df.theedge-第73章

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　outsider。
　　'McLachlan's　name　is　on　that　list；'　Bill　Baudelaire　observed。
　　Filmer　said　nothing。　The　realization　of　total　disaster　showed　in　every　line　of　his　body；　in　every　twitch　in　his　face。
　　'As　we　said；'　Bill　Baudelaire　went　on；　'McLachlan　travelled　on　the　train　under　the　name　of　Johnson。　During　the　first　evening；　at　a　place　called　Cartier；　he　uncoupled　Mr　Lorrimore's　private　car　and　left　it　dead　and　dark　on　the　track。　The　railroad　investigators　believe　he　waited　in　the　vicinity　to　see　the　next　train　along；　the　regular　transcontinental　Canadian；　e　and　crash　into　the　Lorrimores'　car。　He　had　always　been　around　to　watch　the　consequences　of　his　sabotage　in　the　past：　acts　he　had　been　sent　to　prison　for　mitting。　When　the　race　train　returned　to　pick　up　the　Lorrimores'　car；　he　simply　reboarded　and　continued　on　the　journey。'
　　'He　shouldn't　have　done　it；'　Filmer　said。
　　'We　know　that。　We　also　know　that　in　speech　you　continually　mixed　up　Winnipeg　with　Vancouver。　You　instructed　McLachlan　to　wreck　the　train　before　Winnipeg；　when　you　meant　before　Vancouver。'
　　Filmer　looked　dumbfounded。
　　'That's　right；'　Daffodil　said；　sitting　up　straight；　'Winnipeg　and　Vancouver。　He　got　them　mixed　up　all　the　time。'
　　'In　Banff；'　Bill　Baudelaire　said；　'someone　loosened　the　drain　plug　on　the　fuel　tank　for　the　boiler　that　provides　steam　heat　for　the　train。　If　it　hadn't　been　discovered；　the　train　would　have　had　to　go　through　a　freezing　evening　in　the　Rockies　without　heat　for　horses　or　passengers。　Mr　Burley；　would　you　tell　us　at　first　hand　about　both　of　these　occurrences；　please？'
　　George　gave　his　accounts　of　the　uncoupling　and　the　missing　fuel　with　a　railwayman's　outrage　quivering　in　his　voice。
　　Filmer　looked　shrunken　and　sullen。
　　'During　that　last　evening；'　Bill　Baudelaire　said；　'you　decided　to　cancel　your　instructions　to　McLachlan　and　you　went　forward　to　speak　to　him。　You　had　a　disagreement　with　him。　You　told　him　to　do　no　more；　but　you　had　reckoned　without　McLachlan。　He　really　is　a　perpetual　saboteur。　You　misunderstood　his　mentality。　You　could　start　him　off；　but　you　couldn't　stop　him。　You　were　responsible　for　putting　him　on　the　train　to　wreck　it；　and　we　will　make　that　responsibility　stick。'
　　Filmer　began　weakly　to　protest；　but　Bill　Baudelaire　gave　him　no　respite。
　　'Your　man；　McLachlan；'　he　said；　'knocked　out　the　Conductor　and　left　him　tied　up　and　gagged　in　the　roomette　he　had　been　given　in　the　name　of　Johnson。　McLachlan　then　put　the　radio　out　of　order　by　pouring　liquid　into　it。　These　acts　were　necessary；　as　he　saw　it；　because　he　had　already；　at　a　place　called　Revelstoke；　removed　oily　waste　from　the　journal…box　holding　one　of　the　axles　under　the　horse　car。　One　of　two　things　could　then　happen：　if　the　train　crew　failed　to　notice　the　axle　getting　red　hot；　the　axle　would　break；　cause　damage；　possibly　derail　the　train。　If　it　were　discovered；　the　train　would　stop　for　the　axle　to　be　cooled。　In　either　case；　the　Conductor　would　radio　to　the　despatcher　in　Vancouver；　who　would　radio　to　the　Conductor　of　the　regular　train；　the　Canadian；　ing　along　behind；　to　tell　him　to　stop；　so　that　there　shouldn't　be　a　collision。　Is　that　clear？'
　　It　was　pellucid　to　everyone　in　the　room。
　　'The　train　crew；'　he　went　on；　'did　discover　the　hot　axle　and　the　engineers　stopped　the　train。　No　one　could　find　the　Conductor；　who　was　tied　up　in　Johnson's　roomette。　No　one　could　radio　to　Vancouver　as　the　radio　wouldn't　work。　The　only　recourse　left　to　the　crew　was　to　send　a　man　back　along　the　line　to　light　flares；　to　stop　the　Canadian　in　the　old　historic　way。'　He　paused　briefly。　'McLachlan；　a　railwayman；　knew　this　would　happen；　so　when　the　train　stopped　he　went　himself　along　the　track；　armed　himself　with　a　piece　of　wood　and　lay　in　wait　for　whomever　came　with　the　flares。'
　　Filmer　stared　darkly；　hearing　it　for　the　first　time。
　　'McLachlan　attacked　the　man　with　the　flares；　but　by　good　fortune　failed　to　knock　him　out。　It　was　this　man　here　who　was　sent　with　the　flares。'　He　nodded　in　my　direction。　'He　succeeded　in　lighting　the　flares　and　stopping　the　Canadian。'　He　paused　and　said　to　me；　'Is　that　correct？'
