alistairmaclean.bearisland-第52部分

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s；　really；　only　one　thing　to　talk　about　and　nobody　wished　to　talk　about　it　in　case　he　had　picked　the　wrong　person　to　talk　to。　In　ones　and　twos；　and　within　a　very　few　minutes；　almost　everybody　had　moved　off　to　their　cubicles。　Apart　from　Smithy　and　myself；　only　Conrad　remained　and　I　knew　that　he　wished　to　talk　to　me。　Smithy　glanced　briefly　at　me　then　left　for　our　cubicle。
　〃How　did　you　know？〃　Conrad　said。　〃About　Lonnie　and　his　family？〃
　I　didn't。　I　guessed。　He's　talked　to　you？〃
　〃A　little。　Not　much。　He　had　a　family。〃
　〃Had？〃
　〃Had。　Wife　and　two　daughters。　Two　grown…up　girls。　A　car　crash。　I　don't　know　if　they　hit　another　car；　I　don't　know　who　was　driving。　Lonnie　just　clammed　up　as　if　he　had　already　said　too　much。　He　wouldn't　even　say　whether　he　had　been　in　the　car　himself；　whether　anyone　else　had　been　present；　not　even　when　it　had　taken　place。〃
　And　that　was　all　that　Conrad　had　learnt。　We　talked　in　a　desultory　fashion　for　some　little　time　and　when　Goin　and　Hendriks　appeared　to　begin　the　first　watch　I　left　for　my　cubicle。　Smithy　was　not　in　his　camp　bed。　Fully　clothed；　he　was　just　removing　the　last　of　the　screws　I'd　used　to　secure　the　window　frame：　he'd　the　flame　of　the　little　oil　lamp　turned　so　low　that　the　cubicle　was　in　semidarkness。
　〃Leaving？〃　I　said。
　〃Somebody　out　there。〃　Smithy　reached　for　his　anorak　and　I　did　the　same。　I　thought　maybe　we　shouldn't　use　the　front　door。〃
　〃Who　is　it？〃
　〃No　idea。　He　looked　in　here　but　his　face　was　just　a　white　blur。　He　doesn't　know　I　saw　him；　I'm　sure　of　that；　for　he　went　from　here　and　shone　a　torch　through　Judith　Haynes's　window　and　he　wouldn't　have　done　that　if　he　thought　anyone　was　watching。〃　Smithy　was　already　clambering　through　the　window。　〃He　put　his　torch　out　but　not　before　I　saw　where　he　was　heading。　Down　to　the　jetty；　I'm　sure。〃
　I　followed　Smithy　and　jammed　the　window　shut　as　I　had　done　before。　The　weather　was　very　much　as　it　had　been　earlier；　still　that　driving　snow；　the　deepening　cold；　the　darkness　and　that　bitter　wind　which　was　still　boxing　the　pass　and　had　moved　around　to　the　southwest。　We　moved　across　to　Judith　Haynes's　window；　hooded　our　torches　to　give　thin　pencil　beams　of　light；　picked　up　tracks　in　the　snow　that　led　off　in　the　direction　of　the　jetty　and　were　about　to　follow　them　when　it　occurred　to　me　that　it　might　be　instructive　to　see　where　they　came　from。　But　we　couldn't　find　where　they　came　from：　whoever　the　unknown　was　he'd　walked；　keeping　very　close　to　the　walls；　at　least　twice　round　the　cabin；　obviously　dragging　his　feel？　as　he　had　gone；　so　that　it　was　quite　impossible　to　discover　which　cubicle　window　he'd　used　as　an　exit　route　from　the　cabin。　That　he　should　have　so　effectively　covered　his　tracks　was　annoying：　that　he　should　have　thought　to　do　it　at　all　was　disconcerting　for　it　plainly　demonstrated　at　least　the　awareness　that　such　late…night　sorties　might　be　expected。　We　made　our　way　quickly　but　cautiously　down　to　the　jetty；　giving　the　unknown's　tracks　a　prudently　wide　berth。　At　the　head　of　the　jetty　I　risked　a　quick　Hash　with　the　narrowed　beam　of　my　torch：　a　single　line　of　tracks　led　outwards。
