alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第36章

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　 〃Not　now；　sir。〃
　 〃That's　it；　then。　Away　you　go。〃
　 Rawlings　lifted　the　spoon　from　the　pot；　tasted　it；　smacked　his　lips　in　appreciation；　and　shook　his　head　sadly。　〃It's　a　crying　shame；〃　he　said　mournfully。　〃It　really　is。〃　He　went　out　in　the　wake　of　the　stretcher　bearers。
　 Of　the　eight　men　left　lying　on　the　floor；　four　were　conscious。　Hewson；　the　tractor　driver；　Naseby；　the　cook；　and　two　others　who　introduced　themselves　as　Harrington。　Twins。　They　were　as　alike　as　two　freshly　minted　pennies；　they'd　even　been　burnt　and　frost…bitten　in　the　same　places。　The　other　four　were　either　sleeping　or　in　a。　Benson　and　I　started　looking　them　over；　Benson　much　more　carefully　than　myself；　very　busy　with　thermometer　and　stethoscope。　Looking　for　signs　of　pneumonia。　I　didn't　think　he'd　have　to　look　very　far。　mander　Swanson　looked　speculatively　around　the　cabin；　occasionally　throwing　a　very　odd　look　in　my　direction；　occasionally　flailing　his　arms　across　his　chest　to　keep　the　circulation　going。　He　had　to。　He　didn't　have　the　fancy　furs　I　had；　and　in　spite　of　the　solid…fuel　stove；　the　place　was　like　an　icebox。
　 The　first　man　I　looked　at　was　lying　on　his　side　in　the　far　right…hand　corner　of　the　room。　He　had　half…open　eyes；　iust　showing　the　lower　arcs　of　his　pupils；　sunken　temples；　marblewhite　forehead；　and　the　only　part　of　his　face　that　wasn't　bandaged　was　as　cold　as　the　marble　in　a　winter　graveyard。　I　said；　〃Who　is　this？〃
　 〃Grant。　John　Grant。〃　Hewson；　the　dark；　quiet　tractor　driver；　answered　me。　〃Radio　operator。　Kinnaird's　sidekick。　How's　it　with　him？〃
　 〃He's　dead。　He's　been　dead　quite　some　time。〃
　 〃Dead？〃　Swanson　said　sharply。　〃You　sure？〃　I　gave　him　my　aloof　professional　look　and　said　nothing。　He　said　to　Benson；　〃Anybody　too　ill　to　be　moved？〃
　 〃Those　two　here；　I　think；〃　Benson　said。　He　wasn't　noticing　the　series　of　peculiar　looks　SWanson　was　letting　me　have；　so　he　handed　me　his　stethoscope。　After　a　minute　I　straightened　and　nodded。
　 〃Third…degree　burns；〃　Benson　said　to　Swanson。　〃What　we　can　see　of　them；　that　is。　Both　high　temperatures；　both　very　fast；　very　weak；　and　erratic　pulses；　both　with　lung　fluids。〃
　 〃They'd　have　a　better　chance　inside　the　〃Dolphin〃；〃　Swanson　said。
　 〃You'd　kill　them　getting　there；〃　I　said。　〃Even　if　you　could　wrap　them　up　warmly　enough　to　take　them　back　to　the　ship；　hauling　them　up　to　the　top　of　the　sail　and　…then　lowering　them　vertically　through　those　hatchways　would　finish　them　off。〃
　 〃We　can't　stay　out　in　that　lead　indefinitely；〃　Swanson　said。　〃I'll　take　the　responsibility　for　moving　them。〃
　 〃Sorry；　Captain。〃　Benson　shook　his　head　gravely。　〃I　agree　with　Dr。　Carpenter。〃
　 Swanson　shrugged　and　said　nothing。　Moments　later　the　stretcher　bearers　were　back；　followed　soon　after　by　Rawlings　and　three　other　enlisted　men　carrying　cables；　heaters；　lamps；　and　a　telephone。　It　took　only　a　few　minutes　to　connect　the　heaters　and　lamps　on　to　the　cable。　Rawlings　cranked　the　callup　generator　of　his　field　phone　and　spoke　briefly　into　the　mouthpiece。　Bright　lights　came　on　and　the　heaters　started　to　crackle　and；　after　a　few　seconds；　glow。
　 Hewson；　Naseby；　and　the　Harrington　twins　left　by　stretcher。　When　they'd　gone；　I　unhooked　the　Coleman　lantern。　〃You　won't　be　needing　this　now；〃　I　said。　〃I　won't　be　long。〃
　 〃Where　are　you　going？〃　Swanson's　voice　was　quiet。
　 〃I　won't　be　long；〃　I　repeated。　〃Just　looking　around。〃
　 He　hesitated；　then　stood　to　one　side。　I　went　out；　moved　around　a　corner　of　the　hut；　and　stopped。　I　heard　the　whirr　of　the　call…up　bell；　a　voice　on　the　telephone。　It　was　only　a　murmur　to　me；　I　couldn't　make　out　what　was　being　said。　But　I'd　expected　this。　
　 The　Coleman　storm　lantern　flickered　and　faded　in　the　wind　but　didn't…　go　out。　Stray　ice　spicules　struck　against　the　glass；　but　it　didn't　crack　or　break；　it　must　have　been　one　of　those　specially　toughened　glasses　immune　to　a　couple　of　hundred　degrees'　temperature　range　between　the　inside　and　the　outside。
