alistairmaclean.bearisland-第8部分

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ck。　Presently　he　re…entered；　closed　the　door；　staggered　across　the　deck　and　collapsed　into　his　chair。　His　face　was　ashen。　I　handed　him　his　glass　and　he　drained　the　contents；　reached　out　for　the　bottle　and　refilled　his　glass。　He　drank　some　more　and　stared　at　me。
　〃Poison？〃
　〃Looked　like　strychnine。　Had　all…〃
　〃Strychnine？　Strychnine！　Great　God！　Strychnine！　You…you'll　have　to
　carry　out　a　post…mortem；　an…an　autopsy。〃
　〃don't　talk　rubbish。　I'll　carry　out　no　such　thing；　and　for　a　number　of　excellent　reasons。　For　one　thing；　have　you　any　idea　what　an　autopsy　is　like…it's　a　very　messy　business　indeed；　I　can　assure　you。　I　haven't　the　facilities。　I'm　not　a　specialist　in　pathology…and　you　require　one　for　an　autopsy。　You　require　the　consent　of　the　next　of　kin…and　how　are　you　going　to　get　that　in　the　middle　of　the　Barents　Sea？　You　require　a　coroner's　order…no　coroner。　Besides；　a　coroner　only　issues　an　order　where　theirs　a　suspicion　of　foul　play。　No　such　suspicion　exists　here。〃
　〃No…no　foul　play？　But　you　said…〃
　I　said　it　looked　like　strychnine。　I　didn't　say　it　was　strychnine。　I'm　sure　it's　not。　He　seemed　to　show　the　classical　symptoms　of　having　had　tetanic　spasms　and　opisthotonos…that's　when　the　back　arches　so　violently　that　the　body　rests　on　the　head　and　the　heels　only…and　his　face　showed　pure　terror：　there's　nearly　always　this　conviction　of　impending　death　at　the　onset　of　strychnine　poisoning。　But　when　I　straightened　him　out　there　were　no　signs　of　tetanic　contractions。　Besides；　the　timing　is　all　wrong。　Strychnine　usually　shows　its　first　effects　within　ten　minutes　and　half　an　hour　after　taking　the　stuff　you're　gone。　Antonio　was　at　least　twenty　minutes　here　with　us　at　dinner　and　there　was　nothing　wrong　with　him　then…well；　seasickness；　that's　all。　And　he　died　only　minutes　ago…far　too　long。　Besides；　who　on　earth　would　want　to　do　away　with　a　harmless　boy　like　Antonio？　Do　you　have　in　your　employ　a　raving　psycho　who　kills　just　for　the　kicks　of　it？　Does　it　make　any　kind　of　sense　to　you？〃
　〃No。　No；　it　doesn't。　But…but　poison。　You　said…〃
　〃Food　poisoning。〃
　〃Food　poisoning！　But　people　don't　die　of　food　poisoning。　You　mean　ptomaine　poisoning？〃
　I　mean　no　such　thing　for　there　is　no　such　thing。　You　can　eat　ptomaines　to　your　heart's　content　and　you'll　e　to　no　harm。　But　you　can　get　all　sorts　of　food　poisoning…chemically　contaminated…mercury　in　fish；　for　instance…edible　mushrooms　that　aren't　edible　mushrooms；　edible　mussels　that　aren't　edible　mussels…but　the　nasty　one　is　salmonella。　And　that　can　kill；　believe　me。　just　at　the　end　of　the　war　one　variety　of　it；　Salmonella　enteritidis；　laid　low　about　thirty　people　in　Stoke…on…Trent。　Six　of　them　died。　And　there's　an　even　nastier　one　called　Clostridium　botulinum　kind　of　half…cousin　of　botulinus；　a　charming　substance　that　is　guaranteed　to　wipe　out　a　city　in　a　night…the　Ministry　of　Health　makes　it。　This　Clostridium　secretes　an　exotoxin…a　poison…which　is　probably　the　most　powerful　occurring　in　nature。　Between　the　wars　a　party　of　tourists　at　Loch　Maree　in　Scotland　had　a　picnic　lunch…sandwiches　filled　with　potted　duck　paste。　Eight　of　them　had　this。　All　eight　died。　There　was　no　cure　then；　there　is　no　cure　now。　Must　have　been　this　or　something　like　this　that　Antonio　ate。〃