　〃Well；　now；〃　Smithy　said　softly。　〃Our　lad's　down　at　the　boats　or　the　sub。　If　we　go　to　investigate　we　might　bump　into　him。　If　we　go　down　to　the　end　of　the　jetty　for　a　quick　look…see　and　don't　bump　into　him　he's　still　bound　to　see　our　tracks　on　his　return　trip。　We　want　to　make　our　presence　known？〃
　No。　No　law　against　a　man　taking　a　stroll　when　he　feels　like　it；　even　though　it　is　in　a　blizzard。　And　if　we　declare　ourselves　you　can　be　damn　sure　he'll　never　put　another　foot　wrong　as　long　as　we　remain　on　Bear　Island。〃
　We　withdrew　to　the　shelter　of　some　rocks　only　a　few　yards　distant　along　the　beach；　an　almost　wholly　superfluous　precaution　in　that　close　to　zero　visibility。
　〃What　do　you　think　he's　up　to？〃　Smithy　said。
　〃Specifically；　no　idea。　Generally；　anything　between　the　felonious　and　the　villainous。　We'll　check　down　there　when　he's　gone。〃
　Whatever　purpose　he'd　had　in　mind；　it　hadn't　taken　him　long　to　achieve　it　for　he　was　gone　within　two　minutes；　The　snow　was　so　thick；　the　darkness　so　nearly　absolute；　that　he　might　well　have　passed　by　both　unseen　and　unheard　had　it　not　been　for　the　erratic　movement　of　the　small　torch　he　held　in　his　hand。　We　waited　for　some　seconds　then　straightened。
　〃Was　he　carrying　anything？〃　I　said。
　〃Same　thought　here；〃　Smithy　said。　〃He　could　have　been。　But　I　couldn't　swear　to　it。〃
　We　followed　the　double　tracks　in　the　snow　down　to　the　end　of　the　Jetty　where　they　ended　at　the　head　of　the　iron　ladder　leading　down　to　the　submarine　mock…up。　No　question　but　this　was　where　he'd　gone　for　apart　from　the　fact　that　there　was　nowhere　else　where　he　could　have　been　his　footprints　were　all　over　the　hull　and；　when　we'd　climbed　into　it；　the　platform　in　the　conning　tower。　We　dropped　down　into　the　hull　of　the　submarine。　Nothing　was　changed；　nothing　appeared　to　be　missing　from　our　earlier　visit。　Smithy　said：　〃I've　taken　a　sudden　dislike　to　this　place。　Last　time　we　were　here　I　called　it　an　iron　tomb。　I　wouldn't　want　it　to　be　our　tomb。〃
　〃You　feel　it　might？〃
　〃Our　friend　seemingly　didn't　take　anything　away。　But　he　must　have　had　some　purpose　in　ing　here　so　I　assume　he　brought　something。　On　the　track　record　to　date　that　purpose　wouldn't　be　anything　I'd　like　and　neither　would　be　that　something　he　brought。　How　would　it　be　if　he'd　planted　something　to　blow　the　damn　thing　up？〃
　〃Why　would　he　want　to　do　a　crazy　thing　like　that？〃　I　didn't　feel　as　disbelieving　as　I　sounded。
　〃Why　has　he　done　any　of　the　crazy　things　he's　done？　Right　now；　I　don't　want　a　reason。　I　just　want　to　know　whether；　as　of　now；　and　here　and　now；　he's　just　done　another　crazy　thing。　What　I　mean　is；　I'm　nervous。〃
　He　wasn't　the　only　one。　I　said：　〃Assuming　you're　right；　he　couldn't　blow　this　thing　up　with　a　little　itsy…bitsy　piece　of　plastic　explosive。　It　would　have　to　be　something　big　enough　to　make　a　big　bang。　So；　a　delayed　action　fuse。〃
　〃To　give　him　time　to　be　asleep　in　his　innocent　bed　when　the　explosion　goes　off？　I'm　more　nervous　than　ever。　I　wonder　how　long　he　figured　it　would　take　him　to　get　back　to　his　bed。〃
