se he was afraid。 At a moment of great personal danger; Beth had abandoned him。 There were only three of them left down there; and they needed each other…they needed to depend on each other。 But Beth was unreliable; and that made him afraid。 And angry。
〃Can you hear me?〃 her voice said; on the inter。 〃Anybody hear me?〃
Norman reached for the microphone; but Harry snatched it away。 〃Ill do this;〃 he said。 〃Yes; Beth; we can hear you。〃
〃Im in the ship;〃 she said; her voice crackling on the inter。 〃Ive found another partment; aft; behind the crew bunks。 Its quite interesting。〃
Quite interesting; Norman thought。 Jesus; quite interesting。 He grabbed the microphone from Harry。 〃Beth; what the hell are you doing over there?〃
〃Oh; hi; Norman。 You made it back okay; huh?〃
〃Barely。〃
〃You have some trouble?〃 She didnt sound concerned。
〃Yes; I did。〃
〃Are you all right? You sound mad。〃
〃You bet Im mad。 Beth; why did you leave while I was out there?〃
〃Harry said hed take over for me。〃
〃He what?〃 Norman looked at Harry。 Harry was shaking his head no。
〃Harry said hed take over at the console for me。 He told me to go ahead to the ship。 Since the squid wasnt around; it seemed like a good time。〃
Norman cupped his hand over microphone。 〃I dont the remember that;〃 Harry said。
〃Did you talk to her?〃
〃I dont remember talking to her。〃
Beth said; 〃Just ask him; Norman。 Hell tell you。〃
〃He says he never said that。〃
〃Well; then; hes full of it;〃 Beth said。 〃What do you think; Id abandon you when you were outside; for Christs sake?〃 ''247'' There was a pause。 〃Id never do that; Norman。〃
〃I swear;〃 Harry said to Norman。 〃I never had any conversation with Beth。 I never talked to her at all。 Im telling you; she was gone when I woke up。 There was nobody here。 If you ask me; she always intended to go to the ship。〃
Norman remembered how quickly Beth had agreed to let Norman go to the sub; how surprised he had been。 Perhaps Harry was right; he thought。 Perhaps Beth had been planning it all along。
〃You know what I think?〃 Harry said。 〃I think shes cracking up。〃
Over the inter; Beth said; 〃You guys get it straightened out?〃
Norman said; 〃I think so; Beth; yes。〃
〃Good;〃 Beth said。 〃Because I have made a discovery over here; in the spaceship。〃
〃Whats that?〃
〃Ive found the crew。〃
〃You both came;〃 Beth said。 She was sitting on a console in the fortable beige flight deck of the spacecraft。 〃Yes;〃 Norman said; looking at her。 She looked okay。 If anything; she looked better than ever。 Stronger; clearer。 She actually looked rather beautiful; he thought。 〃Harry thought that the squid wouldnt e back。〃
〃The squid was out there?〃
Norman briefly told her about his attack。
〃Jesus。 Im sorry; Norman。 Id never have left if I had any idea。〃
She certainly didnt sound like somebody who was cracking up; Norman thought。 She sounded appropriate and sincere。 〃Anyway;〃 he said; 〃I injured it; and Harry thought it wouldnt e back。〃
Harry said; 〃And we couldnt decide who should stay behind; so we both came。〃
〃Well; e this way;〃 Beth said。 She led them back; through the crew quarters; past the twenty bunks for the ''248'' crew; the large galley。 Norman paused at the galley。 So did Harry。
〃Im hungry;〃 Harry said。
〃Eat something;〃 Beth said。 〃I did。 They have some sort of nut bars or something; they taste okay。〃 She opened a drawer in the galley; produced bars wrapped in metal foil; gave them each one。 Norman tore the foil and saw something that looked like chocolate。 It tasted dry。
〃Anything to drink?〃