alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第3部分

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　world　can　do　it；　it　is　the　〃Dolphin〃；　the　pride　of　the　U。S。　Navy's　nuclear　submarine　fleet。'〃
　 Hansen　broke　off　and　read　on　silently　for　a　minute。　Then　he　said：　〃That's　about　all。　A　story　giving　all　the　known　details　of　the　〃Dolphin〃。　That；　and　a　lot　of　ridiculous　rubbish　about　the　enlisted　men　in　the　〃Dolphin's〃　crew　being　the　elite　of　the　cream　of　the　U。　S。　Navy。〃
　 Rawlings　looked　wounded。　Zabrinski；　the　polar　bear　with　the　red　face；　grinned；　fished　out　a　pack　of　cigarettes　and　passed　them　around。　Then　he　became　serious　again　and　said：　〃What　are　those　crazy　guys　doing　up　there　at　the　top　of　the　world；　anyway？〃
　 〃Meteorological；　lunkhead；〃　Rawlings　informed　him。　〃Didn't　you　hear　the　lieutenant　say　so？　A　big　word；　mind　you；〃　he　conceded　generously；　〃but　he　made　a　pretty　fair　stab　at　it。　'Weather　station'　to　you；　Zabrinski。〃　
　 〃I　still　say　they're　crazy　guys；〃　Zabrinski　rumbled。　〃Why　do　they　do　it；　Lieutenant？〃
　 〃I　suggest　you　ask　Dr。　Carpenter　about　it；〃　Hansen　said　dryly。　He　stared　through　the　plate…glass　windows　at　the　snow　whirling　grayly　through　the　gathering　darkness；　his　eyes　bleak　and　remote；　as　if　he　were　already　visualizing　the　doomed　men　drifting　to　their　death　in　the　frozen　immensity　of　the　polar　ice　cap。　〃I　think　he　knows　a　great　deal　more　about　it　than　I　do。〃
　 〃I　know　a　little；〃　I　admitted。　〃There's　nothing　mysterious　or　sinister　about　what　I　know。　Meteorologists　now　regard　the　Arctic　and　the　Antarctic　as　the　two　great　weather　factories　of　the　world；　the　areas　primarily　responsible　for　the　weather　that　affects　the　rest　of　the　hemispheres。　We　already　know　a　fair　amount　about　Antarctic　conditions；　but　practically　nothing　about　the　Arctic。　So　we　pick　a　suitable　ice　floe；　fill　it　with　huts　crammed　with　technicians　and　all　sorts　of　instruments；　and　let　them　drift　around　the　top　of　the　world　for　six　months　or　so。　Your　own　people　have　already　set　up　two　or　three　of　those　stations。　The　Russians　have　set　up　at　least　ten；　to　the　best　of　my　knowledge；　most　of　them　in　the　East　Siberian　Sea。〃
　 〃How　do　they　establish　those　camps；　Doc？〃　Rawlings　asked。
　 〃Different　ways。　Your　people　prefer　to　establish　them　in　wintertime；　when　the　pack　freezes　up　enough　for　plane　landings　to　be　made。　Someone　flies　out　from；　usually；　Point　Barrow　in　Alaska　and　searches　around　the　polar　pack　till　they　find　a　suitable　ice　floeeven　when　the　ice　is　pacted　and　frozen　together　into　one　solid　mass　an　expert　can　tell　which　pieces　are　going　to　remain　as　good…sized　floes　when　the　thaw　es　and　the　break…up　begins。　Then　they　fly　out　all　huts；　equipment；　stores　and　men　by　ski　plane　and　gradually　build　the　place　up。
　 〃The　Russians　prefer　to　use　a　ship　in　summertime。　They　generally　use　the　〃Lenin〃；　a　nuclear…engined　ice…breaker。　It　just　batters　its　way　deep　into　the　summer　pack；　dumps　everything　and　everybody　on　the　ice；　and　takes　off　before　the　big　freeze…up　starts。　We　used　the　same　technique　for　Drift　Ice　Station　Zebraour　one　and　only　ice　station。　The　Russians　lent　us　the　〃Lenin〃all　countries　are　only　too　willing　to　concentrate　on　meteorological　research；　since　everyone　benefits　by　itand　took　us　pretty　deep　into　the　ice　pack　north　of　Franz　Josef　Land。　Zebra　has　already　moved　a　good　bit　from　its　original　positionthe　polar　ice　cap；　just　sitting　on　top　of　the　Arctic　Ocean；　can't　quite　manage　to　keep　up　with　the　west…east　spin　of　the　earth；　so　that　it　has　a　slow　westward　movement　in　relation　to　the　earth's　crust。　At　the　present　moment　It's　about　four…　hundred　miles　due　north　of　Spitsbergen。〃
　 〃They're　still　crazy；〃　Zabrinski　said。　He　was　silent　for　a　moment；　then　looked　speculatively　at　me。　〃You　in　the　limey　Navy；　Doc？〃
　 〃You　must　forgive　Zabrinski's　manners；　Dr。　Carpenter；〃　Rawlings　said　coldly。　〃But　he's　been　denied　the　advantages　that　the　rest　of　us　take　for　granted。　I　understand　he　was　born　in　the　Bronx。〃
　 〃No　offense；〃　Zabrinski　said　equably。　〃Royal　Navy；　I　meant。　Are　you；　Doc？〃
　 〃Attached　to　it；　you…　might　say。〃
　 〃Loosely；　no　doubt。〃　Rawlings　nodded。　〃Why　so　keen　on　an　Arctic　holiday；　Doc？　Mighty　cool　up　there；　I　can　tell　you。〃
