第21部分(第1/7 页)

〃A　flock　of　fireflies？〃

〃Something　like　that。〃　The　tape　ran　out。　The　screen　went　dark。

Ted　said；　〃That's　it？〃

〃I'm　afraid　so；　Dr。　Fielding。〃

〃Poor　Harry；〃　Ted　said　mournfully。

Of　all　the　group；　Ted　was　the　most　visibly　upset　about　Harry。　He　kept　staring　at　the　closed　sphere　on　the　monitor；　saying；　〃How　did　he　do　that？〃　Then　he　would　add；　〃I　hope　he's　all　right。〃

He　repeated　it　so　often　that　finally　Beth　said；　〃I　think　we　know　your　feelings；　Ted。〃

〃I'm　seriously　concerned　about　him。〃

〃I　am；　too。　We　all　are。〃

〃You　think　I'm　jealous；　Beth？　Is　that　what　you're　saying？〃

＇＇133＇＇　〃Why　would　anyone　think　that；　Ted？〃

Norman　changed　the　subject。　It　was　crucial　to　avoid　confrontations　among　group　members。　He　asked　Ted　about　his　analysis　of　the　flight　data　aboard　the　spaceship。

〃It's　very　interesting；〃　Ted　said；　warming　to　his　subject。　〃My　detailed　examination　of　the　earliest　flight…data　images；〃　he　said；　〃convinced　me　that　they　show　three　planets…Uranus；　Neptune；　and　Pluto…and　the　sun；　very　small　in　the　background。　Therefore；　the　pictures　are　taken　from　some　point　beyond　the　orbit　of　Pluto。　This　suggests　that　the　black　hole　is　not　far　beyond　our　own　solar　system。〃

〃Is　that　possible？〃　Norman　said。

〃Oh　sure。　In　fact；　for　the　last　ten　years　some　astrophysicists　have　suspected　that　there's　a　black　hole…not　a　large　one；　but　a　black　hole　just　outside　our　solar　system。〃

〃I　hadn't　heard　that。〃

〃Oh　yes。　In　fact；　some　of　us　have　argued　that；　if　it　was　small　enough；　in　a　few　years　we　could　go　out　and　capture　the　black　hole；　bring　it　back；　park　it　in　Earth　orbit；　and　use　the　energy　it　generates　to　power　the　entire　planet。〃

Barnes　smiled。　〃Black…hole　cowboys？〃

〃In　t