alistairmaclean.bearisland-第56部分

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　a　brimming　measure　and　downed　half　of　it　at　a　gulp；　his　shaking　hand　spilling　a　fair　proportion　of　it　on　the　way　up　to　his　mouth。
　〃That　was　very　thoughtless　of　you；　Mr。　Gerran；〃　I　said　reproachfully。
　Upsetting　your　daughter　like　that。　She's　really　a　very　sick　girl　and　what　she　needs　is　tender　affection；　a　measure　of　taking　care。〃
　〃Tender　affection！〃　He　was　on　the　second　half　of　his　glass　now　and　he　splattered　much　of　it　over　his　shirt　front。　〃Loving　care！　Jesus！〃　He　splashed　some　more　Scotch　into　his　glass　and　gradually　subsided　a　little。
　By　and　by　he　became　calm；　almost　thoughtful：　when　he　spoke　no　one　would　have　thought　that　only　a　few　minutes　previously　his　greatest　yearning　in　life　would　have　been　to　disembowel　me。　〃Maybe　I　wasn't　as　thoughtful　as　I　ought　to　have　been。　But　an　hysterical　girl；　very　hysterical。　This　actress　temperament；　you　know。　I'm　afraid　your　sedatives　aren't　very　effective；　Dr。　Marlowe。〃
　〃People's　reactions　to　sedatives　vary　greatly；　Mr。　Gerran。　And　unpredictably。〃
　I'm　not　blaming　you；　not　blaming　you；〃　he　said　irritatedly。　〃Care　and　attention。　Yes；　yes。　But　sonic　rest；　a　damned　good　sleep　is　more　important；　if　you　ask　me。　Hem；　about　another　sedative…a　more　effective　one　this　time？
　No　danger　in　that；　is　there？〃
　〃No。　No　harm　in　it。　She　did　sound　a　bit…what　shall　we　say…worked　up。　But　she's　rather　a　self…willed　person。　If　she　refuses…〃
　〃Ha！　Self…willed！　Try；　anyway。〃　He　seemed　to　lose　interest　in　the　subject　and　gazed　moodily　at　the　floor。　He　looked　up　without　any　enthusiasm　as　Jungbeck　made　a　sleepy　entrance；　turned　and　shook　Luke　roughly　by　the　shoulder。　〃Wake　up；　man。〃　Luke　stirred　and　opened　bleary　eyes。
　〃Bloody　fine　guard　you　are。　Your　watch　is　over。　Go　to　bed。〃　Luke　mumbled　some　sort　of　apology；　rose　stiffly　and　moved　off。
　〃You　might　have　let　him　be；〃　I　said。　〃He'll　have　to　get　up　for　the　day　inside　a　few　hours　anyway。〃
　〃Too　late　now。　Besides；〃　Otto　added　inconsequentially；　〃I'm　going　to　have　the　lot　of　them　up　inside　two　hours。　Weather's　cleared；　there's　a　moon　to　travel　by；　we　can　all　be　where　we　want　to　be　and　ready　to　shoot　as　soon　as　there's　enough　light　in　the　sky。〃　He　glanced　along　the　corridor　where　his　daughter's　cubicle　was。　〃Well；　aren't　you　going　to　try？〃
　I　nodded　and　left。　Ten　minutes〃　time…in　the　right　circumstances　which　in　this　case　were　the　wrong　ones…can　bring　about　a　change　in　a　person's　features　which　lies　just　within　the　bounds　of　credibility。　The　face　that　had　looked　merely　drawn　so　very　recently；　now　looked　haggard：　she　looked　her　real　age　and　then　ten　hard　and　bitter　years　after　that。　She　wept　in　a　sore　and　aching　silence　and　the　tears　flowed　steadily　down　her　temples　and　past　the　carlobes；　the　damp　marks　spreading　on　the　grey　rough　linen　of　her　pillow。　I　would　not　have　thought　it　possible　that　I　could　ever　feel　such　deep　pity　for　this　person　and　wish　to　fort　her：　but　that　was　how　it　was。　I　said：　I　think　you　should　sleep　now。〃
　〃Why？〃　Her　hands　were　clenched　so　tightly　that　the　ivory　of　the　knuckles　showed。　〃What　does　it　matter？　I'll　have　to　wake　up；　won't　l？〃
