alistairmaclean.bearisland-第27部分

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　I　was　as　certain　as　could　be　that　Halliday's　absence　had　so　far　gone　unnoticed　by　everyone　except　myself　and　the　person　responsible　for　his　death　and　there　was　not　even　certainty　about　that　last　point；　it　was　quite　possible　that　he　knew　nothing　of　Halliday's　brief　visit　to　the　saloon。　True；　Halliday　had　not　appeared　for　breakfast　but　as　a　few　others　had　done　the　same　and　those　who　had　e　had　done　so　intermittently　over　the　best　part　of　a　couple　of　hours；　his　absence　had　gone　unremarked。　His　cabin…mate；　Sandy；　was　still　feeling　under　the　weather　to　the　extent　that　Halliday's　presence　or　absence　was　a　matter　of　total　indifference　to　him：　and　as　Halliday　had　been　very　much　a　solitary　there　was　no　one　who　would　be　sufficiently　concerned　to　enquire　anxiously　as　to　his　whereabouts'。　I　hoped　that　his　absence　remained　undiscovered　as　long　as　possible：　although　the　signed　guarantee　given　to　Captain　Imrie　that　morning　had　contained　no　specific　reference　as　to　the　action　to　be　taken　in　the　event　of　someone　going　missing　he　was　quite　capable　of　seizing　upon　this　as　a　pretext　to　abandon　the　trip　and　make　with　all　speed　for　Hammerfest。
　The　match　I'd　left　jammed　between　the　foot　of　my　cabin　door　and　the　sill　had　no　longer　been　in　position　when　I'd　returned　to　my　cabin　early　in　the　morning。　The　Coins　I'd　left　in　the　linen　pockets　of　the　lids　of　my　suitcases　had　shifted　position　from　the　front　to　the　back　of　the　pockets；　sure　evidence　that　my　cases　had　been　opened　in　my　absence。　It　says　much　for　my　frame　of　mind　that　the　discovery　occasioned　me　no　particular　surprise…which　was　in　itself　surprising；　for　although　someone　aboard　was　aware　that　the　good　doctor　had　been　boning　up　on　aconitine　and　so　had　more　than　a　fair　idea　that　the　poisoning　had　not　been　accidental；　that　in　itself　was　hardly　reason　to　start　examining　the　doctor's　hand　luggage。　More　than　ever；　it　behooved　me　to　watch　my　back。
　I　heard　a　sound　behind　my　back。　My　instinctive　reaction　was　to　take　a　couple　of　rapid　steps　forward；　who　knew　what　hard　or　sharp　implement　might　be　ing　at　my　occiput　or　shoulder　blades；　then　whirl　round；　but　a　simultaneous　reasoning　told　me　that　it　was　unlikely　that　anyone　would　propose　to　do　me　in　on　the　upper　deck　in　daylight　under　the　interested　gaze　of　watchers　on　the　bridge；　so　I　turned　round　leisurely　and　saw　Charles　Conrad　moving　into　what　little　shelter　was　offered　in　the　lee　of　the　bulk　deck　cargo。
　〃What's　this；　then？〃　I　said。　〃The　morning　constitutional　at　all　costs？
　Or　don't　you　fancy　Captain　Imrie's　Scotch？〃
　〃Neither。〃　He　smiled。　〃Curiosity；　is　all。〃　He　tapped　the　tarpaulin　covered　bulk　beside　us。　It　was　close　on　ten　feel？　in　height；　semicylindrical…the　base　was　flat…and　was　lashed　in　position　by　at　least　a　dozen　steel　cables。　〃Do　you　know　what　this　is？〃
　Is　this　a　clever　question？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Prefabricated　Arcticised　buts。　Or　so　the　word　went　in　Wick。　Six　of　them；　designed　to　fit　one　inside　the　other　for　ease　of　transportation。〃
