el.the miko-第24部分

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　unyielding。　Then；　following　the　other's　finger；　Nangi　saw　the　two　tiny　specks。　He　made　another　minor　course　adjustment。
　〃Time；〃　Gotaro　said　in　his　ear。
　Nangi　was　trimming　airspeed。　〃Wait！〃　he　called。　But　when　he　turned　his　head；　his　friend　was　already　gone。　Nangi　could　picture　him　slithering　down　the　makeshift　tunnel　into　the　dark；　cramped；　coffinlike　cockpit。
　〃Here　I　am。〃
　Nangi　heard　Gotaro's　voice　emerging　through　the　top　end　of　the　speaking　tube。　He　lowered　the　flaps；　and　they　began　their　descent。　He　kept　Gotaro　informed　every　step　of　the　way。
　〃We're　at　thirty…five　thousand　feet。　I　can　just　make　out　some　definition　in　the　target。〃
　〃I've　got　the　destroyer；〃　Gotaro　said。　〃Just　get　me　there　on　time。　I'll　do　the　rest。〃
　Nangi's　skilled　hands　were　busy　bringing　the　plane　down　on　course。　He　felt　keenly　the　hachimaki　wound　tightly　around　his　helmet　and　he　said；　〃Sato…san。〃
　〃Yes；　my　friend。〃
　What　was　there　to　say？　〃Twenty…nine　thousand　feet　and　closing。　We're　right　on　target。〃　He　put　his　hand　up　to　touch　the　white　cloth　fluttering　slightly　in　the　chill　air。
　The　sky　was　enormous。　Off　to　the　left；　dark　cumulus　clouds　were　building　along　the　horizon；　and　Nangi　was　mindful　of　the　first　abrupt　shift　in　wind　direction。　Still　rich　sunlight　splattered　the　target　area。　The　sea　stretched　away；　limitless。
　〃Twenty…eight　thousand；〃　Nangi　said　and　put　his　hand　on　the　Oka　release　lever。　〃I'll　give　you　a　second…by…second　countdown。〃
　Gotaro　must　have　heard　something　in　his　voice　because　he　said；　〃Take　it　easy　now；　my　friend。　Don't　worry。〃
　〃Unlike　you；　I　have　no　faith　to　believe　in。〃　Nangi　shored　up　his　emotions。　The　altimeter　was　hovering　near　the　cutoff　point。　Soon　the　Oka　would　be　but　a　swiftly　falling　blossom；　dropping　toward　the　bosom　of　the　Pacific。　〃It　is　time　we　said　our　goodbyes。〃
　The　droning　of　the　wind　and　then；　drifting　up　to　him　from　the　speaking　tube；　came　Gotaro's　voice；　〃Today　in　flower；　Tomorrow　scattered　by　the　wind…Such　is　our　blossom　life。　How　can　we　think　its　fragrance　lasts　forever？〃
　There　were　tears　in　Nangi's　eyes　as　he　pulled　the　lever。　〃Goodbye；〃　he　whispered。
　A　moment　later　the　rockets　came　on。　Abruptly；　the　Mitsubishi　canted　over　horribly。　At　first　Nangi　thought　they　had　been　hit　by　enemy　fire。　But　they　were　still　too　far　away　from　their　target　for　the　ships'　guns；　and　the　sky　had　been　clear　of　enemy　aircraft。
　Then；　with　one　wingtip　pointing　toward　the　roof　of　the　heavens；　the　nose　went　almost　straight　down；　and　he　knew　with　a　sudden　chilling　certainty　what　had　occurred。　The　wind　was　moaning　through　the　stripped　down　fuselage　as　he　leaned　forward；　screaming　into　the　speaking　tube。　〃Gotaro！　Gotaro！〃
　〃I'm　stuck　in　here；　still　plastered　to　your　underbelly。〃
　〃The　rockets　are　misfiring！　I　can't　bring　the　nose　up！〃　Frantically；　he　worked　at　the　controls；　but　it　was　useless；　he　knew　that。　They　were　not　meant　to　correct　for　1；764　pounds　of　thrust。
　They　were　hurtling　out　of　control；　heading　toward　the　flat　bed　of　the　sea　at　a　heartstopping　six　hundred　miles　an　hour。　Still　Nangi　did　not　give　up　hope　and　he　did　what　he　could　to　slow　their　terrific　rate　of　descent。　The　rockets　cut　off　after　nine　seconds；　but　their　tremendous　initial　thrust　had　done　thek　damage。
　〃Get　back　up　here！〃　Nangi　cried　as　he　tried　to　regain　control　of　the　aircraft。　〃I　don't　want　you　in　the　belly　when　we　hit　the　water。〃
