alistairmaclean.bearisland-第2部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


s　and　forms：　it　was　not　until　he　stood　up；　a　feat　he　performed　with　great　difficulty　and　as　infrequently　as　possible；　that　one　appreciated　how　preposterous　this　misconception　was。　Gerran　stood　five　feet　two　inches　in　his　elevator　shoes；　weighed　two　hundred　and　forty…five　pounds　and；　were　it　not　for　his　extremely　ill…fitting　clothes…one　would　assume　that　the　tailor　just　gave　up…was　the　nearest　thing　to　a　perfect　human　sphere　I'd　ever　clapped　eyes　on。　He　had　no　neck；　long　slender　sensitive　hands　and　the　smallest　feet　I've　ever　seen　for　a　man　of　his　size。　The　salvage　operation　over；　Gerran　looked　up　and　at　Imrie。　His　plexion　was　puce　in　colour；　with　the　purple　much　more　in　evidence　than　the　brown。　This　did　not　mean　that　he　was　angry；　for　Gerran　never　showed　anger　and　was　widely　believed　to　be　incapable　of　it：　puce　was　as　standard　for　him　as　the　peaches　and　cream　of　the　mythical　English　rose。　His　coronary　was　at　least　fifteen　years　overdue。
　〃Really；　Captain　Imrie；　this　is　preposterous。〃　For　a　man　of　his　vast　bulk；　Gerran　had　a　surprisingly　high…pitched　voice：　surprisingly；　that　is；　if　you　weren't　a　medical　practitioner。　〃Must　we　keep　heading　into　this　dreadful　storm？〃
　〃Storm？〃　Captain　Imrie　lowered　his　glass　and　looked　at　Gerran　in　genuine　disbelief。　〃Did　you　say　〃storm'？　A　little　blow　like　this？〃　He　looked　across　to　the　table　where　I　was　sitting　with　Mr。　Stokes。　〃Force　7；　YOU　would　say；　Mr。　Stokes？　A　touch　of　eight；　perhaps？〃
　Mr。　Stokes　helped　himself　to　some　more　rum；　leaned　back　and　deliberated。　He　was　as　bereft　of　cranial　and　facial　hair　as　Captain　Imrie　was　overendowed　with　it。　With　his　gleaming　pate；　tightly　drawn　brown　face　seamed　and　wrinkled　into　a　thousand　fissures　and　a　long；　thin；　scrawny　neck　he　looked　as　aged　and　as　ageless　as　a　Galapagos　turtle。　He　also　moved　at　about　the　same　speed。　Both　he　and　Captain　Imrie　had　gone　to　sea　together…in　minesweepers；　as　incredibly　far　back　as　World　War　I…and　had　remained　together　until　they　had　officially　retired　ten　years　previously。　Nobody；　the　legend　went；　had　ever　heard　them　refer　to　each　other　except　as　Captain　Imrie　and　Mr。　Stokes。　Some　said　that；　in　private；　they　used　the　terms　Skipper　and　Chief　（Mr。　Stokes　was　the　Chief　Engineer）　but　this　was　discounted　as　an　unsubstantiated　and　unworthy　rumour　which　did　justice　to　neither　man。
　Moments　passed；　then　Mr。　Stokes；　having　arrived　at　a　measured　opinion　delivered　himself　of　it。　〃Seven；〃　he　said。
　〃Seven。〃　Captain　Imrie　accepted　the　judgement　as　unhesitatingly　as　if　an　oracle　had　spoken　and　poured　himself　another　drink：　I　thanked　whatever　gods　there　be　for　the　infinitely　reassuring　presence　of　Smithy；　the　mate；　on　the　bridge。　〃You　see；　Mr。　Gerran？　Nothing。〃　As　Gerran　was　at　that　moment　clinging　frantically　to　a　table　that　was　inclined　at　an　angle　of　thirty　degrees；　he　made　no　reply。　〃A　storm？　Dearie　me；　dearie　me。　Why；　I　remember　the　very　first　time　that　Mr。　Stokes　and　I　took　the　Morning　Rose　up　to　the　Bear　Island　fishing　grounds；　the　very　first　trawler　ever　to　fish　those　waters　and　e　back　with　full　holds；　1928；　I　think　it　was？'
