alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第50章

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〃nothing〃　pointed　the　finger　against　them。　Unless；　of　course；　there　might　have　been　something　about　Flanders　and　Bryce　that　Jeremy　didn't　want　anyone　to　see；　so　he　stopped　Naseby　from　going　back　into　the　cookhouse。　Or　not。〃
　 Swanson　almost　glared　at　me。　Watching　his　submarine　plummeting　out　of　control　beyond　the　1；000…feet　mark　was　something　that　rated；　maybe　the　lift　of　an　eyebrow；　but　this　was　something　else　again。　He　said：　〃Very　well；　then；　we'll　let　the　killer　run　loose　and　wreck　the　〃Dolphin〃　at　his　leisure。　I　must　have　very　considerable　confidence　in　you；　Dr。　Carpenter。　I　feel　sure　my　confidence　will　not　be　misplaced。　Tell　me　one　last　thing。　I　assume　you　are　a　highly　skilled　investigator。　But　I　was　puzzled　by　one　omission　in　your　questioning。　A　vital　question；　I　should　have　thought。〃
　 〃Who　suggested　moving　the　corpses　into　the　lab；　knowing　that　by　doing　so　he　would　be　making　his　hiding　place　for　the　cached　material　a　hundred　per　cent　fool…proof？〃
　 〃I　apologize。〃　He　smiled　faintly。　〃You　had　your　reasons；　of　course。〃
　 〃Of　course。　You're　not　sure　whether　or　not　the　killer　is　on　to　the　fact　that　we　are　on　to　him。　I'm　sure。　I　know　he's　not。　But　had　I　asked　that　question；　he'd　have　known　immediately　that　there　could　be　only　one　reason　for　my　asking　it。　Then　he　would　have　known　I　was　on　to　him。　Anyway；　it's　my　guess　that　Captain　Folsom　gave　the　order；　but　the　original　suggestion；　carefully　camouflaged　so　that　Folsom　may　no　longer　be　able　to　pin　it　down；　would　have　e　from　another　quarter。〃
　
　
　 Had　it　been　a　few　months　earlier；　with　the　summer　Arctic　sun　riding　in　the　sky；　it　would　have　been　a　brilliant　day。　As　it　was；　there　was　no　sun；　not　in　that　latitude　and　so　late　in　the　year；　but；　for　all　that；　the　weather　was　about　as　perfect　as　it　was　possible　for　it　to　be。　Thirty…six　hoursthe　time　that　had　elapsed　since　Hansen　and　I　had　made　that。　savage　trip　back　to　the　〃Dolphin〃had　brought　about　a　change　that　seemed　pretty　close'　to　miraculous。　The　knifing　east　wind　had　died　pletely。　That　flying　sea　of　ice　spicules　was　no　more。　The　temperature　had　risen　at　least　twenty　degrees；　and　the　visibility　Was　as　perfect　as　visibility　on　the　winter　ice　pack　ever　is。
　 Swanson；　sharing　Benson's　viewpoint　on　the　crew's　oversedentary　mode　of　existence　and　taking　advantage　of　the　fine　weather；　had　advised　everyone　not　engaged　in　actual　watch…keeping　to　take　advantage　of　the　opportunity　offered　to　stretch　their　legs　in　the　fresh　air。　It　said　much　for　Swanson's　powers　of　persuasion　that　by　eleven　that　morning　the　〃Dolphin〃　was　practically　deserted；　and　of　course　the　crew；　to　whom　Drift　Ice　Station　Zebra　was　only　so　many　words；　were　understandably　curious　to　see　the　place；　even　the　shell　of　the　place；　that　had　brought　them　to　the　top　of　the　world。
　 I　took　my　place　at　the　end　of　the　small　line　being　treated　by　Dr。　Jolly。　It　was　close　to　noon　。before　he　got　around　to　me。　He　was　making　light　of　his　own　burns　and　frostbite　and　was　in　tremendous　form；　bustling　happily　about　the　sick　bay　as　if　it　had　been　his　own　private　domain　for　years。
　 'Well；〃　I　said；　〃the　pill…rolling　petition　wasn't　so　fierce　after　all；　was　it？　I'm　damned　glad　there　was　a　third　doctor　around。　How　are　things　on　the　medical　front？〃
　 〃ing　along　not　too　badly；　old　boy；〃　he　said　cheerfully。　〃Benson's　picking　up　very　nicely。　Pulse；　respiration；　blood　pressure　close　to　normal；　level　of　unconsciousness　very　slight　now；　I　should　say。　Captain　Folsom's　still　in　considerable　pain；　but　no　actual　danger；　of　course。　The　rest　have　improved　a　hundred　per　cent；　little　thanks　to　the　medical　fraternity。　Excellent　food；　warm　beds；　and　the　knowledge　that　they're　safe　have　done　them　more　good　than　anything　we　could　ever　do。　Anyway；　it's　done　me　a　lot　of　good；　by　Jove！〃
　 〃And　them；〃　I　agreed。　〃All　your　friends　except　Folsom　and　the　Harrington　twins　have　followed　most　of　the　crew　on　to　the　ice；　and　I'll　wager　that　if　you　had　suggested　to　them　forty…eight　hours　ago　that　they'd　willingly　go　out　there　again　in　so　short　a　time；　they'd　have　called　for　a　straitjacket。〃