　I　see；　I　see。〃　He　had　some　more　brandy；　then　looked　up　at　me；　his　eyes　round。　〃Good　God！　Don't　you　see　what　this　means；　man！　We're　all　at　risk；　all　of　us。　This　clostridium　or　whatever　you　call　it　could　spread　like　wildfire。〃
　〃Rest　easy。　It's　neither　infectious　nor　contagious。〃
　〃But　the　galley…〃
　〃You　think　that　hadn't　occurred　to　me？　The　source　of　infection　can't　be　there。　If　it　were；　we'd　all　he　gone…I　assume　that　Antonio…before　his　appetite　deserted　him；　that　was…had　the　same　as　all　of　us。　I　didn't　pay　any　particular　attention　but　I　can　find　out　probably　from　the　people　on　either　side　of　him…I'm　sure　they　were　the　Count　and　Cecil。〃
　〃Cecil？〃
　〃Cecil　Golightly…your　camera　focus　assistant　or　something　like　that。〃
　〃Ah！　The　Duke。〃　For　some　odd　reason　Cecil；　a　diminutive；　shrewd；　and　chirpy　little　Cockney　sparrow　was　invariably　known　as　the　Duke；　probably　because　it　was　so　wildly　unsuitable。　〃That　little　pig　see　anything！
　He　never　lifts　his　eyes　from　the　table。　But　Tadeusz…well；　now；　he　doesn't　miss　much。〃
　〃I'll　ask。　I'll　also　check　the　galley；　the　food　store；　and　the　cold　room。　Not　a　chance　in　ten　thousand…I　think　we'll　find　that　Antonio　had　his　own　little　supply　of　tinned　delicacies…but　I'll　check　anyway。　Do　you　want　me　to　see　Captain　Imrie　for　you？〃
　〃Captain　Imrie？〃
　I　was　patient。　〃The　master　must　be　notified。　The　death　must　be　logged。
　A　death　certificate　must　be　issued…normally；　he'd　do　it　himself　but　not　with　a　doctor　aboard…but　I'll　have　to　be　authorised。　And　he'll　have　to　make　preparations　for　the　funeral。　Burial　at　sea。　Tomorrow　morning；　I　should　imagine。〃
　He　shuddered。　〃Yes；　please。　Please　do　that。　Of　course；　of　course；　burial　at　sea。　I　must　go　and　see　John　at　once　and　tell　him　about　this　awful　thing。〃
　By　〃John〃　I　assumed　he　meant　John　Cummings　Goin；　production　accountant　；　pany　accountant；　senior　partner　in　Olympus　Productions　and　widely　recognised　as　being　the　financial　controller…and　so　in　many　ways　the　virtual　controller…of　the　pany。　〃And　then　I'm　going　to　bed。　Yes；　yes；　to　bed。　Sounds　terrible；　I　know；　poor　Antonio　lying　down　there；　but　I'm　dreadfully　upset；　really　dreadfully　upset。〃　I　couldn't　fault　him　on　that　one；　I'd　rarely　seen　a　man　look　so　unhappy。
　I　can　bring　a　sedative　to　your　cabin！'
　〃No；　no；　I'll　he　all　right。〃　Unthinkingly；　almost；　he　picked　up　the　bottle　of　Hine；　thrust　it　into　one　of　the　capacious　pockets　of　his　tentlike　jacket　and　staggered　from　the　saloon。　As　far　as　insomnia　was　concerned　Otto　clearly　preferred　homemade　remedies　to　even　the　most　modern　pharmaceutical　products。
