alistairmaclean.bearisland-第14章

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　〃What's　wrong；　Doctor？〃
　〃Food　poisoning。〃
　〃Had　to　be　something　like　that。　I　was　asleep。　Something　woke　me。　I　knew　something　was　wrong；　that　we　weren't　under　mand。〃　I　believed　him；　all　experienced　seamen　have　this　in…built　capacity　to　sense　trouble。
　Even　in　their　sleep。　I'd　e　across　it　before。　He　moved　quickly　to　the　chart　table　then　glanced　at　the　pass。　〃Fifty　degrees　off　course；　to　the　east。〃
　〃We've　got　all　the　Barents　Sea　to　rattle　about　in；〃　I　said。　〃Give　me　a　hand　with　Mr。　Smith；　will　you？〃
　We　took　an　arm　each　and　dragged　him　towards　the　port　door。　Mary　dear　stopped　stirring　the　contents　of　the　metal　mug　she　held　in　her　hand　and　looked　at　us　in　some　perplexity。
　〃Where　are　you　going　with　Mr。　Smith？〃
　〃Taking　him　out　on　the　wing。〃　What　did　she　think　we　were　going　to　do　with　him；　throw　him　over　the　side？　〃All　that　fresh　air。　It's　very　therapeutic。〃
　〃But　it's　snowing　out　there！　And　bitterly　cold。〃
　〃He's　also…I　hope…going　to　be　very　very　sick。　Better　outside　than　in。
　How　does　that　concoction　taste？〃
　She　sipped　a　little　salt　and　water　from　her　spoon　and　screwed　up　her　face。　〃It's　awful'
　〃Can　you　swallow　it？〃
　She　tried　and　shuddered。　〃Just。〃
　〃Another　three　spoons。　〃We　dragged　Smithy　outside　and　propped　him　in　a　sitting　position。　The　canvas　wind　dodger　gave　him　some　protection　but　not　much。　His　eyes　were　open　and　following　our　actions　and　he　seemed　aware　of　what　was　going　on。　I　put　the　emetic　to　his　lips　and　tilted　the　mug　but　the　fluid　just　trickled　down　his　chin。　I　forced　his　head　back　and　poured　some　of　the　emetic　into　his　mouth。　Clearly；　all　sensation　wasn't　lost；　for　his　face　contorted　into　an　involuntary　grimace　of　distaste：　more　importantly；　his　Adam's　apple　bobbed　up　and　down　and　I　knew　he'd　swallowed　some　of　it。　Encouraged；　I　poured　in　twice　as　much；　and　this　time　he　swallowed　it　all。　Not　ten　seconds　later　he　was　as　violently　ill　as　ever　I've　seen　a　man　be。　Over　Mary's　protests　and　in　spite　of　Allison's　very　evident　apprehension　I　forced　some　more　of　the　salt　and　water　on　him：　when　he　started　coughing　blood　I　turned　my　attention　to　Oakley。
　Within　fifteen　minutes　we　had　two　still　very　ill　men　on　our　hands；　clearly　suffering　violent　abdominal　pains　and　weak　to　the　point　of　exhaustion　；　but；　more　importantly；　we　had　two　men　who　weren't　going　to　go　the　same　way　as　the　unfortunate　Antonio　had　gone。　Allison　was　at　the　wheel；　with　the　Morning　Rose　back　on　course：　Mary　dear；　her　straw…coloured　hair　now　matted　with　snow；　crouched　beside　a　very　groggy　Oakley：　Smithy　was　now　sufficiently　recovered　to　sit　on　the　storm　sill　of　the　wheelhouse；　though　he　still　required　my　arm　to　brace　him　against　the　staggering　of　the　Morning　Rose。　He　was　beginning　to　recover　the　use　of　his　voice　although　only　to　a　minimal　extent。
　〃Brandy；〃　he　croaked。
　I　shook　my　head。　〃Contraindicated。　That's　what　the　textbooks　say。〃
　〃Otard…Dupuy；〃　he　insisted。　At　least　his　mind　was　clear　enough。　I　rose　and　got　him　a　bottle　from　Captain　Imrie's　private　reserve。　After　what　his　stomach　had　just　been　through　nothing　short　of　carbolic　acid　was　going　to　damage　it　any　more。　He　put　the　bottle　to　his　head；　swallowed　and　was　immediately　sick　again。
　〃Maybe　I　should　have　given　you　cognac　in　the　first　place；〃　I　said。　〃Salt　water　es　cheaper；　though。〃
　He　tried　to　smile；　a　brief　and　painful　effort；　and　tilted　the　bottle　again。
　This　time　the　cognac　stayed　down；　he　must　have　had　a　stomach　lined　with　steel　or　asbestos。　I　took　the　bottle　from　him　and　offered　it　to　Oakley　who　winced　and　shook　his　head。
　〃Who's　got　the　wheel？〃　Smithy's　voice　was　a　hoarse　and　strained　whisper　as　if　it　hurt　him　to　speak；　which　it　almost　certainly　did。
　〃Allison。〃
　He　nodded；　satisfied。　〃Damn　boat；〃　he　said。　〃Damn　sea。　Fra　seasick。　Me。　Seasick。〃
　‘You're　sick；　all　right。　Nothing　to　do　with　the　sea。　This　damn　boat　wallowing　about　in　this　damn　sea　was　all　that　saved　you：　a　flat　calm　and　Smithy　was　among　the　immortals。〃　I　tried　to　think　why　anyone　who　was　not　pletely　unhinged　should　want　Smithy　and　Oakley　among　the　immortals　but　the　idea　was　so　preposterous　that　I　abandoned　it　almost　the　moment　it　occurred　to　me。　〃Food　poisoning　and　I　was　lucky。　I　got　here　in　time。〃
