alistairmaclean.bearisland-第49部分

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ptly　ceased；　her　legs　buckled　and　Smithy　and　Conrad　eased　her　to　the　floor。　Conrad　looked　at　me。　〃Act　tiAo？〃　He　was　breathing　heavily　and　looked　pale。
　〃No。　This　is　real。　Will　you　please　take　her　to　her　cubicle？〃　I　looked　at　the　shocked　and　sobbing　Mary　but　she　didn't　need　any　immediate　assistance　from　me；　for　Allen；　his　own　injuries　forgotten；　had　dropped　to　his　knees　beside　her；　raised　her　to　a　sitting　position　and　was　using　a　none…too　clean　handkerchief　to　dab　at　the　three　deep　and　ugly　scratches　that　had　been　torn　down　the　length　of　her　left　cheek。　I　left　them；　went　into　my　cubicle；　prepared　a　hypodermic　and　entered　the　cubicle　where　Judith　Haynes　had　been　taken。　Smithy　and　Conrad　were　standing　watchfully　by　and　had　been　joined　by　Otto；　the　Count；　and　Goin。　Otto　looked　at　the　syringe　and　caught　my　arm。
　〃Is　that…is　that　for　my　daughter？　What　are　you　going　to　do　to　her？　It's　all　over　now；　man…good　God；　you　can　see　she's　unconscious。〃
　〃And　I'm　going　to　see　that　she　bloody　well　stays　that　way；〃　I　said。　〃For　hours　and　hours　and　hours。　That　way　it's　best　for　her　and　best　for　all　of　us。　All　right；　I'm　sorry　for　your　daughter；　she's　had　a　tremendous　shock；　but　medically　I'm　not　concerned　with　that；　I'm　just　concerned　with　how　best　to　treat　her　for　the　condition　she's　in　now　which　is　frankly　unbalanced　；　unstable；　and　highly　dangerous。　Or　do　you　want　to　have　a　look　at　Mary　darling　again？〃
　Otto　hesitated　but　Goin；　calmly　reasonable　as　always；　came　to　my　help。
　〃Dr。　Marlowe　is　perfectly　right；　Otto。　And　it's　for　Judith's　own　good；　after　such　a　shock　a　long　rest　can　only　help。　This　is　the　best　thing　for　her。〃
　I　wasn't　so　sure　about　that；　I'd　have　preferred　a　strait　jacket；　but　I　nodded　my　thanks　to　Goin；　administered　the　injection；　helped　bundle　her　into　a　zipped　sleeping　bag；　saw　that　she　was　covered　over　and　above　that　with　a　sufficiency　of　blankets　and　left　her。　I　took　the　dogs　with　me　and　put　them　in　my　own　cubicle…I　don't　much　like　having　animals；　especially　highly　strung　ones；　in　the　pany　of　a　person　under　sedation。
　Allen　had　Mary　Darling　seated　on　a　bench　now　but　was　still　dabbing　her　cheek。　She'd　stopped　sobbing　now；　was　just　breathing　with　long　quivering　in…drawn　gasps　and；　scratches　apart；　didn't　seem　much　the　worse　for　an　experience　that　must　have　been　as　harrowing　as　it　was　brief。　Lonnie　was　standing　a　few　feel？　away；　looking　sorrowfully　at　the　girl　and　shaking　his　head。
　〃Poor；　poor　lassie；〃　he　said　quietly。　〃Poor　little　girl。〃
　〃She'll　be　all　right；〃　I　said。　If　I　do　a　halfway　job　the　scratches　won't　even　scar。〃　I　looked　at　Stryker's　body　and　decided　that　its　removal　to　the　tractor　shed　was　clearly　the　first　priority：　apart　from　Lonnie　and　Allen　no　one　had　eyes　for　anything　else　and　even　although　out　of　sight　would　not　necessarily　be　out　of　mind　the　absence　of　that　mutilated　body　could　hardly　fail　to　improve　morale。
　I　wasn't　talking　about　young　Mary。〃　Lonnie　had　my　attention　again。
　I　was　thinking　about　Judith　Haynes。　Poor；　lonely　lassie。〃　I　looked　at　him　closely　but　I　should　have　known　him　well　enough　by　then　to　realise　that　he　was　incapable　of　either　dissimulation　or　duplicity：　he　looked　as　sad　as　he　sounded。
　〃Lonnie；〃　I　said；　〃you　never　cease　to　astonish　me。〃　I　lit　the　oil　stove；　put　some　water　on　to　heat；　then　turned　to　Stryker。　Both　Smithy　and　Conrad　were　waiting　and　words　were　unnecessary。　Lonnie　insisted　on　ing　with　us；　to　open　doors　and　hold　a　flashlight：　we　left　Stryker　in　the　tractor　shed　and　went　back　to　the　main　cabin。　Smithy　and　Conrad　went　inside　but　Lonnie　showed　no　intentions　of　following　them。　He　stood　there　as　if　deep　in　thought；　seemingly　oblivious　of　a　wind　now　strong　enough　to　have　to　lean　against；　of　a　thickening　driving　snow　now　approaching　the　proportions　of　a　blizzard；　of　the　intense　and　steadily　deepening　cold。　I　think　I'll　stay　out　here　a　bit；〃　he　said。　〃Nothing　like　a　little　fresh　air　to　clear　the　head。〃
　〃No；　indeed；〃　I　said。　I　took　the　torch　from　him　and　directed　its　beam　at　the　nearest　hut。　In　there。　On　the　left。〃　Wherever　else　Olympus　Productions　may　have　fallen　short　in　the　missariat　department；　it　hadn't　been　in　the　line　of　alcoholic　stimulants。
