alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第58部分

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n　it　would　be　so　easy　to　shoot　them；　so　much　easier　still　to　throw　them　down　a　crevasse　or　shove　them　over　the　edge　of　the　glacier　into　the　freezing　waters　of　the　fjord　a　hundred　and　fifty　feet　below。。　。　。　Already　the　Citroen　was　no　more　than　three　minutes　away　from　the　nearest　point　of　approach　they　would　make　to　us。
　
　〃Looks　like　they're　going　to　get　away　with　it；〃　Hillcrest　whispered。　It　seemed　as　if　he　feared　he　might　be　overheard；　though　Smallwood　and　Corazzini　couldn't　have　heard　him　had　he　shouted　at　the　top　of　his　voice。
　
　〃Well；　that　was　what　you　wanted；　wasn't　it？〃　I　asked　bitterly。
　
　〃What　I　wanted！　My　God；　man；　that　missile　mechanism…〃
　
　〃I　don't　give　a　single　solitary　damn　about　the　missile　mechanism。〃　I　ground　the　words　out　between　clenched　teeth。　〃Six　months　from　now　other　scientists　will　have　invented　something　twice　as　good　and　ten　times　as　secret。　They're　wele　to　it；　and　with　pleasure。〃
　
　Hillcrest　was　shocked；　but　said　nothing。　But　someone　was　in　agreement　with　me。
　
　〃Hear；　hear！〃　Zagero　had　just　e　up；　his　hands　swathed　to　the　size　of　boxing　gloves　in　white　bandages。　The　words　were　light　enough；　but　his　face　was　grim　and　his　eyes　bleak　as　he　stared　out　across　the　glacier。　〃My　sentiments　exactly；　Doc。　To　hell　with　their　murderous　little　toys。　My　old　man's　in　that　buggy　out　there。　And　your　girl。〃
　
　〃His　girl？〃　Hillcrest　turned；　looked　sharply　at　me　under　creased　brows　for　a　long　moment；　then　murmured：　〃Sorry；　boy；　I　didn't　understand。〃
　
　I　made　no　response；　but　twisted　my　head　as　I　heard　footsteps　behind　me。　It　was　Joss；　hatless　and　gloveless　in　his　excitement。
　
　〃Wykenham's　anchored；　sir；〃　he　panted　out。　〃Her…〃
　
　〃Get　down；　man！　They'll　see　you。〃
　
　〃Sorry。〃　He　dropped　to　his　hands　and　knees。　〃Her　powerboat's　already　moving　inshore。　And　there　was　a　flight　of　four　Scimitars　already　airborne：　they　should　be　half…way　here　already。　In　two　minutes'…time　four　or　five　bombers　are　taking　off；　with　HE　and　incendiaries。　They're　slower；　but…〃
　
　〃Bombers？〃　I　snapped　irritably。　〃Bombers？　What　do　they　think　this　is…the　Second　Front？〃
　
　〃No　sir。　They're　going　to　clobber　the　trawler　if　Smallwood　gets　away　with　that　missile　mechanism。　They　won't　get　a　hundred　yards。〃
　
　〃The　hell　with　their　missile　mechanism。　Do　human　lives　mean　nothing　to　them？　What　is　it；　Jackstraw？〃
　
　〃Lights；　Dr　Mason。〃　He　pointed　to　the　spot　on　the　fjord　wall　where　the　men　from　the　trawler　had　already　covered　two…thirds　of　the　horizontal　and　vertical　distance　to　the　end　of　the　glacier。　〃Signalling；　I　think。〃
　
　I　saw　it　right　away；　a　small　light；　but　powerful；　winking　irregularly。　I　watched　it　for　a　few　moments　then　heard　Joss's　voice。
　
　〃It's　morse；　but　it's　not　our　morse；　sir。〃
　
　〃They're　hardly　likely　to　signal　in　English　just　for　our　benefit；〃　I　said　dryly。　I　tried　to　speak　calmly；　to　hide　the　fear；　the　near　despair　in　my　mind；　and　when　I　spoke　again　my　voice；　I　knew；　was　abnormally　matter…of…fact。　〃It's　the　tip…off　to　our　friends　Small…wood　and　Corazzini。　If　we　can　see　the　men　from　the　trawler；　it's　a　cinch　the　men　from　the　trawler　can　see　us。　The　point　is；　do　Smallwood　and　Corazzini　understand　them？〃
　
　Five　seconds　later　I　had　my　answer　in　the　form　of　a　suddenly　deepening　roar　ing　to　us　across　the　glacier　from　the　engine　of　the　Citroen。　Corazzini…Hillcrest's　binoculars　had　shown　him　to　be　the　driver…had　understood　the　danger　all　right；　he　was　casting　caution　to　the　winds　and　gunning　the　engine　to　its　maximum。　He　must　have　been　desperate；　desperate　to　the　point　of　madness；　for　no　sane　man　would　have　taken　the　fearful　risks　of　driving　that　tractor　through　sloping　crevasse　ice　with　the　friction　coefficient　between　treads　and　surface　reduced　almost　to　zero。　Or　could　it　be　that　he　just　didn't　know　the　suicidal　dangers　involved？
　