　There　was　no　answer　but　Nangi　was　too　busy　at　the　controls　to　repeat　his　urgent　message。　Now　that　the　rockets　were　off；　some　semblance　of　control　returned　to　the　plane。　But　they　were　dangerously　close　to　the　sea　and　Nangi　realized　there　was　no　hope　of　pulling　out　of　the　spin。　The　Mitsubishi's　twin　engines　just　could　not　cope　with　the　powerful　thrust　of　the　rockets'　misdirected　fire。
　The　airframe　was　juddering　dangerously；　and　because　of　the　acute　horizontal　angle　with　which　they　were　dropping　he　was　afraid　a　wing　would　crack　off。　If　that　happened；　he　knew；　there　would　be　no　chance　for　them　at　all。　The　ungainly　craft　would　plunge　like　a　stone　into　the　wall　of　the　ocean；　crushing　them　instantaneously。
　So　Nangi　abandoned　the　impossible　task　of　pulling　them　out　of　the　dive　and　instead　redirected　his　attention　to　rectifying　the　angle。　If　he　could　level　them　off　somewhat　they　would　have　a　chance　of　survival。　The　Oka　would　be　sheared　off　as　they　hit；　but　as　long　as　Gotaro　was　out　of　there　that　would　be　all　right…the　stubby　plane　would　take　the　brunt　of　the　force。
　Out　of　the　windscreen　the　sky　was　pinwheeling；　merging　with　the　sea；　back　and　forth　like　a　funhouse　ride。　The　fuselage　was　screaming　as　the　force　of　gravity　applied　pressure　to　the　riveted　joints。　The　sea　was　clear　of　the　enemy　and　there　was　nothing　on　the　horizon　but　the　storm　piling　up；　purple　and　yellow　like　a　bruise。
　They　were　very　close　to　the　water　now；　and　Nangi　began　to　hear　a　high；　thin　wailing　above　the　rest　of　the　sounds　inundating
　him；　and　he　began　to　sweat。　The　top　wing　had　still　not　e　down　far　enough　and　now　the　stress　on　it　was　horrendous。
　There　were　only　seconds　left　before　he　knew　it　would　shear　off；　plunging　them　to　their　death。　He　did　not　want　to　be　crushed　inside　this　steel　coffin　and　he　worked　even　more　frantically　at　the　controls。
　He　felt　a　pressure　on　his　back；　then　Gotaro's　big　hand　gripping　his　shoulder　and　he　thought；　It　took　him　long　enough。　He　was　angry　with　himself　and　with　Gotaro　because　of　the　added　anxiety　it　had　caused　him。
　The　sea　was　ing　up　fast　and　now　he　thought；　It　doesn't　matter。　If　the　angle　doesn't　kill　us；　the　explosives　in　the　nose　of　the　Oka　surely　will。　But　still　he　worked　on；　and　the　upper　wing　grudgingly　began　to　level　off。
　They　were　now　no　more　than　five　hundred　feet　off　the　water　and　Nangi　wondered　if　he　had　left　it　too　late　because　they　were　falling；　falling　like　a　leaf　in　a　storm；　the　sea　ing　off　its　two…dimensional　plane；　breaking　up　into　light　peaks　and　dark　troughs；　the　dark　blue　almost　black　and　the　last　thought　whirling　around　his　brain；　We're　over　the　Marianas　Trench　and　if　we　sink　we　just　might　go　on　forever。
　Then　the　Pacific　came　up　and　slammed　them　so　hard　all　the　breath　went　out　of　Nangi's　lungs　like　a　balloon　bursting。　He　heard　the　shriek　of　ten　thousand　demons　then　a　quick　searing　flash　of　heat　and　his　tiny　world　collapsed　in　on　him；　bolts　of　pain　imploding；　nailing　him　to　a　cross　of　agony。
　It　must　have　been　Gotaro　who　pulled　him　out　of　the　ruined；　twisted　cockpit　because　Nangi　never　remembered　climbing　out　himself。　Many　years　later　he　would　have　recurring　nightmares　about　those　few　terrible；　confused　moments；　no　true　images　ing；　only　vague　impressions；　unease；　terror；　the　sense　of　suffocation；　of　immobility。
　Then　the　bright　sky　was　above　him；　a　harsh　wind　scouring　his　cheeks　and　the　rocking　motion　of　the　waves　far　out　at　sea。　He　opened　his　eyes　to　a　red　haze。　Pain　lanced　through　his　head；　and　when　he　tried　to　move；　he　could　not。
