alistairmaclean.bearisland-第70部分

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　Conrad　said　nothing；　which　was　one　of　the　things　I　liked　about　a　man　who　I　was　beginning　to　like　very　much。　He　could　have　asked　a　dozen　questions　to　which　there　were　as　yet　no　answers　but　because　he　knew　there　were　none　he　refrained　from　asking　them。　The　Evinrude　kept　purring　along　with　reassuring　steadiness　and　in　about　ten　minutes　I　could　see　the　outline　of　the　cliffs　on　the　south　of　the　Evjebukta　looming　up。　To　the　left；　the　tip　of　Kapp　Kolthoff　was　clearly　to　be　seen。　I　imagined　I　could　see　white　breakers　beyond。
　〃There　can't　possibly　be　anyone　to　see　us；〃　I　said；　〃and　we　don't　need　our　night　sight　any　more。　I　know　there　are　no　islands　in　the　vicinity。　Headlamps　would　be　handy…〃
　Conrad　moved　up　into　the　bows　and　switched　on　two　of　our　powerful　torches。　Within　two　minutes　I　could　see　the　sheer　of　dripping　black　cliffs　less　than　a　hundred　yards　ahead。　I　turned　to　starboard　and　paralleled　the　cliffs　to　the　northwest。　One　minute　later　we　had　it…the　eastward　facing　entrance　to　a　tiny　circular　inlet。　I　throttled　the　motor　right　back　and　moved　gingerly　inside　and　almost　at　once　we　had　it…a　small　semicircular　opening　at　the　base　of　the　south　cliff。　It　seemed　impossibly　small。　We　drifted　towards　it　at　less　than　one　knot。　Conrad　looked　back　over　his　shoulder。
　〃I'm　claustrophobic。〃
　〃Me；　too。〃
　If　we　get　stuck？〃
　〃The　sixteen…footer　is　bigger　than　this　one。〃
　〃If　it　was　here。　Ah；　well；　in　for　a　penny；　in　for　a　pound。〃
　I　crossed　my　mental　fingers　that　Conrad　would　have　cause　to　remember　those　words　and　eased　the　boat　into　the　tunnel。　It　was　bigger　than　it　looked　but　not　all　that　bigger。　The　waves　and　waters　of　countless　aeons　had　worn　the　rock　walls　as　smooth　as　alabaster。　Although　it　held　a　remarkably　true　direction　almost　due　south　it　was　clear；　because　of　the　varying　widths　and　the　varying　heights　of　the　tunnel　roof；　that　the　band　of　man　had　never　been　near　the　Perleporten；　then；　suddenly；　when　Conrad　called　out　and　pointed　ahead　and　to　the　right；　that　wasn't　so　clear　any　more。　The　opening　in　the　wall；　no　more；　really；　than　an　indentation　hardly　distinguishable　from　one　or　two　already　passed；　was；　at　its　deepest；　no　more　than　six　feel？；　but　it　was　bounded　by　an　odd　Hat　shelf　that　varied　from　two　to　five　feel？　in　width。　It　looked　as　if　it　had　been　manmade　but；　then；　there　were　so　many　curiously　shaped　rock　formations　in　those　parts　that　it　might　just　possibly　have　resulted　from　natural　causes。　But　there　was　one　thing　about　that　place　that　absolutely　was　in　no　way　due　to　natural　causes：　a　pile　of　grey…painted　metal　bars；　neatly　stacked　in　crisscross　symmetry。
　Neither　of　us　spoke。　Conrad　switched　on　the　other　two　torches；　pivoted　their　heads　until　they　were　facing　upwards　and　placed　them　all　on　the　shelf；　flooding　the　tiny　area　with　light。　Not　without　some　difficulty　we　scrambled　on　to　the　shelf　and　looped　the　painter　round　one　of　the　bars。　Still　without　speaking　I　took　the　boat　book　and　probed　for　bottom：　it　was　less　than　five　feel？　below　the　surface　and　a　very　odd　kind　of　rock　it　felt；　too。　I　guddled　around　some　more；　left　the　hook　strike　something　at　once　hard　and　yielding　and　hauled　it　up。　It　was　a　half…inch　chain；　corroded　in　places；　but　still　sound。　I　hauled　some　more　and　the　end　of　another　rectangular　bar；　identical　in　size　to　those　on　the　shelf　and　secured　to　the　chain　by　an　eye　bolt；　came　into　sight。　It　was　badly　discoloured。　I　lowered　chain　and　bar　back　to　the　bottom。
　Still　in　this　uncanny　silence　I　took　a　knife　from　my　pocket　and　tested　the　surface　of　one　of　the　bars。　The　metal；　almost　certainly　lead；　was　soft　and　yielding；　but　it　was　no　more　than　a　covering　skin；　there　was　something　harder　beneath。　I　dug　the　knife　blade　in　hard　and　scraped　away　an　inch　of　the　lead。　Something　yellow　glittered　in　the　lamplight。
　〃Well；　now；〃　Conrad　said。　〃Jackpot；　I　believe；　is　the　technical　term。〃
　〃Something　like　that。〃
　〃And　look　at　this。〃　Conrad　reached　behind　the　pile　of　bars　and　brought　up　a　can　of　paint。　It　was　labelled　Instant　grey。
