alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第24部分

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eyes　and　color　touching　the　pale；　emaciated　cheeks。
　 〃If　you　go　through　life　saying　'Hallo'　in　this　fashion；　mate；〃　he　observed；　〃then　you'll　never　lack　for　friends。〃　He　bent　and　shook　the　shoulder　of　the　man　beside　whom　he　had　been　lying。　〃C'mon；　Jolly；　old　boy；　where's　your　bleedin'　manners。　We　got　pany。〃
　 It　took　quite　a　few　shakes　to　get　Jolly　old　boy　awake；　but　when　he　did　e　to　he　was　pletely　conscious　and　on　his　feet　with　remarkable　speed　and　nimbleness。　He　was　a　short；　chubby　character　with　china…blue　eyes；　and　although　he　was　in　as　much　need　of　a　shave　as　Kinnaird；　there　was　still　color　in　his　face；　and　the　round；　good…humored　face　was　far　from　emaciated；　but　frostbite　had　made　a　bad　mess　of　both　mouth　and　nose。　The　china…blue　eyes；　flecked　with　red　and　momentarily　wide　in　surprise；　crinkled　into　a　grin　of　wele。　Jolly　old　boy；　I　guessed；　would　always　adjust　fast　to　circumstances。
　 〃Visitors；　eh？〃　His　deep　voice　held　a　rich　Irish　brogue。　〃And　damned　glad　we　are　to　see　you；　too。　Do　the　honors；　Jeff。〃
　 〃We　haven't　introduced　ourselves；〃　I　said。　〃I'm　Dr。　Carpenter　and　this〃
　 〃Regular　meeting　of　the　B。M。A。；　old　boy；〃　Jolly　said。　I　was　to　find　out　later　that　he　used　the　phrase　〃old　boy〃　in　every　second　or　third　sentence；　a　mannerism　that　went　strangely　with　his　Irish　accent。
　 〃Dr。　Jolly？〃
　 〃The　same。　Resident　medical　officer；　old　boy。〃
　 〃I　see。　This　is　Lieutenant　Hansen；　of　the　U。　S。　Navy　submarine　〃Dolphin〃〃
　 〃Submarine？〃　Jolly　and　Kinnaird　stared　at　each　other；　then　at　us。　〃You　said　'submarine；'　old　top？〃
　 〃Explanations　can　wait。　Torpedoman　Rawlings。　Radioman　Zabrinski。〃　I　glanced　down　at　the　huddled　men　on　the　floor；　some　of　them　already　stirring　at　the　sound　of　voices；　one　or　two　propping　themselves　up　on　their　elbows。　〃How　are　they？〃
　 〃Two　or　three　pretty　bad　burn　cases；〃　Jolly　said。　〃Two　or　three　pretty　far　gone　with　cold　and　exhaustion；　but　not　so　far　gone　that　food　and　warmth　wouldn't　have　them　right　as　rain　in　a　few　days。　I　made　them　all　huddle　together　like　this　for　mutual　warmth。〃
　 I　counted　them。　Including　Jolly　and　Kinnaird；　there　were　twelve　all　told。　I　said：　〃Where　are　the　others？〃
　 〃The　others？〃　Kinnaird　looked　at　me　in　momentary　surprise；　then　his　face　went　bleak　and　cold。　He　pointed　a　thumb　over　his　shoulder。　〃In　the　next　hut；　mate。〃
　 〃Why？〃
　 〃Why？〃　He　rubbed　a　weary　forearm　across　bloodshot　eyes。　〃Because　we　don't　fancy　sleeping　with　a　roomful　of　corpses；　that's　why。〃
　 〃Because　you　don't〃　I　broke　off　and　stared　down　at　the　men　at　my　feet。　Seven　of　them　were　awake　now；　three　of　them　propped　on　elbows；　four　still　lying　down；　all　seven　registering　various　degrees　of　dazed　bewilderment。　The　three　who　were　still　asleepor　unconscioushad　their　faces　covered　by　blankets。　I　said　slowly；　〃There　were　nineteen　of　you。〃
　 〃Nineteen　of　us；〃　Kinnaird　echoed　emptily。　〃The　others　well；　they　never　had　a　chance。〃
　 I　said　nothing。　I　looked　carefully　at　the　faces　of　the　conscious　men；　hoping　to　find　among　them　the　one　face　I　wanted　to　see；　hoping　that　perhaps　I　had　not　immediately　recognized　it　because　frostbite　or　hunger　or　burns　had　made　it　temporarily　unrecognizable。　I　looked　very　carefully　indeed；　and　I　knew　that　I　had　never　seen　any　of　those　faces　before。
　 I　moved　over　to　the　first　of　the　three　still　sleeping　figures　and　lifted　the　blanket　covering　the　face。　The　face　of　a　stranger。　I　let　the　blanket　drop。　Jolly　said　in　puzzlement：　〃What's　wrong？　What　do　you　want？〃
　 I　didn't　answer　him。　I　picked　my　way　around　recumbent　men；　all　staring　unprehendingly　at　me；　and　lifted　the　blanket　from　the　face　of　the　second　sleeping　man。　Again　I　let　the　blanket　drop　and　I　could　feel　my　mouth　go　dry；　the　slow；　heavy　pounding　of　my　heart。　I　crossed　to　the　third　man；　then　stood　there　hesitating；　knowing　I　must　find　out；　dreading　what　I　must　find。　Then　I　stooped　quickly　and　lifted　the　blanket。　A　man　with　a　heavily　bandaged　face。　A　man　with　a　broken　nose　and　a　thick　blond　beard。　A　man　I　had　never　seen　in　my　life　before。　Gently　I　spread　the　blanket　back　over　his　face　and　straightened　up。　Rawlings；　I　saw；　already　had　the　solid…fuel　stove　going。
