alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第38章

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　 〃Without　endangering　the　ship？〃　I　asked。　〃With　a　murderer　aboard；　the　possibility　of　endangering　the　ship　does　not　arise？〃
　 〃We　don't　know　he　isor　will　beaboard。〃
　 〃You　don't　even　begin　to　believe　that　yourse1f。　You　know　he　will　be。　You　know　as　well　as　I　do　why　this　fire　broke　out　and　you　know　damn　well　that　it　was　no　accident。　If　　there　was　any　accidental　element　about　it；　it　was　just　the　size　and　extent　of　the　fire。　The　killer　may　have　miscalculated　that。　But　both　time　and　weather　conditions　were　against　him：　I　don't　think　he　had　very　much　option。　The　only　possible　way　in　which　he　could　obliterate　all　traces　of　his　crime　was　to　have　a　fire　of　sufficient　proportions　to　obliterate　those　traces。　He　would　have　got　away　with　it；　too；　if　I　hadn't　been　here；　if　I　hadn't　been　convinced　before　we　left　port　that　something　was　very　much　wrong　indeed。　But…　he　would　take　very　good　care　that　he　wouldn't　obliterate　himself　in　the　process。　Like　it　or　not；　mander；　you're　going　to　have　a　killer　aboard　your　ship。〃
　 〃But　all　of　those　men　have　been　burned；　some　very　severely〃
　 〃What　the　hell　did　you　expect？　That　the　unknown　X　would　go　about　without　a　mark　on　him；　without　as　much　as　a　cigarette　burn；　proclaiming　to　the　world　that　he　had　been　the　one　who　had　been　throwing　matches　about　and　had　then　thoughtfully　stood　to　one　side？　Local　color。　He　〃had〃　to　get　himself　burned。〃　…
　 〃It　doesn't　necessarily　follow；〃　Hansen　said。　〃How　was　he　to　know　that　anyone　was　going　to　get　suspicious　and　start　investigating？〃
　 〃You'd　be　well　advised　to　join　your　captain　in　keeping　out　of　the　detecting　racket；〃　I　said　shortly。　〃The　men　behind　this　are　top…flight　experts　with　far…reaching　contactspart　of　a　criminal　octopus　with　tentacles　so　long　that　it　can　even　reach　out　and　sabotage　your　ship　in　the　Holy　Loch。　Why　they　did　that；　I　don't　know。　What　matters　is　that　top…flight　operators　like　those　〃never〃　take　chances。　They　always　operate　on　the　assumption　that　they　〃may〃　be　found　out。　They　take　every　possible　precaution　against　every　possible　eventuality。　Besides；　when　the　fire　was　at　its　heightwe　don't　know　the　story　of　that　yetthe　killer　would　have　had　to　pitch　in　and　rescue　those　trapped。　It　would　have　seemed　damned　odd　if　he　hadn't。　And　so　he　got　burned。〃
　 〃My　God。〃　Swanson's　teeth　were　beginning　to　chatter　with　the　cold　but　he　didn't　seem　to　notice　it。　〃What　a　hellish　set…up。〃
　 〃Isn't　it？　I　dare　say　there's　nothing　in　your　Navy　regulations　to　cover　this。〃
　 〃But　whatwhat　are　we　going　to　do？〃
　 〃We　call　the　cops。　That's　me。〃
　 〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　 〃What　I　say。　I　have　more　authority；　more　official　backing；　more　scope；　more　power　and　more　freedom　of　action　than　any　cop　you　ever　saw。　You　must　believe　me。　What　I　say　is　true。〃
　 〃I'm　beginning　to　believe　it　〃is〃　true；〃　Swanson　said　in　slow　thoughtfulness。　〃I've　been　wondering　more　and　more　about　you　in　the　past　twenty…four　hours。　I've　kept　telling　myself　I　was　wrong；　even　ten　minutes　before　I　kept　telling　myself。　You're　a　policeman？　Or　detective？〃
　 〃Naval　officer。　Intelligence。　I　have　credentials　in　my　suitcase　which　I　am　empowered　to　show　in　an　emergency。〃　It　didn't　seem　the　time　to　tell　him　just　how　wide　a　selection　of　credentials　I　did　have。　〃This　is　the　emergency。〃
　 〃Butbut　you　are　a　doctor。〃
　 〃Sure　I　am。　A　Navy　doctoron　the　side。　My　specialty　is　investigating　sabotage　in　the　U。K。　armed　forces。　The　cover…up　of　research　doctor　is　the　ideal　one。　My　duties　are　deliberately　vague；　and　I　have　the　power　to　poke　and　pry　into　all　sorts　of　corners　and　situations　and　talk　to　all　sorts　of　people　on　the　grounds　of　being　an　investigating　psychologist　which　would　be　impossible　for　the　average　officer。〃
　 There　was　a　long　silence；　then　Swanson　said　bitterly；　〃You　might　have　told　us　before　this。〃
