第7部分 (第1/7页)

He　found　Levine　hanging　off　the　port　railing。　Levine　came　＇＇38＇＇　from　the　oceanographic　institute　at　Woods　Hole；　Massachusetts。　His　hand　was　damp　when　Norman　shook　it。　Levine　looked　extremely　ill　at　ease；　and　finally　admitted　that　he　was　seasick。

〃Seasick？　A　marine　biologist？〃　Norman　said。

〃I　work　in　the　laboratory；〃　he　said。　〃At　home。　On　land。　Where　things　don't　move　all　the　time。　Why　are　you　smiling？〃

〃Sorry；〃　Norman　said。

〃You　think　it's　funny；　a　seasick　marine　biologist？〃

〃Incongruous；　I　guess。〃

〃A　lot　of　us　get　seasick；〃　Levine　said。　He　stared　out　at　the　sea。　〃Look　out　there；〃　he　said。　〃Thousands　of　miles　of　flat。　Nothing。〃

〃The　ocean。〃

〃It　gives　me　the　creeps；〃　Levine　said。

〃So？〃　Barnes　said；　back　in　his　office。　〃What　do　you　think？〃

〃Of　what？〃

〃Of　the　team；　for　Christ's　sake。〃

〃It's　the　team　I　chose；　six　years　later。　Basically　a　good　group；　certainly　very　able。〃

〃I　want　to　know　who　will　crack。〃

〃Why　should　anybody　crack？〃　Norman　said。　He　was　looking　at　Barnes；　noticing　the　thin　line　of　sweat　on　his　upper　lip。　The　mander　was　under　a　lot　of　pressure　himself。

〃A　thousand　feet　down？〃　Barnes　said。　〃Living　and　working　in　a　cramped　habitat？　Listen；　it's　not　like　I'm　going　in　with　military　divers　who　have　been　trained　and　who　have　themselves　under　control。　I'm　taking　a　bunch　of　scientists；　for　God's　sake。　I　want　to　make　sure　they　all　have　a　clean　bill　of　health。　I　want　to　make　sure　nobody's　going　to　crack。〃

〃I　don't　know　if　you　are　aware　of　this；　Captain；　but　psychologists　can't　predict　that　very　accurately。　Who　will　crack。〃

〃Even　when　it's　from　fear？〃

〃Whatever　it's　from。〃

Barnes　frowned。　〃I　thought　fear　was　your　specialty。〃

＇＇39