cyclops-第29节

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t　could　take　no　more；　the　metal　seal　gave　and　the　door　swung　outward　in　slow　motion。
　　　　Giordino　emerged　first；　his　head　swathed　by　a　surge　of　bubbles　from　his　breathing　regulator。　He　reached　back　inside；　dug　his　feet　into　the　sand；　braced　himself　for　the　chest　pain　that　was　sure　to　e；　and　gave　a　mighty　heave。　With　Pitt　and　Gunn　shoving　from　the　inside；　a　large；　unwieldy　bundle　slowly　squeezed　through　the　door　and　dropped　to　the　sand。　Then　eight　steel　tanks　containing　104　cubic　feet　of　air　were　passed　out　to　the　waiting　hands　of　Giordino。
　　　　Inside　the　mangled　control　car　Jessie　fought　to　equalize　her　ears　with　the　water　pressure。　The　blood　roared　and　a　stabbing　pain　burst　in　her　head；　blanking　out　the　trauma　of　the　crash。　She　pinched　her　nose　and　snorted　furiously。　On　the　fifth　try　her　ears　finally　popped；　and　the　relief　was　so　marvelous　that　tears　came　to　her　eyes。　She　clamped　her　teeth　on　the　regulator's　mouthpiece　and　sucked　in　a　lungful　of　air。　How　beautiful　it　would　be　to　wake　up　in　her　own　bed；　she　thought。　Something　touched　her　hand。　It　was　another　hand；　firm　and　rough…skinned。　She　looked　up　to　see　Pitt's　eyes　staring　at　her　through　his　mask；　they　seemed　crinkled　in　a　smile。　He　nodded　for　her　to　follow　him。
　　　　He　led　her　outside　into　the　vast　liquid　void。　She　gazed　up；　watching　her　air　bubbles　hiss　and　swirl　toward　the　restless　surface。　Despite　the　turbulence　above；　visibility　on　the　bottom　was　nearly　two　hundred　feet　and　she　could　clearly　see　the　entire　length　of　the　airship's　main　carcass　lying　a　short　distance　from　the　control　car。　Gunn　and　Giordino　were　nowhere　in　sight。
　　　　Pitt　gestured　for　her　to　wait　by　the　air　tanks　and　the　strange　bundle。　He　checked　the　pass　on　his　left　wrist　and　swam　off　into　the　blue　haze。　Jessie　drifted；　weightless；　her　head　feeling　light　from　a　touch　of　nitrogen　narcosis。　An　overwhelming　sense　of　loneliness　closed　over　her；　but　quickly　evaporated　when　she　saw　Pitt　retuning。　He　made　a　sign　for　her　to　follow；　and　then　he　turned　and　slowly　paddled　away。　Pounding　her　feet　against　the　water　resistance；　she　quickly　caught　up　with　him。
　　　　The　white　sandy　bottom　gave　way　to　clumps　of　coral　inhabited　by　a　variety　of　oddly　shaped　fish。　Their　natural　bright　colors　were　deadened　to　a　soft　gray　by　the　scattering　and　absorption　of　the　water　particles　that　filtered　out　the　reds；　oranges；　and　yellows；　leaving　only　dull　greens　and　blues。　They　pedaled　their　fins；　moving　only　an　arm's　length　above　the　weird　and　exotically　molded　underwater　jungle；　observed　queerly　by　a　crowd　of　small　angelfish；　pufferfish；　and　trumpetfish。　The　amusing　scene　reminded　Pitt　of　children　watching　the　huge　ballooned　cartoon　characters　that　float　down　Broadway　in　Macy's　Thanksgiving　Day　parade。
　　　　Suddenly　Jessie　dug　her　fingers　into　Pitt's　leg　and　pointed　above　and　behind。　There；　swimming　in　lazy　apathy；　only　twenty　feet　away；　was　a　school　of　barracuda。　There　must　have　been　two　hundred　of　them；　none　measuring　less　than　four　feet　in　length。　They　turned　as　one　and　began　circling　the　divers　while　displaying　a　beady…eyed　curiosity。　Then；　deciding　that　Pitt　and　Jessie　were　not　worth　lingering　over；　they　flashed　away　in　the　wink　of　an　eye　and　were　lost　to　view。
