alistairmaclean.bearisland-第51部分

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eyter。
　Otto　stood　up；　drained　his　cup　and　said：　〃About　my　daughter；　Dr。　Marlowe。〃
　〃She'll　be　all　right。〃　She　would　never　again　be　all　right。
　〃I'd　like　to　talk　to　her　before　I　go。〃　I　couldn't　begin　to　imagine　a　reason　why　he　should　wish　to　talk　to　her　or　she　to　him；　but　I　refrained　from　ment。　He　went　on：　〃You　have　no　objections？　Medical　ones；　I　mean？〃
　〃No。　just　straightforward　monsense　ones。　She's　under　heavy　sedation。　You　couldn't　even　shake　her　awake。〃
　〃But　surely…〃
　〃Two　or　three　hours　at　the　very　least。　If　you　don't　want　my　advice；　Mr。　Gerran；　why　ask　for　it？〃
　〃Fair　enough；　fair　enough。　Leave　her　be。〃　He　headed　towards　the　outer　door。　〃Your　plans　for　the　day；　Dr。　Marlowe？〃
　〃Who's　left　here？〃　I　said。　〃Apart　from　your　daughter　and　myself？〃
　He　looked　at　me；　his　brows　levelled　in　a　frown；　then　said：　〃Mary　Stuart。
　Then　there's　Lonnie；　Eddie；　and　Sandy。　Why？〃
　〃They're　asleep？〃
　〃As　far　as　I　know。　Why？〃
　〃Someone　has　to　bury　Stryker。〃
　〃Ah；　yes；　of　course。　Stryker。　I　hadn't　forgotten；　you　know；　but…yes；　of　course。　Yes；　yes。　You…？〃
　Yes。
　I　am　in　your　debt。　A　ghastly　business；　ghastly；　ghastly；　ghastly。　Thank　you　again；　Dr。　Marlowe。〃　He　waddled　purposefully　towards　the　door。
　〃e；　Charles；　we　are　overdue。〃
　They　left。　I　poured　myself　some　coffee　but　had　nothing　to　eat　for　it　wasn't　a　morning　for　eating；　went　outside　into　the　equipment　shed　and　found　myself　a　spade。　The　frozen　snow　was　not　too　deep；　not　much　more　than　a　foot；　but　the　perma…frost　had　set　into　the　ground　and　it　cost　me　over　an　hour　and　a　half　and；　what　is　always　dangerous　in　those　high　latitudes；　the　loss　of　much　sweat　before　I'd　done　what　had　to　be　done。　I　returned　the　spade　and　went　inside　quickly　to　change：　it　was　a　fine　clear　morning　of　bitter　cold　with　the　sun　not　yet　in　the　sky；　but　no　morning　for　an　overheated　man　to　linger。　Five　minutes　later；　a　pair　of　binoculars　slung　round　my　neck；　I　closed　the　front　door　softly　behind　me。　Despite　the　fact　that　it　was　now　close　on　ten　o'clock；　Eddie；　Sandy；　Lonnie；　and　Mary　Stuart　had　not　as　yet　put　in　an　appearance。　The　presence　of　the　first　three　would　have　given　me　no　cause　for　concern　for　all　were　notorious　for　their　aversion　to　any　form　of　physical　activity　and　it　was　extremely　unlikely　that　any　would　have　suggested　that　they　acpany　me　on　my　outing：　Mary　Stuart　might　well　have　done　so；　for　any　number　of　reasons：　curiosity；　the　wish　to　explore；　because　she'd　been　told　to　keep　an　eye　on　me；　even；　maybe；　because　she　would　have　felt　safer　with　me　than　being　left　behind　at　the　cabin。　But　whatever　her　reasons　might　have　been　I　most　definitely　didn't　want　Mary　Stuart　keeping　an　eye　on　me　when　I　was　setting　out　to　keep　an　eye　on　Heissman。
　But　to　keep　an　eye　on　Heissman　I　had　first　of　all　to　find　him　and　Heissman；　inconveniently　and　most　annoyingly；　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。　The　intention；　as　I　had　understood　it；　was　that　he；　with　Jungbeck　and　Goin；　should　cruise　the　Sor…Hamna　in　the　sixteen…footer；　in　search　of　likely　background　material。　But　there　was　no　trace　of　their　boat　anywhere　in　the　Sor…Hamna　and　from　where　I　stood　in　the　vicinity　of　the　cabin　I　could　take　in　the　whole　sweep　of　the　bay　at　one　glance。　Against　the　remote　possibility　that　the　boat　might　have　temporarily　moved　in　behind　one　of　the　tiny　islands　on　the　east　side　of　the　bay　I　kept　the　glasses　on　those　for　a　few　minutes。　Nothing　stirred。　Heissman；　I　was　sure；　had　left　the　Sor…Hamna。