　I　went　to　the　starboard　door；　opened　it　and　looked　out。　When　Smithy　had　said　that　the　weather　wasn't　going　to　improve；　he'd　clearly　been　hedging　his　bets：　conditions　were　deteriorating　and；　if　I　were　any　judge；　deteriorating　quite　rapidly。　The　air　temperature　was　now　well　below　freezing　and　the　first　thin　flakes　of　snow　were　driving　by　overhead；　almost　parallel　to　the　surface　of　the　sea。　The　waves　were　now　no　longer　waves；　just　moving　masses　of　water；　capriciously　tending；　it　seemed；　in　any　and　all　directions；　but　in　the　mass　still　bearing　mainly　easterly。　The　Morning　Rose　was　no　longer　just　corkscrewing；　she　was　beginning　to　stagger；　falling　into　a　bridge…high　trough　with　an　explosive　impact　more　than　vaguely　reminiscent　of　flat；　whiplike　crack　of　a　not…so…distant　naval　gun；　then　struggling　and　straining　to　right　herself　only　to　be　struck　by　a　following　wall　of　water　that　smashed　her　over　on　her　beam　ends　again。　I　leaned　farther　outwards；　looked　upwards　and　was　vaguely　puzzled　by　the　dimly　seen　outline　of　the　madly　flapping　flag　on　the　foremast：　puzzled；　because　it　wasn't　streaming　out　over　the　starboard　side；　as　it　should　have　been；　but　towards　the　starboard　quarter。　This　meant　that　the　wind　was　moving　round　to　the　northeast　and　what　this　could　portend　I　could　not　even　guess：　I　vaguely　suspected　that　it　wasn't　anything　good。　I　went　inside；　yanked　the　door　closed　with　some　effort；　made　a　silent　prayer　for　the　infinitely　reassuring　and　petent　presence　of　Smithy　on　the　bridge；　made　my　way　to　the　stewards〃　pantry　again　and　helped　myself　to　a　bottle　of　Black　Label；　Otto　having　made　off　with　the　last　of　the　brandy…the　drinkable　brandy；　that　is。　I　took　it　across　to　the　captain's　table；　sat　in　the　captain's　chair；　poured　myself　a　small　measure　and　stuck　the　bottle　in　Captain　Imrie's　convenient　wrought…iron　stand。
　I　wondered　why　I　hadn't　told　Otto　the　truth。　I　was　a　convincing　liar；　I　thought；　but　not　a　pulsive　one：　probably　because　Otto　struck　me　as　being　far　from　a　stable　character　and　with　several　more　pegs　of　brandy　inside　him；　in　addition　to　what　he　had　already　consumed；　he　seemed　less　than　the　ideal　confidant。
　Antonio　hadn't　died　because　he'd　taken　or　been　given　strychnine。　Of　that　I　was　quite　certain。　I　was　equally　certain　that　he　hadn't　died　from　Clostridium　botulinum　either。　The　exotoxin　from　this　particular　anaerobe　was　quite　as　deadly　as　I　had　said　but；　fortunately；　Otto　had　been　unaware　that　the　incubation　period　was　seldom　less　than　four　hours　and；　in　extreme
cases；　had　been　known　to　be　as　long　as　forty…eight…not　that　the　period　of　incubation　delay　made　the　final　results　any　less　fatal。　It　was　faintly　possible　that　Antonio　might　have　scoffed；　say；　a　tin　of　infected　truffles　or　suchlike　from　his　homeland　in　the　course　of　the　afternoon；　but　in　that　case　the　symptoms　would　have　been　showing　at　the　dinner　table；　and　apart　from　his　odd　chartreuse　hue　I'd　observed　nothing　untoward。　It　had　to　be　some　form　of　systemic　poison；　but　there　were　so　many　of　them　and　I　was　a　long　way　from　being　an　expert　on　the　subject。　Nor　was　there　any　necessary　question　of　foul　play：　more　people　die　from　accidental　poisoning　than　from　the　machinations　of　the　ill…disposed。
　The　lee　door　opened　and　two　people　came　staggering　into　the　room；　both　young；　both　bespectacled；　both　with　faces　all　but　obscured　by　wind…blown　hair。　They　saw　me；　hesitated；　looked　at　each　other　and　made　to　leave；　but　I　waved　them　in　an