alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第46章

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　and　I　didn't　care。
　 〃Well；　I　was　the　first　to　discover　the　fire；　I　think；〃　Naseby；　the　Zebra　cook；　said　hesitantly。　His　Yorkshire　accent　was　very　pronounced。　He　was　still　no　picture　of　health　and　strength；　but；　for　all　that；　he　was　a　hundred　per　cent　improved　on　the　man　I　had　seen　yesterday。　Like　the　other　eight　survivors　of　Drift　Ice　Station　Zebra　who　were　present　in　the　wardroom　that　morning；　a　long　night's　warm　sleep　and　good　food　had　brought　about　a　remarkable　change　for　the　better。　More　accurately；　like　seven　others。　Captain　Folsom's　face　had　been　so　hideously　burned　that　it　was　difiIcult　to　say　what　progress　he　was　making；　though　he　had　certainly　bad　a　good　enough　breakfast；　almost　entirely　liquid；　less　than　half　an　hour　previously。
　 〃It　must　have　been　about　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；〃　Naseby　went　on。　〃Well；　near　enough　two。　The　place　was　already　on　fire。　Burning　like　a　torch；　it　was。　I〃
　 〃What　place？〃　I　interrupted。　〃Where　were　you　sleeping？〃
　 〃In　the　cookhouse。　That　was　also　our　dining　hail。　Furthestwest　hut　in　the　north　row。〃
　 〃You　slept　there　alone？〃
　 〃No。　Hewson；　here；　and　Flanders　and　Bryce　slept　there　also。　Flanders　and　Bryce；　they're…they　were…lab　technicians。　Hewson　and　I　slept　at　the　very　back　of　the　hut；　then　there　were　two　big　cupboards；　one　on　each　side；　that　held　all　our　food　stores；　then　Flanders　and　Bryce　slept　in　the　dining　hail　itself；　by　a　corner　of　the　galley。〃
　 〃They　were　nearest　the　door？〃
　 〃That's　right。　I　got　up；　coughing　and　choking　with　smoke；　very　groggy；　and　I　could　see　flames　already　starting　to　eat　through　the　east　wall　of　the　hut。　I　shook　Hewson；　then　ran　for　the　fire　extinguisher：　it　was　kept　by　the　door。　It　wouldn't　work。　Jammed　solid　with　the　cold；　I　suppose。　I　don't　know。　I　ran　back　in　again。　I　was　blind　by　this　time。　You　never　saw　smoke　like　it　in　your　life。　I　shook　Flanders　and　Bryce　and　shouted　at　them　to　get　out；　then　I　bumped　into　Hewson　and　told　him　to　run　and　wake　Captain　Folsom　here。〃
　 I　looked　at　Hewson。　〃You　woke　Captain　Folsom？〃
　 〃I　went　to　wake　him；　but　not　right　away。　The　whole　camp　was　blazing　like　the　biggest　Fifth　of　November　bonfire　you　ever　saw；　and　flames　twenty　feet　high　were　sweeping　down　the　lane　between　the　two　rows　of　huts。　The　air　was　full　of　flying　oil；　a　lot　of　it　burning。　I　had　to　make　a　long　swing　to　the　north　to　get　clear　of　the　oil　and　the　flames。〃
　 〃The　wind　was　from　the　east？〃
　 〃Not　quite。　Not　that　night。　Southeast；　I　would　say。　Eastsoutheast　would　be　more　like　it。　Anyway；　I　gave　a　very　wide　berth　to　the　generator　housethat　was　the　one　next　to　the　dining　hall　in　the　north　rowand　reached　the　main　bunkhouse。　That　was　the　one　you　found　us　in。〃
　 〃Then　you　woke　Captain　Folsom？〃
　 〃He　was　already　gone。　Shortly　after　I'd　left　the　dining　hall；　the　fuel　drums　in　the　fuel…storage　hutthat　was　the　one　directly　south　of　the　main　bunkhousestarted　exploding。　Like　bloody　great　bombs　going　off；　they　were；　the　noise　they　made。　They　would　have　waked　the　dead。　Anyway；　they　woke　Captain　Folsom。　He　and　Jeremy　here〃he　nodded　at　a　man　sitting　across　the　table　from　him〃had　taken　the　fire　extinguisher　from　the　bunkhouse　and　tried　to　get　close　to　Major　Halliwell's　hut。〃
　 〃That　was　the　one　directly　west　of　the　fuel　store？〃
　 〃That's　right。　It　was　an　inferno。　Captain　Folsom's　extinguisher　worked　well　enough；　but　he　couldn't　get　close　enough　to　do　any　good。　There　was　so　much　flying　oil　in　the　air　that　even　the　extinguisher　foam　seemed　to　burn。〃
　 〃Hold　on　a　minute；〃　I　said。　〃To　get　back　to　my　original　question。　How　did　the　fire　start？〃
　 〃We've　discussed　that　a　hundred　times　among　ourselves；〃　Dr。　Jolly　said　wearily。　〃The　truth　is；　old　boy；　we　haven't　a　clue。　We　know　〃where〃　it　started；　all　right：　match　the　huts　destroyed　against　the　wind　direction　that　night　and　it　could　only　have　been　in　the　fuel　store。　But　how？　It's　anybody's　guess。　I　don't　see　that　it　matters　a　great　deal　now。〃
　 〃I　disagree。　It　matters　very　much。　If　we　could　find　out　how　it　started；　we　might　prevent　another　such　tragedy　later　on。　That's　why　I'm　here。　Hewson；　you　were　in　charge　of　the　fuel　store　and　generator　hut。　Have　you　no　opinion　on　this？〃
