alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第32部分

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lise　that　his　only　chance　of　survival　depended　on　doing　what　I　said：　but　I　believe　that　the　main　factor　which　finally　made　him　yield　was　not　so　much　my　medical　explanations　as　the　pressure　of　public　opinion。
　
　That　all　the　passengers　should　suddenly；　and　so　vehemently；　be　concerned　with　Theodore　Mahler's　welfare　seemed；　on　the　face　of　it；　inexplicable。　But　only　on　the　face　of　it。　It　did　not　require　a　great　deal　of　thought　or　probing　beneath　the　surface　to　discover　that　the　true　motivating　factor　was　not　selflessness…though　there　may　have　been　some　of　that；　too…but　selfishness。　Mahler　represented　not　so　much　a　sufferer　as　a　most　wele　diversion　from　their　own　thoughts　and　suspicions；　from　the　tension；　from　the　never…ending　constraint　that　had　laid　its　chilling　hand　over　the　entire　pany　for　the　past　twelve　hours。
　
　This　constraint；　apart　from　its　awkwardness　and　sheer　unpleasantness；　had　the　further　effect　of　splitting　up　the　passengers　into　tiny　groups。　munal　speech　had　ceased　entirely；　except　where　necessity　and　the　barest　demands　of　mon　politeness　made　it　inevitable。
　
　Marie　LeGarde　and　Margaret　Ross；　each　of　whom　knew　that　the　other　was　not　under　suspicion；　kept　very　much　to　themselves　and　talked　only　between　themselves。　So；　too；　did　Zagero　and　Solly　Levin；　and　also…though　this　would　have　seemed　ridiculously　improbable　only　twenty…four　hours　ago…Mrs　Dansby…Gregg　and　her　maid；　Helene。　Improbable　then；　but　inevitable　now：　whether　guilty　or　not；　both　knew　exactly　where　the　other　stood；　and；　of　all　the　passengers；　each　could　only　fully　trust　the　other。　They　could；　of　course；　as　could　all　the　others；　trust　Marie　LeGarde　and　Margaret　Ross：　but　the　fact　that　they　knew　that　Marie　LeGarde　and　Margaret　Ross　couldn't　trust　them　was　enough　to　prohibit　any　attempts　to　establish　an　easier　relationship。　As　for　Corazzini；　the　Rev。　Small　wood；　the　Senator　and　Mahler；　they　kept　very　much　to　themselves。
　
　In　the　circumstances；　then；　it　was　inevitable　that　they　should　wele　the　introduction　of　an　absolutely　innocuous　subject　of　interest　and　conversation；　something　that　would　ease；　however　slightly；　the　coldness　and　disfort　of　the　social　atmosphere；　something　that　would　divert　their　unwele　and　suspicious　thoughts　into　some　more　tolerable　channel。　Theodore　Mahler　promised　to　be　the　best　looked　after　patient　I　had　ever　had。
　
　I　had　just　got　the　oil　stove　going　to　my　satisfaction　when　Zagero　called　to　me　from　his　seat　by　the　rear　canvas　screen。
　
　〃There's　somethin'　funny　goin'　on　outside；　Doc。　e　and　have　a　look。〃
　
　I　had　a　look。　Far　off　to　the　right…the　north…west；　that　was…and　high　above　the　horizon　a　great　diffuse　formless　volume　of　luminosity；　spreading　over　almost　a　quarter　of　the　dark　dome　of　the　sky；　was　beginning　to　pulse　and　fade；　pulse　and　fade；　strengthening；　deepening；　climbing　with　the　passing　of　every　moment。　At　first　it　was　no　more　than　a　lightening　in　the　sky；　but　already　it　was　beginning　to　take　form；　and　faint　colours　beginning　to　establish　themselves　in　definite　patterns。
　
　〃The　Aurora；　Mr　Zagero；〃　I　said。　〃The　Northern　Lights。　First　time　you've　seen　it？〃
　
　He　nodded。　〃Yeah。　Amazin'　spectacle；　ain't　it？〃
　
　〃This？　This　is　nothing。　It's　just　starting　up。　It's　going　to　be　a　curtain…you　get　all　sorts；　rays；　bands；　coronas；　arcs　and　what　have　you；　but　this　is　a　curtain。　Best　of　the　lot。〃
　
　〃Get　this　sort　of　thing　often；　Doc？*
　
　〃Every　day；　for　days　on　end；　when　the　weather　is　like　this…you　know；　cold　and　clear　and　still。　Believe　it　or　not；　you　can　even　get　so　used　to　it　that　you　won't　bother　looking。〃
　
　〃I　don't　believe　it。　It's　amazin'；〃　he　repeated；　〃just　amazin'。　Tired　of　it；　you　say　…1　hope　we　see　it　every　day。〃　He　grinned。　〃You　don't　have　to　look；　Doc。〃
　
　〃For　your　own　sake　you'd　better　hope　for　something　else；〃　I　said　grimly。
　
　〃Meanin'？〃
　
　〃Meaning　that　radio　reception　is　hopeless　when　the　aurora　is　on。〃
　
　〃Radio　reception？〃　He　crinkled　his　brows。　〃What　we　gotta　lose；　with　the　radio　set　in　the　cabin　smashed　and　your　friends　in　the　trail　party　gettin'　further　away　every　minute？　You　couldn't　raise　either　of　them　anyway。〃
