alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第14章

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ow　about　a　little　fresh　air；　Ellis？〃
　 〃Right　away；　sir。〃　Ellis　buttoned　his　coat　and　added：　〃Might　take　some　time。〃
　 〃I　don't　think　so；〃　Swanson　said。　〃You　may　find　the　bridge　and　hatchways　jammed　with　broken　ice　but　I　doubt　it。　My　guess　is　that　that　ice　is　so　thick　that　it　will　have　fractured　into　very　large　sections　and　fallen　outside　clear　of　the　bridge。〃
　 I　felt　my　ears　pop　with　the　sudden　pressure　change　as　the　hatch　swung　up　and　open　and　snapped　back　against　its　standing　latch。　Another；　more　distant　sound　as　the　second　hatch　cover　locked　open；　and　then　we　heard　Ellis　on　the　voice　tube。
　 〃All　clear　up　top。〃
　 〃Raise　the　antennae；〃　Swanson　said。　〃John；　have　them　start　transmitting　and　keep　transmitting　until　their　fingers　fall　off。　Here　we　are　and　here　we　stayuntil　we　raise　Drift　Ice　Station　Zebra。〃
　 〃If　there's　anyone　left　alive　there；〃　I　said。　
　 〃There's　that；　of　course；〃　Swanson　said。　He　couldn't　look　at　me。　〃There's　always　that。〃
　
　
　4
　
　 This；　I　thought；　death's　dreadful　conception　of　a　dreadful　world；　must　have　been　what　had　chilled　the　hearts　and　souls　of　our　far…off　Nordic　ancestors　when　life's　last　tide　slowly　ebbed　and　they　had　tortured　their　failing　minds　with　fearful　imaginings　of　a　bleak　and　bitter　hell　of　eternal　cold。　But　it　had　been　all　right　for　the　old　boys；　all　they　had　to　do　was　imagine　it；　we　had　to　experience　the　reality　of　it；　and　I　bad　no　doubt　at　all　in　my　mind　as　to　which　was　easier。　The　latter…day　Eastern　conception　of　hell　was　altogether　more　fortable；　at　least　a　man　could　keep　reasonably　warm　there。
　 One　thing　sure；　nobody　could　keep　reasonably　warm　where　Rawlings　and　I　were；　standing　a　half…hour　watch　on　the　bridge　of　the　〃Dolphin〃　and　slowly　freezing　solid。　It　had　been　my　own　fault　entirely　that　our　teeth　were　chattering　like　frenzied　castanets。　Half　an　hour　after　the　radio　room　had　started　transmitting　on　Drift　Ice　Station　Zebra's　wave　length　and　all　without　the　slightest　whisper　by　way　of　reply　or　acknowledgment；　I　had　suggested　to　mander　Swanson　that　Zebra　might　possibly　be　able　to　hear　us　without　having　sufficient　power　to　send　a　reply　but　that　they　might　just　conceivably　let　us　have　an　acknowledgment　some　other　way。　I'd　pointed　out　that　drift　stations　habitually　carried　rocketsthe　only　way　to　guide　home　any　lost　members　of　the　party　if　radio　munication　broke　downand　radio　sondes　and　rockoons。　The　sondes　were　…radio…carrying　balloons　that　could　rise　to　a　height　of　twenty　miles　to　gather　weather　information；　the　rockoons；　radio　rockets　fired　from　balloons；　could　rise　even　higher。　On　a　moonlit　night　such　as　this；　those　balloons；　if　released；　would　be　visible　at　least　twenty　miles　away：　if　flares　were　attached　to　them；　at　twice　that　distance。　Swanson　had　seen　my　point；　called　for　volunteers　for　the　first　watch；　and　in　the　circumstances　I　hadn't　had　much　choice。　Rawlings　bad　offered　to　acpany　me。
　 It　was　a　landscapeif　such　a　bleak；　barren；　and；　featureless　desolation　could　be　called　a　landscapefrom　another　and　ancient　world；　weird　and　strange　and　oddly　frightening。　There　were　no　clouds　in　the　sky；　but　there　were　no　stars；　either：　this　I　could　not　understand。　Low　on　the　southern　horizon　a　milky；　misty　moon　shed　its　mysterious　light　over　the　dark　lifelessness　of　the　polar　ice　cap。　Dark；　not　white。　One　would　have　expected　moonlit　ice　to　shine　and　sparkle　and　glitter　with　the　light　of　a　million　crystal　chandeliers：　but　it　was　dark。　The　moon　was　so　low　in　the　sky　that　the　dominating　color　on　the　ice　cap　came　from　the　blackness　of　the　long　shadows　cast　by　the　fantastically　ridged　and　hummocked　ice；　and　where　the　moon　did　strike　directly；　the　ice　had　been　so　scoured　and　abraded　by　the　assaults　of　a　thousand　ice　storms　that　it　had　lost　almost　all　its　ability　to　reflect　light　of　any　kind。
