alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第61章

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ooking　for　it　pretty　soon；　but　who　that　someone　would　be　they　had　no　idea。　Anyway；　Major　Halliwall　posted　one　of　his　men　to　keep　watch。　It　was　a　wild　night；　bitterly　cold；　with　a　gale　blowing　an　ice　。storm　before　it；　but　he　kept　a　pretty　good　watch　all　the　same。　He　either　bumped　into　our　friend　returning　with　the　capsule　or；　more　probably；　saw　a　light　in　a　cabin；　investigated；　found　our　friend　stripping　the　film　from　the　capsule；　and；　instead　of　going　quietly　away　and　reporting　to　Major　Halliwell；　he　went　in　and　challenged　this　man。　If　that　was　the　way　of　it；　it　was　a　bad　mistake；　the　last　he　ever　made。　He　got　a　knife　between　the　ribs。〃　I　gazed　at　all　the　Zebra　survivors　in　turn。　〃I　wonder　which　one　of　you　did　it？　Whoever　it　was；　he　wasn't　very　expert。　He　broke　off　the　blade　inside　the　chest。　I　found　it　there。〃　I　was　looking　at　Swanson；　and　he　didn't　bat　an　eyelid。　He　knew　I　hadn't　found　the　blade　there；　he　had　found　the　haft　in　the　gas　tank。　But　there　was　time　enough　to　tell　them　that。
　 〃When　the　man　he　had　posted　didn't　turn　up；　Major　Halliwell　got　worried；　it　must　have　been　something　like　that。　I　don't　know　and　it　doesn't　matter。　Our　friend　with　the　broken　knife　was　on　the　alert　now；　he　knew　someone　was　on　to　himit　must　have　e　as　a　pretty　severe　shockhe'd　thought　himself　pletely　unsuspectedand　when　the　second　man　the　major　sent　turned　up；　he　was　ready　for　him。　He　had　to　kill　him；　for　the　first　man　was　lying　dead　in　his　cabin。　Apart　from　his　broken　knife；　he　also　had　a　gun。　He　used　it。
　 〃Both　those　men　had　e　from　Halliwell's　cabin。　The　killer　knew　that　Halliwell　must　have　sent　them　and　that　he　and　the　other　man　still　in　the　major's　cabin　would　be　around　in　double…quick　time　if　the　second　watcher　didn't　report　back　immediately。　He　decided　not　to　wait　for　that：　he'd　burned　his　bridges；　anyway。　He　took　his　gun；　went　into　Major　Halliwell's　cabin；　and　shot　him　and　the　other　man　as　they　lay　on　their　beds。　I　know　that　because　the　bullets　in　their　heads　entered　low　from　the　front　and　emerged　high　at　the　back　the　angle　the　bullets　would　naturally　take　if　the　killer　was　standing　at　the　foot　of　their　beds　and　fired　at　them　as　they　were　lying　down。　I　suppose　this　is　as　good　a　time　as　any　to　say　that　my　name　is　not　really　Carpenter。　It's　Halliwell。　Major　Halliwell　was　my　elder　brother。〃
　 〃Good　God！〃　Dr。　Jolly　whispered。　〃Good　God　above！〃
　 〃One　thing　the；　killer　knew　it　was　essential　to　do　right　awayto　conceal　the　traces　of　his　crime。　There　was　only　one　way：　burn　the　bodies　out　of　all　recognition。　So　he　dragged　a　couple　of　drums　of　oil　out　of　the　fuel　store；　poured　them　against　the　walls　of　Major　Halliwell's　huthe'd　already　pulled　in　there　the　first　two　men　he'd　killedand　set　fire　to　it。　For　good　measure；　he　also　set　fire　to　the　fuel　store。　A　thorough　type；　my　friends；　a　man　who　never　did　anything　by　halves。〃
　 The　men　seated　around　the　wardroom　table　were　dazed　and　shocked；　unprehending　and　incredulous。　But　they　were　incredulous　only　because　the　enormity　of　the　whole　thing　was　beyond　them。　But　not　beyond　them　all。
　 〃I'm　a　man　with　a　curious　turn　of　mind；〃　I　went　on。　〃I　wondered　why　sick；　burned；　exhausted　men　had　wasted　their　time　and　their　little　strength　in　shifting　the　dead　men　intO　the　lab。　Because　someone　had　suggested　that　it　might　be　a　good　thing　to　do；　the　decent　thing　to　do。　The　real　reason；　of　course；　was　to　discourage　anyone　from　going　there。　I　looked　under　the　floorboards　and　what　did　I　find？　Forty　Nife　cells　in　first…class　condition；　stores　of　food；　a　radio…sonde　balloon；　a　hydrogen　cylinder　for　inflating　the　balloon。　I　had　expected　to　find　the　Nife　cells。　Kinnaird　here　has　told　us　that　there　were　a　good　many　reserves；'　but　Nife　cells　won't　be　destroyed　in　a　fire。　Buckled　and　bent　a　bit；　but　not　destroyed。　I　hadn't　expected　to　find　the　other　items　of　equipment；　but　they　made　everything　clear。