　He　nodded　but　kept　quiet。　It　probably　hurt　him　too　much　to　talk。　Mary　dear　said：　〃Mr。　Oakley's　hands　and　face　are　freezing　and　he's　shaking　with　the　cold。　So　am　I；　for　that　matter。〃
　And　so；　I　realised；　was　I。　I　helped　Smithy　to　a　bolted　chair　beyond　the　wheel；　then　went　to　assist　Mary　dear　who　was　trying　to　get　a　jelly…kneed　Oakley　to　his　feel？。　We'd　just　got　Oakley　approximately　upright；　no　easy　task；　for　he　was　practically　a　dead　weight　and　we　required　one　hand　for　him　and　one　for　ourselves；　when　Goin　and　the　Count　appeared　at　the　top　of　the　ladder。
　〃Thank　God；　at　last！〃　Goin　was　slightly　out　of　breath　but　not　one　hair　was　out　of　place。　〃We've　been　looking　for　you　every…what　on　earth…is　that　man　drunk？〃
　〃He's　sick。　The　same　sickness　as　Antonio　had；　only　he's　been　lucky。
　What's　the　panic？〃
　〃The　same　sickness…you　must　e　at　once；　Marlowe。　My　God；　this　is　turning　into　a　regular　epidemic。〃
　〃A　moment。〃　I　helped　Oakley　inside　and　lowered　him　into　as　fortable　a　position　as　possible　atop　some　kapok　life　jackets。　〃Another　casualty；　I　take　it？〃
　〃Yes；　Otto　Gerran。〃　Maybe　I　lifted　an　eyebrow；　I　forget；　I　do　know　I　felt　no　particular　surprise；　it　seemed　to　me　that　anyone　who　had　been　within　sniffing　distance　of　that　damned　aconite　was　liable　to　keel　over　at　any　moment。　〃I　called　at　his　cabin　ten　minutes　ago；　there　was　no　reply　and　I　went　in　and　there　he　was；　rolling　about　the　carpet〃
　The　irreverent　thought　came　to　me　that；　with　his　almost　perfectly　spherical　shape；　no　one　had　ever　been　better　equipped　for　rolling　about　a　carpet　than　Otto　was：　it　seemed　unlikely　that　Otto　was　seeing　the　humorous　side　of　it　at　that　moment。　I　said　to　Allison：　〃Can　you　get　anyone　up　here　to　help　you？〃
　〃No　trouble。〃　The　quartermaster　nodded　at　the　small　exchange　in　the　corner。　〃I've　only　to　phone　the　mess　deck。〃
　〃No　need。〃　It　was　the　Count。　〃I'll　stay。〃
　〃That's　very　kind。〃　I　nodded　at　Smithy　and　Oakley　in　turn。　〃They're　not　fit　to　go　below　yet。　If　they　try　to；　they'll　like　as　not　end　up　over　the　side。　Could　you　get　them　some　blankets？〃
　〃Of　course。〃　He　hesitated。　〃My　cabin…'
　is　locked。　Mine's　not。　There　are　blankets　on　the　bed　and　extra　ones　at　the　foot　of　the　hanging　locker。〃　The　Count　left　and　I　turned　to　Allison。
　〃Short　of　dynamiting　his　door　open；　how　do　I　attract　the　captain's　attention　。　He　seems　to　be　a　sound　sleeper。〃
　Allison　smiled　and　again　indicated　the　corner　exchange。　〃The　bridge　phone　hangs　just　above　his　head。　There's　a　resistance　in　the　circuit。　I　can　make　the　call…up　sound　like　the　Q。E。　2's　foghorn。〃
　〃Tell　him　to　e　along　to　Mr。　Gerran's　room　and　tell　him　it's　urgent。〃
　〃Well。〃　Allison　was　uncertain。　〃Captain　Imrie　doesn't　much　like　being　woken　up　in　the　middle　of　the　night。　Not　without　an　awfully　good　reason　；　that　is；　and　now　that　the　mate　and　bosun　are　all　right　again；　like…〃
　〃Tell　him　Antonio　is　dead。〃
　
　4
　
　At　least　Otto　wasn't　dead。　Even　above　the　sound　of　the　wind　and　the　sound　of　the　sea；　the　creakings　and　groanings　as　the　elderly　trawler　slammed　her　way　into　the　Arctic　gale；　Otto's　voice　could　be　distinctly　heard　at　least　a　dozen　feel？　from　his　cabin　door。　What　he　was　saying；　however；　was　far　from　distinct；　the　tearing　gasps　and　agonised　groans　boded　ill　for　what　we　would　see　when　we　opened　the　door。
　Otto　Gerran　looked　as　he　sounded；　not　quite　in　extremis　but　rapidly　heading　that　way。　As　Goin　had　said；　he　was　indeed　rolling　about　the　floor；　both　hands　clutching　his　throat　as　if　he　was　trying　to　throttle　himself　：　his　normally　puce　plexion　had　deepened　to　a　dark　and　dangerous　looking　purple；　his　eyes　were　bloodshot　and　a　purplish　foam　at　his　mouth　had　stained　his　lips　to　almost　the　same　colour　as　his　face：　or　maybe　his　lips　were　purplish　anyway；　like　a　man　with　cyanosis。　As　far　as　I　could　see　he　hadn't　a　single　symptom　in　mon　with　Smithy　and　Oakley：　so　much　for　the　toxicological　experts　and　their　learned　textbooks。　
　I　said　to　Goin：　〃Let's　get　him　on　his　feel？　and　along　to　the　bathroom。〃
　As　a　statement　of　intent　it　was　clear　a