alistairmaclean.bearisland-第49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！


　held　in　position　at　either　side　by　large　butterfly　nuts。　Beneath　the　planks　we　could　see；　firmly　held　in　position；　rows　of　long　narrow　grey…painted　bars…the　four　tons　of　cast…iron　that　served　as　ballast。　Four　square　ballast　tanks　were　arranged　along　either　side　of　the　shell…those　could　be　filled　to　give　negative　buoyancy…and　at　one　end　of　the　shell　stood　a　small　diesel；　its　exhaust　passing　through　the　deckhead　as　far　as　the　top　of　the　conning　tower；　to　which　it　was　bolted：　this　engine　was　coupled　to　a　pressor　unit　for　emptying　the　ballast　tanks。　And　that；　structurally；　was　all　that　there　was　to　it：　I　had　been　told　that　the　entire　mock…up　had　cost　fifteen　thousand　pounds　and　could　only　conclude　that　Otto　had　been　engaged　in　the　producers　〃　favourite　pastime　of　cooking　the　books。
　There　were　several　other　disparate　items　of　equipment。　In　a　locker　in　what　I　took　to　be　the　after　end　of　this　central　mock…up　were　four　small　mushroom　anchors　with　chains；　together　with　a　small　portable　windlass：　immediately　above　these　was　a　hatch　in　the　deckhead　which　gave　access　to　the　upper　deck：　the　anchors　could　only　be　for　mooring　the　model　securely　in　any　desired　position。　Opposite　this　locker；　securely　lashed　against　a　bulkhead；　was　a　lightweight　plastic　reconstruction　of　a　periscope　that　appeared　to　be　capable　of　operating　in　a　sufficiently　realistic　fashion。　Close　by　were　three　other　plastic　models；　a　dummy　three…inch　gun　presumably　for　mounting　on　the　deck　and　two　model　machine　guns　which　would　be　fitted；　I　imagined；　somewhere　in　the　conning　tower。　In　the　foreword　end　of　the　craft　were　two　more　lockers：　one　held　a　number　of　cork　life　jackets；　the　other　six　cans　of　paint　and　some　paint　brushes。　The　cans　were　marked　instant　Grey。〃
　〃And　what　does　that　mean？〃　Smithy　asked。
　〃Some　sort　of　quick…drying　paint；　I　should　imagine。〃
　〃Everything　shipshape　and　Bristol　fashion；〃　Smithy　said。　〃I　wouldn't　have　given　Otto　the　credit。〃　He　shivered。　〃Maybe　it　isn't　snowing　in　here　but　I'd　have　you　know　that　I'm　very　cold　indeed。　This　place　reminds　me　of　an　iron　tomb。〃
　It　isn't　very　cosy。　Up　and　away。〃
　〃A　fruitless　search；　you　might　say？〃
　〃You　might。　I　didn't　have　many　hopes　anyway。〃
　Is　that　why　you　changed　your　mind　about　their　getting　on　with　the　making　of　the　film？　One　minute　indifference；　the　next　advising　them　to　press　on？　So　that　you　could；　perhaps；　examine　their　quarters　and　their　possessions　when　they're　out？〃
　〃Whatever　put　such　a　thought　in　your　mind；　Smithy？〃
　〃There　are　a　thousand　snowdrifts　where　a　person　could　hide　anything。〃
　〃That's　a　thought　that's　also　in　my　mind。〃
　We　made　the　trip　from　the　jetty　to　the　main　cabin　with　much　greater　ease　than　we　had　the　other　way　for　this　time　we　had　the　faint　and　diffuse　glow　of　light　from　the　Colemans　to　guide　us。　We　scrambled　back　inside　our　cubicle　without　too　much　difficulty；　brushed　the　snow　from　our　boots　and　upper　clothing　and　hung　the　latter　up：　pared　to　the　interior　of　the　submarine　shell　the　warmth　inside　the　cubicle　was　positively　genial。
