沸腾文学

第15部分（第1页）

〃A　black　hole；〃　Harry　said；　〃is　a　dead；　pressed　star。　Basically；　a　star　is　like　a　big　beach　ball　inflated　by　the　atomic　explosions　occurring　inside　it。　When　a　star　gets　old；　and　runs　out　of　nuclear　fuel；　the　ball　collapses　to　a　much　smaller　size。　If　it　collapses　enough；　it　bees　so　dense　and　it　has　so　much　gravity　that　it　keeps　on　collapsing；　squeezing　down　on　itself　until　it　is　very　dense　and　very　small…only　a　few　miles　in　diameter。　Then　its　a　black　hole。　Nothing　else　in　the　universe　is　as　dense　as　a　black　hole。〃

〃So　theyre　black　because　theyre　dead？〃

〃No。　Theyre　black　because　they　trap　all　the　light。　Black　holes　have　so　much　gravity；　they　pull　everything　into　them；　like　vacuum　cleaners…all　the　surrounding　interstellar　gas　and　dust；　and　even　light　itself。　They　just　suck　it　right　up。〃

〃They　suck　up　light？〃　Norman　said。　He　found　it　hard　to　think　of　that。

〃Yes。〃

〃So　what　were　you　two　so　excited　about；　with　your　calculations？〃

〃Oh；　its　a　long　story；　and　its　just　speculation。〃　Harry　yawned。　〃It　probably　wont　amount　to　anything；　anyway。　Talk　about　it　later？〃

〃Sure；〃　Norman　said。

Harry　rolled　over；　went　to　sleep。　Ted　was　still　in　the　showers；　hacking　and　sputtering。　Norman　went　back　to　D　Cyl；　to　Tinas　console。

〃Did　Harry　find　you　all　right？〃　he　said。　〃I　know　he　wanted　to　see　you。〃

〃Yes；　sir。　And　I　have　the　information　he　requested　now。　Why？　Did　you　want　to　make　out　your　will；　too？〃

Norman　frowned。

〃Dr。　Adams　said　he　didnt　have　a　will　and　he　wanted　to　make　one。　He　seemed　to　feel　it　was　quite　urgent。　Anyway；　I　checked　with　the　surface　and　you　cant　do　it。　Its　some　legal　problem　about　it　being　in　your　own　handwriting；　you　cant　transmit　your　will　over　electronic　lines。〃

〃I　see。〃

＇＇94＇＇　〃Im　sorry；　Dr。　Johnson。　Should　I　tell　the　others　as　well？〃

〃No；〃　Norman　said。　〃Dont　bother　the　others。　Well　be　going　to　the　surface　soon。　Right　after　we　have　one　last　look　at　the　ship。〃

THE　LARGE　GLASS

This　time　they　split　up　inside　the　spaceship。　Barnes；　Ted；　and　Edmunds　continued　forward　in　the　vast　cargo　bays；　to　search　the　parts　of　the　ship　that　were　still　unexplored。　Norman；　Beth；　and　Harry　stayed　in　what　they　now　called　the　flight　deck；　looking　for　the　flight　recorder。

Teds　parting　words　were　〃It　is　a　far；　far　better　thing　that　I　do；　than　I　have　ever　done。〃　Then　he　set　off　with　Barnes。　Edmunds　left　them　a　small　video　monitor　so　they　could　see　the　progress　of　the　other　team　in　the　forward　section　of　the　ship。　And　they　could　hear：　Ted　chattered　continuously　to　Barnes；　giving　his　views　about　structural　features　of　the　ship。　The　design　of　the　big　cargo　bays　reminded　Ted　of　the　stonework　of　the　ancient　Mycenaeans　in　Greece；　particularly　the　Lion　Gate　ramp　at　Mycenae。　。。。

〃Ted　has　more　irrelevant　facts　at　his　fingertips　than　any　man　I　know；〃　Harry　said。　〃Can　we　turn　the　volume　down？〃　Yawning；　Norman　turned　the　monitor　down。　He　was　tired。　The　bunks　in　DH…8　were　damp；　the　electric　blankets　heavy　and　clinging。　Sleep　had　been　almost　impossible。　And　then　Beth　had　e　storming　in　after　her　talk　with　Barnes。

She　was　still　angry　now。　〃God　damn　Barnes；〃　she　said。　〃Where　does　he　get　off？〃

〃Hes　doing　the　best　he　can；　like　everyone　else；〃　Norman　said。

She　spun。　〃You　know；　Norman；　sometimes　youre　too　＇＇95＇＇　psychological　and　understanding。　The　man　is　an　idiot。　A　plete　idiot。〃

〃Lets　just　find　the　flight　recorder；　shall　we？〃　Harry　said。　〃Thats　the　important　thing　now。〃　Harry　was　following　the　umbilicus　cable　that　ran　out　the　back　of　the　mannequin；　into　the　floor。　He　was　lifting　up　floor　panels；　tracing　the　wires　aft。

〃Im　sorry；〃　Beth　said；　〃but　he　wouldnt　speak　like　that　to　a　man。　Certainly　not　to　Ted。　Teds　hogging　the　whole　show；　and　I　dont　see　why　he　should　be　allowed　to。〃

〃What　does　Ted　have　to　do　with…〃　Norman　began。

〃…The　man　is　a　parasite；　thats　what　he　is。　He　takes　the　ideas　of　others　and　promotes　them　as　his　own。　Even　the　way　he　quotes　famous　sayings…its　outrageous。〃

〃You　feel　he　takes　other　peoples　ideas？〃　Norman　said。

〃Listen；　back　on　the　surface；　I　mentioned　to　Ted　that　we　ought　to　have　some　words　ready　when　we　opened　this　thing。　And　the　next　thing　I　know；　Teds　making　up　quotes　and　positioning　himself　in　front　of　the　camera。〃

〃Well　。。。〃

〃Well　what；　Norman？　Dont　well　me；　for　Christs　sake。　It　was　my　idea　and　he　took　it　without　so　much　as　a　thank　you。〃

〃Did　you　say　anything　to　him　about　it？〃　Norman　said。