alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第42章

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ded　with　clothes　of　one　sort　or　another。　They're　all　lying　down；　of　course；　but　they　won't　be　lying　down　long。　All　of　them　are　young；　tough；　and　basically　healthy。　They　don't　pick　children　or　old　men　to　man　places　like　Drift　Station　Zebra。〃
　 There　was　a　knock　on　the　door　and　Swanson's　head　appeared。　He　said　〃Hello；　back　again〃　to　me；　then　turned　to　Benson。　〃A　small　problem　of　medical　discipline　here；　Doctor。〃　He　stood　aside　to　let　us　see　Naseby；　the　Zebra　cook；　standing　close　behind　him；　dressed　in　a　U。　S。　Navy's　petty　officer's　uniform。　〃It　seems　that　your　patients　have　heard　about　the　funeral　service。　They　want　to　go　alongthose　who　are　able；　that　isto　pay　their　last　respects　to　their　colleagues。　I　understand　and　sympathize；　of　course；　but　their　state　of　health〃
　 〃I　would　advise　against　it；　sir；〃　Benson　said。　〃Strongly。〃
　 〃You　can　advise　what　you　like；　mate。〃　The　voice　came　from　behind　Naseby。　It　was　Kinnaird；　the　cockney　radio　operator。　who　was　also　dressed　in　blue。　〃No　offense。　Don't　want　to　be　rude　or　ungrateful。　But　I'm　going。　Jimmy　Grant　was　my　mate。〃
　 〃I　know　how　you　feel；〃　Benson　said。　〃I　also　know　how　〃I〃　feel　about　ityour　condition；　I　mean。　You're　in　no　state　to　do　anything　except　lie　down。　You're　making　things　very　difficult　for　me。〃
　 〃I'm　the　captain　of　this　ship；〃　Swanson　put　in　mildly。　〃I　can　forbid　it；　you　know。　I　can　say　no　and　make　it　stick。〃
　 〃And　you　are　making　things　difficult　for　us；　sir；〃　Kinnaird　said。　〃I　don't　reckon　it　would　advance　the　cause　of　AngloAmerican　unity　very　much　if　we　started　hauling　off　at　our　rescuers　an　hour　or　two　after　they'd　saved　us　from　certain　death。〃　He　smiled　faintly。　〃Besides；　look　at　what　it　might　do　to　our　wounds　and　burns。〃
　 Swanson　cocked　an　eyebrow　at　me。　〃Well；　they're　your　countrymen。〃
　 〃Dr。　Benson　is　perfectly　correct；〃　I　said。　〃But　it's　not　worth　a　civil　war。　If　they　could　survive　five　or　six　days　on　that　damned　ice　cap；　I　don't　suppose　a　few　minutes　more　is　going　to　finish　them　off。〃
　 〃Well；　if　it　does；〃　Swanson　said　heavily；　〃we'll　blame　you。〃
　
　
　 If　I　ever　had　any　doubt　about　it；　I　didn't　have　then；　not　after　ten　minutes　out　in　the　open。　The　Arctic　ice　cap　was　no　place　for　a　funeral；　but　I　couldn't　have　imagined　a　more　promising　set…up　for　a　funeral　director　who　wanted　to　drum　up　some　trade。　After　the　warmth　of　the　〃Dolphin〃；　the　cold　seemed　intense　and　within　five　minutes　we　were　all　shivering　violently。　The　darkness　was　as　nearly　absolute　as　it　ever　bees　on　the　ice　cap；　the　wind　was　lifting　again；　and　thin　flurries　of　snow　came　gusting　through　the　night。　The　solitary　floodlight　served　only　to　emphasize　the　ghostly　unreality　of　it　all：　the　huddled　circle　of　mourners　with　bent　heads；　the　two　shapeless；　canvas…wrapped　forms　lying　huddled　at　the　base　of　an　ice　hummock；　mander　Swanson　bent　over　his　book；　the　wind　and　the　snow　snatching　the　half…heard　mumble　from　his　lips　as　he　hurried　through　the　burial　service。　I　caught　barely　one　word　in　ten　of　the　mittal　and　then　it　was　all　over：　no　meaningless　rifle　salutes；　no　empty　blowing　of　bugles；　just　the　service　and　the　silence　and　the　dark　shapes　of　stumbling　men　hurriedly　placing　fragments　of　broken　ice　over　the　canvas…sheeted　forms。　And　within　twentyfour　hours　the　eternally　drifting　spicules　and　blowing　snow　would　have　sealed　them　forever　in　their　icy　tomb；　and　there　they　might　remain　forever；　drifting　in　endless　circles　about　the　North　Pole；　or　someday；　perhaps　a　thousand　years　from　then；　an　ice　lead　might　open　up　and　drop　them　down　to　the　uncaring　floor　of　the　Arctic；　their　bodies　as　perfectly　preserved　as　if　they　had　died　only　that　day。　It　was　a　macabre　thought。
　 Heads　bent　against　the　snow　and　ice；　we　hurried　back　to　the　shelter　of　the　〃Dolphin〃。　From　the　ice　cap　to　the　top　of　the　sail　it　was　a　climb　of　over　twenty　feet　up　the　almost　vertically　inclined　huge　slabs　of　ice　that　the　submarine　had　pushed　upward　and　sideways　as　she　had　forced　her　way　through。　Hand　lines　had　been　rigged　from　the　top　of　the　sail；　but　even　then　it　was　a　fairly　tricky　climb。　It　was　a　set…up　where；　with　the　icy　slope；　the　frozen　slippery　ropes；　the　darkness　and　the　blinding　effect　of　the　snow　and　ice；　an　accident　could　all　too　easily　happen。　And　happen　it　did。