　　　　When　Pitt　turned　back　he　saw　Rudi　Gunn　materializing　out　of　the　smoky　blue　curtain。　Gunn　came　to　a　stop　and　beckoned　for　them　to　hurry　in　his　direction。　Then　he　made　the　V　sign　of　success。
　　　　The　meaning　was　clear。　Gunn　vigorously　kicked　with　one　fin；　rapidly　rising　at　an　angle　until　he　was　about　thirty　feet　above　the　coral　landscape；　Pitt　and　Jessie　trailing　immediately　in　his　wake。
　　　　They　had　traveled　nearly　a　hundred　yards　when　Gunn　abruptly　slowed　and　curved　his　body　into　a　vertical　position；　one　whitened　hand　held　out；　slightly　bent　finger　pointing　like　the　grim　reaper。
　　　　Like　a　haunted　castle　looming　from　the　mists　of　a　Yorkshire　moor；　the　phantom　shape　of　the　Cyclops　rose　up　through　the　watery　gloom；　evil　and　sinister；　as　though　some　unspeakable　force　lurked　within　her　bowels。




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



　　　　Pitt　had　dived　on　many　shipwrecks　and　he　was　the　first　man　to　view　the　Titanic；　but　staring　at　the　lost　ghost　ship　of　legend　left　him　numb　with　an　almost　superstitious　awe。　The　knowledge　that　she　was　the　tomb　for　over　three　hundred　men　only　deepened　her　malignant　aura。
　　　　The　sunken　ship　was　lying　on　her　port　side　with　a　list　of　about　twenty…five　degrees；　her　bow　set　toward　the　north。　She　did　not　have　the　look　of　anything　that　was　supposed　to　rest　on　the　sea　floor；　and　mother　nature　had　gone　to　work　laying　a　veil　of　sediment　and　marine　organisms　over　the　steel　intruder。
　　　　The　entire　hull　and　superstructure　were　encrusted　with　sea　growth　of　every　imaginable　description　sponges；　barnacles；　flowery　anemones；　feathery　sea　ferns；　and　slender　weeds　that　gracefully　swayed　with　the　current　like　the　arms　of　dancers。　Except　for　the　distorted　bow　and　three　fallen　derricks；　the　ship　was　suprisingly　intact。
　　　　They　found　Giordino　busily　scraping　the　growth　from　a　small　section　below　the　stern　railing。　He　turned　at　their　approach　and　showed　off　his　handiwork。　He　had　exposed　the　raised　letters　that　spelled　out　Cyclops。
　　　　Pitt　glanced　at　his　orange…faced　Doxa　diver's　watch。　It　seemed　an　eternity　since　the　blimp　crashed；　but　only　nine　minutes　had　passed　from　the　moment　they　swam　out　of　the　control　car。　It　was　imperative　that　they　conserve　their　air。　They　still　had　to　search　the　wreck　and　have　enough　left　in　the　spare　tanks　for　depression。　The　safety　margin　would　be　cut　dangerously　thin。
　　　　He　checked　Jessie's　air　gauge　and　studied　her　eyes。　They　looked　clear　and　bright。　She　was　breathing　slowly　in　a　fortable　rhythm。　She　gave　him　a　thumbs…up　sign　and　then　threw　him　a　coquettish　wink。　Her　brush　with　death　in　the　Prosperteer　was　forgotten　for　the　moment。
　　　　Pitt　winked　back。　She's　actually　enjoying　this；　he　thought。
　　　　Using　hand　signals　for　munication；　the　four　of　them　fanned　out　in　a　line　above　the　fantail　and　began　prowling　her　length。　The　doors　of　the　aft　deckhouse　had　rotted　away　and　the　teak　deck　was　heavily　worm…eaten。　Any　flat　surface　was　coated　by　sediment　that　gave　the　appearance　of　a　dusty　shroud。
