bowl。　
　She　had　seen　enough；　too　much。　She　tucked　her　head　between　her　knees　again。　
　She　heard　herself　chanting　at　the　deck　in　front　of　her；　but　she　was　caught　in　such　a　whirlpool　of　horror　that　the　only　way　she　could　discover　what　she　was　saying　was　to　strain　to　hear　herself　above　the　cacophony　of　the　crash：　〃Don't；　don't；　don't；　don't；　don't；　don't。　〃　Maybe　she　passed　out　for　a　few　seconds；　or　maybe　her　senses　shut　down　briefly　due　to　extreme　overload；　but　in　a　wink　everything　was　still。　The　air　was　filled　with　acrid　odors　that　her　recovering　senses　could　not　identify。　
　The　ordeal　was　over；　but　she　could　not　recall　the　plane　ing　to　rest。　
　She　was　alive。　
　Intense　joy　swept　through　her。　She　raised　her　head；　sat　up；　ready　to　whoop　with　the　uncontainable　thrill　of　survival…and　saw　the　fire。　
　The　DC…10　had　not　cartwheeled。　The　warning　to　Captain　Delbaugh　had　paid　off　But　as　Jim　had　feared；　the　chaotic　aftermath　of　the　crash　held　as　many　dangers　as　the　impact　itself　Along　the　entire　starboard　side　of　the　plane；　where　jet　fuel　had　spilled；　orange　flames　churned　at　the　windows。　
　It　appeared　as　if　he　was　voyaging　aboard　a　submarine　in　a　sea　of　fire　on　an　alien　world。　Some　of　the　windows　had　shattered　on　impact；　and　flames　were　spouting　through　those　apertures；　as　well　as　through　the　ragged　tear　in　the　fuselage　that　now　separated　economy　class　from　the　forward　section　of　the　airliner。　
　Even　as　Jim　uncoupled　his　seatbelt　and　got　shakily　to　his　feet；　he　saw　seats　catching　afire　on　the　starboard　side。　Passengers　over　there　were　crouching　or　dropping　down　on　their　hands　and　knees　to　scramble　under　the　spreading　flames。　
　He　stepped　into　the　aisle；　grabbed　Holly；　and　hugged　her　as　she　struggled　to　her　feet。　He　looked　past　her　at　the　Dubroveks。　Mother　and　child　were　uninjured；　though　Casey　was　crying。　
　Holding　Holly　by　the　hand；　searching　for　the　quickest　way　out；　Jim　turned　toward　the　back　of　the　aircraft　and　for　a　moment　could　not　understand　what　he　was　seeing。　Like　a　voracious　blob　out　of　an　old　horror　movie；　an　amorphous　mass　churned　toward　them　from　the　hideously　gouged　and　crumpled　rear　of　the　DC…10；　black　and　billowy；　devouring　everything　over　which　it　rolled。　Smoke。　He　hadn't　instantly　realized　it　was　smoke　because　it　was　so　thick　that　it　appeared　to　have　the　substance　of　a　wall　of　oil　or　mud。　
　Death　by　suffocation；　or　worse；　lay　behind　them。　They　would　have　to　go　forward　in　spite　of　the　fire　ahead。　Flames　licked　around　the　torn　edge　of　fuselage　on　the　starboard　side；　reaching　well　into　the　cabin；　fanning　across　more　than　half　the　diameter　of　the　sliced…open　aircraft。　
　But　they　should　be　able　to　exit　toward　the　port　side；　where　no　fire　was　yet　visible。　
　〃Quick；〃　he　said；　turning　to　Christine　and　Casey　as　they　came　out　of　row　sixteen。　〃Forward；　fast　as　you　can；　go；　go！〃　However；　other　passengers　from　the　first　six　rows　of　the　economy　section　were　in　the　aisle　ahead　of　them。　Everyone　was　trying　to　get　out　fast。　A　valiant　young　flight　attendant　was　doing　what　she　could　to　help；　but　progress　was　not　easy。　The　aisle　was　littered　with　carry…on　luggage；　purses；　paperback　books；　and　other　items　that　had　fallen　out　of　the　overhead　storage　partments；　and　within　a　few　shuffling　steps；　Jim's　feet　had　bee　entangled　in　debris。　
　The　churning　smoke　reached　them　from　behind；　enfolded　them；　so　pungent　that　his　eyes　teared　at　once。　He　not　only　choked　on　the　first　whiff　of　fumes　but　gagged　with　revulsion；　and　he　did　not　want　to　think　about　what　might　be　burning　behind　him　in　addition　to　upholstery；　foam　seat　cushions；　carpet；　and　other　elements　of　the　aircraft's　interior　decor。　
　As　the　thick　oily　cloud　poured　past　him　and　engulfed　the　forward　section；　the　passengers　ahead　began　to　vanish。　They　appeared　to　be　stepping　through　the　folds　of　a　black　velvet　curtain。　
　Before　visibility　dropped　to　a　couple　of　inches；　Jim　let　go　of　Holly　and　clutched　Christine's　shoulder。　〃Let　me　take　her；〃　he　said；　and　scooped　Casey　into　his　arms。　
　A　paper　bag　from　an　LAX　giftshop　was　in　the　aisle　at　his　feet。　It　had　burst　open　as　people　tramped　across　it。　He　saw　a　white　T…shirt…I　LovE　L。A：　with　pink　and　peach　and　pale…green　palm　trees。　
　He　snatched　up　the　shirt　and　pushed　it　into　Casey