alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第2章

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etter　than　top…classified　information　being　bandied　about　in　canteens。　How　the　hell　do　〃you〃　know　where　we're　going？〃
　 I　reached　up　my　hand　beneath　my　coat　lapel　and　it　stayed　there；　my　right　wrist　locked　in　Hansen's　right　hand。
　 〃We're　not　suspicious　or　anything；〃　he　said　apologetically。　〃It's　just　that　we　submariners　are　very　nervous　on　account　of　the　dangerous　life　we　lead。　Also；　we've　a　very　fine　library　of　movies　aboard　the　〃Dolphin〃；　and　every　time　a　character　in　one　of　those　movies　reaches　up　under　his　coat　it's　always　for　the　same　reason；　and　that's　not　just　because　he's　checking　to　see　if　his　wallet's　still　there。〃
　 I　took　his　wrist　with　my　free　hand；　pulled　his　arm　away　and　pushed　it　down　on　the　table。　I'm　not　saying　it　was　easythe　U。　S。　Navy　clearly　fed　its　submariners　on　a　high…protein　dietbut　I　managed　it　without　bursting　a　blood　vessel。　I　pulled　a　folded　newspaper　out　from　under　my　coat　and　laid　it　down。　〃You　wanted　to　know　how　the　hell　I　knew　where　you　were　going；〃　I　said。　〃I　can　read；　that's　why。　That's　a　Glasgow　evening　paper　I　picked　up　in　Renfrew　airport　half　an　hour　ago。〃
　 Hansen　rubbed　his　wrist　thoughtfully；　then　grinned。　〃What　did　you　get　your　doctorate　in；　Doc？　Weight…lifting？　About　that　paperhow　could　you　have　got　it　in　Renfrew　half　an　hour　ago？〃
　 〃I　flew　down　here。　Helicopter。〃
　 〃A　whirly…bird；　eh？　I　heard　one　arriving　a　few　minutes　ago。　But　that　was　one　of　ours。〃
　 〃It　had　'U。　S。　Navy'　written　all　over　it　in　four…foot　letters；〃　I　conceded；　〃and　the　pilot　spent　all　his　time　chewing　gum　and　praying　out　loud　for　a　quick　return　to　California。〃
　 〃Did　you　tell　the　skipper　this？〃　Hansen　demanded。
　 〃He　didn't　give　me　the　chance　to　tell　him　anything。〃
　 〃He's　got　a　lot　on　his　mind　and　far　too　much　to　see　to；〃　Hansen　said。　He　unfolded　the　paper　and　looked　at　the　front　page。　He　didn't　have　far　to　look　to　find　what　he　wanted：　the　two…inch…banner　headlines　were　spread　over　seven　columns。
　 〃Well；　would　you　look　at　this。〃　Lieutenant　Hansen　made　no　attempt　to　conceal　his　irritation　and　chagrin。　〃Here　we　are；　pussy…footing　around　in　this　God…forsaken　dump；　tape　all　over　our　mouths；　sworn　to　eternal　secrecy　about　mission　and　destinationand　then　what？　I　pick　up　this　damned　limey　newspaper　and　here　are　all　the　top…secret　details　plastered　right　across　the　front　page。〃
　 〃You　are　kidding；　Lieutenant；〃　said　the　man　with　the　red　face　and　the　general　aspect　of　a　polar　bear。　His　voice　seemed　to　e　from　his　boots。
　 〃I　am　not　kidding；　Zabrinski；〃　Hansen　said　coldly；　〃as　you　would　appreciate　if　you　had　ever　learned　to　read。　'Nuclear　submarine　to　the　rescue；'　it　says。　'Dramatic　dash　to　the　North　Pole。'　God　help　us；　the　North　Pole。　And　a　picture　of　the　〃Dolphin〃。　And　of　the　skipper。　Good　God；　there's　even　a　picture　of　me。〃　
　 Rawhings　reached　out　a　hairy　paw　and　twisted　the　paper　to　have　a　better　look　at　the　blurred　and　smudged　representation　of　the　man　before　him。　〃So　there　is。　Not　very　flattering；　is　it；　Lieutenant？　But　a　speaking　likeness；　mind　you；　a　speaking　likeness。　The　photographer　has　caught　the　essentials　perfectly。〃
　 〃You　are　utterly　ignorant　of　the　first　principles　of　photography；〃　Hansen　said　witheringly。　〃Listen　to　this　piece。　'The　following　joint　statement　was　issued　simultaneously　a　few　minutes　before　noon　（G。M。T。）　today　in　both　London　and　Washington：　〃In　view　of　the　critical　condition　of　the　survivors　of　Drift　Ice　Station　Zebra　and　the　failure　either　to　rescue　or　contact　them　by　conventional　means；　the　U。　S。　Navy　has　willingly　agreed　that　the　U。　S。　nuclear　submarine　〃Dolphin〃　be　dispatched　with　all　speed　to　try　to　effect　contact　with　the　survivors。
　 〃'〃The　〃Dolphin〃　returned　to　its　base　in　the　Holy　Loch；　Scotland；　at　dawn　this　morning　after　carrying　out　extensive　exercises　with　the　Nato　naval　forces　in　the　eastern　Atlantic。　It　is　hoped　that　the　〃Dolphin〃　（mander　James　D。　Swanson；　U。S。N。；　manding）　will　sail　at　approximately　seven　p。m。　（G。M。T。）　this　evening。〃