　〃Yes；　I　know。〃　It　was　the　sort　of　situation　where；　no　matter　what　I　said；　the　words　would　sound　banal。　〃But　the　sleep　would　do　you　good；　Miss　Haynes。〃
　〃Well；　yes；〃　she　said。　It　was　hard　for　her　to　speak　through　the　quiet　tears。　〃All　right。　Make　it　a　long　sleep。〃
　So；　like　a　fool；　I　made　it　a　long　sleep。　Like　an　even　greater　fool　I　went　to　my　cubicle　and　lay　down。　And；　like　the　greatest　fool　of　all；　I　went　to　sleep　myself。
　I　slept　for　over　four　hours　and　awoke　to　an　almost　deserted　cabin。　Otto　had　indeed　been　as　good　as　his　word　and　had　had　everyone　up　and　around　at　what　they　must　have　regarded　as　the　most　unreasonable　crack　of　dawn。
　Understandably　enough；　neither　he　nor　anyone　else　had　seen　fit　to　wake　me：　I　was　one　of　the　few　who　had　no　functions　to　perform　that　day。　Otto　and　Conrad　were　the　only　two　people　in　the　main　quarter　of　the　cabin。　Both　were　drinking　coffee　but　as　both　were　heavily　muffled　they　were　clearly　on　the　point　of　departure。　Conrad　said　a　civil　good　morning。
　Otto　didn't　bother。　He　informed　me　that　the　Count；　Neal。　Divine；　Allen；　Cecil；　and　Nary　Darling　had　taken　off。　with　the　Sno…Cat　and　cameras　along　Lerner's　Way　and　that　he　and　Conrad　were　following　immediately。
　Hendriks　and　the　Three　Apostles　were　abroad　with　their　sound　recording　equipment。　Smithy　and　Heyter　had　left　over　an　hour　previously　for　Tunheim。　Initially；　I　found　&s　vaguely　disturbing；　I　would　have　thought　that　Smithy　would　have　at　least　woken　and　spoken　to　me　before　leaving。　On　reflection；　however；　I　found　this　omission　less　than　disturbing：　it　was　a　measure　of　Smithy's　confidence　in　himself　and；　by　implication；　my　unspoken　confidence　in　himself；　that　he　had　not　thought　it　necessary　to　seek　either　advice　or　reassurance　before　his　departure。　Finally；　Otto　told　me；　Heissman　and　his　handheld　camera；　along　with　Jungbeck；　had　taken　off。　on　his　location　reconnaissance　in　the　sixteen…foot　work…boat：　they　had　been　acpanied　by　Goin；　who　had　volunteered　to　stand　in　for　the　now　absent　Heyter。
　Otto　stood　up；　drained　his　cup　and　said：　〃About　my　daughter；　Dr。　Marlowe。〃
　〃She'll　be　all　right。〃　She　would　never　again　be　all　right。
　〃I'd　like　to　talk　to　her　before　I　go。〃　I　couldn't　begin　to　imagine　a　reason　why　he　should　wish　to　talk　to　her　or　she　to　him；　but　I　refrained　from　ment。　He　went　on：　〃You　have　no　objections？　Medical　ones；　I　mean？〃
　〃No。　just　straightforward　monsense　ones。　She's　under　heavy　sedation。　You　couldn't　even　shake　her　awake。〃
　〃But　surely…〃
　〃Two　or　three　hours　at　the　very　least。　If　you　don't　want　my　advice；　Mr。　Gerran；　why　ask　for　it？〃
　〃Fair　enough；　fair　enough。　Leave　her　be。〃　He　headed　towards　the　outer　door。　〃Your　plans　for　the　day；　Dr。　Marlowe？〃
　〃Who's　left　here？〃　I　said。　〃Apart　from　your　daughter　and　myself？〃
　He　looked　at　me；　his　brows　levelled　in　a　frown；　then　said：　〃Mary　Stuart。
　Then　there's　Lonnie；　Eddie；　and　Sandy。　Why？〃
　〃They're　asleep？〃
　〃As　far　as　I　know。　Why？〃
　〃Someone　has　to　bury　Stryker。〃
　〃Ah；　yes；　of　course。　Stryker。　I　hadn't　forgotten；　you　know；　but…yes；　of　course。　Yes；　yes。　You…？〃
　Yes。
