按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
So I shaved and then had Benson take me on a conducted tour of this city under the sea。 The 〃Dolphin〃； I had to admit； made any British submarine I'd ever seen look like a relic from the Ice Age。
To begin with； the sheer size of the vessel was staggering。 So big had the hull to be to acmodate the huge nuclear reactor that it had internal acmodation equivalent to that of a 3；000…ton surface ship； with three decks instead of the usual one and lower hold found in the conventional submarine。 The size； bined with the clever use of pastel paints for all the acmodation spaces； working spaces； and passageways； gave an overwhelming impression of lightness； airiness； and； above all； spaciousness。
He took me first； inevitably； to his sick bay。 It was at once the smallest and Thost prehensively equipped surgery I'd ever seen； whether a man wanted a major operation or just a tooth filled； he could have himself acmodated there。 Neither clinical nor utilitarian； however； was the motif Benson had adopted for the decoration of the one bulkhead in his surgery pletely free from surgical or medical equipment of any kinda series of film stills in color featuring every cartoon character I'd ever seen； from Popeye to Pinnochio； with； as a two…foot…square centerpiece； an immaculately cravatted Yogi Bear industriously sawing off from the top of a wooden sign post the first word of a legend that read： 〃Don't feed the bears。〃 From deck to deckhead； the bulkhead was covered with them。
〃Makes a change from the usual pin…ups；〃 I observed。
〃I got inundated with those； too；〃 Benson said regretfully。 〃Film librarian； you know。 Can't use them； supposed to be bad for discipline。 However。 Lightens the morgue…like atmosphere； doesn't it？ Cheers up the sick and the suffering； I like to thinkand distracts their attention while I turn to page 217 in the old textbook to find out what's the matter with them。〃
From the surgery we passed through the wardroom and officers' quarters and dropped down a deck to the crew's living quarters。 Benson took me through the gleaming tiled washrooms； the immaculate bunkroom； then into the crew's mess hail。
〃The heart of the ship；〃 he announced。 〃Not the nuclear reactor； as the uninformed maintain； but here。 Just look at it。 Hi…fl； juke box； record player； coffee machine； ice…cream machine； movie theater； library； and the home of all the cardsharps on the ship。 What chance has a nuclear reactor against this layout？ The old…time submariners would turn in their graves if they could see this： pared to the prehistoric conditions they lived in we must seem pletely spoiled and ruined。 Maybe we are； then again maybe we're not： the old boys never had to stay submerged for months at a time。 。 。 。 This is also where I send them to sleep with my lectures on the evils of overeating。〃 He raised his voice for the benefit of seven or eight men who were sitting around the tables drinking coffee； smoking and reading。 〃You can observe for yourself； Dr。 Carpenter； the effects of my lectures on dieting and keeping fit。 Did you ever see a bunch of more out…of…condition fat…bellied slobs in your life？〃
The men grinned cheerfully。 They were obviously well used to this sort of thing： Benson was exaggerating and they knew it。 Each of them looked as if he knew what to do with a knife and fork when he got them in his hands； but that was about as far as it went。 All had a curious similarity； big men and small men； the same characteristic I'd seen in Zabrinski and Rawlingsan air of relaxed petence； a cheerful imperturbability that marked them out as being the men apart they undoubtedly were。
Benson conscientiously introduced me to everyone； telling me exactly what their function aboard ship was and in turn informing them that I was a Royal Navy doctor along for an acclimatization trip。 Swanson would have told him to say this； it was near enough the truth and would stop speculation on the reason for my presence there。
Benson turned into a small partment leading off the mess hail。 〃The air…purification room。 This is Engineman Harrison。 How's our box of tricks； Harrison？〃
〃Just fine； Doc； just fine。 CO reading steady on thirty parts a million。〃 He entered some figures in a log book； Benson signed it with a flourish； exchanged a few more remarks and left。
〃Half my day's toil done with one stroke of the pen；〃 he observed。 〃I take it you're not interested in inspecting sacks of wheat； sides of beef； bags of potatoes； and about a hundred different varieties of canned goods。〃
〃Not particularly。 Why？〃
〃The entire for'ard half of the deck beneath our feet a storage hold； reallyis given up mainly to that。 Seems an awful lot； I know； but then a hundred men can get through an awful lot of food in three months； which is the minimum time we must be prepared to stay at sea if the need arises。 We'll pass up the inspection of the stores； the sight of all that food just makes me feel I'm fighting a losing battle all the time； and have a look at where the food's cooked。〃
He led the way for'ard into the galley； a small square room all tiles and glittering stainless steel。 A tall； burly whitecoated cook turned at our entrance and grinned at Benson。 〃e to sample today's lunch； Doc？〃
〃I have not；〃 Benson said coldly。 〃Dr。 Carpenter； the chief cook and my arch enemy； Sam MacGuire。 What form does the excess of calories take that you are proposing to thrust down the throats of the crew today？〃
〃No thrusting required；〃 said MacGuire happily。 〃Cream soup； sirloin of beef no less； roast potatoes and as much apple pie as a man can cope with。 All good； nourishing food。〃
Benson shuddered。 He was just about to leave the galley when he stopped and pointed at a heavy bronze ten…inch tube that stood about four feet above the deck of the galley。 It had a heavy hinged lid and screwed clamps to keep the lid in position。 〃This might interest you； Dr。 Carpenter。 Guess what？〃
〃A pressure cooker？〃
〃Looks like it； doesn't it？ This is our garbage…disposal unit。 In the old days； when a submarine had to surface every few hours； garbage disposal was no problem： you just tipped the stuff over the side。 But when you spend weeks on end cruising at three hundred feet； you can't just walk up to the upper deck and tip the waste over the side： garbage disposal bees quite a problem。 This tube goes right down to the bottom of the 〃Dolphin〃。 There's a heavy water…tight door at the lower end corresponding to this one； with interlocking controls that make it impossible for both doors to be open at the same time： it would be curtains for the 〃Dolphin〃 if they were。 Sam here； or one of his henchmen； sticks the garbage into nylon mesh or polythene bags； weighs them with bricks〃
〃'Bricks；' you said？〃
〃Bricks。 Sam； how many bricks aboard this ship？〃
〃Just over a thousand at the latest count； Doc。〃
〃Regular builder's yard； aren't we？〃 Benson grinned。 〃Those bricks are to make sure the garbage bags sink to the bottom of the sea and not float to the surface。 Even in peacetime we don't want to give our position away to anyone。 In go three or four bags； the top door is clamped shut； and the bags are pumped out under pressure。 Then the outer do