alistairmaclean.bearisland-第17部分

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　〃Do　you　really？〃　She　smiled　faintly；　whether　amused　by　me　or　pleased　at　what　I'd　said　I　couldn't　guess。　〃Do　you　like　all　the　others；　too？〃
　〃Do　I…I'm　sorry。〃
　〃Don't　you　find　something　odd；　something　very　strange　about　the　people　；　about　the　atmosphere　they　create〃；〃
　I　was　on　safer　ground　here。　I　said　frankly：　〃I'd　have　to　have　been　born　deaf　and　blind　not　to　notice　it。　One　is　warding　off　barely　expressed　hostilities；　elbowing　aside　tensions；　wading　through　undercurrents　the　whole　of　the　livelong　day；　and　at　the　same　time；　if　you'll　forgive　the　mixing　of　the　metaphors；　trying　to　shield　one's　eyes　from　the　constant　shower　of　sparks　given　off　by　everyone　trying　to　grind　their　own　axes　at　the　same　time。　Everyone　is　so　frighteningly　friendly　to　everyone　else　until　the　moment　es；　of　course；　that　everyone　else　is　so　misguided　as　to　turn　his　or　her　back。　Our　esteemed　employer；　Otto　Gerran；　cannot　speak　too　highly　of　his　fellow　directors；　Heissman；　Stryker；　Goin；　and　his　dear　daughter；　all　of　whom　he　vilifies　most　fearfully　the　moment　they　are　out　of　earshot；　all　of　which　would　be　wholly　unforgivable　were　it　not　for　the　fact　that　Heissman；　Goin；　Stryker；　and　his　dear　daughter　each　behave　in　the　same　fashion　to　Otto　and　their　co…directors。　You　get　the　same　petty　jealousies；　the　same　patently　false　sincerities；　the　same　smilers　with　the　knives　beneath　the　cloaks　on　the　lower　film　unit　crew　level…not　that　they　and　probably　rightly；　would　regard　themselves　as　being　any　lower　than　Otto　and　his　chums…I　use　the　word　〃chums；〃　you　understand；　without　regard　to　the　strict　meaning　of　the　word。　And；　just　to　plicate　matters；　we　have　this　charming　interplay　between　the　first　and　second　divisions。
　The　Duke；　Eddie　Harbottle；　Halliday；　the　stills　man；　Hendriks；　and　Sandy　all　cordially　detest　what　we　might　call　the　management；　a　sentiment　that　is　strongly　reciprocated　by　the　management　themselves。　And　everybody　seems　to　have　a　down　on　the　unfortunate　director；　Neal　Divine。　Sure；　I've　noticed　all　of　this；　I'd　have　to　be　a　zombie　not　to　have；　but　I　disregard　ninety…odd　percent　and　just　put　it　down　to　the　normally　healthy　backbiting　bitchery　inseparable　from　the　cinema　world。　You　get　fakes；　cheats；　liars；　mountebanks；　sycophants；　hypocrites　the　world　over；　it's　just　that　the　movie…making　milieu　appears　to　act　as　a　grossly　distorting　magnifying　glass　that　selects　and　high…lights　all　the　more　undesirable　qualities　while　ignoring　or　at　best　diminishing　the　more　desirable　ones…one　has　to　assume　that　there　are　some。〃
　〃You　don't　think　a　great　deal　of　us；　do　you？〃
　〃Whatever　gave　you　that　impression？〃
　She　ignored　that。　〃And　we're　all　bad？〃
　〃Not　all。　Not　you。　Not　the　other　Mary　or　young　Allen…but　maybe　that's　because　they're　too　young　yet　or　too　new　in　this　business　to　have　e　to　terms　with　the　standard　norms　of　behaviour。　And　I'm　pretty　sure　that　Charles　Conrad　is　on　the　side　of　the　angels。〃
　Again　the　little　smile。　〃You　mean　he　thinks　along　the　same　lines　as　you
　〃Yes。　Do　you　know　him　at　all…
