alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第7章

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　 〃It　is；　it　is。〃　He　brightened。　〃But　I've　got　one　joba　hobby　to　methat　the　average　G。P。　can't　have。　The　ice　machine。　I've　made　myself　an　expert　on　that。〃
　 〃What　does　Henry　think　about　it？〃
　 〃What？　Henry？〃　He　laughed。　〃Not　that　kind　of　ice　machine。　I'll　show　you　later。〃
　 Henry　brought　food；　and　I'd　have　liked　the　maitres　d'h？tel　of　some。　allegedly　five…star　hotels　in　London　to　be　there　to　see　what　a　breakfast　should　be　like。　When　I'd　finished　and　told　Benson　that　I　didn't　see　that　his　lectures　on　the　dangers　of　overweight　were　going　to　get　him　very　far；　he　said：　〃mander　Swanson　said　you　might　like　to　look　over　the　ship。　I'm　at　your　plete　disposal。〃
　 〃Very　kind　of　you　both。　But　first　I'd　like　to　shave；　dress　and　have　a　word　with　the　captain。〃
　 〃Shave　if　you　like。　No　one　insists　on　it。　As　for　dress；　shirt　and　pants　are　the　uniform　of　the　day　here。　And　the　captain　told　me　to　tell　you　that　he'd　let　you　know　immediately　if　anything　that　could　possibly　be　of　any　interest　to　you　came　through。〃
　 So　I　shaved　and　then　had　Benson　take　me　on　a　conducted　tour　of　this　city　under　the　sea。　The　〃Dolphin〃；　I　had　to　admit；　made　any　British　submarine　I'd　ever　seen　look　like　a　relic　from　the　Ice　Age。
　 To　begin　with；　the　sheer　size　of　the　vessel　was　staggering。　So　big　had　the　hull　to　be　to　acmodate　the　huge　nuclear　reactor　that　it　had　internal　acmodation　equivalent　to　that　of　a　3；000…ton　surface　ship；　with　three　decks　instead　of　the　usual　one　and　lower　hold　found　in　the　conventional　submarine。　The　size；　bined　with　the　clever　use　of　pastel　paints　for　all　the　acmodation　spaces；　working　spaces；　and　passageways；　gave　an　overwhelming　impression　of　lightness；　airiness；　and；　above　all；　spaciousness。
　 He　took　me　first；　inevitably；　to　his　sick　bay。　It　was　at　once　the　smallest　and　Thost　prehensively　equipped　surgery　I'd　ever　seen；　whether　a　man　wanted　a　major　operation　or　just　a　tooth　filled；　he　could　have　himself　acmodated　there。　Neither　clinical　nor　utilitarian；　however；　was　the　motif　Benson　had　adopted　for　the　decoration　of　the　one　bulkhead　in　his　surgery　pletely　free　from　surgical　or　medical　equipment　of　any　kinda　series　of　film　stills　in　color　featuring　every　cartoon　character　I'd　ever　seen；　from　Popeye　to　Pinnochio；　with；　as　a　two…foot…square　centerpiece；　an　immaculately　cravatted　Yogi　Bear　industriously　sawing　off　from　the　top　of　a　wooden　sign　post　the　first　word　of　a　legend　that　read：　〃Don't　feed　the　bears。〃　From　deck　to　deckhead；　the　bulkhead　was　covered　with　them。
　 〃Makes　a　change　from　the　usual　pin…ups；〃　I　observed。
　 〃I　got　inundated　with　those；　too；〃　Benson　said　regretfully。　〃Film　librarian；　you　know。　Can't　use　them；　supposed　to　be　bad　for　discipline。　However。　Lightens　the　morgue…like　atmosphere；　doesn't　it？　Cheers　up　the　sick　and　the　suffering；　I　like　to　thinkand　distracts　their　attention　while　I　turn　to　page　217　in　the　old　textbook　to　find　out　what's　the　matter　with　them。〃
　 From　the　surgery　we　passed　through　the　wardroom　and　officers'　quarters　and　dropped　down　a　deck　to　the　crew's　living　quarters。　Benson　took　me　through　the　gleaming　tiled　washrooms；　the　immaculate　bunkroom；　then　into　the　crew's　mess　hail。
　 〃The　heart　of　the　ship；〃　he　announced。　〃Not　the　nuclear　reactor；　as　the　uninformed　maintain；　but　here。　Just　look　at　it。　Hi…fl；　juke　box；　record　player；　coffee　machine；　ice…cream　machine；　movie　theater；　library；　and　the　home　of　all　the　cardsharps　on　the　ship。　What　chance　has　a　nuclear　reactor　against　this　layout？　The　old…time　submariners　would　turn　in　their　graves　if　they　could　see　this：　pared　to　the　prehistoric　conditions　they　lived　in　we　must　seem　pletely　spoiled　and　ruined。　Maybe　we　are；　then　again　maybe　we're　not：　the　old　boys　never　had　to　stay　submerged　for　months　at　a　time。　。　。　。　This　is　also　where　I　send　them　to　sleep　with　my　lectures　on　the　evils　of　overeating。〃　He　raised　his　voice　for　the　benefit　of　seven　or　eight　men　who　were　sitting　around　the　tables　drinking　coffee；　smoking　and　reading。　〃You　can　observe　for　yourself；　Dr。　Carpenter；　the　effects　of　my　lectures　on　dieting　and　keeping　fit。　Did　you　ever　see　a　bunch　of　more　out…of…condition　fat…bellied　slobs　in　your　life？〃
