alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第38部分

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herself　and　her　maid　would　be　no　more　than　a　fading　and　unwele　memory：　but　for　all　my　dislike　of　Mrs　Dansby…Gregg；　I　was　beginning　to　develop　more　than　a　sneaking　admiration　for　her。　The　carefully　cherished　snobbery；　the　maddeningly　easy　and　condescending　assumption　of　an　inevitable　social　superiority　were　irritating　enough；　heaven　knew；　but　behind　that　unlovable　facade　seemed　to　lie　a　deep…buried　streak　of　that　selflessness　which　is　the　hallmark　of　the　genuine　aristocrat：　although　she　plained　constantly　about　the　tiny　irritations；　she　was　silent　on　matters　that　caused　her　genuine　suffering：　she　was　developing　a　certain　brusque　helpfulness；　as　if　she　was　half…ashamed　of　it；　and　showed　a　care　for　her　maid　which；　though　probably　no　more　than　that　feudal　kindness　that　reaches　its　best　in　adversity；　nevertheless　verged　almost　on　tenderness：　and　I　had　seen　her　take　a　mirror　from　her　handbag；　inspect　the　ravages　frostbite　had　wreaked　on　her　lovely　face；　then　return　the　mirror　to　her　bag　with　a　gesture　of　indifference。　Mrs　Dansby…Gregg；　in　short；　was　being　for　me　an　object　lesson　against　the　dangers　of　an　over…ready　classification　of　people　into　types。
　
　Marie　LeGarde；　the　lovable；　indomitable　Marie　LeGarde；　was　a　sick　old　woman；　weakening　by　the　hour。　Her　attempts　at　cheerfulness　in　her　fully　wakeful　moments…she　was　asleep　most　of　the　time…were　strained　and　almost　desperate。　The　effort　was　too　much。　There　was　nothing　I　could　do　for　her。　Like　an　old　watch；　her　time　was　running　out；　the　mainspring　of　her　life　running　down。　A　day　or　two　of　this　would　surely　kill　her。
　
　Solly　Levin　had　taken　over　the　blow…torches　which　played　constantly　against　the　sides　of　the　snow…buckets。　Wrapped　and　huddled　in　clothes　until　only　one　eye　was　visible；　he　nevertheless　achieved　the　near　impossible　of　looking　a　picture　of　abject　misery：　but　the　way　my　thoughts　had　been　running　all　day；　I　had　no　sympathy　to　waste　on　Mr　Levin。　Margaret　Ross　dozed　by　the　side　of　the　stove　but　I　turned　my　eyes　away　quickly；　even　to　look　at　that　thin　white　face　was　a　physical　hurt。
　
　The　marvel　of　them　all　was　Mr　Smallwood；　yet　another　instance；　I　thought　wryly；　of　how　wrong　I　could　get。　Instead　of　being　one　of　the　first　to　go　under；　he　showed　every　sign　of　being　the　last。　Three　hours　ago；　when　I　had　been　in　the　cabin；　he　had　brought　up　his　bag　from　the　tractor　sled；　and　as　he'd　opened　it　I'd　caught　a　glimpse　of　a　black　gown　and　the　red　and　purple　divinity　hood。　He'd　brought　out　a　Bible；　donned　a　pair　of　rimless　steel　spectacles　and；　for　several　hours　now；　had　been　reading　as　best　he　could　in　the　dim　overhead　light。　He　seemed　posed；　relaxed　yet　alert；　fit　to　carry　on　for　a　long　time　to　e。　As　doctor　and　scientist　I　didn't　go　in　much　for　theological　speculation；　but　I　could　only　suppose　that　Mr　Smallwood　was　in　some　way　sustained　by　something　that　was　denied　the　rest　of　us。　I　could　only　envy　him。
　
　During　the　course　of　the　evening　two　blows　fell。　The　first　of　these　was　not　in　any　way　figurative。　I　still　have　the　scar　on　my　forehead　to　prove　it。
　
　We　stopped　just　before　eight　o'clock　that　evening；　partly　in　order　to　keep　our　radio　schedule　with　Hillcrest；　partly…because　I　wanted　to　make　a　long　halt；　to　give　Hillcrest　all　the　more　opportunity　to　overtake　us…on　the　pretext　that　the　Citroen's　engine　was　overheating　badly　in　the　temperature　that　had　been　rising　steadily　since　the　early　afternoon。　But　despite　the　fact　that　it　was　now　almost　twenty…five　degrees　warmer　than　in　mid…afternoon；　it　was　still　bitterly　cold…our　hunger　and　physical　exhaustion　saw　to　it　that　we　still　suffered　almost　as　much　as　ever　…dark　and　very　still。　Far　away　to　the　south…west　we　could　see　the　jagged　saw…tooth　line　of　the　Vindeby　Nunataks…that　hundred…mile　long　ridge　of　hills　that　we　would　have　to　cross　the　next　day…the　forbidding　peaks　a　gleaming　crystalline　white　in　the　light　of　the　moon　that　had　not　yet　topped　our　eastern　horizon。
　
