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e damaged。
〃Did you hear me； Lloyd？ I said it's not a meteorite。〃
〃What was it； then； Sam？〃 Lloyd managed to ask； keeping his voice calm； his hand casually moving toward the button。
〃All those shallow earthquakes； right where the ship went down。。。〃
〃What about them？〃
〃Just this。 Are you familiar with the Panspermia theory？ That the earth was originally seeded with life from spores drifting through space？〃
〃Certainly； Sam； certainly；〃 Lloyd said in a soothing voice。 He pressed the button： once； twice； three times。 The nurse would be there momentarily。 McFarlane would get help。
〃Well； this is Panspermia with a vengeance。〃 The redrimmed eye bored into Lloyd's。 〃That thing we just planted at the bottom of the sea？ I don't know what it was； not exactly。 But I do know one thing。〃
〃And what's that？〃 Lloyd tried to sound normal。 Thank God； he could hear the hurried footsteps of the nurse in the corridor。
〃It's sprouting。〃
Authors' Note
THE ICE Limit is； in part； inspired by a real scientific expedition。 In 1906； Admiral Robert E。 Peary discovered the world's largest meteorite； which he named the Ahnighito； in northern Greenland。 He located it because Eskimos in the area were using cold…hammered iron spearpoints； which Peary analyzed and found to be meteoritic in origin。 He ultimately recovered the Ahnighito； wrestling it to his ship only with tremendous difficulty。 The mass of iron； when it was finally aboard； destroyed all the ship's passes。 He managed to bring it back to the American Museum of Natural History in New York； where it is still on display in the Hall of Meteorites。 He recounted the story in his book Northward over the Great Ice。 〃Never；〃 Peary wrote； 〃have I had the terrific majesty of the force of gravity so powerfully brought home to me as in handling this mountain of iron。〃 The Ahnighito is so heavy that it rests on six massive steel pillars that penetrate the floor of the museum's meteorite hall； pass through the basement； and are bolted into the very bedrock under the building。
Needless to say； while many of the locales mentioned in The Ice Limit actually exist； Lloyd Industries； Effective Engineering Solutions； and all of the characters and ships described in the novel； both American and Chilean； are entirely fictitious。 In places； we have taken liberties with the design； construction； and characteristics of tankers to best suit the narrative。 In addition； while an atlas will reveal a large island named Isla Desolacion some three hundred fifty miles northwest of where much of The Ice Limit is set； our Desolation Island … its makeup； size； and location … is entirely our own invention。
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