　 〃The　physical　and　mental　recuperative　power　of　homo　sapiens；〃　Jolly　said　jovially。　〃Beyond　belief　at　times；　old　lad；　beyond　belief。　Now；　let's　have　a　look　at　that　broken　wing　of；　yours。〃
　 So　he　had　a　look；　and　because　I　was　a　colleague　and　therefore　inured　to　human　suffering；　he　didn't　spend　any　too　much　time　in　molly…coddling　me；　but　by　hanging　on　to　the　arm　of　my　chair　and　the　shreds　of　my　professional　pride；　I　kept　the　roof　from　falling　in　on　me。　When　he　was　finished　he　said；　〃Well；　that's　the。　lot；　except　for　Brownell　and　Bolton；　the　two　lads　out　on　the　ice。〃
　 〃I'll　e　with　you；〃　I　said。　〃mander　Swanson　is　waiting　pretty　anxiously　to　hear　what　we　have　to　say。　He　wants　to　get　away　from　here　as　soon　as　possible。〃
　 〃Me　too；〃　Jolly　said　fervently。　〃But　what's　the　mander　so　anxious　about？〃
　 〃Ice。　You　never　know　the　hour　or　minute　it　starts　to　close　in。　Want　to　spend　the　next　year　or　two　up　here？〃
　 Jolly　grinned；　thought　it　over　for　a　moment；　then　stopped　grinning。　He　said　apprehensively；　〃How　long　are　we　going　to　be　under　this　damned　ice？　Before　we　reach　the　open　sea；　I　mean？〃
　 〃Twenty…four　hours；　Swanson　says。　Don't　look　so　worried；　Jolly。　Believe　me；　it's　far　safer　under　this　stuff　than　among　it。〃
　 With　a　very　unconvinced　look　on　his　face；　Jolly　picked　up　his　medical　kit　and　led　the　way　from　the　sick　bay。　Swanson　was　waiting　for　us　in　the　control　room。　We　climbed　up　the　hatches；　dropped　down　over　the　side；　and　walked　over　to　the　drift　station。
　 Most　of　the　crew　had　already　made　their　way　out　there。　We　passed　numbers　of　them　on　the　way　back；　most　of　them　looked　grim　or　sick　or　both；　and　didn't　even　glance　up　as　we　passed。　I　didn't　have　to　guess　why　they　looked　as　they　did；　they'd　been　opening　doors　that　they　should　have　left　closed。
　 With　the　sharp　rise　in　outside　temperature　and　the　effect　of　the　big　electric　heaters　having　been　burning　there　for　twenty…four　hours；　the　bunkhouse　hut　was　now；　if　anything；　overheated；　with　the　last　traces　of　ice　long　vanished　from　walls　and　ceiling。　One　of　the　men；　Brownell；　had　recovered　consciousness　and　was　sitting　up；　supported；　drinking　soup　provided　by　one　of　the　two　men　who　had　been　keeping　watch　over　him。
　 〃Well；〃　I　said　to　Swanson；　〃here's　one　ready　to　go。〃
　 〃No　doubt　about　that；〃　Jolly　said　briskly。　He　bent　over　the　other；　flolton；　for　some　seconds；　then　straightened　and　shook　his　head。　〃A　very　sick　man；　mander；　very　sick。　I　wouldn't　care　to　take　the　responsibility　of　moving　him。〃
　 〃I　might　be　forced　to　take　the　responsibility　myself；〃　Swanson　said　bluntly。　〃Let's　have　another　opinion　on　this。〃　His　tone　and　words；　I　thought；　could　have　been　more　diplomatic　and　conciliatory；　but　if　there　were　a　couple　of　murderers　aboard　the　〃Dolphin〃；　there　was　a　thirty…three　and　a　third　per　cent　chance　that　Jolly　was　one　of　them；　and　Swanson　wasn't　forgetting　it　for　a　moment。
　 I　gave　Jolly　an　apologetic　half…shrug；　bent　over　Bolton；　and　examined　him　as　best　I　could　with　only　one　hand　available　for　the　task。　I　straightened　and　said；　〃Jolly's　right。　He　is　pretty　sick。　But　I　think　he　might　just　stand　the　transfer　to　the　ship。〃
　 〃'Might　just'　is　not　quite　the　normally　accepted　basis　for　deciding　the　treatment　of　a　patient；〃　Jolly　objected。
　 〃I　know　it's　not。　But　the　circumstances　are　hardly　normal；　either。〃
　 〃I'll　take　the　responsibility；〃　Swanson　said。　〃Dr。　Jolly；　I'd　be　most　grateful　if　you　would　supervise　the　transport　of　those　two　men　back　to　the　ship。　I'll　let　you　have　as　many　men　as　you　want　right　away。〃
　 Jolly　protested　some　more；　then　gave　in　with　good　grace。　He　supervised　the　transfer；　and　very　petent　he　was　about　it；　too。　I　remained　out　there　a　little　longer；　watching　Rawlings　and　some　others　dismantling　heaters　and　lights　and　rolling　up　cables；　and　after　the　last　of　them　was　gone　and　I　was　alone；　I　made　my　way　around　to　the　tractor　shed。
　 The　broken　shaft　of　the　knife　was　still　in　the　tank　of　the　tractor。　But　not　the　gun　and　not　the　two　magazines。　Those　were　gone。　And　whoever　had　taken　them；　it　hadn't　been　Dr。　Jolly；　he　hadn't　been　out　of　my　sight　for　two　consecutive　seconds　between　the　time　he'd　left　the　〃Dolphin〃　and　the　time　of　his　r