alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第62章

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　 〃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　crimson　haze　seemed　to　blur　my　visionand　Jolly　was　staggering　back　to　crash　on　the　deck；　holding　both　hands　to　smashed　lips　and　nose；　before　I　could　realize　what　I　had　done。　I　think　if　I　had　had　a　knife　or　a　gun　in　my　hand　then；　I　would　have　killed　him。　I　would　have　killed　him　the　way　I　would　have　killed　a　fer…de…lance；　a　black…widow　spider　or　any　other　such　dark　and　evil　and　deadly　thing；　without　thought　of　punction　or　mercy。　Gradually　the　haze　cleared　from　my　eyes。　No　one　had　stirred。　No　one　had　stirred　an　inch。　Jolly　pushed　himself　painfully　to　his　knees　and　then　his　feet　and　collapsed　heavily　in　his　seat　by　the　table。　He　was　holding　a　bloodsoaked　handkerchief　to　his　face。　There　was　utter　silence　in　the　room。
　 〃My　brother；　Jolly；〃　I　said。　〃My　brother　and　all　the　dead　men　on　Zebra。　Do　you　know　what　I　hope？〃　I　said。　〃I　hope　that　something　goes　wrong　with　the　hangman's　rope　and　that　you　take　a　long；　long　time　to　die。〃
　 He　took　the　handkerchief　from　his　mouth。
　 〃You're　a　crazy　man；〃　he　whispered　between　smashed　and　already　puffing　lips。　〃You　don't　know　what　you're　saying。〃
　 〃The　jury　at　the　Old　Bailey　will　be　the　best　judge　of　that。　I've　been　on　to　you　now；　Jolly；　for　almost　exactly　sixty　hours。〃
　 〃What　did　you　say？〃　Swanson　demanded。　〃You've　known　for　sixty　hours！〃
　 〃I　knew　I'd　have　to　face　your　wrath　sometime　or　other；　mander；〃　I　said。　Unaccountably；　I　was　beginning　to　feel　very　tired；　weary；　and　heart…sick　of　the　whole　business。　〃But　if　you　had　known　who　he　was；　you'd　have　locked　him　up　right　away。　You　said　so　in　so　many　words。　I　wanted　to　see　where　the　trail　led　to　in　Britain；　who　his　associates　and　contacts　would　be。　I　had　splendid　visions　of　smashing　a　whole　spy　ring。　But　I'm　afraid　the　trail　is　cold。　It　ends　right　here。　Please　hear　me　out。
　 〃Tell　me；　did　no　one　think　it　strange　that　when　Jolly　came　staggering　out　of　his　hut　when　it　caught　fire　he　should　have　collapsed　and　remained　that　way？　Jolly　claimed　that　he　had　been　asphyxiated。　Well；　he　wasn't　asphyxiated　inside　the　hut；　because　he　managed　to　e　out　under　his　own　steam。　Then　he　collapsed。　Curious。　Fresh　air　invariably　revives　people。　But　not　Jolly。　He's　a　special　breed。　He　wanted　to　make　it　clear　to　everyone　that　he　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　fire。　Just　to　drive　home　the　point；　he　has　repeatedly　emphasized　that　he　is　not　a　man　of　action。　If　he　isn't；　then　I've　never　met　one。〃
　 〃You　can　hardly　call　that　proof　of　guilt；〃　Swanson　interrupted。
　 〃I'm　not　adducing　evidence；〃　I　said　wearily。　〃I'm　merely　introducing　pointers。　Pointer　number　2。　You；　Naseby；　felt　pretty　bad　about　your　failure　to　wake　up　your　two　friends；　Flanders　and　Bryce。　You　could　have　shaken　them　for　an　hour　and　not　woken　them　up。　Jolly　here　used　either　ether　or　chloroform　to　lay　them　out。　This　was　after　he　had　killed　Major　Halliwell　and　the　three　others；　but　before　he　started　getting　busy　with　matches。　He　realized　that　if　he　burned　the　place　down；　there　might　be　a　long；　long　wait　before　rescue　came；　and　he　was　going　to　make　damned　certain　that　he　wasn't　going　to　go　hungry。　If　the　rest　of　you　had　died　from　starvation；　well；　that　was　just　your　bad　luck。　But　Flanders　and　Bryce　lay　between　him　and　the　food。　Didn't　it　strike　you　as　very　strange；　Naseby；　that　your　shouting　and　shaking　had　no　effect？　The　only　reason　could　be　that　they　had　been　druggedand　only　one　man　had　access　to　drugs。　Also；　you　said　that　both　Hewson　and　yourself　felt　pretty　groggy。　No　wonder。　It　was　a　pretty　small　hut；　and　the　chloroform　or　ether　fumes　had　reached　and　affected　you　and　Hewson。　Normally；　you'd　have　smelled　it　on　waking　up；　but　the　stink　of　burning　diesel　obliterates　every　other　smell。　Again；　I　know　this　is　not　proof　of　any　kind。
　 〃Third　pointer。　I　asked　Captain　Folsom　this　morning　who　had　given　the　orders　for　the　dead　men　to　be　put　in　the　lab。　He　said　he　had。　But；　he　remembered；　it　was　Jolly's　suggestion　to　him。　Something　learnedly　medical　about　helping　the　morale　of　the　survivors　by　putting　the　charred　corpses　out　of　sight。
