alistairmaclean.bearisland-第69章

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　Conrad　looked　at　me　closely；　made　as　if　to　speak；　then　left。　He　was　nobody's　fool；　he　hadn't　even　given　a　nod　that　could　have　been　interpreted　as　acknowledgement。
　He　was　back　within　a　minute。　We　pulled　on　all　the　outer　clothes　we　could　and　furnished　ourselves　with　four　of　the　largest　torches。　On　the　way　to　the　door；　Mary　Darling　rose　from　where　she　was　sitting　beside　a　still　badly　battered　Allen。　〃Mr。　Marlowe。〃
　I　put　my　head　to　where　I　figured　her　ear　lay　behind　the　tangled　platinum　hair　and　whispered：　〃I'm　wonderful？〃
　She　nodded　solemnly；　eyes　sad　behind　the　huge　horn…rimmed　glasses；　and　kissed　me。　I　didn't　know　what　the　audience　thought　of　this　little　vignette　and　didn't　much　care：　probably　a　last　tender　farewell　to　the　good　doctor　before　he　moved　out　forever　into　the　outer　darkness。　As　the　door　closed　behind　us；　Conrad　said　plainingly：　〃She　might　have　kissed　me　too。〃
　I　think　you've　done　pretty　well　already；〃　I　said。　He　had　the　grace　to　keep　silent。　With　our　torches　off。　we　moved　across　to　what　shelter　was　offered　to　the　now　quite　heavily　falling　snow　by　the　provisions　hut　and　remained　there　for　two　or　three　minutes　until　we　were　quite　certain　that　no　one　had　it　in　mind　to　follow　us。　Then　we　moved　round　the　side　of　the　main　cabin　and　picked　up　the　black　box　outside　Mary　Stuart's　window。　She　was　standing　there　and　I'm　quite　sure　she　saw　us　but　she　made　no　gesture　or　any　attempt　to　wave　goodbye：　it　seemed　as　if　the　two　Marys　had　but　one　thought　in　mon。
　We　made　our　way　through　the　snow　and　the　darkness　down　to　the　jetty；　stowed　the　black　box　securely　under　the　stern　sheets；　started　up　the　outboard…5…1/2　horsepower　only；　but　enough　for　a　fourteen…footer…and　cast　off。　As　we　came　round　the　northern　arm　of　the　jetty　Conrad　said：　〃Christ；　it's　as　black　as　the　earl　of　hell's　waistcoat。　How　do　you　propose　to　set　about　it？〃
　〃Set　about　what？〃
　〃Finding　Heissman　and　pany；　of　course。〃
　〃I　couldn't　care　if　I　never　saw　that　lot　again；〃　I　said　candidly。　〃I've　no　intention　of　trying　to　find　them。　On　the　contrary；　all　our　best　efforts　are　going　to　be　brought　to　bear　to　avoid　the　While　Conrad　was　silently　mulling　over　this　volte…face；　I　took　the　boat；　the　motor　throttled　right　back　for　prudence's　sake；　just　over　a　hundred　yards　out　until　we　were　close　into　the　northern　shore　of　the　Sor…Hamna　and　cut　the　engine。　As　the　boat　drifted　to　a　stop　I　went　foreword　and　eased　anchor　and　rope　over　the　side。
　〃According　to　the　chart；〃　I　said；　〃there　are　three　fathoms　here。　According　to　the　experts；　that　should　mean　about　fifty　feel？　of　rope　to　prevent　us　from　drifting。　So；　fifty　feel？。　And　as　we're　against　the　land　and　so　can't　be　Silhouetted；　that　should　make　us　practically　invisible　to　anyone　approaching　from　the　south。　No　smoking；　of　course。〃
　Very　funny；〃　Conrad　said。　Then；　after　a　pause；　he　went　on　carefully：　〃Who　are　you　expecting　to　approach　from　the　south？〃
　〃Snow　White　and　the　seven　dwarfs。〃
　〃All　right；　all　right。　So　you　don't　think　there's　anything　wrong　with　them？〃
　I　think　there's　a　great　deal　wrong　with　them；　but　not　in　the　sense　you　mean。
　〃Ah！〃　There　was　a　silence　which　I　took　to　be　a　very　thoughtful　one　on　his　part。　〃Speaking　of　Snow　White。〃
　〃Yes？〃
　〃How　about　whiling　away　the　time　by　telling　me　a　fairy　story？〃
　So　I　told　everything　I　knew　or　thought　I　knew　and　he　listened　in　plete　silence　throughout。　When　I　finished　I　waited　for　ment　but　none　came　so　I　said：　〃I　have　your　promise　that　you　won't　clobber　Heissman　on　sight？〃
　〃Reluctantly　given；　reluctantly　given。〃　He　shivered。　Jesus；　it's　cold。〃
　〃It　will　be。　Listen。〃
　At　first　faintly；　intermittently；　through　the　falling　snow　and　against　the　northerly　wind；　came　the　sound　of　an　engine；　closing：　within　two　minutes　the　exhaust　beat　was　sharp　and　distinct。　Conrad　said：　〃Well；　would　you　believe　it。　They　got　their　motor　fixed。〃
