alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第22章

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ed　the　earphone　out　from　under　his　parka　and　buttoned　up　the　walkie…talkie　set。　He　said：　〃We're　either　good　or　lucky　or　both。　The　〃Dolphin〃　says　we're　exactly　on　the　course　we　ought　to　be　on。〃　He　drained　the　glass　I　handed　him　and　sighed　in　satisfaction。　〃Well；　that's　the　good　part　of　the　news。　Here　es　the　bad　part。　The　sides　of　the　polynya　the　〃Dolphin〃　is　lying　in　are　beginning　to　close　together。　They're　closing　pretty　fast。　The　captain　estimates　he'll　have　to　get　out　of　it　in　two　hours。　Two　at　the　most。〃　He　paused；　then　finished　slowly：　〃And　the　ice　machine　is　still　on　the　blink。〃
　 〃The　ice　machine；〃　I　said　stupidly。　Well；　anyway；　I　felt　stupid；　I　don't　know　how　I　sounded。　〃Is　the　ice〃
　 〃It　sure　is；　brother；〃　Zabrinski　said。　He　sounded　tired。　〃But　you　didn't　believe　the　skipper；　did　you；　Dr。　Carpenter？　You　were　too　clever　for　that。〃
　 〃Well；　that's　a　help；〃　Hansen　said　heavily。　〃That　makes　everything　just　dandy。　The　〃Dolphin〃　drops　down；　the　ice　closes　up；　and　there　we　are；　the　〃Dolphin〃　below；　us　on　top；　and　the　whole　of　the　polar　ice　cap　between　us。　They'll　almost　certainly　never　manage　to　find　us　again；　even　if　they　do　fix　the　ice　machine。　Shall　we　just　lie　down　and　die　now　or　shall　we　first　stagger　around　in　circles　for　a　couple　of　hours　and　then　lie　down　and　die？〃
　 〃It's　tragic；〃　Rawlings　said　gloomily。　〃Not　the　personal　aspect　of　it；　I　mean　the　loss　to　the　U。S。　Navy。　I　think　I　may　fairly　say；　Lieutenant；　that　we　areor　werethree　promising　young　men。　Well；　you　and　me；　anyway。　I　think　Zabrinski　there　had　reached　the　limit　of　his　potentialities。　He　reached　them　a　long　time　ago。〃
　 Rawlings　got　all　this　out　between　chattering　teeth　and　still　painful　gasps　of　air。　Rawlings；　I　reflected；　was　very　much　the　sort　of　person　I　would　like　to　have　by　my　side　when　things　began　to　get　awkward；　and　it　looked　as　if　things　were　going　to　bee　very　awkward　indeed。　He　and　Zabrinski　had；　as　I'd　found　out；　established　themselves　as　the　homespun　if　slightly　heavy…handed　humorists　on　the　〃Dolphin〃。　For　reasons　known　only　to　themselves；　both　men　habitually　concealed　intelligences　of　a　high　order　and　advanced　education　under　a　cloak　of　genial　buffoonery。
　 〃Two　hours　yet；〃　I　said。　〃With　this　wind　at　our　backs　we　can　be　back　in　the　sub　in　well　under　an　hour。　We'd　be　practically　blown　back　there。〃
　 〃And　the　men　on　Drift　Station　Zebra？〃　Zabrinski　asked。
　 〃We'd　have　done　our　best。　Just　one　of　those　things。〃
　 〃We　are　profoundly　shocked；　Dr。　Carpenter；〃　Rawlings　said。　The　tone。　of　genial　buffoonery　was　less　noticeable　than　usual。
　 〃Deeply　dismayed；〃　Zabrinsld　added；　〃by　the　very　idea。〃　The　words　were　light；　but　the　lack　of　warmth　in　the　voice　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　bitter　wind。
　 〃The　only　dismaying　thing　around　here　is　the　level　of　intelligence　of　certain　simple…minded　sailors；〃　Hansen　said　with　some　asperity。　He　went　on；　and　I　wondered　at　the　conviction　in　his　voice：　〃Sure；　Dr。　Carpenter　thinks　we　should　go　back。　That　doesn't　include　him。　Dr。　Carpenter　wouldn't　turn　back　now　for　all　the　gold　in　Fort　Knox。〃　He　pushed　himself　wearily　to　his　feet。　〃Can't　be　much　more　than　half　a　mile　to　go　now。　Let's　get　it　over　with。〃
　 In　the　backwash　of　light　from　my　flashlight　I　saw　Rawlings　and　Zabrinski　glance　at　each　other；　saw　them　shrug　their　shoulders　at　the　same　moment。　Then　they；　too；　were　on　their　feet　and　we　were　on　our　way　again。
　 Three　minutes　later　Zabrinski　broke　his　ankle。
　 It　happened　in　an　absurdly　simple　fashion；　but　for　all　its　simplicity　it　was　a　wonder　that　nothing　of　the　same　sort　had　happened　to　any　of　us　in　the　previous　three　hours。　After　starting　off　again；　instead　of　losing　our　bearing　by　working　to　the　south　or　north　until　we　had　rounded　the　end　of　the　ice　ridge　blocking　our　path；　we　elected　to　go　Over　it。　The　ridge　was　all　of　ten　feet　high　but　by　boosting　and　pulling　each　other　we　reached　the　top　without　much　difficulty。　I　felt　my　way　forward　cautiously；　using　the　ice　probe；　the　flashlight　was　useless　in　that　ice　storm；　and　my　goggles　pletely　opaque。　After　twenty　feet　of　crawling　across　the　gently　downward…sloping　surface；　I　reached　the　fax　side　of　the　ridge　and　stretched　down　with　the　probe。
