alistairmaclean.bearisland-第31部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　level；　but　what　little　was　visible　was　very　heavily　corrugated　indeed。　If　a　Divine　shooting　script　calls　for　you　to　be　wearing　a　bowler　hat　and　doing　the　can…can　in　Scene　289；　then　you're　doing　a　bowler…hatted　can…can　in　289。
　As　for　Otto；　he　never　moves　until　everything's　calculated　out　to　the　last　matchstick　and　the　last　penny。　Especially　the　last　penny。〃
　〃He　has　the　reputation　for　being　a　little　careful。〃
　〃Careful！〃　Conrad　shivered。　〃Doesn't　the　whole　set…up　strike　you　as　being　crazy？〃
　〃The　entire　film　world；〃　I　said　candidly；　〃strikes　me　as　being　crazy；　but　as　an　ordinary　human　being　exposed　to　it　for　the　first　time　I　wouldn't　know　whether　this　current　particular　brand　of　craziness　differs　from　the　norm　or　not。　What　do　your　fellow　actors　think　of　it？〃
　'What　fellow　actors'：〃　Conrad　said　glumly。　〃Judith　Haynes　is　still　closeted　with　those　two　pooches　of　hers。　Mary　Stuart　is　writing　letters　in　her　cabin；　at　least　she　says　it's　letters；　it's　probably　her　last　will　and　testament。
　And　if　Gunther　Jungbeck　and　Jon　Heyter　have　any　opinion　on　everything　they're　carefully　keeping　it　to　themselves。　Anyway；　they　are　a　couple　of　odd…balls　themselves。〃
　〃Even　for　actors？〃
　〃Touche。〃　He　smiled；　but　he　wasn't　trying　too　hard。　〃Sea　burials　bring　out　the　misanthrope　in　me。　No；　it's　just　that　they　know　so　little　about　the　Elm　world；　at　least　the　British　film　world；　understandable　enough　I　suppose；　Heyter's　done　all　his　acting　in　California；　Jungbeck　in　Germany。
　They're　not　odd；　really；　it's　just　that　we　have　nothing　in　mon　to　talk　about；　no　points　of　reference。〃
　〃But　you　must　know　of　them？〃
　〃Not　even　that；　but　that's　not　surprising；　I　like　acting　but　the　film　world　bores　me　to　tears　and　I　don't　mix　socially。　That　makes　me　an　odd…ball　too。　But　Otto　vouches　for　them…in　fact；　he　speaks　pretty　highly　of　them；　and　that's　good　enough　for　me。　They'll　both　probably　act　me　off　the　screen　when　it　es　to　the　bit。〃　He　shivered　again。　〃Conrad's　curiosity　remains　unsatisfied；　but　Conrad　has　had　enough。　As　a　doctor　wouldn't　you　prescribe　some　of　this　Scotch　which　old　Imrie　is　supposed　to　be　dispensing　so　liberally？〃
　We　found　Captain　Imrie　dispensing　the　Scotch　with　so　heavy　a　hand　that　plainly　it　came　from　his　own　private　supplies　and　not　from　Otto's；　for　Otto；　heavily　wrapped　in　a　coloured　blanket　and　with　his　puce　plexion　still　a　pale　shadow　of　its　former　self；　was　sitting　in　his　accustomed　dining　chair　and　raising　no　objections　that　I　could　see。　There　must　have　been　at　least　twenty　people　present；　ship's　crew　and　passengers；　and　they　were　very　far　indeed　from　being　a　merry　throng。　I　was　surprised　to　see　Judith　Haynes　there　with　her　husband；　Michael　Stryker；　hovering　attentively　over　her。　I　was　surprised　to　see　Mary　Darling　there；　her　sense　of　duty　or　what　was　the　done　thing　must　have　been　greater　than　her　aversion　to　alcohol；　and　was　even　more　surprised　to　note　that　she　had　so　abandoned　all　sense　of　the　priorities　as　to　be　holding　young　Allen　by　the　arm　in　a　positively　proprietorial　fashion：　I　was　not　surprised　to　see　that　Mary　Stuart　was　absent。　So　were　Heissman　and　Sandy。　The　two　actors　with　whom　Conrad　claimed　to　have　so　little　in　mon；　Jungbeck　and　Heyter；　were　together　in　one　corner　and　for　the　first　time　I　looked　at　them　with　some　degree　of　real　interest。　They　looked　like　actors；　no　question　of　that；　or；　more　accurately；　they　looked　like　what　I　thought　actors　ought　to　look　like。　Heyter　was　tall；　fair；　good…looking；　young；　and　twenty　years　ago　would　have　been　referred　to　as　clean…cut：　he　had　a　mobile；　expressive；　animated　face。　Jungbeck　was　at　least　fifteen　years　his　senior；　a　thick…set　man　with　heavy　shoulders；　a　five　o'clock　shadow　and　dark；　curling　hair　just　beginning　to　grey：　he　had　a　ready　engaging　smile。　He　was　cast；　I　knew；　as　the　villain　in　the　forthing　production　and　despite　the　appropriate　build　and　blue　jowls　didn't　look　the　least　bit　like　one。　
