alistairmaclean.bearisland-第58章

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　Sierra。　A　climbing　picture。　He　doubled　for　the　actors　who　were　too　terrified　or　too　valuable　for　the　climbing　sequences。　A　really　first…class　alpinist；　I　assure　you。　How　about　that；　then；　eh；　Mr。　Smith？〃
　I　was　about　to　wonder　how　Smith　would　field　that　one　when　he　answered　immediately。　〃That's　about　the　size　of　the　expedition　I'd　have　in　mind。　I'd　be　very　glad　to　have　Mr。　Heyter　along…he'd　probably　have　to　carry　me　most　of　the　way　there。〃
　〃Well；　that's　settled；　then；〃　Otto　said。　〃Very　grateful　to　you　both。　But　only；　of　course；　if　the　weather　improves。　Well；　I　think　that　covers　everything。〃　He　smiled　at　me。　〃As　co…opted　board　member；　wouldn't　you　agree？〃
　〃Well；　yes；〃　I　said。　〃Except　with　your　assumption　that　everyone　will　be　here　in　the　morning　to　play　the　parts　you　have　assigned　to　them。〃
　〃Ah！〃　Otto　said。
　〃Precisely；〃　I　said。　‘You　weren't　seriously　contemplating　that　we　should　all　retire　for　the　night；　were　you？　For　certain　people　with　certain　purposes　in　mind　there　is　no　time　like　the　still　small　hours。　When　I　say　〃people；〃　I'm　not　going　out　of　the　bounds　of　this　cabin：　when　I　say　〃purposes；〃　I　refer　to　homicidal　ones。〃
　〃My　colleagues　and　I　have；　in　fact；　discussed　this；〃　Otto　said。　〃You　propose　we　set　watches？〃
　It　might　help　some　of　us　to　live　a　little　longer；〃　I　said。　I　moved　two　or　I　three　steps　until　I　was　in　the　centre　of　the　cabin。　〃From　here　I　can　see　into　all　Eve　corridors。　It　would　be　impossible　for　any　person　to　leave　or　enter　any　of　the　cubicles　without　being　observed　by　a　person　standing　here。〃
　〃Going　to　call　for　a　rather　special　type　of　person；　isn't　it？〃　Conrad　said。
　〃Someone　with　his　neck　mounted　on　swivels。〃
　〃Not　if　we　have　two　on　watch　at　the　same　time；〃　I　said。　〃And　as　the　time's　long　gone　when　anybody's　hurt　feelings　are　a　matter　of　any　importance；　two　people　on　watch　who　are　not　only　watching　the　corridors　but　watching　each　other。　A　suspect；　shall　we　say；　and　a　nonsuspect。
　Among　the　nonsuspects；　I　think　we　might　gallantly　exclude　the　two　Marys。　And　I　think　that　Allen；　too；　could　do　with　a　full　night's　sleep。　That　would　leave　Mr。　Gerran；　Mr。　Goin；　Mr。　Smith；　Cecil；　and　myself。　Five　of　us；　which　would　work　out　rather　well　for　two…hour　watches　between；　say；　ten　P。m。　and　eight　A。M。〃
　〃An　excellent　suggestion；〃　Otto　said。　〃Well；　then；　five　volunteers。〃
　There　were　thirteen　potential　volunteers　and　all　thirteen　immediately　offered　their　services。　Eventually　it　was　agreed　that　Goin　and　Hendriks　should　share　the　ten　to　midnight　watch；　Smith　and　Conrad　the　midnight　to　two；　myself　and　Luke　the　two　to　four；　Otto　and　Jungbeck　the　four　to　six　and　Cecil　and　Eddie　the　six　to　eight。　Some　of　the　others；　notably　the　Count　and　Heissman；　protested；　not　too　strongly；　that　they　were　being　discriminated　against：　the　reminder　that　there　would　be　still　another　twenty…one　nights　after　this　one　was　sufficient　to　ensure　that　the　protest　was　no　more　than　a　token　one。　The　decision　not　to　linger　around　in　small　talk　and　socialising　was　reached　with　a　far　from　surprising　unanimity。　There　was；　really；　only　one　thing　to　talk　about　and　nobody　wished　to　talk　about　it　in　case　he　had　picked　the　wrong　person　to　talk　to。　In　ones　and　twos；　and　within　a　very　few　minutes；　almost　everybody　had　moved　off　to　their　cubicles。　Apart　from　Smithy　and　myself；　only　Conrad　remained　and　I　knew　that　he　wished　to　talk　to　me。　Smithy　glanced　briefly　at　me　then　left　for　our　cubicle。
　〃How　did　you　know？〃　Conrad　said。　〃About　Lonnie　and　his　family？〃
　I　didn't。　I　guessed。　He's　talked　to　you？〃
　〃A　little。　Not　much。　He　had　a　family。〃
　〃Had？〃
　〃Had。　Wife　and　two　daughters。　Two　grown…up　girls。　A　car　crash。　I　don't　know　if　they　hit　another　car；　I　don't　know　who　was　driving。　Lonnie　just　clammed　up　as　if　he　had　already　said　too　much。　He　wouldn't　even　say　whether　he　had　been　in　the　car　himself；　whether　anyone　else　had　been　present；　not　even　when　it　had　taken　place。〃
