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opposite of Little America IV's primitive scuba gear。
Renshaw was upstairs in his room on B…deck； getting some bandages； scissors； and disinfectant to use on Schofield's wounds。
Kirsty was standing on the deck behind Schofield； watching him； concerned。 Schofield took a deep breath and shut his eyes。 Then he grabbed his nose and…craaaack…his broken nose went back into place。
Kirsty winced。 〃Doesn't that hurt？〃
Schofield grimaced and nodded。 〃A lot。〃
Just then； there came a loud splash and Schofield spun around just in time to see Wendy burst up out of the water and land on the metal deck。 She loped over to him and Schofield patted her on the head。 Wendy immediately rolled over onto her back and got him to pat her on the belly。 Schofield did so。 Behind him； Kirsty smiled。
Schofield looked down at his watch。
9：44 p。m。
He thought about the breaks in the solar flare that Abby Sinclair had told him about earlier。
Abby had said that breaks in the flare would be passing over Wilkes Ice Station at 7：30 p。m。 and 10：00 p。m。
Well； he'd missed the 7：30 break。
But there were still sixteen minutes until the last break passed over the station at 10：00 p。m。 He'd try to get on a radio then and call McMurdo。
He sighed； turned around。 He had some things to do before then； though。
He saw a Marine helmet on the deck。 Snake's； he guessed。 Schofield reached over and grabbed it； put it on his head。
He then positioned the helmet's microphone in front of his mouth。 〃Marines； this is Scarecrow。 Montana。 Fox。 Santa Cruz。 Do you copy？〃
At first there was no reply； then suddenly Schofield heard； 〃Scarecrow？ Is that you？〃
It was Gant。 〃Where are you？〃 she said。
〃I'm up in the station。〃
〃What about the SAS？〃
〃Killed 'em。 Got my station back。 What about you？ I saw that Barnaby sent a team down there。〃
〃We had a little help； but we took care of them without any losses。 Everyone's accounted for。 Scarecrow； we have got a lot to talk about。〃
Down in the ice cavern； Libby Gant looked out from behind the horizontal fissure。
After the short…lived battle with the British dive team； she and the others had retreated to the fissure； not to get away from the SAS mandos…they were all dead…but rather to get away from the giant elephant seals that had begun to prowl around the cavern after gorging themselves on the SAS troops。 Right now； Gant saw； the seals were clustered around the big black ship； like campers gathered around a campfire。
〃Like what？〃 Schofield's voice said。
〃Like a spaceship that isn't a spaceship；〃 Gant said。
〃Tell me about it；〃 Schofield said wearily。
Gant quickly told him about what she had found。 About the 〃spaceship〃 itself and the keypad on it； about the hangar and the diary and the earthquake that had buried the whole station deep within the earth。 It looked like a top…secret military project of some sort…the secret construction by the U。S。 Air Force of some special kind of attack plane。 Gant also mentioned the reference in the diary to a plutonium core inside the plane。
Then she told Schofield about the elephant seals and the bodies inside the cave and how the seals had cut down the SAS troops as they had emerged from the water。 Their viciousness； Gant said； was shocking。
Schofield took it all in silently。
He then told Gant of the elephant seal that he had seen earlier on the monitor inside Renshaw's room； told her about the abnormally large lower canines that protruded up from its lower jaw like a pair of inverted fangs。 As he spoke； an image formed in his mind…an image of the dead killer whale they had seen surface earlier； it had had two long tearing gashes going all the way down its belly。
〃We saw a couple of seals with teeth like that； too；〃 Gant said。 〃Smaller ones； though。 Juvenile males。 The one you saw must have been the bull。 From what you're saying； though； it seems like only the males have large lower canines。〃
Schofield paused at that。 〃Yes。〃
And then at that moment； something clicked inside his head。 Something about why only the male elephant seals had abnormally large lower teeth。
If the spaceship really had a plutonium core inside it； then it was a good bet that that core was slowly emitting passive radiation。 Not a leak。 Just passive ambient radiation； which occurred with any nuclear device。 If the elephant seals had set up a nest near the ship； then over time the passive radiation from the plutonium might have had an effect on the male seals。
Schofield remembered seeing the infamous Rodriguez Report about passive radiation near an old nuclear weapons facility in the desert in New Mexico。 In nearby towns； there were found to be unusually high instances of genetic abnormality。 There were also found to be strikingly higher instances of such abnormalities in men than in women。 Elongated fingers was a mon mutation。 Elongated dentures was another。 Teeth。 The writers of the report had linked the higher incidence of genetic abnormalities in men to testosterone； the male hormone。
Perhaps； he Schofield thought that was what had happened here。
And then suddenly he had another thought。 A more disturbing thought。
〃Gant； when did the SAS team arrive in the cave？〃
〃I'm not sure； somewhere around eight o'clock； I think。〃
〃And when did you arrive in the cave？〃
〃We left the diving bell at 1410 hours。 Then it took us another hour or so to swim up the tunnel。 So I'd say about three o'clock。〃
Eight o'clock。 Three o'clock。
Schofield wondered when the original team of divers from Wilkes Ice Station had gone down to the cave。 There was something there； something that he couldn't quite put his finger on just yet。 But it might have been able to explain 。。。
Schofield looked at his watch。
9：50 p。m。
Shit； time to go。
〃Gant； listen； I have to go。 There's a window in the solar flare ing over the station in ten minutes and I have to use it。 If you and the others are safe down there； do me a favor and look around that hangar。 Find out everything you can about that plane； OK？〃
〃You bet。〃
Schofield clicked off。 But no sooner had he done so than he heard a voice from somewhere high up in the station。
〃Lieutenant！〃
Schofield looked up。 It was Renshaw。 He was up on B…deck。 〃Hey！ Lieutenant！〃 he shouted。
〃What？〃
〃I think you better see this！〃
Schofield and Kirsty entered Renshaw's room through the square hole in the door。
Renshaw was standing over by his puter。
〃It's been on all day；〃 Renshaw said to Schofield； 〃but I only looked at it just now。 It said I had new mail； so I brought up my e…mail screen and had a look。 It came in at 7：32 p。m。 and it's from some guy in New Mexico named Andrew Wilcox。〃
〃What's it got to do with me？〃 Schofield said。 He didn't even know anyone named Andrew Wilcox。
〃Well； that's the thing； Lieutenant。 It's addressed to you。〃
Schofield frowned。
Renshaw nodded at the screen。 On it was a list of some sort； with a message written above it。
Schofield read the message。 After a moment； his jaw dropped。 The e…mail read：
SCARECROW；
THIS IS HAWK。 BE ADVISED：
AWARE OF YOUR LOCATION。