alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第31部分

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　start　the　engine；　please；　before　she　chills　right　down？〃
　
　〃On　our　way！〃　The　protest；　almost　inevitably；　came　from　Mrs　Dansby…Gregg。　〃My　dear　man；　we've　hardly　stopped。　And　you　promised　us　three　hours'　sleep　only　a　few　minutes　ago。〃
　
　〃That　was　a　few　minutes　ago。　That　was　before　I　found　out　about　Mr　Mahler　here。〃　Quickly　I　told　them　all　I　thought　they　needed　to　know。　〃It　sounds　brutal　to　say　it　in　Mr　Mahler's　presence；〃　I　went　on；　〃but　the　facts　themselves　are　brutal。　Whoever　crashed　that　plane…and；　to　a　lesser　extent；　stole　the　sugar…put　Mr　Mahler's　life　in　the　greatest　danger。　Only　two　things；　normally；　could　save　Mr　Mahler…　a　properly　balanced　high…calorie　diet　as　a　short　term　measure；　insulin　as　a　long　term　one。　We　have　neither。　All　we　can　give　Mr　Mahler　is　the　chance　to　get　one　or　other　of　these　things　with　all　speed　humanly　possible。　Between　now　and　the　coast　that　tractor　engine　is　going　to　stop　only　if　it　packs　in　pletely；　if　we　run　into　an　impassable　blizzard…or　if　the　last　of　the　drivers　collapses　over　the　wheel。　Are　there　any　objections？〃
　
　It　was　a　stupid；　unnecessary；　gratuitously　truculent　question　to　ask；　but　that's　just　the　way　I　felt　at　that　moment。　I　suppose；　really；　that　I　was　inviting　protest　so　that　I　could　have　some　victim　for　working　off　the　accumulated　rage　inside　me；　the　anger　that　could　find　its　proper　outlet　only　against　those　responsible　for　this　fresh　infliction　of　suffering；　the　anger　at　the　near　certainty　that　no　matter　what　effort　we　made　to　save　Mahler　it　would　be　pletely　nullified　when　the　time　came；　as　it　inevitably　must　e；　that　the　killers　showed　their　hand。　For　one　wild　moment　I　considered　the　idea　of　tying　them　all　up；　lashing　them　inside　the　tractor　body　so　that　they　couldn't　move；　and　had　the　conditions　been　right　I　believe　I　would　have　done　just　that。　But　the　conditions　couldn't　have　been　more　hopeless：　a　bound　person　wouldn't　have　lasted　a　couple　of　hours　in　that　bitter　cold。
　
　There　were　no　objections。　For　the　most　part；　I　suppose；　they　were　too　cold；　too　tired；　too　hungry　and　too　thirsty…for　with　the　rapid　evaporation　of　moisture　from　the　warm；　relatively　humid　body　thirst　was　always　a　problem　in　dry；　intensely　cold　air…to　raise　any　objections。　To　people　unaccustomed　to　the　Arctic；　it　must　have　seemed　that　they　had　reached　the　nadir　of　their　sufferings；　that　things　could　get　no　worse　than　they　were：　I　hoped　as　much　time　as　possible　would　elapse　before　they　found　out　how　wrong　they　were。
　
　There　were　no　objections；　but　there　were　two　suggestions。　Both　came　from　Nick　Corazzini。
　
　〃Look；　Doc；　about　this　diet　Mr　Mahler　must　have。　Maybe　we　can't　balance　it；　but　we　can　at　least　make　sure　that　he　gets　a　fair　number　of　calories…not　that　I　know　how　you　count　the　damn'　things。　Why　don't　we　double　his　rations…no；　even　that　wouldn't　keep　a　decent　sparrow　alive。　What　say　each　of　the　rest　of　us　docks　a　quarter　of　his　rations　and　hands　them　over？　That　way　Mr　Mahler　would　have　about　four　times　his　normal…〃
　
　〃No；　no！〃　Mahler　protested。　〃Thank　you；　Mr　Corazzini；　but　I　cannot　permit…〃
　
　〃An　excellent　idea；〃　I　interrupted。　〃I　was　thinking　along　the　same　lines　myself。〃
　
　〃Good；〃　Corazzini　grinned。　〃Carried　unanimously。　I　also　suggest　we'd　get　along　farther　and　faster　if；　say；　Mr　Zagero　and　I　were　to　spell　you　two　on　the　tractor。〃　He　held　up　a　hand　as　if　to　forestall　protest。　〃Either　of　us　may　be　the　man　you　want；　in　fact；　we　might　be　the　two　men　you　want…if　it　is　two　men。　But　if　I'm　one　of　the　killers；　and　I　know　nothing　about　the　Arctic；　navigation；　the　maintenance　of　this　damned　Citroen　and　wouldn't　as　much　as　recognise　a　crevasse　if　I　fell　down　one；　it's　as　plain　as　the　nose　on　your　face　that　I'm　not　going　to　make　a　break　for　it　until　I'm　within　shouting　distance　of　the　coast。　Agreed？〃
　
　〃Agreed；〃　I　said。　Even　as　I　spoke；　there　came　a　coughing　clattering　roar　as　Jackstraw　coaxed　the　still…warm　Citroen　back　into　life；　and　I　looked　up　at　Corazzini。　〃All　right；〃　I　went　on。　〃e　on　down。　You　can　have　your　first　driving　lesson　now。〃
　
