alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第25部分

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；　it's　horrible。　What…what　was　that？〃　Her　voice　finished　on　a　sharp　high　note。
　
　〃What　was　what？〃　I　tried　to　speak　calmly；　but　that　didn't　stop　me　from　glancing　around　nervously。　Maybe　she　was　right；　maybe　I　was　as　scared　as　she　was。
　
　〃A　noise　outside。〃　Her　voice　was　a　whisper　and　her　fingers　were　digging　deep　into　the　fur　of　my　parka。　〃Like　someone　tapping　the　wing　or　the　fuselage。〃
　
　〃Nonsense。〃　My　voice　was　rough；　but　I　was　on　razor…edge。　〃You're　beginning　to…〃
　
　I　stopped　in　mid…sentence。　This　time　I　could　have　sworn　I　had　heard　something；　and　it　was　plain　that　Margaret　Ross　had　too。　She　twisted　her　head　over　her　shoulder；　looking　in　the　direction　of　the　noise；　then　slowly　turned　back　to　me；　her　face　tense；　her　eyes　wide　and　staring。
　
　I　pushed　her　hands　away；　reached　for　gun　and　torch；　jumped　up　and　started　running。　In　the　control　cabin　I　checked　abruptly　…God；　what　a　fool　I'd　been　to　leave　that　searchlight　burning　and　lined　up　on　the　windscreens；　blinding　me　with　its　glare；　making　me　a　perfect　target　for　anyone　crouching　outside　with　a　gun　in　hand…but　the　hesitation　was　momentary　only。　It　was　then　or　never…I　could　be　trapped　in　there　all　night；　or　until　the　searchlight　battery　died。　I　dived　head　first　through　the　windscreen；　caught　a　pillar　at　the　very　last　moment　and　was　lying　flat　on　the　ground　below　in　less　time　than　I　would　have　believed　possible。
　
　I　waited　five　seconds；　just　listening；　but　all　I　could　hear　was　the　moan　of　the　wind；　the　hiss　of　the　ice　spicules　rustling　along　over　the　frozen　snow…I'd　never　before　heard　that　hissing　so　plainly；　but　then　I'd　never　before　lain　with　my　uncovered　ear　on　the　ice…cap　itself…and　the　thudding　of　my　heart。　And　then　I　was　on　my　feet；　the　probing　torch　cutting　a　bright　swathe　in　the　darkness　before　me　as　I　ran　round　the　plane；　slipping　and　stumbling　in　my　haste。　Twice　I　made　the　circuit；　the　second　time　in　the　opposite　direction；　but　there　was　no　one　there　at　all。
　
　I　stopped　before　the　control　cabin　and　called　softly　to　Margaret　Ross。　She　appeared　at　the　window；　and　I　said：　〃It's　all　right；　there's　no　one　here。　We've　both　been　imagining　things。　e　on　down。〃　I　reached　up　my　hands；　caught　her　and　lowered　her　to　the　ground。
　
　〃Why　did　you　leave　me　up　there；　why　did　you　leave　me　up　there？〃　The　words　came　rushing　out；　tumbling　frantically　one　over　the　other；　the　anger　drowned　in　the　terror。　〃It　was…it　was　horrible！　The　dead　man。　。　。　。　Why　did　you　leave　me？〃
　
　〃I'm　sorry。〃　There　was　a　time　and　a　place　for　ment　on　feminine　injustice；　unreasonableness　and　downright　illogicality；　but　this　wasn't　it。　In　the　way　of　grief　and　heartbreak；　shock　and　ill…treatment；　she　had　already　had　far　more　than　she　could　stand。　〃I'm　sorry；〃　I　repeated。　〃I　shouldn't　have　done　it。　I　just　didn't　stop　to　think。〃
　
　She　was　trembling　violently；　so　I　put　my　arms　round　her　and　held　her　tightly　until　she　had　calmed　down；　took　the　searchlight　and　battery　in　one　hand　and　her　hand　in　my　other　and　we　walked　back　to　the　cabin　together。
　
　
　CHAPTER　SIX…Monday　7　P。M。…Tuesday　7　A。M。
　
　Jackstraw　and　the　others　had　just　pleted　the　assembly　of　the　tractor　body　when　we　arrived　back　at　the　cabin；　and　some　of　the　men　were　already　going　below。　I　didn't　bother　to　check　the　tractor：　when　Jackstraw　made　anything；　he　made　a　perfect　job　of　it。
　
　I　knew　he　must　have　missed　me　in　the　past　hour；　but　I　knew；　too；　that　he　wasn't　the　man　to　question　me　while　the　others　were　around。　I　waited　till　the　last　of　these　had　gone　below；　then　took　him　by　the　arm　and　walked　out　into　the　darkness；　far　enough　to　talk　in　plete　privacy；　but　not　so　far　as　to　lose　sight　of　the　yellow　glow　from　our　skylights…twice　lost　in　the　one　night　was　twice　too　many。
　
　He　heard　me　out　in　silence；　and　at　the　end　he　said：　〃What　are　we　going　to　do；　Dr　Mason？〃
　
　〃Depends。　Spoken　to　Joss　recently？〃
　
　〃Fifteen　minutes　ago。　In　the　tunnel。〃
　
　〃How　about　the　radio？〃
　
　〃I'm　afraid　not；　Dr　Mason。　He's　missing　some　condensers　and　spare　valves。　He's　looked　for　them；　everywhere…says　they've　been　stolen。〃