　He　could　have　moved　out　to　the　open　sea　to　the　cast　by　way　of　the　northern　tip　of　the　island　of　Makehl；　but　this　seemed　unlikely。　The　northerly　seas　were　whitecapped　and　confused；　and　apart　from　the　fact　that　Heissman　was　as　far　removed　from　the　popular　concept　of　an　intrepid　seaman　as　it　was　possible　to　imagine　it　seemed　unlikely　that　he　would　have　forgotten　Smithy's　warning　the　previous　day　about　the　dangers　inherent　in　taking　an　open…pooped　boat　out　in　such　weather。　Much　more　likely；　I　thought；　he'd　moved　south　out　of　the　Sor…Hamna　into　the　sheltered　waters　of　the　next　bay　to　the　south；　the　Eviebukta。
　I；　too；　made　my　way　south。　Initially；　I　moved　in　a　southwesterly　direction　to　give　the　low　cliffs　of　the　bay　as　wide　a　berth　as　possible；　not　from　any　vertiginous　fear　of　heights　but　because　Hendriks　and　the　Three　Apostles　were　down　there　somewhere　recording；　or　hoping　to　record；　the　cries　of　the　kittiwake　gulls；　the　fulmars；　the　black　guillernots　which　were　reputed　to　haunt　those　parts：　I　had　no　reason　to　fear　anything　at　their　hands；　I　just　didn't　want　to　go　around　arousing　too　much　curiosity。
　The　going；　diagonally　upwards　across　a　deceptively　easy…looking　slope；　proved　very　laborious　indeed。　Mountaineering　ability　was　not　called　for；　which　in　view　of　my　lack　of　expertise　or　anything　resembling　specialised　equipment；　was　just　as　well：　what　was　required　was　some　form　of　in…built　radar　to　enable　me　to　detect　the　presence　of　hidden　fissures　and　sudden　dips　in　the　smooth　expanse　of　white；　and　in　this；　unfortunately；　I　was　equally　lacking；　with　the　result　that　I　fell　abruptly　and　at　fairly　regular　intervals　into　drifts　of　newly　formed　snow　that　at　times　reached　as　high　as　my　shoulders。　There　was　no　physical　danger　in　this；　the　cushioning　effect　of　newly　driven　snow　is　almost　absolute；　but　the　effort　of　almost　continuously　extricating　myself　from　those　miniature　ravines　and　struggling　back　up　to　something　resembling　terra　firma…which　even　then　had　seldom　less　than　twelve　or　fifteen　inches　of　soft　snow…was　very　wearing　indeed。　If　it　were　so　difficult　for　me　to　make　progress　along　such　relatively　simple　ground　I　wondered　how　Smithy　and　Heyter　must　be　faring　in　the　so　much　more　wildly　rugged　mountainous　terrain　to　the　north。
　It　took　me　just　on　an　hour　and　a　half　to　cover　less　than　a　mile　and　arrive　at　a　vantage　point　of　a　height　of　about　five　hundred　feel？　that　enabled　me　to　see　into　the　next　bay…the　Evjebukta。　This　wide　U…shaped　bay；　stretching　from　Kapp　Malmgren　in　the　northeast　to　Kapp　Kolthoff　in　the　southwest；　was　just　over　a　mile　in　length　and　perhaps　half　of　that　in　width：　the　entire　coastline　of　the　bay　consisted　of　vertical　cliffs；　a　bleak；　forbidding；　and　repellent　stretch　of　grey　water　and　precipitous　limestone　that　offered　no　haven　to　those　in　peril　on　the　sea。
　I　stretched　out　gratefully　on　the　snow　and；　when　the　thumping　of　my　heart　and　the　rasping　of　my　breathing　had　quietened　sufficiently　for　me　to　hold　a　pair　of　binoculars　steady；　I　used　them　to　quarter　the　Evjebukta。　It　was　pletely　bereft　of　life。　The　sun　was　up　now；　low　over　the　southeastern　horizon；　but　even　although　it　was　in　my　eyes；　visibility　was　good　enough　and　the　resolution　of　the　binoculars　such　that　I　could　have　picked　up　a　seagull　floating　on　the　waters。　There　were　some　little　islands　to　the　north　of　the　bay　and；　of　course；　there　were　the　cliffs　immediately　below　me　that　blocked　off。　all　view　of　what　might　be　happening　at　their　feel？：　but　if　the　boat　was　concealed　either　behind　an　island　or　under　the　cliffs；　it　was　most　unlikely　that　Heissman　would　remain　in　such　positions　long　for　there　would　he　nothing　to　detain　him。