　 The　men　grinned　cheerfully。　They　were　obviously　well　used　to　this　sort　of　thing：　Benson　was　exaggerating　and　they　knew　it。　Each　of　them　looked　as　if　he　knew　what　to　do　with　a　knife　and　fork　when　he　got　them　in　his　hands；　but　that　was　about　as　far　as　it　went。　All　had　a　curious　similarity；　big　men　and　small　men；　the　same　characteristic　I'd　seen　in　Zabrinski　and　Rawlingsan　air　of　relaxed　petence；　a　cheerful　imperturbability　that　marked　them　out　as　being　the　men　apart　they　undoubtedly　were。
　 Benson　conscientiously　introduced　me　to　everyone；　telling　me　exactly　what　their　function　aboard　ship　was　and　in　turn　informing　them　that　I　was　a　Royal　Navy　doctor　along　for　an　acclimatization　trip。　Swanson　would　have　told　him　to　say　this；　it　was　near　enough　the　truth　and　would　stop　speculation　on　the　reason　for　my　presence　there。
　 Benson　turned　into　a　small　partment　leading　off　the　mess　hail。　〃The　air…purification　room。　This　is　Engineman　Harrison。　How's　our　box　of　tricks；　Harrison？〃
　 〃Just　fine；　Doc；　just　fine。　CO　reading　steady　on　thirty　parts　a　million。〃　He　entered　some　figures　in　a　log　book；　Benson　signed　it　with　a　flourish；　exchanged　a　few　more　remarks　and　left。
　 〃Half　my　day's　toil　done　with　one　stroke　of　the　pen；〃　he　observed。　〃I　take　it　you're　not　interested　in　inspecting　sacks　of　wheat；　sides　of　beef；　bags　of　potatoes；　and　about　a　hundred　different　varieties　of　canned　goods。〃
　 〃Not　particularly。　Why？〃
　 〃The　entire　for'ard　half　of　the　deck　beneath　our　feet　a　storage　hold；　reallyis　given　up　mainly　to　that。　Seems　an　awful　lot；　I　know；　but　then　a　hundred　men　can　get　through　an　awful　lot　of　food　in　three　months；　which　is　the　minimum　time　we　must　be　prepared　to　stay　at　sea　if　the　need　arises。　We'll　pass　up　the　inspection　of　the　stores；　the　sight　of　all　that　food　just　makes　me　feel　I'm　fighting　a　losing　battle　all　the　time；　and　have　a　look　at　where　the　food's　cooked。〃
　 He　led　the　way　for'ard　into　the　galley；　a　small　square　room　all　tiles　and　glittering　stainless　steel。　A　tall；　burly　whitecoated　cook　turned　at　our　entrance　and　grinned　at　Benson。　〃e　to　sample　today's　lunch；　Doc？〃
　 〃I　have　not；〃　Benson　said　coldly。　〃Dr。　Carpenter；　the　chief　cook　and　my　arch　enemy；　Sam　MacGuire。　What　form　does　the　excess　of　calories　take　that　you　are　proposing　to　thrust　down　the　throats　of　the　crew　today？〃
　 〃No　thrusting　required；〃　said　MacGuire　happily。　〃Cream　soup；　sirloin　of　beef　no　less；　roast　potatoes　and　as　much　apple　pie　as　a　man　can　cope　with。　All　good；　nourishing　food。〃
　 Benson　shuddered。　He　was　just　about　to　leave　the　galley　when　he　stopped　and　pointed　at　a　heavy　bronze　ten…inch　tube　that　stood　about　four　feet　above　the　deck　of　the　galley。　It　had　a　heavy　hinged　lid　and　screwed　clamps　to　keep　the　lid　in　position。　〃This　might　interest　you；　Dr。　Carpenter。　Guess　what？〃
　 〃A　pressure　cooker？〃
　 〃Looks　like　it；　doesn't　it？　This　is　our　garbage…disposal　unit。　In　the　old　days；　when　a　submarine　had　to　surface　every　few　hours；　garbage　disposal　was　no　problem：　you　just　tipped　the　stuff　over　the　side。　But　when　you　spend　weeks　on　end　cruising　at　three　hundred　feet；　you　can't　just　walk　up　to　the　upper　deck　and　tip　the　waste　over　the　side：　garbage　disposal　bees　quite　a　problem。　This　tube　goes　right　down　to　the　bottom　of　the　〃Dolphin〃。　There's　a　heavy　water…tight　door　at　the　lower　end　corresponding　to　this　one；　with　interlocking　controls　that　make　it　impossible　for　both　doors　to　be　open　at　the　same　time：　it　would　be　curtains　for　the　〃Dolphin〃　if　they　were。　Sam　here；　or　one　of　his　henchmen；　sticks　the　garbage　into　nylon　mesh　or　polythene　bags；　weighs　them　with　bricks〃
　 〃'Bricks；'　you　said？〃
　 〃Bricks。　Sam；　how　many　bricks　aboard　this　ship？〃
　 〃Just　over　a　thousand　at　the　latest　count；　Doc。〃
　 〃Regular　builder's　yard；　aren't　we？〃　Benson　grinned。　〃Those　bricks　are　to　make　sure　the　garbage　bags　sink　to　the　bottom　of　the　sea　and　not　float　to　the　surface。　Even　in　peacetime　we　don't　want　to　give　our　position　away　to　anyone。　In　go　three　or　four　bags；　the　top　door　is　clamped　shut；　and　the　bags　are　pumped　out　under　pressure。　Then　the　outer　door　is