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！
A new message imposed itself prominently： 120 seconds to perigee…705 seconds to impact。
The monitor altered abruptly； darkening； and F'lessan saw the line on the sidebar that indicated Yoko was displaying a constructed image； made up of the optical； infrared； microwave； and other print capabilities that Erragon had once tried to describe to F'lessan。 The nucleus of the et looked suddenly darker but the reduction of the glare relieved his eyes。 Ominously the message now read 60 seconds to atmosphere。
Another read 20 seconds to impact； Angle 12°： magnitude of dust trail …9。
People splayed fingers in front of their eyes。 The glare…reduced optical version saved them from the splintering whiteness that erupted； which the monitor hastily continued to reduce。 A screen flicked to a new image…identified as 〃synthetic radar〃…as Yoko attempted to see through the clouds。
Twenty seconds couldn't have elapsed； F'lessan thought and then realized that Yoko was slightly behind in its reporting。 Where had it impacted？ The island chain or the sea？
No one spoke。 All seemed to be holding their breath。 The silence was broken by printers churning out reams of hard copy that fell unnoticed into baskets or spilled to the floor。 As the et was spilling its substance onto the sea？ Flaming molten debris down on the nearest Ring islands？
Even the image on the screen seemed to recoil from the incredible brightness。 Squinting through his fingers； F'lessan saw the radar image showing the surface topography…and a series of rings on the ocean。 Waves traveled outward from the impact point； immediately followed by a much higher fountain of water as the sea fell back into the impact crater。 Then he had the distinct impression of a wall moving out with astonishing speed and saw a column of red…brown steam spreading down to the sea； with black bits whirling up and out； and then vast billows rushing out from it across the sea。
Still the silence in the Interface office was broken only by machines doing what they were programmed to do： disgorge columns of figures。 The human observers struggled to absorb what they had just seen； were still witnessing as retinal afterimages： the creation of a storm of staggering proportions； blossoming up and outward。 Steam； gas vapor； and whatever the head of the fireball had been posed of were part of the storm。 The fireball had extinguished itself and then hit the sea； F'lessan repeated； making his mind believe what his eyes had seen： it made a hole that made a wave； which fell back； and sent up a fountain of water。 Abruptly the data on the screen changed。
Impactor Summary
Probable etary origin
Impact velocity 58。51 km/sec
Dimensions 597 times 361 times 452 meter ellipsoid
Volume 51 million cubic meters
Average Density 0。33 （＋…0。11）
Total Mass 17 million tons
Derived Impact Energy 29。7 Exajoules
Explosive Equivalent 7。4 gigatons
8° northern latitude； 12° east longitude。
〃It came down in the sea！〃 Stinar's sigh of relief held a triumphant note。
Ramoth saw this； too； Golanth told his rider in a muted tone。 That's when F'lessan recalled that Erragon had said that the Benden Weyrleaders and Wansor had been watching this on the conference room screen。
They weren't all that lucky； after all； that the et had missed the volcanic islands。 A huge mass like that hitting open sea would cause a great deal of trouble。 There'd be a shock wave； wouldn't there？ In how many more minutes？ How much damage would that cause？ Was Landing far enough away？ Monaco Bay was at sea level。 It'd be flooded to the hills and they were a long way up the sloping beachfront。
He tried to calm these thoughts； to resurrect the necessary information from lessons long past。 He started to recall sentences； paragraphs； and irrelevant details。
A cold fear in his guts increasing with every second； F'lessan peered at the screen as the cloud boiled； red…brown； to occlude what was actually happening。 They ought to know what was happening at sea level； the bronze rider thought； there was something…。 Everyone in the office had now recovered their wits and their tongues。 If everyone around him would only stop babbling excitedly about this spectacular event； he could think。 Where was Tai？ She might know。 She should be here。 So should T'gellan。 The coast of the southern continent was not going to escape the effects of something so big dropping at that speed！
Suddenly the view on the screen altered； not only dropping the infrared screen but also presenting a new perspective； well back from the impact site。 A discernible wave； a darkness of water； was moving outward； just faster than the flat…topped clouds boiling up and out。 More data was being presented in margins。 F'lessan blinked； unable to decipher the critical messages given。
F'lessan kept his eyes on the screen。 The Yoko adjusted its viewpoint by pulling back at speed； back beyond the hump of one of the big rainforest islands just north of the impact point。 It was burning！ Burning？ Oh； yes； memory informed F'lessan； the thermal flare of the et would cause flash fires with the heat of its passing。
〃We're very； very lucky；〃 someone muttered。 〃It didn't hit any landmass。〃
〃No； we're not lucky；〃 F'lessan said savagely； watching the dark watery circle expand。 〃That island's on fire！〃 Then he pointed to the map in the right…hand corner。 〃The one due south will be burning； too。 And look at that gap between them！ There'll be sea pouring through that gap； circling out； spreading； and ing straight down to the southern coastline in a wall of water。。。 〃 He paused； uncertainly； trying to recall the specific term。
〃Tsunami！〃
Tai's soft shocked voice behind him in the silence of the Interface office gave F'lessan the word he had been trying to remember。 She stood with T'gellan and Mirrim against the wall。 He hadn't even seen them arrive。 She stared with awed fear and fascination at what the monitor depicted。
The distant cloud expanded sideways and skyward； and the surface of sea was reacting in its depths and sending ominous black undulations out in all directions。 And something swirled up and over the rainforest island。 Then the view retreated to show a new aspect； the island had been subsumed！ And a thick line of debris： the lush huge trees； some thirty meters tall； were now just sea wrack； bobbing until finally they would be tossed upon beaches as jetsam。 The dark circle continued to spread outward； westward。 East； too； F'lessan now realized； though the cloud obscured that fact。 He checked with the radar screen and yes； the rings were heading east and south； right at unprotected lowlands； possibly as far as the Hook Islands； and certainly speeding right toward the lovely little bays that dotted the Monaco coast； and Monaco Bay itself； the Harbor； the busy boatyard with sheds； pier； and cotholds。 And Cove Hold？ Would the Kahrain Cape protect it？
〃That's what a tsunami does to what's in its way；〃 F'lessan said； pointing to the wreckage； the shocking disappearance of two substantial islands。 A shaft of cold； deep fear engulfed his bones。 He urgently signaled Tai to join him。
〃Tsunami？〃 Mirrim echoed in a surprise tinged with denial； fear； and resentment。 She lifted her hand to stop Tai but F'lessan scowled at her as he waved the green rider to his side。
〃I thought tsunami occurred with sea or earthquakes；〃 T'gellan said； stunned。
〃Tsunami can also occur when something very hot and heavy falls out of the sky；〃 Erragon said in the tone of someone who wishes he did not have to announce such news。 〃And a et just did！〃 He pointed to the grim Impactor Summary figures。
F'lessan shook his head； unable to deal with such incredible quantities as a mass of 17 million tons and a derived impact energy of 29。7 exajoules。 Now that was a typically esoteric Aivas word。 He was almost relieved to see Erragon and Stinar were also struggling to put such terms into Pernese contexts。
〃What does all that mean？〃 Mirrim asked； her tanned skin pale。 In all the Turns he had known her； F'lessan had never seen this confident woman so scared。
Erragon swiveled on his heel； giving her such a piercing lo