　 〃'The　laconic　understatement　of　this　munique　heralds　the　beginning　of　a　desperate　and　dangerous　rescue　attempt　which　must　be　without　parallel　in　the　history　of　the　sea　or　the　Arctic；　It　is　now　sixty　hours'〃
　 〃Desperate；'　you　said；　Lieutenant？〃　Rawlings　frowned　heavily。　〃'Dangerous；'　you　said？　The　captain　will　be　asking　for　volunteers？〃
　 〃No　need。　I　told　the　captain　that　I'd　already　checked　with　all　eighty…eight　enlisted　men　and　that　they'd　volunteered　to　a　man。〃
　 〃You　never　checked　with　me。〃
　 〃I　must　have　missed　you。　Now；　kindly　shut　up；　your　executive　officer　is　talking。　'It　is　now　sixty　hours　since　the　world　was　electrified　to　learn　of　the　disaster　that　had　struck　Drift　Ice　Station　Zebra；　the　only　British　meteorological　station　in　the　Arctic；　when　an　English…speaking　ham…radio　operator　in　Bod？；　Norway；　picked　up　the　faint　S。O。S。　from　the　top　of　the　world。
　 〃A　further　message；　picked　up　less　than　twenty…four　hours　ago　by　the　British　trawler　〃Morning　Star〃　in　the　Barents　Sea；　makes　it　clear　that　the　position　of　the　survivors　of　the　fuel…oil　fire　that　destroyed　most　of　Drift　Ice　Station　Zebra　in　the　early　hours　of　Tuesday　morning　is　desperate　in　the　extreme。　With　their　oil…fuel　reserves　pletely　destroyed　and　their　food　stores　all　but　wiped　out；　it　is　feared　that　those　still　living　cannot　long　be　expected　to　survive　in　the　twenty…below　temperaturesfifty　degrees　of　frostat　present　being　experienced　in　that　area。
　 〃'It　is　not　known　whether　all　the　prefabricated　huts；　in　which　the　expedition　members　lived；　have　been　destroyed。
　 〃'Drift　Ice　Station　Zebra；　which　was　established　only　in　the　late　summer　of　this　year；　is　at　present　in　an　estimated　position　of　85°　40'N。；　21　°30'E。；　which　is　only　about　three　hundred　miles　from　the　North　Pole。　Its　position　cannot　be　known　with　certainty；　because　of　the　clockwise　drift　of　the　polar　ice　pack。　
　 〃'For　the　past　thirty　hours　long…range　supersonic　bombers　of　the　American；　British　and　Russian　air　forces　have　been　scouring　the　polar　ice　pack　searching　for　Station　Zebra。　Because　of　the　uncertainty　about　the　drift　station's　actual　position；　the　plete　absence　of　daylight　in　the　Arctic　at　this　time　of　year　and　the　extremely　bad　weather　conditions；　they　were　unable　to　locate　the　station　and　forced　to　return。'〃
　 〃They　didn't　have　to　locate　it；〃　Rawhings　objected。　〃Not　visually。　With　the　instruments　those　bombers　have　nowadays；　they　could　home…in　on　a　hummingbird　a　hundred　miles　away。　The　radio　operator　at　the　drift　station　had　only　to　keep　on　sending　and　they　could　have　used　that　as　a　beacon。〃
　 〃Maybe　the　radio　operator　is　dead；〃　Hansen　said　heavily；　〃Maybe　his　radio　has　broken　down　on　him。　Maybe　the　fuel　that　was　destroyed　was　essential　f　or　running　the　radio。　All　depends　what　source　of　power　he　used。〃
　 〃Diesel…electric　generator；〃　I　said。　〃He　had　a　standby　battery　of　Nife　cells。　Maybe　he's　conserving　the　batteries；　using　them　only　for　emergencies。　There's　also　a　hand…cranked　generator；　but　its　range　is　pretty　limited。〃
　 〃How　do　you　know　that？〃　Hansen　asked　quietly。　〃About　the　type　of　power　used？〃
　 〃I　must　have　read　it　somewhere。〃
　 〃You　must　have　read　it　somewhere。〃　He　looked　at　me　without　expression；　then　turned　back　to　his　paper。　〃A　report　from　Moscow　states　that　the　atomic…engined　〃Dvina〃；　the　world's　most　powerful　ice…breaker；　sailed　from　Murmansk　some　twenty　hours　ago　and　is　proceeding　at　high　speed　toward　the　Arctic　pack。　Experts　are　not　hopeful　about　the　oute；　for　at　this　late　period　of　the　year　the　ice　pack　has　already　thickened　and　pacted　into　a　solid　mass　which　will　almost　certainly　defy　the　efforts　of　any　vessel；　even　those　of　the　〃Dvina〃；　to　smash　its　way　through。
　 〃'The　use　of　the　submarine　〃Dolphin〃　appears　to　offer　the　only　slender　hope　of　life　for　the　apparently　doomed　survivors　of　Station　Zebra。　The　odds…　against　success　must　be　regarded　as　heavy　in　the　extreme。　Not　only　will　the　〃Dolphin〃　have　to　travel　several　hundred　miles　continuously　submerged　under　the　polar　ice　cap；　but　the　possibilities　of　its　being　able　to　break　through　the　ice　cap　at　any　given　place　or　to　locate　the　survivors　are　very　remote。　But　undoubtedly　if　any　ship　in　the　world　can　do　it；　it　is　the　〃Dolphin〃；　the　pride　of　the　U。S。　Navy's　nuclear　submarine　fleet。'〃
　 H