alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第39部分

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w　they're　still　safe。　They　must　have　been　desperate　to　take　a　chance　like　this。　It　is　a　great　pity。　I　do　not　think；　Dr　Mason；　that　you　will　ever　see　that　paper　again。〃
　
　Five　minutes　later　I　had　washed　and　bandaged　the　cut　on　my　forehead…I'd　savagely　told　an　inquiring　Zagero　that　I'd　walked　into　a　lamp…post　and　refused　to　answer　all　other　questions…and　set　off　with　Jackstraw　in　the　strengthening　light　of　the　newly…risen　moon。　We　were　late　for　our　rendezvous；　but　when　I　switched　the　receiver　into　the　antenna　I　heard　Joss's　call…up　sign　e　through　straight　away。
　
　I　acknowledged；　then　asked　without　preamble：　〃What　news　from　Uplavnik？〃
　
　〃Two　things；　Dr　Mason。〃　Hillcrest　had　taken　the　microphone　over　from　Joss；　and；　even　through　the　distortion　of　the　speaker；　his　voice　sounded　strange；　with　the　flat　controlled　unemotiona…lism　of　one　speaking　through　a　suppressed　anger。　〃Uplavnik　has　been　in　touch　with　HMS　Triton…the　carrier　ing　up　the　Davis　Strait。　Triton　is　in　constant　munication　with　the　British　Admiralty　and　the　Government。　Or　so　I　gather。
　
　〃The　answers　to　your　questions　are　these。　Firstly；　the　passenger　list　from　BOAC　in　America　is　not　yet　through；　but　it　is　known　from　newspaper　reports　that　the　following　three　people　were　aboard：　Marie　LeGarde；　the　musical　edy　star；　Senator　Hoffman　Brewster　of　the　United　States　and　a　Mrs　Phyllis　Dansby…Gregg；　who　appears　to　be　a　very　prominent　London　socialite。〃
　
　I　wasn't　greatly　excited　over　this　item　of　news。　Marie　LeGarde　had　never　been　a　suspect。　Mrs　Dansby…Gregg…and；　by　implication；　Helene　Fleming…had　never　had　more　than　a　faint　question　mark　against　their　names；　and　I　had　already　e　to　the　conclusion　that　it　was　long　odds　against　the　man　who　was；　or　purported　to　be；　Senator　Brewster　being　one　of　the　killers。
　
　〃The　second　thing　is　this。　The　Admiralty　cannot　or　will　not　say　why　the　plane　has　been　forced　down；　but　I　gather　there　must　have　been　a　most　vital　reason。　Uplavnik　suggests；　on　what　basis　I　cannot　say；　perhaps　it　is　officially　inspired；　that　some　person　aboard　the　plane　must　have　been　in　possession　of　something　of　the　utmost　importance；　so　important　that　plete　secrecy　was　vital。　Don't　ask　me　what　it　was。　A　microfilm；　a　formula；　something；　perhaps；　only　mitted　to　memory…it　sounds　fanciful；　but　that's　all　we　can　guess　at。　It　does　seem　likely　that　Colonel　Harrison　was　in　possession　of　it。〃
　
　I　looked　at　Jackstraw；　and　he　at　me。　The　man　who　had　so　recently　knocked　me　out　had　been　desperate　all　right。　I　knew　then　what　I　had　subconsciously　known　all　along；　that　I　was　dealing　blindfolded　against　a　man…or　men…far　cleverer　than　myself。　They　knew　that　Joss　couldn't　possibly　have　hoped　to　repair　the　RCA。　They　knew；　therefore；　that　I　must　have　been　talking　direct　to　Hillcrest。　They　knew；　because　I　had　told　them；　that　the　eight…watt　radio　we　had　with　us　had　a　range　of　not　more　than　150　miles　under　normal　conditions；　so　that　the　chances　were　high　that　Hillcrest　was　actually　speaking　from　the　IGY　cabin…or　a　point　even　nearer。　I　had　also　told　them　that　Hillcrest　and　his　four　panions　wouldn't　be　returning　from　their　field　trip　for　another　two　or　three　weeks；　so　that　this　premature　return　could　only　be　accounted　for　by　some　unforeseen　and　extraordinary　event。　It　wasn't　hard　to　guess　what　that　event　must　have　been。　That　I　should　ask　Hillcrest　to　find　out　the　reason　for　the　crash　followed　inevitably；　but　what　was　not　inevitable；　what　pointed　most　clearly　of　all　to　the　shrewdness　of　the　killers；　was　their　guess　that　whoever　knew　the　reason　for　the　crash　would　be　most　reluctant　to　go　into　specific　detail：　and　they　had　robbed　me　of　the　only　clue　that　might　have　helped　me　discover　what　that　detail　was　and　so　also；　I　felt　sure；　the　identity　of　the　killers。　But　the　time　was　far　past　now　for　crying　over　spilt　milk。
　
　I　pressed　the　switch　to　Transmit'。
　
　〃Thank　you。　But　please　radio　Uplavnik　again；　emphasise　desperate　urgency　of　finding　out　crash　reasons。　。　。　。　How　far　behind　do　you　estimate　you　are　now？　We　have　made　only　twenty　miles　since　noon。　Cold　extreme；　bad　radiator　trouble。　Over。〃
