alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第32章

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　 〃You　did　a　damn　fine　job　there；　John；〃　Swanson　said　warmly。　〃Getting　that　door　closed；　I　mean。　Couldn't　have　been　easy。〃
　 〃It　wasn't。　All　pats　on　the　back　to　our　friend　here；〃　Hansen　said。　〃He　got　it　closed；　not　me。　And　if　he　hadn't　got　it　closed〃
　 〃Or　if　I'd　let　you　load　the　torpedoes　when　you　came　back　last　night；〃　Swanson　said　grimly。　〃When　we　were　sitting　on　the　surface　and　the　hatches　wide　open。　We'd　have　been　eight　thousand　feet　down　now　and　very；　very　dead。〃
　 Hansen　suddenly　snatched　his　hand　away。　〃My　God！〃　he　said　remorsefully。　〃I'd　forgotten。　Never　mind　this　damned　hand　of　mine。　George　Mills；　the　torpedo　officer。　He　took　a　pretty　bad　sock。　You'd　better　see　him　first。　Or　Doc　Benson。〃
　 I　took　his　hand　back。　〃No　hurry　for　either　of　us。　Your　fingers　first。　Mills　isn't　feeling　a　thing。〃
　 〃Good　God！〃　Astonishment　showed　in　Hansen's　face；　maybe　shock　at　my　callousness。　〃When　he　recovers　consciousness〃
　 〃He'll　never　recover　consciousness　again；〃　I　said。　〃Lieutenant　Mills　is　dead。〃
　 〃What！〃　Swanson's　fingers　bit　deeply；　painfully　into　my　arm。　〃'Dead；'　did　you　say？〃
　 〃That　column　of　water　from　number　4　tube　came　in　like　an　express　train；〃　I　said　tiredly。　〃Flung　him　right　back　against　the　after　bulkhead　and　smashed　in　the　occiputthe　back　of　his　headlike　an　eggshell。　Death　must　have　been　instantaneous。〃
　 〃Young　George　Mills；〃　Swanson　whispered。　His　face　had　gone…very　pale。　〃Poor　kid。　His　first　trip　on　the　Dolphin。　And　now；　just　like　thatkilled。〃
　 〃Murdered；〃　I　said。
　 〃What！〃　If　mander　Swanson　didn't　watch　out　with　his　fingers；　he'd　have　my　upper　arm　all　black　and　blue。　〃What　was　that　you　said？〃
　 〃'Murdered；'　I　said。　'Murdered'　I　meant。〃
　 Swanson　stared　at　me　for　a　long　moment；　his　face　empty　of　expression　but　his　eyes　strained　and　tired　and　suddenly　somehow　old。　He　wheeled；　walked　across　to　the　diving　officer；　spoke　a　few　words　to　him；　and　returned。　〃e　on；〃　he　said　abruptly。　〃You　can　fix　up　the　lieutenant's　hand　in　my　cabin。〃
　
　
　7
　
　 〃You　realize　the　seriousness　of　what　you　are　saying？〃　Swanson　asked。　〃You　are　making　a　grave　accusation〃
　 〃e　off　it；〃　I　said　rudely。　〃This　is　not　a　court　of　law　and　I'm　not　accusing　anyone。　All　I　say　is　that　murder　has　been　done。　Whoever　left　that　bow…cap　door　open　is　directly　responsible　for　the　death　of　Lieutenant　Mills。〃
　 〃What　do　you　mean　'left　the　door　open'？　Who　says　anyone　left　the　door　open？　It　could　have　been　due　to　natural　causes。　And　even　ifI　can't　see　itthat　door　had　been　left　open；　you　can't　accuse　a　man　of　murder　because　of　carelessness　or　forgetfulness　or　because〃　
　 〃mander　Swanson；〃　I　said。　〃I'll　go　on　record　as　saying　that　you　are　probably　the　best　naval　officer　I　have　ever　met。　But　being　best　at　that　doesn't　mean　that　you're　best　at　everything。　There　are　noticeable　gaps　in　your　education；　mander；　especially　in　the　appreciation　of　the　finer　points　of　skulduggery。　You　require　an　especially　low　and　devious　type　of　mind　for　that；　and　I'm　afraid　that　you　just　haven't　got　it。　Doors　left　open　by　natural　causes；　you　say。　What　natural　causes？〃
　 〃We've　hit　the　ice　a　few　stiff　jolts；〃　Swanson　said　slowly。　〃That　could　have　jarred　it　open。　Or　when　we　poked　through　the　ice　last　night　a　piece　of　ice；　a　stalactite；　say；　could　have〃
　 〃Your　tubes　are　recessed；　aren't　they？　Mighty　odd…shaped　stalactite　that　would　go　down　and　then　bend　in　at　a　right　angle　to　reach　the　doorand　even　then　it　would　only　shut　it　more　tightly。〃
　 〃The　doors　are　tested　every　time　we're　in　harbor；〃　mander　Swanson　persisted　quietly。　〃They're　also　opened　when　we　open　tubes　to　carry　out　surface…trimming　tests　in　dock。　Any　dockyard　has　pieces　of　waste；　rope；　and　other　rubbish　floating　around　that　could　easily　have　jammed　a　door　open。〃
　 〃The　safety　lights　showed　the　doors　shut。〃
　 〃They　could　have　been　opened　just　a　crack；　not　enough　to　disengage　the　safety　contact。〃
　 〃Open　a　crack！　Why　do　you　think　Mills　is　dead？　If　you've　ever　seen　the　jet　of　water　that　hits　the　turbine　blades　in　a　hydro…electric　plant；　then　you'll　know　how　that　water　came　in。　A　crank？　My　God！　How　are　those　doors　operated？〃