　I　looked　south　beyond　the　tip　of　Kapp　Kolthoff　and　there；　beyond　the　protection　of　the　headland；　the　sun　glinted　off。　the　broken　tops　of　white　water。　I　was　as　certain　as　one　could　be　without　absolute　proof　that　they　would　not　have　ventured　beyond　the　protection　of　the　point：　Heissman's　unseamanlike　qualities　apart；　Goin　was　far　too　prudent　a　man　to　step　unheedingly　into　anything　that　would　even　smack　of　danger。　How　long　I　lay　there　waiting　for　the　boat　to　appear　either　from　behind　an　island　or　out　from　under　the　concealment　of　the　nearest　cliffs　I　didn't　know：　what　I　did　know　was　that　I　suddenly　became　aware　of　the　fact　that　I　was　shaking　with　the　cold　and　that　both　hands　and　feel？　were　almost　pletely　benumbed。　And　I　became　aware　of　something　else。　For　several　minutes　now　I'd　had　the　binoculars　trained　not　on　the　north　end　of　the　bay　but　at　the　foot　of　the　cliffs　to　the　south　on　a　spot　where；　about　three　hundred　yards　northwest　of　the　tip　of　Kapp　Kolthoff；　there　was　a　peculiar　indentation　in　the　cliff　walls。　Partly　because　of　the　fact　that　it　appeared　to　bear　to　the　right　and　out　of　sight　behind　one　of　the　cliff　faces　guarding　the　entrance　and　partly　because；　due　to　the　height　of　the　cliffs　and　the　fact　that　the　sun　was　almost　directly　behind；　the　shadows　cast　were　very　deep；　I　was　unable　to　make　out　any　details　beyond　this　narrow　entrance。　But　that　it　was　an　entrance　to　some　cove　beyond　I　didn't　doubt。　Of　any　place　within　the　reach　of　my　binoculars　it　was　the　only　one　where　the　boat　could　have　lain　concealed：　Why　anyone　should　wish　to　lie　there　at　all　was　another　matter　altogether；　a　reason　for　which　I　couldn't　even　guess　at。　One　thing　was　for　certain；　a　landward　investigation　from　where　I　lay　was　out　of　the　question：　even　if　I　didn't　break　my　neck　in　the　minimum　of　the　two…hour　journey　it　would　take　me　to　get　there；　nothing　would　be　achieved　by　making　such　a　trip　anyway　for　not　only　did　the　descent　of　those　beetling　black　cliffs　seem　quite　suicidal　but；　even　if　it　were　impossibly　acplished；　what　lay　at　the　end　of　it　removed　any　uncertainty　about　the　permanency　of　the　awaiting　reception：　for　there　was　no　foreshore　whatever；　just　the　precipitous　plunge　of　those　limestone　walls　into　the　dark　and　icy　seas。
　Stiffly；　clumsily；　I　rose　and　headed　back　towards　the　cabin。　The　trip　back　was　easier　than　the　outwards　one　for　it　was　downhill　and　by　following　my　own　tracks　I　was　able　to　avoid　most　of　the　involuntary　descents　into　the　sunken　snowdrifts　that　had　punctuated　my　climb。　Even　so；　it　was　nearer　one　o'clock　than　noon　when　I　approached　the　cabin。　I　was　only　a　few　paces　distant　when　the　main　door　opened　and　Mary　Stuart　appeared。　One　look　at　her　and　my　heart　turned　over　and　something　cold　and　leaden　seemed　to　settle　in　the　pit　of　my　stomach。　Dishevelled　hair；　a　white　and　shocked　face；　eyes　wild　and　full　of　fear；　I'd　have　had　to　be　blind　not　to　know　that　somewhere；　close；　death　had　walked　by　again。
　〃Thank　God！〃　Her　voice　was　husky　and　full　of　tears。　〃Thank　God　you're　here！　Please　e　quickly。　Something　terrible　has　happened。〃
　I　didn't　waste　time　asking　her　what；　clearly　I'd　find　out　soon　enough；　just　followed　her　running　footsteps　into　the　cabin　and