alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第60部分

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rd　of　the　tractor　cabin；　Margaret　Ross　still　held　in　front　of　him；　and　started　hustling　her　towards　the　rocks；　a　hoarse　high…pitched　scream　that　raised　the　hackles　on　the　back　of　my　neck　froze　us　all；　even　Smallwood；　to　immobility：　and　then　came　a　long　quavering　moan　of　agony；　cut　off　as　abruptly　as　it　had　begun。　And　now　there　was　no　more　screaming　or　moaning；　no　more　slipping　of　feet　on　ice；　no　more　gasping　or　frenzied　flurries　bespeaking　the　interchange　of　desperate　blows：　there　was　only　silence；　a　silence　chillingly　broken　by　regular　rhythmic　pounding　blows　like　the　stamping　feet　of　a　pile…driver。
　
　Smallwood　had　recovered；　had　just　reached　the　rocks　when　Zagero　came　out　to　meet　him　face　to　face。　Smallwood　moved　to　one　side；　his　gun　covering　him；　as　Zagero　came　slowly　towards　us；　his　face　cut　and　bruised；　his　blood…saturated　bandaged　hands　hanging　by　his　sides；　with　two　long　ribbons　of　red…stained　bandage　trailing　on　the　ice　behind　him。
　
　〃Finished？〃　I　asked。
　
　〃Finished。〃
　
　〃Good；〃　I　said；　and　meant　it。　〃Your　father's　still　alive；　Johnny。　Scalp　wound；　that's　all。〃
　
　His　battered　face　transformed；　first　by　disbelief　then　by　sheer　joy；　Zagero　dropped　on　his　knees　beside　Solly　Levin。　I　saw　Smallwood　line　his　pistol　on　Zagero's　back。
　
　〃Don't　do　it；　Smallwood！〃　I　shouted。　〃You'll　only　have　four　shells　left。〃
　
　His　eyes　swivelled　to　my　face；　the　cold　flat　eyes　of　a　killer；　then　the　meaning　of　my　words　struck　home；　his　expression　subtly　altered　and　he　nodded　as　if　I　had　made　some　reasonable　suggestion。　He　turned　to　Jackstraw；　the　nearest　man　to　him；　and　said；　〃Bring　out　my　radio。〃
　
　Jackstraw　moved　to　obey；　and　while　he　was　inside　the　cabin　Zagero　rose　slowly　to　his　feet。
　
　〃Does　look　like　I　was　a　mite　premature；〃　he　murmured。　He　glanced　towards　the　rocks；　and　there　was　no　regret　in　his　face；　only　indifference。　〃Half　a　dozen　witnesses；　and　'you　all　saw　him　beatin'　himself　to　death。　。　。　。　You're　next；　Smallwood。〃
　
　〃Corazzini　was　a　fool；〃　Smallwood　said　contemptuously。　The　man's　cold…blooded　callousness　was　staggering。　〃I　can　easily　replace　him。　Just　leave　that　radio　here；　Nielsen；　and　join　your　friends…while　I　join　mine。〃　He　nodded　down　the　glacier。　〃Or　perhaps　you　hadn't　noticed？〃
　
　And　we　hadn't。　But　we　noticed　it　now　all　right；　the　first　of　the　party　from　the　trawler　climbing　on　to　the　ice　at　the　precipitous　tip　of　the　glacier。　Within　seconds　half　a　dozen　of　them　were　on　the　ice；　running；　stumbling；　falling；　picking　themselves　up　again　as　they　clawed　their　way　up　the　slippery　ice　with　all　the　speed　they　could　muster。
　
　〃My…ah…reception　mittee。〃　Smallwood　permitted　himself　the　shadow　of　a　smile。　〃You　will　remain　here　while　Miss　Ross　and　I　make　our　way　down　to　meet　them。　You　will　not　move。　I　have　the　girl。〃　Victory；　plete　and　absolute　victory　was　in　his　grasp；　but　his　voice；　his　face　were　again　devoid　as　ever　of　all　shadow　of　expression　or　feeling。　He　stooped　to　pick　up　the　portable　radio；　then　swung　round　and　stared　up　into　the　sky。
　
　I　had　heard　it　too；　and　I　knew　what　it　was　before　Smallwood　did　because　it　was　a　factor　that　had　never　entered　into　his　calculations。　But　there　was　no　need　for　me　to　explain；　within　seconds　of　hearing　the　first　high　screaming　whine　from　the　south　a　flight　of　four　lean　sleek　deadly　Scimitar　jet　fighters　whistled　by　less　than　four　hundred　feet　overhead；　banked　almost　immediately；　broke　formation　and　came　back　again；　speed　reduced；　flying　a　tight　circle　over　the　tongue　of　the　fjord。　I　don't　like　planes；　and　I　hate　the　sound　of　jets：　but　I　had　never　seen　so　wele　a　sight；　heard　so　wonderful　a　sound　in　all　my　life。
　
　〃Jet　fighters；　Smallwood；〃　I　cried　exultantly。　〃Jet　fighters　from　a　naval　carrier。　We　called　them　up　by　radio。〃　He　was　staring　at　the　circling　planes　with　his　thin　lips　drawn　back　wolfishly　over　his　teeth；　and　I　went　on　more　softly：　〃They've　had　orders　to　shoot　and　destroy　any　person　seen　going　down　that　glacier…any　person；　especially；　with　a　case　or　radio　in　his　hand。〃　It　was　a　lie；　but　Smallwood　wasn't　to　know　that；　the　very　presence　of　the　jets　above　must　have　seemed　confirmation　of　the　truth　of　my　words。
