alistairmaclean.bearisland-第62部分

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　Navigating；　if　that　was　the　word　for　it；　was　easier　than　I　had　thought　it　would　be。　We'd　been　out　more　than　long　enough　now　to　achieve　the　maximum　in　night　sight　and　I　had　little　difficulty　in　making　out　the　coastline　to　my　right：　even　on　a　darker　night　than　this　it　would　have　been　difficult　not　to　distinguish　the　sharp　demarcation　line　between　the　blackness　of　the　cliffs　and　the　snow…covered　hills　stretching　away　beyond　them。
　Neither　was　the　sea　as　rough　as　I　had　feared　it　might　be：　choppy；　but　no　more　than　that；　the　wind　could　hardly　have　lain　in　a　more　favourable　quarter　than　it　did　that　night。　Kapp　Malrogren　came　up　close　on　the　starboard　band　and　I　turned　the　boat　more　to　the　southwest　to　move　into　the　Evjebukta；　but　not　too　much；　for　although　the　cliffs　were　easily　enough　discernible；　objects　low　in　the　water　and　lying　against　their　black　background　were　virtually　undetectable　and　I　had　no　wish　to　run　the　boat　onto　the　islands　that　I　had　observed　that　morning　in　the　northern　part　of　the　bay。
　For　the　first　time　since　we'd　weighed　anchor　Conrad　spoke。　He　was　possessed　of　an　exemplary　patience。　Clearing　his　throat；　he　said：　〃Is　one　permitted　to　ask　a　question？〃
　〃You're　even　permitted　to　receive　an　answer。　Remember　those　extraordinary　stacks　and　pinnacles　close　by　the　cliffs　when　we　were　rounding　the　south　of　the　island　in　the　Morning　Rose？〃
　〃Of　blessed　memory；〃　Conrad　said　yearningly。
　〃No　need　for　heartbreak；〃　I　said　encouragingly。　〃You'll　be　seeing　her　again　tonight。〃
　〃What！〃
　〃Yes；　indeed。〃
　〃The　Morning　Rose？〃
　〃None　other。　That　is　to　say；　I　hope。　But　later。　Those　stacks　were　caused　by　erosion　which　in　turn　were　caused　by　tidal　streams；　storm　waves；　and　frost…island　used　to　be　much　bigger　than　it　is　now；　bits　of　it　are　falling　into　the　sea　all　the　time。　This　same　erosion　also　caused　caves　to　form　in　the　cliffs。　But　it　formed　something　else…I　knew　nothing　about　it　until　this　afternoon…which　I　think　must　be　unique　in　the　world。　Two　or　three　hundred　yards　in　from　the　southern　tip　of　this　bay；　a　promontory　called　Kapp　Kolthoff；　is　a　tiny　horseshoe…shaped　harbour…I　saw　it　through　the　binoculars　this　morning。〃
　〃You　did？〃
　〃I　was　out　for　a　walk。　At　the　inner　end　of　this　harbour　there　is　an　opening；　not　just　any　opening；　but　a　tunnel　that　goes　clear　through　to　the　other　side　of　Kapp　Kolthoff。　It　must　be　at　least　two　hundred　yards　in　length。　It's　called　Perleporten。　You　have　to　have　a　large…scale　map　of　Bear　Island　to　find　it。　I　got　my　hands　on　a　large…scale　map　this　afternoon。〃
　〃That　length？　Straight　through？　It　must　be　manmade。〃
　〃Who　the　hell　would　spend　a　fortune　tunnelling　through　two　hundred　yards　of　rock　from　A　to　B；　when　you　can　sail　from　A　to　B　in　five　minutes。
　I　mean　in　Bear　Island？〃
　〃It's　not　very　likely；〃　Conrad　said。　〃And　you　think　Heissman　and　his　friends　may　have　been　here？〃
　I　don't　know　where　else　they　could　have　been。　I　looked　every　place　I　could　look　this　morning　in　the　Sor…Hamna　and　in　this　bay。　Nothing。〃
