mreilly.icestation-第69部分

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　〃About　three　months。〃　
　〃Was　that　a　long　time　to　look　for　a　lost　station？〃　
　In　the　main　room；　Renshaw　shrugged。　〃It　was　longer　than　usual。　Why？〃　
　Schofield　came　back　in　through　the　doorway。　He　was　carrying　some　metal　objects　in　his　hands。　
　〃I　think　our　boys　were　doing　some　things　down　here　that　they　weren't　supposed　to；〃　Schofield　said；　smiling。　
　He　held　up　a　piece　of　white　cord。　It　looked　to　Renshaw　like　string　that　had　been　covered　over　with　white　powder。　
　〃Detonator　cord；〃　Schofield　said　as　he　tied　the　white　powdery　cord　in　a　loop　around　his　wrist。　〃It's　used　as　a　fuse　for　close…quarter　explosives。　That　powdery　stuff　you　see　on　it；　that's　magnesium…sulfide。　Magnesium…based　detonator　cords　burn　hot　and　fast…in　fact；　they　burn　so　hot　that　they　can　cut　clean　through　metal。　It's　good　stuff；　we　sometimes　use　it　today。　
　〃And　see　this。〃　Schofield　held　up　a　rusted　pressurized　canister。　〃VX　poison　gas。　And　this〃…he　held　up　another　tube…　〃sarin。〃　
　〃Sarin　gas？〃　Renshaw　said。　Even　he　knew　what　that　was。　Sarin　gas　was　a　chemical　weapon。　Renshaw　recalled　an　incident　in　Japan　in　1995　when　a　terrorist　group　had　detonated　a　canister　of　sarin　gas　inside　the　Tokyo　subway。　Panic　ensued。　Several　people　were　killed。　〃They　had　that　stuff　in　the　sixties？〃　he　asked。　
　〃Oh；　yes。〃　
　〃So　you　think　this　station　was　a　chemical　weapons　facility？〃　Renshaw　asked。　
　〃I　think　so；　yes。〃　
　〃But　why？　Why　test　chemical　weapons　in　Antarctica？〃　
　〃Two　reasons；〃　Schofield　said。　〃One：　Back　home；　we　keep　nearly　all　of　our　poison　gas　weapons　in　freezer　storage；　because　most　poison　gases　lose　their　toxicity　at　higher　temperatures。　So　it　makes　sense　to　do　your　testing　in　a　place　that's　cold　all　year　round。〃　
　〃And　the　second　reason？〃　
　〃The　second　reason　is　a　lot　simpler；〃　Schofield　said；　smiling　at　Renshaw。　〃Nobody's　looking。〃　
　Schofield　headed　back　into　the　next　room。　〃In　any　case；〃　he　said　as　he　disappeared　behind　the　doorway；　〃none　of　that's　really　much　use　to　us　right　now。　But　they　do　have　something　else　back　here　that　might　be　helpful。　In　fact；　I　think　it　might　just　get　us　back　in　the　game。〃　
　〃What　is　it？〃　
　〃This；〃　Schofield　said　as　he　reappeared　in　the　doorway　and　pulled　a　dusty　scuba　tank　out　into　view。　
　
　Schofield　set　to　work　calibrating　the　thirty…year…old　scuba　gear。　Renshaw　was　tasked　with　cleaning　out　the　breathing　apparatus…the　mouthpieces；　the　valves；　the　air　hoses。　
　The　pressed　air　mix　was　the　main　risk。　After　thirty　years　of　storage；　there　was　a　risk　that　it　had　gone　toxic。　
　There　was　only　one　way　to　find　out。　
　Schofield　tested　it…he　took　a　deep　inhalation　and　looked　at　Renshaw。　When　he　didn't　drop　dead；　he　declared　the　air　OK。　
