alistairmaclean.bearisland-第24章

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　It　was　after　midnight　but　not　yet　closing　hours　in　the　lounge　bar；　for　Lonnie　Gilbert；　with　a　heroically　foolhardy　disregard　for　what　would　surely　be　Otto's　fearful　wrath　when　the　crime　was　discovered；　had　both　glass　doors　swung　open　and　latched　in　position；　while　he　himself　was　ensconced　in　some　state　behind　the　bar　itself；　a　bottle　of　malt　whisky　in　one　hand；　a　soda　syphon　in　the　other。　He　beamed　paternally　at　me　as　I　passed　through　and　as　it　seemed　late　in　the　day　to　point　out　to　Lonnie　that　the　better　class　malts　stood　in　no　need　of　the　anaemic　assistance　of　soda　I　just　nodded　and　went　below。
　If　anybody　had　been　in　my　cabin　and　gone　through　my　belongings；　he'd　done　it　in　a　very　circumspect　way。　As　far　as　I　could　recall　everything　was　as　I　had　left　it　and　nothing　had　been　disturbed　but；　then；　a　practised　searcher　rarely　left　any　trace　of　his　passing。　Both　my　cases　had　elasticised　linen　pockets　in　the　lids　and　in　each　pocket　in　each　lid；　holding　the　lids　as　nearly　horizontal　as　possible；　I　placed　a　small　Goin　just　at　the　entrance　to　the　pocket。　Then　I　locked　the　cases。　In　spite　of　the　trawler's　wildly　erratic　behaviour　those　coins　would　remain　where　they　were；　held　in　place　by　the　pressure　of　the　clothes　inside　but　as　soon　as　the　lid　was　opened；　the　pressure　released；　and　the　lid　then　lifted　even　partway　towards　the　vertical；　the　Coins　would　slide　down　to　the　feel？　of　the　pockets。　I　then　locked　my　medical　bag…it　was　considerably　larger　and　heavier　than　the　average　medical　bag　but　then　it　held　a　considerably　greater　amount　of　equipment　…and　put　it　out　in　the　passage。　I　closed　the　door　behind　me；　carefully　wedging　a　spent　book　match　between　the　foot　of　the　door　and　the　sill：　that　door　would　have　to　open　only　a　crack　and　the　match　would　drop　clear。　Lonnie；　unsurprisingly；　was　still　at　his　station　in　the　lounge　when　I　reached　there。
　〃Aha！〃　He　regarded　his　empty　glass　with　an　air　of　surprise；　then　reached　out　with　an　unerring　hand。　〃The　kindly　healer　with　his　bag　of　tricks。
　Hot…foot　to　the　succour　of　suffering　mankind？　A　new　and　dreadful　epidemic；　is　it？　Your　old　Uncle　Lonnie　is　proud　of　you；　boy；　proud　of　you。　This　Hippocratic　spirit…〃　He　broke　off　only　to　resume　almost　at　once。
　〃Now　that　we　have　touched；　inadvertently　chanced　upon；　as　one　might　say；　this　topic…spirit；　the　blushful　hippocrene…I　wonder　if　by　any　chance　you　would　care　to　join　me　in　a　thimbleful　of　the　elixir　I　have　here…？'
　〃Thank　you；　Lonnie；　no。　Why　don't　you　get　to　bed？　If　you　keep　it　up　like　this；　you　won't　be　able　to　get　up　tomorrow。〃
　〃And　that；　my　dear　boy；　is　the　whole　point　of　the　exercise；　I　don't　want　to　get　up　tomorrow。　The　day　after　tomorrow？　Well；　yes；　if　I　must；　I'll　face　the　day　after　tomorrow。　I　don't　want　to；　mind　you；　for　tomorrows；　We　found；　are　always　distressingly　similar　to　todays。　The　only　good　thing　you　can　say　about　a　today　is　that　at　any　given　moment　such　and　such　a　portion　of　it　is　already　irrevocably　past'…he　paused　to　admire　his　speech　control…〃Irrevocably　past；　as　I　say；　and；　with　the　passing　of　every　moment；　so　much　less　of　it　to　e。　But　all　of　tomorrow　is　still　to　e。　Think　of　it。　All　of　it…the　livelong　day。〃　He　lifted　his　recharged　glass。　〃Others　drink　to　forget　the　past。　But　some　of　us…very；　very　few　and　it　would　not　be　right　of　me　to　say　that　we're　gifted　with　a　prescience　and　understanding　and　intelligence　far　beyond　the　normal　ken；　so　I'll　just　say　we're　different　some　of　us；　I　say；　drink　to　forget　the　future。　How；　you　will　ask；　can　one　forget　the　future？　Well；　for　one　thing；　it　takes　practice。　And；　of　course；　a　little　assistance。〃　He　drank　half　his　malt　in　one　gulp　and　intoned：　Tomorrow　and　tomorrow　and　tomorrow　creeps　in　this　petty　pace　from　day　to　day　to　the　last　syllable…〃
　〃Lonnie；〃　I　said；　I　don't　think　you're　the　least　little　bit　like　Macbeth。〃
　〃And　there　you　have　it　in　a　nutshell。　I'm　not。　A　tragic　figure；　a　sad　man；　fated　and　laden　with　doom。　Now；　me；　I'm　not　like　that　at　all。　We　Gilberts　have　the　indomitable　spirit；　the　unconquerable　soul。　Your　Shakespeares　are　all　very　well；　but　Walter　de　la　Mare　is　my　boy。〃　He　lifted　his　glass　and　squinted　myopically　at　it　against　the　light。　…Look　your　last　on　all　things　lovely　every　hour。〃'
