alistairmaclean.bearisland-第21章

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ost　certainly　responsible　for　the　violence　of　his　reaction　towards　Sandy。
　I　think　I've　traced　the　source　of　the　poison。　I　believe　the　horse…radish　was　contaminated　with　a　very　unpleasant　organism　called　Clostridium　botulinum；　a　sporing　anaerobe　found　most　monly　in　garden　soil。〃
　I'd　never　heard　of　such　a　case　of　contamination　but　that　didn't　make　it　impossible。　〃No　possible　reflection　on　you…it's　totally　undetectable　before；　during；　and　after　cooking。　Were　there　any　leftovers　tonight？〃
　Some。　I　made　a　casserole　for　Moxen　and　Scott　and　put　the　rest　away。〃
　〃Away？〃
　〃For　throwing。　There　wasn't　enough　to　reuse　for　anything。〃
　〃So　it's　gone。〃　Another　door　locked。
　〃On　a　night　like　this？　No　fear。　The　gash　is　scaled　in　polythene　bags；
　then　they're　punctured　and　go　over　the　side…in　the　morning。〃
　The　door　had　opened　again。　〃You　mean　it's　still　here？〃
　〃Of　course。〃　He　nodded　towards　a　rectangular　plastic　box　secured　to　the　bulkhead　by　butterfly　nuts。　〃There。〃
　I　crossed　to　the　box　and　lifted　the　lid。　Haggerty　said：　‘You'll　be　going　to　analyse　it；　is　that　it？〃
　〃That's　what　I　intended。　Rather；　to　keep　it　for　analysis。〃　I　dropped　the　lid。　〃That　won't　be　possible　now。　The　bin's　empty。〃
　〃Empty？　Over　the　side…in　this　weather？〃　Haggerty　came　and　unnecessarily　checked　the　bin　for　himself。　〃Bloody　funny。　And　against　regulations。〃
　〃Perhaps　your　assistant…〃
　〃Charlie。　That　bone…idle　lay　about。　Not　him。　Besides；　he's　off…duty　tonight　。〃　Haggerty　scratched　the　grey　bristle　of　his　hair。　〃Lord　knows　why　they　did　it　but　it　must　have　been　Moxen　or　Scott。〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃It　must　have　been。〃
　I　was　so　tired　that　I　could　think　of　nothing　other　than　my　cabin　and　my　bunk。　I　was　so　tired　that　it　wasn't　until　I　had　arrived　at　my　cabin　and　looked　on　the　bare　bunk　that　I　recalled　that　all　my　blankets　had　been　taken　away　for　Smithy　and　Oakley。　I　glanced　idly　at　the　small　table　where　I'd　left　the　toxicological　books　that　I　had　been　consulting　and　my　tiredness
　very　suddenly　left　me。
　The　volume　on　Medical　jurisprudence　that　had　provided　me　with　the　information　on　the　aconitine　was　lying　with　its　base　pressed　hard　against　the　far　fiddle　of　the　table；　thrown　there；　of　course；　by　one　of　the　violent　lurches　of　the　Morning　Rose。　The　silken　bookmark　ribbon　attached　to　the　head　of　the　book　stretched　out　most　of　its　length　on　the　table；　which　was　an　unremarkable　thing　in　itself　were　it　not　for　my　clear　and　distinct　recollection　that　I'd　carefully　used　the　bookmark　to　mark　the　passage　I'd　been　reading。　
　I　wondered　who　it　was　who　knew　I'd　been　reading　the　article　on　aconitine。
　
　5
　
　I　suddenly　didn't　fancy　my　cabin　very　much　any　more。　Not；　that　was；　as　a　place　to　sleep　in。　The　eccentric　shipping　millionaire　who'd　had　the　Morning　Rose　pletely　stripped　and　fitted　for　passenger　acmodation　had　had　a　powerful　aversion　to　locks　on　cabin　doors　and；　having　had　the　means　and　the　opportunity　to　do　so；　had　translated　his　theories　into　practice。　It　may　have　been　just　a　phobia　or　it　may　have　stemmed　from　his　assertion　that　many　people　had　unnecessarily　lost　their　lives　at　sea　through　being　trapped　in　locked　cabins　as　their　ships　went　down…which；　in　fact；　I　knew　to　be　true。　However　it　was；　it　was　impossible　to　lock　a　cabin　door　in　the　Morning　Rose　from　the　inside：　it　didn't　even　have　a　sliding　bolt。
　The　saloon；　I　decided；　was　the　place　for　me。　It　had；　as　I　recalled；　a　very　fortable　corner　bulkhead　settee　where　I　could　wedge　myself　and；　more　importantly；　protect　my　back。　The　lockers　below　the　settee　seats　had　a　splendid　assortment　of　fleecy　steamer　rugs；　another　legacy；　like　the　lockless　doors；　from　the　previous　owner。　Best　of　all；　it　was　a　brightly　lit　and　public　place；　a　place　where　people　were　liable　to　e　and　go　even　at　that　late　hour；　a　place　where　no　one　could　sneak　up　on　you　unawares。　Not　that　any　of　this　would　offer　any　bar　to　anyone　so　ill…disposed　as　to　take　a　pot　shot　at　me　through　the　saloon's　plate…glass　windows。　It　was；　I　supposed；　some　little　consolation　that　the　person　or　persons　bent　on　mayhem　had　not　so　far　chosen　to　resort　to　overt　violence；　but　that　hardly　constituted　a　guarantee　that　they　wouldn't：　Why　the　hell　couldn't　the　publishers　of　reference　books　emulate　the　prestigious　Encyclopaedia　Britannica　and　do　away　with　bookmarks　altogether？
