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〃Ninety feet；〃 the diving officer said。
〃Thin ice； thin ice；〃 Sanders intoned。
〃Switch off the deck flood； leave the sail flood on；〃 Swanson said。 〃And keep that camera moving。 Sonar？〃
〃All clear；〃 the sonar operator reported。 〃All clear all around。〃 A pause then： 〃No； hold it； hold it！ Contact dead astern！〃
〃How close？〃 Swanson asked quickly。
〃Too close to say。 Very close。〃
〃She's jumping！〃 the diving officer called out sharply。 〃Eighty； seventy…five。〃 The 〃Dolphin〃 had hit a layer of colder water or extra salinity。
〃Heavy ice； heavy ice！〃 Sanders called out urgently。
〃Flood emergency！〃 Swanson orderedand this time it was an order。
I felt the sudden build…up of air pressure as the diving officer vented the negative tank and tons of seawater poured into the emergency diving tank。 But it was too late。 With a shuddering； jarring smash that sent us staggenng； the 〃Dolphin〃 crashed violently into the ice above； glass tinkled； lights went out and the submarine started falling like a stone。
〃Blow negative to the mark！〃 the diving officer called。 High…pressure air came boiling into the negative tank； at our rate of falling； we would have been flattened by the sea pressure before the pumps could even have begun to cope with the huge extra ballast load we had taken aboard in seconds。 Two hundred feet； two hundred and fifty； and we were still falling。 Nobody spoke； everybody just stood or sat in a frozen position staring at the diving stand。 It required no gift for telepathy to know the thought in every mind。 It was obvious that the 〃Dolphin〃 had been struck aft by some underwater pressure ridge at the same instant as the sail had hit the heavy ice above。 If the 〃Dolphin〃 had been holed aft； this descent wasn't going to stop until the pressure of a million tons of water crushed and flattened the hull and in a ificker of time snuffed out the life of every man inside it。
〃Three hundred feet；〃 the diving officer called out。 〃Three fiftyand she's slowing。 She's slowing。〃
The 〃Dolphin〃 was still falling； sluggishly passing the four hundred…foot mark； when Rawlings appeared in the control room； tool kit in one hand； a crate of assorted lamps in the other。
〃It's unnatural；〃 he said。 He appeared to be addressing the shattered lamp above the plot which he had immediately begun to repair。 〃Contrary to the laws of nature； I've always maintained。 Mankind was never meant to probe beneath the depths of the ocean。 Mark my words； these newfangled inventions will e to a bad end。〃
〃So will you if don't keep quiet；〃 mander Swanson said acidly。 But there was no reprimand in his face； he appreciated as well as any of us the therapeutic breath of fresh air that Rawlings had brought into that tension…laden atmosphere。 〃Holding？〃 he said to the diving officer。
The diving officer raised a finger and grinned。 Swanson nodded and swung the coiled…spring microphone in front of him。 〃Captain speaking；〃 he said calmly。 〃Sorry about that bump。 Report damage at once。〃
A green light flashed in the panel of a box beside him。 Swanson touched a switch and a loud…speaker in the deckhead crackled。
〃Maneuvering room。〃 The maneuvering room was in the after end of the upper…level engine room； toward the stern。 〃Hit was directly above us here。 We could do with a box of candles； and some of the dials and gauges are out of kilter。 But we still got a roof over our heads。〃
〃Thank you； Lieutenant。 You can cope？〃
〃Sure we can。〃
Swanson pressed another switch。 〃Stern room？〃
〃We still attached to the ship？〃 a cautious voice inquired。
〃You're still attached to the ship；〃 Swanson assured him。 〃Anything to report？〃
〃Only that there's going to be an awful lot of dirty laundry by the time we get back to Scotland。 The washing machine's had a kind of fit。〃
Swanson smiled and switched off。 His face was untroubled； he must have had a special sweat…absorbing mechanism on his face。 I felt I could have done… with a bath towel。 He said to Hansen； 〃That was bad luck。 A bination of a current where a current had no right to be； a temperature inversion where a temperature inversion had no right to be； and a pressure ridge where we least expected it。 Not to mention the damned opacity of the water。 What's required is a few circuits until we know this polynya like the backs of our hands； a small off…set to allow for drift and a little precautionary flooding as we approach the ninety…foot mark。〃
〃Yes； sir。 That's what's required。 Point is； what are we going to do？〃
〃Just that。 Take her up and try again。〃
I had my pride so I refrained from mopping my brow。 They took her up and tried again。 At two hundred feet and for fifteen minutes Swanson juggled propellers and rudder until he had the outline of the frozen polynya above as accurately limned on the plot as he could ever expect to have it。 Then he positioned the 〃Dolphin〃 just outside one of the boundary lines and gave an order for a slow ascent。
〃One hundred twenty feet；〃 the diving officer said。 〃One hundred ten。〃
〃Heavy ice；〃 Saunders intoned。 〃Still heavy ice。〃
Sluggishly the 〃Dolphin〃 continued to rise。 Next time in the control room； I promised myself； I wouldn't forget that bath towel。 Swanson said； 〃If we've overestimated the speed of the drift； there's going to be another bump； I'm afraid。〃 He turned to Rawlings； who was still repairing lights。 〃If I were you； I'd suspend operations for the present。 You may have to start all over again in a moment； and we don't carry all that number of spares aboard。〃
〃One hundred feet；〃 the diving officer said。 He didn't sound as unhappy as his face looked。
〃The water's clearing；〃 Hansen said suddenly。 〃Look。〃
The water had cleared； not dramatically so； but enough。 We could see the top corner of the sail clearly outlined on the TV screen。 And then； suddenly； we could see something else again； heavy； ugly ridged ice not a dozen feet above the sail。
Water flooded into the tanks。 The diving officer didn't have be to told what to do： we'd gone up like an express elevator the first time we'd hit a different water layer； and once like that was enough in the life of any submarine。
〃Ninety feet；〃 he reported。 〃Still rising。〃 More water flooded in； and then the sound died away。 〃She's holding。 Just under ninety feet。〃
〃Keep her there。〃 Swanson stared at the TV screen。 〃We're drifting clear and into the polynyaI hope。〃
〃Me too；〃 Hansen said。 〃There can't be more than a couple of feet between the top of the sail and that damned ugly stuff。〃
〃There isn't much room；〃 Swanson acknowledged。 〃Sanders？〃
〃Just a moment； sir。 The graph looks kinda funny No； we're clear。〃 He couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice。 〃Thin ice！〃
I looked at the screen。 He was right。 I could see the vertical edge of a wall of ice move slowly across the screen； exposing clear water above。
〃Gently； now； gently；〃 Swanson said。 〃And keep that camera on the ice wall at the side； then straight up； turn about。〃
The pumps began to throb again。 The ice wall； less than ten yards away； began to drift slowly down past us。
〃Eighty…five feet；〃 the diving officer reported。 〃Eighty。〃
〃No hurr