　I　was　driving　when　we　stopped。　I　switched　off　the　motor；　walked　round　to　the　back　of　the　tractor　and　told　those　inside　that　we　were　making　a　halt。　I　asked　Margaret　Ross　to　heat　some　food　on　the　stove…soup；　dried　fruit；　one　of　our　four　remaining　tins　of　corned　beef…asked　Jackstraw　to　rig　up　the　antenna　for　the　radio；　then　went　back　to　the　tractor；　stooped　and　turned　the　radiator　drainage　cap；　catching　the　liquid　hi　a　can。　Hie　anti…freeze　in　the　water　had　been　thinned　down　so　much　in　the　course　of　the　day　that　I　was　pretty　certain　that；　in　those　temperatures；　it　wouldn't　take　half　an　hour　for　the　radiator　water　to　freeze　up　and　split　open　the　cylinder　jacket。
　
　I　suppose　it　was　because　of　the　gurgling　of　the　water　into　the　can　that　I　didn't　hear　the　sound　behind　me　until　the　last　moment；　and　even　so　I　had　no　particular　reason　just　then　to　be　suspicious　of　anything。　I　half…straightened　and　turned　round　to　see　who　was　there；　but　I　was　too　late。　The　consciousness　of　a　vague　blur　hi　the　darkness　and　the　blinding　white　flash　of　light　and　pain　as　something　solid　smashed　into　my　forehead；　just　above　the　goggles　on　my　right　eye；　came　in　one　and　the　same　instant。　I　was　out；　pletely　unconscious；　long　before　I　crumpled　down　on　to　the　frozen　surface　of　the　ice…cap。
　
　Death　could　easily　have　supervened　then。　It　would　have　been　easy；　ever　so　easy；　for　me　to　drift　from　unconsciousness　into　that　numbed　sleep　from　which；　almost　eighty　degrees　of　frost　in　the　ground；　I　would　never　have　awaked。　But　awake　I　did；　slowly；　painfully；　reluctantly；　at　the　insistence　of　urgently　shaking　hands。
　
　〃Dr　Mason！　Dr　Mason！〃　Dimly　I　realised　that　it　was　Jackstraw　speaking；　that　he　had　my　head　and　shoulders　supported　in　the　crook　of　his　arm。　His　voice　was　low；　but　with　a　peculiarly　carrying　quality。　〃Wake　up；　Dr　Mason。　Ah；　good；　good。　Easy　does　it　now；　Dr　Mason。〃
　
　Groggily；　Jackstraw's　strong　arm　helping；　I　levered　myself　up　into　an　upright　sitting　position。　A　brilliant　flame　of　pain　lanced　like　a　scalpel　through　my　head；　I　felt　everything　blurring　once　more；　consciously；　almost　violently；　shook　off　the　shadows　that　were　creeping　in　on　me　again；　then　looked　dazedly　up　at　Jackstraw。　I　couldn't　see　very　well；　I　thought　for　one　frightening　moment　that　the　vision　centre　had　been　damaged　when　the　back　of　my　head　had　struck　against　the　iron…hard　ice…cap…the　ache　there　was　almost　as　severe　as　the　one　in　my　forehead…but　I　soon　discovered　that　it　was　only　the　blood　seeping　from　the　cut　on　my　forehead　that　had　frozen　and　gummed　together　the　lids　of　my　right　eye。
　
　〃No　idea　who　did　it；　Dr　Mason？〃　Jackstraw　wasn't　the　man　to　ask　stupid　questions　like　'What　happened？〃
　
　〃No　idea　at　all。〃　I　struggled　to　my　feet。　〃Have　you？〃
　
　〃Hopeless。〃　I　could　sense　rather　than　see　the　shrug　in　the　darkness。　〃As　soon　as　you　stopped；　three　or　four　of　them　came　out。　I　don't　know　where　they　went　…1　was　out　to　the　south　rigging　up　the　antenna。〃
　
　〃The　radio；　Jackstraw！〃　I　was　beginning　to　think　again。　〃Where's　the　radio？〃
　
　〃No　worry；　Dr　Mason；　I　have　it　with　me；〃　Jackstraw　said　grimly。　〃It's　here。　。　。　。　Any　idea　whyT
　
　〃None。。　。　。　Yes；　I　have。〃　I　thrust　my　hand　into　the　inside　pocket　of　my　parka；　then　looked　at　Jackstraw　in　disbelief。　〃My　gun…it's　still　there！〃
　
　〃Nothing　else　missing？〃
　
　〃No。　Spare　ammo　clip　there…wait　a　moment；〃　I　said　slowly。　I　hunted　around　in　my　parka　pocket；　but　with　no　success。　〃A　paper　…1　took　a　newspaper　cutting　from　Colonel　Harrison's　pocket…it's　gone。〃
　
　〃A　cutting？　What　was　in　it；　Dr　Mason？〃
　
　〃You're　talking　to　one　of　the　world's　prize　idiots；　Jackstraw。〃　I　shook　my　head　in　self…reproach；　winced　as　the　pain　struck　again。　〃I've　never　even　read　the　damn'　thing。〃
　
　〃If　you　had；〃　Jackstraw　murmured　philosophically；　〃you'd　probably　know　why　it　was　taken　from　you。〃
　
　〃But…but　what　was　the　point　in　it？〃　I　asked　blankly。　〃For　all　they　know　I　might　have　read　it　a　dozen　times。〃
　
　〃I　think　they　know　you　haven't　even　read　it　once；〃　Jackstraw　said　slowly。　〃If　you　had；　they'd　have　known　it　by　the　fact　that　you　would　have　said　or　done　something　they　would　have　expected　you　to　say　or　do。　But　because　you　haven't…well；　they　know　they're　still　safe。　They　must　have　been　desperate　to　take　a　chance　like　this。　It　is　a　great　pity。