　
　〃We　have　made　only　eight　miles　since　noon。　It　seems…〃
　
　I　threw　the　switch　over。
　
　〃Eight　miles？〃　I　demanded　harshly。　〃Did　I　hear　you　say　eight　miles？〃
　
　〃You　heard。〃　Hillcrest's　voice　was　savage。　〃Remember　the　missing　sugar？　Well；　it's　turned　up。　Your　fine　friends　dumped　the　whole　bloody　lot　into　the　petrol。　We're　pletely　immobilised。〃
　
　
　CHAPTER　NINE…Wednesday　8　P。M。…Thursday　4　P。M。
　
　We　were　on　our　way　again　just　after　nine　o'clock　that　night。　It　had　been　my　original　intention；　by　dreaming　up　a　variety　of　excuses　and　even；　if　necessary；　by　sabotaging　the　engine；　to　stay　there　for　several　hours　or　at　least　what　I　reckoned　to　be　the　longest　possible　time　before　the　killers　became　restive；　suspected　that　I　was　deliberately　stalling；　and　took　over。　Or　tried　to　take　over。　For　it　had　been　my　further　intention　that；　after　an　hour　or　two；　Jackstraw　should　produce　his　rifle…it　was　strapped　to　his　shoulders　night　and　day…and　I　my　automatic；　and　hold　them　all　at　the　point　of　the　gun　until　Hillcrest　came　up。　If　all　had　gone　well；　he　should　have　been　with　us　by　midnight。　Our　troubles　would　have　been　over。
　
　But　it　had　not　gone　well；　our　troubles　were　as　bad　as　ever；　the　Sno…Cat　was　bogged　down　and　with　Mahler　now　seriously　ill　and　Marie　LeGarde　frighteningly　weak　and　exhausted；　I　couldn't　remain　any　longer。　Had　I　been　made　of　tougher　stuff；　or　even　had　I　not　been　a　doctor；　I　might　have　brought　myself　to　recognise　that　both　Marie　LeGarde　and　Theodore　Mahler　were　expendable　pawns　in　a　game　where　the　stakes；　I　was　now　certain；　were　far　greater　than　just　the　lives　of　one　or　two　people。　I　might　have　held　everybody…or　the　major　suspects；　at　least…at　gunpoint　until　such　time；　twenty…four　hours　if　need　be；　as　Hillcrest　did　e　up。　But　I　could　not　bring　myself　to　regard　our　sick　passengers　as　expendable　pawns。　A　weakness；　no　doubt；　but　one　that　I　was　almost　proud　to　share　with　Jackstraw；　who　felt　exactly　as　I　did。
　
　That　Hillcrest　would　e　up　eventually　I　felt　pretty　sure。　The　dumping　of　the　sugar　in　the　petrol…I　bit　my　lips　in　chagrin　whenever　I　remembered　that　it　had　been　I　who　had　told　them　all　that　Hillcrest　was　running　short　of　fuel…had　been　a　brilliant　move；　but　nothing　more；　now；　than　I　had　e　to　expect　of　men　who　thought　of　everything；　made　every　possible　provision　against　future　eventualities。　Still；　even　though　furiously　angry　at　the　delay；　Hillcrest　had　thought　he　could　cope　with　the　situation。　The　big　cabin　of　the　Sno…Cat　was　equipped　with　a　regular　workshop　with　tools　fit　to　deal　with　just　about　every　mechanical　breakdown；　and　already　his　driver…mechanic…1　didn't　envy　him　his　murderous　task　even　though　he　was　reportedly　working　behind　heated　canvas　aprons…had　stripped　down　the　engine　and　was　cleaning　pistons；　cylinder　walls　and　valves　of　the　unburnt　carbon　deposits　that　had　finally　ground　the　big　tractor　to　a　halt。　A　couple　of　others　had　rigged　up　a　makeshift　distillation　unit…a　petrol　drum；　almost　full；　with　a　thin　metal　tube　packed　in　ice　leading　from　its　top　to　an　empty　drum。　Petrol；　Hillcrest　had　explained；　had　a　lower　boiling　point　than　sugar；　and　when　the　drum　was　heated　the　evaporating　gas；　which　would　cool　in　the　ice…packed　tube；　should　emerge　as　pure　petrol。
　
　Such；　at　least；　was　the　theory；　although　Hillcrest　didn't　seem　absolutely　sure　of　himself。　He　had　asked　if　we　had　any　suggestion；　whether　we　could　help　him　in　any　way　at　all；　but　I　had　said　we　couldn't。　I　was　tragically；　unforgivably　wrong。　I　could　have　helped；　for　I　knew　something　that　no　one　else　did；　but；　at　the　moment；　I　pletely　forgot　it。　And　because　I　forgot；　nothing　could　now　avert　the　tragedy　that　was　to　e；　or　save　the　lives　of　those　who　were　about　to　die。
　
　My　thoughts　were　black　and　bitter　as　the　tractor　roared　and　lurched　and　clattered　its　way　south…west　by　west　under　the　deepening　darkness　of　a　sky　that　was　slowly　beginning　to　fill　with　cloud。　A　dark　depression　filled　me；　and　a　cold　rage；　and　there　was　room　in　my　mind　for　both。　I　had　a　strange　fey　sense　of　impending　disaster；　and　though　I　was　doctor　enough　to　know　that　it　was　almost　certainly　a　psychologically　induc