　〃1929；〃　Mr。　Stokes　said。
　1929。〃　Captain　Imrie　fixed　his　bright　blue　eyes　on　Gerran　and　Johann　Heissman；　a　small；　lean；　pale　man　with　a　permanently　apprehensive　expression　：　Heissman's　hands　were　never　still。　〃Now；　that　was　a　storm！　We　were　with　a　trawler　out　of　Aberdeen；　I　forget　its　name？
　〃The　Silver　Harvest；〃　Mr。　Stokes　said。
　〃The　Silver　Harvest。　Engine　failure　in　a　Force　10。　Two　hours　she　was　broadside　to　the　seas；　two　hours　before　we　could　get　a　line　aboard。　Her　skipper…her　skipper…〃
　〃MacAndrew。　John　MacAndrew。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Stokes。　Broke　his　neck。　Towed　his　boat…and　him　with　his　broken　neck　in　splints…for　thirty　hours　in　a　Force　10；　four　of　them　in　a　Force　11。　Man；　you　should　have　seen　yon　seas。　I　tell　you；　they　were　mountains；　just　mountains。　The　bows　thirty　feet　up　and　down；　up　and　down；　rolling　over　on　our　beam　ends；　hour　after　hour；　every　man　except　Mr。　Stokes　and　myself　coughing　his　insides　up…〃　He　broke　off　as　Heissman　rose　hurriedly　to　his　feet　and　ran　from　the　saloon。　Is　your　friend　upset；　Mr。　Gerran？〃
　〃Couldn't　we　heave　to　or　whatever　it　is　you　do；〃　Gerran　pleaded。　〃Or　run　for　shelter？〃
　〃Shelter？　Shelter　from　what？　Why；　I　remember…〃
　〃Mr。　Gerran　and　his　pany　haven't　spent　their　lives　at　sea；　Captain　；〃　I　said。
　〃True；　true。　Heave　to？　Heaving　to　won't　stop　the　waves。　And　the　nearest　shelter　is　jan　Mayen…and　that's　three　hundred　miles　to　the　west…into　the　weather。〃
　〃We　could　run　before　the　weather。　Surely　that　would　help？〃
　〃Aye；　we　could　do　that。　She'd　steady　up　then；　no　doubt　about　it。　If　that's　what　you　want；　Mr。　Gerran。　You　know　what　the　contract　says…captain　to　obey　all　orders　other　than　those　what　will　endanger　the　vessel。〃
　〃Good；　good。　Right　away；　then。〃
　〃You　appreciate；　of　course；　Mr。　Gerran；　that　this　blow　might　last　another　day　or　so？〃
　With　amelioration　of　the　present　sufferings　practically　at　hand　Gerran　permitted　himself　a　slight　smile。　〃We　cannot　control　the　caprices　of　mother　nature；　Captain。〃
　〃And　that　we'll　have　to　turn　almost　ninety　east？〃
　In　your　safe　hands；　Captain。〃
　〃I　don't　think　you　are　quite　understanding。　It　will　cost　us　two；　perhaps　three　days。　And　if　we　run　east；　the　weather　north　of　North　Cape　is　usually　worse　than　it　is　here。　Might　have　to　put　into　Hammerfest　for　shelter。　Might　lose　a　week；　maybe　more。　I　don't　know　how　many　hundred　pounds　a　day　it　costs　you　to　hire　the　ship　and　crew　and　pay　your　own　camera　crew　and　all　those　actors　and　actresses…I　hear　tell　that　some　of　those　people　you　call　stars　can　earn　a　fortune　in　just　no　time　at　all…'　Captain　Imrie　broke　off　and　pushed　back　his　chair。　〃What　am　I　talking　about？　Money　will　mean　nothing　to　a　man　like　you。　You　will　excuse　me　while　I　call　the　bridge。〃
　〃Wait。〃　Gerran　looked　stricken。　His　parsimony　was　legendary　throughout　the　film　world　and　Captain　Imrie　had　touched；　not　inadvertently；　I　thought；　upon　his　tenderest　nerve。　〃A　week！　Lose　a　whole　week？〃
　If　we're　lucky。〃　Captain　Imrie　pulled　his　chair　back　up　to　the　table　and　reached　for　the　malt。