　The　two　men　worked　on　the　scuba　gear　for　about　twenty　minutes。　Then；　as　they　were　nearing　readiness；　Renshaw　said　quietly；　〃Did　you　ever　get　to　see　Bernie　Olson's　body？〃　
　Schofield　looked　over　at　Renshaw。　The　little　scientist　was　bent　over　a　pair　of　mouthpieces；　washing　them　out　with　seawater。　
　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　did；〃　Schofield　said　softly。　
　〃What　did　you　see？〃　Renshaw　said；　interested。　
　Schofield　hesitated。　〃Mr。　Olson　had　bitten　his　own　tongue　off。〃　
　〃Hmmm。〃　
　〃His　jaw　was　also　locked　rigidly　in　place　and　his　eyes　were　heavily　inflamed…red…rimmed；　bloodshot。〃　
　Renshaw　nodded。　〃And　what　were　you　told　happened　to　him？〃　
　〃Sarah　Hensleigh　told　me　you　stabbed　him　in　the　neck　with　a　hypodermic　needle　and　injected　liquid　drain　cleaner　into　his　bloodstream。〃　
　Renshaw　nodded　sagely。　〃I　see。　Lieutenant；　could　you　have　a　look　at　this　please？〃　Renshaw　pulled　a　waterlogged　book　from　the　breast　pocket　of　his　parka。　It　was　the　thick　book　that　he　had　taken　from　his　room　when　they　had　evacuated　the　station。　
　Renshaw　handed　it　to　Schofield。　Biotoxicology　and　Toxin…Related　Illnesses。　
　Renshaw　said；　〃Lieutenant；　when　someone　poisons　you　with　drain　cleaner；　the　poison　stops　your　heart；　just　like　that。　There's　no　struggle。　There's　no　fight。　You　just　die。　Chapter　2。〃　
　Schofield　flipped　the　water…soaked　pages　to　chapter　2。　He　saw　the　heading：　〃Toxin…Related　Instantaneous　Physiological　Death。〃　
　He　saw　a　list　of　what　the　author　had　called　〃Known　Poisons。〃　In　the　middle　of　the　list；　Schofield　saw　〃industrial　cleaning　fluids；　insecticides。〃　
　〃The　point　is；〃　Renshaw　said；　〃there　are　no　outward　signs　of　death　by　such　a　poison。　Your　heart　stops；　your　body　just　stops。〃　Renshaw　held　up　his　finger。　〃But　not　so　certain　other　toxins；〃　he　said。　〃Like；　for　instance；　sea　snake　venom。〃　
　〃Sea　snake　venom？〃　Schofield　said。　
　〃Chapter　9；〃　Renshaw　said。　
　Schofield　found　it。　〃Naturally　Occurring　Toxins…Sea　Fauna。〃　
　〃Look　up　sea　snakes；〃　Renshaw　said。　
　Schofield　did。　He　found　the　heading：　〃Sea　Snakes…Toxins；　Symptoms　and　Treatment。〃　
　〃Read　it；〃　Renshaw　said。　
　Schofield　did。　
　〃Out　loud；〃　Renshaw　said。　
　Schofield　read；　〃The　mon　sea　snake　（Enhydrina　schis…tosa）　has　a　venom　with　a　toxicity　level　three　times　that　of　the　king　cobra；　the　most　lethal　land…based　snake。　One　drop　（0。03　mL）　is　enough　to　kill　three　men。　mon　symptoms　of　sea　snake　envenomation　include　aching　and　stiffness　of　muscles；　thickening　of　the　tongue；　paralysis；　visual　loss；　severe　inflammation　of　the　eye　area　and　dilation　of　the　pupils；　and；　most　notably　of　all；　lockjaw。　Indeed；　so　severe　is　lockjaw　in　such　cases；　that　it　is　not　unknown　for　victims　of　sea　snake　envenomation　to…〃　
　Schofield　cut　himself　off。　