　It　was　then　that　I　recalled　that　I'd　left　the　board　of　Olympus　Productions　in　full　plenary　session　up　in　the　saloon。　How　long　ago　was　that？
　Twenty　minutes；　not　more。　Another　twenty　minutes；　perhaps；　and　the　coast　would　be　clear。　It　wasn't　that　I　harboured　any　particular　suspicion　towards　any　of　the　four：　they　might　just　consider　it　very　odd　if　I　were　to　elect　to　sleep　up　there　for　the　night　lien　I'd　a　perfectly　fortable　cabin　down　below。
　Partly　on　impulse；　partly　to　kill　some　of　the　intervening　time；　I　decided　to　have　a　look　at　the　Duke；　to　check　on　his　condition；　to　ensure　him　a　restful　night　by　promising　he'd　be　back　on　full　rations　e　breakfast　time　and　to　find　out　if　Sandy　had　been　telling　the　truth。　His　was　the　third　door　to　the　left：　the　second　to　the　right　was　wide　open；　the　door　stayed　back　at　ninety　degrees。　It　was　〃Mary　Stuart's　cabin　and　she　was　inside　but　not　asleep：　she　sat　in　a　chair　wedged　between　table　and　bunk；　her　eyes　wide　open；　her　hands　in　her　lap。
　〃What's　this；　then；〃　I　said。　〃You　look　like　someone　taking　part　in　a　wake。〃
　〃I'm　not　sleepy。〃
　〃And　the　door　open。　Expecting　pany？〃
　I　hope　not。　I　can't　lock　the　door。〃
　〃You　haven't　been　able　to　lock　the　door　since　you　came　aboard。　It　doesn't　have　a　lock。〃
　I　know。　It　didn't　matter。　Not　till　tonight。〃
　〃You…you're　not　thinking　that　someone　might　sneak　up　and　do　you　in　while　you're　sleeping？〃　I　said　in　a　tone　of　a　person　who　could　never　conceive　of　such　a　thing　happening　to　himself。
　I　don't　know　what　to　think。　I'm　all　right。　Please。〃
　〃Afraid'；　Still　…　I　shook　my　head。　〃Shame　on　you。　Think　of　your　namesake；　young　Mary　darling。　She's　not　scared　to　sleep　alone。〃
　〃She's　not　sleeping　alone。〃
　〃She　isn't？　Ah；　well；　we　live　in　a　permissive　age。〃
　〃She's　with　Allen。　In　the　recreation　room。〃
　〃Ah！　Then　why　don't　you　join　them？　If　it's　safety　you　wrongly　imagine　you　need；　why　then；　there's　safety　in　numbers。〃
　I　do　not　like　to　play…what　do　you　say…gooseberry。〃
　〃。。。Oh；　fiddlesticks！〃　I　said　and　went　to　see　the　Duke。　He　had　colour；　not　much　but　enough；　in　his　cheeks　and　was　plainly　on　the　mend。　I　asked　him　how　he　was。
　〃Rotten；〃　said　the　Duke。　He　rubbed　his　stomach。
　〃Still　pretty　sore〃
　〃Hunger　pains；〃　he　said。
　〃Nothing　tonight。　Tomorrow；　you're　back　on　the　strength…forget　the　tea　and　toast。　By　the　way；　that　wasn't　very　clever　of　you　to　send　Sandy　up　to　raid　the　galley。　Haggerty　nabbed　him　in　the　act。〃
　〃Sandy？　In　the　galley？〃　The　surprise　was　genuine。　〃I　didn't　send　him　up。
　〃Surely　he　told　you　he　was　going　there？〃
　〃Not　a　word。　Look；　Doc；　you　can't　pin…〃
　〃Nobody's　pinning　anything　on　anybody。　I　must　have　taken　him　up　wrong。　Maybe　he　just　wanted　to　surprise　you…he　said　something　about　you　feeling　peckish。〃
　I　said　that　all　right。　But　honest　to　God…〃
　〃It's　all　right。　No　harm　done。　Good　night。〃
　I　retraced　my　steps；　passing　Mary　Stuart's　open　door　again。　She　looked　at　me　but　said　nothing　so　I　did　the　same。　Back　in　my　cabin　I　looked　at　my　watch。　Five　minutes　only　had　elapsed；　fifteen　to　go。　I　was　damned　if　I　was　going　to　wait　so　long；　I　was　feeling　tired　again；　tired　enough　to　drop　off　to　sleep　at　any　moment；　but　I　had　to　have　a　reason　to　go　up　there。　For　the　first　time　I　devoted　some　of　my　rapidly　waning　powers　of　thought　to　the　problem　and　I　had　the　answer　in　seconds。　I　opened　my　medical　bag　and　extracted　three　of　the　most　essential　items　it　contained…death　certificates。
　For　some　odd　reason　I　checked　the　number　that　was　left…ten。　All　told；　thirteen。　I　was　glad　I　wasn't　superstitious。　The　certificates　and　a　few　sheets　of　rather　splendidly　headed　ship's　note　paper…the　previous　owner　hadn't　been　a　man　to　do　things　by　half…went　into　my　briefcase。
　I　opened　the　cabin　door　wide　so　as　to　have　some　light　to　see　by；　checked　that　the　passage　was　empty　and　swiftly　unscrewed　the　deckhead　lamp。
　This　I　dropped　on　the　deck　from　gradually　increasing　heights　starting