alistairmaclean.bearisland-第57部分

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　I；　too；　made　my　way　south。　Initially；　I　moved　in　a　southwesterly　direction　to　give　the　low　cliffs　of　the　bay　as　wide　a　berth　as　possible；　not　from　any　vertiginous　fear　of　heights　but　because　Hendriks　and　the　Three　Apostles　were　down　there　somewhere　recording；　or　hoping　to　record；　the　cries　of　the　kittiwake　gulls；　the　fulmars；　the　black　guillernots　which　were　reputed　to　haunt　those　parts：　I　had　no　reason　to　fear　anything　at　their　hands；　I　just　didn't　want　to　go　around　arousing　too　much　curiosity。
　The　going；　diagonally　upwards　across　a　deceptively　easy…looking　slope；　proved　very　laborious　indeed。　Mountaineering　ability　was　not　called　for；　which　in　view　of　my　lack　of　expertise　or　anything　resembling　specialised　equipment；　was　just　as　well：　what　was　required　was　some　form　of　in…built　radar　to　enable　me　to　detect　the　presence　of　hidden　fissures　and　sudden　dips　in　the　smooth　expanse　of　white；　and　in　this；　unfortunately；　I　was　equally　lacking；　with　the　result　that　I　fell　abruptly　and　at　fairly　regular　intervals　into　drifts　of　newly　formed　snow　that　at　times　reached　as　high　as　my　shoulders。　There　was　no　physical　danger　in　this；　the　cushioning　effect　of　newly　driven　snow　is　almost　absolute；　but　the　effort　of　almost　continuously　extricating　myself　from　those　miniature　ravines　and　struggling　back　up　to　something　resembling　terra　firma…which　even　then　had　seldom　less　than　twelve　or　fifteen　inches　of　soft　snow…was　very　wearing　indeed。　If　it　were　so　difficult　for　me　to　make　progress　along　such　relatively　simple　ground　I　wondered　how　Smithy　and　Heyter　must　be　faring　in　the　so　much　more　wildly　rugged　mountainous　terrain　to　the　north。
　It　took　me　just　on　an　hour　and　a　half　to　cover　less　than　a　mile　and　arrive　at　a　vantage　point　of　a　height　of　about　five　hundred　feel？　that　enabled　me　to　see　into　the　next　bay…the　Evjebukta。　This　wide　U…shaped　bay；　stretching　from　Kapp　Malmgren　in　the　northeast　to　Kapp　Kolthoff　in　the　southwest；　was　just　over　a　mile　in　length　and　perhaps　half　of　that　in　width：　the　entire　coastline　of　the　bay　consisted　of　vertical　cliffs；　a　bleak；　forbidding；　and　repellent　stretch　of　grey　water　and　precipitous　limestone　that　offered　no　haven　to　those　in　peril　on　the　sea。
　I　stretched　out　gratefully　on　the　snow　and；　when　the　thumping　of　my　heart　and　the　rasping　of　my　breathing　had　quietened　sufficiently　for　me　to　hold　a　pair　of　binoculars　steady；　I　used　them　to　quarter　the　Evjebukta。　It　was　pletely　bereft　of　life。　The　sun　was　up　now；　low　over　the　southeastern　horizon；　but　even　although　it　was　in　my　eyes；　visibility　was　good　enough　and　the　resolution　of　the　binoculars　such　that　I　could　have　picked　up　a　seagull　floating　on　the　waters。　There　were　some　little　islands　to　the　north　of　the　bay　and；　of　course；　there　were　the　cliffs　immediately　below　me　that　blocked　off。　all　view　of　what　might　be　happening　at　their　feel？：　but　if　the　boat　was　concealed　either　behind　an　island　or　under　the　cliffs；　it　was　most　unlikely　that　Heissman　would　remain　in　such　positions　long　for　there　would　he　nothing　to　detain　him。