　 〃The　killer　had　had　bad　luck　on　two　countsbeing　found　out　and　with　the　weather。　The　weather　really　put　the　crimp　on　all　his　plans。　The　idea　was　that　when　conditions　were　favorable　he'd　send　the　films　up　into　the　sky　attached　to　a　radio…sonde　balloon　which　could　be　swept　up　by　a　Russian　plane。　Snatching　a　falling　capsule　out　of　the　sky　is　very　tricky　indeed：　snaring　a　stationary　balloon　is　dead　easy。　The　relatively　unused　Nife　cells　our　friend　used　for　keeping　in　radio　touch　with　his　friends　to　let　them　know　when　the　weather　had　cleared　and　when　he　was　going　to　send　the　balloon　up。　There　is　no　privacy　on　the　air　waves；　so　he　used　a　special　code。　When　he　no　longer　had　any　need　for　it；　he　destroyed　the　code　by　the　only　safe　method　of　destruction　in　the　Arcticfire。　I　found　scores　of　pieces　of　charred　paper　imbedded　in　the　walls　of　one；　of　the　huts　where　the　wind　had　carried　them　from　the　met　office　after　our　friend　had　thrown　the　ashes　away。
　 〃The　killer　also　made　sure　that　only　those　few　worn…out　Nife　cells　were　used　to　send　the　S。O。S。's　and　to　contact　the　〃Dolphin〃。　By　losing　contact　with　us　so　frequently；　and　by　sending　such　a　blurred　transmission；　he　tried　to　delay　our　arrival　here　so　as　to　give　the　weather　a　chance　to　clear　up　and　let　him　fly　off　his　balloon。　Incidentally；　you　may　have　heard　the　radio　reportsit　was　in　all　the　British　newspapersthat　Russian　as　well　as　American　and　British　planes　scoured　this　area　immediately　after　the　fire。　The　British　and　Americans　were　looking　for　Zebra：　the　Russians　were　looking　for　a　radio…sonde　balloon。　So　was　the　ice　breaker　〃Dvina〃　when　it　tried　to　smash　its　way　through　here　a　few　days　ago。　But　there　have　been　no　more　Russian　planes：　our　friend　radioed　his　friends　to　say　that　there　was　no　hope　of　the　weather　clearing；　that　the　〃Dolphin〃　had　arrived；　and　that　they　would　have　to　take　the　films　back　with　them　on　the　submarine。〃
　 〃One　moment；　Dr。　Carpenter；〃　Swanson　interrupted　in　a　careful　sort　of　voice。　〃Are　you　saying　that　those　films　are　aboard　this　ship　now？〃
　 〃I'll　be　very　much　surprised　if　they　aren't；　mander。　The　other　attempt　to　delay　us；　of　course；　was　by　making　a　direct　attack　on　the　〃Dolphin〃　itself。　When　it　became　known　that　the　〃Dolphin〃　was　to　make　an　attempt　to　reach　Zebra；　orders　went　through　to　Scotland　to　cripple　the　ship。　Red　Clydeside　is　no　more　Red　than　any　other　maritime　center　in　Britain；　but　you'll　find　munists　in　practically　every　shipyard　in　the　countryand；　more　often　than　not；　their　mates　don't　know　who　they　are。　There　was　no　intention；　of　course；　of　causing　any　fatal　accidentand；　as　far　as　whoever　was　responsible　for　leaving　the　tube　doors　open　was　concerned；　there　was　no　reason　why　there　should　be。　International　espionage　in　peacetime　shuns　violencewhich　is　why　our　friend　here　is　going　to　be　very　unpopular　with　his　masters。　Like　Britain　or　America；　they'll　adopt　any　legitimate　or　illegitimate　tactic　to　gain　their　espionage　endbut　they　stop　short　of　murder；　just　as　we　do。　Murder　was　no　part　of　the　Soviet　plan。〃
　 〃Who　is　it；　Dr。　Carpenter？〃　Jeremy　said　very　quietly。　〃For　God's　sake；　who　is　it？　There's　nine　of　us　here　anddo　you　〃know〃　who　it　is？〃
　 〃I　know。　And　only　six；　not　nine；　can　be　under　suspicion。　The　ones　who　kept　radio　watches　after　the　disaster。　Captain　Folsom　and　the　two　Harringtons　here　were　pletely　unmobilized。　We　have　the　word　of　all　of　you　for　that。　So　that；　Jeremy；　just　leaves　yourself；　Kinnaird；　Dr。　Jolly；　Hassard；　Naseby　and　Hewson。　Murder　for　gain　and　high　treason。　There's　only　one　answer　for　that。　The　trial　will　be　over　the　day　it　begins：　three　weeks　later　it　will　all　be　over。　You're　a　very　clever　man；　my　friend。　You're　more　than　that：　you're　brilliant。　But　I'm　afraid　it's　the　end　of　the　road　for　you；　Dr。　Jolly。〃
　 They　didn't　get　it。　For　long　seconds　they　didn't　get　it。　They　were　too　shocked；　too　stunned。　They'd　heard　my　words；　all　right；　but　the　meaning　hadn't　registered　immediately。　But　it　was　beginning　to　register　now；　for；　like　marionettes　under　the　guidance　of　a　master　puppeteer；　they　all　slowly　turned　their　heads　and　stared　at　Jolly。　Jolly　himself　rose　slowly　to　his　feet　and　took　two　paces　toward　me；　his　eyes　wide；　his　face　shocked；　his　mouth　working。
　 〃Me？〃　His　voice　was　low　and　hoarse　and　unbelieving。　〃〃Me？〃　Are　youare　you　mad；　Dr。　Carpenter？　In　the　name　of'　God；　man〃
　 I　hit　him。　I　don't　know　why　I　hit　hima　cri