　After　a　few　seconds　I　was　convinced　he　didn't。　In　the　first　place；　I　couldn't　see　either　Corazzini　or　Smallwood　as　men　who　would　panic　under　pressure；　no　matter　how　severe　that　pressure；　and　in　the　second　place　suicidal　risks　weren't　absolutely　necessary；　they　would　have　stood　a　more　than　even　chance　of　getting　away　with　their　lives　and　the　…missile　mechanism　if　they　had　stopped　the　tractor；　got　out　and　picked　their　cautious　way　down　the　glacier　on　foot；　with　their　pistol　barrels　stuck　in　the　backs　of　their　hostages。　Or　would　they…rather；　did　they　think　they　would？
　
　I　tried　fleetingly；　frantically；　to　get　inside　their　cold　and　criminal　minds；　to　try　to　understand　their　conception　of　us。　Did　they　think　that　we　thought；　like　them；　that　the　mechanism　was　all　important；　that　human　lives　were　cheap　and　readily　expendable？　If　they　did；　and　guessing　the　quality　of　Jackstraw's　marksmanship　with　a　rifle；　would　they　not　be　convinced　that　they　would　be　shot　down　as　soon　as　they　had　stepped　out　on　to　the　ice；　regardless　of　the　fate　of　their　hostages？　Or　did　they　have　a　better　understanding　than　that　of　minds　more　normal　than　their　own？
　
　Even　as　these　thoughts　flashed　through　my　mind　I　knew　I　must　act　now。　The　time　for　thought；　had　there　ever　been　such　a　time；　was　past。　If　they　were　left　to　continue　in　the　tractor；　they　would　either　kill　themselves　on　the　glacier　or　if；　by　a　miracle；　they　reached　the　bottom　safely；　they　would　then　kill　their　hostages。　If　they　were　stopped　now；　there　was　a　faint　chance　that　Margaret　and　Levin　might　survive；　at　least　for　the　moment：　they　were　Smallwood's　and　Corazzini's　only　two　trump　cards；　and　would　be　kept　intact　as　long　as　lay　within　their　power；　for　they　were　their　only　guarantee　of　escape。　I　just　had　to　gamble　on　the　hope　that　they　would　be　desperately　reluctant　to　kill　them　where　they　were　now；　still　a　mile　from　the　end　of　the　glacier。　And　the　last　time　I　had　gambled　I　had　lost。
　
　〃Can　you　stop　the　tractor？〃　I　asked　Jackstraw；　my　voice　a　flat　lifeless　monotone　in　my　own　ear。
　
　He　nodded；　his　eyes　on　me：　I　nodded　silently　in　return。
　
　〃You　can't　do　that！〃　Zagero　shouted　in　urgent　protest。　The　drawl　had　gone　for　the　first　time　ever。　〃They'll　kill　them；　they'll　kill　them！　My　God；　Mason；　if　you're　really　stuck　on　that　kid　you'd　never…〃
　
　〃Shut　up！〃　I　said　savagely。　I　grabbed　acoil　of　rope；　picked　up　my　rifle　and　went　on　brutally：　〃If　you　think　they'd　ever　let　your　father　e　out　of　this　alive　you　must　be　crazy。〃
　
　A　second　later　I　was　on　my　way；　plunging　out　into　the　open　across　the　narrow　thirty…yard　stretch　of　ice　that　led　into　the　first　of　the　fissures；　wincing　and　ducking　involuntarily　as　the　first　。303　shell　from　Jackstraw's　rifle　screamed　past　me；　only　feet　to　my　right；　and　smashed　through　the　hood　of　the　Citroen　and　into　the　engine　with　all　the　metallic　clamour；　the　vicious　power　of　a　sledge…hammer　wielded　by　some　giant　hand。　But　still　the　Citroen　came　on。
　
　I　leapt　across　a　narrow　crevasse；　steadied　myself；　glanced　back　for　a　moment；　saw　that　Hillcrest；　Joss；　Zagero　and　a　couple　of　Hillcrest's　men　were　following；　then　rushed　on　again；　weaving　and　twisting　my　way　through　the　cracks　and　mounds　in　the　ice。　What　was　Zagero　doing　there；　I　asked　myself　angrily？　Unarmed；　with　two　useless　hands　that　could　hold　no　firearm；　he　was　nothing　but　a　liability；　what　could　any　man　do　with　ruined　hands　like　those？　I　was　to　find　out　just　what　a　man　with　ruined　hands　could　do。　。。。
　
　We　were　running　straight　across　the　narrowest　neck　of　the　glacier　making　straight　for　the　spot　where　the　tractor　would　arrive　if　it　survived　Jackstraw's　attempts　to　halt　it：　Jackstraw　was　firing　in　a　line　well　above　us　now；　but　we　could　still　hear　the　thin　high　whine　of　every　bullet；　the　metallic　crash　as　it　struck　the　Citroen。　Every　bullet　went　home。　But　that　engine　was　incredibly　tough。
　
　We　were　about　half…way　across　when　we　heard　the　engine　change　gear；　the　high　unmistakable　whine　of　the　tractor　beginning　to　overrun　its　engine。　Corazzini…I　could　clearly　see　him　now；　even　without　the　aid　of　binoculars…must　have　found　himself　losing　control　on　the　steepening　slope　and　was　using　the　engine　to　brake　the　Citroen。　And　then；　when　we　were　less　than　a　hundred　yards　away　and　after　a　longer　than　usual　lull　in　the　firing　…Jackstraw　must　have　stopped　to　change　magazines…the　sixth　shell　smashed　through　the　riddle