第37部分(第1/7 页)

se　he　was　afraid。　At　a　moment　of　great　personal　danger；　Beth　had　abandoned　him。　There　were　only　three　of　them　left　down　there；　and　they　needed　each　other…they　needed　to　depend　on　each　other。　But　Beth　was　unreliable；　and　that　made　him　afraid。　And　angry。

〃Can　you　hear　me？〃　her　voice　said；　on　the　inter。　〃Anybody　hear　me？〃

Norman　reached　for　the　microphone；　but　Harry　snatched　it　away。　〃I'll　do　this；〃　he　said。　〃Yes；　Beth；　we　can　hear　you。〃

〃I'm　in　the　ship；〃　she　said；　her　voice　crackling　on　the　inter。　〃I've　found　another　partment；　aft；　behind　the　crew　bunks。　It's　quite　interesting。〃

Quite　interesting；　Norman　thought。　Jesus；　quite　interesting。　He　grabbed　the　microphone　from　Harry。　〃Beth；　what　the　hell　are　you　doing　over　there？〃

〃Oh；　hi；　Norman。　You　made　it　back　okay；　huh？〃

〃Barely。〃

〃You　have　some　trouble？〃　She　didn't　sound　concerned。

〃Yes；　I　did。〃

〃Are　you　all　right？　You　sound　mad。〃

〃You　bet　I'm　mad。　Beth；　why　did　you　leave　while　I　was　out　there？〃

〃Harry　said　he'd　take　over　for　me。〃

〃He　what？〃　Norman　looked　at　Harry。　Harry　was　shaking　his　head　no。

〃Harry　said　he'd　take　over　at　the　console　for　me。　He　told　me　to　go　ahead　to　the　ship。　Since　the　squid　wasn't　around；　it　seemed　like　a　good　time。〃

Norman　cupped　his　hand　over　microphone。　〃I　don't　the　remember　that；〃　Harry　said。

〃Did　you　talk　to　her？〃

〃I　don't　remember　talking　to　her。〃

Beth　said；　〃Just　ask　him；　Norman。　He'll　tell　you。〃

〃He　says　he　never　said　that。〃

〃Well；　then；　he's　full　of　it；〃　Beth　said。　〃What　do　you　think；　I'd　abandon　you　when　you　were　outside；　for　Christ's　sake？〃　＇＇247＇＇　There　was　a　pause。　〃I'd　never　do　that；　Norman。〃

〃I　swear；〃　Harry　said　to　Norman。　〃I　never　had　any　conv