　 This　ridged　and　hummocked　ice　cap　had　a　strange　quality　of　elusiveness；　of　impermanence；　of　evanescence：　one　moment　there；　definitively　hard　and　harsh　and　repellent　in　its　coldly　contrasting　blacks　and　whites；　the　next；　ghost…like；　blurring　coalescing　and　finally　vanishing　like　a　shimmering　mirage　fading　and　dying　in　some　ice…bound　desert。　But　this　was　no　trick　of　the　eye　or　imagination；　it　was　the　result　of　a　ground…level　ice　storm　that　rose　and　swirled　and　subsided　at　the　dictates　of　an　icy　wind　that　was　never　less　than　strong　and　sometimes　gusted　up　to　gale　force；　a　wind　that　drove　before　it　a　swirling　rushing　fog　of　billions　of　needle…pointed　ice　spicules。　For　the　most　part；　standing　as　we　were　on　the　bridge　twenty　feet　above　the　level　of　the　icethe　rest　of　the　〃Dolphin〃　might　never　have　existed；　as　far　as　the　eye　could　tellwe　were　above　this　billowing　ground　swell　of　ice　particlesbut　occasionally　the　wind　gusted　strongly；　and　the　spicules　lifted；　drummed　demoniacally　against　the　already　ice…sheathed　starboard　side　of　the　sail；　drove　against　the　few　exposed　inches　of　our　skin　with　all　the　painfully　stinging　impact　of　a　sand　blaster　held　at　arm's　length。　But；　unlike　a　sand　blaster；　the　pain…filled　shock　of　those　spear…tipped　spicules　was　only　momentary；　each　wasp…like　sting　carried　with　it　its　own　ice…cold　anesthetic；　and　all　surface　sensation　was　quickly　lost。　Then　the　wind　would　drop；　the　furious　rattling　on　the　sail　would　fade　and　in　the　momentary　contrast　of　nearsilence　we　could　hear　the　stealthy　rustling　as　of　a　million　rats　advancing　as　the　ice　spicules　brushed　their　blind　way　across　the　iron…hard　surface　of　the　polar　cap。　The　bridge　thermometer　stood　at　21°F　530　of　frost。　If　I　were　a　promoter　interested　in　developing　a　summer　holiday　resort；　I　thought；　I　wouldn't　pay　very　much　attention　to　this　place。
　 Rawlings　and　I　stamped　our　feet；　flailed　our　arms　across　our　chests；　shivered　non…stop；　took　what　little　shelter　we　could　from　the　canvas　wind…break；　rubbed　our　goggles　constantly　to　keep　them　clear；　and　never　once；　except　when　the　ice　spicules　drove　into　our　faces；　stopped　examining　every　quarter　of　the　horizon。　Somewhere　out　there　on　those　frozen　wastes　was　a　lost　and　dying　group　of　men　whose　lives　might　depend　upon　so　little　a　thing　as　the　momentary　misting…up　of　our　goggles。　We　stared　out　over　those　shifting　ice　sands　until　our　eyes　ached。　But　that　was　all　we　had　for　it：　just　aching　eyes。　We　saw　nothing；　nothing　at　all。　The　ice　cap　remained　empty　of　all　signs　of　life。　Dead。
　 When　our　relief　came；　Rawlings　and　I　got　below　with　all　the　speed　our　frozen　and　stiffened　limbs　would　allow。　I　found　mander　Swanson　sitting　on　a　canvas　stool　outside　the　radio　room；　I　stripped　off　Outer　clothes；　face　coverings；　and　goggles；　took　a　steaming　mug　of　coffee　that　had　appeared　from　nowhere；　and　tried　not　to　hop　around　too　much　as　the　blood　came　…　pounding　back　into　my　arms　and　legs。
　 〃How　did　you　cut　yourself　like　that？〃　Swanson　asked；　concern　in　his　voice。　〃You've　a　half…inch　streak　of　blood　right　across　your　forehead。〃
　 〃Flying　ice；　it　just　looks　bad。〃　I　felt　tired　and　pretty　low。　〃We're　wasting　our　time　transmitting。　If　the　men　on　Zebra　were　without　any　shelter；　it's　no　wonder　all　signals　ceased　long　ago。　Without　food　and　shelter；　no　one　could　last　more　than　a　few　hours　in　that　place。　Neither　Rawlings　nor　I　is　a　wilting　hot…house　flower　but　after　half　an　hour　up　there　we've　both　just　about　had　it。〃
　 〃I　don't　know；〃　Swanson　said　thoughtfully。　〃Look　at　Amundsen。　Look　at　Scott；　at　Peary。　They　〃walked〃　all　the　way　to　the　Poles。〃
　 〃A　different　breed　of　men；　Captain。　Either　that　or　the　sun　shone　for　them。　All　I　know　is　that　half　an　hour　is　too　long　to　be　up　there。　Fifteen　minutes　is　enough　for　anyone。〃
　 〃Fifteen　minutes　it　shall　be。〃　He　looked　at　me；　his　face　carefully　devoid　of　all　expression。　〃You　haven't　much　hope？〃
　 〃If　they're　without　shelter；　I've　none。〃
　 〃You　told　me　they　had　an　emergency　power　pack　of　Nife　cells　for　powering　their　transmitter；〃　he　murmured。　〃You　also　said　those　batteries　will　retain　their　charge　indefinitelyyears；　if　necessaryirrespective　of　the　weather　conditions　under　which　they　are　stored。　They　must　have　been　using　that　battery　a　few　days　ago　when　they　sent　out　their　first　S。O。S。　It　wouldn't　be　finished　already。〃
　 His　point　was　so　obvious　that　I　didn't　answer。　The　battery　Wasn't　finished；　the　men　were。
　 〃I　agree　with　you；〃　he　went