alistairmaclean.bearisland-第13章

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re　was　something　very　far　amiss　with　the　Morning　Rose。　She　was　still　under　way；　her　elderly　oil…fired　steam　engines　throbbing　along　as　dependably　as　ever；　but　her　motion　had　changed。　Her　rolling　factor　had　increased　till　she　was　swinging　wickedly　and　dismayingly　through　an　angle　of　close　on　seventy　degrees：　the　pitching　factor　had　correspondingly　decreased　and　the　thudding　jarring　vibration　of　the　bluff　bows　smashing　into　the　quartering　seas　had　fallen　away　to　a　fraction　of　what　it　had　previously　been。
　I　marked　the　article；　closed　the　book　then　lurched　and　stumbled…I　could　not　be　said　to　have　run　for　it　was　physically　impossible…along　the　passageway；　up　the　panionway；　through　the　lounge　and　out　on　to　the　upper　deck。　It　was　dark　but　not　so　dark　as　to　prevent　me　from　gauging　direction　by　the　feel　of　the　gale　wind；　by　the　spume　blowing　off　the　top　of　the　confused　seas。　I　shrank　back　and　tightened　my　grip　on　a　convenient　handrail　as　a　great　wall　of　water；　black　and　veined　and　evil；　reared　up　on　the　port　side；　just　foreword　of　the　beam：　it　was　at　least　ten　feel？　higher　than　my　head。　I　was　certain　that　the　wave；　with　the　hundreds　of　tons　of　water　it　contained；　was　going　to　crash　down　square　on　the　foredeck　of　the　trawler；　I　couldn't　see　how　it　could　fail　to；　but　fail　it　did：　as　the　wave　bore　down　on　us；　the　trough　to　starboard　deepened　and　the　Morning　Rose；　rolling　over　to　almost　forty　degrees；　simply　fell　into　it；　pressed　down　by　the　great　weight　of　water　on　its　exposed　port　side。　There　came　the　familiar　flat　explosive　thunderclap　of　sound；　the　Morning　Rose　vibrated　and　groaned　as　overstressed　plates　and　rivets　adjusted　to　cope　with　the　sudden　shearing　strain；　white；　icily　cold　water　foamed　over　the　starboard　side　and　swirled　around　my　ankles　and　then　it　was　gone；　gurgling　through　the　scuppers　as　the　Morning　Rose　rig〃　righted　herself　and　rolled　far　over　on　its　other　side。　There　was　no　worry　about　any　of　this；　no　threat　to　safety　and　life；　this　was　what　Arctic　trawlers　had　been　built　for　and　the　Morning　Rose　could　continue　to　absorb　this　punishment　indefinitely。　But　there　was　cause　for　worry；　if　such　a　word　can　be　used　to　express　a　desperately　acute　anxiety：　that　massive　wave；　which　had　caught　the　trawler　on　her　port　now；　had　knocked　her　almost　twenty　degrees　off　course。　She　was　still　twenty　degrees　off　course；　and　twenty　degrees　off　course　she　remained：　nobody　was　making　any　attempt　to　bring　her　round。　Another；　and　a　smaller　sea；　and　then　she　was　lying　five　more　degrees　over　to　the　cast　and　here；　too；　she　remained。　I　ran　for　the　bridge　ladder。
　I　bumped　into　and　almost　knocked　down　a　person　at　the　precise　spot　where　I'd　bumped　into　Mary　dear　an　hour　ago。　Contact　this　time　was　much　more　solid　and　the　person　said　〃Oof！〃　or　something　of　that　sort。　The　kind　of　gasp　a　winded　lady　makes　is　quite　different　from　a　man's　and　instinct　and　a　kind　of　instantaneous　reasoning　told　me　that　I　had　bumped　into　the　same　person　again：　Judith　Haynes　would　be　in　bed　with　her　spaniels　and　Nary　Darling　was　either　with　Allen　or　in　bed　dreaming　about　him：　neither；　anyway；　was　the　outdoor　type。　
　I　said　something　that　might　have　been　misconstrued　as　a　brusque　apology；　side…stepped　and　had　my　foot　on　the　first　rung　when　she　caught　my　arm　with　both　hands。
　〃Something's　wrong。　I　know　it　is。　What？〃　Her　voice　was　calm；　just　loud　enough　to　make　itself　heard　over　the　high…pitched　obbligato　of　the　wind　in　the　rigging。　Sure　she　knew　something　was　wrong；　the　sight　of　Dr。　Marlowe　moving　at　anything　above　his　customary　saunter　was　as　good　as　a　police　or　air…raid　siren　any　day。　I　was　about　to　say　something　to　this　effect　when　she　added：　〃That's　〃why　I　came　on　deck；〃　which　effectively　rendered　still…born　any　cutting　remarks　I'd　been　about　to　make；　because　she'd　been　aware　of　trouble　before　I'd　been：　but；　then；　she　hadn't　had　her　thoughts　taken　up　with　Aconitum　napellus。
　〃The　ship's　not　under　mand。　There's　nobody　in　charge　on　the　bridge；　nobody　trying　to　keep　a　course。〃
　〃Can　I　do　anything？〃
