第36部分(第4/7 页)

ish　vines。　His　eyes　burned　from　the　ammonia　fumes。

He　came　to　the　bunks；　a　narrow　space　near　the　top　of　the　cylinder。

No　place　to　hide；　he　thought。　No　weapons；　and　no　place　to　hide。

The　tentacles　reached　the　top　of　the　cylinder；　slapped　against　the　upper　curved　surface；　swung　sideways。　In　a　moment　they　would　have　him。　He　grabbed　the　mattress　from　one　bunk；　held　it　up　as　flimsy　protection。　The　two　tentacles　were　swinging　erratically　around　him。　He　dodged　the　first。

And　then　with　a　whump　the　second　tentacle　coiled　around　him；　holding　both　him　and　the　mattress　in　a　cold；　slimy　grip。　He　felt　a　sickening　slow　squeeze；　the　dozens　of　suckers　gripping　his　body；　cutting　into　his　skin。　He　moaned　in　horror。　The　second　tentacle　swung　back　to　grip　him　along　with　the　first。　He　was　trapped　in　a　vise。

Oh　God；　he　thought。

＇＇243＇＇　The　tentacles　swung　away　from　the　wall；　lifting　him　high　in　the　air；　into　the　middle　of　the　cylinder。　This　is　it；　he　thought；　but　in　the　next　moment　he　felt　his　body　sliding　downward　past　the　mattress；　and　he　slipped　through　the　grip　and　fell　through　the　air。　He　grabbed　the　tentacles　for　support；　sliding　down　the　giant　evil…smelling　vines；　and　then　he　crashed　down　onto　the　deck　near　the　galley；　his　head　banging　on　the　metal　deck。　He　rolled　onto　his　back。

He　saw　the　two　tentacles　above；　gripping　the　mattress；　squeezing　it；　twisting　it。　Did　the　squid　realize　what　had　happened；　that　he　had　gotten　free？

Norman　looked　around　desperately。　A　weapon；　a　weapon。　This　was　a　Navy　habitat。　There　must　be　a　weapon　somewhere。

The　tentacles　tore　the　mattress　apart。　Shreds　of　white　padding　drifted　down　through　the　cylinder。　The　tentacles　released　the　mattress；　the　big　pieces　falling。　Then　the　tentacles　started　swingi