alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第25部分

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e　could　see　my　face。
　
　〃Our　last　bag；〃　Joss　explained。　〃Maybe　thirty　pounds。　It's　gone。　I　found　what　little　was　left　of　it…just　a　handful　lying　on　the　floor　of　the　tunnel…mixed　up　with　the　smashed　valves。〃
　
　I　shook　my　head　and　said　nothing。　The　reason　for　this　last　theft　I　couldn't　even　begin　to　imagine。
　
　Supper　that　night　was　a　sketchy　affair…soup；　coffee　and　a　couple　of　biscuits　each　as　the　only　solids。　The　soup　was　thin；　the　biscuits　no　more　than　a　bite　and　the　coffee；　for　me　at　any　rate；　all　but　undrinkable　without　sugar。
　
　And　the　meal　was　as　silent　as　it　was　miserable；　conversation　being　limited　to　what　was　absolutely　necessary。　Time　and　again　I　would　see　someone　turn　to　his　neighbour　and　make　to　say　something；　then　his　lips　would　clamp　tightly　shut；　the　expression　drain　out　of　his　face　as　he　turned　away　without　a　word：　with　almost　everyone　thinking　that　his　or　her　neighbour　might　be　a　murderer；　or；　what　was　almost　as　bad；　that　his　or　her　neighbour　might　be　thinking　that　he　was　a　murderer；　the　meal　was　by　all　odds　the　most　awkward　and　unfortable　that　I'd　ever　had。　Or；　that　is；　the　first　part　of　it　was：　but　by　and　by　I　came　to　the　conclusion　that　I'd　a　great　deal　more　to　worry　about　than　the　niceties　of　social　intercourse。
　
　After　the　meal　I　rose；　pulled　on　parka　and　gloves；　picked　up　the　searchlight；　told　Jackstraw　and　Joss　to　e　with　me　and　headed　for　the　trap…door。　Zagero's　voice　stopped　me。
　
　〃Where　you　goin'；　Doc？〃
　
　〃That's　no　concern　of　yours。　Well；　Mrs　Dansby…Gregg？〃
　
　〃Shouldn't　you…shouldn't　you　take　the　rifle　with　you？〃
　
　〃Don't　worry。〃　I　smiled　thinly。　〃With　everyone　watching　everyone　else　like　hawks；　that　rifle's　as　safe　as　houses。〃
　
　〃But…but　someone　could　jump　for　it；〃　she　said　nervously。　〃They　could　get　you　when　you're　ing　down　the　hatch…〃
　
　〃Mr　Nielsen　and　I　are　the　last　two　persons　they'd　ever　shoot。　Without　us；　they　couldn't　get　a　mile　from　here。　The　most　likely　candidates　for　the　next　bullet　are　some　of　yourselves。　You're　absolutely　inessential　and；　as　far　as　the　killers　are　concerned；　represent　nothing　more　than　a　waste　of　priceless　rations。〃　With　this　forting　thought　I　left　them；　each　person　trying　to　watch　all　the　others　at　one　and　the　same　time；　while　doing　his　level　best　to　give　the　appearance　of　watching　no　one。
　
　The　wind　was　so　slight　now　that　the　anemometer　cups　had　stopped　turning。　The　dying　embers　of　the　burnt…out　plane　were　a　dull　smouldering　glow　to　the　north…east。　The　snow　had　gone　pletely　and　the　first　faint　stars　were　beginning　to　show　through　the　thinning　cloud　above。　It　was　typically　Greenland；　this　swift　change　in　the　weather；　and　so；　too；　was　the　temperature　inversion　that　would　surely　follow　in　the　morning；　or　before　morning。　Twelve　hours　from　now　it　was　going　to　be　very　cold　indeed。
　
　With　searchlight　and　torches　we　examined　every　inch　of　the　tractor　and　sledges；　above　and　below；　and　if　there　had　been　a　pin　there　I　would　have　sworn　that　we　couldn't　have　missed　it；　far　less　anything　so　large　as　a　couple　of　guns。　We　found　nothing。