　　'Yes；　sir；'　I　said。　Word　perfect；　I　thought。
　　He　went　on；　The　race…train　engineers　cooled　the　journal…box　with　snow　and　refilled　it　with　oil；　and　the　train　went　on　its　way。　The　Conductor　was　discovered　in　McLachlan's　roomette。　McLachlan　did　not　reboard　the　train　that　time；　and　there　will　presently　be　a　warrant　issued　for　his　arrest。　You；　Mr　Filmer；　are　answerable　with　McLachlan　for　what　happened。'
　　'I　told　him　not　to。'　Filmer's　voice　was　a　rising　shout　of　protest。　'I　didn't　want　him　to。'
　　His　lawyers　would　love　that　admission；　I　thought。
　　'McLachlan's　assault　was　serious；'　Bill　Baudelaire　said　calmly。　He　picked　up　my　X…ray　and　the　doctor's　report；　and　waved　them　in　Filmer's　direction。　'McLachlan　broke　this　crewman's　shoulder　blade。　The　crewsman　has　positively　identified　McLachlan　as　the　man　who　attacked　him。　The　Conductor　has　positively　identified　McLachlan　as　the　passenger　known　to　him　as　Johnson。　The　Conductor　has　suffered　concussion；　and　we　have　here　another　doctor's　report　on　that。'
　　No　doubt　a　good　defence　lawyer　might　have　seen　gaps　in　the　story；　but　at　that　moment　Filmer　was　beleaguered　and　confounded　and　hampered　by　the　awareness　of　guilt。　He　was　past　thinking　analytically；　past　asking　how　the　crewman　had　escaped　from　McLachlan　and　been　able　to　plete　his　mission；　past　wondering　what　was　conjecture　with　the　sabotage　and　what　was　provable　fact。
　　The　sight　of　Filmer　reduced　to　sweating　rubble　was　the　purest　revenge　that　any　of　us…Mercer；　Daffodil；　Val　Catto；　Bill　Baudelaire；　George　Burley　or　I…could　have　envisaged；　and　we　had　it　in　full　measure。　Do　unto　others；　I　thought　dryly；　what　they　have　done　to　your　friends。
　　'We　will　proceed　against　you　on　all　counts；'　the　Brigadier　said　magisterially。
　　Control　disintegrated　in　Filmer。　He　came　up　out　of　his　chair　fighting　mad；　driven　to　lashing　out；　to　raging　against　his　defeat；　to　pushing　someone　else　for　his　troubles；　even　though　it　could　achieve　no　purpose。
　　He　made　me　his　target。　It　couldn't　have　been　a　subconscious　awareness　that　it　was　I　who　had　been　his　real　enemy　all　along：　much　the　reverse；　I　supposed；　in　that　he　saw　me　as　the　least　of　the　people　there；　the　one　he　could　best　bash　with　most　impunity。
　　I　saw　him　ing　a　mile　off。　I　also　saw　the　alarm　on　the　Brigadier's　face　and　correctly　interpreted　it。
　　If　I　fought　back　as　instinct　dictated；　if　I　did　to　Filmer　the　sort　of　damage　I'd　told　the　Brigadier　I'd　done　to　McLachlan；　I　would　weaken　our　case。
　　Thought　before　action；　if　one　had　time。
　　Thought　could　be　flash　fast。　I　had　time。　It　would　be　an　unexpected　bonus　for　us　if　the　damage　were　the　other　way　round。
　　He　had　iron…pumping　muscle　power。　It　would　indeed　be　damage。
　　Oh　well。。。
　　I　rolled　my　head　a　shade　sideways　and　he　punched　me　twice；　quite　hard；　on　the　cheek　and　the　jaw。　I　went　back　with　a　crash　against　the　nearby　wall；　which　wasn't　all　that　good　for　the　shoulder　blade；　and　I　slid　the　bottom　of　my　spine　down　the　wall　until　I　was　sitting　on　the　floor；　knees　bent　up；　my　head　back　against　the　paintwork。
　　Filmer　was　above　me；　lunging　about　and　delivering　another　couple　of　stingingly　heavy　cuffs；　and　I　thought；　e　on　guys；　it's　high　time　for　the　arrival　of　the　Cavalry；　and　the　Cavalry…the　Mounties…in　the　shape　of　George　Burley　and　Bill　Baudelaire　obligingly　grabbed　Filmer's　swinging　arms　and　hauled　him　away。
　　I　stayed　where　I　was；　feeling　slightly　pulped；　watching　the　action。
　　The　Brigadier　pressed　a　button　on　the　desk　which　soon　resulted　in　the　arrival　of　two　large　racecourse　security　guards；　one　of　whom；　to　Filmer's　furious　astonishment；　placed　a　manacle　upon　the　Julius　Apollo　wrist。
　　'You　can't　do　this；'　he　shouted。
　　The　guard　phlegmatically　fastened　the　hanging　half　of　the　metal　bracelet　to　his　own　thick　wrist。
　　One　of　the　Vancouver　top…brass　spoke　for　the　first　time；　in　an　authoritative　voice。　'Take　Mr　Filmer　to　the　security　office　and　detain　him　until　I　e　down。'
　　The　guards　said；　'Yes；　sir。'
　　They　moved　like　tanks。　Filmer；　humiliated　to　his　socks；　was　tugged　away　between　them　as　if　of　no　account。