alistairmaclean.bearisland-第42章

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　〃Because　I've　just　been　up　in　the　camp　talking　to　Mr。　Harbottle；　the　electrician。　Mr。　Smith　had　just　been　up　there。〃
　〃Up　there？　He　should　have　been　unloading　cargo。　What　the　hell　was　he　doing　up　there？〃
　I　didn't　see　Mr。　Smith；〃　I　explained　patiently。　〃So　I　couldn't　ask　him。〃
　〃What　the　hell　were　you　doing　up　there？〃
　‘You're　forgetting　yourself；　Captain　Imrie。　I　am　not　responsible　to　you。　I　merely　wished　to　have　a　word　with　him　before　he　left。　We've　bee　quite　friendly；　you　know。〃
　〃Yes　you　have；　haven't　you？〃　Imrie　said　significantly。　It　didn't　mean　anything；　he　was　just　in　a　mood　for　talking　significantly。　〃Allison！〃
　〃Sir？〃
　〃The　bosan。　Search　party　ashore。　Quickly　now；　I'll　lead　you　myself。〃
　If　there　had　ever　been　any　doubt　as　to　the　depth　of　Captain　Imrie's　concern　there　was　none　now。　He　turned　back　to　me　but　as　Otto　Gerran　and　Goin　were　now　standing　beside　me　I　wasn't　sure　whether　he　was　addressing　me　or　not。　〃And　we're　leaving　within　the　half　hour；　with　Smith　or　without　him。〃
　〃Is　that　fair；　Captain？〃　Otto　asked。　〃He　may　just　have　gone　for　a　walk　or　got　a　little　lost…you　see　how　dark　it　is…〃
　〃Don't　you　think　it　bloody　funny　that　Mr。　Smith　should　vanish　just　as　I　discover　that　a　radio　over　which　he's　been　claiming　to　receive　messages　is　smashed　beyond　repair？〃
　Otto　fell　silent　but　Goin；　ever　the　diplomat；　stepped　in　smoothly。
　I　think　Mr。　Gerran　is　right；　Captain。　You　could　be　acting　a　little　bit　unfairly。　I　agree　that　the　destruction　of　your　radio　is　a　serious　and　worrisome　affair　and　one　that　is　more　than　possibly；　in　light　of　all　the　mysterious　things　that　have　happened　recently；　a　very　sinister　affair。　But　I　think　you　are　wrong　immediately　to　assume　that　Mr。　Smith　has　any　connection　with　it。　For　one　thing；　he　strikes　me　as　much　too　intelligent　a　man　to　incriminate　himself　in　so　extremely　obvious　a　fashion。　In　the　second　place；　as　your　senior　officer　who　knows　how　vitally　important　a　piece　of　equipment　your　radio　is；　why　should　he　do　such　a　wanton　thing？　In　the　third　place；　if　he　were　trying　to　escape　the　consequences　of　his　actions；　where　on　earth　could　he　escape　to　on　Bear　Island？　I　do　not　suggest　anything　as　simple　as　an　accident　or　amnesia：　I'm　merely　suggesting　that　he　may　have　got　lost。　You　could　at　least　wait　until　the　morning。〃
　I　could　see　Captain　Imrie's　fists　unballing；　not　much；　just　a　slight　relaxation　；　and　I　knew　that　if　he　weren't　wavering　he　was　at　least　on　the　point　of　considering；　a　state　of　approaching　uncertainty　that　lasted　just　as　long　as　it　took　Otto　to　undo　whatever　Goin　might　have　been　on　the　point　of　achieving。
　〃That's　it；　of　course；〃　he　said。　〃He　just　went　to　have　a　look　around。〃
　〃What？　In　the　pitch　bloody　dark？〃　It　was　an　exaggeration　but　a　pardonable　one。　〃Allison！　Oakley！　All　of　you。　e　on！〃　He　lowered　his　voice　a　few　decibels　and　said　to　us：　〃I'm　leaving　within　the　half　hour；　Smith　or　no　Smith。　Hammerfest；　gentlemen；　Hammerfest　and　the　law。〃
　He　hurried　down　the　gangway；　half　a　dozen　men　close　behind。　Goin　sighed。　I　suppose　we'd　better　lend　a　hand。〃　He　left　and　Otto；　after　hesitating　for　a　moment；　followed。
　I　didn't；　I'd　no　intention　of　lending　a　hand；　if　Smithy　didn't　want　to　be　found　then　he　wouldn't　be。　Instead　I　went　down　to　my　cabin；　wrote　a　brief　note；　took　the　small　duffle　bag　with　me　and　went　in　search　of　Haggerty。　I　had　to　trust　somebody；　Smithy's　most　damned　inconvenient　disappearing　trick　had　left　me　with　no　option；　and　I　thought　Haggerty　was　my　best　bet。　He　was　stiff…necked　and　suspicious　and；　since　Imrie's　questioning　of　him　that　morning；　he　must　have　bee　even　more　suspicious　of　me：　but　he　was　no　fool；　he　struck　me　as　being　incorruptible；　he　was；　I　thought；　amenable　to　an　authoritative　display　of　discipline　and；　above　all；　he'd　spent　twenty…seven　years　of　his　life　in　taking　orders。
　It　was　fifteen　minutes〃　touch　and　go；　but　at　last　he　grudgingly　agreed　to　do　what　I　asked　him　to。
　〃You　wouldn't　be　making　a　fool　out　of　me；　Dr。　Marlowe？〃　he　asked。
　〃You'd　be　a　fool　if　you　even　thought　that。　What　would　I　have　to　gain？〃
