alistairmaclean.bearisland-第24部分

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rt…or　as　much　of　it　as　the　writer　had　chosen　to　include…and　I　was　bracing　myself　for　a　return　to　Heissman's　limpid　prose　when　the　lee　door　opened　and　John　Halliday　staggered　in。　Halliday；　the　unit's　highly　petent　stills　photographer；　was　a　dark；　swarthy；　taciturn；　and　unsmiling　American。　Even　by　his　normal　cheerless　standards　Halliday　looked　unmonly　glum。　He　caught　sight　of　us　and　stood　there　uncertainly；　holding　the　door　open。
　〃I'm　sorry。〃　He　made　as　if　to　go。　〃I　didn't　know…〃
　〃Enter；　enter；〃　I　said。　〃Things　are　not　as　they　seem。　What　you　see　before　you　is　a　strictly　doctor…patient　relationship。〃　He　closed　the〃　door　and　sat　down　morosely　on　the　settee　that　Mary　Stuart　had　so　lately　occupied。
　〃Insomnia？〃　I　asked。　〃A　touch　of　the　mal　demier？〃
　〃Insomnia。〃　He　chewed　dispiritedly　on　the　wad　of　black　tobacco　that　never　seemed　to　leave　his　mouth。　〃The　mal　de　mer's　all　Sandy's。〃　Sandy；　I　knew；　was　his　cabin…mate。　True；　Sandy　hadn't　been　looking　very　bright　when　last　I'd　seen　him　in　the　galley　but　I'd　attributed　this　to　Haggerty's　yearning　to　eviscerate　him：　at　least　it　explained　why　he　hadn't　called　in　to　see　the　Duke　after　he'd　left　us。
　〃Bit　under　the　weather；　is　he？〃
　〃Very　much　under　the　weather。　Kind　of　a　funny　green　colour　and　sick　all　over　the　damned　carpet。〃　Halliday　wrinkled　his　nose。　〃The　smell…〃
　〃Mary。〃　I　shook　her　gently　and　she　opened　sleep…dulled　eyes。　〃Sorry；　I've　got　to　go　for　a　moment。〃　She　said　nothing　as　I　half…helped　her　to　a　sitting　position；　just　glanced　incuriously　at　Halliday　and　closed　her　eyes　again。
　I　don't　think　he's　all　that　bad；〃　Halliday　said。　〃Not　poisoning　or　anything　like　that；　I　mean。　I'm　sure　of　it。〃
　〃No　harm　to　take　a　look；〃　I　said。　Halliday　was　probably　right：　on　the　other　hand　Sandy　had　had　the　freedom　of　the　galley　before　Haggerty　had　caught　him　and　with　Sandy's　prehensile　and　sticky　fingers　anything　was　conceivable；　including　the　possibility　that　his　appetite　was　not　quite　as　birdlike　as　he　claimed。　I　picked　up　my　medical　bag　and　left。
　As　Halliday　had　said；　Sandy　was　of　a　rather　peculiar　greenish　shade　and　he'd　obviously　been　very　sick　indeed。　He　was　sitting　propped　up　in　his　bunk；　with　both　forearms　wrapped　round　his　middle：　he　glared　at　me　balefully　as　I　entered。
　〃Christ；　I'm　dying；〃　he　wheezed。　He　swore　briefly；　pungently；　and　indiscriminately　at　life　in　general　and　Otto　in　particular。　〃Why　that　crazy　bastard　wants　to　drag　us　aboard　this　bloody　old　stinking　hell　ship…〃
　I　gave　him　some　sleeping　sedatives　and　left。　I　was　beginning　to　find　Sandy　a　rather　less　than　sympathetic　character：　more　importantly；　sufferers　from　aconitine　poisoning　couldn't　speak　far　less　indulge　in　the　fluent　Billingsgate　in　which　Sandy　was　clearly　so　proficient。　Swaying　from　side　to　side　and　again　with　her　arms　stretched　out　to　support　herself；　Mary　Stuart　still　had　her　eyes　shut：　Halliday；　dejectedly　chewing　his　wad　of　tobacco；　looked　up　at　me　in　lackadaisical　half…enquiry　as　if　he　didn't　much　care　whether　Sandy　was　alive　or　dead。