　
　〃They　wouldn't　dare；〃　he　said　slowly。　〃They'd　kill　the　girl　too。〃
　
　〃You　fool！〃　I　said　contemptuously。　〃Not　only　doesn't　human　life　matter　a　damn　to　either　side　pared　to　the　recovery　of　the　mechanism…you　should　know　that　better　than　anyone；　Small…wood…but　these　planes　have　been　told　to　watch　out　for　and　kill　two　people　going　down　the　glacier。　Wrapped　in　these　clothes；　Miss　Ross　is　indistinguishable　from　a　man…especially　from　the　air。　They'll　think　it's　you　and　Corazzini　and　they'll　blast　you　both　off　the　face　of　the　glacier。〃
　
　I　knew　Smallwood　believed　me；　believed　me　absolutely；　this　was　so　exactly　the　way　his　own　killer's　mind　would　have　worked　in　its　utterly　callous　indifference　to　human　life　that　conviction　could　not　be　stayed。　But　he　had　courage；　I'll　grant　him　that；　and　that　first…class　brain　of　his　never　stopped　working。
　
　〃There's　no　hurry；〃　he　said　fortably。　He　was　back　on　balance　again。　〃They　can　circle　there　as　long　as　they　like；　they　can　send　out　relief　planes　to　take　over；　it　doesn't　matter。　As　long　as　I'm　with　you　here；　they　won't　touch　me。　And　in　just　over　an　hour　or　so　it　will　be　dark　again；　after　which　I　can　leave。　Meantime；　stay　close　to　me；　gentlemen：　I　don't　think　you　would　so　willingly　sacrifice　Miss　Ross's　life。〃
　
　〃Don't　listen　to　him；〃　Margaret　said　desperately。　Her　voice　was　almost　a　sob；　her　face　twisted　in　pain。　〃Go　away；　please；　all　of　you；　go　away。　I　know　he's　going　to　kill　me　in　the　end　anyway。　It　may　as　well　be　now。〃　She　buried　her　face　in　her　hands。　〃I　don't　care　any　more；　I　don't；　I　don't！〃
　
　〃But　I　care；〃　I　said　angrily。　Soft　words；　sympathetic　words　were　useless　here。　〃We　all　care。　Don't　be　such　a　little　fool。　Everything　will　be　all　right；　you'll　see。〃
　
　〃Spoken　like　a　man；〃　said　Smallwood　approvingly。　〃Only；　my　dear；　I　wouldn't　pay　much　attention　to　the　last　pan　of　his　speech。〃
　
　〃Why　don't　you　give　up；　Smallwood？〃　I　asked　him　quietly。　I　had　neither　hope　nor　intention　of　persuading　this　fanatic；　I　was　only　talking　for　time；　for　I　had　seen　something　that　had　made　my　heart　leap：　moving　quietly　out　over　the　right…hand　side　of　the　glacier；　from　the　self…same　spot　where　we　had　lain　in　ambush；　was　a　file　of　about　a　dozen　men。　〃Bombers　have　already　taken　off　from　the　carrier；　and；　believe　me；　they're　carrying　bombs。　Bombs　and　incendiaries。　And　do　you　know　why；　Smallwood？〃
　
　They　were　dressed　in　khaki；　this　landing　party　from　the　Wykenham；　not　navy　blue。　Marines；　almost　certainly；　unless　they　had　been　carrying　soldiers　on　some　bined　manoeuvres。　They　were　heavily　armed；　and　had　that　indefinable　but　unmistakable　look　of　men　who　knew　exactly　what　they　were　about。　Their　leader；　I　noticed；　wasn't　fooling　around　with　the　usual　pistol　a　naval　officer　in　charge　of　a　landing　party　traditionally　carried：　he　had　a　sub…machine…gun　under　his　arm；　the　barrel　gripped　in　his　left　hand。　Three　others　had　similar　weapons；　the　rest　rifles。
　
　〃Because　they're　going　to　make　good　and　sure　you're　never　going　to　get　off　this　glacier　alive；　Smallwood；〃　I　went　on。　〃At　least；　not　out　of　the　fjord　alive。　Neither　you　nor　any　of　your　friends　ing　to　meet　you…nor　any　of　the　men　waiting　aboard　that　trawler　down　there。〃
　
　God；　how　slowly　they　were　ing！　Why　didn't　one　of　their　marksmen　with　a　rifle　shoot　Smallwood　there　and　then…at　that　moment；　the　thought　that　a　rifle　bullet　would　have　gone　clear　though　Smallwood　and　killed　the　girl　held　so　tightly　in　front　of　him　never　occurred　to　me。　But　if　I　could　hold　his　attention　another　thirty　seconds；　if　none　of　the　others　standing　by　my　side　betrayed　by　the　slightest　flicker　of　expression…
　
　〃They're　going　to　destroy　that　trawler；　Smallwood；〃　I　rushed　on　quickly。　The　men　advancing　up　from　the　foot　of　the　glacier　were　waving　their　arms　furiously　now；　shouting　wildly　in　warning；　and　even　at　over　three…quarters　of　a　mile　their　voices　were　carrying　clearly。　I　had　to　try　to　drown　their　voices；　to　make　sure　that　Smallwood　kept　his　eyes　fixed　only　on　me。　〃They're　going　to　blow　it　out　of　the　water；　it　and　you　and　that　damned　missile　me