　〃There's　that；　there's　that。〃　He　took　the　small　duffle　bag　reluctantly。
　〃As　soon　as　we're　safely　clear　of　the　island…〃
　〃Yes。　That；　and　the　letter。　To　the　captain。　Not　before。〃
　〃Those　are　deep　waters；　Dr。　Marlowe。〃　He　didn't　know　how　deep；　I　was　close　to　drowning　in　them。　〃Can't　you　tell　me　what　it　is　all　about？〃
　〃If　I　knew　that；　Haggerty；　do　you　think　I'd　be　remaining　behind　on　this　Godforsaken　island？〃
　For　the　first　time；　he　smiled。　〃No；　sir；　I　don't　really　think　you　would。〃
　Captain　Imrie　and　his　search　party　returned　only　a　minute　or　two　after　I'd　gone　back　up　to　the　upper　deck。　They　returned　without　Smithy。　I　was　surprised　neither　by　their　failure　to　find　him　nor　the　brevity　of　their　search…an　elapsed　time　of　only　twenty　minutes。　Bear　Island；　on　the　map；　may　be　only　the　veriest　speck　in　the　high　Arctic　but　it　does　cover　an　area　of　seventy…three　square　miles　and　it　must　have　occurred　to　Captain　Imrie　very　early　on　indeed　that　to　attempt　to　search　even　a　fraction　of　one　percent　of　that　icily　mountainous　terrain　in　darkness　was　to　embark　upon　a　monumental　folly。　His　fervour　for　the　search　had　diminished　to　vanishing　point：　but　his　failure　to　find　Smithy　had；　if　anything；　increased　his　determination　to　depart　immediately。　Having　ensured　that　the　last　of　the　foredeck　cargo　had　been　unloaded　and　that　all　of　the　film　pany's　equipment　and　personal　effects　were　ashore；　he　and　Mr。　Stokes　courteously　but　swiftly　shook　hands　with　us　all　as　we　were　ushered　ashore。　The　derricks　were　already　stayed　in　position　and　the　mooring　ropes　singled　up：　Captain　Imrie　was　not　about　to　stay　upon　the　order　of　his　going。
　Otto；　properly　enough；　was　the　last　to　leave。　At　the　head　of　the　gangway；　he　said：　〃Twenty…two　days　it　is；　then；　Captain　Imrie？　You'll　be　back　in　twenty…two　days？〃
　I　won't　leave　you　here　the　winter；　Mr。　Gerran；　never　fear。〃　With　both　the　mystery　and　his　much…unloved　Bear　Island　about　to　be　left　behind　Captain　Imrie　apparently　felt　that　he　could　permit　himself　a　slight　relaxation　of　attitude。　〃Twenty…two　days？　At　the　very　outset。　Why；　man；　I　can　be　in　Hammerfest　and　back　in　seventy…two　hours。　I　wish　you　all　well。〃
　With　this　Captain　Imrie　ordered　the　gangway　to　be　raised　and　went　up　to　the　bridge　without　explaining　his　cryptic　remark　about　the　seventy…two　hours。　It　was　more　likely　than　not　that　what　he　had　in　mind　at　that　very　moment　was；　indeed；　to　be　back　inside　seventy…two　hours　with；　his　manner　seemed　to　convey；　a　small　regiment　of　heavily　armed　Norwegian　police。　I　wasn't　concerned：　I　was　as　certain　as　I　could　be　that；　if　that　were　indeed　what　he　had　in　mind；　he　would　change　his　mind　before　the　night　was　out。
　The　navigation　lights　came　on　and　the　Morning　Rose　moved　off　slowly　northwards　from　the　jetty；　slewed　round　in　a　half…circle　and　headed　down　the　Sor…Hamna；　her　engine　note　deepening　as　she　picked　up　speed。
　Opposite　the　jetty　again　Captain　Imrie　sounded　his　hooter…only　the　captain　could　have　called　it　a　siren…twice；　a　high　and　lonely　sound　almost　immediately　swallowed　up　in　the　muffling　blanket　of　snow：　within　seconds；　it　seemed；　both　the　throb　of　the　engine　and　the　pale　glow　of　the　navigation　lights　were　lost　in　the　snow　and　the　darkness。
　For　what　seemed　quite　some　time　we　all　stood　there；　huddled　against　the　bitter　cold　and　peering　into　the　driving　snow；　as　if　by　willing　it　could　bring　the　lights　back　into　view　again；　the　engine　throb　back　into　earshot。　The　atmosphere　was　not　one　of　voyagers　happily　arrived　at　their　hoped…for　destination　but　of　castaways　marooned　on　an　Arctic　desert　island。
　The　atmosphere　inside　the　big　living　cabin　was　not　much　of　an　improvement。　The　oil　heaters　were　〃functioning　well　enough　and　Eddie　had　the　diesel　generator　running　so　that　the　black　heaters　on　the　walls　were　just　beginning　to　warm　up；　but　the　effects　of　a　decade　of　deep　freeze　were　not　to　be　overe　in　the　space　of　an　hour：　the　inside　temperature　was　still　below　freezing。　Nobody　went　to　their　allocated　cubicles　for　the　excellent　reason　that　they　were　considerably　colder　than　the　central　living　space。　Nobody　appeared　to　want　to　talk　to　anybody　else。　Heissman　embarked　upon　a　pedantic　and　what　promised