　 I　made　my　way　diagonally　across　to　the　only　hut　left　on　the　south　side。　No　trace　of　burning；　charring；　or　even　smokeblackening　on　the　outside　walls。　The　fuel　store　must　have　been　the　one　next　to　it；　on　the　same　side　and　to　the　west；　straight　downwind；　that　almost　certainly　must　have　been　its　position　judging　by　the　destruction　of　all　the　other　huts；　and　the　grotesquely　buckled　shape　of　its　remaining　girders　made　this　strong　probability　a　certainty。　Here　had　been　the　heart　of　the　fire。
　 Hard　against　the　side　of　the　undamaged　hut　was　a　lean…to　shed；　solidly　built。　Six　feet　high；　six　wide；　eight　long。　The　door　opened　easily。　Wooden　floor；　gleaming　aluminum　for　the　sides　and　ceiling；　big　black　heaters　bolted　to　the　inside　and　outside　walls。　Wires　led　from　those；　and　it　was　no　job　for　an　Einstein　to　guess　that　they　ledor　had　ledto　the　now　destroyed　generator　house。　This　lean…to　shed　would　have　been　warm　night　and　day。　The　squat；　low…slung　tractor　that　took　up　nearly　all　the　floor　space　inside　would　have　started　any　time　at　the　touch　of　a　switch。　It　wouldn't　start　at　the　turn　of　a　switch　now；　it　would　take　three　or　four　blowtorches　and　the　same　number　of　strong　men　even　to　turn　the　engine　over　once。　I　closed　the　door　and　went　into　the　main　hut。
　 It　was　packed　with　metal　tables；　benches；　machinery；　and　every　modern　device　for　the　automatic　recording　and　interpretation　of　every　conceivable　observed　detail　of　the　Arctic　weather。　I　didn't　know　what　the　functions　of　most　of　the　instruments　were　and　I　didn't　care。　This　was　the　meteorological　office　and　that　was　enough　for　me。　I　examined　the　hut　carefully　but　quickly；　and　there　didn't　seem　to　be　anything　odd　or　out　of　place　that　I　could　see。　In　one　corner；　on　an　empty　wooden　packing　case；　was　a　portable　radio　transmitter　with　listening　phones〃transeivers；〃　they　called　them　nowadays。　Near　it；　in　a　box　of　heavy　oiled　wood；　were　fifteen　Nife　cells　connected　up　in　series。　Hanging　from　a　hook　on　the　wall　was　a　two…volt　test　lamp。　I　touched　its　bare　leads　to　the　outside　terminals　of　the　battery　formed　by　the　cells。　Had　those　cells　left　in　them　even　a　fraction　of　their　original　power；　that　test　lamp　should　have　burnt　out　in　a　white　flash。　It　didn't　even　begin　to　glow。　I　tore　a　piece　of　flex　from　a　nearby　lamp　and　touched　its　ends　to　。the　terminals。　Not　even　the　minutest　spark。　Kinnaird　hadn't　been　lying　when　he　had　said　that　his　battery　had　been　pletely　dead。　But；　then；　I　hadn't　for　a　moment　thought　he'd　been　lying。　
　 I　made　niy　way　to　the　last　hutthe　hut　that　held　the　charred　remnants　of　the　seven　men　who　had　died　in　the　fire。　The　stench　of　charred　flesh　and　burnt　diesel　seemed　stronger；　more　nauseating　than　ever。　I　stood　in　the　doorway　and　the　last　thing　I　wanted　to　do　was　to　approach　even　an　inch　closer。　I　peeled　off　fur　and　woollen　mittens；　set　the　lamp　on　a　table；　pulled　out　my　flashlight；　and　knelt　by　the　first　dead　man。
　 Ten　minutes　passed　and　all　I　wanted　was　out　of　there。　There　are　some　things　that　doctors；　even　hardened　pathologists；　will　go　a　long　way　to　avoid。　Bodies　that　have　been　too　long　in　the　sea　is　one；　bodies　that　have　been　in　the　immediate　vicinity　of　underwater　explosion　is　another；　and　men　who　have　literally　been　burned　alive　is　another。　I　was　beginning　to　feel　more　than　slightly　sick：　but　I　wasn't　going　to　leave　there　until　I　was　finished。　
　 The　door　creaked　open。　I　turned　and　watched　mander　Swanson　e　in。　He'd　been　a　long　time；　I'd　expected　him　before　then。　Lieutenant　Hansen；　his　damaged　left　hand　wrapped　in　some　thick　woollen　material；　came　in　after　him。　That　was　what　the　phone　call　had　been　aboutthe　mander　calling　up　reinforcements。　Swanson　switched　off　his　flashlight；　pushed　up　his　snow　goggles；　and　pulled　down　his　mask。　His　eyes　narrowed　at　the　scene　before　him；　his　nostrils　wrinkled　in　involuntary　disgust；　and　color　drained　swiftly　from　his　ruddy　cheeks。　Both　Hansen　and　I　had　told　him　what　to　expect；　but　he　hadn't　been　prepared　for　this：　not　often　can　the　imagination　enpass　the　reality。　For　a　moment　I　thought　he　was　going　to　be　sick；　but　then　I　saw　a　slight　tinge　of　color　touch　his　cheekbones　and　I　knew　he　wasn't。
　 〃Dr。　Carpenter；〃　Swanson　said　in　a　voice　in　which　the　unsteady　huskiness　seemed　only　to　emphasize　the　stilted　formality；　〃I　wish　you　to　return　at　once