The Dragon in the Sea by Frank Herbert Read Free Book Online

silently as Bonnett and Ramsey reinstalled the final cover plate of the main board.
    Bonnett straightened, rubbed the back of his neck. His hand left a grease smear. He spoke to Ramsey: “You’re a boy, Junior. We may make a submariner out of you yet. You’ve just gotta remember that down here you never make the same mistake once.”
    Ramsey racked a screw driver in his tool kit, closed the kit, turned, saw Sparrow. “All secure, Skipper?”
    Sparrow didn’t answer at once. He looked around the control room, sniffed the air. Faint smell of ozone. A distant humming of standby machinery. The round eyes of the
indicator dials like symbiotic extensions of himself. The plucking disquiet remained within him.
    â€œAs secure as mortals can make it—I hope,” he said. “We’ll repair to the wardroom.” Sparrow turned, ducked out the way he had entered.
    Ramsey put his tool kit into its wall rack. Metal grated against metal. He shivered, turned. Bonnett was going through the door. Ramsey stepped across the control room, ducked through the door, followed Bonnett into the wardroom. Sparrow and Garcia already were there, Garcia seated to the right, Sparrow standing at the opposite end of the table. Ramsey’s eyes widened. An open Bible lay on the table before Sparrow.
    â€œWe invoke the help of the Almighty upon our mean endeavors,” said Sparrow.
    Bonnett slipped into a chair at the left.
    Sparrow indicated the seat opposite himself. “Will you be seated, please, Mr. Ramsey?”
    Ramsey lowered himself into the chair, rested one hand on the green felt of the table cover. Sparrow towered above them at the other end of the table. The Giver of the Law with hand upon the Book.
    Religious services , thought Ramsey. Here’s one of the binding forces of this crew. Participation Mystique! The consecration of the warriors before the foray.
    â€œWhat is your religion, Mr. Ramsey?” asked Sparrow.
    Ramsey cleared his throat. “Protestant Episcopal.”
    â€œIt’s not really important down here,” said Sparrow. “I was merely curious. We have a saying in the subtugs that the Lord won’t permit a live atheist to dive below a thousand feet.”
    Ramsey smiled.

    Sparrow bent over the Bible. His voice rumbled as he read: “‘Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil: that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!’”
    He closed the Bible, lifted his head. It was a movement of power, of authority. Ramsey received an impression of deep strength.
    â€œWe do our job with what we have at hand,” said Sparrow. “We do what we believe to be the right thing. Though it grieve us, we do it. We do it that the godless shall perish from the earth. Amen.”
    Sparrow turned away, placed the Bible in a case against the bulkhead. With his back still turned to them, he said, “Stations, everyone. Mr. Ramsey, contact base, tell them we are ready to go. Get the time for the first check point.”
    Ramsey got to his feet. Foremost in his thoughts was the almost physical need to examine the first telemeter record on Sparrow. “Yes, sir,” he said. He turned, ducked through the door to the companionway and across into his shack, contacted base.
    First check point in four hours.
    Ramsey relayed the information to Sparrow.
    â€œZero the automatic timelog,” said Sparrow. “Check in, everyone.”
    â€œGarcia here. Drive and tow secure.”
    â€œBonnett here. Main secure.”
    Ramsey looked at his board in the electronics shack. A queer sensation of belonging here passed over him. A sense of familiarity, of association deeper and longer than the five
weeks of training. “E-board secure,” he said. “Two atmospheres in the hull.” He looked to the vampire gauge on