　
　I　straightened；　and　turned　to　look　at　the　glow　that　was　lightening　the　sky　to　the　east；　and　even　as　I　stood　there　with　Joss　and　Jackstraw　by　my　side　the　moon；　preternaturally　large　and　rather　more　than　half　full；　heaved　itself　above　the　distant　horizon　and　flooded　the　ice…cap　with　its　pale　and　ghostly　light；　laying　down　between　itself　and　our　feet　a　bar…straight　path　of　glittering　silver　grey。　We　watched　in　silence　for　a　full　minute；　then　Jackstraw　stirred。　Even　before　he　spoke；　I　knew　what　was　in　his　mind。
　
　〃Uplavnik；〃　he　murmured。　〃Tomorrow；　we　set　off　for　Uplav…nik。　But　first；　you　said；　a　good　night's　sleep。〃
　
　〃I　know；〃　I　said。　〃A　traveller's　moon。〃
　
　〃A　traveller's　moon；〃　he　echoed。
　
　He　was　right；　of　course。　Travel　in　the　Arctic；　in　winter；　was　regulated　not　by　daylight　but　my　moonlight。　And　tonight　we　had　that　moon…and　we　had　a　clear　sky；　a　dying　wind　and　no　snow　at　all。　I　turned　to　Joss。
　
　〃You'll　be　all　right　alone？〃
　
　〃I　have　no　worries；〃　he　said　soberly。　〃Look；　sir；　can't　I　e　too？〃
　
　〃Stay　here　and　stay　healthy；〃　I　advised。　〃Thanks；　Joss；　but　you　know　someone　must　remain　behind。　I'll　call　you　up　on　the　usual　schedules。　You　might　get　a　kick　out　of　the　RCA　yet。　Miracles　still　happen。〃
　
　〃Not　this　time；　they　won't。〃　He　turned　away　abruptly　and　went　below。　Jackstraw　moved　across　to　the　tractor…we　didn't　say　another　word　to　each　other；　we　didn't　have　to…and　I　followed　Joss　down　to　the　cabin。　No　one　had　moved　an　inch；　as　far　as　I　could　see；　but　they　all　looked　up　as　I　came　in。
　
　〃All　right；〃　I　said　abruptly。　〃Get　your　stuff　together　and　pile　on　every　last　stitch　of　clothes　you　can。　We're　leaving　now。〃
　
　We　left；　in　fact；　just　over　an　hour　later。　The　Citroen　had　been　lying　unused　for　the　better　pan　of　a　fortnight；　and　we　had　the　devil's　own　job　getting　it　to　start。　But　start　it　eventually　did；　with　a　roar　and　a　thunderous　clatter　that　had　everybody　jumping　in　startlement　then　looking　at　it　in　dismay。　I　knew　the　thoughts　in　their　minds；　that　they'd　have　to　live　with　this　cacophony；　this　bedlam　of　sound　assaulting　their　shrinking　eardrums　for　no　one　knew　how　many　days　to　e；　but　I　wasted　little　sympathy　on　them：　at　least　they　would　have　the　protection　of　the　wooden　body　while　I　would　be　sitting　practically　on　top　of　the　engine。
　
　We　said　our　goodbyes　to　Joss。　He　shook　hands　with　Jackstraw　and　myself；　with　Margaret　Ross　and　Marie　LeGarde；　and；　pointedly；　with　no　one　else。　We　left　him　standing　there　by　the　hatchway；　a　lonely　figure　outlined　against　the　pale　light　of　the　steadily　climbing　moon；　and　headed　west　by　south　for　Uplavnik；　three　hundred　long　and　frozen　miles　away。　I　wondered；　as　I　knew　Joss　was　wondering；　whether　we　would　ever　see　each　other　again。
　
