alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第6章

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　 〃No　one　ever　gets　seasick　on　the　〃Dolphin〃；　I　can　assure　you；〃　Swanson　smiled。
　 〃I'd　appreciate　the　chance　to　sleep　instead。　I've　had　no　sleep　for　almost　three　days　and　I've　been　traveling　non…stop　for　the　past　fifty　hours。　I'm　just　tired；　that's　all。〃
　 〃That's　a　fair　amount　of　traveling；〃　Swanson　smiled。　He　seemed　to　be　smiling　almost　always；　and　I　supposed　vaguely　that　there　would　be　some　people　foolish　enough　to　take　that　smile　always　at　its　face　value。　〃Where　were　you　fifty　hours　ago；　Doctor？〃
　 〃In　the　Antarctic。〃
　 Admiral　Garvie　gave　me　a　very　old…fashioned　look　indeed；　but　he　let　it　go　at　that。
　
　
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　 When　I　awoke　I　was　still　heavy　with　sleep；　the　heaviness　of　a　man　who　has　slept　for　a　long　time。　My　watch　said　9：30；　and　I　knew　it　must　be　the　next　morning；　not　the　same　evening：　I　had　been　asleep　for　fifteen　hours。
　 The　cabin　was　quite　dark。　I　rose；　fumbled　for　the　light　switch；　found　it；　and　looked　around。　Neither　Hansen　nor　the　engineer　officer　was　there；　they　must　have　e　in　after　I　had　gone　to　sleep　and　left　before　I　woke　up。　I　looked　around　some　more　and　then　I　listened。　I　was　suddenly　conscious　of　the　almost　plete　quiet；　the　stillness；　the　entire　lack　of　any　perceptible　motion。　I　might　have　been　in　the　bedroom　of　my　own　house。　What　had　gone　wrong？　What　hold…up　had　occurred？　Why　in　God's　name　weren't　we　under　way？　I'd　have　sworn　the　previous　night　that　mander　Swanson　had　been　just　as　conscious　of　the　urgency　as　I　had　been。
　 I　had　a　quick　wash　in　the　folding　Pullman…type　basin；　passed　up　the　need　for　a　shave；　pulled　on　shirt；　trousers　and　shoes；　and　…　went　outside。　A　few　feet　away　a　door　opened　to　starboard　off　the　passage。　I　went　along　and　walked　in。　The　officers'　wardroom；　without　a　doubt；　with　one　of　them　still　at　breakfast；　slowly　munching　his　way　through　a　huge　plateful　of　steak；　eggs　and　French　fries；　glancing　at　a　magazine　in　a　leisurely　fashion　and　giving　every　impression　of　a　man　enjoying　life　to　the　luxurious　full。　He　was　about　my　own　age；　big；　inclined　to　fata　mon　condition；　I　was　to　find；　among　the　entire　crew；　who　ate　so　well　and　exercised　so　littlewith　close…cropped　black　hair　already　graying　at　the　temples；　and　a　cheeful；　intelligent　face。　He　caught　sight　of　me；　rose　and　stretched　out　a　hand。
　 〃Dr。　Carpenter；　it　must　be。　Wele　to　the　wardroom。　I'm　Benson。　Take　a　seat；　take　a　seat。〃
　 I　said　something；　appropriate　but　quick；　then　asked；　〃What's　wrong？　What's　been　the　hold…up？　Why　aren't　we　under　way？〃　
　 〃That's　the　trouble　with　the　world　today；〃　Benson　said　mournfully。　〃Rush；　rush；　rush。　And　where　does　all　the　hurry　get　them？　I'll　tell　you〃
　 〃Excuse　me。　I　must　see　the　captain。〃　I　turned　to　leave　but　he　laid　a　hand　on　my　arm。
　 〃Relax；　Dr。　Carpenter。　We　〃are〃　at　sea。　Take　a　seat。〃
　 〃At　sea？　On　the　level？　I　don't　feel　a　thing。〃
　 〃You　never　do　when　you're　three　hundred　feet　down。　Maybe　four　hundred。　I　don't；〃　he　said　expansively；　〃concern　myself　with　those　trifles。　I　leave　them　to　the　mechanics。〃
　 〃Mechanics？〃
　 〃The　captain；　the　engineer　officer；　people　like　that。〃　He　waved　a　hand　in　a　generously　vague　gesture　to　indicate　the　largeness　of　the　concept　he　understood　by　the　term　〃mechanics。〃　〃Hungry？〃
　 〃We've　cleared　the　Clyde？〃
　 〃Unless　the　Clyde　extends　to　well　beyond　the　north　of　Scotland；　the　answer　to　that　is；　yes；　we　have。〃
　 〃e　again？〃
　 He　grinned。　〃At　the　last　check　we　were　well　into　the　Norwegian　Sea；　about　the　latitude　of　Bergen。〃
　 〃This　is　still　only　Tuesday　morning？〃　I　don't　know　if　I　looked　stupid：　I　certainly　felt　it。
　 〃It's　still　only　Tuesday　morning；〃　he　laughed。　〃And　if　you　can　work　out　from　that　what　kind　of　speed　we've　been　makin　in　the　last　fifteen　hours；　we'd　all　be　obliged　if　you'd　keep　it　to　yourself。〃　He　leaned　back　in　his　seat　and　lifted　his　voice。　〃Henry！〃　…
　 A　steward；　white…jacketed；　appeared　from　what　I　took　to　be　the　pantry。　He　was　a　tall；　thin　character　with　a　dark　plexion　and　the　long　lugubrious　face　of　a　dyspeptic　spaniel。　He　looked　at　Benson　and　said　in　a　meaningful　voice：　〃〃Another〃　plate　of　French　fries；　Doc？〃