　I　took　screwdriver　and　screws　and　started　to　secure　the　window　while　Smithy；　after　some　references　to　the　low　state　of　his　health；　retrieved　the　bottle　I'd　taken　from　the　provisions　shed　and　took　two　small　beakers　from　my　medical　box。　He　watched　me　until　I　had　finished。
　〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃that's　us　safe　for　the　night。　How　about　the　others？〃
　I　don't　think　most　of　the　others　are　in　any　danger　because　they　don't　offer　any　danger　to　the　plans　of　our　friend　or　friends。〃
　〃Most　of　the　others？〃
　I　think　I'll　screw　up　Judith　Haynes's　window　too。〃
　〃Judith　Haynes？〃
　I　have　a　feeling　that　she　is　in　danger。　Whether　it's　grave　danger　or　imminent　danger　I　have　no　idea。　Maybe　I'm　just　fey。〃
　I　shouldn't　wonder；〃　Smithy　said　ambiguously。　He　drank　some　Scotch　absently。　〃I've　just　been　thinking　myself；　but　along　rather　different　lines。　When；　do　you　think；　is　it　going　to　occur　to　our　directorial　board　to　call　some　law　in　or　some　outside　help　or；　at　least；　to　let　the　world　know　that　the　employees　of　Olympus　Productions　are　dying　off　like　flies　and　not　from　natural　causes；　either？〃
　〃That's　the　decision　you　would　arrive　at？〃
　If　I　wasn't　a　criminal；　or；　in　this　case；　the　criminal；　and　had　very　powerful　reasons　for　not　wanting　the　law　around；　yes；　I　would。〃
　〃I'm　not　a　criminal　but　I've　very　powerful　reasons　for　not　wanting　the　law　around　either。　The　moment　the　law　officially　steps　into　the　picture　every　criminal　thought；　intent；　and　potential　action　will　go　into　deep　freeze　and　we'll　be　left　with　five　unresolved　deaths　on　our　hands　and　that'll　be　the　end　of　it　for　there's　nothing　surer　than　that　we　haven't　got　a　thing　to　hang　on　anyone　yet。　There's　only　one　way　and　that's　by　giving　out　enough　rope　for　a　hanging　job。〃
　〃What　if　you　give　out　too　much　rope　and　our　friend；　instead　of　hanging　himself；　hangs　one　of　us　instead？　What　if　there's　murder？〃
　In　that　case　we'd　have　to　call　in　the　law。　I'm　here　to　do　a　job　in　the　best　way　I　can　but　that　doesn't　mean　by　any　means　I　can：　I　can't　use　the　innocent　as　sacrificial　pawns。〃
　〃Well；　that's　some　relief。　But　if　the　thought　does　occur　to　them？〃
　〃Then　obviously　we'll　have　to　try　to　contact　Tunheim…there's　a　Meteorological　Office　radio　there　that　should　just　about　reach　the　moon。　Or　we'll　have　to　offer　to　try　to　contact　Tunheim。　It's　less　than　ten　miles　away　but　in　weather　conditions　like　those　it　might　as　well　be　on　the　far　side　of　Siberia。　If　the　weather　cases；　it　might　be　possible。　The　wind's　veering　round　to　the　west　now　and　if　it　stayed　in　that　quarter　a　trip　by　boat　up　the　coast　might　be　possible…pretty　unpleasant；　but　just　possible。　If　it　goes　much　north　of　west；　it　wouldn't…those　are　only　open　workboats　and　would　be　swamped　in　any　kind　of　sea。　By　land…if　the　snow　stopped…well；　I　just　don't　know。　In　the　first　place；　the　terrain　is　so　broken　and　mountainous　that　you　couldn't　possibly　use　the　little　Sno…Cat…you'd　have　to　make　it　on　foot。　You'd　have　to　go　well　inland；　to　the　west；　to　avoid　the　Misery　Fell　plex　for　that　ends　in　cliffs　on　the　east　coast。　