　 I　was　about　six　feet　up；　giving　a　hand　to　Jeremy；　the　lab　technician　from　Zebra；　whose　burnt　hands　made　it　almost　impossible　for　him　to　climb　alone；　when　I　heard　a　muffled　cry　above　me。　I　glanced　up　and　had　a　darkly　blurred　impression　of　someone　teetering　on　top　of　the　sail；　fighting　for　his　balance；　then　jerked　Jeremy　violently　toward　me　to　save　him　from　being　swept　away　as　that　same　someone　lost　his　footing；　toppled　over　backward；　and　hurtled　down　past　us　to　the　ice　below。　I　winced　at　the　sound　of　the　impact　two　sounds；　rather：　a　heavy；　muffled　thud　followed　immediately　by　a　sharper；　crisper　crack。　First　the　body；　then　the　head。　I　half　imagined　that　I　heard　another　sound　afterward；　but　I　couldn't　be　sure。　I　handed　Jeremy　over　to　the　care　of　someone　else　and　slithered　down　an　ice…coated　rope；　not　looking　forward　very　much　to　what　I　must　see。　The　fall　had　been　the　equivalent　of　a　twenty…foot　drop　on　to　a　concrete　floor。
　 Hansen　had　got　there　before　me　and　was　shining　his　light；　not　on　one　prostrate　figure；　as　I　had　expected；　but　on　two。　Benson　and　Jolly；　both　of　them　out　cold。
　 I　said　to　Hansen；　〃Did　you　see　what　happened？〃
　 〃No。　Happened　too　quickly。　All　I　know　is　that　it　was　Benson　that　did　the　falling　and　Jolly　that　did　the　cushioning。　Jolly　was　beside　me　only　a　few　seconds　before　the　fall。〃
　 〃If　that's　the　case；　then　Jolly　probably　saved　your　doctor's　life。　We'll　need　to　strap　them　in　stretchers　and　haul　them　up　and　inside。　We　can't　leave　them　out　…　here。〃
　 〃Stretchers？　Well；　yes；　if　you　say　so。　But　they　might　some　around　any　minute。〃
　 〃One　of　them　might。　But　one　of　them　is　not　going　to　e　around　for　a　long　time。　You　heard　that　crack　when　a　head　hit　the　ice；　it　was　like　someone　being　clouted　over　the　head　with　a　fence　post。　And　1　don't　know　which　it　is　yet。〃
　 Hansen　left。　I　stooped　over　Benson　and　eased　back　the　hood　of　the　duffel　coat　he　was　wearing。　A　fence　post　was　just　about　right。　The　side　of　his　head；　an　inch　above　the　right　ear；　was　a　blood…smeared　mess；　a　three…inch…long　gash　in　the　purpling　flesh　with　the　blood　already　coagulating　in　the　bitter　cold。　Two　inches　further　forward　and　he'd　have　been　a　dead　man；　the　thin　bone　behind　the　temple　would　have　shattered　under　such　an　impact。　For　Benson's　sake；　I　hoped　the　rest　of　his　skull　was　pretty　thick。　No　question　but　that　this　had　been　the　sharp　crack　I'd　heard。
　 Benson's　breathing　was　very　shallow；　the　movement　of　his　chest　barely　discernible。　Jolly's；　on　the　other　hand；　was　fairly　deep　and　regular。　I　pulled　back　his　anorak　hood；　probed　carefully　over　his　head；　and　encountered　a　slight　puffiness　far　back；　near　the　top　on　the　left…hand　side。　The　inference　seemed　obvious。　I　hadn't　been　imagining　things　when　I　thought　I　had　heard　a　second　sound　after　the　sharp　crack　caused　by　Benson's　head　striking　against　the　ice。　Jolly　must　have　been　in　the　way　of　the　falling　Benson；　not　directly　enough　beneath　him　to　break　his　fall　in　any　way；　but　directly　enough　to　be　knocked　backward　on　to　the　ice　and　bang　the　back　of　his　head　as　he　fell。
　 It　took　ten　minutes　to　have　them　strapped　in　stretchers；　taken　inside；　and　placed　in　a　couple　of　temporary　cots　in　the　sick　bay。　With　Swanson　waiting　anxiously；　I　attended　to　Benson　first；　though　there　was　little　enough　I　could　do。　I　had　just　started　on　Jolly　when　his　eyes　flickered　and　he　slowly　came　back　to　consciousness；　groaning　a　bit　and　trying　to　hold　the　back　of　his　head。　He　made　an　effort　to　sit　up　in　his　cot；　but　I　restrained　him。
　 〃Oh；　Lord；　my　head。〃　Several　times　he　squeezed　his　eyes　tightly　shut；　opened　them　wide；　focused　with　difficulty　on　the　bulkhead　riotous　with　the　color　of　Benson's　cartoon　characters；　then　looked　away　as　if　he　didn't　believe　it。　〃Oh；　my　word；　that　must　have　been　a　dilly。　Who　did　it；　old　boy？〃
　 〃Did　what？〃　Swanson　asked。
　 〃Walloped　me　on　the　old　bean。　Who？　Eh？〃
　 〃You　mean　to　say　you　don't　remember？〃
　 〃Remember？〃　Jolly　said　irritably。　〃How　the　devil　should　I〃　fle　broke　off　as　his　eye　caught　sight　of　Be