　 〃Two　ways。　Remote　control；　hydraulic；　just　press　a　button：　then　there　are　manually　operated　levers　in　the　torpedo　room　itself。〃
　 I　turned　to　Hansen。　He　was　sitting　on　the　bunk　beside　me；　his　face　pale　as　I　splinted　his　broken　fingers。　I　said；　〃Those　hand…operated　levers。　Were　they　in　the　shut　position？〃
　 〃You　heard　me　say　so　in　there。　Of　course　they　were。　First　thing　we　always　check。〃
　 〃Somebody　doesn't　like　you；〃　I　said　to　Swanson。　〃Or　somebody　doesn't　like　the　〃Dolphin〃。　Or　somebody　knew　that　the　〃Dolphin〃　was　going　searching　for　the　Zebra　survivors　and　they　didn't　like　that；　either。　So　they　sabotaged　the　ship。　You　will　remember　you　were　rather　surprised　you　didn't　have　tO　correct　the　〃Dolphin's〃　trim？　It　had　been　your　intention　to　carry　out　a　slow…time　dive　to　check　the　underwater　trim　because　you　thought　that　would　have　been　affected　by　the　fact　that　you　had　no　torpedoes　in　the　for'ard　tubes。　But　surprise；　surprise。　She　didn't　need　any　correction。〃
　 〃I'm　listening；〃　Swanson　said　quietly。　He　was　with　me　noW。　He　was　with　me　all　the　way。　He　cocked　an　eyebrow　as　we　heard　water　flooding　back　into　the　tanks。　The　repeater　gauge　showed　200　feet；　Swanson　must　have　ordered　his　diving　officer　to　level　off　at　that　depth。　The　Dolphin　was　still　canted　nose　downward　at　an　angle　of　about　25°。
　 〃She　didn't　need　any　correcting　because　some　of　her　tubes　were　already　full　of　water。　For　all　I　know；　maybe　number　3　tube。　The　one　we　tested　and　found　okay　is　the　only　one　that　is　〃not〃　full　of　water。　Our　clever　little　pal　left　the　doors　open；　disconnected　the　hand…operated　levers　so　that　they　appeared　to　be　in　the　shut　position　when　they　were　actually　open；　and　crossed　over　a　few　wires　in　a　junction　box　so　that　the　open　position　showed　green　while　the　closed　showed　red。　A　man　who　knew　what　he　was　about　could　have　done　it　in　a　few　minutes。　Two　men　who　knew　what　they　were　about　could　have　done　it　in　no　time　at　all。　I'll　lay　anything　you　like　that　when　you're　…　eventually　in　a　position　to　check；　you'll　find　the　levers　disconnected；　the　wires　crossed；　and　the　inlets　of　the　test　cocks　blocked　with　sealing　wax；　quick…drying　paint　or　even　chewing　gum；　so　that　when　the　test　cocks　were　opened；　nothing　would　show　and　you　would　assume　the　tubes　to　be　empty。〃
　 〃There　was　a　trickle　from　the　test　cock　in　number　4　tube；〃　Hansen　objected。　…
　 〃Low…grade　chewing　gum。〃
　 〃The　murderous　swine；〃　Swanson　said　calmly。　His　restraint　was　far　more　effective　than　the　most　thunderous　denunciations　could　ever　have　been。　〃He　could　have　murdered　us　all。　But　for　the　grace　of　God　and　the　Groton　boatyard　shipwrights；　he　would　have　murdered　us　all。〃
　 〃He　didn't　mean　to；〃　I　said。　〃He　didn't　mean　to　kill　anyone。　You　had　intended　to　carry　out　a　slow…time　dive　to　check　trim　in　the　Holy　Loch　before　you　left　that　evening。　You　told　me　so　yourself。　Did　you　announce　it　to　the　crew；　post　it　up　in　daily　orders　or　something　like　that？〃
　 〃Both。〃
　 〃So。　Our　pal　knew。　He　also　knew　that　you　would　carry　out　those　checks　when　the　boat　was　still　awash　or　just　under　the　surface。　When　you　checked　the　tubes　to　see　if　they　were　okay；　water　would　e　in；　too　much　water　to　permit　the　rear　doors　to　be　shut　again；　but　not　under　such　high　pressure　that　you　wouldn't　have　time　and　enough　to　spare　to　close　the　fo'ard　collision…bulkhead　door　and　make　a　leisurely　retreat　in　good　order。　What　would　have　happened？　Not　much。　At　the　worst　you　would　have　settled　down　slowly　to　the　bottom　and　stayed　there。　Not　deep　enough　to　worry　the　Dolphin。　In　a　submarine　of　even　ten　years　ago　it　might　have　been　fatal　for　all；　because　of　the　limited　air　supply。　Not　today；　when　your　air…purifying　machines　can　let'　you　stay　down　for　months　at　a　time。　You　just　float　up　your　emergency…indicator　buoy　and　telephone；　tell　your　story；　sit　around　and　drink　coffee　till　a　naval　diver　es　down　and　replaces　the　bow　cap；　pump　out　the　torpedo　room　and　surface　again。　Our　unknown　palor　palsdidn't　mean　to　kill　anyone。　But　they　did　mean　to　delay　you。　And　they　would　have　delayed　you。　We　know　now　that　you　could　have　got　to　the　surface　under　your　own　steam；　but；　even　so