　I　wondered；　too；　what　right　I　had　in　exposing　Jackstraw　to　the　dangers　which　must　lie　ahead。　He　was　sitting　beside　me　as　I　drove；　but　as　I　looked　at　him　covertly　in　the　moonlight；　at　that　strong　lean　face　that；　but　for　the　rather　broad　cheekbones；　might　have　been　that　of　any　Scandinavian　sea…rover；　I　knew　I　was　wasting　my　time　wondering。　Although　nominally　under　my　mand；　he　had　only　been　lent　me；　as　other　Greenlanders　had　been　lent　as　an　act　of　courtesy　by　the　Danish　Government　to　several　IGY　stations；　as　a　scientific　officer…he　had　a　geology　degree　from　the　University　of　Copenhagen　and　had　forgotten　more　about　the　ice…cap　than　I　would　ever　know…and　in　times　of　emergency；　especially　where　his　own　pride；　and　he　had　plenty　of　that；　was　concerned　would　be　extremely　liable　to　do　what　he　thought　best；　regardless　of　what　I　thought　or　said。　I　knew　he　wouldn't　have　remained　behind　even　if　I　had　ordered　him　to…　and；　if　I　were　honest　with　myself；　I　was　only　too　damned　glad　to　have　him　along；　as　a　friend；　as　an　ally；　and　as　insurance　policy　against　the　disaster　that　can　so　easily　overtake　the　careless　or　the　inexperienced　on　the　ice…cap。　But　even　so；　even　though　I　quieted　my　conscience　as　best　I　could；　it　was　difficult　to　push　from　my　mind　the　picture　of　his　dark　vivacious　young　schoolteacher　wife　and　little　daughter；　the　red　and　white　brick　house　in　which　I'd　lived　for　two　weeks　as　a　guest　in　the　summer。　What　Jackstraw　thought　was　impossible　to　say。　He　sat　immobile　as　if　carved　from　stone；　only　his　eyes　alive；　constantly　moving；　constantly　shifting；　as　he　probed　for　sudden　dips　in　the　ice…cap；　for　differences　in　the　structure　of　the　snow；　for　anything　that　might　spell　trouble。　It　was　purely　automatic；　purely　instinctive：　the　crevasse　country　lay；　as　yet；　two　hundred　and　fifty　miles　away；　where　the　ice…cap　started　to　slope　sharply　to　the　sea；　and　Jackstraw　himself　maintained　that　Balto；　his　big　lead　dog；　had　a　surer　instinct　for　crevasses　than　any　human　alive。
　
　The　temperature　was　dropping　down　into　the　minus　thirties；　but　it　was　a　perfect　night　for　arctic　travel…a　moonlit；　windless　night　under　a　still　and　starry　sky。　Visibility　was　phenomenal；　the　ice…cap　was　smooth　and　flat；　the　engine　ran　sweetly　with　never　a　falter：　had　it　not　been　for　the　cold；　the　incessant　roar　and　body…numbing　vibration　of　the　big　engine；　I　think　I　would　almost　have　enjoyed　it。
　
　With　the　wide　tractor　body　blocking　off　the　view　behind；　it　was　impossible　for　me　to　see　what　was　happening　there：　but　every　ten　minutes　or　so　Jackstraw　would　jump　off　and　stand　by　the　side　of　the　trail。　Behind　the　tractor　body　and　its　shivering　occupants　…because　of　the　tractor　fuel　tank　beneath　and　the　spare　fuel　drums　astern　the　stove　was　never　lit　while　we　were　in　motion…came　the　sledge　with　all　our　stores：　120　gallons　of　fuel；　provisions；　bedding　and　sleeping…bags；　tents；　ropes；　axes；　shovels；　trail　flags；　cooking　utensils；　seal　meat　for　the　dogs；　four　wooden　bridging　battens；　canvas　sheets；　blow…lamps；　lantern；　medical　equipment；　radiosonde　balloons；　magnesium　flares　and　a　score　of　minor　items。　I　had　hesitated　over　including　the　radio　sondes；　especially　the　relatively　heavy　hydrogen　cylinders　for　these：　but　they　were　ready　crated　with　tents；　ropes；　axes　and　shovels　and…this　was　the　deciding　factor…had　saved　lives　on　at　least　one　occasion　when　a　trail　party；　lost　on　the　plateau　with　defective　passes；　had　saved　themselves　by　rel