　 〃Five　feet；〃　I　called　to　the　others　as　they　came　up。　〃It's　only　five　feet。〃　I　swung　over　the　edge；　dropped　down；　and　waited　for　the　others　to　follow。　Hansen　came　first；　then　Rawlings；　both　sliding　down　easily　beside　me。　What　happened　to　Zabrinski　was　impossible　to　see：　he　either　misjudged　his　distance　from　the　edge　or　a　sudden　easing　of　the　wind　made　him　lose　his　footing。　Whatever　the　cause；　I　heard　him　call　out；　the　words　whipped　away　and　lost　by　the　wind；　as　he　jumped　down　beside　us。　He　seemed　to　land　squarely　and　lightly　enough　on　his　feet；　then　cried　out　sharply　and　fell　heavily　to　the　ground。
　 I　turned　my　back　to　the　ice　storm；　raised　the　useless　snow　goggles；　and　pulled　out　my　flashlight。　Zabrinski　was　half　sitting；　half　lying　on　the　ice；　propped　up　on　his　right　elbow　and　cursing　steadily　and　fluently　and；　as　far　as　I　could　tell；　because　of　the　muffling　effect　of　his　snow　mask；　without　once　repeating　himself。　His　right　heel　was　jammed　in　a　fourinch　crack　in　the　ice；　one　of　the　thousands　of　such　fractures　and　fissures　that　criss…crossed　the　pressure　areas　of　the　pack；　his　right　leg　was　bent　over　at　an　angle　to　the　outside；　an　angle　normally　impossible　for　any　leg　to　assume。　I　didn't　need　to　have　a　medical　diploma　hung　around　my　neck　to　tell　that　the　ankle　was　gone：　either　that　or　the　lowermost　part　of　the　tibia；　for　the　ankle　was　so　heavily　encased　in　a　stout　boot　with　lace　binding　that　most　of　the　strain　must　have　fallen　on　the　shinbone。　I　hoped　it　wasn't　a　pound　fracture；　but　it　was　an　unreasonable　hope：　at　that　acute　angle　the　snapped　bone　could　hardly　have　failed　to　pierce　the　skin。　pound　or　not；　it　made　no　immediate　difference；　I'd　no　intention　of　examining　it。　A　few　minutes'　exposure　of　the　lower　part　of　his　leg　in　those　temperatures　was　as　good　a　way　as　any　of　ensuring　that　Zabrinski　went　through　the　rest　of　his　life　with　one　foot　missing。
　 We　lifted　his　massive　bulk；　eased　the　useless　foot　out　of　the　crack　in　the　ice；　and　lowered　him　gently　to　a　sitting　position。　I　unslung　the　medical　kit　from　my　back；　knelt　beside　him　and　asked：　〃Does　it　hurt　badly？〃
　 〃No；　it's　numb；　I　hardly　feel　a　thing。〃　He　swore　disgustedly。　〃What　a　crazy　thing　to　do。　A　little　crack　like　that。　How　stupid　can　a　man　get？〃
　 〃You　wouldn't　believe　me　if　I　told　you；〃　Rawlings　said　acidly。　He　shook　his　head。　〃I　prophesied　this；　I　prophesied　this。　I　said　it　would　end　up　with　me　carrying　this　gorilla　here。〃
　 I　laid　splints　to　the　injured　leg　and　taped　them　as　tightly　as　possible　over　the　boot　and　the　furs；　trying　not　to　think　of　the　depth　of　trouble　we　were　in　now。　Two　major　blows　in　one：　not　only　had　we　lost　the　indispensable　services　of　the　strongest　man　in　our　party；　we　now　had　an　extra　220　poundsat　leastof　weight；　of　deadweight；　to　carry　along　with　us。　Not　to　mention　his　forty…pound　pack。　Zabrinski　might　almost　have　read　my　thoughts。
　 〃You'll　have　to　leave　me　here；　Lieutenant；〃　he　said　to　Hansen。　His　teeth　were　rattling　with　shock　and　cold。　〃We　must　be　almost　there　now。　You　can　pick　me　up　on　the　way　back。〃
　 〃Don't　talk　rubbish；〃　Hansen　said　shortly。　〃You　know　damn　well　we'd　never　find　you　again。〃
　 〃Exactly；〃　Rawlings　said。　His　teeth　were　like　Zabrinski's；　stuttering　away　irregularly　like　an　asthmatic　machine　gun。　He　knelt　on　the　ice　to　support　the　injured　man's　bulk。　〃No　medals　for　morons。　It　says　so　in　the　ship's　articles。〃
　 〃But　you'll　never　get　to　Zebra；〃　Zabrinski　protested。　〃If　you　have　to　carry　me〃
　 〃You　heard　what　I　said；〃　Hansen　interrupted。　〃We're　not　leaving　you。〃
　 〃The　lieutenant　is　perfectly　correct；〃　Rawlings　agreed。　〃You　aren't　the　hero　type；　Zabrinski。　You　haven't　got　the　face　for　it；　for　one　thing。　Now　shut　up　while　I　get　some　of　this　stuff　off　my　back。〃
　 I　finished　tightening　the　splints　and　pulled　mittens　and　fur　gloves　back　on　my　silk…clad　but　already　frozen　hands。　We　divided　Zabrinski's　load　among　the　three　of　us；　pulled　goggles　and　snow　masks　back　into　position；　hoisted　Zabrinski　to　his　one　sound　leg；　turned　into　the　wind；　and　went　on　our　way　again。　It　would　be　truer　to　say　that