alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第61部分

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　fixed　only　on　me。　〃They're　going　to　blow　it　out　of　the　water；　it　and　you　and　that　damned　missile　mechanism。　What's　the　use　of…〃
　
　But　it　was　too　late。　Smallwood　had　heard　the　shouts　even　as　I　had　begun　to　speak；　twisted　his　head　to　look　down　the　valley；　saw　the　direction　of　the　pointing　arms；　glanced　briefly　over　his　shoulder；　then　turned　to　face　me　again；　his　face　twisted　in　a　bestial　snarl；　that　monolithic　calm　shattered　at　last：
　
　〃Who　are　they？〃　he　demanded　viciously。　〃What　are　they　doing？　Quick…or　the　girl　gets　it！〃
　
　〃It's　a　landing　party　from　the　destroyer　in　the　next　bay；〃　I　said　steadily。　〃This　is　the　end；　Smallwood。　Maybe　you'll　stand　trial　yet。〃
　
　〃I'll　kill　the　girl！〃　he　whispered　savagely。
　
　〃They'll　kill　you。　They've　been　ordered　to　recover　that　mechanism　at　all　costs。　Nobody's　playing　any　more；　Smallwood。　Give　up　your　gun。〃
　
　He　swore；　vilely；　blasphemously；　the　first　time　I　had　ever　heard　such　words　from　him；　and　leapt　for　the　driving　cabin　of　the　tractor；　pushing　the　girl　in　front　of　him　while　his　pistol　swung　in　a　wide　arc　covering　all　of　us。　I　understood　what　he　was　going　to　do；　what　this　last　desperate　suicidal　gamble　was　going　to　be；　and　hurled　myself　at　the　door　of　the　driving　cabin。
　
　〃You　madman！〃　My　voice　was　a　scream。　〃You'll　kill　yourself；　you'll　kill　the　girl…〃
　
　The　gun　coughed　softly；　I　felt　the　white…hot　burning　pain　in　my　upper　arm　and　crashed　backward　on　to　the　ice　just　as　Smallwood　released　the　brakes　of　the　Citroen。　At　once　the　big　tractor　started　to　move；　those　murderous　treads　passing　inches　from　me　as　Jackstraw　leapt　forward　and　dragged　me　to　safety　a　second　before　they　would　have　run　over　my　face。　The　next　moment　I　was　on　my　feet；　running　after　the　tractor；　Jackstraw　at　my　heels：　I　suppose　that　wound　just　below　my　shoulder　must　have　been　hurting　like　hell；　but　the　truth　is　that　I　felt　nothing　at　all。
　
　The　tractor；　with　next　to　no　adhesion　left　on　the　steepening　slope　of　ice；　accelerated　with　dismaying　speed；　soon　outdistancing　us。　At　first　it　seemed　as　if　Smallwood　was　making　some　attempt　to　steer　it；　but　it　was　obvious　almost　immediately　that　any　such　attempts　were　utterly　useless：　five　tons　of　steel　ran　amok；　it　was　pletely　out　of　control；　skidding　violently　first　to　one　side　then　the　other；　finally　making　a　plete　half…circle　and　sliding　backward　down　the　glacier　at　terrifying　speed；　following　the　slope　of　the　ice　which　led　from　the　right…hand　side　where　we　had　been　standing　to　the　big　nunataks　thrusting　up　through　the　ice　on　the　far　left…hand　corner　of　the　dog…leg　half…way　down。
　
　How　it　missed　all　the　crevasses…it　went　straight　across　some　narrow　ones；　thanks　to　its　treads…and　all　the　ice…mounds　on　the　way　down　and　across　the　glacier　I　shall　never　know；　but　miss　them　it　did；　increasing　speed　with　every　second　that　passed；　its　treads　screeching　out　a　shrilly　metallic　cacophony　of　sound　as　they　scored　their　serrated　way　across　and　through　the　uneven　ice　of　the　glacier。　But　then；　I　shall　never　know　either　how　Jackstraw　and　I　survived　all　the　crazy　chances　we　took　on　our　mad　headlong　run　down　that　glacier；　unable　to　stop；　leaping　across　crevasses　we　would　never　have　dared　attempt　in　our　normal　minds；　pounding　our　sliding　way　alongside　others　where　the　slip　of　either　foot　would　have　been　our　death。
　
　We　were　still　two　hundred　yards　behind　the　tractor　when；　less　than　fifty　yards　from　the　corner；　it　struck　an　ice…mound；　spun　round　crazily　several　times　and　then　smashed；　tail　first；　with　horrifying　force　into　the　biggest　of　the　nunataks…a　fifty…foot　pinnacle　of　rock　at　the　very　corner。　We　were　still　over　a　hundred　yards　away　when　we　saw　Small　wood；　obviously　dazed；　half…fall　out　of　the　still　upright　driving　cabin；　hat…box　in　hand；　followed　by　the　girl。　Whether　she　flung　herself　at　him　or　just　stumbled　against　him　it　was　impossible　to　say；　but　both　of　them　slipped　and　fell　together　and　next　moment　had　disappeared　from　sight　against　the　face　of　the　nunatak。
　
