第36部分(第3/7 页)

ning　and　closing。　Norman　stomped　down　on　the　hatch；　trying　to　force　the　tentacle　to　withdraw。　With　a　muscular　flip；　the　hatch　flew　open；　knocking　him　backward；　and　the　tentacle　reached　up　into　the　habitat。　He　smelled　the　strong　odor　of　ammonium。

Norman　fled；　climbing　higher　into　the　cylinder。　The　second　tentacle　appeared；　splashing　up　through　the　hatch。　The　two　tentacles　swung　in　circles　beneath　him；　searching。　He　came　to　a　porthole　and　looked　out；　saw　the　great　body　of　the　animal；　the　huge　round　staring　eye。　He　clambered　higher；　getting　away　from　the　tentacles。　Most　of　the　cylinder　seemed　to　be　given　over　to　storage；　it　was　crammed　with　equipment；　＇＇242＇＇　boxes；　tanks。　Many　of　the　boxes　were　bright　red　with　stencils：　〃CAUTION　NO　SMOKING　NO　ELECTRONICS　TEVAC　EXPLOSIVES。〃　There　were　a　hell　of　a　lot　of　explosives　in　here；　he　thought；　stumbling　upward。

The　tentacles　rose　higher　behind　him。　Somewhere；　in　a　detached；　logical　part　of　his　brain；　he　thought：　The　cylinder　is　only　forty　feet　high；　and　the　tentacles　are　at　least　forty　feet　long。　There　will　be　no　place　for　me　to　hide。

He　stumbled；　banged　his　knee；　kept　going。　He　heard　the　slap　of　the　tentacles　as　they　struck　the　walls；　swung　upward　toward　him。

A　weapon；　he　thought。　I　have　to　find　a　weapon。

He　came　to　the　small　galley；　metal　counter；　some　pots　and　pans。　He　pulled　the　drawers　open　hastily；　looking　for　a　knife。　He　could　find　only　a　small　paring　knife；　threw　it　away　in　disgust。　He　heard　the　tentacles　ing　closer。　The　next　moment　he　was　knocked　down；　his　helmet　banging　on　the　deck。　Norman　scrambled　to　his　feet；　dodged　the　tentacle；　moved　up　the　cylinder。

A　munications　section：　radio　set；　puter；　a　couple　of　monitors。　The　tentacles　were　right　behind　him；　slithering　up　like　nightmar