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第38部分（第2页）

〃Im　sick　of　those　nut　bars；〃　Beth　said。　〃Before　you　came　here；　I　ate　eleven　of　them。〃

＇＇254＇＇　〃Well；　make　it　an　even　dozen；〃　Norman　said；　〃and　well　go　back　to　the　habitat。〃

Walking　back　across　the　ocean　floor；　they　were　tense；　watching　for　the　squid。　But　Norman　derived　fort　from　the　fact　that　they　were　armed。　And　something　else：　some　inner　confidence　that　came　from　his　earlier　confrontation　with　the　squid。

〃You　hold　that　spear　gun　like　you　mean　it；〃　Beth　said。　〃Yes。　I　guess　so。〃　All　his　life　he　had　been　an　academic；　a　university　researcher；　and　had　never　conceived　of　himself　as　a　man　of　action。　At　least；　nothing　beyond　the　occasional　game　of　golf。　Now；　holding　the　spear　gun　ready；　he　found　he　rather　liked　the　feeling。

As　he　walked　he　noticed　the　profusion　of　sea　fans　on　the　path　between　the　spacecraft　and　the　habitat。　They　were　obliged　to　walk　around　the　fans；　which　were　sometimes　four　and　five　feet　tall；　gaudy　purple　and　blue　in　their　lights。　Norman　was　quite　sure　that　the　fans　had　not　been　down　here　when　they　first　arrived　at　the　habitat。

Now　there　were　not　only　colorful　fans；　but　schools　of　large　fish；　too。　Most　of　the　fish　were　black　with　a　reddish　stripe　across　the　back。　Beth　said　they　were　Pacific　surgeonfish；　normal　for　the　region。

Everything　is　changing；　he　thought。　Its　all　changing　around　us。　But　he　wasnt　sure　about　that。　He　didnt　really　trust　his　memory　down　here。　There　were　too　many　other　things　to　alter　his　perceptions…the　high…pressure　atmosphere；　the　injuries　he　had　received；　and　the　nagging　tension　and　fear　he　lived　with。

Something　pale　caught　his　eye。　Shining　his　light　down　on　the　bottom；　he　saw　a　wriggling　white　streak　with　a　long　thin　fin　and　black　stripes。　At　first　he　thought　it　was　an　eel。　Then　he　saw　the　tiny　head；　the　mouth。

〃Just　wait；〃　Beth　said；　putting　her　arm　on　him。　〃What　is　it？〃

〃Sea　snake。〃

〃Are　they　dangerous？〃

＇＇255＇＇　〃Not　usually。〃

〃Poisonous？〃　Harry　said。

〃Very　Poisonous。〃

The　snake　stayed　close　to　the　bottom；　apparently　looking　for　food。　The　snake　ignored　them　entirely；　and　Norman　found　it　quite　beautiful　to　watch；　particularly　as　it　moved　farther　away。

〃It　gives　me　the　creeps；〃　Beth　said。

〃Do　you　know　what　kind　it　is？〃　Norman　said。

〃It　may　be　a　Belchers；〃　Beth　said。　〃Pacific　sea　snakes　are　all　poisonous；　but　Belchers　sea　snake　is　the　most　poisonous。　In　fact；　some　researchers　think　its　the　deadliest　reptile　in　the　world；　with　venom　a　hundred　times　more　powerful　than　the　venom　of　a　king　cobra　or　the　black　tiger　snake。〃

〃So　if　it　bit　you　。。。〃

〃Two　minutes；　tops。〃

They　watched　the　snake　slither　away　among　the　fans。　Then　it　was　gone。

〃Sea　snakes　are　not　usually　aggressive；〃　Beth　said。　〃Some　divers　even　touch　them；　play　with　them；　but　I　never　would。　God。　Snakes。〃

〃Why　are　they　so　poisonous？　Is　it　for　immobilizing　prey？〃

〃You　know；　its　interesting；〃　Beth　said；　〃but　the　most　toxic　creatures　in　the　world　are　all　water　creatures。　The　venom　of　land　animals　is　nothing　in　parison。　And　even　among　land　animals；　the　most　deadly　poison　is　derived　from　an　amphibian；　a　toad；　Bufotene　marfensis。　In　the　sea；　there　are　poisonous　fish；　like　the　blowfish；　which　is　a　delicacy　in　Japan；　there　are　poisonous　shells；　like　the　star　cone；　Alaverdis　lotensis。　Once　I　was　on　a　boat　in　Guam　and　a　woman　brought　up　a　star　cone。　The　shells　are　very　beautiful；　but　she　didnt　know　you　have　to　keep　your　fingers　away　from　the　point。　The　animal　extruded　its　poison　spine　and　stung　her　in　the　palm。　She　took　three　steps　before　she　collapsed　in　convulsions；　and　she　died　within　an　hour。　There　are　also　poisonous　plants；　poisonous　sponges；　poisonous　corals。　And　then　the　snakes。　Even　the　weakest　of　the　sea　snakes　are　invariably　lethal。〃

〃Nice；〃　Harry　said。

〃Well；　you　have　to　recognize　that　the　ocean　is　a　much　＇＇256＇＇　older　living　environment　than　the　land。　Theres　been　life　in　the　oceans　for　three　and　a　half　billion　years；　much　longer　than　on　land。　The　methods　of　petition　and　defense　are　much　more　highly　developed　in　the　ocean…theres　been　more　time。〃

〃You　mean　a　few　billion　years　from　now；　there　will　be　tremendously　poisonous　animals　on　land；　too？〃

〃If　we　get　that　far；〃　she　said。

〃Lets　just　get　back　to　the　habitat；〃　Harry　said。

The　habitat　was　now　very　close。　They　could　see　all　the　streaming　bubbles　rising　from　the　leaks。

〃Leaking　like　a　bastard；〃　Harry　said。　〃I　think　weve　got　enough　air。〃

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