　〃You're　right；〃　I　said。　〃Just　the　weather。〃　I　sat　down　a　little　way　from　Mary　Stuart　and　not　as　much　as　by　a　flicker　of　a　closed　eyelid　did　she　acknowledge　my　presence。　I　shivered　involuntarily　and　drew　the　steamer　rug　around　me。　I　said：　〃It's　getting　a　bit　nippy　in　this　saloon。　Why　don't　you　take　one　of　these　and　kip　down　here？〃
　〃No　thanks。　I'd　no　idea　it　would　be　so　damn　cold　here。　My　blankets　and　pillow　and　it's　me　for　the　lounge。〃　He　smiled　faintly。　〃Just　as　long　as　Lonnie　doesn't　trample　all　over　me　with　his　hobnailed　boots　in　the　middle　watch。〃　It　was　apparently　mon　knowledge　that　the　liquor　in　the　lounge　drew　Lonnie　like　a　lodestone。　Halliday　chewed　some　more　then　nodded　at　the　bottle　in　Captain　Imrie's　wrought…iron　stand。　〃You're　a　whisky　man；　Doe。　That's　the　stuff　to　warm　you　up。）
　〃Agreed。　But　I'm　a　very　choosy　whisky　man。　What　is　it？〃
　Halliday　peered。　〃Black　Label。〃
　〃None　better。　But　I'm　a　malt　man　myself。　You're　cold；　you　try　some。　It's　on　the　house。　Stole　it　from　Otto。〃
　〃I'm　not　much　of　a　one　for　Scotch。　Now　Bourbon…？'　
　〃Corrodes　the　digestive　tract。　I　speak　as　a　medical　man。　Now；　one　sip　of　that　stuff　there　and　you'll　swear　off　those　lethal　Kentucky　brews　forever　。　Go　on。　Try　it。〃
　Halliday　looked　at　the　bottle；　as　if　uncertainly。　I　said　to　Mary　Stuart：　〃How　about　you？　just　a　little？　You've　no　idea　how　it　warms　the　cockles。〃
　She　opened　her　eyes　and　gave　me　that　oddly　expressionless　look。　〃No　thank　you。　I　hardly　ever　drink。〃　She　closed　her　eyes　again。
　〃The　flaw　that　makes　for　perfection；〃　I　said　absently；　because　my　mind　was　on　other　things。　Halliday　wouldn't　drink　from　that　bottle；　Mary　Stuart　wouldn't　drink　from　that　bottle；　but　Halliday　seemed　to　think　it　was　a　good　idea　that　I　should。　Had　they　both　remained　in　their　seats　during　my　absence　or　had　they　been　busy　little　bees；　one　keeping　guard　against　my　premature　return　while　the　other　altered　the　character　of　the　Black　Label　with　ingredients　not　necessarily　made　in　Scotland？　Why　else　had　Halliday　e　up　to　the　saloon　if　not　to　lure　me　away？　Why　hadn't　he　gone　direct　to　the　lounge　with　blankets　and　pillow　instead　of　wandering　aimlessly　up　here　to　the　saloon　where　he　must　have　known　from　mealtimes　that　the　temperature　was　considerably　colder　than　it　was　down　below？
　Because；　of　course；　before　Mary　Stuart　had　made　her　presence　known　to　me　here；　she'd　seen　me　through　the　outer　windows　and　had　reported　to　Halliday　that　a　certain　problem　had　arisen　that　could　only　be　solved　by　bringing　about　my　temporary　absence　from　the　saloon。　Sandy's　sickness　had　been　a　convenient　Coincidence…if　it　had　been　a　Coincidence；　I　suddenly　thought：　if　Halliday　was　the　person；　or　was　in　cahoots　with　the　person　who　was　so　handy　with　poisons；　then　the　introduction　of　some　mildly　emetic　potion　into　Sandy's　drink　would　have　involved　no　more　problem　than　that　of　opportunity。　It　all　added　up。
　I　became　aware　that　Halliday　was　on　his　feet？　and　was　lurching　unsteadily　in　my　direction；　bottle　in　one　hand　and　glass　in　the　other：　the　bottle；　I　noticed　almost　mechanically；　was　about　one　third　full。　He　halted；　swaying；　in　front　of　me　and　poured　a　generous　measure　into　the　glass；　bowed　slightly；　offered　me　the　glass　and　smiled。　〃Maybe　we're　both　on　the　hidebound　and　conservative　side；　Doe。　In　the　words　of　the　song；　I　will　if　you　will　so　will　I'
