alistairmaclean.bearisland-第60部分

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　Smithy　was　silent　for　a　considering　moment。　〃You　think　he　bears　watching？〃
　。He's　one　of　thirteen　potential　murderers　and　for　me　those　odds　are　small　enough　to　make　them　all　deserving　of　as　close　an　eye　as　the　crown　jewels。　And　if；　in　that　thirteen；　you　were　to　cut　out　Conrad；　Lonnie；　and　the　Three　Apostles…and　mentally　I've　already　cut　them　out…you've　brought　the　odds　down　to　one　in　eight。　Perhaps　two　in　eight…perhaps　even　a　very　unfortable　three　in　eight。〃
　〃You're　very　encouraging；〃　Smithy　said。　〃What　makes　you　so　sure　that　those　five…〃　He　broke　off。　as　Luke；　yawning　and　stretching　vastly；　entered　the　main　cabin。　Luke　was　a　thin；　awkward；　gangling　creature；　a　towheaded　youth　urgently　in　need　of　the　restraining　influences　of　either　a　barber　or　a　ribbon。
　I　said：　〃Do　you　see　him　as　a　gun　for　hire？〃
　I　could　have　him　up　for　mitting　musical　atrocities　with　a　guitar；　I　should　think。　Otherwise…yes；　I　agree。　Very　little　threat　to　life　and　limb。
　And；　yes　again；　that　would　go　for　the　other　four；　too。〃　He　watched　as　Conrad　went　into　one　of　the　passages；　carrying　a　cup　of　coffee。　〃I'd　put　my　money　on　our　leading　man　any　day。〃
　〃Where　on　earth　is　he　off。　to？〃
　〃Bearing　sustenance　for　his　lady…love；　I　should　imagine。　Miss　Stuart　spent　much　of　our　watch　with　us。〃
　I　was　on　the　point　of　observing　that　the　alleged　lady…love　had　a　remarkable　predilection　for　moving　around　in　the　darker　watches　of　the　night　but　thought　better　of　it。　That　Mary　Stuart　was　involved　in　matters　dark　and　devious…Heissman's　being　her　uncle　didn't　even　begin　to　account　for　the　earlier　oddity　of　her　behaviour…I　didn't　for　a　moment　doubt：　that　she　was　engaged　in　any　murderous　activities　I　couldn't　for　a　moment　believe。
　Smithy　went　on：　〃It's　important　that　I　reach　Turtheim？〃
　〃It　hardly　matters　whether　you　do　or　not。　With　Heyter　along；　only　the　weather　and　the　terrain　can　decide　that。　If　you　have　to　turn　back；　that's　fine　with　me；　I'd　rather　have　you　here：　if　you　get　to　Tunheim；　just　stay　there。〃
　〃Stay　there？　How　can　I　stay　there？　I'm　going　there　for　help；　am　I　not？
　And　Heyter　will　be　shouting　to　e　back。〃
　〃I'm　sure　they'll　understand　if　you　explain　that　you're　tired　and　need　a　rest。　If　Heyter　makes　a　noise；　have　him　locked　up…I'll　give　you　a　letter　to　the　Met。　officer　in　charge。〃
　〃You'll　do　that；　will　you？　And　what　if　the　Met。　officer　point…blank　refuses？〃
　I　think　you'll　find　some　people　up　there　who'll　be　only　too　happy　to　oblige　you。〃
　He　looked　at　me　without　a　great　deal　of　enthusiasm。　〃Friends　of　yours；　of　course？〃
　〃There's　a　visiting　meteorological　team　from　Britain　staying　there　briefly。　Five　of　them。　Only；　they're　not　meteorologists。〃
　Naturally　not。〃　The　lack　of　enthusiasm　deteriorated　into　a　coldness　that　was　just　short　of　outright　hostility。　〃You　play　your　cards　mighty　close　to　the　chest；　don't　you；　Dr。　Marlowe？〃
　〃Don't　get　angry　with　me。　I'm　not　asking　you　that；　I'm　telling　you。
　Policy…I　obey　orders；　even　if　you　don't。　A　secret　shared　is　never　a　secret　halved…even　a　peck　at　my　cards　and　who　knows　who's　kibitzing？　I'll　give　you　that　letter　early　this　morning。〃
　〃OK。〃　Smithy　was　obviously　restraining　himself　with　no　small　difficulty。
　He　went　on　morosely：　I　suppose　I　shouldn't　be　too　surprised　to　find　even　the　Morning　Rose　up　there？〃
　〃Let　me　put　it　this　way；〃　I　said。　I　wouldn't　put　it　beyond　the　bounds　of　possibility。〃
　Smithy　nodded；　turned　and　walked　to　the　oil　stove　where　Conrad；　now　returned；　was　pouring　coffee。　We　sat　for　ten　minutes；　drinking　and　talking　about　nothing　much；　then　Smithy　and　Conrad　left。　The　next　hour　or　so　passed　without　event　except　that　after　five　minutes　Luke　fell　sound　asleep　and　stayed　that　way。　I　didn't　bother　to　wake　him　up；　it　wasn't　necessary；　I　was　in　an　almost　hypernatural　state　of　alertness：　unlike　Luke；　I　had　things　on　my　mind。
　A　door　in　a　passage　opened　and　Lonnie　appeared。　As　Lonnie；　by　his　own　account；　wasn't　given　to　sleeping　much　and　as　he　wasn't　on　my　list　of　suspects　anyway；　this　was　hardly　call　for　alarm。　He　came　into　the　cabin　and　sat　heavily　in　a　chair　by　my　side。　He　looked　old　and　tired　and　grey　and　the　usual　note　of　badinage　was　lacking　in　his　tone。