　Conrad　said　nothing；　which　was　one　of　the　things　I　liked　about　a　man　who　I　was　beginning　to　like　very　much。　He　could　have　asked　a　dozen　questions　to　which　there　were　as　yet　no　answers　but　because　he　knew　there　were　none　he　refrained　from　asking　them。　The　Evinrude　kept　purring　along　with　reassuring　steadiness　and　in　about　ten　minutes　I　could　see　the　outline　of　the　cliffs　on　the　south　of　the　Evjebukta　looming　up。　To　the　left；　the　tip　of　Kapp　Kolthoff　was　clearly　to　be　seen。　I　imagined　I　could　see　white　breakers　beyond。
　〃There　can't　possibly　be　anyone　to　see　us；〃　I　said；　〃and　we　don't　need　our　night　sight　any　more。　I　know　there　are　no　islands　in　the　vicinity。　Headlamps　would　be　handy…〃
　Conrad　moved　up　into　the　bows　and　switched　on　two　of　our　powerful　torches。　Within　two　minutes　I　could　see　the　sheer　of　dripping　black　cliffs　less　than　a　hundred　yards　ahead。　I　turned　to　starboard　and　paralleled　the　cliffs　to　the　northwest。　One　minute　later　we　had　it…the　eastward　facing　entrance　to　a　tiny　circular　inlet。　I　throttled　the　motor　right　back　and　moved　gingerly　inside　and　almost　at　once　we　had　it…a　small　semicircular　opening　at　the　base　of　the　south　cliff。　It　seemed　impossibly　small。　We　drifted　towards　it　at　less　than　one　knot。　Conrad　looked　back　over　his　shoulder。
　〃I'm　claustrophobic。〃
　〃Me；　too。〃
　If　we　get　stuck？〃
　〃The　sixteen…footer　is　bigger　than　this　one。〃
　〃If　it　was　here。　Ah；　well；　in　for　a　penny；　in　for　a　pound。〃
　I　crossed　my　mental　fingers　that　Conrad　would　have　cause　to　remember　those　words　and　eased　the　boat　into　the　tunnel。　It　was　bigger　than　it　looked　but　not　all　that　bigger。　The　waves　and　waters　of　countless　aeons　had　worn　the　rock　walls　as　smooth　as　alabaster。　Although　it　held　a　remarkably　true　direction　almost　due　south　it　was　clear；　because　of　the　varying　widths　and　the　varying　heights　of　the　tunnel　roof；　that　the　band　of　man　had　never　been　near　the　Perleporten；　then；　suddenly；　when　Conrad　called　out　and　pointed　ahead　and　to　the　right；　that　wasn't　so　clear　any　more。　The　opening　in　the　wall；　no　more；　really；　than　an　indentation　hardly　distinguishable　from　one　or　two　already　passed；　was；　at　its　deepest；　no　more　than　six　feel？；　but　it　was　bounded　by　an　odd　Hat　shelf　that　varied　from　two　to　five　feel？　in　width。　It　looked　as　if　it　had　been　manmade　but；　then；　there　were　so　many　curiously　shaped　rock　formations　in　those　parts　that　it　might　just　possibly　have　resulted　from　natural　causes。　But　there　was　one　thing　about　that　place　that　absolutely　was　in　no　way　due　to　natural　causes：　a　pile　of　grey…painted　metal　bars；　neatly　stacked　in　crisscross　symmetry。
　Neither　of　us　spoke。　Conrad　switched　on　the　other　two　torches；　pivoted　their　heads　until　they　were　facing　upwards　and　placed　them　all　on　the　shelf；　flooding　the　tiny　area　with　light。　Not　without　some　difficulty　we　scrambled　on　to　the　shelf　and　looped　the　painter　round　one　of　the　bars。　Still　without　speaking　I　took　the　boat　book　and　probed　for　bottom：　it　was　less　than　five　feel？　below　the　surface　and　a　very　odd　kind　of　rock　it　felt；　too。　I　guddled　around　some　more；　left　the　hook　strike　something　at　once　hard　and　yielding　and　hauled　it　up。　It　was　a　half…inch　chain；　corroded　in　places；　but　still　sound。　I　hauled　some　more　and　the　end　of　another　rectangular　bar；　identical　in　size　to　those　on　the　shelf　and　secured　to　the　chain　by　an　eye　bolt；　came　into　sight。　It　was　badly　discoloured。　I　lowered　chain　and　bar　back　to　the　bottom。