　〃He　could　do　it　in　a　minute。〃
　〃God's　sake；　why　are　we　standing　here　talking？〃　Smithy　flashed　his　torch　around。　〃Where　the　hell　would　a　man　put　a　device　like　that？〃
　〃Against　a　bulkhead；　I'd　say。　Or　on　the　bottom。〃
　We　examined　the　deck　first　but　all　the　bars　of　cast…iron　ballast　and　their　securing　wooden　battens　appeared　to　be　undisturbed　and　firmly　in　place。
　There　was　just　no　room　there　for　even　the　smallest　explosive　device。　We　turned　to　the　rest　of　the　hull；　looked　behind　the　mushroom　anchors；　among　the　chains；　under　the　pressor　unit　and　the　windlass　and　behind　the　plastic　models　of　periscope　and　guns。　We　found　nothing。　We　even　peered　at　the　cleaning　plates　on　the　ballast　tanks　to　see　if　any　of　those　could　have　been　unscrewed　but　there　were　no　marks　on　them。　And　there　was　certainly　no　place　where　such　a　device　could　have　been　attached　to　the　bulkheads　themselves　without　being　instantly　detectable。
　Smithy　looked　at　me。　It　was　difficult　to　say　whether　he　was　perplexed　or；　like　me；　increasingly　and　unfortably　conscious　of　the　fact　that　if　such　a　time　device　did　exist　time　might　be　swiftly　running　out。　He　looked　towards　the　fore　end　of　the　hull　and　said：　〃Or　he　might　just　have　dropped　it　in　one　of　those　lockers。　Easiest　and　quickest　place　to　hide　anything；　after　all。〃
　〃Most　unlikely；〃　I　said；　but　I　reached　there　before　he　did。　I　ran　the　beam　of　the　torch　over　the　paint　locker　and　then　the　light　steadied　on　a　wooden　batten　close　by　the　floor　of　the　locker。　I　kept　the　light　where　it　was　and　said　to　Smithy：　〃You　see　it；　too？〃
　〃A　giveaway　piece　of　fresh　and　unmelted　snow。　From　a　boot。〃　He　reached　for　the　lid　of　the　locker。　〃Well；　time's　a…wasting。　Better　open　the　damn　thing。〃
　〃Better　not。〃　I'd　caught　his　arm。　〃How　do　you　know　it's　not　boobytrapped。〃
　〃There's　that。〃　He'd　snatched　back　his　band　like　a　man　seeing　a　tiger's　jaws　closing　on　it。　〃It　would　save　the　cost　of　a　time　fuse。　How　do　we　open　it；　then？〃
　〃Gradually。　It's　unlikely　that　he　had　the　time　to　rig　up　anything　so　elaborate　as　an　electrical　trigger　but　if　he　did　there'll　be　contacts　in　the　lid。　More　likely；　if　anything；　a　simple　pull　cord。　In　either　event　nothing　can　operate　in　the　first　two　inches　of　lift　for　he　must　have　left　at　least　that　space　to　withdraw　his　hand。〃
　So　we　gingerly　opened　the　lid　those　two　inches；　examined　the　rim　and　what　we　could　see　of　the　interior　of　the　locker　and　found　nothing。　I　pushed　the　locker　lid　right　back。　There　was　no　sign　of　any　explosive。　Nothing　had　been　put　inside。　But　something　had　been　removed…two　cans　of　the　quick…dry　paint　and　two　brushes。　Smithy　looked　at　me　and　shook　his　head。　Neither　of　us　said　anything。　The　reasons　for　removing　a　couple　of　paint　cans　were　so　wholly　inconceivable　that；　clearly；　there　was　nothing　that　could　be　gainfully　said。　We　closed　the　locker；　climbed　up　the　conning　tower　and　regained　the　pier。　I　said：　〃It's　very　unlikely　that　he　would　have　taken　them　back　to　the　cabin　with　him。　After　all；　they're　large　cans　and　not　easy　things　to　hide　in　a　tiny　cubicle　especially　if　any　of　your　friends　should　chance　to　e　calling。〃