　I　don't　think　he　quite　meant　it　in　that　way；　Lonnie。　Anyway；　doctor's　orders　and　do　me　a　favour…get　to　hell　out　of　here。　Otto　will　have　you　drawn　and　quartered　if　he　finds　you　here。〃
　〃Otto？　Do　you　know　something？〃　Lonnie　leaned　forward　confidentially。
　〃Otto's　really　a　very　kindly　man。　I　like　Otto。　He's　always　been　good　to　me；　Otto　has。　Most　people　are　good；　my　dear　chap；　don't　you　know　that？　Most　people　are　kind。　Lots　of　them　very　kind。　But　none　so　kind　as　Otto。　Why；　I　remember…〃
　He　broke　off　as　I　went　round　the　back　of　the　bar；　replaced　the　bottles；　locked　the　doors；　placed　the　keys　in　his　dressing…gown　pocket　and　took　his　arm。
　〃I'm　not　trying　to　deprive　you　of　the　necessities　of　life；〃　I　explained。
　〃Neither　am　I　being　heavy…handed　and　moralistic。　But　I　have　a　sensitive　nature　and　I　don't　want　to　be　around　when　you　find　out　that　your　assessment　of　Otto　is　a　hundred　percent　wrong。〃　Lonnie　came　without　a　single　murmur　of　protest。　Clearly；　he　had　his　emergency　supplies　cached　in　his　cabin。　On　our　stumbling　descent　of　the　panionway　he　said：
　〃You　think　I'm　headed　for　the　next　world　with　my　gas　pedal　flat　on　the　floor；　don't　you？〃
　〃As　long　as　you　don't　hit　anybody　it's　none　of　my　business　how　you　drive；　Lonnie。〃
　He　stumbled　into　his　cabin；　sat　heavily　on　his　bed；　then　moved　with　remarkable　swiftness　to　one　side：　I　could　only　conclude　that　he'd　inadvertently　sat　on　a　bottle　of　Scotch。　He　looked　at　me；　pondering；　then　said：
　〃Tell　me；　my　boy；　do　you　think　they　have　bars　in　heaven？〃
　〃I'm　afraid　I　have　no　information　on　that　one；　Lonnie。〃
　〃Quite；　quite。　It　makes　a　gratifying　change　to　find　a　doctor　who　is　not　the　source　of　all　wisdom。　You　may　leave　me　now；　my　good　fellow。〃
　I　looked　at　Neal　Divine；　now　quietly　asleep；　and　at　Lonnie；　impatiently　and　for　obvious　reasons　awaiting　my　departure；　and　left　them　both。
　Mary　Stuart　was　sitting　where　I'd　left　her；　arms　straight　out　on　either　side　and　fingers　splayed　to　counteract　the　now　noticeably　heavier　pitching　of　the　Morning　Pose：　the　rolling　effect；　on　the　other　hand；　was　considerably　less；　so　I　assumed　that　the　wind　was　still　veering　in　a　northerly　direction。　She　looked　at　me　with　the　normally　big　brown　eyes　now　preternaturally　huge　in　a　dreadfully　tired　face；　then　looked　away　again。
　〃I'm　sorry；〃　I　found　myself　apologising。　〃I've　been　discussing　classics　and　theology　with　our　production　manager。〃　I　made　for　my　corner　seat　and　sat　down　gratefully。　〃Do　you　know　him　at　all？〃
　〃Everybody　knows　Lonnie。〃　She　tried　to　smile。　〃We　worked　together　in　the　last　picture　I　made。〃　Again　she　essayed　a　smile。　〃Did　you　see　it？〃
　〃No。〃　I'd　heard　about　it　though；　enough　to　make　me　walk　five　miles　out　of　my　way　to　avoid　it。
　〃It　was　awful。　I　was　awful。　I　can't　imagine　why　they　gave　me　another　chance。〃
　〃You're　a　very　beautiful　girl；〃　I　said。　〃You　don't　have　to　be　able　to　act。　Performance　detracts　from　appearance。　Anyway；　you　may　be　an　excellent　actress。　I　wouldn't　know。　About　Lonnie？〃
　〃Yes。　He　was　there。　So　was　Mr。　Gerran　and　Mr。　Heissman。〃　I　said　nothing　so　she　went　on：　〃This　is　the　third　picture　we've　all　made　together。
　The　third　since　Mr。　Heissman…well；　since　he…〃
　I　know。　Mr。　Heissman　was　away　for　quite　a　bit。〃
　〃Lonnie's　such　a　nice　man。　He's　so　helpful　and　kind　and　I　think　he's　a　very　wise　man。　But　he's　a　funny　man。　You　know　that　Lonnie　likes　to　take　a　drink。　One　day；　after　twelve　hours　on　the　set　and　all　of　us　dead　tired；　when　we　got　back　to　the　hotel　I　asked　for　a　double　gin　and　he　became　very　angry　with　me。　Why　should　he　be　like　that？〃
　〃Because　he's　a　funny　man。　So　you　like　him？〃
　〃How　could　I　not　like　him？　He　likes　everybody　so　everybody　just　likes　him　back。　Even　Mr。　Gerran　likes　him…they're　very　close。　But；　then；　they've　known　each　other　for　years　and　years。〃
　I　didn't　know　that。　Has　Lonnie　a　family？　Is　he　married？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　I　think　he　was。　Maybe　he's　divorced。　Why　do　you　ask　so　many　questions　about　him？〃
　〃Because　Fin　a　typically　knowing；　prying　sawbones　and　I　like　to　know　as