cc.iceberg-第14部分

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without　their　making　the　slightest　attempt　at　selfpreservation？〃
　
　Koski　tugged　at　an　ear　thoughtfully。　〃No　hoses　are　scattered　in　the　passageways。　It's　apparent　no　one　tried　to　save　the　ship。〃
　〃The　nearest　body　to　the　fire　extinguisher　lies　twenty　feet　away。　The　crew　went　against　all　laws　of　human　nature　if　they　decided　at　the　last　minute　to　run　and　die　at　their　routine　duty　stations。　I　can't　imagine　a　cook　who　perferred　dying　in　his　galley　to　saving　his　life。〃
　〃That　still　proves　nothing。　Panic　could　have…〃
　〃What　does　it　take　to　convince　you；　mander…a　belt　in　the　bicuspids　with　a　baseball　bat？
　
　Explain　the　radio　operator。　He　died　at　his　set；　yet　it's　a　known　fact　that　a　Mayday　signal　was　never　received　from　the　Lax　or　any'other　ship　in　the　North　Atlantic　at　the　time。　Seems　a　bit　odd　that　he　couldn't　have　gotten　off　at　least　three　or　four　words　of　a　distress　call。〃
　〃Keep　going；〃　Koski　said　quietly。　His　piercing　eyes　had　an　interested　glint。
　
　Pitt　lit　a　cigarette　and　blew　a　long　cloud　of　blue　smoke　into　the　refrigerated　air；　and　he　seemed　to　deliberate　for　a　moment。　〃Let's　talk　about　the　condition　of　the　derelict。　You　said　it；　mander；　you've　never　seen　a　ship　gutted　as　badly　as　this　one。　Why？　It　was　carrying　no　explosives　or　flammable　cargo；　and　we　can　rule　out　the　fuel　tanks…they　caused　the　blaze　to　spread；　yes；　but　not　to　this　degree　on　the　opposite　end　of　the　ship。　Why　would　every　square　inch　burn　with　such　a　high　intensity？　The　hull　and　superstructure　are　steel。　And　besides　hoses　and　extinguishers；　the　Lax　had　a　sprinkler　system。〃　He　paused　and　pointed　at　two　misshapen　metal　fixtures　hanging　from　the　ceiling。　〃A　fire　at　sea　usually　starts　at　one　location；　the　engine　room；　or　a　cargo　hold；　or　a　storage　area；　and　then　spreads　from　partment　to　partment；　taking　hours　and　sometimes　days　to　fully　consume　a　ship。　I'll　bet　you　any　amount　you　care　to　cover　that　a　fire　investigator　would　scratch　his　head　and　cross　this　one　off　as　a　flash　fire；　one　that　totaled　out　the　entire　ship　within　a　matter　Of　minutes；　setting　a　new　record；　ignited　by　causes　or　persons　unknown。〃
　〃What　do　you　have　in　mind　for　the　cause？〃
　Pitt　said；　〃A　flamethrower。〃
　There　was　a　minute　of　appalled　silence。
　〃Do　you　realize　what　you're　suggesting？〃
　〃You're　damned　right　I　do；〃　Pitt　said。　〃Right　down　to　the　violent　blast　of　searing　flame；　the　hideous　swish　of　the　jets；　the　terrible　smoke　from　melted　flesh。
　〃Like　it　or　not；　a　flamethrower　is　the　logical　answer。〃
　They　were　all　listening　now　with　horrified　interest。
　Hunnewell　made　a　choking　noise　in　his　throat　as　if　he　were　going　to　be　sick　again。
　〃It's　outlandish；　unthinkable；〃　Koski　murmured。
　〃This　entire　setup　is　outlandish；〃　Pitt　said　evenly。
　
　Hunnewell　stared　at　Pitt　blankly。　〃I　can't　believe　that　everyone　stood　like　sheep　and　let　themselves　be　turned　into　human　torches。　〃Don't　you　see？〃　Pitt　said。　〃Our　fiendish　friend　somehow　either　drugged　or　poisoned　the　passengers　and　crew。　Probably　slipped　a　massive　dose　of　chloral　hydrate　into　their　food　or　drinks。〃
　〃They　all　could　have　been　shot；〃　Dover　ventured。
　〃I　studied　several　of　the　remains。〃　Pitt　shook　his　head。　〃There　were　no　signs　of　bullets　or　shattered　bones。〃
　〃And　if　he　waited　until　they　were　all　knocked　out　by　the　POison…I　prefer　to　they　died　outrightscattered　them　around　the　ship；　and　then　went　from　partment　to　partment　with　a　flame　thrower。　。
　Koski　left　the　surmise　unplumbed。　〃But　what　then？　Where　did　the　killer　go　from　there？〃
　〃Before　attempting　to　answer　that　one；〃　Hunnewell　said　wearily；　〃I　wish　someone　would　kindly　explain　where　the　murderer　materialized　from　in　the　first　place。
　
　He　obviously　wasn't　one　of　the　passengers　or　crew。　…ne　Lax　sailed　with　fifteen　men；　and　it　burned　with　fifteen　men。　Logic　dictates　that　this　was　the　work　of　a　team　who　boarded　from　another　ship。〃
　〃Won't　work；〃　said　Koski…　〃Any　boarding　of　one　ship　by　another　requires　some　sort　of　radio　contact。