　〃Once　again　the　kindly　healer；〃　he　said；　〃and　once　again　looking　after　his　little　flock。　I　have　e；　my　boy；　to　share　your　midnight　vigil。〃　
　〃It's　twenty…five　to　four；〃　I　said。
　‘A　figure　of　speech。〃　He　sighed。　〃I　have　not　slept　well。　In　fact；　I　have　not　slept　at　all。　You　see　before　you；　Doctor；　a　troubled　old　man。〃
　〃I'm　sorry　to　hear　that；　Lonnie。〃
　〃No　tears　for　Lonnie。　For　me；　as　for　most　of　pitiful　mankind；　ray　troubles　are　my　own　making。　To　be　an　old　man　is　bad　enough。　To　be　a　lonely　old　man；　and　I　have　been　lonely　for　many　years；　makes　a　man　sad　for　much　of　the　time。　But　to　be　a　lonely　old　man　who　can　no　longer　live　with　his　conscience…ah；　that　is　not　to　be　borne。〃　He　sighed　again。　I　am　feeling　unmonly　sorry　for　myself　tonight。〃
　〃What's　your　conscience　doing　now？〃
　It's　keeping　me　awake；　that's　what　it's　doing。　Ah；　my　boy；　my　boy；　to　cease　upon　the　midnight　with　no　pain。　What　more　could　a　man　want；　Then　it's　evening　and　time　to　be　gone？〃
　〃This　wine　shop　on　the　far　shore？〃
　〃Not　even　that。〃　He　shook　his　head　mournfully。　〃No　weling　arms　in　paradise　for　the　lost　Lonnies　of　this　world。　Haven't　the　right　entry　qualifications；　my　boy。〃　He　smiled　and　his　eyes　were　sad。　〃I'll　pin　my　hopes　on　a　small　four…ale　bar　in　purgatory。〃
　He　lapsed　into　silence；　his　eyes　closed　and　I　thought　he　was　drifting　off。　into　sleep。　But　he　presently　stirred；　cleared　his　throat　and　said　apparently　apropos　of　nothing：　〃It's　always　too　late。　Always。〃
　〃What's　always　too　late；　Lonnie？〃
　〃passion　is；　or　understanding　or　forgiveness。　I　fear　that　Lonnie　Gilbert　has　been　less　than　he　should　have　been。　But　it's　always　too　late。
　Too　late　to　say　I　like　you　or　I　love　you　or　how　nice　you　are　or　I　forgive　you。　If　only；　if　only；　if　only。　It　is　difficult　to　make　your　peace　with　someone　if　you're　looking　at　that　person　and　he's　lying　there　dead。　My；　my；　my。〃　As　if　with　an　immense　effort　he　pushed　himself　to　his　feel？。　〃But　there's　still　a　little　shred　of　something　that　can　be　saved。　Lonnie　Gilbert　is　now　about　to　go　and　do　something　that　he　should　have　done　many；　many　years　ago。
　But　first　I　must　arm　myself；　some　life　in　the　ancient　bones；　some　clarity　in　the　faded　mind；　in　short　prepare　myself　for　what　I'm　ashamed　to　say　I　still　regard　as　the　ordeal　that　lies　ahead。　In　brief；　my　dear　fellow；　where's　the　Scotch？〃
　〃I'm　afraid　Otto　has　taken　it　with　him。〃
　〃A　kind　fellow；　Otto；　none　kinder；　but　be　has　his　parsimonious　side　to　him。　But　no　matter；　the　main　source　of　supply　is　less　than　a　Sunday's　march　away。〃　He　made　for　the　outer　door　but　I　stopped　him。
　〃One　of　those　times；　Lonnie；　you're　going　to　go　out　there；　sit　down　there；　go　to　sleep　and　not　e　back　again　because　you'll　be　frozen　to　death；　Besides；　there's　no　need。　There's　some　in　my　cubicle。　Same　source　of　supply；　I　assure　you。　I'll　fetch　it。　just　keep　your　eye　open　in　my　absence；　will　you？〃
　It　didn't　matter　very　much　whether　he　kept　his　eyes　open　or　Dot　for　I　was　back　inside　twenty　seconds。　Smithy；　clearly；　was　a　heavier　sleeper　than　I　was　for　he　didn't　stir　during　my　brief　visit。
　Lonnie　helped　himself　copiously；　drained　his　glass　in　a　few　gulps；　gazed　at　the　bottle　longingly　then　set　it　firmly　aside。　〃Duty　pleted；　I　shall　return　and　enjoy　this　at　my　leisure。　Meantime；　I　am　sufficiently　fortified。〃
　〃Where　are　you　going？〃　It　was　difficult　to　imagine　what　pressing　task　he　had　on　hand　at　that　time　of　the　night。
　〃I　am　in　great　debt　to　Miss　Haynes。　It　is　my　wish…〃
　〃To　Judith　Haynes？〃　I　know　I　stared　at　him。　It　was　my　understanding　that　you　could　with　but　difficulty　look　at　her。〃
　In　great　debt；〃　he　said　firmly。　〃It　is　my　wish　to　discharge　it；　to　clear　the　books；　you　might　say。　You　understand；〃
　〃No。　What　I　do　understand　is　that　it's　only　three　forty…five。　If　this　business　has　been　outstanding；　as　you　said；　for　so　many　years；　surely　it　can　wait　just　another　few　hours。　Besides；　Miss　Haynes　has　been　sick　and　shocked　and　she's　under　sedatives。　As　her　doctor；　and　whether　she　likes　it　or　not；　I　am　her　doctor；　I　can't　permit　it。〃
　〃And　as　a　doctor；　my