　She　was　wonderful。　〃Yes。　There's　a　hot　water　electric　geyser　on　the　galley　bulkhead　by　the　stove。　Bring　up　a　jug　of　hot　water；　not　too　hot　to　drink；　a　mug　and　salt。　Lots　of　salt。〃
　I　sensed　as　much　as　saw　her　nod　and　then　she　was　gone。　Four　seconds　later　I　was　inside　the　wheelhouse。　I　could　dimly　see　one　figure　crumpled　against　the　chart　table；　another　apparently　sitting　straight　by　the　wheel；　but　that　was　all　I　could　see。　The　two　overhead　lights　were　dull　yellow　glows。　It　took　me　almost　fifteen　frantic　seconds　to　locate　the　instrument　panel　just　foreword　of　the　wheel；　but　only　a　couple　of　seconds　thereafter　to　locate　the　rheostat　and　twist　it　to　its　clockwise　maximum。　I　blinked　in　the　hurtfully　sudden　wash　of　white　light。
　Smithy　was　by　the　chart　table；　Oakley　by　the　wheel；　the　former　on　his　side；　the　latter　upright；　but　that；　I　could　see；　didn't　mean　that　Oakley　was　in　any　better　state　of　health　than　the　first　mate；　it　was　just　that　neither　appeared　capable　of　moving　from　the　positions　they　had　adopted。　Both　had　their　heads　arched　towards　their　knees；　both　had　their　hands　clasped　tightly　to　their　midriffs。　Neither　of　them　was　making　any　sound。　Possibly　neither　was　suffering　pain　and　that　the　contracted　positions　they　had　assumed　resulted　from　some　wholly　involuntary　motor　mechanism：　it　was　equally　possible　that　their　vocal　cords　were　paralysed。
　I　looked　at　Smithy　first。　One　life　is　as　important　as　the　next；　or　so　any　one　of　a　group　of　sufferers　will　think；　but　in　this　case　I　was　concerned　with　the　greatest　good　of　all　concerned　and　the　fact　that　the　〃all〃　here　just　Coincidentally　included　me　had　no　bearing　on　my　choice：　if　the　Morning　Rose　was　running　into　trouble；　and　I　had　a　strange　fey　conviction　that　it　was；　Smithy　was　the　man　I　wanted　around。
　Smithy's　eyes　were　open　and　the　look　in　them　intelligent。　Among　other　things　the　aconite　article　had　stated　that　full　intelligence　is　maintained　to　the　very　end。　Could　this　be　the　end？　Paralysis　of　motion；　the　article　had　said；　and　paralysis　of　motion　we　undoubtedly　had　here。　Then　paralysis　of　sensation…maybe　that's　why　they　weren't　crying　out　in　agony；　it　could　have　been　that　they　had　been　screaming　their　heads　off　up　on　the　bridge　here　with　no　one　around　to　hear　them；　but　now　they　weren't　feeling　anything　any　more。　I　saw　and　vaguely　recorded　the　fact　that　there　were　two　metal　canteens　lying　close　together　on　the　floor；　both　of　them　very　nearly　emptied　of　food。　Both　of　them；　I　would　have　thought；　were　in　extremis；　but　for　one　very　odd　factor：　there　was　no　sign　of　the　violent　vomiting　of　which　the　article　had　spoken。　I　wished　to　God　that　somewhere；　sometime；　I　had　taken　the　trouble　to　learn　something　about　poisons　；　their　causes；　their　effects；　their　symptoms　and　aberrant　symptoms　which　we　seemed　to　have　here…if　any。
　Mary　Stuart　came　in。　Her　clothes　were　soaking　and　her　hair　was　in　a　terrible　mess；　but　she'd　been　very　quick　and　she'd　got　what　I'd　asked　her　to…including　a　spoon；　which　I'd　forgotten。　I　said：　〃A　mug　of　hot　water；　six　spoons　of　salt。　Quick。　Stir　it　well。〃　Gastric　lavage；　the　book　had　said；　but　as　far　as　the　availability　of　tannic　acid　and　animal　charcoal　was　concerned　I　might　as　well　have　been　on　the　moon。　The　best　and　indeed　the　only　hope　lay　in　a　powerful　and　quick…acting　emetic。　Alum　and　zinc　sulphate　was　what　the　old　boy　in　my　medical　school　had　preferred　but　I'd　never　e　across　anything　better　than　sodium　chloride…mon　salt。　I　hoped　desperately　that　aconitine　absorption　into　the　bloodstream　hadn't　progressed　too　far…and　that　it　was　aconitine　I　didn't　for　a　moment　doubt。
　Coincidence　is　Coincidence　but　to　introduce　some　such　fancy　concoction　as　curare　at　this　stage　would　be　stretching　things　a　bit。　I　levered　Smithy　into　a　sitting　position　and　was　just　getting　my　hands　under　his　armpits　when　a　dark…haired　young　seaman；　clad…in　that　bitter　weather…in　only　jersey　and　jeans　came　hurrying　into　the　wheelhouse。　It　was　Allison；　the　senior　of　the　two　quartermasters。　He　looked…not　stared…at　the　two　men　on　the　deck：　he　was　very　much　a　seaman　cast　in　Smithy's　mould。
　〃What's　wrong；　Doctor？〃
　〃Food　poisoning。〃
　〃Had　to　be　something　like　that。　I　was　asleep。　Something　woke　me。　I　knew　something　was　wrong；　that　w