alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第14部分

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　〃Bed；〃　I　said。　〃You're　dying　for　sleep　and　warmth；　Miss…　I'm　so　sorry；　I　forgot　to　ask　your　name。〃
　
　〃Ross。　Margaret　Ross。〃
　
　〃Scots？〃
　
　〃Irish。　Southern　Irish。〃
　
　〃I　won't　hold　it　against　you；〃　I　smiled。　There　was　no　answering　smile　from　her。　Tell　me；　Miss　Ross；　why　was　the　plane　so　empty？〃
　
　〃We　had　an　'X'　flight…an　extra　or　duplicate　charter　for　an　overflow　of　passengers…out　from　London　yesterday。　Day　before　yesterday　it　is　now；　I　suppose。　We　just　stayed　the　night　in　Idlewild　and　had　to　return　after　we'd　slept。　The　office　phoned　up　people　who　had　booked　out　on　the　evening　plane；　giving　the　chance　of　an　earlier　flight：　ten　of　them　accepted。〃
　
　〃I　see。　By　the　way；　isn't　it　a　bit　unusual　to　have　only　one　stewardess　aboard？　On　a　trans…Atlantic　flight；　I　mean？〃
　
　〃I　know。　There's　usually　two　or　three…a　steward　and　two　stewardesses…or　two　stewards　and　a　stewardess。　But　not　for　ten　people。〃
　
　〃Of　course。　Hardly　worth　stewarding；　you　might　say。　Still；〃　I　went　on　smoothly；　〃it　at　least　gives　you　time　for　the　odd　forty　winks　on　these　long　night…flights。〃
　
　〃That　wasn't　fair！〃　I　hadn't　been　as　clever　as　I　thought；　and　her　white　cheeks　were　stained　with　red。　〃That's　never　happened　to　me　before。　Never！〃
　
　〃Sorry；　Miss　Ross…it　wasn't　really　meant　as　a　dig。　It　doesn't　matter　anyhow。〃
　
　〃It　does　so　matter！〃　Her　extraordinary　brown　eyes　were　bright　with　unshed　tears。　〃If　I　hadn't　been　asleep　I　would　have　known　what　was　going　to　happen。　I　could　have　warned　the　passengers。　I　could　have　moved　Colonel　Harrison　to　a　front　seat　facing　the　rear…〃
　
　〃Colonel　Harrison？〃　I　interrupted　sharply。
　
　〃Yes。　The　man　in　the　back　seat…the　dead　man。〃
　
　〃But　he　hadn't　a　uniform　on　when…〃
　
　〃I　don't　care。　That　was　his　name　on　the　passenger　list。。。。　If　I'd　known；　he　wouldn't　be　dead　now…and　Miss　Fleming　wouldn't　have　had　her　collar…bone　broken。〃
　
　So　that's　what　has　been　worrying　her；　I　thought。　That　accounts　for　her　strange　distraught　behaviour。　And　then　a　moment　later　I　realised　that　it　didn't　account　for　it　all…she　had　been　behaving　like　that　before　ever　she　had　known　what　had　happened　to　any　of　the　passengers。　My　slowly　forming　suspicions　came　back　with　renewed　force：　the　lady　would　bear　watching。
　
　〃You've　nothing　to　reproach　yourself　with；　Miss　Ross。　The　captain　must　have　been　flying　blind　in　the　storm…and　we're　more　than　8000　feet　up　here。　Probably　he'd　no　knowledge　of　what　was　going　to　happen　until　the　actual　moment　of　crashing。〃　In　my　mind's　eye　I　saw　again　the　doomed　airliner；　landing　lights　on；　circling　our　cabin　for　at　least　ten　minutes；　but　if　Miss　Ross　had　any　such　thing　in　her　mind's　eye；　it　was　impossible　for　me　to　detect　it。　She　had　no　idea　at　all…or　she　was　an　extraordinarily　good　actress。
　
　〃Probably；〃　she　murmured　dully；　〃I　don't　know。〃
　
　We　had　a　hot　and　satisfying　meal　of　soup；　corned　meat；　potatoes　and　vegetables…everything　out　of　cans；　but　passable　enough　for　all　that。　It　was　the　last　satisfying　meal　that　our　guests…or　ourselves；　for　that　matter…were　likely　to　have　for　some　considerable　time　to　e；　but　I　felt　the　moment　unpropitious　for　breaking　that　sort　of　news。　Time　enough　for　that　tomorrow…or　later　in　the　day；　rather；　for　it　was　now　already　after　three　o'clock　in　the　morning。
　
　I　suggested　that　the　four　women　sleep　in　the　top　bunks…not　from　any　delicacy　of　sentiment　but　because　it　was　at　least　twenty…five　degrees　wanner　there　than　it　was　at　ground　level；　and　the　proportional　difference　would　increase　as　the　night　wore　on　after　the　stove　had　been　put　out。　There　were　some　half…hearted　protests　when　they　learnt　that　I　intended　to　shut　down　the　fire；　but　I　didn't　even　bother　arguing　with　them。　Like　all　people　who　have　lived　for　any　length　of　time　in　the　Arctic；　I　had　an　almost　pathological　dread　of　fire。
　
　Margaret　Ross；　the　stewardess；　refused　the　offer　of　a　bunk；　and　said　she　would　sleep　by　the　injured　pilot；　lest　he　should　wake　and　want　anything　during　the　night。　I　had　intended　doing　that　myself；　but　I　saw　her　mind　was　set　on　it；　and　though　I　felt　unaccountably　uneasy　about　the　idea；　I　raised　no　objection。