　I　looked　south　beyond　the　tip　of　Kapp　Kolthoff　and　there；　beyond　the　protection　of　the　headland；　the　sun　glinted　off。　the　broken　tops　of　white　water。　I　was　as　certain　as　one　could　be　without　absolute　proof　that　they　would　not　have　ventured　beyond　the　protection　of　the　point：　Heissman's　unseamanlike　qualities　apart；　Goin　was　far　too　prudent　a　man　to　step　unheedingly　into　anything　that　would　even　smack　of　danger。　How　long　I　lay　there　waiting　for　the　boat　to　appear　either　from　behind　an　island　or　out　from　under　the　concealment　of　the　nearest　cliffs　I　didn't　know：　what　I　did　know　was　that　I　suddenly　became　aware　of　the　fact　that　I　was　shaking　with　the　cold　and　that　both　hands　and　feel？　were　almost　pletely　benumbed。　And　I　became　aware　of　something　else。　For　several　minutes　now　I'd　had　the　binoculars　trained　not　on　the　north　end　of　the　bay　but　at　the　foot　of　the　cliffs　to　the　south　on　a　spot　where；　about　three　hundred　yards　northwest　of　the　tip　of　Kapp　Kolthoff；　there　was　a　peculiar　indentation　in　the　cliff　walls。　Partly　because　of　the　fact　that　it　appeared　to　bear　to　the　right　and　out　of　sight　behind　one　of　the　cliff　faces　guarding　the　entrance　and　partly　because；　due　to　the　height　of　the　cliffs　and　the　fact　that　the　sun　was　almost　directly　behind；　the　shadows　cast　were　very　deep；　I　was　unable　to　make　out　any　details　beyond　this　narrow　entrance。　But　that　it　was　an　entrance　to　some　cove　beyond　I　didn't　doubt。　Of　any　place　within　the　reach　of　my　binoculars　it　was　the　only　one　where　the　boat　could　have　lain　concealed：　Why　anyone　should　wish　to　lie　there　at　all　was　another　matter　altogether；　a　reason　for　which　I　couldn't　even　guess　at。　One　thing　was　for　certain；　a　landward　investigation　from　where　I　lay　was　out　of　the　question：　even　if　I　didn't　break　my　neck　in　the　minimum　of　the　two…hour　journey　it　would　take　me　to　get　there；　nothing　would　be　achieved　by　making　such　a　trip　anyway　for　not　only　did　the　descent　of　those　beetling　black　cliffs　seem　quite　suicidal　but；　even　if　it　were　impossibly　acplished；　what　lay　at　the　end　of　it　removed　any　uncertainty　about　the　permanency　of　the　awaiting　reception：　for　there　was　no　foreshore　whatever；　just　the　precipitous　plunge　of　those　limestone　walls　into　the　dark　and　icy　seas。
　Stiffly；　clumsily；　I　rose　and　headed　back　towards　the　cabin。　The　trip　back　was　easier　than　the　outwards　one　for　it　was　downhill　and　by　following　my　own　tracks　I　was　able　to　avoid　most　of　the　involuntary　descents　into　the　sunken　snowdrifts　that　had　punctuated　my　climb。　Even　so；　it　was　nearer　one　o'clock　than　noon　when　I　approached　the　cabin。　I　was　only　a　few　paces　distant　when　the　main　door　opened　and　Mary　Stuart　appeared。　One　look　at　her　and　my　heart　turned　over　and　something　cold　and　leaden　seemed　to　settle　in　the　pit　of　my　stomach。　Dishevelled　hair；　a　white　and　shocked　face；　eyes　wild　and　full　of　fear；　I'd　have　had　to　be　blind　not　to　know　that　somewhere；　close；　death　had　walked　by　again。
　〃Thank　God！〃　Her　voice　was　husky　and　full　of　tears。　〃Thank　God　you're　here！　Please　e　quickly。　Something　terrible　has　happened。〃