　〃That's　it。　Made　of　bonded　ply；　kapok　insulation；　asbestos；　and　aluminium。〃　He　pointed　to　another　bulky　item　of　deck　cargo　immediately　foreword　of　the　one　behind　which　we　were　sheltering。　This　peculiarly　shaped　object　appeared　to　be　roughly　oval　along　its　length；　perhaps　six　feel？　high。
　〃And　this？〃
　〃Another　clever　question？〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　。And　my　answer　will　be　wrong？　Again？〃
　〃If　you　still　believe　what　you　were　told　in　Wick；　yes。　Those　aren't　huts　because　we　don't　need　huts。　We're　heading　for　an　area　called　the　Sor…Hamna…　the　South　Haven　…where　there　already　are　huts；　and　perfectly　usable　ones。　Bloke　called　Lerner　came　there　seventy　years　ago；　prospecting　for　coal…which　he　found；　by　the　way：　a　bit　of　an　odd…ball　who　painted　the　rocks　on　the　shore　in　the　German　national　colours　to　indicate　that　this　was　private　property。　He　built　huts…he　even　built　a　road　across　the　headland　to　the　nearest　bay；　the　Kvalross　Bukta　or　Walrus　Bay。　After　him　a　German　fishing　pany　based　themselves　here…and　they　built　huts。　More　importantly；　a　Norwegian　scientific　expedition　spent　nine　months　here　during　the　most　recent　International　Geophysical　Year　and　they　built　huts。　Whatever　else　is　lacking　at　South　Haven　it's　not　acmodation。〃
　〃You're　very　well　informed。〃
　I　don't　forget　something　that　I　finished　reading　only　half　an　hour　ago。
　in〃　and　Goin's　been　making　the　rounds　this　morning　handing　out　copies　of　the　prospectus　of　what's　going　to　be　the　greatest　film　ever　made。　Didn't　you　get　one　from　him？〃
　〃Yes。　He　forgot　to　give　me　a　dictionary；　though。〃
　〃A　dictionary　would　have　helped。〃　He　tapped　the　tarpaulin　〃beside　us。
　〃This　is　a　mock…up　of　the　central　section　of　a　submarine…just　a　shell；　nothing　inside　it。　When　I　say　it's　a　mock…up；　I　don't　mean　its　made　of　cardboard…it's　made　of　steel　and　weighs　ten　tons；　including　four　tons　of　iron　ballast。　That　other　item　in　front　is　a　conning　tower　which　is　to　be　bolted　onto　this　once　it's　in　the　water。〃
　〃Ah！〃　I　said　because　I　couldn't　think　of　any　other　ment。　〃And　those　alleged　tractors　and　drums　of　fuel　on　the　afterdeck…they'll　be　tanks　and　antiaircraft　guns？〃
　'Tractors　and　fuel；　as　stated。〃　He　paused。　〃Do　you　know　there's　only　one　copy　of　the　screenplay　for　this　film　and　that　that's　locked　up　in　the　Bank　of　England　or　some　such？〃
　I　went　to　sleep　about　that　bit。〃
　〃They　haven't　even　got　a　shooting　script　for　the　scenes　to　be　shot　on　the　island。　Just　a　series　of　unrelated　incidents　which　taken　together　make　no　sense　at　all。　Sure；　there　must　be　connecting　links　to　make　sense　of　it　all：　but　they're　all　in　the　vaults　in　Threadneedle　Street　or　wherever　this　damned　bank　is。　No　part　of　it　makes　sense。〃
　〃Maybe　it's　not　meant　to　make　sense。〃　I　was　conscious　that　my　feelings　were　slowly　turning　into　blocks　of　ice。　〃Not　at　this　stage。　There　may　be　excellent　reasons　for　the　secretiveness。　Besides；　don't　some　producers　encourage　directors　who　play　it　off　the　cuff；　who　improvise　as　they　go　along　and　as　the　mood　takes　them？〃
　〃Not　Neal　Divine。　He's　never　shot　an　off…the…cuff　scene　in　his　life。〃