　〃But　I've　already　lost　three　days。　The　Orkney　cliffs；　the　sea；　the　Morning　Rose…not　a　foot　of　background　yet。〃　Gerran's　hands　were　out　of　sight　but　I　wouldn't　have　been　surprised　if　he'd　been　wringing　them。
　〃And　your　director　and　camera　crew　on　their　backs　for　the　past　four　days；〃　Captain　Imrie　said　sympathetically。　It　was　impossible　to　say　whether　a　smile　lay　behind　the　obfuscatory　luxuriance　of　moustache　and　beard。
　〃The　caprices　of　nature；　Mr。　Gerran。〃
　〃Three　days；〃　Gerran　said　again。　〃Maybe　another　week。　A　thirty…three　day　location　budget；　Kirkwall　to　Kirkwall。〃　Otto　Gerran　looked　ill；　clearly　both　the　state　of　his　stomach　and　his　film　finances　were　making　very　heavy　demands　upon　him。　〃How　far　to　Bear　Island；　Captain　Imrie？〃
　〃Three　hundred　miles；　give　or　take　the　usual。　Twenty…eight　hours；　if　we　can　keep　up　our　best　speed。〃
　〃You　can　keep　it　up？〃
　I　wasn't　thinking　about　the　Morning　Rose。　It　can　stand　anything。　It's　your　people；　Mr。　Gerran。　Nothing　against　them；　of　course；　but　I'm　thinking　they'd　be　more　at　home　with　those　pedal　boats　in　the　paddling　ponds。〃
　〃Yes；　of　course；　of　course。〃　You　could　see　that　this　aspect　of　the　business　had　just　occurred　to　him。　〃Dr。　Marlowe；　you　must　have　treated　a　great　deal　of　seasickness　during　your　years　in　the　Navy。〃　He　paused；　but　as　I　didn't　deny　it；　he　went　on：　〃How　long　do　people　take　to　recover　from　sickness　of　this　kind？〃
　〃Depends　how　sick　they　are。〃　I'd　never　given　the　matter　any　thought；　but　it　seemed　a　logical　enough　answer。　〃How　long　they've　been　ill　and　how　badly。　Ninety　rough　minutes　on　a　cross…Channel　trip　and　you're　as　right　as　rain　in　ten　minutes。　Four　days　in　an　Atlantic　gale　and　you'll　be　as　long　again　before　you're　back　on　even　keel。〃
　〃But　people　don't　actually　die　of　seasickness；　do　they？〃
　〃I've　never　known　of　a　case。〃　For　all　his　usual　indecisiveness　and　more　than　occasional　bumbling　ineptitude　which　tended　to　make　people　laugh　at　him…discreetly　and　behind　his　back；　of　course…Otto；　I　realised　for　the　first　time　and　with　some　vague　feeling　of　surprise；　was　capable　of　a　determination　that　might　verge　on　the　ruthless。　Something　to　do　with　money。　I　supposed。　〃Not　by　itself；　that　is。　But　with　a　person　already　suffering　from　a　heart　condition；　severe　asthma；　bronchitis；　ulcerated　stomach…well；　yes；　it　could　see　him　off。〃
　He　was　silent　for　a　few　moments；　probably　carrying　out　a　rapid　mental　survey　of　the　physical　condition　of　cast　and　crew；　then　he　said：　I　must　admit　that　I'm　a　bit　worried　about　our　people。　I　wonder　if　you'd　mind　having　a　look　over　them；　just　a　quick　check'；　Health's　a　damn　sight　more　important　than　any　profit…hahl　profit；　in　those　days！…that　we　might　make　from　the　wretched　film。　As　a　doctor　I'm　sure　You　wholeheartedly　agree。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　I　said。　〃Right　away。〃　Otto　had　to　have　something　that　had　made　him　the　household　name　that　he　had　bee　in　the　past　twenty　years　and　one　had　to　admire　this　massive　and　wholly　inadmirable　hypocrisy　that　was　clearly　part　of　it。　He　had　me　all　ways。　I　had　said　that　seasickness　alone　did　not　kill　so　that　if　I　were　to　state　categorically　that　some　member　or　members　of　his　cast　or　crew　we