　　　　The　jackstaff　stood　bare；　the　United　States　ensign　having　rotted　away　long　ago。　The　two　stern　guns　pointed　aft；　mute　and　deserted。　The　twin　smokestacks　stood　like　sentries　over　the　decaying　wreckage　of　ventilators；　bollards　and　railings；　rotting　coils　of　wire　and　cable　still　hugging　rusting　winches。　Like　a　shantytown；　each　piece　of　debris　offered　a　nesting　place　for　spiny　urchins；　arrow　crabs；　and　other　creatures　of　the　sea。
　　　　Pitt　knew　from　studying　a　diagram　of　the　Cyclops'　interior　that　searching　the　stern　section　was　a　waste　of　time。　The　smokestacks　stood　over　the　engine　room　and　its　crew　quarters。　If　they　were　to　find　the　La　Dorada　statue　it　would　most　likely　be　in　the　general　cargo　partment　beneath　the　bridge　and　forecastle。　He　motioned　the　others　to　continue　their　probe　toward　the　bow。
　　　　They　swam　slowly；　carefully　along　the　catwalk　that　stretched　over　the　sprawling　coal　hatches；　skirting　around　the　great　clamshell　loading　buckets　and　under　the　corroded　derricks　that　reached　forlornly　toward　the　refracted　rays　from　above。　It　became　apparent　to　them　that　the　Cyclops　had　died　a　quick　and　violent　death。　The　rotting　remains　of　the　lifeboats　were　forever　frozen　in　their　davits　and　much　of　the　superstructure　looked　as　if　it　had　been　crushed　by　a　monstrous　fist。
　　　　The　odd　boxlike　form　of　the　bridge　slowly　took　form　out　of　the　blue…green　dusk。　The　two　support　legs　on　the　starboard　side　had　buckled；　but　the　hull's　tilt　to　port　had　pensated　for　the　angle。　Peculiarly　out　of　kilter　with　the　rest　of　the　ship；　the　bridge　stood　on　a　perfect　horizontal　plane。
　　　　The　dark　on　the　other　side　of　the　wheelhouse　door　looked　ominous。　Pitt　switched　on　his　dive　light　and　drifted　slowly　inside；　taking　care　not　to　stir　up　the　silt　on　the　deck　with　his　fins。　Dim　light　filtered　through　the　slime…coated　portholes　on　the　forward　bulkhead。　He　brushed　away　the　muck　from　the　glass　covering　the　ship's　clock。　The　tarnished　hands　were　frozen　at　12：21。　He　also　examined　the　big　upright　pass　stand。　The　interior　was　still　watertight　and　the　needle　floated　free　in　kerosene；　pointing　faithfully　toward　magnetic　north。　Pitt　noted　that　the　ship's　heading　was　340　degrees。
　　　　On　opposite　sides　of　the　pass；　covered　over　by　a　colony　of　sponges　that　turned　vivid　red　under　Pitt's　light；　were　two　postlike　objects　that　rose　from　the　deck　and　fanned　out　at　the　top。　Curious；　Pitt　wiped　the　growth　from　the　port　one；　revealing　a　glass　face；　through　which　he　could　barely　make　out　the　words　AHEAD　FULL；　HALF；　SLOW；　DEAD　SLOW；　STOP；　and　FINISHED　WITH　ENGINES。　It　was　the　bridge　telegraph　to　the　engine　room。　He　noted　that　the　brass　arrow　was　pointing　to　FULL。　He　floated　over　and　cleaned　the　glass　on　the　starboard　telegraph。　The　pointer　was　locked　on　FINISHED　WITH　ENGINES。
　　　　Jessie　was　about　eight　feet　behind　Pitt　when　she　let　out　a　garbled　scream　that　lifted　the　hair　on　the　nape　of　his　neck。　He　spun　around；　half　thinking　she　was　being　dragged　away　by　a　shark；　but　she　was　gesturing　frantically　at　a　pair　of　objects　protruding　from　the　silt。
　　　　Two　human　skulls；　muck