　 〃You　know　very　well　that　I　never　have　more　than　one　helping　of　that　carbohydrated　rubbish；〃　Benson　said　with　dignity。　〃Not；　at　least；　for　breakfast。　Henry；　this　is　Dr。　Carpenter。〃
　 〃Howdy；〃　Henry　said　agreeably。
　 〃Breakfast；　Henry；〃　Benson　said。　〃And；　remember；　Dr。　Carpenter　is　a　Britisher。　We　don't　want　him　leaving　with　a　low　opinion　of　the　chow　served　in　the　U。　S。　Navy。〃
　 〃If　anyone　aboard　this　ship　has　a　low　opinion　of　the　food；〃　Henry　said　darkly；　〃they　hide　it　pretty　well。　Breakfast。　The　works。　Right　away。〃
　 〃Not　the　works；　for　heaven's　sake；〃　I　said。　〃There　are　some　things　we　decadent　Britishers　can't　face　up　to　first　thing　in　the　morning。　One　of　them　is　French　fries。〃
　 He　nodded　approvingly　and　left。
　 I　said；　〃Dr。　Benson；　I　gather。〃
　 〃Resident　medical　officer　aboard　the　〃Dolphin〃；　no　less；〃　he　admitted。　〃The　one　who's　had　his　professional　petence　called　into　question　by　having　a　peting　practitioner　called　in。〃　…
　 〃I'm　along　for　the　ride。　I　assure　you　I'm　not　peting　with　anyone。〃
　 〃I　know　you're　not；〃　he　said　quickly。　Too　quickly。　Quickly　enough　so　that　I　could　see　Swanson's　hand　in　this；　could　see　him　telling　his　officers　to　lay　off　quizzing　Carpenter　too　much。　I　wondered　again　what　Swanson　was　going　to　say　when　and　if　we　ever　arrived　at　the　drift　station　and　he　found　out　just　how　fluent　a　liar　I　was。　Benson　went　on；　smiling：　〃There's　no　call　for　even　one　medico　aboard　this　boat；　much　less　two。〃
　 〃You're　not　overworked？〃　From　the　leisurely　way　he　was　going　about　his　breakfast；　it　seemed　unlikely。
　 〃Overworked！　rye　sick…bay　call　once　a　day　and　no　one　ever　turns　upexcept　the　morning　after　we　arrive　in　port　with　a　long　cruise　behind　us；　and　then　there　are　liable　to　be　a　few　sore　heads　around。　My　main　job；　and　what　is　supposed　to　be　my　specialty；　is　checking　on　radiation　and　atmospheric　pollution　of　one　kind　or　another。　In　the　old　submarine　days；　the　atmosphere　used　to　get　pretty　foul　after　only　a　few　hours　submerged　but　we　have　to　stay　down　for　months；　if　necessary。〃　He　grinned。　〃Neither　job　is　very　exacting。　We　issue　each　member　of　the　crew　with　a　dosimeter　and　periodically　check　a　film　badge　for　radiation　dosagewhich　is　invariably　less　than　you'd　get　sitting　on　the　beach　on　a　moderately　warm　day。
　 〃The　atmospheric　problem　is　even　easier。　Carbon　dioxide　and　carbon　monoxide　are　the　only　things　we　have　to　worry　about。　We　have　a　scrubbing　machine　that　absorbs　the　breathed…out　carbon　dioxide　from　the　atmosphere　and　pumps　it　out　into　the　sea。　Carbon　monoxidewhich　we　could　more　or　less　eliminate　if　we　forbade　cigarette　smoking；　only　we　don't　want　a　mutiny　on　our　hands　when　we're　three　hundred　feet　downis　burned　to　monoxide　by　a　special　heater　and　then　scrubbed　as　usual。　And　even　that　hardly　worries　me；　I've　a　very　petent　engineman　who　keeps　those　machines　in　tip…top　condition。〃　He　sighed。　〃I've　a　surgery　here　that　will　delight　your　heart；　Dr。　Carpenter。　Operating　table；　dentist's　chair；　the　works；　and　the　biggest　crisis　I've　had　yet　is　a　cigarette　burn　between　the　fingers　sustained　by　a　cook　who　fell　asleep　during　one　of　my　lectures。〃
　 〃Lectures？〃　
　 〃I've　got　to　do　something　if　I'm　not　to　go　off　my　rocker。　I　spend　a　couple　of　hours　a　day　keeping　up　with　all　the　latest　medical　literature；　but　what　good　is　that　if　you　don't　get　a　chance　to　practice　it？　So　I　lecture。　I　read　up　on　places　we're　going　to　visit；　and　everyone　listens　to　those　talks。　I　give　lectures　on　general　health　and　hygiene；　and　some　of　them　listen　to　those。　I　give　lectures　on　the　perils　of　overeating　and　underexercise；　and　no　one　listens　to　those。　I　don't　listen　to　them　myself。　It　was　during　one　of　those　that　the　cook　got　burned。　That's　why　our　friend　Henry；　the　steward；　adopts　his　superior　and　critical　attitude　toward　the　eating　habits　of　those　who　should　obviously　be　watching　their　eating　habits。　He　eats　as　much　as　any　two　men　aboard　but　owing　to　some　metabolic　defect　he　remains　as　thin　as　a　rail。　Claims　it's　all　due　to　dieting。〃
　 〃It　all　sounds　a　bit　less　rigorous　than　the　life　of　the　average　G。P。〃
　 〃It　is；　it　is。〃　He　brightened。　〃But　I've　got　one　joba　hobby　to　methat　the　average　G。P