　And　that　was　all　that　Conrad　had　learnt。　We　talked　in　a　desultory　fashion　for　some　little　time　and　when　Goin　and　Hendriks　appeared　to　begin　the　first　watch　I　left　for　my　cubicle。　Smithy　was　not　in　his　camp　bed。　Fully　clothed；　he　was　just　removing　the　last　of　the　screws　I'd　used　to　secure　the　window　frame：　he'd　the　flame　of　the　little　oil　lamp　turned　so　low　that　the　cubicle　was　in　semidarkness。
　〃Leaving？〃　I　said。
　〃Somebody　out　there。〃　Smithy　reached　for　his　anorak　and　I　did　the　same。　I　thought　maybe　we　shouldn't　use　the　front　door。〃
　〃Who　is　it？〃
　〃No　idea。　He　looked　in　here　but　his　face　was　just　a　white　blur。　He　doesn't　know　I　saw　him；　I'm　sure　of　that；　for　he　went　from　here　and　shone　a　torch　through　Judith　Haynes's　window　and　he　wouldn't　have　done　that　if　he　thought　anyone　was　watching。〃　Smithy　was　already　clambering　through　the　window。　〃He　put　his　torch　out　but　not　before　I　saw　where　he　was　heading。　Down　to　the　jetty；　I'm　sure。〃
　I　followed　Smithy　and　jammed　the　window　shut　as　I　had　done　before。　The　weather　was　very　much　as　it　had　been　earlier；　still　that　driving　snow；　the　deepening　cold；　the　darkness　and　that　bitter　wind　which　was　still　boxing　the　pass　and　had　moved　around　to　the　southwest。　We　moved　across　to　Judith　Haynes's　window；　hooded　our　torches　to　give　thin　pencil　beams　of　light；　picked　up　tracks　in　the　snow　that　led　off　in　the　direction　of　the　jetty　and　were　about　to　follow　them　when　it　occurred　to　me　that　it　might　be　instructive　to　see　where　they　came　from。　But　we　couldn't　find　where　they　came　from：　whoever　the　unknown　was　he'd　walked；　keeping　very　close　to　the　walls；　at　least　twice　round　the　cabin；　obviously　dragging　his　feel？　as　he　had　gone；　so　that　it　was　quite　impossible　to　discover　which　cubicle　window　he'd　used　as　an　exit　route　from　the　cabin。　That　he　should　have　so　effectively　covered　his　tracks　was　annoying：　that　he　should　have　thought　to　do　it　at　all　was　disconcerting　for　it　plainly　demonstrated　at　least　the　awareness　that　such　late…night　sorties　might　be　expected。　We　made　our　way　quickly　but　cautiously　down　to　the　jetty；　giving　the　unknown's　tracks　a　prudently　wide　berth。　At　the　head　of　the　jetty　I　risked　a　quick　Hash　with　the　narrowed　beam　of　my　torch：　a　single　line　of　tracks　led　outwards。
　〃Well；　now；〃　Smithy　said　softly。　〃Our　lad's　down　at　the　boats　or　the　sub。　If　we　go　to　investigate　we　might　bump　into　him。　If　we　go　down　to　the　end　of　the　jetty　for　a　quick　look…see　and　don't　bump　into　him　he's　still　bound　to　see　our　tracks　on　his　return　trip。　We　want　to　make　our　presence　known？〃
　No。　No　law　against　a　man　taking　a　stroll　when　he　feels　like　it；　even　though　it　is　in　a　blizzard。　And　if　we　declare　ourselves　you　can　be　damn　sure　he'll　never　put　another　foot　wrong　as　long　as　we　remain　on　Bear　Island。〃
　We　withdrew　to　the　shelter　of　some　rocks　only　a　few　yards　distant　along　the　beach；　an　almost　wholly　superfluous　precaution　in　that　close　to　zero　visibility。
　〃What　do　you　think　he's　up　to？〃　Smithy　said。
　〃Specifically；　no　idea。　Generally；　anything　between　the　felonious　and　the　villainous。　We'll　check　down　there　when　he's　gone。〃
　Whatever　purpose　he'd　had　in　mind；　it　hadn't　taken　him　long　to　achieve　it　for　he　was　gone　within　two　minutes；　The　snow　was　so　thick；　the　darkness　so　nearly　absolute；　that　he　might　well　have　passed　by　both　unseen　and　unheard　had　it　not　been　for　the　erratic　movement　of　the　small　torch　he　held　in　his　hand。　We　waited　for　some　seconds　then　straightened。
　〃Was　he　carrying　anything？〃　I　said。
　〃Same　thought　here；〃　Smithy　said。　〃He　could　have　been。　But　I　couldn't　swear　to　it。〃
　We　followed　the　double　tracks　in　the　snow　down　to　the　end　of　the　Jetty　where　they　ended　at　the　head　of　the　iron　ladder　leading　down　to　the　submarine　mock…up。　No　question　but　this　was　where　he'd　gone　for　apart　from　the　fact　that　there　was　nowhere　else　where　he　could　have　been　his　footprints　were　all　over　the　hull　and；　when　we'd　climbed　into　it；　the　platform　in　the　conning　tower。　We　dropped　down　into　the　hull　of　the　submarine。　Nothing　was　changed；　nothing　appeared　to　be　missing　from　our　earlier　visit。　Smithy　said：　〃I've　taken　a　sudden　dislike　to　this　place。　Last　time　we　were　here　I　called　it　an　iron　tomb。　I　wouldn't　want　it　to　be　our　tomb。〃
　〃You　feel　it　might？〃
　〃Our　friend　seemingly　didn't　take　anything　away。　But　he　must　have　had　som