　Not　much　of　Conrad's　forehead　was　to　be　seen　beneath　the　thick　brown　hair　that　the　snow　and　wind　had　brought　down　almost　to　eyebrow　level；　but　what　little　was　visible　was　very　heavily　corrugated　indeed。　If　a　Divine　shooting　script　calls　for　you　to　be　wearing　a　bowler　hat　and　doing　the　can…can　in　Scene　289；　then　you're　doing　a　bowler…hatted　can…can　in　289。
　As　for　Otto；　he　never　moves　until　everything's　calculated　out　to　the　last　matchstick　and　the　last　penny。　Especially　the　last　penny。〃
　〃He　has　the　reputation　for　being　a　little　careful。〃
　〃Careful！〃　Conrad　shivered。　〃Doesn't　the　whole　set…up　strike　you　as　being　crazy？〃
　〃The　entire　film　world；〃　I　said　candidly；　〃strikes　me　as　being　crazy；　but　as　an　ordinary　human　being　exposed　to　it　for　the　first　time　I　wouldn't　know　whether　this　current　particular　brand　of　craziness　differs　from　the　norm　or　not。　What　do　your　fellow　actors　think　of　it？〃
　'What　fellow　actors'：〃　Conrad　said　glumly。　〃Judith　Haynes　is　still　closeted　with　those　two　pooches　of　hers。　Mary　Stuart　is　writing　letters　in　her　cabin；　at　least　she　says　it's　letters；　it's　probably　her　last　will　and　testament。
　And　if　Gunther　Jungbeck　and　Jon　Heyter　have　any　opinion　on　everything　they're　carefully　keeping　it　to　themselves。　Anyway；　they　are　a　couple　of　odd…balls　themselves。〃
　〃Even　for　actors？〃
　〃Touche。〃　He　smiled；　but　he　wasn't　trying　too　hard。　〃Sea　burials　bring　out　the　misanthrope　in　me。　No；　it's　just　that　they　know　so　little　about　the　Elm　world；　at　least　the　British　film　world；　understandable　enough　I　suppose；　Heyter's　done　all　his　acting　in　California；　Jungbeck　in　Germany。
　They're　not　odd；　really；　it's　just　that　we　have　nothing　in　mon　to　talk　about；　no　points　of　reference。〃
　〃But　you　must　know　of　them？〃
　〃Not　even　that；　but　that's　not　surprising；　I　like　acting　but　the　film　world　bores　me　to　tears　and　I　don't　mix　socially。　That　makes　me　an　odd…ball　too。　But　Otto　vouches　for　them…in　fact；　he　speaks　pretty　highly　of　them；　and　that's　good　enough　for　me。　They'll　both　probably　act　me　off　the　screen　when　it　es　to　the　bit。〃　He　shivered　again。　〃Conrad's　curiosity　remains　unsatisfied；　but　Conrad　has　had　enough。　As　a　doctor　wouldn't　you　prescribe　some　of　this　Scotch　which　old　Imrie　is　supposed　to　be　dispensing　so　liberally？〃
　We　found　Captain　Imrie　dispensing　the　Scotch　with　so　heavy　a　hand　that　plainly　it　came　from　his　own　private　supplies　and　not　from　Otto's；　for　Otto；　heavily　wrapped　in　a　coloured　blanket　and　with　his　puce　plexion　still　a　pale　shadow　of　its　former　self；　was　sitting　in　his　accustomed　dining　chair　and　raising　no　objections　that　I　could　see。　There　must　have　been　at　least　twenty　people　present；　ship's　crew　and　passengers；　and　they　were　very　far　indeed　from　being　a　merry　throng。　I　was　surprised　to　see　Judith　Haynes　there　with　her　husband；　Michael　Stryker；　hovering　attentively　over　her。　I　was　surprised　to　see　Mary　Darling　there；　her　sense　of　duty　or　what　was　the　done　thing　must　have　been　greater　than　her　aversion　to　alcohol；　and　was　even　more　surprised　to　note　that　she　had　so　abandoned　all　sense　of　the　priorities　as　to　be　holding　young　Allen　by　the　arm　in　a　positively　proprietorial　fashion：　I　was　not　surprised　to　see　that　Mary　Stuart　was