　The　almost　plete　silence　in　the　saloon；　I　soon　realised；　didn't　stem　entirely　from　the　solemnity　of　the　occasion；　although　that　element　must　have　been　there：　Captain　Imrie　had　been　holding　the　floor　and　had　only　broken　off　to　acknowledge　our　entrance　and　to　take　the　opportunity　of　dispensing　some　more　liquor；　which　I　refused。　And　now；　it　was　clear；　Captain　Imrie　was　taking　up　where　he　had　left　off。
　〃Yes；〃　he　said　heavily；　‘fitting；　〃tis　fitting。　They　have　gone　today；　sadly；　tragically　gone；　three　of　Britain's　sons〃…I　was　almost　glad；　for　the　moment；　that　Antonio　was　no　longer　around…〃but　it　es　to　us　all；　sooner　or　later　the　hour　strikes；　and　if　they　must　rest　where　better　to　lie　than　in　those　honoured　waters　of　Bear　Island　where　ten　thousand　of　their　countrymen　sleep？〃　I　wondered；　uncharitably；　what　hour　struck　when　Captain　Imrie　poured　himself　his　first　restorative　of　the　morning　but　then　recalled　that　as　he　had　been　up　since　4　a。m。　he　was　no　doubt　now　rightly　regarding　the　day　as　being　pretty　far　advanced；　a　supposition　which　he　proceeded　to　prove　correct　by　replenishing　his　glass　without；　however；　interrupting　the　smooth　flow　of　his　monologue。　His　audience；　I　noted　with　regret；　had　about　them　the　look　of　men　and　women　who　wished　themselves　elsewhere。
　〃I　wonder　what　Bear　Island　means　to　you　people；〃　he　went　on。　
　〃Nothing；　I　suppose；　why　should　it？　It's　just　a　name；　Bear　Island；　just　a　name。　Like　the　Isle　of　Wight　or　what's　yon　place　in　America；　Coney　Island：　just　a　name。　But　for　people　like　Mr。　Stokes　here　and　myself　and　thousands　of　others　it's　a　wee　bit　more　than　that。　It　was　a　kind　of　turning　point；　a　dividing　point　in　our　lives；　what　those　geography　or　geology　fellows　would　call　a　watershed：　when　…；We　came　to　know　the　name　we　knew　that　no　name　had　ever　meant　so　much　to　us　before…and　no　name　would　ever　mean　so　much　again。　And　we　knew　that　nothing　would　ever　be　the　same　again。
　Bear　Island　was　the　place　where　boys　grew　up；　just　over　the　night；　as　it　were：　Bear　Island　was　the　place　where　middle…aged　men　like　myself　grew　old。〃　This　was　a　different　Captain　Imrie　speaking　now；　quietly　reminiscent；　sad　without　bitterness；　and　the　captive　audience　was　now　voluntarily　so；　no　longer　glancing　longingly　at　the　saloon　exits。
　'We　called　it　〃The　Gate；〃　he　went　on。　〃The　gate　to　the　Barents　Sea　and　the　White　Sea　and　those　places　in　Russia　where　we　took　those　convoys　through　all　the　long　years　of　the　war；　all　those　long　years　ago。　If　you　passed　the　gate　and　came　back　again；　you　were　a　lucky　man：　if　you　did　it　half…a…dozen　times　you'd　used　up　all　your　luck　for　a　lifetime。　How　many　times　did　we　pass　the　gate；　Mr。　Stokes？〃
　〃Twenty…two　times。〃　For　once；　Mr。　Stokes　had　no　need　for　deliberation。
　'Twenty…two　times。　I　am　not　saying　it　because　I　was　there　but　people　on　those　convoys　to　Murmansk　suffered　more　terribly　than　people　have　ever　suffered　in　war　before　or　will　ever　suffer　in　war　again；　and　it　was　here；　in　those　waters；　at　the　gate；　that　they　suffered　most　of　all　for　it　was　here　that　the　enemy　waited　by　night　and　by　day　and　it　was　here　that　the　enemy　struck　us　down。　The　fine　ships　and　the　fine　boys；　our　boys　and　the　German　boys；　more　of　them　lie　in　those　waters　than　anywhere　in　the　world；　but　the　waters　run　clean　now　and　the　blood　is　washed　away。　But　not　in　our　minds；　not　in　our　minds：　thirty　years　have　passed　now　and　I　cannot　hear　the　words　〃Bear　Island；〃　not　even　when　I　say　them　myself；　but　my　blood　runs　cold。　The　graveyard　of　the　Arctic　and　we　hope　they　are　at　peace　now；　but　still　my　blood　runs　cold。〃　He　shivered；　as　if　he　felt　a　physical　chill；　then　smiled　slightly。　〃The　old　talk　too　much；　a　blether　talks　too　much；　so　you　know　now　how　terrible　it　is　to　have　an　old　blether　stand　before　you。　All　I'd　really　meant　to　say　is　that　our　shipmates　are　in　good　pany。〃　He　raised　his　glass。　〃Bon　voyage。〃
　Bon　voyage。　But　not　the　last　goodbye；　not　the　last　time　we　would　be　saying　goodbye；　I　felt　it　deep　in　my　bones　and　I　knew　that　Captain　Imrie　felt　it　also。　I　knew　that　it　was　some　sort　of　foreknowledge　or　premonition　that　had　made　him　talk　as　he　had　done；　that　had　been　responsible　for　a　rambling　reminiscence　as　uncalled　for　as　it　was　irrelevant…or　appeared　to　be。　I　wondered　if　Captain　Imrie　was　even　dimly　aware　of　this　thought　transference　process；　of　the　substitution　of