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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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