　
　〃No；　but　we　can　raise　our　Uplavnik　base　when　we　get　a　bit　nearer　the　coast；〃　I　said；　and　the　next　moment　I　could　have　bitten　my　tongue　off。　I　had　never　even　thought　of　the　matter　until　then；　but　as　soon　as　the　words　were　out　I　realised　that　I　should　have　kept　this　piece　of　knowledge　to　myself。　The　chances　of　Uplavnik　listening　in　at　the　right　time　and　on　the　right　frequency　were　remote　enough；　but　it　was　always　a　chance：　we　could　have　sent　out　a　warning；　summoned　help　long　before　the　killers　would　have　thought　of　making　a　break　for　it。　But；　now；　if　Zagero　were　one　of　the　killers；　he　would　make　good　and　certain　that　the　set　would　be　smashed　long　before　we　got　within　radio　range　of　the　Uplavnik　base。
　
　I　cursed　myself　for　a　blundering　idiot；　and　stole　a　quick　glance　at　Zagero。　In　the　light　streaming　out　from　the　gap　in　the　curtain　and　in　the　fainter　light　of　the　aurora；　his　every　feature　was　plain；　but　I　could　tell　nothing　from　his　expression。　He　was　playing　it　casual；　all　right；　but　not　too　stupidly　casual。　The　slow　nod；　the　pursing　of　the　lips；　the　thoughtful　lifting　of　the　eyebrows　could　not　have　been　improved　upon。　Not　even　the　best　professional　actor　could　have　improved　on　it；　and　hard　on　the　heels　of　that　came　the　second　thought　that　there　were　a　couple　of　extraordinarily　fine　actors　among　us。　But；　then；　if　he　hadn't　reacted　at　all；　or　had　reacted　too　violently；　I　would　have　been　doubly　suspicious。　Or　would　I？　If　Zagero　were　one　of　the　guilty　men；　wouldn't　he　have　known　that　too　much　or　too　little　reaction　would　have　been　the　very　thing　to　excite　suspicion；　and　taken　due　precaution　against　registering　either？　I　gave　it　up　and　turned　away。　But　in　my　mind　there　was　growing　a　vague　but　steadily　strengthening　suspicion　against　Johnny　Zagero：　and　on　the　basis　of　the　success　and　validity　of　my　previous　suspicions；　I　thought　bitterly；　that　just　about　guaranteed　Zagero's　innocence。
　
　I　turned　and　touched　Margaret　Ross　on　the　shoulder。
　
　〃I'd　like　to　have　a　few　words　with　you；　Miss　Ross；　if　you　don't　mind　the　cold　outside。〃
　
　She　looked　at　me　in　surprise；　hesitated　for　a　moment；　then　nodded。　I　jumped　down；　reached　up　a　hand　to　steady　her；　then　helped　her　aboard　the　big　sled　as　it　passed　by　a　few　seconds　later。　For　a　short　time　we　just　sat　there；　side　by　side　on　a　petrol　drum；　watching　the　aurora　while　I　wondered　how　to　begin。　I　stared　almost　unseeingly　at　the　tremendous　sweep　of　the　developing　aurora；　the　great　folded；　fluted　curtain　of　yellow…green　with　red…tipped　feet　that　seemed　almost　to　brush　the　surface　of　the　ice…cap；　a　translucent　transparent　drapery…for　even　at　its　brightest　the　stars　still　shone　faintly　through…that　waved　and　shimmered　and　pulsed　and　glowed；　a　pastel　poem　in　insubstantia…lity；　like　the　ethereal　backdrop　to　some　unimaginably　beautiful　fairyland。　Margaret　Ross　sat　there　gazing　at　it　like　one　lost　in　a　trance。　But　she　might　have　been　looking　at　it　with　the　same　uncaring　eyes　as　myself；　lost　not　in　wonder　but　in　the　memory　of　the　man　we　had　left　behind　in　the　ice…cap。　And　when　she　turned　at　the　sound　of　my　voice；　and　I　saw　the　glow　of　the　aurora　reflected　in　the　sad　depths　of　the　wide　brown　eyes；　I　knew　I　was　right。
　
　〃Well；　Miss　Ross；　what　do　you　think　of　the　latest　development？〃
　
　〃Mr　Mahler？〃　She'd　slipped　up　her　snow…mask…in　her　case　just　a　gauze　and　cotton…wool　pad　with　a　central　breathing　aperture　…and　I　had　to　lean　forward　to　catch　her　soft　voice。　〃What　can　one　say　about　anything　so…so　dreadful。　What　chance　does　the　poor　man　have；　Dr　Mason？〃
　
　〃I've　honestly　no　idea。　There　are　far　too　many　unpredictable　factors　involved。。　。　。　Did　you　know　that　after　I'd　crossed　you　off　I'd　lined　him　up　as　number　one　on　my　list　of　suspects？〃
　
　〃No！〃
　
　〃But　yes；　I'm　afraid。　I　fear　I'm　no　sleuth；　Miss　Ross。　I　may　be　long　on　the　empirical；　trial　and　error　method…and　it　at　least　has　had　the　negative　advantage　of　reducing　the　number　of　suspects　by　two…but　I'm　pretty　short　on　the　deductive。〃　I　told　her　what　had　happened　between　Mahler　and　myself　during　the　brief　stop　we　had　made。
　
　〃