　I　didn't　waste　time　asking　her　what；　clearly　I'd　find　out　soon　enough；　just　followed　her　running　footsteps　into　the　cabin　and　along　the　passage　to　Judith　Haynes's　opened　door。　Something　terrible　had　indeed　happened　but　there　had　been　no　need　for　haste。　Judith　Haynes　had　fallen　from　her　cot　and　was　lying　sideways　on　the　floor；　half…covered　by　her　blanket　which　she'd　apparently　dragged　down　along　with　her。　On　the　bed　lay　an　opened　and　three…part　empty　bottle　of　barbiturate　tablets；　a　few　scattered　over　the　bed：　on　the　floor；　its　neck　still　clutched　in　her　hand；　lay　a　bottle　of　gin；　also　three…parts　empty。　I　stooped　and　touched　the　marble　forehead：　even　allowing　for　the　icy　atmosphere　in　the　cubicle；　she　must　have　been　dead　for　hours。　Make　it　a　long　sleep；　she'd　said　to　me：　make　it　a　long　sleep。
　〃Is　she…is　she…？〃　The　dead　make　people　speak　in　whispers。
　〃Can't　you　tell　a　dead　person　when　you　see　one？〃　It　was　brutal　of　me　but　I　felt　flooding　into　me　that　cold　anger　that　was　to　remain　with　me　until　we'd　left　the　island。
　I…I　didn't　touch　her。　I…〃
　〃When　did　you　find　her？〃
　〃A　minute　ago。　Two。　I'd　just　made　some　food　and　coffee　and　I　came　to　see…〃
　〃Where　are　the　others？　Lonnie；　Sandy；　Eddie？〃
　〃Where　are…　I　don't　know。　They　left　a　little　while　ago…said　they　were　going　for　a　walk。〃
　A　likely　tale。　There　was　only　one　reason　that　would　make　at　least　two　of　the　three　walk　as　far　as　the　front　door。　I　said：　〃Get　them。　You'll　End　them　in　the　provision　shed。〃
　〃Provision　shed？　Why　would　they　be　there？〃
　〃Because　that's　where　Otto　keeps　his　Scotch。〃
　She　left。　I　put　the　gin　bottle　and　barbiturate　bottle　to　one　side；　then　I　lifted　Judith　Haynes　onto　the　bed　for　no　better　reason　than　that　it　seemed　cruel　to　leave　her　lying　on　the　wooden　floor。　I　looked　quickly　around　the　cubicle；　but　I　could　see　nothing　that　could　be　regarded　as　untoward　or　amiss。　The　window　was　still　screwed　in　its　closed　position；　the　few　clothes　that　she　had　unpacked　neatly　folded　on　a　small　chair。　My　eye　kept　returning　to　the　gin　bottle。　Stryker　had　told　me　and　I'd　overheard　her　telling　Lonnie　that　she　never　drank；　had　not　drunk　alcohol　for　many　years：　an　abstainer　does　not　habitually　carry　around　a　bottle　of　gin　just　on　the　offchance　that　he　or　she　may　just　suddenly　feel　thirsty。
　Lonnie；　Eddie；　and　Sandy　came　in；　trailing　with　them　the　redolence　of　a　Highland　distillery；　but　that　was　the　only　evidence　of　their　sojourn　in　the　provision　shed；　whatever　they'd　been　like　when　Mary　had　found　them；　they　were　shocked　cold　sober　now。　They　just　stood　there；　staring　at　the　dead　woman　and　saying　nothing：　understandably；　I　suppose；　they　thought　there　was　nothing　they　could　usefully　say。
　I　said：　〃Mr。　Gerran　must　be　informed　that　his　daughter　is　dead。　He's　gone　north　to　the　next　bay。　He'll　be　easy　to　find…you've　only　got　to　follow　the　Sno…Cat's　tracks。　I　think　you　should　go　together。〃
　〃Cod　love　us　all。〃　Lonnie　spoke　in　a　hushed　and　anguished　reverence。
　〃The　poor　girl。　The　poor　poor　lassie。　First　her　man…and　now　this。　Where's　it　all　going　to　end；　Doctor？〃
　I　don't　know；　Lonnie。　Life's　not　always　so　kind；　is　it？　No　need　to　kill　yourselves　look