　We　remained　quietly　where　we　were；　bobbing　gently　at　anchor　and　shivering　in　the　deepening　cold；　as　Heissman's　boat　rounded　the　northern　arm　of　the　jetty　and　cut　its　engine。　Heissman；　Goin；　and　Jungbeck　didn't　just　tie　up　and　go　ashore　immediately；　they　remained　by　the　jetty　for　over　ten　minutes。　It　was　impossible　to　see　what　they　were　doing；　the　darkness　and　the　snow　made　it　impossible　to　see　even　the　most　shadowy　outlines　of　their　forms；　but　several　times　we　could　see　the　flickering　of　torch　beams　behind　the　jetty　arm；　several　times　I　heard　distinctly　metallic　thuds　and；　twice；　I　imagined　I　heard　the　splash　of　something　heavy　entering　the　water。　Finally；　we　saw　three　pinpoints　of　light　move　along　the　main　arm　of　the　jetty　and　disappear　in　the　direction　of　the　cabin。
　Conrad　said：　I　suppose；　at　this　stage；　I　should　have　some　intelligent　questions　to　us！〃
　〃And　I　should　have　some　intelligent　answers。　I　think　we'll　have　them　soon。　Get　that　anchor　in；　will　you？〃
　I　started　up　the　outboard　again　and；　keeping　it　at　its　lowest　revolutions；　moved　eastwards　for　another　two　hundred　yards　then　turned　south　until；　calculating　that　the　bination　of　distance　and　the　northerly　wind　had　taken　us　safely　out　of　earshot　of　the　cabin；　I　judged　the　moment　had　e　to　open　the　throttle　to　its　maximum。
　Navigating；　if　that　was　the　word　for　it；　was　easier　than　I　had　thought　it　would　be。　We'd　been　out　more　than　long　enough　now　to　achieve　the　maximum　in　night　sight　and　I　had　little　difficulty　in　making　out　the　coastline　to　my　right：　even　on　a　darker　night　than　this　it　would　have　been　difficult　not　to　distinguish　the　sharp　demarcation　line　between　the　blackness　of　the　cliffs　and　the　snow…covered　hills　stretching　away　beyond　them。
　Neither　was　the　sea　as　rough　as　I　had　feared　it　might　be：　choppy；　but　no　more　than　that；　the　wind　could　hardly　have　lain　in　a　more　favourable　quarter　than　it　did　that　night。　Kapp　Malrogren　came　up　close　on　the　starboard　band　and　I　turned　the　boat　more　to　the　southwest　to　move　into　the　Evjebukta；　but　not　too　much；　for　although　the　cliffs　were　easily　enough　discernible；　objects　low　in　the　water　and　lying　against　their　black　background　were　virtually　undetectable　and　I　had　no　wish　to　run　the　boat　onto　the　islands　that　I　had　observed　that　morning　in　the　northern　part　of　the　bay。
　For　the　first　time　since　we'd　weighed　anchor　Conrad　spoke。　He　was　possessed　of　an　exemplary　patience。　Clearing　his　throat；　he　said：　〃Is　one　permitted　to　ask　a　question？〃
　〃You're　even　permitted　to　receive　an　answer。　Remember　those　extraordinary　stacks　and　pinnacles　close　by　the　cliffs　when　we　were　rounding　the　south　of　the　island　in　the　Morning　Rose？〃
　〃Of　blessed　memory；〃　Conrad　said　yearningly。
　〃No　need　for　heartbreak；〃　I　said　encouragingly。　〃You'll　be　seeing　her　again　tonight。〃
　〃What！〃
　〃Yes；　indeed。〃
　〃The　Morning　Rose？〃
　〃None　other。　That　is　to　say；　I　hope。　But　later。　Those　stacks　were　caused　by　erosion　which　in　turn　were　caused　by　tidal　streams；　storm　waves；　and　frost…island　used　to　be　much　bigger　than　it　is　now；　bits　of　it　are　falling　into　the　sea　all　the　time。　This　same　erosion　also　caused　caves　to　form　in　the　cliffs。　But　it　formed　something　else…I　knew　nothing　about　it　until　this　afternoon…which　I　think　must　be　unique　in　the　world。　Two　or　three　hundred　yards　in　from　the　southern　tip　of　this　bay；　a　promontory　called　Kapp　Kolthoff；　is　a　tiny　horseshoe…shaped　harbour…I　saw　it　through　the　binoculars　this　morning。〃
　〃You　did？〃
　〃I　was　out　for　a　walk。　At　the　inner　end　of　this　harbour　there　is　an　opening；　not　just　any　opening；　but　a　tunnel　that　goes　clear　through　to　the　other　side　of　Kapp　Kolthoff。　It　must　be　at　least　two　hundred　yards　in　length。　It's　called　Perleporten。　You　have　to　have　a　large…scale　map　of　Bear　Island　to　find　it。　I　got　my　hands　on　a　large…scale　map　this　afternoon。〃
　〃That　length？　Straight　through？　It　must　be　manmade。〃
　〃Who　the　hell　would　spend　a　fortune　tunnelling　through　two　hundred　yards　of　rock　from　A　to　B；　when　you　can　sail　from　A　to　B　in　five　minutes。
　I　mean　in　Bear　Island？〃
　〃It's　not　very　likely；〃　Conrad　said。　〃And　you　think　Heissman　and　his　friends　may　have　been　here？〃
　I　don't　know　where　else　they　could　have　been。　I　looked　every　place　I　could　look　this　morning　in　the　Sor…Hamna　and　in　this　bay。　Nothing。〃
　Conrad　said　nothing；　which　was　one　of　the　things　I　liked　about　a　man　who　I　was　be