　Still　fifty　yards　away；　already　trying　all　we　could　to　brake　ourselves；　we　heard　the　staccato　roar　of　cannon　shells　seemingly　directly　above　us　and　as　I　flung　myself　flat　on　the　ice；　not　to　avoid　the　fire　but　to　stop　myself　before　I；　too；　plunged　into　the　crevasse　by　the　nunatak　where　I　knew　Margaret　and　Smallwood　must　have　disappeared；　I　caught　a　glimpse　of　two　Scimitars　hurtling　low　across　the　glacier；　red　fire　streaking　from　their　guns。　For　a　moment；　rolling　over　and　over；　I　saw　no　more；　then　I　had　another　glimpse　of　the　lower　part　of　the　glacier；　of　exploding　cannon　shells　raking　a　lethal　barrier　of　fragmenting　steel　across　the　glacier's　entire　width；　and；　about　sixty　or　seventy　yards　lower　down；　the　men　from　the　trawler　lying　flat　on　their　faces　to　escape　the　whistling　flying　shrapnel。　Even　in　that　brief　moment　I　had　time　to　see　a　third　Scimitar　screaming　down　out　of　the　north；　exactly　following　the　path　of　the　other　two。　They　were　making　no　attempt　to　kill　the　trawler　men；　obviously　they　were　under　the　strictest　instructions　to　avoid　any　but　the　most　necessary　bloodshed。　And　it　wasn't　necessary；　if　ever　anything　was　crystal　clear　it　was　the　fact　that　we　weren't　going　to　have　any　trouble　at　all　from　those　trawler　men。　Both　men　and　trawler　could　depart　now；　unmolested：　with　the　missile　mechanism　beyond　their　reach；　they　no　longer　mattered。
　
　Ten　yards　ahead　of　Jackstraw；　sick　to　the　heart　and　almost　mad　with　fear；　I　reached　the　crevasse　by　the　nunatak…no　more　than　a　three…foot　wide　gap　between　ice　and　rock…peered　down　over　the　side；　and　as　I　peered　I　felt　faint　from　the　wave　of　relief　that　swept　over　me：　the　crevasse；　narrowing　as　it　went　down　to　not　much　more　than　two　feet；　ended　about　fifteen　feet　down　in　a　solid　shelf　of　rock；　a　ledge　sculpted　by　thousands　of　years　of　moving；　grinding　ice。
　
　Margaret　and　Smallwood　were　still　on　their　feet；　shaky；　I　could　see；　but　seemingly　unharmed…it　had　been　a　short　drop　and　they　could　have　slowed　their　descent　by　pressing　against　both　sides　of　the　crevasse　as　they　fell。　Smallwood；　flattened　lips　drawn　back　over　his　teeth；　was　staring　up　at　me；　his　pistol　barrel　pressed　savagely　against　Margaret's　temple。
　
　〃A　rope；　Mason！〃　he　said　softly。　〃Get　me　a　rope。　This　crevasse　is　closing…the　ice　is　moving！〃
　
　And　it　was；　I　knew　it　was。　All　glaciers　moved；　some　of　them；　on　this　West　Greenland　coast；　with　astonishing　speed…the　great　Upernivik　glacier；　farther　north；　covered　over　four　feet　every　hour。　As　if　in　confirmation　of　his　words；　the　ice　beneath　my　feet　groaned　and　shuddered　and　slid　forward　a　couple　of　inches。
　
　〃Hurry　up！〃　Smallwood's　inparable　nerve　held　to　the　last；　his　voice　was　urgent　but　pletely　under　control；　his　face　tight…lipped　but　calm。　〃Hurry　up　or　I'll　kill　her！〃
　
　I　knew　he　meant　it　absolutely。
　
　〃Very　well；〃　I　said　calmly。　My　mind　felt　preternaturally　clear；　I　knew　Margaret's　life　hung　on　a　fraying　thread　but　I　had　never　felt　so　cool；　so　self…possessed　in　my　life。　I　unwound　the　rope　round　my　shoulders。　〃Here　it　es。〃
　
　He　reached　up　both　hands　to　catch　the　falling　rope；　I　took　a　short　step　forward　and　then；　stiff…legged　and　with　my　hands　pressed　close　to　my　sides；　fell　on　top　of　him　like　a　plummeting　stone。　He　saw　me　ing；　but　with　the　tangle　of　the　rope　and　the　narrowness　of　the　crevasse　he　had　no　chance　to　get　clear。　My　feet　caught　him　on　the　shoulder　and　outstretched　arm；　and　we　crashed　on　to　the　ledge　together。
　
　He　was；　as　I　have　said；　phenomenally　strong　for　his　size；　but　he　had　no　chance　then。　True；　he　was　partially　numbed　by　the　shock　of　my　fall；　but　that　was　more　than　cancelled　out　by　my　weakness；　by　the　loss　of　blood　from　my　wounded　shoulder。　But　he　still　had　no　chance；　I　locked　my　hands　round　that　scrawny　throat；　ignored　his　kickings；　his　eye…gougings；　the　fusillade　of　blows　rained　on　my　unprotected　head；　and　squeezed　and　knocked　his　head　against　the　blue…banded　striations　of　the　side　of　the　crevasse　until　I　felt　him　go　limp　in　my　hands。　And　then　it　was　time　to　go；　the　ice…wall　was　now　no　more　than　eighteen　inches　distant　from　the　polished　rock　of　the　nunatak。
　
　Smallwood　apart；　I　found　myself　alone　on　that　narrowing　ledge。　Jackstraw　had　already　been　lowered　by　Hillcrest　and