　〃We　say　good　morning。〃
　〃You　should　get　to　know　him　better。　He'd　like　to　know　you　better。　He　likes　you…he　said　so。　And；　no；　we　weren't　discussing　you…your　name　cropped　up　among　a　dozen　others。〃
　〃Flatterer。〃　Her　tone　was　neutral；　I　didn't　know　whether　she　was　referring　with　pleasure　to　Conrad　or　with　irony　to　myself。　〃So　you　agree　with　me？　There　is　something　very　strange　in　the　atmosphere　here？〃
　〃BY　normal　standards；　Yes。〃
　y　any　standards。〃　There　was　a　curious　certainty　about　her。　〃Distrust；　suspicion；　jealousy；　one　looks　to　find　those　things　in　our　unpleasant　little　world；　but　one　does　not　look　to　find　them　on　the　scale　that　we　have　here。
　Do　not　forget　that　I　know　about　those　things。　I　was　born　in　a　munist　country；　I　was　brought　up　in　a　munist　country。　You　understand？〃
　〃Yes。　When　did　you　pet　away？〃
　〃Two　years　ago。　just　two　years。〃
　〃How？〃
　〃Please。　Others　may　wish　to　use　the　same　way。〃
　〃And　I'm　in　the　pay　of　the　Kremlin。　As　you　wish。〃
　〃You　are　offended？〃　I　shook　my　head。　〃Distrust；　suspicion；　jealousy；　Dr。　Marlowe。　But　there　is　more　here；　much　more。　There　is　hate　and　there　is　fear。　I…I　can　smell　it。　Can't　you？'
　〃You　have　a　point　to　make〃；　dear；　and　you're　leading　up　to　it　in　a　very　tortuous　fashion。　I　wish　you　would　e　to　it。〃　I　looked　at　my　watch。
　I　do　not　wish　to　be　rude　to　you　but　neither　do　I　wish　to　be　rude　to　the　person　who　is　waiting　to　see　me。〃
　〃If　people　hate　and　fear　each　other　enough；　terrible　things　can　happen　。〃　This　didn't　seem　to　require　even　an　affirmative；　so　I　kept　silent　and　she　went　on：　〃You　say　that　those　illnesses；　those　deaths；　are　the　result　of　accidental　food　poisoning。　Are　they；　Dr。　Marlowe？　Are　they？〃
　So　this　is　what　has　taken　you　all　this　long　time　to　lead　up　to？　You　think…you　think　it　may　have　been　deliberate；　have　been　engineered　by　someone。　That's　what　you　think；〃　I　hoped　it　was　clear　to　her　that　the　idea　had　just　occurred　to　me　for　the　first　time。
　I　don't　know　what　to　think。　But　yes…yes；　that's　what　I　think。〃
　'Who？
　〃Who〃　She　looked　at　me　in　what　appeared　to　be　genuine　astonishment。　〃How　should　I　know　who？　Anybody；　I　suppose！'
　‘You'd　be　a　sensation　as　a　prosecuting　counsel。　Then　if　not　who；　why？〃
　She　hesitated；　looked　away；　glanced　briefly　back　at　me；　then　looked　at　the　deck。　I　don't　know　why；　either！'
　〃So　you've　no　basis　for　this　incredible　suggestion　other　than　your　munist…trained　instincts。〃
　〃I've　put　it　very　badly；　haven't　I'
　〃You'd　nothing　to　put；　Mary。　just　examine　the　facts　and　see　how　ridiculous　your　suggestion　is。　Seven　disparate　people　affected　and　all　struck　down　pletely　at　random…or　can　you　give　me　a　reason　why　so　wildly　diverse　a　group　as　a　film　producer；　a　hairdresser；　a　camera　focus　assistant；　a　mate；　a　bosan；　and　two　stewards　should　he　the　victims？
　Can　you　tell　me　why　some　lived；　why　some　died？　Can　you　tell　me　why　two　of　the　victims　assimilated　this　poison　from　food　served　at　the　saloon　table；　two　from　food　consumed　in　the　galley　and　one；　the　Duke；　who　may　have　been　poisoned　in　either　the　galley　or　the　saloon？　Can　you；　Mary'　She　shook　her　head；　the　straw…coloured　hair　fell　over　her　eyes　and　she　let　it　stay　there。　Maybe　she　didn't　want　to　look　at　me；　maybe　she　didn't　want　me　to　look　at　her。