　Even　if　the　Lax　had　picked　up　survivors　from　a　phony　shipwreck；　the　captain　would　have　immediately　reported　it。〃　Koski　suddenly　smiled。　〃As　I　recall；　Fyrie's　last　message　asked　for　the　reservation　of　a　penthouse　suite　at　the　Statler…Hilton　in　New　York。〃
　〃Poor　bastard；〃　Dover　said　slowly。　〃If　money　and　success　ends　like　this；　who　needs　it？〃　He　looked　at　the　thing　on　the　deck　again　and　quickly　turned　away。　〃God；　what　kind　of　maniac　could　murder　fifteen　humans　at　a　sitting？　Methodically　poison　fifteen　men　and　then　calmly　cremate　them　with　a　flamethrower？〃
　〃The　same　maniac　who　blows　up　airliners　for　insurance　money；〃　said　Pitt。　〃One　who　can　kill　another　human　with　the　same　lack　of　shattering　guilt　you'd　experience　after　swatting　a　fly。　The　motive　here　was　obviously　gain。　Fyrie　and　his　people　made　a　discovery　that　was　extremely　valuable。　The　United　States　wanted　it；　Russia　wanted　it；　but　a　dark　horse　got　away　with　it。〃
　〃Was　it　worth　all　this？〃　Hunnewell　said　with　sickness　in　his　eyes。
　〃It　was　to　the　sixteenth　man。〃　Pitt　stared　down　at　the　grisly　remains　on　the　deck。　〃The　unrecorded　intruder　who　became　the　death　of　the　party。〃
　
　Chapter　5
　
　Iceland；　the　land　of　frost　and　fire；　rugged　glaciers　and　smoldering　volcanoes；　an　island　prism　of　lava…bed　reds；　rolling　tundra　greens；　and　placid　lake　blues　stretched　under　the　rich　gold　glow　of　the　midnight　sun。　Surrounded　by　the　Atlantic　Ocean；　bounded　by　the　warm　waters　of　the　Gulf　Stream　in　the　south　and　by　the　frigid　polar　sea　to　the　north；　Iceland　rests　midway　as　the　crow　flies　between　New　York　and　Moscow。　A　strange　island　of　kaleidoscopic　scenes　far　less　cold　than　its　name　suggests；　the　average　temperature　in　the　cold　month　of　January　rarely　rises　above　that　of　the　New　England　coast　of　the　United　States。　To　someone　seeing　it　for　the　first　time；　Iceland　seems　indeed　an　unequaled　phenomenon　of　beauty。
　
　Pitt　watched　the　jagged　snow…packed　peaks　of　the　island　grow　on　the　horizon　and　the　flashing　water　below　the　Ulysses　turn　from　the　deep　blue　of　the　great　ocean　depths　to　the　rich　green　of　the　inshore　surf。　Then　he　altered　the　controls；　and　the　helicopter　dipped　neatly　on　a　ninety…degree　angle　and　a　parallel　course　along　the　steep　lava　cliffs　that　burst　from　the　sea　below。　They　passed　over　a　tiny　fishing　village；　nestled　on　a　barron　circle　bay；　its　roofs　painted　in　a　checkered　myriad　of　tile　reds　and　pastel　greens；　an　outpost　at　the　gateway　of　the　Arctic　Circle。
　〃What　time　is　it？〃　Hunnewell　asked；　awakening　from　a　light　sleep。
　〃Ten　minutes　past　four　in　the　morning；〃　Pitt　replied。　〃God；　to　look　at　the　sun；　you'd　think　it　was　four　in　the　afternoon。〃　Hunnewell　yawned　loudly　and　made　a　vain　attempt　to　stretch　in　the　cramped　confines　of　the　cockpit。　〃About　now　I'd　give　my　right　arm　if　I　could　go　back　to　sleep　between　the　crisp　white　sheets　of　a　soft　bed。〃
　〃Keep　your　eyes　propped　open；　it　won't　be　long　now。〃
　〃How　far　to　Reykjavik？〃
　〃Another　half　hour。〃　Pitt　paused　to　make　a　visual　check　of　the　instruments。　〃I　could　have　cut　north　sooner；　but　I　wanted　to　sightsee　the　coastline。〃
　〃Six　hours；　forty…five　minutes　since　we　left　the　Catawaba。　Not　bad　time。〃
　〃Probably　could　have　shaved　that　considerably　if　we　weren't　handicapped　with　an　extra　fuel　tank。〃
　〃Without　it　we'd　be　back　there　somewhere　trying　to　swim　four　hundred　miles　to　shore。〃
　Pitt　grinned。　〃We　could　have　always　sent　a　Mayday　to　the　Coast　Guard。〃
　〃Judging　from　the　mood　mander　Koski　was　in　when　we　took　off；　I　doubt　if　he'd　put　himself　out　for　us　if　we　were　drowning　in　a　bathtub　and　he　had　his　hand　on　the　plug。〃
　〃In　spite　of　what　Koski　thinks　of　me；　I'd　vote　for　him　as　admiral　any　time　he　decided　to　run。　In　my　book　he's　a　damn　good　man。〃
　〃You　have　a　funny　way　of　expressing　your　admiration；〃　Hunnewell　said　dryly。　〃Except　for　your　perceptive　deduction　concerning　the　flame　thrower　hat's　off　to　you　for　that　one；　by　the　way…you　really　didn't　tell　him　a　damned　thing。〃
　〃We　gave　him　the　truth　as　far　as　it　went。　Anything　else　would　have　been　fifty　percent　guesswork。　The　only　real　fact　that　we　omitted　was　the　name　of　Fyrie's　discovery。〃
　〃Zirtonium。〃　Hunnewell's　gaze　was　lost　in　the　distance。　〃Atomic　number：　forty。〃
　〃I　barely　squeaked　through　my　geology　class；〃　Pitt　sa