　We　left　at　half…past　seven　that　morning；　in　driving　conditions　that　were　just　about　perfect。　Not　the　slightest　breath　of　air　stirred。　across　the　ice…cap　and　the　deep　blue…black　vault　of　the　sky　was　unmarred　by　even　the　tiniest　wisp　of　cloud。　The　stars　were　strangely　remote；　pale　and　shimmering　and　unreal　through　the　gossamer　gauze　of　the　glittering　ice　needles　that　filled　the　sky　and　sifted　soundlessly　down　on　the　frozen　snow；　but　even　so　visibility　was　all　that　could　have　been　desired：　the　powerful　headlights　of　the　Citroen；　striking　a　million　sparkling　diamond　points　of　light　off　the　ice　spicules；　reached　a　clear　three　hundred　yards　ahead　into　the　darkness；　leaving　the　ground　to　either　side　of　the　twin　interlocking　beams　shrouded　in　impenetrable　darkness。　The　cold　was　intense；　and　deepening　by　the　hour：　but　the　Citroen　seemed　to　thrive　on　it　that　morning。
　
　Luck　was　with　us　almost　right　away。　Within　fifteen　minutes　of　starting　off；　Balto；　ranging　free　as　always；　appeared　out　of　the　darkness　to　the　south…west　and　ran　alongside　the　dog…sledge；　barking　to　attract　Jackstraw's　attention。　Jackstraw　gave　us　the　signal　to　stop…a　rapid　flickering　of　the　red　and　green　lights　on　the　tractor　dashboard…and　in　two　or　three　minutes　appeared　out　of　the　darkness；　grinning；　to　tell　us　that　Balto　had　picked　up　a　standing　trail　flag。　That　was　good　news　in　itself；　in　that　it　meant　that　our　navigation　the　previous　night　had　been　all　that　could　have　been　wished　for　and　that　we　were　almost　exactly　on　course：　even　more　important；　however；　was　the　fact　that　if　this　flag　was　the　first　of　a　series　we　could　dispense　with　the　navigator　on　the　dog…sledge　and　that　Jackstraw　and　I　could　have　some　sleep…if　sleep　were　possible　in　that　miserably　cold　and　lurching　tractor　body。　And；　indeed；　that　flag　proved　to　the　first　of　an　almost　unbroken　series　that　was　to　guide　us　all　the　length　of　that　interminable　day；　so　that　from　eight　o'clock　onwards　Jackstraw；　Zagero；　Corazzini　and　I　took　it　in　turns　to　drive；　with　the　Senator；　the　Reverend　Smallwood　or　Solly　Levin　up　front　as　lookout。　Theirs　was　probably　the　coldest；　certainly　the　most　unwele　job　of　all：　but　all　three　bore　up　unplainingly；　even　to　the　extent　of　thawing　out　in　silent　agony　at　the　end　of　their　hour　on　duty。
　
　Shortly　after　eight　o'clock　I　left　an　obviously　petent　Corazzini　to　his　own　devices；　dropped　back　to　the　shelter　of　the　tractor　body　and　asked　the　Senator　to　go　up　front。　I　then　set　about　breaking　the　strictest　rule　of　all；　where　these　old　tractors　were　concerned…that　no　fire　should　ever　be　lit　inside　when　they　were　in　motion。　But　even　the　most　stringent　rules　are　to　be　observed　only　until　such　time　as　the　need　for　breaking　them　is　paramount：　and　now　both　the　need　and　the　time　were　here。　My　concern　was　not　for　the　warmth　and　fort　of　the　passengers；　or　even　for　the　cooking　of　the　food…we　had　little　enough　of　that；　heaven　knew；　though　a　constant　supply　of　warm　water　would　e　in　useful　for　dealing　with　the　inevitable　cases　of　frostbite…but　purely　and　simply　for　the　life　of　Theodore　Mahler。
　
　Even　following　Corazzini's　suggestion　we　couldn't　give　him　enough　food；　and　what　we　could　didn't；　and　wouldn't；　even　begin　to　resemble　a　balanced　diet。　His　best　chance　of　survival；　and　that　was　slender　enough；　lay　in　conserving　his　body　reserves　and　his　energy　as　far　as　lay　within　our　power。　To　achieve　that；　work；　or　exercise　of　even　the　lightest　kind；　was　out：　he　had　to　remain　as　immobile　as　possible；　which　was　why　I　had　him　climb　into　a　sleeping…bag　and　lie　down　on　one　of　the　bunks；　wrapped　in　a　pair　of　heavy　blankets；　as　soon　as　I　entered。　But　without　work　or　exercise　he　would　have　no　means　to　bat　that　numbing　cold　except　by　a　constant　shivering　which　would　deplete　his　reserves　just　as　quickly　as　the　most　violent　exercise　would。　So　he　had　to　have　heat：　heat　from　the　stove；　heat　from　the　warm　fluids　which　I　told　Margaret　Ross　that　he　was　to　have　at　least　every　two　hours。　Mahler　protested　strongly　against　all　these　arrangements　being　made　on　his　behalf；　but　at　the　same　time　he　was　sensible　enough　to　realise　that　his　only　chance　of　survival　depended　on　doing　what　I　said：　but　I　believe　that　the　main　fac