　〃After　today；〃　I　said；　〃I've　been　left　standing；　I've　been　widely　given　to　understand；　among　the　ruins　of　my　professional　reputation　but　I'll　wager　what's　left　of　it；　together　with　anything　else　you　care　to　name；　that　this　wholesale　poisoning　is　pletely　accidental　and　that　no　person　aboard　the　Morning　Rose　wished　to；　hoped　to；　or　intended　to　poison　those　seven　men。〃　Which　was　a　different　thing　entirely　from　claiming　that　there　was　no　one　aboard　the　Morning　Rose　who　was　responsible　for　the　tragedy。　〃Not　unless　we　have　a　madman　aboard；　and　you　can　say　what　you　like…you've　already　said　it…about　our　highly…ah…individualistic　shipboard　panions；　none　of　them　is　unhinged。　Not；　that　is；　criminally　unhinged。〃
　She　hadn't　looked　at　me　once　when　I　was　speaking　and；　even　when　I'd　finished；　continued　to　present　me　with　a　view　of　the　crown　of　her　head。　I　rose；　lurched　across　to　the　armchair　where　she　was　sitting；　braced　myself　with　one　hand　on　the　back　of　her　chair　and　placed　a　finger　of　the　other　under　her　chin。　She　straightened　and　brushed　back　the　hair　from　her　eyes；　brown　eyes　large　and　still　and　full　of　fear。　I　smiled　at　her　and　she　smiled　back　and　the　smile　didn't　touch　her　eyes。　I　turned　and　left　the　lounge。
　I　was　quite　ten　minutes　late　for　my　appointment　in　the　galley　and　as　Haggerty　had　already　made　abundantly　clear　to　me　that　he　was　a　stickler　for　the　proprieties；　I　expected　to　find　him　in　a　mood　anywhere　between　stiff　outrage　and　cool　disapproval。　Haggerty's　attention；　however；　was　occupied　with　more　immediate　and　pressing　matters　for　as　I　approached　the　galley　through　the　stewards〃　pantry　I　could　hear　the　sound　of　a　loud　and　very　angry　altercation。　At　least；　Haggerty　was　being　loud　and　angry。　It　wasn't　so　much　an　altercation　as　a　monologue　and　it　was　Haggerty；　his　red　face　crimson　now　with　anger　and　his　periwinkle　blue　eyes　popping　；　who　was　conducting　it：　Sandy；　our　props　man；　was　the　unfortunate　party　on　the　other　side　of　this　very　one…sided　argument　and　his　silent　acceptance　of　the　abuse　that　was　being　heaped　upon　him　stemmed　less　from　the　want　of　something　to　say　than　from　the　want　of　air。　I　thought　at　first　that　Haggerty　had　his　very　large　red　hand　clamped　round　Sandy's　scrawny　neck　but　then　realised　that　he　had　the　two　lapels　of　Sandy's　jacket　crushed　together　in　one　hand：　the　effect；　however；　was　about　the　same；　and　as　Sandy　was　only　about　half　the　cook's　size　there　was　very　little　he　could　do　about　it。　I　tapped　Haggerty　on　the　shoulder。
　〃You're　choking　this　man；〃　I　said　mildly。　Haggerty　glanced　at　me　briefly　and　got　back　to　his　choking。　I　went　on；　just　as　mildly：　〃This　isn't　a　naval　vessel　and　I'm　not　a　master…at…arms　so　I　can't　order　you　about。　But　I　am　what　the　courts　would　accept　as　an　expert　witness　and　I　don't　think　they'd　question　my　testimony　when　you're　being　sued　for　assault　and　battery。　Could　cost　you　your　life's　savings；　you　know。〃
　Haggerty　looked　at　me　again　and　this　time　he　didn't　look　away。　Reluctantly　；　he　removed　his　hand