　 〃None。　It　〃must〃　have　been　electrical；　but　how　I　can't　guess。　It's　possible　that　there　was　a　leakage　from　one　of　the　fuel　drums　and　that　oil　vapor　was　present　in　the　air。　There　were　two　black　heaters　in；　the　fuel　store；　designed　to　keep　the　temperature　up　to　zero　Fahrenheit　so　that　the　oil　would　always　flow　freely。　Arcing　across　the　make　and　break　of　the　thermostats　might　have　ignited　the　gas。　But　it's　only　a　wild　guess；　of　course。
　 〃No　possibility　of　any　smoldering　rags　or　cigarette　butts　being　the　cause？〃
　 Hewson's　face　turned　a　dusky　red。　〃Look；　mister；　I　know　my　job。　Burning　rags；　cigarette　butts；　I　know　how　to　keep　a　bloody　fuel　store〃
　 〃Keep　your　shirt　on；〃　I　interrupted。　〃No　offense。　I'm　only　doing　〃my〃　job。〃　I　turned　back　to　Naseby。　〃After　you'd　sent　Hewson　to　rouse　Captain　Folsom；　what　then？〃
　 〃I　ran　across　to　the　radio　roomthat's　the　hut　due　south　of　the　cookhouse　and　west　of　Major　Halliwell's〃
　 〃But　those　two　lab　techniciansFlanders　and　Bryce；　wasn't　it？surely　you　made　sure　they　were　awake　and　out　of　it　before　you　left　the　dining　hail？〃
　 〃God　help　me；　I　didn't。〃　Nasehy　stared　down　at　the　deck；　his　shoulders　hunched；　his　face　bleak。　〃They're　dead。　It's　my　fault　they're　dead。　But　you　don't　know　what　it　was　like　inside　that　dining　hail。　Flames　were　breaking　through　the　east　wall；　the　place　was　full　of　choking　smoke　and　oil；　I　couldn't　see；　I　could　hardly　breathe。　I　shook　them　both　and　shouted　at　them　to　get　out。　I　shook　them　hard　and　I　certainly　shouted　loud　enough。〃
　 〃I　can　bear　him　out　on　that；〃　Hewson　said　quietly。　〃I　was　right　beside　him　at　the　time。〃
　 〃I　didn't　wait；〃　Naseby　went　on。　〃I　wasn't　thinking　of　saving　my　own　skin。　I　thought　Flanders　and　Bryce　were　all　right　and　that　they　would　be　out　the　door　on　my　heels。　I　wanted　to　warn　the　others。　It　wasn'tit　wasn't　until　minutes　later　that　I　realized　there　was　no　sign　of　them。　And　then…well；　then　it　was　too　late。〃
　 〃You　ran　across　to　the　radio　room。　That's　where　you　slept；　Kinnaird；　wasn't　it？〃
　 〃That's　where　I　slept；　yes。〃　His　mouth　twisted。　〃Me　and　my　mate　Grant；　the　boy　that　died　yesterday。　And　Dr。　Jolly　slept　in　the　partitioned…off　east　end　of　the　hut。　That's　where　he　had　his　surgery　and　the　little　cubby　hole　where　he　carried　out　his　tests　on　ice　samples。〃
　 〃So　your　end　would　have　started　to　go　on　fire　first？〃　I　said　to　Jolly。
　 〃Must　have　done；〃　he　agreed。　〃Quite　frankly；　old　chap；　my　recollection　of　the　whole　thing　is　just　like　a　dreama　nightmare；　rather。　I　was　almost　asphyxiated　in　my　sleep；　I　think。　First　thing　I　remember　was　young　Grant　bending　over　me；　shaking　me　and　shouting。　Can't　recall　what　he　was　shouting；　but　it　must　have　been　that　the　hut　was　on　fire。　I　don't　know　what　I　said　or　did；　probably　nothing；　for　the　next　thing　I　clearly　remember　was　being　hit　on　both　sides　of　the　face；　and　not　too　gently；　either。　But；　by　Jove；　it　worked。　I　got　to　my　feet；　and　he　dragged　me　out　of　my　office　into　the　radio　room。　I　owe　my　life　to　young　Grant。　I'd　just　enough　sense　left　to　grab　the　emergency　medical　kit　that　I　always　kept　packed。〃
　 〃What　woke　Grant？〃
　 〃Naseby　here　woke　him；〃　Kinnaird　said。　〃He　woke　us　both；　shouting　and　hammering　on　the　door。　If　it　hadn't　been　for　him；　Dr。　Jolly　and　I　would　both　have　been　goners。　The　air　inside　that　place　was　like　poison　gas；　and　I'm　sure　if　Naseby　hadn't　shouted　on　us；　we　would　never　have　woken　up。　I　told　Grant　to　wake　the　doctor　while　I　tried　to　get　the　outside　door　open。〃
　 〃It　was　locked？
　 〃The　damned　thing　was　jammed。　That　was　nothing　unusual　at　night。　During　the　day；　when　the　heaters　were　going　full　blast　to　keep　the　huts　at　a　decent　working　temperature；　the　ice　around　the　doors　tended　to　melt。　At　night；　when　we　got　into　our　sleeping　bags；　we　turned　our　heaters　down；　and　the　melted　ice　froze　hard　around　the　door　openings；　sealing　it　solid。　That　happened　most　nights　in　most　of　the　hutsusually　had　to　break　our　way　out　in　the　morning。　But　I　can　tell　you　that　I　didn't　take　too　long　to　burst　it　open　that　night。〃
　 〃And　then？〃
　 〃I　ran　out；〃　Kinnaird　said。　〃I　couldn't　see　a　th