　 〃Fourth　pointer。　Jolly　said　that　〃how〃　the　fire　started　was　unimportant。　A　crude　attempt　to　side…track　me。　Jolly　knew　as　well　as　I　did　that　it　was　all…important。　I　suppose；　by　the　way；　Jolly；　that　you　deliberately　jammed　all　the　fire　extinguishers　you　could　before　you　started　the　fire。　About　that　fire；　mander。　Remember　you　were　a　bit　suspicious　of　Hewson　because　he　said　the　fuel　drums　hadn't　started　exploding　until　he　was　on　his　way　to　the　main　bunkhouse？　He　was　telling　the　truth。　There　were　no　fewer　than　four　drums　in　the　fuel　stores　that　didn't　explode。　The　ones　Jolly　used　to　pour　against　the　huts　to　start　the　fire。　How　am　I　doing；　Dr。　Jolly？〃
　 〃It's　all　a　nightmare；〃　he　said　very　quietly。　〃It's　a　nightmare。　Before　God；　I　know　nothing　of　any　of　this。〃
　 〃Pointer　number　five。　For　some　reason　that　is　unclear　to　me；　Jolly　wanted　to　delay　the　〃Dolphin〃　on　its　return　trip。　He　could　best　do　this；　he　decided；　if　Bolton　and　Brownell；　the　two'　very　sick　men　still　left　out　on　the　station；　were　judged　too　sick　to　be　transferred　to　the　〃Dolphin〃。　The　snag　was　that　there　were　two　other　doctors　around　who　might　say　that　they　〃were〃　fit　to　be　transferred。　So　he　tried；　with　a　fair　measure　of　success；　to　eliminate　us。
　 〃First　Benson。　Didn't　it　strike　you　as　strange；　mander；　that　the　request　for　the　survivors　to　be　allowed　to　attend　the　funeral　of　Grant　and　Lieutenant　Mills　should　have　e　from　Naseby　in　the　first　place；　then　Kinnaird？　Jolly；　as　the　senior　man　of　the　party；　with　Captain　Folsom　temporarily　unfit；　was　the　obvious　man　to　make　the　approach；　but　he　didn't　want　to　go　calling　too　much　attention　to　himself。　Doubtless　by　dropping　hints；　he　engineered　it　so　that　someone　else　should　do　it　for　him。　Now；　Jolly　had　noticed　how　glasssmooth　and　slippery　the　ice…banked　sides　of　the　sail　were　and　he　made　a　point　of　seeing　that　Benson　went　up　the　rope　immediately　ahead　of　him。　You　must　remember　it　was　almost　pitch　darkjust　light　enough　for　Jolly　to　make　out　the　vague　outline　of　Benson's　head　from　the　wash　of　light　from　the　bridge　as　it　cleared　the　top　of　the　sail。　A　swift　outward　tug　on　the　rope　and　Benson　overbalanced。　It　seemed　that　he　had　fallen　on　top　of　Jolly。　But　only　seemed。　The　loud；　sharp　crack　I　heard　a　fraction　of　a　second　after　Benson's　body　struck　was　not　caused　by　his　head　hitting　the　iceit　was　caused　by　Jolly　here　trying　to　kick　his　head　off。　Did　you　hurt　your　toes　much；　Jolly？〃
　 〃You're　mad；〃　he　said　mechanically。　〃This　is　utter　nonsense。　Even　if　it　wasn't　nonsense；　you　couldn't　prove　a　word　of　it。〃
　 〃We'll　see。　Jolly　claimed　that　Benson　fell　on　top　of　him。　He　even　flung　himself　on　the　ice　and　cracked　his　head　to　give　some　verisimilitude　to　his　story。　Our　friend　never　misses　any　of　the　angles。　I　felt　the　slight　bump　on　his　head。　But　he　wasn't　laid　out。　He　was　faking。　He　recovered　just　that　little　bit　too　quickly　and　easily　when　he　got　back　to　the　sick　bay。　And　it　was　then　that　he　made　his　first　mistake；　the　mistake　that　put　me　on　to　himand　should　have　put　me　on　guard　for　an　attack　against　myself。　You　were　there；　mander。〃
　 〃I've　missed　everything　else；〃　Swanson　said　bitterly。　〃Do　you　want　me　to　spoil　a　hundred　per　cent　record？〃
　 〃When　Jolly　came　to；　he　saw　Benson　lying　there。　All　he　could　see　of　him　was　a　blanket　and　a　big　gauze　pack　covering　the　back　of　his　head。　As　far　as　Jolly　was　concerned；　it　could　have　been　anybodyit　had　been　pitch　dark　when　the　accident　occurred。　But　what　did　he　say？　I　remember　his　exact　words。　He　said：　'Of　course；　of　course。　Yes；　that's　it。　He　fell　on　top　of　me；　didn't　he？'　〃He　never　thought　to　ask　who　it　was〃the　natural；　the　inevitable　question　in　the　circumstances。　But　Jolly　didn't　have　to　ask。　He　knew。〃
　 〃He　knew。〃　Swanson　stared　at　Jolly　with　cold；　bleak　eyes；　and　there　was　no　doubt　in　his　mind　now　about　Jolly。　〃You're　right；　Dr。　Carpenter。　He　knew。〃
　 〃And　then　he　had　a　go　at　me。　Can't　prove　a　thing；　of　course。　But　he　was　there　when　I　asked　you　where　the　medical　store　was；　and　he　no　doubt　nipped　down　smartly　behind　Henry　and　myself　and　loosened　the　latch　on　the　hatch　c