　 〃Because　the　men　on　Drift　Station　Zebra　are　going　to　be　badly　in　need　of　medical　aid。　If　there　are　any　survivors；　that　is。〃
　 〃We　got　our　own　medic　on　board　and　he's　no　slouch　with　a　stethoscope；　or　so　I've　heard　from　several　who　have　survived　his　treatment。　A　well…spoken…of　quack。〃
　 〃'Doctor；'　you　ill…mannered　lout；〃　Zabrinski　said　severely。
　 〃That's　what　I　meant；〃　Rawlings　apologized。　〃It's　not　often　that　I　get　the　chance　to　talk　to　an　educated　man　like　myself；　and　it　just　kinda　slipped　out。　The　point　is；　the　Dolphin's　already　all　buttoned　up　on　the　medical　side。〃
　 〃I'm　sure　it　is；〃　I　smiled；　〃but　any　survivors　we　might　find　are　going　to　be　suffering　from　advanced　exposure；　frostbite；　and　probably　gangrene。　The　treatment　of　those　is　rather　a　specialty　of　mine。〃
　 〃Is　it　now？〃　Rawlings　surveyed　the　depths　of　his　coffee　cup。　〃I　wonder　how　a　man　gets　to　be　a　specialist　in　those　things？〃
　 Hansen　stirred　and　withdrew　his　gaze　from　the　darkly　white　world　beyond　the　canteen　windows。
　 〃Dr。　Carpenter　is　not　on　trial　for　his　life；〃　he　said　mildly。　〃The　counsel　for　the　prosecution　will　kindly　shut　up。〃
　 This　air　of　easy　familiarity　between　officer　and　men；　the　easy　camaraderie；　the　mutually　tolerant　disparagement　with　the　deceptively　misleading　overtones　of　music…hall　edy；　was　something　very　rare　in　my　experience　but　not　unique。　I'd　seen　it　before；　in　first…line　R。A。F。　bomber　crews；　a　relationship　found　only　among　a　close…knit；　close…living　group　of　superbly　trained　experts；　each　of　whom　is　keenly　aware　of　his　plete　interdependence　on　the　others。　The　casually　informal　and　familiar　attitude　was　a　token　not　of　the　lack　of　discipline　but　the　plete　reverse；　it　was　the　badge　of　a　very　high　degree　of　self…discipline；　of　the　regard　one　man　held　for　another　not　only　as　a　highly　skilled　technician　in　his　own　field　but　also　as　a　human　being。　It　was　clear；　too；　that　a　list　of　unwritten　rules　governed　their　conduct。　Offhand　and　frequently　pletely　lacking　in　outward　respect　though　Rawlings　and　Zabrinski　were　in　their　attitude　toward　Lieutenant　Hansen；　there　was　an　invisible　line　of　propriety　over　which　it　was　inconceivable　that　they　would　ever　step：　for　Hansen's　part；　he　scrupulously　avoided　any　use　of　his　authority　when　making　disparaging　remarks　at　the　expense　of　the　two　enlisted　men。　It　was　also　clear；　as　now；　who　was　boss。
　 Rawlings　and　Zabrinski　had　stopped　questioning　me　and　had　just　embarked　upon　an　enthusiastic　discussion　of　the　demerits　of　the　Holy　Loch　in　particular　and　Scotland　in　general　as　a　submarine　base；　when　a　jeep　swept　past　the　canteen　windows；　the　snow　whirling　whitely；　thickly；　through　the　swathe　of　the　headlights。　Rawlings　jumped　to　his　feet　in　mid…sentence；　then　subsided　slowly　and　thoughtfully　into　his　chair。
　 〃The　plot；〃　he　announced；　〃thickens。〃
　 〃You　saw　who　it　was？〃　Hansen　asked。
　 〃I　did　indeed。　Andy　Bandy；　no　less。〃
　 〃I　didn't　hear　that；　Rawlings；〃　Hansen　said　coldly。
　 〃Vice…Admiral　John　Garvie；　U。　S。　Navy；　sir。〃
　 〃Andy　Bandy；　eh？〃　Hansen　said　pensively。　He　grinned　at　me。　〃Admiral　Garvie。　Officer　manding　U。　S。　Naval　Forces　in　Nato。　Now；　this　is　very　interesting；　I　submit。　I　wonder　what　he's　doing　here。〃
　 〃World　War　III　has　just　broken　out；〃　Rawlings　announced。　〃It's　just　about　time　for　the　admiral's　first　Martini　of　the　day；　and　no　lesser　crisis〃
　 〃He　didn't　by　any　chance　fly　down　with　you　in　that　chopper　from　Renfrew　this　afternoon？〃　Hansen　interrupted　shrewdly。
　 〃No。〃
　 〃Know　him；　by　any　chance？〃
　 〃Never　even　heard　of　him　until　now。〃
　 〃Curiouser　and　curiouser；〃　Hansen　murmured。
　 A　few　minutes　passed　in　desultory　talkthe　minds　of　Hansen　and　his　two　men　were　obviously　very　much　on　the　reason　for　the　arrival　of　Admiral　Garvieand　then　a　snowfilled　gust　of　chilled　air　swept　into　the　canteen　as　the　door　opened　and　a　blue…coated　sailor　came　in　and　crossed　to　our　table。　
　 〃The　captain's　pliments；　Lieutenant。　Would　you　bring　Dr。　Carpenter　to　his　cabin；　please？〃
　 Hansen　nodded；　rose　to　his　feet　and　led　the　way　outside。　The　snow　was　beginning　to　lie　now；　the　darkness　was　ing　down　fast　and　the　wind　from　the　north　was　bitingly　cold。