　I　smiled　back。　〃Your　willingness　to　experiment　does　you　credit。　But　no　thanks。　I　told　you；　I　just　don't　like　the　stuff。　I've　tried　it。　Have　you？〃
　〃No；　but　I…〃
　〃Well；　how　can　you　tell；　then？〃
　I　don't　think…〃
　〃You　were　going　to　try　it　anyway。　Go　on。　Drink　it。〃
　Mary　Stuart　opened　her　eyes。　〃Do　you　always　make　people　drink　against　their　will？　Is　this　what　doctors　do…force　alcohol　on　those　who　don't　want　it？〃
　I　felt　like　scowling　and　saying；　‘Why　don't　you　shut　up？〃　but　instead　I　smiled　and　said：　〃Teetotal　objections　overruled。〃
　〃So　what's　the　harm？〃　Halliday　said。　He　had　the　glass　to　his　lips。　I　stared　at　him　until　I　remembered　I　shouldn't　be　staring　which　was　all　of　a　fraction　of　a　second；　smiled　indulgently；　glanced　at　Mary　Stuart　whose　ever　so　slightly　pressed　lips　registered　no　more　than　a　trace　of　prudish　disapproval；　then　looked　back　in　time　to　see　Halliday　lowering　his　half　empty　glass。
　〃Not　bad；〃　he　pronounced。　〃Not　bad　at　all。　Kind　of　a　funny　taste；　though。〃
　〃You　could　be　arrested　in　Scotland　for　saying　that；〃　I　said　mechanically。　The　villain　had　nonchalantly　quaffed　the　hemlock　while　his　acplice　had　looked　on　with　indifference。　I　felt　very　considerably　diminished；　a　plete　and　utter　idiot：　as　a　detective；　my　inductive　and　deductive　powers　added　up　to　zero。　I　even　felt　like　apologising　to　them　except　that　they　wouldn't　know　what　I　was　talking　about。
　〃You　may　in　fact　be　right；　Doe；　one　could　even　get　to　like　this　stuff！'
　Halliday　topped　up　his　glass；　drank　again；　took　the　bottle　across　to　its　wrought…iron　rest　and　resumed　his　former　scat。　He　sat　there　silently　for　perhaps　half　a　minute；　finished　off　the　Scotch　with　a　couple　of　swallows　and　rose　abruptly　to　his　feet？。　〃With　that　lot　inside　me　I　can　even　ignore　Lonnie's　hobnails。　Good　night；　all。〃　He　hurried　from　the　saloon。
　I　looked　at　the　doorway　through　which　he　had　vanished；　my　mind　thoughtful；　my　face　not。　I　still　didn't　understand　why　he　had　e　to　the　saloon　in　the　first　place：　And　what　thought　had　so　suddenly　occurred　to　him　to　precipitate　so　abrupt　a　departure？　An　unprofitable　line　of　thinking　to　pursue；　I　couldn't　even　find　a　starting　point　to　begin　theorising。
　I　looked　at　Mary　Stuart　and　felt　very　guilty　indeed：　murderesses；　I　knew；　came　in　all　shapes；　sizes；　and　guises　but　if　they　came　in　this　particular　guise　then　I　could　never　trust　my　judgement　again。　I　wondered　what　on　earth　could　have　led　me　to　entertain　so　ludicrous　a　suspicion：　I　must　be　even　more　tired　than　I　thought。
　As　if　conscious　of　my　gaze　she　opened　her　eyes　and　looked　at　me。　She　had　this　extraordinary　ability　to　assume　this　still　and　wholly　expressionless　face　but　beneath　this　remoteness；　this　distance；　this　aloofness　lay；　I　thought；　a　marked　degree　of　vulnerability。　Wishful　thinking　on　my　part；　it　was　possible：　but　I　was　oddly　certain　it　wasn't。　Still　without　speaking；　still　without　altering　her　express