　It　seems　to　be　very　good　stuff；〃　I　said。　I　touched　one　of　the　bars。　〃Quite　dry。　And；　you　must　admit；　quite　clever。　You　saw　off。　the　eye　bolt；　paint　the　whole　lot　over　and　what　do　you　have？〃
　〃A　ballast　bar　identical　in　size　and　colour　to　the　ballast　bars　in　the　mock…up　sub。〃
　〃Ten　out　of　ten；〃　I　said。　I　hefted　one　of　the　bars。　〃Just　right　for　easy　handling。　A　forty…pound　ingot。〃
　〃How　do　you　know？〃
　〃It's　my　Treasury　training。　Current　value…say　thirty　thousand　dollars。　How　many　bars　in　that　pile；　would　you　say？〃
　〃A　hundred。　More。〃
　〃And　that's　just　for　starters。　Bulk　is　almost　certainly　still　under　water。　Paint　brushes　there？〃
　〃Yes。〃　Conrad　reached　behind　the　pile　but　I　checked　him。
　〃Please　not；〃　I　said。　〃Think　of　all　those　lovely　fingerprints。〃
　Conrad　said　slowly：　〃My　mind's　just　engaged　gear　again。〃　He　looked　at　the　pile　and　said　incredulously：　〃Three　million　dollars？〃
　〃Give　or　take　a　few　percent。〃
　I　think　we'd　better　leave；〃　Conrad　said。　〃I'm　ing　all　over　avaricious。〃
　We　left。　As　we　emerged　into　the　little　circular　bay　we　both　looked　back　at　the　dark　and　menacing　little　tunnel。　Conrad　said：　〃Who　discovered　this？〃
　I　have　no　idea。〃
　〃Perleporten。　What　does　that　mean？〃
　〃The　Gates　of　Pearl。〃
　〃They　came　pretty　close　at　that。〃
　〃It　wasn't　a　bad　try。〃　The　journey　back　was　a　great　deal　more　unpleasant　than　the　outward　one　had　been；　the　seas　were　against　us；　the　icy　wind　and　the　equally　icy　snow　were　in　our　faces　and　because　of　that　same　snow　the　visibility　was　drastically　reduced。　But　we　made　it　inside　an　hour。　Almost　literally　frozen　stiff　but　at　the　same　time　contradictorily　shaking　with　the　cold；　we　tied　the　boat　up。　Conrad　clambered　up　on　to　the　jetty。　I　passed　him　the　black　box；　cut　about　thirty　feel？　off。　the　boat's　anchor　rope　and　followed。　I　built　a　rope　cradle　round　the　box；　fumbled　with　a　pair　of　catches　and　opened　a　hinged　cover　section　which　prised　a　third　of　the　top　plate　and　two…thirds　of　a　side　plate。　In　the　near　total　darkness　switches　and　dials　were　less　than　half…seen　blurs　but　I　didn't　need　light　to　operate　this　instrument　which　was　a　basically　very　simple　affair　anyway。　I　pulled　out　a　manually　operated　telescopic　aerial　to　its　fullest　extent　and　turned　two　switches。　A　dim　green　light　glowed　and　a　faint　hum；　that　couldn't　have　been　heard　a　yard　away；　came　from　the　box。　I　always　think　it's　so　satisfactory　when　those　little　toys　work；〃　Conrad　said。　〃But　won't　the　snow　gum　up　the　works？〃
　〃This　little　toy　costs　just　over　a　thousand　pounds。　You　can　immerse　it　in　acid；　you　can　boil　it　in　water；　you　can　drop　it　from　a　four…story　building。　It　still　works。　It's　got　a　little　sister　that　can　he　fired　from　a　naval　gun。　I　don't　think　a　little　snow　will　harm；　do　you？〃
　I　wouldn't　think　so。〃　He　watched　in　silence　as　I　lowered　the　box；　pilot　light　facing　the　stonework；　over　the　south　arm　of　the　pier；　secured　the　rope　to　a　bollard；　made　it　fast　round　its　base　and　concealed　it　with　a　scattering　of　snow。　〃What's　the　range？〃
　〃Forty　miles。　It　won't　require　a　quarter　of　that　tonight。〃
　〃And　it's　transmitting　now？〃
　〃It's　transmitting　now。〃
　We　moved　back　to　the　main　arm　of　the　pier；　brushing　footmarks　away　with　our　gloves。　I　said：　I　wouldn't　think　they　would　have　heard　us　ing　back；　but　no　chances。　A　weather　eye；　if　you　please。〃
　I　was　down　inside　the　hull　of　the　mock…up　sub　and　had　rejoined　Conrad　inside　two　minutes。　He　said：　〃No　trouble？〃
　〃None。　The　two　paints　don't　quite　match。　But　you'd　never　notice　it　unless　you　were　looking　for　it。〃
　We　were　not　greeted　like　returning　heroes。　It　would　not　be　true　to　say　that　our　return；　or　our　early　return；　was　greeted　with　anything　like　disappointment；　but　there　was　definitely　an　anticlimactic　Mr。　to　it；　maybe　they　had　already　expended　all　their　sympathies　on　Heissman；　Jungbeck；　and　Goin；　who　had　claimed；　predictably　enough；　that　their　engine　had　broken　down　in　the　late　afternoon。　Heissman　thanked　us　properly　enough　but　there　was　a　faint　trace　of　amused　condescension　to　his　thanks　that　would　normally　have　aroused　a　degree　of　antagonism　in　me　were　it　not　for　the　fact　that　my　antagonism　towards　Heissman　was　already　so　total　that　any　deepening　of　it　would　have　been　quite　impossible。　S