　I　am　in　your　debt。　A　ghastly　business；　ghastly；　ghastly；　ghastly。　Thank　you　again；　Dr。　Marlowe。〃　He　waddled　purposefully　towards　the　door。
　〃e；　Charles；　we　are　overdue。〃
　They　left。　I　poured　myself　some　coffee　but　had　nothing　to　eat　for　it　wasn't　a　morning　for　eating；　went　outside　into　the　equipment　shed　and　found　myself　a　spade。　The　frozen　snow　was　not　too　deep；　not　much　more　than　a　foot；　but　the　perma…frost　had　set　into　the　ground　and　it　cost　me　over　an　hour　and　a　half　and；　what　is　always　dangerous　in　those　high　latitudes；　the　loss　of　much　sweat　before　I'd　done　what　had　to　be　done。　I　returned　the　spade　and　went　inside　quickly　to　change：　it　was　a　fine　clear　morning　of　bitter　cold　with　the　sun　not　yet　in　the　sky；　but　no　morning　for　an　overheated　man　to　linger。　Five　minutes　later；　a　pair　of　binoculars　slung　round　my　neck；　I　closed　the　front　door　softly　behind　me。　Despite　the　fact　that　it　was　now　close　on　ten　o'clock；　Eddie；　Sandy；　Lonnie；　and　Mary　Stuart　had　not　as　yet　put　in　an　appearance。　The　presence　of　the　first　three　would　have　given　me　no　cause　for　concern　for　all　were　notorious　for　their　aversion　to　any　form　of　physical　activity　and　it　was　extremely　unlikely　that　any　would　have　suggested　that　they　acpany　me　on　my　outing：　Mary　Stuart　might　well　have　done　so；　for　any　number　of　reasons：　curiosity；　the　wish　to　explore；　because　she'd　been　told　to　keep　an　eye　on　me；　even；　maybe；　because　she　would　have　felt　safer　with　me　than　being　left　behind　at　the　cabin。　But　whatever　her　reasons　might　have　been　I　most　definitely　didn't　want　Mary　Stuart　keeping　an　eye　on　me　when　I　was　setting　out　to　keep　an　eye　on　Heissman。
　But　to　keep　an　eye　on　Heissman　I　had　first　of　all　to　find　him　and　Heissman；　inconveniently　and　most　annoyingly；　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。　The　intention；　as　I　had　understood　it；　was　that　he；　with　Jungbeck　and　Goin；　should　cruise　the　Sor…Hamna　in　the　sixteen…footer；　in　search　of　likely　background　material。　But　there　was　no　trace　of　their　boat　anywhere　in　the　Sor…Hamna　and　from　where　I　stood　in　the　vicinity　of　the　cabin　I　could　take　in　the　whole　sweep　of　the　bay　at　one　glance。　Against　the　remote　possibility　that　the　boat　might　have　temporarily　moved　in　behind　one　of　the　tiny　islands　on　the　east　side　of　the　bay　I　kept　the　glasses　on　those　for　a　few　minutes。　Nothing　stirred。　Heissman；　I　was　sure；　had　left　the　Sor…Hamna。
　He　could　have　moved　out　to　the　open　sea　to　the　cast　by　way　of　the　northern　tip　of　the　island　of　Makehl；　but　this　seemed　unlikely。　The　northerly　seas　were　whitecapped　and　confused；　and　apart　from　the　fact　that　Heissman　was　as　far　removed　from　the　popular　concept　of　an　intrepid　seaman　as　it　was　possible　to　imagine　it　seemed　unlikely　that　he　would　have　forgotten　Smithy's　warning　the　previous　day　about　the　dangers　inherent　in　taking　an　open…pooped　boat　out　in　such　weather。　Much　more　likely；　I　thought；　he'd　moved　south　out　of　the　Sor…Hamna　into　the　sheltered　waters　of　the　next　bay　to　the　south；　the　Eviebukta。
　I；　too；　made　my　way　south。　Initially；　I　moved　in　a　southwesterly　direction　to　give　the　low　cliffs　of　the　bay　as　wide　a　b