　
　That　left　five　empty　bunks　among　six　men…Jackstraw；　Joss　and　I　could　sleep　reasonably　enough　in　our　furs。　Inevitably；　there　was　some　magnanimous　argument　over　the　allocation　of　these　bunks；　but　Corazzini　settled　the　argument　by　producing　a　coin　and　beginning　to　toss　for　it。　He　himself　lost　in　the　end；　but　accepted　defeat　and　the　prospect　of　a　cold　unfortable　night　on　the　floor　with　amiable　grace。
　
　When　they　were　all　settled　down；　I　picked　up　a　torch　and　our　weather　log　book；　glanced　at　Joss　and　made　for　the　trap。　Zagero　turned　in　his　bunk　to　look　at　me。
　
　〃What　gives；　Dr　Mason？　Especially　at　this　hour　of　night；　what　gives？〃
　
　〃Weather　reports；　Mr　Zagero。　That's　why　we're　here；　remember？　And　I'm　already　three　hours　late　with　these。〃
　
　〃Even　tonight？〃
　
　〃Even　tonight。　Continuity　is　the　most　important　thing　in　weather　observation。〃
　
　〃Sooner　you　than　me。〃　He　shivered。　〃If　it's　only　half　as　cold　outside　as　it　is　in　here。〃
　
　He　turned　his　back；　and　Joss　rose　to　bis　feet。　He'd　correctly　interpreted　my　look；　and　I　knew　he　was　consumed　with　curiosity。
　
　〃I'll　e　with　you；　sir。　Better　have　a　last　look　at　the　dogs。〃
　
　We　didn't　bother　looking　at　either　the　dogs　or　the　weather　instruments。　We　went　straight　towards　the　tractor　and　huddled　under　the　tarpaulin　for　what　miserable　shelter　it　could　afford。　True；　the　wind　had　eased；　but　it　was　colder　than　ever：　the　long　winter　night　was　beginning　to　close　down　on　the　ice…cap。
　
　〃It　stinks；〃　Joss　said　flatly。　〃The　whole　set…up　stinks。〃
　
　〃To　high　heaven；〃　I　agreed。　〃But　it's　finding　out　where　the　smell　es　from　that　the　trouble　lies。〃
　
　〃This　fairy　tale　of　yours　about　magnetic　storms　and　passes　and　radios；〃　he　went　on。　〃What　was　the　idea？〃
　
　〃I'd　previously　said　I　knew　something　they　didn't。　I　did。　But　when　it　came　to　the　bit　I　knew　I'd　be　better　to　keep　it　to　myself。　You　know　how　this　damnable　cold　slows　up　your　mind　…1　should　have　realised　it　sooner。〃
　
　〃Realised　what？〃
　
　That　I　should　keep　it　to　myself。〃
　
　〃Keep　what；　for　heaven's　sake？〃
　
　〃Sorry；　Joss。　Not　trying　to　build　up　suspense。　The　reason　none　of　them　knew　anything　about　the　crash　until　after　it　had　happened　is　that　they　were　all　doped。　As　far　as　I　could　see；　all　of　them；　or　nearly　all；　were　under　the　influence　of　some　sleeping　drug　or　narcotic。〃
　
　In　the　darkness　I　could　almost　feel　him　staring　at　me。　After　a　long　time　he　said　softly；　〃You　wouldn't　say　this　unless　you　were　sure　of　it。〃
　
　〃I　am　sure　of　it。　Their　reactions；　their　dazed　fumbling　back　to　reality…and；　above　all；　the　pupils　of　their　eyes。　Unmistakable。　Some　kind　of　sleeping　tablet　mixtures；　of　the　fast…acting　kind。　What　is　known　to　the　trade；　I　believe；　as　Mickey　Finns。〃
　
　〃But…〃　Joss　broke　off。　He　was　still　trying　to　orientate　his　mind　to　this　new　line　of　thought。　〃But…they　would　be　bound　to　know　of　it；　to　be　aware　that　they　had　been　doped；　when　they　came　to。〃
　
　〃In　normal　circumstances；　yes。　But　they　came　to　in　what　was；　to　say　the　least；　most　abnormal　circumstances。　I'm　not　saying　that　they　didn't　experience　any　symptoms　of　weakness；　dizziness　and　lassitude…they　must　have　done…and　what　more　natural　than　that　they　should　ascribe　any　such　unusual　physical　or　mental　symptoms　to　the　effects　of　the　crash。　And　what　more　natural；　too；　than　that　they　should　conceal　these　symptoms　as　best　they　could…　and　refrain　from　mentioning　them？　They　would　be　ashamed　to　admit　or　discuss　weaknesses…it's　a　very　human　trait　to　show　to　your　neighbours　the　very　best　face　you　can　put　on　in　times　of　emergency　or　danger。〃
　
　Joss　didn't　reply　at　once。　The　implications　of　all　this；　as　I'd　found　out　for　myself；　took　no　little　time　for　digestion；　so　I　let　him　take　his　time　and　waited；　listening　to　the　lost　and　mournful　wailing　of　the　wind；　the　rustling　hiss　of　millions　of　ice　spicules　scudding　across　the　frozen　snow　of　the　ice…cap；　and　my　own　thoughts　were　in　keeping　with　the　bleak　misery　of　the　night。
　
　〃It's　not　possible；〃　Joss　muttered　at　length。　I　could　hear　his　teeth　chattering　with　the