　〃My　dear　fellow。〃　He　retrieved　his　torch　with　a　firm　grasp。　I　personally　supervised　its　storage。〃
　〃And　not　even　a　lock　to　contend　with；〃　I　said。
　〃And　what　if　there　was？　Otto　would　give　me　the　key。〃
　〃Otto　would　give　you　a　key？〃　I　said　carefully。
　〃Of　course。　Do　you　think　I'm　a　professional　safe…cracker　who　goes　around　festooned　with　strings　of　skeleton　keys？　Who　do　you　think　gave　me　the　keys　to　the　lounge　locker　on　the　Morning　Rose　
　〃Otto　did？〃　I　said　brightly。
　〃Of　course。〃
　〃What　kind　of　blackmail　are　you　using；　Lonnie？〃
　〃Otto　is　a　very　very　kind　man；〃　Lonnie　said　seriously。　I　thought　I'd　told　you　that？〃
　〃I'd　just　forgotten。〃　I　watched　him　thoughtfully　as　he　plodded　purposefully　through　the　deep　snow　towards　the　provisions　hut；　then　went　inside　the　main　cabin。　Most　of　the　people　inside；　now　that　Stryker　had　gone；　had　transferred　their　attention　to　Allen　who　was　clearly　self…consciously　aware　of　this；　for　he　no　longer　had　his　arm　around　Mary　although　he　still　dabbed　at　her　cheek　with　a　handkerchief。　Conrad；　who　had　clearly　bee　more　than　a　little　smitten　by　Mary　Stuart　for　he'd　sought　out　her　pany　whenever　possible　in　the　past　two　days；　was　sitting　beside　her　chafing　one　of　her　hands…I　assumed　she'd　been　plaining　of　the　temperature　which　was　still　barely　above　freezing…and　although　she　seemed　half…reluctant　and　was　smiling　in　some　embarrassment；　she　wasn't　objecting　to　the　extent　of　making　a　song　and　dance　about　it。　Otto；　Goin；　the　Count；　and　Divine　were　talking　in　low　voices　near　one　of　the　oil　stoves：　Divine；　not　surprisingly；　was　there　not　in　the　capacity　of　a　contributor　to　the　conversation　but　as　a　bartender　for　he　was　laying　out　glasses　and　bottles　under　Otto's　fussy　direction。　Otto　beckoned　me　across。
　〃After　what　we've　just　been　through；〃　he　said；　I　think　we're　all　badly　in　need　of　a　restorative。〃　That　Otto　should　be　lashing　out　so　recklessly　with　his　private　supplies　was　sufficient　indication　of　the　extent　to　which　he　had　been　shaken。　〃It　will　also　give　us　time　to　decide　what　to　do　with　him。〃
　〃Who？〃
　〃Allen；　of　course。〃
　〃Ah。　Well；　I'm　sorry；　I'm　afraid　you　gentlemen　will　have　to　count　me　out　for　both　drink　and　deliberations。〃　I　nodded　to　Allen　and　Mary　Darling；　both　of　whom　were　watching　us　with　some　degree　of　apprehension。
　〃A　little　patching　up　to　do　there。　Excuse　me。〃
　I　took　the　now　hot　water　from　the　oil　stove；　brought　it　into　my　cubicle；　put　a　white　cloth　on　the　rickety　table　that　was　there；　laid　out　a　basin；　instruments；　and　what　medicaments　I　thought　I'd　require　then　returned　to　where　Conrad　and　Mary　Stuart　were　sitting　in　the　main　body　of　the　cabin。
　Like　all　the　other　little　groups　in　the　cabin　they　were　talking　in　voices　so　low　as　to　be　virtually　whispering；　whether　from　a　desire　for　privacy　or　because　they　still　felt　themselves　to　be　in　the　presence　of　death　I　didn't　know。　Conrad；　to　my　plete　lack　of　surprise；　was　now　industriously　massaging　her　other　hand　and　as　that　was　her　left　or　faraway　one　I　assumed　that　he　hadn't　had　to　fight　for　it。
　I　said：　〃I'm　sorry　to　interrupt　the　first　aid　but　I　want　to　patch　up　young　Allen　a　bit。　I　wonder　if　〃Mary　dear　will　look　after　Mary　darling　for　a　bit？〃
　〃Mary　dear？〃　Conrad　raised　an　enquiring　eyebrow。
　〃To　distinguish　her　from　Mary　darling；〃　I　explained。　〃It's　what　I　call　her　when　we're　alone　in　the　long　watches　of　the　night。〃　She　smiled　slightly　but　that　was　her　only　reaction。
　〃Mary　dear；〃　Conrad　said　appreciatively。　I　like　it。　May　I　call　you　that？〃
　I　don't　know；〃　she　said　mock…seriously。　〃Perhaps　it's　copyright。〃
　〃He　can　have　the　patent　under　licence；〃　I　said。　I　can　always　rescind　it。　What　were　you　two　being　so　conspiratorial　about？〃
　〃Ah；　yes；〃　Conrad　said。　〃Your　opinion；　Doe。　That　stone　out　there；　I　mean　the　lump　of　rock　Stryker　was　clobbered　with。　I'd　guess　the　weight　about　seventy　pounds。　Would　you？〃
　〃The　same。〃
　I　asked　Mary　here　if　she　could　lift　a　rock　like　that　above　her　head　and　she　said　don't　be　ridiculous。〃
　〃〃Unless　she's　an　Olympic　weight…lifter　in　disguise；　well；　yes；　you　are　ridicul