　 〃That　should　bring　the　temperature　up　to　close　to　freezing；〃　I　said　to　Dr。　Jolly。　〃We've　plenty　of　fuel。　We've　also　brought　food；　alcohol；　a　plete　medical　kit。　If　you　and　Kinnaird　want　to　start　in　on　those　things　now；　I'll　give　you　a　hand　in　a　minute。　Lieutenant；　that　was　a　polynya；　that　smooth　stretch　we　crossed　just　before　we　got　here？　A　frozen　lead？〃
　 〃Couldn't　be　anything　else。〃　Hansen　was　looking　at　me　peculiarly；　a　wondering　expression　on　his　face。　〃These　people　are　obviously　in　no　fit　state　to　travel　a　couple　of　hundred　yards；　much　less　four　or　five　miles。　Besides；　the　skipper　said　be　was　going　to　be　squeezed　down　pretty　soon。　So　we　call　the　〃Dolphin〃　and　have　them　surface　at　the　back　door？〃
　 〃Can　he　find　that　polynyawithout　the　ice　machine；　I　mean？〃
　 〃Nothing　simpler。　I'll　take　Zabrinski's　radio；　move　a　measured　two　hundred　yards　to　the　north；　send　a　bearing　signal；　move　two　hundreds　to　the　south；　and　do　the　same。　They'll　have　our　range　to　a　yard。　Take　a　couple　of　hundred　yards　off　that　and　the　〃Dolphin〃　will　find　itself　smack　in　the　middle　of　the　polynya。〃
　 〃But　still　under　it。　I　wonder　how　thick　that　ice　is。　You　had　an　open　lead　to　the　west　of　the　camp　some　time　ago；　Dr。　Jolly。　How　long　ago？〃
　 〃A　month。　Maybe　five　weeks。　I　can't　be　sure。〃
　 〃How　thick？〃　I　asked　Hansen。
　 〃Five　feet；　maybe　six。　Couldn't　possibly　break　through　it。　But　the　captain's　always　had　a　hankering　to　try　out　his　torpedoes。〃　He　turned　to　Zabrinski。　〃Still　able　to　operate　that　radio　of　yours？〃
　 I　left　them　to　it。　I'd　hardly　been　aware　of　what　I'd　been　saying；　anyway。　I　felt　sick　and　old　and　empty　and　sad　and　deathly　tired。　I　had　my　answer　now。　I'd　e　12；000　miles　to　find　it；　I'd　have　gone　a　million　to　avoid　it。　But　the　inescapable　fact　was　there　and　now　nothing　could　ever　change　it。　Mary；　my　sister…in…law；　and　her　three　wonderful　childrenshe　would　never　see　her　husband　again；　they　would　never　see　their　father　again。　My　brother　was　dead；　and　no　one　was　ever　going　to　see　him　again。　Except　me。　I　was　going　to　see　him　now。
　 I　went　out；　closing　the　door　behind　me；　moved　around　the　corner　of　the　hut；　and　lowered　my　head　against　the　storm。　Ten　seconds　later　I　reached　the　door　of　the　last　hut　in　the　line。　I　used　the　flashlight　to　locate　the　handle；　twisted　it；　pushed　and　walked　inside。
　 Once　it　had　been　a　laboratory；　now　it　was　a　charnel　house；　a　house　of　the　dead。　The　laboratory　equipment　had　all　been　pushed　roughly　to　one　side　and　the　cleared　floor　space　covered　with　the　bodies　of　dead　men。　I　knew　they　were　dead　men；　but　only　because　Kinnaird　had　told　me　so：　hideously　charred　and　blackened　and　grotesquely　misshapen　as　they　were；；　those　carbonized　and　contorted　lumps　of　matter　could　have　been　any　form　of　life　or；　indeed；　no　form　of　life　at　all。　The　stench　of　incinerated　flesh　and　burnt　diesel　fuel　was　dreadful。　I　wondered　which　of　the　men　in　the　other　hut　had　had　the　courage；　the　iron　resolution；　to　bring　those　grisly　burdens；　the　shockingly　disfigured　remains　of　their　former　rades；　into　this　hut。　They　must　have　had　strong　stomachs。
　 Death　must　have　been　swift；　swift　for　all　of　them。　Theirs　had　not　been　the　death　of　men　trapped　by　fire；　it　had　been　the　death　of　men　who　had　themselves　been　on　fire。　Caught；　drenched；　saturated　by　a　gale…borne　sea　of　burning　oil；　they　must　have　spent　the　last　few　seconds　of　life　as　incandescently　blazing　human　torches　before　dying　in　insane；　screaming　agony。　They　must　have　died　as　terribly　as　men　can　ever　die。
　 Something　about　one　of　the　bodies　close　to　me　caught　my　attention。　I　stooped　and　focused　the　flashlight　beam　on　what　had　once　been　a　right　hand；　now　no　more　than　a　blackened　claw　with　the　bone　showing　through。　So　powerful　had　been　that　heat　that　it　had　warped；　but　not　melted；　the　curiously　shaped　gold　ring　on　the　third　finger。　I　recognized　that　ring；　I　had　been　with　my　sister…in…law　when　she　had　bought　it。
　 I　was　conscious　of　no　grief；　no　pain；　no　revulsion。　Perhaps；　I　thought　dully；　those　would　e　later　when　the　initial　shock　had　worn　off。　But　I　didn't　think　so。　This　wasn't　the　man　I　remembered　so　well；　the