　 〃I　might　have　broadcast　it　all　over　your　tannoy　system。　Why　the　hell　should　1？　I　don't　want　to　trip　over　blundering　amateurs　every　step　I　take。　Ask　any　cop。　The　biggest　menace　of　his　life　…　is　the　self…appointed　Sherlock。　Besides；　I　couldn't　trust　you；　and　before　you　start　getting　all　hot　and　bothered　about　that　I　might　add　that　I　don't　mean　you'd　deliberately　give　me　away　or　anything　like　that　but　that　you　may　inadvertently　give　me　away。　Now　I've　no　option　but　to　tell　you　what　I　can　and　chance　the　consequences。　Why　couldn't　you　just　have　accepted　that　directive　from　your　Chief　of　Naval　Operations　and　acted　accordingly？〃
　 〃Directive？〃　Hansen　looked　at　Swanson。　〃What　directive？〃
　 〃Order　from　Washington　to　give　Dr。　Carpenter　here　carte　blanche　for　practically　everything。　Be　reasonable；　Carpenter。　I　don't　like　operating　in　the　dark　and　I'm　naturally　suspicious。　You　came　aboard　in　highly　questionable　circumstances。　You　knew　too　damn　much　about　submarines。　You　were　as　evasive　as　hell。　You　had　this　sabotage　theory　all　cut　and　dried。　Damn　it；　man；　of　course　I　had　reservations。　Wouldn't　you　have　had；　in　my　place？〃
　 〃I　suppose　so。　I　don't　know。　Me；　I　obey　orders。〃
　 〃Uh…huh。　And　your　orders　in　this　case？〃
　 〃Meaning　what　exactly　is　all　this　about？〃　I　sighed。　〃It　would　have　to　e　to　this。　You　must　be　told　now；　and　you'll　understand　why　your　Chief　of　Naval　Operations　was　so　anxious　that　you　give　me　every　help　possible。〃
　 〃We　can　believe　this　one？〃　Swanson　asked。
　 〃You　can　believe　this　one。　The　story　I　spun　you　back　in　the　Holy　Loch　wasn't　all　malarkey。　I　just　dressed　it　up　a　bit　to　make　sure　you'd　take　me　along。　They　did　indeed　have　a　very　special　item　of　equipment　here…an　electronic　marvel　that　was　used　for　monitoring　the　count…down　of　Soviet　missiles　and　pinpointing　their　locations。　This　machine　was　kept　in　one　of　the　huts　now　destroyedthe　second　from　the　west　in　the　south　row。　Night　and　day　a　giant　captive　radio…sonde　balloon　reached　thirty　thousand　feet　up　into　the　skybut　it　had　no　radio　attached。　It　was　just　a　huge　aerial。　Incidentally；　I　should　think　that　this　is　the　reason　why　the　oil　fuel　appears　to　have　been　flung　over　so　large　an　areaan　explosion　caused　by　the　bursting　of　the　hydrogen　cylinders　used　to　inflate　the　balloons。　They　were　stored　in　the　fuel　hut。〃
　 〃Did　everybody　in　Zebra　know　about　this　monitoring　machine？〃
　 〃No。　Most　of　them　thought　it　a　device　for　investigating　cosmic　rays。　Only　four　people　knew　what　it　really　wasmy　brother　and　the　three　others　who　all　slept　in　the　hut　that　housed　this　machine。　Now　the　hut　is　destroyed。　The　free　world's　most　advanced　listening　post。　You　wonder　why　your　C。N。O。　was　so　anxious？〃
　 〃Four　men？〃　Swanson　looked　at　me；　a　faint　speculation　still　in　his　eye。　〃Which　four　men；　Dr。　Carpenter？〃
　 〃Do　you　have　to　ask？　Four　of　the　seven　men　you　see　lying　here；　mander。〃
　 He　stared　down　at　the　floor；　then　looked　quickly　away。　He　said：　〃You　mentioned　that　you　were　convinced　even　before　we　left　port　that　something　was　wrong。　Why？〃
　 〃My　brother　had　a　top…secret　code。　We　had　messages　sent　by　him：　he　was　an　expert　radio　operator。　One　said　that　there　had　been　two　separate　attempts　to　wreck　the　monitor。　He　didn't　go　into　details。　Another　said　that　he　had　been　attacked　and　left　unconscious　when　making　a　midnight　check　and　finding　someone　bleeding　off　the　gas　from　the　hydrogen　cylinders：　without　the　radio…sonde　aerial；　the　monitor　would　have　been　useless。　He　was　lucky；　he　was　out　for　only　a　few　minutes；　as　long　again　and　he　would　have　frozen　to　death。　In　the　circumstances　did　you　expect　me　to　believe　that　the　fire　was　unconnected　with　the　attempts　to　sabotage　the　monitor？〃
　 〃But　how　would　anyone　know　what　it　was？〃　Hansen　objected。　〃Apart　from　your　brother　and　the　other　three　men；　that　is？〃　Like　Swanson；　he　glanced　at　the　floor　and；　like　Swanson；　looked　as　hurriedly　away。　〃For　my　money；　this　is　the　work　of　a　psycho。　A　madman。　A　coldly　calculating　criminal　wouldwell；　he　wouldn't　go　in　for　wholesale　murder　like　this。　But　a　psycho　would。〃
　 〃Three　hours　ago；〃　I　said；　〃before　you　loaded　the　torpedo　into　number　3　tube；　you　checked　the　manually　controlled　levers　and　the　warning　lights　for　the　tube　bow　caps。　In　the　one　case；　you　found　that　the　levers　had　been　disconnected　in　the　open　position：　in　the　other；　you　found　that　the　wires　had　been　crossed　in　a　junction　box。　Do　you　think　that　was　the　work　of　a　psycho？　Another　psycho？〃
　 He　said　nothi