　Still　in　this　uncanny　silence　I　took　a　knife　from　my　pocket　and　tested　the　surface　of　one　of　the　bars。　The　metal；　almost　certainly　lead；　was　soft　and　yielding；　but　it　was　no　more　than　a　covering　skin；　there　was　something　harder　beneath。　I　dug　the　knife　blade　in　hard　and　scraped　away　an　inch　of　the　lead。　Something　yellow　glittered　in　the　lamplight。
　〃Well；　now；〃　Conrad　said。　〃Jackpot；　I　believe；　is　the　technical　term。〃
　〃Something　like　that。〃
　〃And　look　at　this。〃　Conrad　reached　behind　the　pile　of　bars　and　brought　up　a　can　of　paint。　It　was　labelled　Instant　grey。
　It　seems　to　be　very　good　stuff；〃　I　said。　I　touched　one　of　the　bars。　〃Quite　dry。　And；　you　must　admit；　quite　clever。　You　saw　off。　the　eye　bolt；　paint　the　whole　lot　over　and　what　do　you　have？〃
　〃A　ballast　bar　identical　in　size　and　colour　to　the　ballast　bars　in　the　mock…up　sub。〃
　〃Ten　out　of　ten；〃　I　said。　I　hefted　one　of　the　bars。　〃Just　right　for　easy　handling。　A　forty…pound　ingot。〃
　〃How　do　you　know？〃
　〃It's　my　Treasury　training。　Current　value…say　thirty　thousand　dollars。　How　many　bars　in　that　pile；　would　you　say？〃
　〃A　hundred。　More。〃
　〃And　that's　just　for　starters。　Bulk　is　almost　certainly　still　under　water。　Paint　brushes　there？〃
　〃Yes。〃　Conrad　reached　behind　the　pile　but　I　checked　him。
　〃Please　not；〃　I　said。　〃Think　of　all　those　lovely　fingerprints。〃
　Conrad　said　slowly：　〃My　mind's　just　engaged　gear　again。〃　He　looked　at　the　pile　and　said　incredulously：　〃Three　million　dollars？〃
　〃Give　or　take　a　few　percent。〃
　I　think　we'd　better　leave；〃　Conrad　said。　〃I'm　ing　all　over　avaricious。〃
　We　left。　As　we　emerged　into　the　little　circular　bay　we　both　looked　back　at　the　dark　and　menacing　little　tunnel。　Conrad　said：　〃Who　discovered　this？〃
　I　have　no　idea。〃
　〃Perleporten。　What　does　that　mean？〃
　〃The　Gates　of　Pearl。〃
　〃They　came　pretty　close　at　that。〃
　〃It　wasn't　a　bad　try。〃　The　journey　back　was　a　great　deal　more　unpleasant　than　the　outward　one　had　been；　the　seas　were　against　us；　the　icy　wind　and　the　equally　icy　snow　were　in　our　faces　and　because　of　that　same　snow　the　visibility　was　drastically　reduced。　But　we　made　it　inside　an　hour。　Almost　literally　frozen　stiff　but　at　the　same　time　contradictorily　shaking　with　the　cold；　we　tied　the　boat　up。　Conrad　clambered　up　on　to　the　jetty。　I　passed　him　the　black　box；　cut　about　thirty　feel？　off。　the　boat's　anchor　rope　and　followed。　I　built　a　rope　cradle　round　the　box；　fumbled　with　a　pair　of　catches　and　opened　a　hinged　cover　section　which　prised　a　third　of　the　top　plate　and　two…thirds　of　a　side　plate。　In　the　near　total　darkness　switches　and　dials　were　less　than　half…seen　blurs　but　I　didn't　need　light　to　operate　this　instrument　which　was　a　basically　very　simple　affair　anyway。　I　pulled　out　a　manually　operated　telescopic　aerial　to　its　fullest　extent　and　turned　two　swit