There　are　hundreds　of　little　lakes　lying　in　that　region　and　I've　no　idea　how　heavily　they　may　be　frozen　over；　maybe　some　of　them　not　very　much；　maybe　just　enough　to　support　a　covering　of　snow　and　not　a　man…and　I　believe　some　of　those　lakes　are　over　a　hundred　feel？　deep。　You　might　be　ankle…deep；　knee…deep；　thigh…deep；　waist…deep　in　snow。　And　apart　from　being　bogged…down　or　drowned；　we're　not　equipped　for　winter　travel；　we　haven't　even　got　a　tent　for　an　overnight　stop…there　isn't　a　hope　of　you　making　it　in　one　day…and　if　the　snow　started　falling　again　and　kept　on　falling　I　bet　Olympus　Productions　haven't　even　as　much　as　a　hand　pass　to　prevent　you　from　walking　in　circles　until　you　drop　dead　from　cold　or　hunger　or　just　plain　old　exhaustion。〃
　〃You；　you；　you'；〃　Smithy　said。　〃You're　always　talking　about　me。　How　about　you　going　instead？〃　He　grinned。　〃Of　course；　I　could　always　set　off　for　there；　search　around　till　I　found　some　convenient　cave　or　shelter；　hole　up　there　for　the　night；　and　return　the　next　day　announcing　mission　impossible。〃
　〃We'll　see　how　the　cards　fall。〃　I　finished　my　drink　and　picked　up　screwdriver　and　screws。　〃Let's　go　and　see　how　Miss　Hayries　is。〃
　Miss　Hayries　seemed　to　be　in　reasonable　health。　No　fever；　normal　pulse；　breathing　deeply　and　evenly：　how　she　would　feel　when　she　woke　was　another　matter　altogether。　I　screwed　up　her　window　until　nobody　could　have　entered　her　room　from　the　outside　without　smashing　their　way　in　and　breaking　through　two　sheets　of　plate　glass　would　cause　enough　racket　to　wake　up　half　the　occupants　of　the　cabin。　Then　we　went　into　the　living　area　of　the　cabin。
　It　was　surprisingly　empty。　At　least　ten　people　I　would　have　expected　to　be　there　were　absent；　but　a　quick　mental　count　of　the　missing　heads　convinced　me　that　there　was　no　likely　cause　for　alarm　in　this。　Otto；　the　Count；　Heissman；　and　Goin；　conspicuously　absent；　were　probably　in　secret　conclave　in　one　of　their　cubicles　discussing　weighty　matters　which　they　didn't　wish　their　underlings　to　hear。　Lonnie　had　almost　certainly　betaken　himself　again　in　his　quest　for　fresh　air　and　I　hoped　that　he　hadn't　managed　to　lose　himself　between　the　cabin　and　the　provisions　hut。　Allen；　almost　certainly；　had　gone　to　lie　down　again　and　I　presumed　that　Mary　Darling；　who　appeared　to　have　overe　a　great　number　of　her　earlier　inhibitions；　had　returned　to　her　dutiful　handholding。　I　couldn't　imagine　where　the　Three　Apostles　had　got　to　nor　was　I　particularly　worried：　I　was　sure　that　there　was　nothing　to　fear　from　them　other　than　permanent　damage　to　the　eardrums。
　I　crossed　to　where　Conrad　was　presiding　over　a　three…burner　oil　cooker　mounted　on　top　of　a　stove。　He　had　two　large　pans　and　a　large　pot　all　bubbling　away　at　once；　stew；　beans　and　coffee；　and　he　seemed　to　be　enjoying　his　role　of　chef　not　least；　I　guessed；　because　he　had　Mary　Stuart　as　his　assistant。　In　another　man　I　would　have　looked　for　a　less　than　altruistic　motive　in　this　cheerful　willingness；　the　hail…fellow…well…met　leading　man　playing　the　democrat　to　an　admiring　gallery；　but　I　knew　enough　of　Conrad　now　to　realise　that　this　formed　no　part　of　his　nature　at　all：　he　was　just　a　naturally　helpful　character　who　ne