　
　〃Maybe　they'll　turn　up？〃　I　didn't　believe　it　myself。
　
　〃Two　of　the　valves　already　have。　Crushed　little　bits　of　glass　lying　in　the　bottom　of　the　snow　tunnel。〃
　
　〃Our　little　friends　think　of　everything。1'！　swore　softly。　〃That　settles　it；　Jackstraw。　We　can't　wait　any　longer；　we'll　leave　as　soon　as　possible。　But　first　a　night's　sleep…that　we　must　have。〃
　
　〃Uplavnik？〃　That　was　our　expedition　base；　near　the　mouth　of　the　Stromsund　glacier。　〃Do　you　think　we　will　ever　get　there？〃
　
　He　wasn't　thinking；　just　as　I　wasn't；　about　the　rigours　and　dangers　of　arctic　winter　travel；　daunting　enough　though　these　were　when　they　had　to　be　faced　with　a　superannuated　tractor　like　the　Citroen；　but　of　the　pany　we　would　be　keeping　en　route。　If　any　fact　was　ever　so　glaringly　obvious　that　it　didn't　need　mention；　it　was　that　the　killers；　whoever　they　were；　could　only　escape　justice；　or；　at　least；　the　mass　arrest　and　interrogation　of　all　the　passengers；　by　ensuring　that　they　were　the　only　ones　to　emerge　alive　from　the　ice…cap。
　
　〃I　wouldn't　like　to　bet　on　it；〃　I　said　dryly。　〃But　I'd　bet　even　less　on　our　chances　if　we　stay　here。　Death　by　starvation　is　kind　of　final。〃
　
　〃Yes；　indeed。〃　He　paused　for　a　moment；　then　switched　to　a　fresh　line　of　thought。　〃You　say　they　tried　to　kill　you　tonight。　Is　that　not　surprising？　I　would　have　thought　that　you　and　I　would　have　been　very　safe；　for　a　few　days　at　least。〃
　
　I　knew　what　he　meant。　Apart　from　Jackstraw　and　myself；　there　probably　wasn't　a　handful　of　people　in　all　Greenland　who　could　start　that　damned　Citroen；　far　less　drive　it；　only　Jackstraw　could　handle　the　dogs；　and　it　was　long　odds　indeed　against　any　of　the　passengers　knowing　anything　at　all　about　astral　or　magnetic　pass　navigation…the　latter　very　tricky　indeed　in　these　high　latitudes。　These　special　skills　should　have　been　guarantee　enough　of　our　immediate　survival。
　
　〃True　enough；〃　I　agreed。　〃But　I　suspect　they　haven't　given　any　thought　to　these　things　simply　because　they　haven't　realised　the　importance　of　them。　We'll　make　it　our　business　to　point　out　that　importance　very　plainly。　Then　we're　both　insured。　Meantime；　we'll　have　one　last　effort　to　clear　this　business　up　before　we　get　started。　It's　not　going　to　make　us　very　popular；　but　we　can't　help　that。〃　I　explained　what　I　had　in　mind；　and　he　nodded　thoughtful　agreement。
　
　After　he　had　gone　below；　I　waited　a　couple　of　minutes　and　then　followed　him。　All　nine　of　the　passengers　were　sitting　in　the　cabin　now…eight；　rather；　watching　Marie　LeGarde　presiding　over　a　soup　pan…and　I　took　a　long；　long　look　at　all　of　them。　It　was　the　first　time　I　had　ever　examined　a　group　of　my　fellow…men　with　the　object　of　trying　to　decide　which　among　them　were　murderers；　and　found　it　a　strange　and　unsettling　experience。
　
　In　the　first　place；　every　one　of　them　looked　to　me　like　a　potential　or　actual　murderer…or　murderess…but　even　with　that　thought　came　the　realisation　that　this　was　purely　because　I　associated　murder　with　abnormality；　and　in　these　wildly　unlikely　surroundings；　clad　in　the　layered　bulkiness　of　these　wildly　unlikely　clothes；　every　one　of　them　seemed　far　removed　from　normality。　But　on　a　second　and　closer　look；　when　one　ignored　the　irrelevancies　of　surroundings　and　clothes；　there　remained　only　a　group　of　shivering；　feet…stamping；　miserable　and　very　ordinary　people　indeed。
　
　Or　were　they　so　ordinary？　Zagero；　for　instance；　was　he　ordinary？　He　had　the　build；　the　strength　and；　no　doubt；　also　the　speed　and　temperament　for　a　top…ranking　heavyweight；　but　he　was　the　most　unlikely　looking　boxer　I　had　ever　seen。　It　wasn't　just　that　he　was　obviously　a　well…educated　and　cultured　man…there　had　been　such　boxers　before：　it　was　chiefly　because　his　face　was　absolutely　unmarked；　without　even　that　almost　invariable　thickening　of　skin　above　the　eyes。　Moreover；　I　had　never　heard　of　him；　although　that；　admittedly；　didn't　go　for　much：　as　a　doctor；　I　took　a　poor　view　of　homo　sapiens　wreaking　gratuitous　physical　and　mental　injury　on　homo　sapiens；　and　took　little　interest　in　the　sport。
　
　Or　take　his　manager；　Solly　Levin；　or；　for　that　matter；　the　Rev。　Joseph　Sma