　〃Lie　still；〃　someone　said　close　beside　him。　〃Lie　still；　samurai。〃
　His　breathing　was　labored　and　he　fought　to　speak。　But　something　seemed　to　be　clogging　his　voice　box。　His　throat　felt　lined　in　fire　and　his　mouth　was　full　of　cotton。　He　had　a　sense　of　heat　again；　flames　running　along　his　cheeks　like　tears。　A　great　crackling　filled　his　ears　and　the　stench　of　smoke　clogged　his　nostrils；　choking　him。　He　vomited　and　someone　held　his　head；　wiping　his　mouth　with　a　smudged　white　cloth　unwound　from　his　head。
　His　vision　began　to　clear　and　he　saw；　rearing　up　over　them；　blotting　out　everything；　what　he　took　to　be　the　black　fluke　of　an　immense　sea　creature。　He　began　to　whimper；　an　irrational　fear　turning　his　skin　wet　and　cold。　Then　his　head　cleared　and　he　saw　it　for　what　it　was：　the　tail　section　of　the　Mitsubishi。　He　closed　his　eyes　and　lost　consciousness。
　When　he　opened　his　eyes　again；　the　first　thing　he　noticed　was　that　he　had　lost　some　depth　perception。
　〃One　eye's　out；〃　Gotaro　said　from　beside　him。　〃And　don't　try　to　move。　Something's　happened　to　your　legs。〃
　Nangi　was　silent　for　a　time；　digesting　this。　At　last　he　said　one　word；　〃Explosives。〃
　Gotaro　smiled　at　him。　〃That's　what　took　me　so　long　down　in　the　Oka。　I　was　working　the　nose　loose。　I　jettisoned　it　at　about　eighteen　thousand　feet。　It　made　quite　a　bang。〃
　〃Didn't　notice。〃
　Gotaro　shook　his　head。　〃You　were　too　busy。〃　His　smiled　washed　over　Nangi　again；　easing　his　pain。　〃You　saved　us；　you　know。　The　minute　those　rockets　misfired　I　was　certain　we　were　dead。　We　would　have　been　but　for　what　you　did。〃
　Nangi　closed　his　eyes。　Saying　three　words　had　depleted　all　the　strength　that　was　left　him。
　When　he　awoke　again；　Gotaro　was　bent　over　his　legs；　trying　to　do　something。
　〃What's　going　on？〃　Nangi　said。
　Gotaro　turned　quickly　away　from　what　he　was　doing。　〃Just　checking　on　your　wounds。〃　His　eyes　slid　away　from　Nangi's　toward　the　heaving　sea。
　〃No　land。〃
　〃What？〃　Gotaro　said。　〃No。　None　at　all。　I　thought　we　might　be　close　enough　to　one　of　the　Marianas；　but　I　don't　think　that's　the　case　now。〃
　〃Noguchi　will　find　us　soon　enough。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Gotaro　said。　〃I　suppose　he　will。〃
　〃He'll　want　to　know　what　went　wrong。　All　the　vice…admirals　and　admirals　in　the　Imperial　Navy　will　want　to　know。　They've　got　to　get　us　back　safe　and　sound。〃
　Gotaro　said　nothing；　his　gaze　roving　this　way　and　that　across　the　water。
　〃Where's　that　storm　we　saw　before？〃　It　was　difficult　for　Nangi　to　talk　and　he　was　monstrously　thirsty。　But　he　would　not　give　it　up。　In　the　silence　the　thought　of　the　awesome　yawning　Trench　falling　away　below　them　would　fill　his　mind　with　dark　twistings　and　his　stomach　would　lurch　and　he　would　begin　to　retch　in　irrational　terror。
　〃The　wind　hasn't　shifted　yet；〃　Gotaro　said　absently。　〃It's　still　hanging　in　the　northwest。〃　Clearly　his　mind　was　on　other　matters。　What　they　were　Nangi　could　not　guess。　Nor　would　he　ask。
　There　was　a　silence　between　them　then。　Just　the　wind　whistling；　a　constant　force　against　them　like　an　invisible　wall；　and　the　long　up…and…down　motion　caused　by　the　swell　of　the　sea；　sickeningly　regular。　Nangi　longed　to　see　even　one　gull；　pulling　and　swooping　across　the　barren　horizon；　harbinger　of　land。
　He　was　still　wet；　and　the　wind　crawling　through　the　rents　and　gaps　in　his　uniform　caused　his　skin　to　raise　itself　in　gooseflesh。　His　bladd