　〃Read　it；〃　Renshaw　said　softly。　
　〃…to　sever　their　own　tongues　with　their　teeth。〃　Schofield　looked　up　at　Renshaw。　
　Renshaw　cocked　his　head。　〃Do　I　look　like　a　killer　to　you；　Lieutenant？〃　
　〃Who's　to　say　you　didn't　put　sea　snake　venom　inside　that　hypodermic　syringe？〃　Schofield　countered。　
　〃Lieutenant；〃　Renshaw　said；　〃at　Wilkes　Ice　Station；　sea　snake　venoms　are　kept　in　the　Biotoxins　Lab；　which　is　always…always…locked。　Only　a　few　people　have　access　to　that　room；　and　I'm　not　one　of　them。〃　
　Schofield　remembered　the　Biotoxins　Laboratory　on　B…deck；　remembered　the　distinctive　three…circled　biohazard　sign　pasted　across　its　door。　
　Strangely；　though；　he　also　found　himself　remembering　something　else。　
　He　remembered　Sarah　Hensleigh　telling　him　earlier：　〃Before　all　this　happened；　I　was　working　with　Ben　Austin　in　the　Bio　Lab　on　B…deck。　He　was　doing　work　on　a　new　antivenom　for　Entrydrina　schistosa。〃　
　Schofield　shook　the　thought　away。　
　No。　Not　possible。　
　He　turned　to　Renshaw。　〃So　who　do　you　think　killed　Bernie　Olson？〃　
　〃Why；　someone　who　had　access　to　the　Biotoxins　Lab；　of　course；〃　Renshaw　said。　〃That　could　mean　only　Ben　Austin；　Harry　Cox；　or　Sarah　Hensleigh。〃　
　Sarah　Hensleigh。。：。　
　Schofield　said；　〃Why　would　any　of　them　want　to　kill　Olson？〃　
　〃I　have　no　idea；〃　Renshaw　said。　〃No　idea。〃　
　〃So　as　far　as　you　know；　not　one　of　those　people　had　a　motive　to　kill　Olson？〃　
　〃That's　right。〃　
　〃But　you　had　a　motive；〃　Schofield　said。　〃Olson　was　stealing　your　research。〃　
　〃Which　kind　of　makes　me　the　ideal　person　to　set　up；　doesn't　it？〃　Renshaw　said。　
　Schofield　said；　〃But　if　someone　really　wanted　to　set　you　up；　they　would　have　actually　used　drain　cleaner　to　kill　Olson。　Why　go　to　the　trouble　of　using　sea　snake　venom？〃　
　〃Good　point；〃　Renshaw　said。　〃Good　point。　But　if　you　read　that　book；　you'll　find　that　drain　cleaner　has　a　59％　mortality　rate。　Sea　snake　venom　has　a　98　％　mortality　rate。　Whoever　killed　Olson　wanted　to　make　sure　that　he　died。　That's　why　they　used　the　sea　snake　venom。　They　did　not　want　him　to　be　resuscitated。〃　
　Schofield　pursed　his　lips　in　thought。　
　Then　he　said；　'Tell　me　about　Sarah　Hensleigh。〃　
　〃What　about　her？〃　
　〃Do　you　two　get　along？　Do　you　like　her；　does　she　like　you？〃　
　〃No；　no；　and　no。〃　
　Schofield　said；　〃Why　don't　you　like　her？〃　
　〃You　really　want　to　know？〃　Renshaw　sighed　deeply。　He　looked　away。　〃It's　because　she　married　my　best　friend…actually；　he　was　also　my　boss…and　she　didn't　love　him。〃　
　〃Who　was　that？〃　Schofield　asked。　
　〃A　guy　named　Brian　Hensleigh。　He　was　head　of　geophysics　at　Harvard　before　he　died。〃　
　Schofield　remembered　Kirsty　telling　him　about　her　father　before。　How　he　had　taught　her　advanced　math。　And　how　he　had　died　only　recently。　
　〃He　died　in　a　car　accident；　didn't　he？〃　
　〃That's　right；〃　Rensha