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〃Yeah；〃 Zabrinski said。 〃Awkward； you might say； Lieutenant。〃
〃What's awkward？〃 I asked。
〃Looks as if 〃we're〃 going to be next on the list for a rescue party；〃 Hansen said heavily。 〃They're sending a more or less continuous message： 'Ice closing rapidly； return at once。'〃
〃I was against this madness from the very beginning；〃 Rawlings intoned from the floor。 He stared down at the already melting lumps of frozen tinned soup and stirred it moodily with a fork。 〃A gallant attempt； man； but foredoomed to failure。〃
〃Keep your filthy fingers out of that soup and kindly shut up；〃 Hansen said coldly。 He turned suddenly to Kinnaird。 〃How about 〃your〃 radio set？ Of coursethat's it。 We have men here to crank your generator and〃
〃I'm sorry。〃 Kinnaird smiled the way a ghost might smile。 〃It's not a hand…powered generatorthat was destroyedit's a battery set。 The batteries are dead。 pletely dead。〃
〃A battery set； you said？〃 Zabrinski looked at him in mild surprise。 〃Then what caused all the power fluctuations when you were transmitting？〃
〃We kept changing over the nickle cadmium cells to try to make the most of what little power was left in them： we'd only fifteen left altogether： most of them were lost in the fire。 That caused the power fluctuations。 But even Nife cells don't last forever。 They're dead； mate。 The bined power left in those cells wouldn't light a pencil torch。〃
Zabrinski didn't say anything。 No one said anything。 The ice spicules drummed incessantly against the east wall； the Coleman hissed； the solid fuel stove purred softly； but the sole effect of those thiee sounds was to make the silence inside seem that little bit more absolute。 No one looked at his neighbors； everyone stared down at the floor with the fixed and steadfast gaze of an entomologist hunting for traces of woodworm。 Any newspaper printing a picture taken at that instant wouldn't have found it any too easy to convince its readers that the men on Drift Ice Station Zebra had been rescued just ten minutes previously； and rescued from certain death at that。 The readers would have pointed out that one might have expected a little more jubilation in the atmosphere； a touch； perhaps； of light…hearted relief； and they wouldn't have been far wrong at that； there wasn't very much gaiety around。
After the silence had gone on just that little too long I said to Hansen： 〃Well； that's it； then。 We don't have to hire any electronic puter to work this one out。 Someone's got to get back to the 〃Dolphin〃 and get back there now。 I'm nominating myself。〃
〃No！〃 Hansen said violently； then more quietly； 〃Sorry； friend； but the skipper's orders didn't include giving permission to anyone to mit suicide。 You're staying here。〃
〃So I stay here；〃 I nodded。 This wasn't the time to tell him I didn't need his permission for anything； much less was it the time to start flourishing the Mannlicher…Schoenauer。 〃So we all stay here。 And then we all die here。 Quietly； without any fighting； without any fuss； we just lie down and die here。 I suppose you reckon that es under the heading of inspiring leadership。 Amundsen would have loved that。〃 It wasn't fair； but then I wasn't feeling fair…minded at the moment。
〃Nobody's going anyplace；〃 Hansen said。 〃I'm not my brother's keeper； Doc； but； even so； I'll be damned if I let you kill yourself。 You're not fit； none of us is fit to make the return trip to the 〃Dolphin〃not after what we've just been through。 That's the first thing。 The next is that without a transmitter from which the 〃Dolphin〃 can pick up our directional bearings； we could never hope to find the 〃Dolphin〃 again。 The third is that the closing ice will probably have forced the 〃Dolphin〃 to drop down before anyone could get halfway there。 And the last is that if we failed to find the 〃Dolphin〃； either because we missed her or because she was gone； we could never make our way back to Zebra again： we wouldn't have the strength and we would have nothing to guide us back； anyway。〃
〃The odds offered aren't all that attractive；〃 I admitted。 〃What odds are you offering on the ice machine being repaired？〃
Hansen shook his head； said nothing。 Rawlings started stirring his soup again； carefully not looking up； he didn't want to meet the anxious eyes； the desperate eyes； in that circle of haggard and frost…bitten faces any more than I did。 But he looked up as Captain Folsom pushed himself away from the support of a wall and took a couple of unsteady steps toward us。 It didn't require any stethoscope to see that Folsom was in a pretty bad way。
〃I am afraid that we don't understand；〃 he said。 His voice was slurred and indistinct； the puffed and twisted lips had been immobilized by the savage charring of his face： I wondered bleakly how many months of pain would elapse； how many visits to the surgeon's table； before Folsom could show that face to the world again。 In the very remote event； that was； of our ever getting him to a hospital。 〃Would you please explain？ What is the difficulty？〃
〃Simply this；〃 I said。 〃The 〃Dolphin〃 has an ice fathometer； a device for measuring the thickness of the overhead ice。 Normally； even if mander Swansonthe captain of the 〃Dolphin〃didn't hear from us； we could expect him on our doorstep in a matter of hours。 He has the position of this drift station pinned down pretty closely。 All he would have to do is drop down； e under us here； start a grid search with his ice fathometer； and it would be only minutes before he located the relatively thin ice out in that lead there。 But things aren't normal。 The ice machine has broken down； and if it stays that way he'll never find that lead。 That's why I want to go back there。 Now。 Before Swanson's forced to dive by the closing ice。〃
〃Don't see it； old boy；〃 Jolly said。 〃How's that going to help？ Can 〃you〃 fix this ice whatyoumaycallit？〃
〃I don't have to。 mander Swanson knows his distance from this camp； give or take a hundred yards。 All I have to do is tell him to cover the distance less quarter of a mile and fire a torpedo。 That ought〃
〃Torpedo？〃 Jolly asked。 〃Torpedo？ To break through the ice from beneath？〃
〃That's it。 It's never been tried before。 I suppose there's no reason why it shouldn't work if the ice is thin enough； and it won't be all that thick in the lead out there。 I don't really know。〃
〃They'll be sending planes； you know； Doc；〃 Zabrinski said quietly。 〃We started transmitting the news as soon as we broke through； and everybody will know by now that Zebra has been foundat least； they'll know exactly where it is。 They'll have the big bombers up here in a few hours。〃
〃Doing what？〃 I asked。 〃Sculling around uselessly in the darkness up above？ Even if they do have the exact position； they still won't be able to see what's left of this station because of the darkness and the ice storm。 Perhaps they can with radar； it's unlikely； but even if they do； what then？ Drop supplies？ Maybe。 But they won't dare drop supplies directly on us for fear of killing us。 They'd have to drop them some distance offand even a quarter mile would be too far away for any chance we'd ever have of finding stuff in those conditions。 As for landingeven if weather condit